The Money Is Green (26 page)

“Nice to meet you, Crystal,” he said as he stuck his hand across the seat. “Steve has told me a lot about you.”

She shook his hand quickly, discreetly wiping it on her jeans when she was done. She looked at Steve, who seemed oblivious to anything but the road. Without turning back she asked, “You’re not going to smoke that thing in here, are you?”

“Maybe,” he answered in a defiant tone. “And then again, maybe not. I haven’t decided.”

“Smoke it when we stop,” Steve said, looking back at him. “Crystal here is an athlete and she doesn’t need that crap clogging up her lungs. I’ll join you in a smoke the next time we stop.”

Crystal narrowed her eyes in distaste. “When did you start smoking, Steve? I know you like weed, but I didn’t know you picked up cigarettes. You know those things will eventually kill you.”

Smiling, he turned to her. “I only smoke once in a while. I don’t intend to make it a habit.”

“That’s what everybody says,” she retorted, folding her arms across her chest. A bottle of Jim Beam appeared in front of her face.

“How about a swig of some bourbon there, sweetie?” she heard Jimmy ask. “It’ll put hair on your chest.”

Pushing the bottle away with her hand, she answered, “I don’t think I need hair on my chest, thank you. You enjoy yourself.”

Taking a big swig, Jimmy swallowed it and grimaced. He pounded himself on the chest a couple of times and let out a big yelp. “Damn,” he said as he wiped off his mouth with the back of his arm. “That’s some nasty stuff. Steve, do you want a hit?”

“Yeah, give me a pull of that bottle,” he answered as he reached behind to the back seat.

Crystal was shocked. “Steve, what the hell are you doing? You’re driving. You can’t be drinking and driving. It’s dangerous, not to mention since we’re all underage.” She looked up at the sign along the interstate that said they were thirty miles from Auburn. Wow, we’re still a long way from Reno.

Grabbing the bottle, Steve turned and gave her a wink. He tossed his head back and tilted the bottle, taking in a few gulps. When he finished, he had bourbon running down his chin. He handed it back to Jimmy. “Ah, that’s good,” he said. He slapped Crystal on the thigh and laughed. “Relax, Crystal. I’m not gonna get drunk. A few nips from that bottle won’t bother me. I’ve had a few drinks before.”

She stared at him as if he were an alien who’d dropped into the driver’s seat.

“Come on, Crystal,” he said as he saw the concerned look on her face. “Don’t be so uptight. This trip is supposed to be fun and an adventure. You can’t have an adventure without a little excitement, and you can’t have excitement without some booze.”

Turning and facing the windshield, she crossed her arms in irritation. “Yes, Steve, it’s supposed to be an adventure. But we never discussed bringing your cousin along or drinking on the way.” She turned to the side window and watched the landscape fly by, illuminated by streetlights located every hundred yards along the interstate. She could hear Jimmy talking to himself and laughing, interrupted every minute or so by the sound of noisy slurping, which she figured was the bottle of bourbon.

They had driven two and a half hours and were just passing through Sacramento when Jimmy came up and leaned over the front seat. Crystal backed away against the window and waved her hands back and forth in front of her face. “God, Jimmy, you reek!” she exclaimed. “Stay in the back. You’re going to make me puke!”

“I gotta pee,” he said, his speech slurred. “Find me a place to pee, cousin.”

“Okay, hang on,” Steve said. “There was a sign we just passed that said there’s a rest stop up here in about five miles.” A short time later, he had pulled off the freeway and parked, and they all went to use the facilities.

When Crystal came out and got into the car, Jimmy was already sitting in the back seat. She had just buckled her seatbelt when she felt a hand going through her hair.

“You know, you’re a pretty girl,” he said to her. “I bet we’re going to get to know each other very well by the time this trip is over.”

Crystal froze in her seat, a chill going up her back. She scanned the restroom area for any sign of Steve, but he was nowhere to be seen. I hope this jackass doesn’t try to do anything stupid, she thought. I’d hate to have to rip him a new one. Maybe I could convince Steve to ditch him. She felt his hand start to rub her shoulder, and she immediately tore it away and turned to face him. “If you want me to lay a nice patch of fingernails across your face to make it uglier than it already is, keep doing what you’re doing!” she snarled at him. “I have no interest in you. Don’t touch me again!” She could smell the alcohol from his breath and see he had a goofy look on his face.

