Report #3270, Transcript Section #19
(Operation SANDMAN)
©1998 Shane Ivey

Keeper:
When last we left our heroes, I believe they were poking around with the strange device seized from the "investigator" of the Breckenridge Corporation.

Rogers:
We'd just e-mailed Osbourne with a request for facilities for a full examination.

Keeper:
Right. It's around 9:00 a.m.

Rogers:
"No point going to the hospital yet after the news from the friendly there, any suggestions MR.L or back to the fire site?"

Lundquist:
Keeper, can I call the hospital back? I'd like to speak to a physician... What are our suspect's chances? How likely is he to regain consciousness?

Keeper:
You get one of the physicians on the line. After the initial pleasantries, he responds: "He's not in good shape. I think he'll recover, but it may take a while. And that's only if the infection keeps subsiding."

Lundquist:
"Okay, thanks, doctor. Please advise me of any developments in his condtion; it's very important." I give him my cell phone #.

Keeper:
"He lost a lot of blood," he adds, "and he nearly didn't make it through surgery. If he's lucky, his system will pull together and he'll recover."

Keeper:
He takes your number and agrees to contact you if anything comes up.

Lundquist:
"Rogers, how do you want to proceed today? I'm still feeling pretty shaky... It wouldn't kill me to get some more rest before meeting with Lt Daniels this afternoon."

Keeper:
Meanwhile, Danforth has the device secured in a lead-lined briefcase.

Keeper:
(BTW, Lundquist, get 1 more HP back from the sleep)

Lundquist:
(All right, now I'm ready to conquer the world again!)

Rogers:
"Well, how about we check in at the fire and see what has turned up overnight and then swing by Breckenridge and see what we can see?"

Lundquist:
Okay, Keeper, I'd like to obtain a search warrant. I want to go to Breckenridge and get whatever information they have on the activities of the two agents we had the shootout with.

Rogers:
"We could check Evans Plumbing Service as well especially if we have to meet Daniels this afternoon in reguard of its most imfamous employee."

Lundquist:
After all, they attacked several Federal agents... What is Breckenridge saying they were up to?

Keeper:
TBC has issued statements saying that the investigators were not working on the company's behalf when the incidents occurred; they can only guess that the men were involved in some illegal scheme, possibly drug-related, and TBC will cooperate fully with the law.

Keeper:
That was from a statement by Joe Gant, regional manager of the the New York office (TBC-NY).

Keeper:
So, you were going to arrange for a search warrant with the local federal court?

Lundquist:
Does Osborne have some quieter way of obtaining a warrant? I'm afraid that the regular channels for such things may be comprimised, especially if there's illegal government involvement in this conspiracy.

Lundquist:
I don't want our adversaries to have any warning of our activities.

Keeper:
The best Osborne could do would be to give you the name of a judge he thinks would be most reliable.

Keeper:
The alternative would be to use the organization's network to call in favors or try to coerce a judge to issue a warrant quietly.

Keeper:
That would take a little more time, though.

Lundquist:
Well, I'm pretty sure that whatever might have been at Breckenridge will be cleaned up by now anyways... But perhaps we can still catch something if we move quickly...?

Lundquist:
I'll ask Osborne to recommend somebody, and then arrange for a very quiet meeting with the judge as soon as possible.

Lundquist:
I'll stress that Breckenridge people may well have taps on the phones, stuff like that, since that's what they do for a living...

Lundquist:
The bottom line is that this warrant request will require extraordinary security measures. No clerks, no staff... Absolutely as few people in the loop as possible.

Keeper:
Osborne says, "Try the Honorable Simone Jackson, Eastern District New York, in Brooklyn. She's been reliable in the past with DEA and FBI requests. She's not a Friendly, though."

Lundquist:
Okay, that's the judge I'll call then. I'll be very Persuasive in explaining the need for secrecy to her.

Keeper:
She hears your cover story. "Mr. Lundquist," she says, "it sounds as though you are asking me to take extraordinary measures. No staff, no clerks? This would give the appearance that I am colluding in something untoward."

