Chapter 6
"Coconut pancakes?" Jason asked, eyeing Knox's plate.
Knox accepted his coffee from their waitress with a "thank you." The bustling bistro, just off The Mandeville's lobby, swirled with the tantalizing aromas of hot breakfast offerings and espresso.
"Why not?" Knox asked. "I like coconut. And I like pancakes." He watched Allie spread something on her toast. "What's that?"
"A house-made cherry jam. The menu said they harvest the cherries right here on Isadora." She took a bite and gave an approving thumbs-up while she chewed. "And it's delicious," she said, with her mouth half full. "Want some?"
"Yes."
She slathered a generous amount of cherry jam on a half piece of toast and handed it to him. He used it to point at Jason. "You said you had news. Rowan find anything?" He took a bite of the toast, and he may have groaned in delight. He looked at Allie. "You're right, this is really good."
"Are you done?" Jason asked.
"Not done eating, but go ahead. I can eat and listen."
Jason tried to look annoyed. It wasn't convincing. "Yes, Rowan ID'd two of the four guys on the drone footage. One has known ties to a drug cartel in Colombia. The other was arrested for assaulting a woman in the Bahamas."
"Nice guys," Knox said.
"Yeah. He didn't get a hit on the other two, but at least we have clean images.
If they show up anywhere else, we'll know.
The only other information he confirmed from that footage is that there wasn't a structure on that property.
Meaning, no one is likely living there. And Byron probably isn't present 24/7. "
"So, we just got lucky?"
"Or unlucky, if you ask Rowan's opinion." Jason sighed. "They came armed, so they weren't there to picnic. My guess is they were hiding something out there in the jungle." He took a bite of bacon. "I'll admit, the food is good here. I may eat here every morning."
Knox held up a forkful of pancakes. "Try the coconut pancakes next time. They're delicious."
Jason laughed. "Okay, I might." A new seriousness set in his expression. "The other thing I wanted to tell you is that the guy from Byron, Kendall—"
"The one who met with Drakos and offered to buy The Mandeville? And then supposedly doused Drakos's suit with blood?"
Jason sipped his coffee, then nodded. "That's the one. He called Drakos. He wants to meet again. The day after tomorrow. He's definitely still interested in The Mandeville. Drakos isn't interested in selling, but he agreed to meet."
"Is Kendall going to give Drakos an offer he can't refuse?" Knox couldn't resist posing his question with his best Godfather accent.
Jason rolled his eyes. "I hope not, but if Kendall is behind the bloody suit, that's the type of offer we can expect.
" He looked at Allie. "I'd like you to observe the meeting.
Either in person or by video. We can figure out the logistics later.
Any insight you can provide on this guy would be helpful.
We don't have any information on him, but apparently he's high enough in Byron to negotiate major real estate deals. "
Allie nodded. "Where was their first meeting? Was there any security footage? If so, I'd like to view it. The more I can watch of this Kendall guy the easier it will be to get a baseline."
"Good idea," Jason said. "I'll ask Drakos about that."
"First," Knox said. "Try the coconut pancakes." He forked half a pancake from the stack on his plate and tossed it onto Jason's plate.
Jason looked at Allie. "You know, I thought he requested this assignment because of the beach." He jabbed his fork toward Knox. "But I'm beginning to think it was because of the food."
Knox chuckled. He decided not to correct Jason, but the first reason he wanted this assignment was to work with Allie again. And the second reason was to work with Jason.
Though the beach and the food were a nice bonus.
Knox and Allie found Henrik Kurtz's rental shop with no problem. With a view of the ferry pier, it sat between an ice cream parlor and a coffee shop. All three boasted Victorian-inspired architecture, though they looked like new construction.
Knox chose a spot in the small parking lot between Henrik's business and the coffee shop. As they walked toward the entrance, Allie's face scrunched up.
"This doesn't look right. I thought this guy had security cameras next to a Byron property with a warehouse on it."
Knox chuckled. "That's what's bothering you? The name of his shop is what's getting me. 'Pelican Rentals.' Seriously? Do they rent pelicans?"
Allie groaned. "That was dangerously close to a dad joke.
" She added a dramatic wince. "Pretty sure he's just trying to encourage the island vibe.
It says," she glanced at the Pelican Rentals website on her phone, "they rent scuba and snorkeling gear, fishing poles, surfboards, boogie boards, ATVs, and bicycles.
