Art of the Con: Carter Peterson Mystery Series Book 6

by Al Boudreau

  “Nothing I’d like more, seeing how I was the one who pushed for her termination. Technically, I can’t provide you with the ex-employee’s name, but I can divulge that she was the spa’s head esthetician.”

  I flipped back a few pages in my notebook to find a specific line of my notes. Photo of Melody Savin taken by Reynolds. Spa. Head esthetician.

  This was getting interesting. I put a big asterisk next to the entry then looked back up at Coughlin. “Please. Tell me more.”

  “Take a look around,” he said, pointing to all the cutting-edge technology surrounding us. “Agamenticus Partners, LLC hired me to head their security operation months before this property was built, and included me in the planning stage. As you can see, security is a high priority in and around the property. I take it seriously, pay attention, and run a tight ship. That said, I see everything that goes on in all but the most private spaces, those being the individual hotel rooms, private bathrooms, and public bathroom stalls. In other words, I’m not limited by much.”

  “Seems like a good gig,” I said.

  “It is. The best days are the ones that I’m able to pinpoint potential problems, violations, broken laws, what have you. The day that Mr. Reynolds’s companion and our former head esthetician got together was one of those days.”

  “Potential problem, violation, or broken laws?” I asked, hoping to get a direct answer.

  “Likely, all three,” he answered. “My responsibilities relate directly to what takes place on the property. I’m no longer a cop, so I try not to concern myself with overstepping. I’m busy enough, as it is. However, I had a gut-feeling I’d be hearing from someone eventually, concerning this young woman. Feds, state cops, local cops, private investigator … someone.”

  This guy seemed solid, but he was killing me. I wanted to hear about what Melody Savin had done. Coughlin, on the other hand, seemed more interested in talking about Coughlin.

  “How long ago did you turn in your badge?” he asked.

  “Been about a dozen years since I walked a beat down in Boston.”

  “OK, so you’re up on the latest facial recognition technology, I take it?”

  “I am.”

  “Well, we rely heavily on that particular technology around here. It’s hard to fool … but, not impossible.”

  “That’s right,” I said. “Plastic surgery doctors are richer than ever, now that folks are trying to beat the technology.”

  Coughlin leaned forward, rested his elbows atop his desk, then steepled his fingers and shook his head. “Unfortunately, reconstructive surgery isn’t the only way to defeat the technology. Just so you know, I’m talking about permanent make-up, here.”

  I jotted down the term then sat back in my chair. “Can’t say I’m familiar with that one.”

  “Permanent coloring of the skin, using tattoo ink,” Coughlin explained. “All around the face. Works by shading some areas, highlighting others. Effective as it gets if you want to fool the cameras, but the tattoo artist has to know what they’re doing. A change in the way a person wears their hair makes a huge difference, too. Used in tandem, the two-pronged approach throws off the ratios built into the technology’s analytical software.”

  I shook my head, eyebrows raised. “Hard to believe that could really work.”

  “Oh, it works, all right,” Coughlin said. “I know, because I sat in this very chair and watched it happen … right before my eyes.”

  Chapter 14

  I inserted the key card and walked into our room, surprised to find that Sarah was still out and about. Head of Agamenticus Security Kendrick Coughlin had taken so long to recount the damning interaction between Melody Savin and the spa’s head esthetician, I thought Sarah would be lying in wait, ready to shoot daggers from her eyes when I returned.

  I went for my suitcase and pulled out my laptop computer, anxious to learn all I could about this permanent makeup tattooing technique I’d been introduced to. It had taken a fair amount of patience to finally get to the meat and potatoes portion of what Coughlin had to share, but it was well worth the wait.

  I took a seat at the desk, reached for the booklet containing our private wifi code, and began typing it in when I heard the door click.

  “Hey. You’re back,” Sarah said, fancy shopping bags hanging from each arm. “How’d you make out? Any luck?”

  “It went ten-times better than I’d expected,” I said. “This case is now officially off the ground.”

