Hidden Agemda (Kate Diamond Adventure) (3 page)

Kate wondered if operating on the outskirts of the law added to the excitement for her. It did have a certain appeal, except for when she had to dodge the law, like last night when she’d had to dodge FBI agent Ace Mason.

Kate pushed thoughts of Ace Mason out of her head. Even if he was on the case of the missing ruby he certainly wouldn’t have the information she did. The FBI was too slow and bloated to gather the intel this fast. She had nothing to worry about.

Closing her eyes, she tried to think of where the trail would take her. Crowder was known to hold auctions and parties in strange and exotic locations. He’d do whatever it took to attract his buyers and help them maintain their anonymity. Maybe she’d jet to Europe, go on an exotic cruise, or bask on a Caribbean island. After she recovered the ruby, she could take some extra vacation time to enjoy herself.
 

Kate could almost smell the salty, tropical sea air and feel the gritty sand under her feet as she pictured herself sipping a pineapple and rum-laced umbrella drink and gazing out onto the aqua ocean while the sun warmed her skin …

“Kate … Kate …” Kate heard Gideon calling from far away. She slowly opened one eye.
 

Had she fallen asleep?
She must have because Gideon was shaking her shoulder to wake her.

“Wha—?” she mumbled sleepily.

“I’ve got it!” Gideon pointed excitedly to the computer screen and Kate sat up in her chair, leaning over to see what the excitement was about. “I’ve figured out where Crowder is going to try to sell off the ruby.”

“Really?” Kate perked up, fully awake now. In her mind, she started sorting through her closet, choosing from her summer wardrobe. She’d have to bring that cute turquoise sundress … the salmon colored shorts set … she might have to buy some new sandals. She couldn’t wait to get away. The weather was turning cold in Boston and a tropical location was just what she needed.

“Come on Gideon, tell me where it is.” Kate looked from the computer monitor to Gideon as she squirmed in her seat. From the look of excitement on her friend’s face, she knew it was someplace good.
 

“This is a chance of a lifetime, Kate,” Gideon said. His obvious excitement was infectious. She perched on the edge of her seat, waiting for him to announce the location.

“You’re going to Antarctica.”

“Antarctica?” Kate stared at Gideon trying to determine if he was kidding. “But there’s nothing there except snow and ice.”

“… And Emperor penguins, Minke whales and Weddell seals among some of the most amazing sights on the planet,” Gideon replied. “If you get the chance you should kayak up to the icebergs—they’re spectacular. And you
must
swim in one of the lagoons at Deception Island.”

Kate eyed the pile of Red Bull cans and wondered if drinking too much of it could cause delusions. “Swim? That sounds cold. Isn’t the water frozen there?”

Gideon looked at her as if
she
was the one who had gone crazy. “Of course not. Deception Island is an active underwater volcano with geothermal lakes and lagoons. It’s like lounging in a hot tub. Oh, and Deception is loaded with chinstrap penguins so take your camera. I’d love some pictures of the Emperor penguins too, if you have a chance—it’s very hard to get pictures of them.”

“You’re joking, right?” Kate said hopefully. “The ruby can’t really be in Antarctica … there’s nowhere to keep it.”

“
Au contraire
.” Gideon tapped the keys on his keyboard. “I’m not joking and there
is
a place to keep the ruby—an ice hotel.”

“Ice hotel?” Kate shivered as images of her suitcase full of bathing suits and sundresses turned to ski pants and parkas.
 

“Yeah, you know, a hotel built entirely out of ice and snow.” Gideon turned his monitor toward her to reveal a series of pictures of what looked like the inside of a giant igloo, except much fancier. “Like the famous one in Sweden.”

Kate scrunched her face at the monitor. “I do remember hearing about that but I didn’t know there was one in Antarctica.”

“That’s the beauty of it … no one does.” Gideon tapped on the keyboard again and a satellite photo appeared showing a snow-covered image. He pointed at a dark rectangle in the middle of the image. “According to the data on the USB drive you gave me, Crowder had one built in the most remote place he could think of. It’s brilliant really. A perfect way to keep anyone from knowing who his guests are since no one else would be anywhere near.”

“ … And he has the ruby there.” Kate said it as a statement rather than a question.

