A Game of Inches

by Webb Hubbell

  I sat at my desk playing with a pencil. After a few minutes of thought I called out to Beth, asked her if she could spare me a minute.

  She came in and asked, “What’s up, Dad?”

  I decided to be direct. “What was that with you and Micki? Everything okay?”

  She took her time. “So I know about you and Micki being friendly during the case with Woody—who didn’t know? It was a little unnerving at the time—I mean, really? It’s just hard for a daughter to—but I’m over it, long over it. I want you to find someone to care about. But sometimes Micki treats me like I’m like a child, like she’s my mother. I’m sorry, sometimes it just goes all over me. She is not my mother!”

  “Oh, Beth, I’m sorry. You know that I care for Micki very much, but not in the same way now—she doesn’t either. I can understand how…”

  “It’s okay, Dad. Don’t worry; we’ll work it out. I should get back to Stella—we’re so close to finding….” With that, she practically fled the office. I wondered if sons were so mercurial.

  I needed to refocus. It was time to call the one person who could bring matters to a head. I hated to involve her, but I couldn’t think of a better strategy. I was way to far out on the limb to chicken out now.

  Micki listened as I ran the gamut of aides and assistants. Finally I got to Peggy Fortson.

  “Jack, why am I not surprised you’re calling. Interpol’s most wanted assassin targets you, the FBI saves your life, and now I bet you’re calling to ask me to go easy on her because she’s cute.”

  The FBI. Already? I took a deep breath—I had more important things to worry about than who got credit for Barb’s capture.

  “Well, she is cute, but that’s not why I’m calling.”

  “Seriously, Jack, are you okay? We’ll probably send her to France in a few days, but I promise we’ll find out who was behind all this. I take this one personally. And what’s this I hear about you representing Billy Hopper? Tell me you’ve come to your senses.”

  “It’s good to hear you’re concerned, I appreciate it. In fact, that’s why I’m calling. I believe Tina’s attempt on my life is directly connected with the Billy Hopper case. I’d like to meet with the Attorney General to explain why they’ve got the wrong man.”

  I heard a deep sigh as she considered her response.

  “Jack, that’s not going to happen, not a chance in hell. The Hopper case is correctly in the hands of the U.S attorney and his deputy, Connie Montgomery. You know we maintain a hands-off policy regarding local crime. This one may be high profile, but it’s local nonetheless. Tina has no connection to the Hopper case. She wasn’t even in the country when Hopper murdered that poor woman. Sorry, Jack. If you think the government’s got the wrong man, take it up with Connie. The AG is not going to give you the time of day.”

  Peggy was a good friend. I knew it was fruitless to argue. Career lawyers at Justice understand the chain of command as well as any Marine.

  “Okay, I understand. Let’s have lunch soon.” Interesting how the offer of lunch or a drink becomes code for “never mind, love to see you, but don’t count on it.”

  “You’re not even going to try to argue, Jack? Tina must have gotten inside your head. I expected at least a little fight.”

  I probably shouldn’t have said anything further but I was irritated that she had slammed the door in my face.

  “No, Peggy, I’m not going to fight, even a little. But remember this call; remember I asked for a meeting.” I clicked off before she could respond.

  It was time to rally the troops. “Game’s on, folks! Let’s get the subpoenas out.”

  I turned to Micki. “Be ready for a call from Constance. She’s going to want to meet, and you have to refuse. She’s liable to push you pretty hard. For us to have any shot at a meeting with the AG, they have to believe we’re about to go public in a very vocal manner. Shoot, I might even call the press.”

  “You don’t think Constance will listen on her own?”

  “This case involves much more than Billy Hopper.” I handed her the file that Red had slid under the office door.

  She looked through it and asked, “What does this mean?”

  “I’m not sure yet. We have a couple more clues to nail down, but it means the government will do its best to make sure Billy Hopper is found guilty and sent away for life. Constance couldn’t drop the case if she wanted to.”

