"Or," Josh added, "they use the same mechanism to launder money. Nobody's gonna complain if the revenue rises. They kick in five or even ten percent of the dirty money on top of the legitimate state revenue. Everybody stays fat, dumb, and happy."
Tommy, busy clicking away on his laptop, oblivious to the conversation, made weird noises as he worked.
"Detective Moore," Brennan asked, "what is so interesting on that computer? Some game site I suppose."
Donahue added, "He's looking for his next on-line date, the only way the boy can get laid."
Moore smirked at Donahue, and then turned the screen for everyone to see. "I'll use simple language so the troopers don't get confused. Since the Governor eliminated the State Police, lottery revenues have been rising. They are up twenty-two percent over the prior year."
"Holy shit," Josh exclaimed. "They've been doing this for a while. Everything else in the state's economy is going to shit."
"Twenty-two percent is a lot of money," Zach Kennedy chimed in. "If we assume for argument's sake just a quarter of the rise in revenue is dirty money," grabbing a pad and pen. "Let me do some quick math," writing furiously. "If they use just, say, five percent of the money to grow revenue, we're talking billions of dollars going through the system. They need a banking insider to do that. They need…," Kennedy threw the pen down. "They don't need a bank, they have all they want. Collucci sits on the damn Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. They pass favorable legislation for the banking industry. In return, the banks provide the accounting expertise to hide the trail. There's a reason to kill somebody."
"But what the hell have I done to warrant their attention?" Josh asked.
"Collucci is their inside guy," Kennedy explained. "He goes, their system goes. They control him, and the Senate committee, through his Chief of Staff. Your little peek into his history might derail his re-election. If I remember right, he's maneuvering for the chair of the committee. He'll run the whole damn thing."
Kennedy sat back and looked at Brennan. "Chief, if we keep pushing this, they are going to come after him again," pointing at Josh. "With this kind of money at stake, no one will be immune, Keira in particular. Anyone else involved is at risk as well."
Brennan looked at Josh. "We need to have a talk with Keira. I know you can't convince her to carry a gun, but we have to make sure she understands the severity of this."
"I'll talk to her. Maybe I could convince her to work from home for the next few weeks. Put someone in the house with her when I am not there."
* * *
"I don't care what you say, Josh. No one is holding me prisoner in my own house. I don't need a personal guard," Keira yelled, storming around the kitchen, slamming doors.
"You wouldn't be a prisoner, just in an environment we can control. Listen," Josh argued, "these guys are serious. This is huge money. Taking you out to get to me wouldn't faze them at all. It's safer this way."
"What about my cases? What about court? How am I supposed to do my job if I don't leave here?" she asked, hands on her hips, glaring.
"It won't be for long, just a few weeks. Can't you delay any motions or appearances for a little while? Or let someone else argue them?"
Keira stood staring at Josh, "Let me ask you something, are these threats gonna stop you from doing your job? Are you gonna stay here with me until this is over?" motioning for him to answer. "Well, are you?"
Josh was silent.
"I didn't think so," walking over and taking his hand. "Josh, I am not going to let them control my life. Not for one goddamn minute. I can take care of myself."
"But Keira, listen to me…"
Keira put her hand up. "Enough, I've listened. I know you are trying to protect me, but at what cost? They already came after me, or us. Whether I am here and you are out there, it doesn't matter. If that's what they are going to do, my being here won't change it," embracing her husband. "You can have someone assigned to go with me, but that is it. Nothing else."
"Will you at least carry my off-duty weapon?"
Keira looked into Josh's eyes, saw genuine fear. Maybe I can at least do that. "Tell you what, I'll carry the gun. If for nothing else than to get you to shut up."
Josh pulled her back to him and kissed her. "Great, I'll get Brennan to fast track the permit paperwork through the Mass State Police. Meanwhile, I'll get two detectives assigned to be with you."
Keira walked to the kitchen counter and sat on a stool. "All I had to do was not let you talk me into that first date and none of this would be happening to me," she smiled.