Holding his hands up in mock innocence he backed away. “Hold on there, sugar. I was only playin’. There’s no need for you to get hostile.” He flashed an evil grin, showing a missing tooth. “Remember, this is going to be a long trip, and you and I are going to be real close friends when it’s done.” He put his hand to his mouth and blew her a kiss.

Crystal spun around, seething. How could Steve let this jerk come along? This isn’t going to turn out like I thought. She spotted Steve coming out of the restroom, buckling his belt as he walked to the car. He jumped in, but before he turned on the ignition, he looked into the rearview mirror. “Hey, cuz, how about another swig?”

A hand with the bottle appeared from the back seat. “Absolutely, cuz. Here you go.” Jimmy came forward and rested his arms on the seat back. He looked at Steve and said, “You didn’t tell me your friend here was such a firebrand.” He grabbed the bottle from Steve and took another swig as Steve started the car. “Heck, I thought we’d just take some time to get to know each other and she about bit my head off. But I like a woman with some fight in her.”

Crystal could feel Steve’s gaze on her, but she continued staring out the window into the darkness. He stepped on the accelerator and moved the car onto the freeway. “Don’t listen to Jimmy. He talks a big game but he’s harmless. He’ll run out of steam in a little while and will be sleeping like a baby.”

A hand came up and whacked him on the head, causing his head to lunge forward. “What the hell are you talking about?” Jimmy yelled, his eyes wide with anger. “What do you mean I talk a big game? I’ll climb over this seat and beat the crap out of you, even if you are my cousin. Don’t you go talking crap about me in front of this girl.”

Steve rubbed his head and scrunched down in his seat. “Calm down, Jimmy. What’s gotten into you? Can’t you relax and enjoy the scenery or something?”

“I’ll tell you what’s gotten into him,” Crystal said in an irritated voice. “He’s drunk. He can’t hold his liquor. He tried to make a pass at me and I told him to shove off. Now he’s pissed.” She turned and put her arm on the back of her seat. “Why don’t you try to make this trip as pleasant as possible by not saying anything for two hours? Think you can do that?”

Jimmy glared at her and took another drink from the bottle. “Why don’t you lighten up, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes? I wasn’t talking to you anyway. This discussion is between me and my cousin, so just butt out!”

Crystal turned back around and raised her eyebrows at Steve. “This was a great idea of yours, bringing him along. We’re going to be stuck with him how long?”

Suddenly she felt hands around her neck, choking her. She reached up to pull them off, fighting for breath and feeling lightheaded. She kicked and squirmed, but the grip only tightened.

“What were you saying, you stupid bitch?” Jimmy yelled as he leaned across the back of the front seat, his hands firmly around her throat. Crystal fought, her arms and legs flailing around the front seat.

Half turning his body and keeping one hand on the steering wheel, Steve pounded Jimmy with his fist. “What are you doing?” he screamed. “Let go of her, Jimmy, you dumbass.” He continued pounding on his cousin’s chest, but it seemed to have no effect. “Let go Jimmy, you’re going to kill her! Let go!”

“Nobody talks to me like that,” Jimmy snarled as he shifted his weight. Crystal struggled to get her hands under his. Jimmy looked into her eyes, his face contorted into an ugly rage. “I’m going to teach you how not to talk.”

When Jimmy wouldn’t let go, Steve released the wheel and lunged at him. He grabbed him by the shoulders and attempted to pull him away. Steve’s knee hit the steering wheel, and the car turned sharply to the left into the oncoming traffic. Headlights lit up the car as Steve reached back and grabbed the wheel, over-correcting and sending it cutting across the interstate slow lane, just missing a car on his right.

Crystal looked up to see their headlights shining on the upcoming embankment as the car hurled quickly toward it. Jimmy let go of Crystal, screamed, and covered his face as the car plowed into the hillside, flipped, and smashed against a huge Douglas fir. Crystal
heard the sound of rubber screeching, metal crunching, and glass breaking. Dust and smoke swirled all around the car, and then there was silence.

T
HIRTY
-T
HREE

T
he Barrister’s Club in Washington D.C. prided itself in catering to the members of Congress and had been a regular stop for legislators of both parties for over fifty years. The restaurant was located just a few blocks from Georgetown University, which helped fill it with a steady supply of beautiful coeds. The bubbly owner, Mary Pritchard, a matronly woman in her late fifties who never married, had inherited the place from her father, along with his personality, and she made sure every patron was treated like royalty. She prided herself in the fact that she knew every client by name, their favorite drink, and all their secrets. If the walls or Mary could talk, there would be a lot of politicians who would have a lot of explaining to do.

