The Shoplifter

“People are weird,” Jessica said as they stepped back into the office.

“I couldn’t agree more, but why specifically do you say that?”

“According to what the Shop N Save manager just told us, some bonehead is coming into the store and stealing the fresh seafood right off the ice. How dumb is that?”

“Pretty dumb,” Carter agreed. “But despite being a dumb thing to do, this guy is apparently being pretty smart about it. The surveillance cameras have never caught him red-handed, which is rather impressive. Especially after the store realized their products were going missing.”

“How do you think he’s doing it?”

“You first, rookie. What do you think?”

“Maybe he’s got a partner who blocks the camera while he swipes the shrimp and scallops?”

“Perhaps, but he’d need more than one accomplice, because there are two camera angles facing the seafood counter and one from the side.”

“That many guys clustered together would likely draw some attention,” Jessica deduced.

“I would think so.”

“Okay, so what do you think is happening?”

“I have no clue, but we’re going to find out.”

“Great. What do you need me to do?”

“I need to you clean out my lobster,” Carter said, handing her the bag he had carried back from the Shop N Save.

“Yeah, no.” Jessica stood with her hands on her hips and a resolute expression etched into her face.

“Huh?” he said, with a bewildered look.

“I’m not here to clean fish, pick up your dry cleaning, or do your taxes. I mean, I’m thankful for the job, but…”

“Jessica, you’re not my maid,” Carter interjected. “That’s not what I meant at all.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I hired you to investigate cases, not to do household chores. If you ever think I’m overstepping those boundaries, you let me know.”

“I appreciate that,” Jessica said.

“Sometimes I just don’t say things exactly right, you know?”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

Carter paused for a moment to look for a glow. Much to his surprise, she wasn’t lying. “I do fine with the shallow surface stuff like talking with clients. Actually, I usually do much better than fine, but I’ve never really learned the art of deeper personal interaction.” He considered elaborating, but didn’t want to scare her off. Even after just a couple of days, Carter appreciated having Jessica around. He enjoyed her company and her direct honesty. Don’t give her any reason to walk, he told himself. “I’m not asking you to cook my supper. In fact, don’t cook it at all.”

“I don’t understand.”

“If you cook it, it will turn that bright red color. We need it to pass for a live lobster in the tank with the rest of them.”

“Okay…” she said, lowering one eyebrow and raising the other.

“I need you to kill it. If you’re squeamish about it, you could always freeze it first if you wanted to, but they say lobsters can’t feel pain. Open it up from the bottom and clean out as much as you can without deforming the body.”

“Then what?”

“Then I’m going to stick a camera inside.”

“What kind of camera?” she interjected with a sly grin.

“A fisheye camera, of course,” Carter grinned. “Thanks for that setup. Then we’ll take it back to the store tomorrow and set in it in the tank so we can hopefully get a front-side view of what’s going on.”

“Very clever. Let’s hope he takes the bait,” she chuckled.

“Nice,” he said, appreciating her willingness to engage in witty word play. “While you do that, I’m going to wade through the security footage the manager gave us and see if I can pick out something he missed.”

* * *

“A little more to the left,” Carter instructed, gazing intently at his iPad.

Jessica reached into the tank and shifted their lobster slightly. “How’s that?”

“Better.” He continued to watch the camera feed on his screen. “Okay, now, just slide it ahead a bit and wipe off the glass a little if you can.”

“If I get pinched, you’re going to regret it,” Jessica threatened with a grin.

“That’s perfect. You’re a real lobster whisperer. Take a look.” Despite having only met for the first time four days ago, the pair had quickly found a level of comfort in interacting with one another. Their relationship was casual and almost immediately comfortable. They still had plenty to learn about each other, but so far, things had gone well.

Jessica removed her arm from the fish tank and dried it off on a towel as she walked over to where Carter stood in front of the seafood counter. He handed her the iPad and then took a step forward.

“Doom-de-doom-de-doom,” he sang, looking around nonchalantly. “Oh look! Free shrimp samples.”

Jessica watched from the lobster cam’s perspective with a clear view of Carter’s hand hovering over the fresh fish. “Busted,” she cheered.

“Great. We’ve got ten minutes before the store opens its door, so we should head back to the manager’s office and get comfortable. We don’t know how long we’ll have to wait for his guy to show up.”

“Do we know who we’re looking for?”

“Not exactly,” Carter confessed. “If I had to guess based on the footage I looked at yesterday, my money would be on the guy with the beer belly and sweatpants. He shows up pretty much every day and checks out the fish. He always picks some up, checks it out, and then puts it back. It’s possible he’s skimming some off when his back is to the cameras…”

“But?” Jessica prompted.

