Chapter 14

After we went through the "call me Michael" phase the starts each conversation with a new person, Ms. Pellegrini was to the point.

"We have opened a file about the abuses of field office here that transpired over the past 18 months," she said. "I have been directed to offer you limited immunity should you provide testimony to the grand jury. You will be asked solely about the actions of FBI agents who raided your home and the actions that preceded that action. You will be granted immunity for any action that should come out during that discussion."

I glanced over at SAC Meadows who had joined me at the conference table.

"So, for instance, if I confess to the grand jury that I killed Jimmy Hoffa, I will not be prosecuted?" I asked. "That seems a bit far-fetched."

Ms. Pellegrini laughed slightly but Agent Meadows smiled broadly.

"I would imagine you were about 2 or 3 when Mr. Hoffa died," he said. "From my past experiences I can say that even if you were charged, I could get you off."

The U.S. Attorney's answer was more serious.

"Sir," she said because she refused to use my given name, "suffice it to say that this office and Agent Meadow's office is aware of almost everything you do."

I knew she was exaggerating — quite a lot, actually.

"But, as I'm sure you know — and count on — knowing and proving are two separate issues," she continued. "Your father has been missing for almost 2 years. He has not been seen or heard from since 73 days after giving you power of attorney over his assets. There has been no activity on several personal accounts that we monitor and there have been no sightings of him by people who would recognize the man if they saw him. There is no missing person's report on file and you have spent no money that we can trace in an attempt to locate him.

"Your father is dead, sir."

"I assumed as much," I answered. "But you can see that I am not extremely broken up over that fact."

"Well," Ms. Pellegrini answered. "It certainly provided you with the opportunity to gain power over his empire."

"Ma'am," I replied evenly although my temper was starting to rise. "You obviously have no idea of how I live my life. I wanted no part of his empire. In fact, I hoped the old bastard would live forever just so I wouldn't be asked to come back here to deal with it. I came back because my mother — whose father ran this business before my father — asked me to. The old man could have gone to hell as far as I'm concerned. Face it, he was crazier than hell. He believed the CIA, FBI, NSA and probably NASA had infiltrated his organization and were monitoring everything down to his microwave popcorn.

"I'm agree he most likely is dead. But he most certainly didn't die so I could take over and run anything."

"An informant told the FBI that your father was buried at your residence," she said. "That was the basis of the warrant that allowed them to search your house and to detain you."

"And that warrant was quashed," I answered. "For two very simple reasons: my father is not buried on my estate and even if he were there is no way a low-level snitch like Al Giancarlo would have that information."

I think I caught my audience off guard with my pronouncement. I turned to Agent Meadows.

"Was there any mention in my file about what I was able to dig up on the previous occupants of your office complex?" I asked.

"There were vague references but Det. Kay filled me in on the rest," he said. "Pretty impressive work. But with your resources and Mr. Almond's background, I would expect nothing less."

"So it would seem child's play for me to gain access to the information that included the CI's name," I answered. "Once the warrant was quashed my attorney subpoenaed the original. The Justice Department forced this office to provide it. Ms. Pellegrini, you signed off on the warrant as well. Or at least an underling affixed your seal to it."

"I signed it because I was led to believe it was valid on its face," she answered. "I was led to believe that Mr. Giancarlo was more than he obviously is and I did not do my due diligence in processing the warrant. My bosses came down hard on me and it is only by the most tenuous of threads that I am still in place here. There was talk of the administration asking for my resignation. Does that make you feel better?"

"Not in the least," I said. "My point is that Mr. Giancarlo, unless something has befallen him in the past month or so, is still alive and kicking. So are you. So is Agent Danvers and the rest of her crew. I used legal means to secure any information that I possessed about them — and about you. I can recount my adventures with the FBI without fear of perjury and most likely without immunity. The simple fact is that Agent Danvers got in over her head and her people played fast and loose with the rules. You did not keep a close enough watch on her and like it or not, it is your responsibility to watch over her — and Agent Meadows for that matter.

"What happens at the field offices lands at the feet of two people — the Agent-in-Charge and the U.S. Attorney for that district. That is one more person than responsibility falls upon in my organization. Where you might be recalled or replaced, in my line of work if things go screw you are replaced in another way. The transfer of power from my father to me was done quietly and without fanfare. I was already the head of the business and had already restructured it when he failed to appear at breakfast one morning. That is the entirety of what the grand jury could possibly hear about my father."

"So if you were asked if you know where your father is, how would you answer?" she asked.

"I would answer — truthfully — that I have no idea where my father is and I have no idea if he will return," I said. "But I have my suspicions that he is no longer among the living."

"And if you were to be asked if you had anything to do with your father's death?" she wondered.

"I would expect the U.S. Attorney running the grand jury to remind the questioner that the information is not germane to their investigation," I answered.

Meadows hid a small smile. I think a part of him was enjoying this.