The Amendment Killer (Brooks/Lotello Thriller) Read online

  “Says who? What’re you gonna do? Dock my allowance? Take away my bread and water?”

  “How ‘bout I toss your insulin?”

  “Don’t think so, Frankenstein face.”

  “Yeah? Why not?”

  “Because without a healthy me, you lose. Your plan crashes and burns. I’m your only ticket. You know it. I know it.”

  “What’re you talking about? You don’t know squat.”

  “I do too. I know plenty. You kidnapped me just before the start of my poppy’s Supreme Court case. You must have wanted him to do something for you. But that’s crazy. He’d never do anything for you. He wouldn’t even talk to you.

  “Unless maybe you first kidnapped me, and told him you’d kill me if he didn’t do what you wanted. But Poppy’d make you promise not to touch me, and to let me go if he agreed to do what you wanted.

  “So you have to keep me safe. When you found out I needed more insulin to live, you went to Poppy, not my mom and dad. But my parents are the ones who have my supplies, not him. Why would you go to my poppy? Answer: Because you were already talking with him about what you wanted him to do and you had to show him you were doing everything you could to keep me safe.

  “So I know plenty. See? You can’t dare hurt me. Even when you get mad at me.”

  Christ! How’d this little bitch work all this out? I couldn’t have done that at her age. According to Mother and Father, I could never do anything right.

  Thomas was furious. He swiftly closed the distance between them. Before she could react, he reached around and grabbed her by the back of her neck, pulling her face right up into his. “Don’t think you’re so smart, brat. There’s a whole lot I can do short of killing you. Without your grandfather being any the wiser. Why don’t I give you a little example of just what I mean? Right here and now.”

  He slowly tightened his grip on her neck. He expected her to cry out. She didn’t. The brat is one tough cookie. With a final shove that caused her to stumble and lose her balance, he turned and walked out, locking the basement door, as always.

  * * *

  Cassie was glad the camera didn’t work anymore. If it did, in spite of all of her pretending to the contrary, he would’ve seen just how terrified she really was.

  CHAPTER 78

  Thursday, May 8, 6:00 pm

  IT WAS around six when Webber finally arrived home and entered the family room. Linda and Jill were huddled close together on the sofa, Linda’s arm around Jill’s shoulder. Jill wore the same robe she had on when Webber had left that morning. Dark circles shadowed her swollen eyes. Hirschfeld was slumped in an adjacent chair. His breathing was labored, his eyes were closed. Webber couldn’t tell if he were asleep or just deep in thought. Webber took a seat opposite them.

  Jill was the first to speak. “Where’ve you been all day?”

  “At the Courthouse,” Webber said, “watching the proceedings. Hoping I might spot someone looking sideways at your dad. I didn’t.”

  “You should have called. Mom and I have been out of our minds.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have, but I couldn’t. They don’t allow phones in the Courtroom. The place was packed. If I’d stepped out to call, someone would have been given my seat. I wouldn’t have been able to get back in.”

  Webber changed the subject. “By the way, your dad was terrific, arguing to defeat the amendment at every turn. I can only imagine how hard that must have been on him given his true beliefs. Not to mention having to behave as if nothing out of the ordinary were going on.”

  “Jill and I kept watching the phone,” Linda said, “waiting for it to ring. Not knowing whether the silence was a good thing or a bad thing.”

  Hirschfeld stirred. He didn’t appear to be handling this conversation very well. He looked drained. Webber wondered how much longer he could keep this up. “I received another call from Cassie’s kidnappers today. It—”

  The words flew out of Jill’s mouth. “Jesus, Dad, when were you going to tell us?”

  “I was waiting for Mark to get here. I wanted to tell everyone at the same time.

  “White House Chief of Staff Manny Reyes was in Court today. The kidnapper on the phone was extremely anxious. Rattled. He accused me of breaking our ‘agreement’ to say nothing to anyone, instead bringing Reyes into the picture. Along with a bunch of federal agents who were also there.

