Chapter 16

The Schellen contract negotiations went smoothly. There were lengthy phone calls and many e-mails. Helen renewed her relations with her former German lawyers; they assigned her a smart young man with experience in the construction sector. She let him handle most of this contract's details. Since Schellen was Swiss and the project was in Germany, it seemed the right way. Before too long, there was something to sign.

Helen called Rummy. "I think we're set. Have you been out to the site?"

"Yes. Schellen's people have already gotten the permits and planning approvals; they started months ago. I've got a site plan and seen the work that's been done with the planning authorities. I went over it with the local engineers, and the site's been staked. I'll send you the stuff I've got. We'd better not spend a lot more money until we have a contract signed, even though the letter of intent covers us pretty well. You going to come over there with me?"

"Well, I guess I've got to go to Geneva and do the signing ritual with Schellen. Then, I'll meet you in Freiburg. How about Tuesday next? I'll see if that works for him."

"Sounds good. Will Schellen be coming, too?"

"Can't say for sure. Do you want me to suggest it?"

"If he won't come, he's got to name a project manager, so we'll have communications."

"You getting any rumbles from your contacts?"

"That's what I mean, Helen. I want to see who he assigns, and I want to see what whoever it is has to say. You need to see the site, and I need to take this guy's temperature."

"What method you going to use, Rummy?"

"Well, I'm not talking about under the armpit, if you know what I mean."

"Hug Doris for me."

"No trouble there. Bye."

Helen signed the contracts in Geneva and arranged to meet Schellen's project manager at the Freiburg site the next day. She flew to Strasbourg, stayed overnight at the Maison Rouge. Rummy picked her up after breakfast and they drove down to Freiburg, stopping for lunch at a café on the Marktplatz.

Over two thousand years old, the city on the Rhine rests in a favorable spot between the Black Forest and the hills of Alsace. Its modern buildings blend with the remaining ancient structures. For centuries a market town, its university now draws as much attention as its commercial and industrial side.

The streets are wide outside the Old City, and even there things like the deep gutters through which the waters of the Rhine flow give the town a special feeling.

They sat on the side of the Marktplatz where the sun had begun to warm the porch of Freiburg's glorious, flamboyant gothic cathedral. A street singer played her hammer dulcimer in front of the building, singing Czech melodies and nodding at passersby who threw coins into her basket.

"Schellen's not coming," Helen said, "but he's sending his PM. Guy named Dumont. I really want to get moving on this. How far along are you?"

"The engineers staked the site some time ago and last week I walked it with them. I had half a dozen contractors' representatives out there Monday and yesterday to look it over. Gave them the site plans, specs and stuff. I should have bids from them next week."

"Did anyone from Constructeurs Sauter show up?"

Rummy shook his head in disbelief. "Yeah. Someone did. Said they wanted to bid. I pointed out that they weren't on the list of bidders and told him to get off the pitch."

"Any problems with that?"

"Oh, he was pissed off, all right, but not that much. He was just a flunky." Rummy changed the subject. "Are you going to separate the earth moving and the building?"

"I don't see why. Is there something I should know?"

"Not really. I did get some noise from one of the bidders about how he needed to have the whole job; wouldn't bid if we were going to break it up."

"Does that mean anything?"

"I don't think so. Maybe I'm looking for stuff." Rummy lowered his voice. "I did hear from one of my contacts, though. Seems some of these contractors used to have a deal with IG Bau to let them use a lot of Irish labor, but also so they'd look the other way about a bunch of Polish and Hungarian workmen who weren't exactly on the up and up.

"The Irishmen were really okay — you know how hard it is to get masons here, and the Irish are EU. But the Poles were definitely under the table — then, at least. They're EU now, so that wouldn't matter. But there are always illegals around.