Carat Capers

by Dan Kelly

  “Up to now we’ve been prudent in our selection of targets, we’ve planned everything down to the smallest detail and have been extremely lucky not to have committed any major screw ups. However, these developments do not bode well for our future success and therefore I’m recommending that we pull the plug on the rest of our planned heists. I think we will be pushing our luck if we continue with our original game plan.”

  Amos says, “I agree with Felix. We’ve scored close to a quarter of a billion dollars from these hits and that’s on target for what our original total goal was. I see no reason to push our luck.”

  Jacob was shaking his head and Felix is thinking, “Uh oh. I smell trouble rearing its ugly head.”

  “You guys never cease to amaze me. A cockroach has more guts than you two do. The powers that be don’t have a clue about who is behind these robberies. We’ve got them chasing their tails with the number and wide spread locations of our targets and the false trails we’ve been leaving are the icing on the cake. I see no reason to throw in the towel now.”

  Felix responds with, “Jacob, Amos and I have talked this over and we think its damned foolishness to push out luck. We’ve successfully pulled off all of the jobs we had in our pipeline here in the States and only have four more in the planning stage in Europe. Three of those jobs would add another thirty million euros to our coffers if we can get the intel we need to avoid calamity, but that is proving to be a major hurdle to climb over and we don’t know how long it will takes us to overcome the lack of information. We think we’ve got sufficient intel to pull off the Union Bank of Switzerland job, but the take is still unknown. Amos’s sources are telling him that between the stones, other rare artifacts and negotiable securities being kept in Durrenberger’s safe deposit boxes the total should be at least another thirty-five to forty million euros.

  “However, even with the information we’ve managed to obtain, we’ve always know that this would be the riskiest of all our attempts. Even you had reservations about this one, Jacob. Amos and I think we should quit while we’re ahead, sell the boutique and head for the hills somewhere south of the border in Mexico or South America.”

  Jacob once again starts shaking his head and says, “I don’t agree with your assessment of the situation, but we’ve been successful because of our teamwork and individual special skills and I know I would probably fall flat on my ass if I tried to go it alone. So, I have a counterproposal to put on the table.

  “We go into retirement after we pull the Union Bank of Switzerland job. The Swiss are known for their secrecy when it comes to revealing the identity of account holders and this attracts all kinds of shady customers. In addition to the take from Herr Hans Durrenberger’s boxes, there are probably a lot more goodies in the other boxes in the safe deposit vault that we could tap while we’re there. It would be the perfect pièce de résistance to our recent escapades.

  “I know I wasn’t at all keen on the idea when it was first brought up, but I’ve had some time to think about it and the potential haul could be a lot bigger than forty million euros. I think we should go for it and then skedaddle.”

  Greed, that persistent nemesis of caution and sound judgment, quickly takes over more rational thought and Felix and Amos begin to think that perhaps they should listen to Jacob. Felix is thinking, “Hell, the total take could be bigger than the Antwerp haul.”

  Amos is thinking, “With all of the work I’ve put into the planning of this job, it would be foolish to just walk away without reaping any rewards for my efforts. And the potential for an even greater return on our investment in time and resources is nothing to sneeze at.”

  After a prolonged silence, Amos says, “If we go along with you, you realize it’s going to be mostly a solo venture and you’ll be taking a ton of risk to get your equipment past top of the line and very sophisticated security measures. You’ll have to go in unarmed and you’ll have to keep a real cool head if things get dicey. If you lose your temper for any reason and this is noticed by security or even an employee, the ball game will probably be over before the fat lady can even get to the mike. I hope you’re reading me loud and clear. These Swiss are well trained and are not stupid. You don’t want to mess with them if you can avoid it.”

  Felix asks, “How would you get into the other safe deposit boxes without being seen? There probably will be security cameras to deal with and security guards.”

  “Right now all I can do is make guesses. From what I know about the Swiss, the security system will be state- of- the-art and the personnel highly trained. This will not be a slam dunk. Before I commit to do this job, I’ll want to reconnoiter the location, inside and out, like I’ve never done before. As you know, this will be my first bank job. I don’t have a clue as to what security measures will be in place. There could be hand print and retina scan requirements along with a password to get into the safe deposit box area. Maybe not because many account holders want to keep their identity hidden. Getting samples of Durrenberger’s hand prints wouldn’t be a problem, but the retina scan and password would be. I’ve never had to deal with those problems before. I’m thinking the best way to deal with getting access to the safe deposit box area is as a legitimate customer. Well, almost legitimate. Using false ID, I could open an account and rent a safe deposit box. This way I won’t have to deal with getting whatever is needed from Herr Durrenberger except his box number.”

