A Grand Plan

by Ann Roberts

“Well, then there’s no time like the present. Gotta go.” She offered a slight wave and power-walked toward her car. Molly’s long legs had no trouble keeping pace with her.

  “I don’t suppose you’d go with me?”

  “Oh, I can’t,” she said, avoiding eye contact. “I’m really busy.”

  She’d been so distracted when she arrived, practicing her facial expressions and thinking of topics to discuss, that she’d forgotten where she parked. She stopped in one of the aisles and clicked her alarm. She heard it but she couldn’t see it.

  “I think you’re over there,” Molly said, pointing two rows south.

  She veered in that direction and Molly continued to hound her. “I’m sure you’re busy, but it got weird between us, didn’t it?”

  “No, it’s fine.”

  “Would you honestly tell me if it wasn’t?” When she didn’t answer, Molly said, “I thought we agreed to no commitment and no denial.”

  She stopped in the middle of the row where she thought her SUV was located, unable to see it. Tired, hot and pissed she looked at her and said, “You’re right.” She sighed and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “You made it clear that you’re in a relationship. I just don’t appreciate being reminded of it.” She headed down the row and finally saw her 4Runner.

  “How were you reminded of it?” She shook her head but Molly gripped her arm. “Tell me.”

  Ari knew that expression. She wouldn’t let it drop. “I may have gone back to the office for a file on Monday night and seen and heard something private.”

  Molly lowered her gaze. She couldn’t look at her. “Yeah, okay, it happened.”

  “Like I said, this is on me. You don’t owe me anything.”

  She started to walk away but Molly wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “I may still need her but I need you too.”

  “For what? This case? To be a part of your life?”

  They both heard the frustration in Ari’s voice. Ari could tell from Molly’s pained expression that she’d uttered the question Molly couldn’t answer. Ari desperately wanted her to see the truth about Yoli, but she clearly wasn’t ready.

  “I’m not sure where anyone fits,” she admitted. “But I need your help. Please help me,” she begged.

  Ari relaxed into her arms. If she walked away now she wouldn’t be around when Molly was ready to see the truth about Yoli. Or when she caught the killer. She heard Jane’s voice again. “Remember Ms. Wonders.”

  “Damn,” Ari said lightly. “Don’t flash those puppy dog eyes at me.”

  Molly grinned. “Hey, I pull out the big guns when I need to.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Molly initially accepted Ari’s offer to carpool over to the apartments. Parking was a beast and it was far too hot to walk the five blocks in dress clothes. She changed her mind, though, when she pulled out her phone and saw that both Yoli and Margaret, Lev Rosenthal’s assistant, had left messages.

  “You go ahead of me,” she sighed. “I need to return these calls. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

  She watched Ari climb into the 4Runner before pulling out on the street in her own vehicle. Once she’d filled the cab with cool air and lit a cigarette, she called Yoli. Why am I dreading this conversation?

  “We have a problem,” Yoli said immediately. “You’re going to get a call from Lev Rosenthal. Remember when he wanted to run background checks on the employees? He knows Leon has been in trouble with the law,” she said, referring to one of the security team members. “I’m not sure who the hell their investigator talked to. Those records were supposed to be sealed!”

  “The investigator probably just talked to people from his old neighborhood. It happens.”

  “Whatever. Lev wants him removed from the detail. We never should’ve let him do those checks.”

  Molly heard the anger in her voice. She’d maintained that background checks weren’t necessary since she could personally vouch for each of the crew. Leon had been in her platoon and she trusted him with her life.

  “Let me talk to Lev,” Molly said. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m working. I’m going to the Roosevelt Apartments.”

  “Call me back when you straighten this out.”

  She hung up and Molly chuckled at the conversation. Yoli had so few social skills. She tried to imagine her helping with the case.

  She called Lev Rosenthal’s office next. Since Margaret valued courtesy and politeness, she held her frustration in check. “Hello, Margaret. I understand there’s a problem with the background checks.”

