"Why aren't you in jail?"
"The cops kept the money and let me go."
"What did they look like? Did you get their names?"
"A white-haired Italian guy and a tall, bald black guy. They said their names were Patrick and Rossi."
"Are they the ones that roughed you up?"
"No. Two guys grabbed me after work last night and worked me over. They wanted to know who else was involved in trying to blackmail the city treasurer."
"How did these two goons know about your blackmail scheme?"
"I don't know. I wasn't honest with the two cops. I told them I had overheard two guys talking at the bar. They didn't buy it but I stuck to my story even when they dunked me in the river, so they finally let me go."
There were a lot of pieces still missing from the puzzle but I knew this was the break I'd been waiting for. I didn't want to appear too interested in the scam so I changed the subject. "Tell me about these two guys and what happened to your face Jimmy."
"They grabbed me when I was walking home after work last night and stuffed me in the back of a limo. They wanted to know how I really got the information. They started roughing me up. I had to tell them - they weren't going to stop till I told them what really happened."
"Have the cops been here to ask you any questions about Alina?"
"No. Not yet anyway."
"Don't you think that's a bit odd Jimmy. I'm not with the police and I found out you were connected with Alina. Why do you think it is the police haven't been here asking you questions about her death?"
"I don't know. I suppose they'll probably show up at some point. I know I should have told them about Alina yesterday. I tried to keep her out of it but I guess it didn't make any difference."
"What were you trying to protect her from?"
"I didn't want them to know it was Alina who got the information about the bribe or where she got it from. I was just trying to keep her out of trouble."
I gave Jimmy one of my cards. "Let me know if you think of anything else. Somebody's got a secret they're willing to kill for. I've got a feeling this isn't over yet."
"Do you think Alina was killed because of the blackmail attempt? Why would they let me go and not her?" Jimmy asked.
"I don't know Jimmy. Alina Buzhinsky's death might not be related to the blackmail attempt at all. Or, it could be there's something else in that ledger that someone wants to keep private at all cost. If that's the case, you may not be out of the woods yet."
"Are you investigating her murder? Is that why you're here? I'm not a suspect am I?"
"No Jimmy. Like I said, I'm just trying to find out who killed Terry Reynolds. I do think there's a connection with this mess you're involved in. I've got a feeling this is far from over."
I could tell Logan was completely freaked out by what happened to Alina Buzhinsky. And for good reason. Buzhinsky had been brutally murdered and there was a good chance it was related to the ledger she and Logan had used to blackmail the city treasurer.
"You should put some ice on your face. It wouldn't be a bad idea to go to the hospital and have them straighten out your nose too."
Chapter 36
I went back to my makeshift war room at the hotel and started adding new bits of information to my boards. Jimmy Logan was connected with Alina Buzhinsky and she was connected to Sergei Mogilevich. Mark Fenton just happened to work for Sergei.
Mark Fenton also happened to be one of the last people to talk to Terry Reynolds.
Fenton was an accountant and either he or Sergei kept a ledger to keep track of payments that were actually bribes made to city officials. The payments were probably made to rig land deals and grease the wheels so development permits went through quickly for the developer.
The Buzhinsky woman had snapped a photo of one of the pages in the ledger and together with her boyfriend Jimmy Logan, they tried to bribe the treasurer of the city of Toronto. It was a simple enough scheme: pay us to keep quiet or else we go public and create a scandal that will end your career.
That presented an interesting enough picture already, but we then have the two city cops who apparently stopped the blackmail attempt but let Jimmy Logan go without charging him with the crime.
Why did the cops let Logan go? Was Mark Fenton the whistle blower who came to Terry? If Fenton wasn't the snitch, who could it be? The city treasurer?
The pieces of the puzzle were starting to form a picture but there were still a lot of missing pieces. I didn't know for sure whether Terry Reynold's murder was connected - my gut told me it was. Did he get dragged into this somehow and been killed like the Buzhinsky woman?
Odds were the two goons who picked up Jimmy Logan were the ones who killed the Buzhinsky woman - yet they let Jimmy Logan live. Whoever they were, the killer or killers must have thought that Logan was less of a threat than Alina Buzhinsky was, for some reason.
That meant one of three things. Maybe Alina knew more than Jimmy, so she posed a bigger threat. Or, it could be that it was more personal when it came to Alina. She could have been closer to the killer and her actions were considered more treacherous. The third option was, it could be a bit of both.
Jimmy Logan was spooked, and with good reason. He'd been busted for trying to blackmail a city official but let go. Later the same day, he gets picked up by two goons who worked him over, but then they let him go too.
