The Plan (5/6) Sequel to”Crossing the Line”, “Confused”, “Death” and “Rebound” AUTHOR: Shirley E-mail: sgoates2607@charter.net RATING: PG-13 CONTEXT: This story continues where “Rebound” ends. These stories are based on the premise that the events portrayed in “The Beginning” have not yet occurred. Mitchell Lichtman and Nathan Caldwell are working at Fallin & Associates which is still under the managing partnership control of Burton Fallin. DISCLAIMER: Some characters have been shamelessly borrowed from “The Guardian” and others are totally the figment of my runaway imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Actual names of some Pittsburgh and New York sites and establishments have been used. For those of you who are familiar with the actual places mentioned herein, I apologize profusely if I have mischaracterized them. I admit that I know nothing about insider trading, police or FBI policies and procedures or forensics other than that gleaned from TV or movies. The storylines here are manufactured in my imagination for the benefit and pleasure of my readers. ~~~~~~ Nick had finally convinced Lulu that she was not ready to jump right into another relationship even with him. Oh, he didn’t rule it out someday, but now was not the time given all that had happened. ~~~//~~~ Nick was in his father’s office when his cell phone rang. He quickly answered it. It was Butch. “Yeah. Okay. Sure. I know the place.” He nodded at his father and said, “Dad, I need to run. Can this wait until later?” “Sure,” Burton said resignedly. Nick was all the time getting calls about his Legal Services job. As instructed, Nick drove out to the Allegheny Observatory located in Riverview Park. He pulled into the parking lot which was empty save for a couple of cars at the far end. It was getting dusk and the park closed at 7:00 pm. It was now 6:10. Nick watched Butch pull into a parking spot across the lot and get out of his car. He had a manila envelope in his hand and started to walk towards the little pond about 100 yards away. Nick exited his car and followed, joining Butch on a bench along the water’s edge. “What’s all this cloak and dagger stuff?” Nick asked, in a whisper. “We’re dealing with people who have connections in high places.” Butch glanced over his shoulder, then continued. “I wanted to show you what I’ve gathered so far and see if this is what you’re looking for.” He proceeded to remove several papers and 8x10 photos from the envelope. Nick was shocked to see a photo of Senator Caldwell, Lichtman and Sands, together with Adams. He did not recognize the location where the photo was taken. He pointed to the picture and looked at Butch. “Where was this taken?” “The old abandoned warehouse district off Braddock Road.” Nick glanced at the bank and phone records included in the packet. “What’s your take on all this?” he asked Butch. “I believe that Sands is the liaison between Caldwell, Lichtman and the broker for Cooper-Greene, Jim Adams. Sands had the inside information about the merger. I believe you saw Sands pass along the inside information to Adams together with the money to make the purchases. Two days before the merger, Adams transacted a purchase of 100,000 shares of SunSystems stock in 4 blocks of 25,000 shares each. The purchases were made by Mr. Adams in the names of four fictional people. Two days after the merger and stock run-up, those shares were liquidated for $60 a share…for a net gain of $5,000,000. My guess is these funds are sitting, right now, in off-shore accounts in the names of these four fictional investors. It is my opinion that these four gentlemen are these investors.” “Do we have enough to go to the SEC or FBI with?” “My suggestion would be to set up a meeting with the FBI and present what you have. If they see a case, then they can go ahead with search warrants and confiscate the computers and files of all these people.” “How will an FBI raid on my father’s firm be handled? Will there be a lot of publicity … bad publicity? I wouldn’t want to jeopardize the Firm.” Nick looked concerned now thinking how the cure might be worse than the disease. “If you step forward and offer your cooperation, it could be good publicity. If, however, no indictments are returned for lack of evidence, you may be faced with legal action against the Firm and/or yourself, personally, for libel and/or defamation.” “You were with the FBI. What do you think the chances are of getting an indictment and conviction?” “I think you have a good case. But, you’re a lawyer, so you know there are no guarantees when you get into the legal system.” “Could you set me up with an interview with the FBI? With someone you know and trust?” “Sure, I could do that. I would suggest you go to New York where the SEC is located. The Feds may want you to talk with the SEC as well. Just say the word.” Nick thought Butch sounded pretty confident. “Let me talk with my dad about this. He’ll have to sign off on it.” “I would suggest you keep this information on a “Need to Know” basis; include as few people as is absolutely necessary.” “I understand. Butch, I really appreciate this. Just send your bill to my house,” and he scribbled his address on his business card. “Is there anything else we need to do before talking