Crime: To Catch a Thief
Wittman is forever pained by his memory of Joshua Baer, a Santa Fe art dealer suspected of illegally selling Indian artifacts. Over six months undercover, Wittman grew genuinely fond of the smart, funny dealer; he even offered to help Baer’s daughter out when she came East for college. But when Baer tried to sell Wittman an eagle feather headdress in 2000, the local feds arrested him, and Wittman testified against him in court, a harsh blow to the man’s long-established business, most of which was legit. Later, they exchanged poignant e-mails. “I don’t know what to say,” Baer wrote. “‘Well done?’ ‘Nice work?’ We’re devastated.” And Wittman replied in kind: “This was the hardest case I had because I really like you. … Call me anytime.” They never spoke again.
Even the easier cases have started to take their toll. It’s why he’s glad the FBI assigned more agents to the art-theft beat this year, so he can pass his skills on to a new generation, step back a little, mentor them from afar. Still, for now at least, Wittman doesn’t hesitate to go undercover, about a quarter of his time. How could he? It’s his job. And when you come down to it, there may be something more important than honesty, more important than betrayal, even more important than the state of his own soul: the art.
In his Madrid hotel room, Wittman snaps back into character as an officer calls from the parking garage to say Flores has arrived. A few minutes later, the thief calls — on a disposable, untraceable cell phone — to say he’s 10 minutes away. For several hours, Flores has been driving around the city, doubling back on himself, trying to lose any police who might be following. Now he peers around the lobby, to see what activity his phone call might have spurred. No one moves, but cameras in the garage, elevator and hallways capture his every step. A few minutes later, he knocks on Wittman’s door and walks in with a wide, flat package, about three feet by four feet, wrapped in brown paper. He puts it on the floor and rips off the covering.
