Page 163 of Maddy's Justice

“Probably soon,” Marc agreed.

The phone rang and Carolyn answered it. From the sound of the conversation she was having, it was obviously Maddy calling.

“It’s your betrothed,” Carolyn finally said.

“Hi, you good?” Marc asked.

“What’s going on there?” she asked.

Marc explained what he could from the news.

“Same thing here. The Feebs and other Feds raided the Stafford, Hughes office and Labelle Commodities. They’re grabbing everything.

“Roger Labelle, the brother, was the guy in the corner room. He’s dead. Murdered last night. We don’t know where James is.

“Evan Carlin is in a hospital prison ward. They’re telling me the taxpayers will give Evan a new knee. I wish I had shot the sonofabitch in the spine and put him in a wheelchair.

“Did Tony tell you about the cemetery?” Maddy asked.

“Yeah, he did. I’ll bet that’s where the two missing women lawyers are, Olivia Harris and Amy Kempton,” Marc said.

“Probably,” Maddy agreed. “The Feds have taken total control of the place. They’ll dig everyone up. God it’s horrible.

“Most of the guards got away but the FBI have their names and they’ll round them up.”

“That’s peanuts compared to what’s coming. Where’s Cal Simpson or Zane whatever?”

“He’s in an FBI facility under suicide watch,” Maddy said.

“You mean murder watch. He’s more likely to get popped than do it himself,” Marc said. “When are you coming home?”

“Miss me?”

“Yes, when…”

“I don’t know. The Feds aren’t done questioning me. The twins, Abia and Salma, they’re gonna get a huge reward. Millions.”

“Really? What about you? What are you…”?

“Nothing. They say I was working with Paxton, a federal officer. So, forget moving to Bora Bora,” Maddy said.

“Nice thought,” Marc said.

“There’s a lawyer from the U.S. Attorney’s office on the phone for you,” Sandy said interrupting them.

“I gotta go. Love you and maybe I’ll take a couple days and fly down to Chicago.”

“Do it. It’ll be a few days, at least.”

“Tony said at least another week,” Marc said.

Two days later, Marc exited O’Hare to find Maddy and Tony waiting for him. Connie and Marc had spent two days with the U.S. Attorney’s office and FBI avoiding answering questions about Stafford, Hughes. Attorney/client privilege precluded them from offering much of anything. At one point a frustrated AUSA threatened to put them in jail and charge them as accessories. Cooler heads prevailed. The number one question for now was, where was Clifford Spenser?

On the night Maddy was rescued, Cliff had told his wife he was going to the store for ice cream. This was around 8:00P.M.He had not been seen since. The others, Brandon Stafford, Gavin Blake, and every senior partner were under arrest. If they were given bail at all, it would be in the millions and they would all be monitored.

Wade MacAlister was also missing. The eel slippery, political fixer had been given a heads up. Someone in government must have warned him to get out of town. He was likely in a non-extradition country lying on a beach with stolen millions. Or so the Feds believed.

The reality was just the opposite. Wade MacAlister was made to look as if he had fled. Too many prominent, inside-the-beltway types could not afford to have him talk. He would not talk or provide any evidence since his body would never be found.

---