Congressman Waters sat in a corner booth, a tall glass of Hennessy sitting in front of him and a young woman in her late twenties cuddled up close to him. She had wavy blonde hair, creamy white skin, and bright red lipstick that matched her neatly manicured nails. The low cut blue blouse she was wearing exposed her ample cleavage, and her exaggerated laughter could be heard around the intimate restaurant.

“Oh, Eugene,” she gushed, “you are such a character. I can’t believe all the things that go on behind the scenes in Washington. It’s no wonder you’re on so many select committees.”

He picked up her hand delicately and kissed it, his eyes never leaving hers. “Oh, my dear, those are just a few of the stories I could tell you about Congress. Maybe when we have a lot of time I’ll tell you some things about certain members that will make your jaw drop.”

Giggling, she squeezed his hand. “Oh, I can’t wait for that,” she said, smiling. “I love nothing more than good gossip about public figures. It brings them down to a more personal level.”

A vibration in his pocket made Waters let go of her hand. He pulled his phone out and checked the number, then quickly answered. “Please hold on a second.” He looked at the woman as he put his hand over the mouthpiece. “I’m sorry, Pauline, but I’ve got to take this call. It’s one of my constituents back in San Francisco. Order another drink and I’ll be right back.” He slid out of the booth and headed to the front door. Just before he reached it, he spoke into the phone. “I’m sorry, Mei, I had to move to a quieter spot. How are you doing today?”

“I’m well, thank you,” she answered. “I’m concerned that our little operation might have been compromised. I’ve gotten some disturbing information from my people on the ground in Nevada.”

“Really? I just talked to my connection in San Francisco,” Waters said as he strode into the evening sunlight outside the restaurant. He pulled a pair of Gucci sunglasses out of his shirt pocket and put them on. “He confirmed that our second shipment made it through to its destination and everything went without a hitch. What did you hear that’s got you worried?”

“The president of Soltech, Jason Ballard, showed up unannounced at our warehouse on a weekday night around midnight and started sniffing around. I don’t know how much he saw before my people confronted him. One of the reasons I hired Jason was his attention to detail and the fact that his reputation was squeaky clean. I don’t know how he would react if he figured out what we were doing,
but I was hoping he’d be onboard with us. I’m not sure he will be, though. He’s too much of a straight shooter.”

“Are you thinking he might go to the police?” Waters asked, his voice rising. A siren from a passing police car made him look to his left, and he followed it as it sped by him and continued down the street. This is great, he thought. A snoopy executive with a moral compass. I doubt he saw much. Mei’s always looking for a conspiracy hiding behind every corner.

“I don’t know, Congressman. I’ve got some of my people watching him and so far I haven’t heard anything, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t started talking. He was supposed to go to Shanghai to hold meetings at my solar panel facility, but he stopped in Hong Kong first. He didn’t tell me he was going there first, as I thought he was headed to Shanghai, and I only found out he was there after the fact. That in itself isn’t a big deal, as all my executives will sometimes travel through Hong Kong, but he might have gone there for other reasons.”

“What other reasons would he go there, Mei?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss that with you, Congressman,” she answered curtly. “I may be completely wrong, but I don’t like taking chances.”

Hmmm, Waters thought. I wonder what other activities she might be involved in that she’s worried about prying eyes. Maybe it’s time to wrap this up while we’re all ahead. “So, what do you suggest, Mei? What might I be able to do?”

“The one thing I know about Jason is he’s incredibly loyal—to friends and particularly family. He’s got a fifteen-year-old daughter and a girlfriend whom he’s in love with. We might need to use them to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. I want you to contact your friend who did the Andrew Dillon job and tell him we have another project for him.”

Waters checked out a tall slender woman who was walking her small dog down the sidewalk. He smiled at her as she passed. So, she
wants me to bring in Wo Sung, he thought. That’s serious stuff. He’s not cheap and he doesn’t leave witnesses. I wonder if she knows what she’s getting into. “You know, Mei, if I bring in my, uh, friend, it takes things to another level. He’s an expensive professional who doesn’t leave anything to chance. Are you sure this is the way you want to go?”