The Stars Shine Down (25 page)

H
e was hired by your wife!
Philip was stunned.
Lara?
Could Lara have done such a terrible thing? What reason would she have?

“I don’t understand why you practice every day. You’re not giving a concert now
…”

“You don’t have to go. I want a husband. Not a part-time…It’s not as though you were some kind of traveling salesman
…”

“She accused me of stealing the diamond bracelet you gave her…She would do anything to hold on to you
…”

And Ellerbee:
“Are you thinking of cutting back on your concerts?…I had a talk with Lara.”

Lara.

At 1 Police Plaza a meeting was in progress with the district attorney, the police commissioner, and Lieutenant Mancini.

The district attorney was saying, “We’re not dealing here
with Jane Doe. The lady has a lot of clout. How much solid evidence do you have, Lieutenant?”

Mancini said, “I checked with personnel at Cameron Enterprises. Jesse Shaw was hired at the request of Lara Cameron. I asked them if she had ever personally hired anyone on the construction crew before. The answer was ‘no.’ ”

“What else?”

“There was a rumor that a construction boss named Bill Whitman was bragging to his buddies that he had something on Lara Cameron that was going to make him a rich man. Shortly after that he was killed by a crane operated by Jesse Shaw. Shaw had been pulled off his job in Chicago to go to New York. After the accident he went right back to Chicago. There’s no question but that it was a hit. Incidentally, his airline ticket was paid for by Cameron Enterprises.”

“What about the attack on Adler?”

“Same MO. Shaw flew in from Chicago two days before the attack and left the next day. If he hadn’t gotten greedy and decided to pick up a little extra money by pawning the watch, instead of throwing it away, we never would have caught him.”

The police commissioner asked, “What about motive? Why would she do that to her husband?”

“I talked to some of the servants. Lara Cameron was crazy about her husband. The only thing they ever quarreled about was his going away on concert tours. She wanted him to stay home.”

“And now he’s staying home.”

“Exactly.”

The district attorney asked, “What’s her story? Does she deny it?”

“We haven’t confronted her yet. We wanted to talk to you first to see if we have a case.”

“You say that Philip Adler can identify Shaw?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“Why don’t you send one of your men over to question Lara Cameron? See what she has to say.”

Lara was in a meeting with Howard Keller when the intercom buzzed. “There’s a Lieutenant Mancini here to see you.”

Lara frowned. “What about?”

“He didn’t say.”

“Send him in.”

Lieutenant Mancini was treading on delicate ground. Without hard evidence, it was going to be difficult to get anything out of Lara Cameron.
But I’ve got to give it a try,
he thought. He had not expected to see Howard Keller there.

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant.”

“Afternoon.”

“You’ve met Howard Keller.”

“I certainly have. Best pitching arm in Chicago.”

“What can I do for you?” Lara asked.

This was the tricky part.
First establish that she knew Jesse Shaw and then lead her on from there
.

“We’ve arrested the man who attacked your husband.” He was watching her face.

“You have? What…?”

Howard Keller interrupted. “How did you catch him?”

“He pawned a watch that Miss Cameron gave her husband.” Mancini looked at Lara again. “The man’s name is Jesse Shaw.”

There was not the faintest change of expression.
She’s good,
Mancini thought.
The lady is really good.

“Do you know him?”

Lara frowned. “No. Should I?”

That’s her first slip,
Mancini thought.
I’ve got her
.

“He worked on the construction crew of one of your buildings in Chicago. He also worked for you on a project in Queens. He was operating a crane that killed a man.”

He pretended to consult his notebook. “A Bill Whitman. The medical examiner put it down as an accident.”

Lara swallowed. “Yes…”

Before she could go on, Keller spoke up. “Look, Lieutenant, we have hundreds of people working for this company. You can’t expect us to know them all.”

“You don’t know Jesse Shaw?”

“No. And I’m sure Miss Cameron…”

“I’d rather hear it from her, if you don’t mind.”

Lara said, “I’ve never heard of the man.”

“He was paid fifty thousand dollars to attack your husband.”

“I…I can’t believe it!” Her face was suddenly drained of color.

Now I’m getting to her,
Mancini thought. “You don’t know anything about it?”

Lara was staring at him, her eyes suddenly blazing. “Are you suggesting…? How dare you! If someone put him up to that, I want to know who it was!”

“So does your husband, Miss Cameron.”

“You discussed this with Philip?”

“Yes. I…”

A moment later Lara was flying out of the office.

