Tomlinson blinked. “You can show your customers that the association is working to lower their electricity bills.”

“Why would we want to lower their electricity bills?” O’Brien’s reedy voice was beginning to irritate Jake.

Amy Wexler said, “Your association members could score a public relations coup by showing that you’re working to help your customers.”

“And you could still make more profits,” Tomlinson said, “even while you’re lowering your rates.”

O’Brien shook his head. “You don’t understand, fella. We’re a regulated industry. A board of politicians and other noble citizens set the prices we can charge for electricity in each and every state of the union. Why should we go for a new generating system that’s more efficient? Those goddamn regulators will just force us to cut our rates.”

Tomlinson looked shocked; Amy fell silent. Jake glanced at Bob Rogers; he seemed positively angry.

For long moments no one spoke. O’Brien took another slug of his drink. Tomlinson seemed at a loss for words. The limo rolled along the interstate under a thin gray cover of clouds.

At last Jake spoke up. “Your association should support MHD because it will show the people who pay their electric bills that you’re trying to help them.”

Before O’Brien could respond, Tomlinson jumped in. “That’s right. You’ll be on the side of the angels. You’ll be showing your customers that you want to lower their electricity bills.”

“And the regulatory boards—”

“The regulatory boards will go easier on you because they’ll get pressure from the voters.”

O’Brien shook his head. “The only time the voters put pressure on the boards is to stop us from raising our rates.”

“But this time,” Tomlinson said, reaching across Amy to jab a finger into O’Brien’s shoulder, “you’ll be going to the boards to ask them to lower your rates! Think of how that’ll go over with your customers. And their political leaders.”

O’Brien’s eyes shifted to his two aides, who nodded in unison. Jake thought of bobble-head dolls.

Tomlinson added, “Lowering your rates will make your customers and the regulators happy with you. Of course, you won’t lower them so much that you won’t make an indecent profit out of the new system.”

Everyone chuckled, except O’Brien.

Very reluctantly, he admitted, “Maybe you’re right.”

“You’re damned right I’m right,” Tomlinson snapped.

They drove on in silence for several miles. At last Amy asked, “Then can we count on your support for MHD, Mr. O’Brien?”

He looked her up and down, smiled, and replied, “Yeah, why the hell not? It’s all so far in the future that it doesn’t really matter one way or the other, does it?”

“The future becomes the present sooner than you think,” Rogers said.

Make the victim a party to the crime, Jake told himself.