“No, not really. We went bowling once. He’s a really good bowler. Bars, clubs, basketball games, restaurants, that sort of thing. Nothing really regular.”
“We understand he visits a place in New York?”
Axilrod’s eyes widened. “Oh, right. So you know about that?”
“We’d like to know more.”
“It belongs to some guy. They became friends. Real tight.”
“This friend have a name?”
“Randy, at least I think. He founded some company and then sold it to Google or somebody like that for a gazillion bucks. He’s not much older than me, but he’s set for life, lucky bastard. Place has a doorman, and a private elevator that opens into the foyer.” She shook her head. “I’ve only seen stuff like that in the movies.”
“So you’ve been there?”
“Oh, yeah, a number of times. I go with Tony. Only way I can get in.”
“How did a guy like Tony meet a guy like Randy?”
“Randy wasn’t always rich, apparently. He and Tony knew each other before. Tony was like only eighteen or something. I don’t know particulars, but after Randy hit the big time, he didn’t forget his old friends.”
“Where is this place?”
“Fifty-Seventh Street.”
“Billionaires’ Row, maybe?”
“Yeah. It’s a pretty new building. The parking spot fee is probably five times what I make in a year.”
“And I heard he drives up there in some sort of exotic car?”
Axilrod smiled. “The Aston Martin. Yeah, that belongs to Randy, too. He lets Tony drive it sometimes. If you’d asked me a year ago if I thought I’d ever be driving around in an Aston Martin, well, the answer would have been no! But what a sweet ride.”
“Did you ever meet Randy?” asked Blum.
“No. Tony said on any given day he might be in Beijing or Paris or Rio. He has his own jet. I can’t even imagine a life like that. But apparently the guy likes to share the wealth, so that’s cool.”
“So you drove up there to the penthouse and . . . ?”
“Just hung out. Did some drinking. Played some video games. It’s got this whole room just for gaming. We’re both big gamers, although, not to toot my own horn, I’m a lot better than Tony.”
“So you two are dating, then?”
Axilrod frowned. “I’m not sure I’d call it that. We were just hanging out. There were no plans to get married, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m about ten years older than Tony.”
“So you were never intimate?” asked Pine.
Axilrod’s frown deepened. “I don’t feel comfortable answering that. And what does that have to do with finding Tony? And why all these questions?”
“We’re just trying to get a fuller picture of his life. I wouldn’t want anyone to ask me that question, but it is standard protocol for the Bureau.”
Axilrod still looked put out. “Well, I’m just sticking with ‘we were friends.’ ”
“Okay, was he ‘friends’ with anyone else?”
“I don’t know if he was . . . intimate with anyone. He never said.”
“When you went there each time was it just you and Tony?”
“Oh, no. There were lots of people there.”
“Friends of Tony’s?”
“Maybe some of them.”
“The others were associates of Randy’s?”
“I guess. Or friends of his. Look, it’s not like anything weird is going on there. People with too much money like Randy like to play the big man, right? We go there, we drink and have fun, and we do gaming and fool around some. That’s all. There’s nothing more. Stuff like that goes on in New York all the time.”
“Maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t.”
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you other than everything I’ve seen there is legit. Just harmless fun.”
“Does Randy let parties go on there every day?”
“Of course not. Tony told me he’ll get a call that tells him it’s party time there. It’s not that often. Once or twice a month. But I always look forward to it. I mean, come on, how else would I ever get into one of those places?”
“Okay, let’s switch gears. Have you seen anything unusual at Fort Dix?”
“Unusual how?”
“Just out of the ordinary?”
“No, never.”
“Because Tony was manufacturing and selling drugs, Lindsey.”
Axilrod shook her head and said vehemently, “No way you could get drugs on the installation. They have dogs sniffing for stuff like that, and vehicle searches.”
“Okay, this place in New York. You could find it again?” Even though Pine knew the address, she didn’t want to let on to Axilrod that she had that information.
“Why?” she said warily.
“I’d like to check it out for myself. We can go together.”
Axilrod shook her head, looking nervous. “I don’t think I want to be part of anything that’s going on here.”
“If you don’t I can have a warrant issued and a team can be there within an hour. But I’d prefer not to have to go down that route.”
Axilrod tensed. “You’re putting me in an impossible situation. If you do that and Tony finds out I talked to you, he’s going to be pissed.”
“I thought you said nothing was going on up there.”
“Nothing that I know about. But what if there is? Then I’m stuck right in the middle of it. And I’m not stupid. If the FBI is nosing around, something must be off.”
“And all you have to do is get me into the building. I can take it from there. You know the doorman?”
“Well, yeah.”
“So? Are they having a party tonight?”
Axilrod glanced at Blum and then looked at Pine, and her expression appeared resigned. “Actually, they are.”
“How do you know they’re having one tonight?” Blum asked.
“Because Tony told me about it last week. We were supposed to go together. But I haven’t heard a word from him since.”
“Well, you and I can go together. Okay, Lindsey?” said Pine.
Axilrod finally nodded. “Okay. But if things get hairy, I’m outta there.”
