by Tom Haase
“What if I get him to confess to me?”
“He’s not that dumb,” Emma said.
“I might have a way we could require him to use a certain amount of his money. If he does, we have a way of trapping him. Can you get a court order to follow a bank transaction because it’s laundered drug money? If he were to transfer money from that account to one here, would we be able to use that?”
“Yes, and that I can do. We can monitor his account here in the States. It would give us the data we would need to trace the money back to its source.”
“Yes. I assume he will transfer a large amount into his account to give me. So you are saying if you can have the money tracked, we can use it to take him down.”
“How?” she asked.
“We’ll use what we find out by legal means to blackmail him into giving up all he knows for a deal for his freedom. He’ll be allowed to leave under certain circumstances. You can do that, can’t you? If we get the entire Ramon gang and all his connections to the Nassau boys, is it a good deal to let him slide?”
She nodded. “I don’t relish letting him slide. He needs to pay something for what he’s done. But if he turns all them in, then I’m sure we can work something out.”
“I’ll get back to you in a few hours and let you know if it’s going to work. I also need you to get in touch with Qing again and have her monitor his cell phone. If this works, he’ll be on it, and we need to find out what’s said.”
“I’ll do it. You be careful. Remember, you are only getting actionable intel we can use,” she said.
He laughed.
“I’m sure I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Chuck slapped Eddie on the back as he took a seat at the bar in the Bronco pub. The place bristled with after work clients, men getting a quick drink before going home to wives or sweethearts. The cacophony of voices made it hard to hear someone sitting right next to you. Chuck thought that served his purpose well for this meeting. He had steeled himself before encountering Eddie with a healthy dose of “He's the same old friend I've known for years” attitude. He didn’t want to betray his gut feeling of disgust at the man for betraying his oath as a police officer.
“How you doing?” Chuck moved to within a few inches of Eddie’s ear before talking.
“Great,” Edie shouted back. “Want a beer?”
“In a minute, but I’ve got a problem and need help. Can we go outside?”
Eddied nodded agreement, and they exited the bar. Outside, they walked at a slow pace down Habersham Avenue.
“What’s this all about?” Eddie said.
Chuck decided to go for broke. Eddie would either fall for his ploy because of his desire for money or would tell him to go to hell and not take any action. That would prove Emma’s devil advocate role to be on target, for she had said he’s not a crooked cop. His pitch to Eddie would be his best story he could manufacture on short notice.
“You remember that when dad died, he left me well off?”
“Yeah, heard that. You are a millionaire, right?”
“Sort of. Well I bought this boat, the one Darlene sold me, and I must pay four hundred thousand in cash for it on Monday. I thought I had till the end of the month to pay. I want it and my money, the big stuff, is tied up in bonds and stocks take a few days to convert. I’m not going to tell you how much I have but it’s millions like you suspected.”
“So, what can I do to help a millionaire? My God, my old partner is now filthy rich. Wanta share a bit of it?”
“Actually, I need someone to loan me the four hundred thousand until next Tuesday when I can repay it with the funds that will clear by then.”
“Get them to extend the sale for a day.”
“My idea too, but the sales manager has another contract on the yacht, and if I don’t pay on Monday, the boat is going to someone else. I want that boat. You might have a local contact that might be willing loan me the money. I don’t want to go to a shark, but I’m willing to deal with someone you might recommend. You have contacts everywhere in Savannah. I’ve been out of town too long and have lost contact with many of the people I used to know. Can you help?”
“What are you willing to do? I might know someone who would be willing to help. I can vouch for you as being a good risk.”
“That would be great. If I can have the money available in my account on Monday, I’ll repay the amount on Tuesday with a twenty-five percent increase in the loan. Say an even five hundred thousand, a one hundred thousand profit for a few hours of lending me the money.”
“That’s an awesome return on investment. I wish I had the money, as I sure would loan it to you for one day. I’ll ask around.”
“A finder’s fee in it for you too, if you can do it.”
“I’ll get back to you. Let me make a few calls to my contacts. You will have to have your account number available if I can arrange it. If you were to welch on repayment, you’d be a dead man. You know that?”
“I do, and I’ll wait for your call. I don’t have anywhere else to go to, and I gotta have that boat.”
“You rich guys and your toys,” Eddie slapped him on the back and walked off.
Chuck called Emma to come to his place to hear what he had done. At the moment he parked at his home, his cell rang. It was Qing. Emma was getting out of her car. He put the call on speaker so they both could hear what she had to say.
“Your man is on the phone now to his bank in the Cayman. What did you promise him?”
“I told him I’d pay one hundred thousand for a short-term loan. Rich guys like me don’t even consider that pocket change,” he laughed and then said, “Were you able to pick up what he wanted?”
“He’s asking how long it would take to transfer four hundred thousand to an account in Savannah. They told him if they had wiring instructions, they could do it right away.”
Chuck looked at Emma. “Are you ready?”
