by Sims, R.
After a few seconds, she hugged him, too, and began crying even harder.
“I’ll have your mom home by Wednesday at the latest, no matter what happens to me.” He released her and waited for her to get the crying under control. A minute later, he walked her to the front door. “I’ll walk you to your car.
Janet was still in bed. She’d heard the entire conversation. When Dexter came back inside and entered the bedroom she said, “Dexter, don’t let them kill you. Please.”
He kicked off his slippers and lay face down on the covers in his sweatpants. “Get some sleep.”
“I can’t sleep after hearing what you just told Danielle.”
“Well, stay up as long as you wish; you’ll eventually fall asleep.”
“Dexter, I need you. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She began rubbing his back.
“Would you prefer I run like a selfish coward and let them kill Dana? If I were to do that, it would be reasonable to assume that I would let the same thing happen if you were the kidnap victim.”
She had no response for that. He was right. “I agree with something Danielle said to you: You’re smart enough to save Dana and yourself. You can come up with something. I’ll help.”
“Your cat was killed by Doug’s men when they killed Que’s fiancée. You loved that cat, but I suppose you cried for a day and moved on.”
She stopped rubbing his back and said, “I had Keshi for almost seven years, so I think about her all the time. Are you suggesting I’ll forget about you in no time if something happens to you? If you believe that, you don’t believe a damn thing you’ve learned about psychology and human behavior.”
CHAPTER 116
At 9:13 am, Dexter and Janet left the headquarters of SunHotLead.com in Atlanta, Georgia. They had heard the purported audio recording of Gerald Parker. Janet drove a rental Cadillac in the downtown traffic. She said, “Can I ask you a question, a very personal one?”
He punched in passwords and account numbers at a Web site on Janet’s Galaxy Tab. Without looking up, he said, “You want to know why I would sleep with my brother’s wife.”
“A mind reader. Do you have an answer?”
“Caroline is good at what she does, but I’d rather not discuss that relationship.”
“That’s fine because I wouldn’t want the details.”
“Good.”
“Just tell me whether you love and respect your brother.” She slowed for a traffic light.
“You mean before he agreed to help put me away for thirty years?”
“Of course.”
He put the tablet away. “I love my brother, always have and always will. I respect him and have always wanted the best for him.”
When the car was idle at the traffic light she said, “Who can trust you if your own brother can’t?”
“Nobody,” he said without hesitation. “Nobody can trust me.”
“I’ve watched the video maybe twenty times. And I want you to know that I trust you. I trust you very much.”
He said, “What video?”
“The one starring you and your brother’s wife in their front yard. The one that shows you kissing her, feeling her up, and talking about a baby.”
He looked at her, wanting her to continue.
“And I didn’t want to believe some of the things you said to Caroline, so I hired an investigator, someone who has no connection to your investigator.” The light changed and Janet resumed driving.
Dexter smiled as he surveyed the traffic.
“Caroline was pregnant during her first year in college,” Janet said. “She miscarried and nearly died. She can never have children, and I’m sure you knew that. In the video, she says you were her first sex partner. I don’t think so. Caroline is from South Dakota, but her parents split and she moved to Philadelphia with her mother. She transferred to Penn State University and obviously met you there when you were a senior.”
Dexter said, “Keep going.”
“Caroline was pregnant and, by all accounts, showing when she first arrived at Penn State. There’s no way you would believe you were her first sex partner.” She looked at him and smiled. “I see the bigger picture in all of this.”
He said, “I’m still confused. Did you hire your investigator from Wal-Mart?”
“Caroline designs software, Web-based programs, and she once dated a hacker who is now in prison. She may still have many hacker friends.”
He said, “I like you more than I did five minutes ago. Now, connect all of that together and add the missing piece to your puzzle.”
“You just authenticated your brother’s voice for SunHot. After hearing that recording, a lot of things make sense now.” She signaled then slowed to make a right turn. “You are brilliant and I love you.”
“Does that mean you approve of me fulfilling my brother’s wife?”
She smiled, confidently displaying her beautiful partials. “Let’s just say I think it’s a wonderful relationship.”
“I’m glad you did some homework on your own. For that, you win a prize.”
“What’s the prize?” she asked.
“I’m going to tell you the game plan. I won’t keep anything else from you.”
CHAPTER 117
The next day, Dexter was back in Harrisburg. He got out of a rental SUV and headed inside a Pep Boys auto parts store wearing sneakers, shades, a ball cap, and a nylon sweat suit. He checked his Cosierre wristwatch as he approached the young woman at the third cash register.
“Ms. Amber Cobbs?” he said after noticing her nametag.
“Yes,” she said. She was petite and nearly pale-white. Her stylish hairdo made her noticeable, but the 19-year-old would be fairly attractive even if she had not spent so much time and money on her hair.
“It’s eleven o’clock. I was told that you would be on break right about now.”
“I was just about to leave. Who are you?”
He removed his cap and shades. “I’m Dexter Parker.”
Her heart raced now. She took a step back and placed her right hand on her chest. She was scared.
“Can we talk in private somewhere?”
“Why would I want to be anywhere with you in private?”
