Arthur Hailey - The Moneychangers

"The phone belongs to a Mrs. J. Nunez.

She lives at Forum East. Here's the building and apartment number." Wong passed over another slip. Marino took it, glanced at the address, and put it down.

"There's something else might be of interest to you. The records show the phone was installed a month ago as a hurry-up job.

Now normally, there's a long waiting list for phones at Forum East, but this one wasn't on the list at all, then all of a sudden it was put on at the top."

Marino's growing scowl was part impatience, part anger at what he heard.

Wizard Wong went on hastily, "What happened was, some pressure was applied. My contact told me there's a memo in the phone company ales showing it came from a guy named Nolan Wainwright who's head of security for a bank First Mercantile American.

He said the phone was needed urgently for bank business. Billing for it is going to the bank, too." For the first time since the audio technician's arrival, Tony Bear was startled.

Momentarily the surprise revealed itself on his face, then vanished, to be replaced by a blank expression. Under it, his mind was working, relating what he had just learned to certain facts he already knew.

The name Wainwright was the connection. Marino was aware of the attempt six months ago to plant a stoolie, a creep named Vic who, after they busted his balls, said "Wainwright."

Marino knew of the bank click by reputation. In that earlier series of events Tony Bear had been very much involved.

Was there another one now?

If so, Tony Bear had a strong idea what action he was after, though there was a lot of other business through the Double-Seven he had no wish to see disclosed. Tony Bear did not waste time in speculation. The caller's voice, a whisper only, you couldn't tell.

But the other voice the woman's had been traced, so whatever else was needed they could get from her.

It did not enter his mind that the woman might not co-operate; if she was foolish, there were plenty of ways.

Marino paid Wong off quickly and sat thinking.

For a while, he followed his usual cautious pattern, not rushing a decision and leaving his thoughts to simmer for several hours. But he had lost time, a week.

Later that night he summoned two musclemen. Tony Bear gave them a Forum East address and an order. "Pick up the Nunez broad."

18

"If everything you just told me turns out to be true,"

Alex assured Margot, "I'll personally administer the biggest kick in the ass that Nolan Wainwright ever had." Margot snapped back,

"Of course it's all true. Why would Mrs. Nunez invent it? In any case, how could she?"

"No," he admitted, "I don't suppose she could."

"I'll tell you something else, Alex. I want more than your man Wainwright's head on a platter or his ass. A whole lot more."

They were in Alex's apartment where Margot had come a half hour ago, following her Monday-night talk with Juanita Nunez.

What Juanita had revealed amazed and enraged her. Juanita had nervously described the month old agreement in which she had become the link between Wainwright and Miles Eastin. But recently, Juanita confided, she had begun to realize the risk she was running and her fears had grown, not just for herself but for Estela.

Margot had gone over Juanita's report several times, questioning her on details, and at the end Margot went directly to Alex.

"I knew about Eastin going under cover."

Alex's face was troubled, as it had been so often recently; he paced the living room holding an untasted scotch. "Nolan told me what he planned.

At first I opposed it and said no, then I gave in because the arguments seemed convincing. But I swear to you that no arrangement with the Nunez girl was ever mentioned."

"I believe you," Margot said. "He probably didn't tell you because he knew you'd veto it." "Did Edwina know?" "Apparently not."

Alex thought peevishly: Then Nolan was out of line there, too.

How could he have been so shortsighted, even stupid? Part of the trouble, Alex knew, was that department heads like Wainwright got carried away by their own limited objectives, forgetting the larger view.

He stopped pacing. "A minute ago you said something about wanting a whole lot more.' What does that mean?"

"The first thing I want is immediate safety for my client and her child, and by safety I mean placing her somewhere where she's out of jeopardy.

After that, we can discuss compensation." "Your client?" "I advised Juanita tonight that she needs legal help.

She asked me to represent her." Alex grinned and sipped his scotch.

"So you and I are now adversaries, Bracken." "In that sense, I suppose so." Margot's voice softened. "Except you know I won't take advantage of our private conversations."

"Yes, I do. That's why I'll tell you privately we will do something immediately, tomorrow for Mrs. Nunez. If it means sendin,gher out of town for a while, to be certain she's safe, then I'll approve it.

As to compensation, I won't commit us on that, but after I hear the whole story, and if it agrees with yours and hers, we'll consider it."

What Alex left unsaid was his intention to send for Nolan Wainwright in the morning and order the entire undercover operation terminated.

That would include safeguarding the girl, as he had promised Margot; also,

Eastin must be paid off.

Alex wished fervently he had stayed firm by his original judgment and forbidden the entire plan; all his instincts had been against it and he had been wrong in backing down under Wainwright's persuasion. The risks, in every way, were far too great.

Fortunately it was not too late to remedy the error, since nothing harmful had occurred, either to Eastin or Nunez. Margot regarded him. "One of the things I like about you is that you're a fair man. So you do concede the bank has a liability to Juanita Nunez?" "Oh, Christ!" Alex said, and drained his scotch. "Right now we're liable for so much, what the hell is one thing more?"

19

Only one more piece. Just one more needed to complete the tantalizing jigsaw. A single lucky break could yield it, and answer the question: Where was the counterfeiter's base? When Nolan Wainwright conceived the second undercover mission, he did not anticipate spectacular results.

He considered Miles liastin a long shot from whom some minor information might accrue, and even that could take months.

But instead, Eastin had moved quickly from one revelation to another. Wainwright wondered if Eastin himself realized how outstandingly successful he had been. On Tuesday at midmorning, alone in his plainly furnished at FMA Headquarters Tower,

Wainwright once more reviewed the progress made:

The first report from Eastin had been to say "I'm in" at the Double-Seven Health Club. In light of later developments that, in itself, had been important.

Confirmation followed that the Double-Seven was a hangout for criminals, including the loan shark, Ominsky, and Tony Bear Marina.

By gaining access to the illegal gambling rooms, Eastin had improved his infiltration.

Soon after, Eastin had made a "buy" of ten counterfeft S20 bills.

These, when examined by Wainwright and others, proved to be of the same high quality as those circulating in the area over the past several months and were undoubtedly from the same source. Eastin had reported his supplier's name and the man was being watched.

Next, a three-pronged report: the forged driver's license; the license number of the Chevrolet Impala which Eastin had driven to Louisville, apparently with a consignment of counterfeit money in the trunk; and the counterfoil of the airline ticket given Eastin for his return journey.

Of the three items, the airline ticket had proven the most useful. It had been purchased, along with others, with a Keycharge bank credit card, counterfeit.