The Stars Shine Down

Grim-faced, Lara got into the construction elevator and took it to the level where the workman was. Ignoring the dizzying empty space below, she walked across the scaffolding to the man.

"Did you drop that wrench?"

"Yeah, sorry."

She slapped him hard across the face. "You're fired. Now get off my building."

"Hey," he said, "it was an accident. I..."

"Get out of here."

The man glared at her for a moment, then walked away and took the elevator down.

Lara took a deep breath to control herself. The other workers were watching her.

"Get back to work," she ordered.

Lara was having lunch with Sam Gosden, the New York attorney who handled her contracts for her.

"I hear everything's going very well," Gosden said.

Lara smiled. "Better than very well. We're only a few weeks away from completion."

"Can I make an admission?"

"Yes, but be careful not to incriminate yourself."

He laughed. "I was betting that you couldn't do it."

"Really? Why?"

"Real estate development on the level where you're operating is a man's game. The only women who should be in real estate are the little old blue-haired ladies who sell coops."

"So you were betting against me," Lara said.

Sam Gosden smiled. "Yeah."

Lara leaned forward. "Sam..."

"Yes?"

"No one on my team bets against me. You're fired."

He sat there openmouthed as Lara got up and walked out of the restaurant.

On the following Monday morning, as Lara drove toward the building site, she sensed that something was wrong. And suddenly she realized what it was. It was the silence. There were no sounds of hammers or drills. When Lara arrived at the construction site, she stared in disbelief. The workmen were collecting their equipment and leaving. The foreman was packing up his things. Lara hurried up to him.

"What's going on?" Lara demanded. "It's only seven o'clock."

"I'm pulling the men."

"What are you talking about?"

"There's been a complaint, Miss Cameron."

"What kind of complaint?"

"Did you slap one of the workmen?"

"What?" She had forgotten. "Yes. He deserved it. I fired him."

"Did the city give you a license to go around slapping the people who work for you?"

"Wait a minute," Lara said. "It wasn't like that. He dropped a wrench. It almost killed me. I suppose I lost my temper. I'm sorry, but I don't want him back here."

"He won't be coming back here," the foreman said. "None of us will."

Lara stared at him. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"My union doesn't think it's a joke," the foreman told her. "They gave us orders to walk. We're walking."

"You have a contract."

"You broke it," the foreman told her. "If you have any complaints, take it up with the union."

He started to walk away.

"Wait a minute. I said I'm sorry. I'll tell you what. I...I'm willing to apologize to the man, and he can have his job back."

"Miss Cameron, I don't think you get the picture. He doesn't want his job back. We've all got other jobs waiting for us. This is a busy city. And I'll tell you something else, lady. We're too goddamn busy to let our bosses slap us around."

Lara stood there watching him walk away. It was her worst nightmare.

Lara hurried back to the office to tell the news to Keller.

Before she could speak, he said, "I heard. I've been on the phone talking to the union."

"What did they say?" Lara asked eagerly.

"They're going to hold a hearing next month."

Lara's face filled with dismay. "Next month! We've got less than two months to finish the building."

"I told them that."

"And what did they say?"

"That it's not their problem."

Lara sank onto the couch. "Oh, my God. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe we could persuade the bank to..." She saw the look on his face. "I guess not." Lara suddenly brightened. "I know. We'll hire another construction crew and..."

"Lara, there isn't a union worker who will touch that building."

"I should have killed that bastard."

"Right. That would have helped a lot," Keller said dryly.

Lara got up and began pacing. "I could ask Sam Gosden to..." She suddenly remembered. "No, I fired him."

"Why?"

"Never mind."

Keller was thinking aloud. "Maybe if we got hold of a good labor lawyer...someone with clout."

"That's a good idea. Someone who can move fast. Do you know anybody?"

"No. But Sam Gosden mentioned someone in one of our meetings. A man named Martin. Paul Martin."

"Who is he?"

"I'm not sure, but we were talking about union problems, and his name came up."

"Do you know what firm he's with?"

"No."

Lara buzzed her secretary. "Kathy, there's a lawyer in Manhattan named Paul Martin. Get me his address."

Keller said, "Don't you want his phone number so you can make an appointment?"

"There's no time. I can't afford to sit around waiting for an appointment. I'm going to see him today. If he can help us, fine. If he can't, we'll have to come up with something else."

But Lara was thinking to herself, There is nothing else.

Chapter Twelve

Paul Martin's office was on the twenty-fifth floor in an office building on Wall Street. The frosted sign on the door read, PAUL MARTIN, ATTORNEY AT LAW.