  Sarah placed her bags on the bed then took a seat in the plush armchair adjacent to the desk. “Tell me.”

  “Ever heard of permanent makeup?” I asked.

  “Of course. Who hasn’t?” she responded. “Funny you should mention it. They offer those services here at the spa.”

  I kept my mouth shut about never having heard of it before today. “Well, then you probably understand how it’s done, right?”

  “Tattoo ink, basically. I’ve always fantasized about getting a permanent makeup job done on my face. I’d have my brows done, eyeliner, maybe even my lips. Not going to happen, though. It’s massively expensive. But, a girl can dream. What does permanent makeup have to do with our case?”

  “A lot, actually. Thing is, the story’s a bit involved. Maybe we should think about getting ready to go down to Wagner’s for dinner. We can discuss what I’ve discovered over free drinks.”

  “No argument, here. I’m famished. I’ll jump in the shower first, then it’s all yours.”

  * * *

  “Think I’m going to have a Cosmo,” Sarah said as she handed the cocktail menu back over to me. “How about you?”

  “I was thinking I’d order an Old Fashioned. The cocktails we had at the whiskey bar were tasty, but I didn’t enjoy them. You know, due to the circumstances.”

  A frown suddenly dominated the expression on Sarah’s face. “I hope you don’t blame me for that.”

  “Just the opposite. If you hadn’t shamed Reynolds into telling the truth, we’d be no further along than we were at our initial meeting with the guy. It’s all good.”

  “Happy to hear you say that. It’s been a trying case, so far. I can’t even imagine what you found out about Melody Savin. Don’t keep me in suspense any longer. Spill it.”

  I was about to share what I’d learned when I saw our server coming toward the table. We ordered our beverages, some fancy appetizer platter---the name of which I couldn’t pronounce---and a couple glasses of ice water. Once the young man walked away, I began telling Sarah about what I’d learned. “Can’t remember if I told you this, but Kendrick Coughlin, head of security here at the hotel, is an ex-cop, too. Good guy. Well-trained and sharp, but long-winded. Likes to talk about himself.”

  “Oh, boy. One of those guys.”

  “He wasn’t as bad as some. In fact, turns out the packet he gave me with Reynolds’s records and still photos in it was all set to go before I even met Coughlin. York’s police chief called over here ahead of time. It did take me a while to coax the crux of the story out of Coughlin, though. It was kind of painful.”

  “I know the feeling,” Sarah teased.

  “Good one. Trust me, this story will be well worth the build-up. Anyway, the security infrastructure at this place is top-notch. And, Coughlin knows how to use it, because he actually helped design the entire system. Employs facial recognition technology. Inside, outside, even around the common areas inside the public restrooms.”

  “That’s a little scary,” Sarah said.

  “Better get used to it, because it’s only going to get worse as time goes on. My point being, Coughlin can see almost every space, every individual, every movement, around the entire eight acres. He even has a minimum of two, plain-clothes, security staff members on rotation, roaming around the property twenty-four hours a day.”

  I paused as our server showed up with our order. “I’ll give you folks some time to enjoy your drinks. Your appetizers will be out shortly.”

  We both smiled, nodded, and to
ok a few sips of our drinks before getting back into the story. “Here’s the punch-line: the spa’s head esthetician was paid by Melody Savin, using Reynolds’s money to alter her looks. My guess: in order to make it easier to pull off this financial scam.”

  Sarah nearly choked on her martini. “Oh, no she didn’t.”

  “Can you believe that? Pretty bold, right?”

  “I’ll say. Tell me more. I need details, here.”

  “Well, I have to hand it to this particular crew of scam artists. They are clever. Savin waited until the morning she and the professor were scheduled to check out before having this work done. The head esthetician showed up at five-thirty in the morning to get started. Coughlin said her early arrival was the red flag that really got him looking at the two of them; the woman generally came in around eight.”

  “Huh. Imagine what kind of money it took to make that happen,” Sarah remarked. “Getting the esthetician to agree to come in so early, I mean.”

