Gospel (27 page)

Ramirez would then begin the phase John knew he would enjoy the most – calling in the chips. The procedure was simple. He would approach said clients and/or their powerful relatives and explain that they, or their loved ones, had been identified on a controversial list of high profile drug users in a top secret anti-drug operation which had been uncovered by the FBI, and was in the process of being promptly dismantled.

He would tell them of the seriousness of such allegations, especially considering the anti-narcotics mantra of the current government, and warn them that their (or their relative's) part in the ‘heinous association with narcotics dealers and traffickers' was punishable to the full extent of the law, especially when they were in democratically elected positions of power and responsibility. Ramirez would claim the operation leaders were being arrested as he spoke and that each and every name on their list of criminal customers would ‘face arrest and/or subsequent disgrace
and humiliation via their relationship with the very dealers this administration was devoted to exposing and bringing to justice'.

It was beautiful. He would have them. He would let them sweat for days, perhaps a week as ‘investigations continued'. And then all he had to do was give them a way out. Ramirez would explain that the newly appointed Vice President, an individual with a vested interest in continuing Tom Bradshaw's hard line on narcotics traders, had been informed of the FBI's latest coup in discovering and destroying this new and highly profitable covert drug operation. The Vice President had also been given the confidential list of clientele and had responded to their name(s) with both disappointment and sadness.

‘
The Vice President acknowledges the important role you play within the administration
,' Ramirez would say, looking into their eyes as they searched his with fear and trepidation. ‘
And while she is wholeheartedly disappointed to see your name on this list of criminals, she is, like her predecessor, more interested in prosecuting the suppliers than persecuting addicts
.'

A pause. Further torture.

‘
She suggests that perhaps we could reconsider the alternative of legal action and public disclosure in return for your support both now and after the election
.' A sigh of relief, a glimpse of hope. ‘
When your dedication to support the objectives of the new administration could really make a difference
.'

Irony at its best. The users were being used by the dealers once again, and this time at a much higher price.

And so the grateful addicts or their powerful relatives would agree to assist the new Vice President in her quest for a United America. They would follow her objectives, vote the way she wanted, pass bills, support joint resolutions, secure funding and play their part in creating an unbeatable majority in a parliament so often hogtied by the process of debate. They may not like it, it may even make them sick to their stomachs, but they will be smart and pragmatic and experienced enough to know a good deal when they see one. And this was a good deal – illegal, fraudulent, criminal – but still, a
very
good deal.

It was late and time for her to head home. John tided the papers on her desk and focused on the day when she would humbly, respectfully, patriotically accept the top job. She pictured herself at her inauguration,
her family around her, the billions watching around the world admiring her beauty, her courage, her dedication to a better America.

It would be sublime, perfect – and more than enough to put Tom Bradshaw's memory to bed forever.

‘C
IA Director Ryan,' said David. ‘Friend or foe?'

It was late but David felt strangely exhilarated.

Following their meeting with Pieter Capon yesterday morning he had been snowed under with the Gabbit case. Time was running out for their elderly client and they still could not prove Hector Gabbit was innocent of tampering with his late Bridge Club president's wheelchair. ADA Katz was on the warpath and they were running out of options. But somehow, despite his dedication to Gabbit, he could not stop himself from thinking about the Bradshaw murder. In fact, if he was truly honest with himself, he would admit to actually looking
forward
to this late night rendezvous in Mannix's office.

He still hadn't told Sara about his involvement, convincing himself it wasn't of any consequence, at least not as yet, and she was busy with the Gabbit case so . . . And besides, he was only in this for Joe, right? His involvement had everything to do with helping a friend and nothing to do with Montgomery. He had made that very clear. There was no way he was agreeing to Karin's request, no matter how innocent her husband may be. There were plenty of good lawyers out there – so let her go find one.

‘My gut instinct says friend,' said Joe, interrupting David's thoughts
before moving towards his office door and switching off the powerful overhead fluorescents.