"Where would the fun be in that?" Josh answered, pouring her a cup of coffee, sitting next to her, and holding her hand.
There was a knock on the door, startling the two of them. Josh glanced at Keira and saw the apprehension in her eyes. Another knock, then the sound of a familiar voice, "Are you gonna open the goddamn door any time soon?" Chris Hamlin yelled.
Cassidy began dancing in front of the door, sniffing at the bottom, pacing back and forth in anticipation of the door opening. The dog loved company.
Josh opened the door and Chris came in. "Top of the morning to ya', bucko. Chris Hamlin, at your service," walking to the kitchen cabinet and getting a coffee cup. "Don't look so surprised, Brennan called me and told me the problem. I am here, problem solved. I'll stay with Keira, you go finish this."
Keira smiled, "Now I know I am in good hands," pouring Chris some coffee.
Cassidy jumped up, front paws in Chris's lap. "Everything is under control, Ace," scratching the dog's head. "You go catch the bad guys, Cassidy and I will take care of Keira. I'll stay with her until this is over."
* * *
Early the next morning, the investigative team gathered in the Chief's conference room. Josh brought them up to speed on the security arrangements for Keira courtesy of Chris Hamlin.
Donahue chuckled and said, "You're a brave man there, Lieutenant Williams."
Josh looked at Donahue, his eyes questioning him.
"There's no way I'd ever give my wife a gun," causing a round of laughter in the room. "One night I came home late after a, ah, surveillance if you know what I mean. My ex-wife was sitting in the dark. I could hear her spinning the cylinder, dropping bullets, and muttering, 'How do you load this goddamn thing?’ I left.” This caused another round of laughter.
Josh smiled at Donahue, "My wife wouldn't need a gun, and she’d stab me in my sleep if I fucked up."
"While I am sure we all appreciate the lesson in marital relations, can we move on?" Brennan interjected.
The group went over their options. There weren't many. Linking Collucci's actions in the Senate with the Russians and the dirty money was not going to be easy.
"What about the daughter?" Joe Moreira offered.
"You mean Tucker's daughter? Why her? She seems to play a very small part of this," Kennedy replied.
"Hear me out on this," Moreira said, rising from his seat. "She is set up in this business by Sorin. He's taking care of her financially; at least that's what she believes. However, we know the money comes from the bad guys. She has a daughter; she won't want to risk losing custody if she gets jammed up. Something happens to her, the Russians aren't going to save her. Sorin isn't going to save her. Daddy will not be able to. We can use this to gain her cooperation," looking at the group. "We professional investigators of the State Police call that," arms outstretched, "leverage."
"We in the FBI call that threats and extortion," Kennedy said, causing a new round of laughter. "I like it."
As the laughter died down, Josh looked around the room. "Anyone here got a problem with extortion?"
No one raised an objection.
Tommy Moore remained uncharacteristically silent.
Chapter 24
Anthony Sorin, checking the day's schedule for the Senator, located the one item that mattered. Reaching into the briefcase, he pulled out the position statement and supporting documents. I will need to review these with the Sen
ator again. It is frustrating how slow the man is at embracing complex concepts. Perhaps, it is why he is so useful to us.
The phone rang, "Yes sir?"
"Good morning, Tony. I assume you're ready for the morning briefing?"
"Yes, Senator, I'll be right over."
Gathering his materials, Sorin headed to the Senator's office. As he walked down the windowed hallway in the McCormick Senate Office Building, his cell phone rang.
Glancing at the caller ID, he ducked into an alcove. "Yes?"
"All is good?" came the accented voice.
"Just going to review it with him now. We secured the supporting votes; the House group is on board. We are ready on our end. Have you taken care of things on yours?"
"The funds are in the staging accounts. Once the vote is taken, the transfer through the usual channels will happen."
Sorin ended the call.
Senator Collucci's secretary was in her accustomed position, guarding access to the Senator.
