Page 17 of Criminology of a Character

“It’s brilliant,” Barry continued as agents swarmed around them. “Dr. Hyde is a plastic surgeon who owns a private island where he invites other surgeons to vacation. They then support his charity, which provides plastic surgery to orphans and accident victims. His resort offers its guests procedures, ensuring no one ever questions the flood of medical equipment to this location. He hides everything in plain sight, and from therecords we’ve found, he’s been running this operation for years. Criminals fly here on private jets without the risk of customs or law enforcement or protected airspace, travel into the jungle to have their faces changed enough to fool facial recognition, and then escape to re-enter the world as new people.”

“Were any resort guests working here?” Bel asked. “Is that why Hyde invites surgeons to the island?”

“We’re cross-referencing the doctors, but so far, the surgeons we arrested are completely separate from the vacationers.”

“Makes sense,” Eamon said. “Invite wealthy and respectable doctors to L’Oaisis to keep your appearances legal.”

“Precisely,” Barry agreed. “The individuals arrested in this facility either failed their boards, aren’t licensed to operate in the U.S., or had their licenses revoked. It’s a smart setup. A doctor without a license won’t betray an illegal surgical operation.”

“I can’t believe this was happening right under our noses,” Eamon said as they moved through the narrow hall lined with small medical suites. “To think this would’ve continued unnoticed if you hadn’t realized a man with two faces walked among us.” He captured Bel’s hand as Barry guided them into an office.

“I thought I was seeing things.” She laughed humorlessly as she scanned the dingy filing cabinets. “What’s all this?”

“The golden prize.” Barry grinned at her. “You’re seeing things led to the greatest FBI discovery in years. The records room.” He gestured to the agents combing through the endless drawers. “Or at least this island’s version of a records room. There are no names. No medical documents. No contracts or payment details. They’re just photos… before and after photos.”

He handed Bel a folder, and she opened it to find two different men staring up at her from the single sheet of paper. There was no name on the document. No outline of the procedures performed. Only two faces printed in glossydefinition—the faces of one of the most dangerous men to ever disappear.

“Cory Fiddleberg,” she whispered as her fingers traced the before photo.

“Who’s that?” Eamon asked.

“Cleaner for the Chicago mob,” she answered. “If they wanted someone gone, he took care of them.”

“We estimate he’s responsible for over seventy-five deaths,” Barry added. “A harmless fender bender turned us on to him, but he disappeared before we had enough evidence for an arrest. We believed he was dead since he’s been missing for a few years.”

“But he isn’t dead.” Bel’s fingers left Fiddleberg’s original face and trailed down the paper to the after-photo. “He merely looks different. New face. New name. New life. Same killer.”

“He’s probably back in Chicago right under our noses.” Barry shook his head. “How many more people has he killed?”

“It won’t bring back the dead, but at least now you know who to look for.” Bel returned the folder to him. “Do all these have before and after photos?”

“Seems so,” Barry answered. “There are faces we don’t recognize, but there are plenty we do. Dangerous men and women we thought we lost.”

“Why would they store these photos here?” Eamon asked as he plucked a random file from its drawer.

“My guess is insurance to ensure their clients never turned on them,” Barry said. “Seems they kept physical records only, though.”

“To prevent their clients from hacking the system and deleting their photos,” Bel said.

“It’s old school, but smart,” Barry said. “One would have to break into this room to see these, and people don’t just wander onto private islands. I’m not even sure how you two foundthis. We’re pretty deep in this jungle. You didn’t walk up here, and they would’ve spotted a car if you drove. If you’d been noticed, more than just Hyde and Kinley would be missing. They would’ve burned this entire facility to the ground.”

Bel made a point not to glance back at Eamon, but that didn’t stop Agent Barry from meeting the towering man’s gaze.

“Regardless of how you found it, the FBI is in your debt,” he said. “These folders will help us find dozens of dangerous criminals we thought we lost. It’s the perfect setup with the resort acting as a front, but two weeks with Detective Emerson, and their years of success came crashing down. Which is why I want you to leave immediately.” Barry rested a hand on Bel’s shoulder before reaching up to grab Eamon’s. “We’re demanding the guests leave as soon as they’re cleared of suspicion, so no one should notice your absence in the chaos. If anyone discovers you uncovered this operation, they’ll place a target on your back, so an agent will escort you to the mainland. I’ll also send someone to gather your things. I don’t want you returning to the resort with Kinley and Gianni on the loose.”

“I agree,” Eamon said. “I’ll get her home safely.”

“Of that, I have no doubt,” Barry said. “Peters.” He waved a younger officer over and repeated his request to have the couple escorted home. Bel tuned out the discussion as she drifted through the chaotic office. How many folders were in here? How many Giannis, Kinleys, and Fiddlebergs had photos locked in these filing cabinets? How many monsters had this island altered only to send them back to their killing fields?

“To think we wouldn’t have found this if I hadn’t teased you on our run,” she whispered when she felt Eamon’s presence crowd her back. “We almost missed this.”

“But we didn’t.”

“But we didn’t,” she agreed.

“I can’t take you anywhere,” he teased. “We go on vacation, and you uncover an international surgical operation that’s gone undetected for years. And you weren’t even trying.”

“I’m going to need a vacation from our vacation.” She picked up a folder from the desk, Alessandro Gianni’s before and after photos staring up at her. “Good thing Thanksgiving with my family is coming up.”

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