Lundquist:
"Yes, but we have evidence that Breckenridge personnel are participating in these ongoing criminal activities. Given their capabilities as an investigative agency there is a real danger that they have taken steps to

Lundquist:
'eavesdrop' on law enforcement agencies which could work to jeopardize those criminal acts."

Lundquist:
"We feel that such extreme security measures are warranted in these circumstances."

Keeper:
She says, "I will need to have your request in writing. Deliver it sealed, if you like, but it will go to the appropriateness of the warrant if the case goes to trial."

Lundquist:
"I'll get the sealed request over to you immediately."

Keeper:
She thanks you and hangs up.

Lundquist:
"Thank you for your assistance, Your Honor."

Keeper:
"Of course."

Keeper:
*Then* she hangs up.

Lundquist:
Okay, I'll pull out my laptop and begin preparing the request in full accordance with the law.

Keeper:
Easy enough, but time-consuming. Rogers, are you doing anything while Lundquist is doing his legal writing?

Rogers:
Stick with the plan I think we were going to check out the fire site again

Lundquist:
You do that while I type this up... If you need help, call me and I'll come down there.

Keeper:
Rogers and Kelley drive out to the site, then.

Keeper:
The site still has a number of onlookers and a couple of lingering news cameras, but the big crowds of last night have thinned. Life is moving on in New York.

Keeper:
Several FBI agents have the place staked out, each of them wearing a navy FBI windbreaker with yellow lettering for identification.

Rogers:
Where's the CP?

Keeper:
Police are still present in force, as well, but the house itself remains cordoned off by the FBI.

Keeper:
The command post is about a half-block west of the house, in another big FBI van.

Rogers:
I'll head over to the CP and identify myself and ask for an update on the situation.

Keeper:
Donna Wang is back on scene as the agent in charge. She looks like she's had little sleep.

Keeper:
She speaks in a low tone to keep the discussion private from the other FBI agents in the van, a couple of yards away.

Rogers:
"Hello, Agent Wang. What's the current situation with the ESU unit?"

Keeper:
"We finished inspecting the corpses. Those in the basement died of suffocation, as we suspected. The one from the ground level was killed by blunt trauma to the upper spine. Fire damage made the identification difficult, but cause of death looks fairly certain."

Rogers:
"Any guesses as to when you'll have the ID?"

Keeper:
"None of the corpses were identified as police officers. And the city plans for the area show no underground construction other than the basement. The NYPD is ready to throw a fit."

Rogers:
"No tunnels at all, have you brought in any echo locators to search for tunnels that may have been put in without making it onto the maps / blue prints for the house?"

Keeper:
"Yes," she nods. "There's nothing."

Rogers:
"Right, anyone have any ideas that arn't totally nuts, mind you at this point I'm willing to entertain nuts"

Rogers:
"Has anyone gone through the documents we recovered from the basement?" "And how about the Braziers any chemical workups on them yet?"

Keeper:
She sighs. "We've been looking at it all night. Most of the police were watching the front of the house, so maybe they went out the side. But there were two snipers in back with perfect vision. They would have seen them."

Keeper:
"As for the other evidence, the documents were nothing. Just lease and deed paperwork and old business receipts. The braziers were just brass. They contained the same drug that we've been investigating."

Rogers:
"Where were the leases and deeds for?"

Keeper:
"The house. Just papers from prior owners, up til about 1985. I guess nobody ever bothered to clear them out."

Rogers:
"Nothing else with any addresses or local contacts?"

Keeper:
"No. It looks like our priest didn't keep written records."

Rogers:
"We have to operate under the assumption that the cops are alive for the time being"

Keeper:
She nods. "Lacking any clue where they are, that sounds necessary."

Rogers:
"are you likely to get anymore info from this building after a full forensics work up?"

Keeper:
"From the building? There's no way to tell. We still have some tests to run, and it might be a day before we get results from chemical analyses."

Rogers:
"Fine keep at it,"

Rogers:
"About the braziers, just brass or anything else in the mix?"

