She paused again and used the handkerchief to wipe tears from her eyes.
“I like to look at license plates to see where they are from. You know, in a town like this, people are from lots of places. This one was definitely California. Seen enough of them since I’ve been on vacation here. I remembered seeing an R and a P. That’s all. Told those cops over there what I saw.”
She moved away from the reporter. “Sorry, I gotta go now.”
The last person, a handsome black man dressed in a business suit, white shirt and tie shied away when the mic was thrust in his face. “Sorry, Ma’am. With all due respect, I really don’t wish to make a comment. All I can say is it was an awful thing to see.” Then he moved away, too.
I clicked off the TV and we all said the same thing at the same time.
Marjory was only trying to be a good citizen, and now she was a dead good citizen. We all sat there silently for a moment, and I had no doubt my friends were thinking the same thing I was. We had to do something. But what?
14
KIM SPOKE FIRST. “SEE what I mean? We have to discuss this with Nathan before we go one step further. Cami let’s have our coffee and cheesecake while we look at that second flash drive. That will give us time to discuss what’s on it, then we can still call Nathan tonight before it gets too late.
She was absolutely right, so I went back into the kitchen, popped three K-cups in the coffee maker, and a few minutes later came back carrying a tray with three mugs, cream, sugar and sweetener. I take mine black but Kate uses cream and sugar while Kim takes two of the little pink sweetener packets.
With the second drive inserted into Kate’s laptop port, we watched the screen intently.
“That girl took a major risk,” Kate said when we saw page after page of information from the hacked accounts along with the notes Marjory entered.
The drive also included background information she uncovered related to the major investor, a man named Kenneth Monnigan. He was the one who led the group that wanted to buy the bank. We couldn’t tell why this man had aroused her suspicion from what was on the screen, but it looked like Marjory was a very skilled researcher. Her documentation and notes showed that Monnigan wasn’t the executive producer for various movies that scored big dollars he claimed to be, even though he had presented what appeared to be authentic documentation to support this declaration. The four other investors also appeared to have large assets and squeaky clean records confirmed by credit reports, corporate documents and disclosures, which were now in question.
Kate said, “I think I know what caught her eye. In one of our conversations I’d asked her if it was something in the audit papers that triggered her suspicions. She said it had nothing to do with that particular bank or transaction. It was something she remembered from another audit where this person’s name had come up.”
Kim looked very thoughtful, knitting her brows as she concentrated on the data on the screen. As a CPA, she might have seen something we didn’t. What she asked next confirmed that.
“When you spoke to her, did she go into any detail about what was suspicious in the other audit and how long ago it happened?”
“As a matter of fact, she did. She said it was about two years ago—one of her first jobs when she was real gung ho about proving herself. By accident she came across multiple accounts all held by the same man using different names. She became suspicious when she found deposits averaging just under ten thousand dollars, each made to the accounts in apparent rotation, none more than a week apart. After withdrawals were made or checks issued, the process began again. Deposits under ten thousand dollars are not reported to the IRS. All in all, the total of the deposits and subsequent transfers amounted to over a million dollars. It looked exactly like what someone would do if hiding assets or money laundering. While most information about the account holders was different, there was a common thread. Same mother’s maiden name. Also the same place of birth. An apparently minor mistake that aroused her suspicion. ”
I took a deep breath, picturing Marjory discovering what appeared to be illegal. “Did she do anything about it back then? Could that have been something that put her in danger now? As you said, that happened two years ago.”
“Good questions. She said she reported it to the bank authorities, but then she was assigned to another project. Just before her last day, a new account appeared on a search she set up to tag anything with suspicious deposits. While she didn’t give me the name then, we know now that the name on that account had to be Kenneth Monnigan. It wasn’t included in the group being investigated because it was the most recent one and there was nothing to tie it in at that point. Still she was curious and took it a few steps further. It turned out her searches confirmed he’d been anything but the movie producer he claimed to be. Although she was off the project the next day and working in a new location, she always felt it was another of the same man’s accounts. So when she saw that name, she felt compelled to track down whatever information she could.”
“Did she know what happened to the guy?”
“She never said.”
By now my heart was beating so fast it could have jumped out of my chest. I couldn’t help picturing what could happen to us if we pursued this, and thanked the powers that be Kim insisted upon turning it over to Nathan. We did have a talent for getting into trouble no matter how careful we were. We proved that time and again in the past. Kim still had her “undercover” appointment to deal with, I still had Reid and Cunningham, and one more sticky situation would have definitely been one too many.
I picked up one of the plates and placed a large slice of cheesecake on it, then handed it to Kate. “Your reward for the inside information.” Her lips curled in a smile before she took a bite.
Next I gave Kim a slice and said, “For being the voice of caution and wisdom. And speaking of caution, please be very careful. You really don’t know what you might be walking into.”
I took my own piece and dug into it with gusto. Between bites I managed to say, “As soon as we’re done with this sweets break, we’ll call Nathan.” I plunged my fork into what was left of my piece.
