Former mayor chief of staff Mark Towhey on the Rob Ford saga

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The last time Mark Towhey and I were sitting across a table from one another, I asked him about his boss's drug habits and he told me my information was all wrong.

It was the spring of 2012, well before the infamous crack video would make Rob Ford a household name around the world.

For three years – up until he was fired as the mayor's chief of staff in May, 2013 – Mr. Towhey and I were stuck together in the same Ford storm at Toronto City Hall, but our experiences and goals differed wildly.

On Oct. 27, Mr. Towhey's tell-all book Mayor Rob Ford: Uncontrollable – How I Tried to Help the World's Most Notorious Mayor will hit stores.

The book, which was co-authored by Johanna Schneller, provides the flip-side view of the Ford saga from the perspective of the mayor's staff. Where Mr. Towhey was concerned, it was a thrilling, but emotionally and physically taxing experience.

In a widely discussed section of the book released this week, Mr. Towhey writes about a terrifying incident in which the mayor phoned his cellphone in the middle of the night, apparently to bear witness to a domestic dispute.

According to Mr. Towhey, both the mayor and Mr. Ford's wife, Renata, were inebriated and possibly high. They were screaming at one another and at one point, Mr. Towhey writes, Mr. Ford told him over the phone that Renata had taken his gun and that "I'm putting three bullets in [her] head."

This week, Mr. Towhey and I met to discuss that phone call, his coming book and a memorable meal together at Fran's restaurant.

Robyn Doolittle: Just to start, I thought I would formally extend an invitation to the "I've written a book about Rob Ford society."

Mark Towhey: Awesome.

R.D.: It's a pretty exclusive club. We're expanding soon. I can show you the handshake once we're done. But I want to get into the call with Rob Ford. Can you tell me what's going on in that scene? Why didn't you call 911?

M.T.: I didn't call 911 because, in my judgment, it never got to that point where it was actually a threat.

R.D.: Were you just so used to this behaviour? I think a lot of people would read that and go: How could you not phone 911? There were children in the house.

M.T.: A lot of people have already said that. It works both ways. Taken in isolation, yeah, it's a horrible thing. But when you look at it, it's a husband and wife arguing. That happens every night in homes across Canada. I just moved out of an apartment where the neighbours were screaming and yelling all the time.

R.D.: How much was going through your head that this is the mayor, that if I call 911 this might get out, and if I call 911 and this gets out I might not have a job?

M.T.: I don't think the latter part entered my mind at all. It never got to the point of imminent peril. It just didn't. I'm also aware of the fact, if I call the police, I lose him. I'm still trying to be the friend on the phone and get him to calm down. And be supportive and not judgmental and get him out of the room.

R.D.: The details of what happened in Rob Ford's house that night would not come as news to me or some other journalists who worked on this story, but we always chose to leave Renata out of it, to leave the kids out of it, unless absolutely necessary. I'm curious to hear why you felt that story needed to be mentioned now. Is this in the public interest?

M.T.: It was a tough decision. Some of that part of that story had to be told in order to understand what was happening with him. Because, you're right, a lot of the stuff that was happening with the family was rightly, and to the credit of the media, never covered. It's not the focus of the book. It's a small part of the book. But I think you need to understand to some extent the environment he was operating in and that we were operating in as the staff

R.D.: Let's move back to the last time you and I were sitting face to face. We were at Fran's restaurant. I was reporting on the fact that I felt the mayor had a serious drinking problem, possibly a drug problem, that he was missing work and staff wanted him in rehab. And I remember sitting across from you and laying out what I had. My information was you were trying to get him to rehab. And I remember you looking at me and saying: "Your information isn't correct." Reading your book, I really felt like the book should be called "Uncontrollable: My year trying to conceal the truth about Toronto's mayor."

M.T.: I remember that conversation. And I remember by and large that I didn't bite or comment in any way other than ask for the ketchup. The one piece that you had talked about was a specific piece of information about cocaine use at [a Toronto bar on St. Patrick's Day]. From all of my sources, I didn't believe that was true. I didn't tell you what piece [wasn't true]. I said your information is not correct. And I stand by that statement. I never lied to you. And I never lied to any of the media. What I did often do is answer the piece I could answer in a positive way and ignore the rest of it.

R.D.: I think our recollection of that meeting is the same, so I guess we've presented our arguments. But that to me is sort of misleading. I understand this is your job. You're protecting this guy. But given the magnitude of the allegations, is there not a duty to say: "This is true."

M.T.: I'm not sure why there would be a duty on us to say: "The guy that we work for is not telling the truth." It was our duty to never lie and we never did.

R.D.: Switching gears here: Respect for taxpayers was Rob Ford's thing. But Rob Ford did many things while in office that did not seem to have respect for taxpayers. For instance, using city resources to coach his football team.

M.T.: Arguable whether that happened. That's in the book.

At this point, I ask Mr. Towhey if he has any questions for me. He asks about my previous employer, the Toronto Star, and whether the newspaper had it out for Rob Ford. I said this absolutely was not the case, that we were just reporting the news. I first reported about domestic incidents at the mayor's house in December, 2011. He said he remembered the story and thought it was unfair.

M.T.: At the beginning of our discussion, you said you knew about issues in the [mayor's] home, but you didn't want to report on that part of it. But the problem is, you did choose to report on the other half of it and that, perhaps, was an unfair characterization given you didn't you report the other half.

R.D.: You mean the fact that I'd reported that his in-laws had called 911 to say that he was drunk and driving his kids to the airport, but I didn't report the fact that his wife has issues of her own?

M.T.: Yep.

R.D.: What I would say to that is he's the elected official. She never asked for any of this.

M.T.: I agree. But because you decided to take that piece of that puzzle out, you're left with an incomplete story. At the time, I didn't believe it was fair at all.

R.D.: That, I think, is the interesting thing about your book. You do have the other side of these moments. So you say that the book is not about that phone call. What is the book about?

M.T.: I think the phone call is an important piece of the puzzle and the book is really trying to put that puzzle together.

R.D.: The book comes out Oct. 27?

M.T.: In stores. Preorder now. Hardcover and e-book.

R.D.: Well good luck with it. I really enjoyed it.

This conversation interview has been edited and condensed.