“How about someone else made it look like Gabelli stole the money? How come this suddenly surfaced as soon as Gabelli was in the icebox?”
“Hmmn. That’s outside the box, Luca, but I like the reasoning. Makes sense.”
Maybe I wasn’t turning into mush after all.
I said, “No question the dough is interesting, and I’ve chased down a lot of sleazebags for a helluva lot less than six hundred big ones, but maybe the money has nothing to do with this.”
“But you always say there are no coincidences in crime, that it’s called evidence.”
“It’s nice you pay attention, Vargas, but the money is evidence of theft, not murder.”
Chapter 46
Stewart
“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” - Japanese Proverb
I took another hit from my nebulizer.
I don’t know what got into me. This bitch was really screwing with my head. I gotta change it up, ditch the original plan. It just burns me up to no end to find out Mr. Office Man stayed over at her house the whole freaking weekend.
I went by, what, ten, twelve times? Every time I did, I got more worked up. Why’d I keep going? If I’d just put it out of my mind, things wouldn’t have gotten out of control. I mean, who answers the door without a shirt on? It threw me off, and when Robin came to the door with her shirt half unbuttoned, I really lost it.
This was no good. I was wasting time. My life was ticking away, and I was still sitting in an old coach home. Was it time to heat things up with Melissa? That’s what it looked like. But I put a lot of time in this, and there was one more thing I had to try before I moved on.
***
I wasn’t a dog lover at all. They run around outside and then jump all over your furniture. That’s crazy. They can make things dirty, and some people even let them sleep on their bed. No way that’s happening under my roof.
Robin, she just loves dogs, always wanted one, but not Phil. You see, me and Phil, we thought the same about a lot of things. That’s why we were best buds. Dogs was just another example where we lined up like soldiers.
Phil resisted Robin’s attempts to get a dog at least a dozen times that he told me about. She’d especially hit him hard on it when he was on the defensive from straying. Like with kids, Phil didn’t want to be tied down any more then he had to.
I started browsing around the Internet, knowing if it had to be a dog, it’d have to be a small one and, for sure, one that didn’t shed. Maybe it could be trained to do its business inside so it’d stay clean. That’d be up to Robin, but I’d have to influence it. I settled on a Maltese. Robin liked them, and they did seem to be the cutest to me.
The breeder was way out east, off of Pine Ridge, and had three different Maltese litters to choose from. The tea-cup types were the smallest, but I wasn’t going to pay for the upcharge, so I picked out a female white ball of fur that was two weeks old.
It was super delicate and fit in the palm of my hand. By the time I was out of there I had charged over sixteen hundred dollars on two cards, and I still had to buy a crate and other puppy paraphernalia.
I put a plastic sheet and then a towel on the front seat and the puppy went to sleep as I drove. It didn’t make a whimper and looked so peaceful. My spirits rose. This was going to be one of my better ideas. I called Robin and told her I had to see her immediately. She pissed me off with her stalling, but she eventually agreed.
***
Holding the puppy up against my stomach, I rang her bell. Robin came to the door wearing pink flip-flops, a Beatles tee shirt, and shorts, but no smile. I raised the puppy up and she said, “Oh my God, she’s so cute.” She nuzzled the pup and said, “Where’d you get her?”
“I got her from a breeder out east, and she’s all yours.”
“What?”
“I got her for you. I know you always wanted a dog, but Phil, he wouldn’t let you.”
She handed me back the pup. “But I, I, can’t accept it.”
“It’s okay, it’s a gift from me to you.”
“But I don’t want a dog.”
The puppy started whimpering.
“What do you mean? You always said you wanted one.”
“I know, but now’s not the time.”
“It’s the perfect time. It’ll be good for you.”
“I can’t take care of it.”
“You always said you wanted a dog, but Phil prevented you from getting one, and now you have one.”
“I can’t take care of it. Don’t forget, Phil had flexibility during the day. He could pop in and take care of her.”
“You can do it.”
“I don’t want to be tied down worrying about a dog. It’s not fair to me or to her.”
And so, it went. I couldn’t figure her resistance out, and we started arguing. I was sick of trying to do the right thing and having it boomerang. I couldn’t see trying to convince her anymore, so, crying pup in palm, I marched off to my car and drove back to return the dog. As a final insult, the breeder charged me a five hundred dollar ‘processing’ fee to take the puppy back.
Chapter 47
Luca
I slept almost the whole night through. It was the first time I could remember doing so in a long time, and I felt fresh as I sipped my morning coffee. I was reading a forensics journal when my phone rang.
“Detective Luca? It’s Robin Gabelli.”
She was as formal as I’d ever heard her.
“Good morning. What can I do for you?”
“It might be nothing, but it was disturbing. I couldn’t sleep last night.”
“What’s bothering you?”
“Well, last night, it was late, after eleven, and Dom came to my house.”
“Stewart?”
“Yes, Dom Stewart.”
“Okay, what happened?”
“Well, I had company, a friend was staying over, and Dom started ranting.”