"Good morning, Tony. Would you care for some coffee?"
"That would be great, Sandy. Please hold all calls; we've a lot to discuss this morning before the committee meeting." He handed the secretary a piece of paper. "I've made some changes to the schedule; we'll have to cancel a few appearances for today and tomorrow. Would you please handle those for me?"
"No problem, I'll get on these right away. Oh, by the way, the Senator received a call today from a Judge in Rhode Island. I have the name somewhere," shuffling through some papers.
"Judge Tucker?" Sorin asked.
"Yes, that's it. I have it here. He left a message on voice mail. Said it was important he speak to the Senator. Would you pass this on to him for me?"
"Of course," taking the note and walking toward the Senator's private office. "Oh and Sandy, please delete the voice mail from the Judge. I'll make sure the Senator contacts him."
As he entered the office, he crumpled the note and stuck it in his pocket.
Collucci was on the phone as Sorin came in, motioning with his free hand for him to sit. "Yes, Senator, this is critical in several areas. Economic development and jobs." He covered the phone, "Senator Murray, wants me to support his construction bill. He says he'll support our motion."
"Our support margin is tenuous. I'd say agree," Sorin replied.
Returning to the call, Collucci became more animated. "Look, Senator. For too long Native Americans have been, to be blunt, screwed by the system. Oh sure, we gave them some casinos on tribal land but most of them are so far away from the main population centers they struggle to survive. Support my bill. It will create a partnership between government and the indigenous Native American tribes. The project in Rhode Island will serve as a model for the rest of the country."
Collucci listened a moment then said, "Okay, we are in agreement. You sign on in support of this legislation and I agree to support your bill. I will lobby for support from other members of the committee," pausing a moment. "Excellent, see you in the committee room. Thank you, Senator," hanging up the phone.
"Well, sounds like we've added to the margin," Sorin smiled.
"Indeed, we have. Now, what else do we need to do?"
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. The secretary came in with coffee. "Will there be anything else, Senator?"
"No, that's all for now Sandy. Please hold all calls for the next hour. Thank you," watching as the woman left the office.
"Okay Tony. What else do you have for me?" Collucci put his hands behind his head and sat back in the chair.
"Tucker called," Sorin said. "It can't be anything good. We need to avoid any problems. We're too close to let this slip away."
Collucci's demeanor changed, “Tucker suffers from terminal conscience. He just cannot let the past go. Son-of-a-bitch has made a career out of playing up to the minority crowd out of a sense of guilt. Damn it, it's not as if he killed the black bastard himself. Pardon my political incorrectness," a smile creeping across his face.
"Senator, let me remind you our friends are anxious about this. They do not want any disruption of our arrangement. You need to deal with Tucker and dissuade him from creating any further problems."
Collucci put his fingertips together. "Perhaps it's time the Judge understands something. His interference can have a negative effect on his daughter. And, if that isn't enough motivation, the truth about his granddaughter."
Sorin smiled. "I'd like nothing more than to see that bitch suffer. What she did to me is unforgivable. If there was another way to manage the local aspect of this, I'd dump her and that annoying child of hers."
"Now, now Tony, is that anyway to speak of your flesh and blood, or your namesake? Once we finish with the land transfers we will sever the relationship."
Collucci watched as Sorin furrowed his brow.
"Careful, Senator, our friends have a huge stake in this venture. No one is indispensable. They decide who, or when, that might be, not you."
Collucci, ignoring the implied threat, turned his attention to the file on the desk. When this is over, a new Chief of Staff is in order.
* * *
A week after the Senate voted on the legislation, Collucci stood on the stairs in front of the Rhode Island State House. The Governor and elected officials from East Providence and Providence stood behind the Senator. The Sachems of the Narragansett and Wampanoag Tribes completed the list of VIPs.
Sorin motioned to the gathered media the Senator was ready to start. As Collucci waited for the crowd to quiet, he gave two thumbs up, pointed to various people in the crowd, and smiled for the cameras.
