Stone Investigations (Stone Series Book 4) by Bob Blanton (open ebook txt) 📗

up with all that tennis.  She’ll be easy prey.”

“You wish.  Schussing takes nerves and balance and I havethat in spades.”

“Yeah, and that low center of gravity does help, but I think. . .”

“Jason, I wouldn’t go too far with that low center of gravitything,” Matthew said.  Both Brianna and Jason were relatively short of staturecompared to Matthew’s nearly six-foot height.  Even Jason’s girlfriend, Alex,was taller than he was, especially in heels.

“What’s going on down there?” Alex and Emily asked togetheras they made their way down the stairs.

“Jason and Brea are talking smack about who’s the betterskier.”

“I suggest you let the slopes answer the question.  No reasonto debate it until we’re there,” Emily said.

“Hey, now that Brea’s going, is Jen coming as well?”

“Yes, so we’re going to have our own personal doctor again. It’ll be just like last year.  We’re even staying in the same chateau.”

“Enough about skiing; this is movie night.  Have we decidedon a movie yet?”

“I’m voting for Kill Bill, Volume 2,” Jason said.

“No way. You boys can watch that on your own time,” Alex toldthem.

“Why don’t we compromise and watch Million Dollar Baby?It’s about a woman boxer,” Emily suggested.

“Sounds great,” Jason said.

Matthew sidled up next to Emily.  “You know he’s going to tryto get even with you once he realizes this is a chick flick.”

“Let him try.”

◆ ◆ ◆

“Matt, I’ll give you a ride home,” Emily offered once themovie was over.

“Aren’t you taking Alex?”

“No, she and Jason are going out for ice cream, he’ll dropher off.”

“Then sure.”

“Hey, what’s up with your car?” Jason asked.

“I loaned it to a friend.  I’ll get it back in a couple ofweeks.”

“No way I would loan my car out.  Especially only two weeksafter I got my license.”

“It’s not like I would be driving all over the place anyway,”Matthew said.  “Besides, I get to borrow Mom’s car on the weekends.”

◆ ◆ ◆

Once they were alone in Emily’s Boxster, she turned to Matthewand asked for an update on Agent Peters.

“She’s got film of Jerome and his kid doing the drug deal. She’s also got film of the dealers dropping the money off to Dante on the trolley. She’s going to try to film the kid putting the drugs in the library next week. The timing didn’t work out this morning.”

“Does she have anything on Graham?”

“She got a warrant, actually she had her buddy get one sincethe DEA still thinks she’s missing.  They’re going to open the packages Danteships to Graham’s fake book exchange company tomorrow or Tuesday.  Then theyshould be able to get film of Graham picking up that package and others at themail store.”

“So when is she going to make the bust?”

“She needs next week to track the money back to him.  Thenshe wants to catch Graham with the drugs, so that means she has to wait anothertwo weeks until his next Catalina trip.”

“Oh, it really is going to take a month like you said.”

“Yes, getting dropped in the drink meant that we missedGraham shipping the drugs.  I bet he did that on Saturday.”

“Definitely, he wouldn’t want to risk them being found on him. But based on what you’ve said, it seems he’s back to normal.”

“Sure.”

“So, you’ll keep tabs on them while we’re skiing?”

“I guess.  I don’t think much will be happening, except thatGraham is going to the Cayman Islands, I assume to drop off money.  I’ll seewhat I can learn about that.”

“Are you going to grab his money?”

“Maybe, but I have to wait until Agent Peters arrests him.  Otherwise,he’ll know something is up.”

“Good.  Here you go, I’ll see you at school on Monday.  Andthanks for being cool about Brea.”

“Nothing else I could do.”

“You could have been a jerk.”

“Where’s the profit in that?”

◆ ◆ ◆

“Hey, Matt, how’s the hip?” Emily asked as she took off herrobe so she could join Matthew in the jacuzzi.

“It’s feeling better.”

“Aren’t you supposed to ice it?”

“I did.  Now I’m applying heat.”

“When did you ice it?”

“Ten minutes ago.”

Emily looked confused for a second.  “Oh, you used yourportal.”

“Yes, and the freezer in the restaurant.  Worked prettygood.  What made you decide to join me?”

“I thought you might enjoy the company.  How’s your ego afterblowing that helicopter move?”

“I used chocolate to soothe it.”

Emily laughed a bit.  “And how is Mr. Graham doing?”

“I knew that’s why you were here.  He’s just landing.”

“Where?”

“George Town.”

“Did he pull the same trick with the jets?”

“Yes; he flew from a small airstrip outside of Charleston,South Carolina, to Owen Roberts Airport in George Town.  The other jet flewfrom Captain Charles Kirkconnell International on Cayman Brac to Owen Robertsalso.  So he turned a local flight into an international flight and aninternational flight into a local flight.”

“And the local flight avoids customs.”

“Right.”

“Why would he have both jets fly into George Town’s OwenRoberts?”

“I think it’s because he has such limited choices.  Hecouldn’t have the same jet return to the same airport as a different flight,someone would have figured out something was wrong.”

“Okay, let me see what’s going on, too.”

Matthew extended his portal so Emily could see through it asshe sat beside him in the jacuzzi.  The jet taxied to the terminal area wherethe luggage was unloaded and Mr. Graham exited the jet.  He walked into theterminal and went directly to the Hungry Horse, the airport restaurant.  Hewaited for a table; the airport was very busy.

“What’s he doing?” Matthew muttered.

“Follow the money!”

Matthew moved his portal over to the baggage carousel for theflight.  The four suitcases with Mr. Graham’s money were just coming onto thecarousel.

“Look, there are four others just like them already on thebelt,” Emily said as the suitcases started to emerge from below.

As the first one started its second lap, a woman walked overand checked the luggage tag, then struggled to heft the suitcase off the belt. She pulled the handle out and started pulling the suitcase away.

“What!”

“Can you get a read on her?”

“Maybe, but what about the next one,” Matthew said as asecond woman was tugging one of the other bags off of the belt.

“Are you sure that’s one of his?”

“Yes,” Matthew said, rolling his eyes.  “It landed next tothat brown leather bag when it came out.”

“Well, you