Chapter 45

 

 

An LS500 was reported stolen from Addison Smith Lexus when the dealership opened for business that morning. In checking the security cameras, the previous evening it all appeared to be business as usual, nothing but the normal comings and goings of employees and customers. The dealership closed at eight p.m. A few browsers, probably those who didn’t immediately want to be accosted by a salesperson, wandered onto the lot and meandered among the cars. But those were pretty much gone by ten.

At two in the morning, the cameras had gone on the fritz and didn’t come back on until Gloria, the office manager, came to work at eight in the morning. She was one of those OCD types who bustled about while the coffee brewed, making certain every little thing in her world was precisely in order. She saw that the system needed rebooting, so she did that. Then she poured her coffee and went to her desk.

The service manager, Randy Biddles, had been on duty since seven. People liked to drop their cars off for maintenance on their way to work, so his was the earliest-opening section of the whole operation. He’d been one of the last to leave the previous evening, and he swore the car, which was valued at more than a hundred grand, was parked right next to his assigned slot. But he must have been mistaken. Either that or the buyer had convinced a manager to let him come in the early hours to take delivery—people did get antsy about picking up their new cars. And for Randy, the days tended to blend together, especially when you worked several twelve-hour shifts in a row because your worthless assistant manager was on a bender with his skanky girlfriend. It was impossible to get good help these days.

By the time Gloria and Randy ended up next to the coffee machine it was nearly ten o’clock. His chance comment about the white LS500 clicked in her precision-minded head, along with the inoperable security cameras, and they called in the sales manager.

No, the buyer of the pricey car hadn’t come by to pick it up. His appointment was at noon today.

So, where did the car go? An all-out search was launched, because this buyer was a close friend of Addison Smith’s and it wouldn’t do not to have his car ready and waiting.

But the car wasn’t on the lot. And a nervous call to Mr. Smith revealed that the family was concerned, too, because their son Chad was supposed to take his younger sister to her mandatory piano rehearsal for the big recital in two days’ time. Chad wasn’t home and his bed hadn’t been slept in.

Two plus two sometimes really does equal four. Smith called the police and his insurance company first, then placed a call to the friend whose new car wasn’t going to be ready for delivery quite yet.

By the time Sheriff Evan Richards from Taos, New Mexico, called the San Antonio PD, the missing car and the dealership owner’s spoiled rich-kid son were far from tops on anyone’s mind. But Evan finally reached an officer who knew the Smith family, and he passed along the details. The officer’s name was Miguel Contreras.

 

* * *

 

“Why would he be on the way to Taos?” Evan asked Sam.

“Once I brought up the questions about big sums of money, and after Chad Smith’s call to Danny in jail, he figured out that Chad was the one who killed Lila. He was ready to sit down today with his attorney and make a formal statement. Once Delia knew the whole story, she was planning to call you and lay it all out.”

“So Chad Smith is rushing right into our hands?”

“I doubt he sees it that way. Chad probably figures if he can somehow get rid of Danny before he tells what he knows, he’s home free.” She shrugged and waved one arm, even though he couldn’t see her over the phone. “Who knows what goes on in the mind of a rich young kid these days. They think they’re bulletproof and above the law.”

“He can’t get into the jail.”

Sam felt her patience wearing thin. “Right. So Danny’s safe. But you want to catch Lila’s killer, don’t you? It might be smart to set up a trap for Chad Smith.”

“I’ll get out a BOLO on the stolen car, and I need to talk to Danny …” Evan seemed to be thinking out loud rather than talking to Sam.

But it was just the information she needed. She ran back out to her car and beat a quick path to the sheriff’s office. Dixie waved hello but was busy on a call and didn’t try to stop Sam from pushing through to the squad room. A briefing was in session, with Evan facing four deputies.

“… north of Santa Fe. We’ve got a little over an hour to get ourselves in place.”