Sparring Partners(84)
Doyle listened with his eyes closed, as if hanging on every word. Foley tried to take notes but gave up halfway through.
At the end, Diantha did a convincing job of walking away from the plot and staying innocent. When she stopped the recording, Doyle asked, “Any indication that the money has changed hands?”
“There has been no exchange. Stu Broome would know it.”
“And you’re convinced these guys are serious about bribing the governor not to pardon their father?”
“Yes, and I’m even more convinced that Bolton would try to bribe his way out of prison. I’m a little surprised at Kirk and Rusty, but then they’re under a lot of pressure. The money has changed everything.”
“Do you know how much Bolton has?”
“Roughly. His payout from the tobacco settlement is three million a year and it began five years ago. They run a fraction of it through the firm to make things seem legit, but the vast majority of the money is hidden offshore in various tax havens. Mr. Broome knows where it is.”
Foley needed to appear involved, so he said, “Three million bucks a year. For how many years?”
“Depends on how much it’s earning, but at least twelve years, maybe more.”
“And these fees are not unusual in your business?”
“I didn’t say that. The tobacco settlement was a historic bonanza for trial lawyers, but there have been others. Bolton just got lucky and signed on early.”
Doyle waved him off and said, “Let’s save this for later. The pressing issue is approval from Washington. We need to move fast. I assume the Malloys will be meeting with Jackal in the near future.”
“That’s a good assumption,” Diantha said. “How will I know what’s going on?”
“Well, we can’t let you in on the investigation, but you can call me anytime. Or Adrian here. I’ll keep her posted. I suggest you return to the firm and act as though nothing is going on.”
Foley said, “But be careful what you say because we’ll be listening.”
“Got it.”
(37)
The enthusiasm for nabbing a felonious governor, especially a Republican, was shared by those who mattered in Washington. Emergency meetings were thrown together at the Justice Department and the FBI headquarters in the Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue. The Attorney General and the FBI director signed on quickly and fired off orders to Missouri. Important men in dark suits left D.C. on a private jet and headed to St. Louis. By 10:00 p.m. search warrants had been issued and surveillance plans were coming together.
Jackal’s three cell phones were tapped, along with those of Rusty and Kirk. Bugs were installed throughout the law firm and the offices of the Sturgiss reelection campaign. Warrants allowed the FBI to monitor the emails of the players. It took an FBI hacker four hours to track down Jackal’s secret addresses. When everyone was in place, they waited.
But not for long. As Diantha predicted, Kirk made contact with Jackal. Rusty played the other side of the street and loathed getting near Sturgiss and his gang. The call went from Kirk’s cell to one of Jackal’s, and since both used the same service provider the eavesdropping was even easier. Not surprisingly, they agreed to meet over lunch the next day at a suburban country club, far away from downtown. It was one of Kirk’s clubs and he knew most of the men who hung around during the day, waiting for golf or happy hour. Familiar turf, and if strangers were lurking he would notice them. He also liked the idea of lunching and being seen with someone so close to the governor.
After the club’s general manager was served with a search warrant and its attorney arrived to look it over, the FBI descended on the place. There were three dining rooms available for lunch. Mr. Malloy preferred the Mens Grille, near the pro shop. Women were still excluded from the area. There was also the Banquet Room, which was fancier, and the FBI suggested that it should be closed the following day due to problems with the ovens. The GM at first objected, but fell in line quickly when reminded by the lawyer that the club would cooperate fully. The third dining room was called the Patio, and Mr. Malloy had been known to eat there, though not nearly as often as his wife.
At nine the following morning, Kirk’s secretary called to reserve a table for two in the Mens Grille. It was then temporarily closed for an hour, due to plumbing issues, while a team of FBI technicians bugged two tables the general manager selected. When Kirk arrived at noon and parked near the pro shop, no less than eight FBI agents were watching and filming his every move. Same for Jackal, who appeared five minutes later. When they were shown to their table, two hidden cameras recorded their hearty greetings.
Of the ten tables in the grill, eight were occupied. The staff had been warned to carry on as if nothing was unusual.
A federal grand jury soon heard the entire conversation. The indictable portion was:
KIRK: So we know about the plan to spring our father in January, after some funds change hands.
JACK: [Laughs.] Oh really. Not sure what you’re talking about.
KIRK: Come on, Jack. We’re in the loop. Two mil for a full and complete pardon.
JACK: [After a long pause.] Well, well, I must say I am surprised. I guess Bolton decided to include his boys.
KIRK: Not at all. Bolton has said nothing about it. We picked it up from another source, verified with an email from one of your secret accounts, which really isn’t that secure so you should be more careful, Jack. We know the deal is going down and Bolton plans to walk in January. Not sure where the two mil goes but I guess that’s none of our business. So cut the crap and talk to me face-to-face with no bullshit, because we know.