The Other Path
Chapter 63
Esposito stares up at a stately building. "What do you think an apartment in there goes for?"
"Unless you win the lottery, I wouldn't worry about it," Ryan responds. "About $30 million."
"The lottery's your thing, not mine, Bro. But this Marty Levine definitely has big bucks. If he and Ted Berensen were together, Berensen wouldn't have needed to play games like renting an office at The Brigston."
"So let's find out what happened," Ryan suggests. "According to Ted's card, Levine's on the top floor."
Hawkins, the doorman guarding Levine's building, looks unimpressed by the detectives' badges. "This is a safe residence. I don't care who you are. If you don't have clearance, you don't go up. You two aren't on the list, but I'll call Mr. Levine and see what he says."
Ryan smiles through his annoyance. "Thank you."
The doorman picks up an old-style lobby phone for a short query. "Mr. Levine says you can go up. But next time, call ahead."
"Next time, call ahead," Esposito mocks as the elevator doors close on the detectives.
After Hawkins' attitude, Marty Levine's greeting seems surprisingly friendly. "I'm happy to do anything I can to help the NYPD," he declares with an almost convincing smile. "But I have no idea what this is about."
"Mr. Levine, do you know a Ted Berensen?" Ryan asks.
"Ted, sure, but I haven't seen him in six months. Is he all right?"
"He's dead," Esposito states.
"And we're trying to piece together who's responsible for his death," Ryan adds.
Levine waves the two detectives inside to chairs around an antique table. "What happened?"
Esposito ignores the question. "Do you have any idea what Berensen would have been doing on a roof?"
"At the Roosevelt Hotel?" Levine asks.
Esposito's eyes sweep suspiciously over Marty's face. "Yes. How would you know that?"
"It used to be Ted's place, and sometimes his and mine. He'd go there to think. Sometimes we'd picnic, looking out over the city. It was a beautiful vista."
"And who knew that Ted enjoyed the view beside you?" Ryan inquires.
"I don't know. Maybe a co-worker, a new boyfriend. As I said, I haven't seen Ted in six months."
"And where were you the night before last, Mr. Levine?" Esposito asks.
"You don't think I killed Ted? We disagreed about the direction of our lives, but I could never hurt him. And to answer your question, I was right here. Hawkins and the other doormen can back me up. They keep a log of who comes and goes."
Ryan nods. "All right, Mr. Levine. But what did you mean by disagreeing about the direction of your lives?"
"Ted wanted to do business all over the world. He wanted me to marry him and travel with him. I couldn't do that. I have too many responsibilities – family responsibilities – in the city. Ted wanted me to get someone else to take them over. I couldn't do that. So we broke up."
"What kind of responsibilities?" Esposito questions.
"Detective, have you ever heard of early-onset Alzheimers? I drew the lucky genetic straw, but it runs in my family. It took my mother years ago, but I have a brother, two sisters, and two cousins, all requiring constant attention. And have you seen what happens in some facilities? Deplorable care and downright abuse. I make unexpected visits, sometimes once a week, sometimes every day, if I'm suspicious. If things are going well, I can take day trips, maybe leave for a weekend. But I can't go trotting around the globe. Is that clear enough for you to understand, Detective?"
"Very clear, Mr. Levine," Ryan interjects. "We wish you and your family well."
"Wow!" Esposito exclaims in the elevator on the way to the lobby. "You wouldn't think anyone rich enough to live here would have problems like that."
Ryan shrugs. "Everyone has problems. But we should still check to see if anyone at the Roosevelt spotted Levine lately. And we should go through Ted's cards to see if there's anyone else who'd know he'd be on the roof. Maybe there was a new boyfriend."
"That's a lot of checking," Esposito grumbles.
"Maybe not as much as you think. A lot of Ted's contacts were overseas. We might get lucky with someone in New York."
"Dig up any more of Munchhausen's victims?" Rick inquires. "Ooh, I didn't mean it in a ghoulish way. Find more next of kin?"
"Uh-huh, but no more wives. I found two daughters who thought their dad had taken off. Apparently, he was an absent father. So other than not getting the Christmas and Birthday gifts he usually sent their way, they didn't think about him too much."
"Who hired Munchhausen to kill him?" Rick wonders.
"It was a corporate thing, crossing state lines. We found several of those. The FBI's taking them over."
"Which means less for you to do. You'll have more time to put together your lesson plans for the academy."
Kate plops down next to Rick on the couch. "And my lesson plans for you. We can start as soon as your doctor gives the OK."
"Oh, didn't I tell you? Dr. Michaels is on vacation in Figi. She won't be back for weeks."
Kate rolls her eyes. "Uh-huh. Fortunately, she's not the only doctor who took care of you at the hospital. You can get your check-up with Dr. Hightower."
"He has cold hands. I think he sticks them in the freezer."
"Be thankful you don't have to put up with what women go through on an internal exam. Talk about cold!"
Rick shudders. "Having accompanied Meredith through the birthing process, I imagine you have a point. And by the time you need me to coach, I want to be 100%."
"Then the sooner we get started, the sooner you'll be ready."
"How about getting you ready? We should take birthing classes."
Kate sighs. "Yeah, I guess."
"Even with your new assignment. You're still not completely comfortable with the whole having a baby thing, are you?" Rick probes.
"I'm getting there. Jenny is pregnant again. She'll deliver before I do, so that will get some of the attention off me."
"Not my attention. Everything's going to work out, Kate."
"Yeah, I hope so."
I recognize this name," Ryan announces, holding up a card.
"Philo Berman, never heard of him," Esposito declares.
"He was number 13 in the sexiest men in the world."
"And how do you know that?" Esposito questions.
"Jenny leaves People Magazine open on the coffee table. I take a look sometimes. And if I remember his bio, he loves to travel. Handsome, footloose, and fancy-free. Just the kind of guy who would have attracted Ted Berensen."
"Is he gay?" Esposito wonders.
"The magazine didn't say. But sometimes, actors still keep their sexuality to themselves, especially if they want leading man roles. We should go talk to him."
"Ted's boyfriend?" Philo repeats. "I wasn't his boyfriend. I was a potential investor. Ted was looking to start a syndicate to produce generic drugs. I thought that was great. So we talked. He wasn't to the point where he could accept funding yet. He didn't even have a prospectus. But he had some impressive ideas. I told him to come back and talk to me when he was further along."
And when was that supposed to be?" Esposito presses.
He said he'd have something when he got back from China. It should have been this week. I was expecting to hear from him. I guess now I won't."
