WASHINGTON DC: The Sadir Affair (The Puppets of Washington Book 1)

by Lavina Giamusso

  “I think Mark Gilford would strongly disagree with you, Glenda,” Darlene put in quietly, not lifting her head from her last piece of chicken. “He’s got the scar to prove it.”

  Marcel snickered. “Do you think we should introduce the scar into evidence?”

  Billycan almost choked on his last mouthful to smother a laugh. “Yeah, I can just see you asking Mark to lower his trousers in the middle of the courtroom and ‘moon’ his behind to the jury.”

  Darlene looked at him goggle-eyed. “This is one of the best federal agents in Canada you’re talking about! I don’t think he’d like to be humiliated any further than he’s been already.”

  Billycan waved a friendly hand at the attorney. “Just joking, Darlene, sorry. And you’re right, we’ve got to taut that bowstring and let the arrow find its target. I just hope we’re not opening another can of worms. That’s all.” But that wasn’t all. He pressed on. “Did you know anything about this Verduccio... when your precinct investigated the Marianne incident?” Billycan asked Glenda.

  “No... It’s only when they finally got hold of the M.E. and lab reports that the guys recalled being told to get off their crime scene by this Verduccio.”

  “Didn’t the captain find it strange not to get a report from the M.E. at the time?”

  “Actually…, I think he must have also been told to stay away since the FBI was handling it. And it’s only when Van Dams got me on the rack for accusing Ms. Kartz of killing Al Nadir and we got the knife and made a DNA comparison, that the M.E. report appeared mysteriously on one of the police officers’ desk.”

  “You mean to tell me, the FBI or this Verduccio fellow gave false information to the police?”

  “Huh-huh…, that’s what happened…, but we still don’t know who instigated the false allegation against Ms. Kartz.”

  Billycan slammed his carton of rice on the table. “Marcel, get me Van Dams on the phone. Now!”

  “Yes, sir!” The Assistant US Attorney dropped his fork and knife and was out the door like a shot.

  Billycan glared. “When did you become aware of this situation, Ms. Stovall?”

  “Don’t you start blaming me!” Darlene burst out. “I’ve brought you that information as soon as we were talking full immunity for my client.”

  “Yes…, yes, you did. I’m sorry...” Billycan leaned to the back of his chair. “I like to deal in facts and not in yet another insinuation that the FBI was involved in a cover-up. If Simmons gets this Verduccio on the stand before we locate him, I’ll get a voir-dire...” He looked up to see Marcel come back into the room. “Did you reach him?”

  “Yes…, he’ll be on the line in a minute.”

  “Do you intend to put him on the stand when they find him?” Darlene asked.

  “Depends... I’ll hear what he’s got to say first. It seems to me we’ve got parallel tracks running to somewhere, and not knowing the destination bothers me.”

  The phone rang on Billycan’s desk. He stretched an arm over the empty lunch cartons and pressed a digit on the speaker device on the table. “Billycan here... How are you, Dietrich?”

  “Not as well as I’d like. Every time I turn around your problems appear in my scope. What’s happening now?”

  Billycan guffawed. “It’ll get better, I promise...”

  “Yeah, I heard that one before but it never does. What’s up?”

  “We need the FBI to produce a man by the name of Verduccio. He’s alleged to have fed you and Ms Blake some false information and made a false allegation against Ms. Kartz…”

  Van Dams didn’t let him finish. “Way ahead of you on that one, Billycan. We’ve got the FBI on his tail right now. He is an FBI agent all right. He’s been suspended since the knife re-appeared and now he’s somewhere on the coast, on imposed leave of absence.”

  “When do you expect they’ll grab him?”

  “Give me 24 hours and he should be in a detaining cell.”

  “Good. I’ll owe you one.”

  “You mean one more to add to your tab?”

  “Yeah, don’t remind me.”

  “Okay. I’ll contact you as soon as we’ve got our hands on him.”

  “Good. Thanks.”

  When Billycan hung up, they ate in silence for a few minutes then Darlene asked, “Do you think this Verduccio will be able to shed some light on the second incident?”

