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“Thanks,” she said as she took the paper, not really needing the address. Palm Cove was small enough that finding the major dealership wasn’t a problem. When Dante didn’t move, she asked, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just a little distracted today.”
Did she dare ask if he’d heard about Chambers’s meeting up in the chief’s office? No, she wouldn’t go there. Instead she said, “Sorry you’re stuck here all day.”
“Hopefully Chambers gets tired of seeing me around all the time and puts me back in the field.”
“You could bring him coffee. Ask him if he wants to talk about his day, what’s up with his family and then, if things are going especially well, ask if he wants to talk about his feelings.”
Dante shuddered. “As much as you meant that as a joke, if the guy doesn’t lighten up soon, I might resort to your suggestion.”
“Oh, let me know if you do. I want to stand by the door and listen to every word.”
“I’ll blame you.”
“Go for it,” she said as she walked away. “But he won’t believe that you and I ever had this conversation.”
His chuckle came from behind her, making her smile. Neither of them was very chatty with Chambers, but at least she’d lifted his spirits.
“Heading out to the auto mall?” Brandy asked as Eloise passed her desk.
“Yes. You, too?”
“I am,” she said, gathering her equipment.
“Want to ride together?”
“Sounds good.”
Fifteen minutes later they pulled into the dealership. A patrolman stood by the front door of the glass-enclosed showroom, speaking to an agitated middle-aged man.
“Mr. Parson?” Brandy guessed as they walked his way.
“Looks like him.” The dealership had two major billboards on the highway just outside town, prominently featuring the owner.
The patrolman noticed them and excused himself.
“Hi, Officer Stevens,” Eloise greeted him.
“Archer. Cummings.” He nodded in their direction. “Got the call when Mr. Parson arrived this morning. Two cars in the lot were stolen.” He pointed to his left. “The perps used bolt cutters to breach the perimeter fence and gain access to the property. Focused on taking two newly delivered cars.”
“I’ll go talk to the owner,” Eloise said, then to Brandy, “You can get started.”
“Follow me to the location,” the officer said.
Concentrating on the task at hand, Eloise went inside the bright, shiny showroom. Noticed the pervading scent of rubber and oil mixed with air freshener. Four cars were featured: two sporty models she couldn’t name, an SUV and a four-door sedan. New models. All high-end.
“Mr. Parson,” she said when the owner approached her. “I’m Detective Archer.”
“These car thefts are getting out of hand. This is the second time in six months.”
“I understand your frustration. Believe me, we’re concerned about the problem.”
He ran a hand over the sparse hair on his nearly bald head. “The cars were just delivered yesterday. I didn’t even have time to get them on the showroom floor. It’s like someone knew where the new arrivals were parked.”
“Do you have security camera footage covering the entire lot?”
“Yes. Over here.”
Parson muttered under his breath while leading her to an office on the back side of the showroom. A young woman, twentysomething, Eloise surmised, rushed to his side. “Mr. Parson, I have the insurance company on the line.”
“Give me a minute, Stacy.” He glanced at Eloise. “My office manager.”
She nodded. Once in the room complete with security screens covering different angles of the property, and what smelled like a greasy breakfast sandwich and coffee, Mr. Parson introduced her to Jerry, a security guard, and said, “I’ll be right back.”
Jerry sat back, the chair protesting under his girth. Crumpling up the food wrapper, he tossed it across the room to the trash can, missing his mark. Unconcerned, he clicked a mouse stationed beside his computer keyboard. “Got what ya need right here.”
“Did you go through the footage from last night?”
“Yep.”
“Can you show me where the stolen cars were located?”
“Sure, but you won’t see much. Was like the guys knew where the cameras were mounted. Made sure to face the opposite direction.”
He pulled up the footage in question. Sure enough, two people—young men, she thought—appeared on screen, their faces obscured by hoodies. One held a device in his hands, most likely a wireless code grabber that intercepted signals sent by remote keyless entry devices. Recording the code prior to trespassing on the property, it was then used to unlock the car doors. Once they’d cleared that hurdle, the vehicles started, and soon they were speeding away. As they moved into darkness, the image grew grainy, but she noticed a bright white slash on the back of one of the jackets.
Jerry pointed to another screen. “The gate barring entrance to the lot after-hours was tampered with and moved.”
Explained the easy getaway.
“The main question is, how did they get the key codes? From the office?” Eloise wondered out loud.
“Impossible. Mr. Parson has always been careful with the keys, but after the last theft, he’s even more diligent. I personally see that the keys are stored so that no one can hack ’em.”
Hmm. Obviously someone had. Here or elsewhere?
Eloise asked a few more questions and made notes. Arranged to get a copy of the video sent to the department. This motive didn’t follow the thefts they’d been experiencing with joyriding kids. It amazed her how often owners left a vehicle running to dash inside a store or business or leave an unlocked car in the driveway with the key left in the console. Ripe picking for a kid looking to car-hop. Not the case here. This was deliberate, a well-planned get-in-get-out before the authorities arrive.
