Publisher's Synopsis
Bart Eriksen, a young law school graduate unemployed and down on his luck, hitchhikes to Texas where he fights off a thief trying to snatch a woman's purse. She and her husband Jack Orren "adopt" him and help him find a job in Dallas. After Bart establishes himself as a lawyer, Orren tells Bart of his decision to start-up an airline and talks Bart into working with him to do it. With Jack Orren as the Founder/CEO, they get GulfCoast Airlines going and it looks like it will be a success.
Then Orren dies falling down a marble staircase in what appears to be an accident. In a succession struggle to replace him at the airline, the COO, Roger Choate, prevails over Bart. Bart learns from Choate himself, who is taunting him, that Choate had tripped Orren causing the fall down the stairs; but there is no actual evidence. Eriksen tries going to the police but Choate denies he said anything and denies he was responsible. Eriksen tries to convince others, including Katherine, Orren's widow. Over time she comes to believe Eriksen and is faced with what to do about it. Eriksen too is faced with deciding how to act -- does he take action himself to seek revenge/justice for Orren and how would he do it? They also learn that Choate may have killed his wife under similar circumstances when again there was no evidence. Bart is also conflicted by knowing that in any action against Choate he may benefit in his fight to lead the airline -- he thus questions his motive for revenge.
His decision making is complicated further by his relationship with two women who are very different, but almost equally attractive to him. He must decide between them and whatever he determines to do about Choate will affect whichever woman he chooses.
Concurrently, a drug cartel has started smuggling drugs on the airline and is working with the airline's head of maintenance, Pete Hayes. Pete was coerced by the cartel because of his need to pay off gambling debts. He is looking for a way out but feels trapped. Eriksen learns from Pete about the drug smuggling.
Eriksen decides to help Pete and use the drug cartel to solve his problem with Choate. He uses Pete to convince the drug cartel that Choate will work with them if they pay him $250,000. They pay him and then Pete and Eriksen make them think that Choate has double-crossed them. The cartel kills Choate.
Eriksen becomes the President of the airline and chooses the woman who would be more of a corporate wife. She suspects but doesn't know for sure what Eriksen did about Choate.
