Boosted Pt. 10

"Of course. How may I help you?"

"Do you know Cynthia Bowetan? She often goes by CJ Bowetan."

"Yes. Ms. Bowetan and I have a business arrangement."

"You import cars from her?"

"That's correct."

"Can you tell me about the arrangement?"

"Certainly. She finds late model used cars for sale in the United States and arranges to ship them to me. You see, Mr. McGhee, the cars in your country are often well cared for and are much less expensive than a comparable car in my country."

"I see. The cars you're importing, you purchase them directly from Ms. Bowetan?"

"That's correct. You might be aware of the various scams on the internet? You know, 'I'm Nikolai Lobachevsky, from Russia. Please send me your car and I will send you one hundred thousand American dollars.'" Sean chuckled. "I contact Ms. Bowetan with the type of car or cars I'm looking for. She searches until she finds them and then purchases the car or cars on my behalf. She then makes sure they are in perfect cosmetic and working order and arranges for transport. I cover her expenses and pay her a small fee."

"What kinds of cars do you look for?"

"Premium European cars, mostly, because they are easier to have serviced. Sometimes a customer will want an American car, usually a muscle car or one of your pickup trucks."

"Do you look for specific cars?"

"Sometimes. I carry a selection of used cars, but if a customer is looking for something very specific, then yes, I will ask Ms. Bowetan to try to locate such a car."

"Do you know how Ms. Bowetan obtains the cars for you?"

"Not my concern. Why do you ask?"

"You took delivery of a white 2016 Lamborghini Huracán and a silver 2017 Range Rover, correct?"

"I haven't taken delivery of those yet. They are still on the ship."

"And you're waiting on delivery of a dark grey 2017 Porsche Panamera and a red 2018 Porsche 911?"

"Yes. Those should ship in a week or two."

"Would you be surprised if I told you all four of those cars have been reported stolen?"

There was a long moment of silence. "I would. I already have the North Carolina titles for the Huracán and Range Rover. I'm not an expert, but the paperwork for the cars appear to be in order. Are you sure of your information?"

"Very. So sure, in fact, you won't be receiving the two Porsches. They have been seized as stolen property."

There was another long pause. "And the money I've paid Ms. Bowetan?"

"I'm sorry. You'll have to take that up with her lawyer."

"I've paid for those cars, Mr. McGhee. I have a bill of sale. You have no right to seize my property like this."

"Unfortunately for you, Mr. Lobachevsky, United States law says you can't own stolen property and the property must be returned to the rightful owner."

"I demand to see proof of this theft! If the cars were stolen, how did Ms. Bowetan obtain an American title for the cars? She assured me that having the title was legal proof of ownership!"

"And she's right under most circumstances. However, Ms. Bowetan used fraudulent documents to obtain the title. That makes the title void. I can send you copies of the police report if you'd like to see it."

"This isn't right! You can't take my property like this!"

"I'm not taking your property, Mr. Lobachevsky. The property was never yours to begin with."

"I will contact a lawyer in your country!"

"That's fine. He'll tell you the same thing."

"What is your name and position again?"

"Sean McGhee, Chief of Police, Brunswick, North Carolina."

"Do you have my cars in your possession now?"

"No. The cars are probably in Wilmington, North Carolina."

"The shipping origin?"

"Yes, but I have reported the theft to the Wilmington authorities and they will be seizing the cars as part of my case against Ms. Bowetan. I also believe our officials are planning to put a hold on the container with the Lamborghini and the Range Rover."

Lobachevsky said something in Russian that sounded suspiciously like a swear word. "You can't do that! That container is to be delivered to me in less than a week. I have customers waiting for those vehicles!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lobachevsky, but there's nothing I can do."

Lobachevsky swore again. "You will be hearing from my lawyer!"

"I'll be happy to speak to him. In the future, I suggest you be a little more careful about who you're doing business with to make sure they're reputable."

Lobachevsky slammed the phone down and Sean smiled. He'd didn't know if they could stop the delivery of the two cars already on the way to St. Petersburg, but Lobachevsky wasn't getting the two Porsches. Lobachevsky talked a good game, but Sean still believed the man knew exactly what he was buying. He was too calm and had his answers ready to go. He didn't get upset until he found out he wasn't getting the cars he was waiting on. It was almost as if he expected this call and already had his defense ready. No matter. It was in the hands of the District Attorney now. He could deal with Lobachevsky. He typed up his notes from the conversation with Lobachevsky before forwarding a copy to the DA He wasn't sure there was anything the DA could do, but he had the information if he could make use of it.

