Hidden Agemda (Kate Diamond Adventure) Read online

  Kate had gotten most of her communication from Max over the phone, through email, text messages, Skype text chats and one time even by carrier pigeon. Just thinking about the deep, masculine timbre of his voice made her feel all tingly. And it didn’t hurt that he had a touch of an Irish accent … or was it English? Either way, the sound of his voice made Kate melt. She wondered if he’d have that effect on her in person. But something always came up whenever they were supposed to meet. Kate was beginning to wonder if Maximilian Forbes even existed.

  The big oak door opened and Kate’s heart jumped—tonight might finally be the night. She leaped up from her seat, feeling slightly disappointed that the figure in the door was Gideon Crenshaw and not Max Forbes.

  “Is he ready to see me?” Kate started toward the door.

  “What?” Gideon glanced back into the office and Kate followed his gaze. Except for the large mahogany desk, matching filing cabinets and a Monet painting on the wall, the office was empty.

  Kate’s hopes deflated. “Where is he?”

  “Oh, Max?” Gideon took her elbow, steering her away from the office. “He had to run out but I told him about the great job you did and he said to tell you he’s very pleased.”

  Kate stared at Gideon who was not only a co-worker but also a good friend. To say he was a geek was to put it mildly. He even looked the part with curly brown hair that often stuck out at odd angles from running his hands through it when figuring out complex calculations for some gadget or formula.

  Kate glanced down at his sweater vest. Hadn’t she advised him not to wear those anymore? Then back up at round black-rimmed eyeglasses with such thick layers of glass his light green eyes appeared enormous. Gideon was responsible for all the cool gadgets Kate used on her “assignments” including the serum she’d given to Crowder as well as the perfume vial hypodermic she used to inject it. She loved the guy to pieces and didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but right now she wanted to catch a glimpse of Max.

  “But he was in there with you,” she said peering back over her shoulder.

  “Yeah. He took his private elevator down to the garage.” Gideon gave Kate a sympathetic look—he knew she’d been trying to catch a glimpse of Forbes since she came to work there. “You’ll never catch up with him. Besides you might not want him to see you in that outfit …”

  Kate looked down at the skimpy black vest and tight spandex pants she’d forgotten she was wearing. As the head insurance investigator for the Ritzholdt, she usually wore something more business-like in the office. Tonight, she hadn’t had much choice. The pants were the only things that would fit undetected under the gown and Gideon had designed the top of the gown to turn into the vest. She’d been too excited about getting the information from Crowder’s computer to change before coming here. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that Max had to run off.

  Kate puffed out her cheeks and turned back around. “Right. Well, I guess there’s plenty of time for me to talk to him later,” she said glancing sideways at Mercedes who was now sitting behind her desk with a smug look on her face.

  She fished the USB drive out of her bra as she followed Gideon out into the hall.

  “I was able to get all the data from the computer,” she said holding out the tiny device.

  “Great.” Gideon snatched the drive from her hand and hit the button for the elevator. “So, the serum and hypodermic worked, then?”

  “Like a champ.” Kate followed Gideon into the elevator and watched him press the button for the basement. “He’s probably still sleeping.”

  “Excellent.” Gideon held the USB drive up to his eye. “Now let’s see if this baby can tell us just what Julian Crowder plans to do with the world’s largest ruby.”

  ***

  The world’s largest ruby crystal, otherwise known as “The Millennia Ruby”, had been stolen from the Ritzholdt Museum several weeks earlier. Which was no easy task considering it weighed almost nine pounds and was the size of Kate’s hand.

  The crystal was reputed to be the largest raw ruby crystal ever dug out of a mine and had been donated to the museum by the mine owner, Xavier Badeau. In its raw form it was worth millions, but cut into individual stones it might be worth even more.

  “Do you think Crowder will sell the ruby whole or have it cut?” Kate asked Gideon, who was huddled over his computer tapping furiously at the keys.