  “Yes, hello, Molly. Mr. Rosenthal is very concerned about Leon Lafayette. Apparently, he has quite a criminal record.” From her clipped tone, Molly could tell she was very busy.

  “That was during his youth, but the military really straightened him out.”

  “Yes, the military can certainly be a motivator for young people. Still, Mr. Rosenthal would be much more comfortable if Mr. Lafayette was not assigned to the First or Third Friday detail, at least until you catch Ms. Wonders’s killer. And please know that Mr. Rosenthal and I have the ultimate faith in you. We know you’ll find justice for Ms. Wonders.”

  The compliment caught her off guard. How can I argue with her when she’s singing my praises?

  She took a breath. Yoli would be furious, but what could she do? “Please tell Mr. Rosenthal that I’ll take care of it.”

  She debated whether to call Yoli back and decided that delaying her fury wasn’t advisable. She gave her the news quickly. “I know you’re angry,” she said between the expletives.

  “Angry? I’m way past angry. You needed to stand up to him.”

  “I didn’t even talk with him,” she argued. “I talked with Margaret.”

  “Even worse. You need to take charge, Molly. This is your company.”

  Her temper flared at Yoli’s insinuation. “I don’t have time to argue. Just tell Leon he has to sit this out and move someone over from RoRo. During Third Friday I’ll spend most of my time on the Row to make up for the loss.”

  Yoli grumbled some more and said something about moving Drew over because he’d worked in the LGA area during high school. Then she hung up.

  She stubbed out her cigarette and squeezed the stone in her pocket. I want a drink. I really want a drink. She tried to determine the cause of her craving. What am I upset about? The investigation? The argument with Yoli? The fact that Ari saw us doing it?

  She’d learned action was better than inaction so she drove to the apartments, focusing on the task at hand, ignoring the craving for a scotch. The front doors whooshed open and a gust of cool air lowered her blood pressure a notch. It was amazing how Phoenix temperatures could mess with a person’s mood.

  The lobby was accented with chrome and steel fixtures. A female leasing agent chatted with a teenage co-ed while her suspicious father listened, his arms crossed and a frown on his face. The agent, a young Hispanic woman, couldn’t have been more than a few years older than the co-ed, and Molly guessed she was an Arizona State student herself since she readily shared tidbits about the downtown campus.

  Ari sat on a leather couch, reading a brochure about the Roosevelt Apartments. Molly joined her and Ari’s face fell at the sight of her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Molly swallowed hard. “I want a drink. Right now I’m thinking about finding a bar and having a scotch.”

  “This isn’t a good idea.” Ari shook her head, castigating herself. “What an idiot I am. I’m so sorry, Molly.”

  “It’s not your fault. My drinking isn’t about you.” She glanced at the leasing agent who was pointing at something in the brochure, trying to work her magic with the father. “This isn’t the time or place to discuss it thoroughly, but I’ve learned my drinking is about reactions, how I respond to situations. Since I don’t intend to live my life inside a plastic bubble, I need to adjust and be stronger.”

  She didn
’t understand the look on Ari’s face but it was pleasant. She whispered, “Have you learned anything?”

  “Sebastian King won’t be in today, but Lupe, the leasing agent, has been here since the groundbreaking.”

  “So she knows a lot and we need to milk her for information,” Molly concluded.

  “What’s our cover?”

  She realized they hadn’t established their parts in this little fiction. Not like you, Nelson. “How about we’re lifelong friends who’ve come up from Tucson to go to grad school?”

  “Okay, what are our majors? Not everything is offered downtown.”

  She sighed. “Shit. I didn’t think of that.” She pulled out her phone and quickly looked up the offerings at ASU’s downtown campus. “Okay, I’m a criminal justice major in the College of Public Programs.” She handed Ari her phone and glanced at Lupe, who acknowledged her with a slight nod before returning her attention to the co-ed’s personal biography.

