Case of the Secret Life

by L C Lang

  Agent Danvers leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “He is the other one we have been watching. Why did you go to both of them? Did you just want to see if they said the same thing?”

  I shook my head. “No, I went to the second one with another rough gemstone that I also found.” I reached into the small pocket inside my messenger bag, pulled out the pink diamond, laying it on Agent Danvers desk. “This rough gemstone is a pink diamond, which I found from Nick Hanover has a value of ten to twenty thousand dollars per a carat, depending on how vivid the pink is. He said this gemstone will polish down to three carats.”

  Both men’s mouths dropped open. Agent Danvers shook his head again, as Agent Mickelson went back to his chair.

  “Why don’t you start at the beginning,” Agent Danvers said. “Tell us how you got involved in this, where you found the rough gemstones and what else you have found. You are a licensed private investigator?”

  I nodded. Then I pulled out my PI license and showed him. He looked at it and then nodded. I put my license back in my messenger bag and then took a deep breath. “Okay, I first got involved when I found a dead man in the large wooden shed in my backyard. His name is Benton Williams. Someone shot him in the chest and then they propped him in a chair that was stored in my shed. I have no idea why someone put him in there. Benton’s wife adamantly claimed I was his girlfriend and had killed him. She even broke into my house looking for clues. I decided that since she was not going to give up accusing me, I would have to find out what happened to him. I have five years worth of investigation experience, so I decided to see what I could find about him. In the process, I found he had a rental apartment here in town. In the apartment, I found a box, which I took with me because I knew he wouldn’t be going back there again.

  “To make a long story short, he has a wife, a house and a hardware store in Petersburg. Here in Indianapolis, he has a house, a live-in girlfriend and an import rug business. I also went to the import rug business and found he imports Persian and Oriental rugs. The manager told me that whenever they got in a shipment, Benton personally checked each of the rugs himself. He even said he caught him one time putting something in his pocket, but had no idea what it was, just that his pockets bulged. After I got home, I got into the box I had taken and that is when I found bags of the rough gemstones and four manila envelopes of what I figure are tickets, which someone also put inside the rugs.

  “Because of what else I found, the gemstones are coming inside both the Persian and Oriental rugs. The manager at the rug import store told me Benton dealt with someone from an export company in Asia who deals with both types of rugs.”

  Agent Danvers narrowed his eyes. “Bags? How many bags were in the box?”

  “Five. Two more bags like this one and two bags of pink diamonds.”

  “Where are the other jewelry bags?”

  “In a safe deposit box.”

  “Do you have the manila envelopes with you?”

  I nodded and pulled them out of my messenger bag. I handed them to him. He opened one and emptied it on his desk.

  “How did you make sense of this?” Agent Danvers asked, looking at a couple of the tickets.

  “Took a while. What I found, is that the date represents when the shipment was sent, the code represents the gemstone name and the number is how many of that gemstone is inside the rug.”

  “Why would he save those tickets?” Agent Mickelson asked.

  I looked at him. “I have a theory. I think he kept them to protect himself. Not sure that worked because his house in Petersburg was broken into and trashed. I think whoever broke in was looking for something.”

  “Were they were looking for these gemstones?” Agent Danvers asked.

  I shook my head. “No, not the five bags. Those I believe Benton kept back for himself. He must have found out what they are worth. I don’t believe Peters or Hanover knew he did that. What I think Peters and Hanover are trying to find is the two missing shipments. Sounds like they are getting desperate.”

  Agent Danvers narrowed his eyes. “What missing shipments?”

  “Before I answer that question, do you know what kind of vehicles Michael Peters and Nick Hanover drive?”

  Danvers nodded. “Yes, we do. Michael Peters has a dark blue Escalade and Nick Hanover has a silver Escalade. So, what about the missing shipments?”

  I nodded. A black SUV left Hannah’s house. They are the ones who broke in. So, I was right. They are looking for the missing shipments and they are getting desperate.

  “Why Benton held back the two shipments of gemstones, I am not sure. My guess is because he wouldn’t tell them where he stashed the gemstones they killed him. And now, they are looking for the missing gemstones.”

  Agent Danvers looked at me a few moments, a smile coming over his face. “But you know where the missing gemstones are, don’t you?”

  I nodded. “Yes, sir, I do. I found three boxes stacked inside the single-car garage of the second house Benton Williams owns. The boxes were marked as tools, but they were the same size box I found in his rented apartment. Inside each of the three boxes, I found five large jewelry bags filled with rough gemstones. Of course, I took them too and they are also in my safe deposit box.”

  Agent Danvers’ mouth dropped open. “Fifteen bags? And they are filled with gemstones like these?”

  “Yes and no. Yes, the rough gemstones in jewelry bags from the single box are just like that one. But, with the other three boxes, the arrangement was different. Each of the individual gemstones is in its own bag and there are multiple bags of each of the gemstones.”

  “How many of each?” he asked.

