jg.thepartner-第53部分

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　EYEBROWS　WERE　RAISED　at　the　Concorde　counter　at　JFK　because　she　had　no　luggage。　A　supervisor　was　called　and　a　huddle　ensued　as　Eva　fought　to　control　her　nerves。　She　couldn't　take　another　arrest。　She　loved　Patrick；　but　this　was　far　above　and　beyond　the　call　of　romance。　Not　long　ago　she'd　had　a　promising　career　as　a　lawyer　in　a　city　she　loved。　Then　Patrick　came　along。
　Suddenly　there　were　warm　British　smiles　everywhere。　She　was　directed　to　the　Concorde　lounge；　where　she　had　coffee　and　called　Sandy's　number　in　Biloxi。
　〃Are　you　okay？〃　he　asked　when　he　heard　her　voice。
　〃I'm　fine；　Sandy。　I'm　at　JFK；　en　route　to　London。　How's　Patrick？〃
　〃Wonderful。　We've　cut　the　deal　with　the　federal　folks。〃
　〃How　much？〃
　〃A　hundred　and　thirteen　million；〃　he　replied；　and　waited　to　hear　a　response。　Patrick　had　been　perfectly　nonmittal　when　he'd　been　told　the　size　of　the　repayment。　She　followed　the　same　script。
　〃When？〃　was　all　she　said。
　〃I'll　have　instructions　when　you　get　to　London。　There's　a　room　at　the　Four　Seasons　in　the　name　of　Leah　Pires。〃
　〃That's　me　again。〃
　〃Call　me　when　you　get　there？〃
　〃Tell　Patrick　I　still　love　him；　even　after　going　to　jail。〃
　〃I'll　see　him　tonight。　Be　careful。〃
　〃Thanks。〃
　WITH　SUCH　HEAVYWEIGHTS　in　town；　Mast　couldn't　resist　the　opportunity　to　impress　them。　The　evening　before；　after　they　had　taken　possession　of　the　documents　and　tapes；　he'd　arranged　for　his　staff　to　call　every　member　of　the　sitting　grand　jury　and　inform　them　of　an　emergency　session。　With　five　of　his　assistant　U。S。　attorneys；　he　had　worked　with　the　FBI　in　scouring　and　indexing　the　documents。　He　had　left　his　office　at　three　in　the　morning；　and　returned　five　hours　later。
　The　federal　grand　jury　meeting　was　at　noon；　with　lunch　provided。　Hamilton　Jaynes　decided　to　hang　around　long　enough　to　sit　through　it；　as　did　Sprawling　from　the　Attorney　General's　office。　Patrick　would　be　the　only　witness。
　Pursuant　to　their　agreement；　he　was　not　transported　in　handcuffs。　He　was　hidden　in　the　back　of　an　unmarked　Bureau　car；　and　sneaked　through　a　side　door　of　the　federal　courthouse　in　Biloxi。　Sandy　was　at　his　side。　Patrick　wore　large　khakis；　sneakers；　a　sweatshirt；　clothing　Sandy　had　purchased　for　him。　He　was　pale　and　thin；　but　walked　with　no　visible　impairment。　Actually；　Patrick　felt　great。
　The　sixteen　grand　jurors　sat　around　a　long；　square　table；　so　that　at　least　half　of　them　had　their　back　to　the　door　when　Patrick　walked　through　with　a　smile。　Those　not　facing　him　quickly　turned　around。　Jaynes　and　Sprawling　sat　in　a　corner；　intrigued　by　their　first　glimpse　of　Mr。　Lanigan。
　Patrick　sat　at　the　end　of　the　table；　in　a　chair　used　by　witnesses；　and　seized　the　moment。　He　needed　little　prodding　from　Mast　to　tell　his　story；　or　at　least　some　of　it。　He　was　relaxed　and　lively；　in　part　because　this　panel　could　no　longer　touch　him。　He　had　managed　to　free　himself　of　the　tentacles　of　any　federal　law。
　He　started　with　the　law　firm；　the　partners；　their　personalities；　clients；　work　habits；　and　slowly　built　his　way　to　Aricia。
　Mast　stopped　him；　and　handed　over　a　document　which　Patrick　identified　as　the　contract　between　the　firm　and　Aricia。　It　was　four　pages　long；　but　could　be　reduced　to　a　basic　agreement　of　the　firm　getting　one　third　of　anything　Aricia　got　by　filing　his　claim　against　Platt　&　Rockland　Industries。
　〃And　how　did　you　get　this？〃　Mast　asked。
