Sunshine or Lead

by Adam Van Susteren

  “What?” James asked with some uncharacteristic shock in his voice. When he put it all together he asked, “Like a spy?”

  “Kind of, yes.”

  James said to Aaron, “I don’t think we can tell the authorities yet. If there’s even a chance she could have committed treason, we might not want the government to know anything. Especially if it has any rights to the intellectual property.”

  “You’re right James. From what she’s told me, she came to the United States as a teenager, before the age of majority. Ever since living here she has done nothing against the interests of the United States and certainly nothing since she has become a citizen. And once she was contacted, she sought legal advice and is going to bring in the authorities. Is that accurate Xiaowan?”

  She nodded.

  “I still don’t like any sort of admission, Aaron.”

  “That’s why you’re a great criminal defense lawyer. Here’s why I think we have to. The people that are after Xiaowan are possibly very dangerous. We’ll need help from the government. And no matter how much our government makes mistakes, in the end, our system usually works.”

  James countered, “Not for everyone.”

  “Agreed, but we have an honest FBI agent here with us. Plus you and me. Shit, just us two and it’s unfair,” Aaron joked, feeling good after a few beers and the development of some sort of plan.

  James asked, feeling a sense of disbelief as the words came out of his mouth, “How close are you to the President?”

  “I spoke with him twice since D.C. and with his advisors and team nearly a dozen times over the past month. Assuming there are a lot of people in the same shoes as Xiaowan, he might have a big interest in this. Honestly, this is a scandal that needs to have a bright light shone upon it and I think we will have support from President Shortree.”

  James took a breath and, per his usual, kept his cool. “Be smart about what you say, Aaron. Protect your client.”

  “Always.”

  James calmly said, “Client, then country. Your priorities for this case?”

  “Yes. Luckily it appears their interests are aligned. You two remember to always assume you are being listened in on unless you take precautions. So James, meet me at your gym’s pool tomorrow at noon?”

  “Agreed.”

  “Alright. Remember, bugs are probably in your phone, house, office, maybe even cars. You guys want to talk in private, go for a walk or swim.” Aaron nodded at them then hustled up to the ladies leading the pack.

  Aaron caught up to them and thought, ‘Giddy-up, I think I have a plan.’ Aaron grabbed Tina’s hand, gave it a squeeze, and held onto it. He thought that he and James could go to China and bring Xiaowan’s parents back while Xiaowan and Aurora went to Barcelona to learn about the research and maybe set up a sting operation.

  Aaron tapped Aurora on her shoulder then softly spoke into her ear. “We need to talk about immunity for my client because I have an idea of how we should proceed from here.”

  She looked up at him. “I’ll have to learn a lot more before I can get approval for any kind of deal. Let’s talk about it tomorrow. Can you come to the Federal Building?”

  “Sure. Also, I am planning on meeting with James tomorrow at the swimming pool.”

  “Let’s have him come to the Federal Building too. I do like your meeting location, though. You can’t be recorded and would notice anyone trying to keep an eye on you. Glad to see you’re not slipping, Aaron.”

  Nat looked Tina and Aaron up and down. “Maybe you guys are half as smart as you were lucky.”

  Tina asked, “Uh, thanks?”

  Nat smiled and let Tina and Aaron see it before saying, “I’m thinking there is a chance we might all figure this out. Whatever this is.”

  Aaron asked, “I guessed from your story at dinner that you spent some time in China. Are you some sort of expert?”

  “I met Aurora in the FBI Academy. I went undercover in San Francisco to bust a Triad ring that led me to the CIA.”

  “That’s why she’s here. She’s smart, capable, and I trust her. And she deals with international matters while the FBI deals with domestic issues.”

  “Thanks.” Nat looked down the pier and noted their group of eight were the only ones within earshot at this part of the pier. The crashing waves would keep their conversation from carrying far. She turned to Aaron. “Let’s hear everything you and Xiaowan are willing to tell us.

  Xiaowan told her story with Aaron constantly interrupting and telling portions of it for her as hypotheticals so that she would not be admitting to government agents or anyone else that she was part of a spy program.

