“Nick, be careful. Don’t let a little positive stuff screw up your bad karma.”
“Ha ha, very funny.” Nick gave Rachel’s hair a tug before exiting the Buick with ball cap and sunglasses on. He had dressed in khaki shorts, gray t-shirt and tennis shoes with no socks before leaving the condo with Rachel. The heat after being inside the air conditioned Buick nearly dropped him to his knees. He pointed at the throwaway cell-phone near Rachel. “I’ll have mine at my ear like all the other cell-junkies do so we can stay in constant contact.”
Taking a few deep breaths and feeling droplets of sweat forming everywhere, he closed the Buick door. He walked briskly toward Main Street while phoning Rachel’s cellphone.
“Rachel on the run, Rachel speaking.”
“Oh, you are just too cute for words.” Nick rounded the parking lot in front of a Spanish-style building. He stepped up on the sidewalk, glancing at the cars parked diagonally near a line of shops with awnings. “I see it and the genius.”
Vertinski stood, arms folded across chest, in front of the second shop, leaning against the building. He wore mirror type sunglasses, a sleeveless white t-shirt, loafers and tan shorts. Nick stopped in front of him, smiling up at the heavily built man.
“Excuse me, Sir, do you know what time it is?” Nick asked politely, pointing at Vertinski’s Rolex watch.
“I don’t know,” Vertinski growled, not making any move to turn his wrist. “Go ask inside, meatball.”
“Sure, sure.” Nick scurried back as if frightened, and then walked away up the street. He lifted his phone up again. “It’s Vertinski.”
“I heard you playing with him, dummy.”
“I’m going across the street to the bank to start up a savings account. When I get done taking pictures in there with my really good digital camera, I’ll leave and take a picture of the gorilla posing right in front of his stolen car. We’ll post the picture to the Sarasota police department and kick back to watch the fireworks.”
“Showoff.”
Nick took his hand-held digital camera out as he walked into the air conditioned bank with an audible sigh of relief, clicking away with his camera, while talking to Rachel. While he waited in a seat near the desks for his turn to talk with a consultant, he snapped pictures without being obvious. His mouth tightened when he saw one of the security guards come out of the rear.
“We have a tiny problem.”
“What, you can’t walk from the bank to the car because of the heat?”
Nick smiled. “No, Vertinski’s partner works as a bank guard.”
“Oh joy.”
“We’re going to really cause a stir when I get out of here. I shouldn’t even start up an account now, considering their hiring practices.”
Thirty minutes later, Nick had a savings account with five hundred dollars in it under his Roscoe Weatherby name. He also had pictures of Vertinski’s partner. As Nick walked from the bank, he fiddled with his papers, zooming in on the immobile Vertinski and the stolen Ford. Nick crossed the street down from Vertinski, almost directly in front of the rented Buick. Vertinski did not glance his way, so Nick moved quickly to the Buick. He entered with a sigh as the cool air hit him.
“C’mon, Geeks R Us, get busy with the pictures,” Rachel ordered, turning the notebook computer toward him.
Nick popped the memory chip out and plugged it into his computer. The pictures were automatically downloaded into a file. Nick looked at each one of them with satisfaction.
“Not bad for off the hip shots. Look at the one for Vega, the security guard. Oh boy are the cops going to love this stuff. They have one wanted felon out casing the bank and an inside-man felon as a security guard. Nice setup.”
He looked up the Web address for the Sarasota police department and uploaded the pictures with date stamp and explanatory note. He included Vertinski's and Vega’s mug shots with partial rap sheets. Next, he had Rachel call in on her throw away cell-phone, explaining to the police how she had spotted the two. Until she talked them into checking their computer for the pictures, they were less than enthused. When they suddenly wanted to know everything about her, she ended the call. Twenty minutes later, police squad cars ringed Vertinski and his Ford. A second team carefully entered the bank. They emerged with Vega five minutes after they went in.
“Dum…da dum dum…daaaaaa…” Nick crooned.
