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"What do you mean..." Daniel asked, alarmed. "You don't think any of us are behind this, do you Mr. Russo?"
Papa held up his hand in rebuttal. "No, I don’t, but you never know. Let’s say, for example, the perp is caught, and the case goes to trial. A good defense attorney can perform miracles. So, sometimes it's best if anything incriminating is lost. You know, disappeared, or too destroyed to be of any use to the defense. Of course, there will be an extra fee for those services, too! Antonio will have to send someone from Vegas to handle matters of that sort."
This issue made me nervous, and I could tell the other gals felt the same, so I asked a new question. "Papa, where is Mitch's attorney, Mr. Ferrara? Is he going to be involved in this? Mitch told me he had no idea he was a US Marshall."
Papa took a long draw from his cigar and blew a few smoke rings, thinking before he answered. "Ferrara and I go way back. Of course, that's the reason I trusted him with Mitch's custody case. He is a retired colonel. His expertise is in law enforcement, and he has a lot of experience in covert intelligence gathering. Ferrara has connections that Antonio doesn't have access to, which makes him a valuable asset... or, in layman's terms. He's a good friend to have on our side."
Daniel scooted back in his chair. "I just want you to know how much Rosedale appreciates your assistance in this case."
Papa chuckled. "All I've done so far is arrange a seasoned security team for you.”
"Hey, anything is an improvement, as far as I'm concerned," Ryder added.
"I'll have more for you in the next few days when Antonio's men have a chance to review what we've got. Figuring this out should be a piece of cake for them. They're used to dealing with all sorts of crime. My brother’s biggest liabilities are the staff members at the casinos. There's always a few that think they are wise guys."
Soon we were all saying our goodbyes and gathering our sleepy kids. When we stepped outside, a line of limos driven by our security guards were waiting to whisk us away to our homes. Mitch and I slid in the back with Ava's car carrier between us. I was admiring my ring as the light from the streetlamp set the diamonds ablaze when we stopped at a red light not far from the bungalow.
When I glanced up at our surroundings, I did a double take. "Mitch! See that yellow bike over there in the bike rack outside the Stop-and-Go?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I think that's the bike the guy was riding." As the light turned green and we moved on, I rolled down the tinted window to get a clearer look. “Now, I’m sure of it. That's the same yellow bike, alright. It has a dented back fender!"
"Bob! Did you hear that!" Mitch asked, tapping him on the shoulder.
"Yes, sir. You two stay in the car and let me handle this,” Bob told us as he pulled up and parked between the building and the bike rack to provide privacy. We both watched in awe as he opened the glove compartment and took something out, something small. In a few swift moves, he eased out of the driver's seat, took a few steps to the bike, and pressed what he was carrying under the bike's back fender. Then, chuckling, he got in and eased the vehicle out of the parking lot, grabbing his phone.
"Is that what I think it is?" Mitch asked.
"If you are thinking of an AirTag, you are correct," Bob said, pulling up an app on his phone. "But it's no ordinary AirTag. Antonio specially ordered these. They can be detected within a 5-mile radius. They don't work off Bluetooth like the regular ones. I'll get an alert when the bike moves."
I clapped Bob on the back, “Now, we’re finally getting somewhere!”
ChapterNineteen
Mitch
On that sunny Monday morning,I ducked into the black SUV and closed the door, feeling the leather seats creak as Bob started the engine and drove us toward Rosedale Tech's headquarters. It had been months since our successful grand opening, where we had rubbed shoulders with local celebrities and prominent figures from Silicon Valley. The press portrayed me as a successful bachelor on the rise, and it felt great.
But things had changed since then, and not for the better. My colleagues and I had hit a rough patch in our careers through no fault of our own, leaving the future of Rosedale Tech uncertain. Nevertheless, I felt grateful for the stroke of luck that fate had given me in my personal life.
Just moments ago, I'd kissed my baby daughter and fiancé goodbye. Then Amy snagged my arm before I could grab my 'secure' laptop and reminded me, "Don't forget, I'm going shopping today with Mum and some of the gals for my wedding dress and their bridesmaid dresses."
"Have fun. I can't wait to see my blushing bride..." I said, grateful Giuseppe and Elana would be footing the bill. "Oh, and your security is already here. You're in good hands."
While relaxing in the luxurious SUV, I thought about how different my work life was from my personal one. Although the successful grand opening event felt like it happened ages ago, I was still uncertain about what was in store for me and my coworkers. Nonetheless, I was presently reenergized by the advice given to us by the Russo family, despite their questionable affiliations and shady habits.
Today, I had promised myself I would focus on finishing the Shock and Awe app design and would encourage others to do the same. We were ecstatic we had a buyer who wanted to installed in the next month. Yet, that promise to myself was short-lived when Bob pulled up to the stop light near the Stop-and-Go, and we noticed the yellow bike was still in the same spot.
I leaned forward and tapped Bob on the shoulder, "Hey, are you sure your tracking device is working?"
He pressed a button on his phone, and we heard a ping sound, confirming that, indeed, the device was active. "I have to tell ya, Antonio's equipment is known to rarely fail, and in the rare event that it does, it can lead to dire results for the vendor or the operator responsible."
"So, what do you make of it? I wonder how long that bike has been parked there in the rack?"
"That's on my to-do list today. I plan to interview the store manager to see what I can learn. Now that everything has been set up to keep you safe, we'll start piecing together the picture the evidence shows us."
I breathed in deeply, and my shoulders relaxed as Bob pulled up to the office and I got out. "I'll text you when I'm ready to leave."