“But unless he’s part squirrel and is packing the fish into his cheeks, I have no clue where he could be putting the stuff.”

“Well, if he tries it again today, we should have our answer,” she stated confidently.

“That’s the plan. Now it’s time for the P.I.’s most common activity… waiting.”

* * *

“Whatcha up to?” Jessica greeted as she walked into the Shop N Save office on Monday morning.

After coming up empty on Friday, Carter had given her the weekend off. According to the store manager, none of the stolen seafood had disappeared on a Saturday or Sunday. Carter still showed up at the store both days to watch the lobster cam just in case, but as expected, the suspect was a no-show.

“Just catching up on current events,” Carter said, glancing up from his phone.

“Anything in particular?” she asked, sitting down in the chair next to him.

“Not really. Just noticing that the conspiracy theorists are connecting several recent unsolved crimes to some new master criminal — their words, not mine.”

“You think there’s anything to it?”

“Ah, who knows? Conspiracy theorists are wrong more often than they’re right.”

“But you think they’re right sometimes?”

“Now and then they get at least part of it figured out,” Carter said with a slight grin.

The morning passed uneventfully as much of Friday had done. As disappointing as it was to not see any sign of their target, Carter had enjoyed the hours spent with nothing better to do than monitor the lobster cam and chat with Jessica. She did most of the talking, but that was perfectly fine with him. He was happy to get to know her better and at the same time felt like he had very little to say himself. As a result, there was a growing feeling of familiarity, and possibly even friendship, which was something he was not at all accustomed to.

“Is that him?” Jessica asked shortly after noon as she pointed to one of the security monitors.

Carter examined the heavy-set man, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, walking toward the seafood section of the store. “Looks like him,” he confirmed. “Assuming I was right, and he’s the guy we’re looking for.”

“We should know soon enough,” Jessica predicted, watching the feed from the lobster cam closely.

The man, who had a slightly slovenly look about him, walked up to the seafood counter and stood there for a moment, examining the various items resting on the bed of ice. He did nothing overtly suspicious, but there was something about him that left Carter feeling wary. Unfortunately, any glow surrounding the man that might have tipped Carter off to his true intentions was not visible through the camera lens, which left him flying uncharacteristically blind.

“What’s he doing?” Jessica stared at the monitor, eyes quickly washing back and forth across the screen, looking for any evidence of the man’s guilt.

“Making sure no one is watching,” Carter stated confidently. The man glanced briefly at the security camera, providing a side view of the counter. “Here he goes.”

The man grabbed the scoop out of the ice and filled it full of scallops. He held the scoop in front of him, appearing to be inspecting the quality of the clams. With a subtle twist, his body turned to the side, shifting away from the security camera’s view. Jessica and Carter’s eyes darted to the lobster cam’s feed.

“I don’t believe it!” Jessica exclaimed as they watched.

“Well, that’s a new one!” Carter shook his head in disbelief as the man dumped the contents of a noticeably less full scoop back onto the ice. Carter pulled out his phone and dialed. “Yeah, Mr. Brown? This is Carter. Have your guards watch the exits. We have our man.”

The pair rushed out of the manager’s office and then slowed to a casual pace as they neared the seafood counter. The manager was waiting one aisle away with two security guards.

“That’s the guy.” Carter pointed at the fish thief as they stepped into the aisle.

“The one with the beer belly?” Mr. Brown asked.

“Not exactly, but yes,” Jessica grinned.

The security guards moved toward the counter and approached the man. When he saw them coming, the suspect tried to make a run for it but didn’t get far before a guard grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. The second guard clutched his other arm, gripping the man in place.

“I don’t understand,” Mr. Brown said. “He’s got no bag, no pockets, and nothing in his hands. If he took the scallops, where are they?”

“He ate them,” Carter chuckled. “Well, sort of.” He walked up to the apprehended man and pulled up the bottom of the man’s t-shirt an inch or two, exposing a bulbous and hair-covered belly. With a satisfied grin, he lifted the shirt farther, revealing that it was not a stomach at all, but a large fanny pack made to look like one. Carter unzipped the top of the pouch, exposing a pile of scallops and a single crab leg.

“You’ve got to be joking!” the manager said.

“You’ve got to give him points for creativity,” Jessica suggested.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Everton,” the manager beamed.

“My… I mean, our pleasure,” Carter said, shaking Mr. Brown’s hand. “I’ll send you the footage from the lobster cam and my bill. You shouldn’t have any trouble making a case against him now.”

