Blindsided

by Fern Michaels

  Myra and Annie gasped, their faces turning white. Annie reached for her phone.

  “Don’t bother with the phone. I heard the dude giving you instructions. I’m not going to turn you in. I do have a question, though. Aren’t you two a little . . . ah . . . old to be burglars? You can take those silly wigs off right now.”

  “How did you get the drop on us?” Annie demanded.

  “You turned the alarm off, that’s how. My employers have court this morning and demanded I be here at six o’clock. That’s how your person missed me. I got here before he did. So”—hands on her hips—the stringy woman said, “Do you want me to show you where the good stuff is, or are you maybe more interested in records and the safe?”

  “All of the above,” Myra said smartly.

  “Believe it or not, I’ve been dreaming about this day for years. For some reason, though, I thought it would be two burly men who would tie me up and make me tell them everything. I never expected two . . . ah . . . mature ladies like yourselves. Just for the record, I hate my employers. But I need this job, and jobs are not plentiful here in Baywater. Plus I get to take home a lot of food for myself and my sister.”

  “Why do you hate your employers?”

  “Why not? They’re evil. Everyone knows that but are afraid to go up against them. I tried when Celeste sentenced my nephew to over a year out at one of those farms. He’s sixteen, and some of his friends managed to get a six-pack of beer from somewhere; it was in the car, but it wasn’t opened. And none of the youngsters were drinking when they were arrested. All four of the boys were arraigned and sentenced to a year. Then my nephew got a little too mouthy, and she upped it to eighteen months. I asked the judge if she could cut us a break, and she said no. Just no. That was the end of the conversation. My sister almost had a nervous breakdown. Danny is a good kid, straight A’s on his report cards. Great at sports. Do you want the records or the safe first?”

  Annie shook her head as if to clear it. Myra looked dazed. “I don’t suppose you know the combination,” Annie snapped.

  “Sorry. They have a safe up in Waterton, too. I think they keep stuff in both places. Everything’s locked up tight. I had to go to Waterton a few times when they were having a party and needed help. I looked around. I always keep my eyes open. One of these days, I’m going to write a book about those two.”

  “Show us the safe. I know how to crack safes,” Annie said.

  “Wow! I am impressed, ladies. Way to go. I bet you two lead real interesting lives.”

  “We do! We do!” Myra said in a strangled voice.

  “Too bad you didn’t . . . ah . . . come by yesterday. They both canceled court and flew in here like two scalded cats. Eunice was high on pot, and Celeste started drinking the minute the door closed. They sent me home and told me to be here at six this morning. Something happened. I heard in town yesterday afternoon that the two of them were not invited to some judge’s party. And President Connor is going to be there, and she’s the one throwing the party. The whole town is buzzing about that. Some other judges are going to be there. They even invited the janitors. You want to ask me any questions? Sometimes they talk around me like I’m not there.”

  “Show us where the safe is.”

  Thelma led them to a study of sorts and pointed to what looked like a heating grate. “Behind there. The grate is a decoy.”

  “Do you know anything about their brother, Peter?”

  “Only that Eunice dreams about him, and that makes her sister livid. They were talking about it just the other day when I was preparing breakfast. He’s dead.”

  While Annie sat on the floor and fiddled with the knob on the safe, Myra walked around, then asked, “I don’t suppose you know where the key is to these filing cabinets, or do you?”

  “I do, actually. It’s on Celeste’s key ring. So is the key for the file cabinets up in Waterton. If your friend over there can crack a safe, don’t you think she can figure out how to open those file cabinets?”

  Myra sucked in her breath. “Now why didn’t I think of that?” she said sarcastically.

  “Because you obviously need to get into another line of work.” Thelma laughed. “I’m thinking you’re going to need some boxes. Am I right?”

  Myra was saved from a reply when Annie cackled. “I got it!” Myra and Thelma rushed over to where Annie was looking up at them, proud as a peacock.

  “What’s in there?” Myra asked.

  “Bundles and bundles of papers. Are we taking them?”

