by Gregg Burton
Mr. Newman was intrigued by Special Agent Dott’s presence. It had been years since someone tried to put the clamps on him. It felt like the old days. No one was better than Newman, or smarter than him. Fontanne thought he was. After Newman ran him out of Texas, all Fontanne had been able to do were nickel-and-dime cons.
“Listen, boy, I told you I don’t have all day. How much is he paying you to lean on me?”
“Sir, I really don’t know what you’re talking about. If you would feel more comfortable talking about this at the local office, I’ll be happy to roll you down there.”
“Sure, let’s go. Then you can explain to them why you came down here on a fake passport, Mr. Price…I mean, Agent Dott. I bet Fontanne gave you that name. Price! That was the name we use to use. Did you really think you could come down here and muscle me? I saw you coming before I woke up this morning. Now, stop wasting my time and tell me how much!”
Mr. Newman must have said that louder than he wanted to, because one of his goons ran into the room.
“Sir, is everything okay?”
“GET OUT!” Mr. Newman yelled.
It was the same guard who had frisked Special Agent Dott.
The guard said, “Sorry, boss, but I––”
Mr. Newman lowered his voice, but his words still spat daggers. “Close the damn door and don’t bother me again!”
Without responding, the embarrassed guard quickly closed the door. Special Agent Dott looked behind him and saw the guard’s huge back framed against the foggy-looking glass door.
Special Agent Dott continued. “I assure you that my reasons for being here today are totally legitimate. I just need to ask you a few questions about the cold case that was placed on my lap.”
Mr. Newman was growing tired of the agent’s game. He rolled himself to the desk and took a bundle of money from a drawer.
“Take this and get out of my office. It’s a hundred thousand. Probably more than you will ever see in your life.”
Newman looked for the greed in the special agent’s eyes, but couldn’t find it. There was one thing Newman knew about men: everybody has a price. Everybody! Against his better judgment, Newman stuck his hand in the drawer again.
“Two hundred thousand! Tax-free! Now take it and get back on that plane a rich man! Don’t be stupid, Special Agent Dott. This is more money than you will ever make with Fontanne.”
Dott looked at the money on the desk. When he walked in Newman’s office, he knew he was going to be offered a bribe, but he figured fifty thousand or maybe a hundred thousand at the most. However, Newman was offering far more than Dott ever expected. With this money and the money he planned to get from Marco, his life would be smooth sailing. But, what if Newman was willing to offer more money?
Instead of answering, Special Agent Dott forced his head to the left and then the right, cracking his neck to release the air bubbles. Mr. Newman smiled and interlocked his fingers to release the air bubbles from his knuckles.
“So do we have a deal?”
Special Agent Dott didn’t want to say yes, just in case the meeting was being recorded. So, he slightly nodded his head.
“Great! Now, I have an extra hundred thousand here for you if you do two things for me. The first thing is to burn any and all information pertaining to that cold case of yours. Can you do that?”
Dott nodded.
“Good. Now, the next one is a bit more serious. I’m sure you can handle the job.”
He motioned with his finger for Dott to come closer and then whispered his request to him.
Chapter 13
Back in New York
I called Jessica and let it ring once before hanging up. I waited five minutes and did it again. I did it several more times before she eventually called me back. When I answered the phone, I caught the wrath of one upset Dominican.
“WHO THE HELL IS THIS?” she yelled at the top of her lungs.
“Jessica, it’s me, Linda. I lost my phone and had to get this stupid prepaid phone at the bodega. Every time I tried to call you, the damn phone kept hanging up.”
Jessica’s tone returned to normal, but she was still breathing hard from the rush of going off on what she thought was prank caller.
“Girl…I was about to…let you…have it.”
“Sorry. Like I said, I lost my phone. I didn’t mean to put you through that. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. Let me take you to dinner. Do you know that Cuban restaurant around our way on Avenue C?”
“The one by where the bus stops at on 11th and Avenue C?”
“Yeah, that one. Are you off yet?”
“Yeah, I’m on the bus now.”
“Good. I’ll be waiting for you by the bar. Oh yeah, please take off your name tag before you come in. The last thing you want is everybody knowing where you work. You’re going to get the worst pick-up lines.”
She laughed. “I’ll see you in ten minutes.”
I had called Simon earlier and told him that I wouldn’t be able to meet him until later. I was working on helping Simon get his hands on the money without his old man finding out. He didn’t seem to have a problem with me not coming. He told me that Malik had called, and they were going back by Leblac’s place to try their hand again. Simon told me to call him when I was ready to meet.