“Tell Gus why we couldn’t have hit the bank right after the police took Vertinski and Vega away,” Rachel directed. She brought refreshments over and set them down on the condo's dining room table.
“I don’t need to tell him,” Nick replied, exchanging grins with Gus as the two sat across from each other. “He trusts my judgment. Come to think of it, Danger and Deke trust my judgment too. Why, oh why, can’t you?”
“We had the advantage, Nick.” Rachel ignored the laughter at Nick’s rhyme.
“Rachel, you didn’t know all the players,” Gus told her gently. “If Tanus has someone working the safety deposit boxes, or notes which ones get accessed, they could have tipped off a Tanus team not right outside the bank. Fletcher Exports screwed up with their two picks, leading to a nice first day. Predicting actions by Tanus on the heels of the police action may have led to disaster.”
“I wasn’t making fun of you, Rachel. I’m tired. We had a busy, hot day. Sit back and relax. While you were catching up with Danger’s day, I sent a note into Tanus headquarters, letting them know Javier Martine ended up at Fletcher Exports. I then put a note into Fletcher Exports, warning them not to send anyone else to Florida if they know what’s good for them, as if it came from Tanus. Now, we need to find out who the hell is down here from Tanus.”
“Other than scripting your plan like an old western, what’s the purpose of all this?” Rachel asked, not at all mollified by his explanation.
“To make your walk in the bank like a day at the beach,” Gus answered for Nick. “Nick shows up at the bank every day, doing something different inside, including getting a safety deposit box. How am I doing, brother?”
“Too damn good,” Nick muttered. “Either you’ve known me too long, or I’ve known you too long.”
“They won’t have a clue, Nick,” Gus reassured him.
“Jesus…that is good.” Rachel smiled for the first time since she sat down. “I go get the flash drives and pass them to you inside the bank. You take the drives and put them in your own safety deposit box. Then, even if something goes wrong outside, they don’t get the flash drives.”
“First, we have to stir the pot between Tanus and Fletcher. I want them watching each other with the same enthusiasm they’re watching for you. In the meantime, I’ll spend the next three days adding a checking account, money market account, and a safety deposit box. I want everyone around to believe I’m just some new local businessman.”
“Did you have any luck spotting what vehicles might be owned by Tanus?” Gus asked.
“We didn’t find any out of state license plates, but I still have to check for rentals,” Nick answered. “Vega was a surprise. I need to examine the SunTrust employee records more closely. I checked, and he used an alias to get the job. Fletcher found out about the drives recently. Tanus has had time to establish people at the bank we may not be able to spot.”
“This is getting complicated again,” Rachel pointed out.
“We’re not getting the flash drives at any cost. Our side will not take casualties. Today was only our first day, Rach, and we had a good one. Let’s not piss on our good fortune by hurrying fate. Moving on, how was your day with Danger, Gus?”
“Between Miss Outgoing, Deke, and the damn Frisbee, I nearly had the whole beach crowd checking us out.”
“Jean told me she had a great time with you,” Rachel said.
“We have to go to the beach again tomorrow to meet up with her new friends vacationing from Pennsylvania. I told her as long as she cleans up the dog dung, I’m fine.”
“She was out like a light at eight o’clock.”
“Her birthday’s coming up in a few days, isn’t it?” Nick asked.
“Yes, and you’ve already spoiled her rotten on this trip, so I don’t have a clue what to get her.”
“I have to go. Thanks to Danger, the chick magnet, I have a date tonight,” Gus announced, standing up.
“You Philistine, using Danger and Deke to troll for women. How could you?” Nick asked, already shaking his head in fake disappointment.
“They were an attraction today,” Gus acknowledged. “How was the Buick?”
“Perfect. Anything you can get similar to it would be a help. I’d be able to mount the transmitter easily again. The windows were just right too. It should be nice on your date.”
“No use wasting a beautiful new car rental.” Gus shrugged, waving on the way out. “See you two tomorrow.”
“Bye, Gus.” When the door closed behind him, Rachel turned to Nick, who was at the refrigerator for more refreshments. “How do you do it, Nick? I figured we’d storm the bank without a second thought when the cops left today.”
