A Quartet of Quotable Ravens

134.

“We have two birds on the wire,” she begins as we drive back to the office, “bird one is who was waiting inside the coffee shop, and bird two, the far bigger thieving magpie, is how did Mr. Bartowsky know exactly what to lift from our file cabinets?” 

“I was thinking the same, and will add another couple of birds to your metaphorical wire by wondering if the person on the receiving end of the packet drop got a visual on us, and two, if Bartowsky is smart enough to think his predicament all the way through. Makes a quartet of quotable ravens, wouldn’t you say?” She paints her face with equal parts humor and consternation. 

As expected the valise contained all three of the packets, still sealed and unopened. Using classic detective protocol we begin to itemize the possibilities, motives and tangential ramifications of the incident, prodded by Julie’s desire to be prepared for her update with TOM on this latest series of oddities. 

Bird One: We have a mole. Among the four members privy to the confidential information in the packets, only Harlan, our legal counsel, is beneath reproach. The other three, Julie, TOM and myself are squeaky clean, absolutely and positively. We discuss the possibility and leave the file open, although the odds against are enormous. The other, and more likely possibility is that they were somehow wire-tapped, surveilled or recorded during the luncheon. We had dined on the street-side patio of the restaurant meaning that any disguised van parked nearby could have easily taped our private conversation. We both agree to the latter as the best case scenario and spend the next five minutes in mental re-creation of the afternoon, ‘reviewing the files’ to support the theory. 

Bird Two: The contact inside the coffee shop had a 50/50 chance of sitting with a window view of the parking area. Our take down was fast, efficient and, with the exception of the snub-nosed .38 hitting the pavement, of ordinary decibel levels. From the vantage point of the coffee shop all he could have seen was the Prius and the eventual reveal of Bartowsky walking in shame back to his vehicle. Make that 70/30 against. Their ensuing conversation, in almost any fashion, would end with some concoction of spin to inform their higher-ups of the bungled pinch. Bartowsky was made, called-out and busted, he isn’t liable. The only issue is of ego and retribution, he could seek revenge as a form of pride, a payback for damaged street credibility. But the chances are again in our favor because with any luck at all in finding out who shook him down, he isn’t going to pick a fight with the Feds. Assuming he has any sense at all. 

Bird Three: We have a new dot to connect, Sheldon Adelson. What is his connection to Senator Hartaugh? 

Bird Four: Why would Adelson hire Bartowsky to break into our office and pilfer three identical packets of confidential information whose existence is known only to four people, with their location revealed less than two hours ago? 

Filled with musical imagery of black birds singing in the dead of night, we arrive back at the office. The door has been replaced. Yellow ribbon proclaims the area to be under a crime scene investigation. An additional warning tells us not to cross and that we are under video surveillance. Insult to injury.

“Ouch,” I blurt.

“So much for keeping a low profile,” Julie adds.

“The Senator should know by now that we have a trail of breadcrumbs leading back to him, meaning that any movement on his part risks criminal exposure. My guess is that he’ll lay low and let it blow.” 

“We need to update TOM.” Julie responds to my pithy poetics. 

“Agreed. May I read the contents of my packet now?”