The Cold Trail
Page 29
He gave Kruger the name. “It seems he has cast his lot in with a group of extremists in Yemen. He is now using his knowledge of several rich Arabs to extort money. That money is being diverted to ISIS in Yemen.”
“I take it the Saudi House is not happy.”
“No, and neither is a friend of mine. It seems some of these extremists have organized attacks on our brave troops in Syria.”
“This gentleman seems to have pissed off a lot serious individuals. Why don’t they do anything about him?”
Orlov gave Kruger the smile again. “Politically impractical for either party. We were hoping for some assistance.”
“I’m not in a position to offer any, I’m afraid.”
“No, but your friend Benedict Knoll is.” Orlov nodded in Sandy’s direction.
“He’s with the FBI.”
“Yes, I forgot. My mistake.”
“So, what are you proposing, Dmitri?”
“I give you the location of the graves and the location of this individual. Then the Department of Justice drops all charges against me.”
“I’ll talk to the Attorney General and see what I can do on my end.”
The Russian smiled at Kruger. “Then we have a deal?”
Kruger nodded and extracted his hand from the leather jacket pocket.
Orlov shook it and returned the nod.
The black Mercedes pulled to the curb and stopped. Volkov stepped ahead of the older man and opened the rear passenger door. Just before stepping into the back seat, he turned to Kruger. “I am glad we had this meeting, Agent Kruger. Some of the information may have been painful to hear, but, as we both know, the world can be a cruel place sometimes.”
With this statement, Orlov and his companions entered the car and drove away, within seconds disappearing into the chaotic traffic surrounding the Arc de Triomphe.
Knoll spoke first. “Do you believe him?”
“Some of it. The Russians want something done about this Syrian. If we can arrange something to happen to him, they will give us what we want.”
Gibbs pressed his cell phone to his ear but before the call went through, he looked at Kruger, “Now what?”
“We wait to see if he comes through with the location of the bodies. Then I have to tell a few families the truth.”
Chapter 47
Hannibal, MO
Three Weeks Later
Kruger rang the doorbell on Paul Kelly’s home. Sara Kelly answered before he could remove his finger. She stared at him and opened the door.
“Is this about Linda?” she asked.
“Yes, Sara, it is. May I come in?”
“Yes, sorry, please come in.”
“I thought you were going to sell this place?”
“Not till we know for sure about Linda. Have you heard anything?”
He nodded. “Can we sit somewhere? This could take a few minutes.”
She blinked rapidly, stared at him, and then nodded. “Would you like some coffee?”
“No, thank you.”
“I believe I will. Excuse me.”
She offered him a chair at a small kitchen table. Watching as she poured her coffee, he noticed her hand shaking slightly. When she was sitting across from him, he took a breath and smiled gently.
“The news I bring is not pleasant, Sara. Is there anyone you would like to call?”
The blinking returned. She then studied her coffee cup. “No, I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. What about Linda.”
“I can confirm she’s dead.”
Sara Kelly glared at Kruger, closed her eyes and bowed her head. “I was afraid you would tell me that. What about her body?”
“That’s the difficult part. There’s a team of FBI forensic experts on their way to Oman.”
She looked up and frowned. “Oman?”
He nodded slowly.
“Why Oman?”
“Through the help of the Russian government, the Oman government has revealed a mass grave of western women who were kidnapped and held as slaves by one of the Sultan’s brothers. When it was discovered, the brother was quietly executed, and the entire affair swept under the rug in 2010.”
“How long had this brother been doing it?”
“Early 1990s”
“Is Linda in that grave?”
“We believe she is.”
Sara stood suddenly. “But we won’t know for sure until the DNA is checked. Is that what you’re telling me, Agent?”
“Yes, ma’am.
“So, she might not be there?”
“There is always a chance. But it’s a small chance.”
She sat again. “How was this information discovered?”
“We caught the individual who abducted her and her friends.”
“Are her friends there too?”
“We believe so. We have other agents collecting DNA samples from their families today.”
“Who took them, Agent Kruger?”
“Robert Burns Jr. We’re not sure what happened after they left the diner that night, but he turned them over to—uh—individuals who drugged them and smuggled them out of the country.”
“Why?”
Kruger took a deep breath. “This is the hard part, Sara. They were sex slaves.”
All she could do was stare at him without comment. A tear slid down her cheek as she turned her attention to the window behind the table.
He remained quiet as she struggled with her emotions.
Silence was Kruger’s response. He sat and let her collect her thoughts.
Finally she asked. “How many women are in the grave, Agent Kruger?”
“We were told about forty.”
“Those poor families. Do you know who they are?”
“No. We have suspicions of about ten, but some may never be identified.”
“Are they all Americans?”
“No, the majority are from Western Europe, and a few from South America. Interpol is involved as well. They may be able to help identify some of the victims.”
