by Sims, R.
Will was not about to interrupt. Worked better when the guest was doing all the talking and didn’t have to be steered back on track.
“Everything I just told you can be found somewhere on the Internet. When I learned that I was involved in an investment scam, I hired a private investigator to find out as much as he could about me.”
Will said, “About you?”
“Sure. Whoever planned the scam obviously learned all about me. You wouldn’t believe what my investigator discovered. It’s the stuff of movies.”
“Can you share any of it with SHN?”
Dexter said, “On the fifth day of February this year, a black man resembling me used my driver’s license, social security card, and other ID to open a savings account at a North Carolina Bank, depositing $50,000 in cash. At the same time, Will, same hour if not for the different time zones, two more Dexter Parkers were buying a brand new car and dropping a quarter million down on a new home. In all, the three imposters have me in California, Alabama, and North Carolina simultaneously.”
“Wow. So-so you’re…uh, being used as a scapegoat. Is that, in your view, an accurate way to put it?”
“Yes, but that’s just a portion of what my investigator has learned. My driver’s license expired a couple years after I went to prison, and I still haven’t renewed it. Seven months ago, while I was still in prison, someone renewed my license at the DMV and was brazen enough to smile for the camera.”
Will said, “You’ve provided us with that DMV photo. Let’s show it to our viewers.”
An enlarged version of the driver’s license was being displayed on a giant wall monitor.
“Gee, this guy sure looks like you,” Will said.
“I think you’re right, Will, and I usually don’t think I resemble anyone. If any of your viewers know who this guy is, I would appreciate it if they would contact the police department in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.”
“Is it true that you were in prison with a man named Eric Adkins, a computer engineer who actually developed the Herbyte unit?”
“I was in prison with Eric, and I thought we were good friends. My investigator believes Eric is somehow tied to the guys who are using my identity.”
Will touched his earpiece and said, “We have breaking news to report at this moment. SHN has just received word that Dexter Parker, my guest here in the SunHot Seat, has just been indicted for his alleged role in the Herbyte Investment Scandal. The indictment was filed in the United States District Court of Los Angeles five minutes ago.”
CHAPTER 72
“Obviously, this is not good news for you, Dexter,” Will said. “You-You’re charged with nine counts of conspiracy, criminal fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, embezzlement, and money laundering. Twenty-three counts in all.”
“I’m looking forward to proving my innocence. I expect that I’ll be arrested before the day is out, so I plan to turn myself in after this interview. I’ll waive extradition challenges so that I can be transported from D.C. To L.A. Much faster.”
“I’m now being told that this is a superseding indictment. Our viewers may remember that Sherri Peters and Kevin Orwells, the couple that was stopped for a traffic violation, were the first to be indicted in the scandal. Moments ago, your name was added to that indictment, along with Eric Adkins’ name and a Jane DoE who is also known as Geneva Lansing.”
Dexter said, “About this Eric guy…His background clearly involves computers, but it is my understanding that Kevin Orwells is the one who developed and patented the Herbyte unit. I don’t want to speculate on any possible conspiracy between those two, but my investigator is looking under every stone.”
“You and I spoke before this program began, and you made an interesting comment. You said, ‘If you had been brilliant and methodical enough to steal billions of dollars, you would have found a way to donate it to the Frame of Mind Research and Medical Center for Children. Tell us, tell your viewers why you would do that. I had never heard of this medical center, and many of your viewers may not have heard of it as well.”
“My English professor, Dr. Elizabeth Mackie, wants to build a hospital and research center for children who have mental deficiencies. It would be called The Frame of Mind Children’s Center. Your viewers should be familiar with Dr. Mackie, the bestselling author of Trick of the Parallel and English Usage Revisited. She’s done well with her books and donates 75% of the proceeds to her Frame of Mind Foundation, which goes toward establishing the research center.”
Will said, “I met Dr. Mackie once. She’s a remarkable lady. I have copies of both-both books, and they’re excellent and informative reads.”
“Absolutely. The foundation only has $15 million so far, a long way from the $1.2 billion it needs. I left prison with $5,000; I donated $3,750 to the foundation.”
“So you donated 75% of your money as well,” Will said.
“Yes, and I wish I had more. You know, Will, we carry on in our daily lives rarely, if ever, giving any consideration to children or newborns with functional abnormalities. The problems or defects range from mentally retarded to infantile autism to Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, and more. Take autism, or even an idiot savant, for example. We only take interest in those areas of brain defect when Hollywood finds a way to impress us with a damn-near supernatural character who is ingenious in a particular area.”
Will said, “I agree that there should be more attention paid to the problems you just pointed out. Hopefully, Dr. Mackie’s foundation will help make that possible.” He stacked some papers neatly on his desk then said, “Let’s, uh, let’s talk about the man you used to work for — Jerry Lee Bean. He was your boss when you used to work at his investment firm. He and his driver were killed approximately one month ago, and Eric Adkins was charged with both murders. What do you make of that?”
“Well, If I could just go back for a moment and give your viewers a number and Web address, in case they’re interested in learning more about children with mental deficiencies and the Frame of Mind Foundation…”
“All right.” Will nodded.
