"Did they say why?" Liz asked.
"No. Nobody knows, for sure. But DiFiore's brother, Mike, was beaten and tortured."
"By the mob? Is somebody sending DiFiore a message?" Dani asked.
"Yes, it looks that way, but nobody thinks it was the mob. He was mutilated. His whole body was covered with bite marks, from his face to his toes. He was a bloody mess when the cops found him unconscious on Collins Avenue early this morning."
"Bite marks?" Dani asked.
"Yes, deep wounds, but no flesh was removed, except for his manhood, and that was cut cleanly. The wound was cauterized; someone wanted him to live."
Dani and Liz traded looks. "There was a similar incident here a couple of days ago, except the victim was found dead. He was the head of the narcotics squad in St. Vincent. The rumor is there's a loup garou on the loose," Dani said.
"Only in this case, the tongue was taken," Liz added.
"Loup garou?" Mario asked. "This was no werewolf in South Beach. The emergency room physician said the bites were inflicted by a human."
"Has Mike DiFiore recovered consciousness?" Sharktooth asked.
"Nobody knows. His brother showed up at the ER with a doctor and a lawyer and a private ambulance. The lawyer had a court order allowing Joe to take his brother. End of story, except that Joe's influence in the mob has been reduced."
"So they don't know who did it?" Sharktooth asked.
"No. The cops think it's some kind of power play in the mob, but who knows?"
"I guess nobody saw who took Mike DiFiore?" Dani said.
"That's right. He was hanging out in one of his favorite clubs, and this gal picked him up. He left with her after a couple of drinks. Bartender told the cops she wasn't anybody he'd seen before; looked like mixed blood — Black and Asian — and spoke with an island lilt. Cops can't find any sign of her, needless to say."
"Will you tell them about the case here?" Dani asked.
"You want me to?"
"What's your thought on that?"
"I wouldn't, normally. Not unless there's something to be gained from it. I can, if you wish, but I think it's your call."
"Let's keep it quiet, for now," Dani said.
"Good," Mario said. "Any progress with your hunt for the girl?"
"Not really. I've got a meeting with the Chen woman in the morning."
"Why'd you do that?"
"She called. Her story is she wants me to mentor young women, entrepreneurial types."
"Be careful, Dani."
"Have you heard anything about her?"
"Nothing specific, but I'd be surprised if she's not in the drug business. Too much similarity to the spice trade, and she's rolling in money. She's easily the richest woman in the Caribbean States. I've been hearing about her for years."
"I'm meeting her on her yacht, right here in Bequia. It's too obvious for her to be planning anything. I think she wants the same thing I do — to check out the opposition."
"Like I said, take care. You know about her boyfriend, right?"
"Boyfriend?"
"Li Wong is his name. He's a dwarf, and famously mean. The people who think she's crooked think Wong's her personal enforcer."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
"Do. And call me when you're home safe, please."
"Sure, Mario. Anything else?"
"No. You?"
"Yes. Have you ever heard of Apex Investment Partners?"
"No. Why?"
They told Mario about Ed's departure on the chartered jet and his phone call to the number in Virginia.
"Still have the number?"
Liz gave it to him, and he said goodnight, after making Dani promise again to be careful and check in with him after her meeting.
****
"What do you think about the DiFiore thing?" Liz asked Dani, as they sipped the last of the wine they'd had with their dinner. Sharktooth had left after the call from Mario; he had a dinner engagement with their old friend, Mrs. Walker, and would pick Dani up in the morning and take her to her meeting on Lotus Blossom.
"More coincidence," Dani said. "I think it's certainly the same people. You disagree?"
"No. Not at all. The similarities are too great."
"And the biting," Dani said. "That's too uncommon for them not to be connected."
"Drugs?"
"For sure," Dani said. "The cop who was killed here ran the drug squad. And Mario said the other day that Joe DiFiore ran prostitution in the southeastern U.S., as well. The people who took Cynthia are into that; I mean, they've threatened twice now to sell her if Ed doesn't do what they want."
