“And that must be when he asked you for the name of someone who would give Gerry Collins a mob-style beating if they knew he was a fraud.”
Another nervous smile. “My goodness, you and Tony did have quite the talk.”
“Yes, we did. He’s a dying man trying to protect his kids.”
Scully said, “I take it that you promised to help him with that.”
“Yes,” she said, turning it right back on him. “Just like you did.” Andie let her words sink in, and her explicit reminder of the role of “handler” that Scully had played for the Mandretti family seemed to strike a blow. She pushed even harder.“I heard you say you were a man of your word, even when dealing with a mobster like Tony. I’m sure you did all you could. But I’ve exhausted every avenue I have inside the bureau. I can’t pick up where you left off-I can’t help Tony or his kids-unless you tell me how you zeroed in on Manu Robledo.”
Silence followed, the former agent and the younger one locking eyes. It took a minute, and finally, without uttering a word, they reached an understanding that what was about to be said would not leave the room.
Scully started talking. “I kept poking around in Gerry Collins’ offshore transactions, deeper and deeper. Too deep. Next thing I knew, I was flying to Washington for a meeting with the deputy secretary of the Treasury and two of his assistants.”
“Joe Barber?”
“The one and only.”
“Are you saying that Barber, personally, saw the analysis outlining all the reasons Cushman was a fraud?”
“I’m saying that Barber and everyone involved with Operation BAQ knew that Cushman was a fraud, and they knew it long before I showed them Tony’s analysis.”
Andie took a moment to absorb that revelation. “Was it Barber who gave you the name Manu Robledo?”
“His name came out in the negotiations.”
“What do you mean?”
“Treasury wanted me to get Tony to sit on the Cushman analysis. I couldn’t promise that Tony would just pretend like it didn’t exist. So Treasury cut a deal with him.”
“A deal?”
“Yeah. It was agreed that Tony would get his analysis into the hands of Manu Robledo. In essence, the fact that Cushman was a fraud would be laid out in black and white for a man who was identified by Treasury as Gerry Collins’ dirtiest client.”
“Dirty in what way?”
“I don’t have that information. But there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Robledo would go straight to Gerry Collins and, shall we say, confront him.”
“So Tony got exactly what he wanted.”
“And more. Tony was allowed to stay in witness protection, and he also got back the money he lost to Gerry Collins. Two hundred fifty thousand dollars.”
“Treasury agreed to pay him a quarter million dollars if he kept his analysis of Cushman’s fraud to himself?”
“Not exactly to himself. He was allowed to show it to no one but Manu Robledo-who, of course, would then confront Gerry Collins.”
“That’s a pretty sweet deal for Tony.”
“There was one other component-a very important contingency from Treasury’s standpoint. Like I said, there was a substantial risk that Robledo might do more than inflict a bruising on Gerry Collins. Tony agreed that if Collins ended up dead, then…”
He didn’t finish, leaving it to Andie to fill in the blank. “Tony would take the rap.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Tony was terminally ill with cancer.”
“I understand that it might be easier for a man to agree to prison for the rest of his life if he knows it means three years instead of thirty years. But why would Treasury ask Tony to make that promise as part of their deal with him?”
“Clearly, it was important to Treasury that Manu Robledo not land in jail.”
“Why?”
“Pretty obvious, don’t you think?”
“Not to me,” said Andie.
“How could Operation BAQ work if Manu Robledo was behind bars for the murder of Gerry Collins?”
“I can’t answer that,” said Andie. “I have no idea what Operation BAQ is.”
Scully looked at her. “Neither do I.”
“I’m not sure I believe you.”
“Oh, you can believe me on that one,” he said with a mirthless chuckle. “I
It smacked of politics and cover-up, and nothing offended Andie more than a good agent getting a raw deal. “Where would someone start if she was interested in picking up where you left off?”
“You really don’t want to do that.”
Andie leaned closer, meeting his stare. “Try me,” she said.
37
L illy and I hoofed it from Puffy’s Tavern, through Chinatown, to Evan’s apartment. The restaurant on the first floor of the old brick building was gearing up for the dinner crowd. Even with the door closed and windows shut, the noise of a busy kitchen spilled into the alley, and enough heat radiated through the walls to melt away the snow along the building’s curtilage. The entrance to the back stairway was unlocked, and as we climbed to the second story, Lilly realized that she had actually eaten at the restaurant below.
“Dim Some Lose Some,” she said. “I love this place.”
The news from Evan-that he’d cracked the code-had us feeling upbeat. I led her past the small window at the top of the stairs, which looked out over the Dumpster. A light was on in the hallway, and the chain-link gate that Evan had installed for added security was unlocked. It was hard for me to imagine Evan-a guy with two peepholes on his front door-leaving anything unlocked. But he was expecting us. I pushed the gate open, and Lilly followed me to the end of the hallway, where I stopped and knocked firmly on the black metal door to his apartment.
“Evan, it’s me, Patrick,” I said.
No one answered.
“Maybe he went out for dim sum,” said Lilly.
“I’m pretty sure quants only eat millennium problems for lunch. More likely he’s in a trance, staring at his computer screen.” I knocked harder. “Evan, please open up.”
I waited, even put my ear to the door, but there was only silence.
Lilly asked, “Are you sure he was calling from his apartment?”
“Yes. I told him we were on our way.”
“Try the door.”
I did, expecting the knob not to turn. But it wasn’t locked. I paused, the knob still in my hand, but I hesitated to push the door open.
“Evan?” I called.
I gave him a moment, and when no response came, Lilly and I exchanged glances of concern. I pushed the door, this time expecting the deadbolt or chain to stop me. The door swung all the way open. I stood at the threshold and called into the dark apartment. “Evan, if this is your idea of a joke, it’s not funny.”
Silence.
“Let’s leave,” said Lilly.
“I just talked to him on the phone fifteen minutes ago. Something’s wrong.”
