Chapter 76
During the lunch break, Simmons decided it was about time he had another talk with his client. The odds were stacking pretty high against him and Simmons didn’t like Sadir staunch attitude. He cared only to stay in prison—for how long didn’t matter—and not to see the outside of his cell until he was sure his family was safe and Lypsick was out of the way. He didn’t want to reveal any details of his connections with any member of the federal agencies or that of Mossad. Simply put—Sadir was not talking.
“Okay, Mr. Sadir, you’ve heard what we’re up against for almost three weeks of trial, and I can’t do my job if you won’t talk. We’ve got the Prince on the stand this afternoon, and I tell you right now, he’ll bury you. Billycan is digging your grave as we speak. He’s not going to ease up on the prosecution until he hears from you.”
Sadir looked up and then down at his lawyer as he sat across from him. “I keep on thinking that since I didn’t pull the trigger, I am not responsible. That’s what you’ve got to show them.”
“You’re wrong, Mr. Sadir! That’s not the way it works. You have instigated the murder of Mr. Ishmael Assor, which makes you legally responsible for his death. The same applies for Ms. Kartz. Not only did you intend to have a Mossad agent assassinate her, but, when that didn’t work, you also rented an apartment adjacent to her place with the intent, again, to arrange for her elimination. And these clear demonstrations of intent, Mr. Sadir, are what makes you responsible for her injuries and attempted murder.
“Whether I talk or not, Billycan and all his lawyers haven’t got anything on me.”
“Except—and again—showing that you intended to do away with no less than four people. Billycan has one compelling witness who’s going to see you through to the needle, Mr. Sadir.”
“If you mean Prince Khalid, he’s not going to do anything to me. We only talked once and I helped him do what he wanted to do all along.” Sadir’s face reddened. “He wanted to find Meshullam and do away with him. I only showed him the way... with CSIS’s assistance, if you recall?”
“It might be his word against yours but…, Billycan can show links between you and the four crimes without much problems.”
“If you’re talking about these instant messages again and all that; that doesn’t prove anything.”
Simmons shook his head. “You keep on focusing on flimsy evidence, which, I have to agree with you, do not prove much, but you must listen to the witnesses, Mr. Sadir, they hold compelling evidence showing intent on your part. That’s what you’ve got to focus on.”
“But they’ve got nothing of this compelling evidence or my showing intent of the two murders on the Marianne, have they? I had nothing to do with that.”
“Wrong again, Mr. Sadir. They will show that you instigated the murder of Ms. Kartz if she were to find the Marianne and the two CIA agents on board the trawler. They had their orders to kill her, didn’t they? The prosecution will easily show that you were the one who intended to have Ms. Kartz killed. If she and Agent Gilford did away with the two agents, it was in self-defence, Mr. Sadir.”
“Why then, if you knew how this was going to turn out, did you accept to have the witnesses added to the list…, and this damning evidence?”
Simmons knew the man across from him was ready to blame anyone for whatever he had done in life. Lay blame on someone else for your mistakes was Sadir’s modus operandi. “Because I did what I was told, Mr. Sadir. You didn’t want me—again—to make any objections or to have motions filed against the introduction of new evidence or the addition of witnesses to the list. You wanted, and I repeat, ‘remain under the protection of the law.’ So that’s what I did.”
“Maybe so, but I didn’t know any of what you’ve just told me.” Sadir stopped, trying to intimidate his lawyer with his piercing glare. It didn’t work. Simmons had seen all this before.
“I tried explaining this to you last week, but you didn’t even want to see me until it was too late. Besides, we’ve got bigger problems than trying to undo the past—which we can’t anyway.” Simmons paused to watch his client’s reaction. “Mossad—you do remember them, don’t you?” Sadir stared. “Well…, they’ve just advised Van Dams that they’ve accepted to assist the US Attorney in the prosecution.”
Sadir’s red face was turning to crimson rapidly. He pounded his fist on the table. “They can’t do that! They’ve promised me…” Sadir stopped abruptly. However, it was too late; the words were out of his mouth.
“Ha-ha! Finally, we’re getting somewhere. What did they promise you? Have you had any contact with them lately?”
“I’m not saying anything anymore!” Sadir crossed his arms over his chest. The staunch attitude had returned at a gallop. “You can do whatever you think is best, Mr. Simmons, but that’s all you’re gonna get out of me.”
Simmons sniggered. “Have you forgotten who menaced your family? It wasn’t the CIA, was it? I’ve told you I got a discovery motion admitted last week and the subject of that motion was that Billycan discovered that Lypsick is a Mossad agent.” He paused to look into the face of his client. He was groaning and grimacing. “So, if you hope to play this hand without losing everything, you’re not going to succeed. Just let me talk to Billycan and give him the name of the person who’s been keeping you on a short leash for this long.”
Sadir got up and went to lean against one of the walls of the visitors’ room. “If I do that, they’ll find a way to eliminate me, even in here.” His eyes travelled around the room. “Lypsick is a snake. He’ll find a way... And if I don’t, I won’t see my family alive again. Mossad will send someone else to get rid of everyone dear to me. You’ve got no idea what these bloody Jews are capable of. They’ve got no mercy.”
“And you don’t either, Mr. Sadir,” Simmons said, getting up from the chair and walking out without another word.