Dirty Power (16 page)

A cop led me into a conference room of sorts. Reese and Ryan were already seated. Ogilvy and three other Feds sat across from them.

“Fuck.” Ryan jumped out of his seat to hug me, but Reese moved faster.

I wrapped my arms around Reese, and Ryan wrapped his arms around both of us.

“Did they give you guys immunity?” I whispered.

“Yeah,” Reese said. Ryan nodded.

“Let’s do this.”

We let go, but as soon as we sat down, they each grabbed one of my hands.

“Are we ready?” Ogilvy asked.

“Yep,” I said. The twins nodded.

“This is Agent Eudora.” Ogilvy pointed to the only other chick Fed. She was kinda hot in that angry, straight girl way. Like she knew more than she was supposed to about the world. “And Agents Goldberg and Florence.” The two guys. Goldberg was big and muscular, but pretty. As if he thought brawn might make up for having girly eyes. And Florence was homely, but he was the only one who smiled at us. It was a reserved smile, but at least it was a kind one.

All of them had pads of paper to take notes, which seemed a little pointless because they were videotaping the interview.

“Please, state your names for the record,” Eudora said.

I was feeling less than forthcoming so I smiled and said, “I’m Cameron Roberts. And of course you know Blair Powell.” I nodded at Reese. Both Reese and Ryan started laughing so hard they nearly fell out of their chairs. “And Mac Phillips.” I nodded at Ryan. He stopped laughing.

“Hey, I wanna be Stark. Way more badass.”

“Mac’s kind of badass,” Reese said.

“Stark is way more badass, though,” Ryan said.

The agents looked really not amused.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I said. “This is Lord Henry Wotton.” I nodded at Ryan. “And Basil Hallward.” Reese. “And I’m Dorian Gray.”

Ryan started howling again.

Reese smacked me with the back of her free hand. “Hey, that means you kill me. Jerk.”

“Oh, my bad.”

“May I remind the three of you about the seriousness of this situation?” Ogilvy said.

I tried to force my face to make a serious expression. It didn’t work. Ryan failed also.

“Okay, we’re sorry,” Reese said. “For the record…” The agents seemed to lean forward collectively. Dumbasses. “I’m Stella, this is my husband Stanley Kowalski, and my sister, Blanche Dubois.”

“Great, now I’m a rapist too,” I said. Ryan giggled.

Ogilvy stood. “This is not a joke. If you refuse to help us, you will be in violation of the immunity agreement that all of you signed. And I will take pleasure in booking you myself.” She wasn’t shouting. She didn’t need to. There was something terrifying and honest in her gaze.

I sighed. Ryan did too. Reese glared.

“My name is Vivian Cooper.”

“I’m Ryan DiGiovanni.”

“Reese DiGiovanni.”

I was a little surprised that Reese and Ryan said their own names instead of each other’s.

The interview got really fucking boring after that. Ogilvy had a big board with pictures of the DiGiovanni club. We got to go through the whole thing so Reese and Ryan could clarify familial connections. Then the Feds wanted to know all about DiGiovanni’s lieutenants. He had three: Michael Acconci, Vito Serra, and Alexis DiGiovanni. I’d never heard of Acconci. And all Reese and Ryan knew was that he was like a cousin removed about four times.

We moved on to Vito. It wasn’t very exciting. Reese and I gave our portrait of him. Psycho, control issues, blah, blah.

We learned a few things the Feds knew that we didn’t. His wife Madge had given birth to two kids way before Reese and Ryan were born. Both the babies died before they were a year old. Vito started moving up the ranks of the DiGiovannis really fast after that. I guess if you can’t have kids you throw yourself into work. I didn’t know why the Feds knew that. And I really didn’t get why that was relevant.

I told the Feds that Madge was well aware of her husband’s business dealings. They got all excited, but then I told them she would never turn on him. Less excited.

We were happy to testify to Vito’s multiple attempted kidnappings of the twins. And his threat to murder Ryan. But that didn’t seem to rock anyone’s world. In fact, they seemed a little bored. Maybe it was because they already had a video of Vito kidnapping someone at gunpoint. And that video ended with me shooting Vito’s assistant.

We took a fifteen-minute break. I decided I should really take up smoking. Ryan looked like he wanted his own brand of cigarette. Tough.

