“What we are about to discuss now,” Black said, “must remain in the strictest confidence. We have some questions for you.”
“Go ahead. I am listening.”
“Thanks to you, we have uncovered a large criminal network, but we have reason to believe that your husband is not the leader, but just an enforcer.”
“You mean he has a boss?”
“Someone who provides him with information about potential victims, organizes the sale of stolen properties, and gives him protection.”
Emily’s brow furrowed. In Ethan’s messages, no boss was mentioned.
“And where does this information come from?”
“Pamela Serrano has given an additional statement. It turns out that Ethan met regularly with a certain Uncle Nick. He gave him a share of the profits and received instructions for new targets.”
“And who is this Uncle Nick?”
“We do not know yet. Ethan refuses to talk, but we have some leads.”
Black took out a folder with photos. Security cameras captured your husband meeting with an older man near a restaurant on the Upper East Side. The last meeting was 2 days before his trip to Miami.
In the photos, Emily saw Ethan with a gray-haired man wearing an expensive coat. The man’s face was turned away, but his general figure was visible.
“Does this face look familiar to you?”
“No, I have never seen him.”
“And the voice has Ethan ever spoken on the phone in front of you with someone he called Uncle Nick.”
Emily tried to remember. In recent months, Ethan often spoke on the phone going into another room, but she did not remember hearing that name.
“I do not recall such a conversation.”
“Understood. Then another question. Ethan had access to the notary public’s database, but the information about private clients, their income, properties came from somewhere else. Where exactly? Judging by the thefts, he had a source in the IRS or the banking system.”
“Someone was passing him data on wealthy elderly people.”
Emily pondered. It was true. How did Ethan know the marital status of the clients, their heirs, the size of their savings? Could Uncle Nick be that source? It is very likely.
“That is why we need your help. But for that, Ethan has to contact him himself.”
“And why would he do that?”
“If we promise him a reduced sentence in exchange for his cooperation,” Black paused, “or if he thinks he can escape.”
“How? You mean you will break him out of jail?”