  “I swore I’ve not had anything to do with them. That’s the truth. I haven’t. But I don’t know if he believed me. He hung up on me.”

  Webber was cringing inside. He was sure everyone in the room was looking at him.

  “Dad,” couldn’t the White House just be interested in the case? Why would he blame us?”

  “I have no idea. Or why the kidnappers would be interested in Reyes.

  “But this leads me to something else we need to discuss. When I first heard about it, I thought it was rubbish. After the latest call from these thugs, I think it may be worth considering.”

  “Arnold,” Linda said, “you’re speaking in riddles. What may be worth considering?”

  “Everyone hear me out, please. Let me finish before you react.”

  Hirschfeld recounted his early morning secret meeting with Brooks, and the escrow concept Brooks raised. “I was totally opposed. But then as—”

  Webber cut him off, “What are you talking about? Isn’t Brooks lead counsel for NoPoli? How could you possibly be meeting with him in the middle of your case? Doesn’t that violate all kinds of rules?”

  “Technically, yes. But—”

  “No buts. You can’t—”

  “Knock it off, Mark,” Hirschfeld snapped. “You want to talk about rules, or about getting your daughter safely back home?”

  Webber bristled. What he wanted to say was: “Who the hell do you think you are, old man, talking to me like that? You’re in my home now. Not your fancy Courtroom.” What he actually said was . . . nothing.

  “I asked you all not to interrupt until I finished. As for you, Mark, you need to quit worrying about the small stuff and concentrate on what’s important. Do you really think I need a lecture from you on the rules of Court?”

  Webber remained silent. For the moment.

  The scowl on Hirschfeld’s face hinted that Webber’s silence might not be enough.

  “You know, Mark, I was originally going to wait to speak to you in private about this, but since you feel so entitled to criticize me, when were you planning to tell us about your little escapade with Reyes outside the Courthouse this afternoon? Is there perhaps something you did to bring Reyes into the Courtroom today, prompting the kidnapper’s call to me during the noon recess?”

  All eyes instantly redirected to Webber. He swallowed hard. “That was the only contact I’ve ever had with Reyes. I wanted to know why he was there, but I chickened out and just asked him what he thought about the case. Our conversation lasted only a few seconds.

  “Until you told us about your call with the kidnappers, I didn’t think there was any reason to mention this. But I did tell Reyes my name when the agent with him insisted I identify myself. Your call must have come within a few minutes after I met Reyes. My behavior was lame, I know that now. You have every reason to call me out on this.”

  “Aren’t you still omitting something, Mark? What prompted you to approach Reyes in the first place?”

  Webber looked pained. Shit. Caught again. No choice but to come clean now. He described his earlier confidential outreach to Larry Adams, and that Adams had somehow electronically intercepted a suspicious call from Reyes to the FBI.

  “And you questioned me about not following the rules? I take it you’ve heard about unlawful wiretapping.”

  So rules don’t matter only if he’s the one breaking them. Webber still held his tongue.

  Hirschfeld shook his head. “Look, I don’t give a damn about any rules at this point. But we need to be straight with one another. What else did this Adams fellow tell you?”

  “Just that
Reyes arranged for the FBI to come with him to Court this morning. Adams thought that the call might have something to do with Cassie. I Googled Reyes, looked at some photos of him. I decided to go to Court and confront him. After I introduced myself, it suddenly dawned on me that this could prove dangerous to Cassie. And so I backed off.”

  Hirschfeld wasn’t finished. “But not until you gave him your name, right?”

  “Yes. But that’s all. I never said anything about Cassie or what I first wanted to discuss with him.”

  “Okay. I guess we’ve cleared the air. No point dwelling any further on what we can’t change. But from here on we need to stay a lot more coordinated. No more individual heroics. Agreed?”

  No one answered.

  Hirschfeld then explained his long-term relationship with Brooks, dating back to when they were law school classmates, and his high regard for him. He added how Brooks guessed what was going on, offered to help, and suggested using an escrow arrangement to save Cassie.