  “I don’t know.” Gideon paused his tapping and squinted up at her, adjusting his glasses on his nose. “For a collector, I think the unique value would be in getting it whole. There’s not another one as large, even though it’s a raw unpolished crystal. Once it’s cut up, it loses a lot of the appeal, I think—I mean—anyone can buy a big ruby.”

  “Sure, but the Millennia might yield a very large stone, or several, that could be more valuable cut and polished than the raw crystal,” Kate pointed out.

  “Yeah, but these are collectors we’re talking about. They already have lots of money. What floats their boat is getting their hands on something that no one else has,” Gideon said turning back to the computer.

  “Even if it means they have to keep it hidden away.” Kate sank down into a chair and slid it next to Gideon’s pet dachshund, Daisy, who was curled up in another chair. She absently stroked the dog’s silky fur. Gideon was the best at what he did and Max did whatever it would take to keep him happy—including letting him keep his dog in the lab. Of course, it worked in Max’s favor too; since Gideon didn’t have to leave the lab to tend to the dog, he could work more hours.

  While Gideon focused his attention on the computer, Kate looked around the room. Hidden deep in the basement Gideon’s lab was gigantic, encompassing most of the entire floor. In the middle were long stainless steel tables, like the one Gideon’s computer sat on. Around the perimeter were glass windowed rooms—each one contained some strange tool or contraption that Gideon was developing. Some had the window shades open so you could see in, others were closed tight and Kate knew that’s where his top-secret developments were.

  Kate stifled a yawn and sank further into her chair wondering how Gideon managed to stay so alert at this ungodly hour. She guessed it had something to do with the pile of Red Bull cans on the table beside him.

  She contemplated going home to bed, but she had to know what Gideon found on the computer since the information would dictate her next move. Kate thought about what she might have to do to get the ruby back. Although she held the mundane title of “Insurance Investigator”, the actual mechanics of her job were much more exciting. She did what the police were often unable to do—got back items stolen from the museum by whatever means possible.

  Sure, the police always tried to catch the thieves, but the truth was, one often had to react quickly and use unorthodox methods to catch thieves at their own game and the police weren’t known for doing either of these. Kate should know—she used to be in law enforcement.

  But now, Kate loved working for the museum. She had an amazing amount of resources, the latest technology and, thanks to Gideon, innovative contraptions to help her do her job—things she never had when she worked for the FBI. Plus, Max trusted her and gave her free reign to do whatever it took to retrieve the items. Not only that, but her job often took her to exotic locations … and the generous expense account didn’t hurt either.

  Of course, there was the little problem of operating outside the law at times. But Max’s money and resources had been able to get her out of any of the scrapes she’d gotten into and, since she was usually just retrieving items stolen from them in the first place, she wasn’t really doing anything too illegal—most of the time.

  Kate wondered if operating on the outskirts of the law added to the excitement for her. It did have a certain appeal, except for when she had to dodge the law, like last night when she’d had to dodge FBI agent Ace Mason.

  Kate pushed thoughts of Ace Mason out of her head. Even if he was on the case of the missing ruby he certainly wouldn’t have the information s
he did. The FBI was too slow and bloated to gather the intel this fast. She had nothing to worry about.

  Closing her eyes, she tried to think of where the trail would take her. Crowder was known to hold auctions and parties in strange and exotic locations. He’d do whatever it took to attract his buyers and help them maintain their anonymity. Maybe she’d jet to Europe, go on an exotic cruise, or bask on a Caribbean island. After she recovered the ruby, she could take some extra vacation time to enjoy herself.

  Kate could almost smell the salty, tropical sea air and feel the gritty sand under her feet as she pictured herself sipping a pineapple and rum-laced umbrella drink and gazing out onto the aqua ocean while the sun warmed her skin …

  “Kate … Kate …” Kate heard Gideon calling from far away. She slowly opened one eye.

  Had she fallen asleep? She must have because Gideon was shaking her shoulder to wake her.

  “Wha—?” she mumbled sleepily.

