JAMES PATTERSON 1 “We’re here to see Jeff,” says Wendy. The guard nods—of course you are—and leads them to the side door. Then she sees the pictu All the girls in the pho just a baby. Much younger than Ma The girl’s smiling, bu else—some sort of anxiet face. And what she’s doin off to the side. Flashing or toward the camera. Mary gasps. She turns in front of her, wearing no They’re in the kitchen now. Mary, Wendy, some middle-aged man. The man has a long face, bushy eyebrows, and thick silver hair—and he’s fit. As fit as the jocks that Mary goes to school with. Not attractive, exactly. He’s way too old for that. But confident, in a way that makes an impression. Standing behind the man there’s a woman. She’s blond, very pretty, much taller than Wendy. What a strange scene, Mary thinks. She can’t shake the feeling that the man is studying her. Then he nods, and he and Wendy walk out of the kitchen. A little while later, they’re back. “Sarah,” the man says to the tall woman. “You can take Mary upstairs.” Sarah takes Mary up a wide winding staircase carpeted in pink. Together they walk down a hall that’s got photographs on the wall—naked women. Long curtains cover windows and don’t let in much light. In the air, there’s a strong lavender fragrance. Then they come to a room containing a green-and-pink sofa. There’s a large bathroom off to one side and doors on either side of the sofa. There’s a wooden armoire with sex toys on it. There’s a massage table, too, and a mural of a naked woman. “Wait here,” says Sarah. “Jeff will be up in a moment.” Mary’s too freaked out to do anything else. Fidgeting with her belt loops, she sits on the sofa, jumps up again. 16¶
RSON ndy. are—and leads them to the , Wendy, some middle-aged hy eyebrows, and thick silver cks that Mary goes to school vay too old for that. But confiession. e’s a woman. She’s blond, very ks. She can’t shake the feeling he nods, and he and Wendy ile later, they’re back. ll woman. “You can take Mary ing staircase carpeted in pink. that’s got photographs on the ains cover windows and don’t ‘s a strong lavender fragrance. ntaining a green-and-pink sofa. ne side and doors on either side oire with sex toys on it. There’s of a naked woman. will be up in a moment. anything else. Fidgeting with a, jumps up again. 6 FILTHY RICH Then she sees the picture. All the girls in the photos are young. But the girl in this one’s just a baby. Much younger than Mary herself. The girl’s smiling, but the smile’s mixed with something else—some sort of anxiety that’s out of place on such a small face. And what she’s doing is shocking: pulling her underwear off to the side. Flashing one of her tiny apple-round butt cheeks toward the camera. Mary gasps. She turns around. And there’s Epstein standing in front of her, wearing nothing but a towel. 17 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009166¶
sea calms, human cargo fickers aim the bows of the order their passengers to Most of the passengers who stake all they have or to time, Palm Beach cops Things get busier dur it, the season. It’s when ties and balls, shop, and Worth Avenue. The popu who work under Chief R ers, and snotty skateboar tic disturbances. Chokin stuff, but there’s always women who work for Rei Chief Reiter’s proud ( knows, they’re lucky to ha for the job. If anything, h the John F. Kennedy Sch terrorist training at Quan up often at cocktail partie hijackers lived in Palm B local airstrips. A few, incl had been regulars at 251 There they had regaled made-up stories about the But 251 Sunrise is shu 2004, after an avalanche of Beach is as quiet and calm For the moment. CHAPTER 6 Michael Reiter: March 2005 Ch hief Reiter looks more like a bank president than a cop. He’s well built, with an air of formality and discretion. But he’s got twenty-four years on the job. Decades earlier, he was a campus police officer in Pittsburgh. Then he rose, steadily, through the ranks in Palm Beach, moving up from patrol officer to detective, working vice, narcotics, and organized crime, then becoming a sergeant, captain, major, and assistant chief-a job he held for three years-before becoming chief of police. Reiter is what you’d call seasoned, although chief of police in Palm Beach is a job that calls upon his political skills as much as his street smarts. Then again, from time to time, things do happen. Once in a blue moon there are murders-though these are so rare that they tend to be remembered for decades. Sometimes there are hurricanes to contend with, and, when the 18¶
FILTHY RICH sea calms, human cargo washes up on the shore. Sometimes traffickers aim the bows of their boats at the glow of the Breakers resort, order their passengers to go overboard, then tell them to swim. Most of the passengers are Haitian—men, women, and children who stake all they have on a chance at a life in America. From time to time, Palm Beach cops have to retrieve their bodies from the surf. Things get busier during the wintertime, or, as the locals call it, the season. It’s when the very rich come to town, throw parties and balls, shop, and tangle traffic at the intersections around Worth Avenue. The population booms, and the men and women who work under Chief Reiter deal with fender benders, shoplifters, and snotty skateboarding teenagers. There are DUIs. Domestic disturbances. Choking victims and heart attacks. It’s routine stuff, but there’s always lots of it. Enough to keep the men and women who work for Reiter busy. Chief Reiter’s proud of the team he has built. And, the team knows, they’re lucky to have him. Reiter’s extremely well qualified for the job. If anything, he’s overqualified, with a certificate from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and antiterrorist training at Quantico, courtesy of the FBI. It’s not brought up often at cocktail parties in Palm Beach, but several of the 9/11 hijackers lived in Palm Beach County. They took flight lessons at local airstrips. A few, including the mastermind, Mohamed Atta, had been regulars at 251 Sunrise, a chic nightclub in Palm Beach. There they had regaled any woman who would listen with made-up stories about their adventures as pilots. But 251 Sunrise is shuttered now. The joint was shut down in 2004, after an avalanche of noise complaints. For the moment, Palm Beach is as quiet and calm as any place Reiter has dreamed about. For the moment. 8 19 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009168 CHAPTER 6 : a bank president than a cop. of formality and discretion. But on the job. Decades earlier, he ttsburgh. Then he rose, steadily, , moving up from patrol officer tics, and organized crime, then ajor, and assistant chief—a job becoming chief of police. Reiter hough chief of police in Palm s political skills as much as his e, things do happen. are murders—though these are mbered for decades. es to contend with, and, when the¶