  “As soon as our little helper here finds us a box. Any cash?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Annie drawled, “lots and lots of cash. Getaway money would be my guess.”

  Neither woman had noticed that Thelma was gone until she returned with a huge black box. “Eunice got a new Chanel purse a few days ago. It came in this box. I saw the receipt. She paid fifty-six hundred dollars for a pocketbook. Only a crazy person would do that. I just didn’t have time to take it out to the Dumpster. You can jam a lot in here.”

  “You are so helpful, Thelma. I don’t know how to thank you,” Annie said, getting up and heading over to the file cabinets.

  Myra looked at the bundles of hundred-dollar bills. Then she looked up at Thelma. “Go get a trash bag, Thelma.”

  The trash bag was black, and that was good, Myra thought as she dumped the money into it and tied it with a knot. “This is a bonus for you. When we leave here, we’ll put it in the trunk of your car. Use it for you and your sister and your nephew.”

  “How . . . how much is in there?”

  “About three hundred grand. That’s a wild guess, I’m thinking more. Probably upward of half a million,” Annie chirped from across the room.

  “Oh, my God!” Thelma said, sitting down on the floor and hugging her bony knees. “Oh, my God! My sister is going to go over the moon. She can quit that shitty job of hers that only pays pennies. Oh, my God! You two are angels! You are!”

  “Okay, I got it open! Oh, Myra, there’s no way we can take all of this with us. There is a ton of files here.”

  “I’ll help you. You must have a lookout somewhere. Call them and have them come in. What’s wrong with you two? We’re women! Didn’t anyone ever tell you women can do anything?” Thelma grinned.

  “I love this woman!” Annie said as she started pulling the files out of the cabinet while Myra hit her speed dial.

  Twenty-eight minutes later everything was secured in the Chevy Suburban, and the money from the safe was stashed in Thelma’s trunk, under her spare tire.

  “We have to tie you up, Thelma, but as soon as we get to Waterton, do what we have to do and are on our way back, we’ll call the cops to come get you. It has to be that way so we can clear out the family home before they can go up there. You okay with that?”

  “Sure. Just turn on the TV so I can watch my soaps.”

  Annie tied Thelma to the desk chair with some panty hose she found in one of the dresser drawers. “Just make up whatever story you want when the cops get here. We’ll watch the news tonight to see how you perform. One last thing, Thelma. Don’t go crazy with that money. And don’t put it in the bank. Think about relocating soon.”

  “Got it. Nice working with you ladies.”

  “Nicest, cleanest job we ever pulled.” Annie giggled. Myra burst out laughing.

  “You still need to get into another line of work,” Thelma cackled.

  “We’ll take it under advisement, Thelma. By the way, how often do they go into the safe or the file cabinet—do you know?”

  “Not often. I dust and can usually tell. Maybe once a month. ’Course when I’m not here, they could open everything every single night.”

  “Oh, well, when the cops get here, it won’t matter. We just have to be in and out of Waterton before that happens,” Myra said.

  “Have a safe trip. Nice meeting you two,” Thelma cackled again as she settled down to watch her soaps.

  Chapter 20

  Annie and Myra arrived b
ack at the Harbor Inn in Baywater a few minutes before six. Following them were two of Avery Snowden’s men, carrying boxes and files that they’d confiscated from the Ciprani ancestral home in Waterton.

  “It looks like you were successful,” Pearl said. “Did you have any trouble?”

  “Piece of cake, Pearl. Avery’s man had us in the house within seconds. We were out of there in an hour and on our way back. There wasn’t a soul around. The three houses on the lane are all empty,” Annie said as she headed for the bar sink to wash her hands while Myra headed for the bathroom to do the same thing.

  “Hurry, the local six o’clock news is about to come on. They’ve been showing teasers as to what the news will be at the top of the hour. They’re calling it breaking news. Which in our case means local breaking news,” Marti said. “By the way, did you find a stash of money?”

  “We did,” Myra said, taking her place at the table. “We didn’t count it, but there were the same number of bundles. Why do you ask?”

