Silver Lining - A Carpelli Adventure: Sequel To The Bestselling Thriller Fatal Mistake (12 page)

“It has a titanium shaft and a composite head with an extended sweet spot. Yes, it is very expensive and worth every penny. Players like VJ Singh and Tiger Woods use those same clubs.”

“Damn, you must be pretty good. What would happen if they were to be slammed into the tire on this cart?” Washington asked stone faced, with his back to the developers. He then suddenly reared back and started to come forward with his swing. He managed to stop just before he slammed the club face into the wheel on the cart. Much to the relief of Stiversen.

“That would destroy the club. It would be weeks, if not months, before I could replace it. So please don’t play around with it.” Stiversen requested nervously, his face pale white.

“I’m not playing around with it. I’m serious. So are you going to cooperate with us or do I start practicing my swing for real?” Washington stated.

“This is highly ill regular, but in light of your urgent need, I’ll make the request as soon as this round is over. Who shall I say is going to do the autopsy?” Stiversen asked.

“Doctor Anne Harris.” Kelly stated, as he patted the doctor on the back. Then loudly he bellowed. “Thank you, Doctor, as usual you’re insight is exactly what we needed. Enjoy your game, gentlemen.” As Kelly and Washington started to walk away. Washington tossed the driver to Stiversen as he passed, while commenting just loud enough for Stiversen to hear.

“Doc, not a word to anyone about our conversation or I’ll be back to practice my driving skills on the back of your head.” Washington smiled for the developers and he and Kelly headed to the office for morning roll call.

CHAPTER TWELVE

I woke up at seven and immediately called Doctor Anne. She sounded awake and she assured me, she was and that I hadn’t waken her. When I said I hoped I hadn’t woke her husband, she said he had already left for work.

I explained that we had a nine thirty with the Feds in exam one and I would be there with her to help try and keep the Fed boys from running roughshod over her in their zeal to make a high profile bust. Though I doubt anyone could run roughshod over her unless she allowed it.

My next call was to the diner to say good morning to Betty. She was slammed and the manager Jan, decided to keep me company on the phone while I waited. She was quick to insinuate that we must have spent the night together because Betty’s eyes were all puffy. I assured her that Betty had gone home alone around eleven and that I went home alone as well, Jan just gave me a “Right.”

I arrived about a half hour ahead of the Feds and brought along a small wireless recorder for the meeting, so the Doc had a recording of the Feds promises, when they failed to live up to them or chose not to move fast enough on her case. When I first walked in the door to the Autopsy Theater, Doctor Anne’s face went pale.

“Oh my god! What happened to you?” She exclaimed.

“One of my new acquaintances in town decided the best way to cement our relationship was to try and beat the crap out of me.” I stated bluntly.

“John, it doesn’t look like they tried but rather they succeeded.” She shared her assessment of my face.

“I can assure you, if they had succeeded, I’d have arrived here this morning in a different fashion than walking and talking.”

“Well, come on over here in the light and I’ll see if I can’t help that nose of yours.”

“I’m okay. It gives me character.” I retorted not looking forward to the pain it would cause to straighten it back up.

“Get over here, you cry baby and be a man about it.” She ordered. I reluctantly stepped over and sat down. Anne busied herself with washing her hands and then with drying them. She then spent a minute studying the nose itself and then, without saying anything at all, she grabbed my face by the nose and twisted it sharply. There was a loud pop inside my head. I was seeing stars with tears running down my face, but other than a groan, I didn’t cry out. Though one look at my face and she could tell, I was in a good deal of pain.

“There now, all better. Here hold this tissue under your nose until the bleeding stops. You wouldn’t care to share what happened, would you?” She asked politely.

“There isn’t much to tell, Doc. I was using the restroom in a restaurant downtown, when this guy comes in and bashes me in the face. He had mistaken me for some guy his wife was fooling around with. I explained I wasn’t that guy and even showed him my ID, only to have him try to hit me again. I defended myself and he got the worst of it. I knocked him out after he hit me a second time.”

I wasn’t sure she had listened to me because she was looking at my hand. It was also very badly bruised across the face of the main knuckles and swollen to twice the size of the other hand In the middle of the bruise was a strange anomaly. It looked like the outline of six or seven teeth in a much darker bruise.

