Phillip Margolin - Fugitive

Kate Ross shut the door to Amanda’s office before sitting next to Mickey Keys on one of Amanda’s client chair.

“Thanks for coming to see us,” Amanda said.

“No problem. So, is Charlie going to honor his contract?” Keys asked eagerly.

“Mr. Keys, it will be impossible for you to continue as Charlie’s agent. You must see that.”

“I don’t see that at all.”

“Agents can help a client because of contacts. You haven’t been an agent for a dozen years. How many people do you still know in the publishing industry?”

“With Charlie as a client, making contacts won’t be difficult, believe me.”

“You’re also a potential witness against Charlie. If he’s prosecuted for his part in the Inner Light scam, there will be a conflict of interest.”

“I don’t care about any conflicts of interest. Charlie hung me out to dry when he split. I lost everything. He’s loaded and he owes me.”

“I’ve had an attorney in my firm look at your contract and he doesn’t think it’s enforceable.”

“Well, he wouldn’t, would he, since he’s working for Charlie?”

“Agents have a fiduciary duty to their clients,” Amanda said calmly. “When you told the feds that Charlie was involved in tax fraud and revealed your business dealings with him, you breached that duty and lost the right to be his agent.”

“I had no choice.”

“Of course you did. You could have protected your client by refusing to cooperate.”

“Yeah, and gone to jail for ten years.”

“In any event, we don’t think you can enforce the contract.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“You can hire an attorney and go through lengthy litigation you’ll probably lose,” Amanda said.

“I’ll take my chances.”

Keys started to get to his feet.

“Or we can resolve this problem another way,” Amanda said.

Keys sat down. “I’m listening.”

“Charlie doesn’t recognize any legal obligation under the contract but he’s not unsympathetic to your situation. He’s willing to settle your claim without going to court.”

“How much are we talking about?” Keys asked, trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably.

“Charlie is willing to give you a check for fifty thousand dollars if you relinquish all claims under your old contract.”

“Fifty! That’s nothing. I read Variety. I know how much he got from the publisher.”

“A good part of his advance will be used to fund his legal defense. And don’t forget the IRS. They’ll come after Charlie just like they came after you. So he might not end up with anything. Fifty thousand dollars is much more than fifteen percent of zero.”

Kate and Amanda sat quietly while Keys weighed his options. His body language broadcast his anguish better than words ever could. When he finally spoke, his shoulders sagged with resignation.

“Make it seventy-five,” Keys said.

“Done,” Amanda said after hesitating long enough to make Keys think she was struggling with her decision. That morning, Charlie had given her authority to go as high as one hundred thousand dollars to buy off Keys.

“I want a check today.”

“That won’t be a problem. Are you willing to answer a few questions about Charlie’s case after I give it to you?”

“Yeah, ask away,” Keys answered. He sounded tired.

“I’ll draw up the check while you read this,” Amanda said as she handed Keys a document in which he agreed to give up the right to be Charlie’s agent.

As soon as he signed, Amanda handed Keys the check. Then it was Kate’s turn to take the floor.

“Mr. Keys, how did you and Mr. Marsh meet?”

Keys laughed. “That’s a good story. Charlie was a hot property after the prison standoff, but no one could get to him. Technically, he was still a prisoner and the cops had him under wraps in the hospital.” Keys flashed a proud grin. “Know what I did?”

“I can’t begin to guess,” Kate answered.

“I slipped a nurse a few bucks for the number of his room and one of those ID tags you clip on. I switched my photo for the photo of the doc on the tag. Then I dressed up. I had this clipboard and stethoscope and the white coat.” He shrugged. “It was easy as pie. The cop on the door took a quick look at the ID tag and I was in. Charlie liked my moxie. I guess he figured if I could con my way past the cops I could con the publishing and movie people. And I already had some good ideas for merchandise.”

Keys paused. He looked thoughtful. “Charlie made the right choice. I did great by him. I mean, we made out like bandits.” Keys paused again. “I guess I shouldn’t use that phrase, huh? What with the IRS and all.”

“Whose idea was the Inner Light scam?”

“I thought it up. I had the accounting background.”

“Did Mr. Marsh ever protest?” Kate asked.

“You want to know if I had to twist Charlie’s arm?”

Kate nodded.

“Don’t forget why Charlie was in prison. He’s been a con artist his whole life. He’d just never operated on this scale before.”

Amanda asked Keys to outline the scheme. When he was finished, Kate asked Keys about the evening of the shooting.

“Who was with you and Charlie at the country club?”

“Let’s see, it was me, Charlie, Delmar Epps, and…there was someone else.”

Keys thought hard for a moment. Then he rolled his eyes. “I forgot Moonbeam.”

“Who?” Amanda interjected.

“This groupie.” Keys shook his head. “She was an obnoxious little twit who attached herself to Charlie. I have to believe she was the greatest lay in history because I can’t think of any other reason Charlie put up with her. Anyway, she was in the car with us.”

“What do you remember about the fancy revolver that was used to shoot Congressman Pope?” Kate asked.

“Some broad Charlie banged in Texas gave it to him. Her husband was an oil tycoon who was ancient and he collected guns. Charlie saw it when he was at her house and took a shine to it. She gave it to Charlie when he was leaving. I bawled him out about taking it. He was on parole, for Christ’s sake. Possessing a weapon could have sent him back to prison.”

“How did the gun get to the Westmont?”

“Delmar Epps brought it. He loved toting that gun around, pretending he was Wyatt Earp. I remember him twirling it on his finger in the car, because the limo hit a bump and he dropped it. I almost had a heart attack. The damn thing was pointing at me when it bounced off the floor. I thought it would go off. I yelled at Delmar to put the damn thing away and I have a clear picture of him putting it on the seat next to him while we were driving.”

“Did he have the gun when he left the car?”

Keys’s brow furrowed. “Delmar usually had the gun stuck in the waistband of his pants, but I don’t know if he had it on him when he got out of the limo. Some guy Charlie knew opened the door to the limo instead of the chauffeur and Delmar got in his face. I was concentrating on that while I got out of the car. Then I moved back as fast as I could because I didn’t want to be in the way if a fight started.”

“Do you know where Epps is now?” Kate asked.

“Actually, I do. He’s dead, killed in a car accident. They had a story in the newspaper about it because of his involvement with Charlie.”

A knock on the door interrupted Kate as she was about to ask her next question.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Miss Jaffe,” the receptionist said, “but there’s an FBI agent in the waiting room who’d like to speak to you.”

Amanda frowned. She had a few cases going in federal court but she couldn’t think of any reason for an agent to be contacting her.