Page 93

“We can’t be sure,” Sam said. “Still, the Gray Ghost isn’t something you can hide in plain sight. A bit of a risky move to bring it this far inland. We need to think logically.”
He studied the map for possible routes. “If we knew how he got it
out of the UK, that might narrow down where he has it stored.”
“So where would he keep his less than legitimate goods?”
“Somewhere easy to get to, and easy to ship out after a sale, I’d think. We can safely assume they got the Ghost out of London in a truck. From there, it’s anyone’s guess.”
“They transport trucks through the Channel Tunnel,” Remi said. “That’s the closest and fastest route from the London Motor Show.”
Oliver looked up from the cutting board, where he was slicing fresh bread. “Except,” he said, “the police were notified right away. The investigator told me that the first thing they were checking was transport trucks and containers headed to France. I’d think the tunnel would’ve been the first thing they checked. And the easiest.”
Sam drew an X through the London Eurostar route, then circled Dover. “Good point. Less risky to send it to a major shipping port, where no one would notice one more container.”
“Calais’s busy enough to escape notice,” Chad suggested, as he brought over the cut apples and the grapes. “I’ve taken the ferry over quite a few times.”
“That’d be my first pick,” Sam said. “But we still have to find the specific facility Rossi’s using or it’ll be like—”
“A needle in a haystack?” Remi suggested.
“Exactly. I doubt Rossi’s got a website announcing which warehouse he’s using for his stolen goods.”
“Of course, we’re assuming he’s using one of his own,” Remi said.
“High-value and high-risk. There’s no way he’s going to entrust it to anyone else.”
“So how do we find it?” Chad asked.
“It’s Sunday,” Remi said. “What better time to visit?”
“Might be a night operation?” Sam asked. “What do you think, Remi?”
“After a quick recon trip during daylight hours to see what we’re up against, we can make that decision.”
Late that afternoon, they drove out to Rossi’s business office. As they stood across the street, it didn’t take long for Sam to discover that getting in after dark wasn’t going to be as easy as they thought. The office was housed in a business district with high-level security, including a bank on the first floor of Rossi’s building.
“So much for that idea,” Sam said. “That bank adds a layer of protection Rossi couldn’t get anywhere else.”
Remi gave a facetious smile. “I suppose pretending to be from Oren’s shipping company for a pre-inspection of the car would be too obvious?”
“Just a bit.”
Oliver looked relieved that they seemed to be backing out of the idea of breaking in. “So we’re not coming back tonight?”
“No.” Sam examined the windows of the four-story structure. Rossi’s export management company was on the third floor. “Breaking and entering into a building containing a national bank is likely to buy us a few years in prison. All we can do now is come back in the morning when the place is open for business.”
“Cutting it short,” Remi said. “They’re meeting at eleven.”
“If we want access, that’s our only choice.”
They returned the next morning at eight. The bank had its own entrance in the lobby. Those who were not bank customers had to check in with the security guard before being allowed to access the elevator.
After watching the people going in and out of the lobby’s front doors, Sam and Remi looked at each other, Sam saying, “You know what this place reminds me of?”
“That time in Madrid . . . ?”
Sam smiled. “I think we have our plan.”