“I heard the news,” Lara told her. “I’m so sorry, Kathy.”
“I’m going to die,” Kathy said.
Lara rose and put her arms around her, holding her close. “You’re not going to do anything of the kind. They’ve made a lot of progress with cancer. You’re going to have the operation, and you’re going to be all right.”
“Miss Cameron, I can’t afford…”
“Everything will be taken care of. Dr. Peters is going to see that you have one more examination. If it verifies his diagnosis, you should have the operation right away. Now go home and get some rest.”
Kathy’s eyes filled with tears again. “I…thank you.”
As Kathy walked out of the office, she thought, No one really knows that lady.
Chapter Sixteen
The following Monday Lara had a visitor.
“There’s a Mr. O’Brian here to see you from the city planning commissioner’s office, Miss Cameron.”
“What about?”
“He didn’t say.”
Lara buzzed Keller on the intercom. “Will you come in here, Howard?” She said to the secretary, “Send Mr. O’Brian in.”
Andy O’Brian was a burly red-faced Irishman with a slight brogue. “Miss Cameron?”
Lara remained seated behind her desk. “Yes. What can I do for you, Mr. O’Brian?”
“I’m afraid you’re in violation of the law, Miss Cameron.”
“Really? What is this all about?”
“You own the Dorchester Apartments on East Fourteenth Street?”
“Yes.”
“We have a report that about a hundred homeless people have crowded into those apartments.”
“Oh, that.” Lara smiled. “Yes, I thought that since the city wasn’t doing anything about the homeless, I would help out. I’m giving them shelter.”
Howard Keller walked into the room.
“This is Mr. Keller. Mr. O’Brian.”
The two men shook hands.
Lara turned to Keller. “I was just explaining how we’re helping the city out by providing housing.”
“You invited them in, Miss Cameron?”
“That’s right.”
“Do you have a license from the city?”
“A license for what?”
“If you’re setting up a shelter, it has to be approved by the city. There are certain strict conditions that are enforced.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware of that. I’ll arrange for the license immediately.”
“I don’t think so.”
“What does that mean?”
“We’ve had complaints from the tenants in the building. They say you’re trying to force them out.”
“Nonsense.”
“Miss Cameron, the city is giving you forty-eight hours to move those homeless people out of there. And when they leave, we have an order for you to take down the boards that you put up to cover the windows.”
Lara was furious. “Is that all?”
“No, ma’am. The tenant who has the roof garden says you put up a sign blocking his view. You’ll have to take that down, too.”
“What if I won’t?”
“I think you will. All this comes under harassment. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble and unpleasant publicity by not forcing us to take you to court.” He nodded and said, “Have a nice day.”
They watched him walk out of the office.
Keller turned to Lara. “We’ll have to get all those people out of there.”
“No.” She sat there, thinking.
“What do you mean ‘no’? The man said…”
“I know what he said. I want you to bring in more homeless. I want that building packed with street people. We’re going to stall. Call Terry Hill. Tell him the problem. Have him get a stay or something. We’ve got to get those six tenants out by the end of the month or it’s going to cost us three million dollars.”
The intercom buzzed. “Dr. Peters is on the phone.”
Lara picked up the telephone. “Hello, Alan.”
“I just wanted to tell you that we finished the operation. It looks like we got it all. Kathy’s going to be fine.”
“That’s wonderful news. When can I visit her?”
“You can come by this afternoon.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks, Alan. See that I get all the bills, will you?”
“Will do.”
“And you can tell the hospital to expect a donation. Fifty thousand dollars.”
Lara said to Tricia, “Fill her room with flowers.” She looked at her schedule. “I’ll go down to see her at four o’clock.”
Terry Hill arrived at the office. “There’s a warrant for your arrest coming in.”