Logan had to feel lucky but at the same time, his luck could run out at any time.
Chapter 37
When the news about Alina hit the front page, Mark Fenton finally realized he was in deep shit. First it was the reporter, then the councillor and now Alina. He didn't know for sure if Sergei was directly involved with the murders but when people start showing up dead, it's a wake up call - for the living that is.
Nothing was said about Alina at work yesterday. It was as if Sergei hadn't known her. Fenton spent the day going over the books for some of the retirement homes the company owned. It was a bit surreal.
He had an early dinner at home as usual and he was just heading downstairs to his office when the doorbell rang. He opened the door to find me on his front step.
"Can I have a word with you Mr. Fenton?" Fenton didn't look too surprised to see me standing on his doorstep.
"Sure, come in Mr. Borman. I was just heading down to my office. Why don't you join me."
I followed Fenton to his office and took the chair he offered. I didn't think small talk was in order so I got right to the point, "I'm sure you've heard what happened to Alina Buzhinsky."
"Yes I did. It was all over the news most of the day yesterday."
"You knew her I gather?"
"She was a friend of Sergei's."
"By friend, you mean girlfriend?"
"I didn't want to be indiscreet, but yes."
I wanted to see what kind of reaction I'd get so I asked, "What can you tell me about the ledger Mr. Fenton?"
I could see Fenton stiffen at the mention of the ledger.
"How much do you know?"
"I know that Alina got some information from a ledger that is kept in Sergei's office. I also know that she and an accomplice tried to blackmail a city official with some of the information in the ledger."
Fenton was struggling to maintain his composure, "Where did you hear that?"
"Straight from the horse's mouth, Jimmy Logan himself."
"Are you saying you think that's why she was killed?"
"It's quite possible. Aren't you even a little bit worried Mr. Fenton. People are being murdered and it all seems to revolve around this ledger. You may soon be considered an accomplice to these murders, if you aren't already."
"That's ridiculous, I'm just an accountant. I had nothing to do with blackmail or any of these murders."
"If you aren't worried about the law, what about Sergei? Aren't you the one who is supposed to keep the records safe? How did Alina get her hands on the ledger? Did you let her see it?"
"Of course not. I hav
e no idea how she got her hands on it, if she really did. But you're right. I am worried and I don't know what to do right now."
"You should be. Jimmy Logan was beat up pretty bad and they threatened his life to get him to give up Alina as his accomplice. Alina was found dead within a few hours. It seems pretty obvious that these people will kill anyone who appears to be a threat to them."
"Something changed when I heard about Alina on the news yesterday morning Mr. Borman. I'm an accountant and I'm kept in the dark about a lot of things. But I'm not completely naive. I hear things.
I know they've used bribes and threats to get their way. That's how a lot of business gets done. I've had suspicions at times that it gets much worse than that, but it's never been as obvious as this is. I'm scared and I don't know what to do frankly."
If ever there was a time to push, this was it.
"Accountants keep records Mr. Fenton. Might someone be worried that you've been keeping records of things they would rather keep private?"
Bullseye. The reaction was so fast I would have missed it if I hadn't been looking right at him. But I was, and I saw the signs. Fenton's breathing stopped for a fraction of a second and his body stiffened. He had eyes that weren't very good at lying.
Chapter 38
"That's it isn't it? You've been keeping records! What for Mark? An insurance policy in case things go wrong?"
"It's not like that."
"I want to see what you've got Mark. Is it here? Are you keeping it at home?"
"First of all, I didn't say I had any private records."
"You know they'll come in here and tear this place apart don't you. I did a bit of checking around. Mogilevich has a reputation for playing hardball. It's more than just a bad temper he's got isn't it?"
Fenton was clearly agitated. His forehead was covered in sweat and I could tell his heart was racing. "You're in way over your head Mark. You're playing with nasty people here. These guys play real life monopoly and they don't play to lose. You're not going to get a pass if they even suspect you've been keeping a copy."
"You're right, you're right. I've got a cash ledger. But it's not for the reasons you're thinking. Sergei keeps the original and if anything were to happen to it, he'd be damn happy I've kept my own notes."
"So you've kept records of what, names and dates of cash payments to grease the wheels so deals go through, bribes to city officials, that sort of thing. Where is that ledger? I need to see it Mark."
"It's in a safe place. Like I told you, I've maintained it only as a backup to the original."
"This ledger is what you really talked to Terry about, isn't it?"
Fenton didn't seem all that surprised that I'd figured it out. "In general, yes. I didn't tell him I had been keeping a ledger. I just told him I wasn't comfortable about things that were happening at work. That I didn't think they'd just let me go. I was afraid they'd think I knew too much."
