Chapter 28
Grace
Imet Imran Naqvi at Rome”s office in the BBH building. We read him into the operation.
”We have some good news; Hugo Noel was seen entering VK Corporation”s offices in the Warehouse District,” I announced with enthusiasm.
I hated that we couldn”t get a warrant to tap Alina and Hugo”s phones. Our evidence was thin, and no judge worth his or her salt would give us the go-ahead. I”d hoped that Agent Joel Bloom would be able to help us, but he had been pulled into a federal case of higher priority.
”Let”s hope Alina Volkov may contact Zephyr soon,” Rome said gratefully. ”The man”s losing his shit with this whole business. He”s had two bookies try to insinuate themselves with him. He”s sick and tired of having to see you on the sly—and it”s giving my wife heartburn.”
Zephyr and I had been using Rome”s guesthouse as our booty call location. But now that Hugo had made contact with Alina and there was a chance that someone would be watching Zephyr, I”d texted him to let him know that our date for the night was off until further notice. He”d called and snarled at me, said he loved me, hated this fucking nonsense, and hung up.
It gave me a thrill that he wanted me so badly that it pissed him off that we couldn”t be together. I”d never had this. Like ever.
”Do you have surveillance on Henri?” Imran asked.
I shook my head. ”If I take that to my superiors, Henri will hear about it. I have no cause, and, for some reason, the law frowns on evidence that”s a product of my gut.”
”Maybe we can do something,” Rome offered.
”I can get someone on him.” Imran made notes on a tablet.
I shook my head. ”It”s too risky. While surveillance by a private security firm could potentially provide valuable evidence, it is a legal and ethical quagmire.”
”We”ll follow all rules and laws, Grace,” Imran assured me. ”I”m not going to get some rookie to do this.”
”No. Without a court order for surveillance, any evidence you collect may not be usable at trial…worse, any evidence we collect based on that would also be considered the fruit of the poisonous tree.”
”Merdé!” Rome muttered.
Imran stretched his long legs and set his tablet on Rome”s desk. ”I think we need a trap for Henri.”
”Elaborate.” Rome rested his Gucci dress shoes on his desk.
He was an unconventional executive. He was not as arrogant as I thought he”d be. Instead, he was caring and loyal like he”d shown me when we talked about Miss Matty. He was irreverent. He wore a suit and tended to have his feet up on the antique desk. He cursed in English and French and yet was extremely patient when he needed to be.
”I was hoping we could brainstorm,” Imran mocked, ”cause I don”t have much. I just don”t think evidence is going to walk up to us and say here I am, grab me.”
”I wish evidence did that,” I mused with a smile. ”I”ve been thinking about something, and I know if I took this to the Doucets, they”d shut me down so fast, my head would spin.”
”But we”re more broad-minded.” Rome winked at me.
”If Henri did help Camille set up the hit on you and Gaia, maybe she can help us get him.”
”Turn her?” Rome scoffed. ”Putain! She”s a snake. I don”t trust that bitch.”
”I”m not saying we turn her. I”m saying we use her. See how Henri reacts.”
Imran leaned forward, interested. ”Play it out for me.”
I did and Rome and Imran poked holes in my plan until my plan felt like a slab of Swiss cheese. But we came up with a ruse within a ruse within the operation that could maybe work.
”What if he doesn”t take the bait?” Imran asked.
”You keep digging to find out how he”s getting money out of BBH, and we hope for the best there.”
On cue, there was a knock on the door. Rome asked the person to come in, and the man of the hour stepped inside.
”Is this a private party, or are lawyers allowed?” Henri chuckled.
”Well, since Grace is here, it”s not a lawyer-free zone.” Rome was a consummate actor because he showed absolutely no indication of the conversation we”d just had.
Henri sat down on a chair next to me. ”How are you doing, ADA Carta?”
”Grace. And very well, thank you.”
”Grace, what”s the reason for your visit?” He was in velvet-over-steel lawyer mode.
