Chapter 15

Soon after, Josh was done mixing the dough. Without butter available, he used a mix of sesame oil and milk instead. After it had risen, he shaped it into rounds and put them in the oven. As the temperature rose, the rich, milky aroma drew Zack and Brian over. They sniffed the air hungrily. That smell was something else! When it was about time, Josh pulled the bread out onto his board. The loaves came out plump and steaming. They were perfect in both shape and color. He handed two pieces to the Walker brothers and one to Oliver. Smiling, he said, "Try it." They could not wait to take a bite, and the praise came quickly. "This is incredible! It's even better than what I had in the city! Josh, you really know a lot of things. You even know how to make bread. Man, I really regret marrying off my daughters so early!" Zack exclaimed as he slapped his thigh. Oliver was over the moon as he listened and enjoyed the bread. He thought about how Rowan didn't want Josh to marry Janice, but here were town folks practically begging for him as a son-in-law. When the factory workers got off shift, they rushed over following the smell. They were amazed when they heard there were not just sandwiches but fresh bread today. Many had eaten bread before, but nobody in town knew how to make it. They had to go to the city to try that. Yet here was this young vendor pulling it off. Josh priced the bread much cheaper than his sandwiches. It cost 30 cents for a palm-sized piece. At that price, the workers didn't even hesitate to buy. They figured it was a steal because even a plain bun would cost ten cents. Besides, the bread not only tasted great but looked bigger thanks to the rising. It made them feel like they were getting a bargain. The truth was even with eggs, sugar, and milk added, each loaf didn't cost much more to make than a regular bun. The few batches of bread that Josh had made earlier sold out fast. As he watched a big bag of flour turn into cash, Oliver had a huge grin on his face. Trusting his son had paid off. At this rate, they might not even have enough flour at home! The bread's success boosted sandwich sales too. They sold most of their 40 pounds of meat by midday. Adding the money they made from selling the bread, they had made more in one day than the previous two combined. Even the Walker brothers were envious. Their meat stand did well enough, but it was nothing compared to Josh's booming business. "Josh, I want one sandwich! I've been running around all morning, so I'm starving!" a worker called out while pulling up on his bicycle. Josh recognized him immediately. As he split a bun and chopped meat, he asked, "Mr. Olman, you're the distillery's accountant, what could have gotten you so busy you missed lunch?" "Don't ask. A bunch of fans had arrived at the distillery and were just installed.​​ Why am I dealing with this stuff as the accountant? It's not like they're paying me extra!" Wilbur Olman complained. Josh chuckled politely and said nothing. It wasn't right for him to comment on things going on in the distillery. But as he chopped, something clicked. The distillery… fans… He remembered something. Wasn't this the year the distillery burned down and killed a lot of people? It was something about too many fans causing a short circuit in the messy wiring. "Hey, why'd you stop?" Wilbur asked. Josh snapped back, his expression turning serious. He asked, "Mr. Olman, with all these new fans at the distillery… shouldn't someone check the wiring first? A short circuit with all that alcohol around could be dangerous." "You know your stuff, kid. But relax, those wires have been fine for years. What's a few fans going to do? Here's your money," Wilbur replied and handed over the cash. He walked off, eating his sandwich. Josh watched him go with a frown. His memory was getting clearer now. Today was the day when an electrical fire would kill over 200 people and make national headlines. He might have let it go if he hadn't remembered, but now he couldn't sit still. He quickly dropped what he was doing and turned to Oliver. He said, "Dad, call the firefighters! There's going to be a fire!" As he spoke, he dashed toward the factory. Oliver stood confused. Fire? What fire? Oliver had a bad feeling as he watched his son's retreating back. He then rushed to find the town's fire brigade. At the gate, Maximo saw Josh and greeted him, "What's the rush, Josh?" "Mr. Murphy, something bad might happen inside. I need to check!" Josh said. Maximo was taken aback when he heard that. He then chuckled. "What are you talking about? You've never even been inside, how do you know if something is going to happen? What could be wrong?" "Those new fans at the distillery will overload the circuits. If that ignites the alcohol, things would be terrible!" Josh's face was dead serious. He said, "Mr. Murphy, you have to believe me. Even if you think I'm crazy, at least check!" Maximo had a good impression of Josh. He knew Josh as a mature and level-headed kid despite his age. He didn't seem the type to cry wolf. Seeing how firm Josh was, he got nervous too. He said, "Alright, I believe you. Come on, let's check it out together." He opened the gate and led Josh to the production floor, where most fans were installed. Inside, workers recognized Josh and wondered why he was there. When Maximo explained, they all laughed. "Josh, so you're not just selling food anymore, you're even inspecting our production's safety now. Nobody told us we had a new safety chief!" They were joking, of course. Nobody took his concerns seriously. They all thought it was nothing unusual to order more new fans in such hot weather. What were the odds of something going wrong on day one? Knowing they wouldn't believe him, Josh didn't argue. He just started tracing the fan wiring. Nobody interfered with Maximo accompanying him. They treated it as a break from routine and something to chuckle about. After searching for a while, Josh's head started spinning from the heavy alcohol fumes. Maximo noticed his discomfort and said, "Let's stop here, Josh. The alcohol vapors in here are strong, and most people get dizzy pretty quickly. You might get alcohol poisoning from staying here for too long." Josh nodded. He knew he needed some fresh air. That was when he heard a faint crackling sound, which most would have missed. But to Josh, who was checking the wirings, that sound was like an alarm bell.