Chapter 4: Final Act

The following morning, I got up, did my business, dressed, and grabbed a cup of coffee before heading to the courthouse. I wanted to see the three conspirators as they were brought into the courtroom. I was surprised to see Alice, my lawyer, show up in the courtroom.

“How are you holding up, Mike?” she asked.

“Better, now that I’m back in my own house.”

“That’s good to hear. I wanted to be here to support you, just in case,” Alice told me.

“I appreciate that,” I responded with a smile. The double doors opened, and a line of orange-clad detainees was marched into the room. Allison, Samantha, and Alan were among them, and they didn’t look too happy. Tough shit, I thought. Samantha’s hair was a wreck, and she had bags under her eyes. Allison didn’t look much better.

“All rise,” the large uniformed bailiff commanded. We stood up as the Honorable Wilfred T. Stone entered the courtroom in his long black robe, files under his arms. The judge nodded as he sat down, giving the bailiff his cue. “Be seated,” he ordered.

Judge Stone began at one end of the line, and I couldn’t help but notice that he was pretty harsh with the orange-clad people in front of him. It seems the word “bail” was foreign to him. Before he got to Samantha and her three cronies, however, a sharply-dressed man and a woman I hadn’t seen in 10 years entered the courtroom and approached the District Attorney.

I recognized the man – U.S. Attorney Ronald Sharpe. I had dealt with him before when I was in the service. The woman was Julie Bascomb, who was stationed at the Task Force’s Denver office when I was on active duty. I had worked with her a few times and was quite impressed.

On top of that, she was a lovely brunette, and I was impressed with how she maintained herself over the years. While Ronald spoke with the District Attorney, Julie made her way to me, and I couldn’t help but smile when she got to us and extended her hand.

“Mike, it’s good to see you again,” Julie said with a smile. “I’m sorry, Special Agent Julie Bascomb, HFSTF,” Julie told Alice while holding her credentials. “I’m with the DIU, the Divorce Investigation Unit. Can we step out for a second?”

“Uh, sure,” Alice said. We stood and left the courtroom before Judge Stone could order us out. Ron was still talking with the DA, and I could tell the DA wasn’t happy.

“What’s going on?” I asked Julie.

“There’s been some developments,” Julie said. “As of now, the feds are taking over the case against Allison Cartwright, Alan Williams and your wife.”

“So this IS a Task Force issue, then?” I asked.

“Not entirely,” Julie said. “The FBI and a few other agencies are working this case. But we do have a dog in this hunt.”

“I spoke to Ron Wiseman earlier, and he indicated there wasn’t anything for the Task Force. What happened?” I asked, confused.

“He found some disturbing things after the two of you spoke. Handed them off to us, and we took it from there. You can probably figure out what happened after that. Anyway, it turns out that Allison was running her own little version of the old MMAS. And Samantha was helping her.”

“Damn. What’s Williams’ role in all this?” I asked.

“He was along for the ride, mostly. Arranged for the ‘muscle’ to do the dirty work, if you will,” Julie said.

“So what happens now?” Alice asked.

“Federal Marshals are prepared to take all three of them into custody. They’ll be transported to DC while the federal grand jury examines the cases against them,” Julie said.

“What are they being charged with?” I asked.

“A whole slew of charges. Racketeering, extortion, money laundering, several conspiracy charges, including conspiracy to murder you, for starters. But the biggest charge is murder. It seems Allison had some of her uncooperative marks taken out. And from what we can tell, Samantha knew all about it. All in all, it’s a pretty convoluted case.”

“What about Williams?” I asked.

“Evidence we gathered indicates he arranged for the ‘accidents’ that left two men dead,” Julie stated. “And it appears there may be a third man dead, thanks to Williams. The U.S. Attorney wants the death penalty for all three of them.”