CHAPTER
26
AXILROD AND PINE SHARED an Uber into the city. They had met up in Newark and ridden in from there.
Axilrod had on tight, dark dress jeans, a white blouse open at the neck and showing a bit of cleavage, a short denim jacket, and three-inch heels.
Pine was dressed in jeans as well, and a black bomber jacket with a dark blouse buttoned all the way up. For obvious reasons she had left her guns and creds back in her hotel room.
“What are we going to do when we get up there?” asked Axilrod nervously.
“Mingle, listen, and watch. Try to find a lead on Tony. I don’t expect to hit the jackpot, but anything we learn will be more than I have now.”
“Hey, do you think Tony will be there? He hasn’t answered any of my texts or calls.”
“Let’s just say I would be surprised if he is, but I’ve been surprised before.”
They got out at the address and Pine looked up. They were on the south end of Central Park between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, and the building they were about to go into was twelve hundred feet high.
After Puller had told her about this building, Pine had done some digging. The cheapest apartment in the place went for forty-three million dollars. The most expensive unit was the penthouse, which took up the entire top floor and also the entire floor below it. They were connected by both a grand stairway and a private elevator. Pine had learned that this two-story mansion had been purchased by a Saudi prince for one hundred and ten million bucks, and he spent less than three weeks there a year.
There were no vacant units. There were also no full-time residents. These places were not homes; they were safe-deposit boxes, a way to move money out of a country where the government sometimes took things from the rich without paying for t
hem. Or, they were a perfect way to launder money that had been made in illegal ways overseas.
The uniformed doorman, who, to Pine’s discerning eye, carried more muscled bulk and keener observation skills than most doormen in the Big Apple, led them into a small but palatial lobby and over to the concierge desk. There they were met by a broad-shouldered young man with thick, wavy hair, an expensive blue suit complete with white pocket square, and a helpful, inquisitive look.
Pine figured he had a tricky balance here. He couldn’t afford not to be suspicious, but he also couldn’t afford to piss off a VIP, either. She assumed he had been rigidly trained to perform that duty as well as it could be.
“Yes?” he said, looking between Axilrod and Pine.
“I’m Lindsey Axilrod, remember me? I’m usually here with Tony Vincenzo.”
“Oh, yes, of course, hello, Ms. Axilrod, good to see you again. I’m afraid Mr. Vincenzo is not here.”
“I know, but he told me to meet him here. I, um, I think he’s coming later. I’m assuming there’s stuff going on up there, like usual.”
He said diplomatically, “There are others in the unit tonight, yes.” He turned to Pine. “And your friend?”
Pine put out her hand. “I’m Angela. Lindsey said it would be okay to come with her.”
“Tony thought so, too,” added Axilrod quickly. “He wanted Angela to come tonight.”
“Come on and I’ll get you on the elevator, then.”
He pressed his thumbprint to the scan pad next to the elevator and then punched in the floor number. The doors slid open, and Pine and Axilrod stepped on. The doors closed and the car lifted off, swiftly traveling ninety floors up, where it opened into what could only be described as a raucous scene unfolding over some of the most expensive real estate on earth.
Pine could see about forty people, most of them under thirty, many of them drunk and getting drunker. They were standing in small pockets of conversation, or draped over the massive furniture, or leaning against a wall, or sitting on tables, or heading off, hands on firm asses, to more private spaces.
The next thing she noticed were the two burly men dressed in dark clothes with bumps near the chest for their weapons.
One of them put out a large hand. “Purses.”
It wasn’t a question.
They handed the men their purses and they were thoroughly searched and then handed back. Next, they were efficiently patted down by the men.
“Names?” one asked.
They gave them.
“I’m usually here with Tony Vincenzo,” said Axilrod. “I’ve seen you before.”
The burly man swept out a hand and said, “Right. Enjoy.”
They walked over to a bar that was set up along one wall. Beyond that were sweeping views of the city. On the streets far below were the winks of thousands of vehicles. A slim jet cruised past their line of sight to its final descent into LaGuardia. Next to them was another splinter building where the überrich lived far above the rabble, at least in their own minds.
Pine and Axilrod ordered drinks, a rum and Coke and a champagne cocktail, respectively.
Pine’s gaze kept sweeping the room like radar sucking up as much information as possible. She checked out Burly One and Burly Two at the door. They were not paying her any more attention than they were anyone else.
“Recognize anybody?” asked Pine. “Specifically someone who knows Tony?”
“The two guys over there,” said Axilrod. “I’ve been here with Tony and talked to them. They seemed to know him, but just to say hello and talk sports.”
“Okay, anyone else here from Fort Dix you recognize?”
Axilrod slowly surveyed the room. “That woman over there, in the corner doing a lip-lock with that guy.”
Pine looked to where she was indicating. The woman was petite and in her twenties with stringy ash-blond hair. She was too thin, and her skin was pale and unhealthy looking. Her legs, encased in black jeans, looked like pencils flowing down into red high heels that raised her height to about five four.
“Her name?”
“Sheila Weathers.”
“What does she do at Fort Dix?”
