Chapter 3: On Safari
Winston-Winslow. Tuesday, April 8, 2008.
"You're sure you don't mind?" Peter asked when Neal arrived at his office. "I can't help feeling I should be the one assisting Jones and Anna."
Neal frowned at him. "Leave El and Danny when Sara and I will be there anyway? On what planet would that be logical? Sara's excited to participate but from what she told me, our role may not even materialize." He swung into a side chair. "If I were in your position, I wouldn't want to travel either."
"Is that why you and Sara planned this trip? Check it off your bucket list before you have kids?" Peter had been surprised when he heard that Neal and Sara intended to vacation in Africa. What with all the other traveling they were doing, taking a break to go on safari seemed out of character.
"We realize we won't want to travel as much when we have little ones at home," Neal said, not answering him directly. "At least not until they're old enough to appreciate the experience. I'm glad though that Jones doesn't need us in Cape Town immediately. I couldn't leave my students during the final week of frenzied preparations. The opening reception for the Visual Arts exhibitions is on Friday evening."
"Only a year ago you were on the other side."
"You don't need to remind me. Yesterday, Sara and I got together with Aidan, Keiko, Richard, and Travis to reminisce about those panicked-filled days and sleepless nights."
"I bet you also toasted the return of the emerald ring to the Met."
Neal smiled. "You need to celebrate your victories when you get them. I met Martine at the museum on Saturday morning. It wasn't as satisfying as it could be. We didn't catch the thief, but on the positive side, the Egyptian Museum has secured funding to upgrade their security. A team from Interpol will assist them."
"Will Marcel and Klaus be on the team?" The art crimes task force had put together a package of best practice security measures for museums to follow. Neal had been heavily involved in the compilation.
"Most likely." Neal smiled. "I'm told their dog-and-pony show is almost as good as ours. While I was in Cairo, I spoke at length with their investigators. I'm happy to report that Egypt will designate a permanent task force member."
"That's great news. You mentioned that Raquel provided key assistance ... Do I want to know what you needed to do in exchange?"
Neal laughed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"All right. She wanted me to pass along a favorable report to Vanya Sherkov." Neal lowered his voice. "You see, they've become an item."
When Peter retrieved his jaw from the floor, his first thought was to ask, "Aren't you worried about what con she's running?"
Neal took a slow breath. "Raquel is many things but a con artist isn't one of them. She convinced me her feelings are genuine, but Vanya's never spoken about her to me. I met with him this morning before coming to the office. He's still playing it close to the vest."
"How did you handle it?"
"Discussing the emerald was easy. Martine had approached him before coming to see me. It was natural to update him on the success. I simply mentioned that Raquel's knowledge of jewelry buyers was invaluable. He may suspect that she talked about him to me but I didn't mention it." Neal grinned. "Sara said their situation reminded her of when we were conning everyone to believe we weren't dating. If Vanya's not ready to go public, I'm certainly not going to say anything. I like Raquel. I like Vanya. What happens is their business."
Peter detected a hint of defensiveness in Neal's voice. It probably hadn't been an easy decision to make. But Klaus had made a fresh start. Alex now had a legitimate job. Perhaps this odd couple had a chance too.
A week later.
By the time Sara and Neal arrived in Cape Town, the De Beers case was a wrap. Instead of participating in a sting, they invited Jones and Anna to join them for tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel.
"Now that I've gotten a taste of Cape Town, I want to come back when I can simply be a tourist," Anna said, scanning the surrounding gardens with delight. "I'd love to stay here."
"We picked this hotel because June had such fond memories of it," Neal said. "It's easy to understand why."
The Mount Nelson has rocketed to the top of Sara's list of favorite spots for high tea. Melterts, beef frikkadels, koesisters, scones—she couldn't begin to pick a favorite delicacy. June had praised the gourmet fare and regional wines available at the hotel, and it was living up to its reputation.
Would Jones and Anna return to Cape Town for their honeymoon? By the smiles they were exchanging, Sara guessed that the trip hadn't only been successful from the business standpoint.
"What tripped Minke up?" Neal asked.
"After three days of tailing him, we hit paydirt," Jones explained. "We spotted him at a bar talking with someone we didn't recognize. When we ran his photo through facial recognition software, he was identified as a known member of an African terrorist organization. Armed with that evidence, we could bring in the police and secure a warrant."
"A search of the hard drive of his laptop revealed so much more than we'd anticipated," Anna said. "Minke was stealing diamonds to fund arms purchases for the terrorists. We even found some of the diamonds in his apartment. He was arrested two days ago."
