Pulling her gloves tighter, she gently opened the jewelry box sitting on the chest of drawers. How many women, she wondered, made no real attempt to secure their more expensive jewels? Was it laziness? Lack of money for a good safe? Or just a secular belief in security systems? Whatever the case, Taylor was a wealthy woman because of it.
Peering inside the jewelry box, Taylor pulled out a tiny penlight from her utility pouch and cupped her hand around it. When the small beam of light hit the sparkling gems, Taylor immediately cringed. Most of the jewels inside were hideous pieces of costume jewelry. A few were real, but for the most part, these were cheap imitations. Who would wear shit like this?
“Where is it?” Taylor pawed through the box. Then, frustrated, she stood back with her hands on her hips and surveyed the room. Moving over to the night stand, she bent down and shined her tiny flashlight across the top.
“Bingo!”
Laying next to the alarm clock, in a tiny plastic Louis Vuitton bag, was a large, square emerald ring with two triangular diamonds on either side. “What a beauty.” Carefully picking up the bag, Taylor dropped it into her pouch before turning back and closing the jewelry box.
“Two down, three to go.” Zipping up the pouch, Taylor stepped back to the window, tossed the rope down, and quickly lowered herself to the ground below. As her feet hit the pavement, the alarm went off. Snatching the rope, Taylor yanked it and it fell at her feet. Looking around, she wiped her gloves off and smiled to herself.
“This just gets easier by the minute.”
“You seem to be in a good mood tonight,” Tony offered as they pulled out of the station parking lot. “What gives?”
“Talked to Megan last night.”
“Yeah? How’s she doing out in the jungle?”
“Really well, and it isn’t a jungle, it’s a rainforest.”
“Well, whatever it is, I’m happy it’s put you in such a good mood.”
Delta leaned her head back on the headrest. She could still hear Megan’s voice as it danced across the phone lines. “I listened really hard to what she had to say, and I finally get it. God, Carducci, all the woman wants is to contribute something. And I’ve been sitting here thinking she might leave me.”
“And she won’t?”
“This isn’t even about me.”
“Does this mean you’re going to lighten up some?”
Delta nodded.
“Thank God. You may say you don’t suffer from PMS, but it’s felt like that for months.”
Punching him lightly on the arm, Delta started shuffling through her reports.
“They get any prints from the Turnbulls?” Tony asked.
Delta studied the files sitting on her lap. “Possibly. There weren’t any fingerprints, but they did get a foot impression from the grass below the window.” Delta pulled the report closer to her face. “Now that’s interesting.”
“What?”
“By the size and width of the impression, they’re speculating it could be a woman.”
Tony’s head jerked around. “A woman?”
Lowering the report back to her lap, Delta raised an eyebrow as she looked over at him. “Yeah, so what?”
“A woman supposedly climbed the side of a very tall two-story house just to steal one lousy ring?”
“Maybe it was hers to begin with. Or are you having a problem with the fact that a woman climbed up the side of the house, Mr. Man?”
“Come on, Delta. We both know that most women lack the upper body strength of men. I mean, you can climb anything, but you’re not…”
“Not what, Carducci? You just can’t admit that a woman can do anything a man can.”
“Except piss on a wall.”
“Depends on where she’s standing.”
Tony sighed. “I didn’t mean—”
“Oh, I know exactly what you meant, Mr. Limbaugh. I just hope you don’t buy the farm someday because it’s a woman holding the gun on you.”
“All right. I give! What else does the report say?”
Delta suppressed a smile. “To your credit, however, questioning speculation is the best thing to do. It could just as well be a small man or even a teenager.”
“But they don’t think so?”
Delta shrugged. “Don’t know what to think yet. The report says she must have scouted the place earlier to know that the alarm wasn’t connected to the second floor.”
“Then it was someone who knew them?”
“Possibly. But still, who would just leave all the other jewelry, whether they knew them or not? No one’s going to do all that work and then pass up that kind of score.”
“Do they think it’s drug related?”
Delta shook her head. “Huh-uh. I think they’re settling on the idea that this was the work of a pro.”
“But a pro wouldn’t have left all those other jewels.”
“That’s the part that doesn’t fit for me. It’s quite a little puzzler, this one.”
Tony slowed the car and inhaled deeply. “Why do I get this sinking feeling right here in my stomach?”
Delta laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, Carducci. We’re not going after her. Something tells me she’ll come to us.”
The next three hours were filled with the usual traffic stops, suspicious persons calls, and the never-ending beat patrol. It was a quieter night than most, with only one domestic dispute and one drive-by shooting. Delta was beginning to think the criminals had taken the night off. It wasn’t long before she realized what a stupid thought that had been.
“S-10-12, we have an audible at 33-31 Byron. What’s your twenty?”
Delta picked up the mike. “This is S-10-12, we’re about three away. We’ll take it.”
“Copy S-10-12.”
Tony turned and snorted. “You want that call because you hope it’s her, huh?”
“Her? Her who?”