”I asked Grace to come over,” Imran chimed in. ”I wanted to get an update on the money laundering investigation.”
”I thought the Feds closed it…or as near to closed as it can be.” Henri didn”t look nervous, just curious.
Could I be wrong about him? No. There was something about this man that didn”t sit right, and it wasn”t just me who felt this way. Anyone who wasn”t a Doucet found his behavior suspect.
”I”m afraid I”ve had to tell these two gentlemen that it”s languishing in the NOPD as well. With the Feds not wanting to prosecute Camille, the DA”s office doesn”t feel interested either.”
Henri nodded. ”Has anyone heard from Camille?”
Rome shook his head. ”I got an email from her saying she wouldn”t be attending the next board meeting either, and if there was any voting, she wanted it to be deferred to the following month.”
”I”ve tried to reach out…but she”s being stubborn,” Henri sighed.
”I thought you for sure were in touch with her,” I murmured.
Henri raised his eyebrows. ”Why would you think that?”
”Ah…I thought you were in a relationship with—”
”Stop right there, young lady. Camille was a married woman until recently. Are you accusing her of adultery?”
His tone was sharp and revealing. The color on his cheeks showed I”d struck gold. The usual calm and cool Henri wasn”t so. Was it guilt or outrage?
”I”m so sorry, Mr. Allard,” I soothed. ”I…please forgive me. This is what comes of paying attention to gossip.”
Henri”s nostrils flared. ”There is gossip about Camille and me?”
I looked contritely from Rome to Imran. ”Ah…I must have misheard. But speaking of Camille, we”re hoping that when we locate her, we can further question her about the attempted murders of Rome and Gaia.”
Heat flared in Henri”s eyes. ”Camille would never hurt her own daughter.”
”All evidence to the contrary, Henri,” Rome said lazily. I didn”t mistake his lack of emotion for how he was really feeling. The man was furious, but it didn”t show, not at all.
”Of course.” Now, it was Henri”s turn to look apologetic. ”I”m just saying that she wouldn”t kill her own child. That”s a bridge too far, even for Camille.”
”Mr. Allard, did you help Lucien set up the accounts in the Cayman Islands for Pierre and Claire Doucet?” I wanted to press my advantage.
We knew from Pierre Doucet that Lucien Doucet had set up these clandestine accounts as a security net for his niece and nephew. He had not done that for anyone else…or, at least, we didn”t know about that. Claire had used the money to buy a house. Pierre was letting his brother-in-law, Claire”s husband Etienne, manage the account for him while he lived off the annuity from the BBH shares as well as revenue from his trust fund investments that Lucien had made for him with secure bonds.
”I”ve already told you I know nothing about these accounts,” Henri snapped. ”Rome, Imran, next time you want to talk to the DA”s office, make sure I”m present. You don”t want to have these conversations without counsel.”
”It was just a casual—” Imran began but was cut off by Henri.
”There is no such thing as a casual meeting with an ADA. Next time, make sure I”m present.”
”Or Blaze,” Rome nodded in agreement.
”No, me. Blaze is still new at BBH.”
Interesting.
I rose then and smiled at the three seated men. ”I should get going. Mr. Allard, if you learn anything about those accounts, please let us know. I know you don”t want to believe it, but we suspect Camille Doucet of the attempted murder for hire.”
”Does Joshua Brady know you”re here harassing my clients?” Henri stood up, his height an advantage. He was still calm and controlled as he always was, but he was now trying to intimidate me. ”Does your boss know, ADA Carta, that you, who have a vendetta against the Doucets, are having conversations with them without counsel present?”
”Hey, Henri, I asked Grace to come over,” Imran interjected.
”She should know better. I will be filing a complaint against you,” he continued in that steel-like voice of his.
”That”s your prerogative, Mr. Allard. Gentlemen, have a lovely rest of your day.”
I went out of the room, my heart hammering hard. Now, I just needed to let Henri find out that Camille was in NOPD custody.