Chapter 5: The County Records
By noon, Julian was sitting in the small, sun-drenched reading room of the County Records Office in Oakhaven, the local county seat. Heavy leather-bound survey books were stacked across the wooden table in front of him.
Across the desk sat Ben Miller, a middle-aged clerk with thinning hair and a frayed necktie, who had worked in the courthouse for thirty years. Ben dragged an index finger down an old parchment map from 1984.
"Here it is," Ben said, tapping the map. "Parcel 402, Blackwood Ridge. It was designated an industrial runoff site after the tannery closed. In 1998, Vance Development purchased the deed for ten cents on the dollar."
"Is there an environmental clearance certificate attached?" Julian asked.
Ben flipped through a yellowed folder containing environmental reports. He stopped at a page stamped with a red seal, signed by a former county commissioner.
"There’s a conditional clearance," Ben said, frowning slightly. "It says the soil was remediated, but the groundwater access was supposed to be permanently capped. No domestic wells were ever supposed to be drilled within half a mile of the eastern ravine."
"Clara’s firm drilled three deep wells last winter," Julian said. "They built four luxury homes on top of that ridge."
Ben looked at Julian, his expression turning solemn. "If that cap was breached, Julian, every home on that ridge is drawing from contaminated water. Does the county health department know about Maya?"
"The ER doctor filed a report this morning," Julian replied.
The door to the records office opened, and a man in a tailor-made suit stepped inside. It was Arthur Vance, Clara’s uncle and the chief legal counsel for Vance Development. He carried a leather briefcase and walked with the calm confidence of a man used to owning every room he entered.
"Julian," Arthur said smoothly, stepping toward the table. "Clara told me I might find you here. We need to talk about how we're going to handle this situation."
Julian stood up slowly, facing the older man. "There's nothing to talk about, Arthur. The reports are right here."
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"Those reports are thirty years old, Julian," Arthur said, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the clerk. "We are working with private labs to resolve any minor filtration issues. A public panic won't help Maya, and it certainly won't help your family's future."
"My family's future isn't tied to your company's land values," Julian said quietly. "It's tied to my daughter's health."