The rest of the morning was dedicated to Alexis DiGiovanni. Apparently, she was a big deal or something.

I told them about the night I’d been stabbed. They found that very, very interesting. But they were pretty pissed that I couldn’t pinpoint which of Alexis’s men had actually killed someone. But having a witness inside a massacre was gold.

Beyond that, I only had one thing to contribute. “Alexis is a fucking sociopath.”

Florence shot Ogilvy a pointed look.

“Yes, we’ve considered that,” Ogilvy said diplomatically.

“No, really. Psychotic motherfucker,” I said.

“Total cunt too,” Reese said.

“For real. Major asshole. And she’s crazy as fuck,” Ryan said.

“She also has a very shrewd business sense,” Ogilvy said. “Florence is our Alexis expert. So I’ll let him give you the background that we know. Hopefully, you can fill in a few details.”

“Thank you.” Florence nodded to Ogilvy. “As you know, Alexis comes from a long line of—”

“Dude, are you really going to give us our family history?” Ryan asked. He was bored. Time to pick a fight.

“Sorry, I was going to say that Alexis has deviated quite a bit from the way her predecessors conducted business,” Florence said.

“Hmm.” Reese cocked her head to the side.

“What?” I asked her.

“He’s right. She broke all the rules.”

“Whoa. Yeah.” Ryan nodded. “Tricky bitch.”

“What do you guys mean?” I asked.

“Our family runs drugs. Our great-grandfather got his start during prohibition. When prohibition ended, he used the contacts he had to expand into the drug business. The DiGiovannis were small time then, but by the sixties, my grandfather had made a name for himself. But it was always in drugs.” Reese shook her head.

I stared at Reese. Damn, the girl could write a history book on her family.

“But now we run guns, girls, and who knows what the fuck else,” Ryan said. “Douche bag fucking cunt.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” I said.

“I know. That’s the problem. Alexis has moved into territory that doesn’t belong to us,” Reese said.

“No. Douche bag fucking cunt. Is she a cunt who’s also a douche bag? Or is she a douche bag who fucks cunts? Wait. Maybe that would make sense.”

“Coop.” Ryan.

“Seriously, Cooper.” Reese.

“Let’s focus.” Ogilvy.

“Please.” Florence.

“Sorry,” I said.

“Alexis has moved into new territory, as you say.” Agent Florence tried to get the conversation back on track.

“But she managed to do it without incurring the wrath of those who own the territory,” Goldberg said.

“How?” Reese asked.

“Planning,” Florence said.

“No shit,” I said.

“I mean, since she was a teenager, at least in her early twenties.”

“How do you know?” Reese asked.

“In college she took Russian and Ukrainian. She also appears to have a working knowledge of a handful of other Eastern European languages. About ten years ago, in her early twenties, she made friends with the Russians. She gained their trust, did very civil business with them.”

“But she barely works with the Russians now. I mean, I went to a lot of meetings with her where they spoke Russian, but I always got the sense that they were working for her,” I said.

Agent Florence wrote that down. Must have been interesting. “We thought as much.”

Eudora spoke up. “There was an incident about six years ago. We never got all of the details, but the head of the local Russian mob and all of his lieutenants were at a private party. The food was poisoned. Eight men dead. As well as a dog. We never got any leads.”

“How do you not get any leads when eight dudes are killed?” I asked.

Eudora got even angrier looking than before. “Very few witnesses. All of whom either disappeared or turned up dead. And the little evidence we did have all pointed to a different, much smaller crime family. Most of them are still serving time for the killings. Those who aren’t in prison are dead as well.”

“Alexis took out the competition in one fell swoop. Well, we believe it was Alexis. She was vacationing in the Caribbean at the time,” Florence said.

“Your cousin is fucking crazy,” I told the twins.

“Let’s pretend we’re not related to that bitch,” Reese said.

“Totally,” Ryan said.

I was really not looking forward to going back to face Alexis DiGiovanni again.

*

We broke for lunch. Goldberg actually asked what we wanted this time. It was the first real meal I’d had in two days. It was the best meal of my life.

The rest of the afternoon was a detailed look at the guys from the morning. That evening was dedicated to Alexis. Again. I was so tired of that chick. What the Feds really wanted was some sort of confession. They had circumstantial evidence to tie her to a handful of crimes. If we could manage a little more evidence on any of those crimes, it would be enough to put her away.

