TWELVE

We had liberated the second access point in the southern part of the property and were just arriving at the main entrance when I spotted one of our Sheriff’s cruisers screaming toward us, sirens blaring. When Captain Marsha Russo reached us, she got out of her cruiser and waved. “Something’s wrong with your phones,” she shouted.

I smiled. “They’re off.”

“Your phones are off?”

I nodded.

“All of them?”

I nodded again.

“What are you, nuts? We’ve been trying to reach you.”

“Petrov and Company have filed an injunction,” I said, almost simultaneously with Marsha’s own pronouncement, “Because Petrov and Company have filed an injunction.”

Again I smiled.

Marsha looked at me. “I’m sorry. What did you just say?”

“The injunction.”

“How could you have known?”

“I’m a Sheriff. I know everything.”

“Very funny, Buddy. Mr. Lytell is desperate to speak with you.”

“Figures.”

“What do you mean, figures?”

“He was unprepared.”

“Unprepared for what?”

“This kind of action.”

“You mean the tearing down fences kind of action?”

“Exactly.”

“Why?”

“Why was he unprepared?”

Marsha nodded.

“Because the Commission wanted to re-open the access points before any lawyers got wise to it.”

“Why?”

“It’s a hot-button issue.”

“The access points?”

I nodded.

“And you knew that when you came here.”

“As I was directed to do by Commissioner Morrison.”

Marsha looked at Johnny Kennerly then back at me. “Do you want to use my phone or will you turn yours back on?”

“Neither.”

“What?”

“I have no business with the District Attorney. He needs to be in touch with the Coastal Commission. Any injunctive relief will have to be settled between him and them. I’m not going to be in the middle of it.”

“So what do you want me to tell him?”

“Lytell?”

“Yes.”

“Tell him you can’t find me.”

“You want me to tell him I can’t find you.”

“I just said that.”

“Was there anything else?”

“Please inform the immigration authorities that I believe there’s a ring of illegals working security at the Petrov mansion.”

“You want ICE officers to investigate Petrov’s employees?”

“I do.”

“And you think he’ll stand for it?”

“Mr. Petrov isn’t here in any kind of official diplomatic role.”

“Meaning?”

“He has no immunity.”

“But he does have lawyers.”

“They won’t do him any good. If I’m right and his goons are here illegally, they’re going to be thrown out of the country. And fast, too.”

“And you really think that’s going to happen?”

“I do.”

“Because?”

“Illegal is illegal. And no fancy-pants lawyers can prove otherwise, regardless of whether or not their client is in cahoots with Vladimir Putin.”

“Do you think you might be playing with fire here, Buddy?”

“Anything’s possible.”