  She smiled. “I love working with you, you know that.”

  I refrained from saying something I’d regret. “I love working with you, too. Thank you for coming here when I really needed you. You had a hundred reasons to say no, but you came.”

  We sat quietly for a few minutes, neither sure how to react or what to say next. The air was thick with memories from the past. Fortunately, Beth burst into the office, breaking the rising tension.

  “We may have a real inquiry on the website. A ‘Mary’ is asking questions about the reward, how we can guarantee her safety, and can she meet someone?”

  I asked. “You don’t think it’s a prank?”

  “No, I’ve been very careful. I think she may be for real.” Beth said excitedly.

  Micki spoke up. “Let us handle this, Jack. If she is one of the girls, she’ll be afraid of you. I’m used to dealing with victims like her.”

  “She’s all yours, but be careful. Make sure you have plenty of security. Martin has plenty of female employees, so don’t do anything without protection. This woman could be the break we need.”

  “Or very important to the prosecution,” Micki said, forever the realist. “If she is one of the two girls at the banquet, she can verify that Billy was drunk and violent, putting a lie to your theories.”

  “Well, that might happen, but it would mean she’s alive and maybe the other girl as well. And, by the way, Billy sure didn’t kill the third girl and their pimp.”

  Micki gave me a frown and left with Beth to try to reach Mary online. Maggie handed me an envelope that had come by courier. It was bound to be Nadia’s bank account information, but I didn’t open it.

  Maggie asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “Let’s go for a walk.” I said.

  I knew one or two of Martin’s men would be following us, but I needed some fresh air.

  Once we were outside, I headed for Lafayette Park. We found a bench, and sat down.

  Maggie reached for my hand and held it. “What is it? You were on a high this morning, now you look like you just lost your best friend. What’s wrong?”

  “You and I both live a very good life. We want for little. Beth is happy and doing well, and our foundation is doing very good work. But every now and then we find out that the world isn’t that simple, and I learn things about people and our government I’d rather not know.

  “Billy Hopper was cocktail party talk, far removed from my world. Then it turns out Marshall is his surrogate father, he may be wrongfully accused, and people are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends to keep me from finding out the truth. Part of me wants to cry uncle, give this case to someone else, and go back to the old days when my biggest concern was beating your husband at golf.”

  Maggie squeezed my hand. “Life’s never simple, it just sometimes seems that way. Jack, I don’t know why these cases seem to find you. If it weren’t Billy Hopper it would be something else. Maybe they’re the obligation you trade for enjoying ‘a very good life.’ You’re an idealist at heart, Jack. Disillusion comes hard for you, but sometimes you can’t avoid it.

  “I’m going to give you the same advice you gave me when I started working with you. Get the job done and enjoy what you do. Everything else will take care of itself. It’s my understanding that Walter and I won’t get to meet this Carol Madison until you get this job done, so let’s get on with it. Besides, you can’t very well just walk out on Billy now, and you know it.”

  I gave her a kiss on the cheek, and we walked back to the office enjoying the warmth of the spring sun. Micki texted that sh
e and Beth were on their way to Arlington, and that, yes, Martin’s people were with them. I sat down at my desk and opened the envelope from Novak. Nadia had saved quite a bit of money, and her deposits were numerous. She made frequent, regular cash deposits. L&A had made occasional but substantial deposits. Logan Aerospace was a regular, monthly depositor, as were at least ten other individuals

  I asked Stella to see if she could find out more about the backgrounds of the other depositors. I would have Maggie prepare subpoenas for them too. The only good thing about the list of names, all men, was that none of them were my clients. Red Shaw wasn’t on the list either, relieving a troubling possibility. How could these guys have been so stupid as to write checks or give their credit cards to Nadia, and think it wouldn’t eventually come home to roost?

