by Mark Hazard
SWAT had gone, leaving Rosen, Chu and two deputies who had joined the initial foray. Corus found them at work inside the house. Most of the evidence had been bagged and labeled, not that there was much: two firearms, an Ak-47 and a .22 caliber rifle, ammunition for both, along with 9mm ammo and .45 ACP. Some money was collected, which indicated a hasty departure.
Apart from the weapons, it was no different from any other bachelor pad in the country. It was perhaps a bit upscale, but beer and meat stocked the fridge and empty alcohol bottles stood like trophies atop cabinets. An assortment of loose-leaf teas sat near an infuser and an electric teakettle. One bedroom on the bottom floor sat near the front of the house. It held scattered sheets, stripped drawers and closet, and the disregarded possessions that didn’t make the cut: magazines, DVDs, old shoes.
Corus found much the same in the other two rooms upstairs. One held a computer with two monitors, the clearest indication yet that Kirilov had lived here. The hard drives and RAM had been removed, and the rest of the computing tower doused in a propellant and burned. The smell of burning plastic still hung in the air all over the house.
It had been a hasty job, this departure, but a good one. Whoever had shared a home with Kirilov felt compelled to flee with him, either out of loyalty or self-protection. Smart, Corus reflected, very smart. Kirilov wasted no time advancing his position. He’d known that he didn’t have to evade prosecution forever. He’d only needed to be released from custody for five minutes to make his run.
These people were not playing at gangster. This URM group was the real deal. They weren’t just going to roll over for the US Attorney’s fraud and money laundering investigation. They were smart, armed and hell-bent on having their way. Maybe Ed Garvey’s paranoid fervor wasn’t entirely misplaced.
Chu startled him from his thoughts when he appeared in the doorway. Corus had been staring at the emptied closet, completely spaced out.
“We didn’t find anything to give us a clue where he ran?”
“Nothing,” Chu said. “He’s gone. I can’t believe I missed Revolution for this.”
“Jesus, what’s Revolution anyway?”
“It’s a show about post-apocalyptic life in America. These people are trying to turn the power back on.”
“Sounds boring.”
“It’s not. Everyone is vying for power. Plus, seeing how people create new governments and new societies out of nothing is interesting.”
“Well, maybe I’ll watch that in my unemployment.”
“What unemployment?”
“That was the deal, L-T. I had to see these cases prosecuted. Kirilov slipped through my fingers. He’s gone for good, now. This second shooter, who the hell knows? Maybe he lived here, right in this very damn room.” Corus kicked a worn tennis shoe across the floor. “We’ll never know.”
He sat down on the bed and bent forward. He put his face in his hands, passed them over this head and closed his eyes.
After a long, silent moment, Chu came over and sat next to him. He stared up at the wall next to the closet where a framed pictured of a Bugatti supercar hung.
“You think they left the country?”
“It’s what I’d do. They have the connections.”
“In the morning, we can find out who owned this house. Or whose name was on the lease. That might be a clue.”
Corus lifted his head and set his jaw. “It won’t change the fact that the murderer is gone for good. Maybe both of them.”
“Maybe Garvey can tell us something,” Chu said.
Corus made to get up, but Chu stood and blocked his way. “I know you’re distraught, but promise me you won’t give up.”
Corus stared ahead, silent.
“I’ll make sure you don’t get fired,” Chu said. “You just keep your eye on the prize, on the murders in Redmond and Burien. There are still families that need closure, bad people who need justice.”
“Justice let Kirilov go,” Corus said in a growl. “Justice…” he said with contempt. “That’s just a word we use for our bloated, inefficient system of rules and bylaws and structures and job titles and 401k plans. Don’t talk to me right now about justice.”
He tried to get past Chu, but Chu held out an arm to bar his way again. He looked down feeling more tired than angry.
“You did your job, Corus. You did the best you could.”
When he stepped forward, Chu stepped back with him, still trying to block his way.
“What more can you ask of yourself? This was the craziest case either of us have ever seen. It didn’t go your way. It’s not your fault!”
Corus thought about pushing past, but relented. “Maybe, but that’s not enough. Excuses aren’t enough anymore. So help me God, Chu, I will never let this happen again. Kirilov will meet justice. The balance will be paid. So help me God.”
“You believe in God?” Chu’s question sounded earnest, surprised. He dropped his arm to his side.
“If there is a God, maybe I understand him one tiny bit.”
“How is that?”
“Our order is the chaos. Our best human efforts, our societies are fundamentally flawed. We kid ourselves about where the black stops and the light begins.”
“I’m so confused.”
“Welcome to the jungle, L-T. It’s only gonna get thicker.”
They met Jim at the front door of the house, hands in the pockets of his jacket. His eyes were stormy and heavy.
“What happened?” Corus asked. “Does he understand?”
Jim shook his head. “It was me who didn’t understand. I don’t even know where to begin.”
“What do you mean?” Chu asked.
Jim’s mouth opened as he tried to find the words. “You know how I told you about Garvey’s little insurance fire twenty years ago? The reason those of us in the know thought he left the department?”
