She stopped. A thought crossed her face. Uh-oh. She just discovered I was holding a pair of deuces.

"You don't know who Benny the Jeweler is," she said. "You don't even know his last name."

I gave her my best grin. "I can neither confirm nor deny . . ."

"Well, I'm certainly not going to help you compromise a federal investigation."

"Certainly not," I agreed.

"If I were you, Mr. Lassiter, I would be extremely careful about doing anything that could be construed as obstruction of justice."

"I wouldn't dream of it. In fact, every day I do two things. Brush my teeth and uphold the Constitution."

"Mr. Lassiter, are you being sarcastic?"

"Why do you ask?"

"When I clerked for a federal judge, she told me I lacked a sense of humor or even the ability to determine when other people were joking."

"Then you've got the right job," I said. "Federal per-se-cutor."

"Now, that was a joke, right?"

"If you'd like it to be. Thank you for stopping by to threaten me."

"There was no threat, Mr. Lassiter."

"Then for the record, I'm not obstructing your investigation. I'm helping it."

"In heaven's name, how?"

"You haven't asked, but here's everything I know. Nadia's best friend, another B-girl, told me she has no idea where Nadia is."

Lying to a federal prosecutor always makes my day.

"That's it?"

"Your turn. What do you know?"

"Nothing I can share with you."

"You have one advantage over me, Ms. Scolino."

She looked at me dubiously.

"You've met Nadia, right? In this investigation you can neither confirm nor deny."

She shrugged, ending the charade for at least one question. "Of course."

"You've spoken to her. Gotten a handle on who she is. Her credibility. Her trustworthiness."

"Yes. All of that."

"And I'm betting you've examined and cross-examined a lot of witnesses in your time."

"Hundreds, at least."

"Without revealing any secrets of national security, what can you tell me about Nadia?"

"Nothing!"

"I'm not asking what she told you. I'm asking, did you believe what she told you?"

"Nadia said a lot of things about Nicolai Gorev that were surely true. But when it came to Benny the Jeweler, she was evasive."

"And . . . ?"

"You're a big man, Mr. Lassiter. What, two hundred and thirty pounds?"

"I wish. Closer to two hundred and forty-five these days."

"I trust Nadia Delova about as far as I can throw you. She knows things about the Gorevs and Benny the Jeweler, and if she will tell the truth, I can bring down a very significant international ring of . . ."

"Yeah?"

"Of none of your business."

"Seems to me you're walking on a tightrope, Ms. Scolino."

She waited, so I filled her in. "You're trying to rescue your own fouled-up investigation, but if Nadia shows up to testify in Solomon's case, the whole world will see the federal screwup that led to Nicolai Gorev's death. You can't let that happen, meaning you need State Attorney Pincher's help. So I'm just wondering. What are you and Pincher cooking up? What conspiracy of sovereigns is taking place in the shadows?"

"None, I assure you."

"Then you should get busy on one. Because you've given me the theme of my defense. Steve Solomon isn't responsible for Gorev's death. Neither is Nadia Delova. You are, Ms. Scolino. The federal government is responsible. You sent that poor girl into the lair of a Russian mobster. You either gave her a gun-"

"We did no such thing!"

"Or she felt the job you assigned her required one. She was improperly trained, improperly supervised, and totally unsuitable for the task you gave her, and a man is dead as a result."

"That's ludicrous." Pink splotches rose on her neck. I seemed to have the same effect on her as poison ivy.

"Be on the lookout for my subpoena. You're a defense witness, Ms. Scolino."

"We'll move to quash."

"My client's fair trial rights trump your need for secrecy. Motion denied."

"You have the scruples of an alley cat."

"Thank you. Feel free to give Pincher a preview of my closing argument. He's always looking to suck up to the federal government. Maybe the two of you can come up with something that won't cost you your job."

She was quiet a moment, then said softly, "What is it you want?"

"A deal I can live with. You get to keep Nadia out of the courthouse, and I get Solomon out of jail."

"That's called extortion, Mr. Lassiter."

"No, it's not. It's called lawyering."

-29-.

Nadia and the Feds (Part Five) One week before the Gorev shooting . . .

Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida In Re: Investigation of South Beach Champagne Clubs and one "John Doe"

File No. 2014-73-B Statement of Nadia Delova (Continuation) July 7, 2014 (CONFIDENTIAL).

Q: [By AUSA Deborah Scolino] Before you leave, just a few more questions.

A: [By Nadia Delova] It never ends.

Q: Do you know a man known as Benny the Jeweler?

A: Da. All the girls know Benny.

Q: Is he a customer?

A: Elena says he is partner of Nicolai Gorev. Maybe even big boss.

Q: So Benny owns the club?

A: Many clubs. But this is all B-girl talk.

Q: Has Benny ever given you any gifts?

A: My pendant.

Q: Indicating for the record a diamond pendant of perhaps . . . what would you say, Ms. Delova, four or five carats?

A: Not sure. Is big.

Q: Did you have sex with Benny?

A: Yes.

Q: Is that why he gave you the diamond pendant?

A: He gives diamond to all the B-girls.

Q: Why does he do that?

A: Is generous gentleman.

Q: Do you know where Benny gets his diamonds?

A: Wherever a jeweler gets them. Not my business.

Q: Are you being truthful, Ms. Delova?

A: Da.

Q: Because you know your immunity does not protect you from perjury.

A: You keep telling me.

Q: Have you ever heard Nicolai Gorev and Benny discussing diamonds?

A: [No response]

Q: Ms. Delova . . .

A: Always same talk. Benny says, "When are diamonds coming?" And Nicolai says, "When they come, they come."

Q: So you are aware that Gorev is in the diamond-smuggling business?

A: They never use that word. Smuggling. I never use that word. Only you use that word.

Q: When you wear the wire and speak to Gorev, try to get him to talk about the diamond business. Try to use the word smuggling.

A: He is not idiot.

Q: Meaning what, Ms. Delova?

A: Why not I just ask him to shoot me?

-30-.