with the Feds?” “No. To get more information you are just about going to have to have agents on the ground doing some of this work. Just give me a call if and when you decide you want to go with it and I’ll call a buddy of mine in New York.” Nick stood and extended his hand. “Thanks again.” He walked to his car and immediately got on his cell phone to his dad. He found him still at the office. “Dad, do you have plans for this evening?” “No, not really. I was just working on something due on Friday. What do ya need?” “I just got something I think you need to see. Can I meet you at your house at 7:30?” “I think I can make it home by then. If not, you know where the key is.” “Okay,” Nick said and signed off. ~~~//~~~ Nick pulled up in the circular drive of his dad’s house and then decided to park his car around the back, where it would not be seen readily from the street. He mounted the deck and, retrieving the extra key above the door ledge, he entered the back door into the kitchen/den combination. He flipped on the lights and checked the fridge for a bottled water. He walked over to the TV and flipped it on, turning to find the financial news of the day. He happened to glimpse the stock ticker symbol for SunSystems, Inc. and noticed the stock had plummeted to $8 since the initial run-up at $60 per share. He figured the selling off of 100,000 shares two days after the merger might have had something to do with the dip in the stock value today. About that time, Nick noticed headlights coming up the driveway. His father always parked in the garage so he would be in any minute now. He went to the kitchen and filled up the coffee carafe with water, pouring it into the water-well. He got the tin of coffee down from the cabinet above the coffee pot. He knew his dad would want coffee but he wasn’t sure the number of scoops so he would let his father do that. Burton came in the door carrying his mail, briefcase and the evening newspaper. He set it all down on the kitchen table. “Hi, Nicholas.” Burton greeted Nick. “Hi, Dad.” “Did you have any trouble finding the key?” Nick recognized that as a rhetorical question and didn’t answer. “How many scoops do you put in this pot?” Nick asked. “How many cups?” Burton removed his suit jacket and draped it over a kitchen chair. “Oh, I guess about 8 cups.” “I’ll get that Nicholas. Why don’t you check out the freezer to see if there is anything we can fix for dinner.” Burton took the coffee scoop from Nick and proceeded to fill the basket. He flipped the pot to ON and put the coffee tin away. Nick was digging through the freezer. “I don’t know Dad. I don’t see much in here. Maybe we can just go out for a bite when we get through here.” “That’s probably a good idea.” Nick went into the den to turn off the TV so they would not be distracted. “Dad, I wanted you to look at this stuff that Butch gave me today. He seems to think we have a good case and is recommending that I set up a meeting with the FBI to talk to them about it.” He pulled the papers and photos out onto the kitchen table as his dad took a seat. Burton put his glasses on and began reading the documents carefully. The coffee was ready so Nick poured a couple of cups and set one down in front of his father. He went to the cookie jar on the end of the counter and found chocolate chip cookies there. Rosie must have cooked up a batch recently since they didn’t stay around this house too long. Both he and his dad loved chocolate chip cookies. He took a plate down from the cabinet and placed several cookies on it then set it on the table. He was munching on one when his father looked up. “What do you think, son? You ready to stick your neck out on this?” “If it’ll save the Firm from those slimy bastards, then I’m ready.” Burton knew exactly who Nick was talking about. “Butch says the FBI will likely do a raid on the Firm to confiscate computers and files. If we cooperate we could get good publicity out of this but it could also turn bad if the Feds don’t find enough to indict. We could be looking at libel suits. The question is, are YOU ready to stick your neck out?” He looked earnestly at his father. “If we don’t do anything we could end up being on the other end of the law. I say we go.” Nick nodded. His dad was usually very decisive. That’s probably where Nick got it from. Neither one of them spent much time making up their minds when they had all the facts. “Okay,” Nick said, suddenly a little queasy. “I’ll give Butch a call and tell him to set up the meeting. He said I should go to New York since they might want me to talk with the SEC while I’m there.” Burton nodded and got up to pour another cup of coffee. Nick dialed the phone. “Butch, Nick here. Yeah, I’ve talked with my dad and we’re ready to go with it.” He listened. “Okay, just let me know a few days in advance the date, time and place of the meeting. I’ll have to make some arrangements.” He would need time to get pre-approval from his P.O. to leave the state and there were a couple of Legal Services cases he might have to shift around. Nick hung up the phone. “Well,” he said, with his hands on his hips, “there’s no going back now. Ready to get something to eat?” Burton grabbed his suit jacket and put it back on. “We could try Sadie’s, just