The Throwbacks (35 page)

“Look for Nick. He’s making his way back to the platform dressed as Rick and ready to give the speech. He’s wearing Kevlar—and dark glasses until he takes the podium.”

“Roger that, but the mayor is bound to notice,” Dan said.

“After the event is over bring the mayor here. It’s the safest place I can think of at the moment for all of us,” David said. He smiled at Grace as she kept up a stream of idle chitchat about the loft design and artwork that was decidedly one-sided. She was turning out to be a trooper. He clamped down on the heart-swelling feelings again.

“The kidnappers are going to either call Rick, the mayor or you about the ransom—depending on who they think most likely has possession of the artifacts. You’ll need to get your techies over here to set up whatever programs and devices they have to trace and record the call if it comes to Rick’s or the mayor’s cell,” David told Dan.

“It’s done,” Dan said. “I’ll have all the calls transferred there—no need to alarm the whole station about this—it would be a media nightmare that the mayor and Rick don’t need right now. Do you have anything else planned?”

“As a matter of fact I do. You don’t need to know what it is, do you?”

“No. Just don’t do anything too crazy. But if you do, David, I have your back.”

“I know.” David clicked his phone shut and sat on the chair opposite Grace and Rick on the couch. He only half listened to her telling Rick all about Oscar and his legion of men on the job—although she didn’t mention him by name, smart girl. It was hard to tell if any of her chatter had the reassuring effect that it was intended to. Rick sat in stunned silence with the same glass filled with brandy she had given him earlier. Or maybe it was a refill.

The BPD detectives had worked up a list of properties owned by or associated with their man. David thought about these locations and their potential for where Theresa was being held. He ruled out the motel. The place had been too hot with uniforms since the arrest. There were numerous warehouses on the list, too many, in fact. They needed some intel to narrow down the locations. He thought of the gallery, but he’d never seen the crime scene there, nor had he combed it for intel, because he’d been in London at the time the scene was worked over. As soon as Dan showed up with reinforcements and techies, David would make an unofficial visit to the gallery—yellow tape or no yellow tape, and take a look for himself.

His phone buzzed, causing every nerve ending to jump to high alert. He slipped it from his pocket and flashed it for Grace to read. From a few feet away, she told him it was Oscar. He put it to his ear in a lightning move, impressing even himself.

“Yes?”

“I have seven warehouse locations. Do you have a pen to write these down?” Oscar asked.

“Give them to me,” David said. This he was trained for. When Oscar told him the locations in a clipped, clear voice without repeating himself, David committed them all to memory. He also knew it would be tough to send a SWAT team to every one of them, so they had to narrow down the possibilities of where they were taking Theresa.

“Your timing is impeccable. There’s been a kidnapping,” David told him.

“Not Grace?” He heard the edge of fear in Oscar’s voice and understood the feeling all too well.

“No. It’s Theresa, who happens to be the mayor’s daughter and lieutenant governor’s fiancée,” he said. He didn’t say that she was also a friend of Grace’s.

“Damn. Politics around here is still inbred as ever, I see,” Oscar said. “You’ll have to narrow down the locations to save time. I’ll see what I can do from my end and get back to you.”

“Is it possible to have some of your men stationed at the City Hall Plaza event about to start in thirty minutes?”

“That’s kind of like closing the barn door after the horse has been kidnapped, isn’t it?” Oscar said, not without a small amount of amusement.

“Yes, but one never knows. I’d appreciate it.” David squirmed internally, but he was sure Oscar couldn’t tell.

“You’ve got it. Worth it having you owe me for a change,” he said. But they both knew it had always been Oscar bailing him and Dan out, even though he inevitably couldn’t save himself from trouble.

“You make a great guardian angel, Oscar, for a wise guy,” David said and signed off.

Grace stopped speaking and took a deep breath bordering on a sigh. She looked at David with a question in her eyes. So did Rick. He’d been paying attention after all, and now he knew who Oscar was. An indiscretion, perhaps, but David was not concerned. He was convinced they could trust Rick.

“I have some leads on possible locations, but I’ll need more information to narrow them down. In the meantime, Dan is sending over some people to prepare for the phone contact,” David said, measuring Rick’s response. “They may call you, but more likely they’ll call Dan or the mayor,” he continued. “Why don’t you put your cell phone on the table here? That way Grace can take down the number when it rings, before you answer it,” he explained. With a very noticeable tremor in his hands, Rick placed the phone on the coffee table, where it clinked clumsily. The man said nothing but dropped his head forward and covered his face with his shaking hands.

“I insist you take a drink, Rick. It’ll help your nerves when they call.” David inserted a note of command in his voice. He got the man’s attention and handed him the glass that had been sitting on the coffee table. Rick took a sip, and David gave him instructions on what to expect, what to say and what they were aiming for.

“Remember, we must hear Theresa’s voice and you must insist that I handle any exchange or drop off—not that it will actually come to that,” David finished.

“How did we end up involved in all this? It’s all Nicky’s doing isn’t it?” Rick sounded more puzzled than angry, but he had a right.

“Nick had no way of knowing he was being set up. On the other hand, I.C.E. may have known and could have saved us all some trouble if they’d shared the fact that they were watching that New York City gallery and why. I’m sure they’re repentant now,” David said.

“I thought law enforcement agencies worked together,” Grace said with a crease in her otherwise flawless porcelain brow.

