“I’m sure you believe that, but I don’t.”
He’s about to argue with her but she puts up her hand stopping him. “Hear me out. Why did no one believe the robbery really happened? Why did it go from the heist of a lifetime to a hoax? It was pulled out of the record books and now it’s one of those urban legends. Yet, right here is the proof that it did happen.” She points to the diamonds in the photo. Everything happened so fast for me that I didn’t even think of it. Mitch’s face pales.
“I understand what you’re saying, but I have no clue. Peter arranged everything. He came up with the plan . . . Oh, for heaven’s sake! He had to have played us like the fools we were. I need to call Doug before he gets on the plane.”
He calls Doug, pacing around the room as he waits for him to pick up. I’ve never seen him this pissed off. He finally hangs up and grabs a bottle of beer from the fridge.
“What did Doug say?”
“He knows nothing. He was about to get on his flight to go back to New York, but instead, he’ll get a rental car and come back here. It’s time we all sit down and find out once and for all what the hell happened.”
“I want to confront my father sooner rather than later, but I will wait until Doug gets here. My feeling is, once he knows the cats out of the bag, he’ll probably skip again. You know a leopard doesn’t change its spots.”
“I know you must be sitting here thinking we are total idiots, but, Emma, we were young, and we trusted each other. There was never any reason to doubt that bond. When Peter rolled right over me to get to your mother, I didn’t blame him; I blamed myself. I had no confidence whatsoever. I never thought I was good enough.” I’m listening to him explain the past and it makes my memories clearer. You know, when so much time passes, you tend to remember the good and the bad fades into the background.
“Mitch, I had no idea you felt so strongly about me. I really wish I did. Maybe we would have done things differently.”
“No, Amelia, things are exactly as they were supposed to be. That doesn’t mean we can’t explore the future together.”
Before I could answer him, there’s a knock on the door. He gets up and lets Doug in. I remember that Emma met Vanni, but not Doug. I quickly introduce them. She pulls her shoulders back and shakes his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Emma, wish it was under better circumstances. You look just like your mother.”
“Thank you, and Vanni looks just like you.”
We all sit at the round table while Doug passes out cold beers. I’ve come to understand how much he loves his beer. “Now, Emma, please explain your theory to me about this fourth person.”
“Like I told Mitch, why did it go from the heist of a lifetime to a hoax? Someone covered it up. The question is who? Find that person, and you’ll find out why.”
Everyone becomes very quiet. Doug is staring at the label on his bottle. Mitch is flipping his beer cap through his fingers like a poker chip. He finally stops and breaks the silence in the room. “We didn’t go to Cannes to do the heist; we went to have the spring break of a lifetime. It was only when we were there that the idea for the robbery happened.”
“Who came up with the idea?” Emma asks.
“Peter, did.”
“Were the three of you together the entire time?”
Doug rolls his eyes and begins to laugh. “Emma, it was twenty plus years ago. We were drunk most of the time.”
“Okay, point taken. Whose idea was it to go to Cannes?”
“Peter’s. He had such a love for boats, that one summer, he and Mitch worked on yachts.”
“Mitch, how old were you when you guys worked on the yachts and where did you go?”
He rakes his hands through his hair, which I’ve come to realize is a nervous habit of his.
“We were twenty years old. Peter and I worked as a team. In the beginning, it was just a weekend gig. Then one of yacht owners approached Peter and asked if we would be interested in a month-long trip. He jumped at the chance to get out of Brooklyn for a month and spend it out on the big blue sea. I was unsure but Peter said he wanted to go, and I had no choice. He promised me I would have a month I would never forget . . .” His voice trails off.
“Was it?”
I lean in, making sure I don’t miss a word of what he has to say. He gets a melancholy look, no doubt remembering better times.
“Yes, it was. The owner’s daughter was home from college. She brought three of her friends with her. Halfway through the trip, Peter was sleeping with the yacht owner’s wife. I was sleeping with their daughter. It’s an adventure I had with Peter that I don’t regret.”
I know my daughter is going to pounce all over him with a million questions.
“That’s very nice but we don’t have time for you to reminisce about your summer of love. Tell us about the family and friends that you spent that month with.”
Mitch’s eyes become wide, he gasps, reaches out and smacks Doug in the arm. “That’s it!”
“That’s what and did you have to smack me?”
“The family that we spent the month with—the father became the ambassador for France. They rented the yacht for the month as a celebration before they left. We tooled all around the cape. They had a son, Conrad, whom Peter became friendly with. Doug, think back, remember when we were in Cannes and Peter disappeared for a few hours.”
“Yeah, he said he hooked up with one of the girls he met at the pool. Do you think that was a lie and he hooked up with this Conrad guy?”
“It makes sense. I wish I could remember his last name.”
Emma reaches into her backpack and pulls out her laptop. It takes her no time to pull up a picture. She turns the laptop towards Mitch.
“A simple google search looking for the French ambassador at that time period when you were working on the yacht. Is this Conrad?”
“Yes! That’s the him. He would have looked different at the time of the heist.”
