Chapter 3 #3
“I didn’t want to believe it. I still don’t know if I should, because this might be nothing more than a rumor. But then, Flavio fled without so much as a text to let me know I was in danger. Someone with so little regard for others might be capable of all sorts of terrible things.”
Dante looked troubled. “It’s a definite possibility.”
“Anyway, after the thief’s partner called me, I threw some things in a suitcase and barely escaped, with Ashcroft’s thugs right on my heels. I’m pretty sure they’ve been on my trail ever since.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I spent three weeks in New York when I first arrived in the US. I thought I’d be safe, because I was travelling under an alias.
I have two, along with two complete sets of forged documents—passports, credit cards, the works.
Despite that, a man came sniffing around, asking a lot of questions about me at the hotel where I was staying.
I hadn’t told anyone I was in the States, so I can only assume he was working for Ashcroft.
As soon as one of the hotel employees told me about him, I bought a plane ticket to Los Angeles using my second alias.
I’ve only used the credit cards and IDs associated with that name since I’ve been here, and I’m hoping it’s still safe for now. ”
“Why’d you pick L.A.?”
“I like the anonymity of big cities. And since I don’t have any connections in Southern California, no one would think to look for me there.”
“That’s makes sense.”
“The only way anyone could have found me in New York was if my alias got compromised somehow. I’m not sure about the second one, but I don’t have a lot of confidence in it, so I want to set up a new identity with a new set of documents.
I don’t have any contacts in the US for that kind of thing, but I’m hoping you do. ”
“Yeah, no worries there. I can get you whatever you need.”
“That’s great news.”
“So, what are your next steps?”
“I’m planning to return to L.A. after this,” I said. “Is that a bad idea?”
“That depends. Did you buy a one-way or round trip ticket to San Francisco?”
“One way. I didn’t know how long I’d be staying.”
“Then it makes a lot of sense to double back to L.A. We just have to make sure there’s no paper trail pointing in that direction, so I’ll reserve a private jet for your return trip. When do you want to go?”
“Tonight, I guess.”
“No problem. I’ll also rent a car and an apartment for you,” he said. “Stop using all of your IDs and credit cards, as of today. You should have the new ones in about a week.”
“Thank you, Dante.” I’d been right when I’d thought he was a superhero.
“Do you need any money?”
“I’m down to just under three grand in cash, but I have a significant nest egg in an offshore account.”
“That account’s probably safe, but don’t touch it for now, just in case Ashcroft’s people have a way of monitoring financial transactions.
I’ll get some more cash to you, but here’s a little extra to help keep you going.
” He pulled a thick money clip from his pocket and handed it to me without a moment’s hesitation.
“Thanks again.” As I pocketed the money, I said, “I’m glad I got to talk to you about all of this. I was starting to wonder if I was being paranoid, but it sounds like you believe Ashcroft could actually track me, even if I’m using an alias.”
Dante shrugged. “It’s not impossible. His people could have found whoever made your fake IDs for you, and put pressure on them until they gave up the names you used. I’m assuming you didn’t make them yourself, right?”
“Right. Forging paintings and forging passports are two entirely different things.”
“Did the same person make the documents for both of your aliases?”
“No. I had them made years apart.”
A frown line appeared between his dark brows. “Actually, I thought of a much simpler way they could have tracked you. Instead of finding the person who made the IDs, maybe all they had to do was catch your uncle, who then ratted you out. Did he know your aliases?”
“He knew the older one, which I used to travel from the UK to New York. And I think you’re right—if they caught him, Flavio probably would have tried to save himself by giving up everyone involved in the operation.”
Dante asked, “But you don’t think he knows about your second alias, the one you’ve been using on the west coast?”
“I never told him about it, so that’s pretty unlikely.”
“Well, no matter what, it’s the right call to retire that one too and start fresh. What about your phone, do we know that’s safe?”
“It’s brand new, bootlegged, and totally untraceable,” I said. “I bought it from a sketchy guy who was selling them out of the back of his van in L.A.”
“Excellent. So then, I’ll just need a few photos for your new passport and driver’s license. We can take some if you want, or—”
I pulled an envelope from my inside coat pocket and handed it to him. “I already printed some.”
He grinned and said, “You must have been confident that I’d know some criminals.”
“I was hopeful. And I really felt setting up a new identity was important, so if you hadn’t been able to help me, I would have had to find someone who could. Either way, I’d need photos.”
“That’s true. Now, tell me everything you know about Ashcroft. Your people must have researched him when they were planning the heist, so I want details, the stuff that won’t show up when I search for him on Google.”
“Why?”
“I think it’s important to know who we’re up against. I also plan to do some digging and see if we can find his pressure points. If he keeps coming after you despite our best efforts, we might need a way to push back.”
“I don’t know about that. A man that rich and powerful—”
“Is still just a man,” Dante said. “No one’s untouchable, no matter how many layers of security they try to hide behind.”
“Alright, but please be careful. I’d never forgive myself if I put you in danger.”
“Don’t worry about me, Sal,” he said, with that unwavering confidence I remembered so well. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”
I told him everything I knew, and by the time I finished, I felt a sense of relief. I wasn’t totally alone in this anymore. Dante had my back, and I was deeply grateful for that.
It was also a relief knowing that any potential paper trails leading to me were going cold as of today.
All I had to do was fetch my suitcase and check out of the hotel.
It was the last place I’d used my second alias, and even though I was pretty confident it hadn’t been compromised, I was still glad to be starting fresh.
Just as Dante and I got up to rejoin the rest of the family, I received a text message from Armando, asking if I had dinner plans. This day kept getting better.
I was grinning as I asked Dante, “Could you please reserve a hotel room for me for tonight, since I’m retiring all my credit cards and IDs?
I’ll pay you back, not just for the room, but for all of this.
And if it’s all the same with you, I’d like to fly back to L.A. tomorrow, instead of this evening.”
“Of course. I’m curious though, what’s keeping you in town one more night?”
“I have a date with a very handsome man.”
He chuckled and muttered, “We really are the gayest family ever.”