Justifiable Homicide: A Political Thriller (Robert Paige Thrillers Book 1) (13 page)

As he started to close it, he looked into the hall. He saw Acirema and two other students carrying several large boxes of pizza. The smell wafted through the hall. It must be time for the Accounting Club meeting. Attendance usually spiked on the days they had pizza. Acirema generally got one of the highest grades on his exams. She was a diligent student and a hard worker.

Acirema was an unusual name. One day before class he’d asked her how she came to get such a name. She’d explained that it spelled America backwards. Her parents had escaped from Cuba and they’d wanted to give their daughter an American name because they loved their new country. What could be more American than Acirema?

The time had come. He had to make the call. He didn’t care for the idea of targeting people just because they exercised their freedom of speech and press in ways the CIA or FBI found offensive. Maybe what Steinman said did provide aid and comfort to the enemy, but that was a small price to pay in order to protect free speech and press. Allowing the government to stifle dissent by discrediting, harassing, or assassinating American citizens was a much larger threat to freedom.

Steinman had office hours from two to four. It was two fifteen. He should be in his office.

Paige hesitated. He thought about backing out of the assignment, but decided against it. If he backed out, Wellington could replace him with someone who didn’t have a problem setting up Steinman for extermination.

At least if Paige were the one setting up Steinman there might be an opportunity to do something to prevent killing him.

He made the call. Steinman picked up on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Professor Steinman? My name is Robert Paige. I’m an accounting professor at Saint Frances University.”

“Hello. What can I do for you?”

“I just called to let you know that I admire your work. I’ve seen you on television a few times, and I read your
Miami Herald
column.”

Actually, Paige did like some of the things Steinman had to say. Steinman, being a far-left liberal, usually started from the wrong premise then proceeded to reach an illogical conclusion, but sometimes he arrived at the correct solution, although for the wrong reason.

For example, he argued that America should pull its troops out of most countries where it had troops, a position Paige agreed with. But Steinman thought we should do it because America was an imperialist nation. Paige thought we should do it because it wasn’t in America’s best interest to have entangling alliances like NATO, which required the United States to come to the defense of any member nation in the event of attack. Besides, there was nothing in the Constitution that permitted American troops to be stationed in foreign countries, at least when doing so harmed rather than fostered America’s legitimate interests. Paige also thought that the massive expenditures needed to keep troops in so many foreign countries dissipated our national wealth and made the country weaker, which was not in America’s best interest.

“I’m surprised. I thought all accountants were right-wing Republicans.”

Paige chuckled. “Most of us are, but a few of us have seen the light.” Paige winced a little as he said it. But he had to pretend he was on the same page as Steinman.

Actually, he didn’t feel uncomfortable being labeled a right winger since his views on economic issues were similar to those of many right wingers, although he differed with them on some social issues. When he’d taken the
World’s Smallest Political Quiz
online, his score had placed him solidly in the libertarian quadrant, which meant he agreed with liberals on some social issues and with conservatives on some economic issues.

Paige continued. “I was hoping we could have lunch sometime. I’d like to meet you.”

“All right. How about next Friday?”

“Yes, that would be fine.”

“Do you know where to find me? My office is on the fourth floor of the School of International and Public Affairs building.”

“I’ll find it. How does noon sound?”

“Noon is good. See you then.”

Paige hung up and let out a sigh, relieved that the call was over, but apprehensive about what he was getting into. He never felt comfortable working for the CIA, even though it was part-time and sporadic. His training as a CPA ingrained in him the view that he should never lie or mislead. Whenever he received a CIA assignment, it seemed like that was all he was doing.

He started to think about his options.

“I’m sorry, Jim. I really am, but we have to let you go.”

Tom Campbell and James Young had been friends for years. Tom knew what Jim had been going through ever since the incident at the airport two weeks ago. The Department of Homeland Security had just returned their computers and files, after holding on to them for two weeks.