My only hope was that Ace could really push that button to make Simon want to withdraw all the money from his account.
I wondered why Malik hadn’t called me all day. It wasn’t like I waited by the phone for a call, but a text would have been nice. I mean, he called Simon. And, I gave that bastard my virginity.
Maybe I was horrible in bed. What if he thought I was the worst woman he’d ever been with? But, it was my first time. He can’t put that on me. I told him I was a virgin. Did he think I was some lying hood rat? I should just text him and see what the hell his problem is. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.
I picked up my phone and found his name. I had started to compose my text, Jessica walked in.
“Linda, hey girl!” Jessica ran up to me. “I’m so happy to see you. How many dates with me have you broken?”
“I know,” I said, standing up to hug her, while sliding my phone back into my pocket. “I’m such a terrible friend,” I told her. “You know what? Dinner is on me.”
“I’m getting over it already.” Jessica laughed as she sat at the bar.
“Don’t sit. We’re getting a table. I need to relax, and I know you can stand a break.”
“You don’t know the half of it. I have so many things to tell you.”
“I can’t wait.” I was being sarcastic, but tried not to let her know.
We sat and talked for about an hour. To be honest, she did most of the talking while I listened. Well, I halfway listened. I mean, I looked her in the eyes and nodded at the appropriate times, but part of my mind was on Malik. I wanted to hear from him, have him give me that stupid smile of his. I wanted to see him so I could cuss him out for making me think about him so much. I vaguely heard something Jessica said that interrupted my true train of thought.
“I’m sorry, Jessica. Did you say your mother just lost her job?”
“Not just, like three months ago. She couldn’t get unemployment because her job said it was due to her poor performance. What kind of shit is that? My mother gave that company fifteen years of her life, and they just dropped her like yesterday’s news. I mean, she has money in her 401k, but how long will that last?”
“Has she been looking for any other jobs?”
“Of course, but the way the job market is going right now, she can’t find anything. She’s either overqualified or she doesn’t have the computer skills that this jobs require. I told her just to go back to Dominican Republic and retire. She told me that she’s only sixty and can still work. She’s thinking about going back to school, but she feels ashamed to be around kids our age. I don’t know what else to tell her. I really want to help her, but how?”
I figured it was now or never. So
, I put my cards on the table. “Jessica, I may have a way I can help.”
Her sad eyes looked up at me. “Really? How?”
“If I tell you something, can you promise you’ll keep it to yourself?” I leaned over the table and lowered my voice. “Remember, I told you that I was acting?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I lied. I’ve never been on a television show, commercial, or an audition in my life. I’m a con artist. I pull cons on people.”
“Linda, what does that even mean? You pull cons on people? Con them how?”
“They give me their money, because they think I can make them more money.”
“You mean like that Madoff guy?”
“I’m not that good. But yeah, something like that.”
“Shut up!” she said, slapping my hand. “Why are you lying?”
“I’m not. Remember when you saw me in our old high school uniform, and I told you that I just came from an acting audition?”
“Um hum.”
“Well, what I was really doing was conning this guy out of fifty dollars for a ten-dollar watch.”
“Okay, but why are you telling me this?”
“Because I need your help with one I’m working right now. Jessica, you can make a lot of money just by pushing a few keys.”
“How much money are you talking about?”
She was interested. She didn’t shut me down, and she didn’t run out of there threatening to call the police on me. Still, I was taking a big risk not knowing if she would as soon as we left. I needed to make her feel like she had some control. Make her feel like the ball was in her court, so to speak.
“Girl, look at you. I was just joking with you. I was trying to lighten the mood a little and make you laugh. I can’t believe you took me seriously. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I was just joking.”
She lowered her eyes and forced her body against the back of her seat. “Linda, that’s not cool. I really need the money. I’ve been thinking about taking on a second job just to help pay the bills. It’s getting bad. I didn’t want to tell you this, but I think I’m going to get laid off soon. The bank has been talking about layoffs, and I would be the first to go.”
“Why you?”
“Because I’m young with no kids, and everybody there has a family. I don’t know what my next move is.”
Something told me that Ace knew this. Before he “retired” I had to find out how he knew all these things.
I smiled at Jessica and waved her closer.
“How much money would you like to make before you get laid off?”
“I don’t know. Maybe enough to get Mami out of New York. She may think she can still work, but I know better. I would love to build her a house in Dominican Republic, with a garden in the backyard like her mom had growing up. For anything like that, though, I’d need fifty thousand dollars or more.”
