janet maple 05 - it doesnt pay to be bad (14 page)

Janet headed for Tina and Laskin’s office and this time Dennis knew better than to linger.

Janet rapped her fingers on the door.

“Come in,” Laskin’s voice carried through the door.

“Crap,” Dennis muttered. “I’m not apologizing to her in front of Laskin. Not going to happen.”

“You’ll do what’s right and what’s needed to get our job done.” Janet glared at Dennis and swung open the door.

Laskin and Tina were poring over several thick binders. Tina looked up from the pile of papers in front of her to give them a quick smile and turned her attention back to her work.

“Hey guys.” Laskin swung around in his chair. “Tina was just helping me out with something, but I know Ham has her working with you on this big case you’ve got, so I’ll finish up on my own.”

“Thanks, Peter.” Janet smiled. “You’re a pal.”

“Just being part of a team,” Laskin said cheerfully.

Tina looked up from her work. “Just let me know what you need me to do, Janet,” she said, avoiding looking at Dennis.

“Thanks, Tina. But first, Dennis has something to say,” Janet added, casting a meaningful glance at Dennis.

Dennis rocked back on his heels. “Right, well, why don’t we go to a conference room—we’ll have more space in there. Wouldn’t want to disturb Peter here.”

Laskin caught on instantly. “I needed a coffee break anyway, so I’ll pop outside to clear my mind. Don’t work Tina too hard—we don’t want her quitting on us.” Laskin patted Dennis on the shoulder. “See you in a few,” he added, heading for the door.

Once the door closed behind Laskin, Janet nudged Dennis with her elbow. “Now would be a good time to tell Tina what you wanted to tell her.”

Dennis cleared his throat. “It seems I’ve been forgetting my manners lately, and I’m sorry about that. The truth is, I find you a little bit intimidating—okay, a lot intimidating. And I’m sorry if I’ve been out of line—” he paused, as Janet nudged him. “Okay, I admit—I have been out of line and I apologize for that. We’re going to be working together and getting the case successfully resolved takes precedence. Please accept my apology.”

Janet shook her head. “He can be a lot more persuasive when he wants to. But Tina, will you do us all a favor and accept Dennis’s apology, such as it is? I personally promise to keep an eye on him.”

Tina nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. “There’s no need to apologize. I’m used to this kind of reaction, and I’m not one for holding grudges. I say we put this behind us and move on with the case. Can you guys brief me on the case so I’m up to date?”

Dennis exhaled with relief. “Thank you for that. I promise to stop being a jackass. Now, here’s what we learned from meeting with Bassand last night—”

***

At three p.m. sharp, Janet, Dennis, and Tina were seated in the gray-upholstered chairs of the FBI conference room, waiting for Agent Norris to join them. Prior to being escorted upstairs, they had been vetted by the security guards downstairs and were told by the secretary who ushered them into the conference room that Agent Norris would join them shortly.

“I can’t believe we’re actually going to meet Daniel Garrett,” Tina gushed. “I don’t even know what he looks like—the man invented one of the most used Internet search engines and you never see his face anywhere.”

“He must have his reasons for it,” Dennis said. “If you have that much money in the bank, the last thing you want is people knowing what you look like or where you live. And he’s got the perfect means to preserve his anonymity—if anyone has the bandwidth to police the Internet, it’s Garrett.”

“Must be a lonely existence,” Janet mused. “Imagine constantly having to look over your shoulder, wondering what everyone wants from you?”

“I’m sure the inconveniences he has to put up with are more than compensated for by his net worth,” Dennis replied. “Not too many people can afford to donate Monet’s paintings.”

“And even those who can aren’t too eager to make such generous gifts or put themselves into a potentially dangerous situation for the greater good,” Tina pointed out. “I thought it was extremely brave of him to offer his help to the FBI to get to Bassand.”

“Agreed.” Dennis nodded. “As long as he’s not some bored adrenaline junkie looking for kicks. Because then things could become dangerous.”

“You’ve got a point,” Janet agreed. “I didn’t think of that. But I don’t think the bureau would’ve picked him if that was the case.”

