“What do you mean? Of course, I need it. I’ve paid you for that. Haven’t I?” she asked sternly.
“No… I mean, the kidnapper has already been identified and…,” Karl said before she interjected.
“You don’t have to bother about that. You tell me what information you have!” Mrs. Campbell thundered, making Karl a bit nervous.
Her indifference to the development in the case hit him like a hammer. He finally understood that the assignment was not about Cynthia’s kidnapping; it was a witch hunt against Shawn Hansen. But, there was no point in analyzing her morality now. He desperately needed money, and that’s what mattered the most.
“I… I followed Mr. Hansen this morning. He didn’t go to his office. Instead, he spent most of the day at one Amy Brook’s house.”
“AMY?” she shouted, making Karl take the phone away from his ear. “No one believed me when I said that he was cheating on my daughter. The kidnappers may be torturing her while he’s enjoying his days with his secretary.”
“He … he came out of her house at around two o’clock and went straight to his apartment from there. Around three, I saw two FBI agents entering Liberty Plaza. I suppose, the feds have taken charge of the case now, as the NYPD officer left as soon as they went inside. Do you want me to follow him again tomorrow?” Karl asked, fearing she was going to shout again.
But, there was a momentary silence instead. He waited in anticipation.
“No need to follow him anymore. I want you to break into Amy’s house and get me some proof of their affair,” she said in a measured tone.
“What?” Karl asked in disbelief. “I... I can’t do that.”
“If you want the rest of the money, you’ve to do what I tell you to do. And, I know that you need it desperately. You think that I haven’t thought this through before reaching out to you? I’ve done a background check on you. You’re under severe debt. You’ve already defaulted thrice, and if you don’t pay the bank this month, they’ll take away the keys to your office,” Mrs. Campbell said coldly.
Karl’s face turned pale with fear. She was not the same woman whom he had met at his office. She was a mother on a mission, and he was too trapped in her mission. She had closed all the doors for his escape.
“I … I’ll do it,” he conceded in a low voice while cursing his luck.
“Call me same time tomorrow with the update,” she said and disconnected. He looked at the food that had turned cold, just like his enthusiasm.
“Sir, we’ll need Bob’s help on this case. He can help us with the information available in our database,” Kiara said.
“Okay. I’ll assign him to this case,” Carlson said and then paused, “I need Cynthia’s coordinates in the next forty-eight hours. We may not be in a position to negotiate after that. Do whatever it takes, but don’t break any laws.”
“We understand, sir,” Kiara said while getting up. Jake followed suit.
“Keep me updated with every development. I don’t want to miss even a single detail,” Carlson said while shifting his gaze between the two of them.
“We definitely will, Sir,” Kiara assured him and looked at Jake, who also nodded.
Carlson looked at them for a moment before burying himself in a case file. Kiara and Jake waited for a moment and then stepped out of his office.
“What’s on your mind?” Jake asked as they walked toward Bob’s desk.
“Need some information from the past cases,” Kiara replied.
Bob looked at them and gave a wide grin.
“Well, well. What makes our brightest stars pay a rare visit to this humble analyst’s abode?”
“It’s … it’s the other way around,” Kiara said while looking at Bob’s juggling belly. “We disturb you only when we can’t solve something by ourselves.”
“Cut the crap! What do you want?” Bob asked angrily. “I have a lot on my plate right now.”
“We need some info on Cynthia Hansen’s kidnapping,” Kiara said.
“What info?”
“I need the phone numbers of people who were in and around Liberty Plaza during the week Cynthia Hansen was kidnapped. I want you to find out if any of those numbers are in our database,” Kiara said knowing what was going to happen next.
“What will I get in return?” Bob asked unashamedly.
“Nothing. It’s your job,” Jake said firmly.
“Like I said, I have a lot on my plate right now, and everything is urgent. But, I need to prioritize my work, and you can help with that,” Bob said and turned toward Kiara.
Kiara took a deep breath. “We will add your name to the report.”
“What?” Jake asked in disbelief.
Bob looked at him and then turned to Kiara. “I need my name before his.”
“Okay … but only if you give me something useful,” Kiara said. Jake, on the other hand, was shaking his head in disbelief.
Bob held his hand out. “We have a deal.” Kiara shook his hand reluctantly.
A momentary silence ensued.
“What?” Bob asked.
“We need it now,” Kiara said firmly. “We don’t have much time.”
“This will take at least half a day. I’m an analyst, not a magician. You know I have to analyze hundreds of documents before concluding anything. If you don’t have that much patience … then you can look elsewhere,” Bob said while waving his arms in the air.
“I can give you two hours at max.” Kiara was not going to budge either.
“Three,” Bob said at once.
“Deal,” Kiara said and left at once before Bob could’ve changed his mind. Bob looked at Jake and pointed in her direction. Jake gave a loud grunt and followed Kiara.
“What was that?” he asked as he reached her desk.
“What are you saying?” Kiara asked.
“The deal with Bob.”
“I was just massaging his ego. Don’t worry. I’ll put your name in a bigger font size,” Kiara said with a grin.
Jake looked at her in disbelief. He had never understood her behavior whenever Bob was around.