Corus gave a nod.
“Garvey says the Russians burned it down. He refused a bribe from a man who wanted him to turn a blind eye to drug trafficking.”
“Why didn’t he tell the brass what happened?”
“He said he did. He said they dismissed his claim, but then all of a sudden were willing to pass on prosecution if he left the department.”
Chu looked wide-eyed at Corus. “Barbieri told us that he was going to file it as arson, but Garvey pushed him back on that.”
“I can easily see a situation where old Barbie missed out on what was really going on,” Jim said. “And he might have been filing the report as arson, while strongly implying that Garvey did it, which is what Garvey would have objected to. If what Garvey is saying was or is true about corruption in the department, then someone might have been pulling Barbie’s strings or whispering soft nothings into his ear.”
“But Barbieri might have been assuming that it was insurance related, because he didn’t like Garvey,” Chu said. “Maybe Garvey simply claimed otherwise, and Barbieri took it as obstruction of some sort.”
Jim snorted. “You see? Put those two together, and it could have easily just been a pissing contest more than a legit, professional investigation. Either way, all these years Garvey has been climbing the ranks of government, highly suspicious and resentful of his law enforcement counterparts.”
“Maybe for good reason,” Corus said. “Jesus.”
“So, when he saw your light punishment for the vending machine episode and then your past involvement in the Skokim Pass case, which went unprosecuted the first time, he put two and two together and got five.”
“That’s why he was so pissed at your disciplinary hearing,” Chu said.
Corus leveled a suspicious gaze at Jim. “For him to think I was in with the Russians over Skokim Pass means…”
“He figured the Russians were behind it.”
“Jesus Christ. He knew the Russians were involved this whole time?”
“He better explain the rest.”
“He’ll talk to me?”
“I explained you were goi
ng through some personal issues at the time, not letting the case slide because you were bought. I pointed to the other two high-profile murders that also went unsolved as evidence that you weren’t discriminating in the cases you were asleep on.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“My pleasure.”
“Where should we talk to him?”
“Precinct?” Chu asked.
“No,” Corus said. “That’s not the place to get him to feel at ease.”
“Listen, he’s not gonna go on record with us,” Jim said. “Let’s just go to a bar. Maybe a drink or two will loosen his tongue.”
Chu stuck his fingers in his ears and walked away. “I didn’t hear that.”
FORTY-TWO
The Foul Ball Sports Bar and Grill hadn’t been a long drive from the townhome. Rosen had wanted to come of course, but Corus didn’t want to make Garvey any more nervous than necessary.
An uncomfortable look passed between them as Corus held the door open for Garvey. They were soon seated, and a waitress came to ask for their orders. Corus piped up first and asked for a Guinness. Jim ordered Jack Daniels on the rocks. Garvey paused before saying, “Rum and Coke. Tall glass.”
After she left, Corus said meekly, “Jim explained what happened to you, when you were forced out. I’m sorry if that’s really the way it went down.”
“Eh.” Garvey coughed, eyes narrowing. “No if.”
“Why did you go into government?” Corus asked. “Was it to get revenge on the department?”
“No,” Garvey said firmly. “I offered my resignation and then went to work where I could, doing private investigations. A lot of my jobs were vetting insurance claims. How’s that for irony?” Garvey gave a hard laugh. “I also gave expert testimony for defense lawyers that weren’t too scummy. I made friends that way. Eventually got a job at the county assessor’s office. I was just trying to pay my mortgage. The Russians didn’t bother me. It was enough.”
“But you didn’t forget,” Corus asked.
“No,” Garvey said slowly, “I didn’t forget.”
“So, when you rose through the ranks, you kept an eye on anything fishy?”
“It’s the job of every civil servant to be on the watch for fraud and corruption.”
“Did you find any?”
“At first, no. Then little things, permits being pushed through faster for some companies than others. Then when I saw the 5th precinct job bids come in two years ago, I took a close look. URM Construction was one of the bidders.”
“You recognized the name?”
“I’d kept an eye on any Russians working within a stone’s throw of law enforcement or government. So yes, I’d been watching them from the sidelines. They got that school remodel job in Auburn before that.”
“Who was the man that burned your café down?”
“His name was Baronov. He was Ukrainian, but referred to himself as Russian. I watched for him to resurface, but I never saw his name, in over twenty years of looking.”
The drinks arrived.
“But so many Russians were pouring in at that time.” Garvey continued after taking a drink. “He was probably a little fish in a much bigger pond all of a sudden.”
“Okay. So take me through the sequence of events that brought you to getting tied up.”
“When I saw the URM bid for the 5th precinct complex, I tried to kill it. Then here comes my son Andrew, telling me not to meddle. Says he heard it through the grapevine.”
“Did that seem suspicious to you?”
“Andrew is my middle son. He’s always been a little attention seeker. He likes to drop names and seem important. He once met Dave Valley as a kid, the Mariners catcher, and wouldn’t shut up about it for months. Told everyone who’d listen about how his best friend was the catcher for the Mariners. He still likes to seem more important than he is.”
