“Follow me,” the bouncer said in a scruffy voice.
Jake had no option but to follow him. The stairs to the second floor were dimly lit, making the place look even more imposing. Jake’s mind was running. What he had thought as a routine job had become a scare on his life. On any other day, he would have confronted the bouncer. But today, he was barely able to climb a flight of stairs. By the time they reached the second floor, he was panting heavily. The bouncer led him through a dimly lit lobby that had colorful paintings and matching flower vases lined up on one side and a series of glass window on the other. He could see the mansions and the brightly lit road adorning them.
He was still looking around when he was pushed by the bouncer from behind. Jake looked at him angrily. The bouncer remained unfazed and gestured towards the door. Jake looked towards the door. It was a huge wooden door with a dragon carved out in the middle. But it was not a time to admire the carvings, he thought. He wanted to get through it as soon as possible.
He thought for a moment and then pushed the door. The door was much heavier than he had thought. The bouncer standing next to him grunted and then opened it for him. Jake looked at him, but got only an angry stare in return.
The door was slammed shut as soon as he entered. He knew he was in trouble, but he had no other option. He looked around. The second floor was much bigger and much more expansive than the first one. It had a number of cubicles with individual mini bars lined up on one side and a dance floor on the other. The wall on the left side had been converted into a huge aquarium. At the extreme right corner were a few casino tables followed by what looked like a series of lockers. He could not understand the arrangement, but then this whole place had been a mystery to him. Just like the other floor, this one also did not have anyone around. He stood there for a moment and then saw another door adjacent to the lockers. He walked to the door and pushed it, but it was locked from the other end.
“Drink?” a calm voice came from behind, making him turn immediately.
A middle-aged man dressed in a shiny suit walked towards him. His white leather shoes made a sound as he walked on the wooden floor. He had a welcoming smile on his face that made Jake even more nervous.
“No … thank you,” Jake said while walking towards the middle of the room.
“You look tired. A drink will calm you,” the man said while pulling a chair for him.
Jake sat down. He was actually very tired, but he did not want to consume anything given by a stranger. “I had a bad case of food poisoning. I think I will pass,” he said while trying to look as calm as possible.
“Food poisoning?” the man said and thought for a moment. “You might have consumed the local fish. If left uncooked, it can cause severe troubles.”
Jake knew he was trying to be smart, but had to play along. “I guess I had one the other night. So, you’re Gary?”
The man smiled. “It’s a given, isn’t it?”
Jake faked a smile in return. “What am I doing here?”
“You know, Mr. Carter. Can I call you that?”
Jake just nodded.
“Mr. Carter, this place is not exclusive for everyone. Only those having a median income of half a million per year can be the members. And, the membership fee increases with each floor. Now, I had to shut the place today as you are here to deliver a package. I need to be fully sure that the package is worth the loss that I am incurring today.”
Jake looked at him. A shiver ran down his spine. “So, you’ve got experts down there checking the authenticity of the ring?” The air conditioning was full but Jake was sweating. His whole plan was constructed on the premise that he could fool the people after him. But even fooling the broker was going to be tough.
“I have my mechanisms,” Gary said with some hesitation. Jake noticed that, but was not sure why he was hesitating.
“And what if I had come without the package? Maybe just to check this place out,” Jake asked.
Gary smiled. “Then we would have had that drink I offered you earlier. But I hope I don’t have to do that. Do I?”
Jake nodded immediately. “So who is behind all of this? I mean, who wants the ring?”
Gary’s face turned red. It took him a moment to compose himself. “Mr. Carter, you do not take your surrounding seriously. You are in my place and are asking questions to me.”
There was a momentarily silence that was broken by the ringing of Gary’s phone.
“I understand,” he said and disconnected. With that, he turned towards Jake. “Let’s have a drink, shall we?”
“What?” A streak of fear ran down Jake’s face.
“Don’t worry. I was never going to poison you. I am a businessman, not a murderer. I was keeping you here just to make sure the package reaches its intended recipient before you left,” he said and passed the glass towards Jake.
Jake heaved a sigh of relief. He took a sip from the drink. It was indeed exotic.
“What is this?” he asked.
“You liked it, didn’t you?” Gary said with a grin. “I don’t reveal my secrets.” With that, he got up. “My men will guide you out.”
As soon as Gary left the room, Jake spit the drink back into the glass and threw the remaining under one of the tables. He walked hurriedly towards the door. As he pushed it and the door moved a little, it was opened from the other end.
As Jake walked downstairs, his mind ran. One thing was sure: the person behind the whole thing lived someplace nearby, most probably in one of the mansions.
As soon as he stepped outside the building, one of the bouncers threw Jake’s phone and key at him and the other one slammed the gate and locked it from inside. Jake looked at him, but there was no reaction. He looked around; the whole road was empty except for his motorcycle. A great care had been taken to keep his visit anonymous. Maybe the ring was even more precious than what he and Kiara had anticipated.
The thought made him think about Kiara’s safety. He thought of talking to her, but this was not the right place. He started his motorcycle and left at once. As he crossed the mansions, he looked for any sign. Except the grandeur and the expansive lightings, there was nothing else that could be seen.
