Lishan noted the differentiated rows, each referencing a different email, each with one or more columns ticked. “This is excellent. It looks like most of these have the Jack Conner column checked.”
Lishan read the first three, taking in the implications before her. In the first, Mazzini had responded to an email from Jack Conner, whose words read, “It’s too late to back out now. So a couple of workers died. They were sickly, anyway, I would wager. This modified, incognito trans fat has to be approved. It’s the only way I can get the shareholders off my back. Call your buddy at the FDA, the one you have your thumb on. We want that application pushed through—tomorrow. Double bonus.”
“See what I mean,” Niesha said. “We’ve got him. Read on. Remember, these are in order of importance, not by date.” Lishan picked up the second email. Within a few seconds, she felt tears.
Niesha reached across and took her hand. “Beck was your friend, wasn’t he?”
Lishan just nodded. Mazzini had responded back to Conner’s command to compromise him, that he had outlived his usefulness and trust. Mazzini wrote, “It’s done. Swift and not quite as painful as you suggested, but he’s no longer a threat. Nice fella. Too bad.”
Lishan looked out the window. She took note of Mazzini’s “nice fella” and “too bad” comments, thinking they further compromised his standing with someone like Conner.
Niesha gently squeezed her niece’s hand. “Go on,” she urged.
Lishan picked up the third email. Mazzini to Conner. “Our FDA insider responded to the prod. Additional $125k. Shareholders should be happy. GRAS before too long. M.”
“Auntie, you inspire me. Next step the U.S. Attorney’s Office?”
Niesha just nodded.
45
Maya’s office was in the United States Attorney’s Office building—it had an angular design with abrupt edges, uncharacteristic of the neoclassical, federal, and Beaux-Arts architectures that graced much of Washington, D.C. Below her stenciled name appeared Criminal Division Chief. Niesha had always referred to Maya as her DA friend, partially for brevity’s sake, but mostly because Niesha always felt Maya would have someday moved up to the Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney position, then a top DA slot in some East Coast division, were it not for her racist boss.
“Niesha! So good to see you. And Lishan, of course. A true pleasure.” Maya and Niesha embraced one another like very old friends. Lishan was surprised she had never met Maya before, but she smiled to herself, taking in that her aunt had a life beyond her.
Lishan took note of the trim Donna Karan outfit Maya wore. Finely tailored black flared pants and a matching lightweight cardigan. Maya’s slender form contrasted with Niesha’s generous body, yet each complemented the other, exceptional beauties in their individual ways.
Pleasantries exchanged, they settled into ergonomically designed chairs at a round conference table in Maya’s office. Before they plunged into how to proceed, Niesha told Maya about Lishan being accosted Friday night, adding to the urgency of whatever steps they took.
Maya saw no need to make any soothing remarks. She knew where they stood. The compassion in her eyes told the story.
Niesha saw a faraway look on Lishan’s face.
Lishan saw the question on her auntie’s face. She decided to elaborate.
“Nothing I need to know. My mind had wandered to…how far back do your two families go?”
“Are you asking how we know one another, or perhaps how Maya and I—given that she’s Jewish and I’m Sunni Muslim—dealt with the Israeli-Palestine conflict?”
Maya and Niesha exchanged glances. Maya took the lead.
“My parents, and extending back to my grandparents, had staunch ideas of their rights to the land. I carried those feelings with me when I immigrated here as a youth.” Maya looked at Niesha, who nodded.
“But as a youth, after awhile I questioned how I wanted to move forward in the world. Did I want to keep hating? When Niesha and I met a number of years ago, while attending political gatherings, we began to talk about these feelings. We decided to let go of the anger we experienced growing up, wanting to see if we could make a difference. To this day, we present peace as the best approach. Not everyone agrees.”
Lishan just nodded. There was no need to pursue any of it further.
Niesha asked Maya if she had heard about the poisoning of the students. She had, noting the newspaper article quoted the note with Lishan’s name on it.
