𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗔𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 ⚔︎

16

a week after completing his first phase of investigation into edward lavigne, agents william turner and jack rye were invited into le diamant for a meeting with the man himself.

in alignment with protocol, just days prior the FBI had sent a letter to eddie's house and his places of business to let him know that he was currently under investigation. they did not, however, tell him the reasons for the inquiry, such as the RICO charges he was being accused of (extortion, embezzlement, theft, money laundering, dealing in an obscene manner, and even murder), or the suspicions regarding the fabrication of his hotel.

the letter read as follows:

edward adrien lavigne
9 gatsby lane
kings point, queens
NY 11024

dear mr lavigne,

the FBI has concerns about the circumstances in regard to your recent business activity. as of august 6th 1988, we have officially put you and your associates under government surveillance. if you resist you have the possibility of being indicted and/or arrested and the investigation will only carry on further. we recommend that you treat the personnel assigned to this case with the upmost respect. as a result of threat risk, we strive not to reveal the names of our individual agents. that is FBI information and we have concerns about its exposure considering your violent family history. we request that you work with us instead of against us at this time.

respectfully,

william j. turner
chief division counsel
new york division
federal bureau of investigation
26 federal plaza
broadway, NY 212

"those bastards!" eddie had screamed as he opened his mail on the morning of august 10th. he sat down on the step of his porch, his bare feet touching the warm, sun-lit concrete. "government surveillance— oh, give me a fuckin' break," he scorned to himself, almost ripping the letter up out of pure anger. he narrowed his eyes and read further down the page. a particular name caught his eye.

"william j. turner..."

william was just walking through the doors of the hotel when eddie approached him in the lobby, arms outstretched.

"mr turner!" he greeted, holding his hands out toward the agent. another man accompanied him — agent rye, a lithe and fair-headed man with a strong chin and greyish eyes. eddie forced a smile. "how are you, gentlemen?"

william curtly dipped his head as they shook hands. "good morning, mr lavigne," he said. he motioned to jack. "this is my partner, agent rye."

eddie shook hands with rye. "good morning," he said.

"beautiful place you got here," agent rye returned, a hint of sarcasm underlying his tone.

eddie ignored it. "why, thank you — let's go up to the presidential suite, shall we?"

the agents followed eddie through the hotel's glorious, glittering lobby, past the bar, the lounge area, the reception desk, and into the grand elevators at the end of the hall. once inside, eddie pressed the button for the top floor and the doors closed.

"any traffic on your way here?" eddie asked, facing away from them.

the agents exchanged a glance. "not really."

after moments spent making brief and remotely awkward small talk in the elevator, the doors opened onto the 21st floor — the presidential suite.

the presidential suite, being the most expensive room in the hotel, was undeniably gorgeous; it had a dining room, a living area, three bedrooms, and a bathroom. upon their arrival, eddie lead them into the spacious living area, where the walls were painted white and the floor covered in tiles of malaysian marble, cleaned and shined twice a day by the maids. a multitude of little chandeliers elegantly dangled from the ceiling. two plush white leather sofas caught the sun from outside, adorned by abstractly patterned cushions, a thick glass coffee table settled in between them. just beside it, closer to the far wall, william spotted the newest and biggest sony television and VCR set straight off of the shelves from the department store on third avenue. there was a bearskin rug laying flat on the floor just beside the sliding doors that lead onto a spacious balcony. a huge fireplace separated the dining area from the living area, closer to the back, decorated by potted plants with large green leaves and thick, healthy stems. an archway to their right lead them into the bedrooms and bathroom. the suite was fit for a bond villain.