"And there are no records?"

Bo laughed and his boss grinned at her ignorance. The boss said, "No, ma'am. Once a car is totaled and the title is invalidated, no one cares what happens to it. Cash sales are not unusual in this business."

She wasn't sure what to ask next. She assumed they were telling the truth. She looked at the acres of wrecked vehicles and realized that a search would be fruitless.

"Sorry, ma'am," the boss said and walked away.

- The text from Verna read "You wanna talk?"

They exchanged a few more messages and agreed on a time.

Lacy arrived at the Hatch home after dinner. Verna was alone with the kids. The older two were doing homework at the kitchen table. Pippin and the toddler were asleep. Verna said the house had not been that quiet since before Hugo died. They sipped green tea on the patio and watched fireflies in the darkness. Verna was relieved that the relatives had finally cleared out, though her mother would be back tomorrow to help with Pippin. Verna was exhausted but sleeping more. She still awoke with the dream that Hugo was with her, but managed to work her way back to reality. With four kids she did not have the luxury of proper mourning. Life was not slowing down.

She said, "I got the life insurance check today, so the pressure is off, for now anyway."

"That's great, Verna."

"We'll be okay for a year or so, but I'll have to find a job. Hugo made sixty thousand a year and we never saved a dime. I need to bury some of this money for the future, for the kids."

She wanted to talk, and she wanted a listener who was not in the family. Her degree from FSU was in public health, and she'd been a social worker for a year or so before her first pregnancy. After the third, she put away any thoughts of a career. She said, "I like the thought of a job. I've been a full-time mother for a long time now and I'm ready for a change. Hugo and I talked about this often and we had decided that as soon as Pippin was in preschool I would go back to work. Maybe with two salaries we could swing a bigger house, maybe start saving for the kids. Hugo was so supportive, Lacy. He had the big ego and all that, he couldn't help it, but he was not threatened by a working wife."

Lacy listened and nodded. Verna had talked of a career a dozen times.

Verna took a sip of tea and closed her eyes for a moment. She snapped out of it with "Can you believe I've already had folks asking me for money? So far two of Hugo's cousins hung around here long enough to ask for a loan. I said hell no and got rid of them, but they'll be back. What is it about people that makes them do horrible things like that, Lacy?"

The question couldn't be answered. Lacy responded with "I don't know."

Verna said, "I got way too many people giving me advice these days. Even before the funeral everybody knew I was getting a hundred thousand in life insurance and some of these leeches were already trying to worm their way in. I'm sick of them, really. Not my mom or my sisters, but some of these cousins, some of these folks Hugo and I have barely seen in the past five years."

"Geismar said there were some lawyers in the house, plotting lawsuits."

"I got rid of them too. One big mouth said I could collect from the insurance policy that covered the stolen truck. Turns out that's not the case. When a vehicle is stolen like that, the policy becomes void, at least as far as liability. Lots of big lawsuits got kicked around. One was against Toyota for the faulty air bag and seat belt, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. Got a question, Lacy. When you and Hugo drove to the casino that night, was his seat belt working?"

"Not really. He complained because it wouldn't stay latched. This had never happened before. He fiddled around with it and several times got it to click into place, but something was wrong with it."

"You think someone tampered with it?"

"I do, Verna. I believe the air bag was disarmed and the seat belt was somehow compromised."

"And the accident was not an accident?"

"No, it was not. We were deliberately hit by a truck that weighed twice as much as the Prius."

"But why? You gotta tell me, Lacy. I deserve to know what's going on."

"I'll tell you as much as I can, but you must promise to keep it quiet."

"Come on, Lacy. You know me."

"Do you have a lawyer?"

"Yes. One of Hugo's friends from law school is handling everything. I trust him."

"Okay, but not even he needs to know the story, not now."

"Tell me, please."

- It was almost ten when Roderick opened the door and said, "Mom, Pippin's crying."

Verna quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and said, "Well, what a surprise. That child."

As the women stood and walked inside, Lacy said, "I'll stay tonight, okay? I'll take care of Pippin and maybe we can talk some more."

"Thank you, Lacy. I have some more questions."

"I'm sure you do."

24.

The meeting took place in the FBI's Tallahassee office, a ten-minute walk from BJC. The supervisor was an unsmiling career man named Luna, and from the moment they gathered around his wide conference table he seemed to doubt the importance of the meeting. To his right was a handsome and affable special agent named Pacheco, mid-thirties, no wedding band, and eyes that seemed to swallow Lacy the moment they said hello. At the far end of the table, as if needed but not really wanted, was the third agent, Hahn. Lacy faced Luna and Pacheco, with Geismar to her right.

She began with "First, thanks for your time. We know you're busy and this will not be quick. Do we have time constraints here?"

Luna shook his head and said, "No. We're listening."

