Craig shook his head. Okay, lets look at all the footage again. Im telling you, these arent the same thieves.
How can you be so sure? Mike asked. Look at the New York footage. Three of them each time. Walking in and making it all happen fast. Then New Jersey. Same outfits, same number of guysexcept in the first one, the bastards shoot the owner, and in the second, one of them grabs that poor woman and drags her out the back door.
No, go backgo back and look at the height differences. Therelook at the first tape. Two the same height, one shorter. Now go to the first store that was hit in New Jersey. None of them are the same height, Craig said. He looked at Wally. Wally, sorry, run them again. Slow them down.
Wally obliged, and they watched the footage again.
Mike sighed. How the hell are you seeing that? Maybe theyre the same sizeor maybe theyre not. They could be wearing different shoes, for all you know. The perspectives so crazy theres no way to know for sure.
I just dont think theyre the same. I think the second group are copycats. Except that they kill.
Whats the likelihood of two sets of thieves with virtually identical MOs starting up at the same time? Mike asked, exasperated.
Why not? Some criminal opportunist sees what the first guys are getting away with and figures hell give it a shot himself. Only he doesnt give a damn about human life.
Lets watch them one more time, then start interviewing the first cops on the scene, and the staff and customers who were there, Mike said. Wally?
Yeah, yeah, one more time, Wally said. And I can do comparison ratiostell you who was and wasnt the same height.
Great. For now, freeze both of the shots Im talking about, please, Craig said. Can you show them to us side by side, split screen?
As Wally brought up the two shots, Craig heard Mikes phone buzzing. Mike picked it up, and Craig watched his partners features tighten.
On our way, Mike said. Wally, hold tight to that footage. Craig, looks like theyre at it again. We have a chance to catch them red-handed and learn the truth. Lets go.
Craig stood quickly, thanking Wally again, and the two men headed out to their car.
Wheres it going down? Craig demanded as they walked. Whats going on? Did someone trigger an alarm this time?
No. No alarm. People are just getting more nervous and, thankfully, more vigilant. Theyre watching for men in hoodies near jewelry stores. And the thieves are right in the Diamond District this time. Sonny Burke from Atlantis Gems just called in to say he saw three men in black hoodies heading down Forty-Seventh Street. That place is a smorgasbord for diamond thieves. Damn, theyre getting bold!
Ill drive, Craig said.
Im back, Craig. Im good. Honestly. Ive got it.
You drive like an old woman. Give me the keys.
Mike didnt argue. Craig was the better driver and Mike knew it. He tossed over the keys.
* * *
This will all be over soon. It will be fixed. Everything will be okay, Kieran told herself.
She had the diamond; she was appropriately dressed to shop in a jewelry store of the stature of Flawless. The store was in the Diamond District, up on Forty-Seventh, so shed had a ways to go to get there. She would have chosen a cab with the diamond now in her keeping, but shed been afraid of getting caught in traffic, so shed headed for the subway.
Shed been lucky enough to get some traveling in when her father had been alive, but shed spent the majority of her life in New York City, even attending NYU. Shed taken the subway system all her life.
Today she found herself looking suspiciously at everyone who boarded her subway car. She shifted and moved to a new spot at each stop. If she lost the diamond to a casual pickpocket, all her efforts to save her brother would be doomed. And with technology being what it was, she wasnt certain that there still wasnt some way to prove that he had taken it.
Im not his keeper, she thought to herself.
But, in a way, she was. Shed been the one girl in the family. Her father had been a wonderful man, as proud of his daughter as he was of his sonsand quite ready to open a can of tuna for himself without help. But she had taken on a certain role in the housedifferent with Declan, of course, because he had her by two years. Like it not, she felt responsible for both her younger brothers, even though she was older than Kevin by a mere seven minutes and her baby brother by only a year.
Shed been the girl. Spoiled shamelessly, according to her brothers, but...
It seemed girls really did mature more quickly than boys, and continued doing so even as adults.
Nope. She couldnt go by that. After all, Julie had helped develop the idiotic and dangerous scheme.
