“Consider it done,” Kane said.
Nicco tapped a few buttons on the computer. “This is the only thing suspicious to me—a helicopter flew in on Saturday morning to our helipad. Didn’t register, didn’t schedule any events. I wasn’t informed until after the fact, which is highly irregular. It’s not that it hasn’t happened, but when it does, it usually means someone who doesn’t want any scrutiny. He left two hours later and, according to my staff, spent that two hours in the business suite, along with Mr. Spade and the other two men. The female left in the helicopter with her boyfriend and the new man, and Mr. Spade and the single gentleman, along with the boy, left shortly thereafter in one of our limos. They were dropped at the airport at three forty-five p.m.”
“Do you have a photo of the man in the chopper?” Sean asked.
“Unfortunately, he jammed the few cameras he passed. He definitely didn’t want to be caught on tape. I can tell you he was a fifty-to sixty-year-old white or Hispanic male who spoke clear, cultured Spanish. High Spanish, some call it.”
“Educated?”
“That was the impression of my staff.”
“Did Mrs. Spade come down Sunday looking for her husband?” Kane asked.
Nicco nodded. “She caused quite a scene. I let her into the suite he vacated—he took everything with him, checked out, there was no reason to think he’d left a note. It had already been cleaned. The management gave her one complimentary night. She left for the airport Monday morning.”
“What was her state of mind?” Sean asked.
“Worried. Frantic. She was stunned that he’d checked out early. I spoke with her myself. I do believe she didn’t know.”
“Did you tell her what you told us?” Sean asked. “Did she ask any of these questions?”
“No. Only the time her husband and son arrived, and the time they left for the airport. I confirmed they were dropped off at the airport; however, we have no way of knowing if they got on a plane.”
Sean did. It would be tricky, but he could get it if he had to. But tracking the phone number that was used to call Madison earlier would be far less risky.
Sean didn’t know why that relieved him—aside from the fact that he didn’t want to be used by anyone, least of all his ex-girlfriend. At least she’d been honest with him, up until this morning.
“Do you need a room?” Nicco asked them.
“A conference room with secure Internet is sufficient,” Kane said. “We need to make a few calls, but we’re leaving within the hour.”
“Use my office. I have a staff meeting, then will make rounds. I won’t be back until well after the lunch hour.”
Kane shook Nicco’s hand. “I appreciate it.”
“Try not to wander, Kane. We have some guests on site who may recognize you.”
“Understood.”
Nicco left and Sean shot Kane a look. “Who is that guy?”
“A friend,” was all Kane said. He opened the folder and stared at the men. “I don’t recognize either of them, though one is familiar.” He flipped to the girlfriend. “Well, shit.”
Sean looked at the photo. Youngish, very pretty. Familiar. “Who’s that?”
“Gabriella Romero, the sister of Dante Romero.”
Sean hadn’t heard the Romero name in years. “The Romeros?”
Kane nodded. “Those Romeros. Dante is a broker, a middleman, one of the best in the business. Specializes in smuggling, usually money or valuable items, but has been known to arrange drug transportation. He plays many sides. Has given me information only when it suits him. No loyalties. We have an understanding—I stay out of his business, he doesn’t fuck with me. An uneasy truce.” Kane was thinking.
“But I thought they were friends … at least their dad and our dad.”
“They were,” Kane said. He glanced at Sean. “How much do you really know about what our brother and sister do in Europe?”
“More than I want to know.” Liam and Eden were five years older than Sean. They’d been attending university in Europe when their parents were killed. For a time, they worked closely with RCK, but a grave disagreement six years ago, when Sean was just starting to work with RCK, saw them severing ties, and Kane couldn’t speak of his brother without scowling. Sean had no idea what exactly had happened, and he didn’t ask. It was a sore subject with everyone, and only Kane seemed to know the whole truth.
“Dante and Gabriella are North America’s version of Liam and Eden, except while Liam and Eden cross the line on occasion—when it suits them—Dante and Gabriella are mostly rooted on the criminal side. Yet … even they have a code of ethics.”
Sean was about to ask more about Kane’s relationship with Dante and how it might help them now, but Kane said, “I’ll track the helicopter—Nicco put the times of arrival and departure here, though no tail number. You find out everything about Madison Spade’s business—because if she’s importing antiques, I think she’s in as deep as her husband … or she’s an ignorant fool.”