"Good. On the phone yesterday I asked you about a man named Vonn Dubose. We're curious as to whether you know anything about him."

Pacheco picked up a sheet of paper and said, "Yes, well, not much. Dubose has no criminal record, state or federal. The Catfish Mafia, or Coast Mafia as it came to be, has been known to us for a long time. I think you have its history. A small gang with a colorful past, but nothing of record here in Florida. About twenty years ago a man by the name of Duncan was caught with a truckload of marijuana near Winter Haven. DEA suspected he was working for an organized group, probably the same Coast Mafia, but they got nowhere because Duncan wouldn't talk or negotiate. He served a long sentence and was paroled three years ago. Never said a word. That's about it. As far as the man known as Vonn Dubose, we have yet to find anything."

Luna added, "So as far as we're concerned, there's really no outfit known as the Coast Mafia. We spend our time these days focusing on known entities-al-Qaeda, narco-traffickers, nice guys like that."

Lacy said, "Okay. We have an informant who we've grudgingly come to believe is telling the truth. He's a former lawyer, a convicted felon, and he seems to know where the bodies are buried. Not literally, of course, but he's convinced there is an organized gang with Dubose firmly in control. The informant contacted us about two months ago."

Pacheco asked, "This is Greg Myers?"

"Yes, that's the name in the complaint I sent over yesterday. But that's a new name, not his real one. According to Myers, Vonn Dubose and his brother got shot up in a bad drug deal many years ago in south Florida. The brother died. Vonn did not. No record of that?"

Pacheco was shaking his head. "Nothing. How would Myers know this?"

"I have no idea. He is on the run and very secretive."

"Who's he running from?" Luna asked.

"Not sure, but not you or any branch of law enforcement. When he pled guilty he squealed on a bunch of people and now he feels threatened."

Pacheco said, "Were his charges federal?"

"Yes, they were, and he served time in a federal facility. But please, for reasons I may be able to give you later, don't waste your time trying to find the real Greg Myers. He is not the reason we are here. You've read the formal complaint that's been filed against Judge McDover. We did our assessment and felt it had merit. The real story goes much deeper than what's in the complaint. According to Myers, Vonn Dubose and the Tappacola tribe struck a deal almost twenty years ago to build a casino and they've been skimming off the top since day one. Lots of cash, some of which is now shared with Judge McDover."

"The judge is taking cash?" Luna asked.

"Yes, according to Myers."

"And why would they give her the cash?"

"The formal complaint is our Exhibit A. You have a copy. Here is our Exhibit B." Geismar slid copies across the table. Lacy continued, "It's a concise summary of the Tappacola, their land, their federal recognition, and their efforts to build a casino. It involves at least two murders and a man named Junior Mace, who is now sitting on death row at Starke. I suggest you take a few minutes and read the exhibit."

They were already reading, slowly. So far, the story had their attention. Methodically, they flipped pages, with Pacheco a bit quicker on the draw. At the far end, Hahn plowed through in silence. The air was heavy as they weighed every word. Lacy scribbled meaningless notes on a legal pad, while Michael read e-mails on his phone.

When they finished, Lacy said, "Our Exhibit C is a rather detailed history of the construction of the casino, the building of a toll road, and all of the litigation that surrounded both. With a judge in his pocket, Dubose was able to fight off anyone who got in his way, and Treasure Key opened in 2000." Geismar slid across copies of Exhibit C.

"And you want us to read this now?" Luna asked.

"Yes."

"Okay. Would you like some coffee while we read?"

"That would be nice, thanks." Hahn snapped to attention and hustled off to find a receptionist. The coffee arrived in real mugs-no paper-but neither Luna nor Pacheco seemed to notice. They were lost in Exhibit C.

Pacheco finished first, and rather than interrupt his boss, he made notes in the margins and waited. Luna lowered his copy and said, "A question. This Junior Mace on death row, are we to suspect that maybe he did not commit the two murders referenced in the earlier exhibit?"

Michael replied, "Frankly, we don't know, but Greg Myers believes Mr. Mace was framed and is innocent."

Lacy added, "I've met with Mace on death row, and he certainly claims to be innocent."

Pacheco quipped, "Doubt if he's the only one there who says he didn't do it."

Smiles but no laughs. Luna glanced at his watch, stared at the paperwork in front of Geismar, and asked, "How many of these exhibits do you have?"

"Not many."

Lacy said, "Well, in Exhibit D, you meet the judge." Geismar slid them over. "First you'll see photos of her at one of her condos at Rabbit Run."

Pacheco looked at the photos and said, "She's not exactly posing for the camera. Who took these?"

"We don't know," Lacy said. "Greg Myers has an informant whose name we do not know because Myers doesn't know. They correspond through an intermediary."

