Page 115 of The Deadly Shallows

Once they were all seated, Braxton asked, “What do you want to know about TCEP?” He reclined in his chair, steepling his fingers. “I have to admit, I’m very curious why the Coast Guard Investigative Service and a private eye are interested in a foam manufacturing chemical.”

“Understandable,” Caleb said, pulling his notepad out of his pocket, followed by his pen, which he clicked to begin writing. “Let’s start with the basics. Is TCEP a chemical you use in production?”

Braxton reclined farther, his chair creaking with the motion. “We did use TCEP until it was banned, which basically affected our entire line of products, so we switched to an innovative technology resulting in eco-friendly foams.”

“Eco-friendly?” Austin asked.

“Six months back, we overhauled our plant. We use enclosed chambers to control the foam-pouring conditions, which no longer require the use of hazardous air-pollutant auxiliary blowing agents to manufacture our products. In fact, our process is now virtually emissions free. We’ve developed patented technology and are quickly becoming leaders in the green foam field.”

“So leaders in environmentally friendly foaming?” Austin asked. “Just to clarify.”

Braxton smiled. “That’s correct.” He reached into the cabinet behind him and grabbed two brochures, handing one to each of them.

Caleb unfolded the trifold brochure, scanning the contents.

“That’s quite a change from manufacturing flame-retardant foam,” he said.

“Yes.” Braxton took a stiff inhale and nodded on the exhale. “It was a multimillion-dollar overhaul, but it was worth it for our environment and our customers.”

A big foam plant suddenly worrying about the environment when they’d worked with chemicals like TCEP for years seemed a rapid turnaround. “What did you do with the TCEP you had on hand?” Caleb asked. “They had to be expensive to dispose of.”

Braxton tapped his fingertips together. “It would have been, but thankfully we weren’t left holding any. We got wind of the ban coming and pumped out product as fast as we could.”

“You had none left to dispose of?” Austin asked, clearly not convinced Braxton Gower was telling the truth.

“Correct.” Braxton said, straightening, his chair creaking on the way up. “Unlike some of the other poor saps in our industry. Cost a few in the biz their entire plants.”

He looked at his watch. “I apologize, but I have a meeting in five.”

“Of course,” Caleb said. “Thanks for your time and for showing us around.”

“My pleasure,” Braxton said.

Austin pulled a card from her bag as Caleb pulled one from his pocket. Both handed them to Braxton.

“If you think of anything that might be helpful in the search for who might be dumping TCEP illegally, please give either of us a call,” Caleb said.

“Is that what this is about?” Braxton asked, slipping their cards in his vest pocket.

“I’m afraid so,” Austin said.

“That’s terrible. I will absolutely reach out if I think of anything,” he said over his shoulder as he hurried off.

“What do you think?” Austin asked as Caleb held the Forester’s passenger door open for her.

He inhaled. Three plants. The first two nearly carbon copies. The last held a very different vibe with its environmentally friendly process and claim they’d been left holding no TCEP. “I’m thinking we discuss it over burgers at Dockside.” Lunch would give them time to discuss everything.

“Sounds great.” Austin smiled.

Reaching the one-lane bridge leading into Wrightsville Beach, they waited for their turn to cross. Caleb looked in his rearview mirror and frowned.

“What’s up?” Austin asked.

“That blue sedan,” he said, tilting his chin. “I saw one like it as we pulled out of Huntington Foam and now here.”

“Is it the same one?” she asked.

He glanced in the rearview mirror again. “Well, both had an air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror.”