The Racketeer Page 0,62

and she threw herself at me."

"Has this always been a problem?"

"I wouldn't call it a problem, but, yes, women are attracted to me. I've always had to fight them off with a stick."

"Keep fighting. It's been the downfall of many men."

"So you're an expert on women?"

"Not at all. Where are we going now?"

"Shopping. I want some decent clothes."

We find a men's store and I spend $800 upgrading my wardrobe. Once again, Pat waits in the car. We agree that two men, both in their early forties, one white and the other black, shopping together, might raise an eyebrow or two. My goal is to raise as few eyebrows as possible. Next, he drops me off at a Florida Cellular office where I open an account and buy an iPhone. With it in my pocket, I finally feel like a real American, connected.

We spend the next two days running errands and getting Max firmly established. I write my first check to a car-leasing agency and drive away in a used Audi A4 convertible, mine for the next twelve months at $400 a pop and fully insured. Now that I'm mobile, and now that Pat and I are getting on each other's nerves, he starts talking about his exit. I'm ready for the independence and he's ready to go home.

I visit Gretchen again to check on the bank's wiring instructions and explain to her that a substantial sum of money is on the way. Pat clears things with his higher-ups, and the reward money is moved from some buried account to SunCoast. I assume that everybody involved in the wire transfer invokes all the standard precautions.

I have no way of knowing the wire is being watched.
Chapter 22
Dusty Shiver's motion to suppress the confession was not at all unexpected. It was lengthy, well written, well reasoned, and backed up by a thirty-page affidavit signed by Quinn Rucker in which he fully recanted his confession. Three days after it was filed, Victor Westlake and two of his agents met with Stanley Mumphrey and two of his assistants. Their goal was to plow through the motion and prepare responses to it. Neither Mumphrey nor anyone else in his office was aware of the interrogation tactics used by Agents Pankovits and Delocke, nor did they know that Westlake and four of his men had watched by closed circuit the ten-hour marathon and had a tape of it. This information would never be revealed to the U.S. Attorney; thus, it would never be known to the defense, the judge, or anyone else.

Stanley had been fully briefed by his lieutenants and took control of the meeting. He began by saying, "The first and most important issue is the allegation that the defendant wanted to talk to a lawyer."

Westlake nodded to an agent who whipped out some papers. Westlake said, "We have here two affidavits from Agents Pankovits and Delocke, our two interrogators, in which they respond to the allegations. As you will see, they say that the defendant mentioned a lawyer on a couple of occasions but never specifically demanded one. He never stopped the interrogation. He wanted to talk."

Stanley and his men scanned the affidavits. After a few minutes, Stanley said, "Okay, point number two. The defendant claims he was repeatedly threatened with the death penalty by both agents. If true, this of course would be highly improper and would probably kill the confession."

Westlake replied as he shook his head. "Look at the bottom of page seven, both affidavits. The agents state, under oath, that they made no threats whatsoever. These are very skilled interrogators, Stan, and they know the rules as well as anybody."

Stanley and his men flipped to page seven and read the text. Perfect. Whatever Quinn claimed in his affidavit, there were two FBI agents willing to tell what really happened. Stanley said, "Looks good. The third point is that the agents promised the defendant he would not be put on trial for capital murder."

"Page nine," Westlake said. "Our agents know they do not have the authority to make deals. Only the U.S. Attorney can do that. Frankly, I find such an allegation ludicrous. Rucker is a career thug. He should know that prosecutors make deals, not cops."

"I agree," Stanley said quickly. "The next allegation is that the FBI agents threatened to prosecute other members of Rucker's family."

"Don't they always say that, Stan? They give a confession, free and voluntarily, then can't wait to tear it up and say they were threatened. You've seen