Relic: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 1

by Anne Hagan

  “Forman says there’ll be more work when he paid me cash money when we was finished. Didn’t say when.”

  “Where you calling from?”

  “I’m at home. My girl ain’t here yet.”

  “Gotcha. I appreciate the info.”

  “No problem.” He hung up.

  Tim returned to his chair. I looked around at the team. “Everyone heard?”

  There were nods all around.

  Tim spoke, “If he’ll corroborate, we have enough to go ahead now with the subpoena requests. I can send them on their way.”

  “I’m not that far with him yet and I don’t know how much I can trust him, unfortunately. Still, we can probably establish reasonable suspicion and get a judge to go for it.”

  Holly walked into the room. “Gene is on line two. Would you like me to set it up for you?”

  “Please. Thanks!”

  The phone was still on the conference table from our morning chat. I looked at the wall clock. It was nearly 5:00 PM our local time. He’d only been in Chicago a few hours. I’ll bet he didn’t get anything out of him or the guy lawyered up!

  Holly pushed a couple of buttons and nodded.

  “Gene, it’s Dana. The team is here too.”

  Gene cut right to the chase, “Jonathan Joseph carried the hit order Dana.”

  Chapter 28 – Reset

  Smiles lit up the room.

  “Are you serious?” I was dumbfounded at the speed with which Gene had extracted a confession. “You are some kind of interrogator!”

  “I can’t take any of the credit. This guy broke fast and easy. He demanded his attorney and that guy showed before I even got there. He demanded a deal for his story as soon as I walked into the room. He says he was a gang pawn and he wants into witness protection.”

  I thought of Freestyle. “That’s going around with this case.”

  “Don’t I know it!”

  “So, what’s his story?”

  “He says he owed the Demons. They claim he botched a defense of a high profile gang member. His, and I quote, retribution, was to carry the hit order to Vincent. It went direct from him.”

  “So, why was he running?”

  “Says Vincent showed up at his offices when he was working late a few nights or so ago and told him they’re both expendable now and that there was a hit order out on him. Then, Vincent left. Joseph didn’t believe what he told him at first but then later, lying in bed, he “saw the light.” I’m quoting him. He got up, went back to the office and he started packing.”

  I chuckled. “What the hell did he think he could do; just move his practice somewhere else and continue?”

  Gene laughed too. “That’s just it. This guy isn’t the sharpest tack in the box. Frankly, I don’t know how he got through law school! Anyway, something spooked him back at the office and he bolted, leaving pretty much everything he was packing behind.”

  “We need that office sealed and we need the entire contents.”

  “One step ahead of you there, rookie!” Gene laughed. “We’re just on a break right now. I called the field office and set them about getting a search warrant before I called you.”

  “Good deal,” I said, “but, let me ask, how much more do you think he knows Gene? I mean, inner dealings, names… the department stuff Mel asked about?”

  “Unfortunately, not much about the inner workings of the gang. He says he just did the occasional low level criminal defense cases which contradicts what he told me about why he carried the hit order. But, that’s not the important thing. Get this…”

  “Yes?”

  “He does know Delores Chappell and he is aware of her role as a crew chief for the gang. He’s actually holding copies of financial ledgers for her that he’ll turn over for evidence in exchange for his plea deal.”

  “Wow!” I was again rendered speechless. I just let that sink in for a few seconds. “How… wh…?”

  “I’m still fuzzy on all of that but the gist I’m getting is that they’re somehow distant cousins and she spent time in Chicago with his family when she was young…” He trailed off. “How that translates to her being involved with a gang or if he is more involved himself than he’s letting on, I haven’t gotten out of him yet.”

  “That’s probably enough Gene, to nail all of this to the wall!” As I said that, Mel strode into the room. I waved her into a chair. “Sheriff Crane has joined us Gene. Any info for her?”

  “Nadda. If there’s any police department involvement, Joseph isn’t aware of it. As I said though, he seems to know a little more than he’s letting on but he doesn’t appear to be big in the organization or even necessarily a member of it himself. I’ll keep working on his ties to the gang, to Delores and I’ll keep trying to find out what else he knows.”

  “Good deal Gene. Keep us posted.”

  “Will do. Out.”

  Everybody started talking at once except for Mel. She was giving me a “what did I miss” look. I waved my hand in the air to silence everyone and then I briefly sketched the conversation with Gene for Mel.

  “Delores is really Relic? Wow, wow, wow…”

  I was watching the same range of emotions cross Mel’s face that I’m sure had crossed mine a few minutes before. “Yes. She is. And, Holly was really onto something. She does keep a set of books for something, possibly this business. She keeps a set of copies of them with Jonathan Joseph which he is turning over for evidence.”

  “Unreal.”

  “Mel, you told me earlier that you learned something today that might be useful information. What was that?”

  “I don’t know how valuable it is now but what I found out is that Delores… Relic, collects rare and valuable U.S. currency coins and whole series of U.S. coins. It’s a pretty expensive hobby and she is, as far as I know, drawing only a small pension and Social Security. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t received any sort of inheritance yet though there may be a draw off of the family properties if the books she’s doing are for them.”