Tears flowed down her cheeks again.
“Sara, you’re Linda’s cousin. I need a DNA sample.”
She nodded unconsciously. “Would hair samples from her father be of use?”
“Yes, better, actually.”
“There’s still a brush of his in the bathroom. You can have it.”
Kruger nodded.
Silence descended upon the kitchen again. Both individuals lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, Sara said, “I was just thinking about how frightened she must have been.”
“Sara, if it’s any consolation, we think the women were drugged constantly and may not have known what was happening.”
“But, what if she wasn’t. She would have been so scared and angry.”
“Yes, she would have been.”
Sara closed her eyes as more tears leaked from them. She took a deep breath and then started to shake.
“Can I call someone, Sara?”
She shook her head rapidly. “No, I’ll be alright in a minute.”
He waited.
“Will we get her body back?”
“Yes, as soon as the DNA analysis is confirmed. The State Department will be in contact concerning the date. They will work with you on the arrangements.”
“Thank you.”
She was quiet for a few more moments. "I want to thank you for not forgetting about Linda, Agent Kruger.”
“I promised your uncle.”
“I’m sure he knows you fulfilled your promise.”
All he could do was nod.
***
Beverly Moody sat across from Kruger and Ryan Clark in her attorney’s office. She was dressed comfortably, not in the orange prison jumpsuit she wore the last time they met. Her attorney, Mary Atwater, was a matronly figure in her late fifties, wearing a nondescript pantsuit. Her gray hair was professionally styled around a round face. She sat next to her client across from
Ryan Clark.
Kruger smiled. “We’ve notified your attorney the FBI is dropping charges related to the false passport, Beverly.”
“Thank you.”
“We appreciate your help in the case against your husband.”
“We weren’t really married. I’m going back to my real name, Gayle Patterson.”
“Good.”
“What about the other charges, Agent Kruger?”
“Those are Washington State charges, Gayle. I don’t have a say so there. But I’m told they will work with you if you tell them what you know about the human trafficking in Seattle.”
She nodded. “Mary’s working with them. I appreciate your help.”
“Not a problem.” He paused for a brief moment. “I would like to ask one question.”
“Okay?”
“You knew Joel better than anyone. Why did he kill himself?”
She took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot, Agent Kruger. The only reason I can come up with is that he knew if he went to prison, he’d be dead in a week.”
Kruger nodded.
She continued. “Joel also had demons, Agent. He had them under control when he was with me. I believe he truly, truly loved me. I may have been the only person he ever felt that way about. But, when he went to work for the elder Burns, those demons came back. He never hurt me, but there were times…”
Kruger waited, but she did not finish the sentence. Finally he broke the silence. “We have evidence Joel murdered ten women in the eighties and nineties. Where you aware of that?”
She nodded. “Those were the demons he kept inside.”
“When did he stop?”
“After we met.”
“Did he tell you about them?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“The second time he caught me with drugs. We drank a lot that night. He used booze to self-medicate and ease his conscious. He was falling down drunk when he told me. Then the next morning, he didn’t even remember the conversation. I never brought it up again, nor did he.”
“Gayle, Joel had ten million dollars in an account in the Cayman Islands.”
“Yes, I knew about it.”
“Did you know Joel set it up so that if anything happened to him, it was the property of Gayle Patterson?”
Gayle Patterson stared at Kruger, her mouth open and her eyes wide. It was at this moment he chose not to tell her that JR Diminski was the individual who set up the transfer of ownership. A secret he would keep between him and JR.
Mary Atwater smiled and patted Gayle’s arm.
Kruger continued, “Once you file the proper IRS paperwork, what remains will be yours. I would ask your attorney to suggest a trust fund manager to pay your legal fees and set up a fund to earn interest.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
Smiling, he and Clark stood. Before they walked out of the conference room, Kruger turned.
“Gayle, this is an opportunity to start over. Take it.”
Chapter 48
Washington, DC
Kyle Sandifer’s hand shook as he returned the phone to its cradle on his desk. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Placing the palms of his hands flat on the desk in front of him, he struggled to maintain his composure. Joseph Rothenburg sat in a black leather wingback chair in front of his desk. He leaned over, placed his elbows on his knees, and buried his face in his hands.
“Damn,” was all Sandifer could say.
Rothenburg straightened to ask, “Any chance we could renegotiate the deal?”
“No. Their interest in our firm vanished along with the billings Robert Burns Jr.’s defense would have produced.”
“They were interested before we got the Burns case. Why drop out now?”
“It was an excuse, not the reason. With the FBI looking into the affairs of the elder Burns during his tenure as a senator, they feel lobbying firms will also be under scrutiny as well. So, for now, they are walking away from the deal.”
