A Crack in a Building

The Mayor's office was situated in a large five story official building, and it was built in a very secure place. It had glass panes all over it that reflected the rays of the sun as Elijah, today without his normal security parked in front.

He was two hours late which was very unusual for someone as punctual and responsible as himself, and he tried to push away the thought of everything else as he walked into his office.

"Good Morning, Sir." His secretary, Ivan said immediately Elijah alighted. He had been waiting for Elijah outside like he always did, and was getting so worried about why Elijah was running late.

"What is the latest development?" Elijah asked and they walked in a fast, yet dominating manner. There was no need to look twice to figure out who the boss was.

Everyone always said Elijah looked like someone who was in his twenties. Even though he was a bit older, his body, physique and the agility with which he carried out his usual work suggested the opposite.

His face, however, was always the highlight. Deep sea green eyes that seemed to pierce your soul when he looked at you, and a sharp contrast of fair, even though slightly tanned skin and jet black hair that was always styled to perfection completed his elegance. He was over 6 feet tall, and easily towers above most people he met. His suits, tailored to figure his broad statue and perfect posture, completed his dominance.

But he wasn't stuck up. He was quieter,simpler than most people perceived. All he wanted was to work in peace. Love, or amorous relationships held nothing on him, and he had gotten married to Maria from his family's recommendation. He was going to run for Mayor then, and they thought it would help his career if he stopped being a bachelor and became a family man. In the end, he won.

He never really saw Maria as someone he needed to develop feelings for. He treated her with the respect she needed and was prudent in his affairs with her, but it never went overboard. To him, a man could live without it, and he would show it to them.

"Sir, the construction project we were looking into..I am afraid there is a problem." Ivan said as he handed some documents to Elijah.

"Problem?"

"Yes, well...Maybe it's better to check it in private." Ivan said, looking around. He was Elijah's trusted secretary and right hand man, and his middle name could have been efficiency.

Elijah nodded as they got into the elevator. He then collected the documents and started to look over them.

They stopped at the first floor where Elijah's office graced the middle of the long row, his the largest office of them all.

He stepped inside with Ivan following closely behind, and locked the door silently.

"So, what is the problem?" Elijah settled on the chair, intertwining his fingers together and reclining on his chair.

"The construction projects on the more local parts of the city that you were looking into...well, I found a problem with it."

"Go on." Elijah urged, closing his eyes.

"One of the buildings is starting to slowly break down, with some visible cracks in the wall." Ivan said, then dropped some photos on Elijah's desk.

"Cracks?" Elijah leaned forward and took the photos, carefully examining them.

"Yes. The building is not stable and I doubt it will take a long while or be able to withstand harsh conditions. The worst part is that it is a residential area, and it could cause loss of lives and damage of property if the building collapses."

Elijah nodded. "How old is the building?"

"Five months at most."

"A building that is just five months old is already cracking? What could be the cause?" Elijah asked, his brows furrowed into a frown.

"Well...it could be from the manufacturer of the raw materials of the building...or..the constructor himself."

"That means, it could be that...the manufacturer is producing bad building materials for use for his own profit, or...the constructor is pocketing the money and using insufficient building materials."

Ivan nodded his agreement. "I have already found the supplier."

Elijah stood, fixing his coat. "Let's get to the bottom of this before It poses any real hazards."

"Uhmm...we will have to go downtown. So, I will drive."

Elijah nodded then walked out of the office again.

The drive was long and silent, with Elijah going through the morning newspaper. When they finally arrived at the large factory, the manager came out to greet them.

"Mayor. Good morning." He extended his hand for a handshake and Elijah accepted it. He made it a strong yet brief one, and within the two seconds that their hands met, the manager knew that Elijah was strictly business.

"I have a few inquiries about your work process and some clients." Elijah said.

"But, sir..our work process and client's information...."

"I would rather you don't give me a reason to suspect you." He looked up examining the factory. "This establishment wouldn't be hard to close at all."

The fear was obvious in the manager's eyes, and he guided elijah to the small shed where he gave both of them a large helmet each, and protective gear.

They looked around the large expanse, and took note of the measurements of raw materials.

"Do you know who is handling the constructions in the suburb area?" Elijah asked as he removed the apron.

"Well...let me make sure of it. You mean the new residential complexes?"

Ivan nodded, and the man walked away to make sure.

"I don't think it is their fault."

"Why do you think so?" Ivan asked as he brought his hands in front of him.

"Their work process is honest and well detailed. There are no signs of fabrication of documents and they seem to even have an inspection of raw materials for concretes and bricks. We have to investigate the contractor."

Ivan nodded, just as the man came back with the file.

"The contractor came only once himself, since we had to deliver the goods to him, but..his name is Mr. William Hugh."