operation downfall excerpt

8/3/2019 Operation Downfall Excerpt

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Daniel McNeet

A THRILLER


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TRADE PAPERBACK @ AMAZON

KINDLE EDITION

OPERATIONDOWNFALL


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Tis book is a work o ction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either arethe products o the authors imagination or are used ctitiously. Any resemblance

to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

OPERAION DOWNFALL. Copyright 2010 by Daniel McNeet

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereo

in any orm whatsoever without the written permission o the Publisher.

For inormation regarding subsidiary rights contact:

Intrepid Publishing Company

P.O. Box 575

Santa Ynez, Caliornia 93460-575

www.IntrepidPublishingCompany.com

[email protected]

ISBN 978-0-9846886-0-9

PRINED IN HE UNIED SAES OF AMERICA

FIRST EDITION OCTOBER 2011

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


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o the love o my lie, my beautiul wie, who is supportive o my writing career.She is my second reader and my honest critic.

o the authors whom made a dierence and did not stand by waiting or someone else.

Tis novel was inspired by the intrepidity o:

Naomi Wol who wrote Te End o America Letter o Warning to a Young Patriot,

Frank Richs Te Greatest Story Ever Sold,

Hubris by Michael Isiko and David Corn,

Tomas E. Ricks Fiasco

and Justin A. Franks, M.D. Bush On the Couch.


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No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask anymans permission when we ask him to obey it.

President Teodore Roosevelt

I am primarily concerned with the lack o moral sense in man and hisconstant verication o my concern.

Daniel McNeet


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Adolph Hitler ordered Polish men removed rom one o Germanys

concentration camps. He had them dressed in Polish-military

uniorms, murdered, placed on German soil at a radio station

on 1 September 1939 and publicized this as the Polish invasion

o Germany. He used the incident as the excuse to invade Poland,

which was the start o World War II.

O course, this could not possibly happen again not until the

president o the United States and his colleagues, the cabal,

conspired to do so.


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1

2:02 a.m. Bel Air, West Los Angeles, California

She booted her laptop in the basement our stories below her room on the topoor, opened the vault program, connected to the vaults computer, activated herdecryption sotware and deactivated the alarm. Ten the combination to the key-pad which was located on the let o the vault door was decrypted, because en-tering the combination onto the keypad activated the retinal-eye identicationsystem and the cameras outside and inside the vault would record the activity.

Tus neither was activated and her entry and exit wouldnt be recorded. She re-moved her driving gloves rom her jacket pocket, opened the well-balanced door

with ease, and the recessed overhead-uorescent lights in the ceiling went on.Te vault was ten-eet high and wide by twenty-eet deep, and had been made

o super-strength concrete and hardened with steel bers and reinorcing bars towithstand thirty thousand pounds per square inch o pressure. Only the door wasvisible and its concrete o the same quality was encased in stainless steel to providean aesthetic nish.

She walked inside and placed her empty hard-cased luggage on the rectan-gular table in the middle o the vault and opened it. A large metal drawer labeledDVD & VHS was opened with her key. She selected the ones she wanted andplaced them into her luggage. Ten the metal le cabinet was unlocked, openedand selected manila olders were placed into it and the cabinet relocked. Finally,she took her key, opened the cash lockers stainless-steel door and removed themetal box. She emptied the box and lled the remaining space in her luggage withsixty bundles o one hundred Benjys each held together with currency straps. Tebundles were stacked neatly, and then the empty metal box was returned and the

door locked. Te cash locker was sad because all o her old riends were gone, butthe DVDs, VHSs and olders enjoyed their inheritance.

She took the Victorinox luggage rom the vault, closed the door, locked it withher laptop and checked it to make sure she had not let any tracks o penetration.Ten reset the alarm with her laptop and closed the screen. She stood in her jeans,


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2 DANIEL McNEET

Pendleton shirt, sheepskin jacket, tennis shoes and ball cap, with no logo, or aew moments and listened. Her wrist watch read two twenty. Right on time. Shepicked up the Victorinox again with her right hand, because the wheels made toomuch noise when it rolled across the hard oor, laptop in her let and bag over herright shoulder. Te elevator would make too much noise, so she walked up thestairs with calm and silence, her two essential close riends who were part o herneeded persona and arrived at the massive oyer and stopped. She raised the screenon her laptop, deactivated the estates perimeter alarm, and the ve o them wentquietly through the massive ront doors, still close riends.

She and her companions went to the garage and used her garage door opener,went to her Ford Escape, opened the rear cargo door and placed her hard case

next to a duel bag lled with clothes and some personal belongings; then placedher laptop on the passenger seat with the screen acing her. Te Escape with theclose riends inside traveled down the hal-mile long driveway rom the house,stopped beore the massive-double wrought iron gates that matched the height othe estates surrounding granite walls o twelve eet and allowed the electric gatesto open. Ater driving through, she stopped, reactivated the perimeter alarm withher laptop, made sure her penetration was not detectable, turned it o and placedit in her briecase which was on the oor in ront o the passengers seat. It was nextto her new constant companion and close personal riend, Mr. Glock 21, who had.45-caliber persuasive skills and had had rhinoplasty, a sound suppressor attachedto his muzzle.All is well that begins well.