When Lara reached the penthouse, Philip was in the bedroom packing, clumsily because of his crippled hand.

“Philip…what are you doing?”

He turned to face her, and it was as though he were seeing her for the first time. “I’m leaving.”

“Why? You can’t believe that…that terrible story?”

“No more lies, Lara.”

“But I’m
not
lying. You’ve got to listen to me. I had nothing to do with what happened to you. I wouldn’t hurt you for anything in the world. I love you, Philip.”

He turned to face her. “The police say that the man worked for you. That he was paid fifty thousand dollars to…to do what he did.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know anything about it. I only know that I had nothing to do with it. Do you believe me?”

He stared at her, silent.

Lara stood there for a long moment, then turned and blindly walked out of the room.

Philip spent a sleepless night at a downtown hotel. Visions of Lara kept coming to his mind.
“I’m interested in knowing more about the foundation. Perhaps we could get together and discuss it…”

“Are you married?…Tell me about yourself…”

“When I listen to your Scarlatti, I’m in Naples…”

“I dream a dream of bricks and concrete and steel, and make it come true…”

“I came to Amsterdam to see you…”

“Would you like me to go with you to Milan…?”

“You’re going to spoil me, lady…” “I intend to…”

And Lara’s warmth, compassion, and caring. Could I have been that wrong about her?

When Philip arrived at police headquarters, Lieutenant Mancini was waiting for him. He led Philip into a small auditorium with a raised platform at the far end.

“All we need is for you to identify him in the lineup.”

So they can tie him in with Lara
, Philip thought.

There were six men in the lineup, all roughly the same build and age. Jesse Shaw was in the middle. When Philip saw him, his head began to pound suddenly. He could hear
his voice saying,
“Give me your wallet.”
He could feel the terrible pain of the knife slashing across his wrist.
Could Lara have done that to me? “You’re the only man I’ve ever loved.”

Lieutenant Mancini was speaking. “Take a good look, Mr. Adler.”

“I’m going to be working at home from now on. Philip needs me…”

“Mr. Adler…”

“
We’re going to get you the best doctors in the world
…” She had been there for him every moment, nurturing him, caring for him. “
If Mohammed won’t go to the mountain
…”

“Would you point him out to me?”

“
I married you because I was wildly head over heels in love with you. I still am. If we never make love again, it will be fine with me. All I want is for you to hold me and love me
…” And she had meant it.

And then the last scene in the apartment. “
I had nothing to do with what happened to you. I wouldn’t hurt you for anything in the world
…”

“Mr. Adler…”

The police must have made a mistake
, Philip thought.
By God, I believe her. She couldn’t have done it!

Mancini was speaking again. “Which one is he?”

And Philip turned to him and said, “I don’t know.”

“
What?
”

“I don’t see him.”

“You told us you got a good look at him.”

“That’s right.”

“Then tell me which one he is.”

“I can’t,” Philip said. “He’s not up there.”

Lieutenant Mancini’s face was grim. “You’re sure about that?”

Philip stood up. “I’m positive.”

“Then I guess that’s all, Mr. Adler. Thanks a lot for your cooperation.”

I’ve got to find Lara
, Philip thought.
I’ve got to find Lara.

She was seated at her desk, staring out the window. Philip had not believed her. That was what hurt so terribly. And Paul Martin.
Of course, he was behind it. But why did he do it? “Do you remember what I said about your husband taking care of you? He doesn’t seem to be doing a very good job. Someone should have a talk with him!”
Was it because he loved her? Or was it an act of vengeance because he hated her?

Howard Keller walked in. His face looked white and drawn. “I just got off the phone. We lost Cameron Towers, Lara. Both Southern Insurance and Mutual Overseas Investment are pulling out because we can’t meet our completion date. There’s no way we can handle our mortgage payments. We almost made it, didn’t we? The biggest skyscraper in the world. I’m…I’m sorry. I know how much it meant to you.”

Lara turned to face him, and Keller was shocked by her appearance. Her face was pale, and there were black circles under her eyes. She seemed dazed, as though the energy had been drained from her.

“Lara…did you hear what I said? We’ve lost Cameron Towers.”

When she spoke, her voice was unnaturally calm. “I heard you. Don’t worry, Howard. We’ll borrow on some of the other buildings and pay everything off.”

She was frightening him. “Lara, there’s nothing more to borrow on. You’re going to have to file for bankruptcy and…”

“Howard…?”

“Yes?’

“Can a woman love a man too much?”

