Heist 8 Challenge 14: The Melted Diamond Job
Story Art: http://imgur.com/E5TAH
Dublyn Gracey meets data analyst Sophie Beckett at The Starbucks on fifth and broad in New York City as per Nathan Ford’s instruction.
The bookish girl sitting in the corner booth on a lap top matches the photo provided to a tee. She strides over that way.
“Sophie Beckett I’m Dr. Dublyn I require your assistance in further tracking down Eliot Spencer. Mr. Ford said your skills could be useful.” She offered her hand which the girl shook.
She pulled Aimee Martin’s tarnished but beautiful promise ring from her pocket. “This is the only thing Mr. Ford returned to me the rest was returned to Miss Martin as promised. Something tells me…” Dublyn sits down in the both opposite the other woman. “That I small town Oklahoma boy didn’t get that rock from his local pawn shop.” Sophie held up the three carat diamond.
“And you want me to feed the diamonds serial number into my data bases to pin point its origin.”
“If you can it’d be much appreciated.”
“I’ll see what I can do but it’s going to involve removing the diamond from its setting.” She said turning the ring over.
Dublyn smiles. “I guess we’ll find out if Miss Martin is more attached to the man who gave the bauble or the bauble itself.”
“Well, in her defense Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” The brunette gave a slight smile.
“Nah, the man is the gem in this case.”
“A thing?” she asked curiously.
“Maybe once it won’t get in the way now though.”
Dublyn hands over the ring hoping for the best and they part ways.
-/-/-/-/-
Two days later Dublyn receives a tersely worded text. * Not exactly pin pointed but I got you vicinity. Meet me at the coffee shop. 3 PM.*
They find another in the same spot as before. “What’s the 411 Books?” Dublyn asked sliding into the booth sipping a vanilla bean frappe.
“Books? “ Sophie’s eyebrows roses and she pushed her glasses up on to her nose better.
“You look like you read a lot. It’s a compliment I only tease you if I like you.” Dublyn grins.
“And if you don’t?”
“I’m the Ice Queen Mayor of Freeze Out City. What ya got?”
“Your diamond was bought and sold by various crime syndicates throughout Eastern Europe before landing in Damien Moreau’s lap and gifted to Spencer for God knows what reason. I got as far as Hungary before getting stone walled.”
“I could analyze the chemical makeup of the diamond to pin point the diamond mine location but I’ll have to crush the diamond to do it.” Dublyn smirks.
“Don’t enjoy it too much now doctor.”
“This isn’t Joy….okay yes it is. Aimee Martin was snotty. Come on you can go back to the lab with me.”
-/-/-/-/-
Dr. Gracey’s Lab is pristinely organized and somewhat quirky. Kandinsky paintings and pop art hang on the walls. Her bookshelf on the back wall is shaped like a giant oak tree. The work table is both decorative and functional. Sophie belatedly realizes that she’s in Dr. Gracey’s living room.
“Dr. Gracey you do realize that…” When Welcome to the Jungle kicks in at top decibel level Sophie flinches. “You can’t crush a diamond right?” She shouts.
Dublyn cuts the volume “Sorry, it helps me think I’m not really going to crush it I’m going to melt it analyze the chemical and environmental make up and compounds within the fluid.”
“Everything has biological blue print even jewels.”
Sophie watches her work for a bit before speaking. “You and Eliot Spencer How’d that happen?”
“If you’re going to ask about my love life at least call me Dublyn or Dubs which ever. My father was a Don for one the Callino crime family. Turns out Daddy dearest pissed in Moreau’s shoes and he took me as leverage over the family. I was of no value to the crime family so Moreau eliminated my family and kept me as a concubine and used my brain as a weapon.”
“How? You’re brain I mean how’d he use it?”
“If I really wanted, I could be the worst bio terrorist this world has ever seen. How about you mighty mouse?” Dublyn Grins and looks over at her as she mixes chemicals.
“My detective out sourced me.”
“Alright then.” Catch the lights please.” She pours the liquid over the diamond and waits.
Sophie watches as a clear liquid a little thicker than water funnels into a test tube and then is dropped into other tubes and mixed with other chemicals turning neon blue, green, and pink beneath the black lights.
“Bingo, between the nitrates and the carbon complexes I’d say we’re headed to Budapest. “
“Budapest? What’s in Budapest?”
“That’s what you’re going to tell me Books. I got a list of names for you. Ping em’ and see if they all pop in one place please.”
Twenty minutes later over pizza and wine.
“So six of those names you flagged came up at a hotel in Budapest. So you were right though why they all congregated in one place I have no clue other than it being bad.” Sophie replied biting into a slice of pepperoni pizza.
“Every four years all of the heads of international crime gather together in sort of a villain’s flea market to swap trade secrets and buy various illegal things and it’s usually veiled by something innocuous fan conventions, reunions, medical conferences….wait hang on.” Dublyn picked up her laptop and began typing.
“And what do you know there is a neonatal and pediatric research convention in Budapest in a week.”
“But why would they want Eliot?”
“Same reason Moreau did death and destruction done right, fast and quiet.”