  When she was finished talking and answering Nat’s and Aurora’s questions, Aaron took a look at his watch and saw it was only ten. He said to the group, “If our secret mission is under the cover of friends having a night out, why don’t we all go have a few drinks and give some harmless conversation to anyone listening in?”

  “Where should we go?” Kor asked.

  “Why don’t we do the rooftop bar at the Hard Rock Hotel? Because Aurora and Nat are staying there, we probably don’t have to wait in any lines to get in.”

  Xiaowan said, “I could use a drink and diversion.”

  “Nice set of double D’s,” Kor joked, “I’m in.”

  Aurora looked at Aaron. “Sounds good. Just remember we are going to work on this tomorrow.”

  Chapter 12

  Ooosh. Ooosh. Ooosh. The baseline from the hip hop music blaring from the Hard Rock’s rooftop bar could be heard down several stories where Aurora and Kor finally maneuvered their cars into the hotel’s valet line. It took almost an hour to get through the traffic and road closures and every ounce of Nat’s patience not to call in a squad car for an escort through the Comic-Con crowd on Saturday night.

  “Valet is full, Miss,” the valet said after Aurora got out of the car.

  “We’re staying at the hotel,” Aurora said, with some frustration at her choice in hotels given the crowd.

  “Shit…” he muttered under his breath as he signaled for another valet to take the other car. “I’m sorry to be rude, Miss, but may I please see your hotel room key? We are over capacity and can only accommodate guests at this time.”

  Aurora and Nat both reached into their purses and showed their keys. Aurora flashed a halfhearted smile. “We understand, it’s crazy here.”

  The line of twenty-something adults dressed in night club shirts, skimpy dresses, and comic inspired Halloween costumes extended all the way down L Street from the entrance on Fifth Avenue.

  Kor slapped Aaron on the back. “These guys will stand in line all night and maybe make it inside after people start leaving. What’s the point?”

  Aaron looked at the line and saw a group of scantily clad vampires being hit on by a group of superheroes. He said to Kor, “Looks like Batman gets to hit on a girl that can’t run away. Maybe the line’s not so bad.”

  “If this was New Orleans and you could drink in line, it might be fun then. So how are we going to get in?”

  “We’ll see how many guests the hotel guests can bring in. Shit, haven’t you sold a house to someone here yet who’ll slip us through the line?”

  Kor laughed. “Goal of the night, buddy. Find someone who works here to buy a house.”

  James caught the last part. “My goal is to enjoy a break from reality. Like the storm troopers over there.” He pointed to a group of three men dressed in the plastic white armor from Star Wars.

  The eight walked through the guest entrance to the hotel when Tina said, “I could use the restroom.”

  Xiaowan said, “Me too.”

  Jess added, “Oh yes. I’m ready.”

  Nat nodded that she was in.

  Aurora shrugged. “I can go too. Meet you guys back at the hotel front desk in ten minutes or so?”

  Aaron gave Tina a little kiss. “See you in a few minutes. We’re good here.”

  Kor followed suit and gave Jessica
a kiss, and James did the same to Xiaowan. The girls all walked over to the guest elevators to go to their hotel rooms when Kor said, “Let’s see if we can get a quick drink at the Nobu bar.”

  “Great idea,” Aaron said.

  “I’m game,” added James as the three guys, under-dressed and out of costume, approached the entrance to Nobu.

  They were stopped by a woman at the hostess station. She said to Aaron, “Sir, there is a dress code here that requires gentlemen to wear pants during dinner service.”

  Kor looked at Aaron. “Gentlemen? Then it’s no problem because he’s no gentleman.”

  She smiled at Kor. “I’m sorry but that’s our policy.”

  “Even though I’m in costume?” Aaron asked.

  She looked at him. “Hold on a second.” She talked to another hostess and was waiting to greet a group of two approaching, to which she asked, “David?”

  Aaron and the guys backed a few feet away and Aaron said, “Go get some shots and I’ll see if I can join you in a minute.”