“Patience and a healthy survival instinct, Rach. There are too many variables right now to do anything hasty. I thought you liked the idea of switching safety deposit boxes.”
“I do. I’ll be less pessimistic tomorrow morning.”
“Do you think Deke needs a walk?”
“He’s out cold next to Jean. I went out with him for a while before Jean went to bed. Want to try out your patient approach in some other endeavor?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
“Damn, no rentals around, and no suspicious out of state license plates.”
They were parked in the same spot as the day before in a Pontiac 6, this time with Rachel behind the wheel. Nick worked the computer, while Rachel watched the bank and surrounding area with Nick’s digital spotting scope.
“I guess it was too much to hope for, that they’d be as obvious as those two yesterday.” Rachel held up two sheets of pictures. “Like you said last night, they’ve been down here waiting for a long time. I haven’t seen anyone resembling the men or women on these photo sheets you made up.”
“I didn’t spot any Tanus people inside either. I guess it’s time for me to make another appearance in the bank. I’ll set up a safety deposit box today. I’m hoping the bank has someone in particular who handles the area where the boxes are.”
“You’ll be a lot less comfortable, but I like your outfit better.” Rachel gestured at Nick’s gray slacks and light blue short sleeved pullover shirt. “You’ll look a lot more presentable today.”
Nick pulled his notebook computer case from the backseat. “This will be what I’ll have with me every day. You’ll go in with a large black purse with blank flash drives already in it when we decide it’s time. After taking the real drives out and putting them into a small zip lock bag, you’ll lock your box back up and come out. I’ll be holding the case in such a way you will be able to brush by me in the bank and drop the drives in. Then, you take a seat and mess around filling out something while I copy the drives. I’ll put the originals into my own safety deposit box. I want you to then look around nervously while I complete the transfer and leave the bank ahead of you. With any luck, the bad guys will have gathered by then, waiting for their moment.”
“If I didn’t trust you -”
“Yeah, this plan would be awkward. I could ditch you right then and there, leaving you to take the heat. Instead of that traitorous scenario, I’ll get my bag somewhere safe and cue Gus. I should have a good idea who the grabbers will be. I’ll take them out and give you the word to hurry the hell out of the bank and into the car with Gus. I don’t want you exposed for even ten seconds, so once the Tanus guys hit the deck, you run for the car. I’ll meet up with you at the condo. We’ll have all the poker chips then: original flash drives still in a safety deposit box, us with copies, you and Jean out of danger.”
“Wow, it sounds so simple when you put it like that.”
“Off I go.” Nick opened the door to a furnace blast of humid hot air. “Good Lord in heaven! I’ll keep you on the cell while I’m playing businessman inside. Watch for guys paying attention to me.”
“Okay. Just shut the damn door.”
Nick closed the door and adjusted his sunglasses. He hurried diagonally across the street so as to end up at the SunTrust bank entrance. He called Rachel while walking across the threshold.
“Nick, bring me back a Diet Pepsi.”
“Sure thing, Princess.” He walked to one of the people at a desk, asking about opening a safety deposit box. Fifteen minutes later, the man who had helped him fill out the paperwork guided Nick to the safety deposit box area, cautioning him on what would happen if the keys were lost. He buzzed the rear section. A pleasant faced blonde in her mid-thirties came to the window. Nick recognized her immediately.
“Rene will help you from here, Mr. Weatherby.” The man shook Nick’s hand.
“I see you have your signature card all filled out. Sign and date the sign-in sheet and I’ll take you back to the boxes.”
Nick signed in and Rene let him into the back. She found his new safety deposit box number and inserted her key, gesturing for Nick to insert his. Once he had the box in hand, Rene led him to a line of small rooms.
“Let me know when you’re ready to return the box to the room, Sir.”
“I will, Rene, thank you.”
“Rachel,” Nick spoke into the cell-phone after closing the door. “We have contact. Rene’s working in safety deposit box land. You have her on your sheet.”
“Rene Santora?”