"You solved the case quicker than you'd anticipated," Sara noted. "Any plans for a little R&R on the way back?"
"We could hardly pass up an opportunity to break up our trip!" Jones said. "We'd love to take a safari like you but that will take much more planning and time off."
"So instead we're going to squeeze in some time in Cairo on the way back," Anna said. "As a diehard fan of The Mummy and Stargate, I can't wait to experience the real thing."
Jones helped himself to a slice of smoked salmon. "This is the perfect setting to solidify your Red Diamonds status. I'm surprised you haven't included the discovery of some lost fabulous gem in your itinerary."
"We considered it," Sara admitted. "The Heart of Eternity was very tempting."
"I haven't heard about it," Anna said. "Is it real?"
"Very much so," Neal said. "It's a magnificent heart-shaped blue diamond that inspired the diamond used in the film Titanic. The diamond wasn't found in a De Beers mine, but they owned it for a while before selling it to an anonymous buyer. It doesn't fit our current profile, but it might come into play at a later time."
Sara wished it could. It was one of the gems featured in an exhibit at the Cape Town Diamond Museum. On display were copies of many of the most famous diamonds. When would Diamond Lil reach out to them? It was hard to be patient. Sometimes Sara dreamed about what the thief would demand. To steal the Hope Diamond from the Smithsonian? A gem from the British Crown Jewels? The longer Diamond Lil waited, the more Sara fretted. Their con hadn't cost much up to now as they'd always rolled the fictitious searches into business trips. But with no nibbles to show for their efforts, she sometimes wondered if they didn't need to reassess.
Neal advised holding off on any change in course for a year. On the plus side, no other forged gems had been found. And, more importantly, there was currently no reason to be distracted from the marvelous vacation he'd planned for her. They'd arrived a day early in Cape Town in case they were needed for a sting. Now they could use that time to explore the countryside and visit vineyards.
#
Three days later, Neal and Sara indulged in a luxury sleeper car on the Blue Train where they enjoyed the sights of South Africa from Cape Town to Pretoria. Afterward, they went on a photographic safari in Kruger National Park. Neal had planned the trip such that they'd arrive in Nairobi on April 24, just in time to celebrate Emily's birthday.
Had she lived, Emily would be thirty-four on the twenty-fifth of April. She'd been killed when she was seventeen, but they'd only discovered the circumstances of her death two years ago. That was shortly before the graduation ceremony for Neal's master's degree. In memory of Emily, they'd adopted a giraffe at the Bronx Zoo. While strolling among the wildlife, Sara discussed Emily's love of giraffes and her hope to travel someday to Africa. When Neal heard about a hotel in Kenya where giraffes roamed freely, he got the idea to go on a safari in memory of Emily.
The Giraffe Manor was a historic house set in a forested suburb of Nairobi. The owners had pioneered the conservation of Rothschild's giraffes. The species was no longer endangered but giraffes still roamed the manor, often poking their heads into the dining room windows for treats.
"Happy Birthday, Emily!" Sara said with a smile as she raised her mimosa to the giraffe peering through the window at their breakfast table. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears when she turned to Neal. "I used to think I'd lost her, but these past several days I feel like we've reconnected. Thank you so very much for planning this trip."
Neal swallowed down the lump that had formed in his own throat. "I'm sure she was bumping along with us in our SUV at Kruger National Park. And she'll continue to be with us as we explore Kenya's wildlife parks."
"I hope this won't be our last trip here."
"No reason for it to be. Who knows? Next time we come, we might bring our kids! Would you like one of them to be named Emily?"
"I'd considered it, but Emily's memories are so unique, I don't think I'd want them blended with one of our children."
"Then how about referencing her name? For instance, we could call a girl Emma."
Sara laughed. "That's perfect! Our Clueless Con would live on. You don't think we'd jinx her?"
"No. Like us, she'll make her share of mistakes, but I can already predict a spectacularly happy ending for her."
"And just like the Clueless Con, the true significance could remain a mystery," Sara said happily. "Others could think we named her in honor of Emma Peel, but we'd know the truth." She took a sip of her mimosa. "Will you teach Emma Swahili?"
"I think we should add the language to our list, don't you?"
"Definitely." Sara settled back into her chair. "I hope you realize this would be an excellent time for you to explain your fluency."
"Even if it involves Adler?"
"Especially if it involves him. Do I need to worry about Kate being a factor?"
"Fortunately not. But you can express your appreciation to Mozzie next time you see him. A smuggler friend of his taught me the basics while I was working for Adler."
"I hope he wasn't an ivory smuggler!"
