jg.thepartner-第27部分

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me。
　Raised　in　New　Jersey；　educated　in　Boston；　and　the　husband；　at　the　time；　of　a　repressed　socialite；　he　was　miserable　living　on　the　Gulf　Coast　of　Mississippi。　He　considered　it　a　serious　diversion　from　the　corporate　hierarchy　he　longed　for。　His　wife　left　him　after　two　years　in　Biloxi。
　Platt　&　Rockland　was　a　public　pany　with　twenty…one　billion　in　stockholders'　equity；　eighty　thousand　employees　in　thirty…six　divisions　in　a　hundred　and　three　countries。　It　retailed　office　supplies；　cut　timber；　made　thousands　of　consumer　products；　sold　insurance；　drilled　for　natural　gas；　shipped　containerized　cargo；　mined　copper；　and　among　many　other　ventures；　built　nuclear　submarines。　It　was　a　sprawling　mass　of　decentralized　panies；　and　as　a　rule；　the　left　hand　seldom　knew　what　the　right　one　was　doing。　It　amassed　huge　profits　in　spite　of　itself。
　Benny　dreamed　of　streamlining　the　pany；　of　selling　off　the　junk　and　investing　in　the　prosperous　divisions。　He　was　unabashedly　ambitious；　and　through　the　ranks　of　upper　managers　it　was　well　known　that　he　wanted　the　top　job。
　To　him；　life　in　Biloxi　was　a　cruel　joke；　a　pit　stop　from　the　fast　lane　orchestrated　by　his　enemies　within　the　pany。　He　detested　contracting　with　the　government；　detested　the　red　tape　and　bureaucrats　and　arrogance　from　the　Pentagon。　He　hated　the　snail's　pace　with　which　the　submarines　were　built。
　In　1988；　he　asked　to　be　transferred；　and　was　denied。　A　year　later；　the　rumors　of　serious　cost　overruns　on　the　Expedition　project　surfaced。　Construction　came　to　a　halt　as　government　auditors　and　Pentagon　brass　descended　on　New　Coastal　Shipyards。　Benny　was　on　the　hot　seat；　and　the　end　was　near。
　As　a　defense　contractor；　Platt　&　Rockland　had　a　rich　history　of　cost　overruns；　overbilling；　and　false　claims。　It　was　a　way　of　doing　business；　and　when　discovered；　the　pany　typically　fired　everybody　near　the　controversy　and　negotiated　with　the　Pentagon　for　a　small　repayment。
　Benny　went　to　a　local　attorney；　Charles　Bogan；　the　senior　partner　in　a　small　firm　which　included　a　young　partner　named　Patrick　Lanigan。　Bogan's　cousin　was　a　U。S。　Senator　from　Mississippi。　The　Senator　was　a　rabid　hawk　who　chaired　the　submittee　on　military　appropriations；　and　was　dearly　loved　by　the　armed　services。
　Lawyer　Bogan's　mentor　was　now　a　federal　judge；　and　thus　the　small　firm　was　as　politically　well　connected　as　any　in　Mississippi。　Benny　knew　this；　and　carefully　selected　Bogan。
　The　False　Claims　Act；　also　known　as　the　Whistle…Blower　Law；　was　designed　by　Congress　to　encourage　those　with　knowledge　of　overbilling　in　government　contracts　to　e　forward。　Benny　studied　the　act　thoroughly；　and　even　had　an　in…house　lawyer　dissect　it　for　him　before　he　went　to　Bogan。
　He　claimed　he　could　prove　a　scheme　by　Platt　&　Rockland　to　overbill　the　government　some　six　hundred　million　dollars　on　the　Expedition　project。　He　could　feel　the　ax　dropping；　and　he　refused　to　be　the　fall　guy。　By　squealing；　he　would　lose　any　chance　of　ever　finding　parable　work。　Platt　&　Rockland　would　flood　the　industry　with　rumors　of　his　own　wrongdoing。　He　would　be　blacklisted。　It　would　be　the　end　of　Benny's　corporate　life。　He　understood　very　well　how　the　game　was　played。
　Under　the　act；　the　whistle…blower　may　receive　fifteen　percent　of　the　amount　repaid　to　the　government　by　the　offending　corporation。　Benny　had　the　documentation　to　prove　Platt　&　Rockland's　scheme。　He　needed　Bogan's　expertise　and　clout　to　collect　the　fifteen　percent。