He leaned back in his chair, wondering if there was anything else he could add to the case. Probably not. Bowetan lived in Raleigh, so he couldn't search her residence, and he'd already gone over BIGS. He needed to find the owners of the cars parked on BIGS' lot, but after talking to Lobachevsky, he didn't think any of them would come back as stolen. That was a job he could leave for one of the kids to do. He called up his spreadsheet and looked to see who was on duty. Joey Gilleman, he decided, was the lucky man. He rose and walked to the dispatcher.

"Kim, have officer Gilleman stop by BIGS and get all the owner information for the vehicles still on their lot. He'll probably want to use the service computer to help, but he'll need to come get the keys from lockup first. If he needs help with that, have him give me a call." He paused, thinking. He'd be surprised if the cars were stolen, but better safe than sorry. "Before he calls the owners, I want him to check all the vehicles and make sure none of them have been reported stolen."

"Anything else?"

He smiled. "No. That should keep him busy the rest of the day."

"I'll get him on it."

When he returned to his office there was an email from the H.R. Manager waiting. He opened the email. Both Machala Bekenronski and Ajurn Chakrabarti's references checked out. It was decision time, but after the arrest of CJ, his decision was simple. He desperately needed more women on his force. Thank you, he typed. Please extend an offer to Ms. Bekenronski to start as soon as she passes her BLET. He clicked send. The other candidates, with the exception of Ajurn, got a group, H.R. approved, generic email telling them the position had been filled.

He wasn't sending Ajurn the standard rejection letter. For Ajurn, he personalized the email, expressed his regret that he'd offered the position to another candidate, stated his confidence that Ajurn would succeed in his chosen profession, told him he'd keep his resume on file, and wished him luck. If Machala couldn't pass her BLET, or for some reason didn't want to accept the salary Brunswick would offer her, he was going to contact Ajurn and offer him the job. Hopefully he would still be on the market, but Sean didn't think it fair to keep the man waiting on the chance Machala didn't work out.

He was reading over the email to Ajurn when his phone range. "Sean McGhee."

"Chief McGhee, this is Sergeant Merrick Abbott, Wilmington PD. How are you, sir?"

"I'm good, sergeant. How can I help you?"

"I thought you'd want to know we found the two Porsches. They were sitting at the shipper, pretty as you please, waiting to go in a container."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I saw the file. That was a good catch. I can't believe we shipped over two hundred stolen cars out of here and nobody noticed."

"The thieves were very thorough."

"Yeah, I noticed. We looked over the shipping documents and they were solid."

"I'm sure they were."

"We're impounding the vehicles if you want them."

"I might. I'm not sure what I'll do with them while the case goes to trial. Maybe I can get the DA to release the cars back to their owners."

"I tried to convince my captain to seize them for departmental use, but he wouldn't go for it."

Sean snickered. "You know, now that you mention it, I could use a new car. I think the Panamera would do nicely. The 911 is a little flashy."

Abbott chuckled. "Damn! The brass get all the perks. Anyway, I won't keep you. I just wanted to let you know we found the cars and we're impounding them."

"Thank you, sergeant."

Sean hung up with a smile. He was certain the owners would be glad to get their cars back, but they were still going to have to go through the hassle of getting the VINs changed back to the numbers the cars were manufactured with, and that wasn't something they could have done just anywhere. It wasn't his problem, but he wondered how anxious a Porsche dealer would be to change the VIN on a car.

He finished reading the email to Ajurn, and once he was satisfied with it, he sent it on its way. That task complete, he added notes to the case file that the cars had been found. Once he got the paperwork from Wilmington, he'd add those to the case to wrap it up with a bow. His case against CJ was becoming more and more bulletproof as the evidence added up. CJ ordering the keys with the stolen car's VINs was the death nail, and now that they had possession of the cars, they could get hard proof of the cars' VIN being changed. The DA should have an open and shut case.

