THE CLUB - ANGIE BARTONI CASE FILE

by Marshall Huffman

“I honestly don’t know. I know that Falls is one of those guys who plays everything close to the chest. He is sharp and a good field agent but is pretty cut and dried.”

  “Meaning?”

  “It’s usually his way or the highway.”

  “Well that’s just peachy. What the hell is going on Brad and don’t give me that ‘I don’t know’ crap.”

  “All I know is that the investigation has taken on a different direction. The list of names you found set off alarm bells all the way back to Washington. It seems one of those on the list is more than a just another rich guy. He has not only connections that reach into the administration but other areas of the government as well.”

  “So the FBI is going to come in and sweep it all under the carpet? Is that about it?” I asked, getting hotter by the minute.

  “I don’t know what they intend to do at this point. I won’t know anything more until Falls arrives. Look, I probably shouldn’t have told you this much but I trust you and Dan. Let’s just see how this all plays out.”

  “I can tell you how it will play out. This Falls guy will come in, gather up all the evidence and that will be the end of any real investigation. He will pull a sham, acting like he is really trying to get to the bottom of the murders but in the end, nothing will get solved.”

  “I think you’re just angry now and overreacting. The FBI doesn’t let murderers walk away.”

  “We’ll see,” I said getting up and limping to the restroom to end the conversation.

  I was so mad I could spit. It’s enough that the FBI is even involved but working with Brad isn’t so bad. Marsha and Eric are top notch but this was just too much. One thing I knew for sure, I was not going to sit on my butt and let them just gloss this over.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Dan was standing by the bathroom door when I finally came out.

  “What?” I snapped.

  “I just wanted to be handy in case you were in there slitting your wrist or something.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t sound fine,” Dan said.

  He was pushing his luck. I had reached meltdown and the last thing I needed was him ragging on me.

  “Just let it rest Dan. I don’t need any fatherly advice from you.”

  “Okay. Just pout. That is really going to help us a lot,” he shot back.

  He was so infuriating sometimes. What was really irritating me is that he was right. I wasn’t accomplishing anything by grumping around.

  “So who is on the list that we missed? Obviously someone pretty high up the food chain. We have been concentrating on the five most likely but there is another name hidden in there and we need to find it.”

  “That’s my Angie. Look out FBI, you got the girl pissed,” Dan replied.

  He was right. I did some of my best work when I was riled up.

  “Get the full list and let’s track them down one by one,” I told Dan.

  At least we had a plan of attack. I knew we needed to hurry before Mr. Big Shot Special Agent in charge got here and started gathering up everything in sight.

  **

  We really needed Eric but he had been told to do nothing further until the FBI bigwig got here so he couldn’t help us. That meant it was up to Dan and I to find each name on the list by Googling them and researching their backgrounds.

  Dan took half the list and I took the other half. Like everything on Google it doesn’t always give you exactly what you want. I mean sure you get three or four quadtrillion hits but none of them may do you a darn bit of good.

  For example one of the names was for Mark Gifford. I got all kinds of crap but none of it was about Mark Gifford. At least not the one I was trying to find. Most of the information was about Kathie Lee Gifford. Could someone explain how the hell a man name Mark gets all these references to Kathie Lee Gifford? I went back about five pages and decided it was a lost cause. That would have been okay if it were just the one name but by the end of the first hour I could only mark two names off of my list.

  Dan wasn’t having much better luck. He was doing better that I was but after an hour he had only found out about four of our people on the list. We needed someone who knew how to cut through all of this. Obviously Google wasn’t going to get the job done.

  “Well that was discouraging,” I said.

  “I thought Google was like a woman, it had an answer for everything.”

  “Oh that is just wrong on every level. For that buster you get to buy lunch.”

  “It was worth it. I’ve been waiting to use that line for weeks. I thought I was never going to have the right circumstances. It is kind of funny, right?”

  “Just hilarious. In fact it is so funny we are going to Stan’s for lunch.”

  “Geez Angie, that place costs a fortune.”

  “Don’t worry, you can’t tell some more funny jokes while I snarf down a big juicy New York Strip.”

  **

  I sat back and patted my tummy. Now that was good food.

  “What do you think we should do next?” Dan asked eyeballing the last third of my New York Strip.

  “You mean after you devour the rest of my steak?”

  “You’re not going to finish it?”

  “Don’t act dumb. Just take it,” I said holding my plate out.

  It was like one of those magic acts. Now you see it, now you don’t. I swear he gobbled the thing down in two bites. I wonder if he ever tastes his food.

  “Well one thing we know for sure. Somewhere on that list is the reason for the FBI’s new involvement. We also know that it has to be someone really high up in government so we have to find out who that is,” I told Dan.

  “Sure, but the question is how? You know the FBI isn’t going to share that little nugget of information.”

  “Then when we get back, we are going to have to think outside the box.”

  “It would be a hell of a lot easier if the FBI had just stayed the hell away.”

