Killing The Blood Cleaner (8 page)

“Cindy, you know we have to protect ourselves. These drug people are dangerous, but they are a lot less dangerous if you are firm and reliable with them,” Major Knowles added.

“I know you’re right. We do have to protect ourselves,” Cindy said quietly thinking back to some of the unexplained disappearances in the County along with the many inconsistencies in various reports of accidental deaths and shootings which had been investigated by the Sheriff’s office. She blinked slightly as a brief memory of her brother smiling and fishing went through her mind. Otherwise, her visage was quiet and thoughtful.

Satisfied with her response, the Sheriff and Major Knowles stood and opened the door to the outer office, “Cindy, we will get out of your way to let you finish up the Homeland Security Report on the interception and our count of the money,” the Sheriff said. As he was leaving, the Sheriff reached over and gave Cindy a tight hug. “We aren’t going to let anyone hurt you Cindy. You can count on that,” he said. Cindy smiled with a little tear in her eye. She did not see the scowl on the face of the Major as he closed the door and pressed the code to lock her inside. She also did not notice the new clock on the wall which contained a small video camera that recorded all her activities through a pinhole disguised by one of the numbers.

Cindy took her key and unlocked the white cabinet above her desk. She removed the two bulging plastic trash bags and placed them on the desk. In a few seconds she had the contents piled before her. She took another key and unlocked another cabinet near the floor. She retrieved the automatic currency counting machine and plugged it into the outlet on the desk. The piles of money in front of her were already sorted into packs of hundreds, fifties and twenties. Carefully, she began feeding the bills from the packets into the counting machine beginning with the hundreds. The machine made a whirring sound as it shuffled and counted the bills with the totals appearing on its digital screen. Once or twice the machine would stop to indicate that a bill was counterfeit. She would then remove the bill and place it aside. She then banded the bills into packets of $5,000 for the hundreds, $2,500 for the fifties and $1,000 for the twenties. She totaled all the packets for grand total of $2,497,000 in genuine bills. She knew that $3,000 of counterfeit bills in a transaction of this size was insignificant to all parties. She placed the counterfeit bills in a separate envelope which she marked, “Destroy—Counterfeit” and placed it in a small metal box in the white cabinet.

Cindy counted out from the packets stacks of bills, totaling $5,000, $50,000, $100,000 and $200,000. She put rubber bands around each of these groups of bills and put them to the side. She then took the packets and arranged them into groups where the total of each group was $9,000. This gave her 238 groups of bill packets. She placed each packet into a large manila envelope and prepared for each envelope a deposit slip which indicated the exact amount of the deposit by using a computer program which randomly selected an account number for each deposit slip from over 400 separate accounts in the State Bank of Lanier. She then placed the deposits in three large, orange plastic bags on which were printed in large letters, “DANGER—HAZARDOUS MEDICAL WASTE.”

Cindy then turned her attention to report writing. She clicked on the computer screen and selected “Homeland Security Incident Report.” She filled in the blank form based on the incident report worksheets which Major Knowles had used to brief her concerning the rendezvous with the freighter Cabeza Rioja. These clearly set out, with precise times and locations, the radar detection of the meeting in mid ocean between the shrimp boat and the freighter and the transfer of the ill sailor. She succinctly described the request by the Coast Guard and the interception of the shrimp boat by the Sheriff’s Marine Interceptor. She went on to discuss the search of the shrimp boat by the Coast Guard and the transfer of the sailor by ambulance to the hospital. The report clearly stated that the shrimp boat was thoroughly searched and no contraband was found. The incident was rated as not a threat to Homeland Security. There was a space for the signature of the Sheriff and the Coast Guard Commander. She printed the report along with a cover letter to Commander Dalton requesting his review of the report and signature for filing with Homeland Security.

Cindy then reached into the pocket of her jacket and produced a small, red plastic thumb drive which she quickly plugged into a port on the computer. She began by downloading the list of account numbers at the State Bank of Lanier. She opened and downloaded another file which showed movement of cash from those accounts to a dozen offshore accounts located in Panama and the Cayman Islands. Finally, she pulled a small crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and typed the password written on it into the security screen of another program. Once the password was typed a list of the usernames and passwords for those accounts appeared. She spent a few more minutes downloading various emails and memos. When she was finished she removed her thumb drive from the computer. She placed the thumb drive back into her pocket and gathered up the packets of cash and the plastic bags. She walked toward the door and pressed the button on the intercom mounted on the wall.

