She rolled her lips in, her gaze staying on him.
“What are you thinking?”
Mary sighed, then looked down at her wheelchair and waved her hands. “I wish I could do that with you.”
“Okay.” He grinned.
“Okay?” Her single-word question was filled with incredulity.
“Yeah. How about you go with me? You can be my lookout.”
Her eyes widened, and her lips curved upward. “I’d love to!”
“You hang near the elevator. If Colin or Diane comes down, and I’m not out, you’ll let me know. I can slip out through their sliding glass door and make my way to the deck below.” He leaned down so they were eye level. “But that’s all you’ll do. Promise?”
Nodding quickly, she continued to grin. “Promise.”
26
Bert crouched beside the bed in their stateroom, his tactical kit in his pocket. Small lock picks, bypass tools for electronic key cards, miniature cameras no bigger than shirt buttons, and an earpiece connected wirelessly to Mary’s phone.
“You’re sure about this?” Mary asked from her wheelchair near the door, her voice low despite the fact they were alone. She held her phone in her lap, the screen showing the camera feed that Bert would transmit once he activated the equipment.
“We want documentation of what Colin has in those rooms. So we gather what we need.” Bert checked the earpiece connection one more time.
She chewed on her bottom lip. “What happens if you get caught breaking in?”
“Then I guess you’ll have to bail me out of jail,” he quipped, adoring the twinkle now in her eyes. “Besides, you’ll be my lookout. If anyone comes, you’ll warn me, and I’ll be out before they know I was there.”
Mary’s expression shifted from concern to something that looked like anticipation. “You trust me?”
He leaned down and kissed her, hard and fast. “Babe, there’s no one else in this world I trust more than you.”
Straightening, he said, “You’ll be positioned near the elevator. Your phone will show you what I’m seeing, so you can guide me if needed. And if Colin or anyone else approaches, you’ve got your cover story ready.” Bert stood, tucking the tools into various pockets with practiced efficiency. “You’ll be perfect.”
The way her face lit up made Bert’s chest ache. He’d seen Mary competent and professional countless times at LSIMT. But this was different. This was fieldwork, the kind of active role she probably thought she’d never be a part of. But the excitement in her eyes told him how much she wanted to be essential to this mission rather than just support staff.
“I’m ready,” she assured, her voice steady.
They moved into position, and she rolled to a spot near the elevator where she had clear sightlines down the corridor. Her phone was angled so she could see both the camera feed Bert would transmit and the hallway around her.
Bert approached Diane’s stateroom with casual confidence. Anyone watching would think he was just another passenger heading to his cabin. The key card bypass took less than ten seconds. The soft click of the lock disengaging was barely audible over the ship’s ambient noise.
He slipped inside, closing the door softly behind him, and activated the camera clipped to his shirt. “I’m in,” he murmured, knowing Mary would hear him through the earpiece.
“Copy that.” Mary’s soft voice came through. “Hallway is clear. You’re good.”
Diane’s stateroom was a suite with a sitting area separate from the bedroom. The connecting door to Colin’s adjacent room was closed but not locked. Bert knew that gave Colin easy access to monitor his aunt at all times.
The sitting area was neat, with no personal items scattered about, but the furniture had been pushed to the side, likely to give Diane more room as she maneuvered in her wheelchair.
Bert moved to the bathroom, where prescription bottles lined the counter in careful rows. He photographed each one, making sure to capture the labels that clearly indicated the medication name, dosage, prescribing doctor, and pharmacy. Then he opened each bottle and photographed the actual pills inside, wanting to capture their color, shape, and markings. Sisco, with Sadie’s research assistance, would be able to identify exactly what Colin was giving Diane and whether it matched what the label claimed.
“Six bottles total,” Bert murmured for Mary’s benefit. “Labels show blood pressure medication, arthritis medication, and vitamins. But the pills inside don’t all match the drug names.”
“Copy that,” she whispered.
Bert did a quick but thorough search of the rest of the bathroom, but found nothing unusual. Toiletries, makeup, and hair products sat organized on the counter, all within easy reach. He moved into the bedroom and photographed anything that might be relevant. Diane’s phone sat charging on the nightstand. Her wallet was in the drawer, and Bert carefully documented the credit cards and ID. Sadie could cross-reference the card numbers with the charges they’d already identified.