Lillian McGraw smiled with satisaction as she drove north to MulhollandDrive, then turned right, passed Beverly Glen, Coldwater Canyon, Benedict Can-yon and Laurel Canyon and headed to Multiview Drive. She turned let and wentdown to the house o a riend who was out o town. Te view rom the living roomand the observation deck overlooked the kaleidoscope o lights that shimmered inthe San Fernando Valley and Universal Studios.

Now its my turn.


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2

What you see is an illusion; it is what your opponent wants you to see.

5:00 p.m. Raymonds Bar, Downtown Los Angeles

Im sittin in this big city neighborhood bar where I do my drinkin and eatin. onight

Im havin the gourmet special cut ranks, burned in spots at my request, and barbe-cued beans served in a bowl. For dessert its the usual three ngers o I.W. Harper innaBaccarat ol ashion tumbler. Te places empty, so Im able ta engage in ne dinin withsome peace and quiet er a change.

Soon the placell be lled; its a cops bar. Former and present day cops, spooks, blackbaggers, Special Forces, CIA operatives and SOFs, or Soldiers o Fortune, abound.Te ormer spooks and CIA eld agents are lookin ta get back inta the great game. Jusbout nished with my beans and ranks and gettin ready ta have my dessert the

three ngers.Te bars been in this tall-oce building maybe, ty, sixty years. Ive only beenocin here er bout ten. Its called Raymonds Bar. Its always been Raymondsno matter who owned it. Somethin bout the goodwill o the name; another joke, be-cause it sure aint location, location, location. Its changed hands more times than thelie o a one dollar bill in abused circulation beore being sacriced ta the goddess o re.

Te bartender, the guy who owns it, aint Raymond, his names Greg, Greg Em-erson. Hes a ormer Special Forces guy. Tats why all those military types come in.Tey like im and so do I. He bought the place bout two years ago. Smells like em all,

stale beer. Long bar on one side with stools in ront o it, and the ubiquitous bartenderbehind it. Across rom it there are twelve hard wooden booths with a table thats perpen-dicular to the wall. Teyre in line one behind the other against the wall. Te lightinsamber ater dark so itll be more complementary ta the ladies who visit. I always callem ladies until I nd out otherwise.


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4 DANIEL McNEET

Yuve ta pass the juke in the back in order ta get ta the restrooms. I put a buck in thejuke. Now, Im listenin ta one o my avorites, I Only Have Eyes For You on a JackieGleason album, For Lovers Only. Im just a romantic, I guess. Ill Be Seeing You is oneo my avorites, and itll play soon. Greg put the album on the juke er me when I asked.

Te hard wooden booths put in here in the 1920s have seats which are only gooder people with a lot o at on their tush called steatopygia, but that aint me so I dontsit too long. I use a cushion instead under my skinny ass. I I didnt, Id have very shortoce hours, a shortage o clients, whichd generate a shortage o money and whichd

generate a shortage o a good disposition. Sittin on the cushion allows me ta look downon my clients, impressive and intimidatin too. Te high-straight backs o the booths alsooperate as inefective partitions so the customers cant see or hear one another in the other

booths, another o lies little illusions.Te ront door opened with its usual squeak and this guy walked in. A real

Charlie Brown Shoes. He looked around and went to the bartender. Tey had abrie, the bartender ngered me, and he came to my booth and sat down oppo-site me as i he hed been invited with an engraved invitation hand-delivered by achaueur in livery.

You, OLeary, the lawyer? He asked in a tough no-nonsense attitude, whichcould only be described as: I dont want ta waste my time with ya because yure amember o the lower classes, and Ive better things to do. He had beady-shity eyesand talked ast like a huckster on a television inomerical whose motors revving atten thousand RPMs.

Whos askin and wadaya want? She asked in the vernacular o the neighbor-hood. I it has anythin ta do with aggravation or causin me indigestion durin theconsumption o my gourmet meal, the answers no. I yuve ound my boyriend

who walked out on me today theres no reward, keep im.Im Jones, said the one without manners, as i he was a one-word celebrity

known worldwide.

O course, ya are.Te only thing she knew or sure: In this neighborhood bar, she just ate her

ranks and beans, was about ready to have her dessert and her name was OLeary,Mariah OLeary and a lawyer.

Id tell ya how many peopleve told me their names were Jones and theywerent, but I cant count that high. Ya wanta try again, Mr. Well Mannered. Sitdown and make yursel comortable. Ya came rom a poor amily whom couldntaord manners or consideration or others? Wanta drink?

He nodded and pointed to her dessert.

She continued to stare into his eyes and didnt look away when she said, Greg,one more I.W. or my guest. And put it and my dinner on his tab too until he ainta Maybe.

