Mystery: Double Cross - The Davenport Mysteries (Suspense novel series of adventure mystery books and Crime mystery thrillers)

by V. S. VASHIST

  The only solace was that Carlson had somehow managed to reinstate Jake a week earlier. Maybe the case had helped a bit in that.

  They spent the whole morning surfing the net. Around noon, Kiara got a message from Robert. She didn’t want to see the media briefing but Jake insisted.

  “He’s on air,” he said while turning on the cafeteria television. All news channels were covering the press brief. Captain George was sitting in the middle while an out-of-focus Robert was trying to get in front of the camera. The whole table was full with mikes from various news channels.

  “The past few months have seen illegal antiques being recovered from various part of the city. As you all are aware, yesterday morning we carried out raids at the property of one Mr. Burt Lehmann. Mr. Lehmann, as you all know, is one of the most sought-after auctioneer of old relics and other artifacts. During the raid, we found various stolen antiques as well as information about the potential buyers. Mr. Lehmann has been very cooperative and has confessed to all the dealings. He however is not the one who was anchoring this whole racket.”

  George’s words made the crowd come in motion.

  “Who is that?” everyone asked in unison. One of the officers got up and gestured everyone to settle down.

  “The mastermind behind this whole racket is one Mr. Ralph Harrison of Windsor Estate. He committed suicide yesterday night before the police could have caught him. Police have recovered the laptop used to make calls to his team and to give threats to others involved with him. We have also recovered his call records that lead us to two contract killers who murdered one Mr. Brendon Jones at his behest. Mr. Brendon Jones, as you may know, was also working for Mr. Harrison and was involved in ten such thefts. We have also recovered a few stolen relics from Windsor Estate. The staff is also being questioned.”

  “Who else is going to be arrested?” one reporter asked.

  “We can’t comment on that,” George replied. “This is a high-profile case and our best officers are involved in this. We can assure you that no one will be spared.”

  “What about the names coming out from Mr. Lehmann’s client list?” another reporter asked.

  “We are looking into that, though we feel the bigger fish are already in our net,” George replied and got up.

  “What about the recovered antiques?”

  “They will be handed over to the state,” George replied and left.

  Robert finally got a chance to speak. “That would be all. Thanks for coming.”

  Jake shuffled through other news channels. Everyone was covering the same news and had George’s face plastered on it.

  “What about Rebecca?” Kiara asked.

  “She’s just a supporting actor. They won’t give her the footage,” Jake said and switched off the television.

  “I swear the first time I met Ralph, I was a bit attracted towards him,” Kiara said while munching on a muffin.

  “What?” Jake almost spilled his coffee.

  “I didn’t know that he was not a Windsor. I was mighty impressed when I saw a young, good-looking man who had made a fortune. And, the way he carried himself, he looked like a royal,” she said. “And the way he talked … I mean … he was so measured in his tone—”

  “Okay, okay. I get it,” Jake interrupted.

  “No … no … you are taking it wrong,” she explained. “I meant that I could not have suspected him, if not for Burt. He had put the façade so nicely.”

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. “Carlson is looking for the two of you.”

  “Tell him we’re not in the office,” Jake replied nonchalantly.

  “Go tell him yourself,” Carlson said as he entered.

  Both got up immediately. “Sir, we were just … just.”

  “It’s OK. Sit down,” he said and walked to the coffee machine. “So, you cracked the case finally?”

  “Yeah,” Jake replied. He did not know what else to say. He was still recovering from the sudden entry of Carlson.

  “You know, I could have been there instead of that moron … George,” Carlson said while pulling a chair opposite them.

  “We’re really sorry, sir,” Kiara said immediately. “In the end, solving the case matters the most. Doesn’t it?”

  “A little credit goes a long way. You wouldn’t know,” Carlson sighed. “Anyway, I have few cases for you. Let’s see which one you can handle.”

  The dreaded moment had come. Kiara looked at Jake.

  “No … no … they’re interesting. Just have a look. I’ll send the files to your table,” Carlson said and got up. “Good work with this case. Next time, don’t get trapped in your own plan.”

  “We will take full precaution, sir,” Jake replied.

  “Yeah, you will.” Carlson smirked and left.

  Kiara fell on the chair. “He’s right. We created a big problem for ourselves this time. You almost got killed and my house was burglarized.”

  Jake nodded. “That reminds me: Where is the ring?”

  Kiara pulled out her chain and showed it to him. Jake ran his fingers across the pearl.

  “What are we going to do about it?” she said with a smile. “Can I keep it?”

  “Don’t get greedy,” Jake said. “I called Natalie this morning. She’s going on a Europe tour and will be in New York for a day two weeks later. We will hand it over to her.”

  “But it’s state’s property,” Kiara said in a low voice while running her fingers across the ring.

  “We should have done it three weeks back. If we give it to them now, we’ll be in a big trouble. Let’s give it back to Natalie and spare ourselves from Carlson’s wrath. After all, she paid a million to buy it.”

  “I was just kidding. I don’t want Carlson to suspend us both again,” Kiara said and hid the chain under her shirt.

