Marked Man II - 02 Read Online Free PDF Page A

the call. She did not want to resent him for saying something he would later regret. Obviously he was frustrated, probably exhausted, not himself. Bollier could forgive him for calling her paranoid or even comparing her to a cretin like Uri Grigoriyevich but she was livid with his naiveté.
     
    The Russians had infiltrated everywhere, gotten to everyone. What made the FBI so special? They were just ordinary people, albeit with a little more ambition and networking skill, but they were people all the same. People could be bought. People could be corrupted, or blackmailed, or murdered. There were no exceptions. If the Italian mob and a couple rogue CIA operatives could kill the President then what would stop the Russians from killing or bribing federal agents and bringing them into the fold? Kyle Clemons was being worse than cruel: he was being foolish. And that was something that the detective did not pardon.
     
    Bollier rushed back into court to find the place in a general uproar. Shirokov, Solomon and the other lawyers were laughing so hard they almost looked shit-faced. Cavanaugh’s face looked like the color of a plum tomato. Judge Moore was banging his gavel repeatedly and calling for order. Once the clamor died down he asked for help.
     
    “It appears that the prosecution’s key witness has gone missing. Does anyone have any idea just what in God’s name is going on here?”
     
    Even though she felt she might be crossing a line, detective Bollier felt obligated to raise her hand. Judge Moore squinted through his glasses at her.
     
    “Yes? Who are you miss?”
     
    “Your honor my name is Leslie Bollier and I’m a detective with the New York Police Department. I played a part in investigating the defendant.”
     
    “And do you have any knowledge as to the whereabouts of Uri Grigoryawhatsit?”
     
    “I do your honor.”
     
    “Would you be so kind as to share that with the court?”
     
    Bollier was about to drop the bomb when Avi Solomon stood up and shouted an objection.
     
    “Your honor! This is completely irregular. This woman has a clear bias against my client and is a partisan entity. If she’s going to share information…”
     
    Judge Moore cut Solomon off with a ferocious hammer of his gavel.
     
    “MISTER Solomon. I am going to get to the bottom of this right now whether you or anyone short of the Governor has anything to say about it. Miss Bollier, please proceed.”
     
    “Thank you your honor. Just a few minutes ago I received a call from a friend of mine in the FBI who was assigned to guard Uri Grigoriyevich.”
     
    “And what news did this FBI source have?”
     
    “He’s dead. He suffered a gunshot wound last night.”
     
    Compared to the chaos that followed, the mess that greeted Bollier when she ventured back into the courtroom was nothing. Every single person seemed to be shouting over each other. Reporters in the back room were furiously scribbling notes or running out to the lobby to call their editors with the scoop. The prosecutors, including Cavanaugh were yelling across the divide at Shirokov’s defense team.
     
    It was only a sliver of a second, and she only saw it out of the corner of her eye, but Bollier could have sworn that she saw Shirokov smile and wave at her.
     
    After Judge Moore finally quieted the crowd he addressed the detective again.
     
    “Is there anything else that you can report at this time?”
     
    Bollier flashed a glance at Shirokov and cleared her throat.
     
    “Yes your honor. It is my personal belief that the defendant hired an assassin to kill Uri Grigoriyevich so that he would not be able to testify today.”
     
    If the judge did not look pleased with Bollier’s theory the defense team went ballistic. Solomon demanded that Judge Moore find Bollier in contempt of court and have her removed from the premises. The other lawyers echoed his idea like angry, but well-trained parrots. Bollier heard one of the journalists in the back chuckle and