A Grand Plan

by Ann Roberts

“Who’s Allen?” a confused Brooke asked.

  It was Sebastian who answered. “Allen Troshev is Lev’s alter ego.” He turned to Tony and smiled. “Allen is the COO of TRIO.”

  Tony sprang toward Lev, but Reverend Glass grabbed Tony from behind. He screamed expletives until Detective Perkins got in his face and threatened to arrest him. Only then did he calm down and sink into a chair.

  Detective Flores stepped to the middle of the room with his arms crossed. “The next person who goes after somebody gets handcuffs. How in the hell do you people get through a meeting?” He stared at Margaret. Her gaze remained on Tony. “Ms. Smith, did you kill Drew Sachs and Ms. Wonders?”

  “Don’t say anything, Margaret,” Lev warned.

  Ari noticed Lev had gripped Margaret’s elbow and was whispering in her ear. “Does he always tell you what to do, Margaret?” Ari said loudly. “Did you kill Drew because he told you to?”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Lev spat. “I am her employer and nothing else.”

  “Just tell the truth,” Tony pleaded from his chair.

  Margaret was shaking and her gaze flitted from Tony to Lev. Ari realized something was needed to tip the scales. “Did you hear what Lev said, Margaret? You’re nothing more than his employee.” Margaret looked crestfallen. “I’ll tell you something else. He tore out the pages of the journal that implicate him but he left in the ones that implicate you.”

  “That’s true, Margaret,” Detective Flores confirmed. “There are ten missing pages in all.”

  “You’re going to jail for Drew’s murder and nothing is going to happen to him.” Ari paused. “Nothing. He made sure you got caught and he didn’t.”

  Lev leaned over to say something just as her head flew up. Like an archer finding her mark, she shot him a withering stare. “I didn’t kill Ms. Wonders. He did.”

  The council members gasped at the announcement, and Lev took a step away from her.

  “How can you say that?” Lev cried. “After everything we’ve been through together? How can you accuse me of something so heinous? You know I was in my office. You were out in the lobby. I called Lorraine and left a message.” He looked at Detective Flores. “You can check my GPS. My phone was in my office until nearly seven when I left to meet Lorraine for dinner.”

  “Your phone was there but you weren’t.” She turned to Ari. “He said I was a silent partner. It wasn’t a trio but a quartet. Only Reverend Glass and Sebastian didn’t know about my involvement.”

  At the mention of Reverend Glass, Brooke held up a hand and turned to him. “Wait a second. TRIO is Sebastian, Lev and you? You’re the third person?” He nodded glumly and stared at the floor. “That’s just so rich. I’m sorry for interrupting. Please continue, Margaret.”

  She threw another withering glance at Rosenthal. “When the Roosevelt Apartments didn’t do well, it hurt Lev financially. He’d invested a lot of money in TRIO and his company was just starting to come back from the recession. Then when Tony came up with the brilliant idea for the Bali Hi, Lev knew RoRo could be in trouble. He knew Drew from his time in the mailroom, and he knew that Drew and I were like mother and son. He took advantage of both of us,” she said bitterly. “Drew started the crime wave, but after the smoke bomb he realized Ms. Wonders was following him. She’d learned too much and she was starting to off-handedly tell people what she’d written in her journal. We knew it was only a matter of time before she babbled about what Drew was doing. We had to get that journal because when she was lucid she’d be even more dangerous. No one would believe her without it. But Lev didn’t trust Drew and he was paranoid about getting caught. So when he went to the Stapley Building, he left his phone with me. He told me to call Lorraine at exactly six-ten. By then she’d be well into her Thursday massage and wouldn’t hear the phone. He’d recorded a message saying he was at the office, and when her voice mail picked up, I played it. When she listened to it, she heard his voice.”

  “Margaret—” Lev snarled, shaking his head, his face dark with anger.

  “He came back saying he’d accidentally killed Ms. Wonders,” Margaret continued impacably. “He was shaking, he was so upset. He was carrying the gym bag he keeps in his car, and he pulled out this red rock and an orange journal. When I asked what happened he said she’d gone crazy waving a Swiss army knife at him. The rock was sitting on the desk and when she charged him he grabbed it and smashed it against her skull. He took the rock, the knife and the journal and got out of there. He started to cry and went into his private bathroom to wash up. When he came out he saw me crying and told me he’d take care of it. It was an accident and no one would get in trouble.”