  “I’ve got it!” Gideon pointed excitedly to the computer screen and Kate sat up in her chair, leaning over to see what the excitement was about. “I’ve figured out where Crowder is going to try to sell off the ruby.”

  “Really?” Kate perked up, fully awake now. In her mind, she started sorting through her closet, choosing from her summer wardrobe. She’d have to bring that cute turquoise sundress … the salmon colored shorts set … she might have to buy some new sandals. She couldn’t wait to get away. The weather was turning cold in Boston and a tropical location was just what she needed.

  “Come on Gideon, tell me where it is.” Kate looked from the computer monitor to Gideon as she squirmed in her seat. From the look of excitement on her friend’s face, she knew it was someplace good.

  “This is a chance of a lifetime, Kate,” Gideon said. His obvious excitement was infectious. She perched on the edge of her seat, waiting for him to announce the location.

  “You’re going to Antarctica.”

  Chapter Three

  “Antarctica?” Kate stared at Gideon trying to determine if he was kidding. “But there’s nothing there except snow and ice.”

  “… And Emperor penguins, Minke whales and Weddell seals among some of the most amazing sights on the planet,” Gideon replied. “If you get the chance you should kayak up to the icebergs—they’re spectacular. And you must swim in one of the lagoons at Deception Island.”

  Kate eyed the pile of Red Bull cans and wondered if drinking too much of it could cause delusions. “Swim? That sounds cold. Isn’t the water frozen there?”

  Gideon looked at her as if she was the one who had gone crazy. “Of course not. Deception Island is an active underwater volcano with geothermal lakes and lagoons. It’s like lounging in a hot tub. Oh, and Deception is loaded with chinstrap penguins so take your camera. I’d love some pictures of the Emperor penguins too, if you have a chance—it’s very hard to get pictures of them.”

  “You’re joking, right?” Kate said hopefully. “The ruby can’t really be in Antarctica … there’s nowhere to keep it.”

  “Au contraire.” Gideon tapped the keys on his keyboard. “I’m not joking and there is a place to keep the ruby—an ice hotel.”

  “Ice hotel?” Kate shivered as images of her suitcase full of bathing suits and sundresses turned to ski pants and parkas.

  “Yeah, you know, a hotel built entirely out of ice and snow.” Gideon turned his monitor toward her to reveal a series of pictures of what looked like the inside of a giant igloo, except much fancier. “Like the famous one in Sweden.”

  Kate scrunched her face at the monitor. “I do remember hearing about that but I didn’t know there was one in Antarctica.”

  “That’s the beauty of it … no one does.” Gideon tapped on the keyboard again and a satellite photo appeared showing a snow-covered image. He pointed at a dark rectangle in the middle of the image. “According to the data on the USB drive you gave me, Crowder had one built in the most remote place he could think of. It’s brilliant really. A perfect way to keep anyone from knowing who his guests are since no one else would be anywhere near.”

  “ … And he has the ruby there.” Kate said it as a statement rather than a question.

  “Among other things. It looks like he plans to have some sort of auction for the ruby, some jewels allegedly from Katherine the Great, a Matisse, a Van Gogh, and a few other items that can’t be sold through public, legal channels.”

  “And once the auction is over, all he has to do is melt the hotel and the evidence vanishes,” Kate said.

  “Exactly. It’s brilliant!”

  “Must be expensive to build.”

  “Oh, it is. But Crowder has money and the commission he’ll make from getting buyers for the stolen goods …” Gideon let his voice trail off. They both knew it would be in the millions.

  “And just how am I supposed to get into this ice palace and get the ruby out?” Kate asked.

  Gideon pressed his lips together. “It’s not going to be easy. The guest list is by invitation only. The event is for two days, ending in the auction.”

  “Two days?” Kate stared at Gideon. “You mean people actually sleep in an ice hotel?”

  “Yes, it’s very comfortable actually,” Gideon said as if he’d done it before, which made Kate wonder if he had. “You don’t sleep on ice. The rooms come equipped with specially heated sleeping bags on top of down-filled mattresses.”