“You know the problems we’ve had since the Department of Homeland Security confiscated our computers and files. You can’t run a business without them. We lost a lot of business that we’re not going to get back. We can’t take the risk of keeping you on the payroll. If they come back again and confiscate our computers, we’re out of business. You’re putting all of us at risk.”

Jim didn’t want to look Tom in the eyes, so he looked at the floor. “OK. I understand.”

Tom placed his hand on Jim’s shoulder. “Jim, I really feel terrible about this, not only for you, but also because I don’t like the direction this country is moving in. A government that can confiscate property without a warrant and without due process is a government out of control. I know you’re not a terrorist. Everybody knows you’re not a terrorist. But we have to let you go.”

James didn’t respond. He just continued to look at the floor. Tom broke the silence.

“Well, Jim, you know there is one little bit of silver lining in this situation.”

“What’s that?”

“We have exactly fifteen employees. If we let you go and don’t replace you, there’s a whole shitload of federal regulations we’ll no longer have to comply with. A lot of federal regulations only apply to companies with fifteen or more employees. We’ll be able to save thousands of dollars in compliance costs.”

James smiled and looked up at Tom, who was also smiling. “Well, I’m glad I’m able to help you reduce the federal regulatory burden.” They both laughed.

Jim left work early and went home to tell Janet. After she heard the news, she put her arms around him and gave him a big hug.

“Oh, Jim, I feel so bad, not so much for us as for you. I know how you must be feeling. All these things are happening to us and it’s not your fault. If it wasn’t for those TSA agents manhandling your mother we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Don’t blame them. They were only doing their job.”

“Doing their job? How can you say that? Punching you and kicking you isn’t part of their job.”

“It was just a misunderstanding.”

“Jim, I’m worried. We haven’t been able to draw any money out of the bank since they froze our accounts. Lucky for us my boss agreed to cash my paychecks instead of depositing my pay into our bank account, but I’m only working part-time. The company isn’t hiring anyone full-time anymore because of the health care costs.”

“Yeah, I’ve thought about that. And who’s going to hire me, a sixty-three-year-old guy who’s accused of being a terrorist?”

“I know. Let’s not tell your mother. She doesn’t know what’s going on half the time anyway. Her dementia seems to be getting worse. Sometimes she doesn’t recognize me.”

“An elective despotism was not the government we fought for.”

Thomas Jefferson

“When exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime, you are ruled by criminals.” Anonymous

Paige got in his car. It was Friday, time to meet Professor Steinman. He felt apprehensive. He didn’t like the idea of deceiving Steinman and he liked it even less that if he screwed up, Steinman would likely be dead. Too late to back out. If he walked away from the assignment, Wellington would get someone else who wouldn’t fail.

Actually, it was an easy assignment in terms of logistics. Find out when and where Steinman’s group met. Get the names and affiliations of as many group members as possible. Pass along the information to Wellington. The most difficult part of the assignment would be getting Steinman to invite him to join the group. The rest would be easy.

Gathering information about Steinman’s Palestinian activities might prove more difficult, but it wouldn’t be dangerous. It’s not like trying to get information from the KGB or Nazis or other group that could kill any spies who got in their way. Steinman wasn’t a threat. He probably didn’t even own a gun. Most liberals didn’t.

The drive from Sunny Isles Beach to Florida International University’s main campus on Southwest 8
^th
Street took a little less than an hour. Traffic was light and there weren’t any accidents on Route 826 to halt traffic. Paige rolled down the windows and let the wind blow across his face.

He was fairly familiar with the Florida International University campus. He’d been there a few times before, once for a job interview. He didn’t get the job because he published in the wrong journals. The FIU business school preferred hiring professors who published in the accounting journals that
real
accountants don’t read. Manuscripts that had practical value in the real world got rejected by those journals. It was a joke among practitioners that professors who published in those esoteric journals got awards for trying to estimate the number of accountants who could dance on the head of a pin rather than for trying to solve real accounting problems.