“Yep. What do you think about following her home tonight, trussing her up before work in the morning, and blowing all these complicated plans to hell? We could walk right in and back out if there’s no tipster in here.”
Rachel started laughing and took minutes to calm down before being able to speak.
“What…what happened to patience?”
“Patience took a hike the moment I saw a familiar face in here.” Nick leaned back in his seat visualizing what he would need to do. “We do it exactly as I outlined, only I won’t have to drop any guys on the way to the car. We get away clean.”
“You won’t kill her, will you?”
“It would be easier if I did.”
“You cold-hearted bastard,” Rachel murmured. “She’s just an employee. You’re screwing with me, right?”
No. “Of course I am. I’ll be out in a couple minutes.”
“You haven’t said a word since we drove away from the bank.” Rachel pointed out as Nick drove their rented Pontiac. “Are you plotting?”
“I called Gus. He’ll be meeting us at the condo. I’ll get changed into a suit and tie. He and I will go over to Rene's house for recon. If our research reveals no dogs, children, or husbands, I’ll put her out of commission before dawn tomorrow.”
“Why use Gus instead of me?”
“Gus can immediately drive back to St. Pete and return the Pontiac,” Nick answered. She’s suspicious already. “The moment the bank opens tomorrow, we’ll make our flash drive withdrawal in the new rental Gus brings us. We’ll only be gone a couple of hours. I’ll have the condo locked down tight with a motion detector while we’re gone, which will alert me the moment it goes off.”
“You’re going to kill Rene, aren’t you?”
“What? You’re on a first name basis now with the woman who would have painted a target on you the moment your safety deposit box was accessed?”
“She wouldn’t have known why. Maybe they told her it was a police investigation.”
“Look, Rachel, I just need to disable her until around noontime. Once we have the flash drives copied, we’ll lay low at the condo until I’m certain there’s no heat on my Weatherby identity. I did have to give them the condo address to start my accounts. I’ll go fool around with my new accounts and visit my safety deposit box while you and Jean stay with Gus at the condo. It will give me a chance to see if our withdrawal stirs up anything. If we’re lucky, Santora won’t tell anyone so as to stay out of trouble with Tanus. The two teams may then be back in place watching each other while we hit the road.”
“When do we bring Grace and Tim back into the mix?” Rachel asked, her voice sounding slightly relieved at Nick’s explanation.
“After I arrange a get together with Suzan and her husband at a neutral spot and we decipher the information, I’ll bring the Marshalls into it. I’ll give Suzan’s husband unedited copies. Then I’ll tell them to set up a meet with Grace and Tim. We’ll lay low. I’ll plot targets until the shit hits the fan. Even with the drives and a corroborating witness, we’ll need to be in lockdown mode until I see Grace do the right thing.”
“What about Frank?”
“Frank stuck it to me with the setup in Denver. We’ll wait to find out if Frank survives the flash drive revelations. There’s no use in negotiating with Frank if he’s indicted. Our work for getting you and Jean back to a normal life depends on how many untouchables are on the flash drives.”
“Untouchables?”
“People who escape the taking down of Tanus and who might still pose a threat.”
“Can’t you make them do something about these untouchables?”
“We’ll see, but there might be a name or two only a.50 caliber solution will remedy. Frank would be an extremely valuable guy to have on our side if that happens.”
Nick parked near his Cadillac in front of the condominium complex. Inside the condo, they said their hellos, and he went in his bedroom to get dressed. When he came out, he looked like a bank executive in the slate gray suit he had changed into. While Gus waited at the Pontiac, Nick made sure his alarms were in place and activated on the condo. They drove to Rene Santora’s home on Gillespie Avenue.
Nick pulled on white Nitrile gloves and exited the Pontiac as Gus drove away. He walked up to the house and rang the doorbell, noting no alarm pad was in place. He smiled when he pulled up a corner of Santora’s welcome mat and found her hideaway key, saving him the lost time picking the lock. Twenty-five minutes later, Gus picked him up in front. Nick opened his laptop and inserted the memory chip from his camera into the slot on the side. Moments later, he was scanning the inside pictures of Santora’s home on the computer screen.
