“So, that’s it?” he said. “We show up at the ship, and arrest her when she attempts to board as Briana Hanley?”
“Um, yeah. There’s no way she’ll suspect her cover is blown. If she sees uniforms, she might panic and try to run. I’d suggest you personally hang out around the registration desk waiting for her to make an appearance. I’d be willing to bet she will show up when the greatest number of passengers typically check in. Probably not early or last minute. She won’t want to stand out. She might try to change her appearance with something like a wig, glasses and the like, but as long as you have the name, you’ve got her. Why, this could even mean a promotion for you. After all, how many Briana Hanley’s have Fifty Thousand to spend on a cruise and a trail of dead bodies behind them?”
SUNSHINE STREAMED IN through the open drapes, bathing her room in a golden light. Barbara opened her eyes and checked her watch. Seven-thirty. She wouldn’t take the shuttle to the Cruise Center until around two. Just a little more time to kill until her new life would begin. That of a wealthy widow named Briana Hanley living in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. If she decided that name was too risky, she had three more complete with identification and passports that she had never used. She had time to decide. Time to transfer the majority of her money into whatever name she settled upon.
Barbara had always been fascinated with the 1944 movie Casablanca, even though she knew it was shot on Warner Brothers back lot in Burbank, California. When she researched countries that did not have extradition treaties with the United States and came upon Morocco, she had poured over everything she could find about the city featured in the classic movie. She liked what she found. Casablanca it would be.
She congratulated herself for figuring out that when the ship docked in Tangier a week before arriving in London, she could disembark and simply not reboard, claiming illness. The new high-speed train would whisk her to Casablanca in just over two hours. She gave more thought as to whether she would choose to use yet another identity once she was there but put that decision on hold for the time being.
It had been clear to her for a few months that Al Shady’s time was coming. She had disciplined herself to wait until the time was right, the money was right, and decided the money from that stupid HOA would be like frosting on the cake. She could have done very well without it but couldn’t resist the temptation.
With her path clear in her mind, all that had remained was to choose the day to send him to his resting place in Hell by injecting him with enough of the OxyContin he sold to those who didn’t want to fill prescriptions at a pharmacy. No one would question whether he was an addict who had OD’d. It was all going according to plan until the old goat told her there was something very important they had to discuss after that fateful meeting. She’d lived with him long enough to read his expressions. He was gloating, and that couldn’t be good. She knew he’d discovered something very damning about her and couldn’t afford for him to carry out any threats. His cold statement could mean anything—there was so much that was possible.
It could be something about the real ways her former husbands died, or knowledge about what she was up to now. He was scheduled to die anyway. This just meant she had to speed up her timetable.
Fate has a funny way of intervening and upsetting carefully laid plans. She’d had to prepare the syringe in a hurry and when he fell to the floor, she assumed he was dead. She left him lying there, and figured when she came back from the meeting, she would simply call 911, feign hysterics and say her husband was addicted to opioids and she was afraid he’d overdosed.
Now she recalled the shock when she turned on the light in the living room, and Al was gone. Had she miscalculated? Did he recover consciousness and leave? Thoughts ran rampant in her head until she focused on the blood. Then she knew. The Cartel had made their move and she had to get out fast.
41
Cameron leaned back in her desk chair, having returned to the reality of the advertising world. She dialed Nathan’s private line at Department of Justice. When he answered, she said, “For once I listened to you and we played it smart. Detective Barrington of the LAPD has everything we know now, and if all goes right, Barbara Shady will be in custody by this evening. Oh, and by the way, two thugs from the Rojas Cartel forced their way into my house last night and threatened us. I managed to call Barrington for help, but Garrett persuaded them to leave before the cops got here.”
“Damn it, Cami. That’s what I mean. You keep putting yourself in danger. Does Barrington plan to bring in the DEA?”
“Not yet. Later.”
Nathan was not happy they hadn’t brought in the DEA, but she explained that it was better to have an undercover detective bring Barbara in so as not spook her if she spotted too many questionable people when she approached the ship. She added, the DEA would have the opportunity to become involved once Barbara was out of operation, but she reminded him there were several counts of homicide and that was Barrington’s turf. Then she assured him that Barrington wasn’t a glory hunter, but rather a dedicated public servant who had been a big help to them.
Nathan said, “Well, give a big thanks to your teammates. Maybe we can meet them next time Kim and I are in LA. This has been a greater help than you know, although I hate involving civilians.”
“Aw, come on. Kate and I aren’t just civilians—we’re family. And, we’ve solved crimes before. You know that. Plus, Danny is former FBI, and we couldn’t have done it without his friend and co-author Margaret. Kim has met the Colonel and his dog Clarence, and she loves that old guy and the pooch. He’s military right down to his arthritic knees. As for our actor friend, he got to experience a real investigation although he kept coming up with crazy scenarios that could happen on TV or in the movies. This was a dose of reality for him.”