“Come on. Let’s get that documented in case someone tries to sue you over that fight or whatever. You know I can tell from the size of these teeth that the person who has or had them was at least six feet tall somewhere in the mid two hundred pound range and probably early thirties.” The Doc explained.

“All that from the outline of a bruise?”  I muttered, as she took several digital pictures of my hand and then she took two x-rays. 

“Yes and more, when the picture is clearer,” she informed me. “Oh by the way, you do have a couple of broken bones in the hand. I should splint it, so come on over here to the counter and I’ll see what I have to immobilize it with.”

I followed her as instructed and in short order, she had put my hand in a soft cast. She had just finished treating me when the Feds walked in. I got up and checked the hallway for anyone, but saw no one. I then closed and locked the door which was the signal for the Doc to start the recorder in her desk drawer. I tried to handle introductions but it wasn’t easy.

“Doctor, this is Special Agent James Merriman and…”  I stopped and waited for the other agent to introduce himself but for a moment he didn’t say anything. Finally, Agent Merriman cleared his throat and introduced Special Agent Walter Greene. He’s in charge of special investigations for the mid-south district.”

“So this is a special investigation then?” Doctor Anne asked.

“In a way.” Agent Greene stated and didn’t explain further. I looked at Agent Merriman and then back at Greene who was busy thumbing through some papers he brought with him.

“So what the hell does that mean?” I finally asked.

“It means the two gentlemen, you say are threatening you and your son, are already under investigation and so far we’ve gotten bumpkiss for the effort.” Agent Greene elaborated.

“So what? You’re going to give them a free pass?” Doctor Anne asked curtly.

“No Mam, but it does mean that, these two suspects are extremely crafty and know the law very well. They don’t speak loosely or take to people looking into their business very well. In the last week, they have rooted out and killed two informants, a Roderick Collins and Edward Holston.”

I stood up quickly and slammed my hands down on the table. “Collins and Holston were working for you? Who the hell do you people think you are? I didn’t sign up to work with you. Yet you put me in danger for the sake of your case?” I was livid. Doctor Anne reached out and touched my hand, I practically melted.

“Mr. Carpelli, we had no idea Holston was involving you until after he had done so.” Agent Greene shared. “Our surveillance team saw you go in and come out. Holston got over zealous when he couldn’t get the evidence needed to sink the two dirty cops. You were the second person he had sent to ‘The Wild Rose’. The first was Roderick Collins. Collins was sent to tell Michael Nolan, a prominent lawyer and the man in control of the Diablo’s motorcycle club, all about these bad detectives. We believe, Nolan had Collins killed for his trouble. Which in turn, has caused problems with clubs main employer, “The Dixie Mob.”

The Diablo’s work as skip tracers and enforcers, for the Dixie Mob. The leader of the local chapter of the Dixie Mob was Jason Carmel. According to these papers, Doctor, Carmel died of electrocution by taser and not due to a drunk driving accident. City negotiator, Ronald Stapleton, had been stabbed with an ice pick in the back of the neck and would have died from that, if they hadn’t dumped him in the river before he was dead, thus allowing for a creditable finding of drowning. Then there is Roderick Collins, he’s been dead four or five days now and you say the official ruling is murder based on the stippling of the area around the entrance wound.”

“Is that a definitive finding?” Agent Merriman asked interrupting Agent Greene.

“Yes, it is.” Doctor Anne replied.

“That brings us to your claim that, Kelly and Washington have been here and ordered you to alter your official findings for the Collins and Holston.” Agent Greene stated,

“Yes, they have.” Doctor Anne stated.

“I witnessed the second time they ordered her order up fake tests.” I interrupted which drew a glare from Agent Greene.

“I understand that you have somehow arranged for the pair to comeback and reiterate their demands, by using the system to work in your favor. How did you know do that?” Agent Greene asked.

“I altered the work schedule to require Doctor Stiversen to file a recusal form, in order to get the body of Holston reassigned, to the slot I have open, later this week. Smith and Jones will have to see him in person and request he file the form, ” Doctor Anne explained.

“Okay, do either of you know a James Grafton?” Neither of us knew him so we shook our heads in a negative fashion, so Agent Greene continued. James Grafton is the City Editor of the Sentinel Newspaper. He came to us several months ago with a story covering almost twenty years of harassment and manipulation. Seems they could have busted young James at a police action way back when and have been doing all they can to manipulate him ever since. They are always threatening to expose him. He finally decided he’d had enough when they threatened his children, over not running a story that might have hinted that Kelly and Washington were corrupt.