Keeper:
"Ordinary brass. You can get them at Pier One."

Rogers:
"So nothing unique about them, which means once they get another set they can start again somewhere else."

Keeper:
"Presumably, yes."

Rogers:
"Agent Wang, what facilities does your lab have?"

Keeper:
"We're using the labs at Bellevue. If something unusual comes up, we can ship it to Quanitco."

Rogers:
"I may pop in sometime soon or a colleague might any problem with us using the facilities on the QT?"

Keeper:
She glances at the others in the van for a second, instinctively, but none seem to be paying any attention. She nods.

Rogers:
"good here's my mobile number give me yours and I can notify you when we need to."

Keeper:
She does so.

Rogers:
"Contact me if anything comes up and I suppose you can allow the cops in now, I'll be seeing you."

Rogers:
keeper I'm calling Mr.L

Keeper:
You get him on the line.

JTRogers dials Agent Mark

Lundquist:
"Hello."

Rogers:
"The site is secure and nothing new to report, no tunnels or other likely escape points, Daniels is dead Kelly got him so i suppose that's good news,"

Rogers:
"How's the warrent coming along?"

Lundquist:
"Sounds like good news to me. I'm almost done here." Type type type.

Rogers:
"I think we need to do some more digging, want to check out the Plumbing service Millar came from?"

Lundquist:
"Yeah, I think they deserve our attention. We should do that quietly, not overtly. Either drop in now for a quiet look around or else go tonight, after dark. What you you think?"

Rogers:
"Up to you after dark is probably a good idea we could just go to the meeting with the cop we have this afternoon the have a bit of a stakeout of the place."

Rogers:
"For this evening."

Lundquist:
"Okay, that sounds good. Do you want to go with me to meet Daniels? Maybe send Danforth to go sit on the plumbers for a few hours?"

Rogers:
"Best send kelly with Danforth, someone to keep an eye on him and who knows surveilance."

Rogers:
"I'll join you for this afternoons meeting."

Lundquist:
"Good enough. I'll finish up here and have this delivered to the judge. Then I'll wait for Lt Daniels to call me and arrange that meeting."

Rogers:
"We'll head back and travel out with you. See you shortly"

Lundquist:
"Right. Bye."

Rogers:
"Kelly keep an eye open I get the feeling I'm being watched we may be followed."

Keeper:
Kelley smiles. "You bet. We've already shot five shadows to hell. I figure a few more might get the same idea."

Keeper:
Lundquist, you finish the request soon enough. Before Rogers and Kelley return, Lt. Daniels calls.

Lundquist:
"Lundquist here."

Rogers:
"Best watch for that helicopter as well"

Keeper:
"Mr. Lundquist, this is Lt. Daniels, with the IAB. Can we talk for a few minutes this afternoon?"

Lundquist:
"Yes, lieutenant, that'd be fine... When and where would you like to meet up? It might be a bit inconvenient for me to come down to the station."

Keeper:
"That's fine. Can you come to the city? There's a deli a block from the federal plaza, Cardi's."

Lundquist:
"Cardis? Yeah, I can do that... What time is good for you?"

Keeper:
"Is 2:00 still good?"

Lundquist:
"Two is fine. I'll see you then."

Keeper:
"Thanks."

Keeper:
Rogers arrives a few minutes later.

Lundquist:
"Hi guys. I'm meeting the Lieutenant at two at a deli downtown."

Keeper:
Kelley says, "Where are you sending the device for testing?"

Rogers:
"I think we'd better test it at the FBI labs ourselves, well me and Danforth anyway if we can't make any headway we can hand it to Osbourne and get a better lab and some good tecs on it."

Keeper:
"The FBI lab? In Virginia?"

Rogers:
"Well I thing Agent Wang has a lab here in NY and stuff only goes to Virginia when it needs more doing than can be accoumplished locally."

Keeper:
He nods. "What's next, then?"

Rogers:
"I'm assuming Osbourne can set us up with something locally when he gets my e-mail."

Lundquist:
"Kelly, how would you and Danforth feel about taking a quick look at that plumber who fried our bugs at the church?"