　Bogan　hired　private　engineers　and　consultants　to　review　and　make　sense　of　the　thousands　of　documents　Aricia　was　feeding　him　from　inside　New　Coastal　Shipyards。　The　scheme　was　tied　together　nicely；　and　it　turned　out　not　to　be　so　intricate　after　all。　The　pany　was　doing　what　it　had　always　done…charging　multiple　prices　for　the　same　materials；　and　fabricating　paperwork。　The　practice　was　so　ingrained　at　Platt　&　Rockland　that　only　two　upper　managers　at　the　shipyards　knew　it　existed。　Benny　claimed　to　have　stumbled　upon　it　by　accident。
　A　clear　and　convincing　case　was　assembled　by　the　lawyers；　and　they　filed　suit　in　federal　court　in　September　of　1990。　The　lawsuit　alleged　six　hundred　million　dollars　in　fraudulent　claims　submitted　by　Platt　&　Rockland。　Benny　resigned　the　day　the　suit　was　filed。
　The　lawsuit　was　meticulously　prepared　and　researched；　and　Bogan　pressed　hard。　So　did　his　cousin。　The　Senator　had　been　placed　in　the　loop　long　before　the　actual　filing；　and　monitored　it　with　great　interest　once　it　arrived　in　Washington。　Bogan　did　not　e　cheap；　nor　did　the　Senator。　The　firm's　fee　would　be　the　standard　one　third。　One　third　of　fifteen　percent　of　six　hundred　million　dollars。　The　Senator's　cut　was　never　ascertained。
　Bogan　leaked　enough　dirt　to　the　local　press　to　keep　the　pressure　on　in　Mississippi；　and　the　Senator　did　the　same　in　Washington。　Platt　&　Rockland　found　itself　besieged　by　hideous　publicity。　It　was　pinned　to　the　ropes；　its　money　cut　off；　its　stockholders　angry。　A　dozen　managers　at　New　Coastal　Shipyards　were　fired。　More　terminations　were　promised。
　As　usual；　Platt　&　Rockland　negotiated　hard　with　Justice；　but　this　time　made　no　progress。　After　a　year；　it　agreed　to　repay　the　six　hundred　million　dollars；　and　to　sin　no　more。　Because　two　of　the　subs　were　half…built；　the　Pentagon　agreed　not　to　yank　the　contract。　Thus；　Platt　&　Rockland　could　finish　what　was　planned　as　a　twelve…billion…dollar　project；　but　was　now　well　on　its　way　to　twenty　billion。
　Benny　got　set　to　receive　his　fortune。　Bogan　and　the　other　partners　in　the　firm　got　set　to　spend　theirs。　Then　Patrick　disappeared；　followed　by　their　money。
　Twenty
　PEPPER　SCARBORO'S　shotgun　was　a　Remington　。12　gauge　pump　he　purchased　from　a　pawnshop　in　Lucedale　when　he　was　sixteen；　too　young　to　buy　from　a　licensed　dealer。　He　paid　two　hundred　dollars　for　it；　and；　according　to　his　mother；　Neldene；　it　was　his　most　beloved　possession。　Sheriff　Sweeney　and　Sheriff　Tatum；　of　Greene　County；　found　the　shotgun；　along　with　a　well…worn　sleeping　bag　and　a　small　tent；　a　week　after　Patrick's　death　as　they　were　making　a　routine　inventory　of　his　cabin。　Trudy　had　given　permission　for　the　search；　which　in　itself　was　a　major　problem　since　she　had　no　ownership　interest　in　the　cabin。　Any　effort　to　use　the　shotgun；　sleeping　bag；　and　tent　as　evidence　in　Patrick's　murder　trial　would　be　met　with　fierce　resistance　since　they　were　found　without　a　search　warrant。　A　valid　argument　could　be　made　that　the　sheriffs　weren't　searching　for　evidence　since　there　wasn't；　at　that　time；　a　crime。　They　were　simply　gathering　up　Patrick's　personal　effects　to　hand　over　to　his　family。