“Can you at least tell me your plan?” he asked.
“The kidnappers may not be carrying their cell phones during the crime, but there’s a chance that some of them might have come to scout the location before the kidnapping. The planning was meticulous, and the first step must have been to find a way to make an anonymous entry into Liberty Plaza. To ensure that, someone had to keep an eye on the security for a whole day. I believe they must be communicating with each other during the vigil.”
“That might work,” Jake mused and then looked at his watch. “We could speak with Michael Campbell while Bob gets us the information. As Shawn said, he had ties with the Italian-American community. Maybe he knows something that could help us.”
“That’s a good idea. Let’s go,” Kiara said and got up.
Jake pulled his Jacket from the back of his chair.
“Michael Campbell’s villa is on the outskirts of the city. It will take an hour and a half to drive there,” he said as they walked to the floor entrance.
Kiara’s phone rang as they were about to enter the freeway. Her eyes lit up looking at Bob’s number.
“Hey, Bob! That was quick. Hope you have some good news,” she said. Jake parked the car on the roadside.
“I do have a good news, and as usual, it’s more than what you had asked for,” Bob said with pride. Kiara put the phone in speaker mode and brought it near Jake. “Your guess was right. I found a number matching our database. It belongs to one Rafael Marconi. He was active during the eighties and early nineties and had multiple felony and extortion charges against him. He worked for the East Side gang and went underground for a decade and a half. It seems he has resurfaced again.”
“Go on,” Kiara said as Bob stopped for a moment.
“His phone data shows that he was stationed outside Liberty Plaza for two consecutive days from 8 A.M. to 7 P.M.,” Bob said. “But, there is some
thing else that’s going to blow your mind. You’re going to put my name even above yours in the report.”
“Come on, Bob. Don’t be a tease,” Kiara said angrily.
“Okay. But you’re going to thank me for this piece of information,” Bob said, then paused for a moment. “He was in Rome a week before the kidnapping.”
“What?” Kiara shouted. Jake was equally taken aback. “Bob, you don’t know what this means to us. You’re awesome. Did you also check his current location?”
“I … I didn’t think that far,” Bob said sheepishly.
“Come on, Bob,” Kiara said in exasperation. “How much time do you need?”
“Give me fifteen minutes.”
“Okay,” Kiara said and looked at Jake. “Meeting with Michael Campbell needs to be postponed.”
“You’re right. This is huge. We can have Rafael in our net in the next hour,” Jake said in exhilaration. “We should call for a back-up.”
“Yeah. Let me speak to Carlson,” Kiara said and dialed his number.
“Did you get a lead?” Carlson asked immediately.
“Yes, sir. We’ve found a suspect who was following the Hansen family in Rome and was also positioned outside their apartment for two consecutive days. Bob’s trying to find his current location. I called because we’ll need a backup in case we find his hideout.”‘
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll arrange two teams as soon as you send me the location,” Carlson replied. Kiara could feel a sense of relief in his voice.
“Thank you, sir,” Kiara said before disconnecting. She looked at Jake, who gave a thumbs-up. They knew that if they got hold of Rafael, there was an excellent chance that they could avoid confronting Michael Campbell.
CHAPTER 4
Kiara kept staring at her watch while waiting for Bob’s call. It had been only ten minutes, but each minute felt like an hour. She looked at Jake, who was equally tense.
She didn’t have to wait for long, though. As soon as the phone rang, she put it in the speaker mode. Jake moved closer to her.
“Tell me, Bob.”
“I’m texting you his address. But, you need to tread carefully. The place is notorious for its street brawls,” Bob said cautiously.
“We will. Thanks, Bob,” Kiara said and hung up.
As soon as she received the address, she sent it to Carlson and then called him.
“Got your message. The teams will be there in the next twenty minutes,” Carlson said and disconnected.
Kiara and Jake ran to their car. Kiara pulled their vests from the backseat while Jake started the car.
“I hope we take him by surprise. Everyone in that neighborhood owns more than one firearm,” Jake said, looking at his gun. “If they come to know about us, we’ll find it difficult to get out of there unharmed.”
“It’s their lucky day, then. Carlson is sending an additional team,” Kiara said while looking at a message sent by Carlson. “He knows the place better than us.”
“Or, maybe he wants to be in Michael Campbell’s good books and doesn’t wish to take any half-measures that could anger him,” Jake said.
“Get over it, will you?” Kiara said while putting on her vest. “How much time will it take?”
“Ten more minutes,” Jake replied as he jumped the signal.
In a few minutes, they were able to see the location shared by Bob from a distance. It was on a small hill just outside the city. Unlike the rush of the city, an eerie silence engulfed the whole area even during the peak of the day. As they drove to the central market, they saw a few people sitting outside the half-opened shops. Some of them got inside as they noticed their car. As they took a right turn, Jake noticed that all the shops were closed.
“I think, the teams are already there,” Jake said while scanning the whole area that had gone completely silent.
As they turned at the bend, they saw the teams covering the entire corner of the street. One of the officers walked toward them as he recognized their car. Jake parked the car near one of the half-closed pawnshops.
