Chapter 5
“I’ll need an itemized list of everything that was stolen,” I said to Catalina. “They can’t unload that stuff at a pawnshop. They’ll need a high-level fence or some very exclusive clients. Was the entire collection yours?”
“Yes.”
“That was a generous donation.”
“I just feel bad for those kids. These thugs didn’t steal from me. They stole from them.”
“I’ll do everything I can to recover these jewels. We’re probably looking at an extremely small market indeed.”
“Thank you. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.” She took a deep breath and composed herself. “I apologize for lashing out at you. I was scared, angry, and upset. You did the right thing to prioritize the safety of the guests.”
“I understand your frustration. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“It’s only money, right?” she said, trying to convince herself of that.
The EMTs got the patient stabilized, transferred him to a gurney, then wheeled him out.
Deputies flooded into the ballroom.
I gave Deputies Erickson and Faulkner the scoop. “I want any security footage the hotel might have. I need names and contact information for everyone here and the guy they wheeled out on a gurney.”
JD and I interviewed and collected contact information for the security and hotel staff. There were cameras in the parking lot, the main entrance, and the lobby.
We met up with Carl, the head of security. In his office, we watched video feeds from the cameras. A sea of people flooded in and out of the hotel. It could have been any of these people.
I suspected the assailants had come in the same way they had gone out. There weren’t any cameras on the beach or at the entrances to the ballroom. These guys had thought this through and planned it out well. Calm and cool, they were no strangers to this kind of thing.
“Let’s talk about how they did this,” I said to Carl.
“Power was only affected in the ballroom. There’s a sub-panel in the kitchen just off the ballroom.”
“Is the panel secure?”
“It’s in a maintenance closet with a push-button lock.”
“Who knows the code?”
“Maintenance, kitchen staff, AV techs.”
“You could have an employee in on this,” I said. “I’ll need to talk to everyone.”
Carl nodded.
“We need that lock dusted for prints,” JD said.
“The backup power didn’t kick on,” I said.
Carl frowned. “The automated transfer switch should have re-routed power within 20 to 30 seconds. They could have sabotaged the board or the generators themselves.”
“This had been in the works for a while, and they had done their homework,” Jack said.
We checked the generators, and their control boards had been damaged. Someone had cut the padlock and accessed the enclosure. Unfortunately, there was no camera angle on the unit.
Carl gave me a list of all the employees with access to the breaker box, and we talked to those on shift that we hadn’t already interviewed.
Nobody jumped out at me as suspicious right away.
By that time, plenty of guests had managed to leave the ballroom without getting interviewed. It was impossible to lock the place down, and a lot of the socialites didn't like being told what to do. Erickson and Faulkner collected what information they could.
Paris Delaney and her news crew had arrived.
Her cameraman soaked up the footage as the guests spilled out of the hotel.
She managed to grab a few interviews—mortified women going on about how their lives were in danger and how the police did nothing to stop it.
It wasn’t going to go over well for the department.
The camera closed in as JD and I stepped out of the lobby.
"Deputy Wild, what can you tell us?” Paris asked.
I gave a brief overview of the incident and asked anyone with information to contact the Sheriff's Department. I didn't think we’d get many tips, but maybe someone overheard the assailants discussing the heist at a coffee shop or bar. Maybe they’d brag about their score, and a friend or family member would rat them out. Criminals love to brag.
It was wishful thinking.
JD and I returned to the station and filled out after-action reports. The sheriff poked his head into the conference room. He was not pleased. "You guys had one job. One job!”
I exhaled with frustration. "What were we supposed to do? They were completely understaffed and unprepared.”
"That's why I sent you guys over there.”
"There wasn't enough time. You said to show up at seven, we showed up at seven.” Then I added, "Even if we’d had more time, this was organized.” I told him my theory.
“We needed double the amount of security that we had, and we needed patrols on the beach. Too many vulnerabilities in that place. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong.”
"Stay on top of this. If you two can get those gems back, you’ll be heroes. As it stands, the media is painting you guys and the department as zeros.”
JD and I frowned.
"We're on it," I said.
“A job this big has a lot of moving parts,” Daniels said. “Somebody’s bound to slip up and start talking.”
One can dream.
We finished up at the station and returned to the Avventura, feeling deflated.
I took Buddy out for a walk, then JD and I sipped cocktails on the sky deck and post-gamed the event. We went over what went wrong and what we could have done better. It was an important part of any mission, failed or not.
In the morning, I woke with the sunrise and pulled myself out of bed. After a shower and a shave, I headed down to the galley and fixed breakfast. Bacon sizzled, and the smell of fresh coffee swirled.
I still felt unsettled from the night before. I didn’t like to lose. Nobody does. Bad guys 1. Good guys 0.
There were too many people in the ballroom to track cell phones.
Besides, these thieves were professionals.
Too well-organized to carry cell phones on them while committing a heist. It didn't make sense to waste Isabella’s time or resources on that kind of endeavor.
It wouldn't turn up much. She and I went way back. Isabella would do anything I asked. Still, I didn’t want to use up all of my good credit with her. She had a life and clients of her own.
JD and I chowed down on the sky deck and soaked up the amber rays of morning. Afterward, I rode with him over to the dentist’s office.
We parked in the lot of the professional building and strolled into the lobby.
It was full of plant boxes. Skylights in the atrium allowed copious amounts of Florida sun to spill through.
Water trickled, and koi swam around in a pond.
It was mostly dentists and orthodontists, along with an acupuncturist and an insurance agent.
We took the elevator up to the second floor and found Dr. Latham's office.
Jack stepped into the small waiting area, and I took a seat while he checked in with the cute receptionist. She was a silky brunette with azure eyes and striking features.
Pepper wore lavender scrubs, and the office had a pleasant floral scent.
A glass coffee table held everything from fashion mags to car magazines.
Complimentary bottles of water sat in the mini fridge, and coastal art hung on the walls.
"Good morning, Mr. Donovan," Pepper said with a cheery smile. "She'll be with you shortly.”
I don’t think anyone is particularly fond of dentist appointments, but Jack was dreading this. He fidgeted with nervous energy. He knew the drill was in his future.