by G. K. Parks
“What can I say? I like to run away from my problems.” I noticed someone quickly approaching. “And right now, I believe that means faking an emergency before I get into an altercation with Bitsie.” I shrugged out of Martin’s jacket as Don Klassi, one of the new board members, approached.
“James.” Don held out his hand, and they shook. He turned to me. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I couldn’t help but hear the conversation you were having with Bitsie and Vivi earlier.” He glanced at Martin. “Would you mind terribly if I borrow your lovely companion for a few moments?”
Martin tensed slightly. “It’s okay with me, if it’s okay with Alex. But didn’t you just say you had to leave, sweetheart?”
“Just a moment of your time, please,” Don said. “I’ll make it quick.”
“It’s okay,” I relented. “What can I do for you, Mr. Klassi?” Martin gave me another uncertain glance and slowly headed back to the party.
“Don,” Klassi corrected. He took a seat beside me and stared at the fountain while he rubbed a finger against his chin. “I heard James say you’re a private investigator.” He looked toward the piazza to make sure we were alone. “Does that entail any type of privacy protection?”
“Not exactly. I’m not a doctor or lawyer.”
“But cases can be kept confidential, right?”
I didn’t like where this conversation was heading. “It depends. Crimes should be reported to the authorities.”
“What if there’s no proof?”
“Do you want proof?”
After a pregnant pause, he said, “May we speak in hypotheticals?”
“My favorite.”
He shook off his bewilderment. “Say a scam artist took a substantial amount of money from someone, is there anything that can be done to rectify the situation?”
“The fraud unit would deal with that. I can get you a number. Hypothetically.”
“No. There’s no proof. The money isn’t traceable.”
I raised an interested eyebrow. “Is it dirty money?”
“Not exactly. It’s complicated. The situation is complicated. And given my reputation and position, it would be highly detrimental if these circumstances were to get out. Police or FBI involvement would trigger a media storm. I was hoping someone in the private sector could get my money back with minimal questions.”
“Someone probably could,” I said. “And you mean your hypothetical money.”
“Right. Does that mean you’ll take my case?”
“I don’t even know what your case is, but feel free to set up an appointment with Cross Security. I’m sure Mr. Cross would be more than happy to assist you.” Particularly since my boss had a weird obsession with Martin and everyone connected to him.
Klassi hesitated and lowered his voice. “Actually, I would prefer if someone I knew would handle this personally and quietly.”
It was true I’d been known to moonlight and had the non-compete struck from my contract with Cross Security, but whatever Don Klassi had gotten involved in didn’t sound legal. “Are you asking for my help?”
“I was hoping you’d volunteer, given my position with Martin Tech.”
Standing, I exhaled slowly. “Mr. Klassi, I don’t respond well to blackmail or extortion. That being said, your presence this evening indicates that you are a valued board member. Should I be concerned that the unfortunate circumstance that you have found yourself in would negatively impact Martin or his company?”
“Truthfully, I don’t know. But if I can’t find a way to get back my money, I will be forced to pull funds from other sources. I’m not saying that to blackmail anyone. I’m not trying to force your hand. I’m just desperate. I need help, and the authorities can’t provide it. There is no proof. No way to trace my money or what happened to it. I’ve heard horror stories of people who’ve suffered from identity theft. Their cases remained open for years before anything was resolved, and even then, the damage was already done. This has to get fixed now. Before it’s too late. I hope you’ll at least think about it.” He put a business card on the edge of the fountain and wandered back to the party.
On the bright side, at least I had something else to think about besides Stuart Gifford’s dying breath.
Four
As predicted, I didn’t sleep well. Surprisingly, I wasn’t plagued by nightmares. It was the general sense of unease keeping me awake. A storm was brewing. I could feel it. Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, but every time I had this feeling, something bad happened. And bad usually meant catastrophic.
My finger traced the scar on Martin’s shoulder. It didn’t look like much. The surgeons had done an excellent job. It was just a single, pinkish-white streak against his otherwise unmarred skin. He was lucky.
Lazily, he reached for my hand. “Is it morning?”
“Almost. Go back to sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
He opened his eyes and yawned. “It’s Saturday. We can stay in bed all day. I’ll sleep later. What’s on your mind?” Martin was a morning person. He could go from sound asleep to pleasantly awake in a matter of moments. I had no idea how that was possible. He should probably donate his body to science, so someone could study that phenomenon.
“Don Klassi.”
“Really? Why?”
“I told you about our conversation. Aren’t you worried what kind of blowback this might have on your company?”
He snickered. “You’re worried about my business. That’s a first.”
“It is not.”
“It kind of is.” He rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow. “Don has a seat on the board. He has substantial shares in my company, and he voiced his approval of our recent R&D. However, MT will be fine without him. If he wants to cash out, I don’t mind. I’ve done the math. Regardless of who buys him out, I’ll still have majority control. This can’t hurt me. I’m not worried, and you shouldn’t be either.”