"What did she blunder into?" Liz asked. "All she did was buy a little grass."
"Wrong place, wrong time, I guess," Dani said.
"I think there's more to it," Liz said.
"Now who's paranoid?" Dani teased. "What are you seeing that I'm not."
"Probably nothing. I'm just looking at it from a different angle."
"So, tell me."
"What if Ed's into something he hasn't told us about?"
"I'm willing to believe he's a real shit. No argument from me on that, but I'm not following you."
"I can't really connect the dots, as they say, and make a logical case. It's more like your coincidence theory, but work through this with me."
"Okay."
"He books a charter with us for a pickup in Bequia, on the advice of 'a client.' From the little he told us about this Tequesta suit, I doubt that he's got time for other clients right now. He's busy, if he's spent $35 million in prep work on that case, right?"
"Yes, that sounds right."
"So 'the client' is probably one of the plaintiffs in the Tequesta case. His daughter gets kidnapped, and — "
"Wait. She got kidnapped because she bought ganja," Dani said.
"Think about it, Dani. Neither one of us thought that made sense. Remember wondering why anyone would bother? All she could do is give up a couple of low level pushers, at most."
"But what about the shakedown?" Dani asked.
"We said it was a shakedown. What if it were not?"
"What else could it have been?"
"It could have been that the crooked cop was going to snatch her all along. Maybe whoever was paying him wanted her for leverage over Ed because of the suit."
Liz waited, letting the silence drag on while her friend thought about her hypothesis. Dani took a sip of wine and put her glass down.
"You may be onto something, Liz. But how would Chen and Wong fit in?"
"I don't have the answer to that. But I think there's a more complicated motive than just drugs and kidnapping. There has to be, now that they've dropped the lawsuit thing into the mix."
"Yes," Dani said. "And that might explain Ed's odd behavior."
"How?" Liz asked. "You don't think he's behind his own daughter's kidnapping, somehow, do you?"
"I'm not ready to go that far, but suppose he suspected all along that there was something else going on here, something besides kidnapping for ransom?"
"You mean, maybe he knew who had her?"
"Or he suspected. There's been something off about his reaction. A normal parent would have been devastated, but it was almost like he knew something was coming after the ransom demand."
"You're saying maybe he is part of the kidnapping, then. But what could he gain?"
"I don't know, Liz. I can't believe he's part of the kidnapping, but you've opened whole vistas of possibility. I think we need to put it aside and sleep on it. Not much we can do tonight, anyway."
Chapter 27
"Good morning, Mario," Dani said, answering the phone as she and Liz drank coffee in the cockpit and watched the boat traffic in Admiralty Bay. She paused, then said, "No, he hasn't shown up yet. He's going to take me to my 10 o'clock meeting with Marissa Chen, so he's probably eating a huge breakfast at Mrs. Walker's."
She listened for a few seconds. "Sure. Liz should hear this. Can I put you on the speaker?"
"Good morning, Mario," Liz said, as Dani set the phone on the cockpit table between them.
"Hello, Liz. I was just telling Dani about Apex Investment Partners. My friends on the DEA task force think it's a front for the Baltimore mob. They've been watching them for a while; they think they're probably laundering drug money, but they haven't found any proof."
"Interesting," Dani said. "I wonder why Ed called them?"
"It could be innocent," Mario said. "They do have legitimate clients."
"Okay, but that was the only call he made after the kidnappers called him."
"He's raising the ransom money, maybe," Mario suggested.
"He said he already had the money from his brokerage accounts, and the kidnappers knew that. At least, that's what he told us," Liz said.
"My point was that he apparently called them, and only them, and they sent a private jet to pick him up — on a few hours' notice. I think that's a little odd," Dani said.
"Don't forget what Sharktooth told us about the plane," Liz said.
"What was that?" Mario asked.
"The pilot knew Ed well, and had been flying him around to interview people about the Tequesta suit," Liz said.
"Do you know the tail number on the plane?" Mario asked.