  Clovis and Paul returned from serving the hackers. Paul announced that the sign on their office door read ‘P.S. Eastern Trading, LLC, L. Kim Proprietor,’ and Clovis silently handed five twenties to Stella. The space consisted of a small reception area, an office with a view of the White House, and not much else. Clovis felt sure Mr. Kim recognized him, but his only reaction to the subpoena was a hint of a smile and a request that they leave.

  *****

  Mr. Kim’s employer was not pleased to learn that Tina had been arrested trying to assassinate Jack Patterson. Shanghai would make sure she was released once she arrived in Paris. Kim had no doubt that Jones was responsible for her apprehension. The fools with the FBI who were taking credit didn’t even know she was in the country.

  The client had terminated the contract and registered a complaint with Shanghai. The syndicate in New Orleans had taken insult at the proposed hit on Patterson’s daughter and was demanding a financial apology. Who were they kidding? It was time for Kim to leave the country; he had made preparations for such a situation long ago.

  He’d finally met Jones this morning—a worth adversary. He knew the subpoena to be what it was—a message from Patterson that he had been discovered and that it was time for him to leave.

  Kim took consolation from one thing. Patterson would fail utterly in his attempt to exonerate Hopper. He had learned enough from the client to understand that it was imperative for Hopper to be found responsible for Nadia’s death. Nothing Patterson could do would prevent that result.

  66

  I MANAGED TO find time to meet Walter for a late lunch at The Daily Grill. I eyed the meat loaf, but when Walter ordered a Cobb salad, I settled on the grilled trout. I needed a lunch with my golfing buddy where we could talk about anything except this case. We lingered over coffee. I knew that no news from Micki and Beth was good news. This afternoon would be a waiting game.

  We returned to the office to find Maggie holding down the fort. I read through the report Stella had left me on the background of Nadia’s clients. I recognized several names—it just didn’t do to think about. I spent the next hour on the phone with Marshall. He told me all about meeting Anna Crockett and how Grace and Anna had bonded. He couldn’t wait to tell Billy about his grandmother.

  Marshall understood why we needed to keep Anna’s presence a secret, at least until the subpoena for the Senator had been served. Grace and Anna had gone shopping for a new outfit to wear when she met Billy. She’d told Grace she didn’t have much use for new clothes back in Bibb. I explained to Marshall that if the press found out that Anna was Billy’s grandmother, they would eat her alive. We sure didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag about Billy’s paternity. I felt strongly this was an issue for Billy to decide how to deal with.

  Micki and Beth returned, fairly bursting with their news.

  Micki began, “They’re real and they’re both safe. We’re calling them Mary and Ruth, no real names. Martin’s people are protecting them in a secure location. I have to hand it to your daughter—she was great. She immediately realized these women were scared to death and took great pains to put them at ease. Beth, I owe you an apology. I’ve been a bitch, I don’t even know why. I hope you will accept it.”

  I rushed in before Beth could reply, hoping to avoid a scene. “So both women are okay?’

  “They’re okay, but fragile and need medical attention.” Micki answered. “I’ll get into their story in a bit, but we’ve taken on a huge responsibility. Someone wants these two girls dead.”

  I said. “Don’t think I don’t understand. I’ll do everything in my power to keep them safe, nothing less.”

  “From anyone?”

  “From anyone.” I wondered why she asked.

  “Good, ‘cause you won’t like this next part. They don’t trust men right now, any man. I think they’ll cooperate with Beth and me, but men are verboten at this point. That means you, Jack. You’re going to have to trust me to get their complete story and present it to the authorities.”

  Beth looked uncomfortable. “Dad, this isn’t about you. It’s just that right now they have no reason to think that good guys actually exist. I can’t begin to tell you how frightened these women are. I feel pretty sure we can get their story, but in the end, I hope we can get them the help they need to feel good about themselves again.”

  “Thanks, Beth. I understand and hope we can, too. Micki, promise me this: if you learn anything that implicates Billy, you need to tell me. Don’t let me say he’s innocent if they don’t corroborate our theory.”