The Attorney General answered with a chuckle. “Love ya, Cami. You always have a justification or a spin ready. That’s why you’re a great ad woman. I’m hoping this will be a real crack in the case against those deceptive doctors and their network. It’s a pretty sure bet she’ll give up all of their names in exchange for some leniency. I know I would if I was in her position. So many of them operate under the radar as respectable citizens that they are able to maintain a great cover. By the way, give my regards to your Mom.”
“Will do. Kate says she has to go back to San Francisco, but she’ll be making more trips to LA. She signed the contracts for the TV series based on her life and Kim and I are covered as advisors. Wonder who will play you in the Ripoff episode. Anyway, if you can take some time off, we might be seeing you here soon. And, oh yeah, here’s a little gossip to share with Kim. I think Matt’s mouth is watering to land a role on the series, Danny is completely taken with Kate and I’d bet money that they will get together. The Colonel has had a great adventure, too. Let me know if you need anything else. Would you believe I have to go back to designing a killer campaign for sexy disposable underwear for incontinent seniors? Not very exciting, I’m afraid.”
She pressed the disconnect button and took in her wonderful view with a self-satisfied smile. It was fun to get back into investigating, and Danny and Margaret had been a great addition. Now, if all went well, revenge against Barbara for robbing the HOA would be complete by late that afternoon. Nothing quite as satisfying as catching an embezzler who also turned out to be a killer. She had every confidence that the HOA money would be recovered.
Kate left early that morning to meet with a new client before going home. It was impossible to delay tackling Sexy Seniors any longer. If she knew how to whistle in this happy mood, she would, but she always sounded like a teakettle when she tried.
42
Cameron concentrated on tying down the final details of the campaign—print ads, TV and internet commercials, and the new design for the packaging. Kate’s agent had promised to see if some of his aging, but still famous clients would be interested in endorsing the product. She couldn’t have wished for a more perfect day until it got
even better.
Ramona buzzed her at a little past four. “Detective Barrington is on the line and said you will really want to talk to him. Should I put him through?’
“By all means.”
Barrington’s excited voice came over the line. “Do you have a TV in your office?”
“I do. Why?”
“Turn it on and go to Channel 2. I think you will love what you see. I’ll wait for your reaction.”
With the Crystal Serenity in the background, film rolled as the reporter said, “The mystery of the disappearance of Barbara Shady, wife of Doctor Al Shady whose dead body was recovered from Grand Canal in Venice, has been solved.”
She walked over to a man who turned out to be Barrington and thrust the mic in his face. “Detective Barrington of the LAPD will fill us in on the details. Shady was not a victim, but I’ll let Detective Barrington tell you what he is able to release at this time.”
The camera panned to Barbara Shady wearing an auburn wig being led away in handcuffs, then moved back to Barrington who was filling in the facts for the reporter.
“Good job!” Cameron said. “And nice coverage for you. Thanks for believing in us.”
Barrington replied, “No, the thanks goes to you and your team. Outstanding job.”
WITH BARBARA IN CUSTODY thanks to Maggie’s friend’s daughter, the meeting that night was a victory celebration, but also a little regretful. They all agreed they would miss getting together. During the stressful time, a bond had been formed. It even included Clarence who was decked out in a red, white and blue scarf. He pranced around showing it off before he settled in front of the fireplace.
“Well, this has not been the trip I expected. When I came here it was only with the goal of hammering out the contract on the TV series and seeing a few clients. Instead I think our escapades the past week will wind up on the screen as an episode. Maybe Barbara, or whatever she wants to call herself, can watch it from prison. She might be clever, but not clever enough to mess with us.” Kate raised her glass of wine, and so did the others. Matt’s glass was filled with Perrier.
Cameron clinked her knife against her glass. “Listen up. This couldn’t have been done without our teamwork. Danny, Kate—your crime expertise. Maggie—well you sort of gave us what could be called the keys to the kingdom. We might not have found her without you. Matt—great work on following up with the bank and your other ideas, and last of all Colonel Mike and Clarence. Colonel, your wisdom and enthusiasm was so valuable and, Clarence, you gave us some comedy relief. Like Kate said, I’m kind of sorry it’s over and I sure hope we get some or all of our money back.
Their celebration was interrupted by the land line ringing. At first Cameron wasn’t going to answer, but when she looked at the display, she pressed the Talk button and said, “Hey Kim. What’s up? It’s pretty late for you.”
As she listened, she broke into a wide grin. “That’s fantastic. Tell Nathan thanks a million times, or should I say three million? Yes. I’ll tell everyone, and thanks again.”
“I’m sure you figured out that was Kim with some great news. Thanks to Nathan we’re going to recover all the money that bitch embezzled. More cause for celebration, and what could be better than a slice of Chocolate Decadence Cake?”
Maggie said, “Cami, I’m beginning to understand your mantra that chocolate cures everything, and the cake sounds wonderful. Bring it on because I’m not watching calories tonight.