‘I have no idea why they insist on lighting these offices like Times Square,' he said, rubbing his eyes before switching on the softer muted light of his office desk lamp which cast a spotlight on the two-column puzzle before them.

David looked across at the couch by Mannix's door to see Frank McKay and Susan Leigh looking equally worse for wear. They explained they had just spent a long day dealing with a domestic homicide involving the stabbing of a young single mother and an even more distressing accidental death involving a ten-year-old boy playing with his father's rusty hand gun.

I don't know how they do it
, thought David. But then again, given this latest adrenalin rush, maybe he did know after all.

‘Okay,' said David, trying to get things on track. ‘So let's look at what we know, or at least what we think we know. Bradshaw wrote these letters in the Bible – and then, we assume, conferred with Ryan on what he knew, or suspected.'

‘That's right,' said Susan. ‘And that's why it was so important to Ryan to retrieve the Bible – for he knew the information it contained was . . .'

‘. . . enough to get a man killed,' finished McKay, scooping the dregs of undissolved sugar out of the bottom of his coffee mug with a stained plastic teaspoon. ‘And he was right. I think we can safely assume that Ryan and Bradshaw were discussing some pretty heavy stuff involving the four authors of the Gospels.'

David picked up the puzzle before going on. ‘These notations tell us Bradshaw and Ryan knew Luke's identity – RD, Robert Doyle – on 30 April, nine days before Doyle was killed. And we have to assume Ryan suspected an FBI agent was involved given his determination to grab the Bible from under the Feeb's noses, and the blatant referral in this riddle to M – Matthew being “FBI”.'

‘But what we
don't
know,' said Joe, ‘is what Ryan has discovered from that point on, or the definite identities of the remaining Gospel Three.'

‘Hold on,' said Leigh. ‘If Ryan had been following Doyle's status, and knew about his death, why didn't he pull Nancy and Gavin Doyle before they found themselves in the firing line?'

‘Because his information was scant,' suggested Mannix. ‘He didn't know Doyle told his wife about the other three. We would never have known about Nancy if it wasn't for Croker and it certainly looks like Bradshaw and Ryan were playing this one close to their chest.'

‘Joe's right,' said David. ‘Bradshaw and Ryan didn't trust anyone else with the information because they didn't know who they could trust – literally. Don't forget, they were old College buddies and still the best of friends.'

‘My bet is we just got lucky that Croker is better than your average LAPD recruit,' said Joe. ‘He called us, Nancy gave us the link between her husband and the Gospel Four, and eventually their links with . . .'

‘. . . the Vice President,' finished Susan. ‘Which all suggests you're right, Lieu. Ryan is most likely a good guy and part of a two-, now
one
-man posse trying to expose the murdering four.'

‘Three,' said Joe. ‘Murdering
three
– Luke is one of the deceased, remember?'

‘Shit,' said Susan, stifling a yawn. ‘My brain is fried.'

They all said nothing, just stared at the puzzle again . . .

M – FBI

M – 2V

L – RD

J – I ???

‘Okay,' said David, standing from his chair to grab a worn white baseball from a battered leather mitt on the top of Joe's filing cabinet, starting to toss it up and down as his thoughts began to come together.

‘The first “M” – Matthew, is listed as FBI which falls in line with Nancy's theory that someone in the Bureau is involved. And the fact that Ryan enlisted Capon's help so that he might steal that Bible out of Bradshaw's room like a cat burglar suggests said FBI operative may have been in the VP's room at the time of his death.'

‘It has to be Ramirez,' said Mannix. ‘Why else would he be lying about the Bible being taken into evidence?'

‘I think so too,' said David. ‘But that's a big call. He's one of the most powerful FBI Agents in the country and calling him a murderer would be . . .'

‘I know,' said Joe. ‘So we need proof.'

They all paused for a minute, and David knew they were contemplating the enormity of the task ahead.

‘The second “M”,' David went on, ‘. . . is for Mark or 2V.'