“We had instructions to wait for you,” the officer said as Kiara stepped out of the car.
“So, that’s our house?” Kiara asked as Jake joined them.
“Yeah,”
Ten officers were standing near the door of a small house at the extreme corner with their gear. Kiara and Jake pulled out their guns and started walking behind the officer.
“Remember, we need the guy alive,” Kiara said to the officer, who nodded.
They took their positions outside the door.
“On the count of three,” the officer said and made a gesture with his fingers. “One, two, and three.”
With that, they attacked the door together. The door gave way to their blows and fell with a thud. All officers scattered through the hall and took cover in a flash. Jake and Kiara entered quietly too and hid behind the couch. There was no movement for a few moments. Everybody waited with bated breath.
“No need to take cover,” the officer shouted, breaking the silence.
Jake and Kiara got out with a puzzled look on their faces. The officer was standing near the bedroom door. They rushed to him.
Rafael Marconi was lying on the floor. The officer checked for any pulse. Kiara came closer but had to turn her face away.
“He has been dead for some time,” she said and looked at Jake. Jake covered his face too. He looked at the dead body for a moment, then walked across the room and checked the cabinets and the cupboard. He opened the drawers one by one and scanned them carefully.
“He was definitely behind it,” he said while pulling out Cynthia’s photograph from one of the drawers.
“Anything else?” Kiara asked while taking the photograph from him.
Jake scanned the whole area one more time and then shook his head. “Nothing.”
“What about his phone?” she asked.
“It’s not in here,” Jake said and looked at the officer. The officer checked Rafael’s pockets, but with no luck.
“I’ll check the other rooms,” Jake said and came out to the living room. He checked the table and behind the curtains, but couldn’t find it. He got down on his knees and looked under the couch. He gave a faint smile as he pulled it out from under the couch.
He walked to the bedroom while checking the call – log.
“There are only incoming calls and that too from one international number. Looks to be an Italian number,” Jake said and checked the inbox. “No messages either.”
Kiara took the phone from him and looked at the number. “This must be his handler’s number.”
“Looks like he died of a drug overdose,” the officer said while turning the dead body around and removing a syringe from its left arm. Jake and Kiara came closer and looked carefully at Rafael’s arm.
“It doesn’t add up,” she said while pulling Jake aside. “He was inactive for fifteen years, and then suddenly he got an overseas assignment. And, not only that, he traveled all the way to Italy while the work needed to be done here. And, after the job was finished, he died of a drug overdose. Looks really convenient to me.”
“That indeed is suspicious. But, his death means a dead end to our investigation. I’m pretty sure the house will be clean too,” Jake said, looking at the dead body. “Or, maybe he actually died of a drug overdose. We can’t tell anything right now.”
“We have more questions than answers,” Kiara said in angst. “I need to inform Carlson. He is the one pinning all his hopes on this lead.”
“And, I hope he hasn’t told Michael Campbell about it, yet,” Jake smirked.
“He will never do that,” Kiara said angrily while dialing Carlson’s number. “I’ll be in the other room.”
She walked to the living room. She knew Carlson was going to be upset at hearing the update.
Carlson took his time in responding, making her even more nervous.
“You got him?” he asked eagerly.
Kiara took a moment
to gather her thoughts. “We did, Sir, but we were late. He was already dead.”
Carlson went silent hearing Kiara’s words.
“Sir, are you there?” Kiara inquired.
“Yes … yes. Any murder weapon?” Carlson asked in a low voice.
“Looks like he died of drug overdose.”
“That could’ve been staged,” Carlson said with frustration. “Anything else that could help us move forward?”
“The house looks clean, and the cell phone has calls from only one number. It’s an Italian number. We feel it’s the same phone number from where the ransom call was made to Shawn.”
“This isn’t helping us,” Carlson said. “Did anyone from the neighborhood saw someone visit him recently?”
“One of the officers tried to ask the neighbors, but they’re used to these kinds of interrogations on a daily basis. They feigned ignorance and most of them denied knowing the man in the first place. Also, the dead body looks three to four days old. I don’t think anyone visited him or took notice that he hasn’t come out of his house for such a long time.”
“Three days or four days?” Carlson asked hastily.
“What?” Kiara asked with confusion.
“Did he die three or four days back?” Carlson asked.
“We’ll only know after the autopsy report comes in,” Kiara replied.
“We can’t wait that much longer, can we?” Carlson stressed.
“What difference does it make?” Kiara asked in frustration.
“If he died four days back, then that means he died before the kidnapping,” Carlson explained, making Kiara’s eyes go wide with surprise.
“If he died before the kidnapping, then who kidnapped Cynthia?” she murmured.
“What?” Carlson asked.
“Nothing, sir. I got your point. Thanks for giving a new direction to the investigation,” she replied.
“We don’t have much time with us. If we screw this up, the ramifications will be huge,” Carlson said hurriedly. Kiara felt as if she could hear his heartbeat. He really was under tremendous pressure.
“I understand, sir. We won’t take any half measures. Rest assured,” Kiara said.
Davenport Mysteries 03-Perfect Crime Page 4
