Page 60 of Gem Warfare

“Thanks.”

“Let me know when you feel up to moving and I’ll fill you inon everything.”

“So long as everything doesn’t include that severed head, I’m good to go.”

“Apparently, it was just a joke prop. It wasn’t real.”

“All the same, I’m not sure I’ll ever close my eyes again.” I sipped the water until I drained the cup and gave myself a little shake. “Okay, I’m ready. Hit me with it. What did you find out?” I waved at Garrett to hurry up and fill my brain with new information so I didn’t have to think about that head, real or not.

“You were only out for a couple minutes, so not much but we do have a name. Our body is confirmed as Charles Black. The same man as our missing report. Before you ask, yes, he’s definitely Gideon Black’s father. The ME is going to confirm the identification through dental records once she has them but she’s given me a ninety-five percent certainty verdict based on the plate from the leg.”

“So Joe Smithsonwasan alias.”

“Yes, we were right on that, but the big question is why?”

“Because he was up to no good,” I said, wondering if maybe I’d had a little knock on the head after all. I ran my hands over my head, reassured to find no bumps.

“Okay, that is probably why. The ME had some more information.”

“I like all this sharing!”

“Don’t get used to it. I’m only telling you because I’m overworked and need another set of eyes on this case, and, even better, your consultancy fee isn’t coming out of our department budget.”

“I wasn’t aware we were charging a fee.”

“Precisely.”

“And there I was feeling all warm and fuzzy about us working together. What’s the extra information?”

“Based on the decomposition, the ME estimated the burialto have taken place between fifteen and twenty-five years ago. His clothing matches the fashion of around that time and when they tested fibers, she was able to confirm the jacket he’d been wearing was from a manufacturer that went of business eighteen years ago. That narrowed the time frame. The leasing information you sent me reduces it further. The missing person report clinches it. I don’t think Joe Smithson ever left that house willingly. I think he was killed there and it was covered up to look like he’d left or skipped out on the rental.”

“Who filed the missing person report?” I asked.

“Looks like his son filed it from Boston. But it doesn’t look like he ever followed up.”

“So either he knows what happened to his dad and was trying to hide his part in it, or something happened that made him lose interest in finding answers. Or scared him off.”

“I had the same thoughts. No one reported a Joe Smithson missing, but I also can’t find a record of anyone by that name paying taxes, utilities or anything else from that time. I think we should assume Charlie Black used more than one identity.”

“Father and son are starting to sound alike.” I thought about it for a moment, then said, “I was about to suggest we should come at this from two sides and meet in the middle. You take Charlie Black. I’ll take Gideon Black, but now I think about it, I have no idea how to find Gideon now. He just disappeared last time. If it weren’t for Maddox’s intel about two possible sightings, I’d say he’d ceased to exist. Or turned law abiding. The first seems more likely.”

“He probably goes to ground between jobs. That could be what the father was doing too. Biding his time and checking in on his son before he picked up another scam.”

“We’re sure Charlie Black was running scams?” I asked. “It couldn’t be anything simpler like he just wanted to change his name to run from, I don’t know, debtors? A gang? Drug lords?”

“You have a fanciful mind. I’m thinking scam but I’d like evidence to confirm.”

“But how did he get those jewels? Everything seems to come back to them.”

“The twelve million dollar question.”

“I think we should focus less on the two men and go straight to the middle ground. The jewels. Gideon is a thief. We know that. We should assume his father is too. He might have even taught his son how to steal. If Charlie Black stole the jewels, someone probably wants them back. Might have even killed for them.” I stopped, stumped again. So why not take the jewels? Why leave them behind?

“I’ll let you know what comes up as I poke around. What are you going to do until then?”

“Inform the Dugans that they’re definitely not going to be arrested.” I side-eyed Garrett. “Are they?” I asked.

“They are not,” he confirmed.

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