“Then we find another way.”
His father's expression darkened.
“That wasn't the answer.”
“I know.”
The setback arrived three days later.
Leonard Brooks telephoned Maggie at eight thirty in the morning.
His voice was grave.
“We found a serious problem.”
She was standing in Tessa's shop, arranging sheets of tracing paper.
“What kind of problem?”
“The western roof truss.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Is it worse than we thought?”
“Yes.”
“How much worse?”
Leonard hesitated.
“It's failing at two connections, and the surrounding masonry has shifted. We need temporary support immediately. The auditorium can't be occupied until it's made safe.”
Maggie sat down.
“How expensive?”
“I don't have final figures.”
“Leonard.”
He exhaled.
“Several hundred thousand dollars beyond the current allowance. Possibly more.”
She closed her eyes.
The proposal was already close to the upper limit of what the project could support.
An additional structural expense could destroy it.
“Is there any alternative?”
“We can explore different stabilization methods. But I won't sign off on reopening until the risk is addressed.”
Maggie stared at the drawings.
“Of course.”
She understood.
Safety was not negotiable.
But understanding did not make the news easier.
After she hung up, she sat motionless for several minutes.
Then she called Nicholas.
He answered immediately.
“Maggie.”
“Nick, we have a problem.”
By noon, the Starlight auditorium had been closed.
Rose Daley stood in the lobby watching workmen erect barriers across the entrance.
She looked as though someone had taken away her home.
Maggie approached.
“Rose.”
The older woman shook her head.
“I know. I know it's necessary.”
“We can still use the lobby for some activities.”
Rose stared toward the auditorium.
“I've walked through those doors every morning for nineteen years.”
Maggie's throat tightened.
“I know.”
“It's not just a building, sweetheart.”
Maggie took her hand.
“I know that too.”
Nicholas arrived twenty minutes later.
He had come directly from a board meeting, still wearing his dark suit and carrying the engineer's preliminary report.
His expression was grim.
Maggie met him beside the staircase.
“How bad?”
“Bad.”
“Will the company pay for temporary support?”
“Yes. We're responsible for keeping the building secure.”
She looked relieved.
“Thank you.”
He shook his head.
“Don't thank me. It's our obligation.”
Maggie watched him.
He continued.
“But the new estimates will make the restoration difficult to justify.”
Her expression tightened.
“Not impossible.”
“No.”
He looked toward the auditorium.