Well, Jones, what can I do er ya this lovely evenin in the big city o almostour million and the same number o stories to match?


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OPERATION DOWNFALL 5

I youre OLeary, I understand youre honest.Yare right, but I actually have three disabilities two o which are poor

as a result o being honest. Ya sound like one o those business consultants whocharge big ees ta tell the owner o a company about his company things he alreadyknows. Right?

I went by the ea-bag hotel where you live, i you can call it that, Jones said.Te city should put a red label on it and demolish it. I hate slumlords. I asked theclerk i you were in, and he said no. He told me you were in your ofce, i you cancall it one, and gave me the name o this stinking dump.

Was my secretary there?You mean your boyriend? Te clerk said he moved out.

Same thin. ough ta maintain a relationship in my business and in this parto town.

Whys a sensual-gorgeous woman like you working in this part o town, liv-ing in a shithole and ofcing in a dump like this? You could make one o Arch-bishop Mahoneys pedophile priests switch his sexual orientation.

Ive asked mysel the same question many times. And, Im always surprisedwhen the next guy comes along, alls in love with me, wants ta get married, takeme away rom all this, but ends up joinin me in shared bliss at the Brighton in myluxurious suite. All I do is sit here, and it happens.

Te Brighton? It should be called Castle Gloom. Your suites a one-roomshithole. By the way, . . . .

Mariah interrupted her new best riend, sweet talker and said with respect andcredibility, Yur shithole is my castle; so dont give me no shit, Maybe. Becauseyure just a Maybe. Ya know, maybe ya will and maybe ya wont hire me. And, i yado, Im not sure I want ya anyway.

Do you sleep in your dress? It has more wrinkles than a Shar-Pei. I really likethe artwork on the ront; whos the artist Food?

She saw the ear in his eyes and smelled it too. Te ear o ailure and the anxi-ety she had seen hundreds o times. She realized at that moment she was in chargeo this meeting, so she took command. He thought denigration would give him anupper hand. Another misguided. Probably unked Psychology 101 too.

Id like ta get back ta my original question, Jones, and have ya cease anddesist makin compliments bout my custom one o o the latest Paris designersashion that came directly rom the runway, adorns my body, my livin conditionsand my elegant ofce. Whos askin and wadaya want? Ya wanta try Jones onme again?

And speakin o compliments, Sweet alker, yur dressed like a gangster rightout o Runyons Guys and Dollswith yur black suit, red shirt and kaleidoscope tie,Mr. Sharp Dresser. Or, yur passin as a hip mortician, consoler or in competitionagainst the black pimps in my hood. Do ya have a mirror at yur place, Blinky?

Jones blinked his eyes requently. He reminds me o Richard Nixon. Ya could always


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6 DANIEL McNEET

tell when he was gonna lie, which incidentally was almost every time he spoke, becausehe blinked constantly.

Jones moved his right hand toward the inside o his suit coat on the let.Hold it, Jones. Dont move.He roze.I ofce here almost every day in this booth. I meet a lotta guys named

Jones. Somere good guys, somere bad guys and somere wiseguys. Ive alwaysbeen a poor judge o character, my third disability. So, I try ta limit my errorsta correctible ones. So, hear this: whatever yure gonna bring out o yur in-side coat pocket, bring it out with yur thumb and rst nger visible very veryslowly. Because i ya dont my riend under the tablell, aka my best riend, will

paint this booth, walls, oor and splatter my designer dress with red. Also, yurcadaverll not be received at the gross anatomy class at our local medical school,cause o a lack o body parts due ta the extensive damage ta yur torso caused bythe low-velocity hollow point .45-caliber slug passin through. Te bartenderllreally be angry with ya i ya make a mess in his bar cause he has ta clean itup, capisce?

I understand. You dont scare me, OLeary, with your blus.I hate people who call me a liar. People who know me dont call me a liar

cause they know I dont. Teres only one thin I hate, and thats er some ill-mannered nickel-and-dime gutter hustler dropin in without an appointment taquestion my integrity. Ill tell ya what Im willin ta do, Big Mouth.

She continued to look into his eyes while her let hand reached into her shoul-der bag that rested on the seat beside her let thigh. Mariah pulled out a roll ohundred dollar bills bound by a exible band o ten ve-carat D awless marquisecut diamonds attached and placed the roll between the two o them on the table.Teres bout ve grand there. I knowIdont scare ya, but myriends a rightenincold-sweat nightmare. Wadaya bet Ive a riend pointed at yur gut, Big Mouth?

Place yur bet or shut the uck up and get the uck out!Jones sat there or a ew moments, continued to stare at OLeary with his

hand still inside his coat and said, Im taking my wallet out with the thumb andrst nger as you asked. He tried to determine i she was blufng, but couldnt. Ihavent got ve, but Ive two. So I bet two that youre a bluer and a our-usher.

Jones took out his wallet with thumb and rst nger and put it on the table be-tween them next to her ten diamonds. He reached in and removed twenty Benjysand placed them on top o OLearys roll. Im all in. Let me see your hand.

