by Dan Kelly
So much for eating. He quickly unlocks the door, jumps in and takes off before anyone can come to investigate what has happened and perhaps take down his license plate number. The rental is a tan, non-descript, low-end of the model range Renault of which there are many on the road, so there’s nothing about it that will enable the cops to single him out. The people in the restaurant will know he’s an American because they heard him talk when he ordered his food and they’d seen his face, but that won’t lead to the authorities knowing where to look for him. As soon as he clears the outskirts of the town he slows down to the posted speed limit so he will blend in with the other traffic.
Once again, Jacob’s temper has gotten him into trouble. He could have just threatened the teenagers with the gun and they would probably have taken off, but Jacob was angry and when he’s angry he’s not apt to be thinking clearly. These kids paid the ultimate price for ticking him off. It cost them their lives. By the time he reaches Paris, they will be a distant memory. There is nothing about this incident that will link it in any way to the bank robbery, so Jacob pushes it to the back of his mind.
However, Jacob wouldn’t have been so blasé about the encounter if he had been aware that a very observant patron of the bistro, a budding artist of which there are many in and around Paris, has immediately put pencil to paper when the Renault takes off and writes down a partial license plate number and sketches the rear end of the car which has some noticeable dents and scratches in its trunk lid and a broken tail light. Apparently, the damage to the trunk lid and the tail light was caused when the kids were messing with the car. The artist also draws a detailed sketch of the driver from what she remembers when he was eating in the bistro.
When the police arrive, the artist turns over her sketches to the investigating officer, copies of which wind up on the desk of someone at la Sûreté who is a member of the newly formed international joint task force looking into the rash of precious gem robberies around the world. Evidently, la Sûreté has sent requests to all of the local police departments along the routes running between Zurich and Paris to be on the alert for anything unusual taking place involving a lone American male.
The sketch of the driver reminds him of one of the men he has seen pictures of who are suspects in the recent jewel robberies. When he compares the two, the likeness is too close to be a coincidence and a BOLO is put out to all law enforcement agencies along the routes to Paris for a Renault matching the artist’s depiction and being driven by the American in the accompanying picture.
Despite this development, however, Jacob arrives in Paris without any difficulty. When he arrives at the hotel where Felix and Amos are staying and goes to get his luggage out of the trunk of the Renault, that’s when he becomes aware of the damage. “Those damned punks did this.”
He quickly opens the trunk and is relieved to see things are as they are supposed to be. There are four suitcases and a gym bag all stuffed with the contents of the safe deposit boxes he has pilfered and an overnight bag containing a few changes of clothes and some personal items. He takes the overnight bag out of the trunk and with some trepidation closes the trunk and gives the valet the valet key and enters the hotel. He calls Felix’s and Amos’s room and tells them he has arrived and is waiting for them in the lobby.
When they come down Felix asks, “Why didn’t you immediately come up to our room? We’ve been waiting for you.”
“I want to meet with Pierre as soon as possible. The longer we’re hauling this stuff around we’re increasing the odds of something going wrong and winding up in a cell. I need a drink and then I want to get out of here.”
Amos tells him about the arrangements to meet with Pierre tomorrow at noon at his chateau for lunch and to discuss the disposal of the take.
Jacob tells them about what has happened at the bistro and ends with, “I’m pretty sure I got away without anyone being able to identify me, but I’ll feel safer when we’re out of Europe and basking in the sun and enjoying the good life someplace else thousands of miles away from here.”
Felix asks, “Where’s the take?”
“In the trunk of the car I rented locked in suitcases and a gym bag. The valet only has the valet key. They should be safe there for a short time.”
“Felix says, “Okay, let’s have that drink in our room and if you’re hungry we can order something from room service. You can get a good night’s sleep and be ready to deal with Pierre tomorrow.”
They retire to their suite feeling pretty good about what they have accomplished, completely ignorant about the trouble that is brewing and heading their way.
Chapter 40
Mickey catches an Air France flight departing from JFK at 7:59 p.m. which arrives in Paris seven hours and fifteen minutes later or at 8:35 a.m. local time the next day which gives him ample time to get some much needed sleep. He has given Chuck his flight info and Chuck has passed it on to his Paris office, so Andre, holding a poster board bearing Mickey’s name, is waiting for him in the passenger lounge when he deplanes.
When Mickey approaches Andre saying, “Unless there’s another Mickey Morretti on this flight, I’m the guy you’re looking for.” Andre smiles and introduces himself.
