“No place in the park itself to stash a few cops?” Tony asked.
“We’ll have a couple guys out there dressed as county maintenance men but I’d be willing to bet he’ll have the park swept by some of his folks before he decides to go there himself.”
“Then how’re you going to get him, Sam?” Margo asked.
“Tracer on the key ring with the flash drive. We’ll follow him when he leaves. As soon as you do the swap, you and Tony get the hell out of there. Let us take care of the rest.”
“I have no intention of hanging around,” Margo said.
As they walked out the door of the meeting room, Sam said, “Now all I have to do is find a way to get a reporter to sit on a story.”
“I have a couple good contacts at the Oregonian, can I help?” Margo said.
“It’s not the Big O. It’s Willamette Week. A story about Russian mobster and gang activity in Portland is about to come out and it could make Viktor nervous enough to be a no show.”
“I can talk to Fiona, if you’d like.”
“Amanda tried but it was a no-go. But, sure, you can try. Just be careful what you tell her.”
“Before I call her, I’ll talk to Jeff, see what advice he has. Maybe you can check with your boss, too. Ask Chris if we can tell her we’ll talk to her before anyone else when it’s wrapped up so they’re first on the web with the story.”
“Sure, fine. I’ll see what L.T. says and call Jeff.”
After it was all cleared with the Police Bureau and the DA’s office, Margo called Fiona.
“Margo,” she said, “is this important or can I get back to you? I’m on deadline for a big story.”
“I think it’s your story I want to talk to you about.”
There was a momentary silence. “You don’t know what I’m working on, do you?”
“About it an hour ago I heard that Willamette Week was about to break a story on Russian mob activities and their connection with Russian gangs here. It sounded like something you’d be working on. Are you?”
Another silence. “Why’re you interested? It doesn’t connect with any of your cases, does it?”
“Nothing that I’m prosecuting, no, but, remember at the gallery? I said Tony was here on business? We were vague about it because we didn’t want two reporters sniffing around just yet. But there’s a big story in this, the kind that wins prizes.”
“Why do you keep saying ‘we’? How’re you involved?”
Now it was Margo’s turn to be silent for a moment. “Okay, listen, this is so far off the record, you can’t see the record with a telescope. Promise?”
Fiona laughed. “Okay, girlfriend. I promise.”
“I’m mixed up in it because I accidently swapped messenger bags with someone on my way back from Philly. She ended up dead and the guy we’re after, a Russian, thinks I have what she was trying to sell to him.”
“And what’s that?”