They also sell beach essentials and hiking supplies. "
"Disappointing. I was pretty curious about the hourly rate of a pelican."
She punched his arm.
He laughed. And he was pleased to see her smile. "Well, he told Jason he had footage that might be helpful. Let's see what he has to say." He held open the door to Pelican Rentals. "After you."
Her smile broadened. "Thank you."
He would never tire of that smile.
Three minutes into their conversation with Henrik Kurtz, Allie had to will herself not to roll her eyes and pinch the bridge of her nose—though mentally, she was doing both of those things.
Henrik was an amateur detective. Emphasis on amateur.
He had cameras all over the exterior of his property pointing in seventeen different directions. Why? Because he believed in about as many conspiracy theories. Plus, he was certain his coffee shop neighbor was in a witness protection program—though, he couldn't say from which country.
Thankfully, no one else was in the shop to overhear this discussion.
Allie was beyond impressed with Knox's patience with the Jessica-Fletcher-wannabe. He was usually unnecessarily blunt in these situations. But he listened to Henrik rattle on, asking questions from time to time.
They eventually learned that Byron Industries owned the warehouse on the other side of the alley that ran behind Henrik's shop. And therefore in view of Henrik's many security cameras.
Allie watched Henrik's posture, hands, feet, and facial expressions. She noted his tone. As far as she could tell, he didn't pose a threat. They just needed to make sure he didn't snoop around Byron. The poor guy would be in way over his head.
"Mr. Kurtz," Knox said.
"Henrik. Please, call me Henrik."
"Thanks, Henrik. We really appreciate all this. You're a wealth of information. Could we take a look at that security footage?"
Allie managed to keep her expression neutral. But she was shocked how respectful Knox acted toward Henrik and all his wild speculations—even the one about the lost city of Atlantis sinking off the coast of Isadora Island.
Henrik led them into an office in the back of his shop. The cramped room held eight computer monitors, all displaying live feeds from his seventeen security cameras. This guy was next-level paranoid. But maybe they could benefit from his obsession.
His claims to Jason made a little more sense when he explained that the property behind his shop, including a warehouse, belonged to Byron. And he had plenty of footage.
"Henrik, this could be very helpful," Knox said. "Any chance we could get a copy of all your footage from the past three weeks?"
Henrik looked like he'd won the lottery. Obviously, this is what the armchair sleuth lived for. Helping WhiteRock with their investigation had made his week. Maybe his year.
He uploaded everything Knox asked for onto an external hard drive and handed it to Allie.
"Thank you, Henrik. If you see anything worrisome on the Byron property, let us know. But please, do not go over there under any circumstances. We have reason to believe some employees of that company are dangerous."
Henrik's head bobbed. "Oh yes, I mean no, I won't go over there." He pointed to his monitors. "I'll keep an eye on them. I'll let you know if I see anything."
Knox handed him a card. "You can call this number if you see something fishy. If no one answers, leave a message, okay?"
"Oh yes, yes." His head continued to bob. He held the card like it was made of gold.
Henrik's eagerness made Allie uneasy. She didn't want his snooping to get him in real trouble.
Knox must have felt the same because he pointed at Henrik. "Remember, do not go over there. Promise?"
"You have my word. I'll just watch from here."
Knox shook his hand. "By the way, we were thinking of checking out that ice cream place next door before we head back. Anything suspicious going on over there?"
Henrik smirked. "Nothing you need to worry about.
One of the employees sneaks milkshakes to her friends at the end of her shift when the boss isn't there.
Nothing else nefarious." His eyes brightened.
"You should try the Caribbean Cocoa Sundae.
Pineapple ice cream with a coconut-chocolate sauce. It's delicious."
"Good to know," Knox said. "Thanks."
They left Pelican Rentals. And Allie wasn't a bit surprised when Knox made a beeline straight for Island Scoops. "He got you with that Caribbean Cocoa Sundae, huh?"
Knox brought a hand to his chest. "He had me at coconut-chocolate sauce."
"You haven't had enough coconut today?"
"Nope. Besides, they have an outdoor seating area that winds around to the back of the building. I want to check out their view of the Byron property as well. And ask if they've had any interactions with Byron."
"And try some ice cream."
"That goes without saying."
Allie glanced at the clock in the corner of the monitor. She'd been watching Henrik's security footage for over five hours. The time had flown by, but her neck and back muscles demanded a break. She stood, stretched, and walked a lap around the conference table.