Brood of Thieves

By Jay Waitkus

Straight-shooting police detective Nolan Sand, and his resilient new partner, Talia Draper, investigate the murder of a wealthy businessman and his mysterious connection to a series of seemingly-unrelated crimes enveloping the city. The answers will take Sand and Draper on a deep dive into one of the most scurrilous factions of the underworld — where the most insidious evil of all awaits...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781458336842

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BROOD OF THIEVES

Brood of Thieves Copyright © 2022 by Jay Waitkus

ISBN: 978-1-4583-3684-2

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Published by Elizabeth River Press in conjunction with Lulu

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Cover design by Nick Zelinger of NZ Graphics

Distributed by Lulu Press

PROLOGUE

London, England. Twenty years ago.

SIS, I’VE GOT ONE! the boy yelled, as he ran down a back alley holding the wallet aloft.

Keep your voice down, his sister responded, jumping up from her spot against the wall. I’ve got one, too.

How much is in yours?

Twenty pounds and change. Enough for us to get a decent lunch. Good thing, too. I’m bloody starving. What’s in yours?

Don’t know. I just grabbed it from this guy I bumped into at the marketplace. Let’s see – holy shit!

What?

One hundred...two hundred...three hundred...four hundred...five hundred pounds!

Jackpot, little brother.

Yes, that is quite a bit of money, another voice called. But the wallet that it came from is mine.

The siblings whirled, looking on helplessly as a tall man in a custom-tailored suit calmly approached them. Trapped between their stalker and the wall, the children felt an icy fear welling up inside them.

Surprisingly, though, the man looked anything but angry.

That was a pretty fair job, he said to the boy, "but you made a few mistakes. Bumping into me as if by accident wasn’t a bad ploy, though it took you a second or two longer than it should have to locate my coat pocket. Running away like that wasn’t a good idea at all, though. For future reference, it’s much better if you simply say ‘Excuse me,’ and walk off innocently as if nothing’s amiss.

I see you and your sister there are in the same line of work. Having a place to meet up after your heist is a good move, but you should never pick a spot quite so close to where you’re operating – or one without a back exit.

Is that so? the girl responded, finding her courage and her anger all at once.

Yes, it is. Don’t get me wrong, though – for a first effort, it really was quite good.

First effort? she huffed. I’ll have you know we’ve been working this part of town for three months now, and this is the first time we’ve ever been busted.

Uh, sis, her brother chimed in, maybe you should tone it down a bit.

Once again, though, the man seemed mostly amused.

My apologies, he told her. I meant no offence. If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?

I’m twelve, he’s eleven.

And you say you’ve been living out here on your own for three months?

Yeah, what about it?

Nothing. But don’t you have any parents?

We had a mother, the boy replied. But she’s dead.

I see. And your father?

We have different fathers.

Yeah, said the girl disdainfully, and neither one of them are worth a damn.

And no other family?

You ask a lot of questions.

Well, then again, your brother here did steal my wallet. Speaking of which –

Here, the boy said, handing it back to the man.

Thank you, he said, reaching inside it. And here’s your money back.

With that, the boy's eyes grew as wide as saucers.

But – but that’s yours.

No, you took it fair and square. Besides, I have plenty. Go on, I want you to have it.

Thanks. 

Clearly, both of you are talented. But you need to be a little more careful. If you’re caught, the consequences in this town can be dire. Even for ones so young.

And how do you know so much about it? the girl inquired, with more than a bit of suspicion.

Believe it or not, I wasn’t so different from you once. And in a lot of ways, I suppose I’m still not.

You’re a thief, too? she asked. You don’t dress like any thief I’ve ever seen.

The man chuckled.

Many years ago, he said, I met a man who taught me how to use my talents a little more...judiciously. He showed me that there are considerably bigger scores available than random grabs from unsuspecting fools at market. You know, he added, thinking it over a bit more, given time, he could probably do the same for you.

We do okay on our own, the girl said.

Why just do okay? the man replied. Why not get rich and have a little fun, to boot?

The boy looked at his sister intensely, waiting for her to say something.