Look under the table.

Jones looked under the table while she grabbed all the money and put it intoher shoulder bag.

Jones sat upright and Mariah said, Never read any Damon Runyon I see. Tisguys walkin down Broadway. A guy comes up ta im and says, Wadaya bet I canmake the one-eyed Jack jump outta this deck o cards and squirt Ginger Ale inta


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yur let ear? So, the guy bets him a Benjy and sure enough his let ear lled withGinger Ale. So, Sucker, whats yur name and wadaya want?

A depressed Jones took his business card out o his wallet that was still on thetable between them and threw it at her.

So, in addition to being without manners and no consideration or others,with no class, yure a loser and a sore one at that. So, yure om Jones. Sing WhatsNew Pussycat? er me, and Ill believe ya.

I came to tell you a story you might be interested in.First, Jones, tell me why yure bringin me this chocolate cake as opposed ta

a hundred other lawyers?I told you, they tell me youre honest.

Is that the ubiquitous they, the ather, the son and the holy ghost o thedelusionals who believe theyre up in nonexistent heaven, or do they have a name?I told ya, thats one o my three disabilities. Facilitator yur card says. Isnt that thelatest corporate buzz word er bagman or janitor. Ya a bag man, Jones, a lobbyist,and ya clean up other peoples messes? Or, are ya in the messenger delivery busi-ness? Ya parked yur bicycle out ront and locked it; I hope i ya did. Reminds me,

when I was growin up these men came around once a week ta pick up our garbage,all in one beore separation. We called them garbage men. Now, theyre sanitationengineers. Ya a sanitation engineer, Jones?

Something like that.So, Mr. Facilitator, acilitate. Whos they?You a smart ass, OLeary?All depends on yur denition.My denition is a person who talks like you, acts like you and with your

attitude.Hey, no one asked ya ta walk in here and sit down without an appointment,

an invitation or manners. So, whutreya gonna do er me, and whats the Wiim,

Jones?Whats Wiim?Whats In It Fer Me?

Jones spoke or about thirty minutes telling her this story. Ten, he asked, So,what do you think? See any Wiim in there?

bout what?About what I just told you. Tis riend o mine is trying to nd a lost secre-

tary. She walked out and has disappeared and cant be ound anywhere.I know how he eels, mine jus let me. I guess he got tired o livin in a cheap

hotel room with no uture.My riends low prole, inquired around, you were recommended, and I was

asked to come see you. Want to help my riend?Whos yur riend?Ive to leave it condential.


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8 DANIEL McNEET

Ten this meetins over. See ya later, Jones. It has ta do with ethics, my riend,ethics; somethin bag men, janitors and acilitators dont worry bout, know boutor wanta know bout. Te bar associations ethics committee, a collection o tightasses, demand that Ive a contract er services ta be rendered with my client, not themessenger er the client. And, lookin at ya, speakin o sartorial splendor, ya looklike ya jus bought what yure wearin at the Goodwill store down the street. So, Imgonna need ta meet yur riend beore I decide.

Its just a lost secretary.Has yur riend thought bout sendin a sharp guy like ya to nd her? One

who gets taken er two grand by a lady with a wrinkled-designer dress, with neImpressionism artwork by Food on the ront o it, adorned attractively on a ve-

eight slim o hip rame, not in heels, with a ghting weight o one twenty, andwho dont speak good English. Also a guy whos incidentally a shitty gambler, notNathan Detroit and cant play liars poker worth a shit. I wear these Silhouetterimless round eyeglasses so I can spot nickel-and-dime gutter hustlers like ya. So,

wadaya ya think, Shamus, why dont ya nd her?What I do or my riend is none o your business, Smart Ass. All Im trying

to nd out is do you want to help my riend nd the secretary? And, then Imgoing to leave.

I need ta meet yur riend, then Ill decide i I wanta go orward, get paid asubstantial retainer ee, sign my employment agreement, and thats the way it is.Otherwise, I wouldnt be interested. And yur riend has one too, a disability that is.He picked ya; a guy who didnt get the lawyer ya were sent ta get. Bein a messengerboys a damn tough job. Employers never understand why when they give an orderta a classless minion like ya it never gets done.

Look, OLeary, do you want the job or not?Sure, Id like the job. Any legal work? Ya know, maybe a prenuptial agree-

ment ater I nd her? Anything like that?

No reason to be a wise ass, OLeary. For a gorgeous woman like you wholooks one step above homeless, youve got some mouth. Spend much time in theICU o your avorite hospital?

No, Ive a riend. Yave met my riend as I recall. I realize the introduction eewas expensive, but then acilitators like ya can aord it. When yave a riend likemine, nobody and I mean nobody ucks with me.

Ill tell my riend youre interested and get back to you regarding the meet.Whats your number?

Raymonds Bar. Gregs my receptionist. Hell put me on the horn i Im

here. I not, hell take a message. Te next time ya wanta see me, Jones, make anappointment.