  “Oh, you have no idea,” I said. “It’s all on Reynolds’s bill. Get this: Savin was with this woman for a total of six and a half hours. Reynolds even ended up paying for a late checkout so he’d have a place to relax while she had the work done.”

  “Oh. My. Goodness. That’s insane,” Sarah said. “Think the professor knew what she was up to once he saw her face? You know, after the fact?”

  “I don’t think so. I asked Coughlin the same question, and he said it was highly unlikely. According to Coughlin, the alterations made to her skin wouldn’t register as much up close---especially to the human eye---as they would from a distance. Remember, the scammers probably aren’t trying to fool other people by altering Savin’s face. Their goal is to trick the cameras.”

  “So, hold on. This esthetician happened to be an expert at the art of fooling these cameras? I’m having a hard time buying that.”

  “Therein lays the genius of it all,” I replied. “Coughlin told me Savin had a laptop with her when she went in. This laptop had no connectivity to the internet. Savin had a program running that used the computer’s built-in camera lens to gradually assess the work being done on her face. He said Savin never told the esthetician what she was really doing with that computer. Savin never even let the woman see the screen.”

  Sarah smiled. “But, Coughlin could see it from his office, via the lens of one of his surveillance cameras.”

  “You got it. He admitted that it took him a while to put that particular piece of the puzzle together. In fact, he didn’t figure out exactly what Savin was using her computer for until long after she was gone. But, he knew what the two women had ultimately accomplished before Savin even left the esthetician’s office.”

  “How?”

  “Simple. As soon as Savin got up out of that chair, the facial recognition system flagged her. It no longer knew who she was.”

  Sarah opened her mouth to speak when our appetizer showed up.

  “Enjoy,” the server said then walked off.

  We ate a few bites before Sarah said, “Keep going. This story is intense.”

  I nodded then snuck another mouthful.

  “Did Coughlin report all of this to the police?” Sarah asked.

  I shook my head. “Technically, Savin did nothing wrong. Well, not in the eyes of the law, anyway. And, Coughlin’s responsibilities don’t include conducting outside investigations for no apparent reason. But, he knew someone like us would eventually show up and start asking questions.”

  “He said that?”

  “Yep.”

  “Unbelievable. Bet the ex-cop side of him wanted to go after her so bad.”

  “I got the impression he was frustrated by it. He did, however, get the head esthetician fired.”

  “No way,” Sarah said. “Why? I mean, what did she really do wrong?”

  “Broke company policy. She accepted money to commit an act prohibited by her contract.”

  “Yeah, but … what, specifically?”

  “Savin told the head esthetician she’d give her an extra three hundred dollars if the woman agreed to surrender the hard copy of the ‘before picture’ she’d taken of Savin, then erase the digital file of the same image from the spa’s computer database.”

  “And, the esthetician agreed?”

  “Yep. Savin sat there, picture in hand, and watched the woman dump the file. Or, so they both thought.”

  “What do you mean?” Sarah asked.

  “Coughlin designed the Agamenticus system with a triple fail-safe. All files are automatically copied to an offsite server, and also to the cloud, making it virtually impossible for an employee to get rid of records, images, or receipts, once they’ve been entered into the database. Both the esthetician and Savin believe the digital ‘before picture’ of Savin was wiped clean, but it still exists,” I said as I pulled out my cell phone. “Coughlin, proud of his past and present efforts, offered to send me a digital copy of the image, which I was quick to accept.”

  I brought the photo up on the small screen and handed it to Sarah. “We’ll be sending this little gem to Stoney as soon as we get back to Bridgeport tomorrow morning.”

  Sarah laughed out loud. “That is awesome. Think we’ll be able to figure out who this little trollop is, now?”

  “Count on it.”

  Chapter 15

  “Wake up, sleepyhead,” I heard Sarah say as she dragged the heavy-hanging drapery across the aluminum track, allowing the fiery Atlantic sunrise to stream into our hotel room.

