arrogance grated on Cal. Somehow Jeremiah had known
Cal was on his way out of town. Knew
it .
Well, if the man thought he had free
roam in this town and could taunt whomever he wanted, he was wrong.
The visit with Annie yesterday would be Jeremiah’s one and only.
Cal was going to make sure of it. At the moment he had business to
attend. Closing his mind to thoughts of Jeremiah, Cal shifted into
manager mode. Walking behind the front desk, he slowed, surveying
the hotel lobby in a swift evaluation. The fountain was gurgling
softly in the early morning calm, wood floors were satisfactorily
polished to a subtle shine, the windows were clear and clean,
appearing almost non-existent as he took in the lush green
mountainside.
“ Good morning, Mr.
Foster.”
Smiling at the front desk clerk, he
replied, “Good morning, Patti.” Eight-thirty in the morning, there
was only one clerk on duty. The second wouldn’t arrive until ten.
Slowing, he asked, “How does the schedule look for the
day?”
“ Six check-ins and one
departure.”
Cal nodded. Fairly normal for a
forty-room hotel. Fridays were a popular day for arrivals, though
Saturday was their heaviest. Headed to his office, he considered
occupancy rates for the month, scheduled activities, generating a
quick mental profit and loss statement... They were completely
booked through Christmas, and Cal couldn’t be more pleased.
Business was good.
“ Mr. Foster?”
Cal paused and turned.
“Yes?”
Patti approached hesitantly. Glancing
around the vacant lobby, she asked, “Did Mr. Ward tell you about
the gift shop?”
“ The gift shop?” She
nodded but didn’t elaborate. “No, he didn’t. Is there a
problem?”
“ It was robbed last
night.”
“ Robbed?”
“ Yes, sir. A man came in
and stole all the gold pendants.”
Disbelief swirled through him as
questions rose fast and furious. “What man? When?”
“ We don’t know who he
was,” she replied. “It happened around five-thirty, just before
closing time.”
Cal cursed inwardly. “Did Malcolm
report the crime to the police?”
“ Yes, sir. They’re
scheduled to come by this morning and get a statement. I wanted to
be sure you knew.”
“ What time?”
“ Nine.”
Cal checked his watch and mentally
cleared his agenda. “Okay. Thanks, Patti. Let me know when they get
here. Until then, let’s stay on high alert.”
“ Yes, sir.”
Jeremiah Ladd strolled into the
dumpster of a house, the interior saturated with the scent of old
cigarette smoke. The boys were laid out across the couch, the
typical bored expressions pasted on their faces. Well maybe this
would spark their mood. “My pal says those pendants you snagged are
worth a good twenty grand or more. Not bad for a ten-minute
heist.”
Seated on opposite ends of a soiled
couch, his two cohorts exchanged a look of satisfaction. “So
where’s my money?” Rob asked.
Of course that would be his first
question, missing sight of the big picture, Jeremiah thought,
pausing in mid-room. But then again, the brothers weren’t the
sharpest tools in the shed. Never had been. They were thieves, not
rocket scientists. Jeremiah was the brains of this trio, which
meant he had to do everything, including the thinking. “You’ll get
your money and then some. Twenty grand is squat when you look at
the hole they carved out of the ground.” According to his friend at
the pawn shop, the gold Delaney scored from the site had to be five
times that much, a hundred times. “The rest has to be in a safe
somewhere and it’s our job to find it.”
The men looked at him
expectantly. “I didn't see no office when I was there.” The younger
brother scratched his head, his dark brown hair a greasy mess of
nasty strands. Even his beard looked knotted and nappy. The two
would not have been Jeremiah’s first choice for partners in crime,
but after two dozen phone calls, these boys had been his only hope.
Clem Sweeney had been useful the first time
Cal was on his way out of town. Knew
it .
Well, if the man thought he had free
roam in this town and could taunt whomever he wanted, he was wrong.
The visit with Annie yesterday would be Jeremiah’s one and only.
Cal was going to make sure of it. At the moment he had business to
attend. Closing his mind to thoughts of Jeremiah, Cal shifted into
manager mode. Walking behind the front desk, he slowed, surveying
the hotel lobby in a swift evaluation. The fountain was gurgling
softly in the early morning calm, wood floors were satisfactorily
polished to a subtle shine, the windows were clear and clean,
appearing almost non-existent as he took in the lush green
mountainside.
“ Good morning, Mr.
Foster.”
Smiling at the front desk clerk, he
replied, “Good morning, Patti.” Eight-thirty in the morning, there
was only one clerk on duty. The second wouldn’t arrive until ten.
Slowing, he asked, “How does the schedule look for the
day?”
“ Six check-ins and one
departure.”
Cal nodded. Fairly normal for a
forty-room hotel. Fridays were a popular day for arrivals, though
Saturday was their heaviest. Headed to his office, he considered
occupancy rates for the month, scheduled activities, generating a
quick mental profit and loss statement... They were completely
booked through Christmas, and Cal couldn’t be more pleased.
Business was good.
“ Mr. Foster?”
Cal paused and turned.
“Yes?”
Patti approached hesitantly. Glancing
around the vacant lobby, she asked, “Did Mr. Ward tell you about
the gift shop?”
“ The gift shop?” She
nodded but didn’t elaborate. “No, he didn’t. Is there a
problem?”
“ It was robbed last
night.”
“ Robbed?”
“ Yes, sir. A man came in
and stole all the gold pendants.”
Disbelief swirled through him as
questions rose fast and furious. “What man? When?”
“ We don’t know who he
was,” she replied. “It happened around five-thirty, just before
closing time.”
Cal cursed inwardly. “Did Malcolm
report the crime to the police?”
“ Yes, sir. They’re
scheduled to come by this morning and get a statement. I wanted to
be sure you knew.”
“ What time?”
“ Nine.”
Cal checked his watch and mentally
cleared his agenda. “Okay. Thanks, Patti. Let me know when they get
here. Until then, let’s stay on high alert.”
“ Yes, sir.”
Jeremiah Ladd strolled into the
dumpster of a house, the interior saturated with the scent of old
cigarette smoke. The boys were laid out across the couch, the
typical bored expressions pasted on their faces. Well maybe this
would spark their mood. “My pal says those pendants you snagged are
worth a good twenty grand or more. Not bad for a ten-minute
heist.”
Seated on opposite ends of a soiled
couch, his two cohorts exchanged a look of satisfaction. “So
where’s my money?” Rob asked.
Of course that would be his first
question, missing sight of the big picture, Jeremiah thought,
pausing in mid-room. But then again, the brothers weren’t the
sharpest tools in the shed. Never had been. They were thieves, not
rocket scientists. Jeremiah was the brains of this trio, which
meant he had to do everything, including the thinking. “You’ll get
your money and then some. Twenty grand is squat when you look at
the hole they carved out of the ground.” According to his friend at
the pawn shop, the gold Delaney scored from the site had to be five
times that much, a hundred times. “The rest has to be in a safe
somewhere and it’s our job to find it.”
The men looked at him
expectantly. “I didn't see no office when I was there.” The younger
brother scratched his head, his dark brown hair a greasy mess of
nasty strands. Even his beard looked knotted and nappy. The two
would not have been Jeremiah’s first choice for partners in crime,
but after two dozen phone calls, these boys had been his only hope.
Clem Sweeney had been useful the first time
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