Why would anyone be interested in us? she asked.

Why not?

No-one ever has before.

And that truly is a shame. But all the more reason to consider what I’m saying.

Which is –?

You have no parents, and you have no other prospects –

So?

So how would you like to take a little road trip?

You mean to meet this friend of yours.

Mm-hmm. But only if you want to, of course. I’m certainly not going to force you.

"Neither did the witch in Hansel and Gretel – and look at what happened to them. How do we know you’re not some bloody pervert, or a kidnapper, or something?"

You don’t, he said. But in life you have to take chances. And it’s true, doing so can be scary. But what have you been doing out here all these months? Not exactly a safe existence, is it?

The girl didn’t reply.

Where does this friend of yours live? the boy asked.

In a big estate in Coventry. All of us live there.

All of you?

Yes, there’s a whole group. We work together.

You mean like a gang?

A bit of a crude way to put it, but yes, I suppose it’s one way to interpret things.

Again the siblings looked at one another, then turned back to the man. 

This place, the girl said. Tell me – does it have anything to eat?

CHAPTER 1

Present Day

TED COLVIN opened the double doors of his study, flicked on the light switch, and headed for his desk. He picked up the receiver of his telephone, hurriedly dialed an overseas number, and paced up and down while waiting for someone to answer.

Come on, come on, dammit, he said in frustration.

The line rang eight times, but finally someone picked up.

Hello?

What the hell took you so long?

I’m sorry, sir. It’s early here, and – 

I don’t give a damn what time it is, Colvin said. I told you to get back to me hours ago.

I’m sorry, sir. We’ve had some problems with –

Is there some question there about who’s in charge? Because I can answer it for everyone here and now if you’d like.

No question, sir. I’m sorry.

I don’t want your sorrow. I want some goddamn results. Did you do what I asked?

Yes, sir. The ship has turned around and is heading back to port as we speak.

Good. Make sure it stays there until further notice.

Yes, sir.

And for future reference, when I say call me back, it doesn’t mean in your own sweet time!

He slammed down the receiver, and began to pace again.

Every single day, some other bullshit, he muttered to himself.

Walking a few steps to the mini-bar, Colvin poured himself a scotch. He looked at the clock on the wall, and saw that it was nearly eight.

The next few weeks were going to be difficult ones. Difficult for his business, for his marriage, and maybe even his very life. He turned to the array of pictures on his desk, his eyes focusing on the portrait of his children, Bryce and Jennifer, both of whom were away at college.

Thank God they were safe, he thought. Whatever his failings, both personally and professionally, he had always done right by them, and this time would be no different. While no-one had ever accused him of being a saint, there were always lines even he was unwilling to cross; for a moment, he’d forgotten that, but for his son and daughter’s sake he made himself remember, stopping the terrible thing he’d set into motion before it was too late.

And it wasn’t too late, was it? It couldn’t be, he resolved. He wasn’t going to let it be.

Colvin set his glass back on the bar and turned to leave the room. It was at that moment, however, when he realized he wasn’t alone.

In his final moment, Ted Colvin saw only two things: the silencer of the gun that was pointed toward him, and the face of his assailant, standing ruefully above him as he slipped away into death.

CHAPTER 2

CAPTAIN ED BOWMAN walked toward the stage at Garner Hall. The expression on his face was more than a little strained.

I hate these speeches, he grumbled. I never know what the hell to write.

Same as always, his boss, Chief Martin Strauss, retorted. Watch your ass on the street, and cover it in the paperwork.

Thanks, Chief. You’re a real big help.

You’ll be fine, Ed, Strauss replied. Don’t worry, I’ll warm them up for you.

The Chief stood at the podium, and Bowman joined a group of dignitaries at the adjacent table. With the officers’ arrival, the spectators began filing toward their seats.

That’s him, rookie patrol officer Richie Jones said to his parents, as he prepared to take his place with the class. That’s who I’ll be working under.

The famous Captain Bowman, his father mused aloud. Based on what you’ve been telling us, I thought he’d be taller. By about ten feet.

The