Chapter Eighteen #3
Snow shut off the lights, showing the satellite image of the docks with the multitude of containers and buildings. “It’s a long shot, and it’s unlikely you’ll know but do you have any idea which warehouse Sterling would be using now?” He tapped the drop-down screen.
I glanced at Cam who’d turned to me, watching my reaction. I nodded, squeezing his thigh again. “Tell them whatever ya know, Cam. Can ya think of anything that’d ‘elp us find which ware’ouse ‘e’s moved to?”
Cam’s brows drew together as he thought about it.
After a minute, his expression changed. It was like looking at a lightbulb suddenly flashing overhead.
He quickly looked at Candy. “You know, Josiah drives a red Ferrari everywhere. I once heard him tell his guys that he keeps everything in the car.”
“Are you talking about some sort of ledger or something, Mr. Demarco?” Candy asked.
Cam shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. Josiah is really into computers. Whenever I had to use high end tech to get into a car, it was like he got off at how easy it was for me to bypass the security on those vehicles.”
“Onboard security!” Noah said practically bouncing in his wheelchair.
“What?” I asked.
“Ferrari, like other high-end luxury vehicles, use onboard computers,” Noah said. “I can work with that.”
“Well, hacking into Sterling’s Ferrari isn’t exactly what I was talking about, Noah,” Snow said. “I’m guessing that someone as talented as Mr. Demarco who can bypass an alarm on a high-end vehicle, is also equipped to hack into an onboard computer.”
Cam frowned before glancing back at Noah.
“I’ve never tried, and I can guarantee, I’m the farthest thing ever from a hacker,” he admitted. “That was never my job.”
Lincoln nodded. “Okay, then I guess what I’m saying is I was looking for something more…solid or something that shows which warehouse he’s using.”
Noah stilled his fingers on the keyboard, grinning widely. “Lincoln…the onboard computer not only stores fuel consumption, gas mileage, and that sort of thing, but it also stores GPS data.”
“How far back on the addresses?” Snow asked.
“I can go back to the day the car was purchased. Most people don’t know that car companies use their onboard computers the same way websites use cookies.
Onboard computers are linked to cloud accounts where a Ferrari owner—in this example—can store all sorts of things, Lincoln.
Chances are, I can get into everything,” said Noah.
“Good. Go back as far as you need and let’s see where he goes. It should show us the warehouse but who knows what else will be useful.”
“Will do, Lincoln.” He was typing madly while we waited. “What’s the exact make and model of the Ferrari he drives, Cam?”
“It’s a limited edition 812 GTS V-12 Grand Tourer,” Cam said. “I only know it’s a limited edition, because he was showing off the engine.”
“’E’s right, Noah,” I said. “Though Ferrari marks the model type on the outside of their vehicles, the only way to know if it’s a limited edition, is to look under the bonnet—the ‘ood.” I smiled at Cam. “Good job.”
“Okay. I can work with that,” Noah said. His fingers flew over the keyboard and after several minutes, he announced, “I have a limited edition 812 GTS V-12 Grand Tourer registered in the city of Las Vegas to a company called Sin City Vehicles.”
Cam shook his head. “That’s not it. I…ah…I stole that car for him.” He looked at me sheepishly. “He told me he sold it. That was three months ago.”
“Which probably means it’s no longer in Vegas and ‘as ended up somewhere south of the border, probably after being packed with ‘eroin.” I smirked at him, squeezing his thigh before looking at Noah. “Are there any others, in Vegas, Noah?”
Noah nodded and started typing again. After another minute, he said, “Ha! I’ve got it.
” He glanced back down at the screen, reading whatever he was seeing.
“There’s a 2025 812 GTS V-12 Grand Tourer owned by Sterling Limited.
It was purchased in Bullhead City, Arizona, but there’s a current registration in Las Vegas, Nevada.
” He looked up. “That has to be it, right?”
“It sounds like it could be,” Cam replied. “Does it tell you the color?”
“Rosso Corsa?”
Cam nodded. “That’s it! It has to be. There are only a few red Ferrari’s in Vegas, and Josiah owns the only 812 GTS that I know of after doing whatever he did with the one I stole.”
Noah grinned. “Good. Let me see what I can find.” He glanced over at Snow. “It’s gonna take me more than a few minutes to hack the onboard computer, Lincoln. It’d go faster if Judy Mendez can help me.”
“That’s a good idea, Noah. Get her involved,” Snow said. He turned back to the room. “I think we can leave it there, people.” He looked pointedly at me. “Why don’t you take Mr. Demarco back to the hotel, Clifford. We’ll call you back if we need anything.”
“Okay. Let’s go,” I said to Cam.
We started to stand when Lincoln said, “Mr. Demarco, we couldn’t have done any of this without your help. Thank you so much.”
“Which reminds me, I have a document for Mr. Demarco to sign before you leave the office, Clifford,” Candy said.
“Let’s go back to my boss’ office.”
Cam nodded and we followed the others out of the room.
Several of the guys on my team stopped to shake Cam’s hand and thank him.
By the time we finally left the office after signing a paid informant contract guaranteeing Cam full immunity for past crimes in exchange for his help in bringing down Josiah Sterling, we were both smiling ear to ear.