“How did he amass his wealth?”
“Real estate, I think. Property development or something like that.”
My mind went through all the illegal possibilities. “Has he tried to bring anyone else in on some vague venture?”
“Like a Ponzi scheme?”
“It crossed my mind.”
“Alex, just say it.”
“Say what?”
“You want to take his case.” He gave me that infuriating, know-it-all look of his. “But you think you need my permission.”
I scowled. “I hate to break it to you, handsome, but that’s not how this works.”
“Permission might have been too strong a word. Blessing might be more accurate.”
“Does that mean you want me to stay away from this?”
He thought for a moment. “No, but I don’t want you to investigate out of some misguided sense of obligation to me.”
“You think rather highly of yourself, as if my actions are intended entirely to please you. Despite popular belief, you are not the center of the universe.”
“Are you sure?” He pinned me against the mattress, his weight resting on one forearm while his free hand ran through my hair. “I think I might be the center of your universe.” He kissed me, continuing downward as his lips trailed along my collarbone. “Tell me I’m wrong.” I didn’t say anything. Instead, I arched into him. He stopped what he was doing and looked me in the eye. “You should know, you’re the center of my universe. And I will do anything to please you.”
We made love until the sun came up, and then I slept until the early afternoon. Martin was beside me, perusing some official looking files. I scooted closer and kissed his chest.
“Morning, gorgeous.” He put the files down. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a brick.” I stretched. “What are you doing?” I scrunched my nose and looked around the room. “Where did you get those? Did you stash them inside my apartment one day when you were picking me up?” With the exception of last night, Martin hadn’t slept over since that one
night while we were still broken up. We normally stayed at our place, not my place. So I couldn’t understand where he would have gotten files from work. “Did Marcal pack those for you?”
He laughed. “These are for you. I had a courier deliver them this morning.”
“What are they?”
“Everything MT has on Don Klassi.” He watched with predatory fascination as I got out of bed and went in search of some clean clothes. “Since he’s who you were thinking about at five a.m., I thought I should indulge your little fantasy.”
“It was six a.m. when you were indulging my fantasy,” I corrected, flashing him a wicked smile over my shoulder. I headed into the bathroom. “Did you find anything interesting?”
“Not really.” Martin’s voice grew louder, and I knew he was outside the door. “We ran a credit and basic background check when he first joined the company. Everything looks good.”
I brushed my teeth and turned on the shower. “He said the money he lost was untraceable.”
“Like cash?” Martin asked.
“Maybe. He said it was complicated.” I opened the bathroom door and found him in the midst of shedding what little clothing he was wearing. “Someone’s confident,” I remarked.
He smirked. “I have every reason to be.” He stepped past me and into the shower. “The source of the cash could make it complicated.”
He waited for me to join him before grabbing my shampoo bottle and squeezing some into his palms. Then he proceeded to soap my hair and massage my scalp and neck. A girl could get used to this.
“Any idea what kind of sketchy people he does cash-business with?” I turned around and leaned my head back to rinse the shampoo.
“No. His background came back spotless.” He let his eyes travel the length of my body. “What was I saying?”
I chuckled. “That’s enough shoptalk for this early in the day. I haven’t even had my coffee yet.”
“There’s something that I haven’t had yet, either.”
* * *
“You don’t have to do this.” Martin lingered near the front door. He was stalling. “It’s entirely up to you.”
“I know. I heard you say it the first four times.” I handed him a duffel bag filled with my workout gear and my rolled up yoga mat. “Until we figure out the treadmill dilemma, take these with you. I’ll head over as soon as Don leaves.”
He slung my bag and mat over his shoulder. “I could stay and help.”
“How’s your note-taking?”
Martin smirked. “You stole my line.”
“Deal with it.” I jerked my chin at the door. “Now move your ass. My client is on his way.”
Martin left without another word, and I tidied up my apartment. Ten minutes later, someone knocked on my door. I opened it, and Don’s eyes went to the nine millimeter holstered at my side. Ignoring his stare, I invited him in and shut the door.
“Thank you for agreeing to see me,” he said.
“Take a seat.” I gestured to the dining room table. “There’s no need for pleasantries. You were desperate for my help last night, so let’s hear it. What’s going on?”
He hesitated, still eyeing my gun which was making him uncomfortable. Admittedly, that’s why I was visibly armed. He fidgeted with one of my placemats and blew out a calming breath. “Someone took a lot of money from me. You have to find some way of getting it back. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share these details with anyone.”
“I’ll make you a deal. You explain the entire situation. In the event I refuse to take your case, I’ll forget we ever spoke.”
He was between a rock and a hard place. He didn’t have much of a choice. “Noah Ryder stole ten million dollars from me.”
“How?” I asked, somehow managing to keep my jaw from hitting the floor.
“Are you familiar with cryptocurrencies?”
“Let’s pretend I’m not.”