Rogers:
"Then we can check out his place of work this evening."

Lundquist:
"Nothing too drmaatic... Just drive by the place, look it over, maybe sit and watch it for a little while to see who comes and goes."

Keeper:
"Fine by me," he says. "Do you want his residence searched?"

Lundquist:
"Sure. Are you volunteering?"

Rogers:
"We were planning on tossing the joint tonight."

Rogers:
"But if you want to go for it during the day?"

Keeper:
"I was in the service long enough to know not to answer that," he smiles. "But if you need to bust into his place, I'm game."

Keeper:
"I like the night better."

Lundquist:
"Well, his residence might be more deserted right now, and then we could rifle the offices tonight."

Keeper:
"Understood. I'll take some of your gear to check for electronic security."

Rogers:
"Ok so we hit the home now I take it?""

Lundquist:
"Yeah, I think so... You can do that while I see what's on Lt Daniels' mind."

Keeper:
Kelley nods. "If that's what you're asking. Maybe I'll pose as a plumber."

Rogers:
"I'll come with you guys."

Rogers:
"Any chance of a fake search warrent in case anyone interupts us Mr.L?"

Keeper:
"I thought you two were going to talk to that cop."

Lundquist:
"Not much chance of a fake warrant, sorry. That leaves too much of a paper trail. Just be careful."

Rogers:
"No just something to show the neighbours in case someone gets nosy"

Rogers:
"Not a real warrent."

Lundquist:
"I still think it's pretty risky... I can fake something up, but it won't hold any water at all, and if it gets linked back to me I'm in big trouble."

Rogers:
"Ok don't bother."

Lundquist:
"If the neighbors catch you, just shoot them and burn everything down." :-)

Rogers:
"Yes Sir!" ;-)

Keeper:
Kelley says, "I doubt it'll come to that. Just let me go in alone, and keep the getaway car running."

Lundquist:
(I ought to write a how-to manual for investigators!)

Rogers:
(Let me see How to get Major Press coverage of you investigation)

Lundquist:
"Then Danforth, do you want to come along with me?"

Keeper:
Danforth says, "Yeah. Nothing happening on the bugs here, anyway."

Lundquist:
What time is it?

Keeper:
About noon.

Lundquist:
Well, I'm going to dot all the i's on my warrant request and then put my head down for 30 or 40 minutes. I probably still feel a little woozy.

Keeper:
Kelley says, "I'll go pick up a uniform."

Rogers:
"I'll check the car over and clean my gun."

Keeper:
Kelley is gone for an hour and a half; when he returns he has a generic plumber's uniform and ID card which look like they have been in use for years.

Keeper:
Lundquist, you leave a little before Kelley gets back with his disguise.

Keeper:
Are you taking the warrant request to deliver to the courthouse in Brooklyn?

Lundquist:
Yes, I'll bring the warrant. Can I get Danforth to rig me with a wire for my meeting as well?

Keeper:
Sure.

Lundquist:
Okay, we'll do so then. I'll let him drive and have him wait in the car, listening in.

Keeper:
It doesn't take long. The courthouse in Brooklyn is close to the Brooklyn Bridge, almost directly on the way to the federal plaza in Manhattan.

Lundquist:
I'm going to try to go in the side door of the courthouse (if it has one) and slip up to the judge's office as quietly as possible.

Keeper:
You drop the sealed letter off on the way; fifteen minutes later Danforth is parking at the curb, down the street from the deli.

Keeper:
(I'm skimming past the judge--you have no problems delivering the letter to her.)

Lundquist:
"Okay, Danforth, I'll get you a sandwich. And if I need you in there, I'll say the word 'opera'. If you hear that, get in there quick."

Lundquist:
"Not that I'm expecting that to happen..."

Keeper:
"Yeah."

Lundquist:
With that, I'll go on in.

Keeper:
You see Daniels sitting alone at a small booth. The deli is fairly large, with a long counter and several small tables and booths. There are two other patrons eating late lunches in the place.

