Next, because of the folder prepared by Ellen Loache and the work that Ben had done, Justin and Reggie were able to compare the companies that Ascension did business with that also did business with the LaSalle Group. There were fifteen overlaps: Cates and Herr (mining company in South Africa) Charles Chan amp; Associates Eggleston Catalytic Converters Flame Bros. Ltd. Goldman, Inc. Maroon Group Menking, Inc. (international company that trades in precious metals, particularly platinum) Myles Johnson International The National Beet Growers Association of America Pension Fund Noodleman America Corporation Pinkney amp; Associates Rossovitch and Sons Scarlet Knight, Inc. Silverado Jewelry Association The Tintagel Group
Next, Justin and Reggie listed all the other names involved in the case, however tangentially, and lumped them together when connections were already known to exist.
So the first group listed was: Forrest Bannister Lincoln Berdon Hudson Fenwick Daniel French H. R. Harmon Carl Matuszek Ellis St. John
The second group was smaller: Pietro Lambrasco Bruno Pecozzi Leonardo Rubenelli
The third was smaller yet: Abigail Harmon David Kelley
And the final name wasn't even a name, just a figure that Justin insisted on adding to the compilation:
Unknown Asian woman (seen at LaSalle Group break-in)
Next, and perhaps most interesting, they traced the travel records of all the Ascension employees as well as Ronald LaSalle's movements. There was an early overlap: both LaSalle and Evan Harmon had traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, and to Palm Beach, Florida. When Reggie checked the time line for both trips, she struck gold: the two men had traveled on the same dates to both places. A firm connection: On the third weekend in March the previous year, both LaSalle and Harmon had been in Palm Beach. Two weeks after that, they both went to Johannesburg.
More direct hits followed. While Evan Harmon had not done more traveling to any places that corresponded to LaSalle's travels-Evan had made two trips to Detroit that didn't seem to match up to any other information they had-Hudson Fenwick's travel itinerary was almost identical to Ron LaSalle's. Their dates did not correspond, but their destinations did. Both men had, over the past fifteen months, been to Moscow, Vancouver, Colombia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Australia, Anchorage, and San Francisco.
The only difference was that Fenwick's travels had been curtailed about five months earlier. Ron LaSalle had continued to travel, making repeat appearances in many of the cities, up until a week or so before he was killed.
Reggie and Justin then listed the people and things that were physically missing. This list wasn't long but it was daunting: Murder weapon used on Evan Harmon (blunt, clublike instrument) Ellis St. John's computer Ellis St. John
Reggie had wanted to include Bruno on the missing list but Justin pointed out that he couldn't be truly considered missing because they had yet to make a concerted effort to find or even contact him. Reggie concurred, and they agreed to leave him off the list for the time being.
And finally they listed the things they just plain didn't know or understand and couldn't connect to any other facts or events: Who stole Kelley's stun gun to use in Harmon's murder? Meaning of Wanda's final message: Hades and Ali Who is the Asian woman? What is her role? Why was Wanda keeping her investigation of Evan Harmon and Ron LaSalle quiet within the FBI? Why did Pietro Lambrasco try to kill Bruno? Does Leonardo Rubenelli have a direct connection to any or all of the murders? Who was Wanda's inside source on this investigation?
It was Justin who insisted on adding that last line. He knew Wanda well, he said. Knew the way she worked. She never attempted an investigation of this potential scope-something big enough to link organized crime to Wall Street-without having some sort of inside contact. He told Reggie he'd bet her everything he owned on it. She said, "No, but I'd like to bet a dinner." When he looked up, confused, she said, "If you're wrong you have to have dinner with me. My treat. I'll find someplace expensive where you don't have to wear a tie."
Justin smiled sadly-or maybe it was just kindly, Reggie thought-and shook his head. "No bet," he told her. "Sorry. But… you know what? I don't have to explain. That's just not going to happen, though. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's not necessary. No dinner, no socializing. Okay?"
She nodded, for the first time embarrassed in front of him. And then she did her best to recover, cleared her throat and said, "We've got to get somebody looking at the Ascension trades, see what the exchange of moneys is all about." He nodded in agreement; she thought he was embarrassed, too. Then she said, "And we've got to go through Ellis's e-mails. There are a lot of them, but they might turn something up."
"Why don't you take the e-mails?" he said. "I think I've got the right guy to examine the trades."
"Your father's guy?"
"Roger."
"Can he do it quickly?"
"I'll try to get him down this afternoon. If he can't, we'll see if your guys can help. But Roger knows a hell of a lot. And what he doesn't know, he'll research to death."
"And what about you?"
"I need a little time to think."
She cocked her head and both shook her head and grinned the smallest of grins. She couldn't help herself. "You've got something."
"No," he said, "just a few things nagging at me."
"What?"
"I don't know," he said. "I can't tell yet. Maybe nothing."
Reggie hesitated. She saw the quick look of discomfort cross his face; he was worried she was going to bring up a social dinner again, so she quickly said, "Listen, there's something I'm supposed to do, but I want to check with you first." He waited and she went on, "I have to report in to Zach Fletcher."
"Okay."
"Here's the thing. On this type of case, they like to work with the local authorities. So he'll tell Silverbush at least some of what we know."
"You're asking me because…?"
"I'm asking you because I want to make sure it's all right with you before I do it. I don't know how you feel about information getting back to the DA. And I thought you'd want to tell me if there's some specific information you'd like us to hold back."
He thought about it for a moment. "Go ahead," he said.
"With everything?" And when he nodded, she said, "You sure?"
"Pretty sure," Justin told her. "Either his head'll start spinning when he realizes this case has moved so far beyond him, or he'll just go blindly on and dig his own grave."
"An even deeper one than he's already been digging, you mean."
"Exactly."
"If we bring him in, you realize it means there's a chance the link between Harmon and LaSalle and Wanda might become public."
He nodded again. "It's all right. Maybe it should now. Keeping it to ourselves hasn't helped us much. Maybe it'll bring something out we haven't been able to uncover."
Her head bobbed up and down a bit in agreement. Then she gathered up the stack of printed e-mails. "Might as well go over these at the motel, huh?"
He knew she wanted him to ask her to stay and work with him. But he didn't. So she said she'd check in later. Justin looked at his watch. 11 a.m. He went to the phone.
"Dad," he said when he was put through to his father's office. "I'm wondering if I can borrow Roger Mallone."
"You coming up?" Jonathan Westwood asked.
"I was kind of hoping he'd come down."
"When?"
"I thought I'd try to hire a plane to get him here as soon as possible."
"Today?"
"Right now."
"You paying him?" Jonathan asked.
"Aren't you?" Justin responded. And he thought he almost got a laugh. He didn't. But almost.