She arrived at her stop and made it to street level with absolutely no troubleother than the usual rush of people. New Yorkers werent rude, despite their reputation, and most of the time they were actually quite pleasant and happy to help anyone who looked lost. There were just a lot of them, and it seemed that everyone was in a hurry to get where she was going. Several people said excuse me as they jostled past, and she said the same to several other people in turn.
Once she reached Forty-Seventh Street, she walked along until she saw her destination, Flawless.
She felt sad, remembering how excited theyd all been when Gary had gotten the job. Hed started working there soon after the wedding, just a little more than a year ago.
While the shoplike many others in the Diamond Districtadvertised Exceptional Quality for Exceptional Prices, it was a high-end and well-respected store. It had been in the Krakowsky family for four generations; landing a job there without being a Krakowsky was no easy feat.
But that was then, and this was now.
In truth, she was glad that she wasnt going to run into Gary today, given her desire to bash him over the head with something. Julies words had been true. She hadnt wanted to rush into marriage; Gary had. Julie was a video game designer and loved what she did, and shed wanted to go further in her career. Shed been all set to head to grad school in California when Gary had begged her to marry him.
It was ironic.
She was glad that Gary had gotten this job after the wedding. He was friendly with his coworkers, and at that moment she was glad that she didnt know any of them.
She heard the soft sound of the buzzer as she entered the store. The door, she knew, was connected wirelessly to a camera that counted and recorded every entrance and exit made at the store.
There was a large showroom filled with display cases. To her left the cases held diamonds set in yellow gold, to her right were cases with diamonds set in white gold and through an archway beyond there was a small display nook for gems of various sorts set in platinum. Beyond the counterwhere some of the finest pieces were displayedwere the offices and the private rooms where salesmen sat down with important clients and served champagne while discussing the merits of the best stones. She knew all this because Gary had once described the setup for them.
She arrived just as one of the salesmen was drawing down the inside shutters that protected the window displays at night. He didnt challenge her entrance, however, but smiled at her.
She arrived just as one of the salesmen was drawing down the inside shutters that protected the window displays at night. He didnt challenge her entrance, however, but smiled at her.
It wasnt quite closing time; he was just getting ready.
Good evening, miss, he said to her, smiling again.
Im sorryyoure closing, she said.
Mr. Krakowsky is in the platinum room with another customeryoure fine, he told her.
The salesmen here dressed in designer suits and were perfect gentlemen. This one was in his early forties, she thought, with dark brown hair neatly clipped and a clean-shaven face.
What can I show you? he asked her.
Actually, I was looking for Gary Benton, she said. Is he working today? Hes a friend, she added, almost choking on the word. And thats why I camehe speaks so highly of the store.
No, Im sorry. At the moment its just me and Mr. Krakowsky. But Ill happily show you whatever youd like to see.
He was still standing too far from the display cases for her to pull off her sleight of hand.
She smiled sweetly. I heard you have some exceptional loose diamonds.
Of course, he told her, grinning. We are in the Diamond District, after all. He offered her his hand. Im Matt Townsend. How do you do?
Kieran Finnegan, she told him, shaking. A pleasure.
The pleasure is all mine, he said. Come over here, if you will. He led the way to the counter.
He walked around behind it as she followed him, and ducked down to open a safe beneath the counter.
A chill swept through her. She was suddenly terrified that something would go wrong.
It couldnt go wrong; she had to remain calm, act normal.
She looked casually around the shop as she waited. She glanced at the security camera, estimating her brothers position when he had pilfered the stone.
She looked away to avoid suspicion, then looked quickly back at the camera again. Reflected in the lens she could see someone entering the storeanother late customer.
No, not another customer.
The man was wearing a black hoodie, which shadowed his face. And she couldnt see his face because he was also wearing a ski mask.
And he was pulling a gun from his pocket.
He was followed quickly by a second manhis twin in every detail.
Kieran felt her knees grow weak. Shed read about the recent run of jewelry store robberies, but...
But there were dozens of stores in the Diamond District. Why had the thieves picked this store on this day?
Stay down, she said softly to the salesman.