  Amos asks, “How would you do that?”

  “Well, the three most likely places he would keep his key would be on his person or hidden in a safe place in his home or office. A little B & E and some of our special gas should solve that problem. Since I won’t take anything but the number on the key, Herr Durrenberger will never suspect his privacy has been violated. I may not even have to use the gas if he’s not around when I pay a visit to his home or office and find the key. If he key isn’t in either of these places, I’ll have to pay another visit to his home while he’s asleep and gas him before I check out his personal effects such as his wallet, brief case, clothes, etc.”

  Felix asks, “If you have the box number, how will you get your equipment inside the safe deposit box area to open the boxes?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that and I think I have a solution to that hurdle. My lock picking gear and my little computer for finding combinations for combination locks doesn’t take up much space. I’m thinking I could pose as an asthmatic invalid confined to a wheelchair. I can be toting an oxygen bottle with a false bottom to hide my equipment in. The wheelchair will have pockets and in one of them will be a canister containing our special gas. If it’s spotted, I’ll say it’s an emergency supply of oxygen if I need it. During my reconnaissance, I’ll have to find out if there is wheelchair access to the bank and the safe deposit box area.”

  “Amos asks, “How will you get the safe deposit box contents out of the bank without raising suspicion?”

  “Again, the wheelchair. The back, seat and arms will have hidden pockets and the structural framing will be made of hollow tubes, all of which can be filled with small items. In addition to my oxygen tank, I will be carrying a large briefcase and the wheelchair has visible pockets for carrying all kinds of items an invalid might want to haul around. People are only checked out going into the area, not leaving it.”

  Felix asks, “And where are you going to get this special wheelchair?”

  “I have a subcontractor friend that owns an assembly and fabrication shop who for a price will make what I need and ask no questions. It wouldn’t take him long to put together what I’ll need.”

  Felix and Amos go quiet and Jacob assumes a waiting for a decision posture, a firm believer in the old adage that at decision time he who speaks first loses. Five minutes later, Felix and Amos drift over to the window on the other side of Felix’s large office and start softly mumbling to each other. A couple more minutes drag by and Jacob’s starting to think that maybe the old adage doesn’t hold water in every situation in that they could s
peak first and say “no dice.”

  However, once again greed wins the day as Felix says, “Okay, Jacob, we’re in. When do you want to leave for Zurich?”

  “As soon as I talk with my friend about the wheelchair and get a delivery date. I’ll have him ship it to me in Zurich if I decide I can pull this off. There’s one more thing that I’ll need to improve our chances of success.”

  Amos asks the obvious question. “What’s that?”

  “The two of you in Zurich with me.”

  Felix says, “You’ve never insisted on us being in the field with you before. Why this time?”

  “There are a few firsts involved with this heist. I’ve never robbed a bank before, I’ve never been to Zurich before, I’ve never pulled a job unarmed before and I’ve never gone completely solo on a job before. I’m going to require some assistance in casing the location so I’m not showing my puss around the bank too much and I’m also going to need some help in determining the best escape routes available. Unanticipated situations could arise where I’ll need some assistance in creating a diversion or diversions. These are just a few of the things I’ll need your help with and there will probably be others. If we want to keep the pressure on the guys who are trying their damndest to put us away, we’ll want to pull this job off sooner rather than later. Your assistance in the field will reduce the time needed for reconnaissance and could come in handy if things get dicey as I’ll have no one else to watch my back. I won’t be armed since going into a bank with a gun might make some security guards nervous, but you two can be. The Swiss allow private citizens to carry weapons.”

  “Amos asks, “Who’ll take care of business at the boutique while we’re away?”

  Jacob says, “No one. Post a sign on the door, CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS. WILL POST REOPENING DATE WHEN THE CONTRACTORS GIVES US THE COMPLETION DATE.

  “This kind of thing is done all the time and won’t arouse any suspicion.”

  “Okay, Jacob, I’ll get us all on the first flight to Zurich the day after tomorrow. That will give you enough time to speak with your friend about the wheelchair.”

  Felix added, “Make reservations at an upscale hotel not too far from the main office of the bank. From the intel we have so far, that’s where Durrenberger has his boxes. One of the safest places for us to hide if we have to will be right under their noses. Make a separate reservation for each one of us using some of our false ID packages. Make sure there’s enough money in the accounts under the aliases to cover anticipated expenses plus a little extra for emergencies.”

  “Will do, Felix.”

  Getting up and heading for the door and home Jacob says, “Man, what a grand finale this is

  going to be. “

  As Jacob closes Felix’s office door behind him Amos mumbles aloud, “Yeah, if you can keep your cool until the whole thing is over. You’re not going to be able to shoot your way out of any jam that might pop up this time around.”