Lundquist:
I'll order a turkey club on wheat and join the Lt.

Keeper:
Daniels stands and shakes your hand. He seems a little nervous.

Lundquist:
"Hi there."

Keeper:
"Thanks for meeting me," he says.

Keeper:
"I know this is a little unusual--but this whole affair is unusual."

Lundquist:
"You've got that right. What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

Keeper:
"Well, I just--I'm wondering if you can shed some light on what's going on. I'm doing this case with Kluwer, and then everything just seemed to blow up."

Lundquist:
"You mean the events of last night, with the fire and all?"

Keeper:
"Yeah."

Lundquist:
Sigh. "Well, I have to admit that I'm pretty lost myself. Obviously something big is going on. But I'm afraid that we don't have a very clear idea of what it is yet."

Lundquist:
"Further investigations are definitely needed. I just hope that we're not too late."

Lundquist:
(Kluwer was the cop who shot the church's handyman, right?)

Keeper:
He frowns, perplexed. "I came in after Kluwer shot that Williams guy. Looked pretty straightforward. Either Kluwer was trying to plant shit on the church for some reason, or the guy ran from a good arrest and tried to knife him. Or something in between. Then the preacher got nailed. Then that house. We've got a lot of shit going down."

Keeper:
(right)

Lundquist:
"And don't forget the poor shooter on Rikers. That's no accident either."

Keeper:
"Yeah. Yeah. And it all started with the drug Kluwer found, the new stuff. Your people are investigating that, right?"

Lundquist:
"Look, off the record, ok? The Army thinks that this drug might be a bigger threat than we'd imagined, that it might be the source of a virus or something. Hell, I don't know what they think, but it's got their disease people scared."

Keeper:
He gets a little wide-eyed. "A virus? What, like ebola or something?"

Lundquist:
"I don't think it's that bad... If it was, there'd be a quarantine going on or something."

Lundquist:
"But they are here, and the ones I've talked to definitely seem scared of something."

Keeper:
"I don't know. I mean, nothing's spread like a virus--otherwise something bad would be all over New York. This place is a--"

Keeper:
Then, Lundquist, you blink and feel a sudden wave of disorientation.

Keeper:
Daniels is across from you, looking around, a little confused.

Lundquist:
I look at all of the other patrons. What are they doing? What do they look like?

Lundquist:
"Hey, I feel sort of woozy... Do you feel that, Daniels?"

Keeper:
The other two are gone. The waiter and server are behind the counter, chatting normally, ignoring you.

Keeper:
Daniels squints. "I dunno. I'm okay, I guess." He seems uneasy, though.

Lundquist:
Is there anyone else in sight? Maybe outside, out the front window?

Lundquist:
Uneasy how? "What do you mean, you guess? You look a little off."

Keeper:
Just the normal passersby on the sidewalk and across the street.

Keeper:
He looks like he's trying to ignore feeling weird. He shakes his head. "No, I'm okay. No problem. What were you saying about that virus?"

Keeper:
Lundquist, your water glass is in the wrong place. And, you notice, your food is on the table in front of you. It wasn't, two seconds ago.

Lundquist:
"I'm saying that if it were really that dangerous, like a plague or something, there'd be a lot more going on than a vanload of guys checking the place out." I want to do a psych roll on Daniels. Is that all he's hiding?

Keeper:
It's hard to tell what he's hiding, but your instinct is that he's trying hard, maybe not even consciously, to make like things are normal.

Lundquist:
I'm going to challenge him on that then. "I'm telling you, you don't look so good. And I definitely feel a little dizzy. Something's going on, Daniels."

Keeper:
He frowns crossly. "I'm fine. You got that big lump on your head. Hell, no wonder you feel dizzy."

Lundquist:
"No, this is something else... So, tell me, what were you able to dredge up on Kluwer? What's your gut reaction there?"

Keeper:
He shrugs and takes a sip of his water. "Kluwer? If he did plant the shit and try to murder Williams, I'd be surprised. I've seen his type plenty, before. He's spent fifteen years trying to keep his head down and stay out of the way while all his friends were getting rich on drug-money."