  “Great.” Kate tried unsuccessfully to muster some enthusiasm.

  “It will be fun. It’s the warm season there right there now so it’s only about fifteen degrees inside the hotel. I’ll make sure you have the latest thermal clothing. I think I can dig up some gloves and socks for you to take—they’re heated with a special chemical, shake them and they stay warm for 24 hours. Not too many people can say they slept in Antarctica.” Gideon looked at the computer screen wistfully. “To tell you the truth, I’m pretty jealous. I wish I could go, but I have to stay here and man the fort.”

  Kate’s heart pinched. She was always jetting off to exotic locations and Gideon never got to go anywhere.

  “Sorry, Gid,” Kate said, vowing to adjust her attitude and appreciate the opportunity to go somewhere unique. “I wish you could come too.”

  Gideon rummaged in one of the thin drawers that slid out from under the table, retrieved a box of Tic-Tac’s and held it out to her. Kate frowned at the box before taking it. Was her breath that bad? She blew out on her palm to test it.

  Gideon laughed. “That’s actually a camera.” He opened one side of the Tic-Tac box to reveal three buttons. “This button zooms, and this one controls the shutter to snap the picture. It takes great pictures and if you press this button on the bottom, it will take pictures of beams of light from lasers, just in case you need to map out the lights on a security system.” He demonstrated how to work the camera and handed it back to her. “Oh, and there’s actually Tic-Tac’s on the other side.”

  Kate studied the device, taking a shot of Gideon before slipping it into her pocket.

  “I was hoping that since I can’t go, you could take some pictures of penguins and other wildlife for me. Antarctica is actually teeming with unusual creatures.”

  Kate sighed, wondering when she’d find the time—or inclination—to go outside and take pictures of wildlife. Then she saw the hopeful look on her friend’s face. It was the least she could do. How hard could it be to snap a few pictures of penguins?

  “Sure, I’ll do my best,” Kate said, then turned the conversation back to business. “Okay, so how do I get an invitation to this thing?”

  “We’ll leave that up to Max. He always seems to be able to come through in that area. With all his connections on both sides of the law, I’m sure he’ll be able to finagle something.”

  “And I’ll need transportation that can get me there … and something that I can sneak the ruby out in.”

  “Right, I thought you’d never ask about that.” Gideon got up from his chair and walked over to one of
the glass windows. “I’ve been working on this.”

  Kate craned her neck to see what was in the room. It looked like some sort of souped-up motorcycle. It was a little wider than a regular bike, with a dome windshield that came up over the rider’s head. Instead of wheels it had a wide studded belt and there where what looked like wings folded up on the side.

  “Don’t tell me that thing flies.” Kate felt a twinge in her chest. She certainly hoped Gideon didn’t expect her to fly it.

  “No, it’s a ski-cycle … and it floats!” Gideon punched some numbers into the keypad beside the door and it slid open with a hiss. Stepping into the room, he motioned for Kate to join him. “Come on, I’ll show you how it works.”

  Kate got out of her chair and stretched. Daisy did the same, and then followed Kate into the room where Gideon was fiddling with some switches and dials on the dashboard of the ski-cycle.

  “As you can see, it’s built like a motorcycle, but it has the belt that goes across snow and ice—like a snowmobile. The bullet-proof windshield helps to protect you—and a bulletproof shield slides up in back.” Gideon pressed a button and a Plexiglass shield slid up from the back of the seat. “Of course you only want to use that if you are being shot at, otherwise the drag will slow you down.”

  “What are these things?” Kate pointed to the pieces folded up on the side.

  “Ah!” Gideon ran around to the front of the bike. “That’s the beauty of this baby.” He pressed a button on the dashboard and the pieces unfolded making a V shaped hull that extended from the middle of the tires underneath the bike. “It turns into a boat, so if you’re assailant is chasing you on land, you can drive right into the water and leave him in your dust.”