down the street a couple of blocks. It’s close and they have decent food.” “Good,” Nick said. “I’ll drive.” Burton followed Nick out the door and switched off all the lights. He didn’t say much on the way to the restaurant. He was thinking about how this would all play out at the office. At Sadie’s, Burton got a warm welcome from the waitress and bartender. He was a frequent patron. They got their food in short order and were finished within an hour. They lingered over their drinks for a few minutes, then Nick said he needed to be getting home. He had to review his workload to see what might have to be re-scheduled or passed to someone else while he was out of town. And, he needed to run by the office on his way home to check on a FAX he was expecting. By the time they got back to Burton’s it was about 10:00 pm. Nick dropped Burton off at the front door and waited until he got safely inside the house. Nick pulled up to the side of the building where tenants could access the building after hours through a side door. He happened to notice there was a light on in their suite of offices. He thought that might be Sands’ office. Nick opened the side entry door to the building with his master key and then made his way up the stairs to Fallin & Associates. The door was locked. He quietly turned the key and opened it slowly. He listened at the door for any noise. Nothing. His heart was beating ninety to nothing. He slowly and quietly made his way down the hall towards the light, which was peeking out from under Sands’ office door. He put his ear to the door and could tell Sands was talking quietly on the phone to someone. He couldn’t make out the words clearly, only catching a word here and there. Sands ended the conversation and Nick could hear him moving around inside. He scampered to the adjacent office and found the door unlocked. He ducked in, keeping his ear to the door. After a few minutes, Nick heard Sands’ office door open and close and heard footsteps retreating down the hall. He waited for several more minutes to be sure Sands had cleared the office. Nick finally got the nerve to open the door and peek down the hall. He heard nothing. He tried Sands’ door and found it unlocked. He went in without turning on a light and punched the phone re-dial. He quickly made a note of the number and set the phone down before the auto-dialer finished the call. He didn’t recognize the number off-hand but he would check it against the list of phone numbers he had at home which Butch had provided. Almost forgetting to check what he came there for, he dashed into his office to see if he had received an important FAX he was waiting for. Michelle had placed it on his desk. He grabbed it up and headed for the door. He was careful not to turn on any lights. The night lights throughout the office were sufficient to see his way around. ~~~//~~~ By the time Nick arrived home he was totally drained. All this covert activity was taking its toll on him. He had no messages. That was good. Once he was ready for bed, Nick sat down at his desk and pulled out the manila envelope and the slip of paper containing the phone number from Sands’ phone. From the list of phone numbers Butch had provided, Nick noted it was the same number listed for Senator Caldwell’s home. After secreting the documents in his dresser drawer, Nick finally flopped into bed and had a fitful night. ~~~//~~~ Three days passed before Butch got back to Nick with details of the meeting in New York. They had set it up for Tuesday of next week but he was told to plan on as many as two or three days. He contacted his new P.O., David Atkins, who had actually been a decent guy. Nick explained he had a business meeting in New York next week and would be gone for two or three days. He gave Atkins the name of his contact, Bob Foster, but didn’t tell him Foster was with the FBI. Michelle made his travel arrangements. With such short notice, he had to settle for a flight on Monday which arrived in New York at around 1:00 pm. That would mean a long afternoon-evening alone unless he could round up some of his old friends and acquaintances. When Nick got home that evening he located his “little black book” from his New York days and began making some calls. He first dialed the last number he had for Minette. The number had been disconnected. He called directory assistance and they did not have a current listing for her. The next number he dialed was for John Chambers. Then Adam McCall and Tim Wooten. None of the numbers were good and he could find no new numbers for anyone in the current New York City listings. Well, he tried to tell himself, it had been five almost six years. And, he hadn’t kept in touch. ~~~//~~~ Nick spent that Saturday at the Firm getting his work caught up and making notes for his father on all his pending cases. A couple of the partners were also in the office but they were mainly working upstairs. He heard a knock on his door and looked up just as Mitchell walked in. “Hi, Nick. I didn’t know you worked on the weekends.” Nick glared at him without saying a word. “By the way, I hear you’re going to New York on Monday. Why’re ya going there?” Nick wrinkled his brow and continued to stare without speaking. He finally asked, “How did you know I