The Stars Shine Down

"What can I do for you?"

Lara said hesitantly, "I seem to come to you whenever I’m in trouble."

"I’ve always been there for you, haven’t I?"

"Yes. You’re a good friend." She sighed. "Right now I need a good friend."

"What’s the problem? Another strike?"

"No. It’s about Cameron Towers."

He frowned. "I heard that was on schedule."

"It is. Or it was. I think Steve Murchison is out to sabotage the project. He has a vendetta against me. Things have suddenly started to go wrong at the building. Up to now we’ve been able to handle them. Now…We have a big problem. It could put us past our completion date. Our two biggest tenants would pull out. I can’t afford to let that happen."

She took a deep breath, trying to control her anger.

"Six months ago we ordered tinted glass from the New Jersey Panel and Glass Company. We received our delivery this morning. It wasn’t our glass."

"Did you call them?"

"Yes, but they’re talking about two or three months. I need that glass in four weeks. Until it’s in, there’s nothing for the men to do. They’ve stopped working. If that building isn’t completed on schedule, I’ll lose everything I have."

Paul Martin looked at her and said quietly, "No, you won’t. Let me see what I can do."

Lara felt an overwhelming sense of relief. "Paul, I…" It was difficult to put into words. "Thank you."

He took her hand in his and smiled. "The dinosaur isn’t dead yet," he said. "I should have some word for you by tomorrow."

The following morning Lara’s private phone rang for the first time in months. She picked it up eagerly. "Paul?"

"Hello, Lara. I had a little talk with some of my friends. It’s not going to be easy, but it can be done. They promised a delivery a week from Monday."

On the day the glass shipment was scheduled to arrive, Lara telephoned Paul Martin again.

"The glass hasn’t come yet, Paul," Lara said.

"Oh?" There was a silence. "I’ll look into it." His voice softened. "You know, the only good thing about this, baby, is that I get to talk to you again."

"Yes. I…Paul…if I don’t get that glass on time…"

"You’ll have it. Don’t give up."

By the end of the week there was still no word.

Keller came into Lara’s office. "I just talked to Tilly. Our deadline is Friday. If the glass arrives by then, we’ll be okay. Otherwise we’re dead."

By Thursday nothing had changed.

Lara went to visit Cameron Towers. There were no workmen there. The skyscraper rose majestically into the sky, overshadowing everything around it. It was going to be a beautiful building. Her monument. I’m not going to let it fail, Lara thought fiercely.

Lara telephoned Paul Martin again.

"I’m sorry," his secretary said. "Mr. Martin is out of the office. Is there any message?"

"Please ask him to call me," Lara said. She turned to Keller, "I have a hunch I’d like you to check out. See if the owner of that glass factory happens to be Steve Murchison."

Thirty minutes later Keller returned to Lara’s office. His face was pale.

"Well? Did you find out who owns the glass company?"

"Yes," he said slowly. "It’s registered in Delaware. It’s owned by Etna Enterprises."

"Etna Enterprises?"

"Right. They bought it a year ago. Etna Enterprises is Paul Martin."

Chapter Thirty-three

The bad publicity about Cameron Enterprises continued. The reporters who had been so eager to praise Lara before now turned on her.

Jerry Townsend went in to see Howard Keller.

"I’m worried," Townsend said.

"What’s the problem?"

"Have you been reading the press?"

"Yeah. They’re having a field day."

"I’m worried about the birthday party, Howard. I’ve sent out the invitations. Since all this bad publicity, I’ve been getting nothing but turndowns. The bastards are afraid they might be contaminated. It’s a fiasco."

"What do you suggest?"

"That we cancel the party. I’ll make up some excuse."

"I think you’re right. I don’t want anything to embarrass her."

"Good. I’ll go ahead and cancel it. Will you tell Lara?"

"Yes."

Terry Hill called.

"I just received notice that you’re being subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury in Reno day after tomorrow. I’ll go with you."

Transcript of Interrogation of Jesse Shaw by Detective Lieutenant Sal Mancini.

M: Good morning, Mr. Shaw. I’m Lieutenant Mancini. You’re aware that a stenographer is taking down our conversation?

S: Sure.

M: And you’ve waived the right to an attorney?

S: I don’t need no attorney. All I did was find a watch, for Christ’s sake, and they drug me all the way up here like I’m some kind of animal.

M: Mr. Shaw, do you know who Philip Adler is?

S: No. Should I?

M: No one paid you to attack him?

S: I told you – I never heard of him.

M: The police in Chicago found fifty thousand dollars in cash in you apartment. Where did that money come from?

S: [No response]

M: Mr. Shaw…?

S: I won it gambling.

M: Where?

S: At the track…football bets…you know.

M: You’re a lucky man, aren’t you?

S: Yeah. I guess so.

M: At present, you have a job in Chicago. Is that right?

S: Yes.

M: Did you ever work in New York?

S: Well, one time, yeah.

M: I have a police report here that says you were operating a crane at a development in Queens that killed a construction foreman named Bill Whitman. Is that correct?