54
The following afternoon, Laurie and Leo stood in Kendra’s garage. The show’s lead cameraman, Nick, was waiting outside in the driveway, behind the wheel of their production van, and they were waiting for Grace and Jerry to arrive in Jerry’s new car.
Laurie’s phone pinged. It was a text from Jerry. Sorry, bad traffic, but we’re out front. Battle stations ready.
“Okay, everyone’s in place,” Laurie said.
Kendra stared at her cell phone, her hand visibly shaking.
“You’re sure you want to do this?” Laurie asked. “Another alternative is to go to the police.”
Kendra’s eyes widened. “No. From the sounds of it, this man Brenner has political connections. I saw how the police treated me when Martin was killed. I’m convinced someone in the department pulled strings to gloss over Martin’s affair with Leigh Ann. All these years, I was right about the two of them, but they treated me like I was crazy.”
Laurie looked at Leo and knew he was biting his tongue. Her father was blue through and through. He had no tolerance for people who did not trust the police, but Laurie understood Kendra’s reservations. For all they knew, Brenner had a friend or two in the NYPD. And if Kendra went to the police now, there was no guarantee they would believe that Brenner acted on his own. Brenner could use those tapes to say that he had killed Martin at her request and cut a deal to save himself by testifying against her.
“I can’t promise this will work,” Laurie said.
“I know,” Kendra whispered. “But it’s the best chance I’ve ever had to clear my name.” She ran her fingertips along the silver chain of her necklace. The pendant contained a hidden audio recorder that transmitted to the production van outside.
“You ready?” Laurie asked. She texted Kendra a photograph from her phone. It was step one of putting the plan in motion. She already had the telephone number from Joe Brenner’s website pulled up on her phone. Step two.
Kendra nodded, looking more certain than she had since Leo and Laurie’s arrival. “Let’s do this. Let’s nail him to the wall.”
Laurie hit the dial button.
• • •
Three rings in, the call went to voice mail, as Laurie had expected on a Saturday. “Mr. Brenner, this is Laurie Moran.” Leo nodded at her, encouraging her to keep her voice confident and level. “I’m a journalist and a producer at Fisher Blake Studios. Your name has come up in the course of our investigation into the murder of Dr. Martin Bell and we’d like to give you a chance to tell your side of the story on camera before we go to air. Please give me a call at your earliest convenience.”
Laurie felt her heart racing as she hung up the phone. Both Alex and Leo said that private investigators directed their calls to their cell phones so they could check messages at all hours. If they were right, then Joe Brenner was listening to Laurie’s voice right now. They sat in complete silence. There was nothing for them to do but wait.
Less than two minutes later, Kendra’s phone rang in her hand. She cringed at the sound as if her hand were burning. She held up the screen to show them that the call was coming from a blocked number.
It was Brenner.
Kendra’s voice quivered when she answered. “Hello?”
She leaned toward Laurie, and Laurie was able to make out Brenner’s end of the conversation. “You’ve been a very bad girl, Kendra. Did you forget our rules? What did you tell those producers?”
“Nothing,” she said. “I didn’t say one word about you, but I just got off the phone with Laurie Moran, the head producer. She somehow knows all about you.”
“Why didn’t you call me immediately?”
“I literally had my phone in my hand when it rang. I had to go down to my garage so the kids wouldn’t hear me. Then you called me.”
“So I know where little Bobby and Mindy are now. That was considerate of you.”
His voice was icy, and Laurie felt a lump form in her throat. She reached for Kendra’s free hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Please, I promise I didn’t say anything. But we should talk . . . in person. I’ll tell you everything she said, but I’m afraid she may have gotten the police to wiretap my phone.”
The call suddenly went dead. Kendra looked at the screen, wondering if she had lost the signal. A text message appeared from a blocked number.
Meet me at Cooper Triangle. Forty minutes.
“Is that a bar or something?” Laurie asked.
Kendra shook her head quickly. “It’s that little triangle of grass next to Cooper Union. I’ve met him there before.” Cooper Union was a small arts school in the East Village. Laurie knew the exact spot.
Kendra hit the button to open the garage door, and Laurie and Leo hopped into the van with Nick. She directed the cameraman where to go as she texted the location to Jerry. Cooper Union was only a few blocks away. They’d be in place before Kendra or Brenner arrived. That was the only way their plan would work.