Greg walked rom behind the bar with a lighted cigarette dangling rom thelet side o his mouth, smoke getting in his let eye which caused him to blink andgave the check to Jones. He had a bar towel thrown over his let shoulder. Te


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apron he wore was so dirty it reminded one o modern art, a lot o drippings onit. Not quite a Jackson Pollack, but close. It was actually a Greg. Jones told him hedidnt have any money because she had eeced him. Greg stood next to him, staredat him, and said he was going to call the cops i he didnt pay.

Ya see my policy is, Jones, i a client hires me, pays me cash on the barrel head,I pay er the dessert and the special o the day. I the potential, a Maybe, interruptsme when Im engaged in ne dining, just talks, the Maybe pays the check.

So Jones reached into his pants pocket and paid the check, but stied Gregon the tip. Jones got up, didnt shake her hand, didnt kiss it goodbye or extendany amenities.

What happened ta the good ol days o civility?

Mariah got up and put her tent sign on the table top, Back in teen min-utes. She started to walk to her shithole to use the easement room.


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3

Day 1 3:00 p.m.

Te Residence of Jonathan P. Kennington, Bel Air, West Los Angeles

Jones called and let the clients address and time o the appointment only withGreg, but no client name. Mariah had an appointment this aternoon.

She knew the neighborhood was expensive and called a riend at the Hall oRecords, ax Collector, and had him run a property check or name o owner andassessed evaluation. Mariah crossed-checked it with another riend at the title com-pany, a match. One o her bankers, Harry Burstein at JP Morgan Chase, who owedher big time, got her the last three years tax returns and a recent audited nancialstatement o the owners worldwide holdings rom his banker, Edvard Lavananski,at the International Investment Bank and rade. How Harry got it rom IIB shedid not know, did not want to know and did not care.

Mariah was surprised. Te owner had a dollar and a hal in his piggy bank.

Jones never used the pronoun he or she, just riend.Must watch those acilitatorsevery step o the way; never assume anything.

She put on a simple-black Chanel business suit, white blouse, jacket and skirt.I you have nice legs, show them. She wore black pumps with two-inch heels anda necklace o iridescent peacock and cobalt-blue ahitian eleven millimeter pearls.Tey were AAA with a nacre thickness o 1.0 millimeter. She could have easily wonthe award or the best legs in Hollywood. Te necessaries lled her black ostrichbriecase. Mariah looked in the shitholes mirror and was impressed. Her red hair

was having an aair with her neck and red complemented the beautiul green eyes.

She walked down the stairs to the clean lobby with old leather chairs in goodcondition rom her luxuriously appointed and elegant urnished th-oor suite,because the elevator did not work again today. One o these days . . . Mariah walkedout the ront o Castle Gloom and hailed a cab. She didnt have a car and didntlike to drive.


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About thirty minutes later, the cab pulled up in the ront o the estates twelve-oot high wrought iron gates in Bel Air. Te driver got out, read the instructionson the gate speaker and pushed a button. Ten he came back to the car and asked,Hey, Buddy, whats yur name?

OLeary.He returned, had another episode with a voice, returned to the cab and just

like Ali Baba and the Forty Tieves, Sesame opened, and they drove in.Tey traveled past the gate house on the driveway and about hal a mile-plus

to the house. When they arrived at the main house, a man stood erect with hisnose raised just above parallel to the pavement. He wore a butlers uniorm, stoodat attention and looked straight ahead. He walked to the right-rear door o the

cab, opened it and said in an English public school accent, but did not look at her,Tis way, Miss.

She told the cabbie to wait.Ater they were in the oyer he said, Tis way, Miss, to the library. Mr. Jona-

than P. Kennington will be with you shortly.Mariah ound a comortable chair in the library near the real replace, which

burned real wood, put out real heat and sat. She looked about and saw the wallswere covered oor to ceiling with books. Moveable ladders with wheels on thebottoms were attached to the bookcases by a rail at the top o the ladders. Shehad her back to the light that came through the leaded glass windows and wouldshine into the ace o J.P. Kennington when he sat opposite her. Te chairs sat on anOriental rug that was bigger than the ootprint o the Brighton Hotel. She awaitedthe arrival o the man who had granted this audience. He was Bill and Warrenrich. She opened her briecase and pulled out the book she currently read on herKindle. It was appropriate or the circumstances:Audacity o Greed: Free Markets,Corporate Tieves, and the Looting o Americaby asini. Ater thirty minutes oenjoyable reading and the warmth o the re, her avorite butler returned and

announced with the skill o a herald, Mr. Jonathan P. Kennington. She pressedmenu on her Kindle, added a bookmark, held the switch at the top or our sec-onds and allowed the screen to go dark. Mariah closed the Kindle holder andreplaced it into her briecase.

