Outside the Law
Page 18
Syd tugged on her arm, but she held her ground. “Should we talk?”
“Do you want to talk?”
“I don’t know.”
“Me either.” Syd cast a glance at the elevators. “It’s been a long day. We could talk later and perhaps do something a little more relaxing now.”
Syd was as convincing as ever, and Tanner gave in. “But this time, we get pizza.”
They were standing at Syd’s door when Tanner’s phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket to turn off the ringer, when she saw Agent Kelly’s number on the screen. Damn. “I need to take this.”
Syd opened the door. “Go ahead. I’ll be in the bathroom when you’re done.” She sashayed off with a sexy grin.
Tanner swiped the screen. “Talk to me.”
“You didn’t hear this from me. A couple of marshals just picked up Cyrus Gantry as he was leaving dinner at Al Biernat’s.”
“Marshals? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I got wind something was going down from our mutual friend about five minutes before it happened. I don’t have the whole story, but it appears that his bond is being revoked. I have to go. I’ll let you know if I find out more.”
Kelly disconnected the call, and Tanner immediately called Peyton.
“I heard,” Peyton said in place of hello. “Lily just got a call from the family lawyer. He was having dinner with Cyrus not ten minutes before the arrest.”
“Gellar has to be behind this.”
“Someone had to file a motion from our office. Obviously, there’s nothing I can do without raising a ruckus, but Lily’s pretty upset and she’s headed to meet with the lawyer. I know it’s been a long day, but is there any chance you could find out what’s going on and where they’re taking him?”
Tanner looked over at the closed bathroom door. She could hear the shower running and let her eyes flutter shut and imagined Syd standing naked under the cascading water, steam rising from her body. Hot, sexy, and waiting for her. When she opened her eyes again, Peyton was still on the phone, waiting on an answer. She wanted to ask Peyton to call Dale or Mary, but she didn’t want to reveal why she couldn’t do this very personal favor herself. She sighed. “I’m on it. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”
The longer she waited, the harder it would be to leave, so she didn’t waste any time. The bathroom door wasn’t locked and Syd was in the shower, exactly as she imagined. Syd reached for her hand, but Tanner shook her head. “Duty calls. I have to go.”
“Are you okay? What is it?”
Tanner handed her a towel. “Babe, you’re either going to have to cover up or I’m going to wait outside.”
“Seriously?” Syd wrapped the towel around her body and stepped out of the shower. “What’s going on?”
“All I know is Cyrus was arrested by a couple of marshals for a bond violation, but I don’t know what the violation is or who filed the motion to revoke the bond. Could have been Pretrial Services or it could have been—”
“Gellar.” Syd interrupted. “I’d bet money it was him. Something’s up and he’s trying to hustle things along.”
“You really think so?”
“Based on what everyone has said, this is exactly the kind of headline-grabbing diversion Gellar would pull if he was trying to distract from something else. Think about it. If Carlos really is in town to do some kind of deal with Gellar, what better way to distract from that than to put his case against Cyrus Gantry back on the front page? I bet all the news outlets will be leading with this story in the morning.”
“You may be right. Maybe you should do all your theorizing while naked.” She reached out and ran her finger along the edge of Syd’s towel, savoring the feel of her warm skin. She sucked in a breath. “I promised Peyton I would find out where they’re taking Cyrus and get Lily in to see him.”
“Then you should go.”
“I’d rather stay.”
“That makes two of us.” Syd pulled a robe from the back of the door and slipped it on. “You go and help Lily, and I’ll talk to Bianca and see if we can sort out who filed the motion. If we can’t be in bed, at least we can both be working on the same thing, right?”
“Sure. Right.” Tanner took one last look at Syd, damp and steamy from the shower, and cursed the job. “I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”
Chapter Seventeen
An hour later, Tanner was within minutes of the Seagoville Federal Detention Facility when Dale called. “Cohen.”
“Did you find him? Peyton left me a message, but I just got it.”