Lundquist:
"Go on."

Lundquist:
(still watching him closely, looking for out-of-the-ordinary behavior)

Keeper:
"There's not much more." He takes another drink of water and looks around, still a little nervously. "He says Williams tried to stab him. Williams says he shot him and planted the screwdriver. But there's nothing else there. There's no motive."

Lundquist:
"How sure are you of that? Maybe he just covered his tracks well?" Is the disorientation still going on, or did it pass?

Lundquist:
(Also, I'm not touching my food or water)

Keeper:
The disorientation passed, but that sandwich definitely should not be there.

Keeper:
"Maybe, but it doesn't fit. Kluwer's not a player. Or if he is, he's sly as hell about it; and Kluwer's not sly as hell. He's pretty smart, but not that smart."

Lundquist:
"And he wouldn't do something like this to protect one of his friends in the 116, would he?"

Keeper:
He's silent for a second. "I don't know. I doubt it. I don't see anyone he's real close to there."

Lundquist:
"Okay, what about the rest of the 116? You say they were getting rich there. Was IAD doing anything about that, or were they being too careful about it?"

Keeper:
He snorts. "Shit. The Mollen Commission cleaned the place out for good in '94. The new captain is trying to keep it clean as snow."

Lundquist:
"So that's all history now."

Keeper:
"Yeah. The 116 got purged to hell and back. Kluwer survived it, because he never got too close to the cops who got reamed, and he never learned enough about them to get busted for collusion."

Keeper:
"Now everyone is on pins and needles there, all the time. This business the last couple of days has the captain and Lt. Wright going nuts."

Lundquist:
"Okay, I didn't realize that. Look, you asked me here, and here I've been asking all the questions. Sorry about that. What else can I help you with?"

Keeper:
He sighs. "Like I said, I just want to see the big picture. I can't tell if IAB is done here, or what."

Lundquist:
"Well, I wish the big picture was a little more clear myself. Off the record again, I'm going to see about putting together a multiagency task force to try and pin down what's going on here."

Keeper:
"Yeah, I figured something like that was in the works. Well, look: if you see the Department involved in some way, tell me before you tell the news. We'll most likely clear Kluwer in a day or two, and then we'll be out of this."

Lundquist:
"Sure, I'll get with you first. And if you come across anything that looks fishy, even something small, please let me know right away. There's no telling what's important and what isn't in a mess like this."

Keeper:
"You got it. Okay, thanks for coming out." He drops money on the table to pay for your food.

Lundquist:
"Thanks, Daniels. I'll talk to you later. And if you need anything else, then give me a call."

Keeper:
"I will."

Lundquist:
I'm going to grab a bag from the counter and take my sandwich and water with me. Then I'll head out to the car.

Keeper:
Danforth waits until you shut the door, then: "Who the hell was that?"

Lundquist:
"Cop. Why? Did you hear everything okay?"

Keeper:
"What? Not the cop, the girl. Who was she?"

Lundquist:
"Goddammit, I knew it. Play the tape back, fast."

Keeper:
He blinks, then picks up the recorder and rewinds it. "I saw her coming out. I got her on the camcorder, after you two acted so weird with her in there."

Lundquist:
"Where did she go? How long ago was it, like five minutes?"

Keeper:
"Yeah. She just came out and strolled around the corner."

Lundquist:
"Okay, go after her, fast. We gotta find her."

Keeper:
"Yeah, okay--here. . . " He presses PLAY on the recorder.

Lundquist:
"It's a longshot. She probably got a cab or a subway and is long gone."

Keeper:
Danforth pulls the car away from the curb.

Keeper:
On the tape, you hear:

Lundquist:
I grab the camcorder, too, and play it back to see what she looks like, so I know what we're looking for.

Keeper:
Daniels: "I don't know. I mean, nothing's spread like a virus--otherwise something bad would be all over New York. This place is a--"

Keeper:
Woman's voice: "Roger! I'm glad you came. You must be Brian Lundquist. No, don't get up. Don't say a thing."