“Okay, Jessica, how would you like to make a hundred thousand dollars?”
“Are you playing with me again? The joke wasn’t funny the first time, so I don’t think it will get better the second time around.”
“No games. Here, take this phone. It’s prepaid, with two hundred minutes on it.”
I slid the phone across the table to her. Without looking at it, she cupped it and slid it closer to her like we had just exchanged drugs.
“I put my number in that phone. So, when I call, you’ll know it’s me.”
“Linda, you’re serious?” She whispered.
“Yes, I am. Are you?”
“What do I have to do?”
“That’s the easy part. I’m sure you have an account with the bank, right?”
“Of course.”
“Well, tomorrow, I want you to use somebody else’s computer. Tell them that you need to check your account. But, what I really want you to do is look up this name.”
I slid the piece of paper to her in the same manner I did the phone. She took it the same way.
“Don’t look at it here. Wait until you get home to look at it. When you get to work tomorrow, I want you to check for two things. One, check the balance on the account. Two, find out if there has ever been any wire transfers to or from it.”
“Okay.”
“Then, I want you to go to the restroom and text all the information to me from the prepaid. Make sure you text me the account number, too.”
When Ace first told me to ask Jessica to text me the account information, I wondered what would be the reason. We already had it. After giving it some thought, I figured Ace just wanted to see if she would really do it.
“Linda, can I really make that much money and not get caught?”
“Jessica, if one goes down, we all go down. I, for one, don’t plan on getting caught. So, just do everything I tell you to do, and you’ll be just fine.”
“Okay, I trust you Linda, and I’m desperate.”
“Everything is going to be just fine.”
I waved the waiter over to our table. I took money from my purse to pay the bill, making sure to show more than what needed to be seen. Ace had given me the money to flash. He said it was easier for people to believe they could make money, if they saw you had money. And by the way, Jessica’s eyes almost popped out of her sockets when she saw all of those hundreds. Ace proved to be right once again.
I gave Jessica a hug goodbye, and walked out to catch a cab. I needed to meet up with Simon.
Sean, the Haitian cabbie, was waiting for me.
Chapter 14
Sean, the cabbie, was taking me to the meatpacking district to meet up with Simon and the crew. To make it seem legit, I called Simon before we got there. He sounded upset when he answered the phone.
“Simon, is everything alright?”
“He’s killing me,” he spoke in a harsh whisper.
“Who? Mr. Daniels?”
“No, that asshole Leblac.”
“Well, calm down. Getting mad doesn’t help the situation. I hope this cheers you up. I have some good news about our little problem.”
“I hope you do, because my problems just got bigger.”
“What are you talking about, Simon?”
“I’m into Leblac for a hundred thousand. I don’t know what happened. I normally play smarter than this, but he just keeps beating me. He would go all in when I knew I had the upper hand and he still beat me!”
“Simon, you need to step away from that table and let me come get you. I’ve already hopped in a cab. I should be there in no time. Please listen to me, and stop playing.”
“Yeah, okay, but what about the money? We can get to the money, right?”
“I think so. I will know for sure tomorrow morning.”
“YOU’RE NOT SURE?”
He yelled so loud, I had to take the phone away from my ear. I wiggled my earlobe, trying to stop the ringing.
“Simon, you really need to calm down. You almost blew my eardrum.”
“Son, are you going to play or fold your hand?” I heard someone say in the background.
I could tell Simon put his hand over the phone because his voice was muffled. “Yeah, I’m coming. Just give me a second.” He took his hand off the phone. “And, I’m not your son, asshole.”
“What did you say?” I asked.
“Nothing. I was talking to myself. How long before you get here?”
“Five minutes, tops.”
“Okay, I’ll see you when you get here,” he said, just before the phone went dead.
Ace really got to him. I had to get into character, because calling Ace by his real name could really blow the con wide open. I needed to practice saying their names. I couldn’t mess this up.
“Mr. Leblac…Mr. Daniels…Martin. Mr. Leblac… Mr. Daniels…Martin,” I repeated to myself.
We pulled up to the bodega. Sean, the cabbie, spoke to me for the first time.
“Lin-da,” he said in a deep baritone voice, pronouncing my name as two syllables. “Be careful and have fun.”
“Thanks, Sean. I w
ill.” I tapped the side of the car. “Hey, Sean.”
“Yes?” he asked.
“Do you have any other advice for me?”
“Don’t fall out of character. If one goes down, we all go down.” Then, he just drove off.
That wasn’t very helpful. I’m sorry I asked.