Another faint smile. “Sure. I just hope I stay alive long enough to enjoy the fame.”
After Nicole left, Trevor Powers too decided to exercise caution. He packed up his computer and took it and the heavy carton of Kessler research material downstairs. On the street he flagged a cab and, after spending nearly fifty dollars in fares by directing the driver circuitously through Manhattan, ended up at a Midtown hotel, checking in for three days.
After checking in and settling into the room, he turned his attention to the carton and learned that Nicole had really come through.
There were dozens of file folders, containing a total of perhaps two thousand sheets of paper. They were, she’d explained, articles, blog posts, Twitter and Facebook and other social-media postings, as well as some notes she’d taken from firsthand interviews of people connected with Kessler.
He skimmed the headings:
— Michael Kessler, New York Governor Abrams to Co-Chair New England Republican Conference in December.
— From Helipads to Golf Courses to Cemeteries: The Private Estates of the One-Percenters.
— Kessler Foundation Donates $250K for Literacy, $500K to Wounded Veteran Rehab Centers.
— Family Feud: Michael Kessler Ousts “Liberal” Cousin From RealEstate Consortium.
— What You See Isn’t (Necessarily) What You Get: Candidates’ Supporters Embrace Stealth Advertising.
— Kessler Development Subsidiary Investigated for Substandard Conditions in Brooklyn Apartments.
— Gabriella Holmes, Aunt of Real-Estate Mogul Michael Kessler, Dies at 99.
— Kessler Eyes Entry Into Low-Income Properties in Europe, Brazil.
— Michael Kessler to Sink Millions Into Longshot Candidate for Manhattan Senate Seat in New York.
— Kessler Lawyers: Twenty-Four Buildings Should Lose Landmark Status; Tenants Protest.
— Queens Prosecutor Considers Charges Against Landlord for GasLine Explosion in Which Two Died.
— Amy Kessler, Wife of Billionaire Michael, Named Trustee at Freedom College.
— Survey of Super PAC Advertising Plans Released.
— New York State Senate Candidate Pledges to End Income Inequality.
— Sarah Kessler Donates 10K to Racehorse Rehab Center.
— Michael Kessler and Wife Sponsor Gala at Met; Donate $1 Million to Support Indigenous Art.
— Tax Credits for Wealthy Investors Targeted.
— Kessler Development to Bid on Harlem Properties.
— Sarah Kessler and Husband Entertain Republican Candidates at Palatial Estate.
— Todd Kessler, Son of Developer Michael Kessler, Finishes Tour of Duty in the Marines. Decorated for Bravery in Afghanistan.
— PACs Buy Ads in Minority Neighborhoods for Senate Race: Can Targeted Advertising Win Votes?
There were scores of other articles. Most mentioned Kessler and his companies by name; others didn’t, but were related to topics that did refer to the developer. Powers was floored by the amount of research she’d done. At first, in fact, he was peeved at the volume, but then he reminded himself that she wasn’t a trained journalist. Besides, more was better than less, and some headlines clearly suggested areas where Kessler might be guilty of plotting... something.
What, exactly, that crime might be, however, would require a lot of reading. Could the malfeasance be intimidating the New York prosecutor considering charges for the gas-line explosion? Bribing European or South American regulators to allow his low-income investments to go forward? Threatening commissioners about the landmark status of certain buildings, which forbade the destruction of older, and less profitable, buildings?
“Onward,” he whispered to himself, then smiled at the drama.
Powers ordered room-service food and a large pot of coffee, then organized the files and began culling the useless information — the more positive stories, the softer news that had nothing to do with whatever conspiracy Kessler was up to. He didn’t understand how those reports — some from blogs like his own — appealed to readers. He didn’t want to read donations to good causes, galas, the death of Aunt So-and-so. That wasn’t journalism. That was spacefilling, churned out by writers too lazy to dig for gold.
The food arrived and between bites — and slugs of black coffee — Powers plowed through the material.
Noon soon became afternoon, then evening. Midnight, one A.M., two, three, four... A single pot of coffee became... well, he lost count. Food coagulated and grew unappealing. Didn’t matter, he’d lost interest in anything but the story of Michael Kessler’s scheme.
And, just as the autumn dawn sun was peeking up over Brooklyn, Powers sat up suddenly, staring at one of the files Nicole had downloaded. He rummaged and found three other folders, plowed through once more. Then he laughed aloud, as his heart slammed in his chest.
He whispered, “Gotcha.”
“I’ve found it, what he’s plotting.”
“Oh, Trevor! What?” Nicole Samson asked from the other end of the line. He’d caught her at a coffee shop downtown, not far from the hotel she had checked into the day before for safety reasons.
“The elections next month? He’s rigging the contest for one of the state senate seats, the Sixty-Fourth District.”
“I think I remember finding some articles about an election, but I don’t remember the details. Who’s running?”
“It’s one of the Manhattan districts. The Democrat’s running on a platform to end income inequality, and she’s calling for a huge increase in city taxes on the wealthy, including real estate valued at over ten million. Most of Kessler’s companies and properties are located here. What she’s proposing would kill him financially.”
“What’s the plot, though?”
“It’s pretty damn clever. You almost have to admire the guy. One of the stories you found is about a Kessler PAC. It’s going to be creating and running ads that support the Republican candidate in the Sixty-Fourth, in Harlem. But I found another super PAC is going to be buying ad time for the Democrat in that district too.”
“That’s not surprising.”
Powers smiled. “It wouldn’t be. Except that both PACs have the same address.”
“You mean Kessler’s PAC is going to be running ads for the candidate he opposes? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Well, try this on for size: The Democrat has attended protests against police shootings of unarmed minorities. Not unusual, of course. Typical liberal position. And one that would appeal to the constituency. But there was also a clipping about her speaking at the funeral of a cop when she was mayor of Poughkeepsie and talking about gun violence.”
“Ah, I get it. The ads that Kessler’s PAC are going to run’ll tout that she’s totally law and order. She sides with the cops over the minority community. She’ll lose their votes in the Sixty-Fourth District. And Kessler’s candidate’ll win.”
“Exactly!”
“Are the ads running now? You’d get some good visuals for the blog.”
“No, they won’t start for a few weeks, closer to the election. And I can’t wait till then. I can feel Leavitt breathing down my neck. Son of a bitch isn’t scooping me this time. Hey, you did a good job.”