Read Evil in the 1st House Online
Authors: Mitchell Scott Lewis
The next morning Lowell was in the limo heading for the office. He was forced to forego his daily ritual walk to work much to his disappointment. Until McFarley was caught or in some way dissuaded from completing his job, caution would have to prevail.
He got into the office about seven-thirty, Starbuck's cup in hand, fed Buster and Keaton, and began his day.
The phone rang. Sarah wouldn't be in until nine, and he'd usually let it go to the machine. But things weren't usual at the moment, so he picked it up.
“Lowell.”
“Mr. Lowell, this is Special Agent Jensen.”
“Yesâ¦sir,” Lowell wasn't quite sure what honorific was proper.
“We've been interrogating the suspects, and I thought I'd give you an update.”
“Do you need me to come in?”
“No, I can give you the gist of it over the phone.”
“And what have you uncovered?” asked the detective.
“At first they both denied knowledge of the embezzlement. Said they were going on a spontaneous vacation and were completely shocked at being arrested.”
“I would expect as much,” said Lowell.
“But,” continued Jensen, “once I showed them the evidence, they quickly changed their tune. The brother was the first to crack. When he saw the wire transfer that he had okayed, he sold his sister out in a hot minute. Said it was all her idea and that he just went along to placate her.”
Lowell chuckled to himself. “What about the money?”
The agent took a moment to answer. “That's still the question. According to the bank records there was only about two million dollars transferred, but according to Buddy Ferguson there was closer to six million missing.”
“That's interesting,” said Lowell. “Do you think they're trying to hold on to some of it?”
“That's what we thought. We figure John Collins moved the money to several different banks, hoping to make the trail harder to follow. But only the two million went through his bank, so we're not sure what happened to the rest. I told him that a deal could be made, but only if he came clean. But he's sticking to it and the sister gave us the same exact story. Said they only took two million and she doesn't know anything about the rest. Usually if people are lying they make mistakes when we interrogate them separately and we can catch the discrepancies in their stories. But not this time.”
“So now what?”
“Now,” said Jensen, “we get the two million back and set our sights on the other four.”
Lowell had Jensen on speakerphone and was retying his ponytail. “How long will they get?”
“In exchange for all the money, we're offering two to four years at a county facility,” said the agent. “Minimum security. A country club, basically. I think they'll both take it. But if we don't get the other four million, the deal will get squashed. Then they're facing twenty years hard time.”
“Let me do some work,” said Lowell. “I'll get back to you.”
He hung up and took out the charts for the other two employees he had originally looked at. Maybe he'd missed something. But he still didn't see anything that looked like a theft of this proportion.
At nine Sarah buzzed. Lowell buzzed back but kept working.
After about another hour he buzzed Mort.
The door opened a few moments later. “What's up, Boss?”
“I heard from Agent Jensen this morning. They've been interrogating Harriet and her brother since yesterday. According to the FBI they've admitting stealing two million dollars.”
“I thought there was more than six million missing.”
Lowell took a sip of coffee. “That's what Buddy told us.”
“So, you'd like to know what happened to the other four million.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay, so what do you need from me?”
“I want you to get me the birth information for several other people at the marshmallow company.” He gave Mort the names and went back to work.
An hour later Mort returned with the information. Lowell turned to his computer, entered the birth information, and punched up the astrology charts for all of the main characters in the case. He printed out the new pages and began studying each.
Mort stood over him watching. “What do you think?”
“Harriet and John Collins are crooks and they deserve to be punished. But I don't want to see them take the rap for someone else's evil deeds or see their lives irreversibly destroyed by twenty years in a federal penitentiary.”
“What do you think happened to the rest of the money?”
“Someone else saw an opportunity and grabbed it.”
Mort nodded. “I think you're right. Do you know who?”
“Not yet, but soon.”
Lowell looked over the charts, carefully making notations on each. Then he took a single chart and circled several aspects. The rest he put into a pile and placed them in a folder. When he saw the chart of the guilty person he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Mort with a smile.
“What do you see,” asked the psychic.
“The truth,” said Lowell, as he prepared to confront it.
Lowell entered Buddy's office and sat down. “Where's your partner?”
“Ralph? He'll be here in a minute. What's this all about?”
“I'd rather wait until I have you both together.”
A moment later the door opened and Ralph entered, still no smile. He looked out of place in this happy-go-lucky environment.
“Buddy, what's this all about? I've got a lot to do.”
Buddy pointed to Lowell and shrugged. “I don't know. He wanted to see us both.”
“Well, Mr. Lowell?” asked the tall, skinny man.
“The FBI grabbed Harriet and her brother.”
Buddy stood up. “That's wonderful news, just wonderful. So we'll get our pension fund back?”
