by L. J. Taylor
Tyler shrugged. “We’ll work it out.”
“We always do. Now, tell me what the Bureau knows so far.”
CHAPTER X
Early the next morning, Charles picked Kathy up at her condo and they took a chartered flight to New York. She had never flown on a chartered flight before. She loved everything about it, from the convenience of going through security and boarding the flight to the delicious breakfast made to order for her by the flight attendant.
“Oh man,” she said, after they finished eating. “You’re in trouble now. You’ve spoiled me. I’ll never want to take a commercial flight again.”
Charles laughed. “Yeah. I know what you mean. You know what they say: once you go private, you never want to go commercial again.”
Kathy laughed. “I thought the saying was once you go Black, you never go back.”
Charles wiggled his eyebrows. “That too.”
A car was waiting for them when they arrived at the airport. They climbed in and were spirited off to the New York offices of Gold, Rome & Harris.
Charles whistled when they stepped off the elevator and into the sumptuous lobby of the law firm. “Now I know why the rates I’m paying are so high.”
Kathy shot him a look and led the way to the reception desk. It was manned by a woman so beautiful she could easily have passed for a fashion model.
The receptionist smiled and fluttered long eyelashes at Charles. He grinned at her.
Kathy cleared her throat. “Hi Brenda. Long time no see. How’ve you been?”
Brenda aimed her megawatt smile at Kathy. “Kathy, it’s so good to see you. I’ve been great. Jessie and I are expecting our third little one.” She rubbed her nonexistent stomach through the thin material of the slinky black dress.
“Really? You’d never tell. Congratulations.”
Brenda simpered. “Thank you. So, who is this gorgeous male specimen you’ve brought with you?”
“Brenda, I’d like you to meet our client, Charles Morgan, Jr. Charles, this is the incorrigible Brenda. If you need anything while you’re here in New York, she’s the one to ask.”
Brenda held out her hand. “Very pleased to meet you.”
Charles shook it. “Likewise.”
“Do I have the same visitor’s office I had last time?” Kathy asked.
Brenda tapped a few keys on her computer. “No. This time, we put you in the visitor’s office right next to conference room C on the 27th floor. We reserved conference room C for you for the next two days. There’s a coffee set-up in there now.”
“Thank you, Brenda.” Kathy turned to Charles and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. “Follow me.”
He followed her down a long hallway past several closed doors into a small office. Kathy took a seat behind the desk. Charles sat in one of the visitor’s chairs. “Are we meeting with the witness in here?”
Kathy shook her head. “No, we’re meeting her in the conference room next door.”
“Okay. I’ll set up in there.”
Kathy held up a hand. “Whoa. Wait a minute. We need to go over the ground rules for the interview first.”
Charles raised his eyebrows. “There are ground rules?”
“Yes. You let me speak to the witness first. Annette had to practically beg her to meet with us. Apparently, Peachtree has her scared out of her wits. After I’ve got her calmed down and answering questions, then you can ask yours. Try not to intimidate her.”
Charles smiled. “I shouldn’t intimidate her? What about you?”
Kathy frowned. “I am not intimidating.”
Charles merely grinned at her. Kathy felt her lips twitch. The man had her saying the damndest things. “I mean, I know that I can be intimidating sometimes. When it’s appropriate.”
Charles cracked up. “I don’t know. You look pretty intimidating to me right now.” He winced under her bland stare. “I’m just saying.”
The intercom buzzed. It was Brenda announcing the arrival of the witness.
“Thanks Brenda. Please escort her into the conference room.” Kathy turned to Charles. “It’s show time.”
***
The witness – Ana Cabal – was the former mistress of a man who was killed by employees of Peachtree Consulting during a shootout in the Village. A statuesque, blonde-haired Puerto Rican woman, she wore a low-cut tawny gold sweater dress that hugged every curve of her body, a pair of high-heeled brown suede boots, too much make-up, and enough baubles and bangles to outfit a jewelry store. She jumped when Kathy and Charles stepped into the room. Her eyes darted back and forth and she looked as though she might flee at any moment.