“How’s it look?”
“Piece of cake,” Nick answered. “No squeaky spots, guns, dogs, or roommates. Her bed is only thirty feet away from the rear entrance. I copied the hard drive on her computer too. The woman is helpless.”
“It’s perfect if you kill her.”
“You barbarian.”
“I like this. Very few houses and no traffic.” Gus scanned the area near Santora’s house at three in the morning. “I’ll be around.”
Nick nodded. He left the Pontiac, dressed all in black with a small bag. Seconds later, he stood outside the rear entrance to the house with his night vision goggles in place. He had earlier rigged the door so it could not be locked. Slipping inside, he gently closed the door and stood listening intently, leaning against the wall. Minutes passed with no sound, other than Santora’s refrigerator kicking on and the air conditioning going through a cooling cycle. He moved into Rene’s bedroom while the air conditioning covered the faint sounds he made. He wet a thick gauze-like pad and covered the woman’s face.
Nick heard her snore slightly. She quieted as he watched her glide quietly toward death. He cursed suddenly as a motion picture replay of Rachel, Jean, and Deke bombarded him. Son of a bitch! He pulled the chloroformed pad away and carried Santora into the attached garage. He maneuvered her unconscious body behind the steering wheel. Nick retrieved his bag, a small pillow from the bedroom, and a kitchen towel. After making sure movement on the steering wheel hub did not activate the horn, Nick put the woman’s head on the pillow and positioned her face sideways into the now padded steering wheel hub.
He duct-taped her wrists together, and then taped them draped around the steering column and wheel, adding numerous wraps around her upper body. He taped her ankles together and to the brake pedal. Slipping the seat belt around her waist, Nick fastened and tightened it until there could be no movement. He then carefully duct taped the kitchen towel in place around her mouth and head, ending with a final revolution of tape to keep her head immobile. Nick shut the car door. He left the garage open to the air conditioned air from inside the house.
Gus received his call and returned to Santora’s house where he picked Nick up.
“What did you do, take a nap in there?”
“Very funny.”
“You didn’t kill her!” Gus exclaimed in overly dramatic fashion, laughing in short snorts of derision. “Oh, you poor neutered puppy, someone’s cut your man bearings off.”
“Shut up and drive.”
“I should have known you’d be up,” Rachel commented, walking into the dining room area where Nick was typing, already dressed in his suit, minus the coat. “I missed not slipping into your room last night.”
“Did you?” Nick looked up at the same time Deke did as the dog lay behind his chair. “I’d like you to be ready in an hour. I don’t want to be waiting at the bank entrance when it opens. I want you to go in about half an hour after they open the doors.”
Sensing a change in Nick’s demeanor, Rachel walked over, grabbed and shook Deke’s nose playfully for a moment, and sat next to Nick. He felt her reach around and run her right hand up and down his back. He clenched his teeth together, unable to halt the familiar passion sweeping through him at her touch. She leaned in against him, her head on his shoulder. He could feel the heat where her breast pressed into his arm through the flimsy silk nightgown, and her scent seared his senses.
“You don’t like me much this morning, do you?” Rachel asked, her left hand moving down Nick’s stomach and over his belt. “Well, okay, maybe you do like me.”
Nick’s hands knotted into fists on either side of his notebook computer.
“Did you kill her?”
“No, but I should have. Our excursion this morning is in jeopardy because I left her alive. I’m lucky Gus didn’t walk away from this last night. It puts his life in danger along with all of ours.”
“Knowing you, the risk will be small,” she whispered.
“I’m not in the risk business, Rachel. I’m in the dead bang cinch business. Better go get ready so we can make the risk as small as possible.”
“I love you.”
“What if I’d killed Santora?”
“You didn’t.”
“I would’ve in a heartbeat,” he replied, turning and locking eyes with Rachel.
The dark, cold, and lifeless nature of his piercing stare made her shudder and look away.
“I believe you.” She gave him a final tense hug before standing up. “I’ll go get ready.”