  “I think we should compensate all the Harbor Inn employees who were sent home so we could have the Inn to ourselves. It’s only fair. And maybe a bonus. I don’t want people dissing me after we leave here. I want to leave a pleasant taste in their mouths when they talk about me. I can’t afford any bad publicity,” Marti said.

  “I agree, and that’s exactly what we’ll do. We can have Avery’s people parcel it out after we leave. And, of course, Maggie and Ted will mention your generosity when they write up the story,” Annie said, sitting down next to Myra.

  Nellie turned up the volume on the television as the others started ladling out the food. “Five minutes of commercials, and they’ll get to it. Are you sure the housekeeper is someone who will come through for us?”

  “Absolutely,” Annie and Myra said in unison.

  “Shhh,” Maggie said as a picture of Thelma Thurman appeared on the screen. She’d tidied up and was wearing a simple shift dress. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun. Glasses were perched on her nose. She appeared nervous, but she looked directly into the camera.

  “Tell us, Miss Thurman, what happened to you today.”

  Thelma swallowed hard. “Well, I went to work early today at my employers’ request, and I was busy in the bedroom changing the sheets when I heard the alarm being disabled. It gives two short chirps of sound when it’s turned off, so I assumed it was one of my employers coming back for some reason. I work for Judges Celeste and Eunice Ciprani and thought one of them was coming back because she had forgotten something. I just kept on doing what I was doing, and then something made me look up. And there they were!”

  “Who are ‘they’?” the news anchor asked in a hushed voice.

  “The two burglars who robbed my employers and tied me up,” Thelma said in a voice that was just as hushed as the anchor’s.

  “So that means you got a good look at the people who broke in. How did they get the code to the alarm system? I understand it was a state-of-the-art system.”

  “That’s what my employers told me, state-of-the-art. Yes, of course, I got a good look at the two women.”

  “Women! Did you say women?”

  “Yes. And they were mean-looking. Big ladies. Each of them weighed close to . . . I think around a hundred and seventy pounds each. They were light on their feet, I have to say that, and they moved very fast. It was like they knew exactly what they wanted and where to find it. One of them had a . . . I don’t know what it’s called, but it helped them open the safe and the file cabinets and it also helped them turn off the alarm. One of them had a small map they referred to. You know, the layout of the condo.”

  “What did they take?”

  “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the judges. They left with boxes, but they didn’t pack things up till they tied me up. They were nice to me, and even turned on the TV for me to the soaps I like to watch. They told me to go to the bathroom first, though, because it might be a while before someone came to untie me. They were very courteous and even kind when it comes right down to it even though they were mean-looking.”

  “Did you ever see either one of these women before?”

  “No, never. For all I know they could have been men dressed up like women. The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced they were in disguise. I told that to the sheriff. The sheriff’s office had me work with a sketch artist. I did the best I could. The sketch artist said my description sounded like aliens.”

  “Did the perps talk among themselves?”

  “They did, but in another language. It could have been Spanish or Italian maybe, and they didn’t call each other by name, if that’s your next question. They didn’t talk much; they were too busy. I don’t have an ear for languages. When they spoke to me, it was in English.”

  Annie and Myra hooted with laughter.

  “And you asked if we could trust her. Does this answer your question?” Myra said. The others smiled, enjoying the interview.

  “So, Miss Thurman, how long was it before someone came to the condo?”

  “Several hours. Maybe four. I’m going by how many episodes of the soaps I watched. Then the judges came home. They were . . .”

  “They were what, Miss Thurman?”

  “They were livid, like somehow it was all my fault. They cursed at me, threatened me, and said they were going to fire me. That might have been their intention, but I quit on the spot, and they did not pay me for the day either. Tell me how that’s fair. Even the sheriff said my life was in danger, and for that, they were going to fire me! That’s just not right. I might just be a cleaning lady who cleans up their messes, but I have feelings, and I didn’t appreciate their attitude. Plus I was tied up for four hours. The robbers treated me better than my employers. At least they were kind and considerate. And for all your watchers out there, who might have missed the beginning of the program, my employers are Judges Eunice and Celeste Ciprani. I repeat that just in case one of you is inclined to apply for my old job.”