“I’m so very sorry, Lishan.” Maya thought to tell Lishan not to feel responsible, but she decided it was best to just not open that door, at least not now.
They moved ahead, with Niesha spreading out the initial pages of each of the two stacks of emails. Maya already had conceptions of the situation, given phone conversations with Niesha. She spent the next twenty minutes fairly quiet, poring over each email, one stack then the other, as Niesha suggested, followed by the documents from Fatima—which drew nods from Maya. Occasional questions or comments were conveyed, but mostly it was silence.
“Hmm. Jack Conner’s not going to be pleased with this, is he?”
Niesha jumped in. “Maya, my primary concerns have to do with the safety of Lishan and everyone who has aided her. Beck, the P.I., has already been murdered for his complicity in what he shared with her. Now a dead student from Lishan’s apartment building. How would you suggest we protect my niece—all of us, really? I don’t know…restraining order or some form of court injunction?”
Maya walked over to her expansive window.
“Jack Conner is a powerful figure in Washington. I’ve had the pleasure, shall we say, of running up against his fleet of attorneys on more than one occasion.” Speaking quietly, Maya continued. “Niesha, you and I are old friends. I can tell you and Lishan something I don’t often discuss. I believe part of the roadblock for my last two attempts for the Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney position came from interference by Conner and, I suspect, his association with Ferrali. Conner knows I wouldn’t side with him in court.”
Maya sat back, continuing in her earlier tone. “Yes, there are immediate actions we will take. I can see...it’s time. I just need to take the steps without checking in with Ferrali. He’ll be furious, but if we win, he won’t have any easy recourse. If we don’t...” Another notable pause. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” Maya called in her assistant, Leana, for whom she had complete trust.
“Leana, please shut the door.” Maya paused, directing her initial comments toward Lishan and Niesha. “Earlier, in anticipation of the evidence before us, I drew up a document called an information, a document that alleges wrongdoing, allowing us to issue a warrant for Jack Conner’s arrest. It includes murder—third degree for the Factory 17 employees—and first degree for his engineering of Beck’s murder. Oh, and one more—the poisonings. Six students were poisoned, with one death, and the young girl at the newspaper. Leana, I need you to finalize it. This is of an extremely sensitive nature, so you must be absolutely discreet and not share this with anyone, not even my associates. Especially Ferrali.”
Leana’s eyes widened, then narrowed, indicating she registered the import.
“Additionally, I need you to obtain a restraining order prohibiting Conner and his charge—including Mazzini and Rudy Conner—from any contact with Lishan and her affiliates. People’s lives are at stake, and I can’t afford any friendships or other cohesions to stand in the way. Also, get in touch with the U.S. Marshals office—specifically Juan Jalasca, who can be completely trusted—and give him advance notice of our need for his services this afternoon. Request two U.S. Marshal vehicles—a little extra pressure upfront decreases the likelihood of someone like Conner bending the truth. Do you have any questions? The signatures you will need?”
“I know just what to do,” said Leana.
Maya stood and walked over to her. “Leana, pardon my being so abrupt. It’s nothing personal. This just stands the probability of being the stickiest and most litigious
case before us. Conner won’t come willingly, and he has friends in most influential departments, likely including Justice.” Maya gave a meaningful glance toward Nathaniel Ferrali’s office.
Maya and Leana conferred quietly as Maya walked her to the door, her arm around Leana’s shoulder. Leana departed quickly, a mission in her sights.
Coming back to the conference table, Maya let out a rather grand sigh. “Whew. Either we’ll all be at Conner’s sentencing, or we’ll be pushing hot dog carts. Any questions?”
“How long will it take for these processes to take effect?” Lishan asked. “In my experience, it takes months for any real movement where the elite are concerned.”
“Correct assessment, Lishan, regarding the usual. But we can expedite when warranted. I should add that we’ve known all along, or at least had strong suspicions, about Conner. It looks like we have the firepower to put him away this time—but, again, not easily.”
