"No, he doesn't talk much. She's the boss, all right." Connie shook her head. "That reminds me. We're supposed to call her Dr. Lewis when there are guests aboard."
"Oh, right. And Mr. Lewis. Guess I'd better get to work. We don't want to disappoint them in front of their guests -- whoever they are."
****
"This is a beautiful yacht," the manager of the resort said, as he took a piece of fruit from the platter Connie held.
"It certainly is," the woman with him said, sipping from her wineglass. He had introduced her as the event coordinator from his staff. "And the catering is first-rate. You're an excellent chef."
"Thank you, but that would be my husband, Paul. He's the chef."
"Ah," the manager said. "So you're the stewardess, then. I thought Paul was the captain. Excuse me for a second; I'd like to pay my compliments to the chef and get another glass of wine."
Connie forced a smile, but didn't say anything.
The event manager smiled at Connie and said, "That Frank is one sexy man, you know?" She winked and licked her lips. "Have you ever given him a try? Like when your husband's off the boat … "
"How long have the Lewises owned her?" The manager asked, returning with his fresh glass of wine.
"Pardon?" Connie asked, her smile frozen.
"The yacht," he asked. "They told us that they had finally decided to get some use out of her besides just as a weekend getaway, but they didn't say how long they'd owned her. I got the impression that they've had her for quite a while."
"Yes," Connie said. "I'm afraid I don't know, exactly."
"They're very nice people," the event manager said. "I'm looking forward to working with them. Have you and your husband worked for them for a long time?"
Connie swallowed hard and blinked at that. "Not for long."
"Oh," the resort manager said. "Dr. Lewis gave me the impression that you and your husband were on the boat when they bought her. I thought you'd been employed by the previous owner."
"Time flies," Connie said.
"Was your husband the captain when you got married?" he asked.
"No," Connie said.
"How long has he been the captain?" the event manager asked.
"It's a recent appointment," Connie said.
"Oh," the woman said. "What do you and Paul do when the Lewises aren't aboard?"
"We stay busy," Connie said. "Running a yacht like this is a full-time job for the two of us."
"I see," said the woman. "Well, I think you two have a gift for doing this. You seem very good at it."
"It's kind of you to say so," Connie said. "If you'll excuse me, I should get back to the galley and see if Paul needs a hand. Being the chef and the captain's a lot of responsibility."
Chapter 18
"Well, you certainly did a first-rate job, both of you. Thanks!" Kathy Lewis said, as she and Connie stood watching the lights on the launch as it cut through the night on its way back to the resort with the four guests.
"We try, Dr. Lewis," Connie said. "We appreciate your compliments."
She saw the appraising look on Kathy's face and smiled.
"You don't need to call me Dr. Lewis, now."
"Oh, right. It just seemed natural, after doing it with your guests all evening. I spent a few minutes talking with the manager of the resort, and his event manager, but I didn't get to meet the other two gentlemen."
"No?" Kathy asked. "I'm surprised. They're from the bank that we use here. One of them -- the older one -- fancies himself a ladies' man. I would have expected him to zero in on you right away."
"I guess I was lucky to escape, then. That could have been touchy."
Kathy shrugged. "Maybe I wore him out this afternoon while Frank was at the resort with that little hussy. I'm sure you would have handled it all right, anyway. You seem to be quick-witted enough when it comes to dealing with people."
"I don't have a lot of patience with men who think women were put on earth solely for their amusement," Connie said.
"You must have come up with ways to handle that, given your looks and your background in business, Connie. Obviously, men must find you irresistible."
"Thanks, I guess. I'll take that as a compliment."
"Oh, I intended it as one. I admire women like you, who can play on a man's base instincts without appearing to. It's a skill that not many of us have."
"And how about you, Kathy?"
"What about me?"
"How did you learn to cope with men hitting on you? You're an attractive woman. I know your academic background is the important thing that you bring to your investment business, but some of your male clients must find it tempting to ask for a little extra attention. You are, after all, in a sales job."