“Do you think it might be possible to see Mrs. Jacobs before they’re taken away?” Alice asked. “I have a set of divorce papers to give her.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Julie told her before looking at me. “I, uh, don’t have to report back to Fort Apache for a couple of days, Mike. Do you think we could maybe get together sometime?” I got her hint. We had connected the few times we had been together before and shared a mutual attraction. Still, the Task Force had strict rules against field agents dating.

“As a matter of fact, I believe I owe you a dinner,” I said.

“That’s right, you do,” Julie said with a slight smile.

“How about tonight then? Luigi’s? They make a killer lasagna,” I hinted.

“And after all these years, you still remember how much I love lasagna?” she asked.

“Of course,” I told her. Julie smiled as she wrote something on the back of a business card she handed me.

“Here’s my personal cell, and my current location. How does 6:30 pm sound?”

“I’ll be there,” I told her, pocketing the card.

“Well, I guess we’d better get back inside,” Alice said. We went back into the courtroom and saw Ron, the District Attorney, and the lawyer for the three conspirators in discussion with the judge. We took our old seats, and Julie walked to the two large federal marshals and engaged them in quiet conversation. I saw them look at each other, shrug their shoulders and nod their heads.

“I just spoke to the marshals. They said you can meet with Julie for a few minutes before they take them away,” Julie whispered when she returned to us. I thanked her just as the confab at the judge’s bench broke up, and Judge Stone pounded his gavel before speaking.

“Detainees Jacobs, Cartwright, and Williams. You are hereby ordered to surrender to federal marshals, who will transport you to Washington, DC, where you will be detained until a federal grand jury completes its investigation,” he said. He nodded at the bailiff, who unshackled the three conspirators from the rest. The two marshals immediately cuffed them and led them away, nodding at Julie.

“C’mon,” Julie said, standing up. Alice and I followed and met the marshals outside a small room behind the courtroom.

“Five minutes,” one of the marshals said. Allison and Alan looked down at the floor, cuffed hands behind their backs.

“That’s all we need,” Alice said. “Thank you.” We went inside the room and found Samantha sitting at a table, her hands cuffed to a metal bar on the table. One of her colleagues from Hempstead sat next to her. Samantha looked up as we walked inside.

“Hello, Samantha,” I said. “I hope you’re enjoying your little adventure.”

“Fuck you,” Samantha said quietly. I chuckled in response.

“Not today, Samantha. Never again, in fact,” I said.

“What do you want?” the man next to her asked.

“You must be her attorney,” Alice said.

“Yes. John Ashcroft, Hempstead Law Group.”

“Well, Mr. Ashcroft. I’m Alice Hawkins, Mr. Jacob’s attorney, and I’m here to serve divorce papers on your client.”

“Do what you came to do,” John said. Alice turned to Samantha and dropped the papers on the table.

“Samantha Jacobs, you have been served,” Alice said.

“Yeah, whatever,” Samantha said. John picked up the papers and looked through them.

“This is my client’s response to the outrageous and illegal petition your client had served on him, based on totally fabricated evidence put forward by an unethical attorney who is now facing multiple felony charges, including extortion and conspiracy to commit murder. I have requested the court reject her petition.

“You should advise your client to sign the papers now. Everything is in accordance with the pre-nuptial agreement your client signed before her marriage. There is also the matter of funds your client stole from the joint account.

“Those funds need to be returned immediately, otherwise I’ll be forced to charge your client with theft. Here is a copy of the order demanding the return of those funds, if you haven’t seen it already.” With that, she dropped another paper on the table, which John picked up and read.

“Mrs. Jacobs has given me power of attorney over her affairs, so I will take care of this as soon as possible, Ms. Hawkins. Is there anything else?”

“Yes,” I interjected, looking at Samantha. “Why, Sam? What the hell happened?” Samantha looked up at me, and I swear she looked like a totally different person from the woman I married. She shrugged her shoulders.

“Because ... I could,” she said. “So what?”

“So what? Is that all you have to say after all the years we had together?”