“What?”

Her voice was dead. “Philip has left me.”

It suddenly explained a lot. “I…I’m sorry, Lara.”

She had a strange smile on her face. “It’s funny, isn’t it? I’m losing everything at once. First Philip, now my buildings. Do you know what it is, Howard? It’s the Fates. They’re against me. You can’t fight the Fates, can you?”

He had never seen her in such pain. It tore at him. “Lara…”

“They’re not through with me yet. I have to fly to Reno this afternoon. There’s a grand jury hearing. If…”

The intercom buzzed. “There’s a Lieutenant Mancini here.”

“Send him in.”

Howard Keller looked at Lara quizzically. “Mancini? What does he want?”

Lara took a deep breath. “He’s here to arrest me, Howard.”

“
Arrest
you? What are you talking about?”

Her voice was very quiet. “They think I arranged the attack on Philip.”

“That’s ridiculous! They can’t…”

The door opened, and Lieutenant Mancini walked in. He stood there, looking at the two of them for a moment, then moved forward.

“I have a warrant here for your arrest.”

Howard Keller’s face was pale. He moved in front of Lara protectively and said hoarsely, “You can’t do that. She hasn’t done anything.”

“You’re right, Mr. Keller. I’m not arresting her. The warrant is for you.”

T
ranscript of Interrogation of Howard Keller by Detective Lieutenant Sal Mancini.

M: You have been read your rights, Mr. Keller?

K: Yes.

M: And you have waived the right to have an attorney present?

K: I don’t need an attorney. I was going to come in anyway. I couldn’t let anything happen to Lara.

M: You paid Jesse Shaw $50,000 to attack Philip Adler?

K: Yes.

M: Why?

K: He was making her miserable. She begged him to stay home with her, but he kept leaving her.

M: So you arranged to have him crippled.

K: It wasn’t like that. I never meant for Jesse to go so far. He got carried away.

M: Tell me about Bill Whitman.

K: He was a bastard. He was trying to blackmail Lara. I couldn’t let him do that. He could have ruined her.

M: So you had him killed?

K: For Lara’s sake, yes.

M: Was she aware of what you were doing?

K: Of course not. She never would have allowed it. No. I was there to protect her, you see. Anything I did, I did for her. I would die for her.

M: Or kill for her.

K: Can I ask you a question? How did you know I was involved in this?

End of Interrogation.

At 1 Police Plaza, Captain Bronson said to Mancini, “How
did
you know he was behind it?”

“He left a loose thread, and I unraveled it. I almost missed it. In Jesse Shaw’s rap sheet, it mentioned that he took a fall when he was seventeen for stealing some baseball equipment from a Chicago Cubs minor league team. I checked it out, and sure enough, they were teammates. That’s where Keller slipped up. When I asked him, he told me he had never heard of Jesse Shaw. I called a friend of mine who used to be a sports editor for the Chicago
Sun Times.
He remembered them both. They were buddies. I figured it was Keller who got Shaw the job with Cameron Enterprises. Lara Cameron hired Jesse Shaw because Howard Keller asked her to. She probably never even saw Shaw.”

“Nice work, Sal.”

Mancini shook his head. “You know something? In the end it really didn’t matter. If I hadn’t caught him, and if we had gone after Lara Cameron, Howard Keller would have come in and confessed.”

Her world was collapsing. It was unbelievable to Lara that Howard Keller, of all people, could have been responsible for the terrible things that had happened.
He did it for me
, Lara thought.
I have to try to help him.

Kathy buzzed her. “The car is here, Miss Cameron. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” She was on her way to Reno to testify before the grand jury.

Five minutes after Lara left, Philip telephoned the office.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Adler. You just missed her. She’s on her way to Reno.”

He felt a sharp pang of disappointment. He was desperately eager to see her, to ask her forgiveness. “When you speak to her, tell her I’ll be waiting for her.”

“I’ll tell her.”

He made a second phone call, spoke for ten minutes, and then telephoned William Ellerbee.

“Bill…I’m going to stay in New York. I’m going to teach at Juilliard.”

“What can they do to me?” Lara asked.

Terry Hill said, “That depends. They’ll listen to your testimony. They can either decide that you’re innocent, in which case you’ll get your casino back, or they can recommend that there’s enough evidence against you to indict you. If that’s their verdict, you’ll be tried on criminal charges and face prison.”

Lara mumbled something.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said Papa was right. It’s the Fates.”