  “Absolutely, Darlene. I have no doubt about it. He was in charge of the clean-up and he must have alerted the CIA of their losses…, which meant the killing of Ms Kartz had failed…”

  “And then Verduccio must have received orders to finish her off once and for all the day after…, right?”

  “Yes, Marcel, except it may not have been Verduccio himself who carried that second attack—he was still cleaning the mess on the Marianne the next morning—but I think that’s what may have happened.”

  Chapter 78

  “The Prosecution calls His Highness, Prince Khalid Sheik Sahab Saif Al-Fadir to the stand.” One could have heard the proverbial fly when Khalid’s name was called. The jurors, mystified, turned their heads to the doors. To have an Arabian prince walk into an American courtroom was a first. Khalid came in, a decisive step in his stride, flunked by two officers, who remained standing by the doors for the duration, and went to stand in front of Judge Silverman. His Honour had watched the witness’s progress down the aisle and was now looking at him appreciatively. The prince was dressed in a dark-blue suit, which colour highlighted his complexion and his greying hair at the temples. He seemed relaxed and unconcerned. His aquiline features gave everyone the impression the man had a masterful, yet gentle mind-set. Nothing about Khalid spelled the decisive and fierce character traits that he held in check.

  “Please state your name and occupation for the record, sir.”

  “Prince Khalid Sheik Sahab Saif Al-Fadir, originally from Saudi Arabia.” Khalid’s voice was calm and modulated. “I am a private aircraft licensed pilot.”

  “You live at the Hotel the Crillon in Paris, do you not?”

  “Yes, Your Honour, that is my residence.”

  “I will now ask you to make an affirmation to the court. Raise your right hand and repeat after me...” Such as his brother, Salamir had done, Khalid affirmed to the judge to the truthfulness of the statements he would give to the court. “Do you solemnly affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, under the pains and penalties of perjury?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness. Please have a seat.”

  Once Khalid was sitting in the witness chair, Billycan approached him. “Your Highness, thank you for travelling from Paris to attend these proceedings.”

  Khalid nodded. “It is my pleasure and my duty, sir.”

  From that answer, Billycan decided he would have to tread carefully when addressing this witness. He remembered Glenda’s comments; ‘he plays his cards close to his chest’. “Your Highness, I will begin by asking you a few questions pertaining to your meeting with the defendant, Mr. Sadir, earlier this year. You called on Mr. Sadir when you arrived in Washington, D.C. and asked him to have lunch with you, is that correct?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Would you explain to the court the reasons for your wanting to meet the then CIA agent, Mr. Sadir?”

  “Mr. Sadir was a friend of my uncle, Prince Abdullah Saif Al-Fadir, and I wanted to discuss with him my proposed trip to Australia.”

  “Why was that?”

  “I was informed that Agent Meshullam resided in Australia and I wanted Agent Sadir to direct me to the agent’s location.”

  “And did Mr. Sadir give you the information you were seeking?”

  “Not exactly, no.”

  “Now, Your Highness, why did you want to find, and subsequently meet with Agent Meshullam?”

  “Prior to coming to Washington, I had been informed that Agent Meshullam was responsible for wounding Ms. Kartz in Vancouver some months before. I want
ed to confront the man and seek answers from him as to his behaviour.”

  “Did you have any other intention toward Agent Meshullam apart from asking him to explain his behaviour toward Ms. Kartz?” Billycan paused significantly. “Remember, Your Highness, you are under affirmation of truth.”

  Khalid looked down at his lap. He knew ever since he had gone to Australia that this moment would come. He rued the time he had taken the devil for his companion. He looked up at Billycan, his face inscrutable. “Yes, I intended to kill him.” A wave of disgusted concern rippled through the court.

  Judge Silverman pounded his gavel only once and asked for silence, which he got almost immediately. The audience and jurors were anxious to hear the rest of Khalid’s answer. “I am sorry, Your Highness, please go on,” Silverman said, a stern look on his face.