was going to New York?” “Michelle told me. I’ve been reviewing the Firm’s travel expenses, you know to try and cut down on unwanted and unnecessary travel.” “Well, it happens to be none of your business, if you must know,” Nick said, furious to think that Michelle and breached a confidence. Of course, he hadn’t told her to keep it quiet. He didn’t think he had to. “I see,” Mitchell said with a quizzical look. “Well, you know I’ll just have to put that in my report to the Senator.” “I tell you what, Mitchell. If you want to reject the expense report when I get back, be my guest. I’ll deal with it then. For now, if you would just get out of my office I would appreciate it.” Mitchell had never seen Nick so angry. He backed out slowly and shut the door behind him. Nick looked at the door for a long moment then returned to his work. ~~~//~~~ He called his dad early Sunday and suggested they grab a Sunday Brunch somewhere; he had something to talk to him about. They met at Chez Fon Fon and Nick told Burton about his encounter with Mitchell on Saturday. Burton was concerned. Burton remembered the Senator had said he was going to do a top to bottom review of the Firm to look for ways to cut costs. Burton hadn’t considered there would be a downside to that. He told Nick that he would talk with the Senator and tell him to back off. After breakfast, Nick went by Legal Services. He had a few things he wanted to get done. He never expected to run into anyone there on a Sunday. As he stepped off the elevator, he heard someone talking on the phone. He listened for a moment and then realized it was Lulu. He found her at her desk. She was hanging the phone up as he peeped around the door. “Oh,” she looked up, startled. “You scared me. What are you doing here on a Sunday?” “I might ask you the same thing.” “Well, Alvin said you would be out of town for the better part of next week so he assigned me the cases that would have normally gone to you.” “I’m sorry. It can’t be helped. It’s something only I can do.” “Where ya goin’?” She asked to make conversation. “New York for a few days.” “I see,” she said and looked down at her desk. She was thinking he would probably be seeing Minette. That was her name, wasn’t it? Yeah, she thought so. “What do you mean. I see?” He scrunched up his eyes. She didn’t say anything for a long moment then said, “I was just thinking you would probably be seeing Minette.” “Well, see, you would be wrong there.” He didn’t bother to tell her that he had tried to ring Minette but didn’t have a good number. He grinned. She was actually jealous. “Oh, well it doesn’t matter to me, one way or the other.” “Okay.” He gave her a little knowing smile. She finally let a smile appear on her lips. Nick thought it was good to be able to talk with Lulu like this without her going on a crying jag. “No, for your information it will probably be all business. I’ve been away almost six years now and have lost touch with the people I knew back then. When I moved back to Pittsburgh, I just cut my ties with New York completely.” “I’m sure you’ll find something to do. Well, Nick, I gotta get back to work if I’m going to make any headway. Hope you have a good and safe trip.” He thanked her and turned to leave her office. He was working in the conference room when Lulu came in to say she was leaving. It was about 2:00 pm. She turned and was headed to the elevator. Nick got up and at the door he called out, “Lulu, I should be back no later than Friday. Maybe we could have dinner or something.” “Maybe,” she said. She turned back to look at him. He was standing there like a school boy. How could she resist. “I’ll call you. Would that be okay?” “Yeah, sure.” She would spend the rest of the week thinking about Friday night. Nick worked another couple of hours and left a few notes for Alvin for Monday morning on a couple of his cases. ~~~//~~~ He went by the Firm early Monday morning and closed himself off in his room. He had just hung up the phone when a knock came at his door. “Come in,” he called out. The Senator walked in and closed the door. “Nick, I just talked with your dad about the misunderstanding between you and Mitchell. Like I told Burton, I have been conducting a top to bottom review of the Firm’s expenses but there are some things that are sacrosanct and that would be expenses for you and Burton. I explained that to Mitchell and he understands now. I hope there are no hard feelings.” Nick remained silent throughout the explanation; his facial expression blank. “Is that it?” Nick asked. The Senator realized he was getting the brush off. He nodded and turned to leave. Nick touched a button on his phone console and Michelle answered. “Yes, Mr. Fallin.” “Michelle, can I see you in my office a minute?” “Of course, Sir.” She was in his office in a flash. She was the envy of most of the girls in the secretarial pool. Although Nick was challenging to work for she was also stimulated by his demands. Working for the older partners could get pretty dull, but working for Nick Fallin was always exciting. And Michelle loved being able to spend time one on one with him even though it was only business. She did realize that fraternizing was strictly taboo. But then, unfortunately, Nick had never made any improper