“A male friend?”
“Yes.”
“Did Stewart assault him?”
“No, I thought for sure he was going to. He started cursing and making threats.”
“What kind of threats?”
“That’s what I wanted to tell you. He said that he’d kill Michael just like he did the other guy.”
“Slow down. Michael, that’s your friend who was staying over?”
“Yes, he’s a friend from work.”
“Stewart never laid a hand on this Michael or you?”
“No. He was just screaming. It was scary, and when he said he’d kill him like he did the other guy I went numb. Do you think he meant Phil? They were friends, it can’t be, could it?”
“Sometimes people say things for effect. It doesn’t mean it’s true.”
“No, no, this was different. He was, like evil personified. I’m telling you, I’ve known him a long time, and he gave me the creeps.”
I wanted to say, you mean that guy you once jumped in the sack with now gives you the creeps? But asked, “What did your friend think of the threat?”
“He thinks Dom is totally unstable and is probably the guy who killed Phil.”
“What makes him so sure?”
“It’s not the first time Dom threatened him.”
“You never reported a previous incident.”
“I didn’t think it was such a big deal at the time. You see, Dom always wanted a relationship with me. I know it’s my fault for that one-time thing. But a few months ago, I was out with Michael at Brio in Waterside and Dom saw us, and to say he wasn’t happy is an understatement.”
“Did he get physical?”
“No, not really. Dom was pissing off at me, and when Michael asked him to leave us alone, he poked his finger in Michael’s chest and said something like he’d wipe the floor with him if he didn’t mind his own business.”
“How’d it end?”
“One of the valet guys came over and Dom walked away muttering to himself, like a complete nut job.”<
br />
“It might be time to get a restraining order.”
“So that he couldn’t come near me?”
“You could try for that, but it’d be easier to at least get one to keep him away from your house.”
“Can’t you bring him in? He said he killed someone, and it could be Phil.”
“We need more than hearsay.”
“It’s not hearsay. Michael heard it too. We both heard it. If you would have seen him last night you wouldn’t be brushing it off.”
“I’m not brushing it off, but it’s not a crime to say things, even if they’re crazy.”
“You don’t believe he did it?”
“It’s not a matter of belief; it’s evidence we need.”
“But he said he killed someone.”
“I understand that, but he could have just been trying to intimidate your friend.”
“So that’s what you think it was, intimidation?”
I had to get back in control here. “Hold on here, Mrs. Gabelli. At this time, there is no legal basis to haul Stewart in. However, you can rest assured that this information will be taken, as is all information, under consideration. Now, I think you should give serious consideration to getting a restraint order. If you decide to pursue one, I’d be happy to contact the prosecutor’s office and provide case details on your behalf.”
Chapter 48
Luca
Financial crimes were something I’d worked on a handful of times in New Jersey. All of those Jersey cases targeted the legions of corrupt officials that infest the so-called Garden State. We’d taken down a number of mayors and councilmen, but, like cockroaches, a new generation of replacements came out of the woodwork.
After the lead detectives in Collier’s Financial Crimes Unit were rear-ended by a landscaping truck, Vargas and I jumped into their case, which was at a critical juncture. There’s an endless amount of big money, and by that, I mean really big money, in Naples. You’d think all that money and the savviness of the people with it would make them immune to being fleeced.
Well, you’d be about as wrong as you could be for two major reasons. The first is greed—it infects even the wealthiest of us. The other, often underappreciated condition, is what I call the ‘insider game,’ and it’s directly related to ego. Some people have an insatiable need to be on the inside of things, to have connections and access that others don’t have.
John Seymour understood this and exploited it to the tune of fifty million dollars. And he did it in record time. When I read the case file I had to stop myself from admiring him. While the incompetent regulators were watching for the next Madoff, this guy Seymour, who played up his Sacramento origins, was raking in cash to supposedly fund Silicon Valley startups.
The problem was there were zero startups, and so all the investors got was to play cocktail braggadocio for several months. I’m pretty sure that even though the investors didn’t receive a financial return on their money, for some the social dividend was more than enough.
That is, as long as news they were swindled didn’t leak out. Seymour knew this and deftly used it against the folks who lined up to give him money. It was the reason the fraud went on so long. No one would come forward. They were frightened that word would get out and their reputations would be tainted. Who knows, they might not get invited to the best parties anymore.
However, one person did file a complaint, a feisty old lady named Martha Notingham. She lived in an older estate on the gulf and had given Seymour only, and I say this lightly, two hundred thousand. It was a drop in the bucket for Notingham, but she was miffed he rarely returned her calls. Who knows how long Seymour could have operated his little scam if he’d only sweet-talked her a couple of times?
It was Vargas’s idea to have the two of us act as relatives of Notingham, looking to invest alongside her. I played her nephew, and Vargas was my wife. I didn’t know if it was that I’d never gone undercover before or that Vargas insisted on holding my hand during the meeting that made it surreal. Either way, it was greed on Seymour’s part that made him buy into our little show. It wasn’t clear to me if Notingham was being herself or acting her part, but she smelt like English royalty to me. She was one impressive lady, and there was no doubt she was relishing her role in beating Seymour at his own game.