“We do. I’m sure they didn’t realize at first that Nick was an NYPD detective—since he was undercover—or that he was going to get set up by the smugglers.” David smiled at her. She held her surprisingly small purse in her lap. She sat like a prim and proper lady, but the killer body and sensuality screamed out from under the snug fit of her bold blue knit dress. He felt his mind and other parts getting distracted and was newly astounded at her effect on him.

While Grace flashed him a knowing look and David adjusted himself in his chair, the phone on the table vibrated with a hard buzz against the glass tabletop. They all looked at it for a moment, taken by surprise.

“Oh no, David, what do we do? Dan’s not here yet!” Grace’s voice had that charming telltale squeak. David put up his hands in calming gesture for both of them. The phone buzzed again and she leaned forward to look at the number on the face.

“Tell me the number Grace. I’ll remember it,” he said. She did. Then David nodded his head at Rick and moved to stand next to him, where he placed the phone, with a steady hand, to the man’s ear. They couldn’t take a chance with putting it on speaker.

“Rick Racer.”

“Pleased to meet you,” the loud, scratchy male voice from the other end said. “I’m sure you’ll recognize your wife—no, almost-wife’s voice.” After some brief crackling, Theresa’s distinct voice sounded as promised.

“Rick! Rick! I—” She was cut off.

“Meet me at midnight at the Blueline T-stop entrance in Government Center, and I don’t have to tell you—no cops—and that includes that bum masquerading as a fancy-pants Brit from Scotland Yard. You show up alone or all bets are off—and bring the vase—with all its contents. You know what I mean.”

“I’m not doing the exchange. The Brit is doing it. I’m being watched like a hawk. The police are escorting me everywhere,” Rick said. “I’m the goddamned lieutenant governor, you freaking moron,” he added with gritted teeth. David was impressed and nodded his approval.

“What the fuck! Who’s calling the shots here? You want to see this chick again?”

“You’ll get your artifacts. David Young does the exchange.” With David’s prompt, Rick added, “No one’s worried about following him. He’s here unofficially.” Rick’s voice sounded firmer, steadier now. David figured the fib was necessary and knew they’d have no way of checking on it. There was a pause at the other end and voices in the background.

“Okay. We’ll do it your way. But we’ll be watching you and the Brit and if anything doesn’t look right, we’re offing the chick and leaving town. Do I make myself clear?”

“I want to talk—” Rick started to say.

“And one more thing. Have the Brit bring Grace Rogers with him.” The line went dead.

R
ICK threw the phone down and covered his eyes with one hand. With the other he downed the rest of the brandy.

David glanced at Grace. Her face had paled, her eyes were wide and her lips slightly parted as if she would say something if she knew what to say. She was taking the kidnapper’s demand quite well, considering. He gave her a reassuring nod.

“Well done, Rick. You handled the conversation brilliantly. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to carry it off under the circumstances,” David said. He put a hand on Rick’s shoulder. “But I have a plan and I intend to have Theresa back before it comes time for the exchange.”

Rick looked up at him with hope in his reddened eyes.

“Can I help?” Grace said. They both looked at her. She was perched on the edge of her seat. Her miniature purse was squashed between her fingers beyond recognition, and she had that pleading and hopeful look on her face with a dash of anxiety thrown in. She looked adorable even now, David thought fleetingly.

“Ordinarily the answer would be an unqualified
no
. But I’m not leaving you behind. I’m keeping you by my side for the duration.” Especially after that request for her presence at the exchange, he thought. “I don’t want you to be alarmed…”

“I won’t be alarmed as long as I’m at your side, David.”

“Good. However, we have to assume that they’ll be watching us as promised, so we’ll have to disguise ourselves before we leave the hotel. On the bright side, unless they have someone outside our room door, being at the hotel with people coming and going gives us a distinct advantage.”

“Disguises! Where are we going?” Before David could answer, she frowned. “Wait a minute—where are we going to get disguises?”

“I was hoping you’d call that friend with the boutique,” David said.

Her face lit up.

“What’s your plan?” Rick asked with a tinge of impatience. David watched the man pour himself another healthy dose of brandy. He decided they could let Rick get himself good and intoxicated if he wanted. His job was pretty much done.

“I’m—Grace and I, rather—are going back to the Newbury Street gallery to see if we can find some information in their files to narrow down the list of warehouse locations that Oscar gave me. I’m betting they’re holding Theresa in one of them. If we compare Oscar’s list to information from the gallery files—any indication of a hot location—we may be able to pin down the most likely place they’re holding her.”

“I’ll call my boutique friend now. But, David? Are you dressing as a woman?” Grace said.

Rick spit out the mouth of brandy he’d just taken.

David spun toward her, open-mouthed and momentarily at a loss for words. He took a full two seconds to regain himself and think what to say.

“I see your point, Grace. But I was actually hoping your friend could find something for me from a friendly neighboring men’s shop. And I would also like her to provide eyeglasses, a gray wig and an assortment of makeup. The type of clothing I have in mind would be something an old man might wear and very loose-fitting so we can pad them for the look of a heavyset, older gentleman. I suggest you be outfitted for a similarly heavyset, older-woman look.”

“This should be fun,” she said with cheek. “I am thrilled that I can help really.” Grace beamed at Rick. She gave the impression of bouncing with enthusiasm although she remained in place. Rick smiled back, raised his refilled glass to her, and then took a large swallow without a word.