Carter and Jessica were both wearing satisfied smiles as they walked out of the Shop N Save. “I say we grab a late lunch and then call it a day.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Hang on, hold that thought,” he said, pulling the phone from his pocket. “Hello. Uh-ha. Yep. Yep. Sure. See you tomorrow afternoon.”

“What was that about? Another job?”

“Could be. That was Lieutenant McNabb’s assistant down at the District C-6 precinct. I’ve worked a couple of cases for him in the past. You know, digging up the dirt the cops can’t find sort of stuff.”

“And he’s got some new dirt for you to dig?”

“I’m not sure. She just said he wanted me to stop by and chat. I guess I should take my shovel, just in case.”

* * *

“Lieutenant,” a middle-aged woman with short-cropped brunette hair said as she opened the office door. “Mr. Everton is here to see you.”

“Thank you, Karen,” McNabb said, rising from his desk and moving to the door to greet his visitors. The police lieutenant was just shy of sixty with greying temples and mustache accenting his neatly cut and combed black hair. He was tall and in decent shape for a man of his age, although a few years of sitting behind a desk showed on his waistline. “Good to see you again, Carter. Please have a seat. And who is this with you?” he asked, closing the door and returning to his desk.

“This is my new associate, Jessica Reynolds. Jessica meet Lieutenant McNabb.”

“Hello, Jessica.”

“Lieutenant.”

“How long have you been working with Carter here?”

“One week, sir.”

“You don’t have to call me sir,” McNabb stated kindly. He paused for a moment and then said, “Just one week, hey?”

“It’s okay, lieutenant,” Carter said, deciphering the police officer’s gaze and expecting McNabb’s reservation. “You can talk freely around Jessica.”

“Alright. No offense, Ms. Reynolds.”

“None taken.”

“What I’m about to tell you is not to leave this office.”

“Sounds serious,” Carter said, as he leaned forward in his chair.

“It could be or it could be nothing, but I’m not willing to take that chance.”

“Discretion is our middle name,” Carter assured.

“I’ll hold you to that. For the last few weeks, rumors have been popping up about a new player in town. Word is, he’s about to make a big move. We don’t have all the details yet…”

“Details like who, what, where, when, and how?”

“Yes,” McNabb admitted woefully. “Those are the missing details.”

“Thought so,” Carter grinned. “So, what do you know?”

“Not nearly as much as we’d like to. Whatever it is this guy is up to, it’s got a lot of people feeling pretty antsy. The kind of people who don’t get rattled easily, if you know what I mean.”

“So, put a bunch of your men on the case and run the guy to ground,” Carter suggested.

“I’d love to, but…” McNabb hesitated.

“You think you have a mole.”

“A mole?” Jessica echoed.

“I’m not sure,” the lieutenant replied, sounding a little defensive. “It’s possible. Some things that have trickled back in from people on the street are things that no one outside this department had any business knowing.”

“Which is why you called me.”

There was a knock on the door. It opened slightly and Karen leaned her head into the room. “Lieutenant, he’s here.”

“Just have him wait for another minute or two, if you would. Thank you, Karen.”

“Sure thing,” she said and ducked back out of the room.

“Yes, that’s why I called you,” McNabb admitted. “I don’t know exactly what your deal is, but you seemed to have some kind of sixth sense with this sort of stuff. I pride myself on being able to read people, but you catch stuff even I miss.”

I hate to break it to you, Lieutenant, but you’re not as good at it as you think, Carter thought sardonically. “I’m not exactly sure what you want me to do here, but I know it’s not to spy on your own men.”

“No, of course not. I would never do that to my people. I would lose their trust and be no good as a commanding officer. Besides, too many of the folks around here know you. If you start snooping around, warning bells will go off all over the place.”

“Then what?” Jessica jumped in again.

“We’ll sniff out the mole ourselves if there actually is one. What I need you to do is look into this new player. I’ll pass on whatever information my people dig up, but I need someone looking into this, you know, off the books.”

“You mean someone who isn’t filing reports that anyone in the department has access to,” Carter quipped.

“Yes,” McNabb admitted, his voice laced with regret. “That’s exactly what I mean. If there is a mole, we have to get ahead of him without him knowing it.”

“Alright,” Carter conceded. “I’ve got one other case at the moment. I need to wrap up first and then I’ll get right on this.”

“I need you on it now, Carter. Everything I’m hearing says we’re playing catch up and we can’t afford to get any further behind than we already are.”