“Hold on, let me check his name on Instagram. A couple of clicks and here you go. Do either of you remember seeing this guy in Cannes?”
She turns the computer towards them. Doug’s face goes pale. Mitch is staring at the photo. It’s Doug’s reaction that makes a chill run up my spine.
“Doug, do you know him?”
“I do.” His voice is low and raspy.
“How?”
“It was after we got back. I ran into him and Peter at O’Malley’s pub. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. He said he was a friend, but he didn’t introduce him as Conrad. It was so brief; I can’t remember his name.”
“Well, I venture to say that my father had inside help from the beginning. You guys just thought you pulled off the crime of the century. I hate to burst your bubble, but you’ve been had. He needed someone to help pull this off. Who figured out how much the jewels were worth?”
“Your father was the one who figured it out and who knew a fence to sell everything to. He’s the one who said we should sit on the stuff until the heat died down. He said that way we will get more money.”
“Why didn’t the three of you open a safety deposit box, put everything in so all of this could have been avoided?”
“Again, your father said we couldn’t trust the bank. He said the only ones we could trust was ourselves.”
“I’m sure knowing what you know now, if you both look back, you will see he played you both like a fiddle.” She closes her computer and puts it back in her backpack. She gets up and turns towards us. “If you’re ready, I’d like to confront my father now.” She heads toward the door and we quickly follow.
Emma
It’s amazing how these three made it through life and got as far as they got. Although, in reality, my father knew what he was doing. Mitch and Doug were vulnerable. They trusted their friendship, never thinking that a lifelong friend would do the things he’s done. They say there’s a sucker born every day; Peter was lucky enough to find two.
I know my mother wants
to ask me what I’m going to say to my father. Truthfully, I have no idea. As a child, I wanted a father just like every other kid growing up in a single parent household. What do I need him for now? I can take care of myself; my mother was my best teacher. She wore both hats: mother and father. She always kept a positive attitude even at the lowest of times.
We pull up to the house and all the lights are out. I’ve got a really bad feeling. We get out and Mitch rings the bell—nothing. I try the side gate and it’s open.
“I’m going around back.” I don’t give anyone a chance to protest. Besides, they are too busy trying to see in the windows. When I get around back, I pick up a garden gnome and smash the window on the French door. I reach in and unlock it. When I step inside, I wait to hear an alarm, but I hear nothing. I turn on the lights and look around. I find envelopes on the coffee table in the family room. They are addressed to Mitch, Doug, Amelia, Brook, Benjamin, Jenny and me. I pick them up and make my way to the front door. When I open the door, the three of them are staring at me.
“I broke the glass on the back door and let myself in. There is an alarm system, but it’s not set.”
“Emma, this is not like you. What happens when they come back? They are going to think I raised you with no manners.”
“Mom, first of all, do you really care about what they think? Second, I don’t think anyone will be coming back. He left letters addressed to everyone. Hopefully they will have the answers everyone is seeking.”
I hand them each their letters. While they are deciding what to do about the letters, I keep searching around the house. The first room I hit is the master bedroom. You can tell a lot by a person’s closet. Some clothes are still hanging but for the most part it’s empty. There’s a safe in the closest and it’s open. There are some papers, so I pull them out. Most of them are legal documents for Benjamin and Jenny. There’s also a copy of his death certificate. So why leave that behind? Maybe just a dig for my mom. When I come out of the closet, my mom is standing there.
“You disappeared. Did you read your letter?”
“No, not sure I want to. Did you read yours?”
“No, I’d rather wait until I’m alone. What did you find?” She glances at the papers in my hand.
“Birth certificates and a copy of his death certificate, which is very strange. Did Mitch and Doug read their letters?”
“Yes, however, I didn’t ask them any questions. If they want to tell me, they will. Mitch is going to bring Brook hers along with Benjamin’s and Jenny’s. He was wondering if we wanted to go with him so you can meet them.”
I don’t need to think long about that one. “Yes. The sooner I meet them, the sooner I can put all of this behind me. How long did they live in this house?”
“I’m not sure, why?”
“It’s in very good condition, but it doesn’t feel like a home. Maybe they only lived here for a short time. What about his boat? Is it possible that they are living off the boat for now?”
“Mitch thought the same thing. He wants to swing by there before we head back to the hotel.”
I take the papers with me to give to Benjamin. I’m sure, at some point, he will need them. Before we head out, I check the garage to find whatever vehicles were there are gone. I’m doubtful that we will ever find them.
When we get to the boat yard, there is a security guard. He’s not letting us in, so I decide to take a different approach. I pull the death certificate out of my pocket and step in front of the guard.
“Excuse me, I know you can’t let us in, and I totally understand that. I mean you could lose your job and I would never want that. But do you know Peter Mach?”
“Yes, I do.”
I pass him the death certificate. I watch as he reads it and realizes what it is. “You see, he’s my father. He skipped out on my mother when she was seven months pregnant. I found out today that he’s been alive all these years. I went to his house to meet him but once again he skipped. I need to know if he left on his boat or if it’s still docked? You don’t have to let me in, but if you could look, that would mean the world to me.” I lay it on thick, even throw in some tears for good measure. He passes me back the certificate.