  “No used crying over that part. They are here and we just have to find a way to deal with it. Here,” I said, “Pushing the check over to him. Your treat.”

  “It was meant in jest,” Dan whined.

  “Yes, and it just cost you lunch,” I answered.

  **

  The station looked like it was under siege there were so many media types lying in wait. It took us five minutes just to push our way through the crowd.

  Upstairs wasn’t much better. I swear there were at least a dozen FBI agents running around in their cute little bullet proof vests with big FBI lettering. What? Did they think someone was going to shoot them at police headquarters? They all still had their weapons which is against McGregor’s standard operating procedures.

  Obviously they had taken over and the captain had little he could say about it. I caught a glimpse of the head honcho in the conference room. He had his minions gathered around and was giving out assignments from the looks of it.

  One thing I knew for sure. We would get nothing from any of the agents and damn little if that much from Mr. Big Shot from Washington. I decided it was time to have a chat with the boss.

  “Hey captain, got a second?”

  “Would it matter?”

  “Nope. This FBI guy, he is taking over so what is our role now?”

  “We are pretty much out of it. I guess any grunt work they think is too good for them they will pass off but not much else,” McGregor replied.

  “So are we forbidden to work the case our own way if we don’t involve them?”

  “I would say that is stretching it a bit don’t you think?”

  “Well I mean we do have Asher’s murder and obviously that wasn’t done by either of the Rotelli’s. One was dead and the other isn’t capable.”

  “Look, you do what you think is right. I’ll keep as much heat off you as I can but if they come busting my chops I will have to rein you in.”

  “That sounds fair enough,” I told him.

  “Keep your cell phones handy in
case I have to give you a quick heads up,” he said.

  “Will do and thanks.”

  “For what? I have no idea what you are up to,” he replied.

  About the time he makes me want to spit nails he goes and does something that makes me all warm and fuzzy. He could have just shut us down on the spot. He was putting his butt on the line too even if he was acting like it was no big deal. Screwing with the FBI can bite you and hard.

  CHAPTER TWENTY- ONE

  “Come on Dan, it’s time to get this show on the road,” I told him.

  “You’re not going to go shoot him are you?”

  “Why heavens no. Bat my eyes a little maybe but nothing drastic.”

  “Right.”

  We walked into the conference room and I walked right up to Falls.

  “Special Agent Byron Falls. I’m Detective Bartoni and this is my partner, Detective Dan Roberts. We were assigned to the Rotelli murder. I understand the FBI has taken over the case,” I said matter of factly.

  “Yes. Washington has decided in a case like this it would be better if the FBI handled the situation.”

  “Do you often handle routine murder cases?”

  “Oh no. Not routine murder cases but this one has some...shall I say political implications that are very delicate.”

  “And they think a couple of local yokels would screw it up?”

  “That isn’t at all what was considered. It is a matter of us being able to reach into higher places than the local police department. I can’t tell you everything but I will say that this has certainly caused some concern in high circles,” Agent Falls said.

  “Alright. So what part do you want us to play in this investigation?”

  “Uh, well at this point that has yet to be determined. I have only had a few minutes to assess the situation. I am still collecting data and collating information. It will take me a little while to get up speed,” he managed to get out.

  So here I am, standing in front of Mr. Cool with his initials embroidered on the sleeve of his white oxford shirt, fraternity tie, gray three piece Brooks Brothers suit and loafers with tassels. I wanted to pull his pants leg up and see if he held his socks up with garters but thought he might take offense to that.

  What I didn’t like most was his turned up nose like we were offending his olfactory senses, that and the slight smirk on his face. Gee I guess I didn’t really like much about the guy but then I am kind of like that with people. I either like then, ignore them, or don’t like them almost on sight.

  “So you want us to just go back to our little desk and wait to see what part if any there is for us in our murder investigation.”

  “Actually, it is no longer your investigation,” he said as a way of dismissing me.

  I shouldn’t have listened to Dan. I should have brought my gun and at least pistol whipped the smartass. That’s okay. I’m sure he thought he had won that battle and he did but you have to keep your eye on the bigger picture. That is the war and that is now what he had on his hands.

  **

  “Boy you sure charmed him,” Dan muttered just loud enough for me to hear.

  “I hate condescending buttwipes like him. ‘We’re still assessing the situation’. What a crock. Why didn’t he just come right out and tell us we had no part in this rather than that phony FBI two step.”

  “That’s just the way they are trained. So much of what they do is political rather than field work. I mean look at Pendergrass really. He is a nice guy but he couldn’t solve a murder if he witnessed it and had 8 by 10 photos.”

  “Well, this isn’t going to stop us, I can tell you that. We are just going to have to go about it a different way.”

  “I take it you have something in mind,” Dan asked.

  “As a matter of fact I do. They aren’t going to like it much but I guess that’s not my top priority.”

  “Am I going to like it?”

  “I’m not sure. Are you up for some surveillance?” I asked as we got back to our desks.

  “Surveillance? On who?”