“Hello to you too,” Tanner shot back. “Where have you been?”
“Lindsey’s leaving tomorrow and won’t be back for a week. Need I say more?”
Tanner started to tell Dale she wasn’t the only one who would rather be spending quality time with her girlfriend, but the words skidded to a halt before she could say them out loud. Girlfriend? Where had that come from? Syd wasn’t her girlfriend. She hadn’t been for years, and she wasn’t ever going to be again.
Then what was Syd to her now? The question had been tickling her subconscious all day, but she hadn’t wanted to examine it too closely. Syd obviously enjoyed the sex and had made it pretty clear sex was all it was, so who was she to ruin a good thing? But she couldn’t fault Dale for not calling in since sex with an ex didn’t trump two women in love sharing an intimate evening before being separated. “No, you definitely do not need to say more. I talked to a buddy of mine at the marshals office. He said they’re checking Cyrus in at Seagoville tonight, and I’m headed there now. He didn’t know anything about the reason for the revocation. He said the paperwork was sealed.”
“Sealed? That’s strange.”
“You’re right about that.” Tanner hesitated for a moment. “Syd had a crazy theory about this.”
“Oh, she does, does she?”
Tanner tried to ignore the “I know more than you think I know” tone in Dale’s voice, but it rubbed her the wrong way. “You want to hear it or not?”
“Shoot.”
Tanner told Dale what Syd had said about Gellar having Cyrus arrested to distract from something else.
“So, what’s the something else?”
“It’s a theory, not a roadmap. She doesn’t know, but she suspects it has something to do with Aguilar. She’s convinced that he’s got some plan with Gellar, and arresting Cyrus right now is a diversion.”
“Maybe she’s on to something. Your ex is pretty smart.”
“Don’t call her that.” Tanner slapped her hand on the steering wheel. The word “ex” rubbed her the wrong way, but she didn’t feel like figuring out why.
“Something going on between you two? Are you back at odds?”
“No. Not even. It’s all good. Can we focus on the case?”
“Sure. Just trying to keep up. You want some company out there? I can be there in twenty.”
Tanner considered her options. She was about to show up at a federal detention center where a high-profile defendant had been arrested on a bond revocation, and the defendant’s daughter was on the way to see him. There was no way the prison guards would let Lily in to see Cyrus unless Tanner came up with some plausible reason it was necessary for the case. Her arguments might be more convincing if she had another agent along as a show of force. “Sure, I’ll wait for you outside the building.”
When Tanner pulled up to the detention center, there were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. She spotted Lily’s SUV right away, parked next to a Bentley that she tagged as the lawyer’s. She got out of her car and strode over to Lily’s vehicle. The window lowered as she approached, and she spotted Lily in the driver’s seat and a ruddy, well-fed, well-dressed sixtyish man seated next to her.
“Hey, Lily,” Tanner said. “You want to introduce me to your friend?”
Lily grimaced. “Agent Tanner Cohen, this is my father’s lawyer, Nester Rawlins.”
Tanner stuck her head i
n the window and addressed the lawyer directly. “Mr. Rawlins, if you don’t mind, I’d like a word with Ms. Gantry alone.”
“I do mind,” he sputtered. “I have represented Cyrus Gantry and the entire Gantry family’s business and personal interests for over thirty years. If a federal agent wants to question Mr. Gantry’s only daughter, you can damn well bet I’m going to be right there next to her.”
Tanner rolled her eyes at Lily, who turned to Rawlins and said, “Nester, walk around the parking lot for five minutes. I’ll wave when we’re done.”
When Rawlins was out of earshot, Lily apologized. “I know he thinks he’s taking care of Daddy’s affairs, but Nester doesn’t know jack about criminal law. His bluster is a cover. Do you know anything?”
“Not much. I think it would be helpful if we can talk to your dad, but he’s not going to talk to us with Mr. Super Lawyer over there telling him what to do. Dale’s on her way. Do you think you could get your dad to speak to us?”
