Scarlet Suspects FBI Involvement in the Mob Coup

Scarlet O’Bannon’s suspicion of FBI involvement in the Irish mob coup begins with a casual nickname. On a call from Max Smithson, an FBI official, she hears him refer to Cormac MacKay as “Cor”—a familiarity that makes her question whether the office’s interest in the unfolding crisis is as innocent as it seems. The clue is slight, but its consequences are immediate: Scarlet tests Max’s account, while Cormac’s distrust of the FBI turns the phone itself into a point of conflict.

Context: A Coup and an Unanswered Question

Before the call, Cormac argues that Mickey MacFarland could not have made his move against Cormac’s father without help. He believes the FBI may have assisted Mickey, including by arranging for some of Cormac’s men to be sent to California. Cormac contrasts Mickey’s perceived lack of judgment with his father’s intelligence and treats that difference as a reason to suspect outside backing. These are Cormac’s suspicions, not confirmed facts.

Scarlet resists treating suspicion as proof. She points to procedure and the rules that guide her work, distinguishing the FBI’s investigative world from Cormac’s. The ringing phone interrupts that argument: its display identifies the call as coming from the office. The ordinary interruption becomes consequential because the caller’s identity and choice of words may connect the institution Scarlet serves to the coup Cormac fears.

The Call and the Slip

Max opens in a friendly, slightly awkward manner, asking how things are going in the field before deciding that Scarlet should return to the office as quickly as possible. He says that major players are making moves on the Irish mob and asks whether Cormac may have mentioned something. His knowledge of the situation could be consistent with an official response, but the casual reference to Cormac as “Cor” catches Scarlet’s attention. She registers the nickname as an unexpected sign of familiarity, not as conclusive evidence of collusion.

Scarlet’s reaction is sharpened by the call’s shift in tone. When Max repeats that she should return immediately, his voice sounds more commanding, and she senses possible desperation beneath the authority. She wonders why he is so intent on bringing her back when she considers herself low in the office’s hierarchy. The discrepancy between his insistence and her understanding of her standing adds pressure to the question raised by the nickname.

Testing Max’s Account

Rather than accept the recall order at face value, Scarlet asks Max directly whether he has information that Cormac killed his father and taken over the mob. The question gives him an opportunity to confirm, deny, or qualify the intelligence. Max says he has heard nothing about it, then explains that Scarlet’s father asked him to bring her onto his team for the matter. He adds that the information about Cormac could be useful if it proves reliable.

His response does not resolve Scarlet’s concern. Max’s denial and proposed assignment offer an official explanation for his call, while his earlier use of “Cor” remains a small but troubling inconsistency. Scarlet recognizes that a larger case can turn on a minor clue and trusts her instinct enough to keep investigating, yet she does not claim the slip establishes that the FBI as a whole is involved. The scene holds the distinction between suspicion and proof in place: the clue matters precisely because it is suggestive, not decisive.

The Broken Phone and the Breach of Trust

Before Scarlet can decide whether to go to the office or contact someone she trusts, Cormac closes the distance and takes the phone from her. He throws it against a wall, destroying it. The act removes her immediate means of continuing the call and makes Cormac’s distrust materially impossible to ignore. He frames their mutual suspicion as a means of survival: both, he says, have stayed alive by being wary.

Scarlet objects to the leap from distrust of one official to distrust of the entire FBI. She thinks she could meet with other people she trusts, but the destroyed phone has already narrowed her options. The event therefore ends without confirming Max’s connection to Mickey or settling whether Scarlet can rely on the bureau. Instead, a revealingly familiar form of address has changed the terms of the conflict: Scarlet now has reason to question an official, while Cormac’s response forces the question of trust between them into the open.