Neal shook his head firmly. "Mozzie and I both dislike animal trafficking. His friend smuggled something you're much more fond of."
"Gems?" Sara suggested.
Neal nodded. "At one time, I considered going with him to Burma."
"I wonder if he'd be any help with our current investigation."
"I wish he could. Mozzie heard he was killed three years ago while on a job in Vietnam." The news had hit Neal hard. If Peter hadn't reached out to him in St. Louis, that could have been his fate as well. He wished someone like Peter could have been there for Emily.
Two weeks later in an apartment in Brussels, Belgium.
"I'm sorry, but the heist is no-go," Alice Langton said.
Adrian Tulane frowned at her from his position on the couch. "I have a buyer lined up for the Dresden Green. We'd make millions. You're the best in the business. You're telling me you can't crack the vault's software?"
Alice knew Tulane would be displeased but better for him to face the music now. Since fleeing the States, she'd made a name for herself among certain circles for her ability to hack security systems and software. For a while, she'd worked with Marta Jacek but once she discovered how fixated Marta was on Rolf Mansfeld, Alice struck out on her own. By then, she'd made enough contacts that she didn't need Marta. Then last fall, when Rolf was killed and Marta arrested, Alice could pat herself on the back for having escaped their fate.
Tulane had been one of Alice's clients for several years. She'd met him in Australia by chance when they stayed at the same hotel. What began as a casual flirtation turned into a much more meaningful partnership when they discovered each other's talents.
She and Tulane kept a low profile in their apartment on a quiet side street in downtown Brussels. The large building encouraged the anonymity they required.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence," she said drily. "But you'll recall I cautioned we were on borrowed time in Europe. Interpol Art Crimes has been encouraging museums to implement the same software used in the States. In a way, it's our fault. The successes we've had likely precipitated the security upgrades. Once authorities discovered the forgeries in Vienna and Paris, it was inevitable that museums would sign up."
She derived a certain satisfaction in knowing that Aidan Phillips was the mastermind of the Root32 anti-malware. Even though she'd severed her ties with MIT, she still retained a fondness for the institute. Someday, she'd program a worm capable of burrowing into Aidan's code. It was a personal challenge that gave her more motivation than the monetary gain she acquired from the thefts.
Tulane continued to glower. He'd fixated on the Dresden Green for over a month. He'd established enviable connections with a clientele who were only too happy to pay up for the finest gemstones, but stealing them was becoming more problematic by the moment. The most valuable gems in the States were untouchable. The situation in Europe could soon be the same.
"It looks like I'll have to bring in Caffrey, after all," Tulane said.
"We'd already discussed him when I discovered who the Red Diamonds were," she pointed out. "You agreed the risks were too high." They'd determined the crew members included Neal, his wife Sara Ellis, Diana Berrigan, and undoubtedly Mozzie. Most likely, Neal had roped his cousin Henry into the scheme as well. Alice was very familiar with all of them through her years of work with Rolf. If the reports about the Red Diamonds were accurate—and in her mind, that was dubious—they'd unearthed fabulous historical gems and sold them on the darknet.
Were Neal and Mozzie playing the others? Tulane had told her about the Anastasia con Neal was running where he pretended to be a Caffrey. Rolf had been unaware of the con but he'd often spoken about Neal's con artistry expertise.
"Not if we handle it right," Tulane insisted. "He just needs the proper motivation. Once he's working for us, we can get him to sabotage Aidan's software. For someone of Neal's talents, that shouldn't be difficult."
Alice didn't argue the point but she was much more hopeful that they could eventually recruit Aidan. Neal did jobs on the side. Surely Aidan would want to as well. Hackers and thieves had much in common with the thrill of the job often obliterating any legal concerns.
"Neal simply needs to be reminded that we're on the same side," Tulane continued. "I'm sure he doesn't want his trophy wife to know about his scheme to defraud the Caffrey family. He's embedded himself at Columbia University. He's living the high life in one of Manhattan's most elegant mansions. He won't want to lose any of his new acquisitions or his current cachet. And there's no need for him to."
"He'll dismiss any attempts to blackmail him unless you have proof," she warned.
"And that's just what you will provide," Tulane said confidently.
Notes: I plan to post the next Red Diamonds story, Winston's Diamonds, on August 20. In that story, a visit to Harry Winston's diamond vault sparks an expansion of the con while troubling reports arrive from Winston-Winslow. Could they have anything to do with Adrian Tulane and Alice Langton? If you'd like a sneak peek, check out the introduction to Winston's Diamonds on my blog.