"Today," Collucci began, "we announce the dawn of a new era. A new chapter in the relationship between government and Native Americans," nodding to the two Sachems.
"The Comprehensive State and Native American Economic Development Partnership Act, a bill I wrote and sponsored, passed both houses of Congress. The President assured me he will sign the bill into law," pausing at the smattering of applause and nodding to the gathered dignitaries.
Turning back to face the cameras, Collucci continued, "Today, with the passage of my bill, we begin a new chapter in history."
More applause rose from the gathered crowd.
"We have the joint support of the Narragansett and Wampanoag tribes," pointing to the two Sachems.
"Through this cooperation, we begin the process of rectifying the injustices of the past." Collucci paused as the applause gained in intensity. "My legislation provides funds to acquire waterfront property in East Providence. We will link this with the reclaimed land from the Interstate 195 relocation project, creating a huge enterprise zone.
"The legislation funds an expanded deep water port and railway links from downtown Providence to Boston and New York.”
More applause from the crowd interrupted Collucci. He basked in the attention.
"But wait," he said, raising his hands, "there's more." His face broke into a huge smile as he watched the reaction of the crowd.
"The State of Rhode Island will move the headquarters of the Rhode Island Lottery onto the East Providence property. They will expand access to gaming activities controlled by Native Americans on tribal lands,” causing another round of intense applause.
As the noise died down, Collucci looked around the crowd, allowing the anticipation to build. "But the keystone of the project is this," turning as his Chief of Staff removed a covering on a large design drawing. "The center piece of the project is the integration of the Twin River Casino and Newport Grand facility into one operation. The Native American tribes will operate the facility with state oversight. Upon completion, it will be the largest combined gaming facility in the western hemisphere."
The applause rose in intensity. Many of the assembled media struggled to maintain the sound levels of the live feed.
"With this consolidation, the people of Rhode Island and the Native American communities will reap enormous benefits. The projections for revenue potential are significant
. This is an opportunity to reduce taxes and increase spending on important projects such as transportation infrastructure and schools. This is a momentous undertaking. I am proud to be the sponsor of this legislation and look forward to seeing its full implementation. Thank you," gesturing to the group surrounding him, “for making this possible."
Collucci walked around shaking hands and patting people on the back.
A few reporters shouted questions. "Senator, how will the selection of private companies be managed? What is the plan to deal with revenue lost to Lincoln and Newport? How much of the cost is the state responsible for?"
Collucci ignored the questions, waved at the crowd, and walked into the State House. The Governor and the others followed him in. Moving to a private reception, the group engaged in animated conversations on the announcement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could have your attention for a moment," Collucci said. Standing at the podium, he waited for the conversations to die down.
"This is a historic moment. By collaborating with our Native American brothers and sisters, we have the opportunity to right a terrible wrong. Not only will we open new avenues of economic growth, but also we have the chance to share these opportunities in a most meaningful way. I want to thank all of you for your help. Without it, this day might never have happened." Reveling in the applause, Collucci stepped away from the podium.
"Senator, might I have a word?"
Collucci turned to the question, taken aback to see Judge Tucker standing there. Recovering his poise, he nodded. "Of course, my old friend, what can I do for you?"
Tucker looked around the room. "Perhaps we can go someplace private, after this little gathering?"
Collucci saw Sorin standing in the back of the room, watching them. “Let’s go to my office on the third floor. I keep a small office here for my staff. Now’s fine,” pointing towards the exit, motioning for Sorin to come with them.
* * *
Collucci led the way to the office, followed by Tucker and Sorin. As they entered the room, Collucci told the on-duty staffer to leave. Collucci, rubbing his hands together, looked at Tucker. After the door closed, Collucci said, “What is it about you, George?" disgust in his voice. "Why can't you leave ancient history alone?"
Silenced Justice: A Josh Williams Novel Page 17