Chapter Nine
Michael
Digging through the evidence had become an obsession. I was working six hours a day keeping matters in order with the family, and fourteen hours a day on the legal case.
After deciding what was useless and setting it aside, I had eliminated half of the paperwork as “filler.” Procedural policies of the ATF, transcriptions of video tapes, and the RICO Act printed in full made up forty percent of the evidence. Be it a scare tactic, or simply to consume man hours in filtering through it, their provision of the useless information left me feeling frustrated and angry.
I had separated the Confidential Informant statements from the filler, and was eager to read them. They would either corroborate what Carter had told us, or shed light on a different truth.
I began with the most recent report.
Interview of CI 233A
Informant given breathalyzer test, and urine test for presence of alcohol and/or drugs. Both tests were negative.
Informant states that suspect AA has teeth of two deceased federal agents secured in safe at residence 2301 Winding Meadow, Mission Hills, Kansas 66208.
Safe is located in the in-home office of AA.
11-10-2016
C. Black
I punched the sheet of paper with the three-hole punch, labeled it with a yellow tab, and placed it into the binder. Disappointed that the report included minimal information, and certain that the remaining reports would be just as worthless, I grabbed another and gave it a quick glance.
Interview of CI 233A
Informant given breathalyzer test, and urine test for presence of alcohol and/or drugs. Both tests were negative.
Informant states that suspect AA gave an order to “find the rat and whack him.”
Informant believes AA’s soldiers are presently under order to locate and execute any informants within family.
13 October, 2016
SA Whistler
I punched the report, affixed a tab, labeled it, and placed it in the binder. One by one, I read them, some of which included a simple sentence, and others that gave a brief broken paragraph. In a short time, I was reading the one that preceded the first raid on Anthony’s residence.
Interview of CI 233A
Informant given breathalyzer test, and urine test for presence of alcohol and/or drugs. Both tests were negative.
Informant states that suspect AA may have teeth of deceased ATF Agent Kevin Gatlin secured in safe at residence 2301 Winding Meadow, Mission Hills, Kansas 66208.
Safe is located in the in-home office of AA.
9-17-2016
C. Black
Methodically, I labeled the report with the date and placed it in the binder. After a few torturous hours, I had read, labeled, and bound all the informant’s statements.
My phone’s buzzing tore my mind from my work for an instant. I swept my thumb across the screen. A message from Terra reminded me of my commitment to her father’s case. Sadly, that dedication deprived her of what she expected of me.
Are you about done?
I typed a one-word response: Almost.
My phone buzzed.
It’s 3:30.
I glanced at my watch. She was right. It was 3:30 a.m. As much as I wanted my life with Terra to return to normal, I fully realized the presentation of Anthony’s case had a time limit on it, and I was racing against a clock that never stopped spinning.
I’ll be home soon.
Her response was immediate. Okay. I love you.
Although it wasn’t apparent from my recent interaction with her, I loved Terra more than I loved myself. My frantic search for a morsel of information that may free her father from his confines stood as proof of that love, but understanding the differences that came as a result of that desperate effort wasn’t easy.
I love you, too. I’ll see you soon.
A heavy sigh escaped me. I looked at the row of three-inch binders that now lined the bookcase. So far, I had assembled eleven, all of which were filled with documents. The collection of information depicted the government’s opinions of Anthony over a ten-year period. It seemed eerie that a group of men outside the family had been conducting surveillance on the Agrioli family for a decade. In that length of time, they’d only found one thing that they could prosecute him with, and it was something he wasn’t guilty of.
Equally as eerie was that someone within the family had broken the oath of Omertà and turned against the family.
For twenty grand no less.
Exhausted and frustrated, I gazed at the binders. With each passing minute, I was filled with more guilt.
In my absence, Anthony wouldn’t be in the position he was in. He’d spent a lifetime under the watchful eye of the government, and they hadn’t been able to charge him with a single crime.
In my infinite wisdom, I agreed to give him the teeth of two deceased ATF agents. Teeth that would later tie him to a crime that he didn’t commit.
I should have known better.
I poured a glass of scotch, took a sip, and glanced at the remaining documents on the desk. In a few more days I’d be done. If something didn’t present itself as being exculpatory, the judge would end up deciding the case on its merits.
And, Anthony would be fucked.