“Andre Gauthier at your service, Lieutenant. I work for Chuck Ferguson in his office here in Paris. I hope you had a nice flight.”
“I was on cloud nine all the way and slept like a baby, but I’m starved.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place if you like to eat. Let’s get your luggage and then I’ll take you to your hotel. I’m sure the hotel food will be to your liking. Where are you staying?”
“Coming to Paris was a last minute thing. I haven’t made a reservation anywhere. Any suggestions, keeping in mind that for now I’m travelling on my dime?”
“Come. Let’s get your luggage. I have the perfect place in mind that I’m sure you’ll find adequate for your needs.”
Forty minutes later Andre is introducing him to his wife, Danielle. “Danielle, Lieutenant Morretti will be staying with us for a week or so. We’ll be working together on those precious gem robberies I told you about and staying with us will make it a lot easier for us to do that.”
Mickey is really taken back with this offer of hospitality and after several awkward moments manages to utter, “That’s a very nice offer, Andre, but I can’t impose on you and your wife like that. Just point me to a nice hotel close by your office and I’ll be fine.”
Danielle quickly jumps in with, “We’ll do no such thing. Andre’s right. It will be an ideal arrangement for the two of you to work together.”
No matter how much he protests, his attempts fall on deaf ears and he finds himself being led upstairs to one of two spare bedrooms to unpack. When he comes back down, Danielle has prepared a breakfast for him that he would remember for a very long time. “Boy, if that wasn’t four star cuisine, I don’t know what is. Andre, I’m surprised you don’t weigh three hundred pounds.”
Danielle smiles and says “Lieutenant, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Danielle, please squelch the Lieutenant bit. My friends call me Mickey and after that meal you’re my friend for life.”
The three of them laugh and then Mickey slips into cop mode and says, “Andre, let’s head out for your office and on the way you can fill me in on the latest developments regarding our three suspects. The last I heard they had eluded your men in Zurich and are now somewhere here in Paris.”
“Okay, Mickey. Danielle, I don’t know what this day has in store for us, so don’t plan on us being back for dinner. What’s on your calendar for today?”
“I have an appointment at the office at eleven and will be at the courthouse most of the afternoon.”
“Okay, I’ll try to touch base with you when I have a better idea of how our day will be going.”
On the way to Andre’s office Mickey’s curiosity goads him into asking, “What does your wife do? Is she into real estate or research of some kind?”
> Laughing Andre says, “No, she’s a real life French version of Perry Mason of bygone American TV fame. She’s a defense attorney who frequently drives our Parisian detectives up the wall with her unsolicited sleuthing.”
“I’ve got a sister who’s an attorney, but she’s on the other side. She’s an Assistant District Attorney for the City of New York and she can drive anybody up the wall if she sets her mind to it.”
Their getting to know each other chit chat is interrupted by Andre’s cell phone ringing. After several uh huhs and a couple of what Mickey assumed were French cuss words Andre ends the conversation with, “We should be there in ten minutes. Does Chuck know? Good.”
Glancing over at Mickey Andre says, “Last night in a small town a couple hours outside of Paris a double homicide was committed. It looks like one of the trio you’re after is the culprit.”
Andre clues Mickey in on the details of what was just relayed to him, including the BOLO that has been issued, and then silence fills the car. They both now sense that this is not going to be a business as usual day and they are both thinking about what their next steps should be. As the day unfolds, however, they find that they won’t have to waste much time on that. Others will be doing it for them.
Chapter 41
As noon rolls around, Jacob, Felix and Amos arrive at Pierre Lavelle’s chateau. Pierre himself answers the door as he has given his help the day off so he won’t have to worry about them hearing or seeing something not for their ears or eyes.
The three of them came in Jacob’s rental car with Jacob driving and Felix and Amos trying to grill him on the nature of the safe deposit box haul, but he kept telling them they’d have to wait until they got to Pierre’s. “I was too busy emptying as many boxes as I could in the time I allowed for that and wasn’t paying too much attention to what was in the damn things. I’m just as anxious to find out as you are.”
When Pierre gives them the all clear by telling them he has given his staff the day off, they all follow Jacob back to the Renault and each of them carries a suitcase into the house with Jacob also carrying the gym bag. Pierre asks, “How did you get all of this stuff out of the bank without any of it being seen? How did you hide it all?”
