Phil Edwards - Retirement Can Be Murder

Abram finished the thought, his voice rough as gravel.

“But Rothschild could change the schedule. Mel could.”

Sheryl turned her head and spoke.

“I didn’t know that anyone would get hurt.” Her voice was hard. She wasn’t going to cry today. “I didn’t know they’d do something to Charlotte. They told me that if I switched the money to this harmless group, I’d get another night for bridge. Everyone wanted it instead of movie night. Everyone. I just made it happen.”

She breathed out. Gary came back in the room.

“The jig is up,” he whispered.

Jake pulled him down to his seat.

“Sheryl, who told you about the deal? Who presented the offer?” He choked before the next part. “Was it…Mel?”

Sheryl stared at him. She thought for a moment. Then she shook her head.

“A man named Conrad called me. He said that I’d get more time for bridge if I convinced everyone to donate to the Initiative. All I had to do was keep it secret. He sounded so…harmless.”

“Who’s Conrad?” Abram asked.

“He’s Rothschild’s assistant.”

“So this was all Rothschild’s doing?”

“Yes.” Jake tapped his pen on the table quickly. It left dark blue dots on the fabric. “Simeon Rothschild was behind the entire thing. He’s the man behind the Saving Tomorrow Initiative.”

Just as he said it, Mel opened the door.

“What’s happening here?”

Jake turned to Sheryl.

“How did you call her?”

“No Jacob,” Gary said. “I did.”

“Why?”

Mel sat down beside Jake. He looked at her quickly and covered his notebook. Gary reached out toward Mel.

“Jacob, I know you are trying to be careful. But you have to trust Mel. When I left the room, I found a telephone and called her. She needs to know what happened. You know you can trust her. I’m positive she didn’t have a part in any of this.”

Jake wasn’t so sure. He looked in her eyes as she waited for him to talk. He told her everything that had happened. As she listened, her eyes widened. Then they started to shine, wet with tears.

“I don’t understand.” She was calm at least. “I’m guilty too, aren’t I?”

“How?” Abram asked.

“I gave Sheryl the extra nights. I run the schedules. I’m a part of it.”

“Did you know what the extra nights were for?”

“He just told me what to do.”

“Who did?”

“Simeon. He just told me to give Sheryl an extra night each week. And I can’t argue with him, you know that.”

“I know.” Jake put his arm around her and held her close. He could feel her heart beating as she shook. It could be an aggressive thing to believe in somebody. As she calmed down, Abram took off his hat.

“But I don’t understand. Why would Rothschild help an environmentalist group that was campaigning against the Development Proposition? Why would he kill…”

Jake didn’t make him say her name.

“Charlotte was learning too much about the Saving Tomorrow Initiative. She started investigating bridge when Sheryl kicked her out. Then she realized there must be a reason that Sheryl had gotten more days, so she started investigating everything Sheryl had done. Including the group. Eventually, she traced them back to Rothschild. Maybe she had already threatened him. And that would have ruined everything: all the money, all the investment, and all of his plans for the group. She made too many calls and learned too much.”

Mel sighed and brushed her hair back. She looked good, despite having cried a few minutes before. Jake wiped a tear off her cheek. She smiled faintly. She was whispering too.

“How did you know? How did you figure it out?”

“I didn’t, at first. I had to wait for it to hit me over the head.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t realize until I found out that Mr. Rothschild owned my apartment building. I saw Javier working there today.”

“How did that help?”

“Because there weren’t any marks on my door the day I was attacked. That’s because they didn’t have to break in. They just used their copies of my key.”

“And that’s why the girl was in your building!” Gary shouted.

Mel looked at Jake sideways. He mumbled an answer.

“They installed someone in the apartment next to me. Since Rothschild owned the building, that was easy. And they paid her to tip them off to my whereabouts. Once I realized that Rothschild was behind that, I knew there had to be a connection to what happened at Sunset Cove.”

Sheryl interrupted.

“And then you looked at the bridge schedule.”

Her accent was back and she sounded tough. Her fists were on the table, clenched. Abram had his jaw shut tight, and Mel was biting her nails.

“Now,” Sheryl said, “I don’t know if you can trust me. But I swear I had no idea. I want to get him for this. I don’t want him to get away with what he did.”

“Oh he won’t,” Gary said. “The jig — ”

“Is up,” Jake finished. He had to be aggressive. Firm with her. “Sheryl, you can’t be a part of this. You’ve done enough already.”

She put her head in her hands. Abram shouted.

“It still doesn’t make sense. Didn’t Rothschild want to develop on the wetlands? Why would he support a group that was fighting for people to vote against him on the Development Proposition?”

“I think I know why,” Jake said. Mel looked at him, surprised. He continued. “But we have to make sure that anything we accuse him of sticks. I have a plan to catch him on this. He can’t get away with it any longer.”

“But why did he do it?” Abram asked. Jake clapped his hands together.

“The best way to find out is to ask him in person.”

The next day, the view was still impressive. Rothschild’s office was as clean as the first time Jake had visited. The leather-bound books sat in back, drowning in sunlight. The blobs of color on his paintings looked more like stains than art. And then there was Rothschild, meticulous in a black suit, his white hair gently tousled, and his chin raised up.

The plan was set. He’d go in and talk to Rothschild while recording the conversation. Then Mel would rush past the secretary and burst in, leading Gary, who’d be there to photograph everything. They’d have a fully documented confession. Jake smiled when he entered the room. Rothschild didn’t.

“Mr. Russo. I’ve been expecting you.”

Jake looked in his eyes. They were darker than his suit. They both stayed standing.

“Good. I’ve been looking forward to talking to you.”

Rothschild leaned back on the desk, barely raising his feet. Then he laughed.

“Mr. Russo, have you gained weight?”

Jake looked down at his shirt. Today it was blue with a Hawaiian print. Gary liked bright colors.

“I haven’t been able to get to my apartment. I borrowed this shirt from a friend.”

Rothschild nodded and moved on quickly.

“So what are you here to talk about today? My favorite ice cream topping? If it will save you some time, I like vanilla.”

“Mr. Rothschild — ”

“Simeon.”

“Mr. Rothschild.” He gritted his teeth. “I’m here to talk about something else. I know you’re behind the Saving Tomorrow Initiative. And I know you ordered Charlotte Ward’s murder.”

Rothschild hardly reacted. His black eyes got wider. Then he snapped his fingers. Slowly, the bookcase behind him opened. A man with long red hair emerged, his teeth bared. Conrad. He wasn’t part of the plan. He waved with a bandaged hand. Rothschild flicked his hand forward toward Jake.

“Conrad, will you secure Mr. Russo? I believe you’ve done this before.”

Jake didn’t bother resisting. Conrad sat him down in a leather chair and then bound his hands with elastic cord. Jake glared at Rothschild.