Lundquist:
@#$%&*!

Keeper:
Her voice sounds young, maybe mid-thirties at the latest, confident and humorous.

Keeper:
Woman: "Oh, excuse me."

Keeper:
Waiter: "Turkey club. You want anything else?" Pause. "Hey."

Keeper:
Woman: "Don't mind them. Staring contest."

Keeper:
Waiter: "Whatever."

Keeper:
Another pause.

Keeper:
Woman: "Not much to say? That's all right." There's another pause, then a strange sound, very quiet, vaguely wet.

Keeper:
Woman: "Well. You two take care. And just forget the last five minutes, if you don't mind."

Lundquist:
!!!

Keeper:
Another pause.

Keeper:
Lundquist: "Hey, I feel sort of woozy... Do you feel that, Daniels?"

Keeper:
Danforth pulls around the corner, then stops at the next corner. "I don't see her."

Keeper:
Lundquist, lose a point of SAN, if you don't mind. ;-)

Lundquist:
"Yeah, yeah, she's gone, but drive around a bit anyway. We might still get lucky. Listen, you ever hear anything like that again, ever, you go in an just shoot the bitch. Don't try to talk to her or get her to surrender or anything. We'll sort it out later, got it?

Lundquist:
"Dammit!"

Keeper:
Danforth drives. "Yeah. Yeah. What the fuck is this? How'd she do that? Don't you remember?"

Lundquist:
Speed dial Agent Wang. "No, I don't remember shit. They must've screwed with my mind."

Keeper:
The phone rings once before it picks up. "Special Agent Wang."

Lundquist:
"Hello, this is Lundquist. Listen, I need you to come down to a deli downtown right away. I need you to dust for some fingerprints and stuff, okay?"

Keeper:
"Give me the address."

Lundquist:
I tell her.

Keeper:
"I'll be there in an hour."

Lundquist:
"Back to the deli, fast, Danforth."

Lundquist:
"It's urgent, can you expidite at all?"

Keeper:
He takes the next turn and follows the traffic on the one-way streets. "I hate driving in New York," he mutters.

Lundquist:
"You'll be all right."

Keeper:
Wang: "Can--I can make it in forty-five minutes, maybe. Depends on traffic."

Lundquist:
"Hurry. It's urgent."

Keeper:
"I will," she says.

Keeper:
Danforth pulls the car up in front of the deli and double-parks.

Lundquist:
"Put the car around the corner and join me back here." I go inside.

Keeper:
He does so. The place looks the same as when you left it.

Lundquist:
I'm going to avoid using the door handle if I can; hopefully, Wange acn get some prints off of it...

Keeper:
It's a glass door; it either pushes or pulls open.

Lundquist:
Inside, I'm going to pull the manager aside and show him my ID. "Listen, I'm with the Department of Justice. I wonder if I could ask for your cooperation."

Keeper:
You can shove it open without touching the handle.

Keeper:
He looks at it and shrugs. "You and half my clientele. What can I do for you?"

Lundquist:
(and so can the myserious woman, but we'll hope she was careless)

Lundquist:
"You rememeber me being here a few minutes ago? And you remember the woman who was at our table?"

Keeper:
"Yeah, you and another guy. I didn't see any woman, though."

Lundquist:
"No? Nevermind, then. At any rate, we're conducting an investigation right now, and I need to check on a few things. I want to dust for fingerprints and some things like that."

Lundquist:
"I want to do this on your front door... Would it kill you to close down for thirty minutes or so, until I can get some people down here to do that?"

Lundquist:
(I'll try to be Persuasive) :-)

Keeper:
He frowns. "What do you mean by 'some things like that,' exactly?"

Lundquist:
"Just dusting and taking some photos. We'll clean up when we're done. But we need to make sure nobody comes in and disturbs things until we can do it, and we need to keep it very, very quiet. This is part of an ongoing investigation, you understand."

Lundquist:
"This is a slow part of the day for you anyway, right? I can maybe compensate you a for any losses this wouldn cause..."