  “Why did you kill Drew?” Molly asked.

  She looked at Molly cooly. “He was planning on telling you everything. He kept talking about his mom and Yoli not being proud of him.” Her gaze returned to Lev. “He said Drew would ruin everything and I needed to take care of him because he trusted me. Said if I did, we’d be in the clear. He’d dump Lorraine and we’d go away. Someplace tropical. No one would be able to prove anything.” She suddenly hit Lev in the chest with her fist. “You promised to destroy that damn journal! Instead you saved your own sorry ass but not mine!”

  Lev didn’t see the next punch until it connected with and bloodied his nose. He screamed and backed away. When she charged him, he toppled over a stack of magazines. Perkins and Flores untangled them but not before she kicked him in the groin.

  “She’s delusional,” Lev whined as he rose from the floor. “You can’t believe any of this.”

  “It makes sense to me,” Brooke said. “Why else would she double-cross her friend Tony? He was going to display her artwork. She gave that up for you. The only reason I can think of is love.”

  Crosby stepped away from the wall and faced Lev. “Some things are becoming a little clearer to me as well. You framed Chynna for Ms. Wonders’s murder. Even though it was an accident, you’d rather an innocent person go to jail than tell the truth. You’re a scumbag.”

  “He couldn’t admit to any of this, if it’s actually the truth,” Sebastian said. “If he’d been charged with a crime he’d lose his company and there’s no way Karim Hamada would continue to be our business partner. We’d lose the Roosevelt Apartments and the chance to build on LGA. That industrial park will make millions.” Sebastian raised his hands and added, “But for the record, I had no idea any of this offensive behavior was transpiring.”

  “Except for forming an entirely new corporation to take the Bali Hi away from me!” Tony screamed.

  Sebastian waved him off. “Get over it, kid. It’s business.”

  Lev’s expression grew dark. Ari was sure he recognized he didn’t have any friends left. She looked at Lorraine, who clutched her purse to her chest. If she reaches in there for her pistol…

  “I admit nothing,” he announced. He checked his watch and turned to Detective Perkins. “Am I under arrest? What evidence do you have against me, other than the ranting of a killer?”

  Perkins swallowed hard and exchanged a glance with Flores. Ari knew that for the moment they couldn’t detain Lev Rosenthal.

  “There’s evidence,” Lorraine said coolly. “Empty your pockets.”

  “What’s in his pockets?” Crosby asked.

  “Margaret said he took Ms. Wonders’s Swiss army knife. The other night at Molly’s birthday party, he volunteered to open a bottle of wine. Said he had a corkscrew. I saw him pull something out of his pocket and open the bottle. I’ll bet he’s been carrying her knife around ever since he killed her.”

  “Empty your pockets,” Flores commanded.

  “You can’t make me do that without a warrant,” Lev replied.

  “That may be true,” Lorraine said, “but what I can do is walk out of this room and tell Karim Hamada all about this conversation.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Sebastian hissed. “If Hamada Enterprises drops out of the LGA deal, the negative publicity will hurt both communities.”

&
nbsp; “The truth needs to be uncovered,” she said simply. “If you don’t have anything to hide, Lev, then what’s the problem?”

  He offered a smug smile, and Ari knew in that moment that the Swiss army knife was a dead end. He deposited his wallet, keys, handkerchief, cell phone, and some loose change on Tony’s desk. When he pulled out a Swiss army knife from his other pocket, Brooke gasped.

  “How will we know if it belonged to Ms. Wonders?” Reverend Glass asked.

  “The blade,” Ari and Tony said at the same time.

  Ari motioned for Tony to explain. “The knife originally belonged to Jonny and she’d written her initials, JH, on the blade in permanent marker.”

  Detective Flores opened the knife. “Shit.” He held up the blade so everyone could see there were no initials on the knife. “This thing’s brand new,” Flores added. “When did you buy this?”

  “Three days ago,” Lev answered. He steadied his gaze and said, “And yes, I have the receipt. I had one as a kid, and I recently decided I wanted another one. Can’t imagine why I suddenly had that urge,” he mused.

