Sedona Law 6 by Dave Daren (best non fiction books of all time .TXT) 📗

“Can I see that please?” Agent Winslow held out her hand. Jagger scrambled quickly for his wallet, and fumbled with it, dropping cash all over the floor as he pulled out an identification card.

He handed it to her, and she examined it, and the other agents looked at it. They all nodded and silently handed it back to Jagger.

“They’re prepping Mr. Sanchez right now,” I said. “I can take you into the conference room to set up.”

“That would be great,” Agent Winslow said.

I walked them into the conference room and glanced back at Jagger who now held his hand over his chest. Leila stood beside him and clasped her hands over her mouth.

Jagger shot me a dirty look and mouthed a sarcastic, “Thanks.”

I smiled and shook my head. He wasn’t so sarcastic earlier today when I got him three hundred and seventy-five grand.

“Hey, guys,” I broke up the trio in the conference room.

As soon as they saw the agents, they all tensed up.

“Hey,” Vicki stood to greet the agents.

“Agents, this is Vicki Park, my partner,” I said.

“Hello,” she smiled politely.

“Vicki, you’ve met Agent Winslow,” my formal tone toward her felt odd, but appropriate.

“Yes,” she said as she shook Agent Winslow’s hand.

“Good to see you again,” Agent Winslow stated.

“And these are Agents Johnson and Willis,” I said.

“Hello,” Vicki said and shook their hands.

I shot AJ a look, and she picked up the meaning quickly. In daily work, the three of us were more or less equals. But, when it came to depositions and other formalities, AJ was just the paralegal.

“I’ll be right outside,” AJ told Tony and she slipped out of the room.

“This is Tony Sanchez,” I gestured toward Tony who slouched in his chair.

The three agents greeted him and shook his hand in a perfunctory manner. He looked like he wanted to disappear through the floor, and I felt sorry for him.

“Why don’t we take a break,” I suggested to the agents. “Let you guys set up. Give our witness a chance to breathe. He’s been prepping for the better part of a half hour.”

“Absolutely,” Agent Winslow said. “Let’s take ten.”

“Ten it is,” I smiled to Tony who audibly sighed with relief.

The FBI agents swarmed about our conference room and Agent Winslow asked for things like wi-fi passwords and outlet strips. Tony headed toward the door, presumably for a smoke break. I eyed Jagger who caught my meaning.

“Going for a smoke, mate?” Jagger asked him.

“Yeah,” Tony tapped the pack against his palm.

“Mind if I join?” Jagger pulled out a pack of his own and Tony shrugged.

The two witnesses stepped outside, and I was admittedly paranoid that at least Tony would make a break for it. Jagger didn’t want to talk, but I had gotten him a hell of a lot of money, and with Leila still in the office, pacing nervously, I knew he wouldn’t go anywhere.

“You can’t tell me anything about what went on in there, can you?” Leila asked AJ.

“Sorry,” AJ smiled awkwardly and shook her head. “Jagger can tell you whatever he wants.”

Our whole front wall was a storefront window that overlooked the sidewalk and the street. I kept glancing up to see the guys out there smoking. Everytime I looked up, I was relieved that they were still there.

Finally, Agent Winslow poked her head out.

“We’d like to speak to Mr. Campbell,” she said.

I nodded to Leila, who slipped out the door and I watched her talk to Jagger, who nodded, extinguished the cigarette and came inside. Jagger looked tired when he came in, and the earlier energy and youthful zest, was replaced with a somber expression of responsibility and obligation.

“Thanks for doing this, Jagger,” I said.

There was no reason to say that, other than to acknowledge that turning in an executive of a major record company that had at one time employed him, was a burden. He nodded but didn’t smile.

“Should I go in?” he said.

I nodded. “I’ll sit in with you.”

I glanced outside, and didn’t see Tony. My stomach froze.

“AJ,” I said. “Where’s Tony?”

She glanced outside to the empty sidewalk. “Oh my God.”

AJ and Vicki both rushed to the window, and looked in every direction. The three of us ducked outside and stood on the stoop, looking in every direction.

“Tony,” I yelled to the empty street.

AJ ran next door to the smoothie shop and came out shaking her head. Vicki slipped into the record store on the other side, and came out with the same expression.

I turned to Vicki and gestured back toward toward office helplessly.

“I have to…” my voice trailed off.

“Don’t worry,” she told me as she jogged back into the office. AJ and I followed her.

“We’ll find him,” she said.

She grabbed her purse and motioned waved me toward Jagger and the waiting conference room. “You go in.”

AJ got on the phone, while she watched  the sidewalk and I threw up my palms and sighed.

“Did he say anything to you about where he might be going?” I asked Jagger.

“No,” he said. “We just talked about...I don’t know, random crap. Like, ATV’s.”

I rubbed my face and sighed again.

“Henry,” Vicki chided me. “Delegate.”

“Alright,” I said.

I motioned to Jagger to enter the conference room and I followed him.

The three FBI agents sat at the table, and Jagger and I joined them.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Campbell,” Agent Winslow said. “How do you do?”

“Good,” he said. “I’ll be better when this is over.”

“I understand,” Agent Winslow said. “We just want to get your testimony down for the record.”

I pulled out my phone and checked for any text messages from Vicki or AJ about Tony. Nothing. I tapped my phone against my palm