by Bill Bernico
A clerk approached Elliott and smiled, extending his hand. “Mr. Cooper,” the clerk said. “Nice to see you back again. Is there something I can help you with today?”
Elliott shook his head. “Not unless you have some new toys that aren’t out here yet.”
The clerk, a young man named Rick Driscoll, held up one finger. “We just got a shipment in this morning,” he said. “It’s been unpacked but it’s still sitting in the back, waiting to be priced and stocked. Wait right here. I have something you might want to take a look at.” Rick retreated to the back room and returned two minutes later holding a small box in his hands.
Matt had just walked up to his dad again when Rick returned with the box. Elliott eagerly waited for Rick to show him what he had. Rick pulled the flap back on the box and Elliott looked inside. He saw what looked like half a dozen BBs. The things were no bigger than a BB but it looked like they were covered in a Velcro-type material.
“What are they?” Matt said, looking down at the small pellets.
Rick plucked one from the box and held it in his flattened palm. “Believe it or not,” he said to Elliott, “This is a transmitter. It has a range of nearly five miles and each of these six transmitters has its own unique frequency identifier built into it.”
“What’s the practical application of this product?” Elliott asked, eager to learn more.
Rick set the box down and held the one miniature transmitter between his thumb and forefinger. He motioned to another clerk with his other hand. Another young man joined them and looked at the tiny transmitter and then to Rick for further instructions.
“Just walk away from us,” Rick told the second clerk.
The second clerk began walking away and Rick turned to Elliott. “Watch this,” he said and tossed the BB-sized transmitter at the second clerk’s back. It stuck like a burr to dog’s fur. Rick called out to the clerk. “Just walk around the store and find a good place to hide from us, Eddie.”
Eddie disappeared around a corner while Rick picked up one of two receivers, about the size of a cigarette pack and switched it on. A small red light blinked on the display and Rick spread his two fingers across the screen, like someone would do with an internet-connected cell phone. The display had a more concentrated view of the immediate area now. Along the top edge of the small screen a green arrow blinked and Rick handed the receiver to Elliott. “Just follow the blinking green light for direction. When you get close, the red light will blink faster until you find Eddie’s hiding place.
Elliott took the receiver from Rick and turned in the direction he’d seen Eddie go a minute earlier. When he got to the corner Eddie had turned, the green light across the top of the screen went out, only to be replaced by another green light along the right edge of the screen. Elliott turned right, followed close behind by Matt and Rick. Elliott kept walking, all the while monitoring the tiny screen lights. He made a left turn at a door that led to the back room and walked down a row of shelves until the green light switched to the left edge. Elliott turned left and continued straight until he couldn’t go any further than the restroom door.
Rick gestured with his chin at the door and Elliott opened it, stepping in to find Eddie stand there facing the door. “Thanks, Eddie,” Rick said, “You can go back on the floor again.” Rick pulled the transmitter off Eddie’s shirt and handed it to Elliott. “Eddie didn’t even feel it when the transmitter hit him in the back, and wherever he went, you were able to track him, even though you’d lost your line of sight contact with him. Now can you see the potential of a gadget like this?”
“You bet,” Elliott said. “How much?”
“Two-fifty,” Rick told him.
Elliott quickly looked up at Rick. “Sounds a little high.”
“That’s for the whole box,” Rick said. “Half a dozen transmitters and two receivers. That comes out to seventy-five bucks for each receiver and a little more than twenty dollars per transmitter. You’re bound to lose one occasionally or there may be times when you need to track more than one subject at a time.”
Elliott thought about it for a moment. “That’s the suggested retail. What can you do for me on this one, Rick?”
Rick looked at his immediate surroundings to see if anyone was listening. “I’ll let you have that for one ninety-nine even. After all, it’s an open box that’s been used, isn’t it?”
Elliott smiled. “I like the way you think, Rick. I’ll take it.” He handed the receiver back to Rick and added, “Matt and I have to meet someone in a few minutes. Would you hang onto that one until we finish our meeting? I’ll swing by the bank and bring you cash.”
Rick dropped the pellet into the box and laid the receiver on top of it, closing the box and walking with Matt and Elliott back out to the front counter. “It’ll be here waiting for you when you come back.” He extended his hand and Elliott shook it. Matt did the same and the two men left the store.
“What did I tell you?” Elliott said to Matt as they walked over several embedded stars in the sidewalk. “These could be just what we need.”
“I have to admit,” Matt said. “I was impressed. I can see a few possibilities for us with that gadget.”
Elliott pulled the glass door to The Gold Cup open and stepped inside the air-conditioned coffee shop. He and Matt found a table alongside the east wall and waited for Eric to arrive. Elliott checked his watch. He and Matt were a few minutes early.
“We’ve got time before Eric gets here in case you feel like talking,” Elliott said, looking across the table. “How was it up at the lake?”
Matt wasn’t comfortable discussing his honeymoon with his father. Even though Elliott hadn’t said that this was what he wanted to talk about, Matt knew that his dad’s curiosity made him uneasy and quickly changed the subject. “I was thinking about a few other ideas to include in my novel.”
“Are these ideas that you got on your honeymoon?”
