Chapter 14 #2
“Package everything on Sanchez and get it to the FBI,” Jack said. “That’s a federal case.” He looked at Derby. “Any luck with the warrants for his phone?”
“I’ve been working with the dedicated law enforcement team for his iCloud. We should have any recovered texts and emails by tomorrow. Verizon tells me I should have his phone logs by end of day tomorrow at the latest.”
Doug hadn’t looked up from the burner phone in twenty minutes. He had it connected to some kind of adaptor, and a bunch of code was spitting out across a second monitor.
“The self-destruct layer is more sophisticated than I expected,” he said.
“Wade didn’t set this up himself. Someone who knows what they’re doing built this.
” He finally looked up. “These things aren’t hard to get if you know where to look.
Five to ten thousand on the street will buy you exactly this kind of setup. Could have come from anywhere.”
Jack nodded and looked at Derby. “What else do you have?”
“We’ve been cross-referencing the resident roster against the camera footage,” Derby said.
“Trying to get a full picture of who lives there and what’s going on in the building.
” He looked up from his screens. “Wade wasn’t sleeping with anyone inside the building.
You don’t piss in your own pool. But what is going on in that building is something else entirely. ”
“I told Doug it’s just like Melrose Place, and then he stole my line and told you like he has any clue what Melrose Place is,” Margot said waspishly. And then she added, “I’ve watched every episode as part of my pop culture education.”
“I might not have seen the show, but I know a soap opera when I see one,” Doug said. “And this place is crazy. Check this out.”
He pulled up the first clip. “Second floor. 201. We’re calling them The Newlyweds. Guy works from home. Wife leaves at eight every morning. A woman who is not his wife shows up at eight fifteen every Monday and Thursday.”
“He must set a timer,” Margot said. “She never stays more than thirty-seven minutes. Poor woman.”
I snickered and Jack shot me a look.
“202 is The Divorced Power Couple,” Doug continued. “Both attorneys. Neither would give up the condo in the divorce, so they both live there and date other people.”
“That sounds like a reality TV show waiting to happen,” I said.
“203 is The Influencer,” Margot said. “She’s got an OnlyFans page. Doug checked it out.”
“For research,” Doug jumped in.
“Mmhmm,” Margot said. “She’s got two million followers and her subscribers are enough that she bought a Lamborghini this year and launched her own cryptocurrency.”
“She smokes pot by the pool late at night with The Surgeon in 204,” Derby said. “The Surgeon is married to a Realtor and also has a gay lover who comes once a week when his wife goes into DC on the weekends to meet with clients there.”
“204 is busy,” Jack said.
“205 are The Instagrammers,” Derby said. “Perfect couple online. Domestic calls on both parties.”
“But their vacation pictures look amazing,” Margot said.
“206 is The Merry Widow,” Doug said. “Quiet, travels constantly. She’s buried three husbands.”
“Yikes,” Jack said.
“Third floor,” Derby said. “301 is The Gambler. The wife is a Realtor. Technically both of them are, but she’s more successful. He has a gambling problem.” Derby pulled up a snippet from the security feed. “And it’s got to be some kind of crime having sex in the mailroom.”
He pulled up the feed from the mailroom, showing The Gambler and a dark-haired woman in what could only be called a compromising position.
“I take it that’s not his wife,” I said.
“Look closer,” Jack said.
“I’d rather not,” I muttered, but did what he said. And then gasped. “That’s Jessica.” I narrowed my eyes. “I told you I didn’t like her.”
“We caught her in the gym and the conference table too,” Derby said.
“302 are The Empty Nesters,” Margot said. “Boor-ing.”
“303 is The Mysterious Woman,” Derby said. “She’s only come to the condo twice in the last thirty days, and only stays for a few hours.”
“304 is The Bachelor,” Doug said. “Works on Capitol Hill. Living well above his means.” He glanced at Derby.
“He’s been in The Merry Widow’s unit twice,” Derby said. “And Jessica’s office three times after hours.”
“Jessica again,” I said. “She gets around. I guess she wasn’t too broken hearted over Wade’s rejection.”
Doug continued. “305 is The Golden Couple. Both are very committed to plastic surgery and dinner parties. 306 is The Novelist. Of the bestselling variety. She’s gone up to the fourth floor six times in the last thirty days.”
“Wade?” I asked.
“That’s what I thought,” Derby said. “But the guy in 402, we call him The Athlete, rides the elevator back down with her after an extended period of time and kisses her when she gets off on her floor. He’s a pro golfer who keeps the condo so his wife doesn’t find out about his sidepieces.”
“Which brings us to the fourth floor,” Doug said. “401 is Jessica Contreras. And this is where things get good.”
“Really?” I asked. “I can’t imagine what else could make this more salacious.”
“I call it the Tuesday lunch special,” Margot said. “Every week at noon on the dot Brett Callum and Jessica Contreras go up to the fourth floor, assuming her condo, and stay almost the whole hour.”
“Maybe they’re just having lunch,” I said.
“I don’t think so,” Derby said, pulling up a video segment.
It was of Jessica coming out of her office, tapping Brett on the shoulder, and then her checking to see if he had tonsilitis with her tongue. Her legs wrapped around him and then they disappeared back into her office.
I burst into tears.
Everyone looked at me.
“He said his wife is pregnant,” I said, which did not help because I started crying harder. “It’s the hormones. I’m not crying.”
Nobody said anything. Jack patted me on the shoulder.
“I hate him,” I said, taking the tissue Jack handed me so I could blow my nose. “Sorry.
“Don’t stop on my account,” I said. “I’m over it.”
“Right,” Doug said, the look on his face skeptical. “Well, 403 is our victim. And 404 is The Gossip.”
“Gerald Fitch,” I said. “Lots of drama. Has a cat.”
“405 is The Entertainer,” Derby said. “Washed-up actress. Can’t afford New York anymore. Looks like she has a stream of men in and out. A couple of them you’d know by name.”
“And then there’s 406,” Margot said. “The Penthouse. This one is my favorite. Well respected couple in Virginia and DC area. Very active in the community. And known swingers. Their condo is like the carousel at Disney World. I hope they disinfect.”
I scrunched my nose in disgust.
“That’s everyone,” Doug said. “We’ve run them all, and no one pops on Wade’s client list at the studio. It does look like he keeps his personal and professional lives separate.”
My phone buzzed on the table. Lily.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey. Cole is driving me absolutely insane,” she said. “He needs to be around people. Mostly so I don’t kill him while I’m trying to study. He managed to talk the owner at the Purple Pig into giving us the back room. You guys in? Bring whoever you want. There’s room.”
Jack could hear our conversation through the phone. “We’ve got to eat. We’re in.”
“Did you hear that?” I asked her.
“I heard. You’re a lifesaver. Seven o’clock.” And then she hung up.
“I’ll call Daniels, and Plank and Wachowski,” Jack said. “Might as well get the whole team together.”
“Martinez is going to be sad he missed it,” I said.
“From what I can find on his social media account,” Margot said, “Detective Martinez is in the Florida Keys and enjoying time on the beach with a very attractive woman. I do not believe he’d be sad to miss out on dinner at the Purple Pig.”
I gave Doug a look and he mouthed, “Sorry,” while shutting her down and closing his laptop. “I’m starving.”