advances towards her. “Michelle, I recently discovered that Mitchell had learned about my trip to New York.” It wasn’t a question but Michelle felt compelled to answer. “Yes, Mr. Fallin. He said he was reviewing all employee expenses for the Senator’s top to bottom expense review. In addition to the records for the last 6 months, he wanted a list of all expenses booked or paid through the end of the month. Wasn’t I supposed to give that to him?” “It’s my fault, Michelle. I should have told you that you are not to discuss any of my business with anyone else in this Firm, the one exception being my father. That would include my expenses, phone calls, clients, visitors, etc. Now, I need your assurance that you will follow my instructions and that you will keep this conversation confidential. What do ya say?” He gave her a pleasing smile. “Absolutely, Mr. Fallin. I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” she said, worried she had made a serious mistake. Nick was hoping she wouldn’t start crying. Michelle was very capable and up until now he had had no complaints with her work. “Okay. All right. Well, you know I will be staying at the Four Seasons in Midtown Manhattan. If anything comes up where you need to talk with me, first check with my dad and if he doesn’t have an answer for you, then call me. You have my cell phone. Now, I’m counting on you to keep things under control while I’m gone.” Giving her that responsibility should encourage due diligence. He expected she would be like a mother lion with cubs—protecting his space while he was gone. He grinned at the thought of it. “Now, if you don’t have any questions, you can go.” “Have a nice trip, Mr. Fallin. You needn’t worry while you’re gone.” She left the room and closed his door behind her. He left the office about 9:00 to go home and pack. He took the envelope, containing Butch’s investigation, and shoved it in his briefcase. He would grab a cab to the airport. ~~~//~~~ Nick got lucky and his flight to New York was on time leaving and arriving. He found the Four Seasons’ courtesy limo at the airport and was at the hotel by 2:30 pm. He decided to make a trip to Swann & Cranston to see if he recognized anyone. That would use up some of the afternoon. When he entered the lobby of Swann & Cranston it brought back memories of his first interview with Rick Swann. He had been scared to death. He noticed they had done some remodeling to keep the place current with the trends but it was essentially the same intimidating space. He walked to the receptionist’s desk and asked if Mr. Swann was in. “Do you have an appointment, Mr…?” “Fallin. Nick Fallin. No, I don’t have an appointment. I’m in town for a few days and thought I would just drop by.” “Let me check with his assistant.” She punched a button and spoke. “There is a Mr. Nick Fallin here to see Mr. Swann. He does not have an appointment.” She waited a moment then said, “Okay, thanks.” “Mr. Fallin?” He had been watching the people coming and going to see if he recognized anyone. “Yes?” He walked back to the receptionist counter. “Ms. Anderson will be out in a moment.” He lifted his eyebrows. That must be a new assistant. Nick didn’t recognize her name. Ms. Anderson came up behind him and said, “Mr. Fallin?” He turned and said, “Yes.” Ms. Anderson appeared to be in her mid-thirties, maybe a little older. She was slender with short dark hair and had great legs. She flashed him an engaging smile. He responded with his best smile. “Mr. Swann will see you now. Follow me.” Nick thought, ‘That will be a pleasure’. He watched her as she moved gracefully down the hall. She opened the double doors to Mr. Swann’s office. Nick noticed it had changed very little in the 6 years he had been gone. Rick Swann leaped up from his desk and walked over with his out-stretched hand to greet Nick. As he was shaking Nick’s hand he put his left hand on Nick’s shoulder. Nick had never expected to get this kind of reception, especially after he had left so abruptly years ago. “Ann, you didn’t know Nick but he used to be with the Firm. He threw us over to go to work for his dad in Pittsburgh. Nick this is Ann. She’s been with me about 4 years now.” Ann extended her hand to Nick and he took it. Her handshake was firm but feminine. He bet Rick was getting more than a day’s work out of this girl. “Ann, can you get us some coffee? Nick, coffee okay?” “Sure, sounds good.” Ann turned to leave. “Nick, have a seat.” Rick returned to his chair and leaned back, gazing at Nick. “Nick, I hope you’re coming back to work for us.” He grinned a broad grin. “We’ve got more work than we can handle right now. We could use a good man.” “I’m flattered you still feel that way after the way I left 6 years ago.” Mr. Swann responded, pensively, “Nick, you know I never had a son, only daughters. When you left it was like losing my own son.” Nick thought he detected a little melancholy in Rick’s voice. “Sorry if I’m getting a little maudlin here.” Swann snapped out of his reverie and said, “It’s just great to see you. You’re looking well. Still working for your dad?” So far Rick had been doing all the talking. Nick said, “Yeah, I’m still at my dad’s firm. I’m not looking for a job. Just in town on business for a few days and thought