Page 94 of Love Is an Art
I tap my card and pass through the turnstile. He follows.
“Clever plan.” He slides his mug into his backpack.
“I know this isn’t helping me to convince you that I’m not a master of deception—”
He snorts. “I already know you’re not a master of deception.”
I shoot him a stern “be quiet” look. “I’ll see you at 59thStreet.”
I jog down the steps to the platform for the uptown No. 1 train. Across the tracks, Zeke waves at me from the downtown platform right before a subway pulls into the station and blocks him from view.
At 125thStreet, I text Taylor that I’m on my way to the building.
Taylor:My friend is at the back exit.
Me:I’m at the front exit.
Taylor:He just left the apartment.Mrs. Humming called.
And we’re on.
Mr. Howard exits the front entrance of the building, a short, muscular figure hunched over, wearing a heavy raincoat to shield himself from the drizzle. I follow him, using my umbrella to hide my face.
Luckily, he is a slow walker. I cross the street and walk up the metal stairs on the other side so that I’m not directly behind him. The 125thStreet Station is outside on an elevated platform. Once he passes through the turnstile, I follow. A few other people wait on the downtown track platform. I stand on the open platform under my umbrella as he takes shelter under the iron awning.
The subway approaches, the station platform shaking slightly, even though the train reduces speed. I get in the same subway car as Howard but enter at the other end. I take the two-person seat near the door and pull out a newspaper to hide my face. He’s seated at the opposite end. I text Zeke my approximate subway car location.
If the subway car fills up, I won’t be able to see Howard. I bite my lip.
The hearing is this week. This is our one chance to determine where he’s going on weekends. If we lose him, our last option is to stake out the potential girlfriend’s apartment.
The subway fills up as we proceed downtown. I stand and move to the middle so I can see him. The train gets absolutely packed at 72ndStreet, and I’m smooshed between three people, with no visibility at all. At 66thStreet, as some passengers get off, I use that opportunity to move closer to him.
As we approach 59thStreet, I text Zeke. My text doesn’t go through.
Howard’s not getting up. Maybe he’s not leaving. But Zeke will then join us on the train.
The doors open on the 59thStreet platform, and Howard slips out the door. I follow him but let him get ahead of me. Zeke texts me that he's picked Howard up and they are on the B train. I drop back and also get on the B train but at the other end. Zeke texts that they've switched to the E, so it does appear he's on his way to this apartment in Queens. I also switch to the E. Howard gets off at the stop closest to his "former" address.
Me:Will run ahead and see if I can get to that apartment floor.
I didn’t tell Zeke this part of the plan in case he objected.
Zeke:Be careful.
As soon as I’m out of the subway, I run ahead to the apartment building. I tell security I’m there to meet a client and show my law firm ID. The guard nods and tells me to sign in. I scrawl some illegible signature. I’ll be on the security cameras, but that’s okay. This guard is glued to his phone instead of the video footage on the screens in front of him.
If Howard does show up, I’ll ask for the security camera footage. Maybe it will show a persistent pattern of living here over the weekend.
A minute from entrance to elevator.
I get off the elevator on his floor.
Zeke:He entered building.
No time to check out where the security cameras are situated. It sounds like a family is about to exit the apartment across from his. I slip into the garbage room. I use tacky wax to stick a mirror at head height to the garbage room door and prop the door open. And then I stand just inside and catch my breath. The hallway is visible in the reflection. If he comes to shut the door, it’s game over, unless he believes I’m some new neighbor throwing out garbage. I wait.
A grinding sound comes from the elevator bank.
