He held a silver cell phone away from his ear and tapped the heavy silver band of his luxury wristwatch against the metal stanchion.

It clacked sharply every time he hit the pole.

“I don’t care what the city council says,” the man shouted into the phone.

“This is a fourteen-million-dollar land transfer.

The local auditors are irrelevant.”

A younger man in a navy blazer stood three steps behind him, nervously shifting a dark leather briefcase from his right hand to his left.

He kept his eyes locked on the gray carpet, avoiding the stares of the passengers waiting in the nearby chairs.

“Mr.