Harris tucked into a homemade sandwich, while Ru jotted down observations in his notepad as he listened in to the auction from the front seat of his car, impressed by how Vanessa was handling herself.
‘My wife seriously needs to up her sandwich game,’ Harris said, wrinkling his nose as he looked at the contents.
‘You could always make your own, you know.’
As Harris was about to reply, a commotion filled their headphones, a loud voice cutting through it all. ‘Under the Endangered Species Act, you are all under arrest for the purchase and distribution of illegal insects!’
Harris’s eyes widened. ‘Oh shit.’
Without a second thought, they flung the car doors open and sprinted towards the warehouse entrance, passing a security guard who was being questioned by an officer. Ru noted the emblem on the officer’s arm as they passed: the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
‘Wasn’t Adiche supposed to contact them about the case?’ Harris asked.
‘I’m sure she tried,’ Ru replied. ‘But if they’ve been focused on a raid here, they may not have picked it up.’
Ru and Harris flashed their badges then jogged into the warehouse, finding Vanessa kneeling with others on the floor, her hands behind her head. She looked surprisingly serene given the situation. Though that serenity soon turned to anger when she caught sight of Ru and Harris.
‘This just gets worse,’ Harris whispered as he watched an officer with cropped dark hair stride over to Vanessa with handcuffs. ‘That’s Agent Valdez. I know someone who trained with him. He’s tough as they come. Damn ambitious, too.’
Ru walked over swiftly, flashing his badge at Agent Valdez. Valdez regarded the badge with an expressionless look. ‘Detective Hoshino, this is Detective Harris,’ Ru said. ‘I need to talk to you, now.’
‘I’m a little busy right now, Detective,’ Agent Valdez said.
‘This is important,’ Ru said.
‘Yeah, you’re gonna wanna hear this,’ Harris added.
Valdez took in an irritated breath then jerked his thumb towards the quiet bar area.
‘What?’ Valdez snapped when they were out of earshot. ‘And make it quick.’
‘That woman you’re about to arrest is part of our investigation team for a triple homicide case,’ Ru explained.
He looked over at Vanessa. ‘She a cop, then?’
‘A doctor,’ Ru replied. ‘Specifically, a doctor of forensic entomology.’ Valdez tilted his head, giving Vanessa an interested look. ‘She’s working undercover for us here. We believe the deaths we’re investigating may be linked to illegal insect trading.’
Valdez forced his eyes away from Vanessa and back to Ru. ‘Why the hell weren’t we notified of this?’
‘I suggest we discuss that later, out of earshot of people,’ Ru replied. ‘It’s a very … sensitive case.’
‘It better fucking be,’ Valdez said. ‘Stay here and watch how the big boys do it. We can talk when I’m done.’
‘Big boys,’ Harris muttered as Valdez strolled off, puffing his chest out. ‘Who’d he think he is?’
‘A federal agent – so in theory, he is senior to us,’ Ru stated.
‘No need to be so literal, Hoshino.’
After all the guests were led out, Vanessa was allowed to join Ru and Harris.
‘I am trying to remain professional,’ Vanessa hissed as she smoothed her hair back. ‘But what the hell, Detective Hoshino? You didn’t check these auctions weren’t already on the radar of the US Fish and Wildlife Service?’
‘We only found out about the auction today,’ Ru said.
Vanessa pinched her nose, shaking her head as Agent Valdez walked over, the displeasure on his tanned face matching Vanessa’s. ‘Detective Hoshino,’ he said when he reached them, ‘you do realise you could’ve jeopardised months of covert work?’
‘We only received the intel about the auction this morning,’ Ru replied calmly, ‘and your office was notified. We are in the midst of a triple homicide case. Time is of the essence. It was a judgement call.’
‘Poor judgement,’ Valdez snapped. ‘We’re trying to bring down a global illegal trading ring. Notified my ass … You should’ve consulted us, or did you think that New York’s finest could single-handedly tackle international wildlife smuggling?’
Their eyes met in a charged stand-off, each sizing the other up. Then Valdez’s gaze momentarily flitted over to Vanessa. ‘And what are you doing using a doctor to carry out undercover work for you?’
‘As Hoshino said, she’s an entomologist,’ Harris offered. Valdez gave him a look that seemed to make the officer regret speaking.
Vanessa’s eyes met Valdez’s squarely. ‘I would never have agreed to this if I had known we’d be stepping on the toes of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.’ She shot Ru an icy glare that didn’t require elaboration.
Ru noticed a softening around Valdez’s brown eyes. ‘Don’t worry, this is not on you. I’ve heard Detective Hoshino has a penchant for playing fast and loose with the rules.’
Ru didn’t counter him. He was right, after all.
‘Well, now you’re here and you’ve trampled all over my case with your Converse,’ Valdez said, eyeing Ru’s trainers disapprovingly, ‘I might have something for you.’ He pulled his phone out, Ru noticing his nails were perfectly rounded and manicured. ‘We’ve been tailing the person we suspect has been running these auctions for some time now.’
‘And that is?’ Ru asked.
‘Jacqueline Thorsen.’
Ru frowned. So it seemed the real power behind the Thorsens was its matriarch.