“Well, there's a problem,” said Lowell. “They only admit to having two million of the six million you claim is missing.”
Buddy sat back down. “So what, they're lying. Obviously they're trying to hold on to some of it.”
Lowell shook his head. “I don't think so. I think they're both so scared of prison that they'll be willing to trade anything, including each other, to shorten their sentences. No, they would give up every dime not to do the time.”
“Well,” said Ralph, “then what do you think happened?”
“Someone else stole the other four million hoping Harriet and her brother would just disappear and nobody would ever notice.”
Ralph sat down. “That's a fascinating theory. But who could have done that?”
“Well,” said Lowell, “there aren't too many people who were in a position to do so. There was Harriet, of course. She and her brother could have moved some of the money somewhere else. But like I said, I don't think so. There are the other two suspects that you gave me when you first hired me. But I don't think either one of them did it.”
Buddy was so engrossed he didn't eat a single marshmallow. “So,” he asked, “who did it?”
Lowell smiled. He looked each of them in the eye. “Why, one of you two, of course.”
Ralph was the first to react. “Are you kidding?” Still no smile. “Why would we?”
“Greed,” said Lowell.
Ralph pointed at his partner. “Buddy, have you been a bad boy?”
“What? I didn't take it.” He turned to Lowell. “What's this all about? You think I stole the money?”
Lowell shook his head. “Actually, I don't.”
“Well then who⦔
Lowell looked at Ralph. “Do you drive an SUV?”
“No,” replied the tall, skinny man. “I drive a VW.”
“Why do you want to know that?” asked Buddy.
“Someone driving a tan SUV tried to run me over the other day after I left here.”
Buddy looked ill. “My sister drives a tan SUV. And he takes it to work sometimes.” He turned to his brother-in-law. “Why, you rat bastard. You stole the money! How could you? Wait until my sister hears about this.”
Ralph sat down, leaned back in the chair, and smiled for the first time in Lowell's presence. It wasn't a warm smile. “Wait until your sister hears about this? Your sister planned the whole thing. Once I told her that there was money missing from the pension fund, she came up with the idea of taking the rest of it.”
Buddy wasn't smiling.
“Dolly was in on it?”
Ralph nodded, enjoying himself immensely.
Buddy looked pale. He was breathing heavily and holding his left arm.
“Are you alright?” asked Lowell.
Buddy turned and looked at him. “What do you think? Would you be?” He looked at Ralph with disgust. “I'll see you in jail, you thief.”
Ralph leaned forward in the chair and pointed a finger at Buddy. “Yeah? Are you going to have your sister arrested too? That'd be nice. I'm sure your eighty-five-year-old mother would like that.”
“You son-of-a-bitch.”
“You know what you're going to do?” said Ralph. “You're going to tell the FBI that there was an accounting mistake and the four million is in another account. Then you're going to forget this ever happened.”
“You better hope the old lady lives a long time. Why the fuck would you do it?”
“Because I'm sick to death of this business. Marshmallows, that's all I hear about. You stuff your face all day long with these nauseating little things. You're disgusting.”
“I'm disgusting? You're a Goddamn thief and a liar.”
“At least I'm not a fat little toad.”
Buddy's breathing was erratic. “You're a mean, nasty man. If you ever smiled, I think your face would fall off. You look like an undertaker.”
“Pig.”
“Undertaker.”
“Marshmallow toad.”
Buddy's face grew bright red. He got up from the chair and walked around the desk. Without warning he grabbed Ralph out of his chair and threw him on the ground. Then he leaped on top of him and started pummeling him with his fists.
“You bastard!” he shouted, as he repeatedly smacked his brother-in-law in the face.
The door opened and several people who had heard the commotion entered.
“Oh my God, what's happening here?” asked the receptionist.
Buddy was slamming Ralph's head into the floor.
A few of them grabbed Buddy and pulled him off of Ralph, whose face showed the results of Buddy's attack. His nose was bleeding and his left eye was swollen shut.
Lowell stood. “I'll send you my final bill.” Then he eased himself out of the office and left.
Lowell's intercom buzzed.
“It's Special Agent Jensen on line one.”
He picked up the phone. “Agent Jensen, what can I do for you?”
“First of all, I want to thank you for all your help with that embezzlement business.”
“It was nothing.”
“As you probably know, we've tied up some of the loose ends in the case. The rest of the money has been recovered.”
“Yes, I know. I spoke to Buddy Ferguson.”
“Yes, well, he told us that the missing six million dollars had been accidentally moved into a different account, and now he's discovered its whereabouts.”
“That's what I was told.”
There was silence for a few moments. Finally Jensen spoke. “Well, I'm not buying it. Nobody misplaces six million dollars and then suddenly remembers where they left it. This isn't an umbrella or a cell phone we're talking about.”