  “Let’s go through the new cases. Maybe something of our liking is waiting for us,” Jake said and took a deep breath.

  “Maybe,” Kiara said and followed him. She knew Carlson was not that happy for them. He was definitely going to do something this time to teach them a lesson.

  There were three files lying at Kiara’s desk.

  “Let’ see what international conspiracy awaits us,” Jake said with a smile. “Some country’s president is receiving threats and the only hope of saving him is by finding the key to the nuclear bomb that his pursuers have stolen.”

  “Stop it. This is something bigger than that,” Kiara said while reading through the first file. “Oh my God! My mind’s already running.”

  Jake snatched the file from her hand.

  “Three runaway brides—all from New York—vanished on the wedding day, never to be found again,” Jake read it and hit Kiara with the file. “This is your case of a lifetime.”

  “Just read it fully. Carlson has written it himself like a crime novel,” Kiara said with a smile.

  “All were wearing the same kind of ring that was gifted to them by their grooms. They also took away all the gifts given by the groom’s family. There has been similar reporting in other states also. Any link between all these events could unearth the whole racket.”

  “What racket?” Jake said in exasperation.

  “None of them had a family of their own attending the marriage. This may be preplanned and there may be bigger names involved in it. What do you think?” Kiara asked while trying to conceal the laughter.

  “Normal punishments don’t work for us. So he’s devised a new way to torture us,” Jake said and threw the file on the table.

  “Let’s not think ahead of ourselves. There are two more,” Kiara said and picked the second file. Jake took it from her before she could fool him again.

  Jake read the first paragraph and looked at Kiara. “This is even better.”

  Kiara rubbed her hands. “Can’t wait to hear it.”

  “Three drugstores were burglarized on Thursday night: one each in Chicago, New York, and Washington.”

  “So what? One of them may be gett
ing robbed right now,” Kiara said while waving her arms.

  “Let me finish,” Jake urged. “All robberies happened within two hours of each other, raising suspicion that they may be connected. Another thing that links the three together is that the amount stolen from each store differed by two hundred dollars only.”

  “Awesome! This keeps getting better. Why doesn’t he tell us to leave the department?”

  “We cracked the biggest case of the year and we get this in return. This isn’t fair,” Jake said in frustration.

  “He didn’t get anything out of it. So, he’s torturing us,” Kiara said. “Let’s see what’s in the third file.”

  “Yeah, let’s get over with it.”

  Kiara opened it, looked at the page, and closed the file immediately.

  “What happened?” Jake asked.

  “It’s a memo,” she replied.

  “What does it say?”

  “It says to finalize one case out of the two. We have one week’s time. If we crack this case, we will be given more cases of similar caliber.”

  “So, this will be our life from now on?” Jake said in exasperation.

  “Not now. After one week,” Kiara said and started playing a game on her computer.

  “What? This doesn’t bother you?” Jake asked.

  “Not for another week,” she said casually.

  “What after that?”

  “I think the runaway bride case looks promising.” Kiara stifled a chuckle. Jake punched her on the shoulder and left for his desk.

  “That hurt!” Kiara shouted. Jake waved his hand over his shoulder and continued walking.

  Chapter 11

  The next morning Kiara found another file on her desk. Jake was sitting on the opposite desk, munching an apple.

  “What’s it?” he asked.

  “Robert has sent a copy of his report,” she replied.

  Jake got up and came to her desk. “Anything interesting?”

  “Let me see. It’s a big report. Our names are not anywhere though,” she said and looked at him.

  “We already have two big cases waiting for us. We’ll make a name for ourselves,” Jake teased. Kiara looked at him angrily.

  “There is a detailed report about Ralph Harrison. It’s quite interesting actually,” Kiara said while reading through the report.

  “What is it?”

  “Oh … so this was the reason behind all the thefts,” Kiara said. “He told me that he was related to the Windsors from his mother’s side. One thing that he did not tell was that his mother did not get any inheritance, owing to the archaic rule that the daughters won’t get anything from the family.”

  “But he could’ve challenged it in court.”

  “He actually did,” she said. “He fought the case for almost a year before the court ordered the Windsors to give him a part of the inheritance. Since the Windsors are British citizens, the court could not have enforced it. However, the court cases were making their life difficult. They reached out to Ralph for an out-of-court settlement. The Windsors agreed to make him the caretaker of their businesses in New York and let him live in Windsor Estate. He received ten thousand dollars per month for his services.”

  “That’s a pretty good sum. They would have never thought in their wildest dreams what he was planning to do,” Jake said.

  “They practically gave him keys to their family treasure,” Kiara quipped.

  “What else is written there?” Jake asked.

  “A paragraph on Brendon Jones. A paragraph on Burt and a line mentioning Rebecca,” she replied.

  “What does it say?”

  “You’re still not over her?” Kiara asked with a smile.

  “Don’t be stupid. Just asking,” Jake replied. “If you don’t want to tell, don’t tell.”

  “Okay, okay … Calm down. It just says that she assisted Brendon Jones in carrying out all the thefts.”

  “That’s it,” Jake asked.

  “Yup,” she replied. “Wait, he mentioned my name in the end. ‘Agent Kiara Davenport helped throughout the case and provided key information at various stages.’”