“As I told Felix and Amos, customers are closely scrutinized going into the safe deposit box area, not so leaving it. What I couldn’t conceal in the pockets of the wheel chair, the oxygen tank and on my person, I just covered with the blanket I had in the wheel chair. No one gave us a second look.”
Patience wearing thin Felix says, “Enough of this chatter. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
As they open the suitcases it soon becomes apparent to them that they have walked away with a king’s ransom. They estimate the value of the jewels, currency, precious metals and negotiable securities alone to be well over 50 million euros and when they add in the rare collectibles such as coins, stamps, art work, etc. and the possibility of black mail with the other documents taken the grand total is incalculable.
Laughing almost hysterically Amos says, “Someone pinch me. I’ve got to be dreaming.”
Felix says, “Jacob, I’m glad we listened to you. I never imagined the haul would be so large. This has to be some kind of record.”
The euphoria all of them are experiencing is quickly dissipated when Felix adds, “But, Pierre, how are we going to get rid of all of this stuff without attracting undue attention to ourselves? We’re going to have to do it ASAP as the police hound dogs are going to be out in record numbers in response to the pressure that will be brought to bear on them by the bank on behalf of their box holders to find the people who did this and recover their valuables. Do you have potential buyers for all of this?”
Pierre answers with, “I’m not worried about the jewels and the cash. I have contacts that can convert them into other liquid assets undetected. The other items are going to require a little research, but I think I can come up with a satisfactory solution to the disposition of them in a couple of days.”
Felix nods his head and says, “That’ll have to do then.”
Amos asks, “Do you have any place around here we can stow this stuff safely until you can get rid of it?”
“I never keep inventory in the chateau. That would be way too risky. Unfortunately, I have on several occasions been suspected of engaging in shady deals and if someone were to as you Americans like to say get a bug up their ass and get a search warrant on some manufactured premise I’d have a lot of explaining to do and most likely wouldn’t be able to talk my way out of going to prison. No, I own a small warehouse under an assumed name in another part of the city and use it to store merchandise until I can find buyers for it.
“After we have something to eat, we can drive over there and put everything in an underground safe I have installed there. Breaking into it would be no challenge to someone like you, Jacob, but if no one knows it’s there there’s no need to worry about safe crackers.”
Jacob says, “Okay, let’s put all of these goodies back into the suitcases and gym bag and put them back into the trunk of the Renault. Then you can feed us some goodies while we discuss your share of the proceeds from all of this when you’ve done your thing. I’m thinking twenty percent is a fair number.”
“In your dreams, Kessner. An even split is what I’m thinking.”
Felix and Amos glance at each other and Felix says, “This is definitely going to be a lunch to remember.”
An hour and a half later, the meal prepared by Pierre’s chef the night before having been enthusiastically devoured and a sixty forty split in the New Yorkers’ favor agreed to, the four of them climb into the Renault for the drive to Pierre’s warehouse. Unfortunately, Andre’s contact at la Sûreté couldn’t lay his hands on any eaves dropping equipment in time to listen in on the lunch discussion, so the tails are the only thing the good guys have going for them.
Mickey and Andre are sitting in Andre’s office and have just received a phone report from one of the tails that the suspects are on the move. Mickey asks, “Shouldn’t la Sûreté be participating in this follow the leader exercise?”
Andre’s reply is short and somewhat sarcastic. “Why should they when there are other people to do the dirty work, Ferguson Investigations and the police departments who received the BOLO. They’ll step into the spotlight when credit for a job well done is being passed around.”
Mickey’s thinking “Let that pass by, Mick. Don’t mess with other people’s dirty laundry.”
Ten minutes later they receive another call from one of the tails. “Something’s up, Andre. A patrol car just pulled in behind the suspects’ car and has put his pursuit lights on. No siren yet.”
Hearing this Mickey jumps out of his chair and yells, “No, no, no! Damn it! I want all three of those bastards, not just the one who shot those kids. All we have on the other two is circumstantial evidence. I have to catch them with the goods.” Of course, Mickey doesn’t know that the loot from the bank robbery is in the trunk of the Renault.
The next thing they hear from the tail is, “Oh, oh, the driver of the Renault has just floored it and is weaving in and out of traffic. Someone is going to get seriously hurt. He’s heading into a small business park and it looks like there are a lot of places where they can ditch the car and lose the officer in pursuit.”
A couple of minutes go by without any more input from the tail and then another of the tails calls and says, “These guys are now on foot and have disappeared behind some office building. The police officer is now also on foot and is close on their heels.”