I’d look up some old friends.” “Well, I’m so glad you stopped by. Maybe we can get a drink or something later on. I think a bunch of the guys, oh…. and girls, still gather at the Heartland Brewery after work. Nothings changed there .. just the scenery. John Chambers is still here. I know you two used to hang out a lot. He’s a partner now. You know, Nick, if you had stayed you would be a partner, too.” Well, that news didn’t make him feel very good. He was still struggling to make partner at his own father’s firm. “I’d like to see John again,” he said. Ann Anderson knocked and entered with a tray containing two cups of coffee along with the sugar and creamer. She set the tray on the credenza and asked, “Mr. Fallin, you take anything in your coffee?” “No, black’s fine. Thanks,” he said, as he accepted the coffee. Ann prepared Rick’s coffee to his liking and set it on the desk in front of him. She then excused herself and left. In the meantime, Rick had grabbed up the phone. “Let me get him on the phone.” He punched in a few numbers and said, “John, you will never guess who I have in my office. Nick Fallin. Yeah, ‘The’ Nick Fallin. Yeah come on down. He’d like to see you.” Seconds later John came bounding through the door. He walked quickly over to Nick who had stood up as the door opened. He grabbed Nick in a big bear hug and clapped him on the back several times. “Hey, you look great man.” John had gotten a little thick around the middle and he noticed he was wearing a wedding ring. “What the heck brings you our way?” “Business. I’m in town for a few days.” “Are you busy tonight?” “No, not really.” “Well, that settles it then. I’ll get a bunch of the old guys together and we can meet at the Heartland at around 5:00. Whadaya say?” “Great. I’ll be there.” John glanced at his watch and cursed. “Damn. Well, Nick. I’m late for an appointment. Great to see ya man. Later…” He turned to leave as quickly as he had arrived. Nick turned back to Rick, still seated behind his desk. “Rick, it was really good to see ya. I should be going and let you get back to work. I have a few phone calls to make myself,” he lied. “Will I see you later?” “I’m gonna try.” On his way out, he noticed a few more people he recognized. He stopped to say hi. He got back to the Four Seasons in time to shower and change clothes. He called to let his dad know that he had arrived and gave him the hotel direct line in case he needed to call. ~~~//~~~ Nick walked into the Heartland Brewery, an upscale pub for the elite white-collar working class. He made his way to the back of the bar where he noticed most of the noise was coming from. Sure enough it was the S & C group. As he walked up, John Chambers jumped out of his chair and grabbed Nick by the arm. He began introducing Nick to several new guys and some old friends. They began talking about the old times. Times they had gotten drunk together. The women they had had. The deals they had made. Nick finally said, “John, I see you’re wearing a wedding ring. You still chasing women?” He grinned. “You know, Nick. There are just some habits you can’t break.” He laughed. Nick wondered if that meant he was still doing drugs, too. John had been one of the biggest drug users at Swann & Cranston and it amazed Nick how he was able to continue, with a serious drug habit, to make incredible deals for the Firm and still function almost as a normal human being. John had ordered beer all around. Nick nursed his beer not wanting to admit he didn’t drink any more. The group was getting rowdy. They had been drinking now for almost two hours and most of them were drunk. Nick excused himself to go to the bathroom. As he was washing his hands, John staggered in. He walked up to Nick and whispered in his ear, “You want a hit? Got some good stuff here.” He showed Nick a packet of white powder. “No, John. I stopped doing that.” “Oh,” he said and staggered into a stall. Nick walked back to the group to find Rick Swann had joined them, but he was not alone. Ms. Anderson was with him. Nick took his seat across from them. He was listening to the conversations around him and noticing how Ms. Anderson kept whispering in Rick’s ear. She looked up once to catch Nick watching her. She winked at him and smiled. He flashed her a crooked grin. It was getting late. Nick made his excuses and left. He stepped out onto the street and into the city’s bustling nightlife. At times he did miss the hustle and bustle of big city life. This city was open 24 hours a day. Pittsburgh was a sleepy little village compared to New York. He hailed a cab and returned to the hotel. ~~~//~~~ Nick met the government car in front of the hotel at 10:00 am the next morning. He was shuttled to the FBI Headquarters office and introduced to Bob Foster, who would be spearheading the investigation. “Mr. Foster, before we get started, I just want to know how any of this could affect my Firm. The relationship with our clientele is built on confidentiality and trust. If the FBI comes in kicking doors down and confiscating files, that could negatively impact our business. What can you say to assure me that this is the right thing to do?” “Well, I could say that if you don’t cooperate, it most surely will reflect badly on the Firm. I can’t promise