She turned her head toward the tall library doors that opened in the middleand saw this tall, handsome and imposing older man o about sixty-ve or so. Hehad well-groomed gray hair and impeccably dressed in a dark, blue three-piecelounge suit. She remained seated. He walked toward her, and she extended herright hand to shake his. He took her hand gently, bowed rom the waist toward

her, looked into her eyes with his not-gentle blue eyes and kissed her hand gently.Immense wealth or the reputation o it, whether you had it or not, allowed

the person to project command. It intimidated the insecure, social climbers andtoadies. No matter how despicable the conduct o the past or present o the per-son, the awners lined up to pretend admiration and respect. Tey received an


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12 DANIEL McNEET

imagined benet rom the aura. When they let the persons presence, they didnttake a shower and wash their hair. But they did tell whoever would stand still orone second that they knew J.P. and gave every boring detail o the occasion toimpress. Yes to sel-impress, sel-enhance in their mind and tried to impress thelistener with the shallow insignicance o the braggadocio.

J.P. sat in a chair that was at a orty-ve degree angle to the replace andopposite her. Tank you, or coming, Ms. OLeary, he said with an accent notrecognizable by her. He stared into her engaging green eyes. Her well-coied redhair ramed a ace envied by all women. I cant believe youre the same person. Areyou Mariah OLeary the attorney?

Yes, I am. Why do you ask? Would you like to see my passport; I have it in my

briecase. Like a Boy Scout, I like to be prepared. Tese days one can never be surewhen theyre going to be braced by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

I am genuinely stunned by your presence. I cant recall this ever happeningto me previously. Mr. Jones described you in a very uncomplimentary way. Hesaid something about your sartorial splendor and taste were truant and came romthe Salvation Armys Dumpster i I recall correctly. I believe Mr. Jones may needto contact an optometrist, or I need to replace the incompetent orthwith. Youredressed impeccably, tailor-made? He said you were attractive. I believe he has a lim-ited vocabulary and needs the optometrist or another reason. I nd your beautyineable. Im having difculty believing youre orty.

I see you made an inquiry beore this meeting. I thank you or the com-pliments. I do the best I can with what I have. Not tailored-made, but Chanel.Regarding Mr. Jones, orthwith is a good idea, Mr. Kennington. Remember, youonly get what you pay or.

Ah, your wisdom is so sage. Not only was he incompetent in not being ableto hire you without my granting you an audience, but a poor judge o character.He also said you spoke like an illiterate or was it a poorly educated person? It was

one o the two. He may need an audiologist, too. Do you know anything aboutme, Ms. OLeary?

A little. Only kings and queens grant audiences. I know youre not a king,even though you may believe you are, so the question is: are you a queen?

ouch, Ms. OLeary, touch. ook encing did we?Actually, Riposting 101 at Yale to compete with the pseudo machos and

sel-impressed without oundation or which there were an innite number,unortunately. A riposte now and then is a good way to lay the pitch. So, levelyou know. According to them who say they know, you have never been married,

but adopted a little girl and named her Victoria Kennington. Supposedly, herparents were riends o yours and died shortly ater she was born. No one knowsor sure, but you are selling what you have in stock. No one has seen her orover thirty years and no photographs are readily available; a good idea, keeps theentrepreneurs at bay.


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You are active in charitable work internationally. You build schools or girls inpoor countries where women are oppressed, because you and I believe it is the only

way or their societies to progress out o the dark ages. You run a multinationalcorporation. Your grandather ounded the company. When he died, you worked

with your ather. He died about ten years ago under mysterious circumstances,and you prevented an autopsy. A will appeared mysteriously rom an attorney henever used, but was an acquaintance o yours. In it, he let the company to you.

At the time o his death it was worth about 15B. You have been the chairman andCEO or ten years and its now worth, depending on the close o the market today,about seventy-two and a hal billion take or leave a B. You own Kennington Oil,a major oil rening company, Kennington Industries, the largest deense contrac-

tor in the U.S., Kennington Commercial Bank and rust, a large-bank holdingcompany and Kennington Chemical and Pharmaceutical, the largest in the world.

Your lender is IIB.I saw in a ootnote you had some o-ledger transactions. Ofces in sixty-

three countries. You, Mr. Buett, Mr. Gates and Mr. Carlos Slim o Mexico arealways racing to be the number one on the Forbes list. But Forbes never ranks youbecause you are smarter than the other three; pay whatever it takes to stay o thelist, and do all you can to remain anonymous, no personal nancial inormationprovided, no photographs o you or Victoria. All the other inormation I have

wouldnt be relevant or this discussion.May I see what you have to make sure its accurate? He asked in the orm o

a command, and extended his let hand toward her at the same time.Yes, o course. She leaned over the right armrest o her chair, picked up her

briecase, placed it on her lap, opened it so the top obstructed his view o the con-tents. She didnt want him to see her paperweight and constant companion insideresting on the top o a manila older titledJ.P. Kennington Dossier, took it out andhanded it to him.

Tank you. He opened it. urned the pages, stopped and read sometimes,and ater ten or so minutes he closed the older and returned it to her.