  “What time is it?” I mumbled.

  “Seven-thirty,” she said. “I know it’s early, but I wanted us to get up and enjoy the ambiance of this place while we can. Who knows when we’ll have the opportunity to bask in the lap of this kind of luxury again?”

  I planted my elbows deep into the plush mattress and forced myself up into a sitting position. Through squinty eyes I spied a huge chrome-domed cart, the cover of which Sarah removed and placed off to the side.

  “Breakfast in bed is served,” she said then walked over and positioned the breakfast tray over my thighs. The scents of eggs, bacon, croissants, and hash browns mingled with the coffee steam floating in front of my face. “Wow. What a way to wake up.”

  “I know, right? I wanted to surprise you,” she said as she went to get her tray. “I was so afraid you’d get up to pee or something before the cart arrived.”

  “Nope. Took care of that around five-thirty.”

  She laughed then leaned over and gave me a kiss. “Hope you don’t mind that I did this. I just thought it would make for a more memorable experience.”

  I smiled and raised my fancy, porcelain coffee cup in the air. “To memorable experiences.”

  “Coffee-cheers,” she said and clinked her cup against mine.

  “Probably a good thing you did this, as far as memory-making goes, because I don’t remember too much about last night.”

  She let go a hearty laugh. “Yeah, you really seemed to be liking those Old Fashions. I lost count after your fifth.”

  “Guess I was in the mood to celebrate. Turned out to be a good day.”

  “Maybe you don’t remember, but it turned out to be a good night back here in the room, too.”

  I gave her a big smile, keeping my mouth shut for fear of incrimination.

  “Thank you for all of this, Carter. Really. I know we didn’t have to come here to stay, in order to get what we needed for the case. Just want you to know that your splurging, covering the extra cost to show me a great time, is majorly appreciated.”

  I squeezed her shoulder and gave her a smile, then proceeded to tear into my eggs. I had no idea how hungry I was until the aromas started messing with my nostrils. I never felt there was much difference between one plate of breakfast and the next, yet every single bite I took tasted better than any morning meal I’d had in recent memory. “Glad you decided to order this stuff up,” I said after devouring every last crumb. “Doubt I’d have done it on my own, but I really enjoyed it.”

&
nbsp; “I’m glad,” Sarah said.

  “Listen, I know you were really gung-ho about all the services they offer here. It’s still early. We got everything we came here to find, and then some. I guess what I’m saying is … if you still want to take a little time to get pampered, I’d be willing to spring for it.”

  “Aww, that’s super sweet of you, Carter. It means the world to me that you’d offer, but it’s not necessary.” She paused for a beat. “Hey, I almost forgot. We’ve got those vouchers for free massages. Can we take a little time to do that?”

  “Absolutely,” I said as I gave my shoulder blades a squeeze. “After having all those drinks last night, I think I may have slept in an awkward position. I could use a good rubdown.”

  “I hate to break it to you, handsome, but I don’t think it was the position you slept in that’s causing you discomfort now. I think it might have more to do with what went on before we turned in.”

  “Ah. Gotcha,” I said.

  Sarah winked and popped up off the bed. “I’ll make reservations for our massages right now.”

  * * *

  “That massage was heavenly,” Sarah said as she caught up to me in the lobby, our last piece of luggage in tow. “You didn’t have to pay for an extra half hour. The free half hour would have been plenty.”

  “Are you sorry I did?” I asked.

  “Hardly. In reality, it was the second-best activity we shared during our stay.”

  I chuckled, the subtlety of her comment not lost on me. “Good to know.”

  “Good morning, Mr. Peterson … Ms. Woods. I sincerely hope your time with us was thoroughly enjoyable,” the clerk said as I handed over our key cards.

  “It really was. Great service, great food, great everything,” I said as I handed her my credit card.

  She held up her hand. “Oh, that won’t be necessary. You’re all set. I’m so pleased you enjoyed your time with us, and I wish you both a wonderful day.”