by Al Lamanda
None of the thirty was exceptional and possessed the resources to set Walt up in such high fashion.
I was about to call Carly when I realized the time. It would keep until morning and so would I.
* * *
The sun rose as I jogged along the water. By the time I returned to the trailer, it was stretching high across the waves and heating the air.
I grabbed coffee, flopped in my chair, and called Carly.
“Change your mind about coming along?” she said.
“Nope. I’m going to pick up more reports,” I said. “Meet me at the trailer when you’re done with the judge.”
“Lunch is on you seeing as how I’m working for free,” Carly said.
“You’re working for bragging rights over Napier,” I said.
“True, but you’re still buying lunch,” Carly said.
After getting off the phone, I grabbed a quick shower, dressed, and drove to Pat’s Donuts for a dozen to drop off to Jane’s deputies.
“Not so fast, big boy,” Jane said when I showed up with the donuts. “I’m claiming three of those.”
I doled out three in exchange for a thick folder.
“The remaining thirty-five reports,” Jane said. “I was bored last night.”
“I’ll make this up to you,” I said as I tucked the file under my right arm.
“How?”
“I’ll let the suspense work on you for a bit,” I said.
“See you at the beach,” Jane said.
* * *
I was reading the seventh report in the new stack when the limo arrived.
There was a fresh pot of coffee inside, and I brought it and three mugs to the table.
“How did it go?” I said as I poured.
“Brooks ordered Underwood to produce Smith’s street contacts at the grand jury if we are not happy with Smith’s cross,” Carly said. “And by ‘we’ I mean the defense plus Brooks.”
“Where’s Kagan?” I said.
“We dropped him off to see Walt,” Carly said.
“Where do you want to grab lunch?” I said.
“I saw an interesting shawarma place near the courthouse,” Harry said.
“What is shawarma?” I said.
“I don’t know, but it looked interesting,” Harry said.
“Carly?” I said.
“Oh, why not,” Carly said. “I could use some interesting today.”
* * *
Shawarma turned out to be Middle Eastern wrap sandwiches made with chicken and beef that were actually pretty good.
As we ate, I said, “We need to go to Grand Cayman.”
“Because?” Carly said.
“Because we have the right to interview the witnesses and determine if we want to subpoena them to testify at the grand jury,” I said. “Is that because enough?”
“I think you just want another ride on Campbell’s private jet,” Carly said.
“It would be easier and faster,” I said.
“Want me to call Campbell?” Carly said.
“Maybe it would be better if we asked her in person?” I said.
“I get to ride on a private jet?” Harry said.
We looked at Harry.
“Eat your shawarma,” Carly said.
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you out of your mind? Are you crazy?” Campbell said. “Do you know how much it costs to run the jet even for one flight?”
“Which doesn’t matter when you just deduct it as a business expense,” Carly said.
Campbell glared at her.
“I hate it when you’re right,” Campbell said.
“Call the pilots,” Carly said. “I’ll call the embassy in Grand Cayman and make arrangements for Monday and book a hotel.”
“Our nannies don’t have passports,” Campbell said.
“Do we need them for a two-day layover?” Carly said.
“You won’t need them because you will be working,” Campbell said.
“We can take Regan,” I said. “She got her passport last year, and she baby-sits for families in the neighborhood all the time.”
Carly looked at Campbell. “Any more excuses?” she said.
Campbell sighed. “I’ll call the pilots and tell them to register a flight plan,” she said.
“I better call Kagan,” Carly said.
“Is there anybody else you want to bring?” Campbell said. “It seats twelve.”
“Don’t be a bitch,” Carly said. “Bekker, I think we’re done for the day. I’ll have the limo drop you and Harry off.”
Carly walked Harry and me to the limo. Harry got in first. I waited for a few seconds with Carly.
“I’ll call Kagan,” she said. “Call me later and let us know if Regan wants to make the trip.”
“What about Brooks?” I said.
“I’ll call him and let him know,” Carly said. “He won’t object. It’s part of the discovery process.”
“I’ll talk to you later,” I said.
* * *
“I need to go to the mall to buy a new bikini,” Regan said.
“What for?” I said.
“You can’t expect me to baby-sit a baby by the pool or at the beach wearing the ratty old bikini I have now,” Regan said. “Come on, Oz, we’ll take my car.”
“What for, I ain’t wearing no bikini,” Oz said as he stood up. Oz went everywhere Regan went and acted as her calming rod. Crowds still made her very uneasy, and Oz tended to bring her down a notch. “Maybe we can get some nacho fries at the mall?” he said.
“Maybe not. Let’s go,” Regan said.
After Oz and Regan left, Walt and I took coffee in the backyard.
“I don’t know what to say, Jack,” Walt said. “A whole lot of people are working on my behalf pro bono.”
“Say thanks and move on,” I said.
Elizabeth came out with slices of lemon cake that she and Regan had baked earlier.
“Thanks, hon,” Walt said.