They hadnt killed anyone yethad they? Even so, there was always a first time.
And when there were guns involved, there was no sense in taking a chance.
No diamond was worth a mans life.
Stay down, she repeated.
But either the salesman didnt hear her, or he heard her and had no idea what she was talking about.
He rose, setting out a velvet cloth with several uncut diamonds. Here you
He broke off, staring. Kierans back was to the new arrivals, but she knew Matt Townsend had a clear view of them and the gunguns?that was undoubtedly pointed at him now. He stepped back, raising his hands.
Just at that moment, a distinguished-looking older man came in from the platinum room with a young woman in a gorgeous fur coat.
The woman saw the thieves and screamed.
Shut up or I shut you up! one of the gunmen said. You got two seconds.
She didnt hear him. She was still screaming and was clearly hysterical.
Kieran turned to see the first man pointing his gun in the screaming womans direction, while two otherswhen had the third man entered?kept their guns trained on Matt.
Kieran wasnt sure what propelled hermaybe it was the stark raving fear that if he shot one person he would shoot them allbut she wasnt about to let the terrified woman die, much less put them all in the morgue. She hurried over to the young woman and slapped her cheek, then took her face in both hands and said softly and firmly, Stop. Stop right now. Were going to live. Were all going to live, all right?
Smart girl, one of the gunmen said.
The woman had stopped screaming. The older manMr. Krakowskylooked at Kieran with what she thought was gratitude in his eyes.
Take whatever you want, he told the thieves. We wont move a muscle to stop you or set off the alarm.
Good call, old man, the second gunman said. You, he told Kieran. You look bright, and youre definitely prettytheres got to be a guy out there somewhere who wants you alive. And youre obviously the type who would really like to see everyone survive here today. So if you listen carefully to my every word, well all be able to sleep in our own beds tonight.
She wasnt sure if being called bright and pretty by a gun-wielding thief was a compliment, but there were three men in her life who loved her very much: Declan, Kevin and Daniel.
She clung tightly to the concept that everyone would live.
So, Red, the thief continued, scoop up those diamonds on the counter. Now. And you, guy behind the counter, get out the other diamonds down there in your safe. The really good ones. And you, Red, you make sure he does it. I want all of them.
Do what he says, Mr. Krakowsky advised.
And, Red, watch him, because if you lie to me, Screaming Mimi over there gets it first.
Matt ducked beneath the counter again. He was shaking.
If the alarm goes off, I shoot every one of you, the thief promised. Im a crack shot. Six bullets, only four of you. No problem.
Townsend was far too terrified to hit the alarm. He brought out five velvet cloths filled with loose diamonds and set them on the counter.
Now, man behind the counter, go ahead of me. Get out your keys so you can open the back door. Old man, you and Screaming Mimi get down on the floor. Come onmove. Time is of the essence.
Everyone stared at himfrozenfor a split second.
Down, Mr. Krakowsky said, pressing the young woman to the floor with him.
You, the first gunman snapped to Kieran. Get those stones and come with menow.
Kieran stared at him. She wondered whether she could even move, she was shaking so badly. Some instinct came to her rescue. She swept up all the diamonds while the thief who had done the talking headed to the back with Matt Townsend. A second one moved to stand close to her. Even though she knew that his gun wasnt touching her, she still thought she could feel it.
The third remained near the door, oblivious to the camera, his gun ready.
The thief in charge shouted from the back that the door was open. Kieran stood with the velvet-wrapped diamonds in her hands, frozen once again.
Then the nearest gunman grabbed her arm and turned, walking backward and keeping his eyes on Krakowsky and the other customer as he pulled her down a hallway and toward the back door.
He fired a shot as he walked; she felt the pistols kick shoot through her via his grip on her arm. The sound was deafening.
She couldnt tell if anyone had been hit or not.
All she knew was that she was being hustled through the store and out the back door.
The alley beside the store had once been an open-air path. It was still a pedestrian passage, but now it was flanked by new buildingsnew as in maybe only fifty or so years oldand boasted sidewalk cafés at both ends.