15
WHEN WE FINALLY CALLED Nathan, it was ten o’clock DC time. We plunged right into the reason for the call without wasting time with small talk. As it turned out, it was a good thing we checked with him before we did anything rash. The DEA and ATF both had Kenneth Monnigan under confidential investigations. In fact, they were collecting evidence on his multiple but carefully concealed identities that ranged from the bogus movie producer to a real estate developer. His primary occupation, however, was fronting money laundering operations for not one, but two cartels—one involved in drugs and the other in guns.
“Monnigan, or whatever he chooses to call himself, is a dangerous guy,” Nathan said. Thank goodness you three didn’t go any farther with this. It sounds like the evidence on those flash drives will hammer another nail into his coffin. What a pity that woman had to lose her life to do it.”
When asked if there was a reward for providing this evidence, he confirmed there was and he would put people on finding Marjory’s heirs.
We wrapped up the conversation by promising to Fed Ex the drives to him first thing in the morning.
Before we did that, however, Kate insisted we make our own copies. As she explained, “You hope and pray that what you send makes it to the destination safely, but this is really hot stuff. What if it got sidetracked or lost? We can’t risk that.”
We all agreed, so I offered to put the duplicate drives in my nearby safe deposit box the next day.
By that time it was past one in the morning East Coast time and Kim looked like she was beginning to fade. But she wasn’t ready to go to bed.
“My mind is rolling like a speeding train,” she said. “I really need to come down several notches before I can fall asleep. Would it be safe to take a walk along the canals? Maybe some fresh air and tranquility will help clear my mind.”
> I scooped up our plates and coffee mugs and put them in the kitchen sink. The temperature had dropped like it often does at night in LA. In fact it was chilly enough to wear sweaters. I always keep a few sweaters and light jackets in my guest closet, so I grabbed three and we ventured out into the night.
The beautiful cobalt sky had darkened to black highlighting the full moon. The glow of city lights often obscured what could be a starry sky, but this evening some had managed to shine through. As we set out along the canal a light breeze caressed our faces. You could not have ordered a better evening.
We moved along the path at a slow pace and kept our voices low because of the hour. Anyone who might look out their window and see us would never suspect how horrible our day had been.
Kim said, “Geez, Cami, we’ve been so focused on everything that happened today, I never had a chance to ask you how things were going with Cunningham. I guess you’re really cutting into their clients and income. Good for you. What’s the latest?”
I thought about that. What was the latest? In some ways it had gone from bad to worse. It was my bad luck that when Reid dumped the glass of Coke all over me, someone with a cell phone had videoed the entire incident, including my shouting at him, “The best place for you and your sleazy partner is DEAD.”
After my confrontation with Angela Thurston, the video turned up on the online edition of the LA Times in her What’s Happening in Hollywood column, with an accompanying article. True, we weren’t in “the business,” but both firms did have some celebrity clients. I wondered how much she paid that enterprising person for the video that made me look like a defenseless drowned rat—that is, until I fought back. The headline, Top Century City advertising execs in brawl in local eatery. Cameron Harson issues threat. The accompanying article was filled with fabricated quotes and speculation on her part.
I’d tried to rationalize that any news is good news, but really had my doubts about this one. If only I hadn’t used the word DEAD.
“Yeah, it’s true that I’ve made lots of headway in taking them down since I opened my agency. I guess you saw the video and article online—or did you?”
Both of my friends admitted they had watched the video in awe.
“Not my finest moment, I guess, but that damn Jonathan Reid really pissed me off. The nerve of him humiliating me like that. As for wishing both of them dead, that just slipped out in my moment of fury. I wish I could take it back. Didn’t make me look all that great or professional.”
Kate imparted her usual wisdom. “Do you think you’ve done enough damage to them? Maybe it’s time to try to bury the hatchet a little bit. It would make you look like the better person. After all, you’ve built a great reputation for the agency. New accounts seek you out because they see how successful your senior products campaigns are. Why don’t you consider making Forever Young the last account you poach from them. Then if others move to your agency voluntarily without any prompting, well, that’s life.”
What she said made sense. I needed to get back to concentrating on building my agency without revenge attached to every move I made. “I’ll consider it,” I said. “Maybe I’ll even invite those two bozos to have a drink or lunch with me to discuss a peace treaty. Let me sleep on it.”
We continued walking along Grand Canal until we reached North Venice and turned back toward my house.
The pressures of the day had taken their toll. All three of us were fading rapidly. Walking along the canal at this hour was very peaceful. With no one else on the walk, a little whoosh from the water occasionally moved by a light breeze, a bird call now and then, and a full moon were the only sounds to break the tranquility. Under the right circumstances and with a guy, not two girlfriends, it would have been the perfect setting for romance. Instead, all we wanted was to make it back to the house and fall into bed.
That night I had very weird dreams. Not unusual after what we had been through, but still unsettling. Images of a body flying through the air, and some goofy policemen dressed like the Keystone Kops. The ambulance arrived, and a bunch of clowns dressed like doctors poured out like that old Volkswagen commercial. They rushed around without accomplishing anything.
