Chapter 2: An Offer I CAN Refuse

August 3, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“Murray Matheson.”

“Steve Adams.”

We shook hands and he pointed to an empty booth. There were menus in a metal holder on the table and we each took one and quickly scanned it. The waitress came by a minute later.

“Chef’s salad,” I said. “No croutons; bleu cheese dressing; ice water to drink.”

“Double cheese-burger platter with a Coke,” Matheson said.

The waitress read back the order and left.

“Health food nut?” he asked.

“Minor medical condition that means I need to limit my carbohydrate intake.”

“Diabetes?”

“No. They don’t know what it is. Screwy metabolism and a hormone imbalance, but they don’t know why. It stays under control if I limit simple and complex sugars.”

“You seeing specialists?”

“Mayo Clinic.”

“They’re among the best.”

“So, what can I do for you?”

“We’ll get to that,” he said sliding an envelope across the table to me.

“What’s this?”

“Open it.”

I did and saw some numbers and dates, when I reached the last line I knew what it was supposed to be. I wondered how he had tied it to me, but that was immaterial.

“So?” I replied.

“That’s just to make sure we communicate clearly. If we do, my copy of that, which also has the original account owner’s identifying information, goes into the shredder. If not, some friends of yours will get the detailed copy. With ALL transaction codes.”

I tossed the paper onto the table.

“Blackmail?” I laughed. “Really?”

“He thought you might feel that way,” Matheson said, sliding another envelope to me.

I opened it and saw pictures which had obviously been taken of the house by the clown Eve and I had confronted the previous day. The cars changed between shots, so it was clear they were taken over the course of two days. I looked him directly in the eyes.

“Anyone who shows up there is going to be VERY sorry they did. And you will personally be very sorry. Well, actually, you won’t, because you won’t be in any condition to be sorry, unless you have some relationship with some god. And if you do, I’d suggest you get your affairs in order with him or her right this second.”

“Think so? See those two young cops over there? Think they’ll lift a finger if another customer happens to shoot you in the back of the head while we’re sitting here? Well, I mean, other than to swear you drew your gun first.”

I laughed, “And you’ll be dead before they can move.”

That was because sitting in the booth behind him was Eve, though she’d used some of Matthew’s theatrical dye to color her hair black and was wearing a pair of glasses with thick clear lenses.

“Bullshit.”

I shrugged, “You apparently need me. Whoever told you threats would work, or that you could get the drop on me, was a complete fool. And that makes YOU a bigger fool, because you’ll never walk out of here alive unless I allow it. You’ll be dead before those cops even know what happened. All it will take is a simple, innocent hand gesture. That said, I’m a businessman and I’d prefer not to have to have your blood and brains splattered all over me. Make me a proposition.”

“Fuck me,” he laughed. “He was right. He said you had brass balls and couldn’t be threatened. But he also said you were an unbridled capitalist.”

“Well, whoever HE is, you should have listened because it’s going to cost you FAR more, now that you’ve threatened me and my family.”

“He said that, too.”

“So you decided blackmail was the better choice? Against his advice?”

“It’s cheaper and it works.”

“Not this time. I’m listening.”

“He says you’re smart and you’ll guess what’s going on.”

“UAE, Bahrain, or Qatar? My bet, after sleeping on it, is Bahrain.”

Matheson laughed, “Very good.”

“What is it I’m supposed to do to further this plan?”

“You carry coded messages to Noel Spurgeon. We know the FBI trusts you. We know you have a friend in the Marshals Service. You have friends who are senior Naval officers in the JAG corps. In other words, you are beyond reproach. But we also know the FBI isn’t your friend because they’ve liked you for a number of things, including espionage and murder.”

They hadn’t liked me for Littleton’s murder, but perhaps that’s how it had been spun internally when they tested my gun, and I was fine with that. I knew the CPD was dirty. Heck, everyone knew that the CPD was dirty. But somewhere in the Federal government, there was a leak - FBI, Marshals Service, or the US Attorney. Stan Jakes had hinted he thought there was a dirty Deputy Marshal, but I didn’t believe it. He and I had discussed the theory and I’d rejected it, but he was still looking.