Saint Frances University wasn’t like that. They were pleased if their professors published in any journal. They didn’t pay as well as FIU, but their professors didn’t feel the pressure to publish or perish, which gave them more time to focus on their teaching.

Paige arrived fifteen minutes early, but it took twelve minutes to find a parking space. It was a pleasant walk from the parking garage to the Political Science Department. He arrived at Steinman’s office a few minutes late.

The door was open. He peeked in and saw a man who appeared to be in his early sixties with thinning gray hair, slightly taller than average but with poor posture. He was walking over to a shelf to replace a book.

“Professor Steinman?”

“Professor Paige, please call me Saul.” He walked over to shake Paige’s hand. “Have a seat.” He motioned to the only guest chair in his office.

“And you can call me Bob.” His office smelled of books, old books. It was a smell the next generation of students probably wouldn’t experience, as the traditional books made of paper would probably be replaced by e-books. Progress had a price, and losing the opportunity to experience the smell of old books was one of them.

Paige glanced over to the book shelf and noticed the book Steinman had just replaced was by Denise Levertov. She had been a well-known poet with an interesting background. Her father had been a Hasidic Jew who became an Anglican priest in England. Her husband, Mitchell Goodman, had been a major figure in the Vietnam anti-war protests in the 1960s. They had both signed a pledge not to pay taxes to support the war. Their son was a writer and artist who lived on the west coast. Their daughter-in-law was a famous artist in New Jersey.

Steinman’s bushy black and gray eyebrows and black plastic glasses gave him an aura of authority and seriousness. The poor posture, probably the result of a back problem, made him appear more human and likeable. What would Steinman say if he knew the CIA probably had him targeted for extermination? Since he had a reputation for being unable to keep his mouth shut, he would probably hold a press conference to announce it to the world.

“So, which of my articles did you find most interesting?”

Steinman had a bit of an ego, like most professors. He’d asked the question out of more than just curiosity. He’d offered it as an opportunity for Paige to compliment him for his brilliant work.

“I don’t have any particular favorites. What I like about your columns is your outspokenness. People like you help us keep the First Amendment alive.”

“Ah, yes, we must exercise our right of free speech and free press. If we don’t, the government will chip away at them until they’re gone. The Patriot Act and some of the other laws they passed in the wake of 9/11 are doing exactly that. The government can monitor your telephone calls and emails and get away with it without obtaining a warrant, which makes it difficult for journalists to do their job, since their sources are no longer confidential. Sources of information will dry up quickly. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a liberal or conservative reporter. Have you heard what Senator Chuck Sherman wants to do?”

“No. What?”

Steinman sat down and adjusted his glasses. “He wants to pass a law that would only exempt
accredited
journalists from federal scrutiny. Everyone else would be subject to arrest and imprisonment if they revealed information that was embarrassing to the president or any member of Congress. And they would be held in contempt if they refused to reveal their sources.”

“That’s outrageous. Can he get away with that?”

“Actually, he already has. Well, not Senator Sherman, exactly. The federal government started arresting and imprisoning uncooperative journalists during the Bush administration. George W., that is. He and Cheney. They used the national security excuse to do it. The number of arrests has accelerated under the current administration. It doesn’t matter if they’re Democrats or Republicans. The line between the two parties has become blurred when it comes to free speech issues. It used to be that you could depend on the Democrats to protect free speech and free press from the rabid wing of the Republican Party, but that’s no longer the case.”

Steinman adjusted himself in his chair and leaned forward. “It violates the Fourth Amendment too, because it gives the federal government too much power to conduct searches and seizures without a proper warrant or judicial oversight. They demand library records to see who’s reading what, which has a chilling effect on what people check out of the library. Senator Sherman loves that idea. One of the whistleblowers they arrested revealed evidence that they monitor Amazon dot com book purchases as well, not to mention which Web sites people are viewing. They can look at your medical records and even which movies you watch. They don’t even have to label you a terrorist first.”