“What is it with you and my honeymoon?” Matt asked, a little irritated now. “You want to give me the details of your honeymoon?”
Elliott said nothing.
“I didn’t think so,” Matt said. “Now, do you want to hear my ideas or not?”
“Go ahead,” Elliott said, unwilling to make eye contact with his son.
“Okay,” Matt said, “So I’m thinking about including a little side story about Lady Godiva’s drooling sister.”
That got Elliott’s attention. “What are you talking about?”
“I was thinking about calling her Lady Saliva,” Matt said, chuckling to himself.
Elliott rolled his eyes. “That sounds like enough material for a one-liner joke. Any more than that would drain the humor right out of it. What else do you have?”
Matt thought for a moment but before he could tell his father about any more of his ideas, Eric Anderson walked into the coffee shop and headed directly for their table. He stood at the end of the table, waiting for one of the men to slide over to the next chair. Elliott and Matt looked at each other, each one unwilling to be the one sitting next to the lieutenant. Finally Matt gave in and slid closer to the wall. Eric sat next to him as the waitress approached their table.
“You two order yet?” Eric said.
“We just got here ourselves,” Elliott explained.
“Coffee,” Eric told the waitress, who wrote it on her pad and turned to Elliott.
“Chocolate milk,” Elliott told her.
“Make that two,” Matt said.
The waitress turned and left without comment, returning a minute later with the drinks. “Anything else for you big spenders?” She had a tinge of sarcasm in her voice.
“That’ll do it,” Elliott said. “Thanks.”
She tore off the check and laid it upside down next to Eric, who shoved it across to Elliott. Elliott sipped from his chocolate milk and then got right to the point. “So, what’s this job you have for us?”
Eric poured the contents of a creamer container into his coffee and stir
red. He sipped, set the cup down and said, “I have a guy I need you to follow for a while. I’m not sure how long it will take.”
“Who is this guy we’re supposed to tail?” Elliott said. “And why did you need both of us on this?”
Eric took a deep breath and let it out. “Are you familiar with a guy named Booth?” he said.
“He shot Lincoln, if I recall,” Matt said, smiling. “Didn’t they already catch him in some barn?”
Eric wasn’t having any of it. He stared at Matt silently.
“Sorry, Eric,” Matt said. “Go on.”
“I was talking about Harry Booth,” Eric explained. “Remember him?”
“Wasn’t he a famous burglar or bank robber or something like that?” Elliott said.
Eric nodded. “Bank robber. He eventually graduated to armored cars.”
Elliott snapped his fingers. “I remember now,” he said. “He’s the guy who got away with a little more than two million in hundred dollar bills. He got caught passing one of those bills, didn’t he?”
“That he did,” Eric said. “The bank had a list of all the serial numbers from that holdup and we got the list out within twenty-four hours of the heist. They caught him three days later trying to spend some of the money at a motorcycle dealer. They stalled him until we could get there but all we found on him was six thousand dollars.”
“What happened to the rest of it?” Matt said.
“He’d never say,” Eric replied. “The prosecutor even tried to cut him a deal for a shorter sentence in exchange for the whereabouts of the two million, but he wouldn’t talk. I guess he thought he could do the time and still keep the money when he got out. Well, he’s getting out tomorrow afternoon after spending fifteen years in prison. I guess he figures there was no other job out there that would pay him more than a hundred thirty-three thousand dollars a year. He thought of that money as his retirement fund.”
“Can’t they still make him tell where it is?” Matt said.
“He kept it to himself for all those years,” Eric said. “And he was given all kinds of incentive back then. There’s no incentive for him to give it up now. That’s why I need you both to follow him as soon as he gets out. Sooner or later he’s going to go and get the money and I want you two to be there to collect when he does.”
“Can you take it away from him if and when you find it?” Elliott said.
“The armored car was covered by insurance,” Eric explained. “They got their money back. But the insurance company would like to recoup their loss and that’s who approached us.”
“And why are we going to follow him?” Matt said. “I would think the police would be all over him as soon as he stepped out the prison gate.”
“He’s too smart for that,” Eric said. “He could spot a cop a mile away and he knows most of the police in this city. No, we need someone he wouldn’t recognize. Someone who could get close to him without him getting suspicious. I don’t expect him to get chummy with you or take you into his confidence, but if you could just keep a close eye on him without letting him know you’re watching, maybe he’ll drop his guard and lead you to the money.”
“Is that why you’re purposely staying away from him when he gets out?” Matt said.
“Exactly,” Eric replied. “We want him to get the idea that we’ve given up on him, so none of my men will get anywhere near him. And no other officials will try to approach him, either. As far as Booth is concerned, he’s in the clear. So, you think you can handle this job for as long as it takes?”
“Our calendar is clear for the rest of this week,” Elliott said. “There’s just one small job coming up next week, but I’m sure Gloria can handle it while we’re out.”
“Your wife still have her P.I. license?” Eric said.
Elliott nodded. “She’s kept it current all these years after she turned her part of the family business over to Matt. And she can still handle herself in any situation.”
Eric’s eyebrows shot up. “Do you think she’d want to get in on this job at least until she has to take care of that other obligation you talked about?”