“It’s not that simple,” I replied flatly.

“Of course not. We’ll tell you the next steps when it’s time.”

“What’s the rest of the plan?”

“Not how much?”

“We’ll get to that.”

“Right now all you need to know is what I’ve told you. I don’t have all the details.”

“Ten.”

“Greedy bastard.”

I shook my head, “All the money will go to charities of my choice, verifiable by me.”

Matheson laughed again, “Fuck me! He even predicted THAT.”

There were two possible suspects for the identity of ‘he’ - Noel himself and Alec Glass, and one off-the-wall suspect, Theo. Maybe there was someone else, but I couldn’t imagine who it might be. The problem with Alec was that I couldn’t understand why he would put Lisa at risk. And Matheson had specifically said it was a ‘he’.

“Well, you should have listened to him and not made the threats, Mr. Matheson. Because those I don’t forget. There’s one more condition - you destroy the documents you just showed me, and any copies, immediately.”

“I’ll ask.”

“Don’t ask, do it,” I said firmly.

“Fine.”

“When do I need to carry the first message?”

We’ll let you know. It won’t be too long.”

“Borrowing Samantha’s plane regularly is going to be tough,” I said.

“We’ll make arrangements.”

“Too often will be suspicious.”

“We’re not idiots.”

“Says the man who rejected advice and threatened me.”

“You aren’t a normal person.”

“No, I’m not. And you made a mistake, Mr. Matheson. Don’t make another one.”

“I won’t.”

I nodded as the waitress brought our lunches which we ate in silence. At the end of the meal, Matheson slid a cell phone across the table.

“We’ll call you on this. Do NOT use it for anything else. Do not make any phone calls with it.”

“Got it. Lunch is on you.”

He laughed, “I figured.”

“Lilith, let’s go!”

Eve got up from behind Matheson, and with my nod, pulled open her light coat to show him her pistol. The look on his face was priceless, and I’d accomplished my goal of making my point. I laughed as we left, because there was nobody in the booth behind me, or at a spot along the counter where they could get off a clean shot, assuming it wasn’t a bluff. Eve and I were quiet until we got into my BMW and were headed south.

“Did you make anyone?”

“Just the two fuck-ups who broke into our office. He didn’t have anyone else. I was there at 10:00am and except for those two, only families came in. Did he threaten you?”

“Exactly as we speculated. First, that he’d tell Anthony and Connie about the transactions, but at this point, I could settle things with Anthony. But I’m not convinced he knows it’s Anthony. I think he was trying for a reaction which I didn’t give. The second threat was several pictures of my house. That’s when I explained exactly how sorry he’d be if something happened, and then pointed out he wouldn’t be in a position to be sorry. He threatened me as well, saying those cops would cover up me being killed, but I pointed out they wouldn’t be able to move before HE was dead. That’s why I called you to come with me right away - to prove my point.”

“I couldn’t see the look on his face.”

“Like he might need to change his underwear,” I chuckled.

“Did they really misjudge you so badly?”

“Not whoever the mastermind is. Matheson thought he was a tough guy because he had two baby CPD officers with him. He also thought he could intimidate me. He discovered how wrong he was.”

“So who?”

“Noel Spurgeon, Alec Glass, or maybe Theo, but I don’t think it’s Theo.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve never, ever shown my ruthless side to anyone in the Chicago Outfit. The only time anything like that happened that they know about was the incident with Anthony, but they thought he was a pussy, so they didn’t chalk it up to me being a tough guy.”

“And Alec? Why would he risk it?”

“Only if Noel actually had something on him.”

“So it’s Noel Spurgeon himself?”

“The problem with that is, when did he set it up and how is he communicating? If the State or Feds had ANY whiff of this, he’d never have made it to Samantha’s wedding.”

“So then what?”

“So if we assume ‘he’ was a deception, Lisa would be the obvious choice. But I can’t see her risking everything for Noel just because she fucked him when she was fifteen.”

