“Second of all, our motivation is different from that of the authorities. The authorities actually have conflicting goals. They, of course, want to rescue your child, but that’s only one of their objectives. They also want to catch the perpetrators, and I say ‘perpetrators’ specifically, because modern kidnapping is 258
a team sport, and often they want to catch the perpetrators with about equal zeal as they want to free the abductee. In other words, there are political ramifications for the police and the FBI. Also, what else is occasionally troubling is that the authorities often are competitive with each other, which is hardly the kind of situation that is the most successful.
“None of that is applicable to us. Bringing your child home safe is our one and only goal and concern. We don’t care about the perpetrators. We don’t care if they get arrested; we don’t care if they get convicted. If they do, all the better, but it is not our goal, whereas with the police or FBI it most certainly is. As far as your son is concerned, we then have a step on the police or FBI. We don’t worry about warrants for searches or listening devices; we don’t concern ourselves with Miranda rights, and we can and are, on occasion, heavy-handed with suspects.
When we need information, we get it. Let’s put it that way.”
“Do you consider yourselves vigilantes of sorts?” Laurie asked.
“Not in the slightest,” Collins said. “Our sole goal is the safe recovery of your child as soon as possible. That’s the mission. If an abductor gets hurt, that’s their problem, not ours, but we’re not about to punish anyone.”
“You’re only talking in generalities, Grover,” Lou complained. “Tell them what you told me about specifics. Tell them why you would be good for this case in particular.”
“Detective Soldano has been very open with us,” Grover continued, “and he has shared with us the file from the Real Time Crime Center. He’s also let us read the threatening letter which you had received and ignored.”
“There were reasons,” Laurie said, embarrassed anew.
“I can understand why you might have ignored it,” Grover said. “So don’t be hard on yourself. It only mentioned you, not your son. But the combination of your son’s abduction and the letter tells us that this case needs to move forward quickly to minimize the threat to your child, and that’s the way we will approach the case if you decide to employ us. Knowing the police and how they work, my strong sense is they will be conservative and wait for the abductors to communicate here and begin a negotiation, as they already have done. The passive approach, which is a tried-and-true method, isn’t appropriate in this situation. We believe the approach should be more proactive by anticipating consequences. Although it’s generally difficult to discover where a victim is being held, the opposite is true in this case for a number of reasons. We think these kidnappers are not experienced. The snatch was poorly planned and executed.
Experienced kidnappers don’t start the game off with a homicide, as Lou can tell 259
you.”
“It’s true,” Lou offered. “On the last and only kidnapping case I was involved in, the snatch was the most carefully planned part of the whole deal.”
“Second,” Grover continued, “there was no apparent research as to the extent of personal wealth. If I’m not mistaken, there is no huge payday here, like a huge family fortune that can be tapped.”
“Hardly,” Jack responded. “All of our savings are tied up in this renovated house.
“Let me tell you, in a kidnap-for-ransom case these days, it is extraordinarily rare for the perpetrator not to have done extensive research into the victim’s finances. It suggests that the kidnapping was done not for monetary gain but for something else entirely. The talk about money is probably a distraction at best.”
“If the threatening letter is associated with the kidnapping, as we believe it is, the real issue is for you to stop investigating the case mentioned in the letter, at least in the short run. What can you tell us about it?”
“It’s a case I’m taking over,” Lou said, speaking up before Laurie. “It was initially thought to be a natural death, but Laurie has proved otherwise. We also have a name: Satoshi Machita. Just this afternoon Laurie has established quite believably that it was an organized crime-sponsored assassination. Beyond that I cannot say.”
“Interesting,” Grover said, pausing while he pondered this new information. “The possible involvement of organized crime is an important new wrinkle.”
“It’s certainly going to quickly influence my homicide investigation,” Lou added.
“I’m also curious about the tone of the letter,” Grover said. “It’s as if a third party was involved, making me think there might have been an element of extortion playing a role. I mean, why this anonymity?”