  James asked, “You sure?”

  “Of course. Go grab a drink.”

  The hostess sent David and his date to their seats with another hostess. She turned back to Aaron. “Sorry about that, sir. You were asking if we are allowing costumes tonight at Nobu?”

  Aaron pointed at a man dressed as Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean who was seated at a table with a woman; they were seated next to another table where a guy was dressed as Han Solo from Star Wars. “I’m in costume like those guys.”

  She looked at him with a frown. “Who are you dressed like?”

  Aaron’s brain buzzed through the comic book stars and movies that he knew but he couldn’t think of any that were dressed in cargo shorts and a collared short-sleeve shirt. Trying to buy some time, he asked, “You don’t recognize me?”

  “You actually do look familiar.”

  “I’m dressed as that guy who uncovered the scandal involving the United States Repositories. They are making a movie out of him.”

  She thought for a second about just letting him in when she was approached by another hostess. “Hold on just one more second.”

  Both she and Aaron looked at a group of six approaching; four young Asian women, one middle-aged Asian man, and another Asian man around Aaron’s age. The hostess that Aaron was talking to asked the group to confirm, “Kimbo, party of six?”

  The name struck Aaron like a golfer shanking his drive. He wondered what just happened. He did his best not to show any reaction and made it appear as if he was checking out the women in the group when he was trying to note descriptions of how the people looked.

  While the group passed, the main hostess addressed Aaron, “Sir, you’re not in a costume and don’t meet the dress code. I’m really sorry but we just don’t have time for this and hope that you consider changing and coming back to join us another time.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Aaron said. “Can you please ask my two friends who went into the bar to come join me?”

  “Sure.”

  Aaron saw Kor and James heading back to him. “Never mind.”

  Kor was walking with his hands by his side. His walk looked stiff because he wasn’t moving his arms at all. Aaron wouldn’t have noticed it except he was on hyper-alert after hearing the unusual name Kimbo and seeing a Chinese man that was likely the Kimbo from Xiaowan’s story. The younger guy was likely Zhou.

  Aaron asked, “You okay Kor?”

  “Great, thanks,” Kor responded, and then he tried to mouth ‘shush.’ The lobby was wide open. Kor looked around and didn’t see any corners for privacy. They walked back towards the front desk, out of earshot from any employees. “I snuck a shot of Fireball out of there for you. I’m palming it right now.”

  “Thanks,” Aaron said without a smile or laugh. “I really have to use the bathroom now too. Let’s see if we can’t get up to the room with the girls.”

  After a few minutes wrangling with the front desk, a call was placed to Aurora’s room, and the entire group made it up into Nat and Aurora’s adjoining rooms.

  Aaron took out his cell phone and pointed to it, then pointed at everyone in the room, walked into the bathroom, and set his phone on the counter near the sink. After a few seconds, there were five purses in the bathroom as well as James’ and Kor’s cell phones. Aaron turned the faucet on and closed the bathroom door behind him.

  Aaron looked at Xiaowan who was seated on the bed. “What are the odds that Kimbo and Zhou are here for dinner right now?”

  “Zero percent?”

  “I overheard a waitress at Nobu call out the name Kimbo for a party of six. A Chinese-looking guy around fifty years old, another Chinese-looking guy around thirty years old, and four young Asian women took the reservation.”

  Xiaowan went so rigid she nearly slid off the bed.

  Aurora asked, “Did you take a picture?”

  “I didn’t really have a chance.”

  Nat looked at Aurora, then Xiaowan. “Xiaowan, we should have you confirm it is them. I doubt they could have been tailing us so we may have just had a stroke of luck. We can start counter-surveillance.”

  Seeing Xiaowan’s state, James said, “I don’t think she should go down there in case they recognize her.”

  Aaron nodded his head. “In all my years of hiring process servers to get someone served with a summons, nothing worked as well as sending a pretty woman. We have five in this room, let’s send one of you down there to take a picture and then bring it up here.”