  “You stay cool, Amos. That’s why we’ll be carrying. I think it would be a good idea for us to be posing as customers in the bank when Jacob goes into the safe deposit box area. If the shit hits the fan, we’ll be in a position to help him get out without any of it getting on any of us. We should all be wearing simple disguises of some sort, dye our hair, wear glasses, sport mustaches, beards, stuff padding in out clothing to make us appear heavier, etc., etc. We can have Ramon make the necessary changes to our phony picture IDs and have him mail the documents to us in Zurich.”

  “What you’re saying makes sense, but staying cool around Jacob when the pressure’s on is like spitting into the wind without any of it getting on you. Damn near impossible. As far as Jacob not carrying is concerned, I suggested that because the least amount of attention paid to him the easier it will be for him to do his thing. Our carrying will probably be noted and security will keep an eye on us, but since many Swiss carry it should not arouse any undue suspicion, just some idle curiosity. ”

  “Go home and get some sleep. We’ve got a lot to take care of tomorrow with closing up the shop, making travel arrangements, getting new picture ID and notifying those who will be more than a little curious if we don’t notify them.”

  “Okay, see you tomorrow.”

  Chapter 32

  For the past three days, the weather in Paris has been ideal for tourists. The sun has been shining, the temperature hovering in the upper sixties during the day, in the upper forties in the evening, and the food has been out of this world. Chuck and Vicki have been trekking all over Paris taking in the sights, absorbing the beauty of the Musee d'Orsay, the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Sacre-Coeur, the Notre Dame de Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and getting quite an education from their contents. It has definitely been an overwhelming experience.

  They plan to stay in Paris two more days and then head for home. Up ‘til now, the tails, the phone taps and tracking devices have produced nothing but frustration from the lack of anything that will help bring these crooks to their knees.

  Enjoying a little el fresco snack at one of the countless outdoor cafes in Paris, Chuck is deep in thought about what else he can do to get his hooks into something that will help him nail these low -lifes. This is also frustrating the hell out of him because he’s coming up with zip.

  Seeing the frustration on his face Vicki says, “Chuck, give it a rest. Sometimes you can get a fresh perspective when you walk away from a problem for a while and then new ideas start showing up.”

  “I know you’re right, but these guys have really gotten under my skin and I can’t stop thinking about what I haven’t thought about. Boy, listen to me will you? I sound like I’m ready for a psychiatrist’s couch.”

  This got them both laughing, but that didn’t last long as Chuck’s phone starts ringing. It’s his Paris office manager, Alain. “Whatcha got for me, Alain?”

  “We finally got a chance to place a tracking device on Alim Bukhari’s limo. Man that guy has more security people surrounding him than our President.”

  “Good work, Alain. Anything new on Pierre Lavelle?”

  “Chuck, this guy has one hell of a social calendar, but so far it’s leading us nowhere. He did get an interesting phone call last night though, but I don’t know what to make of it, if anything. A guy called at eight-thirty and said, and I’m quoting, ‘Pierre, we will be out of reach for a bit. We have something very special we’re working on and if everything comes together you are going to be a very happy man. We just didn’t want you to be concerned if you couldn’t touch base with us. Later.’ The guy hung up before Pierre could say anything. The caller’s name wasn’t mentioned, but I picked up on a Brooklyn accent. I’d bet my last dollar he’s a New Yorker.”

  “Okay, Alain, stay with it and call me if anything else develops no matter what the time.”

  “Okay boss.”

  When Chuck hangs up Vicki asks, “Good news or bad?”

  “Kind of neutral I guess. My people were able to place a tracking device on Alim Bukhari’s limo and Pierre got an interesting call last night that might have been from one of the people we’re after. My man said that the caller was a male with a Brooklyn accent and indicated he and others were working on something special and if it went as planned Pierre would be a very happy man. The caller also said that he and others would be out of touch for a while.

  “If I unchain my imagination and let it have its way a bit, I could easily infer that the caller was one of the three guys Mickey Morretti ran into in Antonelli’s. From the conversation he overheard, Mickey got the impression that the men were New Yorkers. I’m also inferring from what was said that the caller and his accomplices are getting ready to pull another job, but it is something new, something they haven’t done before, and is probably taking place out of town or even out of the country because they’ll be out of touch for a while. I don’t think there would be a need to kill communications if the job was local. Temporarily breaking off all communications with Pierre might ju
st be a precautionary measure or, if they are leaving the country, it may be something as simple as they don’t know where they’ll be staying yet. If my inferences are correct, the phone call also indicates that Pierre is in some way involved with what the caller and others are planning and will benefit from it.”