  I told them the total amount of the bags of gemstones. “Of course, with both colors of the tanzanite, which is highly desirable and expensive, and the pink diamonds which is even more expensive, that comes to hundreds of thousands of dollars. One necklace I saw that Michael Peters designed was eight hundred dollars and only had a quarter carat of the tanzanite. They may have paid whoever they got them from, but they made money on those gemstones.”

  Both men shook their heads. Then the expression on Agent Danvers changed. He looked at me.

  “Do you think Michael Peters or Nick Hanover were suspicious when they saw the rough gemstones you took to them?” he asked.

  I nodded. “I think so. Both of them had momentary changes in their expressions when they saw the gemstones. So, I am sure they have seen them before. I told both of them that I had inherited my grandmother’s house and had found the gemstones in a jewelry bag. I am not sure they believed me. I don’t know if Michael Peters followed me out of his store, but I parked my truck close to Nick Hanover’s store. He was looking out the front window at me after I left the store. While I am not sure, it is possible he got my license plate number. Whether he can have it traced, I have no idea.”

  Agent Danvers nodded. “He might have if he has a connection with someone who can get that information for him.” He sat for a few minutes, thinking and looking at the gemstones. Finally, he nodded. “I think you have given us the proof we need. Sounds like they are getting desperate for the gemstones if they killed the man who was getting them in for them. You don’t know when the next order is supposed to come in, do you?”

  I nodded. Then I reached into my messenger bag, pulled out the flash drive and held it up. Then I smiled at him. “I think you will be able to find a clue on this flash drive that I also found.”

  “Do I dare ask where you found that?”

  I shook my head. “No. I would have to plead the fifth.”

  Both men laughed.

  “From what you told us, I think there is a lot of what you have found that you will have to do that,” Agent Danvers said. “So, what is on the flash drive?”

  “A business file and a personal file,” I said. “There was an additional business file, but is for the hardware store that Benton Williams owns in Petersburg. That file I copied to another flash drive and then I deleted it.
I will give it to the manager of the hardware store. The business file that is still on there is for the Mercedes Import Rugs store. On that file, among other things, it shows the dates when a shipment of rugs came in. They match the tickets I found in the four manila envelopes, and they go back five years, just like the tickets. But, the other file is even more interesting.”

  “In what way?” Danvers asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “The importing of the rough gemstones began five years ago.” Then I took a deep breath. What I was about to tell him would not only come as a surprise, but was sure it will give them the proof they need. “Benton Williams wrote down not only which rough gemstones came in, but also how many there were in each shipment. The file also includes the last shipment, which came in a week before he died. By my calculation, the fifteen jewelry bags of rough gemstones that I found in his garage consist of two shipments that he did not deliver to them. There is even a list of the codes he used for each for the gemstones.”

  Both agents were quiet for a few moments. Had they gotten the implication of what I just told them? I knew they had when Agent Danvers sucked in his breath.

  “It gives the dates of each shipment?”

  I nodded. “Yes, sir. That file is very descriptive.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  I thought a moment. I had wondered that too, but I now believe I know the reason why. “Because he knew what he was a part of was illegal. Of course, the five jewelry bags I found in the rental apartment, I think were gemstones that he kept out for himself. Since there were only five bags, I have to assume he has sold off any other gemstones that he kept out for himself. But I think he had a reason to keep track of what he got in for Peters and Hanover. Both of the men’s names are in that file, so that definitely proves they are part of the smuggling. The only thing missing is how many gemstones each of men got. Since they worked together before, they probably just split the order, but Benton did not know that. As for the reason why Benton would write this out, I think he did it for his own protection, which may account for why he did not deliver the last two shipments to them. If he was ever caught importing the gemstones, then he had proof of what they got in and how much, and the dates. I think he planned on turning against them if he had to.”

  Agent Danvers nodded. “You are probably right. He was smart to do that, but it also sounds like he was padding his own pocket.”

  I nodded. “Yes, I am sure he was. Although why he never delivered the fifteen bags, I have no idea. If they threatened him, he could have just told them exactly where the gemstones were. If the boxes in the garage had not looked like the box I found in his rented apartment, then I would not have found them either. Although I am wondering if something else was going on and he kept the rough gemstones from them.”

  “Maybe he wanted a bigger cut of the profits,” Agent Mickelson said.

  I shrugged. “That is possible, but you will never find the answer because he is dead.”

  Agent Danvers thought a few moments and then looked at his watch. Then he looked at me. “You do realize that we need to get the rest of the bags of gemstones, don’t you?”

  I nodded. “Yes, I was sure you wanted them. I just did not want to bring all of them with me today. The value of pink diamonds made me nervous, considering there is probably hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of them in the bags I have.”

  “I can understand that,” Danvers said, nodding.

  Before he said anything else, I have a question for him. “Do you have any background information on Mike Peters and Nick Hanover?”

  “Not much. We just have local information and even that is not suspicious.”

  That is a surprise. What with the databases the F.B.I. has access to they should have found what I did. Guess I am going to have to tell them that too. “Well, I found some interesting information on both men.”

  Danvers eyes got big. “You did?”

  I nodded. “Yes. I have a background checking program that I use and when I ran both names, I came up with probably the same thing you found. A business and a residence. Then I searched nationwide. Turns out, Peters and Hanover have done this before, and they also used aliases.”