"Oh, yeah! I can tell you've been there. A pretty woman in a sales job attracts more than her share of jerks, doesn't she?"
"Absolutely."
"Tell me, Connie, have you ever been just a little tempted?"
"When I was younger, maybe. But I'm pretty cynical when it comes to men. It's a result of being on my own at an early age; a lot of men try to take advantage of young girls."
"Oh, yes! They certainly do."
"You and I are close in age, I'd say," Connie said. "I picture your typical clients as older men with a lot of money. Compared to them, I'd think women our age would be perfect targets for inappropriate advances."
"Oh, honey, you cannot imagine the things that have been whispered in my ear."
"Any of them tempt you?"
Kathy laughed. "You and I may be about the same age, but when it comes to men, I feel like I have a thousand years of experience, and most of it bad. I'm not saying I don't occasionally bend a little, if the prize is rich enough, like this afternoon."
"How does Frank react to that?"
"Frank? He doesn't have any room to complain about how I choose to close deals. He's a real tomcat; you watch yourself around him. I saw the signs the first time he laid eyes on you; I warned him right then to keep it to himself. Paul doesn't look like the type to put up with a guest hustling his wife."
"So you pegged Paul as the jealous type?"
"Is he?"
"Not so much jealous as a bit narrow in his views; I respect that in him."
"So you wouldn't give him any reason to be jealous? Is that it? Smart girl. He looks dangerous to me."
Connie smiled. "He does, doesn't he? Speaking of Paul, I'd better get below and give old Mr. Dangerous a hand cleaning up the galley. Are you and Frank going to want dinner, or a light supper of some kind?"
"No, I think we're fine. We had a big, late lunch at the resort. They had to show us how wonderful their kitchen was. And the hors d'oeuvres finished us off. Thanks, though."
****
"Well, that was strange," Connie said, whispering into Paul's ear, her head on his shoulder. They were in their cabin, having finished cleaning up after the Lewises' party. The Lewises had turned in earlier, but she wasn't sure if they were asleep yet.
"Yes, it was," Paul murmured. "I think they told those two guys from the bank that they own Diamantista II."
"I picked up the same thing from the people from the resort. There was no 'think' about it, either. Not in their case. They even asked how long we'd been working for the Lewises. They told them we were on the boat when they bought it." She felt Paul's arm twitch in surprise.
"How did you answer?"
"I was evasive: I don't remember, exactly, but something like, 'time flies.'"
"When you're having fun?" She felt Paul chuckle.
"I didn't say that, but that was the implication."
"Good for you. The bankers weren't quite as direct. I saw it coming and changed the subject before they got to any direct questions like that. The older one's a wine lover, so it was pretty easy."
"She said they'd been using the bank for a while," Connie said.
"She? Kathy?"
"Mm-hmm."
"For their business, I guess?" Paul said.<
br />
"That was how it sounded. Some of the banks here are known for money laundering, aren't they?"
"They certainly used to be," Paul said. "We'll mention that to Johnson when we talk to him. He'd know."
"Should we tell him about their claiming to own Diamantista II? That worries me. Doesn't it you?"
Paul shrugged. "Sure, we should tell him. It's a little suspicious, given everything else. It irritates me, but I don't see why you're worried by it."
"I've been around too many slippery people, I guess. I've been wondering if they're using her for collateral, somehow. Like borrowing against her from that banker."
"You do have a suspicious mind, lady. I think we're safe, though. Diamantista II's documented with the U.S. Coast Guard. The bank would file a lien with them if they had a security interest in the boat. We'd have to be involved."
"Unless they forged some paperwork, somehow," Connie said.
"That's pretty complicated. but it's easy enough to check. We'll ask Johnson to see about it, if that'll make you feel better."
"Yes, let's do. I've known enough slick operators to make me cautious."