He went to lunch, and when he returned, there was a WRAL news vehicle parked in the station's lot. He started to turn around and drive away, certain with a little checking he'd find he was needed elsewhere, but changed his mind. He didn't want to talk to the press, but he didn't want to be seen as someone who ducked the press even less. He'd seen firsthand what happens when an official does that while in Boston. When his captain refused to talk to the cameras, the questions very quickly became, 'What are you hiding?'

He parked his car and squared his shoulders as he walked around the building to the lobby. As he entered, he was met by Ronda Russell and a cameraman. Not only did he know Ronda from seeing her on the television, but she'd also interviewed him not long after he'd taken over as chief of police for Brunswick. That interview hadn't gone well when Brunswick's mayor, Rudy Klinger, butted in. With Rudy's help, she'd made them both look like idiots.

"Chief McGhee. Good to see you again. Do you have time to talk to me about this car theft case you're working on?"

The camera wasn't pointed at him and she didn't appear to be wearing a mic, so she wasn't trying to ambush him. "If you recall, I don't talk about active cases."

She smiled. "I remember, but the DA released a statement this morning about the breaking up of a major car theft ring. I've already spoken to the Siouan County Sheriff's Department, and I'd like your reaction."

"Do I have a choice?"

The reporter smiled. "Sure. Last time was nothing personal, it was just good television."

He grunted. Since Rudy wasn't here, Sean wouldn't have to worry about him butting in and contradicting what he said. "Okay. Outside, in the same place?"

"That's perfect. Thanks, chief."

Sean led Ronda and her cameraman outside where they stopped in front of the plain brick façade of the station. It took the cameraman a couple of minutes to get setup as he mounted the camera to a heavy tripod and plugged in a mic.

"Ready," he said.

Ronda looked into the camera and smiled. She was an attractive woman of about thirty, with jet black hair, blinding white teeth, and a figure that would cause male viewers to watch even if she was reporting on the progress of drying paint. She was dressed in a grey pantsuit with a vibrant blue blouse, opened enough to show a hint of her breasts. Her two-inch heels gave her a little extra height, so he didn't tower over her.

"Three... two... one," she began. "Ronda Russell, WRAL News. I'm here today with Brunswick Chief of Police, Sean McGhee," she said to the camera before she turned her attention to Sean. "Earlier today, Harold Blannell, Siouan County District Attorney, released a statement that a major automobile theft ring had been discovered in Tilley. Your department was responsible for discovering the operation, is that correct?"

"That's correct."

"What led you to the discovery?"

"I can't give details on an active case."

"Is it true that the Brunswick Police Department is responsible for law enforcement in the town of Tilley."

"That's correct. Brunswick provides several city services to Tilley under contract, one of which is law enforcement."

"The theft ring was operating out of Tilley, and had done so for fifteen years? Why did it take so long to discover?"

The question, the way it was worded, annoyed him. "We uncovered evidence the theft ring had been operating for at least fifteen years, but only in the past couple of months had the thieves operated out of Tilley."

He forced himself not to smile. She hadn't expected that answer and it had obviously derailed the follow-up question she had ready. "So, the operation in Tilley was a recent development?"

"Very recent." Take that!

"Is it true the stolen cars were being shipped out of the country?"

"I can't give details on an active case."

"Estimates on the value of the cars stolen range from twenty to thirty million dollars. Is that your understanding?"

"As I've said, I can't give details on an active case." He could tell Ronda was getting annoyed with his non-answers, but that was her problem. The less he said, the better.

She thought for a moment and then smiled. "Thank you, Chief McGhee."

"My pleasure."

"We're out," the cameraman said as he stood up straighter.

"You're not very forthcoming with information."

He shrugged. "Loose lips, and all that."

"Off the record, what can you tell me?"

"Off the record?"

"You have my word. I won't even quote you as an anonymous source."

"Off the record, your information is correct."

"And you really busted the ring after only two months?"

"About that."

"Where were they before, and why did they move to Tilley?"

"Raleigh. I don't know why they moved their operation to Tilley. Part of it, I think, is they wanted to expand their operation and needed a bigger building. It could also be that the Raleigh police were starting to breathe down their necks, but I really don't know."

"Can you confirm the theft ring was operating out of BIGS Automotive Repair?"

"I can confirm that, off the record."

"Would it upset you if we filmed the place as the alleged location of the theft ring?"