  Khalid shifted in the ever-uncomfortable chair. “If he couldn’t provide feasible or plausible reasons for his action, I was prepared to exact revenge on the man.”

  “In your station in life—a Saudi Arabian prince—would that be a usual course of action?”

  “No, Mr. Billycan, it never was and it would never be.”

  “Yet, in this instance, you were prepared to kill Agent Meshullam if his answers were not to your liking, is that correct?”

  “No, sir, that is not correct.” Billycan, who had been looking at the jury, observing their reactions, swivelled on his heels and stared at the witness. “Whether Mr. Meshullam’s answers were to my liking or not was irrelevant. What was, however, was that his answers would make sense or justified his action.”

  “So, could you describe for the court what you wanted to hear from Agent Meshullam?”

  “Yes. I had learned that Agent Meshullam was the sniper who killed the CIA agent, Mr. Ishmael Assor. I already suspected that Agent Assor and Ms. Kartz had been accused of conspiring against the State of Israel in the provision of faulty weapons to that country. I wanted Agent Meshullam to confirm where these allegations came from. In view of these two facts, I wanted to ask Agent Meshullam why he didn’t kill Ms. Kartz instead of maiming her the way he did.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness. And did you meet with Agent Meshullam when you arrived in Australia?”

  “No, I was stopped as I stepped off the plane.”

  “Were you offered an explanation for being held by the customs’ officials?”

  “Yes, I was.”

  “Could you give this court a summary of the explanation you were given?”

  “I was told there was a warrant out for Mr. Meshullam’s arrest and that he would be extradited to Canada to stand trial for attempted murder against Ms. Kartz, thus my presence in Australia was no longer warranted.”

  “And did you return to Paris then?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Thank you. Now, I’d like to turn your attention once again to your luncheon meeting with Mr. Sadir. Did he offer you any advice as regards your intended trip to Australia and meeting with Agent Meshullam?”

  “Mr. Sadir first advised me that a meeting between me and Agent Meshullam was not recommended.”

  “Did he offer you any justification for not recommending the meeting?”

  “Yes, he made it clear that Agent Meshullam was waiting for me in Sydney to eliminate me.”

  Silverman’s gavel went down again a couple of times. Once he restored silence, he nodded to Billycan.

  “I’m sorry, Your Highness, for these interruptions,” the US Attorney said, “but we are all slightly surprised and most interested to hear your answers—please go on.”

  Once again, Khalid re-adjusted his position in the chair. “Since I cannot tell you exactly what Agent Sadir said at the time, I would simply qualify my answer by saying that Agent Sadir’s deductions were probably correct.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Since I had been associated with Ms. Kartz for some two years then, I was perhaps considered as an accomplice to the crimes for which Ms. Kartz and Mr. Assor were accused. Therefore, it stood to reason that Agent Meshullam would have been ordered to eliminate me as well.”

  “I see. Was there anything else that perhaps bothered you about Mr. Sadir’s recommendation?”

  “Two things actually. First, I wondered why, after recommending that I stayed in Washington or made my way back to Paris, Mr. Sadir went to extreme lengths to assist me in pursuing my goal. Second, I asked myself how did Mr. Sadir know about Agent Meshullam’s precise assignment—or that he was in fact waiting for me to arrive in Sydney.”

  “What did you deduce, if anything, from these inferences?”

  “When I had a chance to think about his latter encouragement, I concluded that he had conspired all along to have me assassinated.”

  “Could you explain to the court how you came to that conclusion, Your Highness?”

  “Yes, I will try.” Khalid paused. “When Mr. Sadir agreed to help me, he managed to enlist the assistance of a CSIS agent to accompany me to Sydney to protect me. However, this agent is also known to be a marksman of note. When Mr. Meshullam would have pulled the trigger and succeeded in killing me, the CSIS agent would have shot him, thus eliminating yet another witness to Mr. Sadir’s alleged unlawful activities.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness. And what about his knowledge of Agent Meshullam’s assignment—did you draw any conclusion in that regard?”