  “WOW! You are going to be a star around here,” Jake said and looked around for applause.

  “What’s your plan for the day?” Kiara asked, ignoring Jake’s comments.

  “I’m going through some of the old case files,” he said. “I have this habit of going through the old cases, trying to find the solution on my own and then comparing it with the actual solution. It keeps my mind running.”

  “Good for you. I’m going to play games on my computer,” Kiara replied.

  “Well, that’s also a good exercise for the brain,” Jake replied. Kiara ignored him and buried herself in her computer. Just like other cases, this one was also done and dusted. The next one was not something for they needed any preparation.

  One Week Later

  “So, have you decided what case you are going to take?” Carlson asked as he walked past Kiara’s desk.

  Kiara minimized her computer screen and got up at once.

  “Sir, this time it was not our mistake,” she reasoned.

  “You know what I was thinking?” Carlson said and paused.

  “What is it?” Kiara asked.

  “I feel the two cases are related to each other,” he said with a serious face.

  “What?” Kiara could not believe what she heard.

  “I want you two to prepare a report explaining how the two cases are interlinked,” he said. “I want it on my desk by Friday.”

  “Please, sir, don’t do this to us. We solved the biggest case of the year. We deserve something better,” Kiara said.

  “Where is your partner?” Carlson asked, ignoring her question.

  “He’s gone to meet someone. He’ll be coming anytime,” Kiara replied.

  “OK. I won’t disturb you anymore. Start working on the report,” Carlson said and left.

  Kiara knew Carlson was going to humiliate them till he was sure that they had learnt their lesson. The best way was to wait for Jake and then try to reason with Carlson one more time.

  Jake came one hour later. Kiara was already frustrated and as soon as he came, she punched him on the shoulder.

  “I am having the worst day of my career and you are enjoying brunch with one of your flings,” she said ruefully.

  Jake rubbed his shoulder. “I was with Natalie. She called me yesterday evening. Her trip to Europe was moved earlier; she’s here for a day. I gave the ring back to her. Now we have nothing except Robert’s file on the case.”

  Kiara suddenly remembered something. “It’s really weird.”

  “What is weird?” Jake said while opening the drawer.

  “Robert’s report has Burt’s client list, but I didn’t see Natalie’s name there,” Kiara said thoughtfully.

  “You must have missed that,” Jake said while booting his computer.

  “No, I’m pretty sure,” Kiara said and pulled out the file. As she screened the list her face turned red.

  Jake noticed that and moved closer. He also screened the whole list one more time. “How is this possible? Did Robert miss her name?”

  “No, he didn’t. This is a printout from Burt’s computer.”

  “But you told Burt about her when you showed the pictures to him.”

  “I only told him that I know the woman who bought it from him. I never told him Natalie’s name,” Kiara said with a sense of fear.

  “No … this seems unlikely,” Jake said thoughtfully.

  “Wait a minute,” Kiara said. “The case was so difficult because we did not have any lead. Suddenly, the day I came to know about Burt’s name, you also came to know that he sold the ring to her. Sounds a bit convenient, doesn’t it?”

  Jake understood what Kiara meant. “She is the mastermind,” he said with surprise. “Once her work was done, she gave us the lead to Burt, which led us to Ralph.”

  Kiara was equally shocked. “We need to check with Burt a
nd Rebecca,” she said and took her bag. “Let’s go.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “You have something else to do?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

  “Absolutely nothing. Let’s go.”

  “Come fast. We need to clear all the doubts before Natalie leaves the city,” Kiara said as they walked towards the door.

  “I’m trying to catch up. So, why is this the worst day of your career?” Jake asked.

  “Not anymore,” Kiara said with a smile.

  “You want to reopen the case?” George said in his scruffy voice. “The case for which we got the biggest credit of our lives?”

  “It’s not like that, sir,” Kiara tried to reason.

  “Are you hundred percent sure that someone else is behind it?” he asked firmly.

  “Not completely, sir. But we have our reasons to believe so,” Jake said.

  “Can I hear those before opening the case files again?” George asked. Robert was standing at the corner the whole time. He came to them anticipating a big disclosure.

  Jake looked at Kiara. It was not as if they were going to reveal the secret of the ring. Kiara thought for a moment. It was the perfect time to tell the truth while leaving out the important bits. She looked at Jake and nodded. Jake understood that he had to concur with whatever she was about to say.

  “Robert, you remember the pictures of the ring that I had shown to Burt?” Kiara asked.

  Robert nodded. “Yes.”

  “And, do you remember Natalie; the woman whose jewelry you recovered from Brendon’s house?” Kiara asked further.

  Robert nodded again. “Yes, what’s with her?”

  “Well, that ring is hers,” Jake said. “We believe that Rebecca and Brendon were there to steal that ring. They could not find it in her cabin. Finally, they thought it to be inside the locker. That’s why they stole the locker with all the jewelry.”

  “Okay, so it was not in the locker. It’s with her. I get it. What’s with that?” George interrupted.

  “She told me that she bought it from Burt,” Jake said. “But your report doesn’t have her name as Burt’s client.”