"Did Terry suggest you testify about what you know?"
"Yes. I told him I couldn't."
"I need to see it. There could be something in there that will help me figure out who is behind the murders."
Fenton thought for a moment. "I wish I could get rid of it and pretend I'd never seen it."
"You could let me have it for a few days and no one would be the wiser."
"It's not that simple Mr. Borman. That ledger implicates all sorts of people from city workers to city officials and police officers all the way to the top. It's not something you can forget once you see it."
"Let me help you get away from these people Mark. Your life's in danger. There's no telling how soon all of this could blow up in your face."
"I'm not so sure I can get out. Sergei's always had a really bad temper and I have no idea how he would react."
"You're afraid you know too much and they won't let you go?"
"Yes. A lot of people have died lately. First it was Terry. Then councillor Wilson died in a similar fashion. They were practically celebrating his death. Business can be brutal, but that struck me as extremely cold."
The blood had completely drained from Fenton's face. He looked exhausted. "And now Sergei's mistress turns up dead."
I waited for a minute to let the gravity of the situation sink into Mark Fenton's head. "I'm very familiar with how brutal the business world gets and the amount of corruption that's involved. I'm only looking for any entries that could be tied to Terry Reynold's death."
"How would you keep me out of it if you find what you're looking for?"
"I think you're already into this much deeper than you realize Mr. Fenton. The best I can do is tell you that I'll do my best to keep you out of it, but I can't promise. I think your best shot right now is to help me take down whoever it is that's behind the murders before your turn comes around."
"I'm a dead man for sure if Sergei hears about this copy."
"They won't know where I got the information, Mark."
"You have to promise me that you will destroy it once you get what you need out of it. Unless I turn up dead, in which case I don't care what you do with it."
Fenton took a ledger out of the top drawer of his desk and put it down in front of me.
I quickly flipped through it and involuntarily shook my head. I looked up at Fenton and said "You did the right thing."
Chapter 39
I had to admit I was impressed with the number of influential people Sergei had managed to get on the payroll. There has always been a lot of corruption in the world but it never ceased to amaze me how some individuals manage to control their environment. Getting my hands on Fenton's ledger made me realize how big a fish Sergei was.
This ledger represented the goings on for one man and it was just mind boggling. Cops and civil servants on the payroll including the city treasurer. There were a bunch of payments to other individuals I did not know. A lot of money was going through Mayor Corbett's office. A lot of money!
Detectives Patrick and Rossi were regulars as was Deputy Superintendent James Galecki. Mayor Corbett wasn't in the ledger, but I knew he would be getting paid in company shares, not cash.
I decided to focus on the time period from about one month before Terry Reynolds was killed to one month after. If the ledger contained any payments related to the murder, there was a good chance it would be noted during that period.
I carefully reviewed all the payments in that two-month period. I'm not sure what I expected to find. There were two cash payments to an A.R. INSG for $50,000. There was so much cash being handed out, it was going to be hard to make any sense of it.
I made notes as I went through the ledger so I could ask Mark Fenton if he could add some insight into the payments. The one other thing that caught my attention was that this A.R. INSG notation had two other entries, one for $15,000 and one for $25,000.
The ledger certainly opened up a lot of questions, but it didn't offer too many answers. There were a lot of cash payments that would appear to be a ton of money for most people, but for a company that's involved in deals that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the sums were not all that large.
Friday 7pm
I called Fenton at home to see if I could drop by for a few minutes. Fenton said I could, so I copied a few pages out of the ledger and went to see if I could get more insight about the payments.
Back in Fenton's basement I spread out a few pages and asked Fenton if he could add some commentary to the entries that were highlighted with a yellow marker. Fenton agreed, with the understanding that it was all off the record.
"Who is this A.R. INSG?"
"A.R. stand for Anatoly Rodchenko. He and Sergei know each other from the old country. Anatoly runs a consulting firm called INSG which stands for International Negotiating Services Group."
"Why would Sergei be making a cash payment to a corporation. Wouldn't he want to do that the usual way to have the write-off?"
"There could be a number of reasons. Sometimes you want to hire a service but you wan
t to do it unofficially."
"When would a company want to do that?"
"Anytime you want to make it look like you didn't do anything to influence the outcome. Corporations often hire third parties to lobby on their behalf so it looks like the change came about without any pressure from the corporation."
"Hum. So, can you tell me what these two payments of $50,000 would be for. What outcome was Sergei trying to bring about here?"
"I honestly don't know. Sergei doesn't always tell me why these payments are made. He just tells me the amount and what to put down next to it, if anything."
The Borman Factor Page 9