James Sheehan - The Law of Second Chances

On Thursday afternoon, a week and a half before trial and just a few days before they were off to New York for the duration, Henry and Jack decided to take a break and do a little fishing. They anchored out on the big lake. Henry was lounging in a chair at the back of the Sea Ray with a fishing pole in his hand while Jack was in the galley making some Cuban sandwiches for lunch.

“So did you talk to Charlie about someone trying to kill you?” Henry asked.

“Yeah, I did. She’s in, no matter what the risk. You know Charlie-nothing or nobody is going to scare her away.”

“That’s what I figured. Have you found a place to hide her?”

“I think so. Some friends of mine have a lake house in Virginia that’s always vacant. They said I could use it.” Jack brought the sandwiches out along with two beers from the cooler and sat in the chair next to Henry. The sky was cloudless and the temperature was close to perfect. They hadn’t had a fish on the line all day, but neither man cared.

Henry took a swig of his beer. “Have you thought about how to get her to Virginia undetected?”

“Not really. Who would follow her if I haven’t disclosed her as my expert yet?”

“You know, I’ve been thinking about that since you first mentioned using Charlie as your expert. They could be watching the apartment. Obviously they know that’s where you stayed, since that’s where they tried to kill you. We’ve got to assume they know you and Charlie are friends. She’s a CPA. You need a financial expert. Are you starting to get the picture yet?”

“Oh my God, you’re right! I didn’t think about that. Has she been in danger this whole time?”

“Probably not. If they kill her too early you can just get another expert. They’ll probably wait until she and the documents are together in one place-kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”

“When did you become so damned smart, Henry?”

“I know how criminals think. Why don’t you let me take care of getting Charlie out of town?”

“All right.”

“She can’t stay alone, you know.”

Jack stood up, grabbed his pole, and reeled in, then cast the line back into the calm waters of the big lake and sat down again next to Henry.

“Yeah, I’ve thought about that,” he said. “I’ve got somebody in mind, so I’ll take care of that part.”

“Why don’t you call her tonight and let her know I’ll be contacting her?”

“All right.”

“Have you made any arrangements for the transfer of the documents?” Henry asked.

“I talked to Sam Mendelsohn, the attorney for the estate, yesterday. Get this: they’re bringing the documents in by truck-that’s how many there are-and they’re going to park the truck in a secure warehouse downtown late Sunday night. I’m going to meet him at the warehouse. Monday morning we can remove the items from the truck and transport them however we want to wherever we want.”

“What about the telephone records?”

“They’re going to be on the truck as well. The lawyers are working together.”

“I’ll bet they are,” Henry replied. “Listen, let me make arrangements for the unloading and loading.”

“Sure,” Jack replied.

“By the way, we’re going to be staying in Harlem.”

“Why can’t we just stay at Charlie’s apartment?”

“That’s where they tried to kill you last time, if you recall. I’m not sure, but I doubt that the people who are trying to kill you know anything about Harlem.”

That evening Jack drove to the other side of the lake to visit his friends Joaquin and Maria Sanchez. They lived on a little inlet off the lake and were sitting out on their lanai looking out over the water when Jack arrived. Jack always experienced a brief bout of melancholy when visiting Joaquin and Maria. He and Pat and Joaquin and Maria were married together in a double wedding. Joaquin and Maria’s happiness brought home to him in a unique, personal way the depth of his loss. They knew it too and refrained from any displays of affection when Jack was around. Pat’s death was an event still too close to everyone’s hearts.

Joaquin brought Jack a beer without asking and set up another chair on the lanai. Jack didn’t waste any time getting to the reason for his visit.

“Joaquin, I’ve got to hide a witness in Virginia and I need a bodyguard to watch her. Are you interested?”

“Whereabouts in Virginia?” Joaquin asked.

“I’m not sure of the town. It’s up in the mountains on a freshwater lake.”

Joaquin was a retired homicide detective and, like so many of his colleagues, still kept up with the major murder stories across the country. He knew all about Benny Avrile’s case and who was representing him. “How long is the job and when does it start?”

“It starts next week-Sunday, to be exact. It will probably be for two weeks, three at the max. You’ll be paid for three no matter what, and the cabin is yours for three weeks and longer if you want to get some fishing in afterward. You just tell me what you require for a salary.”

“Give me some more specifics, Jack.”

“I’ve got an accountant who’s going to be reviewing some records for me and testifying. If they find out where she is they may try to kill her.”

“Who’s ‘they’?”

“I don’t know.”

“The State of New York is on the other side of your case.”

“I know, but somebody has already tried to kill me, Joaquin. I can’t take any chances with this witness. She was Pat’s best friend.”

Joaquin looked at Maria. “What do you think, honey?”

“I’d feel much safer if you had backup,” she told him.

“I could call Dick.” Joaquin was referring to his old partner in Homicide, Dick Radek.

“That’s fine with me,” Jack said. “I was going to give him a call after I talked to you two anyway.”

“Let me call him,” Joaquin offered. “He’ll have a hard time refusing me. I’ll call you tomorrow and give you a final decision.”

“Thanks, Joaquin. And thank you, Maria.”

On Saturday afternoon at three o’clock, Dorothy Pierce, a tall, husky black woman in her early sixties, knocked on Charlene Pope’s door.

“Who is it?” Charlie asked without opening the door. “Ms. Pope?”

“Yes?”

“Ms. Pope, my name is Dorothy Pierce and I’m Henry Wilson’s aunt. You may have heard him talk about me-at least, I hope you have. Anyway, I have a message for you from Henry.”

Charlie immediately opened the door. “Hi, Dorothy,” she said. “Come on in. It’s so nice to meet you. Henry did indeed talk about you.”

Dorothy smiled politely but seemed a little distracted. “Thank you, but I can’t come in. Could you step into the hallway for a moment?”

It was an unusual request, but Charlie went along with it and stepped into the hallway.

“Close the door,” Dorothy whispered. Charlie closed the door. “My nephew is worried about bugs. I think he’s been watching too many spy movies. Of course, I haven’t been where he’s been. Anyway, he wanted me to give you a message. Two black men are going to knock on your door at two in the morning. Their names are Calvin and Mohammed and they won’t be saying anything to you. You’re simply supposed to go with them. Henry says you can trust these men. Don’t pack. If you have a dark running outfit or something, you may want to put that on. Don’t turn any lights on before you leave. Just walk out the door. Someone will be waiting for you where you’re going and will take care of your wardrobe and your other needs when you get there. Any questions?”

“Where am I going?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t think Henry wants you to know either. It’s better that way. Of course you’re to say nothing to anybody about this.”