Surrept (23 page)

She looks at him with resentment for making her feel so stupid. She just wants David home.

"Matt, if this is all true, why wait? Why are we waiting around, I don't get it?"

Matt says, "Dana, when you leave here, I want you to you go home and lay low. Do not talk on the phone or to anybody you do not know about this, and keep this to yourself."

She looks at her friend and repeats his orders to her, "Lay low, and don't say anything and maybe we can get David home and your shot-up dope dealer client a better deal."

He smiles at her acceptance and trust that she will hold it together.

"Come on, I have to get you copies for you and introduce you to my other client. He is waiting, I hope."

She follows Matt down the hall. Matt stops in the copy room for Dana. He makes her a file and hands it to her as they enter his office where Reggie waits. He stands when he sees Dana with him.

Matt makes the introductions. She is surprised by his seemingly gentle nature, his big handsome presence and warm smile as she takes his hand. "Hi, Reggie, I'm Dana. I just wanted to say thank you for allowing Matt to share with me." She loses control of her emotions as tears well up in her eyes.

Reggie and Matt can see that Dana is overwhelmed by anyone trying to help her.

Reggie does not like to see women crying. "Hey now pretty lady, no tears now, if Mr. C. says you need to know, then it is what it is. I have trusted this man with my future, and if he says you are good people, then we are solid. Don't you fret none girl, because the sun's coming up tomorrow and the birds will be singin', I promise."

Dana is shocked by the big black man's statement. "Thank you. My father always says that."

He smiles, "Mine did, too. You listen to your father; he sounds like he's got it going on."

Matt jumps in. "Excuse us, Dana. We have a lot to address. I'll call you tonight."

She walks down the hall with her file and thinks to herself that she needs to get home and Google Reggie Haynes or Haines, and start adding to her own file. She now feels vindicated about her gut feeling about Adriana Pucci. Or, whatever her real name is.

Reggie speaks as he sits. "That girl is deep, Mr. C. She seems cool, and she is real easy to look at."

Matt says, "She is engaged to my best friend who the feds are holding somewhere. She just got released by them also and she's off limits, big guy."

Dana exits into the parking lot. She pulls off her hair band. She scratches her scalp while she gets into her car and speeds out of the parking lot for her dad's house. She looks in the rearview mirror and notices a man in a shirt and tie a few cars back tracking her. Matt was right. She had to be very careful from now on.

Matt addresses his client back in his office. "Okay, Reggie, it is come to Jesus time. Why are you coming to me about this Adriana chick?"

"I ain't stupid. If my people in the game want me gone, there are only two reasons. One, they are afraid I'm going to rat them out. Two, this chick has some laundry that needs cleaning in her part of the game, and if I'm gone or dead, she can put it on me. I have her money from the last load still, and she done sent me five more pounds of pure smack, straight from Afghanistan. Now that tells me that this is small potatoes to her, she must got it flowing like the Colorado River. Either way, I'm obviously expendable, and hold no value to her dumb ass. So one plus one makes two. I'm in deep crap. Two, she has just elected herself the sacrificial lamb trying that crazy ass move last night, and my time gets short by cooperating, and that's the end of the stick. I am willing to give her two-faced ass up now. She got it coming. She missed, and I won't."

The attorney smiles at his client's deductive reasoning and common sense. "Thank God you are not looking at this the wrong way. I was not looking forward to hours of convincing you of what you now have already concluded. Now let's get started on all of the precautions you must take and keep you safe and legal. Did you say that you just received five more pounds of heroin?"

Reggie nods. "She always mails it to me at my shop like parts, through UPS or other private carriers. I didn't know if it was still coming or not, due to my bust, but she was clueless about it, like I told you."

Matt says, "Well, that's not good that you're holding more shit, but at the same time it may be just what we need to give us leverage with the feds. It is going to be a new world for you Reggie, but we will do the best we can. The first thing is, you have to stash that shit real good and fast. You cannot go after her in any way; we need her just as you concluded last night, so let's stay smart, and draw up a real plan to draw her in and nail her."

***

The professor enters a breakfast restaurant. He scans the booths and sees Adriana drinking coffee and staring at him as walks toward her and takes a seat across the table.

She hands him a menu. "I take it that everything is in order?"

The professor despises the way she addressed him in that condescending tone. She was always short and rude to him with her western ways. "Yes, all is well. I have already sent the items for overnight delivery. The items will arrive at their destinations to one hundred eighty-three recipients tomorrow. Here are the invoice receipts for the parcel deliveries as you asked. The instructions and delivery systems are quite simple, and even a monkey could perform the tasks set forth within them. Our developer is brilliant in his field of expertise."

She takes the receipts and jams them in her purse. "Who is our developer?"

He looks at Adriana with her sunglasses on at the table. "You will meet him in two days in Montana. His name is Ahmed, a college student. He was also a participant in the first event like you. He designed that as well."

She studies the fat man and wonders where he found this Ahmed, and how he knew the man in Vancouver. "Very good professor, and I have something here for you also. It is in the bag next to me. You can take it after I leave, after you have had your breakfast."

He now is relieved that he is going to get his money. "Excellent. Thank you. I would have to work for five years on my salary for that kind of money."

His financial groveling disgusts Adriana. "If the product and system are what you say, then you have earned every dollar. Good bye, professor, have a nice life."

The dark-haired woman abruptly leaves the table and the professor sneaks a peak at her perfect butt as she passes him. The waitress arrives for his order.

"I'm sorry, sir. I did not see you sit down. What can I get you this morning?"

