“Don’t ask. It’s Wednesday.”
“Ah, two more nap days.”
It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week we learned that in all probability, Stanković, the guy who fingered Lazar, is not involved in the current mess. He may be a candidate in the future, but right now, with all his connections, he is a hot potato. The team wants to know more from Lazar about Cortez and Taggert. The ADA will need some pretty substantial firsthand evidence to go forward with an indictment. Our team is heading back into the interrogation room. We better get there to hear what is next.
“Okay, so Mr. Popović, it seems I’m going to need a little more information from you before we can talk about any kind of a deal.”
“What kind of information? I’ve told you about Taggert and Cortez.”
“you. Have told us nothing. Right now, you are looking at spending the rest of your life behind bars unless we can get some substantial information on how Cortez and Taggert are connected.”
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, Mr. Stannis.”
“My client is terrified of what can happen to him if he speaks up regarding the activities of his associates. We need to work out a way where he can tell you what you need to know and then be safe.”
“I’ve already said if the information is actionable, he will get all the protection he needs. So far, though, he has said nothing. You both need to trust that if lazar knows something, he should talk.”
“We had the same conversation while you were out of the room. I think my client is ready to give you more details.”
“That sounds good. So Lazar, what kind of information can you provide? Can you make a direct connection between Taggert, Cortez, and the drugs?”
“I sure can. In fact, I have phone conversations recorded.”
“You what?”
“Conversations.”
“With who?”
“Me and Taggert. Me and Cortez and Cortez, me, and Taggert.”
“Where are these conversations now?”
“In the cloud somewhere.”
“Can you get them?”
“Yeah. I just access Dropbox. They are all there.”
“Ok, so wait a minute. How is it that you were able to get phone conversations?”
“I got this app called TTSPY. It works on Android phones, which are the burner phones of choice of Cortez and Taggert.”
“They didn’t know you were recording.”
“God, no. I would be a dead man if they found out. I set the phone to record whenever they call. I never call them, so I didn’t get the other way conversations.”
“What made you decide to do the recordings?”
“You know, Ms. Thomas, I’m a God-fearing man. I figured I better protect myself since the deals were getting bigger, which means the stakes were getting higher. I just looked up on Google, how to record off a mobile phone, bought the app, and the rest is history.”
“So, how many conversations?”
“I’d have to say maybe forty or fifty.”
“Excuse me, Ms. Thomas.”
“Yes, Mr.Dunfee.”
“Can I ask a question?”
“Certainly.”
“Did these guys discuss getting rid of Andrew and me?”
“Yeah, you bet. Cortez told me he was putting out the hit and would I be interested.”
“Well?”
“Not my kind of work, Mr. Dunfee. I said I was a God-fearing man. Thou shalt not kill.”
“I get it, Lazar. Maybe God would have appreciated it if you gave out a warning.”
“I didn’t need Cortez putting out a hit on me, which would have happened had I done that.”
“Okay, gentlemen. We now have attempted murder to add to the stack. When can we start listening to the recordings, Mr. Popović?”
“I can call them up anytime.”
“Maybe we’ll have someone transcribe them. For now, let’s talk about a few things.”
“Like what?”
“Like how much drug trade have you’ve been involved with and how deep are Taggert and Cortez in it.”
“Up to their eyebrows, Ms. Thomas. Could I get a glass of water.?”
“Yeah, let’s take a break. This has been very interesting.
