Three Fates

Marsh’s wife?” Anita demanded.
    “No, the young one. The daughter. In a big hurry. Looked guilty. I can catch up and tail her if you want.”
    “No. She always looks guilty about something. Do what I told you to do and don’t bother me again until you have something.”
    With a shrug, Jasper pocketed the phone. He’d follow orders and keep the bitch happy. He knew she’d done Dubrowsky but it didn’t worry him. Jasper figured he could handle himself, and the Gaye woman, better than his unfortunate former associate.
    So much better that when everything shook down, he’d arrange a little accident for the ice bitch. A fatal one. He’d probably have to take care of the Marsh woman, too. And her old man. But once the slate was clean, he’d be the one walking off with those three statues.
    Thinking Rio might be a nice retirement spot, he walked back to Wyley’s, to follow orders.
     
     
    JACK MET BOB Robbins at the bar and grill two blocks from the station house. It was too early for the change or end of shifts, so there was only a scatter of cops and civilian customers. The place smelled of onions and coffee. In a few hours, the scent of beer and whiskey would predominate.
    Jack slid into the booth across from Bob. “You called,” he said, “you buy.” He ordered a Reuben, a side of fries and a draft. “What’s up?”
    “You tell me. Morningside.”
    “Lew caught that.”
    “Tell me anyway.”
    “The B and E got through the first level of security, gained entrance to the target. Secondary kicked in, as designed, and all hell broke loose. Word is the boys in blue responded within two minutes. That’s good hustle.”
    “How’d they get through, Jack?”
    “We’re doing a system check, a full analysis.” He stretched out his legs. “If you’re thinking about hassling any of my people over this, you’re wasting your time and you’ll piss me off. If any of mine had turned on a client, they wouldn’t have missed the second level, would have taken out what they went in for and would even now be sunning themselves on a foreign beach where extradition wouldn’t be a weighty issue.”
    “Maybe they did get what they went in for.”
    Jack picked up his beer when it was served, watched Bob over the foam as he took his first sip. “Which would be?”
    “Again, you tell me.”
    “As far as I know, the client hasn’t completed her inventory check. And I can tell you, all my people are accounted for. Burdett hasn’t earned its reputation by hiring thieves. You taking this over from Lew?”
    “No. I’m working something that might be connected. Couple of things just don’t gel for me. Here’s the big one. I go years without anyone saying the name Anita Gaye to me. Now, within a short span of time, you drop it on me in connection with some two-bit muscle who ends up dead in Jersey. I hear it from Lew when he catches a burglary attempt at her place of business, which involves your security. And I get it tossed in my lap again today, from a woman who knows you.”
    Jack leaned back as his lunch slid in front of him. “I know a lot of women.”
    “Tia Marsh. Says you told her that her phones are tapped.”
    “They are.”
    “Yeah, they are.” Bob nodded, picked up his burger. “I just checked it out. Question is, why are they?”
    “My guess is somebody wants to know who she’s talking to, and about what.”
    “Yeah, ele-fucking-mentary, Watson. She thinks it might be Anita Gaye.”
    Jack set his beer down, carefully. “Tia Marsh tell you that?”
    “What’s going on, Jack?”
    “I’ve got nothing solid. But let me tell you this.” He leaned forward, lowered his voice. “Whoever got into that building knew enough about the system to get in. And not enough to stay in and finish. I always see to it the client knows as much as he wants to know about the operation. In this case, with this client, she knew the basics.”
    “She wants something out of her own place, why doesn’t she just walk out with it?”
    “How the hell do I know? Five minutes, Bob. The primary was down for five maximum before secondary kicked the alarms. Your guys responded in two. Coming in from that section, I can’t see how they got squat out of there in under seven minutes. Even if the thing ran smooth as silk while they were inside, they couldn’t have gotten much. I’d be real interested to see what she files on her insurance claim.”
    “Doesn’t sound to me you like your client, Jack.”
    “Can’t