"Play it again,” Gage said. He was sitting in Viz’s office lined with metal shelves crowded with computers, sound enhancement devices, monitors, and surveillance equipment.
Viz ticked the play arrow on his screen, and Brandon Meyer’s voice came to life against the background of cars and buses passing on the street in front of Tadich Grill.
“They each wanted a million. Part for them, and part for PACs and 527s.”
…
“But the problem is how to explain a huge influx of money so far in advance of their primaries.”
…
“And what if Starsky and Hutch don’t get confirmed? Then every dime will get reported.”
“I wish I could’ve gotten more,” Viz said. “Back in my old DEA days, I’d have tapped his line and gotten both ends of the conversation.”
“If they were dope dealers.”
“Yeah. But somehow whatever is going on here seems worse.” Viz looked over his shoulder at where Gage sat. “What are they talking about?”
“My guess? The votes on the Supreme Court nominees.”
“How come so fast? I thought that took months and months.”
“They were confirmed for appeals court seats less than a year ago. They’re known quantities. No need for lengthy FBI checks or extended committee hearings.”
“And the Meyer boys are paying off some senators for their votes?”
“Not them. Their campaigns.”
“Same difference.” Viz pointed at his notes written on a piece of scratch paper. “I know what political action committees are, but what’s a 527?”
“It covers a lot of things, but I suspect the Meyer boys are using the type that can raise all the money it wants but doesn’t have to register with the Federal Election Commission and doesn’t have to report where the money came from or where it went. Like the Swift Boat Veterans. Now a lot of contributors are going even further and are using super-PACs that sprang up after the Citizens United decision, but the public is getting suspicious of them so they might not go that way.”
“And I take it the idea is to launder the money though these groups to hide the sources?”
Gage nodded. “That’s how it looks. And it ties in with Landon’s genius as a strategist. He would get an initiative on the ballot in each state that he could uniquely tie to the senatorial candidate he was backing-abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research-then would flood the 527s supporting the initiative with money whose sources he doesn’t have to disclose.”
“And Brandon’s the bag man? I’m not sure a federal judge ought to be doing that.”
“He’s a federal judge who’s spent his whole career doing what he shouldn’t be doing-so stay on him.”
Viz glanced at his watch. “He should be leaving court in a half hour or so.” He smiled. “Maybe tonight we’ll find out why he had the condom in his wallet.”
“We know the why, we just need to figure out the who and where.” Gage rose. “I called Socorro and offered her and the kids the ranch for a couple of weeks. I made it sound casual so she wouldn’t get panicked.”
“I spoke to her right afterward.” Viz pointed north. “Why not your cabin?”
Gage shrugged.
“Was it because it’s easier in the desert than in the forest to spot someone sneaking up?”
“It crossed my mind.”
“Mine, too.”
“I’ve got a security system with cameras covering the property,” Gage said. “I’ll have Alex Z link into them through his computer in the loft so he can keep an eye on the place.”