Peralta grunted. “Get to it, Eric.”
“Well, there’s no way to tell you except to come out and say it. The U.S. Attorney has decided to drop the charges against Horace Mann and not seek an indictment.”
“Are you people out of your mind
s?” This came from me, loud enough that a marshal started walking our way. Pham held out a hand and the man returned to his security perch.
“I know this can be dispiriting and appear unseemly from where you stand…”
“Cut the shit, Eric,” Peralta said.
“This went all the way to the Attorney General. I did what I could. We all did. But the consensus was that it was better to make Mann take early retirement.”
I reminded Pham that he was going to kill us in Payson and that he had confessed to stealing the diamonds.
“The DOJ isn’t sure this would be admissible…”
Peralta jabbed his finger at Pham and cursed. It involved a complaint about being anally raped with no lubricant but he used far more colorful language. He went on, “I used to be the sheriff here and I was working this case under the direction of the FBI. Mapstone is a sworn deputy. Tell me how this is inadmissible?”
“There are national security considerations.”
“Oh, bullshit.”
“Real shit!” Pham did some finger-jabbing, too. “You don’t know how those diamonds came to be taken from evidence control. It was a much more elaborate operation than picking them up and walking out. Computer systems were compromised. Tactics were compromised. Operational procedures…”
I interrupted. “It sounds like a massive ass-covering procedure to me. The Bureau doesn’t want to be embarrassed again. You don’t want to take the stand before a federal judge and explain how the FBI lost fifteen million in diamonds and how one of your senior agents was wrapped up with the Russians.”
Pham stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s not my call. Anyway, Mann claims he had arrived to rescue you when the asset followed him, handcuffed him, and was about to kill you when the Russell woman shot him.”
“He’s lying,” Peralta said. “Mapstone and I told you what happened.”
“You told me the asset arrived as your backup after Mapstone had arrested Mann.”
“Say his name!” I shouted it before pulling my voice down. Once again, the Marshals almost intervened. “Say his name, goddamn it. He deserves at least that. He was in the FBI when you were in high school.”
He glowered at me but gave in. “Special Agent Edward Cartwright, Thunder Seeker.”
“Has his family been notified?”
Pham nodded. “He has a daughter in Southern California. She has a two-year-old, a special needs child. Money troubles. Very tragic.”
I looked at Peralta, then back at Pham. “And the daughter is going to get survivor’s benefits, right? And Ed gets a military funeral with full honors.”
“Of course, of course.”
I stared at Pham, wanting to demand that he be as diligent about making that happen as he was in making the scandal of Horace Mann go away. It wouldn’t do any good.
Peralta finally spoke. “So the public will never know what really happened.” He didn’t phrase it as a question.
“You don’t even know everything that happened,” Pham said. He sighed. “Neither do I.”
Peralta absently played with his tie. “So are you letting Amy Russell out, too?”
“Of course not,” Pham said. “She’ll be tried in the murder of the…Agent Cartwright. We’re pretty sure we can make that happen…”
“Pretty sure?” It was impossible to keep the contempt out of my voice.
“The State Department is involved, too. She’s wanted on theft charges in Canada. Based on what you said, the Calgary police might reopen the death of the biker and his family. But we’re confident that we will be able to keep her here if the death penalty is taken off the table.”