Elizabeth smiled and went inside.
We ate our lemon cake.
“Liz has gotten better in the kitchen since she’s been staying here,” Walt said. “She’s picked up a few tricks from Regan and Oz. But I suppose I should get used to bad food where I’m going.”
“The only place you’re going is on a retirement cruise when this is over,” I said. “And I have work to do, so I’ll see you later.”
Elizabeth walked me to my car.
“You’re a good man, Jack,” she said as she hugged me.
* * *
As I drove to the beach, I thought about what Elizabeth said.
A dozen years ago, after my wife’s murder, after I dove head first into the bottle and abandoned Regan to a special hospital for traumatized children, would Elizabeth have said I was a good man?
We all pay for our sins one way or another. In this life or the next.
I had time and got in a quick workout on the bags, and then settled in to read some of Jane’s reports. I read eleven and crossed eleven off the list, and quit reading when I spotted Jane’s cruiser headed across the sand.
She parked beside my car, popped out like a whirlwind and said, “What do you want to do first?”
* * *
When our breathing returned to normal, Jane rolled off me and said, “Let’s go for a dip.”
“Moon’s up and I saw a few people on the beach,” I said.
“So we’ll wear our suits,” Jane said.
A few minutes later, we held hands as we walked down to the ocean. The tide wasn’t up yet and the water was fairly warm as we worked our way into chest-high water.
“I’m going to Grand Cayman on Monday,” I said.
Jane looked at me.
“To
talk to the bank people that identified Walt,” I said.
“Alone?”
“Carly, Harry and Kagan are going,” I said. “And Campbell.”
“Campbell?”
“It’s her jet.”
Jane’s temper ignited faster than an eight cylinder Mustang. I could see it in her blue eyes as she squinted at me.
“What?” I said.
“Are you playing tic-tack-toe with these two averaged teenagers?” Jane said.
“What are you…?” I said, or tried to.
“Because I’ve had enough of cheating men to last me ten lifetimes,” Jane said.
“May I remind you they are married to each other,” I said.
“That doesn’t mean they won’t order from ‘Column B’ every once in a while,” Jane said.
“Regan is going with us to baby-sit,” I said.
That calmed her down a bit.
“Just don’t tomcat around on me, that’s all I ask,” Jane said.
“I won’t. I never have, and I won’t,” I said.
“You probably said that to Janet right before I stole you from her,” Jane said.
“You didn’t… she went back to her ex-husband, remember,” I said.
“Let’s go,” Jane said as she took my hand.
“Where?”
“Back to bed,” Jane said. “All this arguing has me in the mood again.”
“Are all women nuts or am I just lucky?” I said.
* * *
On Saturday, Regan and Oz joined us for a cookout and an afternoon of swimming and sunbathing.
After I grilled us up some lunch, Regan and Jane went into the trailer and closed the door.
“Must be women talk,” I said.
“It show time,” Oz said.
“What’s that mean?” I said.
“You’ll see,” Oz said.
The door to the trailer opened and Jane came out wearing a neon pink racing swimsuit.
“What’s going on?” I said.
“You’ll see. Regan?” Jane said.
Regan stepped out of the trailer and stood behind Jane.
“Now don’t stroke out, Jack,” Jane said and stepped aside.
I looked at Regan in her new, cobalt blue bikini that was basically a few pieces of string with a couple of patches of cloth.
I looked at Oz. “You let her buy that?”
“She paid for it with her own money,” Oz said.
“You let her buy that?” I said again.
“She an adult now,” Oz said.
I looked at Jane. “There’s not enough material there to make a hankie,” I said.
“She’s almost twenty, Jack,” Jane said. “It’s about time she had some fun.”
“Then why aren’t you wearing it?” I said.
“Cause I ain’t twenty,” Jane said. “Come on, Regan, let’s go for a swim.”
As they walked past me, I glared at Oz.
“What? She your daughter,” Oz said.
There was a group of young surfers sitting, floating on their boards. Jane led Regan past them and into the water. One by one, the surfers drifted closer to Regan and Jane.
“You see this?” I said. “This is your fault.”
“What, it my fault boys like girls?” Oz said.
Several of the boys started talking to Regan.
“That’s it,” I said, and stood up.
“Bekker, sit your ass down,” Oz said. “She come a long way since the home. She never gonna learn to talk to boys, and everybody else in the world for that matter, unless you leave her be and let her grow up.”
I looked at Oz.
“As long as you up, get us some coffee,” Oz said.
Chapter Twenty
“First time on a private jet?” Campbell asked Regan.
With Settina sleeping in her arms, Regan said, “First time on a private anything.”
Carly, Kagan, Harry and I were at the conference table. Carly made notes on a legal pad as they batted around ideas and suggestions.
“It all comes down to the money,” Kagan said. “That’s what they will focus on and we have no viable defense against it.”