“Among other things. It looks like he plans to have some sort of auction for the ruby, some jewels allegedly from Katherine the Great, a Matisse, a Van Gogh, and a few other items that can’t be sold through public, legal channels.”

“And once the auction is over, all he has to do is melt the hotel and the evidence vanishes,” Kate said.

“Exactly. It’s brilliant!”

“Must be expensive to build.”

“Oh, it is. But Crowder has money and the commission he’ll make from getting buyers for the stolen goods …” Gideon let his voice trail off. They both knew it would be in the millions.

“And just how am I supposed to get into this ice palace and get the ruby out?” Kate asked.

Gideon pressed his lips together. “It’s not going to be easy. The guest list is by invitation only. The event is for two days, ending in the auction.”

“Two days?” Kate stared at Gideon. “You mean people actually sleep in an ice hotel?”

“Yes, it’s very comfortable actually,” Gideon said as if he’d done it before, which made Kate wonder if he had. “You don’t sleep on ice. The rooms come equipped with specially heated sleeping bags on top of down-filled mattresses.”

“Great.” Kate tried unsuccessfully to muster some enthusiasm.

“It will be fun. It’s the warm season there right there now so it’s only about fifteen degrees inside the hotel. I’ll make sure you have the latest thermal clothing. I think I can dig up some gloves and socks for you to take—they’re heated with a special chemical, shake them and they stay warm for 24 hours. Not too many people can say they slept in Antarctica.” Gideon looked at the computer screen wistfully. “To tell you the truth, I’m pretty jealous. I wish I could go, but I have to stay here and man the fort.”

Kate’s heart pinched. She was always jetting off to exotic locations and Gideon never got to go anywhere.
 

“Sorry, Gid,” Kate said, vowing to adjust her attitude and appreciate the opportunity to go somewhere unique. “I wish you could come too.”

Gideon rummaged in one of the thin drawers that slid out from under the table, retrieved a box of Tic-Tac’s and held it out to her. Kate frowned at the box before taking it.
Was her breath that bad?
She blew out on her palm to test it.

Gideon laughed. “That’s actually a camera.” He opened one side of the Tic-Tac box to reveal three buttons. “This button zooms, and this one controls the shutter to snap the picture. It takes great pictures and if you press this button on the bottom, it will take pictures of beams of light from lasers, just in case you need to map out the lights on a security system.” He demonstrated how to work the camera and handed it back to her. “Oh, and there’s actually Tic-Tac’s on the other side.”

Kate studied the device, taking a shot of Gideon before slipping it into her pocket.

“I was hoping that since I can’t go, you could take some pictures of penguins and other wildlife for me. Antarctica is actually teeming with unusual creatures.”

Kate sighed, wondering when she’d find the time—or inclination—to go outside and take pictures of wildlife. Then she saw the hopeful look on her friend’s face. It was the least she could do. How hard could it be to snap a few pictures of penguins?
 

“Sure, I’ll do my best,” Kate said, then turned the conversation back to business. “Okay, so how do I get an invitation to this thing?”

“We’ll leave that up to Max. He always seems to be able to come through in that area. With all his connections on both sides of the law, I’m sure he’ll be able to finagle something.”

“And I’ll need transportation that can get me there … and something that I can sneak the ruby out in.”

“Right, I thought you’d never ask about that.” Gideon got up from his chair and walked over to one of the glass windows. “I’ve been working on this.”

Kate craned her neck to see what was in the room. It looked like some sort of souped-up motorcycle. It was a little wider than a regular bike, with a dome windshield that came up over the rider’s head. Instead of wheels it had a wide studded belt and there where what looked like wings folded up on the side.
 

“Don’t tell me that thing flies.” Kate felt a twinge in her chest. She certainly hoped Gideon didn’t expect her to fly it.

“No, it’s a ski-cycle … and it floats!” Gideon punched some numbers into the keypad beside the door and it slid open with a hiss. Stepping into the room, he motioned for Kate to join him. “Come on, I’ll show you how it works.”

Kate got out of her chair and stretched. Daisy did the same, and then followed Kate into the room where Gideon was fiddling with some switches and dials on the dashboard of the ski-cycle.