When they arrived, they silently crept to a row of hedges. “You stay out here in front. I’ll check the side gate.” Picking her way through the darkness, Delta paused at a six-foot wooden gate with a sign on it. Squinting, she read the sign: BEWARE OF DOG. Great. Using the gas meter, Delta stepped up to look over the gate and into the backyard. She heard the dog before she saw it coming and immediately dropped back to the pavement.
“Shit!”
“What is it?”
“A dog. A big dog.” Meeting Tony back by the hedges, Delta shrugged. “No lights or signs of movement from the house?”
Tony shook his head. “Nothing. It’s probably just the wind.
“Well, with the big dog in the back, the only way in is probably through the front part of the house.”
Delta pulled out her flashlight and shined it on the second-story windows. One was slightly ajar.
“Damn.”
“You think she got us?”
Delta shrugged, flicking her flashlight off. “It’s possible. It fits her MO.”
Tony shook his head. “I still have a hard time believing our perp is a woman. I mean, there are easier houses to break into. Why the second-story ones? Why ones with alarms? If she is a pro, she’s not a very good one.”
Delta strode to the front door and knocked loudly before announcing, “Police!”
“What are you doing? There’s no one in there.”
“Just making sure.” When no one answered, Delta radioed dispatch that all was clear and asked them to notify the security company to turn off the alarms before the neighbors became angry. Leaving her card on the door, Delta returned to the car.
“Why the second story, Del? Just answer me that.”
Delta followed his gaze up to the second story. “It may not even be her, Carducci.”
Tony shifted his eyes to Delta’s face. “Maybe not, but I can tell by that look in your eyes that you think differently.”
Shrugging, Delta snatched the keys off Tony’s belt and ducked into the driver ’s seat.
“Delta?”
“Carducci, we don’t e
ven know if anything was stolen.”
“That’s not what I asked. You think she hit this house tonight, don’t you?”
Delta turned and nodded. “Yes, Carducci, I do. And if she did, she’s good.”
“Good enough to beat us?”
Delta looked over at Tony and grinned. “Not a chance.”
“Hey, Con,” Delta said to Connie when she came through the station doors.
Connie glanced up from the computer and smiled. “Hi there.” Connie’s eyes suddenly narrowed as she scrutinized Delta’s face. “What’s up with you? You’re looking a hell of a lot perkier tonight than of late.”
Delta pulled a chair up and sat down. “I am. Megan and I talked last night, and everything’s going to be okay.”
“Damn you, Storm, Gina and I have been trying to convince you of that for months. You can be such a thickheaded jackass sometimes.”
Delta held her arms up in surrender. “I know, I know. And I’ve been unbearable lately, but Megan finally put it in words I could understand.”
Connie folded her arms across her chest. “So, when are you going to start listening to me?”
“Pretty soon, okay? Con, it was a great conversation. I finally realize what Megan’s been searching for.”
“Herself?”
Delta nodded. “In a way. She’s gotten involved in the preservation of macaw parrots.”
Connie’s eyebrows shot up. “Preservation?”
“Yep. She’s investigating poachers who are smuggling the birds out of the country.”
Connie completely turned to Delta now. “Investigating? Storm, what, exactly, is Megan doing?”
Delta shrugged, slightly alarmed by the tone in Connie’s voice. “I don’t know. Why?”
“Smuggling exotic animals out of Central and South America is as big as drug smuggling, and sometimes it’s just as dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
“Hell, yes. There are stiff sentences in some countries for poachers and people attempting to remove the animals from the preserves. It’s a big business down there.”
“How big?”
Connie frowned as she thought. “A scarlet macaw in this country sells for anywhere between two and five grand. A hyacinth macaw can go anywhere from five to twenty thousand.”
“Dollars? You’re kidding.”
“I told you—big business. Other exotics run high as well, but the scarlet is in greater demand because it’s so pretty.”
“How much danger could Megan really be in?”
Connie shrugged. “In Africa, if you accidentally interrupt poachers killing elephants for their tusks, they’ll kill you in a heartbeat. No questions asked.”
“Well, I don’t think she’s trekking into the rainforest after anybody. At this point, I think she’s checking around town for information.”
“Well, relay what I’ve told you about the seriousness of poaching.
Delta’s heart constricted. “Will do. She’s got a good head. I trust that she won’t get herself into any real danger; just excitement.”
“Speaking of which, what’s going on in that beat of yours? Anything new and fun to play with?”
“Maybe. I think we have a real professional thief who enters the second story of alarmed homes. She gets in and out in a—”
“She?” Connie grinned deliciously.
“Uh-huh.”
“Is she good?”
Delta nodded. “Very. I can’t be sure yet, but I think she only snags big ticket items. Leaves the nickel and dime stuff. She’s quick, light on her feet, and she’s a climber.”
“Interesting. Anything else?” Connie did not need to take notes; she absorbed data like the hard drive on a computer.
“Size seven shoe, weight between one ten and one thirty. She knows how to climb and rappel. That’s about it for now.”
“Want me to check NCIC and see what comes up?”
Delta’s eyes sparkled. Oh, how she loved to play with Connie. “Would you? There’s something about this that keeps gnawing at me.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks, Con.” Grabbing her gear, Delta headed for the door.
“Oh, and Del?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t waste any time telling Megan to be careful. Remind her she’s not in Kansas anymore.”