The grand jury hearing lasted for four hours. Lara was questioned about the acquisition of the Cameron Palace Hotel & Casino. When she came out of the hearing room, Terry Hill squeezed Lara’s hand. “You did very well, Lara. I think you really impressed them. They have no hard evidence against you, so there’s a good chance that…” He broke off, stunned. Lara turned. Paul Martin had come into the anteroom. He was dressed in an old-fashioned double-breasted suit with a vest, and his white hair was combed in the same style as when Lara had first met him.

Terry Hill said, “Oh, God! He’s here to testify.” He turned to Lara. “How much does he hate you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Lara, if they’ve offered him leniency to testify against you, you’re finished. You’ll go to prison.”

Lara was looking across the room at Paul Martin. “But…then he would destroy himself, too.”

“That’s why I asked you how much he hates you. Would he do that to himself to destroy you?”

Lara said numbly, “I don’t know.”

Paul Martin was walking toward them. “Hello, Lara. I hear things have been going badly for you.” His eyes revealed nothing. “I’m so sorry.”

Lara remembered Howard Keller’s words. “
He’s Sicilian. They never forgive, and they never forget
.” He had been carrying this burning thirst for vengeance inside him, and she had had no idea.

Paul Martin started to move away.

“Paul…”

He stopped. “Yes?”

“I need to talk to you.”

He hesitated a moment. “All right.”

He nodded toward an empty office down the corridor. “We can talk in there.”

Terry Hill watched as the two of them went into the office. The door closed behind them. He would have given anything to have heard their conversation.

She did not know how to begin.

“What is it you want, Lara?”

It was much more difficult than she had anticipated. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. “I want you to let me go.”

His eyebrows were raised. “How can I? I don’t have you.” He was mocking her.

She was finding it hard to breathe.

“Don’t you think you’ve punished me enough?”

Paul Martin stood there, stone, his expression unreadable.

“The time we had together was wonderful, Paul. Outside of Philip, you’ve meant more to me than anyone in my life. I owe you more than I could ever repay. I never meant to hurt you. You must believe that.”

It was difficult to go on.

“You have the power to destroy me. Is that really what you want? Will sending me to prison make you happy?” She was fighting to hold back her tears. “I’m begging you, Paul. Give me back my life. Please, stop treating me like an enemy…”

Paul Martin stood there, his black eyes giving away nothing.

“I’m asking for your forgiveness. I…I’m too tired to fight anymore, Paul. You’ve won…” Her voice broke.

There was a knock on the door, and the bailiff peered into the room. “The grand jury is ready for you, Mr. Martin.”

He stood there, looking at Lara for a long time; then he turned and left without a word.

It’s all over
, Lara thought.
It’s finished.

Terry Hill came hurrying into the office. “I wish to God I knew how he was going to testify in there. There’s nothing to do now but wait.”

They waited. It seemed an eternity. When Paul Martin finally emerged from the hearing room, he looked tired and drawn.
He’s become old
, Lara thought.
He blames me for that.
He was watching her. He hesitated a moment, then walked over to her.

“I can never forgive you. You made a fool of me. But you were the best thing that ever happened to me. I guess I owe you something for that. I didn’t tell them anything in there, Lara.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Paul. I don’t know how to…”

“Call it my birthday present to you. Happy birthday, baby.”

She watched him walk away, and his words suddenly hit her.
It was her birthday!
So many events had been piling on top of one another that she had completely forgotten about it. And the party. Two hundred guests were going to be waiting for her at the Manhattan Cameron Plaza!

Lara turned to Terry Hill. “I’ve got to get back to New York tonight. There’s a big party for me. Will they let me go?”

“Just a minute,” Terry Hill said. He disappeared inside the hearing room, and when he came out five minutes later, he said, “You can go to New York. The grand jury will give its verdict in the morning, but it’s just a formality now. You can return here tonight. By the way, your friend told you the truth. He didn’t talk in there.”

Thirty minutes later Lara was headed for New York.

“Are you going to be all right?” Terry Hill asked.