Lowell tugged on his ponytail. He was hoping the agent wouldn't ask him anything that would require him to choose between lying and betraying a client's confidence. “What are you going to do about it?” he asked.
“What can I do?” Jensen sounded exasperated. “They're all sticking to that story and, well, the money's back from wherever it was. We've got Harriet and John Collins. They'll do some time, and the two million they stole is being reverted back to the U.S., so I suppose I'll have to be satisfied with that and just let it go.”
“I understand.”
“It's funny, though.”
“What's that?” asked Lowell.
“Right after we were told that the money was found, Buddy's partner, Ralph quit the company.”
“That is strange.” Lowell almost held his breath.
The agent continued. “I understand he's Buddy's brother-in-law.”
“That's true.”
Again there was silence.
“Agent?”
“I'm just saying. Thanks for all your help. If there's anything the bureau can do for you, please let me know.”
He hung up.
Mort stood by the window. “Well, that's some resolution. It was Ralph, huh?”
“Yep. He and Buddy's sister saw a chance to cash in and took it. I don't think Buddy's going to press charges. He'd have to put his sister in jail, and I don't think he's got it in him.”
“So they'll get away with it, huh?”
“Well, yes and no,” said the detective. “They're going to have to give back all the money if they want the Feds to stay out of it.”
“And that's it?”
Lowell stood up and stretched. His right knee was bothering him. He'd have to have it looked at. “I don't know how Buddy's going to react in the long run. He obviously can't allow Ralph to stay at the company and have to deal with him everyday. But if the money is returned and he doesn't press charges, there's little the FBI can do.”
“Well, I guess that case is done.”
Lowell sat back down. “Now we have to concentrate on the Williamson case.”
“But you found Kevin, so essentially you're done with that one, too.”
“Well,” said Lowell, “I've done what Williamson hired me to do. But my responsibility doesn't end there. I made a promise to his wife and I've got to keep that promise. Until the operation is completed, I've got to stick around.”
“Okay, anything you need from me just let me know.”
Sarah buzzed. “Melinda's on line one.”
Mort headed for the door. “I'll be in my office if you need me.”
Lowell put Melinda on speakerphone. “How are you?” He walked over to the turtle tank to pet his friends. Keaton looked up at Lowell, his little head nervously flitting from side to side, the red stripes on the side of his face prominent in the sunlight streaming through the window. He scratched his head and then went to his desk and sat.
“I'm okay, Dad. How are things going?”
“Well, the rest of the missing money from the marshmallow company turned up.”
“Who took it?”
“Ralph.”
“Oh my God. Buddy's partner?”
“Yes,” said Lowell, “and Buddy's sister.”
“Well that must suck for Buddy.”
Lowell smiled. “Is that legalese for this type of situation?”
She chuckled. “Close enough. Is he going to press charges?”
“I don't think so.”
“Can't put his family in jail, huh?”
“Yep.”
“How's the other case coming along?”
“I've got to pick up Gloria and Kevin tomorrow and deliver the boy to his father. Once the operation is completed I'll be done with that business, too.”
“Dad, how are you doing? I mean, really.”
“Fine. Why?”
Lowell could hear Melinda fidgeting in her chair. “Oh, I don't know. It's just⦔
Lowell leaned back and put his fingers on his chin. “What's bothering you?”
“Me? Why nothing.”
Lowell smirked. “Oh, please. You think I can't read you? You've been acting like a mother hen since this case started.”
“Well,” she began slowly. “It's just that, you know, I mean, this Williamson thing is probably bringing up a lot of stuff for you.”
“Well, that was clear.”
“It's just that⦔
Lowell interrupted her. “Let me make this easier for you. You're afraid that dealing with Williamson's children and the potential loss of one might send me off the deep end.”
“Oh, I never⦔
“My dear daughter, I appreciate your concern, really I do. But I'm more aware of what's going on than you think. It's been eight years since your brother passed away. And I've lived with that loss all this time. I think I'll be fine.”
“Well, excuse me for caring.”
“I'm very glad that you care. Please don't ever stop. I tell you what. If I start to feel weird, I'll let you know.”
“Okay, Dad.”
“In the meantime, you're still my attorney in this business, and until it's completed, I'll need you on your toes.”
“I'm ready. Just let me know what I can do.”
Lowell hung up. He sat thinking about the people he relied on and how lucky he was to have them. Sarah, Mort, Andy, and Melinda. And of course, Julia. He couldn't ask for a stronger support group.
He didn't lie to Melinda, but he admitted to himself that he'd be glad when the Williamson case was over. It was stirring some emotions more than he wanted.