“Something doesn’t add up,” Eve said.

“No shit. It’s possible Noel set all of this in motion before he went to prison. But let’s assume he did that, why not make the attempt while he was out for Samantha’s wedding?”

“Wasn’t there insane security then?”

“Sure, but I was at Big Muddy and I can’t see how he’s going to get out of there.”

“Payoff?”

“It’s not like somebody can just leave the back door unlocked or something like that. That said, there have been escapes from maximum-security prisons in Illinois in the not-too-distant past, and this prison isn’t maximum security.”

“What are you going to tell the FBI?”

“Exactly what I promised to tell them - what it is that Matheson wanted. He confirmed Bahrain, and he asked me to carry messages. Anything else is just speculation, and I’m not going to speculate. Personally, I don’t think he has much of a chance of success even if I don’t rat him out to the FBI. With me telling them, I’d say his chances are not only less than zero, there’s a good chance he’ll manage to extend his stay at the ‘Graybar Hotel’.

“The thing that bugs me is their confidence about being able to get him out. And that tells me they HAVE to have somebody inside, somewhere, either Federal or State, or maybe both. And they have to have SOME idea on how they are going to get him out of Big Muddy. Ever since those guys broke out in ‘90, they’ve tightened things up at all the prisons.”

“How DID those guys get out?” Eve asked.

“The old-fashioned way - faked their beds to fool the nighttime count, sawed their way through bars, cut glass, then scaled the fence. But I don’t see Noel doing that. A helicopter escape from the yard is theoretically possible, but the guards would shoot him before he got aboard. Whatever the plan is, they’re confident. You can go ahead and place the call and put it on speaker.”

Eve took out her cell phone and dialed Agent Stone’s cell phone number. He answered almost right away.

“Stone.”

“It’s Steve Adams. The goal is to get him to Bahrain, but I don’t have any details. Right now they just want me to carry messages.”

“And they made you an ‘offer you can’t refuse’?”

“More like an offer I CAN refuse. That was blackmail and threatening my family. I laughed at them. We settled on my offer of ten million to charities of my choice.”

“You know that’s not going to happen, right?”

“And we both know you need me more than I need you, Agent Stone. If I simply refuse to cooperate, you won’t find the money and you won’t have someone inside. If the money transfer happens, the charities keep the cash.”

“I can’t agree to that, and before you ask, neither can the US Attorney. Treasury WILL go after those assets, even if they’re transferred to reputable charities.”

“I suppose that depends on where the funds come from and when you arrest everyone involved.”

“Let’s save that discussion for later. When do they intend to execute their plan?”

“I don’t know that just yet. They gave me a special cell phone so I can receive calls from them, with explicit instructions not to use it otherwise. I’ll get the number from it and give it to you. But Agent Stone, there is a leak somewhere, and I suspect it’s Federal.”

“That has been suggested, but so far all we’ve found is dirty Chicago cops.”

“Unsurprisingly, the two jokers who broke into our offices were riding shotgun for Matheson.”

“Interesting. They were recruits, right?”

“Patrolmen, or whatever the city calls the lowest ranking guys.”

“Just ‘Police Officer’,” Agent Stone replied.

“What’s the next step?”

“Beyond getting us the number of that phone? Just hear them out. But do not take ANY action without consulting with us first. Remember, the only thing between you and criminal conspiracy charges is you cooperating with us.”

“Something of which I’m well aware,” I replied somewhat testily. “I’ll get you the number on Monday. But you need to keep this closely held.”

“Only me, Agent O’Toole, and the AIC know about this.”

“OK. I’ll call you Monday.”

“Thanks.”

I nodded and Eve disconnected the call.

“I can see why you think they’re pricks! Coming right out and saying that if you don’t do it their way you’ll be charged with a felony?”

“Funny enough, the FBI and I aren’t on the same side EXCEPT when it comes to taking down scum lawyers and dirty cops.”

“Noel Spurgeon?”

