Erie City Hall, Mayor's Office.
Ron Smith slammed the receiver back onto the landline phone. The crude motion let out a loud CLANG.
He had just finished a call with the state investigation team.
Some young bureaucrat from Harrisburg had informed him, in a stiff tone, that all of Erie City's cross-regional procurement accounts had been preemptively frozen.
After hanging up, Smith picked up another cell phone and dialed a number.
Scranton. Joe Byers.
The call was answered almost instantly.
"Ron?" Byers's voice sounded like he was being strangled, and he was clearly gasping for air. "You got the call, too?"
"I did," Smith said. "Harrisburg is playing for keeps this time. It looks like Monroe's campaign isn't going well. He's getting desperate."