“Have you arrived?” he asked while getting off.
“Just entered the freeway. Why?” she asked while adjusting the hands-free of her phone.
“I had my acquaintance with Mr. Gary.”
“I guess it didn’t go well,” Kiara asked worriedly.
“No, the outcome was as planned. But, you were right. The people behind this are much stronger than I had anticipated.”
Kiara looked through the side mirror and parked her car on the roadside.
“What happened?” she asked and came out. “Shall I come back?”
“No. That’s not needed,” he said at once. “The place is more than a bar. Only the rich and influential ones are allowed to be members—the very people behind all of this. I was held captive till the ring reached the mastermind. And I was again threatened with poisoning in case there was something wrong with the ring.”
“I guess they didn’t catch our bluff?”
“For the time being. By morning our act will be up,” he said softly. “We need all information about the ring. There is more than what meets the eye.”
“I will see what I can do,” she said. “What about that guy, Gary?”
“He looks to be resourceful. Maybe he was the one behind the poisoning too.”
“Will you be safe there?”
“I have my doubts. But as long as the ring is with us, I guess I should be safe.”
Kiara looked towards the glove box at the mention of the ring. “I should take it some place safe then,” she suggested.
Jake nodded. “You too tread with caution for the time being.”
“I will,” Kiara assured him. With that, she disconnected. She knew that Jake had challenged someone beyond their capacity as soon as she had seen the ring. However, there was no going back now. W
ith that thought she started her car. She had to ensure the ring did not reach the wrong hands.
Jake on the other hand was thinking of his safety. Though he had told Kiara that the ring will keep him safe, he was not that sure. He parked the motorcycle and walked towards the door. As he opened the door, he remembered something. He turned around and looked at Natalie’s house. He heaved a sigh as he remembered the time spent with her. But then, he remembered what it had brought to him. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth and thought of forgetting about it.
As he was about to turn around, his eyes met with someone staring at him from the back window of her cabin. It was the old lady, the real Natalie, staring at him. It was as if she was keeping an eye on his house. Though it was getting darker, Jake noticed that she kept staring at him. After a few moments, he removed his gaze and got inside. He checked one more time out of curiosity, but she was still there. He shook his head and walked to the bedroom.
He sat down on the bed and held his head in his palms. The events of the last twenty-four hours had left his body fatigued and his mind exhausted. He was not too sure what he was looking for. Everything had happened on its own without any warning. He did not even know why he got involved in it. Why was such a plan created to kill him? What was the threat that he posed to the people behind all of this?
The more he thought about it, the more he got confused. Anyhow, once the mastermind comes to know about the fake ring, he may get some clues or maybe a visit from the man behind all of this.
After having dinner, he thought of taking rest. His body was still weak and Kiara was right that he needed medical attention. It was as if the whole energy from his body had drained off. He kept tossing and turning in the bed for an hour before falling asleep.
Jake’s sleep was broken by the knock at the door. He opened his eyes with great difficulty and looked at the watch. It was half past seven. He thought it to be a dream and closed his eyes again. Suddenly, the knocking became louder. He got up with great difficulty. He was not in a mood to fight. He hoped it was someone else than his pursuers.
“Coming!” he shouted while rubbing his eyes, as the knocks persisted. The people on the other side were too eager to meet him.
As he opened the door, he was almost pushed by three men. “Police. We have a search warrant against you,” the officer in the middle said while handing a piece of paper to him. With that, the other two barged inside.
“Search warrant? Did someone file a complaint? Why?” Jake asked while trying to figure out what was happening.
“Ask her,” the officer said while pointing outside the door. It was Natalie. Jake knew what the police was searching: her missing ring. He heaved a sigh of relief and thanked his stars that he had given it to Kiara.
“What are you looking for?”
“Her missing jewelry,” the officer said while running fingers through his white hair.
“What jewelry?” Jake asked further.
“You are not behaving like someone whose house is being searched,” the officer said, trying to get out of the questions.
“Maybe because I haven’t done anything,” Jake said. “Besides, I am myself with the law enforcement. I have carried out these kinds of search umpteen times. They don’t scare me.”
“What?” the officer said. “Can I see your badge?”
“I’m not carrying it with me. I am on vacation. Left it back at home.”
The officer shook his head and looked at one of his boys. “Anything?”
“The bedroom is clean, sir,” he replied.
“Other rooms are also clean,” a voice came from the bathroom.
“Let’s go then,” the officer shouted and turned around.
Jake followed him outside. As soon as Natalie saw him, her face turned red in anger.
“Did you find my jewelry?” she asked the officer while still looking at Jake.
“There is nothing in there, ma’am,” Officer said and looked at his watch.
“Maybe he’s buried it in the backyard,” she said hurriedly.
“I don’t think so,” the officer said with a hint of anger.
“I am really sorry to disappoint you, but why would you think so?” Jake asked her.
“You two can keep discussing this. We need to leave,” the officer said and looked at Natalie. “We will let you know if we hear about something.”
Jake looked at the officer. It was as if he wanted nothing to be found in the house. The search was a mere formality.