Niesha managed a smile, a genuine look of relief shared by all three. “What do you two think about leaking a story to the media?” Niesha looked directly at Lishan, then at Maya, since Maya’s input was key.
“It would be helpful to make this as public as possible, making it more difficult for Conner to squirm out of, and more difficult for his cronies to assist,” Maya said. “But which media will do this?”
Both the women looked at Lishan, waiting.
“I could play one last card at the paper,” Lishan said, somewhat thinking out loud, “but I don’t know that I should put anyone at the paper on the spot, since a job—not just mine—would most certainly be at stake. But, you know, I would like to believe the publisher would back me up. She always does, as long as I don’t put her in a bind. It would be quite a scoop for them. Maya, how soon could, or should, a newsflash hit the streets?”
“Today isn’t soon enough. We have to hit them hard and fast, like being in a street fight,” Maya said.
“I’d forgotten your roots, my dear.” Niesha smiled. “I’ll fill Lishan in on your street smarts later.”
Lishan took it all in, raising her eyebrows along with a purposeful smile. “Can we take a few minutes and compose the gist of this front-page exposé?”
Maya took the floor while Lishan wrote. “Let’s, as I said, hit it forcibly. Sentences like—and be careful to use these words specifically, given libel—‘Jack Conner indicted on counts of purposeful negligence for public health and complicity in first and third degree murder cases.’ Those are strong words, but a mainstream paper can do it, and it gets the message out to the public.”
They spent the next twenty minutes deliberating and finalizing a quick, poignant story.
“I like it. Does it fit for your timing if I make the call here and now?”
“Lishan,” Maya said warmly, “when I heard from Niesha what you were undertaking and who the antagonist was, I canceled my appointments from ten until two. My staff will wonder what has overtaken me. They’ll find out soon. By all means, make the call.”
Nodding, Lishan walked to the window, calling Elizabeth Walker.
“Ms. Walker, I have a scoop for you. It could be a dangerous one, but I’m hoping you’ll take it for tomorrow’s edition. It’s about a probable indictment on Jack Conner.”
“Conner? I’m all ears.”
Before Lishan proceeded with the text of the story, she told the publisher about the Criminal Division chief’s involvement and stance. Then she asked if Hanson would be a problem.
Elizabeth laughed. “Not these days. He just hides out in his office, afraid of offending anyone, afraid of getting fired.” The publisher’s tone made it clear she was pleased. It would be on the streets tomorrow afternoon. She added one last check. “Lishan, any doubts before we proceed?”
Lishan thought for a moment. “No. None.”
“Good,” was her confident reply.
With the three of them back at the conference table, a sense of anticipation gathered. Now they had to take their refuge into account, including Maya’s. They decided to have sandwiches brought in while they further discussed their options. Lishan bowed out to call Erik, but she stopped abruptly, remembering. She didn’t know if she had the wherewithal to talk with him if he was in a foul mood.
Maya spent the last half an hour sharing highlights of the vast body of information she had garnered on Conner. Past attempts at sending him to jail had engendered quite a portfolio. Lishan and Niesha were both pleasantly surprised by the thick file she had already amassed. They were beginning to feel like the game had shifted in their favor—but they knew not to get comfortable.
As two o’clock approached, Maya reminded the group of her impending departure. She had just fifteen minutes to wrap it up.
Leana reappeared, again closing the door. “I spoke with the U.S. Marshals office, and the necessary signatures and a Probable Cause affidavit are forthcoming. Too many people in this department hate the likes of Jack Conner, who has skated out from under his penalties at least twice too often.”
Maya just nodded. “Good...and good.” She looked up at the trio. “Fluent, aren’t I?”
Maya smiled as she returned her attention to Niesha and Lishan after Leana left. She took a deliberate breath. “The warrant will be served this afternoon, if Conner can be found. There will be no turning back.”
Maya stood, grabbing her attaché case. “It’s quite courageous what you two are undertaking. Jack Conner is a menace. You’re welcome to stay here in my office. It might be safer than your alternatives—at least for today. Do you think you’ll stay? I don’t need to know. Just looking forward.”