there won’t be any bad publicity ‘cause anytime the Feds are involved the media goes on a feeding frenzy. But, we will do everything we can to influence the reporting in your favor.” Nick realized he didn’t have much choice. He spent the day going over the information gathered by Butch and giving a statement about the activities of Sands, Lichtman and Caldwell since their arrival at the Firm. That evening he had a quiet dinner with Bob Foster and they talked about Butch, their mutual acquaintance. Foster told Nick they would be reviewing the information gathered today and then decide how to proceed. Nick was to talk with the SEC tomorrow. ~~~//~~~ Wednesday was another grueling day of questions and answers; going over the material again and again. The meeting with the SEC was a repeat of the FBI interrogations. Finally, late Wednesday, Bob Foster and two other agents met with Nick to explain how the case would proceed. He told Nick he would notify him when they were ready to make the raid. When he got back to the hotel at 6:00 he had a message at the desk. It was from Janie. She was one of the lawyers he had worked with at Swann & Cranston. He hadn’t seen her that day he was in the office and she had not attended the gathering at the Heartland. Nick immediately dialed the number on the message and waited. He recognized the number as one of the extensions at Swann & Cranston. “Jane Davenport, may I help you.” “Hi, Janie. It’s Nick.” “Oh, hi. I’m glad you called. I was out of town when you came by the office. John told me you were here and where you were staying. I hope you don’t mind.” “No, not at all. You still at work?” “I am but I was just getting ready to leave. I took the liberty of making dinner reservations at Tavern on the Green, on the chance you would call. Tell me you don’t already have plans.” “No. In fact you saved me from an evening of bad TV.” “Good. Well, the reservations are at 7:00. I’ll be another 30 to 40 minutes here then grab a cab and meet you there. Nick, it’ll be good to see you.” When Nick first met Janie she had been a starry-eyed young lawyer fresh out of Harvard Law, ready to light the world on fire. She had a lot to prove. Her father was a very successful lawyer with the Justice Department and she wanted to show him that she, too, could make a name for herself. The first few years at Swann & Cranston, she had discovered The Law was a man’s world. She found herself relegated to research tasks and assisting other lawyers, who were clearly less qualified. But, she toughed it out and about the time Nick left she was beginning to get some respect. When Nick hadn’t seen her at the Firm he just figured she had moved on. He was looking forward to seeing her again. He called the airport to schedule his return flight for Thursday. He was able to book the 11:00 am flight. He took a shower and dressed in his black suit, crisp white shirt with a black and white tie. When he arrived at the restaurant it was about 7:10. The matre d’ asked, “Do you have a reservation?” “Yes, I believe it’s in the name of Davenport.” “Oh, yes, Mr. Fallin. Ms. Davenport has already arrived and she said you would be joining her.” He motioned to a waiter. “Angelo, take Mr. Fallin to Table 6 in the Chestnut Room.” He turned to Nick. “Enjoy.” Nick followed the waiter. Before they arrived at the table, Nick had noticed Janie sitting there, as lovely as ever. She saw him approaching and began to wave. As Nick was seated Angelo handed him a menu. “What can I get you to drink?” Angelo asked. Nick glanced at Janie and she said, “I’ll have a champagne cocktail.” “I’ll just have a soda water with lime. Thank you.” Nick asked, “You been here long?” “No, I just got here myself.” Janie reached across the table to touch his hand. “I’m so glad to see you. How have you been? You really look well.” “I’m doing pretty well. How about yourself?” Nick could tell that Janie had matured. She was no longer that starry-eyed young lawyer. She was a mature and sophisticated woman. “Well, I’m Senior Associate and looking at a partnership next year. I now have my own gophers.” She laughed. “It’s a lot of work but as long as they recognize me for my work, I guess the long hours are worth it.” “So, no boyfriends, babies or a house with a white picket fence in your future anytime soon.” She had talked to Nick about these things in the early years. Especially when it looked like she wouldn’t have the career that she had dreamed about. “No, there’s really no time for that now. I figure in a few more years I can start thinking about that sorta thing. How ‘bout you? I don’t see a wedding ring on your finger.” For a brief moment a pain shot through his heart as he thought about Lulu and what might have been. She was the first woman he had ever considered marrying. Janie noticed the change in his expression. She saw him bow his head and purse his lips. She asked, “Painful subject?” Nick finally spoke. “I guess I have the Fallin curse. My father wasn’t a very good husband or father, for that matter, at least when I was young. I wouldn’t want to impose that kind of history on an unsuspecting female.” “Nick, you underestimate yourself. You would be a great catch. Your only problem is opening up. You stay so closed off to love and