"You talked to Kathy for quite a while after the launch left. What did she have to say?"
"She was complimentary; she was pleased with our work."
"Did you mention the ownership thing?"
"No, of course not, Paul. I want to give her plenty of rope and see where she goes."
"That was pretty stupid of them, the more I think about it," Paul said. "They should have realized how likely they were to get caught on that one."
"Yes and no. She's the brains of the operation, but I think she's got an exaggerated opinion of her intellectual superiority."
"Could be. Lots of crooks do."
"I think she's so used to running rings around Frank that she forgets not everybody's as slow on the uptake as he is," Connie said. "And it's always possible that he's the one who told the lie about owning the boat."
"Interesting that he told it twice -- once to the bankers and once to the resort people. You'd think she'd have heard it the first time and shut him up before he did it again."
"I hadn't thought of that. But then we don't know that they didn't split up somewhere along the way. I got the impression from the event manager that she and Frank might have gotten up to a little mischief at some point."
"Where would Kathy have been?"
"Now that I'm putting the pieces together, I suspect she was offering a little sweetener of some kind to the bank president."
"Really?"
"Mm-hmm. It just clicked for me. She mentioned that he was a real ladies' man. She said she was surprised he hadn't put the moves on me tonight."
"Ah. You think maybe she was in his way?"
"I'd say there's a good chance." She told Paul about their conversation about men taking advantage of women in sales jobs. "If they're trying to curry favor with the bank, I suspect she'd know just how to go about it."
"Ooh, watch those claws, skipper."
"She's not too bright; she thinks you're the dangerous one."
"Me? No way."
"I think you're pretty dangerous, in a sexy kind of way. Now let's stop talking about the Lewises, hmm?"
****
Art Jansen recognized the ringtone of the encrypted telephone. It was charging on the corner of his desk, having been delivered earlier by the private security firm that he used for certain types of surveillance. "Yes?" he said, accepting the call.
"This is your first report on the west coast target, Contreras. Do you understand?"
"Yes. Go ahead, please."
"We've had him under covert observation since 10 a.m. PST. We were able to install monitoring equipment in his office last night."
"Since 10 a.m.? Why the late start?"
"He wasn't at his apartment last night. The plus to that is that we were able to install the equipment there sooner than we planned."
"Good. But where was he?"
"We don't know. When we got the order yesterday, he wasn't at work or at home. We have him now, though. Not to worry."
"Okay. So what do you have to report?"
"Subject arrived at his office at 10 a.m. in a heavily customized, late '70s model Cadillac El Dorado driven by a young Hispanic male. Subject was riding in the front passenger seat. There were two other men in the back seat, but we couldn't get a good look at them.
"The sound system was deafening, so our parabolic mics were useless. The three men in the car exchanged fist bumps and elaborate handshakes with the subject when he got out. They waited for him to get inside his work location and then drove away at a high rate of speed.
"The car is registered to Rodrigo Duerte; he's got an arrest record that includes every drug-related offense you ever heard of, plus assault and battery, carrying a pistol without a license, and murder. But he's never actually been charged with anything more than traffic violations."
"Interesting. How about the bugs in Contreras's office?"
"Several phone calls to parole officers, talking about their clients. He apparently runs this gym as a front; works with these kids who're out on parole."
"Great cover. You get names?"
"Yeah. We're running them."
"What else?"
"That's about it. He had a steady stream of tough kids coming and going, but we didn't pick up anything suspicious. Mostly shit about basketball, and how their families were doing. That kind of thing."
"So what's the plan?" Jansen asked.
"We'll tail him tonight; see where he goes. Want a report first thing in the morning?"
"Yeah. Unless you get something worthwhile, though, I'll want you to question him tomorrow. You've got some kind of credentials, right?"
"Yeah. Not a problem. They're good; if he wants to call and check, he'll discover we're FBI, just like our badges say."
"How do you guys do that?"