“Sheriff, the count is done and the money is in the medical bags. I have finished the report and it is ready for your signature along with a letter sending it to Commander Dalton. I’ve also got our quick cash ready in case you need to go shopping and the $5,000 for the sailor,” she said. It was now three o’clock. She heard the sound of the Sheriff tapping in his code and stepping up to the retinal scanner. The door clicked and she pushed it open.

“Here’s the money you have been waiting for,” she said as she handed the stack of bills totaling $200,000 to the Sheriff and the stacks totaling $100,000 and $5,000 to Major Knowles. “I have got my $50,000 right here if either of you would like to count it,” she continued. “The Count Report for the deposit of $2,142,000 is also here. It is only $3,000 short from counterfeits.”

“We don’t need to count your share. Just be sure you don’t go and buy anything too flashy. A new Mercedes with jeweled mudflaps attracts a lot of attention down here in South Georgia,” the Sheriff said. “You can go on home now and the Major and I will make sure that these hazardous medical wastes get properly deposited in the bank,” he continued. As he spoke, Major Knowles retrieved the three orange plastic bags full of money for placement in the white, locked medical waste pickup unit at the fence. He dialed a number on his cell phone and stated that the medical pickup was ready. Soon an ambulance would arrive to transport the bags to the State Bank of Lanier and discreetly place them in the night deposit bin where they would be deposited separately in each of the 238 accounts with no Treasury Department filings as each deposit was under $10,000.

Cindy was tired as she walked out the front gate to her truck. As she turned the ignition, she checked her purse to make sure she had her pile of bills. She also slipped her hand into her pocket to touch the thumb drive. She pulled her vehicle out of the parking lot and headed for her home. She was looking forward to her evening with Jack and she planned to get a good nap before he picked her up.

Major Knowles carried the orange plastic bags outside and waved to Cindy as she drove away. Using his key, he unlocked the lock to the white metal box which was inside the fence. He walked back toward the door and stood watch for a few minutes. It was not long until an ambulance pulled up to the box outside the fence and retrieved the bags through the hinged door on the other side. Major Knowles waived to the driver and reentered the building.

“Shall we see what she’s been up to?” the Sheriff said to Major Knowles as he pressed his eye against the retinal scanner and entered his code on the keypad. They entered the Homeland Security room and the Sheriff removed a memory card from the clock and handed it to Major Knowles. The Major had already booted up the computers and he inserted the card into a slot on one of them. In a few seconds, Cindy could be seen on the computer monitor along with the date and time of the video. The Major fast-forwarded the video through Cindy’s workday as the Sheriff watched intently.

“Damn, there she is!” the Sheriff snorted when the video showed her reaching into her jacket and retrieving the thumb drive.

“Back it up and slow it down. We’ve got to be sure,” the Sheriff said tersely, running his hand through his silver hair as he watched the video. There, again, on the huge screen was Cindy, inserting a red thumb drive into the computer, this time in slow motion. The video moved slowly on to show Cindy unfolding a piece of paper and tapping codes into the computer.

“Let me check the keystroke monitor,” Major Knowles said as he opened another computer program. The program opened and showed a list of files accessed and downloaded by Cindy that day. It only took a few seconds for both men to scan the entries.

“That damn bitch has downloaded the account numbers at Lanier Bank!” the Sheriff screamed at the monitor. “Shit! She has also somehow gotten into the usernames and passwords for the offshore accounts. She wasn’t supposed to have access to those. That is most of our business. We got our own payments to make. If we don’t, we will be the shark bait, like her damn brother,” he said, nearly spitting as the dangerous reality of the situation became clear.

“At least we caught her today, and the money is still in the accounts,” Major Knowles observed dryly, having suspected Cindy for some time.

“She is either going to rob us or rat us out,” the Sheriff said in a loud sputter.

“Or both,” the Major responded. “She must have figured out about her brother. She is probably working on a deal with Fitz Davis.”

