screenshot we pulled out of Elliott Moritz’s security video.
He studied it. “The lighting is terrible. It could be anybody. It’s certainly nobody I recognize…from life or the movies, ” he added as he handed the screenshot to Leo.
Leo looked at it and shook his head. “Can you get us a better picture? A different angle? Or maybe do some of those crazy computer tricks to make it less blurry, like they do on the TV shows?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bassett,” I said. “It is what it is. We knew it was a long shot, but we had to ask.”
“What do we do now?” Leo asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “We just wanted to touch base with you and let you know we’re making progress. We’ll get back to you soon.”
Leo escorted us to the elevator, and Kylie and I rode down without saying a word. Only when we were back in the car and out of range of their security cameras did Kylie break the silence.
“What’s your take on those two?” she said.
“Max is a coldhearted bastard who cares more about the missing necklace than about the dead woman who was wearing it. And Leo, who doesn’t understand the difference between the movies and real life, acts like he’s starring in a jewelry heist film, and the two of us are extras who play cops. What’s your take?”
“You know me, Zach. I suspect everybody of everything. The problem is, Max seems too smart to hire a couple of bozos like Teddy and Raymond, and Leo seems too dumb to put an operation like this together. So based on what we know about them, it’s hard to connect them to the crime.”
“Then maybe the real problem is, we don’t know enough about them,” I said, taking out my phone. “Yet.”
CHAPTER 30
Leo Bassett stood behind the drapes, peeked out the window at West 21st Street, and watched as Detectives Jordan and MacDonald drove off.
“They’re gone,” he said.
“They’ll be back,” his brother said.
“Two or three more times, maybe,” Leo said with a toss of his hand. “The last time around the cops barely bothered to talk to us. Don’t worry. These two will give up soon enough. They always do.”
They always do. Max closed his eyes and marveled at how blissfully ignorant his brother could be.
Over the past twenty-two years, the Bassetts had been the victims of three previous robberies. Each one had been flawlessly planned by Max and executed by professionals. None of the cases had been solved, and the claims, each one filed with a different insurance company, were paid in full—a total of nineteen million dollars. Max then recut the stolen gems and sold them as loose stones.
“Leo,” Max said patiently, “these two cops will not give up. They will be back again, and again, and again. You want to know why?”
Leo shrugged.
Max exploded. “Because they’ve got a dead fucking movie star on their plate. I told you this was a bad idea from the get-go. Banta and Burkhardt are in prison for the next thirty years, and what did I say to you? I said let’s not press our luck. Let’s not try this with somebody new. But no: you swore that Jeremy could pull it off, and he’d bring in two top-notch replacements. Top-notch? One is dead, the other is on the run, and the cops have a surveillance picture of your boy toy. You better find Jeremy and our necklace before they do, or we’re in deep shit. I don’t know why I let you talk me into this.”
“Talk you into it? Don’t lay this on me. What choice did we have? We’re hemorrhaging money. Do you know how much you’ve spent on your over-the-top African safaris and your insane deep-sea expeditions?” Leo demanded. “And God knows how many millions you’ve poured into the lake house.”
“While you, on the other hand, are as frugal as a church mouse on a pension.”
“I’ve worked hard all my life, Max. I’ve earned my little taste of la dolce vita.”
Max snorted. “Little taste? You are the most narcissistic, hedonistic person on the planet. You flew thirty people to
He studied it. “The lighting is terrible. It could be anybody. It’s certainly nobody I recognize…from life or the movies, ” he added as he handed the screenshot to Leo.
Leo looked at it and shook his head. “Can you get us a better picture? A different angle? Or maybe do some of those crazy computer tricks to make it less blurry, like they do on the TV shows?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bassett,” I said. “It is what it is. We knew it was a long shot, but we had to ask.”
“What do we do now?” Leo asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “We just wanted to touch base with you and let you know we’re making progress. We’ll get back to you soon.”
Leo escorted us to the elevator, and Kylie and I rode down without saying a word. Only when we were back in the car and out of range of their security cameras did Kylie break the silence.
“What’s your take on those two?” she said.
“Max is a coldhearted bastard who cares more about the missing necklace than about the dead woman who was wearing it. And Leo, who doesn’t understand the difference between the movies and real life, acts like he’s starring in a jewelry heist film, and the two of us are extras who play cops. What’s your take?”
“You know me, Zach. I suspect everybody of everything. The problem is, Max seems too smart to hire a couple of bozos like Teddy and Raymond, and Leo seems too dumb to put an operation like this together. So based on what we know about them, it’s hard to connect them to the crime.”
“Then maybe the real problem is, we don’t know enough about them,” I said, taking out my phone. “Yet.”
CHAPTER 30
Leo Bassett stood behind the drapes, peeked out the window at West 21st Street, and watched as Detectives Jordan and MacDonald drove off.
“They’re gone,” he said.
“They’ll be back,” his brother said.
“Two or three more times, maybe,” Leo said with a toss of his hand. “The last time around the cops barely bothered to talk to us. Don’t worry. These two will give up soon enough. They always do.”
They always do. Max closed his eyes and marveled at how blissfully ignorant his brother could be.
Over the past twenty-two years, the Bassetts had been the victims of three previous robberies. Each one had been flawlessly planned by Max and executed by professionals. None of the cases had been solved, and the claims, each one filed with a different insurance company, were paid in full—a total of nineteen million dollars. Max then recut the stolen gems and sold them as loose stones.
“Leo,” Max said patiently, “these two cops will not give up. They will be back again, and again, and again. You want to know why?”
Leo shrugged.
Max exploded. “Because they’ve got a dead fucking movie star on their plate. I told you this was a bad idea from the get-go. Banta and Burkhardt are in prison for the next thirty years, and what did I say to you? I said let’s not press our luck. Let’s not try this with somebody new. But no: you swore that Jeremy could pull it off, and he’d bring in two top-notch replacements. Top-notch? One is dead, the other is on the run, and the cops have a surveillance picture of your boy toy. You better find Jeremy and our necklace before they do, or we’re in deep shit. I don’t know why I let you talk me into this.”
“Talk you into it? Don’t lay this on me. What choice did we have? We’re hemorrhaging money. Do you know how much you’ve spent on your over-the-top African safaris and your insane deep-sea expeditions?” Leo demanded. “And God knows how many millions you’ve poured into the lake house.”
“While you, on the other hand, are as frugal as a church mouse on a pension.”
“I’ve worked hard all my life, Max. I’ve earned my little taste of la dolce vita.”
Max snorted. “Little taste? You are the most narcissistic, hedonistic person on the planet. You flew thirty people to
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