　〃Mr。　Bogan's　secretary　typed　it。　Our　puters　were　interfaced。　I　simply　pulled　it　off。〃
　〃Is　that　why　this　copy　is　unsigned？〃
　〃That's　correct。　The　original　is　probably　in　Mr。　Bogan's　file。〃
　〃Did　you　have　access　to　Mr。　Bogan's　office？〃
　〃Limited；〃　Patrick　answered；　and　explained　Bogan's　zealousness　for　secrecy。　That　led　to　a　digression　about　access　to　the　other　offices；　then　to　the　fascinating　story　of　Patrick's　adventures　in　the　world　of　sophisticated　surveillance。　Because　he　was　very　suspicious　of　Aricia；　he　set　out　to　gather　as　much　information　as　possible。　He　educated　himself　on　electronic　surveillance。　He　monitored　the　other　PC's　in　the　firm。　He　listened　for　gossip。　He　quizzed　secretaries　and　paralegals。　He　went　through　the　wastepaper　in　the　copy　room。　He　worked　odd　hours　in　hopes　of　finding　open　doors。
　After　two　hours；　Patrick　asked　for　a　soft　drink。　Mast　declared　a　fifteen…minute　break。　The　time　had　gone　so　fast　because　the　audience　was　enthralled。
　When　the　witness　returned　from　the　rest　room；　they　settled　in　quickly；　anxious　to　hear　more。　Mast　asked　some　questions　about　the　claim　against　Platt　&　Rockland；　and　Patrick　described　it　in　general　terms。　〃Mr。　Aricia　was　quite　skillful。　He　set　up　a　scheme　for　double　billing；　yet　was　able　to　pass　the　blame　on　to　people　in　the　home　office。　He　was　the　secret　moving　force　behind　the　cost　overruns。〃
　Mast　placed　a　stack　of　documents　at　Patrick's　side。　He　took　one；　and　with　only　a　glance　knew　everything　about　it。　〃This　is　a　sample　of　the　fictitious　labor　New　Coastal　Shipyards　was　paid　for。　It's　a　puterized　labor　summary　for　one　week　in　June　of　1988。　It　lists　eighty…four　employees；　all　bogus　names；　and　gives　their　wages　for　the　week。　The　total　is　seventy…one　thousand　dollars。〃
　〃How　were　these　names　selected？〃　asked　Mast。
　〃At　the　time；　there　were　eight　thousand　employees　at　New　Coastal。　They　selected　real　names　that　were　mon…Jones；　Johnson；　Miller；　Green；　Young…　and　changed　the　first　initial。〃
　〃How　much　labor　was　falsified？〃
　〃According　to　Aricia's　filing；　it　was　nineteen　million　dollars　over　a　four…year　period。〃
　〃Did　Mr。　Aricia　know　it　was　falsified？〃
　〃Yes；　he　implemented　the　scheme。〃
　〃And　how　do　you　know　this？〃
　〃Where　are　the　tapes？〃
　Mast　handed　him　a　sheet　of　paper　on　which　the　tapes　of　over　sixty　conversations　had　been　cataloged。　Patrick　studied　it　for　a　minute。　〃I　think　it's　tape　number　seventeen；〃　he　said。　The　assistant　U。S。　attorney　in　charge　of　the　box　of　tapes　produced　number　seventeen；　and　inserted　it　into　a　player　in　the　center　of　the　table。
　Patrick　said；　　〃This　is　Doug　Vitrano　talking　to
　Jimmy　Havarac；　two　of　the　partners；　in　Vitrano's　office；　on　May　3；　1991。〃
　The　player　was　turned　on；　and　they　waited　for　the　voices。
　FIRST　VOICE：　How　do　you　pad　nineteen　million　dollars　in　bogus　labor？
　〃That's　Jimmy　Havarac；〃　Patrick　said　quickly。
　SECOND　VOICE：　It　wasn't　difficult。
　〃And　that's　Doug　Vitrano；〃　Patrick　said。
　VITRANO：　The　labor　was　running　fifty　million　a　year。　For　four　years　it　was　over　two　hundred　million。　So　they　were　just　tacking　on　a　ten　percent　increase。　It　got　lost　in　the　paperwork。
　HAVARAC：　And　Aricia　knew　about　it？
　VITRANO：　Knew　about　it？　Hell；　he　implemented　it。
　HAVARAC：　e　on；　Doug。
　VITRANO：　It's　all　bogus；　Jimmy。　Every　aspect　of　his　claim　is　bogus。　The　labor；　the　inflated　invoices；　the　double　and　triple　billing　for　expensive　hardware。　Everything。　Aricia　planned　this　from　the　beginning；　and　he　just　happened　to　work　for　a　pany　with　a　long　history　of　screwing　the　government。　He　knew　how　the　pany　worked。　He　knew　how　the　Pentagon　worked。　And　he　was　shrewd　enough　to　set　up　the　scheme。
