'My brother finally put the hat on Farrell Champion.' 'Who is he?'
'His name is Daniel Zelso, but he doesn't look anything like the picture of the guy in People magazine. I went across the street and bought one.' He opened his briefcase and pulled out a black-and-white fax photograph of a slender man with an undershot jaw, hollow cheeks, and dark hair. Then he took out the copy of People and opened it to a picture of Farrell at a movie premiere.
'Jesus, whoever did his face work was a magician,' Shane said. 'Got a new chin, different hair. Completely transformed him.'
'Yep. Doesn't look anything like he does today. Back when he got busted by the feds, he was working as a money launderer for a bunch of Panamanian drug lords. The feds rolled him. The way I get it, they now fly him all over the country to testify in these complex criminal cases he woulda been a defendant in, but. the feds gave him immunity. They protect his identity he testifies behind a screen. So everything you said makes sense now. It explains how he can be so high profile and still be in WITSEC.'
'How 'bout the two dead wives?'
'That's how the feds nailed him. They made him for the two wife murders both food-poisoning cases like you said. The A. G. threatened to gas him on a double-one, and he rolled,' Fineburg said, referring to a double first- degree homicide. 'Under the threat of getting a cyanide pill he gave up most of his pals and Panamanian drug associates. Only he didn't roll on everyone. A few got away, most notably a Panamanian who did the Syndicate's money transfers from Hawaii. Guy is named Generalissimo Miguel Fernando Ruiz, still missing.'
'So Farrell Champion is Daniel Zelso. He's testifying behind a screen in a bunch of drug cases while simultaneously producing big-budget movies and living in Malibu. The government is protecting him in WITSEC despite the fact that he killed his first two wives with poison shrimp.'
'Actually, it was crab.'
'I can't believe they'd shield a murderer.' Shane snorted.
'Come on, lighten up. The guy only committed two murders. How many people did Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano whack and still get immunity? Nineteen or something? Two unhappy women had an unpleasant meal. We oughta be able to overlook that.' Black humor.
'Thanks, Lee. And tell your brother I owe him. You happen to find out who's handling Zelso out here?'
'Can't get it. Tried. Obviously it's someone in the U. S. Marshals. They're a small unit, not more than six or seven guys in the Southwest office, so you should be able to sniff it out.'
'Right,' Shane agreed.
Before he left Parker Center Shane went downstairs to the Electronic Science Division and found a sergeant named Bob Alvarez. 'I'm working U. C.,' he told him. 'My target does constant bug sweeps with a 2300 Frequency Finder. I'm working him tonight. I've got to wear a wire, and I need a way to beat that thing.'
'I got just the unit, but you'll need approval from DSG to check it out 'cause I've only got two.'
They called Alexa's office, but she was out, so Shane got the approval from Filosiani directly. Then Alvarez went back to his equipment room and returned a moment later with a cell phone. He placed it on the counter in front of Shane.
'This should beat the scan,' he said. 'It's a regular StarTAC, and if it's turned off, it doesn't transmit a signal, so the wand on the bug duster won't pick anything up.
Once you've been scanned, turn it on, and lay it on the table. Cell phones are so common, these guys never seem to check 'em. The cell will record the conversation. The signal goes to a satellite and the downlink gets picked up here.'
Shane thanked him, then headed home to North Chalon Road. Nora's friends' cars were parked up and down the street in front of the house. He had forgotten that Alexa was throwing Nora's shower this afternoon.
Shane was reluctant to go inside, because he knew he would eventually have to tell Alexa that Nora's fiance wasn't just a famous producer but a drug dealer, money launderer, and wife murderer. He drove around the block once before finally getting up enough nerve to pull into the driveway.
He walked through the front door and saw them all out by the pool. Nora was sitting behind the huge glass- topped table, opening gifts and laughing while a dozen or so women clustered around, watching. Alexa was seated next to Nora, frantically writing who-gave-what-presents down in a shower book.
Shane picked up Franco and went outside to join them. Alexa spotted Shane first, came over to give him a hug, then guided him to the guest of honor.
'Oh, Shane, this new house is incredible…' Nora gushed.
They descended into introductions and small talk with Nora's circle of friends and bridesmaids.
'Oh, by the way,' Nora said, 'Farrell's really hoping you'll be able to attend his bachelor party tomorrow night.'
'I've been so busy getting back to work, I completely forgot to call him,' Shane lied. 'But I wouldn't miss it now, for anything.'
Chapter 28
They were standing outside on the front porch, away from the bugs, watching the last of the shower guests drive off. Alexa had just packed up her briefcase and was getting ready to head back to Parker Center.
'I can't do this tonight,' Alexa said.
'Honey, we've gotta do it tonight. I'm running out of time.'
It was already six-thirty. They were arguing about the seven o'clock meeting Shane had set up with Dennis Valentine.
'Why is it so important we do it tonight?' she persisted. 'Can't we set it up for tomorrow, or on Saturday?'
'My bank account is empty. I need the hundred grand in good-faith money Valentine promised you.'
'Tony just put in another hundred thousand at two this afternoon. That means the department is out over three hundred K. There's a limit to all this insanity, Shane.'
'You haven't been down there. It's a zoo. You got any idea how much it costs to FedEx a two-ton Civil War cannon from Virginia to L. A.? I've got sets being built around the clock and people up in Oregon cutting down redwoods. I'm making three hundred pairs of Civil War lace-up underwear for three hundred teenage extras who, starting tomorrow, will be on full salary out at a farm in Reseda, practicing close-order drills with muskets. If we don't get this RICO case made soon, we may have to actually shoot the damn movie to have any chance of coming out.' 'You better be joking,' she said, ominously.
'You haven't met Paul Lubick. When they were passing out assholes, this guy got one with fangs.'
Shane pulled the StarTAC off his belt and showed it to her. 'I checked this out at ESO. It has a bug inside that broadcasts to a satellite. If I can get him on tape trying to bribe you in a union-fixing scam, then I can shut this bullshit film down. I'm moving as fast as I can. I know it sounds crazy, but right now, I'm up against trigger clauses on three big talent deals. When they hit, we're fucked. We can't delay this.'
'Trigger clauses. For how much, you never said.' 'You don't want to know.'
She glared at him, so he told her, 'Seventeen million in unamortized, above-the-line costs. Ten for Michael Fallon, two for Rajindi Singh, and five for Paul Lubick.'
Alexa had her hands on her hips, which he'd come to recognize during their first year of marriage as her most bellicose posture.
'But we won't have to pay it, 'cause I promise I'll close it down before that happens, but you can't build in any delays. I know it's a shiny time, but this thing sort of got away from me. I think I can hold it to under half a million if we move fast.'
So ten minutes later they were in Shane's Acura, driving to Kenny Rogers's old house on Mandeville Canyon. They were both stressed, and halfway there got into another argument.
'This movie has turned into a runaway train,' Alexa fumed.
'I'm doing the best I can,' he flared.
