Chapter 52
"Ithink I know why Dr. Latham was murdered," Isabella said.
"I'm listening," I replied, sipping coffee, crunching on bacon in the breakfast nook.
"She was thinking about ratting out the cartel,” I surmised. “She wanted out, and she thought that was her only way.”
“The cartel must have been tracking her phone. The torture session was probably to see if she had spilled the beans and compromised the organization."
"I'm not sure if this is related to anything, but she did dental work for Senator Bergen. I think she put on a crown.“
Isabella’s fingers tapped the keys. There was a pause as she studied the screen. "There were several phone calls between Bergen and her office, likely to coordinate the appointment.”
"When Dr. Latham was killed, her assailants apparently took great interest in an implant she may have done. Dr. Latham doesn't do implants, but I think there was some confusion. They could have been referencing a crown. I’m going to go out into conspiracy theory territory right now, so just bear with me. Is it possible to put a listening device or some kind of tracker into a dental implant or crown?”
Isabella laughed. "Is it possible? Absolutely. The technology has gotten so small, and there have been devices developed that will power themselves off Wi-Fi signals. They never need to be recharged. If she implanted a listening device into the senator’s tooth, they would have clear access to his conversations and could probably access the device over a mobile or Wi-Fi network.
” Then she added, “I’ve seen explosive implants, though official sources will tell you they don’t exist. But the stuff they are doing with nanotechnology is incredible.
A small shape charge could sever the internal carotid artery.
The victim would bleed out in a matter of minutes. "
“That’s it. They want the senator dead.”
“He is pushing through strong anti-trafficking legislation after a decade of a soft stance.”
“Why the change of heart?”
"That's worth looking into," Isabella said. "He's giving a speech at a fundraiser in Coconut Key tonight.”
"This has been months in the planning,” I said, putting it all together.
"I'll dig into Bergen and see what I can find. You need to get in touch with his security staff and warn them.”
"How do we stop something like this? That device could easily be detonated by remote—cell signal, RFID, through a wireless network.”
"An EMP would take out every device in the area. Not exactly legal or handy. You could make a small one with a short range to disable the tooth. If you can get close to the senator.”
“How close?”
“3-5 inches.”
We talked for a bit more. I thanked her and ended the call, then dialed the sheriff. “We’ve got a problem.”