“Did you ask him how he’d found out you were trying to stop URM from getting the bid?”
“I tend to make my opinions known. Never have been one for discretion. It didn’t surprise me he’d heard something. He’s not the big shot he thinks, but he does have friends.”
“Why did he tell you not to meddle? What did he say his motivation was?”
“Oh, he just said you shouldn’t mess with Russians. It’s not your fight, he said.”
“Did he sound concerned?”
“It was matter-of-fact. We can’t really stand each other too well. So, we just get right to the point when we have to talk.”
“He didn’t sound concerned?”
“I don’t know. Didn’t seem so. Anyway, a bit later, that family gets murdered at Skokim Pass. I hear the victim worked at PacTrust. I call to see what’s up, and Andy says he knew him. Worked in the office together. Everyone was shocked. Must have been a robbery at the hotel he said.”
“But that didn’t pass muster,” Jim said.
“You got kids Jim?”
“Two.”
“Do you trust them?”
“Sure.”
“Then you’re probably a terrible parent. Anybody who doesn’t know when their kids are lying to them is a fool. For once I kept my thoughts to myself though, maybe on account of the shock of the murders. I think it over. Something is bugging me. So I figure I’ll do a little experiment, not expecting to find anything, but maybe it’d ease my mind. I take a twenty dollar bill and a list of company names to a PacTrust branch, companies that’d been on my radar. I ask the teller if I can deposit the twenty into the account of so-and-so. She says no. I ask another. No again. I head to a different branch, ask about a couple names. Try another. Fourth try, I ask to deposit the 20 in the account of URM construction. No I don’t have an account number. Gal takes my twenty and gives me a receipt.”
“So, you figured out a Russian-run company banked with PacTrust.”
Garvey nodded. “I didn’t like the smell of it. So I keep an eye on every damn news story to figure out whatever I can about the case. I even called in a favor with a friend at HQ to give me case details off the network. Then I don’t see you folks getting anywhere, or making arrests, which makes me more suspicious.”
“You did seem especially cranky at my disciplinary hearing.”
“Okay, let me pause there. I need to ask. Did you shoot that vending machine on purpose?”
“Yes,” Corus said without pause.
Garvey peered at him for a long moment. “Why?”
“Because when nothing in your life makes sense, sometimes shooting a vending machine does.”
“So, you were suspicious the department was compromised,” Jim said. “Go on.”
“I decide I’ll do it my damn self. I go find Miles’ boss. I follow him, stake him out for a week. I find out he’s single, bisexual, loves wine, but nothing suspicious. I let my tail get sloppy, but he never tried to shake me, not once. No clue. He was no operator. He met with the same group of friends two or three times a week.”
“That makes sense. Badcocke kept his involvement in the laundering at the office.”
“I start having my own son followed as well, for his own good. PI friend of mine needed work, and I was damn tired. He sees Andy meet with a man in a parking garage. Gets a picture of the guy. But I can’t do nothing with it. Except I figure I can catch them meeting again. Long story short, I do. I follow the guy to a house.”
“The house we found you at tonight?”
“No. Some place in Fremont, in the city. I take the address to my friends, well not friends, former employees at the assessors office, and get the name of the owner.”
Garvey chose that moment to steal a sip of his drink. “Campbell. Donald Campbell.”
“Campbell?”
“But the name was a fake or stolen.”
“Sounds about right,” Corus said.
“So it was back to the drawing board. A month later, new people live there in the house. Now I was really lost. I guess I gave up for a time. There wasn’t any trouble, but I tailed Andy again
this summer. I didn’t tail him, so much as I parked in the garage they met in and waited.”
“How long did you do this?”
“Let’s say I caught up on a lot of reading. I would go everyday sometimes. Sometimes every other, depending on how obsessed I felt.”
“Did you see Andrew meet again?”
“Yes, with the same man usually. Once a different man.”
“Describe them.”
“The usual guy was slim and had short dark hair. Glasses. Sharp dresser.”
“That’s Kirilov,” Corus said.
“The other guy was just a bit smaller, muscular, blond cropped hair. I got the idea to follow him to the house you found me in tonight. I cased that place off and on for weeks and saw these two guys going in and out like they lived there.”
“Let me guess. It’s owned by a stolen name?”
“Right. Camille something. I didn’t bother remembering it.”
“Did you see a third man?”
“Yes. I figured he lived there too. Other men came and went too. And women sometimes.”
“Women?”
“Prostitutes probably. Never stayed more than an hour or two.”
“Would you be willing to identify any of these people in court?”
“Of course, but the defense will use my age against my credibility.”
“We’ll cross that bridge.”
“Did you ever confront your son about the meetings in the parking garage?” Jim asked.
“I came at it from a different angle. I asked him if he was in danger at his job. I asked him if Miles Griffin was up to any shady dealings. He called me crazy. Then after you started back on the case, the Badcocke fella gets clipped. I don’t know what you were doing, but someone was getting close.”
“Why did you come into the precinct?”
“To get Andy to tell me everything he knows, no shit.”
“Good thing I cuffed you then.”
“You what?” Jim asked.