“I’m sure you’ve read enough about me to know that what happened to your father was an accident.”
“Right, and you accidentally served ten years in prison for it.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve never had a problem paying my debts.”
“Why are you here?”
He gave her a business card. “I’m here to compensate you. I can’t take back what I did eleven years ago, but I want to make sure you’re taken care of from this point forward.”
She looked at the reverse side of the business card.
“That’s your new bank account information. If you contact the lady whose name is on the other side, you’ll have a job with Qualovefy before the week is out. You’ll never see me in person again after today, so I will need to explain some things to you about your account, your new job, your new car, and your new home. Can we step outside?”
She stared at him for a few seconds, knowing for certain that he was guilty of stealing $3 billion. Amber thought about her newborn baby, her verbally abusive boyfriend, and her 7-month career at Pep Boys. She tucked the card away and gestured for Dexter to lead the way to the front exit.
CHAPTER 118
On Monday morning, the sixth day of trial, the courtroom was packed again and included Stephanie Wheeler, Delores Smith, Dr. Elizabeth Mackie, Mr. and Mrs. Adkins, Danielle Searing, Doug Ramsey, and Caroline Birchwood-Parker.
Janet stood before Eric, who was on the witness stand, and said, “And so you and Mr. Troy Epps came up with a plan to set up my client?”
“No. I never had any dealings with Troy, never even held a full conversation with him the whole time I was in prison.”
“On Friday, you testified that you would set my client up and keep all the money for yourself, leavi
ng him with nothing, correct?”
“I didn’t say I would set him up. The plan was to keep all the money for myself once we committed the crime.”
Janet said, “When you say 'we’, are you referring to Troy and yourself?”
“You’re twisting my words. I’ve already told you that I never dealt with Troy. ‘We’ refers to me and Dexter. Your client.” He looked at Dexter.
Janet eased back toward the Defense’s table. “Why are you testifying at this trial if you’re the mastermind behind the Herbyte scam?”
“I invented the Herbyte, but I didn’t mastermind the scam. Dexter put the scam together.”
Janet looked at a few notes then turned to face Eric again. “Why did you kill Jerry Bean?”
Dexter was Jerry’s killer, but Eric’s DNA had been planted at the scene. Eric wanted to let the jury know that he was never at the scene, but there was physical evidence that would vividly paint him as a liar. More important, the truth would prompt the prosecutor to rescind the plea agreement.
“Mr. Adkins, did you hear the question?”
“Yeah, I heard it. Jerry set up the accounts for me. When he had access to all the money, he only wanted to give me 25%.”
Janet said, “You mean 25% of $3.3 billion?”
“Yeah.”
Janet briefly closed her eyes and worked 25 X 33 in her head. She opened her eyes and looked at the jurors. “So, you killed Jerry Bean because he only wanted to give you $825 million?”
Eric sighed. “Something like that.” He glanced at Dexter and wished he could kill him for nothing.
“Some of us may be confused. Why did you need Jerry Bean in the first place?”
“He was an investment banker. He knew how to handle large money transactions, and he had lots of contacts in the banking industry or investment…you know.”
“So it’s clear now. You didn’t need my client after all, except to use him as a scapegoat. My client had a background similar to Jerry Bean’s, isn’t that true?”
“You’re still twisting shit around. Your client…”
Judge Garrison cut in and said to Eric, “Mr. Adkins, watch your language.”
Eric’s eyes shifted back to Janet. “Your client is the reason I know Jerry Bean in the first place. He used to work at Jerry Bean’s firm before going to prison for manslaughter.” He felt good about that last bit of information; somebody had to make Dexter look like the bad guy.
CHAPTER 119
Janet ignored the prison and manslaughter references from Eric. “So you used my client to discover his former contacts, correct?”
“Incorrect,” Eric said then adjusted the microphone on the witness stand.
“You had tinkered with your Herbyte invention since college but didn’t have the skills to make it operable or worth anything. Isn’t that true, Mr. Adkins?” She was pushing his buttons now, just as Dexter had instructed.
“If you say so.”
“I said so.” Janet smiled at him. “And you thought you needed my client because, otherwise, your invention would not have produced a dime in your lifetime…”
“I didn’t need Dexter for anything. I would have been fine if I had never met him.”
Janet turned toward the jurors again. “Let’s bookmark those last two assertions. If you hadn’t met my client more than seven years ago, how would your invention have generated billions of dollars for you? How would it have generated ten dollars for you?” She looked at Eric again. She and Dexter had gone over what it would take to get under Eric’s skin.
“Regardless of your client’s role and regardless of anything you say, my invention is the only reason we’re all here. My invention. Dexter probably paid you millions of dollars, but don’t forget that my invention is what made that possible. He may look smart right now, fooling the jury and all, but the truth is he would have been a fucking nobody without my invent…”
The judge jumped in again. “Mr. Adkins, this is your last warning. The next time you use profane language in such a manner, you will be hit with contempt. Do you understand me, Mr. Adkins?”
Eric looked at Dexter and saw him smiling for the first time. Smiling right at Eric. Then, Eric shifted his attention to the jurors. Finally, he looked at the spectators. He saw his parents. Stephanie. Too many interested people.