  Aurora looked at the bathroom. “My phone is clean. I’ll make a few calls to ask for support in keeping a watch over them. We have no pictures of either Kimbo or Zhou, it would help a lot if we could identify them. We can request security footage from the hotel, but that may require a subpoena and we don’t have time for one.”

  “I’d go take a picture, but I can’t get in with shorts.” He looked at James; at 5’10” and one hundred eighty pounds, their pants size was nowhere near the same. He looked at Kor and asked, “Can I borrow your pants?”

  “I’d literally give you the shirt off my back, so might as well get naked for these ladies.” Kor kicked off his shoes and started to pull his pants off.

  “Thanks.” Aaron took his shoes off and pulled down his shorts. He normally wore a thirty-six by thirty-four. These were a thirty-four by thirty-four and rather slim fit to begin with. “Fucker,” Aaron said as he couldn’t get the zipper all the way up and was nowhere near getting the button closed.

  Kor chided him, “Shouldn’t have skipped all those workouts, buddy.”

  “Just give me my damn belt back,” Aaron said as he snatched it and ran it through the loops leaving the button unbuttoned.

  Tina tried to bring a little humor to the heavy room. “I think you look sexy, Aaron. With those tight pants, you look like you are dressed up as Howard Wolowitz from The Big Bang Theory.”

  Aaron rolled his eyes.

  “Ready?”

  When Nat went into the bathroom to get her phone, Jessica joked, “So Aaron, you finally got into Kor’s pants!”

  The room had a much needed chuckle at the joke and then Aaron opened the door to the hallway where he and Nat exited.

  Aurora was on the phone placing a request for agents. After the call was made, she pulled out a laptop and plugged in a satellite modem. She logged in and performed a database search for criminals known as Kimbo. She found nothing. The nickname didn’t yield any results and Xiaowan didn’t know his real name. And all scattershot web searches for Kimbo referred to the backyard brawler turned UFC fighter, Kimbo Slice. Aurora muttered, “Lucky bastard.”

  Xiaowan asked, “Who?”

  “Kimbo. Can’t find anything on him and we don’t have any leads for his real name,” she said disappointedly. “His chosen nickname has provided him with anonymity.”

  “I think he was the owner of Lele’s Spa. Is there a property search you can do?”

  James said, “Sure, at
the County Recorder’s Office.”

  Kor added, “Or through the MLS system, you can see when it was last sold at least.”

  Aurora kept hammering away at the keyboard. James added, “There’s a really good chance that the business is held in some sort of corporation, though, so we might not get his name directly. What about an internet search for the address?”

  After all ideas were exhausted, Aurora said, “I sent out messages to local agents to contact me as soon as possible. Hopefully they’ll know something. I’ll get to the Federal Building at some point tonight and will have access to all sorts of databases. I’ll just need to find a way to meet with you, without people knowing you are coming to visit me.”

  James said, “On a Sunday? We’ll park at Horton Plaza and get tickets to a movie, then sneak out and come to the Federal Building to meet you. I was supposed to meet Aaron at the pool to talk, but assume we can change locations to just meet here. Speaking of Aaron, I wonder how he and Nat are doing.”

  Chapter 13

  The hostess smiled flirtatiously at Aaron. “I see you wanted to come back and visit me.” Her eyes widened a bit when she thought Nat might be with him.

  Aaron smiled back. “Finally want to have that drink. You wouldn’t happen to have any tables open now, would you? Just for two?”

  “Sorry, we are booked full and have been for weeks. We won’t have time to turn over any tables either.”

  “That’s surprising, a friend of mine said he got a table for… earlier today. Any chance that’s true? There are only two of us.” He flashed a hundred dollar bill.

  “I’m even more sorry now, but we are full. Our two emergency VIP tables are booked up too.”

  Nat wanted to cut to the chase and lay eyes on her adversaries. “Aaron, let’s just get a drink at the bar.”

  “Okay. But one sec.” He turned to the hostess. “Can you tell me how the VIP table works?”

  “Yeah, for celebrities or really big spenders, we do our best to make extra room and don’t book two tables so that we can squeeze them in. We release those tables the night of.”