“My thought exactly,” Lou said. “And there was a situation of such extortion in OCME about fifteen years ago. Remember, Laurie?”
“Of course I do,” Laurie said. “Vinnie Amendola had been indebted to the Cerino Mob for saving his father way back when. And today Vinnie was acting very out of character. In fact, he took an emergency leave, supposedly for a family emergency.”
“Did he say where?” Lou questioned.
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“He didn’t,” Laurie said.
“Well, I know what I’ll be doing first thing in the morning,” Lou said.
“That could be helpful,” Grover said, “but I don’t think we should wait until this Vinnie is located and questioned. I’m concerned about the child’s safety.
Whoever the abductors are, they surely don’t mind killing, as evidenced by how they did the snatch, and I’m worried what they will do with the child once they believe they have achieved their goal of getting Laurie out of the morgue to keep her from discovering what she’s already discovered, which I’m assuming they don’t know as of yet.”
“What exactly would you do?” Jack asked. He did not see anything else that could be done other than wait for the abductors to call and then trace the call.
“All I can see is what the police are doing, trying to get the bad guys into a negotiation. JJ could be anywhere, anywhere at all in the whole state or neighboring states.”
“I think your child is nearby,” Grover said. “Considering the way the case has gone so far in terms of a near total lack of planning, your son is probably at one of the participants’ homes. In many respects, handling and housing an infant is logistically easier than an adult. With an adult, all sorts of precautions have to be taken for them not to know where they are secreted away and a method for housing them such that they never see their captors, unless, of course, the abductors never plan to release them. But killing the victim makes getting anything in return impossible because of elaborate proof-of-life mechanisms developed for the exchange process.”
“Okay,” Jack said. “I understand all that, but how do you propose to find out where our child is being held? That seems impossible to me.”
“It is often difficult, if not impossible,” Grover agreed. “But there are unique situations that can help, as I believe there are in this circumstance. First, there is the strong possibility Vinnie Amendola may be able to help by providing information about who the kidnappers are. But we shouldn’t wait for that possibility, although we will encourage it. No, the unique circumstance is the fact that you are living in a city with true neighborhoods. People who are not New Yorkers probably would not understand, as they see New York as a massive, impersonal city. While we’ve been here waiting to speak to you and your wife, I’ve had the pleasure to talk with your friend here, Warren Wilson, who is very concerned about your child and eager to help.”
Grover gestured toward Warren, who nodded in confirmation.
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“He’s told me,” Grover continued, “that you and your wife are respected and universally liked members of this neighborhood, which is close-knit, and have been so for almost twenty years. He also mentioned your generosity, in respect to the playground across the street, and about young men who have stayed in school and gone off to college because of you. It’s a wonderful story, which is now going to come back and reward you.”
“How so?” Jack asked.
“One thing that CRT has learned over the years in handling hundreds and hundreds of kidnapping cases is that the kidnappers often watch over their victim’s families, mainly to ensure that the families comply with their demands.
One demand, which is always a part of the kidnapping scenario, is to keep authorities away from the action. The only way they can do that is by watching that there isn’t police or FBI traffic in and out of the family’s residence. If they see that happening, they bring it up on the next call and make another distant threat that such and such will be done to the victim.
“And if we are correct in assuming this particular kidnapping is not primarily a kidnap for ransom but rather a way to keep your wife from her work, there is even more reason to suspect they will have a watcher on duty, at least during the daylight hours.”
“So you intend to catch this watcher? Is that the idea?”
“It is indeed. The reason that it works, which we’ve been able to use maybe a half-dozen times before, twice in São Paulo, Brazil, is that these are stable, tight neighborhoods where the residents quickly recognize people hanging around who don’t belong. Warren has offered to do that for you, starting early tomorrow morning. He assures us this is a very tight community with experience picking out strangers to keep gang violence to a minimum.”
Jack looked at Warren, who again nodded in confirmation.