“Yeah,” Samantha dead-panned. “I guess so.” I nodded my head as her words sunk in. Then I realized that whatever love I may have had for her at one time was now completely gone. Her lawyer spoke up.

“I think our business here is concluded, Mr. Jacobs. My client has no desire to say any more,” he said.

“You realize she’s facing a potential death penalty?” I asked him.

“Yes, I’m aware of that fact, Mr. Jacobs,” John said. I looked at Samantha and saw a smirk as if she didn’t care. Fine, I thought. Neither do I.

“Good luck,” I said, motioning for Alice to leave. We went back into the hallway, and I came face-to-face with Allison, who also had a smirk. “What’s so fucking funny?” I asked her. She snorted before speaking.

“You just wait, Mike Jacobs. There’s a whole new way coming. And when the sisterhood takes power, there’ll be no room for dinosaurs like you,” she sneered. I looked at Julie, who also picked up on Allison’s statement.

“Well, from where I stand, it looks like there’ll be no room for you, either. Like I told you before, I don’t like to lose an argument,” I shot back. The door to the room opened, and Samantha returned with her attorney and the other marshal. John handed the divorce papers to Alice.

“They’re signed,” he said quietly. “The marshal witnessed her signature and I’ve notarized the papers. File them and get me a copy, if you would please.”

“Consider it done,” Alice said as she looked the paperwork over. “Thank you.” She put the package in her case, and we went our separate ways. Alice filed the paperwork, and Julie returned to the courtroom to meet with Ron, but not before reminding me of our dinner date.

I left the courthouse and headed out, stopping to grab a burger. After my meal, I stopped at a mattress store and ordered a new mattress, one that could be adjusted. After I got home, I called Pop to let him know what had happened.

“What’s going to happen to her?” my father-in-law asked. I could hear the sadness and disappointment in his voice. No matter what Samantha had done, I liked and respected the old guy. He deserved to know the whole truth, but I was concerned it might be too much for him to take. “It’s alright. I can handle it, whatever it is.”

“The U.S. Attorney wants the death penalty,” I said. I heard Pop sniffle as he fought to gain control of his emotions.

“Do you ... think they’ll get it?” Pop asked, his voice shaking.

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen the evidence, but from what I’ve been told, it doesn’t look good for any of them.”

“She’s my only child, you know,” Pop said quietly.

“I know.”

“Does she have a good attorney? Those feds can really tear someone apart.”

“I think her firm has that covered,” I told him.

“Tell me something, honestly. Is this what you want for her?” Pop asked.

“Honestly, no. I want her out of my life, and I want her to pay for whatever crimes she committed. But I don’t want her dead.”

“Thank you for that, son,” Pop said. “What are you going to do?”

“I plan to move on, Pop. I’ll probably get called to testify. Of course, I’ll tell the truth, let the chips fall where they may. From what I’ve seen, Samantha has a lot to answer for. That will be up to the jury.”

“I understand,” Pop said. We talked for a while, ending the call somewhat happier note. After that, I called Luigi’s and reserved a table for two for that night.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from my date with Julie. We had connected years ago when I was a federal agent. Still, nothing physical came from it as we were bound by Task Force regulations. I had wondered what she would be like in bed more than once.

I got to Julie’s hotel and called to let her know I had arrived and was on my way to her room. I was flabbergasted when she opened the door. Julie’s long wavy hair cascaded over her bare shoulders. She wore a short black dress that accentuated her curves quite nicely. This was the first time I had seen her in something besides a dark pantsuit, and I was stunned at her beauty.

“Cat got your tongue, Mike?” Julie asked with a mischievous smile.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous,” I stammered, feeling like a giddy teenage boy on a first date.

“Thank you,” Julie replied. “And I must say that you clean up rather nicely yourself.” I offered her my right arm as I needed the left for my cane. She accepted, and we walked to my car. Being the gentleman I am, I even held the car door open for her.

“This is a very nice car, Mike,” Julie said when I got in.