‘Maybe his initials are VV?' said Susan.

‘No,' said Joe. ‘Then they would have written VV.'

‘Maybe the V is a 5 as in Roman numerals,' said Frank. ‘Maybe Bradshaw was writing the number 55? No,' Frank corrected himself. ‘That would be LV so . . .'

‘Too complicated,' countered Joe again. ‘I think it's something simpler. Something obvious we are missing.'

‘Or too tired to see,' said McKay.

‘Well at least “L” is clear,' said Leigh. ‘RD or Robert Doyle. But what the hell does “J–I” mean? Does John's first name start with the letter I, or his last or . . .'

‘Wait a minute,' said David turning the sheet around. ‘Look at this. Capon has some pretty nice handwriting but those fancy ticks on the top and the bottom of the “I” . . . maybe it's just Capon's way of writing the number “1”. We should call him. Ask what it is he thought he saw.'

‘You're right,' said Joe. ‘John could be number one. Maybe their leader, maybe the . . .'

‘I don't know,' said McKay. ‘The human brain normally works in consecutive order. The most obvious leader would be Matthew – the first of the four.'

‘Unless you're talking biblically,' said Susan.

The three looked at her and David noticed that now familiar intensity in her eyes.

‘Think about it,' she said. ‘Why choose those biblical pseudonyms in the first place? I mean, maybe each name holds its own individual significance. Maybe each of the four carries traits or holds responsibilities which mirror those of their religious counterparts.'

David looked at Mannix.

‘You researched these Gospel characters?' asked Joe.

‘Sure. I guess I just wanted to try to understand why they might have chosen those four names over, well, I don't know, Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan or Paul, John, George and Ringo.'

‘Okay,' said David. ‘What if Susan is right? What do we know about
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that might give us a clue to their present day identities?'

‘Well,' said Susan standing to stretch. ‘For starters Saint Matthew, the author of the first canonical Gospel, was a Roman tax collector, a pragmatic government official. According to scripture, Jesus saw qualities in him others could not, and chose him to be one of his twelve. Now he's the patron saint for security forces, law enforcers and guards.'

‘Jesus,' said McKay. ‘The FBI connection. Maybe you got something here, Leigh.'

Susan smiled before moving on. ‘Saint Mark, the Evangelist, was the author of the second Gospel. He was not one of the original twelve apostles, but a younger disciple who was known for his idealism and enthusiasm. He is symbolised by a winged lion, someone with determination and the courage to see into the future.'

‘Maybe this 2V is our resident idealist?' said Mannix.

‘Someone younger,' said David. ‘It's worth remembering.'

‘Luke,' Susan continued, ‘was born a slave and later became a physician. He was known for his compassion and caring. He wasn't one of the original apostles like Matthew and John but he was an avid writer who focused on Jesus' teachings on forgiveness and family. He was also a rare gentile in a largely Jewish following, a sort of kind-hearted misfit, so to speak.'

‘Doyle,' said McKay. ‘A family man . . . the misfit.'

‘And John,' finished Susan. ‘Many Christians assume Peter was Jesus' “favourite”, but historians believe it was not Peter but John. John was known as the “beloved disciple”, the young apostle who became like a brother to Jesus, travelling with him everywhere. He was the only one of the Twelve not to forsake the Saviour in the hour of His Passion, standing at the foot of the cross. Jesus made him his mother's guardian after his death and Mary took John into her home and he became her “son”.'

‘So he was Jesus' earthly replacement. His sort of second in command?' asked McKay.

‘Sort of,' said Susan.

‘And in our case . . .'

‘
No, he couldn't be
,' said David, snatching Joe's baseball from the air, the thought flooding his head like a wave of light.

‘What?' asked Joe.

‘What if John
is
the leader, and wants to fulfil his biblical destiny?'

‘Come again?' said McKay.

‘What if this is not just a cover up but a set up, to eliminate Bradshaw so John can take his place and then graduate from second in charge to number one.'