  Micki smiled. “Oh, I think we’ll have an affidavit by tomorrow morning. Beth is right—we couldn’t push them at all this afternoon. We needed to build up trust and get them into a doctor’s care. If it makes you feel better, both women have said that Billy was drugged at the banquet. He wasn’t drunk. That’s about all I know now.”

  I smiled. I had complete faith that Micki knew exactly how to get statements that would hold up under scrutiny. I did worry a bit about another two people who needed protection. Martin’s people were already spread thin. I made a mental note to talk to Clovis.

  I didn’t expect to hear from Peggy for a few days, but I knew I was making a new enemy with every subpoena. The most difficult one to serve would be on the Senator. He was immune from service while in the U.S. Capitol, so I had swapped favors with Cheryl Cole again. She and the Senator were having lunch at Sam & Harry’s this afternoon. He couldn’t resist her charms or a free lunch. He would be served with the subpoena in the restaurant, and Cheryl would be right there to ask him why. I kind of felt sorry for the old man, but then again he had raped Billy’s mom when she was fifteen, abandoned Billy, and sent her off to an early death at the hands of Zeke Hopper. He didn’t deserve much sympathy.

  The first call came to Micki. We all gathered in her office to hear the story.

  “That was Constance Montgomery. She knows we want to meet with the Attorney General, and although that isn’t possible, she’s available for an ‘open and frank’ discussion about the case. I blamed you, Jack. I said I would be happy to do so, but you were adamant about having the AG present. She continued to insist that would never happen.

  “Then she said she’d heard we were issuing subpoenas and what could I tell her about them. I told her we were simply preparing for the preliminary hearing, and that after they were all served, I would provide her with a list. She was clearly unhappy with that response, gave me a little lecture about ethics and procedure.”

  I laughed and Micki responded. “Well—but she didn’t budge on a meeting with the AG. You may be counting too much on the Senator trying to get the subpoena quashed.”

  “Maybe, but it’s the subpoena to L&A that will turn the tide, you watch.” I said, and then realized I had forgotten about one possibility.

  “Stella, can we use the copy machine?” I asked.

  “Sure—it’s no longer a problem.”

  “Good. Okay, guys all hands on deck. We need to make several copies of every document we’ve got on this case. Especially the file on Nadia, L&A, and Nadia’s bank account and phone records.”

  No questions, no argument: everyone pitched in and within an h
our the job was done. Martin’s people delivered the originals to a safe deposit box, copies to another secure location, and returned with sandwiches from Cosi.

  We were sitting around the table eating when my premonition came true. I heard a noise in the hall and walked out to see a man in a grey suit trying to open the locked door. When I opened it and smiled, he identified himself as special agent Boerner with the FBI and demanded that we relinquish our computers and all our files. Two rather burly men accompanied him.

  “May I see your warrant?” I asked.

  “Don’t need one, this is a matter of national security. Please step away from the door, Mr. Patterson.”

  “It may indeed be a matter of national security, agent, but unless you have a warrant you’re not welcome, and you may not have my computers or files.” I stood firm, feeling better that Clovis and Martin were both standing behind me.

  “I’m here on the orders of the deputy director of the FBI himself. You would be wise to cooperate. If you refuse, I can take you into custody.”

  “For what? You don’t have a warrant, and you don’t have probable cause for an arrest. You go back to Deputy Director Calhoun. Tell him if he wants my files he can join me when I meet with the Attorney General.”

  “We can be back in a matter of hours with a warrant.” Apparently my offer wasn’t acceptable.

  “That you can, and I will honor a valid search warrant. But you and the deputy director will have to explain to the Attorney General why you don’t want him to see my files.”

  “I take it you are refusing entry to your offices?” His bluster was fading fast.

  “I am.”

  “Have it your way, but you can be sure we’ll be back.” He turned to the others. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  I had no doubt Agent Boerner would be back. I had no control over the FBI, and I expected them to do whatever was necessary to end my game. My job was to make sure that didn’t happen.