Finally, Agent Rogers asked, “Is your client prepared to cooperate with us?”

“Sure,” I replied. “What would you like to know?”

“There’s no reason for us to beat around the bush.  We will get right to the point.  We know that your client is not the head of this operation.  We want the name of the person in Washington who is running this scam,” Rogers demanded.

I looked at Joe.  He looked at me quizzically, as if trying to make some sense of what Rogers had just said ... He was clearly astonished.

I returned my attention to Rogers and said, “Excuse me ... Forgive me if I seem a little dense, but we don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Counselor.  We know that either a senator or congressman is behind this and we are going to bring him down.”

I turned back to my client and said, “Mr. Steiner, I’m going to ask you in front of these gentlemen if what you told me in my office was the whole truth?”

“I swear to God,” he replied.

“Is there anything you left out, or anything you might have forgotten?”

“No, I told you everything.”

“I looked at Rogers and said, “I need a minute in private with my client.  We’ll go out into the hall for a moment.  I’ll be right back.”  I rolled my chair back, stood and nodded toward the door, motioning for Joe Steiner to follow me outside.

“You can use the office next door if you want,” said Agent Rogers.

“No thanks, the hall will be just fine.”

Joe and I went out into the hall.  I wasn’t about to use any room they offered; it was highly likely that it was bugged.  “Joe, they obviously don’t know shit.  They are on a fishing expedition and are attempting to intimidate you into admitting to something just so they’ll have some kind of leverage.  These are a couple of assholes.  I’m going to call their bluff.  Right now they probably think I’m out here trying to talk you into working out some kind of deal.  They are convinced that this is something big, but they have no evidence.  I need you to trust me.  I’m going back in there; see what kind of deal they have in mind.  Then I’m going to tell you to leave and wait for me in the waiting room.  No matter what is said, just get up and leave.  They have no right to keep you here, and can’t exercise any control over you.  Are you willing to do what I say?”

“Yeah, but are you sure I can’t get into any trouble?”

“You’re already in trouble, but if you listen to me and let me play this my way, I’m going to get you out of trouble.”

“Okay, I’ll do it your way.”

“Good.  When you leave to go to the waiting room, I’m going to piss them off so bad, they’ll fucking hate me forever.  They’ll be so enraged, that they’ll never be able to see past their anger.  And if they are stupid enough to take this case to court, the jury will see that anger and they'll hate them.   They won’t have a chance.  Let’s go.”

We returned to the conference room and sat down.  I turned to the U.S. Attorney and said, “Okay, what kind of deal are you prepared to offer?”

He hemmed and hawed, glanced over at Agent Rogers and said, “We want your client’s full cooperation.  We want the names of everyone involved in this ring.  We want the name of the senator or congressman who is behind this.  We expect him to work with us as an informant, wear a wire, record conversations, and agree to have all of his phones tapped so we can record phone conversations.  If he cooperates with us to this extent, we will ask the court to accept a guilty plea to one count of an indictment for conspiracy and will recommend a one year sentence.”

I suppose he didn’t think it could be this easy.  “One year … how about probation?” I attempted to negotiate, egging him on.

“Sorry, one year is the best I can offer and I can’t even guarantee that a judge will go along with my recommendation.”

“And if he won’t cooperate fully?” I asked.

“We’re going to catch the official who’s behind this without his help anyway...we’re going to bring him down.  When we do, your client and his wife are going down with him.  They are looking at a minimum of five years in a federal penitentiary and a substantial fine.”

“His wife too!  What did she have to do with this?”

“She was involved in the entire deal from the beginning to the end; she is a co-conspirator.  There is no reason for him to protect this person.  We will get him!” Bennett assured me.

“Okay,” I responded and turned toward my client and said, “Mr. Steiner, I want you to leave the room and go out to the waiting room.  Wait for me there.”

He stood to leave.  Agent Rogers also stood and started to move toward the door.  “Counselor, I don’t think that’s a good idea.  You’re giving your client bad advice,” he said.

I shoved my chair back so hard that it banged into the wall; I stood glaring at Rogers.  “You have neither the right, nor the authority to prevent him from leaving.  You have no right to comment on the advice I give him.  He’s my client.  I’m the one who decides what’s good for him and tells him what he should do.  And right now I’m advising him to leave.”

Joe left the room somewhat reluctantly, as if he weren’t sure he was really doing the right thing.

As soon as the door was closed, I turned to Rogers, pointed my finger at him and said, “For starters Agent Rogers, don’t address me as Counselor.  It’s disrespectful and I don’t like it.  I have a name.  You may address me as Bruce or Mr. West.  If you can’t remember my name, it’s printed, in English, on the business card I gave you when I came in.”

He started to speak, but I cut him off by putting my hand out and continued.  “Second, don’t ever again reprimand me or question my advice in front of my client.  You are attempting to interfere with the attorney-client relationship and I damned well won’t tolerate that!”

I continued without giving anyone a chance to speak.  “Third, you can save your intimidation techniques for somebody else.  You can’t intimidate me and I will not allow my client to be intimidated!”

I held up my hand once again so as not to be interrupted and said, “I’m not through yet.  It is quite apparent that you are on a fishing expedition, here.  It is equally obvious that you don’t have a scrap of evidence to support your assertions; it is also apparent that you are not receptive to hearing the truth.  Well, the fish aren’t biting, but I’m going to give you the truth anyway and your not going to like it because when you hear it, you’ll know there is no case, that no crime was committed and you’re going to have to explain to somebody why you’ve wasted all this time.”

“Counselor … excuse me … I mean Mr. West, we have recorded conversations and phone taps.  Your client referred more than once to his man in Washington.  We want to know who his man is.”

“Okay.  I’m going to tell you.  His man is Gus Panos.  He owns the Greek restaurant next-door to my client’s place of business.  My client thought he was an illegal immigrant who had married an American citizen and that is how he was able to stay in this country.  There is no senator.  There is no congressman.  There is no scam.  There is no organized scheme.  There is no fraudulent marriage ring.  My client is not involved with any government officials.  He’s not involved with anybody.  That’s it!  There is nothing left to discuss … there is nothing left to work out.  You think you’ve got a case, go get your indictment.  We’ll see you in court.  I’ll file so many motions, lay so much paper on you, you’ll think you’re paper-hangers. I’m going to make fools of you in court and when I’m finished with the three of you, you’ll be lucky if you can find jobs as baggers in an independent grocery store.”

I picked up my file, stuffed it angrily into my briefcase and headed for the door.  As I grabbed for the doorknob, I turned to Bennett and in order to be certain that he was also good and pissed-off said, “As for you Counselor, if you pull your head out of your ass, there should be enough room to take your generous deal and shove it!  I’ll see you in court!”

Neither Bennett, Rogers, nor Merrill,  who hadn’t opened his mouth the whole time, uttered a sound as I stormed out of the conference room.  I think I stunned them into shock.  One thing was certain … I didn’t make any new friends.