Chapter 25

We three conspirators were assembled in Aaron’s suite on Sunday morning, a council of war. We had put off dealing with Jennifer Logan until we had taken care of what we considered more important business. It was time to make final preparations for the campaign. Aaron had ordered snacks and drinks from room service. An army councils best on a full stomach.

Sara and I went back over some of the salient details of our reconnaissance in Los Altos.

When we had finished discussing the facts on the ground, I described the outlines of my plan.

“I think the easiest way to get into the house is as part of the cleaning crew. They come on Thursdays, so next Thursday is when we would plan to pull this off.”

“With you posing as a maid?” Aaron asked.

“Sure. That’s one line of work I’m thoroughly familiar with, so I can bring it off pretty easily.”

“You mean like your maid act in my hotel in Seattle?” Aaron said, a twinkle in his eye.

“Yes, like that. I had no problems passing for a housekeeper there.”

“Or for a burglar,” he teased.

Sara jumped in. “Cut it out, will you? We’ll take it as given that in Seattle, Flo made a better maid than a burglar. We assume this time will be different.”

Aaron raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry. Go on, please.”

“Thank you. Now as I say, I should have no trouble passing as a maid. It’s you who might have a problem.”

“Me? What do you mean me? How the hell can I pass as a maid?”

I smiled. “If not as a maid, just how did you plan to get into Sanders’ house?”

Aaron scratched his head. He took a few peanuts from a dish on the coffee table and chewed thoughtfully on them. “I hadn’t really thought about it. I don’t know, as a…a plumber? A carpet cleaner? An exterminator?”

“And what if they don’t happen to need a plumber next Thursday, and their carpets are clean and they don’t have a bug problem? How will you get in then?”

“Yeah, I see that, but a maid? C’mon.”

“It isn’t all that difficult. We get you a wig and some stage makeup, you wear pants to cover your hairy legs—at least I assume they’re hairy—and a scarf that covers as much of the top of you as possible.”

Aaron sat there trying to picture himself in the disguise I had just described. He shook his head slowly.

“I don’t know. I’m sure you can pass as a maid, but I don’t think I’ll fool anyone, wig or no wig.”

I was exasperated. “I agree, and that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you from the first time you asked me to help get your violin back. If you just let me do it by myself, we have a much better chance of success than if you continue to insist on coming along.” I had been hoping that Aaron would eventually see my point and agree I should carry on alone.

Unfortunately, Aaron saw it differently. Shaking his head slowly, he said, “I’m sorry, but I’m still coming along. I mean, you’re right. I’m making it harder for you to do your job and more likely that we’ll get caught. But I still want to do this myself. That is, with your help. I’ll understand if you decide at this late stage not to do it at all, because it’s too risky with me along. Then I’ll just try it myself, even if I have to dress up like a girl to do it. Hell, I might be pretty attractive as a cross-dresser!”

I saw it was useless to argue, and I really didn’t want to reopen the debate over Aaron’s participation. He obviously had an obsession about getting his prize possession back himself, and because it was clearly more emotional than rational, I was not likely to talk him out of it. And I certainly was not going to let him go out there himself; it would be like sending a lamb into a wolf pack.

“Okay,” I said, “let’s get back to the plan. We go in posing as cleaners on Thursday.”

Aaron leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Hmph,” was my only response, but I guess I did smile a bit.

Sara saw she had better get us back on track.

“How do you fool the real maids, or the Sanders people if they know the real maids?” she asked me.

“Good question,” Aaron added.

“Yes, it is a good question. Here’s what I plan to do: On Thursday morning I’ll call the TidyHome Maid Service and tell them I’m calling for Sanders and because he has some important meeting at the house that day, they should skip this week’s service. Of course I’ll generously offer on his behalf to pay for the week’s service anyway.” I took a sip of coffee to give them time to consider this and continued, “Then I’ll call the Sanders house and tell them I’m from the maid service and their regular crew had to be diverted for an emergency of some kind and they’re sending a substitute crew.”

Aaron considered this. “I like that idea. But since you’re telling them it’s a new crew anyway, why not just say it’ll be a couple, a man and a woman? Maybe he’s one of the supervisors or something and they’re short-handed because of the emergency. That way we don’t risk them seeing through some silly disguise or noticing I have a pretty low voice and large biceps for a woman.”

It was my turn to consider. Maybe Aaron had a point there. Maybe I was being stubborn about his being along and was just trying to make it harder for him, at the same time making it harder for myself as well.

“I hate to admit it,” I said, “but you might be right. I’ve never encountered a male housecleaner myself, but I do know there are a few out there, like male secretaries or receptionists or…”

“Or ballet dancers?” Sara put in.

“Thank you. That’s very helpful.” To Aaron: “Actually, men often do the really tough house cleaning, the kind you need after a fire or flood. We can say you’re experienced in our disaster cleanup service or something and just helping out.”

“What if they don’t have a disaster cleanup service?” Sara asked.

“They do now.”

Aaron looked much relieved. “Good. Then that’s settled. We replace the maid service. That gives us pretty much the run of the house, doesn’t it?”

“Well, maybe, depending whether certain areas are off limits to the cleaners. But we’ll have to cross that bridge later. Meanwhile, I have to locate the uniform company that supplies TidyHome and rent a uniform that looks like theirs.”

“What about my uniform?” Aaron asked.

I thought about this. “Good question. I doubt they’ll have men’s uniforms, though I can ask. If not, we’ll buy you a shirt and pants that matches the colors of the maid’s uniform. That should be close enough. I hardly think they’d expect a male cleaner to wear an aproned skirt and blouse.”

“God, I hope not!” said Aaron with feeling.

“I also have to get a few other important items, like a special carrier built for cleaning supplies.”

“Yeah, I guess the police probably confiscated your burglar tools,” Sara said, with just a hint of a smirk. I ignored it. “What kind of special carrier?” she asked.

“Something that will have big brushes and such on top, and a false bottom that’ll hold a Guarneri violin.”

Aaron nodded. “Which means you’ll need the dimensions of the violin, right?”

“Right. And I’ll need several hundred dollars to get someone to build it in a day or two.”

“No doubt. Anything else?”

“Just a few odds and ends. And of course you’ll also have to wear a disguise of some kind.”

“Why? We just decided I could go as a man.”

“Yes, but not as Aaron Levy, the well-known celebrity. What if someone at the house is a music lover and just happens to know what you look like? One of them actually got close enough to steal your violin, remember? Hell, they might even be big fans of yours. Like Jennifer.” I really didn’t have to add that last part, but I couldn’t resist. “They did covet your violin, so they definitely know who you are.”

“Okay, point taken. I’ll get some kind of moustache or beard or something. Okay?”

I laughed. “Yes, that should do fine.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Sara asked. “Would you like me to put on a moustache or a wig too? I hate to be left out.”

“Oh, I think you’re just fine being left out,” I said. “In fact, let’s hope you stay that way. If we need you for backup, it won’t be because everything went according to plan.”

“So what do we do now?” Aaron asked. “Synchronize our watches?”

Sara had the answer to that. “No, we go downstairs and eat. I understand they have a fabulous Sunday brunch buffet.”

Hearing no objection to her part of the plan, Sara rose and headed for the door, grabbing her purse on the way. Aaron winked at me, rose and offered his arm, and thus we followed Sara to the elevator.

Some plans require no discussion at all.