Different Circles

“We do not need to prove the matter in a court of law,” Markley added. “We only need to have reasonable suspicion in order to impound the asset.”

Jake was starting to get angry now, but he kept his temper in check and his voice calm. “If you want to go down that road, you had better be prepared for a fight,” he said. “The title on that aircraft is quite clear. The bank that financed it for me did a very thorough investigation into the title—an investigation that they charged me nearly fifteen thousand dollars for, I might add. They were satisfied that the funds Eduardo Gomez used to purchase the aircraft from Piaggio Aerospace in Italy were from legitimate and legal sources of income.”

“Yes,” Mendoza said, as if he were talking to an idiot—which he probably thought he was. “That is because that money was laundered and made to appear legitimate through accounting practices that relied on Gomez’s coffee export business to disguise the actual source of the income.”

“I guess they did a pretty good job then,” Jake said, “because Piaggio Aerospace and Security Pacific Bank both signed off on the transaction. They would not have done that if there had been any questions about the source of the original funding.”

“Any provable questions,” Mendoza said.

“A fair point,” Jake allowed. “Do you have any provable questions that Piaggio and Security Pacific were unable to uncover?”

“We haven’t opened the investigation yet,” Mendoza said.

“Well, by all means, open the investigation if you think you need to,” Jake told them. “But if you impound my aircraft while you’re doing it, I’m going to come after you—both as an agency and personally—with every legal means at my disposal. And believe me, gentlemen, when you have as much money as I do, there are a lot of means. Not only will I hire the best, most specialized law firm to come after you, but Security Pacific will do the same. After all, you’re threatening to cause a default on a loan of more than three million dollars they just made, because you can bet your ass that if you impound this plane, I’m not paying a dime of the monthly payments.”

The two agents shared another look, this one a little more doubtful. It seemed they were starting to realize that Jake was not someone they could just intimidate into doing what they wanted.

“Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot here, Jake,” Mendoza finally said.

“Perhaps we did,” Jake agreed. “Look, guys, I’m not involved in the drug trade. Not in any way, shape, or form. I am willing to concede that Eduardo Gomez might be involved in it, but I had no knowledge of that when I entered into this agreement to purchase the plane with him. I used my provably legitimate income to make this purchase. The aircraft manufacturer and the bank that funded my loan have no questions about the source of the income originally used to purchase the aircraft. The title is free and clear and has been approved. All of the paperwork is in order. That is all I have to say. If you wish to speak to me further about this matter, you will have to make an appointment and I will make sure I have an attorney present. If you want to open a huge can of worms—worms that will have teeth—then you go ahead and impound the aircraft.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary, Jake,” Mendoza said politely. “We will, of course, continue to look into this, but we have no further questions for you at this time. As long as the customs agents do not find any irregularities, you are free to keep possession of the aircraft for now.”

“Fair enough,” Jake said.

The two agents walked away, heading for the entrance to the plane.

“Wow,” Suzie said as they walked away. “That was pretty intense.”

Jake simply shrugged. “It’s the life I chose,” he said.

Meanwhile, just over a hundred miles to the north, a serious breach of patient confidentiality was about to take place—again. This was a breach that would be investigated extensively and the perpetrator of it fired from her job and sued in civil court by her victim. It was a breach that would be mentioned in the United States House Chamber as the 104^th Congress debated the final details of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act—which would become known as HIPAA—and would serve to sway a few members who had previously been hesitant to vote aye.

The perpetrator of this breech was a registration clerk at the Women’s and Children’s Center on the campus of Covington Medical Center in Santa Clarita. A large, modern hospital that had opened for business only five years before, it was where Mindy Snow had chosen to deliver her baby when the time came. And the time was nearly here. Though her actual due date was not until July 21, her doctor had arranged to have her admitted for a non-emergency induction on the morning of July 12, more than a week early.