The judge repeated, “Mr. Adkins…”
Eric looked at the judge.
“Do you understand me?” Judge Garrison asked again.
Eric shook his head negatively. “I don’t understand any of this shit! You people got me pleading guilty to two murders I didn’t commit!”
The judge allowed him to continue. He would definitely have a contempt charge waiting at the end.
Eric said, “Testifying here gets the charges reduced to manslaughter, but I didn’t fucking kill Jerry or his driver! And look at Dexter, the real goddamn murderer! He gets away with it and will probably get off scot-free with the $3 billion!”
Wesley Henderson stood and said, “Objection, Your Honor…”
The judge waved him back down in his seat. “I’ve already objected to this. You think your objection is stronger than mine? He’s your witness; let’s see what he has to say. This may be helpful for the defense who, in case you haven’t noticed, hasn’t objected yet.”
Janet was standing near the Defense’s table with her arms crossed below her breasts. She knew an objection right now would get her fired and effectively end the romantic relationship.
The judge said, “You done, Mr. Adkins?”
Eric said, “All of this is a joke! I don’t know what I was thinking about. Mr. Henderson here agreed to recommend twenty years for my role in the investment scam, but the prosecutor in Harrisburg wants me to do ten years for a double manslaughter. My sorry-ass public defender lawyer says the two sentences will likely be run consecutively.” He looked around the courtroom again. “Thirty years in prison after doing almost seven. Twenty or thirty, what’s the fucking difference?”
Dexter kept his eyes on Eric, appreciating every minute of the tirade.
“Thirty years or fifty? It’s all the same. I could be out of prison when I’m either sixty-two or eighty-two. So, Your Honor, please don’t hit me with a bullshit contempt charge because that would add six months to my time.” Eric stood, still in handcuffs and shackles, decked out in blue county jail garb. “Fuck all of you, one at a time!
Two U.S. Marshals approached Eric.
Eric looked at Dexter. “Maybe I’ll study psychology this time. I could trick them into letting me out next year.”
Dexter looked at him without comment.
As the Marshals grabbed him, Eric said to Dexter, “I hope you beat the fucking charges against you. When you do, I hope somebody kills you!”
CHAPTER 120
The prosecutor was relieved to have Gerald Parker on the stand after the lunch recess. He knew that Gerald’s testimony would take the jurors’ minds off Eric and his defiant testimony. Wesley was twenty minutes into his direct examination when he said, “And when did the defendant first tell you about his plan to steal billions of dollars?”
Gerald said, “Well, he would tell me bits and pieces every time I visited him during the last two years of his imprisonment. He didn’t know the scam would bring in billions; he was thinking a hundred million at the most.” Gerald was well-groomed and dressed in a dark blue suit. He wore his Cosierre wristwatch and a small diamond ring in his left ear.
“Did he have a role for you?”
“Yeah. Yes, sir. Of course. I used to run an escort service, an illegal one, so I knew a lot of beautiful women — Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, whatever. He wanted me to find a white woman who was sexy and attractive. A 25-year-old with accounting skills.”
“And did you?”
“Of course,” Gerald said. “Well, she was thirty, but she looked twenty-five.”
“Why did your brother want you to find such a woman?”
“Because he wanted someone to hawk Eric
at all times.”
“Eric Adkins?”
“Yes, sir.”
Wesley said, “Tell us what you mean by hawk.”
“You know, watch him, keep tabs on Eric at all times.”
“Why would the defendant want that?”
“He didn’t trust Eric. He said Eric had a son that he wasn’t claiming, and a man who doesn’t claim or take care of his own child can never be trusted.”
Wesley had not expected that answer; it probably earned Dexter a sympathy point. “After the investment scam, did you ever see the defendant with large sums of cash?”
“I did. Wait…No, just before the scam went down, he came to my house and had $200,000 in cash.”
“How did he get that type of money before the scam was completed?” Wesley headed toward the Prosecution’s table.
“I don’t know all the details, but he told me that Eric’s friend, Kevin Orwells, got a loan because he had to pay to see an advance presentation of the Herbyte unit. Eric gave my brother $200,000 of it under the table because of some kind of bet they made. I don’t know the details of the bet, though.”
Wesley looked through some notes, and his assistant attorney pointed at something on a Samsung tablet. Wesley said, “The woman you found to keep tabs on Eric, do you know how much the defendant paid her?”
“She was supposed to get a million dollars and a new life in another country, but that was when my brother thought he would get no more than a hundred million.”
“She introduced herself to Eric as Geneva Lansing, but that was not her real name, was it?” Wesley asked.
“No, sir. I knew her as Anna Spivey and never knew her by any other name when we met at the Feather Lounge five years ago.”
“Did you have an occasion to meet the defendant’s former employer, Mr. Jerry Bean?”
“Yes, sir. Less than a month before my brother got out of prison, he sent me to Jerry Bean’s investment firm. I had a briefcase filled with documents. They were instructions and information about setting up and naming dummy corporations and bank accounts. Angelique Brooks would be the CEO of one of the corporations; she would be a big shareholder of one of the others.”