She looked at him and said, “Of course I am.” There would be hundreds of important people at the party to honor her that night. She would hold her head high. She was Lara Cameron…

She stood in the center of the deserted Grand Ballroom and looked around.
I created this. I created monuments that towered into the sky, that changed the lives of thousands of people all over America. And now it’s all going to belong to the faceless bankers
. She could hear her father’s voice so clearly. “
The Fates. They’ve always been agin me
.” She thought of Glace Bay and the little boardinghouse where she had grown up. She remembered how terrified she had been on her first day at school: “
Can anyone think of a word beginning with f?”
She remembered the boarders. Bill Rogers…
“The first rule in real estate is OPM. Never forget that.”
And Charles Cohn:
“I eat only kosher food, and I’m afraid Glace Bay doesn’t have any.”…

“If I could acquire this land…would you give me a five-year lease?”…

“No, Lara. It would have to be a ten-year lease.”…

And Sean MacAllister…
“I would need a very special reason to make this loan to you!…have you ever had a lover?”…

And Howard Keller:
“…you’re going about this all wrong.”…

“I want you to come to work for me.”…

And then the successes. The wonderful, brilliant successes. And Philip. Her Lochinvar. The man she adored. That was the greatest loss of all.

A voice called, “Lara…”

She turned.

It was Jerry Townsend. “Carlos told me you were here.” He walked up to her. “I’m sorry about the birthday party.”

She looked at him. “What…what happened?”

He was staring at her. “Didn’t Howard tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“There were so many cancellations because of the bad publicity that we decided it would be best to call it off. I asked Howard to tell you.”

“To tell you the truth, I’ve been having some problems with my memory.”

Lara said softly, “It doesn’t matter.” She took one last look at the beautiful room. “I had my fifteen minutes, didn’t I?”

“What?”

“Nothing.” She started to walk toward the door.

“Lara, let’s go up to the office. There are some things that have to be wound up.”

“All right.”
I’ll probably never be in this building again
, Lara thought.

In the elevator on the way up to the executive offices, Jerry said, “I heard about Keller. It’s hard to believe he was responsible for what happened.”

Lara shook her head. “
I
was responsible, Jerry. I’ll never forgive myself.”

“It’s not your fault.”

She felt a sudden wave of loneliness. “Jerry, if you haven’t had your dinner yet…”

“I’m sorry, Lara. I’m busy tonight.”

“Oh. That’s all right.”

The elevator door opened, and the two of them stepped out.

“The papers that you have to sign are on the conference room table,” Jerry said.

“Fine.”

The door to the conference room was closed. He let Lara open the door and as she did, forty voices started to sing out, “Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you…”

Lara stood there, stunned. The room was filled with people she had worked with over the years—the architects and contractors and construction managers. Charles Cohn was there, and Professor Meyers. Horace Guttman and Kathy and Jerry Townsend’s father. But the only one that Lara saw was Philip. He was moving toward her, his arms outstretched, and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

“Lara…” It was a caress.

And she was in his arms, fighting to hold back the tears, and she thought,
I’m home. This is where I belong
, and it was a healing, a blessed feeling of peace. Lara felt a warm glow as she held him.
This is all that matters
, Lara thought.

People were crowding around her, and everyone seemed to be talking at once.

“Happy birthday, Lara…”

“You look wonderful…”

“Were you surprised…?”

Lara turned to Jerry Townsend. “Jerry, how did you…?”

He shook his head. “Philip arranged it.”

“Oh, darling!”

Waiters were coming in now with hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

Charles Cohn said, “No matter what happens, I’m proud of you, Lara. You said you wanted to make a difference, and you did.”

Jerry Townsend’s father was saying, “I owe my life to this woman.”

“So do I.” Kathy smiled.

“Let’s drink a toast,” Jerry Townsend said, “to the best boss I ever had, or ever will have!”

Charles Cohn raised his glass. “To a wonderful little girl who became a wonderful woman!”

The toasts went on, and finally, it was Philip’s turn. There was too much to say, and he put it in five words: “To the woman I love.”

Lara’s eyes were brimming with tears. She found it difficult to speak. “I…I owe so much to all of you,” Lara said. “There’s no way I can ever repay you. I just want to say”—she choked up, unable to go on—“thank you.”

Lara turned to Philip. “Thank you for this, darling. It’s the nicest birthday I’ve ever had.” She suddenly remembered. “I have to fly back to Reno tonight!”

Philip looked at her and grinned. “I’ve never been to Reno…”

Half an hour later they were in the limousine on their way to the airport. Lara was holding Philip’s hand, and thinking,
I haven’t lost everything after all. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to him. Nothing else matters. The only important thing is being with him and taking care of him. I don’t need anything else
.

“Lara…?”

She was looking out the window. “Stop, Max!”

The limousine braked to a quick stop.

Philip looked at her, puzzled. They had stopped in front of a huge empty lot, covered with weeds. Lara was staring at it.