Sparring Partners(82)

“Good point,” Kirk said.

Rusty was shaking his head again. “The problem is that we can’t predict the unintended consequences. We don’t know what Bolton will do, and there will be no way to control him. I for one cannot believe that he’ll take this without a big fight.”

“Agreed,” Kirk said. “He’ll come out swinging and then start throwing bombs.”

Diantha said, “Okay, but this is a bribery scheme involving Bolton and Governor Sturgiss, right? We have nothing to do with it. What if we play the role of the good citizen and tip the FBI? It’ll be a huge scandal, a tsunami, but we’ll go untouched. Sturgiss goes down, gets his just rewards. Bolton gets ten more years and dies in prison. The money’s ours.”

Rusty kept frowning. “Sounds good but it won’t work. Any criminal investigation into Bolton Malloy will eventually lead to the offshore money. At that point we’re all screwed.”

Kirk and Diantha exchanged glances with raised eyebrows, as if to say, This guy is quicker than we are. Thinks like a crook. Glad he’s on our side.

Rusty cracked his knuckles and raked his fingers through his hair. They could almost hear him thinking. Then he said, “Here’s an idea that’ll work and everything will be kept quiet. Plus, Bolton will stay where he is. Let’s go to Jackal and tell him we know about the bribery scam with the old man. Since they want a bribe, we’ll give ’em one. We’ll pay two-point-five million to keep Bolton where he is for the rest of his sentence. Sturgiss gets his money plus a little extra. We keep the bulk of ours. Bolton is told the deal is off and he’ll think Sturgiss got cold feet.”

Now Kirk’s jaw dropped. “You want to bribe the governor to keep Bolton in prison?”

“I thought I was fairly plain. Did you get it, Diantha?”

“I did. I’m speechless.”

“Tell me why it won’t work,” Rusty said with a nasty grin.

They were indeed speechless. Kirk leaned back in his chair and glared at the ceiling as if searching for an answer up there. Diantha pinched the bridge of her nose and felt a headache roaring in from the back of her neck. Then she remembered her cell phone. The recording was now at 22 minutes, 46 seconds, and counting, and it had scooped up a conversation that could land all three of them in prison with Bolton.

It was imperative that she now play defense. “I’m not so sure about it,” she said.

Rusty said, “It’s beautiful. The more I think about it, the more perfect it becomes. Five more years with Bolton locked away and we’ll have most of the tobacco money.”

Diantha asked, “What if Jackal says no?”

“Then we tell him we’re going to the FBI. He’ll back down. I can handle that clown.”

Kirk chuckled at first, then began laughing. “It’ll work. Jackal will grab it because it’s more money but also, and more important, there’s no crime. Think about it! Selling a pardon is obviously a crime. But taking a bribe to do…what? Not sell a pardon? It’s never been heard of.”

Rusty was revved up and kept going. “You can’t find a statute in any state that makes it illegal to not sell a pardon. It’s beautiful.”

Diantha glanced down: 24 minutes, 19 seconds, and counting and getting deeper. To save her neck, she said firmly, “I’m not in, boys. I don’t like it and I disagree. There’s got to be something illegal about it.”

“Come on, Diantha,” Kirk said. “We’re all in this together, aren’t we?”

“Hell no. We’re all splitting the tobacco money because we’re entitled to a portion of it. This is something different. You guys are on your own here.”

She grabbed the cell phone, dumped it into her handbag, rose dramatically, stood without a word, and left the room. She practically sprinted to the elevator and expected one of them to call her name. She ducked into the stairwell and was halfway between the fifth and sixth floors when she stopped to catch her breath. She pulled out her cell phone and turned off the recorder: 26 minutes, 27 seconds.

Now what was she supposed to do with it?





(34)


Mimi walks to a large window and gazes at the traffic below. It has been a long session, almost ninety minutes, and she is in no hurry because her patient has not been this fragile in many years. Mimi crosses her arms, speaks casually to the glass. “You don’t trust them now, do you?”

The answer is slow and deliberate. “No.”

“Have you ever trusted them?”

“I think so. We’ve worked together for eighteen years, got off to a rough start and all, but over time we came to respect each other. Now, though, their worlds are unraveling and they’re under pressure. Their problems are self-imposed but then most are, aren’t they?”

“Have they ever engaged in criminal conduct before?”

“Not to my knowledge. They may have danced around some campaign finance laws, something they learned from their father, but I have no direct knowledge of it. As I said, they believe they are committing no crime if they pursue this plan.”

“And you’re a lawyer. What’s your opinion?”

“It’s bribery, plain and simple, and I can’t believe they feel otherwise. They’re very bright and they know it’s illegal.”