The Stars Shine Down

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?

S: Yeah. It was an accident.

M: How long had you been on that job?

S: I don't remember.

M: Let me refresh your memory. You were on that job seventy-two hours. You flew in from Chicago the day before the accident with the crane, and flew back to Chicago two days later. Is that correct?

S: I guess so.

M: According to American Airlines' records, you flew from Chicago to New York again two days before Philip Adler was attacked, and you returned to Chicago the following day. What was the purpose of such a short trip?

S: I wanted to see some plays.

M: Do you remember the names of the plays you saw?

S: No. That was awhile ago.

M: At the time of the accident with the crane, who was your employer?

S: Cameron Enterprises.

M: And who is your employer on the construction job you're working on in Chicago?

S: Cameron Enterprises.

Howard Keller was in a meeting with Lara. For the past hour they had been talking about damage control to offset the bad publicity the company was receiving. As the meeting was about to break up, Lara said, "Anything else?"

Howard frowned. Someone had told him to tell Lara something, but he could not remember what it was. Oh, well, it's probably not important.

Simms, the butler, said, "There's a telephone call for you, Mr. Adler. A Lieutenant Mancini."

Philip picked up the telephone. "Lieutenant. What can I do for you?"

"I have some news for you, Mr. Adler."

"What is it? Did you find the man?"

"I'd prefer to come up and discuss it with you in person. Would that be all right?"

"Of course."

"I'll be there in half an hour."

Philip replaced the receiver, wondering what it was that the detective did not want to talk about on the telephone.

When Mancini arrived, Simms showed him into the library.

"Afternoon, Mr. Adler."

"Good afternoon. What's going on?"

"We caught the man who attacked you."

"You did? I'm surprised," Philip said. "I thought you said it was impossible to catch muggers."

"He's not an ordinary mugger."

Philip frowned. "I don't understand."

"He's a construction worker. He works out of Chicago and New York. He has a police record - assault, breaking and entering. He pawned your watch, and we got his prints." Mancini held up a wrist watch. "This is your watch, isn't it?"

Philip stared at it, not wanting to touch it. The sight of it brought back the horrible moment when the man had grabbed his wrist and slashed it. Reluctantly, he reached out and took the watch. He looked at the back of the case where some of the letters had been scratched off. "Yes. It's mine."

Lieutenant Mancini took the watch back. "We'll keep this for the moment, as evidence. I'd like you to come downtown tomorrow morning to identify the man in a police lineup."

The thought of seeing his attacker again, face-to-face, filled Philip with a sudden fury. "I'll be there."

"The address is One Police Plaza, Room Two-twelve. Ten o'clock?"

"Fine." He frowned. "What did you mean when you said he wasn't an ordinary mugger?"

Lieutenant Mancini hesitated. "He was paid to attack you."

Philip was staring at him, bewildered. "What?"

"What happened to you wasn't an accident. He got paid fifty thousand dollars to cut you up."

"I don't believe it," Philip said slowly. "Who would pay anyone fifty thousand dollars to cripple me?"

"He was hired by your wife."