“I didn’t think you could pull off that stunt, but we have a court order for the bank account based on money laundering. We’ll access your account and find out where it came from and who sent the money.”
Chuck’s phone showed he had an incoming call from Eddie. He put Qing on hold and answered it.
“Hey, buddy, I found a man to loan you the money on the terms you set. You still willing to pay him back five on Tuesday?”
“Sure am. You are my go-between. When will the money arrive?”
“Give me the account number you want it deposited into, and it should be there within the hour. How’s that for service?”
“You’re the best. Thanks, and you’ll get a good finders fee. Here’s the number.” He gave Eddie the bank account number, and they disconnected.
“You heard?” he asked Emma. “Let’s fill in Qing. I can’t believe I pulled it off.”
“You are a lucky bastard. What made him do it?” Emma said.
“Pure greed. He’s turned to the dark side. I suppose he planned to put enough away to retire to the Cayman Islands or some other tropical place before getting his small retirement from the police. With what he’s doing, it should get him retired years before his normal time and perhaps with a visit to the state prison thrown in. We’ll have to see how that works out.”
“Well, we’re going to get him retired much earlier than he expects no matter what. With proof of drug money laundering, we can get the Cayman bank to assist. That’s all we’ll need to face him down.”
“His days as a cop are coming to a rapid end. If he stays on the force, he would spoil an operation against Ramon or the Nassau gang. We can’t afford that. Can you set up a meeting with the captain? I think it’s time to divulge all.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s time to see the captain at the station. No need to meet him as my role of devil’s advocate is over. Now we do have Eddie by the balls.”
44
Eddie arrived at the captain’s office in response to a text message summoning him. On ent
ry, he saw Chuck and Emma were both present. His sense of danger tickled at his throat because it suddenly went dry. The captain usually had him in the office before non-police people arrived to brief him on the meeting’s purpose. The best thing to do–put on a smile and guts it out. Keep your mouth shut and watch out, he told himself as he tried to swallow and generate a little saliva into his throat.
This could be nothing more than a meeting prompted by the AG to find out what the department had accomplished in tracking down the anticipated arrival of a drug shipment in the next day or two. If that were the case, he would expect to be in on the meeting as the officer in charge of that unit. He relaxed a little with that thought even though he still sensed something wrong about this little get together. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but his throat was no longer dry making him feel better.
“Eddie, I am very disappointed. No, more than that, I can’t believe you would do it.” The captain stood from behind his desk on Eddie’s entry.
“Do what?” Eddie said as real fear now gripped him. He felt like he had walked into a trap. In his mind, there was no way they could find out about his contact with either gang. No way, streamed through his mind. They definitely couldn’t know about the money. He had been so careful.
“Let’s start with your intimate association with Ramon Escobar,” the captain said.
“That was years ago. We are not doing anything like that now,” Eddie felt his face getting warm. That was old news and easily discounted. What were they after?
“So you have no contact with this drug dealer?”
“No, none,” Eddie answered too fast and then regretted it. They must have information about his relationship to question him about it. He had been stupid, recently used his cell to call his old lover and not the burner he kept for contacting the Tsarina.
“We pulled your phone records, and they show you are lying.” Chuck spoke for the first time.
“I call him once in a while. We are old friends. No big deal.” Eddie walked over to where the captain stood. “What the hell was this all about?”
“You just lied. You said you were not contacting him, so it’s a big deal,” the captain said in a bluntly confrontational way.
Emma showed the captain a photo of the man in the vehicle at the 71st Street attack. “This is the leader of the Nassau gang. Do you know him?” She asked Eddie after putting it in front of him.
“I only saw him in the video when you showed it after the attack by that gang. I’ve never met him.” Eddie started to feel as if his world had begun to spin. They are after something. They had something, but what? They wanted something. Are they going to arrest me on a trumped-up charge? They can’t possibly discover my work for the Tsarina. They are on a fishing expedition. Best to smile and keep my mouth shut.
“That’s not totally true,” Chuck said. “You met up with him outside the police station. I remember the two of you walking down the street together.”
Eddie abruptly regretted having started his relationship with the Tsarina. This was not going well for him, and he felt it. His world was crumbling before his eyes. Better wait and see what they are after before he took to his offensive strategy if he were able conjure up one.
“So you don’t know the Bahamian, and you aren’t in contact with Ramon. Do you receive any money from either of these men?” the captain queried.
“Of course not,” Eddie tried to be forceful in his response. They had no way to find out details regarding his extra money. It was safely hidden in an offshore bank.
“So you got no paybacks or under the table money from any drug dealers?” Chuck asked.
“What is this, the inquisition? I thought you were my friend.” He looked straight at Chuck. “I’m trying to do you a personal favor right now. What are you accusing me of?”
“I’ll answer that,” the captain said. “I will charge you with accepting bribes from the drug cartels, and then I’ll hand you over to the AG on money laundering charges. That’s for starters.”
