Free 12 Rose Street by Gail Bowen Page B

to make a lot of money and change nothing. The new owners will still be gouging people to pay for rat-infested substandard housing with black mould and faulty wiring.”
    “And the beat goes on,” Zack said. “The only way to deal with those houses is to do what Peyben is doing with The Village – tear the buildings down and start from scratch. I’m prepared to do that, but while the big machines tear down the old to make way for the new, the people who live in Cronus’s houses have nowhere to go.” Zack rubbed his temples. “It’s going to be tough promising to change the city when I can’t solve a problem in my own backyard.”
    “Do you want to quit the campaign?” I said.
    “No,” Zack said.
    “Then we’ll call a press conference tomorrow, explain the situation, and say that you’ll improve the properties you own as much as you can without disturbing the tenants, and as mayor you’ll work towards long-term solutions to the city’s housing problem.”
    Zack grinned. “You make it sound so easy.”
    “We’re going to take a lot of flack,” I said. “But we both know how to duck.” I picked up my coffee mug. “I’ll call Milo and get him to set up a press conference. Let’s do it on Rose Street – show that you’re prepared to face the problem head on. I’ll make sure Milo copies Slater Doyle on the announcement.”
    “So Ridgeway’s people can’t leak the contents of Cronus’s will,” Zack said admiringly. “What makes you think they’d even know?”
    “I imagine Darryl Colby will find a way to get the information to them. This is Regina. Everybody knows and everybody tells. You should probably give Brock a call. I’ll go over to Margot’s and fill her in.”
    “Is this a double massage night?” Zack said.
    I kissed the top of his head. “I certainly hope so,” I said.
    When I stepped across the hall and rang Margot’s bell, Brock answered the door. In the background, I could hear the
Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics
CD I’d committed to memory when Madeleine and Lena were born. The room was gently lit and there was a faint scent of Baby’s Own soap in the air. It was a scene of such tranquility that I felt a pang at having to break the peace with my grim news.
    “Margot’s in the nursery rocking Lexi,” Brock said. “She may be a few minutes. Lexi has her own ideas about bedtime.”
    “I can drop by later,” I said.
    “No need,” Margot said, coming in from the nursery. “Lexi is down for the count,” she said. “Of course, after my daughter and I have rocked for an hour, I’m just about down for the count myself.” She peered at me closely. “Is everything okay?”
    “We’ve had a tough couple of days,” I said. “And it’s not over yet. Would you mind giving Zack a call and telling him Brock’s here? There’s something the four of us need to talk about.”
    When Zack arrived, Margot greeted him at the door. “So what’s up?”
    Zack wheeled towards the living room. “For starters,” he said, “Darryl Colby popped by this afternoon. It turns out that I am Cronus’s executor and sole beneficiary. Jo and I now own a sizeable portion of the slum housing in North Central.”
    “Holy shit,” Margot breathed.
    Brock’s eyebrows furrowed. “So how are we going to handle this?”
    Zack leaned forward. “Milo O’Brien is texting the media, inviting them to a news conference in North Central tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Milo’s giving them the broad strokes aboutthe inheritance from Cronus, and he’s copying Slater Doyle on the announcement. I’m going to promise to do everything I can to make the houses I’ve inherited habitable for the tenants. I’m going to say that when I’m elected mayor, my first priority will be affordable housing. Then Joanne and I are going to head for the hills.”
    Margot leaned forward. “Peyben can help. By the end of the week, we can have workers on the job making those houses safe and livable. We’ll show that you know