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ely to the AmericaBank; Washington branch。 She had the account numbers and routing instructions。 Tea and biscuits were brought in as he excused himself to have a private chat with Zurich。
〃No problem; Ms。 Pires;〃 he said; smiling warmly now as he returned and took a biscuit for himself。 She certainly hadn't expected any problems。
His puter hissed with quiet efficiency; and a printout emerged。 He handed it to her。 After the wire; the balance in DeutscheBank would be one point nine million dollars and change。 She folded it and put it in her purse; a sleek new Chanel。
Another Swiss account had a balance of three million。 A Canadian bank on Grand Cayman held six point five million。 A money manager in Bermuda was investing over four million for them; and seven point two million was currently parked in Luxembourg; but was about to be moved。
When her business was plete; she left the bank and found her car and driver parked nearby。 She would call Sandy; and pass along her next movements。
BENNY'S STINT as a federal fugitive was brief。 His girlfriend spent the night in Frankfurt; then flew to London; landing at Heathrow around noon。 Since they knew she was ing; the customs officer double…checked her passport and made her wait。 She wore dark sunglasses and her hands shook。 It was all captured on video。
At the cab stand; she was unknowingly detained by a policeman who appeared to be in charge of whistling for taxis。 He asked her to stand over there; next to those other two ladies; while he worked the traffic。 Her driver was a true cabbie; but only seconds earlier had been briefed and given a small radio。
〃Athenaeum Hotel on Piccadilly;〃 she said。 He eased away from the terminal in heavy traffic; and nonchalantly gave the destination on the radio。
He took his time。 An hour and a half later; he deposited her at the door of the hotel。 She waited again at the registration desk。 The assistant manager apologized for the delay; but the puter was down。
Then word came that the phone in her room was adequately tapped; they gave her a key and a bellman took her away。 She tipped him lightly; locked and chained her door; and went straight for the phone。
The first words they heard her say were; 〃Benny; it's me。 I'm here。〃
〃Thank God;〃 said Benny。 〃Are you okay?〃
〃I'm fine。 Just scared。〃
〃Did anyone follow you?〃
〃No。 I don't think so。 I was very careful。〃
〃Great。 Look; there's a little coffee bar on Brick Street near Down; two blocks from your hotel。 Meet me there in an hour。〃
〃Okay。 I'm scared; Benny。〃
〃Everything's fine; dear。 I can't wait to see you。〃
Benny wasn't at the coffee bar when she arrived。 She waited for an hour before panicking and running back to her hotel。 He didn't call; and she didn't sleep。
The next morning; she gathered up the morning papers in the lobby and read them over coffee in the dining room。 Deep in the Daily Mail she finally found a two…paragraph blip about the capture of an American fugitive; one Benjamin Aricia。
She packed her bags and booked a flight to Sweden。
Forty…one
WITH JUDGE KARL HUSKEY whispering into the ear of his colleague Judge Henry Trussel; it was established that the Lanigan matter should take precedence until it was put to rest。 Rumors of a deal were floating throughout the legal munity in Biloxi; rumors chased and being chased by even more gossip about the poor Bogan firm。 In fact; nothing else was being discussed in the courthouse。
Trussel began the day by calling in T。L。 Parrish and Sandy McDermott for a quick update; which eventually lasted for hours。 Patrick was brought into the discussion on three occasions by use of Dr。 Hayani's cell phone。 The two; patient and doctor; were playing chess in the hospital cafeteria。
〃I don't think he's cut out for jail;〃 Trussel mumbled after the second call to Patrick。 He was visibly and verbally reluctant to let Patrick off the hook with such ease; but a conviction was a longshot。 With a docket filled with drug dealers and child molesters; he wasn't about to waste time with a high…profile corpse mutilator。 All the evidence was circumstantial; and given Patrick's current reputation for meticulous planning; Trussel doubted a conviction。
The terms of the plea agreement were hammered out。 The paperwork began with a joint motion to reduce the charges against Patrick。 Then an agreed order to substitute new charges was prepared; followed by an agreed order accepting the guilty plea。 In the course of the first meeting; Trussel spoke by phone to Sheriff Sweeney; Maurice Mast; Joshua Cutter; and Hamilton Jaynes in Washington。 He also chatted twice with Karl Huskey; who was next door; just in case。
The two judges; along with Parrish; were subject to voter recall every four years in the general election。 Trussel had never had an opponent and considered himself politically immune。 Huskey was quitting。 Parrish was sensitive; though being a good politician he presented the traditional facade of making the tough decisions without regard for public reaction。 The three had been involved in politics for a long time; and each had learned a basic lesson: when contemplating an action which might be unpopular; do it quickly。 Get it over with。 Hesitation allows the issue to fester。 The press grabs it; creates a controversy before the action; and certainly throws gasoline on the fire afterward。
The Clovis issue was simple; once Patrick explained it to everybody。 He would submit the name of the victim; along with authorization from the family to dig up the grave; open the casket; look inside。 If it was in fact empty; then the plea agreement would be plete。 Since there would always be doubt until they opened the grave; if by some chance the casket was occupied; then the plea agreement would be ripped up and Patrick would still face capital murder charges。 Patrick was supremely confident when he talked of the victim; and everyone believed without a doubt that the grave would be empty。
Sandy drove to the hospital; where he found his client in bed; surrounded by nurses as Dr。 Hayani cleaned and dressed his burns。 It was urgent; Sandy said; and Patrick apologized and asked them to leave。 Alone; they walked through each motion and order; read every word aloud; then Patrick signed his approval。
Sandy noticed a cardboard box on the floor next to Patrick's temporary desk。 In it were some of the books he'd loaned his client。 The client was already packing。
For Sandy; lunch was a quick sandwich at the hotel suite; eaten while standing and watching over the shoulder as a secretary retyped a document。 Both paralegals and a second secretary were back in the office in New Orleans。
The phone rang; and Sandy grabbed it。 The caller identified himself as Jack Stephano; from D。C。; maybe Sandy had heard of him。 Yes; in fact; he had。 Stephano was in the lobby downstairs and would like to talk for a few minutes。 Certainly。 Trussel had asked the lawyers to return around two。
They sat in the small den and looked at each other across a cluttered coffee table。 〃I'm here out of curiosity;〃 Stephano said; and Sandy didn't believe him。
〃Shouldn't you start with an apology?〃 Sandy said。
〃Yes; you're right。 My men got a little