“We have to deal with her tonight. Thank God it is the weekend. These offshore banks won’t let you change these passwords until they talk to somebody they know personally. But in the meantime, she could move a hell of a lot of money before we could stop her. Also, if the government had these passwords they could freeze the accounts pending an investigation,” the Sheriff said, more calmly now, as he prepared their plan of action.

Major Knowles pondered the situation for a moment. “I think we can arrange something very soon, maybe tonight. She has been seeing some drunk doctor from Atlanta over at Sea Island. There could easily be an accident.”

“Well, she brought it on herself. Do it, and get that thumb drive. Make sure it looks like that doctor is the cause,” the Sheriff said. At that moment there was again clanging of metal and cursing in Spanish coming from lockup. “We also have to deal with that fool. You need to make sure it is obvious we turned him loose since he waved his U.S. passport around the hospital. I would like him back on that damn freighter so he can walk the plank when they get to deep water,” the Sheriff continued.

“I have already talked to the Captain of the Cabeza Rioja. They were boarded off Savannah and brought into the harbor. To the great surprise of the DEA no drugs were found and they will be leaving on the tide tomorrow. The Captain is sending some folks to pick up Mr. Cantos. I will make sure he is ready to go with them,” Major Knowles said with a slight smile. “Looks like tonight I get to use some of that forensic training Homeland Security gave me up at Quantico.”

“He has been screaming all day that he is not going back to that boat,” the Sheriff said. “Since he is a US citizen we can’t force him. So I will assume that you’re going to be subtle about how this is accomplished.”

“Of course. It is all arranged. Mr. Cantos’ shipmates miss him and there will be a touching reunion. I will make sure it is public and that our hands never move,” the Major replied with a smile.

TWELVE

Cindy awoke from her nap at around 6:30. She was expecting Jack at eight. She stretched and yawned in her bed and enjoyed the chill from the air conditioner in the warmth of her fresh sheets and bed cover. She arose, dressed only in a pair of lime green, thong panties. She admired herself in the gilded full length mirror by her bed and reached for an antique silver hair brush on her dressing table to stroke her mildly disheveled hair. Her dog, a rescue greyhound, had been eagerly waiting for her to awaken. The large gray dog gently pawed at her hand as she stood by the bed.

“Rocco, the race dog, I know I have been ignoring you,” she said as she patted the dog’s head. “I know you’ll forgive me if I give you one of these,” she continued as she fished a dog treat from a Delft porcelain canister on her dressing table. The dog took the treat and retreated to a rug on the floor near her bed where he crunched with great enthusiasm. “There is no way you would make it at the track with all the treats you have eaten since I got you,” she said, thinking back to years ago when she received Rocco as a Christmas gift. “Maybe I should’ve stayed with your buddy, officer Tibbs. We both liked him and I think he still misses you. He didn’t like that I worked for the Sheriff. He always said that I was going to end up on the chain gang. But what I need is a nice, sexy doctor to take me up to Atlanta,” she said, warmly remembering her erotic evening with Jack at the Cloister. “I am going to make sure he keeps coming back for more,” she said as she admired her scantily clad figure in the mirror.

Cindy pulled on a red silk robe which lay at the end of the bed and grabbed her jacket she had folded over the arm of a chair. She reached inside the pocket and retrieved the thumb drive. She then reached into her purse which was nearby and retrieved the package of bills. She looked at the thumb drive and placed it on the dresser. She walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. She placed the package of bills into a plastic bag and then covered the bag with aluminum foil. She then placed the foil wrapped package into a back compartment of the freezer. This compartment contained ten other similarly wrapped packages with similar contents. The dog followed her into the kitchen and sniffed at the freezer.

“Rocco, I got all kinds of winnings disguised as leftovers, but I don’t dare spend much of it,” she said to the dog. “I can only buy things that people around here don’t know about.” Rocco looked up at her as though he understood. She picked up her telephone and dialed a number. It took several rings for the other party to pick up.

“Mr. Davis, it’s me, Cindy. I know I am supposed to call on the other number, but I lost it. I thought about what you said about everything and about how this all can’t last. I thought about some of those missing people. But especially about the pounds of meat and my brother. He had a big mouth and we didn’t get along, but that was no accident, even if nobody can prove it. I did what you asked. I’ve got everything you need on a thumb drive. But I need some help too. If you can get me out of all this I will even turn over the $100,000 that I have left,” she said softly and with hesitation, knowing that her freezer contained an additional $800,000. “I will get you the thumb drive tonight. I will be over at St. Simons and you can tell me where to drop it,” she continued.