"No, but I'll bet Sharktooth can get it. I'm sure it got logged in at the airport, and customs, too, for that matter," Dani said. "I'll ask him to make a few calls while he's waiting to bring me back from Lotus Blossom."
"Lotus Blossom?" Mario asked.
"Chen's yacht," Dani said.
"I see. Let me know, please."
"Will do," Dani said.
"That's all I have this morning, ladies," Mario said.
"Thanks, Mario," Dani said.
"You're most welcome. Be careful, and don't forget to call when you return from your meeting."
"I will, but don't worry."
"It's my job as your godfather, Danielle. I know you can take care of yourself, but your father appointed me to worry about you before you were born."
"Thanks," Dani said, smiling. "I'll be careful, and I'll call soon."
She disconnected the call as Liz poured another cup of steaming coffee for each of them. Dani lifted her cup, holding it under her nose and inhaling the aroma.
"Nothing like fresh-ground coffee," she said, taking a sip.
"You think Ed's mixed up with the mob?" Liz asked.
Dani thought for a few seconds, and said, "It seems unlikely. He's sort of a wimp, but anything's possible with the kind of money that's tied up in that suit. And garbage disposal is a traditional mob business in the States."
****
"Ah, it's good to find you in your office, Mr. Savage," the electronically disguised voice warbled. "Good for Cynthia; there's a certain gentleman from the Middle East who has his eye fixed on her, hoping that you fail to follow our instructions."
"What is it that you want? I have the money."
"Yes, of course. Did you review the Tequesta file, as you were instructed?"
"Yes."
"You have the ten million, but we both know what the Tequesta suit is worth. Ten million dollars isn't significant to either of us, is it, Mr. Savage?"
Ed didn't say anything for a few seconds, and the voice resumed. "Picture your beautiful daughter in a harem, Mr. Savage. She'll be a plaything for a man who thinks even a billion-dollar lawsuit is nothing but pocket change. Do you know what I've heard he does when he tires of girls like her?" The voice paused for a second or two and resumed. "He has a string of bordellos where he sends them, until they're so used-up that he finally sells them on to someone in Bangkok. God only knows what happens there."
"What do you want?" Ed asked again.
"You should withdraw from the Tequesta suit, Mr. Savage."
"I can't just drop the suit; there are — "
"Sorry, Mr. Savage. You misunderstood. We aren't fools; we know you can't drop the suit. We want you, personally, to withdraw as the lead attorney. Without your skills as a litigator who distorts the facts to sway a jury, we believe the suit will be less viable. Perhaps the next lead attorney will be more, ah, flexible. But that would no longer be your concern. Is that so much to ask, Mr. Savage? In exchange for your daughter? Think about it, but not for long. We'll give you until tomorrow evening to get the motion paperwork done and filed."
Ed heard a click as the call disconnected. He took deep breaths and sat back in his chair, forcing himself to relax. He had anticipated something like this after the call from the kidnappers yesterday afternoon, when they had told him to review the file. He hadn't expected that they would want him to withdraw; he'd been worried that they would want the suit dropped completely. They'd given him a more realistic alternative than he had expected. He pressed the intercom button on his phone.
"Yes, Ed?"
"Hi, Linda. Could you bring me some coffee?"
"Sure. I just made a fresh pot."
"Linda?"
"Yes?"
"And the Apex Investment Partners file, please?"
"It's in the top drawer of the first file cabinet of the Tequesta files, right in your credenza. I'll get it when I bring the coffee."
He spun his chair around and opened the drawer. "Never mind. Got it. Thanks, babe."
****
"Bernie?" Ed Savage asked, barely noticing the noise added by the encryption device attached to his phone.
"Yeah, Ed. What's happening, buddy?"
Ed pictured Bernie Albertson sitting behind his massive, gleaming desk, his manicured hands clasped behind his headful of smooth, silver hair. His feet, in the polished, handmade shoes, were no doubt resting on the side of a drawer that was pulled out for the purpose. He wondered if paper ever crossed Bernie's desk. He had speculated for years that it was a mere prop, and that Bernie was an actor of some sort, hired to project the image of old money. He was certainly no one's "buddy," especially not Ed's.
