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“And I hope toGodI never do again.”
“I’m sure.”
Thanks God, whatever you are.
She took off the wig and put on an auburn one. That worked better with the highlights but clashed with the lipstick. She removed the cherry red and applied a subtler shade. Her own mother would never recognize her. But then again, she never had anyway. Not deep down.
“Getting back to Pottinger’s business,” prompted Gibson.
“Some of it was the usual. Drugs, prostitution, sex trafficking, pornography. That’s where the money is. Men and their penises make the dark world go round.”
“You saidsome of it; so there’s more?”
She read down the list from her notebook.
“Theft of historical artifacts from the Middle East. Trafficking in elephant tusks from Africa. Importing endangered shark fins from Japan.” She paused. “You want more?”
“Sure, why not,” said Gibson offhandedly.
Right, wow, I wonder what’s coming next from you?
“Okay, he was also involved in the illicit transfer of biomedical weapons out of Crimea and money laundering for terrorists based in the Sudan.”
Gibson growled, “Why don’t you throw in nuclear weapons, the plague, and fake Gucci purses for good measure?”
Just as expected.
“So you don’t believe me?”
“One guy in all those lines of criminal activity?”
“How do you think he afforded Stormfield? And he’s probably got a dozen places just like it. And you ask me to tell you what I know and then you don’t believe me. This will get us nowhere.”
“How do you know all this?” Gibson asked.
“When I go into business with someone I try to find out as much as I can.”
“If you found that out about Pottinger, why did he let you live?”
“Easy. Because he didn’t know I found out. I don’t leave tracks. I did it all electronically. Just like you do with your work, Mickey.”
She listened to the other woman’s breathing. Even, but slightly elevated.She’s thinking of the right response, knowing there probably isn’t one.
She used a new eyeliner and studied the effect.Yes, much better. I can mess with anybody with this look.
“You still there?” she prompted.
Gibson said, “And knowing what you did about him, you still decided to do business with him? What does that say about you?”
Okay, that was also totally expected and this was not a long call so far.Her respect for Gibson slipped a notch.But then again, I am better than you, and I’m going to prove it.“That I compartmentalize well. As we all do. Asyoudo.”
“I don’t deal with criminals.”
“Even when you worked undercover back in Jersey City? You shacked up with some real scum there, did some questionable, borderline illegal things.”
“I won’t ask how you know about that, though I’d like to. That was part of my job and the object was to catch the bad guys, not make money.”
Cocked and loaded. Fire away.“And you just assume that my goals are different?”
