When the greetings were complete, Nikki began.
“There is some information regarding the relationship of The Haven to the shell corporations. They are funded by Trident Enterprises, a shell company that is connected to several others. But the most interesting thing we’ve discovered is that Daniel Ruffing is also connected to Trident. To what extent and in what capacity, we haven’t been able to ascertain, but the proximity of his other properties to The Haven is something to be suspicious of once you ask yourself why someone like Ruffing, with no noticeable spiritual or philanthropic chops, would want to be affiliated with a spiritual retreat and own property with such a low real-estate value.” Nikki paused for any comments.
“That does seem a bit odd,” Isabelle came through on the video screen. “I tried to find some back doors to their website but came up with nothin’. Even their website is lame. It’s almost as if they haven’t entered the twentieth century, let alone the twenty-first.”
“Thanks for checking, Isabelle. I know you’re on a job,” Myra said.
“No problem. I had some free time. The fog was rolling in, and we had to knock off early. Besides, I needed the practice!” Guffaws filled the room. In addition to her talent as an architect, Isabelle was becoming a crackerjack computer hacker.
Nikki continued, “We checked out the names of the original founders, who are listed on their site. I couldn’t find any information about the three men. It’s as if they never existed.”
“Maggie, want to give us a briefing?” Charles asked.
Everyone cringed, expecting the most obvious question.
“Hey, I can still see you guys! What’s with the faces? Oh ... I bet you thought I was going to ask what you had for dinner?” Maggie retorted.
Annie held out her hand, waiting for Fergus to pay up on his five-dollar bet. “You really didn’t think you were going to win that one. Haven’t you met Maggie?” The room was vibrating from all the cackling going on.
“Hello? I said I can see you! What’s so darn funny?” Maggie pouted.
“The old girl bet me that ‘what did you have for dinner?’ would be the first thing out of your mouth!” Fergus snorted.
“I have a reputation to maintain.” Maggie grinned.
“And so you do!” Annie exclaimed.
“Can we please get down to business?” Charles pressed forward.
“Not until you tell me what you had.” Maggie cocked her head, waiting for a reply.
“I’m terribly sorry to report that I made fettucine carbonara tonight.” Charles ducked his head as if Maggie could swat him. “But I promise I shall revisit that recipe upon your return.”
“Everyone? You heard him,” Myra jumped in. His fettuccine was one of her favorites, too.
“Can we please get on with this?” Annie pushed. “Maggie, what did you find out?”
Maggie explained her interaction with the young woman at the market. She described the enthusiastic Cassie, the Pledge she had met, and the various books, pamphlets, and flyers on display. Most had Liam’s face plastered on the cover. “The market is massive. About a hundred vendors. The Haven has five stalls, each selling a different product. There was no sign of Gabby. The booth I spent the most time in was the one with Cassie. She half explained the course setup. Said someone would be there tomorrow to explain the various tiers, costs, et cetera.”
Yoko was next. “They all dress similarly. The only difference is the stole around their necks. Seems like they’re color-coded. It reminded me of some kind of cult you would have seen in the seventies. Aside from looking like a throwback to Moonies or Hare Krishna, they looked perfectly banal. However, one thing struck me as quite odd. There were three men hovering around the perimeter of the booths. It was almost as if they were standing guard. They were expressionless. If it weren’t for their outfits, you would have thought they were Secret Service agents. They looked like professional security. Earbuds and all.”
Myra touched her pearls. “Why would an organization like that need security?”
Nikki chimed in. “And why would they be funded through a shell company that is also tethered to one of the many Ruffing holdings?”
Annie started to write notes on one of the electronic boards. “This is what we know:”
1 SECURITY GUARDS
2 SHELL COMPANY – TRIDENT ENTERPRISES
3 DANIEL RUFFING – TRIDENT ENTERPRISES
“What we don’t know is where Gabby Richardson is. Fergus is still trying to sort out the source of her second call. We already know the first was from a florist. The second call also went through our toll-free line, so we need another day to zero in on the origin.” Annie looked up at Maggie’s monitor. “I hate to say this but ...”
“I’m already planning on it.” Maggie sighed, acknowledging she was going to have to go on a stakeout. “It’s the only way we’ll get a glimpse of the comings and goings at The Haven.”
“Do you think you can get Jimmy to accompany you?” Myra stroked her beads. “I wouldn’t want you skulking out deep in the woods alone.”
The electronic map on the wall indicated that The Haven was on the far west side of Homestead, butting up against the Everglades. “The only issue could be traffic. If there’s too much, then there’s a problem. If there’s too little, we’ll look conspicuous,” Maggie mused aloud. “But that hasn’t stopped me before! I’ll call Jimmy right away. When should we start?”
“Since we have little to go on, I suggest you start tomorrow morning. Early,” Annie said.
Maggie groaned. “I’ll bring plenty of bagels. Oh wait. Do they have bagels in Miami?”
Giggles filled the room. “You’re near the University of Miami. A third of the student body is from the New York metropolitan area. I’m sure there’s a law,” Annie added.
Charles turned to the screen displaying Alexis. “Anything you noticed, gleaned, surmised?”
“Everything was cash-only. No credit or debit cards. They were cordial. Almost zombie-like. I wore my Jamaican disguise just in case I needed to go back.”
“Excellent,” Charles added. “Sit tight until we get some intel from Maggie. Maggie, you okay with this?”
“Yep! I’ll be there at the crack of dawn.”
“Does anyone else have something to add for now?” Myra asked.
Shrugs and “nopes” went around the room.
“Okay, all. Keep in touch and be safe!”
Before they logged off, all the women, whether they were in the room or phoning in, saluted Lady Justice.
*
It was literally the crack of dawn when Maggie and Jimmy meandered their way to the back roads of Miami-Dade County.