  “I’m getting my Ph.D. in urban planning,” Ari declared. “That way I can ask questions about the area and not arouse her suspicion.”

  Molly narrowed her eyes. “That’s a great idea. Maybe I should be an urban planner, too.”

  “Both of us getting the same degree? How likely is that?”

  “She won’t even notice,” she said. “It happens all the time. One friend follows the other into a career.”

  “So who followed who in this case?”

  “I don’t care. You decide.”

  Ari checked her watch and stared at the father and daughter team. The dad was lecturing Lupe on safety. “I think you followed me. After all, I’m getting my Ph.D.”

  Molly raised an eyebrow and said, “So, what if I’m getting my Ph.D. as well?”

  “No, that’s too much similarity. There has to be some difference. If I’m getting my doctorate, you should be getting your master’s.”

  “Why? Don’t you think I’m smart enough to get a doctorate?”

  “Of course, I do,” Ari said, laughing. “This is fictional, remember?”

  “Yeah, so why can’t I get a doctorate?” she argued.

  Ari just shook her head. “Get whatever you want.”

  The father and daughter stood. Neither looked happy as Lupe prattled on about the importance of making a decision soon since the apartments were filling up quickly and the fall semester was about to begin. She gestured toward Ari and Molly, and both the father and daughter glanced at them. The daughter gave a pleading look, but the father shook his head and headed for the door, his pouty daughter following behind. Lupe frowned as a commission walked out the door. She readjusted her smile as she introduced herself to Molly.

  “The inner city can be intimidating,” Molly commented, throwing a glance at the departing father.

  “He wants her to live on campus,” she said, motioning for them to join her at the desk. “Thanks for waiting.”

  “No problem. We’re doctoral students in the urban planning program and we don’t want to live on campus.”

  Her face brightened. “What a coincidence! I’m a master’s candidate in environmental studies. Is this your first semester?”

  “Yes,” they said in unison.

  “We just moved here from Tucson,” Ari offered. “When we saw this complex on the Internet we thought it would be perfect. We love this area.”

  “It’s fabulous,” she agreed. “I love living here on RoRo, that’s what we call Roosevelt Row in case you didn’t know. Have you heard about First Fridays?”

  They both nodded. “Yeah, but we also read that there’s been some crime,” Molly said seriously. “Is that true?”

  “Well, you probably heard about the homeless lady that got murdered, but that happened on LGA, not here. That’s the area with the problems, not RoRo.”

  “What’s going on?” Ari asked. “I’m just fascinated by anything urban.”

  “Lower Grand Avenue, LGA, is a wannabe,” she said snidely. “Some artists are trying to make it as successful as RoRo but I doubt it will happen. RoRo is one of a kind. There’s an energy here that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the downtown area.” She smiled broadly. “That’s the truth. I’m not just saying that so you’ll rent an apartment.” She pulled a keycard from the desk. “Shall we take a look?”

  “Sure,” Molly said.

  “Let’s start with the main floor. This is where the action is. If you’re new to the area, the many amenities will afford you an excellent opportunity to meet new people and other couples.”

  They exchanged a look but neither corrected her. She turned on the sales charm as she strolled through the game room where three students were shooting pool. All looked up and greeted her and said hello to Molly and Ari. They passed a study area and the fitness center, which also included a tanning service.

  Molly’s mind wandered from the conversation. Ari would certainly hang on every word, and she’d find the right moment to dig for the information they needed. Then she would join in, but for now, as Lupe explained the difference between the north and south tower, she pondered her earlier outburst.

  Only Yoli and Brian had ever heard her say she craved a drink. Her candor with Ari was quite surprising. Not even during their relationship had she ever discussed her need for alcohol, but then again, she couldn’t acknowledge she was an alcoholic. Too often her cravings had turned to rages and Ari often bore the brunt of the anger. She felt a tug on her hand and realized they were headed outside to the pool area. Her fingers were entwined with Ari’s.

