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“You trusted me to run the Hartwell. Let me handle this.”

“I do trust you. That doesn’t mean you have to face it alone.”

“I’m not alone. I have you, even from Spain. If I reach a point where I need you here, I promise I’ll tell you.”

She’s quiet again.

“Then tell me your next step,” she says.

“I’m going to contact the mayor.”

The idea sounds quite good once I’ve said it. I should’ve thought of it sooner.

“Mayor Adams was a close friend of Conrad Voss. Don’t expect him to take our side.”

“Oh.”

So much for that.

A woman calls out in the background, followed by a car horn.

“That’s Mavis,” Grandma says. “Our taxi’s here.”

“Where are you going?”

“Early breakfast.”

“Then go. You don’t want to keep her waiting.”

“I’m still worried.”

“I know, but coming home won’t change anything.”

“Promise me you’ll keep fighting. And promise you’ll call if you need me.”

I look at the framed photo on my bookshelf. Grandma and Granddad are standing outside the Hartwell at its thirtieth anniversary party. They’re dressed up, but neither of them is looking at the camera. He’s saying something, and she’s laughing.

“I promise.”

We say goodbye, and I set the phone beside me. Percy stretches against my hip, but I leave the movie paused and keep looking at the photo.

Granddad would’ve kept making calls until the whole city knew what was coming.

I’ve been so focused on keeping Eric out of our lane that I’ve ignored the larger problem. Refusing access delayed his plans, but it won’t stop the hotel. He can give up part of the ground floor, pay for a redesign, and spend whatever it takes to make it work.

The Hartwell will face years of noise, dust, and blocked streets. When the work ends, we’ll have a newer rival next door with more rooms, a huge advertising budget, and enough money to offer my best staff things we can’t afford.

I grab my laptop from the coffee table and find the producer of a local morning show. A news story could put the Voss plans in front of thousands of people. I want the public asking what a development that size will mean for Hartwell Boulevard before the council votes.

I find her email address and start typing.

Would your viewers be interested in a story about the proposed Voss hotel and what it could mean for historic Hartwell Boulevard?

I explain the tower’s height, the extra traffic it could bring, the years of construction, and the concerns raised by the Heritage Commission.

Before sending the email, I read it several times and cut anything I can’t prove. I want the facts to speak for themselves. Then I press send and sit back.

There’s no promise they’ll cover it, but at least I’ve done something besides wait for Eric’s next move. Last night, he won over a room full of people. If the story airs, he’ll have to make his case to the rest of the city.