The Muslim professor smiles as he orders. "I think I will have the ham steak and three eggs over easy, a side of bacon and wheat toast with coffee."

Thirty-five minutes later, the professor finishes his pork-laden breakfast. He unzips the bag to look at the money Adriana has left for him. There are two plastic bags with what looks like packaged hundred dollar bills. He zips the bag, satisfied, and leaves the eatery.

He walks to his car, unlocks the door, and gets in. A white BMW backs in next to him on the driver's side of his car. He looks up to see Adriana in her shades pointing a pistol at him.

She puts two rounds into the professor's head through his window and pulls away slowly. She thinks to herself as she leaves the restaurant parking lot, how the fat Middle Eastern man will be found executed, with six ounces of heroin and thirty-five thousand dollars in a bag on the floor of his car, with his brains next to him on his seat and the passenger window. Just another dope deal gone badly.

***

Matt steps out of his meeting with Reggie to use the bathroom and runs into Joe on his way to see him.

"I was just coming to see you, Matthew. I just got off the phone with the FBI regarding your friend David Bloomfield. The agent said that, yes, they do have custody of him, but he is being held under Patriot Act guidelines and he could not disclose anything about the investigation or where he is being housed. He also said that he is under a no contact restriction indefinitely. This friend of yours is in some serious shit, Matt. What about the girlfriend? They let her go, does she know anything that can help?"

Matt says, "She does not know anything because I believe there is nothing. This thing is complete bullshit. I have known David and his family most of my life. I am working on a third-party coworker right now and am trying to get to all the pieces I can. I'll bring what I have to you as soon as I know before I make a move."

Joe can see that the news has rattled the young lawyer. "Remember, the feds need overwhelming substance to relent from prosecution, once they target any subject, but they will let go, especially if you can give them a greater target. Do not come at them with any lame nonsense. Be sure of your play." Joe pats Matt on the shoulder. Joe then walks back to his office.

Matt rushes to the bathroom.

When he exits the men's room and decides to heed Joe's advice, the receptionist is looking for him. "Matt, you have Jay Watts, the assistant U.S. attorney on line three, regarding the Haynes matter."

Matt rushes back to his office where Reggie is still waiting. Matt motions with his finger to his lips to be quiet. He hits the speaker button. "This is Matthew Cohen."

"This is assistant U.S. attorney Jay Watts. I understand that you are the counsel of record for Reginald Anthony Haynes, in a drug offense matter initiated originally by the state of Colorado."

Reggie's eyes get very big.

"Yes, sir, that is correct, Mr. Haynes is my client."

"Are you aware that we intend to indict Mr. Haynes on major drug trafficking and conspiracy charges as well as firearms enhancements for possession of firearms while in the commission of those offenses?"

Reggie looks sick as he listens to the voice on the speakerphone.

Matt says, "I suspected that may be the case when the state dropped the charges, Mr. Watts. That is a rather long list. I have a more reasonable suggestion that might affect the government's position on this matter. If you are willing to hold off on the grand jury indictment, I believe that I can convince my client to cooperate and make valuable provisions that would be most useful to the government, and save a great deal of time and expense. Then we would be talking about a plea to a more reasonable list, in the form of an information plea. Is that something you would consider on behalf of the government?"

There is a short silence as Matt stares at Reggie melting in his chair.

"As you know, Mr. Cohen, we make no promises regarding sentencing outcome. That is the decision of the presiding federal judge. However, if your client Mr. Haynes were to make considerable cooperative provisions to the government, that were in the best interest of justice, we are always willing to listen. In addition, if the contribution were a full disclosure, we would be compelled to encourage favor at sentencing. Maybe even a five-K-one submission. That is if the cooperation is overwhelming. That would significantly lower your client's exposure at sentencing, somewhere probably along the lower sentencing guidelines, especially without gun enhancements."

Matt says, "Mr. Watts, I need ten days to prepare my client for your interview, but on the conditions that he will surrender voluntarily without an arrest warrant of his own accord after a disposition and review of his cooperation is assessed by your office. Is that reasonable?"

There is a short silence. "I will agree to postpone the indictment proceedings and meet and review what your client has to offer for any considerations that may determine that an alternative course of prosecution posture on the government's part is warranted. I will agree to delay filing for nine days from today. That is the twenty-third. I have court proceedings in the morning. How is one in the afternoon, Thursday, my office?"

Matt looks at his client, who is frozen in his chair. "I have it scheduled, thank you for the courtesy call Mr. Watts." Matt hangs up.

Reggie is rubbing his face as he realizes that the heat is on again, big time.

Matt smiles. "Look at the bright side."

Reggie looks at his attorney; he is not smiling as he responds, "What bright side? Man, you're tripping."

"They're not going to rush out and bust you at your house or shop. And now we have some time for you to get that shit stashed, there will be no bail bond since you are now cooperating, and we get to make new friends and influence people."

Reggie is slumped in the chair. "The only influence I'm interested in right now is to be under the influence of a blunt and a bottle of Hennessy."

***

Dana is at her father's house sitting at his computer in the den with Moose and Sassy at her feet. She munches on fresh french bread with butter and a pickle as she searches for Reggie's background information. She found several articles regarding his arrest and that he owns a body shop downtown that his father had started in the seventies.

Dana hears the garage door opener as her father pulls in from a day at the golf course. She gets up to greet him as Moose and Sassy race her to the kitchen as always.

Richard Underwood comes into the kitchen with some groceries. Sassy jumps him with the bags in tow. "How is my family this afternoon?"

Dana hugs her dad she looks in the bag and finds grapes. "Daddy, you got grapes. I love grapes, are these for me?"