Free SAVANNAH GONE by DOUG KEELER Page B

supporter of dredging the river, but then again, so is every other politician in the state.
    Olivia nodded. “He’s taking credit for getting the project funded. Supposedly he’s thinking about running against Hilary next year. Claire spoke out at one of his rallies. She called him on the carpet for risking the environment. From what Claire told me, it turned heated.”
    “You mentioned run-ins with several people. Who else besides Thigpen?”
    “The only other person I’m sure about is Frank Chambers.”
    We were now across the street from the Mansion on Forsyth Park, located at the corner of Drayton and E Hall. The fashionable hotel used to be a funeral home, but these days the only people dying to get in are the well-heeled. If you’ve got a few extra quid, I highly recommend it for your next visit. Better yet, stay home or vacation somewhere else.
    I asked Olivia, “Who’s Frank Chambers?”
    “He’s a well-connected real estate developer,” she said, glancing my way. “Ever heard of Liberty Island?”
    I didn’t recall seeing it on my coastal Georgia map. “Doesn’t ring a bell,” I replied.
    “It’s an ultra-luxury residential development about forty miles south of Savannah. It’s really not one island, but a series of marsh islands connected by small wooden bridges along the Newport River. There are over three hundred residential lots, a golf course, a deep-water marina, an equestrian center, and an aquatic landing strip for seaplanes. We were supposed to have the exclusive contract to sell the homes.”
    “What happened?”
    We turned the corner at Drayton and Gaston, continuing west toward the Whitaker Street side of the Park.
    “I wasn’t one of the on-site agents,” she replied, “but apparently Chambers and my broker had differences. He pulled the contract and formed his own real estate sales company, which is certainly his right. In fact, many developers use their own agents.”
    “Why would Claire have trouble with Chambers?”
    “He’s done a number of shady things.”
    I waited for her to elaborate, but she stayed quiet, lost in her thoughts. We passed Bull Street to our right. “What kind of shady things?” I asked.
    “Well, for starters he significantly increased the density of Liberty Island after the development had been approved by the county. Originally it was designed to be a very low density, eco-friendly type development, somewhere along the order of one hundred twenty to one hundred thirty homes. And there was supposed to be a tremendous amount of dedicated green space that could never be developed. I’m not sure of the particulars, but he must have paid off some county officials because the density almost tripled.”
    “He’s not the first developer to pull that.”
    “No. That’s true, but there’s more to it than that. Frank Chambers wasn’t Liberty Island’s original developer. Wayne Kendall brought him on board after the real estate market collapsed. Banks were failing, and those that weren't refused to turn any money loose. Wayne’s funding dried up, and the development almost went bankrupt.”
    I still didn’t understand what this had to do with Claire. I asked Olivia, “Does Claire hold a grudge against Wayne? As Chambers’ partner, isn’t he partially responsible for the increased density?”
    “They’re no longer partners. Somewhere along the line they had a falling out. There were suits and counter-suits. It went all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court. Supposedly the judge who heard the case is Chambers’ hunting buddy, so of course he decided in his favor. A lot of people think Frank Chambers stole Liberty Island from Wayne.” She shot me a sidelong glance, then added, “Wayne grew up in Charleston. He and Claire have known each other for years.”
    “Are they ever romantically involved?”
    “Not a chance,” Olivia said, giggling. “Wayne’s gay. He’s been in a committed relationship for years.”
    “Where’s Wayne these days?”