  “If you allow me, Mr. Billycan, I’d like to point out that I have very little knowledge of the inner workings of such American federal agencies as the CIA. I only questioned the fact that Agent Sadir seemed to be well informed as to the movements of an agent belonging to a foreign agency that is well-known for keeping its actions or movements totally secret.”

  “Did you confirm your suspicions about Agent Sadir’s relationship with Mossad at any point in time?”

  Khalid threw a brief glance in Sadir’s direction. “Yes, I did, Mr. Billycan.”

  The US Attorney was startled. He didn’t remember reading anything like that in Khalid’s statement. “How did you come about this information and when were you made aware of Mr. Sadir’s alleged duplicity?”

  “When I returned to Paris from my worthless trip to Sydney, I received a call from Mr. Sadir himself asking me if I could give him one of the CSIS agents’ telephone number or where he could locate him. Not only didn’t I provide him with such information, but as soon as I hung up from this conversation, I called my uncle in Riyadh, who provided me with the name of the CIA Director here in D.C. and with the name of another person, a name I’d rather not mention in open court.”

  “What did you do when you obtained these names from your uncle?”

  “I promptly called the first person and asked him if he could confirm Mr. Sadir’s status in the agency for me. When he did, he asked me to explain the reason for my query.”

  “And did you explain why you had called him?”

  “Yes, I did. I narrated the events that had led me to the telephone call that I placed to him.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness. You said something just now, which perhaps you could clarify for us. You said the Director of the CIA confirmed Mr. Sadir’s status at the time, could you tell us what Mr. Sadir’s status was?”

  “Yes. Mr. Sadir was a liaison officer and was apparently in charge of relating messages or assignments received from or transmitted to the CIA or Mossad field agents, and in particular messages and assignments that pertained to the West African region.”

  “Did the CIA Director inform you as to why Mr. Sadir was assigned to the region?”

  “Yes, he did. Mr. Sadir had lived in West Africa for a while after leaving Saudi Arabia—his country of origin. The Director only offered a broad-brush explanation as to Mr. Sadir’s background, but which was enough for me to conclude that Mr. Sadir had possibly intercepted messages or even forwarded messages to other agencies in his territory.”

  “Did you have an opportunity to verify personally that these conclusions were true?”
r />   “Yes, I had two opportunities to do so, yes.”

  “And what were they?”

  “In the first instance, I received a visit from Agent Lypsick of the CIA…”

  “I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Billycan cut-in, “but I will have to ask you how you know Agent Lypsick?”

  “I do not know Agent Lypsick per se, Mr. Billycan. The man came to my door showing me his credentials, which described him as a CIA agent, and asked me several questions regarding my uncle, Prince Abdullah Saif Al-Fadir, and his proposed visit to Riyadh.”

  “Thank you for your patience, Your Highness. So, when Agent Lypsick came to see you, you said this was an opportunity to verify that Mr. Sadir was a liaison officer, such as the CIA described him to be. Is that right?”

  “Yes. In fact, Agent Lypsick appeared to be on a ‘fishing expedition’. The CIA had apparently intercepted an email that my uncle had sent regarding Ms. Kartz’s health, and Agent Lypsick wanted to obtain more information as to my uncle’s meaning behind a phrase that had been written…”

  Billycan held up a hand to stop the witness. “Let me show you one of the emails in evidence...” He went to the table and picked up a copy of Uncle Abdullah’s email to Khalid. “Is this the email you’re referring to?”

  Billycan handed Khalid the plastic envelope. “Yes, it is.”

  “And looking at the text, which of these phrases was put into question by Agent Lypsick, do you recall?”

  “Yes. Do you want me to read the sentences in question?”

  “Yes, Your Highness, if you don’t mind.”

  Khalid did.

  Not wanting to sound remiss in my concern, I must ask you if you have been able to see Ms Kartz lately. How is she progressing? If you do see her, please give her my regards and my best wishes for her recovery. What she suffered is my fault.

  “The last sentence was apparently of some concern to Agent Lypsick. ‘What she suffered is my fault’ led him to think that my uncle was in some ways responsible for Ms. Kartz being confined to a wheelchair.”