by G. K. Parks
To further complicate matters, each of the club owners had an alibi for the night in question. The burglaries read like a team effort since it didn’t seem possible one person could break in to the club, disable the security systems and cameras, rob the safe, open the cash drawer at the bar, and escape undetected. No single person was that good.
Nibbling on a slice of pizza, I began running through the employee manifests. A couple of names overlapped, but according to Hoskins’ notes, they all alibied out. If Hoskins had done a decent job, then it didn’t seem likely it could be an employee. Who else had access to the inner workings of nightclubs? Maintenance, liquor delivery, frequenters, the list could go on and on. I scribbled the possibilities on my board. Logically, the police were already working these angles, but it never hurt to double-check. Possible suspects were plentiful at this point in the game.
I pulled out the blueprints for all of the burglarized venues. Each location was set up differently, and there was no way of determining what the interior would look like from the schematics alone. Tonight, a field trip was in order. Folding the pizza box in half, I barely managed to shove it inside my office mini-fridge before locking the files in my drawer and heading home to change.
In skintight jeans, killer heels, and a halter top, I wanted to see what I could discover on my own. When I arrived at the first club, it was early enough in the evening to get in without having to wait in line. I noted the location of the bar, the dance floor, any obvious security measures in place, and the private offices. According to the files, there were different types of safes and locks at each venue. Two of the clubs used key code technology. One had a regular lock and key, and the last utilized a key card mechanism on the office door. The guilty party had to be technologically savvy and skilled in old school B&E methodology. After finding nothing particularly helpful, I left the first club and ventured to the next.
Repeating the process and having to bribe the bouncers at the last two locations, I still had no idea what was going on. Each place was completely different from the last, including the skills needed to conduct the heists. Just because the tactics were the same didn’t mean the burglars were since every security aspect was unique for each club. Maybe each heist was executed by a different group of thieves working for one mastermind. It was an overwhelming feeling to be thrown into a myriad of dissimilarities that all ended in the same result. No wonder the police were stumped; I was downright baffled.
Concluding my reconnaissance, I ended up back at Infinity. Ambling my way to the bouncer, I bypassed dozens of people waiting in line. Ernie wasn’t joking when he said his place was happening.
“Hi ya,” I flirted.
My first test was to see how gullible the doorman might be. A few linemen were walking around near the building, checking IDs and questioning those who appeared to be less savory. It was crazy to think a club owner actually wanted to keep drugs and hookers on the outside.
“Miss, the line’s back there.” He didn’t even bother to glance up.
“You think there might be a way to move things along?” I purred.
“Sorry.”
“I can make it worth your while.” Reaching into my wallet, I produced a fifty. The man looked offended. What was the going rate on bribery these days? “You don’t want money?” He motioned to one of the linemen to escort me away. “Fine, get Ernie on the line. He asked to see me.” I dropped the flirtation and the act. At least the bouncer couldn’t be bought, unless I just wasn’t his type.
“Name?”
“Alexis Parker.” He hit a button on his earpiece and spoke my name over the radio.
“Sorry, Ms. Parker.” He unhooked the velvet rope and gestured inside. “Go on in. The boss is upstairs.”
“Thanks.”
Inside, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the lavish feel Infinity exuded. My impression from this afternoon left me with nary a basis for what I witnessed now. It wasn’t the normal bump and grind of hundreds of sweaty, drunk young adults searching for brief companionship while some DJ pumped pounding techno rhythms into the over-processed air. This place was something else entirely. The couches were soft leather with large cushioned square ottomans serving as both tables and extra seats. The music was mellow, and the dancing didn’t resemble a writhing, dying beast. Upscale at its finest.
“Alexis?” Ernie had transformed just like his club. His hair was slicked back, and he was wearing a black tailored suit with a deep blue dress shirt open at the neck. His watch from before was around his wrist, and there was a single diamond stud in his ear. I would have expected to run into nighttime Mr. Papadakis at a board meeting at MT with the elegance and sophistication he conveyed; whereas, daytime Ernie would have been found bumming around on the beach. “Why don’t you come upstairs?”
Climbing the spiral staircase in the middle of the room, I noted as much of the club as possible. The upper level was comprised of private, secluded rooms where the VIPs could party or conduct business away from prying eyes and the noise of downstairs. Ernie escorted me into his office and shut the door behind us. The room must have been soundproofed because, had I not just walked through the club, I would have never realized we were in a club.
“You have a lovely establishment,” I commented, performing a quick sweep of the room and guessing the safe was mounted behind the large painting on the wall.
“Thank you. I’m glad you decided to stop by tonight.” He took a seat in his plush leather chair. “You didn’t mention when you were starting your surveillance, so I didn’t have the doorman put you on the list.”
“No worries. I just wanted to look around before reviewing the information you provided on your security measures so I would have some idea of what to picture. Going in blind, I can determine how I would choreograph the break-in and then see how feasible it is.” This might have sounded like blabbering to an untrained civilian, but he excitedly grinned.
“How would you do it?”
“Off the top of my head, I’d block the lock on the side door that exits into the alley, hoping the security system couldn’t engage with the door ajar. Then I’d stay in the blind spot of the camera near the bar and front door until I could cut the feed and head up the hidden back staircase inside the storeroom behind the bar. Next, I’d go to your office, pick the lock on the door, remove the painting from the wall, open the safe, head back downstairs, hit the cash drawer, and leave the way I came in.”