I think youre right, Ms. OLeary. Regarding Mr. Jones, Forthwith isa goodidea. Id say youre very good at what you do. Well inormed. Very thorough, Imimpressed and not very oten, I might add. I seem to be complimenting you end-lessly. I do believe Im under your spell. Well, down to business. I didnt realize I

was so rich.Maybe you need a new bookkeeper, Mr. Kennington? I I didnt know bet-

ter, Id swear you were a member o the Sapera caste. Mariah uncrossed her long

attractive legs and then re-crossed them, right over let. She was a natural beautywho did not need makeup nor wore any.

So, you believe Im a sweet-talking snake charmer rom India?I do, and with an ego bigger than the multiverse. What are the o-ledger

transactions?


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14 DANIEL McNEET

Tose are transactions that are o-ledger.I guess that answer is a euphemism or mind your own business. Reminds me o

a Chinese expression regarding corruption: I the water is too clear, the sh will havenothing to eat.

One o my secretaries disappeared about ve days ago, and Id like you to ndher. Mr. Jones told me youd decide ater you talked to me, is this correct?

Why not use Forthwith Jones? Or, your regular security people or search andrescue? How about the Coast Guard or the mountaineers? Ater all, you are usingthe best are you not?

Yes. You areknowledgeable. Im looking or discretion. Large organizationshave too many curious employees who incidentally may decide to go into business

or themselves, a terminal illness when they do i you know what I mean.Oh, yes, I know what you mean, entrepreneurs. Yes, extortion is risky and

moredeadly than cancer, and one dies almost instantaneously o holes disease with-out rights or rites. You dont even have time or a doctor to guess how you died. Or,

what medical people erroneously call diagnosis to lead the gullible to believe theyknow what theyre talking about. Right?

Right, very cogent.Discretion is good, thats me. I have a reputation or not talking in my sleep,

either. Hiring me because you think I am going to take a all or some Machiavel-lian plan you international players enjoy? So, Jones told you he ound a loser who

was one step above homeless and didnt speak English correctly to t your crite-rion? I I decide to go orward, you will need to sign a ee agreement which setsorth my ees and describes the work you wish done and eliminates any sleeplessnights on my part wondering what you really want to accomplish.

Would it be alright with you i I signed an agreement that described yourduties as a corporate attorney and consultant and not have any specicity?

No. Specicity is my best riend. Never have any trouble with him and hand-

some, too. Never lets me down.Oh, very well, specicity it is. Her names Lillian McGraw. Shes been with

me or about ve years as a condential secretary and traveled with me wherever Iwent. Very efcient and very smart. Good employee. Ive had my sta prepare a leto assist you. It contains all I know about her, rsum, the works. She let withoutgiving notice. I was surprised. No reason or explanation. Im concerned about her

well-being. When you nd her, bring her to me or give me the inormation, andIll go to her. So, give me your ee schedule.

Tis man is not a good liar. He has looked everywhere in his room except at me

when he talks. He should change his name to I.M. Desperate. I do not kidnap. So,i she wants to come and needs a ride or airare, I will bring her back. Otherwise,I will tell you where she is i that is all right with her. I it isnt, I will not tell you

where she is, assuming I know at the time we talk.She looked into his eyes with her sincere Sarah look and said, My retainer ee


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is ve hundred thousand, payable on signing o my agreement.You must be kidding.Now it is seven hundred and ty thousand. You must not impugn my integ-

rity. You just called me a liar, and your conduct is unacceptable to me.All I said was: You must be kidding. Kidding is a euphemism or lying. A well-educated person like you knows

that.Alright, ve hundred thousand it is.No, alright seven hundred and ty thousand it is or nd another attorney.

He wants me specically, or he wouldnt have sent Forthwith Jones, but why? Hes aboutas hard to read as the comic section o the imes.

I get ve hundred an hour plus expenses, billed weekly. It is my specicitycorporate-client rate. No reunds o any monies paid under any circumstances.I you do not pay by wire transer immediately to my account when my weeklybill is sent to you by e-mail, I stop working and all unds paid to me are oreit.

Youre not trying to take advantage o a nice older gentleman like me are you?I I saw a nice older gentleman, I would not take advantage.Any questions, Ms. OLeary?Did she take anything else rom you other than her person? Anything else

missing? Computers, computer data, money, personal property o yours or o oneo your companies?