Dexter gave out a Web address and a toll-free number.
Will said, “And there it is at the bottom of your screens, folks, the number and the Web site.”
CHAPTER 73
Dexter said, “Now, back to your question, Will. I believe Eric killed Jerry Bean after using him to handle certain transactions, perhaps transferring or hiding money in other accounts. You have to understand, Will, Eric is extremely smart, but he would likely prefer the mind of a financial wizard when stealing billions of dollars. That would be Jerry Bean, a more advanced Madoff on the rise.”
“But, by your own account, you’re an educated man with, uh, a background in finance. You also worked for Jerry Bean some years back. Wouldn’t that, wouldn’t that qualify you as a financial wizard, as far as Eric is concerned?”
“Not when you consider the fact that I haven’t had hands-on experience in the finance area in nearly ten years. Eric would not have wanted to enlist my help to pull off such a large-scale scam, because then it would have been next to impossible to use me as a scapegoat in such an astute fashion. I would know too much about how he actually pulled this off. I would have been just as dead as Jerry is right now.”
Will said, “Would you say that the traffic stop of Peters and Orwells led to other unexpected events for the person or persons behind the $3.3 billion theft?”
“I would not. I believe that the big moment of unexpected significance was when police obviously found enough evidence to conclude that Eric Adkins is responsible for the deaths of Jerry and his driver. I don’t think Eric planned for that.”
Will said, “I’m now receiving word that at least two D.C. Policemen have arrived at our SHN studio to take you into custody. I’m told that they will give you the courtesy of finishing this interview.”
“I appreciate that, but I won’t delay the process. Will, it was a pleasure to meet you. You have an excellent show.”<
br />
“And thank you, Dexter.”
Dexter got up and walked up to Will’s desk. They shook hands. Then, Will looked at Camera 4 and said, “After the break, I’ll talk with former Prosecutor Savannah Estridge about the legal troubles ahead for Dexter Parker.”
CHAPTER 74
Janet entered her home while Que waited outside in the Phantom. There was not much furniture left in her place. The living room had only the blinds and curtains remaining, and there was no indication that Louis had even attacked her in this room. Even the bloodstained carpet was gone. She headed for the bedroom.
Que got out of the car wearing business attire. He stepped around to the rear and opened the trunk. From the corner of his right eye, he could see a white SUV cruising slowly at the top of the street, and he instantly assumed that the driver was Janet’s violent ex.
Que pretended he wasn’t paying much attention to the approaching vehicle, but he quick-stepped his way back to the driver’s seat of the Rolls Royce. He pressed several buttons just above the mp3 stereo system then got out of the vehicle. He was headed for Janet’s curbside mailbox, even though she had already cleared the mail.
The SUV finally stopped in front of Janet’s home. The driver lowered the front passenger’s window and said, “You Dexter?”
Que said, “You stalking?” intending to leave the black man wondering. How did the SUV driver even know that Janet had left the hospital? The desperate fool had probably called the hospital’s receptionist three times a day.
Inside, Janet was captivated by the breaking news on the television in her bedroom. Dexter was now in custody in Washington, D.C, and for some reason this had her heart beating faster. She was worried that things wouldn’t go as he had planned. She had that feeling.
Outside, the driver of the SUV issued a deadly look and said, “You don’t look like a troublemaker. Why don’t you get in your fancy car and drive to your next business meeting?” Apparently, Que’s suit and soft facial features were misleading.
Que looked inside Janet’s mailbox then began walking back to the fancy car.
The driver of the SUV raised his window and slowly drove away.
Janet’s home phone rang, scaring the hell out of her. She answered the phone on her nightstand. She recognized the number on her caller ID. “Ingram residence.”
“Janet, we need to talk,” Louis said, cut and dry. He was clearly emboldened by the fact that Janet had not reported his abuse. He had read an article in the newspaper about the incident, but the article did not mention the attacker’s name. Janet said, “I need rest today. Can you stop by tomorrow?”
“If you really want some rest, maybe I should get Dexter to leave in that Rolls Royce.”
Janet’s heart was racing again. Louis had been by. Perhaps he was still watching her house from a distance. Janet tried to remember whether she had mentioned Dexter’s name to Louis. She said, “Louis, please, just go away. We can talk all day tomorrow. Just give me today to talk to him. I want to break the news that I can no longer see him.”
Louis liked the sound of that. “Are you okay? I apologize for losing it.”
“I’m fine. You can make it up to me tomorrow.”
“And you know I will. Call me tomorrow. Call me before then if you need anything. Anything.”
Janet said, “Bye-bye Louis,” really meaning it and hoping that this would be the last time she ever heard his voice. Santa Clarita, here I come. She ended the call, rushed to her front door, and waved Que inside.
CHAPTER 75
Que entered her home and said, “Ready? I can carry everything for you, unless you think I need a truck. We didn’t touch anything in your bedroom.”
“I want to leave and I don’t need to take anything but a few bags of clothes, but my ex-boyfriend is watching my house. He just called and said so in so many words.”