“You never know,” Dennis countered. “The bureau wants to catch Bassand and it’s not like they are sending their own agents into the field. We’ll just have to watch our backs. Still, the tactic worked—the minute Bassand heard Garrett’s name, his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. And then that hoopla with the Eternal Light sealed the deal. I just want to know how the bureau plans to come up with the diamond.”

“You mean they didn’t tell you?” Tina asked.

“We’ve only been told the essential details,” Janet explained.

Tina’s eyes widened. “But how—”

Tina didn’t get to finish her question, as the conference room door opened and Agent Norris walked inside. He was accompanied by a handsome young man dressed in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved polo shirt. Despite his simple attire, the man had an air of innate authority about him that made it clear he was used to being in charge. He was six feet tall, with a sinewy, muscled build. His face was equally attractive with a straight nose, dark blue eyes, and a strong, square jaw.

“Good afternoon.” Agent Norris closed the door behind them. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am with the progress on the Bassand case. But before we discuss the case, allow me to introduce Mr. Daniel Garrett. Mr. Garrett, these are the private agency investigators I told you about who are helping us with the Bassand case—Janet Maple, Dennis Walker, and Tina Sloan.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you all. And please, call me Dan. I hope that I can be of use to you in this very difficult case that you’re working on. I’m sure I have much to learn from all of you.” Garrett spoke in a tone that combined both strength and humility, which made him instantly likeable.

Janet exchanged an imperceptible nod with Dennis—of course first impressions could be misleading, but so far Daniel Garrett looked like someone they could trust.

“You’re being very generous and we are very grateful for your help,” Janet said humbly.

Garrett smiled. “I haven’t done anything yet to earn your praise, but thank you. I hope I can live up to it.”

“On the contrary—you’ve helped us tremendously already,” Dennis interjected. “I wish you were there to see Bassand’s face when he heard your name—he was practically salivating at the prospect of setting his foot inside your mansion. And of course the mention of the Eternal Light got the hook in even further.”

“I’m glad to hear it. To tell you the truth,” Garrett shot a quick glance at Agent Norris, “and I don’t mean this as an offense to the bureau’s efforts, I was starting to lose hope for the Monet to ever be recovered. I can’t tell you how relieved I was to hear that you and Janet stumbled upon the painting by sheer luck. I intended it to hang at the Met for people to enjoy, not for Bassand to profit by stealing it. Refuse like Bassand belongs in jail.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” said Agent Norris. “And no need to worry about insulting the bureau—I’ll be the first to say that we could’ve done a much better job on this. But the problem is that when you have a case overlapping this many jurisdictions, too many agencies get involved and it’s difficult to operate quickly with this much red tape. But now, with your help, Daniel, I think we really have a chance,” Agent Norris concluded, switching his attention to Janet and Dennis. “Before we move to the next step, Janet and Dennis, I think it’ll be useful for all of us to hear the account of your meeting with Bassand last night. Janet, could you or Dennis take us through the sequence of events?”

“Of course,” Janet replied. “And here’s a written report we prepared for your records.” Janet began a detailed, but succinct summary of their meeting with Bassand. “That’s where we left it,” Janet concluded.

“You should’ve seen Leonard’s face,” Dennis cut in, “he thought the bureau had supernatural powers to get access to Eternal Light in Daniel Garrett’s mansion, nonetheless.”

“When push comes to shove, we do have our resources,” Agent Norris said humbly.

“Which brings me to my next question,” Dennis continued, “do you actually have the Eternal Light?”

“Yes,” Garrett replied. “The diamond is in my collection now. The plan was, and still is, to put it up for auction and for the proceeds to go to cancer research. I’m going to hold a gala at my estate in Bedford to drum up the interest before the auction. Bassand will not be disappointed.”

Agent Norris nodded. “And you’re going to need an escort—meet your fiancée, Christina Sloan.”

“I look forward to working with you, Dan,” Tina said and stuck out her hand.

“As do I, Miss Sloan.” Garrett’s eyes locked on Tina’s, as he took her hand in his.

“It’s Tina, please. If we’re going to portray an engaged couple, we have to get comfortable with each other to convince Bassand,” she said matter-of-factly.

Good girl, Janet rooted inwardly for Tina. Even though she was happily married to Dennis, Janet couldn’t deny that Daniel Garrett was a very handsome and charming man—no woman, single or married, could deny that. She just hoped that Tina would stay focused on the job and Garrett wouldn’t try to pull a fast one. The two of them might be pretending to be in love to fool Bassand, but hanky panky was the last thing they could afford to jeopardize the case.