  Webber couldn’t believe his ears. “Arnold, I don’t care what you think of Brooks, or his suggested underground arrangement in human traffic. Even if we might hypothetically agree to it, what makes you think Cassie’s captors would? Why would they ever trust some former Delta Force military outsider?

  “Their possession of Cassie is the only leverage they have. If I were them and you made that proposal to me, I’d cut off one of Cassie’s fingers and send it to us in a box. To remind us who’s calling the shots.”

  Webber stood up, as if to emphasize the importance of what he was about to say. “I’m Cassie’s father. Not you, Arnold. I’ve had enough of this. We should have gone to the FBI in the beginning. That’s exactly what I intend to do now.”

  “NOOOO!!!”

  Jill’s hysterical shriek took Webber by surprise, if not his in-laws as well. Webber couldn’t tell whether the wail was planned or spontaneous, but it didn’t matter. Either way, Jill now had everyone’s undivided attention.

  “You may be her father, Mark, but I’m her mother. After going behind our backs today, and maybe making things worse than they already were, you’ve now forfeited your right to decide anything. I say we have to give Dad and Judge Brooks a chance to quietly find a solution directly with the kidnappers. At least for one more day.”

  They reviewed the details of Brooks’s proposal one more time. And the odds that they saw Hirschfeld’s latest signal in Court. And would call.

  As if on cue, the cell phone sitting on the table in front of Hirschfeld’s rang.

  CHAPTER 79

  Thursday, May 8, 6:20 pm

  LOTELLO HARDLY HAD a foot in the door when Madison accosted him. Leah was only a couple of steps behind Madison.

  “You’re home! What does that mean? What’s going on? Dad, tell me!”

  “Nothing to tell yet, sweetheart. When I have something for you, I will.”

  Madison’s eyes pierced right through him. “Not fair, Dad. You’re doing it again.” She spun around and stormed off. Seconds later, he heard her bedroom door slam.

  Lotello turned to Leah. “Hmm, but how do you think she really feels? What more does she expect me to say to her right now? There are things going on that I just can’t share with her.”

  “Then you have to pay the price, putting up with her ‘tweener’ emotions. I get it. She’s still just your baby. But she’s old enough to know what Cassie could be going through, and to be worried sick. When you hold her at bay, she doesn’t know if that means the news is bad, or you just don’t trust her.”

  “She’s just eleven-years-old. What the hell are you talking about, Leah?”

  “Frank?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not just eleven years old. Were you planning on telling me what’s going on?”

  “Of course.”

  When he came to the possible role of J.R. Lance, she just stared at him. He asked her what she thought.

  “That’s a lot to process. Do you really think it can work?”

  “You’re the lawyer. You tell me.”

  “This is not about law, Frank. I have no idea. I want to know what do you think?”

  “I don’t know. But time’s running out and we don’t seem to have any other options.”

  * * *

  “Hello?”

  “Arnold, it’s me, Cyrus. I saw you signal them at the end of the hearing. Have they called?”

  “No. I don’t even know if they noticed.”

  “I noticed. They noticed. They’ll call. After they sweat you. Anything else to report?”

  Hirschfeld told Brooks about the earlier call from the kidnappers concerning Reyes.

  “Reyes? Did you speak with Reyes?”

  “No. Why would I?”

  “Don’t know. They asked. I’m asking.”

  Brooks walked Hirschfeld through his conversation with Lotello about the possible use of Lance as an escrow intermediary. He focused on the big picture, omitting unnecessary details.

  “This morning I thought your escrow idea was crazy. Not anymore. The call this afternoon from them about Reyes made me realize how things are. They are completely unbalanced. At least the one I’ve spoken with. I can’t possibly rely on them. Or their word. I can’t go first. I won’t. I’m scared to death, but I’m convinced we’ll never see Cassie again if I deliver the result they want without getting her back first. And I can’t see them agreeing to go first. So how do we put this escrow business in place?”