“Wait, a minute. You have nothing on me, not accepting money from dealers nor for laundering. Let’s go to court,” Eddie said rising. “Charge me so we can go to court and I’ll clear my name.”
“Sit down,” roared the captain. “It’s time we debunk your bullshit. We have confirmed evidence you’re on the take.”
“Bullshit, do I get a lawyer now?”
“Sure, if you want one before you find out what we know. Then you’ll see it in court right before your conviction. Eddie, I don’t bluff,” said Captain Kennedy.
Eddie believed the man spoke the truth. There had to be more than they had presented so far because any competent lawyer would tear it apart. He decided to listen to the rest as they seemed determined to go down that road. He realized they wanted something. That’s why the captain hadn’t read him his rights.
“We found your account in the Cayman Islands, and we accessed it. Lieutenant, you have something corresponding to five hundred thousand dollars in it. You have never made that in your miserable life,” the captain said. He flipped a paper on the table. Eddie glanced at it and saw his account number at the Cayman bank.
Things had gone to hell in a hand basket, Eddie knew. Now he was in deep shit. He realized it. They had him, so why hadn’t they arrested him and been done with it. Then, it hit him. They needed something, and maybe he’d come up with a way to get out of this. He would do anything to get his freedom.
“I’m not saying another word.” He waited for them to talk.
He didn’t ask for a lawyer because he knew it would be the wrong move and his options would vanish.
45
Chuck entertained neither regrets nor any reservations for confronting his old partner. The man turned corrupt all by himself. He was a crooked cop. As such, he deserved no mercy, and Chuck wanted to wring the last bit of intelligence on the gangs out of him before the captain arrested him or cut a deal.
“I want you to understand that you are in no position to bargain,” the captain said.
“Come on, Eddie. We got you. There’s no escape unless you help us take down the gangs,” Chuck said.
“I intend to walk out of here a free man,” Eddie proffered.
“No friggin’ way,” Emma almost shouted this out.
“What makes you believe you can walk out of here a free man?” Chuck asked. He moved over closer to Eddie and stared him in the face.
“Because I believe I have information that will make the police department and the AG look good in the press and on TV. I’d suggest that you’d rather that than the media going with a crooked cop story and smear mud all over this place. Right?”
Emma moved over and took Chuck’s arm to lead him away and lessen the confrontational mode he had exhibited toward Eddie.
“Calm down,” she whispered. “We need information from him. If he clams up, we will be in for a long trial, and he’s right about the department taking a black eye. Let’s get him to talk.”
“What do you suggest?” Chuck said.
“He wants out of here with his freedom. I talked to the AG before you arrived here and I can offer him a get out of jail free card if he talks, tells us all we want to know and resigns from the police force.”
He led her back to the captain’s office. Eddie and the captain turned to view them as they stopped a few feet short of where Eddie now stood.
“What did you decide?” Eddie asked looking directly at Emma. “Do I get a deal?”
“There are a few conditions you must fulfill to get what you want. If you provide all we want, then you will leave here with nothing over your head,” Emma said.
“What conditions?”
She told him.
He kept shaking his head.
“I’m a dead man if I tell you.”
“How does twenty years sound instead?” the captain said. “As a cop in jail the inmates won’t treat you well, if you get my drift. You might be a dead man, but take my word, you are going to jail if
you fail to help us.”
“Give us the names and locations for Ramon’s operation for starters. You’re in no position to negotiate. Do this or do a perp walk,” Chuck added. “I want to discover for sure who put the hit on me that got Darlene killed. Was it Ramon or the Nassau guys?”
“I can tell you as close as I can figure it, they both did. Which one is responsible for her death, I can’t say for sure? They are both guilty as far as I’m concerned.”
“Give us the information we want on Ramon,” Emma demanded. “Now.”
Eddie reluctantly began to outline everything he had ever learned in his dealings with Ramon’s gang. He gave names, locations, and how they distributed the drugs. In the end, he gave them where Ramon lived.
“What do you know about the Nassau gang?” the captain asked.
“Not much. I found out they will receive a shipment coming from Florida tomorrow night. Ramon is planning on attacking the vehicle to obtain the drugs he needs to continue. He blames the Bahamians for stealing his product in the raid they made on his place on 71st Street.”
“Where will that take place?” the captain said.
“I don’t have that info. I did hear Ramon say they are operating out of a van and he believes they have a place on a boat. That’s all I know.”
Emma signaled the captain she wanted to see him in the hall.
“What were you thinking?” Chuck asked when he was alone with Eddie.
“It seemed like a safe and foolproof operation. Now it has gone to hell. I wish I had never started this. You know a cop’s pay isn’t great, and I thought a few extra bucks would help me. I am sorry. I shouldn’t have done it. There’s one more thing I’ll tell you that I don’t want them to discover,” Eddie said. He told Chuck the details of his relationship with the Tsarina and how it came about. “She is the head of all the operations in the U.S. I don’t know much more. I took over from the man before me. With me gone, she’ll be looking for another cop to be her informant.”
