The U.S. attorney, in cooperation with the Middlesex and Ocean County prosecutor’s offices, obtained a search warrant for both the permanent residence and the summer home of the late Barney Haskell. Living apart from his wife most of the time, Barney resided in a pleasant split-level house on a quiet street in Edison, an attractive middle-income town. His neighbors there told the media that Barney had never bothered with any of them but was always polite if they met face to face.
His other home, a modern two-story structure overlooking the ocean on Long Beach Island, was where his wife resided year round. Neighbors there told the investigators that during the summer Barney was around a lot, had always spent a good amount of time fishing on his twenty-three-foot Chris-Craft, and that his other hobby was carpentry. His workshop was in his garage.
A couple of neighbors said his wife had invited them in to show off the massive white-oak hutch Barney had made to house their entertainment center last year. It seemed to be his pride and joy.
The investigators knew that Barney had to have had solid evidence against Jimmy Weeks to back up his attempted plea bargain. They also knew that if they didn’t find it quickly, Jimmy Weeks’ people would ferret it out and destroy it.
Despite the screeching protests of his widow, who cried that Barney was a victim, and that this was her home even if poor Barney’s name was on it, and that they had no right to destroy it, they took apart everything, including the oak hutch that was nailed to the wall of the television room.
When they had ripped the wood from the plaster, they found themselves looking at a safe large enough to house the records of a small office.
As the media gathered outside, television cameras recorded the arrival on the scene of a retired safecracker now on the payroll of the United States government. Fifteen minutes later the safe was opened, and shortly afterwards, at 4:15 P.M. that afternoon, U.S. Attorney Royce received a phone call from Les Howard.
A second set of books for Weeks Enterprises had been found, as well as day-at-a-glance date books going back fifteen years, in which Barney had chronicled Jimmy’s appointments along with his own notations about the purpose of the meetings and what was discussed.
A delighted Royce was told that there were also shoe boxes with copies of receipts for high-tag items, including furs and jewelry and cars for Jimmy’s various girlfriends, which Barney had flagged “No sales tax paid.”
“It’s a bonanza, a treasure trove,” Howard assured Royce. “Barney sure must have heard that old adage, ‘Treat your friend as though he may become your enemy.’ He has to have been preparing since day one to barter his way out of prison by throwing Jimmy to us if they ever got indicted.”
The judge had adjourned the trial until the next morning rather than start with a new witness at four o’clock. Another break, Royce thought. After he hung up the phone, a smile continued to linger on his lips as he savored the splendid news. He said aloud, “Thanks, Barney, I always knew you’d come through.” Then he sat in silence while he considered his next move.
Martha Luce, Jimmy’s personal bookkeeper, was scheduled to be a defense witness. They already had her sworn statement that the records she had kept were totally accurate and the only set that existed. Given the choice of turning government witness in exchange for immunity from a long prison sentence, Royce decided that it shouldn’t be too hard to convince Ms. Luce where her best interests lay.