The Kane Cross (Cross 1)

36 - Real world

Baxter sat back and listened to the architect present design options for the renovation of the first multi use building project. Everything came with a price tag and his team had a lot of crucial decisions to make. He looked at his watch. They had been at it for three hours. "How about a break?" A few around the table nodded, and he stood. "Let's say fifteen."

As soon as he stepped out of the conference room, Danielle jumped up from her desk. "How's it going?"

"Tedious. What'd I miss?"

"Ivy called, but there's an issue in Phoenix."

Baxter listened to Danielle explain about a water main break flowing into one of their buildings. "Get the head of maintenance on the line." Ivy. "And call Ivy back. Tell her I'll be working late if she wants to study."

"Take two seconds to text her. She doesn't want me as your go-between."

"Fine. You're right. Phoenix."

He texted Ivy as he waited for the call to go through. By the time he had an update on the situation, he was late returning to the conference room. At least he was living up to his reputation. "Sorry, I had a flood to deal with."

It was after five before they wrapped up with some sizable progress. Danielle followed him into his office. "I held down the fort, but your inbox is full."

"It always is."

He picked up his phone and had multiple text messages from his father and one from Ivy. One thing was going right, Ivy was coming to study while he worked. His father heard about Phoenix. He looked up. "Did you talk to my father?"

She nodded. "He came looking for you. I told him you were on it."

"Is he still here?"

She looked around. "I didn't see him leave, but he doesn't say goodbye to me."

"I'll go check. Thanks, Danielle." His father would want to hear about the flood from him directly.

"Should I order dinner for two?"

"Could you check with Ivy for me, please? Let her decide."

His father's office was opposite his on the other side of the boardroom which took up the middle of the twentieth floor. As Baxter walked around the corner his father's executive secretary stood in his office doorway. Sue Ellen had worked for Philip for several years. Sue Ellen. Ellie? He shook his head. The redhead was closer to his age than his father's.

She turned when he approached. "Baxter is here." She stepped aside to let him enter his father's office.

Philip looked at him as he slipped into his overcoat. "What's the status on Phoenix?"

"Maintenance is pumping the water out of the garage. They have it under control."

"You need to fly out and check on it yourself."

"Dad, we have other employees whose job it is to look into the situation. Plus with technology, I can see the damage remotely."

"I would feel better if you checked up on it. A Kane needs to show his face."

"Send Kasper. He interned in maintenance just like me. He can handle a situation like this. I have irons in too many fires here."

His younger brother graduated with top honors in business. Instead of using his MBA, he climbed trees for coconuts on television. During his schooling, the younger brother worked in many departments just as Baxter had. The difference was they always treated Kasper like the baby.

Philip stared at his oldest son like he had grown a second head. "He's not ready."

"Ready for what? Inspect some damage. Get a report from the structural engineer which both of us and Joe will read. Maybe we should send Joe, he is our structural engineer. Or send Doyle with Kasper to take photographs."