The following week Lara had a new barber style Paul’s hair.
Paul Martin looked at himself in the mirror and thought, I do look younger. Life had become exciting. And all because of Lara, he thought.
Paul’s wife tried not to notice the change in her husband.
They were all there for the meeting: Keller, Tom Chriton, Jim Belon and Terry Hill.
“We’re going to fast-track the hotel,” Lara announced.
The men looked at one another. “That’s dangerous,” Keller said.
“Not if you do it right.”
Tom Chriton spoke up. “Miss Cameron, the safe way to do this is to complete one phase at a time. You do your grading, and when that’s done, you begin digging the trenches for foundations. When that’s done, you put in the utility conduits and drainage piping. Then…”
Lara interrupted. “You put in the wooden concrete frame-work and the skeletal gridiron. I know all that.”
“Then why…?”
“Because that will take two years. I don’t want to wait two years.”
Jim Belon said, “If we fast-track it, that means starting all the different steps at once. If anything goes wrong, nothing will fit together. You could have a lopsided building with electric circuits in the wrong place and…”
“Then we have to see to it that nothing goes wrong, don’t we?” Lara said. “If we do it this way, we’ll get the building up in a year instead of two, and we’ll save close to twenty million dollars.”
“True, but it’s taking a big chance.”
“I like taking chances.”
Chapter Fifteen
Lara told Paul Martin about her decision to fast-track the hotel and the discussion she had had with the committee.
“They may have been right,” Paul said. “What you’re doing could be dangerous.”
“Trump does it. Uris does it.”
Paul said gently, “Baby, you’re not Trump or Uris.”
“I’m going to be bigger than they are, Paul. I’m going to put up more buildings in New York than anyone ever has before. It’s going to be my city.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “I believe you.”
Lara had an unlisted telephone installed in her office. Only Paul Martin had the number. He installed a telephone in his office for Lara’s calls. They spoke to each other several times a day.
Whenever they could get away in the afternoon, they went to Lara’s apartment. Paul Martin looked forward to those trysts more than he had ever believed possible. Lara had become an obsession with him.
When Keller became aware of what was happening, he was concerned.
“Lara,” he said, “I think you’re making a mistake. He’s dangerous.”
“You don’t know him. He’s wonderful.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Lara thought about it. Paul Martin fulfilled a need in her life. But was she in love with him?
“No.”
“Is he in love with you?”
“I think so.”
“Be careful. Be very careful.”
Lara smiled. Impulsively, she kissed Keller’s cheek. “I love the way you take care of me, Howard.”
Lara was at the construction site, studying a report.
“I notice we’re paying for an awful lot of lumber,” Lara said. She was talking to Pete Reese, the new project manager.
“I didn’t want to mention it before, Miss Cameron, because I wasn’t sure—but you’re right. A lot of our lumber’s missing. We’ve had to double order it.”
She looked up at him. “You mean, someone is stealing it?”
“It looks that way.”
“Do you have any idea who?”
“No.”
“We have night watchmen here, don’t we?”
“One watchman.”
“And he hasn’t seen anything?”
“No. But with all this activity going on, it could be happening during the day. It could be anybody.”
Lara was thoughtful. “I see. Thanks for letting me know, Pete. I’ll take care of it.”
That afternoon Lara hired a private detective, Steve Kane. “How does anyone walk away in broad daylight with a load of lumber?” Kane asked.
“You tell me.”
“You say there’s a night watchman at the site?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe he’s in on it.”
“I’m not interested in maybes,” Lara said. “Find out who’s behind it and get back to me.”
“Can you get me hired as a member of the construction crew?”
“I’ll take care of it.”