“Thank you. The benefits of being an executive. Wait until you hear the sound system.”

“You still like Jethro Tull?” Julie asked.

“You even have to ask such a silly question?” I responded. “Listen to this...” I fired up the system and heard the sounds of “Thick as a Brick.” Yeah, it’s one of my all-time favorites. The thing is, I knew Julie also liked Tull. Or at least she did the last time I saw her.

“So where the hell was Biggles When you needed him last Saturday? And where were all the sportsmen Who always pulled you through? They’re all resting down in Cornwall Wrrrriting up their memoirs For a paper-back edition Of the Boy Scout Manual...”

“Oh, you certainly know the way to my heart, Mike,” Julie exclaimed. “That’s one of my favorites!”

“There’s much more where that comes from,” I told her as I drove out of the parking lot. We got to Luigi’s, and I happily escorted Julie through the door. “Table for two, Jacobs,” I told the girl at the front desk.

“Right this way, please,” she said with a smile after confirming my reservation. We followed the girl to our table, and I was pleased to observe that it wasn’t the same table where I had been recently ambushed by Samantha’s lawyer.

I could also see the jealous stares of the men in the restaurant as Julie accompanied me, our arms locked together. I thought Julie was the prettiest girl in the place; tonight, she’s with me. I held the chair for Julie, then took my seat, leaning my cane against the wall directly beside me. A waitress came by with two glasses of water and took our orders.

“You seem to get around pretty good, even with that cane,” Julie said after the waitress left.

“Thank you. I’ve had lots of practice over the years,” I told her.

“Does it still bother you? I know they did a lot of work on that leg.”

“Sometimes, if it gets really cold outside, or if it starts raining. I still can’t put all my weight on that knee.” I appreciated Julie’s concern, but I wanted to change the subject. “How have you been? You were in Denver the last time I saw you.”

“Yes, I was. I got transferred to the Seattle office. Stayed there about three years, then got moved to Miami. That was a wild assignment. Then I got picked for the DIU, and that’s where I’ve been ever since,” Julie said.

“How do you like working for Ray?” I had known Ray Ochoa for a long time and always thought well of the man.

“I love working with Ray,” Julie exclaimed. “I especially like that he’s not a micromanager. I worked with someone like that once, and it really pissed me off.” I chuckled at that.

“I know what you mean. So, what’s the deal with this DIU? I don’t recall anything like that when I was in the service.”

“Divorce Investigation Unit,” Julie explained. “It’s fairly new, set up after the incident with President Pierce. Basically, we investigate the more extreme claims of spousal abuse and infidelity to see if there’s any evidence to indicate involvement of MMAS holdovers or copycats.”

“Must keep you pretty busy,” I observed.

“Unfortunately it does. A lot busier than I would like,” Julie said sadly.

“Just curious, how many of your cases...”

“Return positive results?” Julie asked, finishing my thought. “Not many. On average, about two percent. That’s still a lot more than we’d like to see. I must say your case was quite interesting.”

“Oh? How?”

“None of the usual markers were there. But the fact that your soon-to-be ex-wife is the offspring of perhaps the most notorious field operative who ever worked for MMAS and that your wife’s attorney was a former member of the group caught our attention quickly.

“Of course, I can’t tell you much more than that because it’s been turned over to the federal grand jury, but I can tell you that Wiseman and his research team uncovered quite a bit. And it looks pretty bad for all three of them. Your man, Torres, also uncovered a few things that really helped out as well.”

“I’m glad he could help. I take it his findings have already been handed over to the appropriate authorities.”

“Yes they have. And he’s been advised not to reveal everything he’s learned. National security, and all that. So please, don’t be too hard on him.”

“I won’t. Terry is a good man. I trust him. But thanks for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome,” Julie said.

“So, what’s this talk about ‘a new way’ and a ‘sisterhood?” I asked, recalling the conversation with Allison and Samantha earlier.

