about numbers and he didn't have to deal so much with people."
"Do you know if he reported the incident to his superiors?"
"I don't know. He didn't tell me."
"So he felt threatened because of that incident, nothing else? Did he
have any reason to feel intimidated other than his co-worker's tone?"
Helen hesitated. "Well, like I said, the man told Bernard not to tell
anyone, basically to forget it ever happened."
"Told him or asked him?"
"I think Bernard felt frightened. He said something about the guy's
conduct being bad. He didn't threaten him explicitly, but Bernard sensed
from his attitude that something shady was going on."
"Do you have the co-worker's name?" I asked, holding my pen.
"Malik Fazal. I think he's from the Middle East."
"The name sounds Afghanistani or Indian."
"Could be," she said. "I saw him once or twice at the bank's New Year's
parties and he looked like he could be either of those."
"Have you heard anything since Bernard disappeared? Any phone calls,
ransom notes?"
Helen shook her head, blinking back tears. "Nothing."
"Let me have a number where you can be reached. I'll try to interest
law enforcement to take this up immediately."
Helen and Pam thanked me and left. I poured myself a new drink, a
shot this time. I mulled over the conversation. Was there a connection
between our investigation and Bernard Lipinsky's disappearance? Was
his disappearance connected to the garbled messages and the incident
with the co-worker? Were they all connected?
I called David Stone at home, despite the late hour, and briefed him on
the surprising developments.
"What do you want to do?"
"Obviously, I can't call the bank while we're still investigating them. A
federal agency's interest in a missing-person case would look unusual and
raise questions that could undermine our investigation strategy. I don't
think we need outside attention now. I suggest we let the NYPD handle
it. But we have to nudge them to take it seriously."
"Did you report this to Hodson?"
"Not yet. I intend to do so tomorrow."
"Dan." There was definite annoyance in his voice. "I don't mind you
reporting to me as long as you make sure you also report to Hodson. In
task force matters, he's your boss."
"I know," I said gloomily.
"Okay," said David, "I'll make a few calls in the morning. Good night."
The following day, during the morning session of the task force, I
reported the contact I'd had the previous evening.
"Do you think there's a connection?" asked Hodson.
"There could be. Everything the wife had to say sounded genuine. I
spoke with my director, and he thinks we should let the New York police
handle this matter. We didn't think it'd be wise to get the task force or
any federal agency involved while we're still in the early stages of our own
investigation."
"Keep me posted when you hear from the police," he said.
Hodson turned to his assistant, John Dunn: "John, call the New York
State Department of Banking and get anything they have on Bernard
Lipinsky and Malik Fazal. Do the same with the FDIC."
I went back to my makeshift task force office, where I found a Post-it
note indicating that Helen Lipinsky had called me. I dialed her number.
There was no answer. Moments later, David Stone called and informed me
that the New York Police Department was already investigating Bernard
Lipinsky's disappearance. "They've assigned Detective John Mahoney of
the Midtown South Precinct," he said. "You'd better talk to him directly."
I decided to try to get my hands on the garbled messages Lipinsky was
holding. They could mean something. Lipinsky's disappearance had
given us an unexpected, back-door opportunity to find out whether there was any connection between the two cases without having to approach
Malik Fazal prematurely. Always get intelligence before you move, said Alex,
my former Mossad Academy instructor. Even when your actual move is to
gather intelligence, that by itself should be preceded by
"Do you know if he reported the incident to his superiors?"
"I don't know. He didn't tell me."
"So he felt threatened because of that incident, nothing else? Did he
have any reason to feel intimidated other than his co-worker's tone?"
Helen hesitated. "Well, like I said, the man told Bernard not to tell
anyone, basically to forget it ever happened."
"Told him or asked him?"
"I think Bernard felt frightened. He said something about the guy's
conduct being bad. He didn't threaten him explicitly, but Bernard sensed
from his attitude that something shady was going on."
"Do you have the co-worker's name?" I asked, holding my pen.
"Malik Fazal. I think he's from the Middle East."
"The name sounds Afghanistani or Indian."
"Could be," she said. "I saw him once or twice at the bank's New Year's
parties and he looked like he could be either of those."
"Have you heard anything since Bernard disappeared? Any phone calls,
ransom notes?"
Helen shook her head, blinking back tears. "Nothing."
"Let me have a number where you can be reached. I'll try to interest
law enforcement to take this up immediately."
Helen and Pam thanked me and left. I poured myself a new drink, a
shot this time. I mulled over the conversation. Was there a connection
between our investigation and Bernard Lipinsky's disappearance? Was
his disappearance connected to the garbled messages and the incident
with the co-worker? Were they all connected?
I called David Stone at home, despite the late hour, and briefed him on
the surprising developments.
"What do you want to do?"
"Obviously, I can't call the bank while we're still investigating them. A
federal agency's interest in a missing-person case would look unusual and
raise questions that could undermine our investigation strategy. I don't
think we need outside attention now. I suggest we let the NYPD handle
it. But we have to nudge them to take it seriously."
"Did you report this to Hodson?"
"Not yet. I intend to do so tomorrow."
"Dan." There was definite annoyance in his voice. "I don't mind you
reporting to me as long as you make sure you also report to Hodson. In
task force matters, he's your boss."
"I know," I said gloomily.
"Okay," said David, "I'll make a few calls in the morning. Good night."
The following day, during the morning session of the task force, I
reported the contact I'd had the previous evening.
"Do you think there's a connection?" asked Hodson.
"There could be. Everything the wife had to say sounded genuine. I
spoke with my director, and he thinks we should let the New York police
handle this matter. We didn't think it'd be wise to get the task force or
any federal agency involved while we're still in the early stages of our own
investigation."
"Keep me posted when you hear from the police," he said.
Hodson turned to his assistant, John Dunn: "John, call the New York
State Department of Banking and get anything they have on Bernard
Lipinsky and Malik Fazal. Do the same with the FDIC."
I went back to my makeshift task force office, where I found a Post-it
note indicating that Helen Lipinsky had called me. I dialed her number.
There was no answer. Moments later, David Stone called and informed me
that the New York Police Department was already investigating Bernard
Lipinsky's disappearance. "They've assigned Detective John Mahoney of
the Midtown South Precinct," he said. "You'd better talk to him directly."
I decided to try to get my hands on the garbled messages Lipinsky was
holding. They could mean something. Lipinsky's disappearance had
given us an unexpected, back-door opportunity to find out whether there was any connection between the two cases without having to approach
Malik Fazal prematurely. Always get intelligence before you move, said Alex,
my former Mossad Academy instructor. Even when your actual move is to
gather intelligence, that by itself should be preceded by
Similar Books