“I can send a State Trooper over right now to pick it up, or I will come myself,” Davis stated with authority. “I can also get you out of here right away to someplace where nobody will find you. I think you are in danger, especially after this call,” he continued.

“I wasn’t planning on any witness protection plan,” she said. “And if you send a State Trooper or you come over here you might as well get on television tonight and tell them all about it,” she continued. “They aren’t going to get suspicious unless the money starts moving around. I will just drop it off and take my chances for right now.”

“Cindy, I think the second you downloaded the thumb drive the game was on. My job now is to keep you safe and get that information. We do want to help you and I am sure we can work something out,” he replied. “Look, I know the Sheriff. And you have worked for him for years. I went to High School with him. He can be charming. But he will hurt you if he needs to. I’m also sure you know that about Major Knowles,” he continued.

Cindy listened silently, knowing he was correct. “Oh, I don’t think they have figured anything out about me at all. They figure I’m in it just as much as they are and everything is going just fine,” she said. “I just want it all to stop, because I am scared and because of my brother, even though we didn’t get along. I know they will do something else horrible and I’ll be right in the middle of it. I know something’s going to happen to that sailor, and there have been plenty of others. I just don’t know the details. I don’t want to know the details. I wish I didn’t know about the meat from the slaughterhouse. Maybe I should just disappear with my dog. The Sheriff has made sure we can all disappear at any time,” she rambled on.

“Cindy, that’s one of the reasons this business has gone on so long. That, and all the Sheriff’s good political friends. Anyone else would’ve tripped up after the first couple of years. But Sheriff Odum has kept this up for over fifteen years, and now the Feds have given him several million dollars worth of sophisticated electronic equipment so he can fight terrorists,” Davis replied. “But there are some folks who know what is going on and are willing to do something about it. If I can ever get him indicted and let Judge Valentino’s committee get a crack at him, that will do it,” he continued, hearing Cindy sigh at his comments.

“I still don’t think I need to turn my life upside down right now. I will be over at St. Simons tonight. I know I will be at the Marsh Tide Lounge later in the evening. Why don’t I just hand off the thumb drive to one of your undercover guys that hopefully the Sheriff’s people don’t know. Have him wear a red sweater and ask me if I’m from Alabama. I will have the drive covered up in something and I will stick it in his pocket. After that, I’m sure I will be okay,” she said.

“I hope you’re not thinking that Atlanta doctor can keep you safe from these people,” he replied. “He doesn’t have a chance against the Sheriff and the Major.”

“And you know about him?” she asked, a little concerned.

“I think that just about anybody who was over at the Coast Cabin the other night, including Major Knowles, would know all about you and your doctor. It really is a pretty small island,” he said. “My report said something about you wanting to be fucked by an oyster, and that next time is in your trailer,” he continued.

“God damn you! Now you’re making me completely paranoid,” she said.

“Paranoia is good. It helps you survive. Also, don’t think that the getaway identity the Sheriff has provided you will be much use, especially to hide from him. Be looking for my guy in the red sweater who wants to know if you’re from Alabama. But it may be a girl and there may be more than one,” he said. “And if you feel like you’re in trouble you might want to head over their way. They will be armed and dangerous,” he continued.

“I will be looking for them. And I will be coming back here tonight. I’m not going to disappear. Nobody’s going to run me away from my home, and my dog,” she said as she hung up the receiver and stroked the dog’s head, a tear in her eye.

“Rocco, I know you will protect me. Maybe I should’ve just married Tibbs. Then I would be living on a farm in Lester with about five little children and you. Stupid me, I just wanted something better. But this isn’t better,” she said as she patted the gentle greyhound. Encouraged, he retrieved a squeaky toy and squeaked it several times to arouse her interest. “All right, I will throw Mr. Mouse,” she said taking the rubber mouse from the dog’s mouth and tossing it back into the bedroom. The dog returned with the mouse and shook his head, hoping for another toss. “I have got to get ready. I’ve got a big evening planned. We may be moving to Atlanta. You may have a cute poodle as your new girlfriend.” The dog was clearly disappointed.