“You caught that,” Julie responded. “Well, after the old MMAS corporate structure was brought down, the organization morphed, went global. Became even more radical and less inhibited about things like murder. There was a county commissioner in Texas who was murdered not too long ago – as part of an experiment.”

“Damn,” I shuddered.

“We still don’t know if those terms are the group’s new names, or just generic terms they use. Could be both for all we know. The bottom line is they’re a lot more dangerous now than they were when you were in the service. You need to be very careful.”

“Careful is my middle name,” I quipped, causing her to chuckle.

Just then, our orders had arrived. We both opted for Luigi’s Special lasagna, one of my favorites, dripping with three different kinds of cheese and loaded to the gills with meat and mushrooms. We both dug in, using our bread sticks to soak up the leftover sauce.

“This is absolutely delicious,” Julie exclaimed.

“It’s one of my favorites. I can make myself sick on this stuff.”

“I can see why,” Julie stated.

“By the way, there’s a nice little dance club next door. When we’re done here, would you like to go have something to drink and maybe dance off a couple of calories?” I asked.

“Why, Mike Jacobs, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re trying to seduce me,” Julie said with a laugh.

“What, me?” I responded, feigning indignance.

“Yes, you. But for the record, I’d love to have a drink and a dance ... or two ... with you. That is, if you can keep up with me.”

“Well, I admit, I’m restricted to slow dances these days,” I teased. Julie’s smile widened, and I took in her dimples. God, I could get lost in those dimples.

“How do you manage, with...”

“I learned a long time ago to improvise, adapt, overcome,” I told her.

“In that case, I’d definitely love a couple of nice slow dances with you, Mike,” Julie said in a sultry tone that held a lot of promise. Our waitress came with the check, so I handed her my credit card, and she returned a few minutes later to wrap things up. After I finished with the bill, we headed out and walked to the dance club, which wasn’t too busy, fortunately.

Julie turned heads when she walked in, and I could almost hear the murmurs of the men in the place as they sized up my date. Naturally, none even suspected what Julie could do to them should they get out of line. We took a table and ordered our drinks.

When the band started playing a slow dance song, I asked Julie for a dance, which she readily accepted. We made our way to the dance floor, and I wrapped my right arm around her while holding my cane in my left hand. Julie melded her body into mine as we worked our way around the dance floor. Slow and steady was the trick.

“You are amazingly light on your feet, Mike,” Julie whispered as I held her close. I took in the scent of her hair as she placed her head on my shoulder.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” I whispered back. We danced through two slow songs and then returned to our table.

“That was nice,” Julie said quietly when I sat down. “I never thought of you as a dancer before.”

“Well, things have changed a bit over the years. I’ve personally found it helped me considerably during my therapy.”

“Did you and Samantha come here often?”

“I tried to make it a weekly thing at least, but to be honest, the last few months were pretty rough. She had been rather cold and standoffish for quite a while. At the time, I thought it was just stress from work. Now I know better,” I said. “Enough of my troubles. How have you been? Met Mr. Right yet?”

“Not hardly,” Julie said with a chuckle. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s the job that does it to people like us. We see so much hurt and pain. Not exactly the best environment for a relationship.”

“I know what you mean,” I acknowledged.

“I did meet someone, once,” Julie said wistfully. “But he turned out to be a jackass. A player. I dropped him and never looked back.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I told her.

“Don’t be,” Julie scoffed. “I’m just glad I found out before it was too late.”

“Yeah. So what are your plans now?”

“I intend to stay with the Task Force. I’ll be looking to retire in a couple of years or so. Thought I’d maybe get a condo on the beach somewhere and share it with a cat or something.”

“That’s a helluva commentary, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” Julie said. I could see the sadness on her face, and I changed the subject, hoping to lift her spirits a bit.

“What do ya say we blow this joint, maybe take in some music or something?”

“You still have that collection of Tull?” Julie asked.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” I told her. “I’ve even added to it since the last time we saw each other.”