He paled, and his jaw dropped. “How’d you know about the back staircase or the safe?” His skin flushed, rapidly replacing his ashen visage.
“I saw the top of the second staircase before coming in here, and really, why else would you have a painting hanging there?” Ernie was flabbergasted. “Plus, I am a trained investigator. Detecting is what I do,” I added, hoping to make him feel better.
“What do I do? Clearly, it wouldn’t be difficult to rob this place blind.” I stifled my chuckle at his melodrama.
“First of all, it’s all talk. I haven’t looked at your security schematics yet, so getting into the side door might be a hell of a lot harder than it sounded. Next, I’m not a safecracker, and disconnecting your cameras would either require a hands-on approach or some method of remotely shorting them out. Assuming everything is backed up on a hard disk, I’d have to figure out where the system is housed and wipe the footage of my interference.” Something pinged in my brain, and I knew where to focus my efforts when assessing the previous four heists.
“Hell, I think I should hire you for head of security.”
“Wouldn’t that be too on the nose?” I retorted. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going downstairs to act like a club-goer since I didn’t dress like this for a second business meeting. Any employees in particular you think are involved?”
“The newest hires are Sam, Gretchen, and Mindy. He’s our new bartender, and the two ladies are waitresses. I can point them out before you go downstairs.”
We stood outside his office and leaned
against the railing, surveying the club below. Ernie pointed to a redhead in a black miniskirt and silver tank top wearing an apron and a tall, leggy blonde with a matching outfit. Needless to say, I wasn’t a fan of the uniform. Sam was the dirty blond with a python tattoo wrapped around his arm. He didn’t seem classy enough for this joint, but given the flock of ladies standing at the bar calling to him, he was a sound hire.
“Just so you know, my bar tab is going to be added to billable expenses,” I warned before going down the steps.
Having never been a club-goer, blending in was an arduous task. Deciding to stick with what I knew, I slowly scoped out the dance floor, managing to bounce enough to appear to be dancing while making my way through the crowd. I kept an eye on the waitresses as they served the patrons on the couches. The couch was more my speed, but unless I had a group of my five best friends, I’d look even more suspicious sitting there alone. That left only one option, the bar.
Crowded didn’t even begin to describe the throng of people surrounding the stools and shouting orders to the three bartenders. Finding the perfect vantage point, I hoped the guy and girl playing tonsil hockey in the corner would decide to vacate, but things didn’t look to be in my favor. I would just have to do something to improve my odds.
Bumping into the man seated next to the couple, I jostled his beer right into the lap of the lovely young woman. She immediately jumped out of her chair and screamed. Fortunately, her hockey partner took this turn of events as a cosmic sign. After threatening to force me to pay for her ruined dress, he led her out of the club and back to his place, so he could throw her clothes into the washing machine or onto the floor. Thank god chivalry wasn’t dead.
Taking the far seat in the corner, I apologized to the man whose beer I spilled. “Anytime, doll,” he replied. “I’m just glad I don’t have to intentionally ignore them for a minute longer.” Finally, one of the bartenders came over, and I ordered another round for my new friend and a lemon drop martini for myself. “Come here often?” My beer buddy didn’t understand I wasn’t looking for a man.
“All the time. My boyfriend’s the DJ,” I lied. The man nodded his head sadly and turned away. I was glad that was over with.
Unwilling to risk losing the seat I had so expertly stolen, I didn’t move from the barstool the rest of the night. After a couple of hours and turning down half a dozen guys who asked to dance or offered to buy me a drink, Sam came to my end of the bar to clean up.
“Another?” He jerked his chin at my glass.
“Why not?” It was my third, but I had no intention of drinking it. “Can I persuade you to join me?”
“Can’t. I’m working. Club policy,” he apologized, pouring the ingredients into a shaker. “You’ve been sitting here all night. Someone break your heart?”
“You, for making me drink alone.” He adopted a sexy grin and placed a fresh martini on the bar. “Hey, how’s the pay here?”
“Pretty fucking fantastic, just like the women.” Men must all read the same book on clichéd pick-up lines. “Looking for a sugar daddy?”
“No, I’m looking for a job.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
G.K. Parks is the author of the Alexis Parker series. The first novel, Likely Suspects, tells the story of Alexis’ first foray into the private sector.
G.K. Parks received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. After spending some time in law school, G.K. changed paths and earned a Master of Arts in Criminology/Criminal Justice. Now all that education is being put to use creating a fictional world based upon years of study and research.
You can find additional information on G.K. Parks and the Alexis Parker series by visiting our website at
www.alexisparkerseries.com
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Full-length Novels in the Alexis Parker Series:
Likely Suspects
The Warhol Incident
Mimicry of Banshees
Suspicion of Murder
Racing Through Darkness
Camels and Corpses
Lack of Jurisdiction
Dying for a Fix
Intended Target
Muffled Echoes
Crisis of Conscience
Misplaced Trust
Whitewashed Lies
On Tilt
Prequel Alexis Parker Novellas:
Outcomes and Perspective: The Complete Prequel Series
Assignment Zero (Prequel series, #1)
Agent Prerogative (Prequel series, #2)
The Final Chapter (Prequel series, #3)
Julian Mercer Novels
Condemned
Betrayal
Subversion