“Lobbying is only half of our revenue.”
“They know that, but their goal was to increase that revenue stream once they bought us.”
There was silence from Rothenburg as he looked over Sandifer’s shoulder at a distant point only he could see.
Both men were lost in their own thoughts for several minutes. Finally, Sandifer broke the silence.
“Whoever Burns contacted was not happy with him.”
“Obviously.”
“I need to talk to Ms. Sanders.”
“How could that possibly help?’
“She may have learned something during her interviews with him. It won’t hurt to ask.”
“Very well, I’ll get her.”
***
“Disappointing turn of events, wasn’t it, Ms. Sanders.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jolene Sanders sat ramrod straight on the edge of the wingback chair in front of Sandifer’s desk. Her attitude was defiant with the anticipation of being fired for letting her client escape and losing the millions of dollars they would have billed for his defense.
“I assure you, the firm does not blame you for what happened.”
She nodded, and Sandifer noticed her shoulders relax slightly.
“During your interviews with your client, did he mention anything about who might have helped him escape?”
Her eyes stared at the top of his desk as she sat back in the chair, she was silent for several moments. “I’m trying to remember. Looking back on the interviews, it was hard to determine when he was lying and when he was telling the truth.”
Sandifer nodded.
“I believe it was the last time I spoke to him, he mentioned something about getting in touch with friends of his father.”
“Obviously not good friends.”
“No, apparently not.”
“Anything else you can remember about your interviews?”
She slowly shook her head. “No, he was more interested in proclaiming his innocence.”
“Very well. If you think of anything else, let me know.”
***
The morning passed while Sandifer attended to matters of the firm. At forty-two minutes after eleven, his cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he noticed an international number. After a slight moment of hesitation, he accepted the call.
“Kyle Sandifer.”
“Mr. Sandifer, my name is Dmitri Orlov. We met last year at a banking conference. You were the keynote speaker and gave a brilliant presentation on international banking laws.”
Sandifer’s mind raced as he tried to associate the name with a face. “Yes, Mr. Orlov, I remember you. I’m glad you enjoyed the presentation. How may I help you today?”
“It is more about how I can help you.”
Frowning, Sandifer did not respond for several moments. “I see. I’m not sure what I need help with. Would you care to enlighten me?”
“This morning you received some rather unpleasant news about a business venture you were planning.”
“Life can be full of disappointments.”
“Yes, it can be. However, this particular disappointment may offer you and Mr. Rothenburg a different opportunity.”
Sitting up straighter in his chair, Sandifer’s brow wrinkled and his eyes narrowed. “I should probably ask how you came about this information, but I doubt you would tell me.”
“You are correct. However, a group of investors and I would like to enter into negotiations to acquire your firm. Our terms would be similar, if not more lucrative, than your previous offer.”
“I see. When would you like to start these negotiations?”
“This afternoon. My representative will be available to make our presentation at a convenient time of your choosing.”
“Two p.m.”
“Excellent, I believe you will be pleased with our proposal.”
***
The office was quiet as the sun set over Washington, D.C. Kyle Sandifer an
d Joseph Rothenburg sat across from each other on matching leather sofas in Rothenburg’s office. Each held a crystal lowball glass of Glenfiddich Scotch.
“What do you think, Kyle?’
“It was better than the private equity offer. I liked it.”
“As did I.”
“Will you stay to run the firm for a year?”
“I’m thinking about it. What about you?”
“No. The wife already has a place picked out on the South Carolina coast.”
Sandifer nodded. “It won’t be the same around here without you.”
Smiling, Rothenburg was silent for a few moments. “A year will go fast, Kyle.”
“Yes, I know.”
“I was a little disappointed they will be closing down our criminal defense division.”
“Yes, that is disappointing, but understandable in this town.”
Rothenburg only nodded.
Silence fell between the two men as they sipped their scotch. Finally Rothenburg tilted his head. “Do you believe they told us the truth about why they want to buy the firm?”
“I have absolutely no idea. After a year, I won’t care.”
***
Dmitri Orlov smiled as he answered his cell phone. “What was their reaction?”
Peter Yanovich, Orlov’s representative in Washington, D.C., chuckled as he answered, “If they could have signed the contract today, they would have.”
“Good. How curious were they?”
“I got the feeling they were desperate after their original contract fell apart this morning.”
“Yes, interesting how that happened.”
Another chuckle. “Dmitri, do not give me additional details. I do not wish to know.”
“When is your next meeting?”
“They asked for a few days to discuss it between themselves.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Probably.”
“Good. Keep me informed.”
“Without question. What else do you need?”
“I need background on an FBI agent named Sean Kruger.”
“How deep?”
“As deep as you can go.”
“May I ask why?”
“He has become an irritant. I need to make sure he does not interfere with our business in the future.”