“There’s a reason for that. I’ll get to it. The subcontracting—the actual construction—was outside MacIver’s province, but there is some information in his files. First, the financing at Hanrahan’s bank, where the loan interest goes back to Rainbow in public relations fees. Second, the purchase of materials. Rainbow apparently never buys anything unless one of its own gets the sales commission. If a seller isn’t willing to do business on those terms, Rainbow goes somewhere else. The commission on the sale of a thousand refrigerators may seem petty in relation to an outfit dealing in millions, but that commission to one man will buy a car, or pay for a year of a college education. There are two or three letters in MacIver’s files to indicate that Rainbow has used salesmen’s commissions as a way of paying off.”

“How did MacIver get to be secretary of Port Smith Development?”

“Joe, at different times MacIver was vice-president, secretary, treasurer, consultant, or public relations man for most of these companies. He was a charter stockholder in all of them. He was the salesman—for a commission—in a dozen deals. He was an accountant, sure, but when he died he had three clients, a grocer, a small stationery firm, and a provisions dealer.”

“How did he get involved in this? Who was he to Rainbow?”

“It was his idea.”

Leland stared.

“That’s right,” Mike said. “Colin MacIver made Rainbow come alive.”

Leland had to wave him off and look away—down at the table, not out the window. For a second he seemed to lose control of what he was doing. Once before he had felt something like it, after the war when Karen had driven the LaSalle through the red light. It was like that, rising out of the seat and hitting the rear-view mirror, having no control. He moved away from the window and scratched at the back of his hand. He sat still, as if that would help in sorting things out. There was something underneath it all, a hurt. He felt victimized. He wanted to think that it had to do with telling Norma, but it was nothing like that. He had already told her that the man she had married had cheated his first wife in at least two ways. Leland would never say to any woman that this was worse. It was to him, though, in spite of himself. He could see it, he knew where it went and the circumstances of the people it hurt.