Natalie did not know how to respond to it. She kept looking at the officer who got inside the car and gave her a stare for wasting his time.
“Why would you accuse me of such a thing?” Jake asked her.
She turned around, her face burning with anger. “You were the one keeping an eye on my whereabouts and now my precious jewelry is lost. I’m sure you have something to do with it.”
“I was only using your dock for swimming. I read your name off the nameplate. I did not see anyone for three days. It’s not hard for someone to interpret that you were not at home.”
“And why did you come asking for me?”
“I wanted to take your permission for using your dock again. But, you didn’t give me a chance to ask,” Jake made a story, but clearly Natalie was not the one to believe it so easily.
“It can be only you,” she said angrily.
“I am a part of law enforcement myself. My work is the exact opposite of what you are accusing me of,” Jake said in a stern voice. “This time, I have to warn you against entering my property.”
Jake’s words made her angrier. “I am not going to let this go.”
“Do whatever you want to do,” Jake said and turned around.
Natalie kept looking at him for a moment and left. Jake already had many problems to deal with. He did not want to spend any ounce of energy left in his body on her.
He walked inside and called Kiara.
“Good morning.”
“Why are you up so early?” Kiara said with surprise.
“Anything on the ring?” He ignored her question.
“You understand that this is a stolen ring. I can’t get it checked by the right means and so it will take time.”
“We don’t have much time.”
“What do you mean?” Kiara said with surprise.
“I had a visit by the cops,” Jake said, “looking for the ring.”
“What?”
“Well, the old lady … Natalie filed a complained of her missing jewelry against me.”
“Did she use the word jewelry?”
“Yes and even the cops did not know what jewelry they were looking for.”
“Why did she not say that her ring was missing?” Kiara murmured.
“Maybe the ring is stolen in the first place. That would explain why she was keeping it in the house and not in a bank locker or some other safe place.”
“If it is so precious, then leaving it in the house unattended for three days doesn’t make sense either,” Kiara said. “Did the police officer call you for further interrogation?”
“No … He didn’t even seem interested in the case. Maybe he knows that Natalie is actually looking for the ring and the ring is gone. Or maybe he is just not good at his job.”
“At least the complaint has given me some idea of getting the ring evaluated,” Kiara said. “My earlier idea of showing the ring to one of our experts doesn’t seem good now. It will raise lots of eyebrows and I won’t have any explanations. I helped a gemologist in New York when his house got robbed. It’s time for him to return the favor. Instead of showing the ring, I will show him pictures. That will safeguard us against any allegations.”
“Yeah, that seems safer,” Jake said thoughtfully. “I am hoping a visit from one of the men behind this soon.”
“Or maybe they’ve already paid you visit?” she said. “The cops did search the whole house, right?”
Jake gave it a thought. “If that’s the case, then you need to
be careful. They will definitely know by now that you have the ring.”
“As far as I know, these guys are really discreet. They don’t leave any trail. The way this whole thing has been orchestrated, we can’t find anything against them. They may not approach me directly,” Kiara said.
“Still, you should be careful,” Jake insisted. “They fooled me once already.”
“I will take care. By the way, how are you feeling today?” Kiara asked.
“The effect is wearing off. But I am still feeling some weakness.”
“You should take a rest for a day or two. Once we get some clues, we will go after them full throttle,” she suggested.
Jake smiled. “Whatever you suggest. I also need some time to get my head cleared.”
“Let me get to the gemologist.”
“Yup. Bye,” Jake said and disconnected.
Things were moving faster than they had anticipated. Kiara had to ensure her safety without compromising the headway they had made in the case. Jake knew their hopes were pinned at the details of the ring.
Chapter 5
He kept looking at his watch, waiting for Kiara’s call. It had been only an hour since he had spoken to her, but it felt like an eternity. He had thought of taking a rest, but his mind was not letting him do so either. Finally, he decided to think about the events of the past few days. Maybe that would help the clock run faster.
Everything started a month back when a box full of antiques was found at a car crash site. The two bodies found were completely charred. Even DNA sampling had proved inconclusive. The box, however, was safe. Great care had been taken to make it fireproof. A statewide search was done and every antique store, every museum was alerted, but no one had anything missing. The suspicion was then turned onto the rich and wealthy who were known to have interests in antiques. But no one came forward. No complaints were registered and the case seemed to die on its own, when Jake got hold of the packet outside the jewelry shop. All the stores were under his radar, but the profiling of that particular shop raised suspicion. It was not doing that well, but was still in business for past five years. Several offers were made for a buyout, but the owner did not entertain any. On further investigation, he found that the owner was an illegal immigrant and that raised the suspicion further. On checking his bank accounts, Jake found that a large sum was deposited in it a few weeks before the car crash. However, Jake’s excitement had evaporated when the store owner showed papers confirming the sale of a piece of land. Jake still followed the lead, but it was again inconclusive as the whereabouts of the buyer could not be found. It was said that he was not seen after the date of the deal.
Mystery: Double Cross - The Davenport Mysteries (Suspense novel series of adventure mystery books and Crime mystery thrillers) Page 6