KATE LEFT FOR SAN FRANCISCO the following morning, Danny met with Matt to solidify plans for the repairs to the canals, Maggie lucked into a great listing for a Twenty Million Dollar Beverly Hills estate owned by a movie producer. The Colonel found a new doctor who was able to alleviate some of the pain from his old injury, and Cameron launched the Sexy Seniors campaign with more success than anticipated.
This would have been a good place to end this story if there wasn’t more. But there was.
43
They had heard nothing further from Detective Barrington except for one call a few days after Barbara’s arrest when he called Garrett, who advised the others the detective had basically called to tell him nothing. He added, “At least he’s staying in touch. According to Barrington they’re still putting together a case with the District Attorney while they field calls from the other jurisdictions with open warrants on her under her other names. She was one busy, wicked lady.”
Disappointment clouded each of their faces.
“Hey, cheer up. It’s not all bad. He did say he would keep us posted,” Garrett told the group, “so I guess it’s hurry up and wait. I sure would like to know the whole story after all the work we did and the help we gave them. I really do have a good feeling about the guy, and I don’t doubt he’ll call us.”
Matt added, “You’re right. It’s not all bad. Thanks to Cami’s friend Nathan it looks like most, if not all, of our money will be back in our account within the next few weeks. It pays to have friends in high places. Danny and I have put our heads together and we are about to hire a highly recommended construction manager.”
“Does that mean our gala is back on?”
“You bet,” Matt answered, “coming back from the brink of disaster is a lot to celebrate, and I know you’ll plan something really special, Cami. By the way, the general membership doesn’t have to know how close we came to losing millions. Agreed?”
She hesitated before answering, then said, “Agreed.” It wasn’t like her to cover up the truth, even though her business depended on her ability to embellish it, but there was no need for their friends and neighbors to worry if everything would be back in place.
After that impromptu meeting everyone went about their normal business, impatiently waiting for an update from Barrington.
On Sunday Kate reported in an excited voice that Garrett called her and they were trying to work out a time for him to fly up to San Francisco.
“You certainly did get more than you bargained for on that trip, didn’t you? Let’s see—contract for a TV series, helping to bring down a real scam artist/Black Widow, plus what looks like a new romance. Way to go, Girl. If you were here, I’d High Five you.”
“Wait a minute Cami, don’t get the cart before the horse. By the way, I wonder who ever made up that stupid saying. I really like Danny, and I’m pretty sure he is quite interested in me—“
“Wait a minute. Flying up to see you in San Francisco? I’d say it’s more very interested than quite interested. Told you he’d be perfect for you.
Cameron’s Call Waiting notification flashed and she saw Garrett’s name on the screen. “Hey, I’ll call you back. Danny is on Call Waiting. Maybe he has an update.”
She hit the Flash button and heard him say, “Barrington came through, and you won’t believe what he told me. We need to gather everyone together tonight so I don’t have to repeat it over and over. Kate should be on the speaker phone. This is going to blow you away. Not at all what I expected.”
After talking a while longer, they agreed he would take care of calling Margaret and Matt and she would call the Colonel and tell Kate when to call in to hear Barrington’s big shocker.
The yellow crime scene tape surrounding the Shady house had been down for a while, but the empty house served as a sad reminder of what had occurred there. Between them, how many lives had Al Shady and his cohorts ruined with opioids? How many unsuspecting men had been sent to their deaths by that scheming woman? It was hard for Cameron to even look at the house without remembering her fear the night they thought the Shadys had been kidnapped.
She still jumped if she heard an unexpected sound at the front door, picturing how the ruffians from the Rojas Cartel had forced their way into her house and held the knife to Kate’s throat. They had been arrested for what they did to Shady, but their claim that the shooting was accidental, presented by a highly paid, very powerful Cartel attorney, resulted in a potential murder charge being reduced to manslaughter. They were out on bail and would probably serve as little
as a year, if that. Barrington wasn’t pleased.
After making her phone calls, Cameron poured a glass of wine and picked up a funny book she’d been reading. She needed a few hours of peace peppered with some humor. She loved this serene place that almost seemed out of step with the activity along Washington and the Venice Beach boardwalk. Many of the houses had docks with little boats. On Sunday, some of them were taken out along the network of canals. Weekends were pretty busy with tourists ambling along the canals, neighbors walking their dogs and kids playing in their front courtyards. The ducks came up onto the grassy areas to receive treats from tourists. All in all, it was a life she loved. It felt normal.
She sat there in her courtyard leafing through her book, sipping her wine and waving to the occasional neighbor until it was time to go inside and get ready for the meeting.
44
They all gathered in Cameron’s living room with Kate on the speaker phone. Garrett said, “As you know you’re here because I received a very long, very interesting call from Detective Barrington late this morning. Fasten your seat belts! It is more than anyone could have imagined.
“We know Barbara Shady was a nurse practitioner, although she told us she was a CPA. Thanks to Kate’s research team we discovered she did have a minor in finance which probably made everything she claimed seem valid. There is no question that the woman is a very smart, very manipulative and, most important, very dangerous person. She scammed her way through life, and that’s how she managed to scam us.
Scammed Page 17