Kathy made sure to close the door behind her. She then held out her hand and headed toward the witness. “Ms. Cabal?” The witness nodded. “My name is Kathy Brooks and this is my client, Charles Morgan, Jr.”
Ms. Cabal shook Kathy’s hand and then Charles’. “Hello.”
“Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with us today. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it.”
Ms. Cabal shifted. “I don’t know how much I can tell you. I told that lady who called me that I signed an agreement with Peachtree. My lawyer said that I can’t mention anything about the case or they could take back the money they gave me.”
“They paid you off?” Charles asked, his voice filled with disgust.
“They made a settlement with me.” Ms. Cabal folded her arms across her torso.
Kathy sent Charles a look that clearly told him to shut his mouth. He pursed his lips and looked away. She turned back to the woman. “Do you have a copy of the settlement agreement with you?”
“Yes.” Ms. Cabal turned to the oversized purse sitting on the chair next to her, extracted some folded up pieces of paper, and handed them to Kathy.
Kathy unfolded the document and read it. It was a standard confidentiality and settlement agreement. Peachtree Consulting had paid her a hundred thousand dollars. In exchange, she agreed not to speak to anyone about the suit brought by her lover’s wife, the incident in which he was killed, or the terms of the agreement. Kathy tapped her pen against her lip as she thought about how to approach the witness. On one hand, she needed whatever information the woman could provide. On the other hand, she would be encouraging her to breach her agreement. If Peachtree found out about it, they could bring a suit against her. The least Kathy could do was make sure the woman was fully aware of the risk she was taking.
“Ms. Cabal – Ana – I’m not your attorney so I can’t give you legal advice. You should know though, that this agreement is very clear. Unless you are compelled to testify by Court order, it would be a breach of the agreement for you to tell us anything about the suit or the shooting incident. If you do, Peachtree Consulting can sue you for the one hundred thousand dollars they paid you,” Kathy said.
Charles sent Kathy a dirty look. She deliberately ignored him and focused on Ana. “But you know what Ana? You’re a smart woman. I think you knew that before you walked in here. You’re obviously nervous, but you came to meet us anyway. You took a huge risk. Why?”
“Because I don’t care about the stupid money. It’s all gone anyway. I just want my Rico back.” She burst into tears.
Charles looked horrified. Kathy grabbed a pack of tissues from her purse and walked over to sit in the chair next to the woman. She patted her on the back and put the pack of tissues in front of her.
Ana cried herself out. When her tears finally subsided to hiccups she grabbed a couple of tissues and wiped her face. She then grabbed a few more and blew her nose loudly. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I couldn’t help it. I never realized how much I loved him until he was gone. At first, he was just another - como se dice - sugar daddy to me. He was older than me and married. But he was different than the others. He treated me with respect. He bought me a condo in Long Island. He took me places and bought me anything I asked for. He treated me very well and was always kind. I miss him so much.”
“I know,” Kathy said, pat
ting her on the shoulder. “Why don’t you tell us how it happened?”
“You mean the day they took my Rico away?” Ana asked.
“Yes,” Kathy said. “Take us back to the day of the incident.”
“Well, Rico and I went into the City to have dinner at a nice little café in the Village. He loved to go to the Village. It made him feel young.” She looked sad, as if she would dissolve into tears again. Kathy put her hand over hers and squeezed. Ana swallowed hard. “We had dinner. It was nice. Rico could be so romantic sometimes. After dinner, we left the café and started to walk. Two men ran by. One man jumped on the other man and they started fighting. We stopped to look. I heard this popping sound and then Rico was flying in the air through the window of the restaurant. I screamed and ran over to him.” She stopped, touched her forehead and made the sign of the cross. “Madre de Dios, there was so much blood - so much blood.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. She grabbed another tissue from the box and dabbed at them.
