CHAPTER 48

After the verdict was delivered, Palin didn’t wait around.

He raced out of the courtroom and back to his home. Hennessy was sure Palin would be blackout drunk within an hour. An hour after the verdict, Garrett talked to Hennessy in the courthouse’s foyer. Garrett spoke through gritted teeth, talking about building a case of fraud against Palin for his overcharging and overbilling of other clients, but Hennessy doubted that would happen. There wasn’t enough evidence to prove they weren’t accounting errors.

They stepped out of the courthouse together, and Garrett faced the media.

“Today’s verdict is not the outcome we predicted or expected, and we understand that the city of Charleston shares our disappointment,”

Garrett told them. “As Circuit Solicitors, our role is to present evidence and seek justice, and we have done this with the utmost integrity and commitment. However, the jury has made a decision, and we must respect the process. This verdict serves as a reminder that no case is guaranteed, no matter how terrible the crime or how strong the evidence is. We will review what transpired, and we will learn from this experience. We must move forward and continue to work to serve the State of South Carolina with diligence and fairness.”

Hennessy was impressed with the delivery of the speech and told Garrett later via a text message. Garrett didn’t respond. Hennessy understood why.

When he arrived back at his office, Jacinta and Lockett were waiting. Hennessy didn’t want to celebrate. It was clear to him that Palin had spent most of his life as a corrupt individual, and that he had ripped off most of his clients. Hennessy felt no satisfaction that the man had walked away free from charges. The trio went for a meal to acknowledge the end of the case but avoided talking about Palin.

The stress wasn’t over yet. Hennessy still needed to get paid before Palin fled the country.

The following morning, Hennessy parked his truck near the front of the Palin Accounting office, took a deep breath, and exited his vehicle. It was time to get paid. He needed to end his association with Palin, leave Charleston behind, and return to his vineyard.

Hennessy saw Palin’s sedan parked near the entrance of the building, with two motorcycles on either side of it. That wasn’t a good sign. The bikers stood near the entrance, puffing on cigarettes, and didn’t acknowledge Hennessy’s arrival.

Hennessy walked through the building and into Palin Accounting’s office. He strode past the empty desks and stepped into the main office at the rear of the building.

Palin was seated behind his desk. He had sunglasses on, and he looked disheveled. His hangover was stinging hard.

“Ah, my favorite lawyer,”

he said without any enthusiasm. “Remind me to come to you if I ever get into trouble again. You’re so good that you could convince a jury that the sun rises in the west.”

Palin rubbed his brow, took a large swig of coffee, and groaned.

“What are the Rebel Sons doing outside?”

“Keeping an eye on me,”

Palin groaned. “I’ve told Stanwell Construction that I’m retiring, and they need a new accountant. They already found one during the trial, but the new guy wants me to send him all my documents. I’m too hungover to do this now, but he’s demanding I do it today. I would go through the reports, but I can’t be bothered. I’m just going to give him everything.”

Palin rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. “But what do you want? Why are you here?”

“I’ve come to get paid.”

“Ah,”

Palin whispered. “Here’s the thing. The police won’t unfreeze my bank accounts. They say it’s clear the money was fraudulently acquired, even if I wasn’t found guilty of it. My money is tied up in those accounts and I can’t touch it. If you want the money, you’re going to have to convince the courts to release it. But I’ll warn you—that could take months or even years. I called Garrett this morning, and he told me that the freeze would remain on my accounts as they’re investigating other claims of fraud. I told him where to go and that you’d deal with him for me again. I might’ve also put a few choice words in there as well.”

“This isn’t how it works. You signed a contract,”

Hennessy stated. “I got you off the charges, and now you need to pay up. It’s time for you to get the money.”

“Like I said, I don’t have the cash until my accounts are unfrozen. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

Palin leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck. “But there’s another option.”

Hennessy waited for Palin to continue.

“You see, Berkley has some of my money,”

Palin grimaced. “I gave him two-hundred-and-fifty thousand to put a down payment on an apartment in Costa Rica. I gave it to him in cash because he had the connections to get me a great price on a beautiful apartment, but it’s clear to me now that he never did that. He still has my money.”

Again, Hennessy didn’t respond.

“He won’t give me the money back,”

Palin continued. “I asked the Rebel Sons to convince him, but they said they don’t feel comfortable beating up an old man. Considering our options, I think it would be easier if he just gave it to you.”

“Berkley set you up from day one.”

“And I didn’t know it,”

Palin said. “I gave him a quarter-of-a-million dollars for a down payment. He was my intermediary and the one who would help me get away before the charges were laid. He even told me he had contacts in the justice system that said the charges would be laid in a month, but he was lying to me. And I had all this money from the Foundation, and I couldn’t access it.”

Hennessy squinted.

“Oh, come on, Joe. You didn’t actually think I was innocent, did you?”

Palin laughed. “I had planned it all from day one. Ensure Tilly had the same access and not withdraw the money until I needed it. If I did that, nobody could prove it was me or him. If it wasn’t for Berkley, the plan was almost perfect.”

The anger raged inside Hennessy. He stepped forward.

“The choice is yours, Joe. You can fight through the courts to get my accounts unfrozen, or you can go and talk to your old pal.”

Palin raised his hands in surrender. “I suggest you go and talk to Berkley. He always liked you. He has your money. You just need to convince him to give it to you.”