Page 17 of Smoke Screen
What did that say about him? Other than his being willing to prostitute himself in case his sexual partners spewed intel while in the midst of an orgasm.
He brought his attention back to the various memorabilia from campaign stops. A photo of the Thompsons in front of the “Welcome to Iowa” sign was a nice touch, since the citizens of that fine state sealed the deal on his presidency.
A few feet ahead, Cruz let out a low whistle when they reached a glass-encased wax replica of Thompson and the First Lady. Thompson wore a navy tuxedo with velvet lapels and the First Lady a floor-length gown with a diamond necklace that must have weighed ten pounds.
The necklace, no doubt, instigated his brother’s whistle.
“Stunning,” Maddy said, “isn’t it?”
“Beyond stunning. It’s a Pierre?”
Maddy halted, smiling at Cruz. “You recognized it?”
He shrugged. “It’s what we do. A Pierre has a certain look to it.”
“The president’s father designed it. This was the day after the election at one of the balls.”
Phin studied it. How did the thieves leave that piece?
No time to grab it, that’s how.
When the media first reported the theft of the Pierre pieces, Phin had read that the thieves broke a window, crawled through, and grabbed whatever they could before the guards showed up. They’d been in and out in under a minute. Given that limited time, they wouldn’t have detoured, run down the hallway to grab the necklace, and then come back to the queen’s exhibit.
Maddy continued through one helluva replica of the Oval office and halted in front of an area blocked by temporary walls and a cheap door.
“Once the FBI finished processing the scene,” Maddy said, “we closed off this area. The repairs should begin in the next few days.”
Beside Phin, Zeke peered back at the opening to the Oval Office replica they’d just walked through. “Was anything taken from any of the other exhibits?”
Maddy unlocked the cheap door and pushed it open. “No. They were in and out in just under a minute.”
“Two men?” Phin asked.
“Inside the building, yes. There was one outside. He helped them get the ladder up and stood watch. We have security video we can share with you. President Thompson has signed off on it.”
Ash and his fed buddies would love that. Phin met Zeke’s eye and held his gaze. Big brother obviously had the same thought. They couldn’t get hung up on it.
Pausing near the door, Phin let his brothers enter first. Some things, he supposed, never changed. As “the baby” he always went last.
He followed Cruz into the wrecked exhibit. To Phin’s right, the lone window had been boarded up, leaving the overhead recessed lights to do the work. The lack of natural light gave the place an antiseptic feel compared to the warmth and immersive experience of the other exhibits.
Zeke did a slow 360 turn, taking in the broken glass still littering the floor, the mannequins dressed in formal attire.
The knocked-over jewelry stands.
Phin imagined it. A hammer coming through the window, the security system blaring, glass around the window edges being cleared, a blanket thrown over the sill. Two guys plowing through, tearing up the space, grabbing whatever they could before guards showed up.
“Trashed it,” Rohan said, already at work snapping pics.
“They sure did,” Maddy agreed.
Zeke finished his perusal and faced Maddy. “The windows weren’t shatterproof?”
“Only the first floor. A calculated risk to save money.”
Add that calculated risk to the lack of insurance Maddy had told him about the night before and it added up to a major loss.
Zeke wandered to the boarded-up window. “Can you walk us through it after they came in?”
