I called Isabella and had her pinpoint the cell phones that were in the house. I asked her to keep tabs on them and let me know where they went.
After a few keystrokes, Isabella said, "I’ve got bad news for you. The only cell phone that pinged the tower from that house right now belongs to Wade Dalton. If anybody else does have a cell phone, they’re smart enough to keep it turned off.”
Once you turned on a burner phone at your residence, it could be linked to you. Every cell phone has a unique identifier, an MSN—a mobile subscriber number. Phones typically connect to towers at regular intervals, whether you're using the phone or not.
The fact that these guys were smart enough to turn their burner phones off whenever they got near a residence told me they were up to no good. Why else go to the trouble?
We sat there for a couple of hours, bored out of our minds, watching the house. This kind of work was never fun, especially when it was a friend.
"I don't know about you, but I gotta go to the bathroom," Jack said.
He fired up the engine, put it into gear, and drove away from the curb. He was never much on stakeouts.
I watched the house as we passed by.
I had asked Isabella to let me know when Wade went on the move. I hoped he wasn't involved in any of this. But something told me he was just as complicit as the others. The brains behind the hacking.
We pulled into a gas station with a quick mart. I filled up the tank while JD did his business.
He came out a few minutes later with a couple of bottles of water. We hopped into the car and drove back to the marina at Diver Down. We hopped out and strolled back to theAvventura.I took Buddy for a walk.
When I returned, Jack and I entertained thoughts about dinner.
The guys had done a good job cleaning up the boat after the party. It was virtually spotless. They had all gone on about their day.
We cleaned ourselves up and went up to Oyster Avenue to have dinner at Indigo. It was one of those contemporary surf-and-turf places full of style. Dim blue backlighting lit the walls, giving an immersive, undersea feel. The decor was elegant and formal. Jacket required. We were a little underdressed, but the badge got us a table.
A delightful waitress took our order.
Jack opted for the butter-poached lobster, and I went with the seared scallops and medallions of beef.
“You really think Shane’s behind the heist?” JD said.
“I’m almost certain.”
“What about Cody?” Jack said, playing devil’s advocate. “New guy. Made the call. Numerous calls to a burner.”
“Look, I don’t want to think Shane’s doing this any more than you do.”
We chowed down when our entrees arrived, and the food did not disappoint.
Jack's phone buzzed with a text from Crash as we finished.[Where's the party?]
[We're going to Jellyfish after we eat.]
[Sounds like a plan. We'll see you there.]
We finished up at Indigo, and Jack picked up the tab. From there, we strolled down the avenue to Jellyfish. The dim club had plenty of cozy couches to get lost in. Subdued lighting in the form of the namesake hung from the ceiling, casting soft light. The bar was illuminated by colored LED backlights.
It was early, and the crowd thin. That would change soon enough. It was fine by me. It was quiet, and you could hear yourself think at this hour.
Jellyfish was always good for tight skirts, long legs, and high heels. The drinks were pricey, but the trendy club was always an adventure.
I got a text from Isabella.[Wade is Oscar Mike.]
[Let me know where they land.]
JD and I ambled up to the bar and ordered a drink. The bartender poured the whiskey, and we kicked back and relaxed as the club began to fill up.