  Lorraine took a step forward but Ari clutched her arm. “Don’t,” she whispered. “He’s not worth it.”

  “I know he had it,” she hissed. “I took him home after Molly’s party just to get a look at it. When he was showering, I found it in his pants. It was hers. I know it.”

  “Just stay calm,” Ari advised. “There may be another way.”

  Lev picked up his things from the desk and pressed the handkerchief to his bleeding nose. “Now, if there are no more pronouncements or accusations, I suggest we get on with the press conference. Detectives, as much as I enjoy your company, I’d like to ask if you could exit through the back door with your alleged felon.”

  Lev buttoned his suit jacket and headed for the office door. When no one followed him, he turned and looked at the stunned council. “Let’s go,” he said sternly. “They’re waiting and it’s hot outside.”

  They trudged out of the gallery to the dais in front of the old Bali Hi. Ari stood next to a dejected Lorraine, who said, “It’s still not too late for me to take him out.”

  Ari squeezed her hand and gazed at Molly. Ari guessed her mind was churning; she was processing any possible way to apprehend Lev Rosenthal.

  “Good morning,” Lev said into the microphone. The buzz in the crowd dissipated and everyone turned to face him. “I’m Lev Rosenthal, CEO of the Rosenthal Group and president of the First Friday Council. Today is a momentous day, one that promises to shift the entire landscape of Lower Grand Avenue. By this time next year, the area behind me will no longer be an eyesore. Instead it will become an industrial hub for three different companies involved in medical manufacturing. Before I introduce the mayor, I’d like to acknowledge Mr. Karim Hamada of Hamada Enterprises. He has joined with myself, Sebastian King and Reverend Steven Glass in a joint venture to create this new industrial park.”

  The crowd applauded and Karim Hamada waved at the crowd. Ari noticed most everyone held a color rendering of the new building that matched the design being displayed on an easel next to Lev. The complex consisted of three steel and glass towers that surrounded a concrete mall filled with trees. She couldn’t help but notice the similarity to the Roosevelt Apartments.

  “For an industrial park, it’s not bad looking,” Ari said to Molly.

  “Except for the fact that the main building of the Bali Hi will be demolished,” Molly replied.

  Ari scanned the crowd for Tony. He was standing next to Brooke on the periphery, his head down.

  The applause dissipated and Lev said, “And now it is my pleasure—”

  “Excuse me, we’re sorry to interrupt…”

  Only those standing with Ari, Molly and Lorraine near the front heard Detective Perkins as he ascended the steps and went to the microphone. Following behind him was Andre, who held an accordion file. When Andre saw Ari and Molly, he winked.

  “Sorry folks, Mr. Mayor,” Detective Perkins said into the microphone. “We’re with Phoenix PD. Lev Rosenthal, you are under arrest for the murder of Carol Susan Kendricks.”

  Ari heard a cheer, and she turned in time to see Brooke and Tony give a high five. On the dais, Lev offered mild protests as Perkins cuffed him, obviously trying to maintain a sense of decorum in front of the crowd and the mayor. He wouldn’t leave, insisting there had been a mistake. He argued with Perkins while the crowd full of press snapped pictures and held up tablets to capture the arrest. Finally Andre approached him. With his back to the crowd, Andre opened the portfolio. From her vantage point, Ari watched Andre pull out certain papers that he’d flagged with sticky notes. Lev’s shoulders sagged as Andre whispered in his ear, and he shuffled off the dais with Perkins and Andre following.

  Never one to miss an opportunity, Sebastian King stepped to the microphone. “Good morning, I’m Sebastian King, a member of the First Friday Council, and Mr. Rosenthal’s former business partner. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I believe we need to cancel this press conference until a later time. We apologize to all of you, especially our mayor, for the inconvenience.”

  The shocked mayor and his equally stunned entourage quickly disappeared, but everyone in the crowd remained. Since most of them were press, they were avid to find someone with the story. When Sebastian left the dais, he drew an enormous crowd. Ari watched as Lorraine made her way to Karim Hamada, practically dragging Tony Sanchez along with her.