  “On whom, Dan. And that would be on the FBI?” I informed him.

  “The FBI?”

  “Look, they aren’t going to share squat. What we have to do is wait and see where they go. Once we find that out we can decide on our course of action,” I told him.

  “Oooh Angie. They aren’t going to like that one little bit.”

  “Do I look like I care? Look at the face. Is it one that is saying ‘Gee I care about what the FBI thinks?’,” I asked him.

  “Not exactly,” Dan replied.

  “There you go. I’ll tell you what, I’ll even let the captain know our plans.”

  “Really?” he asked wide eyed.

  “Hell no. The less he knows the better off for him if it all goes south.”

  “Lord Angie, please remind me to never get you really mad at me. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

  “As it should be.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-T WO

  Usually at some point in a case a small thing can trigger a series of events that helps move the case along. That wasn’t happening with the FBI. For two days all they did was talk, eat, and drink. I watched in amazement as Falls consumed one iced tea after another and never went to the john.

  How can someone do that? I just look at a glass of iced tea and I have to go. Yeah, I know, I have some of the strangest thoughts but if you saw someone consume a gallon of tea you would be wondering the same thing.

  Dan and I even shadowed them back to the hotel to make sure they were really in for the night. It was on the third day that we actually got our hopes up. They seemed to be done talking and ready for action although it was hard to tell by the agents. They wore their flak jackets the whole time they were in the station. Maybe they weren’t sure whose side we were on.

  We waited until they split up and headed out. We decided to follow one group of four that seemed a little sharper than the others. I felt like a sneaky little school girl but ya gotta do what ya gotta do sometimes. It wasn’t hard to follow them in those big honkin’ SUVs they favor.

  “I think they are headed to the Rotelli place,” Dan observed after a few minutes.

  “Sure looks that way. Maybe we picked the wrong ones to follow. We know about Rotelli, what we don’t know is who the mystery person is,” I replied.

  “We might as well stick with it now. We would never find the other teams.”

  “I agree. Maybe something good will come of it. We might get lucky,” I replied

  Dan waited just a fraction of a second then said, “In your dreams.”

  **

  You know how in movies the stakeouts take maybe thirty seconds before the action begins again? Not so in real life. We sat in the car watching the Rotelli place for three hours before anyone came out.

  Dan nudged me, “I think something is happening.”

  I shook my head, I had just drifted off, “Movement?”

  “Maybe.”

  I could see one of the agents looking the car over and looking around. What was that all about? Finally the door opened and the agents piled into the SUV with Rotelli between them.

  “What the heck is this all about?” Dan asked.

  I watched as they put him in the back and started the car.

  “I don’t know but we are going to follow them and see where they are taking him. Be careful, they may have called in a shadow car to see if anyone was following them.”

  Dan looked at me, “Well that is going to make it kind of tricky.”

  “Just don’t speed up if they do or if they slow down, just go on past them. They will be looking for someone that matches their movements.”

  “And if they lose us?”

  “We go home and call it a day. They aren’t going to leave him anyplace very long if they think there is a threat.”

  Dan waited until they turned the corner and sure enough another SUV pulled out a few seconds later. We waited until he had turned before we starte
d out after them. All we had to do was keep the second car in sight but we needed to keep a constant speed.

  We drove for a good thirty minutes before the second SUV suddenly took off like a bat out of hell.

  “You want me to go after him?” Dan asked.

  “No. Stay the same speed. They are just testing to see if anyone is following them,” I told him.

  Ten minutes later we were back behind the second SUV.

  “Stay steady, pass him if you need to.”

  They suddenly slowed and we whipped right on past never looking over at them. I could see the first SUV a few hundred yards ahead. We were in the saddle at the moment but figured either the trailing SUV would come back past us or the lead SUV would slow down.

  Finally the lead SUV pulled off to the side of the road. We zipped by and as I watched in the mirror I saw the second SUV pull in behind them.

  “What now?” Dan asked.

  I thought a minute. “They are changing cars. Rotelli will be moved to the second car.”

  “So we just keep going and hope they catch with us?”

  “They will. They will come barreling by and at some point the lead SUV will take an exit. We just keep going.”

  “Damn Bartoni. Are you just making this up or do you really know this crap?”

  “Maybe a little of both. That’s what I would do in their place.”

  I hate to be a know it all but that is exactly what happened a few miles later. They shot by us like we were standing still and up ahead I could see one of them take the exit for Southport. The second one kept going but dropped down to just a few miles over the speed limit.

  “Just keep on them. Put it on cruise and just let it happen.”

  “Do you ever get tired of being right?” Dan asked.

  “Dan, I’m not always right but I try to put myself in their place. What would I do in the same situation? Would I do everything I could to throw off anyone that was following me? Of course and so would you.”

  “But they could have turned someplace behind us and we would have never known.”

  “I just got it right this time.”

  “I don’t know Angie. About the time I think I’m starting to reach your level you do something like this that just blows me away.”