Que said, “That red nigga in the white Yukon? I just talked to him. I saved his life.”
Janet was confused. She almost removed the scarf from her lower face without realizing it. “You save his life?”
Que opened his sport coat and displayed a holstered .50 caliber handgun.
Janet’s hands went to her chest.
“I showed restraint, and that saved his life.” Que did not crack a smile. “I work for your client, and he asked me to make sure your violent ex doesn’t come near you. This one I have a permit for, and so I only carry it when I’m on defense. We can leave whenever you’re ready and with whatever you wanna take.”
Janet shook her head. “I want to leave without incident and without making a scene. You should leave for now because he thinks you’re Dexter. I’ll call you later when I can catch him on his home phone. I can keep him on the phone until you arrive. That way, you can take me to my hotel room with no problem.”
Que said, “I need to run this by Dex. He asked me to keep an eye on you until I get you to your hotel room.” He pulled out his phone.
“Dexter is in jail. He was indicted less than an hour ago and arrested twenty minutes ago in D.C.”
Que slipped the phone back inside his inner coat pocket. “In that case, Call me when you’re ready. I have some serious matters I have to take care of for Dex. When you’re ready, I’ll drop what I’m doing.”
“Thank you,” she said.
Que left Janet’s place and headed home. He pressed a button on the steering wheel and said, “Call Dana.” A few seconds later, Dana’s voice was coming through all twelve speakers. “Hello?”
“Dana, this is Que. Dexter is in jail now, which means you’re running the show.”
She said, “I just arrived at the Los Angeles District Courthouse. I’ll enter the record as counsel for Dexter and pick up a copy of his indictment.”
“What can I do for you? I’m in Harrisburg but I can get to California if you need me there. Dex says he fully trusts you, and I will, too.”
Dana said, “He also spoke highly of you, though I can’t recall what your specific responsibilities are.”
“I’m a technical troubleshooter,” he said.
“Oh, I see.”
“Yeah, technically, I shoot whoever is causing trouble for Dex.”
CHAPTER 76
Louis hadn’t heard from Janet in three days now. He rang her doorbell — he had a gut feeling that she was inside, avoiding him, and so he considered kicking the goddamn door down. He looked back when he heard a vehicle stop in front of the home.
An elderly white man got out of a Ford truck and began walking toward the black man. “Good morning. How can I help you?”
Louis, said, “How can you help me? I’m here to see my fiancée. Maybe I can help you.” He knew that the old man was senile and probably off a house or two.
The old man shook his head. “Something tells me that Miss Ingram is your fiancée.”
That comment worried Louis. He was almost afraid to ask what had happened to Janet. “That’s right. What about her?”
“Stopped by my place the other day to give me the keys and the remaining two months’ worth of lease payments.” He made it to the doorsteps. “Said she was moving to Italy for good.”
Louis had an empty feeling in his stomach. “I know about Italy. I’m supposed to meet her there but it looks like she’s left a day earlier than we planned. Are you sure she’s already moved out?”
The old man walked up the three steps, produced a key, and said, “I’m here to inspect the place for damages; you can inspect it for signs of your fiancée,” and he didn’t even smile about it. “My guess is that she must’ve ran off with a different fella. Can’t see how you wouldn’t know that she’d already moved out.”
Louis stepped aside as the old man inserted the key and unlocked the front door. They entered the house and saw only curtains and bare walls.
The old man said, “Somehow I don’t think your inspection will last as long as mine.”
***
Special Agent Phillip Walters picked Laura up in the parking lot
of a Days Inn hotel in Los Angeles, California. They had both testified before a federal grand jury two days ago, and now they were on their way to court for Dexter’s arraignment hearing. Phillip was driving a new Cadillac, talking on the phone. Less than thirty seconds after picking Laura up, Phillip terminated the call and said, “That was my son.”
“From college in Texas?”
“No. That’s where my daughter goes to school. My son is in Nebraska.”
She nodded as she looked straight ahead. “I made some interesting discoveries last night and this morning.”
“Concerning Dexter, or this case in general?”
“Dexter. When you and I interviewed Eric Adkins, he claimed that he and Dexter flew to California on the fifteenth to get a half million dollars from Kevin Orwells on Saturday, January the sixteenth.”
Phillip said, “Kevin and Sherri’s statements corroborate that, but the airline tickets don’t.”
“Yeah, well, Eric says Dexter chose different flight times to and from, and he obviously flew under a different name. Last night I learned that Orin Baker traveled to Los Angeles from Harrisburg six hours after Eric’s flight. Orin left Los Angeles the following Monday, several hours after Eric’s flight, and returned to Harrisburg.”
“So, Dexter traveled as Orin Baker. What do we have on Orin?”
She said, “According to his DMV photo, he and Dexter look more like brothers than Dexter and Gerald. Lives in Philadelphia. Jacket’s not bad…”
“Have someone from your field office interview him.”
“I’ve already sent the email.”
CHAPTER 77
“That’s excellent work, Laura.” He meant it, but it bothered him that she had come up with more information than he had.
“One more thing,” she said. “I believe he hand-picked a few black guys who could be made-up to resemble himself.”