"What if I said no?"

She sighed. "I gave you my word this was off the record, so we wouldn't. But it would make for a much more interesting piece if we could get some shots."

"Where'd you get your information?"

She smiled. "Now you know I can't tell you that."

"Now who's not being very forthcoming with information?" he asked, smiling in return when she broke into a grin and looked away. "So long as you don't mention where you got your information, I guess I don't have a problem with you filming the place. From the road, right?"

"Unless you'll let us inside?" she asked hopefully.

"Uh... no."

"Didn't think so. Listen, would you mind if I came back sometime and did a story on you patrolling Tilley?"

"Why?"

"Because it's interesting. You're interesting. A new chief comes into town, and the first thing he does is take down a crooked member of the city council. Now this? Two months after a major theft ring moves into your town, and not even your town, but a town under your protection, and you shut them down." She smiled at him. "You may not want to talk about it, but people are going to notice."

"Just doing my job."

She snickered. "Modest too. So, what do you say? I'll talk to my producer and see what she thinks, but I think it'll make a great story. If we do it, you have to promise me it won't be a lot of 'I can't comment on that.' That makes these types of stories boring," she said, drawing the last word out and making it into two distinct syllables.

"Okay, you have my word. Don't ask me about active cases, and I won't stonewall you."

"Okay! Great!" She extended her hand. "Thank you, chief. I appreciate your cooperation."

"Always glad to speak to the press," he replied, taking her hand.

Even the cameraman snickered. "Yeah, I can tell," Ronda said. "Where's BIGS?"

"In Tilley, Highway 210 North, just out of town. There's a big sign. You can't miss it. It's in an old Chevy dealership, and it looks like it."

"Okay, thanks! I'll be in touch about that other story."

As far as he was concerned, the BIGS case was closed. While the WRAL news crew packed their gear, he walked into the dispatcher's office.

"How'd it go?" Kim asked.

"Fine. Did you talk to Gilleman?"

"Yeah. He said he'd take care of it."

"Great, but before he does, will you have him report to the station. I need some help hauling boxes."

"Right away."

He nodded his thanks. He didn't want to enter all the service records into evidence and store them because they didn't have any bearing on the case. He was keeping the computer, and all the files he'd recovered, but the paper files could go back to BIGS. As he suspected, CJ wouldn't give up the password for the computer, sticking to her story she'd forgotten it, but she'd been granted bail anyway. Getting the password really didn't matter anymore. He'd given the DA more than enough for a conviction.

When Gilleman arrived at the station, they hauled all the boxes of records back to BIGS, the department's Tahoe and Gilleman's car packed with boxes. While Gilleman collected information on the cars in the lot, Sean placed all the files back in their cabinets. Each of the boxes was neatly labeled with which file cabinet and drawer the records came from, so it was just a matter of loading the paper files back into the proper drawer and moving on to the next.

That task complete, Sean called it a day. He returned to the station only long enough to grab his computer before he drove to his apartment. He wouldn't be there long. It took several trips before he had all his clothes stacked in his car, along with his wok since Maggie didn't have one. As he drove to Maggie's he felt like a kid on the first day of school, loaded with supplies and looking forward to his new challenges.

He entered the kitchen with just his wok. "I came bearing gifts," he said, holding up the large metal cooking bowl so she could see it.

She gave him a kiss. "Does that mean you're cooking tonight?" she asked, her eyes crinkling with her smile.

"Sure. You want stir fry?"

"I haven't started anything for dinner, so that'd be great."

"I brought my clothes. They're in the car."

"You want to hang them up now? I'll need to clear a space in my closet."

"I can put them in the guest bedroom."

She spluttered. "Don't be silly. I'll move my winter stuff into the other closet. That'll leave plenty of room."

He helped her move her heavy winter clothes into another bedroom and then she helped him bring in his clothes from the car and hang them in the newly created space. That task finished, they engaged in some playful tickling and groping before he returned to the kitchen to start dinner. The nice thing about stir fry was it was fast and easy to prepare.

"Sean! Come quick!" Maggie called from the living room.

He set the wok off the heat and hurried into the living room. Maggie was watching the news and the Siouan County Sheriff was talking about the BIGS case. The newscast cut to Sean as he talked about how he'd found and stopped the thieves after only a couple of months.