  Danvers mouth dropped open. Then he shook his head. “Guess we didn’t look far enough. Where did you find them and what aliases did they use?”

  Danvers sounded like he is getting desperate. So, I reached into my messenger bag and pulled out the pages I had printed out on both Mike Peters and Nick Hanover, handing them to Agent Danvers. I watched him as he read. When he finished one report, he handed it over the desk to Agent Mickelson to read. When Danvers finished reading and handing over the rest of the reports to Mickelson, he looked at me.

  “I appreciate you bringing these pages in,” Danvers said. “I don’t know how we missed this. We didn’t get much information on either of them, so all we did was search locally. Now, we have to run those alias names through our databases and see what else we can find on them. At least we know now they have been at this for a long time, which means we now have even more reason to catch them before they take off again. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have outstanding warrants. I think I will have to contact the New York City field office.” He paused a few moments, staring at something on his desk. Then he looked at me again. “We have an appointment at three o’clock this afternoon. Would it be possible that we could meet you in Petersburg tomorrow morning, say about ten o’clock?”

  I nodded. “That will be fine. Would you be willing to meet me at the bank instead? It might be easier, since that is where the bags of gemstones are.”

  Danvers nodded. “We can do that. Why don’t you give me your contact information, in case I need to contact you.”

  I nodded. Then I gave him my cell phone number and my address. I also gave him the name of the bank and where it is located. Then I handed him the flash drive, telling him which accounting program I used to access the files. Then I remembered something I wanted to ask them.

  “I do have another question. Benton Williams has a black 2015 pickup truck that the Petersburg police department and the county sheriff’s department cannot find. Has anything like that been found around here?”

  Agent Mickelson smiled at Agent Danvers. They know something. Agent Danvers nodded.

  “As a matter of a fact, Metro police found a pickup truck with that description at the White River State Park. They called us to see if we knew of someone with that vehicle. We didn’t.”

  “When was this?”

  “Two days ago.”

  “What did they find inside?”

  “Blood, mostly on the driver’s side seat. Two bullets embedded in the driver’s side seat. But the vehicle identification and the license plates are missing.”

  “I’ll bet that is Benton Williams’ truck and that is where he was killed. They shot Benton Williams twice, so you might want to take control of the bullets and the truck. If either Michael Peters or Nick Hanover shot Benton, then you will have proof.”

  “Who has the case in Petersburg?” Danvers asked.

  “Detective Adain Donovan.”

  Agent Danvers nodded as he wrote down the information. “Now that we know what Peters and Hanover are doing, yes, we will have to take over for Metro. Where on Benton Williams body was he shot?”

  “Double gunshot to his chest.”

  “That fits. They also found some blood on the steering wheel, but maybe he pitched forward after being shot. I will call them right away.”

  I have given them all of the information I have. Now, they will take over. It is time for me to leave. “Well, unless you have any further questions, I think I had better leave. I am sure you have other cases going on.”

  Agent Danvers laughed. “Yes, we do. It is never a boring day around here anymore.” He paused a moment. “We appreciate you coming in. We suspected Mike Peters and Nick Hanover because we knew they bought rough gemstones, but we could not find any proof they were doing anything wrong. Never saw th
em take a delivery and had no idea where the gemstones came into. What you have given us is more than we thought we would find on them. We really appreciate this. I think we may have to hire you because you have found more than we did. So, we will see you tomorrow morning?”

  I nodded, stifling a giggle. Getting more information is bonus for me. But joining the F.B.I.? I don’t think so. “Yes, I will be there. You are sending the rough gemstones back to where they came from, aren’t you?”

  He nodded. “Yes, we are. Two countries reported to the State Department and they notified the main office of the F.B.I. who forwarded the request to us. We knew where the gemstones were coming, but not who was getting them. At least they will be able to sell them legitimately.”

  “That is a lot of money they lost out on. You will probably have to check both jewelry stores too. As I mentioned to you, Mike Peters showed me a couple of necklaces that he designed and made of the same alexandrite and tanzanite gemstones that I have. Their records should show if they actually bought the gemstones or they are part of the illegal shipments.”

  Danvers nodded. “You are probably right. And yes, we will be checking both stores. We will probably close down both stores and do a thorough search of their records and confiscate the gemstones that you mentioned.” He shook his head. “Our boss is going to be thrilled when we tell him what you found. More than likely, we will be moving in on them soon.”

  I smiled. “Wait until you see what is on the flash drive. The file on the gemstones is eye opening. You had better check the flash drive before you go talk to your boss. I am sure he will want to see it too.”

  He nodded. “Yes, I am sure he will too. I will give the flash drive to Agent Mickelson to begin checking out, while I escort you to the door.”

  I nodded. Then I stood up, picked up my messenger bag, flipped the strap over my shoulder and walked out of the office with Agent Danvers. While we walked, he asked how I had gotten into being a private investigator and how long I have been working as one. I explained while we went down on the elevator and then walked to the front door. We shook hands and he thanked me again. Then I walked out the door and headed for my Cherokee.