No.Have you done an inventory o what you would call your condential papers

and other property?Yes, and theres nothing missing.You are very ortunate to have ound such an honest and loyal employee. I

should make an appointment with this guy so he could tell me the truth or a change.Maybe a little time at Guantanamo with some enhanced interrogation might give him

an epiphany.Just one. Tere is no mention o marital status. A lot o background but no

marriages listed. Is this correct, you have not been married?Tats correct.And just the one adopted child, Victoria?Yes.When he said it, why did I think he just lied to me again? Boy he is on a roll. It

is because I believe he did just lie to me again, still. Not unusual. Clients lie to theirattorneys all the time to their detriment. Ten when something bad happens as a result

o the lie, they get bit hard on the ass, really hurts and need a shot to prevent etanus.He also lied when he said I did not realize I was so rich . And what did he leaveout, a lie by omission, about his desperation to nd the condential secretary?Youllneed to sign this agreement and the copy; then, Ill sign both and leave you acopy. Tere is a need or a retainer check upon signing, seven hundred and ty


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16 DANIEL McNEET

thousand dollars, and one thousand or the two hours I have spent or you so ar.He picked up the telephone and told the listener to issue her a check or the

retainer ee, one thousand in cash and bring it down immediately.Tey signed the two documents while they waited or the money gods mes-

senger. She gave him a copy and placed a copy in her briecase.I do have another question. Who recommended me?I dont recall at this moment. I talk to so many people. But the recommenda-

tion was accurate. Youre as represented.Tis is a very good our in the aternoon bullshit missile. Is it high tea time, Mr.

Kennington? I love high tea.We dont serve high tea.

At that moment, Mr. om Jones, also known as, aka, Forthwith Jones, camein with an envelope. I said to him, Im still waiting or you to sing Whats New,Pussycat? or me, om. He gave it to J.P. He opened it, checked it and handed itto Mariah.

As om was leaving, she said, Forthwith, see you later.J.P. handed her Lillian McGraws dossier. She opened it. First thing on page

one, a photograph o an absolutely gorgeous woman o about twenty-ve. A realwinner. She looked through the le and said, I dont see any birth certicate, thelisting o mom and dad or their address. I want this inormation, too. When canI have it all?

I believe you have all I have, Ms. OLeary.You did not vet her any deeper than what is here or a position as sensitive

as condential secretary i thats what she was? Why do I believe he just lied to meagain?I I have any urther questions about Ms. McGraw thats not in here mayI call you?

Yes, only me.I see you have surveillance cameras. I would like to see the video recordings

o the comings and goings on the day she disappeared. Also, beore I leave, I wouldlike to see her room.

What room are you talking about?You know, where she slept, kept her clothes and personal property. You know,

where she was living.What makes you think she stayed here?Because you do not want me to see it, and incidentally, theres no address in

here or her. Good excuse, even though it isnt the reason. Well, well, so she did livehere. Interesting. Good guess, Mariah. Just logic. Caught another liar at work and play.

How can you not love Sherlock Holmes?Ill arrange that or you. Good day to you, Ms. OLeary, he said dismissively,

with the same arrogance o a king, or was it a queen. And, thank you again orcoming. Please post me any time youve progress. My card and private number arein the envelope. Humphrey will show you out.


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Id like to see her room now, beore you sanitize it, meaning now.Not convenient today, Ms. OLeary.He disappeared smartly and then came Humphrey, Mariahs avorite butler.

He walked perectly erect, eyes straight ahead, nose slightly elevated in ront o herat an unhurried pace which would lead one to believe he believed he was immortal.She walked three paces behind her guide so she would not get lost. She elt likean old-Asian or Muslim wie. A little oppression went a long way, reminded hero slavery.

J.P. met Jones in the oyer ater OLeary let. Jones, you told me she spokepoor English and used poor grammar. You said she was a slob and had ood stainson her clothes. You said her dress was wrinkled and unkempt and something

about the Salvation Army and a Dumpster. Te woman who showed up heretoday isnt the woman you spoke to obviously. Her English was perect and hergrammar correct. Her suit was very expensive and her shoes were Ferragamo andhighly polished. She was well-groomed and with a manicure. She had impeccablemanners. You told me she was dumb and thats the reason you chose her. But this

woman isnt dumb; quite the opposite. I sure hope I havent made a mistake basedon your suggestion, Mr. Jones. She may be an attorney rom the ghetto butdumb, I dont think so. You said you ound the right lawyer or the job. I havemy doubts. I could see the wheels turning in her head as we talked. I dont know

what you have done to me. Im concerned about your competence. Im concernedabout my decision.

Jones was pleased that he was pleased because maybe, just maybe there wouldbe a bonus.

o make sure I dont have to suer an inconvenience caused by your incom-petence or stupidity, this is what Im going to do. As ar as this company, youremployment is concerned, youre discharged, Jones, orthwith. Ill have securityempty your desk and escort you rom the premises. Make sure you give them your

badge.Why? Why? It isnt a question you can ask, according to my contract with you. It

states clearly youre an employee at will. And, you have no right to ask the reason.Ill tell you this: you need to get your eyes and hearing checked.

Ill bet OLeary had something to do with this, right?From now on, youll be working or me personally. Youll be paid your regu-

lar salary rom one o my non-domestic companies. A messengerll nd you oncea week and pay you in cash. I he doesnt nd you, youll not be paid. I anyone

checks your employment here, itll show youve been terminated. Now, this is whatI want you to do. J.P. explained his new assignment.

Tank you, Mr. Kennington, itll be my pleasure. You can count on me.Security arrived and escorted Jones and his car to the gate and retrieved his securitycard and pass.


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operation downfall excerpt

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