“She works at the commissary.”
“She looks like a drug user. The eyes, twitchy limbs. You know anything about that?”
“No.”
“How does she know Tony?”
“He eats in the commissary. I’ve seen them talking. A lot.”
Pine put her drink down. “Let’s go then. She looks like she wants to be rescued from that guy.”
CHAPTER
27
HEY, SHEILA,” said Pine as she strode over to the couple and inserted herself firmly between them. “I’m Angela.”
Weathers looked up blankly at Pine but then saw Axilrod and said, “You’re at Fort Dix. I’ve seen you there.”
“Yep. I’m Lindsey. I’m in IT. I think we both know Tony Vincenzo.”
“Hey,” barked the man. He was around five eight with broad shoulders, a loose gut, slicked-back dark hair, and a pissed-off expression. “Do you mind?”
Pine looked down at him. “No, we don’t mind if you have to head off. We want to catch some girlfriend time with Sheila here anyway.”
The guy squared off with Pine. “That wasn’t what I meant. I meant for you two to back the hell off.”
“Is that what you want, Sheila?” asked Pine.
Weathers glanced at the guy and smiled. “I’ll catch up with you later, Ryan.” Before he could reply she kissed him. “I promise,” she added.
He glared at Pine and said to Weathers, “I’ll hold you to it.”
He stalked off as Weathers turned to them. “God, what a creep. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, but you know he’s coming back for more,” said Pine.
“I hope to be long gone before then. I have to get in to work early. Did you really want to talk to me, or was that just a way to get him away from me?”
Pine said, “No, we really wanted to talk to you.”
“Okay. I was hoping Tony would be here. I got a text to come up here tonight and the text said Tony was coming, too. That’s how I started coming here, through Tony.”
“Me too,” said Axilrod.
“Who texted you?” said Pine sharply.
Weathers said, “I don’t know. But I’ve gotten them before to give a heads-up about parties here.”
“You and Tony dating?”
She smiled. “Kinda, yeah.”
“Well, it’s Tony I want to talk to you about,” said Pine.
She led the way into another room that was miraculously empty. She shut the door and turned to Weathers. “Tony is missing, and we’d like to find him.”
Weathers glanced at Axilrod, who nodded. “It’s true.”
Weathers said to Pine, “Do you know Tony?”
“We dated. It was serious. I’m from Newark. I wanted to get back together with him.”
“Don’t get me wrong. But you’re a little old and a little tall for Tony. He likes them petite, like me.”
“Then his taste has changed.”
“He never mentioned an Angela to me.”
“Do guys mention old girlfriends to their new girlfriends?” pointed out Pine. “When was the last time you saw him?”
Weathers bit her lip. “Look, I’m not sure I want to talk to you about Tony.”
“What if something has happened to him?”
“Nothing has happened to him.”
“You can’t know that for sure. And we both know that the stuff he’s involved in can be dangerous.”
“What, you mean the motor pool?”
Pine gave her a hard stare. “Is that really what you think I’m talking about?” She glanced at the woman’s eyes and nose. “I’m not judging, Sheila. I’m just saying you have to be smart. I know the Army. They come down like a ton of bricks on drug users.”
“How dare you! I’m not a drug user.”
“Oh really. Well, y
our eyes and nose and your twitches tell me otherwise. Again, I’m not judging. But I’ve been down that road before. I’ve spent enough time in detox to know, so don’t bullshit me.”
“Okay, okay,” snapped Weathers. “But it’s also impossible to get off the shit once you’re on it. I’ve been in rehab four times now. If the Army could find any more bodies to wash dishes and empty the trash, I’d be long gone by now.”
“Did Tony supply you as well?”
Weathers gave her a look. “Why? Are you really a cop feeding me a load of bullshit and you’re looking to bust him? And me?”
She stared pointedly at Weathers and tapped her flat belly. “This is why I want to talk to Tony.”
Weathers sucked in a breath. “You’re—?”
“Not showing yet, but it won’t be long.”
“And he’s the father?”
“Oh yeah.”
“I don’t know where Tony is. I really don’t.”
“Okay, but you’ve seen him?”
“Yeah. At work.”
“He hasn’t been to work in a while.”
“I know.”
“So have you seen him other than at work?”
“Maybe.”
“Either you have or you haven’t,” said Pine. “And anything you can tell us will be more than what we know now.”
“Okay, he came to my place a few days ago. Said he got rousted from his house by the cops looking for him, and he needed to lie low for a bit.”
“You mean his dad’s old place?” said Pine.
“Yeah, I guess. How’d you know about that?”
“I’ve been looking for him. He told me about the place. I went there. It was empty. How long did he stay with you?”
“Just the night.” She glanced at Pine and added hastily, “We didn’t do anything. He slept on the couch.”
Pine waved this comment off. “I’m not looking to marry the guy, Sheila. I just thought he’d like to know he’s going to be a daddy. Did he say where he was going to go after he left your place?”
“No, but afterwards he texted me and said his father had died in prison. I think that really spooked him.”
“Did he say why the cops were after him?”
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