We turned the documents and wiring instructions Seymour asked us to complete over to the DA. They worked with Florida’s Banking Commission and Office of Financial Regulation to develop a prosecutable trail and quickly gave us the go-ahead.
Dreymore, an assistant DA, Vargas, and I settled around a conference table. We hooked up the recording device and I placed the call.
“Hello, Mr. Seymour. This is Jonathan Notingham.”
“Hello, Jonathan. It’s nice to hear from you.”
“As it is to talk with you. We’ve had the documentation reviewed by our family-office attorney, and though he thought we should change a bit of the language, I believe they’re minor modifications, and we’re comfortable going ahead with the paperwork as is.”
“That’s wonderful to hear. I do have to say your timing is excellent. You’ll be a part of an exciting opportunity that was just brought to me by a long-time contact in the valley.”
“Wonderful. They do say timing is everything.”
“It sure is. I’d hate to have you miss out on this one. Will you be wiring the funds soon?”
“I’ve already instructed our bankers. It’s being arranged as we speak, and if this delivers the returns you stated, additional investments will be forthcoming.”
“It will, you can count on it.”
“Excellent.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Notingham, but I’m running late for an investment meeting with a couple of tech titans. We’ll speak soon, and do give my warm regards to your aunt.”
I said goodbye and hung up.
Vargas said, “Nice going, Mr. Notingham.”
Dreymore said, “She’s right, he didn’t suspect a thing.”
“It’s greed, it blinds most people,” I said.
Vargas said, “You sure you’re able to keep our hands on the money? I would hate to think Seymour’s going to outfox us.”
Dreymore said, “Don’t worry. We’ve alerted everyone along the chain, and the transfer is flagged. Anywhere the money goes, we’ll know. Even if it moves offshore, as we suspect it will.”
I said, “What about if it goes to say the Cayman Islands or Isle of Man?”
“It doesn’t matter, money haven or not.”
“The banks are playing ball?”
“They don’t have a choice; they’ve been served.”
I pulled the tape out of the recorder, labelled it, and put it into the case file as Dreymore left.
“Yo, Vargas, want to grab a bite at Chipotle? Catching crooks gives me an appetite.”
“Chipotle? Mr. Notingham, a man of your means shouldn’t frequent such establishments.”
“Forgive me, dear. Shall we visit Nemo’s.”
“If you’re paying, I’m definitely in, that is, as long as we can get in.”
“You know what? We deserve it.”
I turned my phone back on and there was a voice mail.
“I got a message from Bosco.”
“What’s he say?”
“The Gabelli tox report came back. He said there was no trace of amyl nitrite, but they found something else.”
“What?”
“He didn’t say, said to call him.”
I called him back, but he was in the midst of an autopsy.
Chapter 49
Luca
The red light was on over the door to the suite used for examining infectious or burned remains.
Damn, how long was this going to take? I peered through the door’s small window. Bosco was hunched over what looked like a burned body, speaking into a microphone as he sliced opened a charcoaled abdomen. I watched as he cut away a specimen and dumped it into a stainless-steel pan shaped like a kidney. It
was slow going. I left to find a bathroom and a cup of java.
When I came back, Bosco was pulling the sheet back over the body. He rolled the gurney over to a refrigerated chamber and made a quick call. He peeled his gloves off and began washing his hands so slowly that I banged on the door. He looked over, grabbed a towel and headed over.
“Hiya, Doc.”
“I’m sorry, Frank, I don’t have time.”
“I promise this will be quick.”
“You know I don’t work on just homicides, don’t you, Frank?”
“I know, I’m sorry. It’s just that your message left me hanging. You said something showed up. What was it?”
“As I mentioned, there were no traces of amyl nitrite, but I widened the toxicology request and a fair level of terbutaline showed up.”
“Terbutaline? What’s that?”
“It’s a bronchodilator. It assists in opening a person’s airways to facilitate breathing. It’s prescribed for emphysema and asthma sufferers.”
Asthma? A vision of Stewart sucking on his inhaler flooded into my head.
“But as far as we know, Gabelli didn’t have any issues with his breathing, right?”
“The victim had no known respiratory issues, and his medical records have no indications he was taking any prescription drugs.”
“Is there any other reason why a person would take this stuff?”
The doctor smiled. “The only other use I’m aware of is to delay labor.”
“You mean when a woman’s giving birth?”
He nodded. “In certain cases of preterm labor, doctors will administer it to delay birth in order to improve the health of a premature baby.”
“I never heard of that.”
“Sometimes it can delay labor for a couple of days, and that’s critical to a premature baby’s health. Of course, like all drugs, there are risks, especially for the mother.”
“Is there any way you could get high off it?”
“No. In fact, it can cause a heart attack when overused.”
“How much of terbutaline would cause a heart attack?”
“That’s difficult to say. It would depend on the health and body mass—”
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