Carter glanced over at Jessica. I don’t want to pass this up. But I can’t abandon the florist. Maybe she could… no, she’s nowhere near ready for that. “Fine, I’ll do it, but I’m working on my other case, too. Once it’s done, you’ll have my full attention, but in the meantime, you’ll have to settle for half.”

“Hmm,” McNabb frowned. “It’s not ideal, but if that’s the way it has to be…” Carter’s look left no room for further negotiating. “Alright, you have a deal.”

“Good. I’ll charge the department its standard rate, plus expenses, of course.”

“Of course,” McNabb said dryly.

“So, what’s the best way to pass information back and forth? I assume you don’t want me showing up here on a regular basis. If you have a mole, there’s no guarantee your phones or emails are one hundred percent secure, either.”

“No, we have to do this the old-fashioned way. Nothing electronic. Everything IRL.”

“In real life,” Jessica whispered, seeming to notice Carter’s confusion.

“Right. I suppose Jessica here could be our go-between, but it wouldn’t take long for folks to figure that out.”

“I’ve already set something up,” McNabb stated as he pressed the intercom button on his phone. “Send in Detective Disher, please.”

A moment later, Karen ushered a young man in a dark suit into the office. The detective was around six feet tall with an athletic build. He was clean-shaven with dark hair cut short on the sides and neatly parted on top. His Grecian nose, strong cheekbones, and slightly recessed eyes gave him a serious but not unfriendly look. “You called for me, sir?”

“Yes, detective, please come in.”

The young man closed the door behind him and walked over to the Lieutenant’s desk.

“Detective Disher, this is Carter Everton and his associate Ms. Jessica Reynolds,” McNabb introduced. “I have briefed the detective on the current situation and provided him with all the relevant information. He will be your liaison with this department, and directly with me.”

“What’s the cover story?” Carter asked.

“You are helping me track down the location of a new chop shop that I have…” Disher gave the lieutenant a look that expressed his displeasure at this part of the plan. “That I have been unable to find and shut down on my own.”

“Yikes, that burns, doesn’t it?” Carter blurted. The detective scowled at Carter, although his angst was clearly directed at McNabb. I kind of feel bad for the guy. The last thing the new kid on the block trying to make a name for himself wants is to have to get outside help from a P.I. “Relax, Disher, we’ll be sure to give you all the credit for the imaginary chop shop bust when it happens.”

“Don’t worry, Detective,” McNabb said. “The unsolved case won’t leave a black mark on your record, I promise. Besides, I wouldn’t have picked you for this task if I didn’t think you were capable.”

Wow, capable! You’re really pouring it on, Lieutenant, Carter silently laughed. “Are you sure we can trust him, Lieutenant? No offense Disher.”

“None taken,” the detective smiled. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”

“Yes, I am,” McNabb confirmed. “Disher is a good cop. He is our youngest detective at the moment, but he’s done stellar work for us.”

That’s a little better, Carter thought as a tiny grin curled the corner of his mouth.

“As far as I can tell, he has had no direct contact with any of the previously leaked information. In other words, I’ve vetted him as much as I can. I have no doubt he’s the best guy for this assignment. Besides, it would look highly suspicious if I put anyone higher ranking on a case like this with you. No offense.”

“None taken,” Carter and Disher said in unison.

“Looks like we might work well together after all,” Carter chuckled. “So, now that we’re all unoffended, I just have one question for you, Disher.”

“What is it?”

“Are you the mole?”

“What? Are you serious?” Disher said, jaw furrowed and mouth open. “Do you honestly think I would do that? Listen, man, I’ve worked hard to get where I am, and I’m going to keep working hard because I still have other places I plan to get.”

“Whoa, easy there, big fella,” Carter said calmly. “I didn’t mean to get you riled up; I just want to hear you say it’s not you.”

“Come on, Carter,” McNabb mediated. “Do you honestly think I would give Disher this assignment if I had any doubts about him?”

“It’s alright Lieutenant,” Disher said in a more mellowed tone. “If he needs to hear me say no, I’m happy to say no.”

“Satisfied,” McNabb asked.

“Good enough for now,” Carter quipped, trying to sound lighthearted. “Give me whatever you have now, and I’ll look through it all. It may take a couple of days, but I’ll give Disher here a call once I’m ready to hit the pavement.” He could see that the timeline did not overly delight the lieutenant. “Besides,” he offered. “It will look less suspicious if we slow play this thing a little. Attract less attention too. Remember, we want people to think you’re saddling the new kid with some lame, busy work assignment.”

“He’s got a point,” Disher concurred.

“Very well, but don’t take too long, Carter.”

“Not a moment more than necessary, I promise.”