“Gloria?” Elliott said.
“Think about it,” Eric said. “Booth would never suspect a woman and he might let his guard down with here whereas he might not with a man.”
“We didn’t plan to get that close to him anyway,” Elliott explained. “Just before we came here, Matt and I stopped at the electronics store and bought some new surveillance equipment that should do the job. You think he’s going to let a stranger like Gloria get close to him?”
“Well,” Eric said, “He has been locked up for fifteen years. He could have his guard down with a woman. And you said she can handle herself.”
Elliott thought about the possibility for a moment and then said, “I can ask her and see if she’s interested.”
“Thank you,” Eric said. “She could be just what we need to break this case.” Eric’s face went blank as he stared off into space. A moment later he looked over at Elliott as if he’d just remembered something.
“What is it, Eric?” Elliott said.
“I just thought of something,” he said. “Booth knows you or at least he knows of you and I’m sure he’d recognize you if he saw you.”
“I’ve never met him,” Elliott said. “How could he know me?”
“Do you remember that high profile case you worked on fifteen years ago or so?” Eric said.
“Fifteen years ago?” Elliott said. “I don’t remember last week’s case. Which one are you talking about?”
“You and Bud were staking out some executive suspected of embezzling funds from his employer,” Eric said. “I don’t recall his name, but there was a lot of money involved and the case made headlines in the paper, along with a photo of you and Bud.”
Eric was referring to Bud Burke, a retired cop who had agreed to fill in for Gloria, who had decided to be a stay at home mom and raise her two kids until they were both in school.
“Oh yeah,” Elliott said. “I haven’t thought about that case in years. What makes you think Booth would remember it, or me?”
“Because that picture of the two of you made the wires and every paper in the country carried it,” Eric said. “I almost forgot about that myself, but I can’t take the chance that he’ll recognize your face and get spooked. I’m sorry, Elliott. I may have to find another operative or two.”
“Wait a minute,” Matt said. “Booth has never seen me, or Mom, for that matter. The two of us could handle this job.” He turned to Elliott. “That would free you up to take that other job that we have scheduled for next week.”
Elliott looked disappointed but realized that his involvement could jeopardize the outcome of the case. “All right,” he said to Matt. “You and your mother will have to watch each other’s back the whole time. I don’t want anything happening to either of you.”
“We’ll be fine,” Matt said.
“Great,” Eric said, turning to Matt now. “Booth is being released at twelve-thirty tomorrow so it would be good if you and Gloria were nearby in two different vehicles. You could take turns tailing him by car and if he takes off on foot, you’d have one of you free to...”
“Yes, Eric,” Matt said. “We know how to tail someone.”
Elliott gave his son a stern look.
Matt looked back at Eric. “Sorry, Eric. I didn’t mean to cut you off or anything, but...”
“Forget it,” Eric said. “I’m sure you and Gloria are very capable of handing this job. I’ll let you handle it from here on out.”
Elliott pointed at Matt. “Make sure your mom has a couple of those BB transmitters. She could actually get close enough to stick one to Booth.”
Matt smiled at the prospect of heading up this case without his dad telling him what to do. And as far as his mom was concerned, Matt would let her know that he was in charge and she was working for him. Or at least with him. He turned to Eric. “We’ll make sure we’re both there when Booth wa
lks out of prison. We won’t let him out of our sight.”
“Just keep me in the loop and let me know how it’s progressing,” Eric said, finishing his coffee and sliding out of the chair. “Thanks, Elliott. Sorry it wasn’t in the cards for you this time. I’m sure I’ll have more jobs for you in the future.”
“Don’t give it another thought,” Elliott said. “This could be a good learning experience for Matt and a little excitement for Gloria. If anyone can handle this case, they can.”
Eric left the two men sitting at the table and returned to his cruiser. Elliott gestured with his chin toward the door. “We’d better get moving, too. I still need to stop at the bank and get some cash to pay for our new toys. It wouldn’t hurt you to familiarize yourself with its operation, either. I’ll call home and have your mother meet us at the office and she can try out the BB tracker herself. On the job is not the time to learn how to work it.”
After a few minutes at the bank, Elliott and Matt returned to the electronics store to pick up their new surveillance equipment. They walked back across the street to their office building and rode the elevator to the third floor. Elliott sat at his desk, reading the instruction manual aloud to Matt as Matt pulled the pieces from the box and studied them.
“Listen to this part, Matt,” Elliott said, folding the instruction booklet back and stressing the importance of what he had to say. “It says here that it’s generally better to personally place the transmitter on the subject if possible. According to this, it’s best to try to place the transmitter on or under the subject’s collar in the back, where it won’t be noticed in the event the subject looks in the mirror. The transmitter is also less likely to be transferred off the subject the higher up it is on their body.”
“They make these things sound like fleas,” Matt suggested. “What does it say about tossing the transmitter from a distance?” Matt asked.
Elliott turned the page and folded it back. “The distance is limited only by the user’s ability to throw the device and hit its mark. The further away that the transmitter is thrown from, the more likely it is to land lower on the subject’s body, if at all.”