“If we get a dismissal at the grand jury, we’ll have at least three months before the Feds convene a grand jury of their own,” Carly said. “That buys us enough time to work on that and get ready.”
Kagan looked at me. “Jack?”
“I haven’t seen a report on the serial numbers of the money recovered in Walt’s house or the bank,” I said. “It might have come from a bank or armored car robbery for all we know. A motion of discovery on the recovered money might tell us where it came from and buy us a bit of extra time before the grand jury convenes.”
Kagan, Carly and Harry stared at me.
“Just a suggestion,” I said.
“I’ll… uh… call Judge Brooks when we land and make the request,” Carly said.
I glanced at Regan, who was feeding a bottle to Settina.
“Anybody want some coffee?” I said.
I went to the galley and put on a pot. While it brewed, Campbell joined me and rinsed the empty baby bottle in the sink.
“She’s grown into quite the little lady,” Campbell said.
“She’s getting there,” I said.
“How is she with the boys?” Campbell said.
“Shy,” I said. “The cocoon she wrapped up in a dozen years ago has thick walls.”
“Maybe Carly and I can help.” Campbell said.
“How?”
“We were planning a vacation before you showed up looking for a handout,” Campbell said.
“I wasn’t looking for…”
“And once Carly is finished with this tawdry business, perhaps you would allow Regan to accompany us as our baby-sitter,” Campbell said. “She’ll work, earn some money, and visit some new and exciting places, not to mention mixing with all kinds of people.”
I did the math quickly in my head. “She’s very delicate,” I said.
“I owe you, Bekker. My family caused what happened to her,” Campbell said. “I’d consider it a favor to me if you allowed me to do this for her.”
“When you have a quiet moment, mention it to her,” I said. “I trust her to make her own decisions.”
Campbell smiled. “Coffee is ready,” she said.
I loaded a tray with four cups and the pot, took it to the table, and dolled out coffee to Carly, Harry and Kagan.
“When we land, a car will take us to the American Embassy where the chief of police will meet us,” Carly said. “In the morning, we’ll meet at the bank.”
Regan was holding Settina in her arms, gently rocking her to sleep. “What do we do tonight?” she said.
Campbell smiled. “Relax, honey,” she said. “We all relax.”
* * *
Two cars met us at the airport. One car took Campbell, Regan and Settina to the hotel; the second went to the American Embassy.
The head of the Embassy was a diplomat named Burke. We took coffee in the embassy conference room.
“I understand you’re just trying to present the best defense possible for your client, but it is a British Territory, so I must ask for your discretion in how this is handled,” Burke said.
“We’re not here to upset the tourist applecart,” Kagan said. “We’re just asking the same questions the FBI already asked and nothing more.”
“I’ve spoken to the head of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, and an inspector will meet us at the bank in the morning,” Burke said. “Just to keep things proper.”
“Agreed, but we want no interference on their part,” Carly said.
“As long as no British law is violated, there will be none,” Burke said.
Carly nodded. “Then we will see you at nine tomorrow morning,” she said.
* * *
While Carly, Campbell, Regan and Settina lounged poolside, Harry and Kagan went shopping downtown for cigars.
I hit the hotel gym.
They didn’t have a heavy bag or a speed bag, but they had enough free weights and machines to keep me busy for an hour. Afterward, I ran along the beach for thirty minutes before returning to the hotel.
After a shower and change of clothes, I met the group in the hotel dining room for dinner.
Then came an early night.
Regan and I shared a suite, as did Carly, Campbell and Settina, while Harry and Kagan had private rooms.
Before turning in, I went to Kagan’s room for a quick meeting. I told him what I wanted.
“I’m not sure that is entirely ethical,” Kagan said.
“Of course it is,” I said. “I did it all the time when I was a detective.”
“Then why aren’t you also telling Simms and Harry?” Kagan said.
“Harry is too green, and Carly, as good as she is doesn’t have the poker face to pull it off,” I said.
“Alright,” Kagan said.
In the morning, we met for breakfast, and then a cab took Carly, Kagan, Harry and me to the bank.
* * *
Burke met us in front of the bank with the British inspector.
“This is Inspector Frazier of the Royal Cayman Islands Police,” Burke said.
Frazier had a full British accent. “I’ll allow you the same courtesy as your FBI in that I will not interfere, but I will not allow violation of our laws.”
“We intend to violate none of your laws, inspector,” Carly said. “Or ours, for that matter.”
The bank president was around forty, wore an expensive suit, had perfectly cut hair, and if I didn’t know he was a banker, I would have guessed his profession was undertaker.
His name was Cena and he was also British. We met in the bank’s conference room.
“I have to admit I was a bit surprised to have to answer these questions all over again,” Cena said.
“Different side of the aisle,” Carly said.
Burke and Frazier opted to stand in the background and I joined them. I looked out a window while Carly and Kagan led the team.
“I understand it was you that opened the account for a safe deposit box for Mr. Grimes, is that correct?” Carly said.