She asked a few more questions, then went back to the dealership owner, who had returned to the showroom floor, talking in urgent tones to a salesman.
“Anything else you can tell me, Mr. Parson?”
“Only that somehow these thugs knew I had a delivery scheduled.”
“Are new vehicles brought in on a regular schedule?”
“No, for this exact reason.”
“Any way one of your employees could have passed the delivery information along?”
“There’s only a handful who know the particulars. Stacy Monroe, my wife and my general manager.”
“Is the manager here?”
“No. On vacation. He’ll be back next week.” Mr. Parson’s phone blared. “I need to take this.”
“And your wife?” Eloise asked quickly.
“At home. This is her calling now.”
Pivoting on her heel, Eloise searched for the main office. She found Stacy, a pretty brunette, hanging up the phone, tears in her eyes. “This is terrible.” She swiped a tissue from the box and blotted her eyes. “I’ve been in line for the office manager job for months and when I finally get the position this happens.”
“Do you have something to be worried about?”
Stacy’s eyes went wide. “No, I just mean that we all take this personally.”
“Did you mention yesterday’s delivery to anyone?”
“Of course not.”
“How do you think the thieves knew to go right to the new cars?”
Her chin went up. “I wouldn’t know.”
Upset and defensive. Did Stacy know more than she let on? Or had she messed up somehow and was worried about keeping her job?
“And all the keys are accounted for?”
“Yes.” She grabbed a fancy, square key ring featuring an imprint of some kind of animal on it, passed Eloise in a haze of strong perfume that made her sneeze and unlocked a large wall safe. Inside, key fobs hung from individual hooks, along with corresponding numbers she assumed went with the car the key belonged to. “They were locked up last night.”
And no one had broken into the office or safe. Didn’t matter since the cars were gone, but Eloise had to follow her line of questioning.
“Look.” Stacy sniffled. “I need this job. I wouldn’t risk it by getting involved with stolen cars.”
Until Eloise did a background check on the woman, she’d have to accept her word, but something was off here. Taking a card from the holder on Stacy’s desk, Eloise said, “If I have any more questions I’ll contact you.”
Stacy nodded, then hustled back to the desk when the phone rang. Eloise asked other employees more questions, finally heading to her car once she was satisfied she’d spoken to each person who could supply viable information.
Brandy stood by the sedan. “Finished?”
“For now. Ready to return to the department?”
As Eloise drove, her mind went over the statements she’d taken. No one knew anything. Couldn’t account for the thieves discovering the delivery date. Right now she had lots of questions that would take days to answer.
She and Brandy had just entered the squad room when Lieutenant Chambers caught her attention and motioned for her to come to his office. Thinking he wanted an update, she grabbed her notes and hurried over, stopping short when she saw Dante seated in one of the two chairs before Chambers’s desk.
“Have a seat, Detective.”
Eloise lowered herself, glancing at Dante for a hint of explanation as to what had precipitated the meeting. His expressionless face told her nothing.
“I called you both in here for two reasons.” He met her gaze. “Detective Archer, that call you took this morning. Did it look like our teen car problem?”
“No, sir. It was too deliberate. Too planned out.”
He nodded. “The dealership in Palm Cove isn’t the only one to be hit in recent months. Even dealers like Marcus King, with car lots in multiple cities, are being affected. Intel leads us to believe there’s a ring operating locally. We need to find it and put a stop to their activity.”
“What did you have in mind?” Dante asked, interest lighting his eyes.
“Matthews, I need you to go undercover again.”
Dante sat straighter in the chair.
“With your interest in restoring cars, you have an in. One of our officers, already undercover on a different case, reported unusual activity at an automotive shop under surveillance. We’d like you to infiltrate. We’re hoping this leads you to the ringleader.”
“Does this officer have an in?”
“Yes. You’ll pose as his cousin. He’ll give his seal of approval to secure you a job there.”
Dante nodded. “When do I start?”
“Monday. You’ll be briefed today about the garage in question, as well as the owner, who’s a potential suspect.” He paused a beat. “You won’t be going alone.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t want a hint of failure like last time. I’m sending another detective in with you.”
“To keep an eye on me?”
Eloise tightly gripped her notebook as the tension in the room accelerated.
“To make sure this operation is carried out to satisfaction.”
Dante’s jaw worked but he didn’t respond.
“In order to make this plausible, we’re going to set you up as a married man. Just a guy looking to support his family. A wife in the picture makes you less suspicious.”
“And who is this wife going to be?”
No, Eloise thought. No, no, no.
“Detective Archer.”
“Oh, no,” she groaned under her breath.
* * *
DANTE GLANCED TO his left. Eloise? They were partnering him with Eloise?