James has collected over twelve hours of tapes on Kelly and Washington and not once in the tapes do they threaten him. They all they allude to, is that if he knows what is best for him and his family. The DA claims that’s not enough to get any local judge to indict them. So we just keep recording in the hope that something soon reach the standard of proof.”

“Why do you expect we’ll get any better results with you, Doctor?” Agent Greene asked.

“I don’t know what results you’ve actually gotten from this James Grafton, but I’m not some shrinking violet.” Doctor Anne began, while I nodded in agreement. “I am tired of this shit. I never know when those assholes will show up and demand, I set myself up to fired or prosecuted. They threaten my son every time and I know each one of these cases is a murder, based on the evidence. Which is why I kept the actual records. They think they’re safe because they quickly take the body and cremate it. But with those records, the State ME can declare the records suspect and reopen every one of those cases. They can force me to testify, they were indeed murders and that they coerced me into falsifying the records.” Doctor Anne shared how the states ME’s office worked.

“I’m not sure you understand the gravity of the charges against these men and their MO up to this point. They are extremely violent and unpredictable. If you do this, you’ll be putting your life on the line.” Agent Greene stated.

“Who are you? Obviously not a seasoned pro of an FBI agent. I’m already in danger, you idiot! It’s getting more dangerous with each murder, I help them cover up. My son’s days are numbered with these two assholes controlling his life and mine. So what’s it going to be, are you going to help me and my son by setting up lots of wires to catch these assholes threatening me or what?” Doctor Anne demanded to know right now.

“Yes, Doctor. We want these guys as much or more than you want to be rid of them. We’ll have our techs in to wire the room up, later today. Plus we’ll put a wireless microphone on you that is basically undetectable. It will need to be attached to something you wear every day and it doesn’t see the washing machine.”

“I have a watch I wear every day and I have to wear my ID packet.” Doctor Anne offered.

“That’ll be fine. Ok, I think we’re done here.” Agent Merriman spoke for what seemed like the first time after the introductions.

“Not quite,” I stated.

“What?” Merriman inquired.

“The Doctor wants blanket immunity for all crimes she has been coerced into taking part in and any future crimes while conducting this investigation. Plus, what the hell does she do, if Kelly and Washington show up before your techs get in here to wire the place?”

“I see. Now you want us to give a free pass to someone who is neck deep in a cover up so big, Watergate may seem like a drop in bucket of water.” Agent Merriman grumbled.

“Without the free pass, the doctor isn’t helping you and I’ll offer my services to the opposition. You’ll end up pushing paper in some satellite office for having blown the case.” I bluffed but it sounded really good. “In addition, the Doctor will need witness protection as well.”

“But I don’t want witness protection,” Doctor Anne complained. I gave her a look hoping she’d understand that this was a negotiation not the final actual implementation.

Agents Greene and Merriman exchanged glances are after a moment, they agreed to the blanket immunity and the witness protection. But Merriman tried to add a caveat to it. “If this deal goes south, then the immunity and the witness protection goes south with it.”

“That’s a deal killer, Merriman. If she doesn’t get complete immunity and witness protection for making the effort, than there is no deal to start with. The only people who can blow this are you and your fellow FBI agents. I’ve seen it happen and I won’t let this woman become a statistic because of your failing. Complete immunity from everything and witness protection, starting right now or no deal.”

“We can arrest her right now. She’s admitted to the faking of at least two death certificates. That’s twenty to twenty-five years on each count.”

“I don’t think you’ll try anything that stupid.” I stated confidently.

“What are you getting at?” Greene asked.

“We’ve recorded this conversation, gentlemen, because I know how you operate. I’ve seen too many deals with the FBI fall through, because you don’t deal honestly with your witnesses.”

“And if I said, I don’t believe you?” Agent Merriman inquired.

Doctor Anne got up without me telling her to and she walked over to the desk. She grabbed the recorder from her top drawer. She then held it up where they could see it and played the tape. When it was done, she pressed record again and placed it back in the drawer.                                                                                                                                                                                    

“Fine blanket immunity and witness protection, but we get the tape,” Agent Merriman demanded.