Grinning, Delta walked out the door.
When Delta heard ringing, it took her a minute to realize it was her phone and not part of her dream. “Hullo?” she said, hoping to hear Megan’s voice on the other end.
“It’s me,” came Connie’s voice instead. Delta reached over and turned the clock radio to a better angle so she could see. It was nearly 8:00 a.m. “You want to hear this now or later?”
“To wake me at eight, it better be good.” Delta sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “You been working all this time?”
“Yeah. Couldn’t sleep. Look, I found a thread and followed it to a big ball of yarn. You know how I get.”
“Yes, I do, and I love you for it. Whatcha got?”
“Some really interesting things started showing up as I rummaged through the old computer chips. First off, the 4-5-9 you went to last night on Byron was a burglary.”
Delta slapped the bed with her hand. “I knew it! What did she get?”
“Oddly enough, she only took an emerald ring.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. I have the report sitting right in front of me. Nothing else was touched. You said she was a big ticket kinda girl, but there were other pieces in there of more value. Very curious, indeed.”
“Maybe the alarm stopped her from taking what she really wanted.”
“Maybe. The victim did say that she didn’t think the emerald was in the jewelry box with the rest of her valuables, so maybe that’s why it was all she got.”
“It’s possible. What else?”
“Well, you were right about the entry being the second story. No prints, though. This hit is very much like the last. The Burg Unit is sure it’s the same thief.”
“You think she’s a pro?”
“Most definitely. The direction of the investigation shows that both pieces were bought at Van Cleef & Arpels, a distinguished jeweler on Rodeo Drive, but the diamond was bought over ten years ago.”
“Yeah, besides, doesn’t everyone in southern California buy their jewelry at Van Cleef & Arpels?”
Connie chuckled. “I have a friend checking some other files to see if there are any other suspected female perps whose MO fits our gal.”
“What do the dicks think?”
“It’s split. Wayne thinks it’s an insurance thing, since both were insured, and Hap thinks there’s some kind of sexual twist to it.”
“It figures. That’s all Hap ever thinks it’s about. What’s your take?” Delta pulled the covers up to her chest and listened to the sound of Connie’s fingers as they flew across the keyboard.
“Too early to call. I’m fascinated by the near fact that it’s a woman. And she’s either incredibly arrogant or very stupid. She’s struck twice in one week on the same beat, at houses that had far more valuables than what she left with. Is this a Robin Hood thing? I’m full of questions.”
“Any question that she’ll hit again?”
“Count on it.”
After spending the better part of the afternoon in the library thumbing through various books on rainforests and raising exotic birds, not to mention a pile of National Geographic, Delta appreciated the bustling sounds and living energy of the station. But the moment the doors closed behind her, she knew this energy was different. Something was wrong. The strength of the tension hanging in the air stopped her like a clothesline tackle. Something big had gone down while she was sequestered in the library reading about ecosystems and marine biology. She looked over to find the one person she knew would have immediate answers. Delta was alarmed to find Connie’s desk empty.
Grabbing the first uniformed officer hustlin
g by, Delta stopped him. “What went down, Randolph?”
“Didn’t you hear? Some whacko took a few shots at the DA.”
Delta’s blood ran cold. “What? Who? Is she all right?”
Randolph shrugged. “I don’t know. Happened about an hour ago.”
Delta released him and headed for the captain’s office. District Attorney Alexandria Pendleton wasn’t just the DA. To Delta, she was a dear friend. If someone out there was attacking her...
Bursting through the door without knocking, Delta stopped abruptly upon seeing the captain, the chief of police, and one of the DA’s clerks staring at her.
“Excuse me, Captain Henry, but I just heard—”
“Ever hear of knocking, Stevens?” the captain asked sharply.
“I’m sorry, sir, I just heard the news. Is the DA okay? I mean, was she hurt?”
The aide looked down at his shoes, and the chief cocked his head as if trying to read some hidden message within the apparently innocuous question. Captain Henry motioned for Delta to close the door. “Officer Stevens, here, is a devoted admirer of the DA’s work,” he explained to the chief and the aide. “She’s put away a fair number of Steven’s collars. To Delta, he answered, “Yes, Stevens, she’s fine. Fortunately for her, the perp was a poor shot. Got off a few rounds that missed entirely.”
Delta swallowed hard as her heart continued racing. “I’m sorry for barging in, Captain. It’s just that Alex, I mean, Ms. Pendl—”
“Go way back,” the captain finished for her. “I’m aware of your connection with her, Delta. Just try knocking next time.”
Delta nodded. “Any arrests yet?”
“Not yet, but we’re working on it.”
Delta knew by his tone that she wasn’t about to get the straight scoop from him; at least, not yet. “Once again, I apologize for the intrusion.” Backing out of the room, Delta closed the door and exhaled slowly. The thought of a gunman pointing a weapon at Alex gave Delta goosebumps. Alexandria Pendleton wasn’t just a good DA, she was a great woman; someone Delta cared deeply for. Delta didn’t appreciate that some asshole was bold enough to take potshots at her friend, district attorney or not. Who would have done such a thing, and how had they so far escaped arrest?
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