I popped up in bed sometime around three or three-thirty with an uneasy feeling it wasn’t over yet. Maybe I was worried that Kim could have some problems trying to find out who was leaking information from the wiretaps. Whatever it was, I tossed and turned until the first beams of light signaled a new day. Instead of feeling rested, I felt like I could sleep another few hours, but that wasn’t in the cards.
16
MONDAY MORNING CAME after an uneventful weekend. I stumbled into the kitchen, still a little bleary eyed. Kate was bustling around already and the welcome aroma of fresh coffee greeted me. I have never figured out how she manages to look so fantastic in the morning. Every hair in place, no makeup but skin as smooth and wrinkle-free as an anti-aging advertisement right down to the natural glow that accents her high cheekbones. Let me tell you, in the advertising business we usually have to airbrush photos of models her age to gain that perfection. I wish I knew her secret. She always attributed it to “good genes.” This morning an embroidered black Chinese silk robe wrapped her slim figure. If only I felt like she looked.
I shuffled over to the table and plopped down.
Kate had been busy. First she presented me with a picture perfect omelet stuffed with mushrooms, onions, peppers and whatever cheese she found in my refrigerator. If I’d made the omelet, it would have all broken apart and been tinged with bits of brown where it burned. Hers could have been photographed for a cookbook. She went back to the counter and brought me a mug of coffee.
“Man, you look like you really need this,” she said, running it under my nose before she put it on the table. “I suspect Kim is still asleep. Either that or she’s puttering around putting on her makeup. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her without it. At any rate, no sign of her yet this morning.”
My hands flew up to my face. Did I have dark circles under my eyes?
It was after eleven o’clock by the time Kim’s voice trailed down the stairs. “Good morning. I can’t believe I slept like the dead. Never even heard the alarm.”
She waltzed in wearing a chic gray pinstriped business suit, pearl gray silk blouse and black sling-back high heels. Even though her appointment at the Homeland Security facility wasn’t for another few hours, she was dressed in her sincere outfit and ready to go.
As for me, I’d just thrown on some sweats after breakfast, ran a brush through my hair and applied a minimum of makeup, but forgot to use my good concealer under my eyes. The circles I’d feared probably weren’t exactly black, but I knew they were definitely there. Kate originally planned to meet with Marjory, but since she was now a resident of the LA Morgue, at least until they autopsied her poor crushed body, so Kate’s day was free.
She offered to make Kim an omelet, but Kim said, “Thanks, but just a cup of strong coffee will be plenty.”
Kim took the steaming mug into the living room so we could talk about moves that might make sense to uncover the mole.
Always the practical one, Kate’s first question was, “If it is a top secret facility, won’t you have an escort with you all the time? They would hear everything you say, and more important, how will you know that escort isn’t actually the person you’re trying to uncover?”
Kim took a few sips, then put the cup on a coaster on the coffee table. After clearing her throat she said, “Um, I haven’t told you everything. For starters, I’ll be able to move around the facility by myself if I want to. Soon after Nathan and I were married, he thought it would be a good idea for me to have a Top Secret clearance. It took about nine months, even considering he’s our U.S. Attorney General—the high-ranking person who requested it, and—two—I’m an executive with FACR, which is under the Department of Justice. My clearance will make it a lot easier and safer for me.”
That certainly was a plus, but I was still conc
erned. “What if you encounter the leaker and ask questions that alert him or her that you’re interested in more than what their job descriptions require in the way of cubicles and furniture?”
She smiled the smile of someone who is totally confident of their abilities. “Oh, Nathan and the Director gave me all the right language to use. The Director also narrowed it down to about twenty possible people which really helps. They employ over one hundred and fifty in that facility, but just those twenty have access to the information about when raids are being staged. And, that’s actually on a rotation, so not all of them know about the same ones. Each of them is in a senior position. Any question I ask that could act as a trigger for suspicion will be so veiled it will seem completely innocent. I’ll make it look like idle curiosity about where that person fits into the big picture.”
We sat there sipping coffee and talking about some of the things Kim would ask and how she would decide which questions to ask each of those under suspicion. Apparently over the past few months, every time a raid was staged it appeared as though everything was on track. To make matters worse, the place being raided was definitely involved in either drug or gun money laundering. But when the team arrived, everything that aroused suspicion in the intercepted calls or emails must have been masked or cleaned up, because the operation looked completely aboveboard. Diverse businesses were targeted, but each had track records involving large cash transactions.
Kim said, “As I understand it, even with inside information about the raids, it had to take a certain amount of time to clean things up, so the leak has to be coming from someone with advance access to the plans. There is something puzzling, though. Everyone agrees that individually these probably weren’t the main targets for the millions, or even billions, involved. None of them appear to have the ability to deal in amounts that large. The Director feels it is a group of companies under the same ownership, but they haven’t been able to prove that yet.”
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