  “Way to go, Thelma!” Annie said, her closed fist shooting up in the air.

  “Wow!” Ted said as he bit into a crispy shrimp roll. “She came through for you with flying colors.”

  “We told you she would,” Myra said.

  “Now, we need to figure out how we’re going to alert the judges to the robbery at the ancestral home in Waterton,” Annie said.

  “Can I do the honors?” Dennis West asked. “At least they know my name. This time I can tell them that I’m with the Post.”

  “Where will you say you got their phone number? Their landline is unlisted at the condo.”

  “Call Thelma. I bet she has their cell-phone numbers in case of an emergency. She’s probably listed in the telephone book. She didn’t strike me as a high-tech kind of person. You can say you spoke with her after the cops were done interviewing her,” Annie said.

  Dennis came up with the number. Myra blocked the call on her cell and punched in the numbers that would connect her with Thelma Thurman. She identified herself as one of the strange-speaking, mean-looking robbers who tied her up and asked for the number. Thelma laughed and rattled off both judges’ numbers.

  Dennis dialed one of the numbers as the others stopped eating to listen to his end of the conversation.

  “Judge, this is Dennis West of the Post. I’m calling to ask you if there is any truth to the rumor that your home in Waterton was burglarized the way your condo was? We received a call-in tip that two people were seen carrying boxes out of your home.” Dennis held the phone away from his ear so the others could hear the judge screaming into the phone.

  “Can I quote you on that, Judge, even though it’s not fit for a family newspaper? Of course I can bleep out all those bad words. She hung up on me!” Dennis grumbled.

  Annie was laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath. “She hung up on you because she and her sister are now on their way to Waterton. Anyone want to bet?”

  “That’s a sucker’s bet.” Marti giggled. “I’
m thinking we just stirred up a giant hornet’s nest.”

  “What else happened while we were away today?” Myra asked.

  “Nellie and I sat in on both courtrooms. Both judges just marked time and ruled from the bench, always in the prosecution’s favor. At some point, they got a message from someone, and court was adjourned. We had lunch in town, then came home. People stared at us, but no one came up to us or asked questions. That was our day until Avery’s men dumped all these files and boxes with us. We’ve been going through them one by one,” Pearl said.

  “The boys and I hit the other three camps and found pretty much the same thing we found in the first one. All four are filled to capacity. It was obvious that the three commandants had been warned we might be coming by. They were definitely hostile, and the kids were jittery. Espinosa managed to do what he did at the first one—alert one of the oldest kids to pass the word that they’d be let loose real soon but to keep the info to themselves. We got back here around five and have been helping with the files. That was our day,” Ted said.

  “I guess I’m last,” Maggie said. “I put the squeeze on Jon Eberly. I think I scared the pants off him. I threatened him with a charge of obstructing justice, and he turned pale. I also told him his face was going to be above the fold of the Post with the obstruction charge under his name if he didn’t produce Peter Ciprani by nine o’clock tomorrow morning. I also said I would see to it that a charge was filed against Peter for defrauding the insurance company to collect a death benefit.

  “He didn’t buckle, but I think my reporter’s gut instinct is on the money, and by morning, both men will be waiting for me when I stop by. The other update I have is that Abner has been in and out of the Caymans and is on his way to Switzerland. He said everything is a go in the Caymans but did warn me that we will only have at best a three-minute window when the judges’ account can be accessed and the funds transferred to an account of our choosing. He volunteered to do that for us but needs to know where he should wire the monies. I told him I had to talk to all of you first. He’s going to call me around eleven this evening our time. And, he said, it took two million dollars to bribe the bank official, who, by the way, wants the money in his account ASAP. Abner told him half now and the other half when the three minutes are up. He expects Switzerland to go the same way except possibly for more than two million. He said the bankers over there are used to a higher standard of living. He’s thinking double the guy in the Caymans. The bottom line is we’re in good hands, and Abner knows what to do so things don’t get botched up. When he calls at eleven, I need an account number and the routing numbers to give him.”