From the far end Hahn exhaled as if in disbelief.

"It's a complicated story and it only gets better," Lacy said, glancing at Hahn. "Back to the exhibit. There's some background on McDover, not much, though, because she keeps a low profile. Her partner in crime, or one of her partners, is an estate lawyer in Mobile named Phyllis Turban. Her photo was taken from the local bar directory. These women go way back, are very close, like to travel in style and always together. They spend far more than they earn. The exhibit summarizes their travel over the past seven years."

Obviously intrigued, the three agents were already zipping through D. The room was silent again as they flipped the pages.

Lacy's coffee cup was empty. They had been at the table for an hour, and she was delighted at the reception so far. She and Michael did not know what to expect coming in. They assumed the story they were about to tell would be captivating, but they had no idea how it would be received. Now they had the FBI's attention. Though the agents were conscious of time, they seemed to be in no hurry.

Luna was looking at her. "Next."

"Next is Exhibit E, the thinnest one so far, and it's a timeline of our involvement in the case," she said as Geismar spread more paperwork. They read it thoroughly.

Pacheco asked, "How did McDover react when she was served with the complaint?"

"She was pretty cool," Lacy said. "Denied everything, of course."

Michael said, "I thought she looked scared, but my two colleagues disagreed. Not sure that it matters that much."

Pacheco said, "Well, she must be guilty of something if she hired Edgar Killebrew."

Hahn surprised them with "That's my first reaction. What a shyster."

Luna raised a hand slightly to cut him off, and asked, "One more exhibit?"

Lacy replied, "Yes, the last one. I'm sure you saw that our colleague Hugo Hatch died in a car wreck on the reservation."

They nodded sadly.

"Well, I was driving the car when it happened. I'm wearing a scarf because my head was shaved in the hospital. I had cuts and abrasions, a bunch of stitches, a concussion, but I was lucky. I don't remember much about it but things are coming back. Anyway, my friend and colleague died at the scene and his death was not an accident. We believe he was murdered." Geismar slid over copies of F, which they grabbed with a bit more eagerness.

Photos of the Prius and the Dodge Ram; photos of the scene; summaries of conversations with the constable; a description of the air bag and seat belt that didn't work; the missing phones and iPad; and the conclusion that someone was behind the accident, thus the murder, and that someone was Vonn Dubose and his gang. She and Hugo allowed themselves to be lured to the back side of the reservation with the promise of information, and got ambushed. The motive was to frighten them, to intimidate them, to show them that they were in way over their heads, and that Dubose would resort to any measure to protect his empire. According to Myers, and they had no reason to doubt him, no one with authority had ever snooped around the casino and asked questions. BJC was the first, and Dubose moved decisively to send a message. He knew the limits of BJC's investigative authority, and assumed, correctly, that the agency had almost no crime-fighting capability. He assumed a good scare would scatter them.

"Wow," Pacheco said as he put down the exhibit. "You're not pulling any punches."

"We have a dead friend," she said. "And we're not going away."

Michael said, "But at the same time, we do not have the resources or the authority to fully investigate this corruption. That's where you come in."

For the first time, Luna showed a hint of either fatigue or frustration. He said, "I don't know. This could be an awfully big case."

If Luna showed reluctance, Pacheco seemed ready to sign on. "It's a massive case," he said with another smile in Lacy's direction.

"It is," she said. "And far too big for us. We simply cannot investigate organized crime. Our world revolves around judges who've cracked up and done stupid things. They violate ethics, but rarely break laws. We've never seen a case like this."

Luna shoved his pile of paperwork away and locked his hands behind his head. "Okay, you're not a cop, but you are an investigator. You've lived through this for the past several weeks. If you were us, Ms. Stoltz, how would you proceed?"

"I'd start with the murder of Hugo Hatch. Sure, I'm emotionally involved with it, but solving it might be easier than trying to penetrate a hundred offshore entities and chasing the money. Someone stole the truck. Perhaps another person was driving it. They were working for an organization, for a boss who ordered the hit. Oddly enough, I think the murder was a gift. Dubose overplayed his hand, overreacted, and did something that could come back to bite him. He's lived his entire life in a world of violence and intimidation. Sometimes those guys go too far. He felt threatened and his instinct was to hit hard."

Pacheco asked, "And there's no doubt the two cell phones and your iPad were taken?"

"No doubt at all. They obviously wanted the devices for information, but the theft was also a warning. Perhaps Dubose wanted to drop a not-so-subtle hint that they were there, at the scene."

"And you know they were at the scene?" Pacheco asked gently.

"Yes. I don't recall much, but I remember someone moving around, someone with a light of some sort attached to his head. The light hit my face for an instant. I can remember the sound of footsteps on broken glass. I think there were two men moving around, but again I was barely conscious."