He chuckled. “I wasn’t either. I knew the basics, but it’s ridiculously complicated. I’m not entirely sure how it works. But it’s supposed to be secure, private, and decentralized. Basically, beyond the reach of government control.”
“Were you trying to avoid taxes or alimony?”
He snorted. “Both.”
“Gaming the system doesn’t always work out so well.”
“Gaming the system is how I made my money. That’s how James made his. It’s how the big dogs become the big dogs. You’re naïve if you believe otherwise.”
My expression turned stern. “People who break the rules inevitably get caught. I don’t think I can help you, Mr. Klassi.”
I moved to the front door, but Don didn’t budge. He studied me for a long moment. The desperation I saw last night returned to his face. He wasn’t accustomed to asking for help. But in this instance, he was willing to beg.
“Please. I get it. You like law and order. You’re one of them. You believe in the system. Checks and balances and all that.” His gaze swept the room. “What I did was wrong, but who did it hurt?” He rubbed his face. “No one. But I end up getting screwed. I found someone who was trading cryptocurrency for cash.” Klassi removed a USB drive from his pocket and slid it across the table. “That’s supposed to be the coin created from my last transaction. Without a miner confirming the transaction, it remains pending, and anyone can forge it. I’m guessing the transfer was never verified, and Ryder transferred the cryptocurrency elsewhere.”
“A miner?”
“Think of them as bankers.”
“It sounds risky,” I said.
“It’s supposed to be the complete opposite. I found Ryder through a financial consulting service an acquaintance recommended. I started with a few small transactions to test the waters, and it was great. So I did it again and again. I’ve been exchanging cash for coin for a few months now. Noah Ryder’s been my guy all along. I was shocked when he ripped me off.”
“So you lost the ten million over time?”
“No. It happened last week.”
“Tell me everything.”
“Noah contacted me, said he just mined a ton of coin, and knew I was looking to cash out some of my accounts. He asked if I’d be interested or knew anyone else who was looking to expand their economic portfolios. He was trading coin for cash.” Don swallowed. “Stupidly, I jumped at the chance and asked if he could cover the full ten mill.”
I’d heard of similar stories in the past, just nothing as up-to-date as a cryptocurrency scam. “Did you confront him?”
“I tried. He said the coin was on that drive. When I told him it was blank, he said I was lying. He hasn’t answered any of my texts or e-mails. He disappeared.”
“Did you ever meet in person?”
“We always met in person. The first time was at his office. After this happened, I drove straight there. The place was cleared out.”
“Figures.” I thought for a moment. Noah Ryder was a grifter, running the long con, and it worked. “Okay, but you transferred physical money to Noah. If it came directly out of one of your accounts, we can trace that. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
Klassi’s cheeks flushed. “The ten million came out of a numbered account. By the time I realized I’d been swindled, there was no way to recall it. I have no idea where it went. I had several bankers, accountants, and even hackers look into it. It’s gone.”
I grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and put them in front of him. “I need the account number, Noah’s office address, phone number, e-mail, whatever you have on him, and the acquaintance that introduced you in the first place.”
Klassi neatly printed most of the information, double checking it was correct before sliding it back to me.
I skimmed it, realizing he left off his friend’s name. “I need to know who introduced you to Noah.”
“I’m not comfortable saying. I don’t want anyone else to get in trouble.”
“Why didn’t you report Noah?” I asked.
Klassi didn’t speak, and I dropped into
the chair across from him. It was time this meeting turned into an interrogation. Too many things didn’t make sense.
“Come on, Don,” I coaxed, “you know I’m not an idiot. Why don’t you want the authorities to know about this? Where did your assets come from? And don’t tell me it’s from gaming the system.” Cryptocurrency might be gaining traction with the world’s richest tycoons, but it was also commonly used as black market currency because it was used pseudonymously and entirely untraceable. There had been various iterations; most faded into obscure nothingness, becoming devalued and worthless. Only a few remained strong, but I wasn’t sure how any of them would fare in the long-term.
Klassi licked his lips and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I just want the coin I was promised.”
“That’s the wrong answer.” Despite Martin’s wishes, my instincts would always be geared toward protecting him. It’s how I was wired. “I need to know what we’re up against. And knowing where your dirty money came from might be key.”
“Let’s just say my money came from the proceeds of an investment club.”
“Real estate fraud?”
His cheeks turned a deep red. “No. It’s nothing like that. What I’ve done is not illegal, but I can’t exactly go to the authorities either. My business associates would not be happy with this kind of negative publicity. They wouldn’t want the attention, particularly when we have something big in the works.”
My eyes went hard. “Why are you invested in Martin Technologies?”
“I needed to diversify my portfolio.”
“Or you were looking for new investors and building opportunities.”
“I’m not admitting to doing anything wrong. The market dropped. I can’t control falling property prices.”
I reached for the paper he had written on. “I’ll look into this on one condition.”
“Anything.”
“Sell your shares of MT and stay the hell away from there.”