Keeper:
"Quiet, huh? Well, it's a while til the after-work crowd. I'll make you a deal--you take some cards and give them out to your friends over there in the Federal building, and I'll shut the doors for an hour for you."

Keeper:
Got booted after the deli guy offered to close down an hour.

Lundquist:
"Okay, that's a deal. And I'm just going to have one of my guys out front keeping people out of the place till we're done--don't worry about locking the door or anything. Aside from that, we'll bother you as little as possible."

Lundquist:
"Can I talk to your waiter?"

Keeper:
"Yeah. Hey, Joey! Come here."

Keeper:
The waiter comes over. He's about 21 years old, blonde and thin and acne-scarred. "What?"

Lundquist:
"Hi there. You remember me, I was here a little bit ago, and had the turkey club?"

Keeper:
"Yeah."

Lundquist:
"Do you remember the guy I was with? And the woman who came to our table?"

Keeper:
"Yeah. Guy looked like a cop. I didn't see any woman."

Lundquist:
"How about our 'staring contest'? Do you remember that?"

Keeper:
"Yeah, I guess. I thought you guys were just tripping or something."

Lundquist:
"Heh, that's a good one. Is anybody else here now, or just you two?"

Keeper:
"Anwar's at the counter."

Lundquist:
"Okay. Listen, I know this sounds weird, but I'd like you to go over exactly what happened when you brought me that sandwich."

Keeper:
He shrugs. "You ordered a turkey club. I brought it over and asked if you wanted anything else. You just sat there and stared, and that other guy, too. So I went and cleaned up some tables."

Lundquist:
"Okay, thanks." I give him a couple of bucks. Then I go stand out in front of the door and dial Rogers.

Keeper:
Danforth walks up as you're dialing. He looks you over, then looks around.

Lundquist:
"What's up?"

Keeper:
Danforth looks at you again. "What's that on your mouth?"

Lundquist:
I look at my reflection in the glass door. What's what on my mouth? (SAN loss a'comin...)

Keeper:
It looks like . . . like . . . like lipstick. Dark brown. Just a speck at the corner of your mouth.

Lundquist:
"Nothing. Er, it's evidence. Nevermind. Listen, stand here and look inconspicuous. If anyone tries to go into the deli, tell them it's closed and to come back in twenty minutes. Don't let anyone touch the door. The owner's cool with it. Okay?"

Keeper:
"Evidence? How'd you--nevermind. Yeah. Muscle on the door, got it."

Lundquist:
"I'll explain later. I gotta call the others." I go back inside and stand in the corner so as not to be overheard.

Keeper:
You get Rogers on the DG-line. "Michael."

Lundquist:
"Look, something serious has happened." I fil him in on everything that occured. "I've got Wang coming down here to check for evidence, but I don't have very high hopes."

Lundquist:
"I'm going to call Osborne next."

Keeper:
"We just got to Miller's place. What do you want to do?"

Lundquist:
"Go ahead and proceed, it's too late to do anything here." (With that, I sign off and call Osborne).

Keeper:
Osborne answers on the third ring. "Yes?"

Lundquist:
"This is Mark. Something very serious has happened. I met today with Lt Daniels..." I proceed to tell him everything that occurred, including the 'lipstick'.

Keeper:
He listens somberly. "You should undergo some tests."

Lundquist:
"Yeah, okay. Listen, _nobody_ in this deli can remember this woman... She made all of them forget she was here, not just me, and Daniels..."

Keeper:
"I see."

Lundquist:
"What do you want me to do? I called Wang to come down here and dust for prints, which may or may not be a lost cause... Where do I go for these 'tests'?"

Keeper:
"Stay at the safe house. We'll send someone out. And keep your people in the field until the tests are done."

Lundquist:
"Right. I'm going there now. I'll call you when I arrive." I then call Rogers and tell him what's up, to avoid the safe house.

Keeper:
He gets the word.

Keeper:
Shall we continue next week?

Lundquist:
Yeah, okay. Aaargh!!! My skin's gonna turn purple!!! :-)