  Sun worshippers lounged on blue chaises while a dozen students played water volleyball.

  “See?” Lupe said. “Friends everywhere.”

  “Wow,” Ari said, turning in a full circle. “I can’t believe this place.”

  “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll show you the apartment.” They followed her to a bank of elevators, and she pressed the button for six. “Right now we’re in the North Tower. The South Tower is identical and has the same amenities. I personally like the North Tower better because half of the apartments face RoRo. You can stand out on your balcony and watch the action on a First or Third Friday.”

  She hardly felt the elevator ascend and the doors opened onto an airy hallway that smelled new. Her feet sank into the plush carpet as they padded down the hallway. Beautiful sconces hung along the walls over matching tables. Since all of the apartments were furnished the complex could function more like a hotel with the knowledge that sweaty students wouldn’t be maneuvering oversized couches and heavy furniture around the corners every weekend as people moved in and out.

  “All tenants have a keycard for their apartments and it also operates the parking garage gate, as well as the elevator after ten. You can go down to the lobby but you can’t stop on any other floor or go up without the card.”

  She opened the front door to unit six-twelve. While the square footage was under a thousand feet, the strategic use of windows made the place seem larger. A patio door led to a balcony that overlooked RoRo.

  Lupe stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “All apartments have a twenty-five cubic foot refrigerator with water dispenser, granite countertops and a built-in microwave.”

  They followed her through the living room into the bedroom, which faced west. Molly opened a small walk-in closet and sighed. My first apartment wasn’t half this nice.

  “So what does this go for?” Ari asked.

  “Thirteen hundred a month and that doesn’t include electric. But we pay the water.”

  Getting into character, Molly looked at Ari. “That’s a little steep.”

  “But you’ll have a place of your own in the downtown. You won’t find a better deal,” she said. “Actually, you won’t find much else. The man who built these apartments had a vision and no one has matched it yet.”

  “I think I read about him somewhere,” Ari said. “Sebastian King, right?”

  “Yes,” she said. “He owns many properties in this area, and as I said this place is one of
a kind. The downtown is still almost completely commercial.”

  “He built this with Hamada Group, right?” Molly asked casually.

  “Yes, they’re an Egyptian company, and also TRIO, which is local.”

  “I haven’t heard of them,” Ari said. “I looked online at my fall syllabi and I noticed that one of my assignments will be to interview urban builders. Do you think Sebastian King or any of the people involved in TRIO would be willing to talk to me?”

  She nodded. “Mr. King is completely approachable, but I don’t know who makes up the TRIO Group. I was here during the construction of the South Tower and the only person I ever saw was Mr. King.”

  “If you never saw anyone other than Mr. King,” Molly asked, “how do you know TRIO is based in Phoenix?”

  She frowned, clearly not pleased by the challenge and that she was stumped by the question. “Hmm.” Then she smiled. “During one of his visits, he handed me a package to be sent out with the mail. It was addressed to Allen somebody and the post office box was local. He said Allen was part of TRIO. So he might be willing to talk to you as well,” she said optimistically.

  Quite pleased with herself, she launched into her spiel about the bedroom features. Once she’d run out of amenities to discuss she faced them, and in her best sales voice asked, “How about it, ladies? Are we ready to sign a contract and begin life as urban dwellers?”

  Molly nearly laughed, imagining how that line would go over if Ari said it to one of her clients.

  Ari crossed her arms and stared at her. “I have to level with you, Lupe. I’ve done my homework and I need to call you out on a few facts.”

  Her face fell. “Okay.”

  “Roosevelt Apartments is not the only downtown apartment complex, and in fact, they’re not even the first one. Valley Springs opened up a block away from the downtown ASU campus last year for three hundred less than what you’re asking here. Two other places are near completion and offer much cheaper rent. So, my question to you is, with this much competition why is he charging so much?” She took a step toward her and put her hands in her pockets. “We’re all students here. Why is he making it so hard for you to earn your commission?”