“Did you see anything else?” Charles asked.
“The police got there fast. I talked to them and then I went home. I tried to go to Rico’s funeral, but his wife had me thrown out. She called me a whore. Can you believe that?”
Kathy swallowed a smile and avoided looking at Charles. “No, that’s terrible.”
“We had something special and now it’s all gone,” Ana said.
“What happened with the case? “ Kathy asked.
“I didn’t even know Rico’s wife had filed a lawsuit until one day they served me with papers. I had to appear at her lawyer’s office. They asked me the same questions you did. They made me swear that I would tell the truth. A woman typed everything I said.”
“You mean they took your deposition,” Charles said.
Ana nodded. “Yes, my deposition.”
“How did you enter into the settlement?” Charles asked.
“A couple of days after my deposition, a man approached me. He bought me a cup of coffee at Starbucks and we walked around the mall. He said he worked for Peachtree Consulting and that the company was going to settle with the wife. He said they were willing to enter into a settlement agreement with me too. He offered me fifty thousand dollars. I told him that I wanted a hundred thousand or I would tell my story to the newspapers. He told me that I had a deal, but if I ever told anyone about what happened I would be sorry.” She shuddered. “He was really scary. I’ll never forget his eyes. They had this look in them. Like he had no soul.” She shrugged. “It was the most money I ever had, so I took it. What can I say?”
“What did the man look like?” Charles asked.
Ana raised her eyes toward the ceiling. “He was white, shorter than you, with brown hair and brown eyes.”
“Did he have a small tattoo on the back of his right hand?” Charles asked.
Ana’s eyes widened. “Yes! I saw it when he handed me my coffee. It was a small American flag. Why? Do you know him?”
Kathy looked at Charles and wondered the same thing. From his questions, it was quite obvious he had failed to share some vital information with her. Information she would probably need for the case. She was tired of it. She was going to have a little chat with him later. But first things first. She turned back to Ana. “Ana, did you order a copy of your deposition transcript?”
“No.” Ana shook her head. “It was too expensive. I went to review it at the Court reporter’s office for mistakes and I signed it.”
“Do you remember the name of the court reporter?” Charles asked.
“Mudrick something,” Ana said, waving a hand. “Their office is on 38th and Broadway. The name is on the subpoena they served me.”
“Do you still have a copy of the subpoena?” Kathy asked.
Ana nodded. “I brought a copy with me. I also have a copy of the police report. My lawyer got me a copy to help me prepare for the deposition.” She opened her purse, rummaged around, and extracted a sheaf of papers. She handed them to Charles.
Charles laid the sheaf of papers down onto the table and separated them. There was a copy of the subpoena, a copy of the police report, and a copy of a court reporter’s card with handwritten directions. He and Kathy looked at each other and smiled.
Kathy turned to Ana. “Ana, is it okay if I make copies of these papers and the settlement agreement?”
Ana nodded.
Kathy left the room to make arrangements to have the copies made. She then rejoined Charles and the witness at the conference table. “Ana, thank you so much for coming here and agreeing to talk with us. In a perfect world that would be enough. But the only way we’re going to be able to use the information you’ve given us is if we subpoena you to testify in our case and you agree to do it. Will you do that for us?”
Ana shook her head slowly from side to side. “I don’t know.”
“One of Peachtree’s employees killed my wife and kid,” Charles said. His voice was quiet. “He rammed his car into my wife’s car on the highway while conducting a high speed chase. He hit her car so hard it slammed into a concrete median and burst into flames. She was six months pregnant with our baby girl when she died. Our baby didn’t make it either.”
Ana covered her mouth with her hand, her face containing expressions of both horror and sympathy. “Oh my God. That is terrible. Terrible.”
“We believe that Peachtree was conducting a rogue operation on behalf of the C.I.A. at the time of the accident,” Charles said.
