“It’s an odds game,” offered Rhymer.
“Exactly. So I thought, let me take two elements.” Randall held one hand to the sky and said, “Fabian Beauvais and his astucia right here.…” And then held his other hand up. “And bad shit involving Keith Gilbert here.” He brought the hands together and interlocked his fingers. “So I got on the blower to the Real Time Crime Center and asked the detective on duty to run a computer search for incidents and complaints at the Gilbert Maritime tower on Madison, Midtown. Took a while to get back to me with the hurricane and all, but after we wrapped at Braun’s commando post in the Bronx, I get the call. A trespass complaint weeks ago. No arrest, but officers responded, so it was in the database.”
Nikki said, “I’m interested now.”
“Just wait. We paid a visit. The building’s closed like everything else today, but security’s working. I get the security chief to look at the mug shot of Fabian Beauvais. Guess what he says.”
“‘The sandwich guy,’” said Rook.
Feller made a slow rotation to him and said. “My punch line. I tell the whole friggin’ story and you steal the punch line.”
Rook shrugged contritely. “Sorry.…Inside thoughts, inside thoughts.”
Rhymer, ever earnest jumped in. “Can we not lose track of the fact that we have established that Beauvais did work Gilbert’s corporate HQ to steal documents in his cooler?”
“It’s an important piece. Thorough work, you two. After the interview Heat just watched, she certainly knew why Beauvais was targeting Gilbert. What she didn’t know was what kind of information he had gotten on him. At least she didn’t know yet.
Rook arrived at Nikki’s desk. “What’s up?”
“I’d like you to do something for me—that is, if you’re not too busy.”
“I smart with your implication. Don’t you think a small word of acknowledgment is in order for me getting Opal Onishi to give up her raw video without a First Amendment battle?” Rook searched her face, and all he got was a flat stare. “Apparently that will have to wait. What can I do?”
“You know your old girlfriend at CIA?”
He enjoyed this moment. “Hm. You’re going to have to be more specific. Which one?”
“Rook.”
“Yardley Bell, yes.”
“See if she’s reachable. I have a favor to ask her.”
“And that would be?”
“The one I will ask her when you get her on the phone for me.”
“Right.”
As he moved off to make his call, Sean Raley delivered a thumb drive to Heat. “Here’s the edit you asked for of the Capois video. I’d call it the greatest hits, but it’s more like low moments in humanity.”
“Not many lower.” As soon as the memory key left his fingers he rushed back toward his video realm. “You on a mission?” she called to him.
He turned, walking backward so he wouldn’t lose any time talking. “Got an idea from something in my quadrant that put me onto some video.”
“You look like you think you’re onto something but won’t tell. Are you onto something?”
“Could be useful, could be a bust. I need to scrub it to see if there’s anything.”
“Go to it, King.”
But Detective Raley had already hurried out in his eagerness.