“As you can see, it’s built like a motorcycle, but it has the belt that goes across snow and ice—like a snowmobile. The bullet-proof windshield helps to protect you—and a bulletproof shield slides up in back.” Gideon pressed a button and a Plexiglass shield slid up from the back of the seat. “Of course you only want to use that if you are being shot at, otherwise the drag will slow you down.”

“What are these things?” Kate pointed to the pieces folded up on the side.

“Ah!” Gideon ran around to the front of the bike. “That’s the beauty of this baby.” He pressed a button on the dashboard and the pieces unfolded making a V shaped hull that extended from the middle of the tires underneath the bike. “It turns into a boat, so if you’re assailant is chasing you on land, you can drive right into the water and leave him in your dust.”

Kate nodded. “Impressive.”

“Oh, and the best part?” Gideon flicked a switch and Kate saw the belt start to move. “It’s completely silent, so you can make your getaway without anyone knowing.”

“That’s perfect. So, all I have to do is figure out how to steal the ruby, and then jump on this cycle and ride off to … where?” Kate scrunched her face at Gideon.

Gideon waved his hand dismissively. “That’s one of the details that needs to be worked out. Assuming Max can get you an invite, I figure the best thing is to have someone waiting in a boat. Cruise ships and yachts are not uncommon in the waters there, so no one will be suspicious of a boat trolling around the water. Then you’ll need an accomplice to bring the cycle to you once you’ve secured the ruby. If you’re lucky, no one will be the wiser, and the two of you can make a quick getaway and be safe on the boat before Crowder even knows the ruby is gone.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Kate said.

“Well, it can be if you get the right people to help. You’ll just need a cruise ship or yacht and someone who can drive it. Plus, someone who doesn’t mind speeding across the Antarctic snow at ungodly speeds.” Gideon grinned at her. “Oh, and your accomplices should be good at evasive maneuvers, be crack shots and have nerves of steel.”

“Well, if that’s all,” Kate said, “then I think I know just the people to help.”

Kate parked her rental car in the parking lot of the
Golden Capers Beach and Yacht Club
. Jumping out, she stretched, turned her face to the sky and let the Florida sun warm her face.
 

Her flip-flops slapped against her heels as she walked over to the fence that hid the community pool from sight. For once, her five-foot-seven height was an advantage and she only had to stand on her tiptoes slightly to see over the top of the wooden fence, which was ringed with plastic party lights.
 

Empty lounge chairs in turquoise and lime green surrounded the pool. The aqua-hued water winked at her in the sunlight. Two large stainless steel barbecues sat on either side of a grass Tiki Hut bar. Kate could see the remnants of last night’s (or was it this morning’s?) drinks in blenders that sat atop the bar.
 

“Kate!”

Kate looked up to see her mother leaning over the second floor balcony. Carlotta Diamond was an exotic beauty that looked twenty years younger than her age of sixty-eight. Looking up at her mother’s tanned face, wide smile and thick chestnut hair piled high on her head, Kate sighed, wishing for the millionth time that she’d inherited her mother’s good looks.

“Hi Mom,” Kate shaded her eyes from the sun, “Where is everybody?”

“Probably sleeping it off.” Carlotta spoke with only the slightest hint of Italian accent as she gestured excitedly toward the open door of her condo. “Come on up!”

Kate sidestepped a small brown gecko that skittered out of her way as she skirted the edge of the pool. Reaching the stairs, she stopped for a second to marvel at the bright red flowers of a hibiscus shrub that ran the length of the building. Beyond the shrub, she could see the clear waters of Lemon Bay.

She grabbed the wooden banister and started up the steps of the Spanish style stucco building that housed half the condos belonging to that
Golden Capers Beach and Yacht Club
—the most unusual retirement resort that Kate had ever heard of.
 

Most people would have never thought
Golden Capers
to be unusual. It certainly
looked
like any other Florida retirement community. Made up of two buildings set in an ‘L’ shape with a pool in the center, it had Lemon Bay in the back and the Atlantic Ocean across the street in the front. The people were just your normal everyday retirees … on the surface.
 

What most people didn’t know about
Golden Capers
was it was filled with ex-thieves and con men. Not just your garden variety, either—the real pros in the field. The ones that had been wildly successful and retired
before
they got caught.