  “I doubt those ledgers Holly saw are for the farming business since she’s sending copies to a lawyer in Chicago for safekeeping,” Tim offered and then he continued, “I just wonder how often she updates the copies in Chicago?”

  “What I think needs to happen is that we go ahead and take possession of what Joseph has and we also get a federal judge to sign a search warrant for her home under RICO. We need to get in there and seize the other set before they’re destroyed. Matching them could make or break our case.” I looked at Tim as he typed madly on his laptop.

  “I’ll get on the search warrant. I’d already forwarded the request for a subpoena of personal financials. I was holding the one for the farm operation financials. Should I let that go forward?”

  “Yes. We’ll also need a search warrant for the dairy farm. And that topic brings us back to our original reason for this meeting. We need a surveillance plan B and, obviously, with warrants being issued and our target date a few days away, we need to get moving now! Thoughts?”

  Phil stood up and walked to the map. “Like Tim said, we have to get on the ground. We need to be on that farm to at least observe around the clock, search warrants or no. We’re losing time. Here’s where I propose we go in and set up…”

  By the end of the meeting, Phil and Jason were on their way out the door. They would prepare and then take the overnight watch shift. Ron would be available for air support. An order for agent reinforcements for surveillance and movement had gone out to the Columbus office. There’s going to be a raid soon if we can nail a few details and the delivery time of this shipment down!

  I turned to Ron, “I need you to work on the helipad issue since Phil is occupied.” He nodded.

  Mel looked puzzled, “What
helipad issue?”

  “I want him to find one close by that we can have one of your deputies sneak you to and then he will fly you to Cambridge.”

  “Um, okay…”

  I looked at her. She looked like her piebald deer, caught in the headlights. “You’re not afraid to fly are you?”

  “No… I’ve just, well… I’ve never been in a chopper before.”

  “Relax Sheriff. I’ll take good care of you and you’re going to love it. That’s a promise!”

  “Er, thanks…”

  I turned to Mel. “We’re going to be here a while yet. Gene’s going back into session with Joseph and his attorney and Tim is chasing down warrants and subpoenas. I need to assist him with that. I also need to stay available while the Columbus office puts a surveillance and raid team together for me.”

  “I’ll be in my office. There’s plenty of paperwork for me to do.”

  ###

  Mel

  “Sheriff Crane, it’s Agent Webb. Sorry it took a couple of days to get back to you. Truthfully, I didn’t think I’d catch you at the office so late. So, how can I help you?”

  Hmm, how do I approach this? “Thanks for the call back.” I was stalling. “I appreciate it. Really, I’m just trying to tie up so loose ends on this end and…”

  He interrupted me, “What sort of loose ends Sheriff? Remember, this is a federal investigation now.” His tone changed in a hurry!

  “I know, I know.” I was trying to sound relaxed. “I’m just finishing off some routine paperwork is all and, well, for my own sense of closure…”

  “You wanted to know how things were proceeding?”

  “Yes; exactly.”

  He didn’t waste any breath as he rapidly shifted the conversation to a different track. “That Customs Agent buddy of yours went to see DeShawn Dawes at Stateville.”

  I bristled but I tried to keep my cool. “Is that a question?”

  “No. She and I talked and I know that she was working on getting access to see him. I also know that she did go but, funny thing is, she never reported their conversation back to me.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  “She’s impeding a federal investigation.”

  He sure likes to throw that term around! “Maybe you should get in touch with her…”

  “We’ll see. Do you know anything that I should know Sheriff?”

  Well this all just backfired in my face! “No, I don’t believe that I do.”

  “We’ll just see about that too. Have a good evening Sheriff.” He hung up.

  “Wow! He’s not the nice guy I thought he was!” I said out loud, to no one in particular.

  “Who?”

  Dana’s question startled me. I looked over to find her standing in my doorway. “Agent Webb. He was returning my call, so to speak.”

  “It didn’t go well, I take it?”

  “No. He knows you went to Stateville to see Dawes and he’s pissed off that you didn’t report back to him with what you found out.”

  “Is that right?” Her tone was dripping with sarcasm.

  “He says you’re impeding a federal investigation.”

  Dana crossed her arms and affected a lean back pose right where she stood. “Agent Webb can kiss my ass. His federal investigation doesn’t take precedence over my federal investigation!”

  “Alrighty then, there Slick. You go!”

  Dana laughed.

  “How’s that “federal investigation” of yours coming, anyway?”

  “I’m calling it a night but, unfortunately, I’m going to have to monitor the phone all night. Things are moving fast now… finally!” She eyed me closely.

  “If you’d rather I stayed here…?”

  “Why would I want you to do that? I was thinking the opposite and, actually, I came to tell you that your “ride” just left. He’ll meet you at the helipad at Genesis in half an hour if you can wrap up and get over there.”

  “The opposite?”

  “Yeah. I should probably stay here so you can get some rest. It might be an up and down night for me.”

  “No, if things go as you expect, you’re going to need to work in a little rest where you can. Will you be flying with us?”