Niesha and Lishan looked at one another. Lishan spoke first. “The question is, where can we make the most effective use of our time, or how can we help further?”
Maya looked at them both, as seriously as she could. “You’ve both given the judicial system what it needs to put away a criminal. While he doesn’t appear as a cold-blooded killer where the public is concerned...believe me, he’s no different. The best way for you to help is by keeping yourselves safe. Aside from the obvious difficulty to the case if you—either of you—are murdered, I can’t imagine losing you, for so many other reasons. Besides, the public needs this case. Can you locate Mazzini? We need to protect him.”
It was Niesha’s turn. “I may be able to. I spoke with him about it last night. It appears that Conner’s other hit man, Rudy Conner, already tried to take Mazzini out. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good. Can you two stay somewhere safe tonight? No relation to anything in your past, perhaps some hotel or motel no one would expect to find you in. And stay off email. Read a book—perhaps one of those Lescroart suspense novels to heighten your vigilance. I’ve learned some of my best moves from him and his judicial insider, Al.”
Lishan turned toward Niesha. “Why don’t we work from here for a couple of hours? See what you turn up with Mazzini. Then we’ll find a place to stay. Maya, do you want to know where we’ll be?”
“Leave your possibilities with Leana. Don’t use your credit cards. Here”—she reached into her bag—“use this card. It’s my alter ego—Cleo Steinway.”
Niesha blinked at the mention of “Cleo,” then turned to her niece. “You have a cell phone that no one knows about—supposedly—don’t you?” Niesha kept her gaze on the papers, the Mazzini emails, as she spoke. “I should call Mazzini.”
Lishan handed the phone to her. She was too immersed in her own emotions to listen, thinking about the next phone call she might make—Erik, who never completely faded from her emotional view.
“Auntie, while it’s daylight, I should go to my apartment to gather some clothes and incidentals. I could be back here in an hour. Maybe I’ll see Erik—see where things stand. What do you think?”
Maya jumped in. “Not a good idea, Lishan, to go by yourself.” Maya turned back from the door, where she was about to leave. “I have a couple of staff members who carry guns. If one of them takes you, I’m okay with it. Who’s Erik?
”
“Her putative boyfriend.” Niesha shifted her gaze to Lishan. “I don’t mind if you go. Maya’s right, though. By the way, where’s your disguise?”
“I left it in my apartment Friday night. I was upset.”
Niesha just nodded. Nothing needed to be said.
As they each focused on their individual tasks ahead, an alternate plan was being put in place down the hall.
“Nathan. This is Leana. There’s something you should know.”
46
A knock on the door preceded Etta’s entrance into Erik’s office at the university. Startled, Erik stood to shake hands with this provocative young woman. Her olive complexion and lissome form readily reminded him of their interlude one year prior.
Etta bypassed the handshake. She promptly headed toward the hug she meant as a delicious invitation to continue where they had left off. She kicked back with her right foot, shutting the door. Erik was hesitant, well aware of the predicament this might get him into, but the recent cheat—as he perceived it—by Lishan left him feeling a little reckless. He reciprocated.
Within a few seconds they heard another knock. Etta was slower to withdraw than Erik.
“Oh, pardon me.” It was the Dean of Instruction, taking in that, while there was no immediate embrace, her professor had unequivocally crossed a line.
“And Etta…how nice to see you.” She narrowed her gaze, locking eyes with Erik. “Mr. Andersson, I wanted to congratulate you on your committee work regarding HR violations. Well done.” The question, was I remiss? lingered on her face. She nodded toward each, “Erik, Etta,” as she closed the door, leaving them alone.
“That was exciting,” Etta proclaimed.
“Your words. Potentially devastating on my end. But...” Erik paused. “Do you have dinner plans?”
Etta’s eyes opened fully. “I am…hungry.”
“Do you know where I live?”
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