"For the hundred dollars of compound that's involved? What good would that do us?"
Eddie thanked him and hung up. He signed the preliminary report.
He turned to the next one.
At 2:30 Forester came by and the two of them made their way between the jig-saw projections of maple and mahogany to the Conference Room.
Fourteen men were involved in the conference, all from operating departments. They shuffled in over a five minute period, found seats, lit cigarettes, talked and joked with one another.
When one of the assistants to the manager came in, they fell silent.
"Gentlemen," he said, "I think I'd better get right to the point today. The Construction Program in the Valley has now used up two bond issues. The voters aren't going to approve a third one."
He paused for effect then continued briskly:
"I see by the morning's Times that the mayor is appointing a watch-dog commission. I guess you all saw it, too. The Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles is going to be badly—and I mean badly—in the red at the end of the fiscal year.
"We're in hot water.