“Young lady, I’m so sorry, but he and his wife left here about an hour ago. Before you ask, he never said where he was going. I’m sorry, but that’s all I know.”
“Thank you for your help.”
“I don’t know if this will help you, but he has two boats. One is Diamond Reef, his food truck. The other one is his personal boat. He docks The Heist part of the year in the Keys.”
“Wait, his boat is called The Heist?”
“Yeah, funny name for a boat. I asked him once why he named her that. He said it was a lifetime ago.”
“Thank you.”
We head to the car and before we climb in, Doug stops. “So, we’re going to the Keys, right?”
“Doug, I plan on seeing this through to the end, whatever that may be.”
My mom looks at me and then back towards Mitch. “You heard my daughter; let’s get going.”
We climb into the car and head out in search of my father. After looking around his house I finally figured out what I want to ask him. Why? That’s it, just why. Why was I not worth it in your heart? After that, I’ll move on.
Peter
I know Mitch and Doug better than I know my wife . . . well, my second wife, Kelly. Amelia? I never really knew her. I married her out of spite. I know that Mitch and Doug will be coming for me. The last thing I want to do is sit around and wait for them. I’m not sure what the laws are but the only evidence they have are the two diamonds. Technically, I didn’t declare myself dead and collect the insurance. That’s all on Amelia. My leaving is best for everyone. Besides, I love the Keys this time of year. By the time they figure it out, I should already be at my other home there.
It’s a beautiful thing watching the sun come up when you’re out on ocean. It took a little longer to get here than anticipated because of the weather. Thankfully, that cleared.
I pull into my slip and begin tying her up when I hear footsteps, lots of them. I turn around and holy shit—Mitch , Doug, Amelia, and a girl that must be Emma, are approaching me. She looks just like Amelia at that age. How the hell did they find me so fast? Kelly climbs off the boat and quickly comes to my side.
“Peter, how the hell did they find us?”
“Shh, let me do the talking.”
When they get closer, they stop but Emma comes right up to my face. Her eyes are large; she’s absolutely beautiful. “You must be Emma.”
“I have one question for you and then I will leave you alone to live whatever kind of life you think will make you happy.”
“Wow, that simple. Okay, ask.”
“Why?”
“You’re going to have to be a little bit more specific than that, little girl. Why what?”
“Why was I not worth it in your heart for you to stick around?”
“I never wanted children, but if I had to have them, I didn’t want any girls. Having boys is beneficial, they can bring in some money and they won’t stop working when they get pregnant. Girls are high maintenance.” She stares at me and I’m sure she will start crying, because let’s face it, that’s what girls do. Her hand moves so fast across my face that I never saw it coming. I did, however, feel the sting of her slap.
“You are a pig, a poor excuse of a man. I found the death certificate. You knew that my mom had you legally declared dead. Did you think you were finally in the clear?”
“Actually, I did. I was pretty sure no one had the brains to think otherwise.”
“Or maybe, no one really cared anymore. Thank you for leaving my mom. She’s the one that taught me how to survive on my own. She taught me morals and values. She taught me to appreciate what I have. Everything else is just stuff. Stuff that will only end up on some resale site when I die. She taught me it’s the memories I will leave behind that will make the most change
in the world. I will never rely on anyone, especially, someone like you. You really are a pathetic excuse for a man.”
I’m rubbing my cheek as she turns and walks away. Amelia follows her but not Mitch and Doug. “So, do you both want a shot at me?”
“No, we want answers, that’s all. Was it Conrad who helped with the heist?”
“I’m impressed, Mitch, that you even remember him. Yes, that’s why we were able to get in and out so easily. He was a manager at the hotel.”
I know where this is going and I’m more than happy to tell them the truth—all of it.
“So how much was the actual total of the heist?”
“One hundred twenty million dollars. Sixty went to us. Thirty went to Conrad, twenty went to the jewelry store owner, and ten went to a local government official. We had to make those payments in order for it to work and for us to get safely out of the country.”
“Why didn’t you just tell us all of this at the time? Were you afraid that Doug and I wouldn’t go along with the plan?”
“Honestly, Mitch, no. You’re such a goody two-shoes I mean, really, to this day, I still can’t believe you went along with it. Anyway, the less people that knew, the better off we were.” I don’t know what else I can tell them that they don’t already know. “I have nothing left, guys, so if you think I have some hidden stash, I don’t. Not that you would believe me anyway.”
“Why didn’t you just divorce Amelia and let her get on with her life?”
Kelly pulls me closer toward her. I take a deep breath and slowly exhale.
“If I did that, you would have gone after her. It was never about her, Mitch, it was always about us.”
“What the hell did I ever do to you that made you hate me so much you would destroy lives over it? How the fuck do you sleep at night?” He’s screaming and his face is so red, I think he might pass out. I’ve never seen Mitch this mad.
“When we spent that month on the yacht, I had it really bad for Conrad’s sister Melissa. Instead, I got stuck with her mother while you spent the month fucking her daughter. Oh, and for the record, I sleep like a baby.”
The Heist Page 15