“What do you think his REALISTIC chances for escape are?”

“Pretty slim,” she replied.

“And what were my options if those threats were real, instead of amateurish?”

“Something which might get YOU a long prison sentence.”

I nodded, “Correct. So once Noel Spurgeon asked me to get involved, my choices were talk to the Feds or risk criminal prosecution for something, whichever way it happened to turn out. Think either Noel or the Feds would let me off the hook if the scheme failed?”

“Probably not.”

“My mistake was going to see Noel Spurgeon in the first place. That said, he could have handled it another way if he wanted. But he NEEDED me to come to Big Muddy.”

“To provide incontrovertible proof of your involvement.”

“He played me at the wedding and I walked right into it. I assumed it was going to be about Samantha because despite everything, he actually cares about her, and she about him.”

“Do you think SHE might be involved in this?”

“I’d suspect YOU before I’d suspect her.”

“Ouch!” Eve laughed. “But I get your point. She’d be better off simply buying enough politicians to make it happen. She can afford them! But he doesn’t know she turned him in, right?”

“Correct. Her concern was that the men loyal to her dad, like Matheson, would find a way to oust her if that ever came out. They all think it was Les, the bodyguard. He DID flip in exchange for a lesser sentence, which only reinforced the idea.”

“What’s your ultimate take on Noel Spurgeon?”

“I can’t understand how someone could be so stupidly arrogant as to make videotapes of what in most cases was statutory rape. That said, you know my opinion on the age of consent.”

“Obviously. But rich people live by different rules.”

“No kidding. That’s why I cut all ties with that entire crowd except Alec Glass, who, from everything I can tell, is a complete straight shooter, plus Samantha and Jeri. I serve on the Board of Directors for the Lundgren Foundation, but I don’t attend anything other than the Board meetings. I do make occasional calls to big donors when they’re in a field where my name carries a bit of weight, but that’s it. And it’s why I set clear boundaries with Samantha on what I’ll accept from her personally.”

“What are you going to do about Grace Smith?” Eve asked with a smirk.

“I have half-a-mind to give the invoice to Melanie for the comedic value. Actually paying off the ‘debt’ would violate what I feel is the best path forward.”

“Cutting back, as it were.”

“Yes.”

“Can I ask what that means? I know it’s not my business, per se, so if you say ‘no’, I’ll understand.”

“I’ll answer. Fundamentally, I’ve always functioned best, and been the most stable, with either two or three girls, depending on the configuration. Since my marriage, there has been an attempt to have a ‘long-term third’ as we call it, and it hasn’t worked out for various reasons. We’re trying that again, though taking a slightly different approach. In the main, that’s it. There are a few other select women who, from time-to-time, I might be with. Each of them is someone I’ve been with multiple times, and who is adult enough to understand the situation and won’t complicate things.”

And the list was actually very short, consisting of only one name for certain - Elena. The other possibilities were Karla, if I were to see her again; Lyudmila, if she hadn’t found a steady boyfriend; Katy, if Amy were to allow it, which was not even close to a sure thing; and perhaps Tara, though that was equally uncertain. All of the other girls I might consider had steady boyfriends and had moved on, though I was sure that if Liz Carullo and her boyfriend split, she’d ask to ‘adult’ with me again.

Of course there was Elyse, though I didn’t actually expect her to ask. She’d had several opportunities to do so, and in every case had chosen to cuddle instead. And something in my mind told me to expect that to continue. We were in a very good place, and like Jennifer, Elyse didn’t want to mess things up. And neither did I.

There was also the issue of Cindi, but we’d gone down this route before, never consummating and testing what amounted to competing claims of who would be surprised and exhausted at the end of our encounter. If she stayed sober for a year, I’d have to consider whether or not the suggested reward was worth however it might change our relationship. I didn’t think it would, but as always, that calculation was tricky and often involved factors which lay dormant until AFTER sexual intimacy.

“Again, you don’t have to answer this, and you can simply declare it off limits without me being upset, but how do I not fit into that description?”