“Right,” said Agent Norris. “Now with the rest of the details—my understanding is that the invitations for the reception have already been sent out?”

Garrett nodded. “Yes—at the time I had no idea that I would be entertaining a notorious art thief. Do we need more time to prepare? I could postpone the event and ask my secretary to send out a new date.”

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” said Agent Norris. “We wouldn’t want Bassand to get alarmed. Granted, this schedule is tight, but we’ll just have to work with it. As we discussed previously, Bassand will be given an invitation for a private tour—so you and Tina, your fiancée, will spend some time with him before the gala. This way we can observe him and get a better idea of his plans.” Agent Norris turned his attention to Janet and Dennis. “Janet and Dennis, your objective is to maintain contact with Bassand to ensure that he doesn’t lose interest.”

Janet nodded. “Understood. We’ll keep Bassand on the hook, which shouldn’t be that hard to do. He was so excited about finally getting his hands on the Eternal Light, he was practically salivating by the time we finished talking with him.”

“Good. Let’s make sure he stays that way,” said Agent Norris. “I’ll brief you on any additional details as needed.” Agent Norris’s gaze shifted to Tina and Daniel Garrett. “Given the short time frame we’re operating under, the two of you should get to know each other as quickly as possible. Daniel, it may be useful if you could provide a written profile for Tina to get familiar with the main events in your life—as you are a public figure, we have to stick to your real life bio. Tina, we already prepared your cover as Daniel Garrett’s fiancée. You come from a wealthy family that made its money in commercial real estate. Your grandfather is the one who made the fortune and invested it into a trust fund. You have a degree in art history and you met Daniel on vacation in Florence, Italy where you bumped into him admiring the same painting in a small art gallery while he was traveling incognito. It sounds romantic, yet vague enough to avoid too many questions. You have been dating secretly for several months, and now Daniel has asked you to marry him. It’s all in here for you to get familiar with and commit to memory.” Agent Norris placed two manila folders on the table.

Tina reached for her copy. “I’ll make sure to memorize every detail.”

“Good. I’ll be here to guide you through anything you might need help with,” said Agent Norris.

Garrett opened his folder. “Very thorough,” he said, as his eyes skimmed the pages. “But it still leaves open the matter of announcing our engagement to friends and family.”

“We already thought of that,” said Agent Norris. “The gala would be the perfect place to make the announcement, don’t you think?”

Garrett nodded. “Brilliant idea—this way I can speak about two diamonds in my collection,” he added, his glance lingering on Tina. “I would also venture that a better way to prepare for our task is for Tina and me to get to know each other in person. Wouldn’t you agree, Agent Norris?”

A shadow of hesitation flitted over Agent Norris’s face. “Yes, of course. That’s a big part of it as well. The file is just the initial step. I’ll be happy to meet with you both to walk you through the potential scenarios that could arise with Bassand.”

Garrett nodded. “That is most generous of you, and I’m sure Tina and I will avail ourselves of your kind offer. However, I think we’ll start with something a little bit more intimate.”

Agent Norris threw a quick glance at Garrett. “Fine, just please make sure to keep me informed.”

“Of course. I’m glad you agree.” Garrett smiled. “Tina, I was wondering if we might get a cup of coffee?” he asked.

“Now?” Tina asked.

“There’s no time like the present.” Garrett smiled easily. “If we’re to convince Bassand, we’ll need to get acquainted better and two weeks doesn’t leave us that much time.”

Tina threw a questioning glance at Agent Norris. “If Agent Norris approves, I’m all for it.”

“It might not be the orthodox way of doing things, but given the time constraints we’re under, I’ll sanction it. I trust Daniel will be a perfect gentleman,” Agent Norris added.

“Of course.” Garrett bowed his head in agreement.

“You’d better be,” Agent Norris chuckled, his tone becoming less formal. “From what I understand Tina doesn’t need a chaperone. With her credentials, she can hold her own in any situation.”

“I second that,” Dennis chimed in.

Tina blushed. “You’re too generous. If everyone is in agreement, I’m all yours, Dan.”