　Trudy　didn't　want　the　sleeping　bag　and　the　tent。　She　was　adamant　in　her　belief　that　they　didn't　belong　to　Patrick。　She　had　never　seen　them　before。　They　were　cheap；　unlike　items　Patrick　would　buy。　And；　besides；　he　didn't　camp。　He　had　the　cabin　to　sleep　in。　Sweeney　put　labels　on　them　and　stored　them　in　his　evidence　room；　for　lack　of　a　better　place。　He　planned　to　wait　a　year　or　two；　then　sell　them　at　one　of　his　annual　Sheriffs　sales。　Six　weeks　later；　Neldene　Crouch　burst　into　tears　when　confronted　with　Pepper's　camping　gear。
　The　shotgun　was　handled　differently。　It　was　found　under　a　bed；　along　with　the　tent　and　the　sleeping　bag；　in　the　room　Patrick　slept　in。　Someone　had　hurriedly　slid　the　items　under　the　bed；　in　Sweeney's　opinion。　His　curiosity　was　immediately　aroused　because　of　the　presence　of　the　shotgun。　An　avid　hunter　himself；　he　knew　that　no　hunter　with　a　brain　would　leave　a　shotgun　or　hunting　rifle　in　a　remote　cabin　for　thieves　to　take　at　their　convenience。　Nothing　of　value　was　ever　left　in　a　hunting　cabin　in　these　parts。　He　had　carefully　examined　it　on　the　spot；　and　noticed　the　serial　number　had　been　filed　off。　The　gun　had　been　stolen　at　some　point　since　its　manufacture。
　He　discussed　it　with　Sheriff　Tatum；　and　they　made　the　decision　to　at　least　have　it　checked　for　fingerprints。　Nothing　would　e　of　it；　they　were　sure；　but　both　were　experienced　and　patient　cops。
　Later；　after　repeated　promises　of　immunity；　the　pawnbroker　in　Lucedale　admitted　he　had　sold　the　gun　to　Pepper。
　SWEENEY　AND　TED　GRIMSHAW；　the　chief　investigator　for　Harrison　County；　politely　knocked　on　Patrick's　hospital　door；　and　entered　only　when　invited　in。　Sweeney　had　called　ahead　to　alert　Patrick　of　their　visit；　and　to　inform　him　of　its　purpose。　Just　routine　procedures。　Patrick　had　yet　to　be　properly　booked。
　They　photographed　his　face　while　he　was　sitting　in　a　chair；　wearing　a　tee　shirt　and　gym　shorts；　his　hair　unruly　and　his　expression　sour。　He　held　the　booking　numbers　they　had　brought　along。　They　took　his　fingerprints；　with　Grimshaw　doing　the　work　as　Sweeney　handled　the　conversation。　Patrick　insisted　on　standing　over　the　small　table　while　Grimshaw　took　the　prints。
　Sweeney　asked　a　couple　of　questions　about　Pepper　Scarboro；　but　Patrick　quickly　reminded　him　he　had　a　lawyer；　and　his　lawyer　would　be　present　during　any　interrogation。　Furthermore；　he　had　nothing　to　say　about　anything；　with　or　without　a　lawyer。
　They　thanked　him　and　left。　Cutter　and　an　FBI　fingerprint　expert　from　Jackson　were　waiting　in　the　Lanigan　Room　at　the　jail。　At　the　time　it　was　found；　Pepper's　。12　gauge　yielded　more　than　a　dozen　full；　usable　prints。　They　had　been　lifted　by　Grimshaw　after　dusting；　filed　away　in　a　vault；　and　now　were　spread　on　the　table。　The　shotgun　was　on　a　shelf；　next　to　the　tent　and　the　sleeping　bag；　and　the　jogging　shoe　and　the　photographs；　and　the　few　other　sparse　items　of　evidence　to　be　used　against　Patrick。
　They　drank　coffee　from　plastic　cups　and　talked　about　fishing　while　the　print　expert　pared　the　old　with　the　new　through　a　magnifying　glass。　It　didn't　take　long。
　〃Several　of　these　are　perfect　matches；〃　he　said；　still　working。　〃The　gun　stock　was　covered　with　Lanigan's　prints。〃
　Certainly　good　news；　they　thought。　Now　what？
　PATRICK　INSISTED　on　a　different　room　for　all　future　meetings　with　his　attorney；　and　Dr。　Hayani　was　quick　to　make　the　necessary　arrangements。　He　also　requested　a　wheelchair　to　transport　him　to　the　room　on　the　first　floor。　A　nurse　pushed　him；　past　the　two　deputies　sitting　benignly　in　the　hall　outside　his　door；　past　Special　Agent　Brent　Myers；　and　onto　the　elevator　for　the　brief　ride　to　the　first　floor。　One　of　the　deputies　trailed　along。
　The　room　was　one