tenderness. You won’t love anyone and you won’t let them love you. I know. I tried to love you and you wouldn’t let me.” She reached over and touched his hand again, tenderly. Nick remembered they had had some good times; even great times. But, neither one of them was ready to settle down at the time. Angelo appeared with their drinks. They quickly glanced over the menu and placed their orders for dinner. “When are you going back home, Nick?” “My flight leaves tomorrow at 11:00 from JFK.” “Oh, too bad. If you could stay the weekend you could come with me to the Cape. It’s Daddy’s 65th birthday and the gang is gathering to celebrate. Dad would sure love to see you.” Nick had been to the family “compound” on Cape Cod. They had had some great times there. “Sounds like fun. I would love to see him and, I guess, Jay will be there.” Jay was Janie’s twin brother. They were complete opposites. Jay was wild. Nick had been to drug parties with him. His drug habit had finally gotten so bad he dropped out of college. About the time Nick moved to Pittsburgh, Jay had been enrolled in a drug rehab program. Janie had two other sisters and another brother, all much younger, so Nick didn’t really know them that well. “Oh, of course you wouldn’t know. Jay killed himself about 3 years ago, now. He was never able to kick his drug habit. It devastated the family. I still have a hard time with it.” Her eyes clouded over with the memory of that terrible time. “I’m so sorry, Janie. I wouldn’t have mentioned it if I had known. Listen; give my regards to your father. If I didn’t have so much to do back home I would think about staying, but I really can’t right now. Maybe another time.” After dinner, they decided to walk back to the hotel. It was a beautiful starry night. Janie held Nick’s arm and they laughed and talked about old times. “Don’t you miss New York, Nick?” She looked into his eyes. He looked deep into hers. “At times, I do. But right now I’m working so much I really don’t have time for a social life anyway. But, these last few days have been great. Seeing all my old friends at the Firm and spending this time with you, it’s been great.” They were standing in front of the Four Seasons. Nick turned to face Janie. “Nick, are you going to ask me up?” He bent to kiss her on the lips. “Not tonight, Janie. My life is already filled with one-night stands and you deserve better than that.” “Well, if you find you can’t sleep alone in the big city, here’s my phone number.” She scribbled her home address and phone number on the back of her business card. “If I happen to get to Pittsburgh, how do I find you?” He handed her his business card. “Sure you won’t change your mind?” He kissed her again. “I’m sure you could wear me down, so I’m gonna say goodnight.” A cab was sitting at the curb. Nick opened the back door. Janie got in and he saw her drive away. He stood for a long moment watching the cab weave in and out of the evening traffic. ~~~//~~~ His flight back to Pittsburgh the next morning was uneventful. He took a cab home to leave his luggage then went directly to the office. He poked his head into his Dad’s office and Burton waved him in. “How’d it go, Son?” Nick stood peering out the window. “It went fine. They asked a lot of questions. I did talk with the SEC. Foster is going to give me a heads-up when they get ready to move in.” Nick continued to stare out the window. “Nick, what is it?” Burton was leaning back in his chair, watching his son. Nick obviously had something on his mind. Nick turned to face his father. “I went by Swann & Cranston, since I had time to spare on Monday.” “Yeah?” Burton didn’t know where this conversation was heading. He just listened. “Swann more or less offered me a job.” He looked at his dad. Burton didn’t betray his emotions. “He told me if I had stayed I would be a partner now.” Nick turned back to the window. He found himself getting angry. Angry at himself for walking out on a great job. Angry for the way things had turned out with his dad. “Well. Why did you come to work for me, son? Was it for career advancement? Did you think you could make as much money here or climb the ladder as fast working for me?” Burton had fooled himself into thinking Nick had wanted to work with him, as father and son. Now it seemed Nick thought he would have it easier in the family business. Burton buried his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on the desk. Nick was thinking about his dad’s words. His dad was right. He never really believed his career opportunities were greater in Pittsburgh. He had another reason for working for his dad. He turned to face his father. Burton looked up and rubbed his hand across the top of his head and leaned back in his chair, waiting for Nick’s response. He could tell his father had been hurt by what he’d said. Nick, head bowed and finally said, softly, “I came to work for you because you’re my dad and you asked me.” Burton’s eyes began to water. He squeezed his eyes with his fingers to stem the flow. After the emotion had passed, Burton said, “Well, then, son, I guess we’d better get back to work.” He turned his attention to the file on his desk. Nick observed his dad for a moment longer then turned and walked out. To be continued… (Payback 6/6)