“Once you catch the so-called ‘watcher,’ what do you do?” Jack questioned.
“Best not to ask,” Grover said. “First we make certain the individual is a watcher on the case in question. Then we ask him or her where the victim is being held.
As I said earlier, in contrast to the police or FBI, our hands are not tied by legal niceties. Our interest and concern are finding and rescuing the victim. Sometimes it takes more persuasion than others.”
“And once you have the location, what then?”
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“It depends to an extent on how concerned we are about the victim’s plight. If the risk is low, we’ll try to determine before a raid where and under what conditions the victim is being held. Sometimes, like with your son, we would move on a rescue immediately. But that’s when Colt here comes into play. He is CRT’s major rescuer. His talents are legendary. He’s capable of entering a home and taking pierced earrings out of people’s ears without waking them.”
“If we hire you,” Jack questioned, “how will the police react? Do you or we tell them or keep it a secret?”
“We tell them. Actually, we try to work with them, even to the point of giving suggestions when appropriate. We never tell them what to do, just what we’ve done in the past that seemed to work. Plus, we’re all for the police to have the credit when the victim is rescued or exchanged. We truly do not want the credit in the media, because we do our job better with anonymity.”
“Can I ask the cost?”
“By all means. Colt and I as a team will be two thousand dollars a day plus expenses. Obviously, with no travel the expenses will be minimal.”
“Excuse me for a moment,” Jack said, rising to his feet. He motioned for Laurie to step out into the hallway. Once there, he asked, sotto voce, “Well, what do you think?”
“I was impressed by Detective Bennett and how the police have responded, but I’m also impressed by these two men. They have enormous experience. I’m just so upset I don’t know if I can make a rational decision, although the idea of being proactive appeals to me.”
“Well said,” Jack responded. “I can’t claim to be clear-thinking, either. Let’s get Lou’s and Warren’s opinions.”
“Good idea,” Laurie said.
Jack stuck his head back into the room. He motioned to Lou and Warren that he’d like to speak with them, and they responded immediately. When they were all in the kitchen and out of earshot of the men from CRT, Jack said, “Laurie and I realize we’re not in the best condition to be thinking rationally, and frankly are a bit overwhelmed. What do you people think we should do?”
“I think you should hire these guys,” Lou said. “That’s why I called them. I think it is a lucky break they are available.”
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“What about you, Warren?”
“I’d hire them. What can you lose? And I’m more than happy to help for JJ’s and for Leticia’s sake. And all the guys will be happy to pitch in. It’s not a problem.”
“Terrific!” Jack said decisively, trying to find a way to lift his spirits as the nightmare continued to unfold around him.
37
MARCH 27, 2010
SATURDAY, 9:16 a.m.
I
t had not been a good night for Laurie or Jack. Once the house was empty, save for the single detective hidden away manning the telephone equipment, the horrors of their experience set in with a vengeance. Knowing their child was in harm’s way in the company of terrible strangers who might be mistreating him, and being powerless to do anything about it, was a kind of torture they had never experienced. They also spoke of Leticia and the tragedy she represented, and how her death would be a source of guilt for them for the rest of their lives.
Laurie finally fell asleep around seven, after a particularly long binge of tears, but Jack had not slept at all. By seven-thirty he’d given up, made himself a pot of tea, and sat in the family room. He was breathing, but that was about all, his mind an exhausted blank.
It was in that state that the phone rang. Jack answered it in a panic, not because of who he thought might be calling but rather to try to keep it from awakening Laurie.
“Hello,” Jack blurted.
“I want to speak to Laurie Montgomery-Stapleton,” Brennan ordered, again trying to sound angry and demanding, as if he’d had reason to feel slighted.
“She’s asleep,” Jack answered. Although he’d not heard the man’s voice the evening before, Jack knew instantly with whom he was speaking, which filled him with boundless fury and resentment. He had to restrain himself from verbally attacking the man.
“She’ll speak to me if she knows what is good for her son.”