  “Lance told Lotello he would email the papers to him early in the morning. Lotello will forward them to you and me. Under the circumstances, someone besides you needs to look through the papers. By default, that seems to be me. Another conflict, but who’s counting? Where will you be in the morning?”

  “Wait a minute. Who is Lance?”

  “He’s the potential escrow agent.”

  “Oh yeah, right. No way Lotello can email that to me. I’ll be at the Courthouse in conference with the other Justices from eight until about ten. Courthouse security filters would intercept any such email.”

  “I’ll ask Lotello to drive a copy of the escrow papers to you at the Courthouse while I’m studying them. I’ll call him before he reaches you to tell him they’re okay, or what revisions I think we need. He’ll insert any revisions I want in hand on your copy. How does he get the papers to you where you’ll be?”

  “He won’t be able to get to me. Nor can I be seen with the husband of one of the lawyers in the case. Tell him to go to Courthouse security and say he has an envelope for me. Lotello should make sure it’s sealed and has my name on it. My assistant will make sure security is expecting the package and will immediately bring it to me. I’ll sign whatever you okay.

  “The question is these people. I can make the ‘whoever goes first’ speech and point out that with the escrow no one has to go first. What I don’t know is if or when they’ll call, or how they’ll react.”

  “We’ll know when we know. There’s one more thing we need to discuss.”

  Hirschfeld let out a long sigh. “I don’t know how much more I can process, Cyrus.”

  “Convincing them the escrow is best for everyone is just the first step. There’s still the question of selecting the escrow agent. We’re good with Lance. He’s solid. But it remains to be seen whether the hostage-takers will accept our candidate.”

  Brooks walked Hirschfeld through Lance’s background.

  “I think I get how to pitch Lance to them. If they call. Obviously, they’ll insist on checking him out on their own.

  “By the way, I told Linda and Cassie’s parents about our conversation this morning. Our family will only give this until noon tomorrow. If they don’t agree by then, we’re going to the FBI. We’re unanimous on this. We just can’t wait any longer.”

  Brooks thought about that. It wasn’t for him to second-guess the family. All he could do is help them carry out their wishes. “I understand.”

  “Thank you, Cyrus. Sorry for being so hostile th
is morning.”

  “No apologies necessary. I probably would have been worse. One last thing. If you and your family decide to go to the FBI, make sure you call me first. Before you do.”

  “Why?”

  “Just some additional information that will be helpful for you to have if your family does decide to go to the FBI. We don’t need to talk about it now. Just don’t forget to call me. First.”

  Brooks hung up before Hirschfeld could press further.

  CHAPTER 80

  Thursday, May 8, 6:30 pm

  BROOKS KNEW Eloise had heard his side of the Hirschfeld conversation. When he wasn’t as confident as he put on to others, it helped him to talk things through with her. Precisely why he’d placed the call to Hirschfeld with her in earshot. Which he also knew would not be lost on her.

  Said Eloise as soon as Brooks hung up: “Cyrus, are you sure about all this?”

  “Interesting that you ask. Do you have a couple of minutes?”

  They spent the next hour talking. Initially resistant, Eloise was nevertheless a quick study. Albeit reluctantly, it didn’t take her long to join. “I find the thought of ‘depositing’ this poor girl in a conceptual vault as if she were a Rembrandt or the Hope Diamond to be offensive. But I don’t see any alternative.

  “Who is this proposed middleman, Lance, how did you find him, why would he agree to do this, and why would these people accept anyone proposed by the girl’s family?”

  “All good questions, especially the last one. Let’s take them one at a time. His name is J.R. Lance.” Brooks highlighted Lance’s pedigree.

  “What I find disturbing about your presentation of Mr. Lance’s qualifications is how comfortably you seem to have crossed over some unmarked line of civility. You’ve expanded your vocabulary to include words and concepts I would have thought foreign to you—black ops, covert missions, the permanent elimination of opponents, human beings referred to as assets.”

  Seldom at a loss for words, the only comeback Brooks could offer for Eloise’s disappointment was a frank dose of reality. Not himself persuaded, he ignored her observation and turned to her second question.