Excerpt from the Testimony of Julian Garros
(…)
JG: I work alone. That’s the truth. I’m not answering any more questions about it.
AM: Very well. Mr Garros, your lack of cooperation will be duly noted.
(His lawyer, André Saidi, nods in resigned silence. The officer continues with the scheduled questions.)
AM: How many years were you active?
JG: Twelve.
AM: Can you provide a list of your clients over those years?
JG: No.
AM: You can’t, or you won’t?
JG: What difference does it make?
AM: Mr Garros, we have access to some of the Counterfeiter’s falsifications attributed to you in recent years.
Your capture was possible due to the connections made between some of them.
I’m sure you know where I’m going with this.
We could continue pulling the thread and reveal, one by one, who you’ve worked for.
Tell me, what do you gain by protecting your clients?
(The accused remains silent.)
AM: Mr Garros?
JG: The honour of loyalty.
AM: Oh, really! Loyalty. A rather antiquated concept for a man like you, Mr. Garros. If you give us some useful information, we can reach an agreement.
JG: Oh, I see. I help you, and in return, you help me.
AM: That’s right.
JG: You see, madam. The difference is that I never asked for your help.
(Officer Morrison places a file on the table.)
AM: We already know you worked with the multinational Belinadiknos, with a couple of local municipalities, with at least a dozen private associations, and with the head of KawtAirlines.
It’s only a matter of weeks, maybe days, before we know who else hired your services.
They’ve committed fraud just like you, Garros.
Your clients will fall, whether you want them to or not.
(Silence.)
AM: Mr Garros?
JG: They’ll fall, but it won’t be me who gives them the final push into the abyss.