"I'm back in my office."
"I guessed that; I heard that you used one of the planes. Glad we could help you out."
"I got a call from them this morning. They've upped the stakes, just as you thought they would."
"Tell me about it, Ed. What do they want?"
"They want me to pull out."
"You mean, drop the suit?"
"No, not that. They're too smart for that. They want me to withdraw as lead counsel."
"Hmm. That would require Wilkinson's consent, wouldn't it?"
"Right. I'd have to file a petition with the court, and Judge Wilkinson would have to approve it."
"You think he would?"
"Probably, but we'd have to have somebody else ready to step in. I wanted to talk to you about that. See, I think they've got somebody in mind, from what he said. Maybe they've already got somebody lined up, one of the other lawyers in the group."
"Who would that be, Ed? You mean we have a traitor on our team?"
"Wouldn't be the first time that kind of thing has happened, Bernie. I don't have any idea who it is. Want me to ask around?"
"Nah. It was just idle curiosity."
"I think it's critical. If someone working for the other side started calling the shots — "
"Ed, Ed, Ed. It would be critical, but it's not going to happen."
"No, Bernie, you don't understand. I've got to file a petition to withdraw by tomorrow evening."
"No, Ed."
"What do you mean, 'no?' If I don't — "
"No isn't an ambiguous word, even for a lawyer, Ed. You will not withdraw."
"You don't understand, Bernie. They have Cynthia."
"I know that. I set that up, remember, and you concurred, Ed. We paid the Chen woman a fortune to make that happen; her and her crooked cop. You knew all about that."
"He's dead, Bernie. It's going all wrong."
"Who? Who's dead?"
"The cop. They found him on the waterfront a day after they took Cynthia. His tongue was cut out and the locals think a werewolf chewed him
up."
"Wait a minute, Ed. Then who snatched Cynthia?"
"Two guys in a speedboat from Trinidad, but I've got no idea who they were working for."
"Chen, probably."
"I don't think so. Cynthia escaped, and two of Chen's people picked her up, pretending to be good guys. They convinced the cops that they were going to bring her back to me on that yacht with the two women."
"So, then it doesn't matter who they were working for, does it, Ed? Chen's got Cynthia, all safe and sound."
"Uh-uh, Bernie. The guys from Trinidad jumped Chen's people and took Cynthia again. I have no idea who has her. This whole thing's gone to hell. I need to do whatever it takes to get her back."
"Calm down, Ed. You knew there was some risk to Cynthia in this. We talked about that; you were comfortable with it."
"That was based on your assurance that we could trust Chen to keep her safe."
"And we could have. Nobody expected that the other side would really take her. Makes me wonder if we were right about Gregorio."
"What do you mean, right about Gregorio, Bernie?"
"When we had him figured for the guy behind Tequesta."
"I'm confused, Bernie. You think somebody else is behind Tequesta?"
"Well, think about it, Ed. Gregorio thinks Chen's working for him, right?"
"Yes."
"So it's unlikely that he'd have Cynthia snatched away from Chen."
"I see where you're going, Bernie. Whoever took Cynthia away from Chen has to be the power behind Tequesta Recycling."
"That's right. This isn't our fault, Ed. It comes under the heading of 'shit happens,' to use the language of the unwashed."
"She's my daughter, Bernie. I can't let them sell her to some Arab who's going to put her in a whorehouse."
"That's what they're threatening?"
"Yes."
"Well, no wonder you're upset, Ed. I don't blame you."
Ed sighed, relieved. "You understand?"
"Of course I understand. I've got a daughter her age, remember."
"I know. That's why I was sure you'd agree."
"Wait a minute, Ed. Agree to what?"
"My personal withdrawal."
"Ed, I can't agree to that. Listen to me, man. We've got $35 million tied up in this. Thirty-five million dollars that belongs to some ugly, dangerous people. You pull out, and we're both going to be in deep trouble, buddy."
Bluewater Ganja: The Ninth Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers Book 9) Page 16
