Valerie had run into Ed’s office an hour earlier, as well as Zach and Mary Ellen. The firm of Benson, Benson, and Hart had just encountered their first weather catastrophe that had shut down production. A string of storms had brought three tornados down on the outskirts of Saint Louis. The severe storm had compromised the integrity of the building’s structure. The foreman had been trying to clear the site of workers when a beam, which hadn’t been completely fastened, fell and narrowly missed him. The meeting around Ed’s desk was frantic. Everyone was trying to get everything in place. It was almost six o’clock by the time everyone had gone their separate ways, and Ed hurried to get the last of his papers together for the flight. “You’re not going to have time to go home and pack anything,” Darcy said as she handed him the documents for his flight. “I’ll get some clothes there, and I can buy a toothbrush at the hotel.” He opened the folder she’d handed him. “Good, this is the hotel closest to the site, right?”
