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〃How were these names selected？〃 asked Mast。
〃At the time； there were eight thousand employees at New Coastal。 They selected real names that were mon…Jones； Johnson； Miller； Green； Young… and changed the first initial。〃
〃How much labor was falsified？〃
〃According to Aricia's filing； it was nineteen million dollars over a four…year period。〃
〃Did Mr。 Aricia know it was falsified？〃
〃Yes； he implemented the scheme。〃
〃And how do you know this？〃
〃Where are the tapes？〃
Mast handed him a sheet of paper on which the tapes of over sixty conversations had been cataloged。 Patrick studied it for a minute。 〃I think it's tape number seventeen；〃 he said。 The assistant U。S。 attorney in charge of the box of tapes produced number seventeen； and inserted it into a player in the center of the table。
Patrick said； 〃This is Doug Vitrano talking to
Jimmy Havarac； two of the partners； in Vitrano's office； on May 3； 1991。〃
The player was turned on； and they waited for the voices。
FIRST VOICE： How do you pad nineteen million dollars in bogus labor？
〃That's Jimmy Havarac；〃 Patrick said quickly。
SECOND VOICE： It wasn't difficult。
〃And that's Doug Vitrano；〃 Patrick said。
VITRANO： The labor was running fifty million a year。 For four years it was over two hundred million。 So they were just tacking on a ten percent increase。 It got lost in the paperwork。
HAVARAC： And Aricia knew about it？
VITRANO： Knew about it？ Hell； he implemented it。
HAVARAC： e on； Doug。
VITRANO： It's all bogus； Jimmy。 Every aspect of his claim is bogus。 The labor； the inflated invoices； the double and triple billing for expensive hardware。 Everything。 Aricia planned this from the beginning； and he just happened to work for a pany with a long history of screwing the government。 He knew how the pany worked。 He knew how the Pentagon worked。 And he was shrewd enough to set up the scheme。
HAVARAC： Who told you this？
VITRANO： Bogan。 Aricia's told Bogan everything。 Bogan's told the Senator everything。 We keep our mouths shut and play along； and we'll all be millionaires。
The voices went silent as the tape； well edited by Patrick years ago； came to the end。
The grand jurors stared at the tape player。
〃Could we hear some more？〃 one of them asked。
Mast shrugged and looked at Patrick； who said； 〃I think that's a marvelous idea。〃
With Patrick's play…by…play mentary and sometimes colorful analysis； it took almost three hours to listen to the tapes。 The Closet tape was saved for last； and played four times before the grand jurors would let it go。 At six； they ordered dinner from a nearby deli。
At seven； Patrick was allowed to leave。
While they ate； Mast discussed some of the more telling documents。 He addressed the various federal laws involved。 With the voices of the crooks captured so vividly on the tapes； the conspiracy was laid bare。
At eight…thirty； the grand jury voted unanimously to indict Benny Aricia； Charles Bogan； Doug Vitrano； Jimmy Havarac； and Ethan Rapley for conspiring to mit fraud under the False Claims Act。 If convicted； each could face up to ten years； and be fined up to five hundred thousand dollars。
Senator Harris Nye was named as an unindicted co…conspirator； a temporary designation that would most likely change for the worse。 Sprawling； Jaynes； and Maurice Mast fashioned a strategy of first indicting the smaller fish； then pressuring them to cut a deal and squeal on the big one。 They would aggressively go after Rapley and Havarac because of their hatred of Charles Bogan。
The grand jury adjourned at nine。 Mast met with the U。S。 Marshal； and planned the arrests for early the next morning。 Jaynes and Sprawling found late flights from New Orleans back to D。C。
Thirty…seven
HANDLED a car wreck once； just after I joined the firm。 It happened on 49； up in Stone County； near Wiggins。 Our clients were going north when a flatbed truck pulled out from a county road； right in front of them。 A big wreck。 Three people were in our car； the driver was killed； his wife was severely injured； a kid in the backseat had a broken leg。 The flatbed truck was owned by a paper pany； heavily insured； and so the case had potential。 They gave it to me； and I jumped in gung ho because I was new。 There was no doubt the truck was at fault； but its driver； who was not hurt； claimed our car was speeding。 This became the big issue…how fast was our dead driver going？ My accident reconstructionist estimated his speed at sixty miles per hour； which was not too bad。 The highway was posted for fifty…five； everybody does at least sixty。 My clients were driving to Jackson to visit family； and were in no hurry。
〃The accident reconstructionist hired by the truck's insurance pany estimated my guy's speed at seventy…five； and this； of course； would've seriously hurt our case。 Any jury will frown on twenty miles over the speed limit。 We found a witness； an old man who was either the second or third person on the scene。 His name was Mr。 Clovis Goodman； age eighty…one； blind in one eye and couldn't see out of the other。〃
〃Seriously？〃 Sandy asked。
〃No； but his vision was somewhat impaired。 He was still driving； and on that day he was puttering down the highway in his 1968 Chevrolet pickup when our car passed him。 Then； just over the next hill； old Clovis happened upon the wreck。 Clovis was a very tender old man； lived alone； no close family； forgotten and neglected； and seeing this horrible accident moved him deeply。 He tried to help the victims； and hung around for a while； then he left。 He didn't say anything to anybody。 He was too upset。 He told me later he didn't sleep for a week。
〃Anyway； we got word that one of the later arrivals had actually videoed the accident scene while the ambulances and cops and fire trucks were there。 Traffic was backed up； people were bored； and； hell； they'll video anything； so we borrowed the tape。 A paralegal analyzed it and took down all the license plate numbers。 Then he found the owners； trying to find witnesses。 That's how we found Clovis。 He said he practically saw the wreck； but was too upset to talk about it。 I asked him if I could e out for a visit； and he said yes。
〃Clovis lived in the country； out from Wiggins； in a small white…frame house he and his wife had built back
before the war。 She had been dead for many years。 So had his only child； a son who'd gone astray。 He had two grandchildren； one lived in California and the other near Hattiesburg。 He hadn't seen either in years。 I learned all this within the first hour。 Clovis was a lonely old man； gruff at first； as if he didn't trust lawyers and resented wasting time； but not long into the first visit he was boiling hot water for instant coffee and telling family secrets。 We sat on the porch； in rocking chairs with a dozen old cats swarming under our feet； and talked about everything but the wreck。 Fortunately； it was a Saturday； so I could waste time and not worry about the office。 He was a wonderful storyteller。 The Depression was a favorite topic； as was the war。 After a couple of hours； I finally mentioned the car wreck； and he went quiet and looked pained and informed me softly that he just couldn't talk about it