Kathy stared at him. This was the first time she had heard him refer to a rogue operation. That would explain the government’s recent actions. If Peachtree was, in fact, involved in an unauthorized or unsanctioned operation at the time of the accident, the government would want to handle that situation quietly. It would certainly want to keep that information out of the public domain.
“We tried to get proof of Peachtree’s involvement in illegal activities,” Charles said, “but the company does everything possible to keep us from doing that. They settle any lawsuits brought against them early and tie witnesses up with confidentiality agreements and threats. They tried to buy me off too. But no amount of money can replace my wife and my baby girl. It’s time someone stopped them from hurting people. Don’t let them get away with it any longer.”
Ana stared at Charles, clearly affected by what he had said. The war between her fear and her desire to help played out on her face.
He reached across the table and put his hand over hers. “If you won’t do it for me then do it for Rico. Those bastards killed him and then tried to buy you off. Do it for him.”
A resolute gleam appeared in Ana’s eyes. She banged a heavily ringed fist on the table and nodded her head. “Yes. I’ll do it for Rico.”
A happy smile spread across Charles’ face. He aimed a triumphant look at Kathy. Kathy gave him a weak smile and then turned to Ana. “Ana, thank you so much for agreeing to help. Peachtree is going to try to put a lot of pressure on you not to testify. You should get an attorney to represent you. Do you want to use the same lawyer you used before?”
Ana shook her head. “I can’t. He’s dead, just like my Rico. He was killed not long after I entered into the settlement agreement. They said it was a mugging. Can you recommend an attorney to represent me?”
“Sure,” Kathy said. She picked up her Blackberry, scrolled through her electronic directory, scribbled a name and number onto a piece of paper, and handed it to Ana. “Give her a call. She and I went to law school together. She’s an excellent attorney. She’ll take good care of you.”
“Thank you,” Ana said.
“No. Thank you,” Kathy said.
She called Brenda to escort Ana Cabal out.
***
Charles wanted to cheer as he watched the receptionist lead Ana Cabal from the conference room. The interview couldn’t have gone better. Her description of the man who had offered her a settlement matched Manning to a tee. Now, if they could just confirm that Manning still worked for the C.I.A., they could establish
a clear link between the agency and the incident that killed Ana Cabal’s boyfriend. That would be enough to fuel the F.B.I.’s investigation into Peachtree and the C.I.A.’s unauthorized domestic activities.
Charles turned to look at Kathy and did a double take when he saw the expression on her face. Her eyes were narrowed and her mouth was set into a grim line. She raised a hand and stabbed an index finger in his direction. “You’re going to come clean right now or I will terminate this representation and file a motion to withdraw from this case so fast your head will spin.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“Don’t play dumb with me, Charles, because I am not in the mood. I heard you tell that woman we believe Peachtree was involved in a rogue C.I.A. operation at the time of the accident. That was the first time I heard about this rogue operation. Where did you get that information? I’d be very careful with my next statement if I were you. If you lie to me one more time, I’m out of here.”
Charles looked at Kathy and saw that she meant business. There was a fire in her eye he had never seen before. He knew he had to tell her something or she was going to walk. He couldn’t let her do that. He needed her. “Okay. I’ll tell you.” He gestured for her to take a seat and then sat down himself.
Kathy sat and crossed her arms over her well-endowed chest. He wished she hadn’t done that. It caused his mind to wander places it shouldn’t when he needed to focus. “When I read the police report of the accident and found out that Wilkes was employed by Peachtree, I began to suspect he was engaged in unauthorized activity at the time of the accident. Defense firms like Peachtree aren’t supposed to be chasing people down on highways. They usually provide security or investigate things. There are a whole host of domestic law enforcement agencies authorized to track down criminals and suspected terrorists in the U.S., ranging from local law enforcement officers to the F.B.I., the D.E.A, the U.S. Marshals and Homeland Security. You get the picture. I was hoping to find proof that Peachtree was involved in a rogue operation in their discovery responses. But that turned out to be a dead end.”