Table of contents | Introduction   Playing with Fire A novel by Scott Lazenby   Cast of Characters   Kate Anderson  A friend of the Cromarty family Hank Arnold  The myopic but perceptive council member Betty Sue Castle  The city manager’s young assistant Sabrina Chan  The inquisitive reporter Ben Cromarty  The beleaguered city manager Mary Cromarty  Ben’s wife Trixie Cromarty   Ben and Mary’s daughter Mrs. Dunwoody  The crazy citizen obsessed with airborne vehicles Bo French  The bum camped out at the sewer plant Brian Gallagher  The shrewd fire union president Simon Garrett  The storytelling police chief Maggie Henderson  The council member with a blonde wig Pete Koenig  The bow-tied city attorney Ken Longstreet  The button-down city finance director Diane McTavish  The strong-willed mayor Max Oakley  The aloof fire chief Todd Pritchard  The scheming business curmudgeon Seth Rosenberg  The thoughtful city council member Will Samuels  The optimistic parks director from Louisiana Rob Titus  The council member with a private law practice Jake Wildavsky  The joke-cracking public works director Bess Wilson  The sharp-tongued planning director Copyright © 2001, Scott D. Lazenby. Reproduction in any form without the written permission of the author is prohibited. Illustration: Paul Salmon