I growled at Jack, "I told you not to lose him!"
"What am I supposed to do?” he said, motioning to the traffic ahead.
In the distance, Shane took another left and disappeared.
I grumbled.
“Just get Isabella to track him,” JD said.
“He doesn’t have a phone.”
Isabella called a moment later. "You ready for this?”
24
“That car is registered to a holding company,” Isabella said. “That holding company is owned by the offshore company that rents the vault that was robbed."
"Not surprising,” I said.
"That same offshore company also owns Key Marine Holdings Unlimited, which owns the Coconut Diamond Charter service."
I cringed. "So who's behind all of this?"
"A guy named Vladimir Solonik. It looks like he's involved in arms and heroin. He's bringing the drugs in from Afghanistan. Apparently, Vladimir doesn't play well with the cartel. He's got his own supply chain. Multiple front operations launder the money—the charter service, a strip club, a restaurant and bar."
My jaw tightened. I knew the answer before I asked, "What strip club?”
"The Emerald Lounge. Of course, each one of these entities is owned by its own holding company, which is owned by this, that, or the other thing. You get the idea."
I asked her to track Riley's phone.
With a few taps of the keys, she told me it was off the grid. It was the right move. If she was smart, she was in the process of disappearing.
I thanked Isabella and dialed Riley right away. It rang a few times and went to voicemail.
I left a message. "Riley, I know this is a difficult time. You're not safe. If you check your messages, get somewhere secure, keep your phone off, and contact me from a number that can’t be traced back to you."
I disconnected and told Jack to drive to the charter company. It was based out of Opal Bay.
We sped across town and pulled into the lot of the upscale marina. My heart thumped with adrenaline, my mind swirling with possibilities—none of them good.
Opal Bay was home to superyachts, bluewater sailboats, and other luxury pleasure craft. Coconut Diamond Charters had a large suite in the office complex.
JD and I hurried across the parking lot and pulled open the glass double doors that were etched with the company's name. I flashed my badge to the receptionist and asked, "Is Riley in today?”
"No. She hasn't come in yet. She’s supposed to come in this afternoon. She had a dentist appointment this morning, I believe.”
"You know how long that appointment has been on the books?"
"She told me about it yesterday.”
I thanked her for the information.
"Is there a message you would like me to give her?"
"No, thank you.”
We darted out of the office and headed back to the car.