Lawrence DiGiovanni was only afforded an hour. I was pretty sure the Feds knew they would never take the don down. So they weren’t even trying. Besides, it sounded like he wasn’t running the show much anymore. His lieutenants handled the business. Actually, Alexis handled the business. The don was just there for ring kissing. Someone had to wear it.

I knew it was going to be a long-ass night when I said something that made all the agents tense up and made Reese and Ryan look at me funny.

“When are we going to be done here? This isn’t getting your investigation anywhere so I know you’re sending my ass to Chicago. I’m tired of waiting.” That was when the room went still.

“Chicago?” Reese asked.

“Uhh, yeah. We haven’t given them any earth shattering information. And that was the agreement.” I realized as I was saying it that Ogilvy hadn’t shared the entire agreement with Reese and Ryan. This was going to be bad.

“The agreement was information for immunity,” Reese said. She looked at me, then Ogilvy, then back to me.

“You didn’t tell them about the deal you offered me?” I asked Ogilvy.

“Why would I?” she asked.

“What the fuck is going on?” Ryan asked.

“The deal Ogilvy offered me was contingent on enough information to arrest the don’s lieutenants. Alexis and Vito would be ideal, but Acconci would work also.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Reese.

“Stupid bitch.” Ryan. It was directed at Ogilvy, not me. “You’re going to get Coop killed.”

“She is not going to Chicago. They’ll kill her.” Reese.

Ogilvy used the same line on them that she used on me. “Are you aware that the don put out a contract on Ryan?”

Ryan laughed. “I’m not surprised.”

“What the fuck?” Reese screamed. “We were fine. We were far away from those assholes and you dragged us back here. What happens when they realize we are in the country? They will kill Ryan and probably Coop for good measure.”

“Reese.” I put my hand on the back of her neck. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s fucking not.” She shrugged my hand off.

“I didn’t have much of a choice. If they arrest me, I’ll get killed in prison. It won’t take Vito long. This way I at least have a chance.”

“What fucking chance? Please don’t kill me, let’s be friends. Oh, and can I please have some incriminating evidence?” She had a point.

“Yeah,” Ryan said.

“We aren’t going to send her in with nothing,” Ogilvy said.

“Oh, yeah. Put a wire on her too. That will help.” Reese crossed her arms and turned away.

“We’re going to release reports that Ryan has been killed. Cooper will go to the don and demand payment. It will build trust and demonstrate loyalty,” Ogilvy said.

The room went silent for an entire minute.

“Well, fuck me,” Ryan said.

“If she dies, I’ll fucking bury all of you,” Reese said.

She was implying their credibility and jobs. But I was pretty sure that if I died she would actually bury all of them. Like six feet under.

“Noted.” Ogilvy.

*

“How could you not tell me?” Reese asked.

We were in a hotel suite. It was a huge improvement from the jail they’d been holding us in. Even if there was an FBI agent stationed in the main room.

“Seriously, Coop,” Ryan said.

“I swear, I thought you knew.” I sat on the bed. Ryan sat next to me and crossed his legs. Reese stayed standing.

“Why the hell would we agree to that?” Reese asked.

“I don’t know. It’s the best option.”

“Not if they kill you.” Somehow, Reese managed to scream under her breath. Wouldn’t want the nice Fed to come in here.

“They know I killed Tommy and that other guy in Vegas,” I whispered. “They’ll send my ass to prison. Even if Vito doesn’t have me killed in there, I’m not going to last long.”

“Fuck this. Let’s get out of here.” Reese marched to the window. It was sealed. “Damn it.”

“Babe, we’re on like the twentieth floor,” I said.

“I’ll make it work.” Reese tried to open the window that didn’t open.

Ryan started laughing. “Reese, chill.”

“Don’t tell me to fucking chill.” She put her shoulder to the window and pushed.

“Peanut butter, it’s not happening.” I walked over and pulled her away from the window. “Besides, where would we go? We don’t have passports or money. Or clothes, even.”

“So what? We stay here and wait until they ship you off for your death sentence? Fuck that.”

“Vito isn’t going to kill me,” I lied. I didn’t know if he was going to kill me. It was about sixty-forty at this point. But forty percent chance of not dying was looking pretty good.