  “No, I’ll be driving in case I have to come back this way in a hurry. Should I text Ron that you’re on your way?”

  “Give me five minutes to get a patrol deputy in here. Give him an ETA of 15 minutes.”

  We spent longer preparing to go up and then, later, securing the chopper at the hanger in Cambridge than the actual flight took. By the time Ron and I headed for our rooms at the hotel, it was after 10:00 PM and I was bone tired.

  When I got into the room, Dana was already there. She was deep in conversation and pacing the floor. Paperwork was spread everywhere. When she saw me she gave me a half smile of apology as she waved her hand over her mess. I grinned and shook my head in response and then I headed for the shower.

  If she was up and down all night, I didn’t notice. I was asleep soon after my head touched the pillow.

  Chapter 29 – Crawl, Walk, Run

  Dana

 

  Jason and Phil hadn’t seen anything unusual overnight. They told me that daily operations on the dairy farm started around 4:00 AM though, well before the sun was up. The surveillance team that replaced them struggled to get into place over open pasture land before dawn rose and Jason and Phil struggled to make their covert retreat. I hoped we wouldn’t have to be trading surveillance in and out of there for very long.

  Gene reported that the copies of Delores’s financial logs had been turned over to him. Much of what they contained was coded. He’d sent them to forensic accounting for analysis. He also noted that the search warrant was being executed on Joseph’s Chicago offices at 6:30 AM local time before most gang-bangers would be out of bed. It was just before 8:00 AM now in lovely Zanesville, Ohio meaning the search team was now on site in Chicago, an hour behind my local time. I bit my lip and pondered whether they would find anything useful.

  “Hey boss?” It was Tim.

  “Yes?”

  “We got the subpoenas and also both of the warrants are signed. Do you want anything executed yet?”

  I didn’t hesitate. “No, not just yet. We’ll probably execute the financial subpoenas on the banks and the accounting firms today or tomorrow but I don’t want them to be too far ahead of the warrants. We want to catch them in the act of an unload for the farm warrant and we’ll execute the one on Delores at the same time, so there’s no forewarning.”

  “Gotcha. Do you think it will be soon?”

  “The day after tomorrow is the 21st. Don’t you think it has to be soon if this big score is still going down?”

  Tim shrugged. “We’ve been chasing our tails on this for so long…”

  I nodded. “I know. I hear that!”

  The day dragged on with no contributions of value to the investigation. Team 2 reported a truck offloading feed out in the lot in front of the main barns and milk trucks in and out to the milking operation but no activity in the target area. I was on pins and needles waiting for something I could really sink my teeth into.

  It came from an unexpected source – my source. Brice Buhler called me just after 3:00 PM and said he had some info but he needed something in return. Against my better judgment, I agreed to meet him in the same truck stop Hardee’s we’d met in the last time. I had no idea what he’d want in return for his information.

  I thought about taking someone to the meeting with me but Phil and Jason were catching some much needed rest, Ron was doing an aerial recon and Tim was just too busy. Taking a fully uniformed Mel, even if I could sneak her out of the station, was
just too risky. I went alone.

  This time Buhler beat me to our meeting place. I got a diet soda and ambled to his table. I was trying to appear casual to him or to anyone else observing in the busy restaurant but something I couldn’t put my finger on just yet felt off.

  Buhler spied me and then waved me over to his table all the while acting like I was someone he knew that he hadn’t seen in a while.

  “Hey, nice to see you. How ya been?” His tone was borderline excited but his eyes didn’t match. He was nervous and I could tell.

  “Great, great. It’s been a long time! How are you?”

  “Doin’ fine.” He motioned for me to take a seat.

  “Just for a minute. I’ve been on the road and I need to keep going.” I pulled the chair out only slightly, leaving it somewhat sideways so my back wouldn’t be to the room. I perched on the edge trying to appear as though I was really just passing by and didn’t intend to stay. I looked around casually. No one nearby seemed to be interested in us.

  “So, how’s Bob?”

  Huh? Okay, I’ve had enough of this game. He needs to get to the point! “Fine, what’s up with you?” I eyeballed him pointedly.

  Buhler cleared his throat. In a barely audible voice he said, “Rumor has it, ATF is sniffing around.”

  “Around who? You?” I whispered back.

  “You tell me.”

  I was annoyed. “Bud, I don’t work with ATF unless I have to.” I leaned in, “What have you heard?”

  “Got a coupl’a contacts, say they’ve been snooping around and asking questions.”

  “Shine?”

  “Don’t think so. Ain’t been doin’ that. Ain’t time yet for it, but I don’t know.” He was still talking very low. He paused and then whispered, “Probably the stuff what’s goin’ on at Chappell’s.”

  “The dairy farm you work at?” I played dumb but he didn’t buy it. He’d already told me about his special work. It was his turn to eye me.

  “I was told there’d be a huge extra work assignment real late like tonight, early tomorrow morning. Told ‘em I wanted in.”

  “What’s the work?”

  “Dunno but I’m supposed to be on site around 1:00 AM. Truck’s expected around 1:30.”

  “You going?”

  “Don’t know… ATF … that’s why I called you.”