“He owes me after the whole ‘hiding who my mother really was and that I had a sister all these years’ thing. If you can get me in to see him, I’ll get him to talk to you.”
Tanner had no idea how she was going to fulfill her end of the bargain, but she was going to do her best. Lily pointed at a pickup pulling into the lot. “Looks like Dale’s here.”
“I’ll talk to her while you get Nester to back off.”
As Tanner started to walk away, Lily grabbed her arm. “Look, I know my dad isn’t the best guy, but he’s always looked out for me.” She pointed at the prison. “Jade’s uncle is in there, and there’s no telling what he thinks about Cyrus after everything that’s happened. It’s possible he may believe Cyrus has betrayed them. I don’t want to see Cyrus get hurt.”
Tanner nodded as Lily’s words inspired a plan. She walked over to where Dale had parked and filled her in, and then the four of them walked into the lobby. Tanner told Rawlins and Lily to have a seat while she and Dale approached the desk. They both flashed their badges, and Tanner asked to speak to the night warden. A few minutes later, a tall, slender guy entered through the door behind the desk and asked what they needed.
Tanner glanced back at Rawlins and Lily, and kept her voice low. “You have a prisoner that was dropped off about thirty minutes ago by the Marshals Service, Cyrus Gantry. I need to speak with him in one of your attorney rooms, and I need to bring a witness in with me.”
The warden cocked his head like he wasn’t quite sure what he’d just heard. “Say again?”
“Cyrus Gantry is about to go on trial for helping two leaders of the Zetas Cartel launder their drug money. You have one of those leaders in your facility right now. I’m a special agent working directly with US Attorney Herschel Gellar, and I need to speak to Gantry about an urgent matter that may require some motivation.” She motioned over her shoulder. “I brought the person who can provide the motivation, but we need a private place to speak. No records, no one listening in. Mr. Gantry’s safety is crucial to the government’s case. If you want to see my bar card so you can justify letting me talk to him in one of the rooms, I’d be happy to show it to you.”
The commander rocked back on his heels. Tanner looked at Dale, who drummed her fingers on the desk while they waited for him to respond. Finally, the guy made up his mind. “Okay, but just the girl and you. Fifteen minutes and that’s it.” He pointed at the conveyor belt to the side of the desk. “Let’s go.”
Tanner waved Lily over while Dale moved quickly to intercept Rawlins, who was barreling over to find out why his client’s daughter could get in but he couldn’t. She whispered a quick set of instructions to Lily. “Everything goes through the machine. Don’t talk to anyone. Follow my lead.”
This wasn’t Tanner’s first trip to the detention center, but it was her first time to escort a defendant’s family member in to see one of the detainees. The first time she’d met Lily Gantry, Lily had been sitting in her father’s office when Tanner and a fleet of other FBI agents descended on Gantry Oil’s headquarters armed with a search warrant. Cyrus had ducked out of the building immediately before they arrived, leaving his daughter to answer Tanner’s questions about whether she knew what her father had been up to. Initially, she didn’t buy that Lily was an innocent bystander in her father’s money laundering for the Vargases, but as the investigation progressed, she found out Lily had no direct involvement in the family business and was as surprised as anyone to learn that her father was in business with Sergio and Arturo Vargas.
Cyrus was still in a suit when the guards brought him into one of the attorney conference rooms. His eyes widened when he spotted Lily, and Tanner subtly placed a finger over her lips, hoping he would get the message to keep quiet until the guards left the room. When the door shut, she motioned for Cyrus to have a seat. The guards were not supposed to tape the conversations that took place in these rooms because attorney-client communications were privileged. She might be an attorney, but Cyrus wasn’t her client, so she couldn’t be absolutely sure the guards would follow the rules and she proceeded with caution.