-/-/-/
They step out of the cab in front of Budapest’s version of the four seasons. Snow sticks to the ground in the 20 degree weather. “Why can’t they choose a warmer climate for their criminal escapades?” Dublyn asks Sophie whilst adjusting her beanie.
“Too simple, besides why couldn’t Eliot get kidnapped in say April or May?” Sophie teased back.
They get their bags and hustle up to their room rooms to finalize the plans.
They agree quite quickly that Sophie will dress as a maid and try to locate Eliot within the hotel and Dublyn will sneak into the medical conference and try to ascertain where the criminal element is and what their plans maybe for Eliot.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Dublyn is wearing an itchy blonde wig and listening to Sophie’s nervous humming in her ear as she scans down the lists of medical specialties being highlighted in this conference.
Something about cellular and mass defense systems within the body catches her eye and she slips into it hoping that a defense system is code for Eliot Spencer.
She sits near the back and watches for a bit before it hits her. “Books, there’s a rhythm to the way the questions are being asked, I just can’t put my finger on it.” She says lowly.
“A rhythm like what?”
“2, 1, 2 pause or…”
“No it’s more like a tennis match back and forth…”
“It’s an auction Doc…”
“You’re sure?”
“Fairly certain. Stand up ask a question and see if anyone reacts.”
“Alright,”
She gets to the microphone and asks a question she already knows the answer to so she doesn’t have to pay attention to anything but the crowd. There’s a balding man in the back of the room eying her like he recognizes her.
She turns from the mic to fake a sneeze and automatically recognizes Damien Moreau’s top underling from before his fall. Peter Cremona. “Bingo Books I got him but I’m going to need an exit he knows me.”
“On it.” She hears Sophie running and then the fire alarms go off and everyone scatters to avoid getting soaked.
“Classic and efferent thanks.” Dublyn replies smiling.
“No problem.”
“Where?” Dublyn asks moving quickly through the lobby. “Elevator C third floor lets hurry and find him in the shuffle before the fireman arrive.”
“But where would they put him?” she asks getting on the elevator.
“Wait it’s a children’s medical conference,”
“Right.”
“If you were a kid telling the story where would your prized possessions go?” Sophie asks as she passes floor two
“The princess is always kept in a tower.”
“The penthouse.” They say in unison.
“If were wrong and he’s the terrible knight being kept in the dungeon we’re screwed you get that right Sophie.”
“Push the damn button Doc; don’t you ever trust your gut?”
“No I trust my mind.” She pushes the button anyway.
They arrive at the top in side by side elevators at the same time to see two penthouses.”
They’re getting soaked by sprinklers and need to hurry but they both freeze a second. “Which one Soph?” anyway to increase our odds to more than fifty- fifty?”
“No, I suggest eenie meanie miney moe.”
“Great, lovely.” Dublyn closes her eyes and takes a breath. “Always go with the place that has the best sight lines Red.” She hears Eliot say in her head.
“The one dead ahead.”
“You’re sure.”
“I’m sure of what Spencer taught me.”
“We don’t have a key.”
“We don’t need one.” Dublyn sees a maid cart. “How fast can you run Books?”
They take a running start with the cart and bash the door in on the first try.
“Mathematically, how likely is that to ever happen again?”
“That was dumb luck Doc.” Sophie says just as they’re being attacked.
Sophie throws one guy over her back and stops him into a mud hole. “Damn.” Dublyn murmurs then pulls her gun and strides into the room and shoots the guy advancing on her “Eliot! Spencer Yo!” she shouts hoping he’s conscious.
There are arms around her throat briefly before she hears a crash and is covered in glass from the Tiffany lamp Sophie had just used to bah the guy’s head in.
“Thanks Books.”
“Anytime!” after clearing the hotel room they find Eliot taped to a chair uncurious but alive.
They load him into a laundry hamper discarded by the other crew. “We can’t carry him down this is faster.” Dublyn decides.
They ride down the elevator and leave through the front door in all the chaos.
-/-/-/-
On the private journey home Eliot comes awake after Dublyn gets some fluids and nutrients in his system.
-/-/-/-/-
Eliot comes awake with a jolt and he’s disoriented. A red head comes into his sight line blurred around the edges. Then it clears.
“Dublyn?”
“Hey Okie, welcome back. It’s really good to see you.” She smiles and takes his pulse.
“Where am I?”
“A plane somewhere over London I think.”
“How’d you find me?”
“Part science, part math, part luck, and part Nathan Ford.”
“Where are the others?”
“I don’t know. Me and Books I mean Sophie Beckett were tasked to find and recover you and so we did.”
“Sophie Beckett, the much talked about hard to find Eliot Spencer.” Dublyn introduces them. “Hi!” Sophie offers shyly.
“Eliot Spencer, Data Analyst and my partner in finding you Sophie Beckett.”
“Nice to meet you Ma’am. Did you make a friend Doc?”
“Maybe.” Dublyn allows.
“Want to tell me why Emilio Coronado had you held hostage and was set to auction you off?”
“My guess? He’s trying to restart Moreau’s empire and used me as buyer’s incentive for whatever purpose they chose, how’d you find me for real?”
“That diamond your little chick a Dee was so attached too I melted it.”
“Damn it Dublyn!” Eliot growled.
“He’s back.” Dublyn said laughing.