"Trade secret. Sorry."
"Yeah. Call me in the morning. Be thinking about how to ask him about the woman."
"You mean Barrera?"
"Yeah."
"That won't be a problem. We got the background on her."
"Great. Good night."
Chapter 19
"What's new in paradise?" Noah Johnson asked. "Are your guests out and about again?"
"Yes," Paul said. He and Connie were drinking the last of the morning's coffee, sitting under the awning in the cockpit. "I just ran them ashore to meet a limo from the other resort they're checking out."
"Did you pick up anything good from them yesterday?"
"Nothing too exciting," Connie said, "but they invited four people aboard for cocktails last evening."
"Who?"
"The manager and the event coordinator from the resort, and two men from a bank that they use here," Paul said.
"Which bank?"
"Second International Bank of Antigua and Barbuda -- 'SIBAB,' the two guests called it," Paul said. "Ever heard of it?"
"Yes. It's one of a number that popped up after the Stanford fiasco a few years ago."
"Is that the bank that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme run by some American?" Connie asked.
"That's right," Johnson said. "It spawned a bunch of imitators. Second International may be one; we aren't sure. They're definitely on our radar. A lot of suspicious transfers pass through them. Any sign that the Lewises are already doing business with them?"
"Yes. Kathy said they were," Connie said.
"Hmm," Johnson said. "That's new information. Second International doesn't show up in any of the transactions we've picked up from the U.S. end."
"So they're moving money that you can't track?" Paul asked.
"Sounds that way," Johnson said. "Knowing that gives us something else to look for. Good work. Did you pick up anything else like that?"
"Maybe; we don't know what it means," Paul said, "but the Lewises told their guests that they own Diamantista II, and that Connie and I are their employees."
"Yes," Connie said. "Separately, from both pairs of guests."
"In context," Paul said, "it almost had to be a deliberate misrepresentation on their part."
"Yeah?" Johnson said. "I could see hustlers doing that to inflate their stature, I guess, but it does make you wonder why."
"Especially with the bankers," Connie said. "I'm worried that they may be trying to use her as collateral, or something."
"Diamantista II's federally documented; is that correct?"
"Yes, she is," Connie said.
"Easy enough to check with the Coast Guard; they'd have to file a lien with them. I'll put somebody on it. Anything else from your end?"
Paul looked at Connie and raised his eyebrows. She shook her head. "No, I think that's it from us," he said. "Any progress on finding their real identities?"
"No. I'm going to ask for your help on that one, Paul, but first, I have a question for you."
"What's that?"
"This man, Leon Contreras -- you've traded emails with him, Connie. Who is he, and what's your relationship?"
Connie's face flushed. "I know you can't help seeing our personal emails that use the satcom system, but I don't think that's any of your business."
"I'm sorry to upset you. We aren't just being nosey, here, and you're certainly not the focus of our investigation. Remember, I warned you so that you could avoid just this situation."
"Then why are you asking?"
"Because someone else in our system has picked up on his name from your emails and pulled his records."
"What? Someone else? Who? Why?"
"All good questions, and we're working on it. Until we find out who else in the Bureau is interested, and why, I'm trying to keep everybody safe."
"Safe?" Paul said.
"This is a strange situation, Paul. I'm sure you can appreciate that we've bent some rules here because of the relationship you two have had with us in the past. I don't want to get into the finer points of legality and privacy. Let me just lay it out for you."
"Okay."
"Our surveillance database is shared within the Bureau on a 'need to know' basis. We don't always know who has access to data that we're collecting. There are several reasons for that; all are related to internal security. Because this is an odd situation, we set what amounts to an intrusion alarm on the data we're collecting from your satcom address. The alarm's been tripped; it's internal, so it's most likely an overlapping investigation. In that case, it's nothing to worry about. With me so far?"
Sails Job - A Connie Barrera Thriller: The 6th Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Connie Barrera Thrillers) Page 13