“Mr. Gantry, my name is Tanner Cohen and I’m a special agent with the FBI assigned to the task force that has been investigating Sergio and Arturo Vargas. I need to speak with you about an urgent matter, and as a show of good faith, I brought your daughter here to see you.”
Lily started to speak, but Cyrus raised a hand, signaling for her to be quiet. “You have some nerve showing up here like this without my attorney present.”
“Mr. Rawlins is in the lobby. Even he can’t get in to see you right now. Not until you are processed. I’m an attorney and I know the rules. I’m not here to question you about your case. In fact, what I’m here to talk to you about could potentially help you.” She paused for a moment, and he rolled his hand, urging her to continue. “Here’s what I propose. I’ll tell you some things that I know, and when I’m done, you can decide if you want to talk to me. If you don’t, I’ll give you a few moments with your daughter and then we’ll leave. If you do, then I’ll arrange to have you moved to another location. You are aware that Arturo is at this facility pending trial?”
Cyrus nodded, and she caught a glimpse of fear in his expression. “Before we get started, let me ask you one question. Do you have any idea why you were arrested tonight?”
“No.”
“The marshals didn’t give you any paperwork or say anything?”
“They said my bond was being revoked and that my attorney would receive a copy of the motion to revoke. That’s it.” He settled back in his chair and crossed his arms. “That was more than one question, Agent Cohen.”
“True.” Tanner looked over at Lily. She’d prefer Lily not hear everything she was about to say, but for all she knew Peyton had shared some of the details with her already. Best just to dive right in. “We know you laundered money for the Vargases and that you did it to protect Lily, but we think someone has been trying to put you completely out of business so they can take over. We have reason to believe a person in a position of authority has been helping that someone achieve their goal.”
Cyrus nodded at first, but it looked more like a reflex than agreement until she got to the part about a powerful position of authority. At those words, he slapped his palm on the table and jabbed his finger at her.
“Take it easy or the guards will come in. Keep your reactions calm. Okay?”
“Okay,” he replied. “Tell me more.”
“Within the week, I expect you will be indicted for conspiring to kill a federal prosecutor. Her name was Maria Escobar, and she led this task force until the time of her death.” Tanner heard Lily’s gasp, but she kept her eyes trained on Cyrus, gauging every tic, every eye movement. To her well-trained eye, his reaction signaled nothing to implicate him. “I’m sure you know what the penalty will be if you are convicted of such a crime.”
He shook his head slowly but didn’t say anything.
“Mr. Gantry?” Tanner prompted him.
“Actually,” Tanner said. “I’ve been trying to figure out what motive you would have had. Things were rocking along pretty well for you until Ms. Escobar was killed, but it wasn’t too long after that when someone tipped the FBI off that you might be involved with the Vargases.”
“You might think I handled financial transactions for those devils, but you can’t possibly think I would commit murder. That prosecutor and those people in that truck…” He shuddered and hung his head. “Those were despicable acts committed by cowards.”
“You might not have pulled the trigger or left those people to die,” Tanner said, “but if you withhold information that could help us find who was responsible, then you are just as guilty as they are. If you are willing to work with us, I will do everything within my power to help you.”
Cyrus crossed his arms and shook his head, but Lily grabbed his hands. “Look at me.” When he raised his head, she said, “You have a chance to make things right.” She pulled back, and her stare was kind but unwavering. “If you drag our family through a trial, you will ruin everything about your legacy. No matter what the verdict, we will all be tainted, and you will never regain what you have lost.”
“You want me to stand in front of a judge and tell him that I laundered money for drug dealers?”
“I want you to be the man I always thought you were—honorable and honest. I know your hand was forced, but no one is forcing you now. Will you do the right thing?”
Tanner watched the exchange feeling a bit like a voyeur, but Lily’s impassioned plea to her father was riveting. She’d barely spent any time with Lily, and she hated to admit that she’d always assumed Lily was more fluffy socialite than steel magnolia. She should have known Peyton would not be with a woman who didn’t have a strong sense of justice and the fortitude to back it up.