  Molly’s phone buzzed. “It’s Andre.” They walked over to the sidewalk where they could hear. She hit speaker. “Ari’s on too. What the hell happened?”

  “Remember how you said Ms. Wonders was smart when she was lucid?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, she was so smart that she made a copy of her journal—her complete journal—and put it in a safety deposit box. How’s that for smart?”

  Epilogue

  Six Months Later

  Ari, Molly and Andre sipped iced teas on the Scrabble patio, surrounded by tables of downtown workers enjoying a sandwich from the reinvented Scrabble, the trendiest new café in Phoenix.

  Andre’s iPad chirped and he picked it up. “Have you seen today’s paper?” They both shook their heads, so he read to them. “A federal inquiry has been launched into procedures at the Phoenix Veterans Administration allegedly resulting in mistreatment or no treatment of retired American armed forces personnel. Key information has been obtained which substantiates the claims of previous whistleblowers.” He set down his iPad. “I guess there was more on that phone than Fleetwood Mac. I’d guess recordings, maybe video of what went on in there.”

  “I wish we’d known her,” Ari mused. “What a smart lady.”

  “Speaking of smart ladies,” Andre said, “we never would’ve solved this case without the two of you. Just because we found a complete copy of her notebook didn’t mean we could understand it.”

  “We were happy to help,” Molly replied. “It explained why Tony had to go pick her up way out on Cactus Road. There was a bank on one side of the street and a copy place on the other.”

  “She copied the entire notebook,” Ari said, “including the pages that referenced the dates and times of Margaret and Lev’s meetings and their makeout sessions in Lev’s Porsche.”

  “But those were just short notes,” Andre interjected. “Without your information, we wouldn’t have been able to connect the dots. I still can’t see Margaret with Lev,” he added with disgust.

  “He completely manipulated her, and through her he manipulated Drew,” Ari said. She asked, “Is that why Drew wound up with the journal? Lev didn’t want it anywhere near him?”

  “Exactly. Turns out Drew was supposed to keep the journal someplace safe, not leave it out on his table like he did for Yoli to swipe. Lev thought if Drew had it, he’d be the one suspected of murdering Ms. Wonders if they got caught. Same idea with framing Chynna. She was already guilty of throwing the rock through the diner window, so if she were charged with Ms.
Wonders’s murder, that would be the end of it. Lev had no idea she was seeing Crosby or that they’d gone out of town together. Once Flores showed him the whole notebook he started talking and wanting to make a deal. Oh, and we found this in his apartment.” He put a sealed evidence bag holding Jonny’s Swiss army knife on the table. “And in Margaret’s apartment we found a stack of brochures on South American countries and a handwritten note from Lev. He told her to pick where they were going to go.” He coughed. “And, um, we found some sex toys.”

  Ari and Molly grimaced and Molly said, “TMI!”

  “I agree. How’s Lorraine holding up?” Andre asked. “It’s not every day you learn that your lover is a murderer.”

  “Technically, he wasn’t,” Molly clarified. “Ms. Wonders’s murder was an accident. He might be able to cut a deal.”

  “I don’t think so, “Andre said. “There’s the little matter of conspiracy to commit murder. Margaret’s happy to provide those details.” He looked at Ari. “So, how’s Lorraine?”

  “She’s mad more than anything else. Mad she didn’t see it. But I think she’s moved on. Karim Hamada is a handsome man, and he’s decided to invest in LGA. That includes Scrabble and the Bali Hi. Lorraine, Karim and I have formed our own trio.”

  Andre smiled. “Excellent.” He stood up. “Well, one thing I know is we’re damn lucky we had your help.”

  “One more question before you go,” Ari said. “What about the boot prints? Lev wasn’t a thirteen. He was a twelve and a half.”

  “Well, that’s what he said. Turns out he wears either size depending on the type of shoe. He’s got some issue with his toe box. When we searched his house we found both sizes in his closet. He just failed to mention that part.”

  Andre kissed them each on the cheek and headed for the patio exit.

  Ari grabbed Molly’s hand and they strolled to the cottages. “Which one do you want? Jane’s claimed the red one for the world’s smallest bar, but the other three are still open.”

  Molly chuckled. “Of course she has. She’ll probably make a fortune, but I wasn’t aware that she knew how to run a bar.”