　HAVARAC：　Who　told　you　this？
　VITRANO：　Bogan。　Aricia's　told　Bogan　everything。　Bogan's　told　the　Senator　everything。　We　keep　our　mouths　shut　and　play　along；　and　we'll　all　be　millionaires。
　The　voices　went　silent　as　the　tape；　well　edited　by　Patrick　years　ago；　came　to　the　end。
　The　grand　jurors　stared　at　the　tape　player。
　〃Could　we　hear　some　more？〃　one　of　them　asked。
　Mast　shrugged　and　looked　at　Patrick；　who　said；　〃I　think　that's　a　marvelous　idea。〃
　With　Patrick's　play…by…play　mentary　and　sometimes　colorful　analysis；　it　took　almost　three　hours　to　listen　to　the　tapes。　The　Closet　tape　was　saved　for　last；　and　played　four　times　before　the　grand　jurors　would　let　it　go。　At　six；　they　ordered　dinner　from　a　nearby　deli。
　At　seven；　Patrick　was　allowed　to　leave。
　While　they　ate；　Mast　discussed　some　of　the　more　telling　documents。　He　addressed　the　various　federal　laws　involved。　With　the　voices　of　the　crooks　captured　so　vividly　on　the　tapes；　the　conspiracy　was　laid　bare。
　At　eight…thirty；　the　grand　jury　voted　unanimously　to　indict　Benny　Aricia；　Charles　Bogan；　Doug　Vitrano；　Jimmy　Havarac；　and　Ethan　Rapley　for　conspiring　to　mit　fraud　under　the　False　Claims　Act。　If　convicted；　each　could　face　up　to　ten　years；　and　be　fined　up　to　five　hundred　thousand　dollars。
　Senator　Harris　Nye　was　named　as　an　unindicted　co…conspirator；　a　temporary　designation　that　would　most　likely　change　for　the　worse。　Sprawling；　Jaynes；　and　Maurice　Mast　fashioned　a　strategy　of　first　indicting　the　smaller　fish；　then　pressuring　them　to　cut　a　deal　and　squeal　on　the　big　one。　They　would　aggressively　go　after　Rapley　and　Havarac　because　of　their　hatred　of　Charles　Bogan。
　The　grand　jury　adjourned　at　nine。　Mast　met　with　the　U。S。　Marshal；　and　planned　the　arrests　for　early　the　next　morning。　Jaynes　and　Sprawling　found　late　flights　from　New　Orleans　back　to　D。C。
　Thirty…seven
　HANDLED　a　car　wreck　once；　just　after　I　joined　the　firm。　It　happened　on　49；　up　in　Stone　County；　near　Wiggins。　Our　clients　were　going　north　when　a　flatbed　truck　pulled　out　from　a　county　road；　right　in　front　of　them。　A　big　wreck。　Three　people　were　in　our　car；　the　driver　was　killed；　his　wife　was　severely　injured；　a　kid　in　the　backseat　had　a　broken　leg。　The　flatbed　truck　was　owned　by　a　paper　pany；　heavily　insured；　and　so　the　case　had　potential。　They　gave　it　to　me；　and　I　jumped　in　gung　ho　because　I　was　new。　There　was　no　doubt　the　truck　was　at　fault；　but　its　driver；　who　was　not　hurt；　claimed　our　car　was　speeding。　This　became　the　big　issue…how　fast　was　our　dead　driver　going？　My　accident　reconstructionist　estimated　his　speed　at　sixty　miles　per　hour；　which　was　not　too　bad。　The　highway　was　posted　for　fifty…five；　everybody　does　at　least　sixty。　My　clients　were　driving　to　Jackson　to　visit　family；　and　were　in　no　hurry。
　〃The　accident　reconstructionist　hired　by　the　truck's　insurance　pany　estimated　my　guy's　speed　at　seventy…five；　and　this；　of　course；　would've　seriously　hurt　our　case。　Any　jury　will　frown　on　twenty　miles　over　the　speed　limit。　We　found　a　witness；　an　old　man　who　was　either　the　second　or　third　person　on　the　scene。　His　name　was　Mr。　Clovis　Goodman；　age　eighty…one；　blind　in　one　eye　and　couldn't　see　out　of　the　other。〃
　〃Seriously？〃　Sandy　asked。
　〃No；　but　his　vision　was