by James Hunt
Unable to do anything, Jim simply placed a hand on her knee, and the simple gesture was enough to keep the woman speaking.
“He told me he had my sister,” she said. “And that if I didn’t play by the rules until the investigation with the ICE raid is over and my business audit is complete, then they’re going to kill her.”
Jim frowned. “They just took her?”
She wiped her eyes and nodded. “They made her fill out all of this paperwork for her job, saying that she was taking time off for a family medical emergency. It was all really smart. They provided all of the documentation she needed from a doctor, forged documents, whatever was necessary. And now I’m here, waiting for the trial to be over so I can get my sister back.”
Jim waited for her to regain her composure before he started asking questions again. “This man that you saw at Nate’s door was this the same man that you met at the party?”
“Yeah,” she answered. “Same guy.”
“Who does he work for?” Jim asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I never made it that high up the food chain. Didn’t want to. I just wanted to keep my head down and wait it out.” She looked around to see if anyone was listening, even though they were completely alone. “But I’ve heard other people talking in the building. Thin walls, right? I don’t think I’m the only one in my situation.”
It was almost unbelievable to hear, but Jim couldn’t find a reason the woman would have lied about all of this. What did she have to gain? And if she were telling the truth, then that meant Nate had chosen to omit certain details about his son’s disappearance.
“What happened when Tim answered the door?” Jim asked.
“Not a whole lot,” the woman said. “But after the guy had left, I walked over to make sure Tim was all right. He told me he was fine, but I could tell he was a little shaken up. I asked if he wanted me to stay over for a little bit, and he said yes.”
“Did anything else happen that night?” Jim asked.
“We played chess for a little bit,” she answered. And then a smile appeared on her face unexpectedly. “He actually let me win. He was trying to make me feel better for coming over. He’s a very selfless kid.” She looked back out onto the playground. “You don’t see that very often. Humility in someone who doesn’t have to display it.”
“Did you stay the night?” Jim asked.
“No,” she answered and then sighed. “The kid fell asleep somewhere around one o’clock in the morning. I borrowed the key hanging by the front door so I could lock the door when I left and returned to my apartment. The next morning I came over, but the kid was already gone for school. But Nate was home.”
“Did you tell him what happened?” Jim asked.
The woman nodded. “He was a little concerned but not as surprised as I thought he would be. But then again, I suppose when you live in our apartment building, most people have come from some type of a hard life.”
Jim could attest to the difficulty of Nate’s childhood, but he wasn’t sure how difficult his life had been in adulthood.
“This guy that you saw outside of Nate’s apartment,” Jim said. “Do you have a name?”
“Just a first name,” she answered. “And I don’t even know if it’s real.”
“What about a location where you met?” Jim asked. “Something you remember from—”
“Look, I’m not going to risk my sister’s life for some stranger’s kid,” she said, and then she quickly stood. “I’ve already told you too much.”
Jim shot up before she disappeared and struggled to keep her still.
“You don’t let me go, and I’ll scream,” she said.
“You scream, and I arrest you,” Jim replied.
The stalemate seemed to work, and she relaxed.
“I need something other than a fake name,” Jim said.
She hesitated and then glanced around the park as if somebody were watching. “It’s too risky.”
“What about your sister?” Jim asked. “If I find out where they took Nate’s son, then I find out where your sister is. Don’t you want her to come home?”
The woman stared at him, eyes wide as saucers. “I do want her to come home. I just don’t want it to be in a body bag.”
She tried to get away again, but Jim stopped her once more. “I’m not going to implicate you. No matter what happens. I just need something tangible that I can use. Please.” Jim couldn’t remember the last time he had begged somebody for help.
Throughout his career, he had worked on some very tough cases, but he had always been able to solve them despite the challenges. But something about this case felt off. Not just with the revelation that Nate, somebody who would be such a large part of his past, had lied to him, but the fact he was missing his partner.
The woman must’ve seen something in Jim’s face because he noticed that she softened, and Jim had never been embarrassed speaking in front of a witness before, until now.
“I do have a picture of him,” the woman said. “It’s on my phone. I’ll text it to you, okay?”
Once again, the woman glanced around, making sure that they were still alone. Jim saw the genuine fear in her, and a part of him felt guilty for employing such emotional tactics against her. But all that mattered right now was finding Nate’s son before the boy was gone forever.
When Jim received the text, he immediately opened the image. The man looked like a bruiser, the kind of person somebody would send to rough somebody up. He saw a few notable tattoos on the man’s hand and one on his neck, but he could use them to identify the individual through the tattoo database they had in the department. More than likely, this guy had probably spent some time inside; so chances of discovering his identity were good.
And if he couldn’t find the man in the system, that he would just go and visit the apartment complex and see if he could find the man hanging around. But as Jim returned to his car, he couldn’t help but think of why Nate would have kept any of this from him. He would need to find his friend and ask him personally. But first, he needed to uncover the identity of this mystery man.
14
Arthur Myers's accounting business was located in a small strip mall, sandwiched between a furniture store and a frozen yogurt shop. Kerry parked in front of the accounting office and entered through the front door. A bell chimed at her entrance. The inside of the shop was small, with a tiny reception area with a few chairs, a coffee table with tabloid magazines on top, a large Ficus plant that looked fake, and an almost empty water cooler. There was no actual receptionist, and Kerry waited for someone to greet her.
“Hello?” Kerry shouted from the reception area. “Is anybody here?”
“Yeah!” a voice shouted somewhere in the back. “I will be with you in just one second.”
A few more minutes passed before a tall, lanky-looking man in an awkwardly fitting suit stepped out from behind the reception wall. He smiled, exposing white but crooked teeth and extended his hand to Kerry.
“Arthur Myers,” he said. “How can I help you?”
Kerry reached into her pocket and removed the business card that Cutters had given her. “I was told to contact you by a mutual friend.” She handed the card over to him, and Arthur took one look at it and understood the message.
“Ah, yes,” Arthur said. “I was expecting you. Please, follow me.”
Arthur handed the card back to Kerry, and then she followed him behind the reception wall into an even smaller space that acted as Arthur’s office. There was no window, no decoration, not a whole lot of light, just a desk with the computer and two chairs sitting in front of it.
“Very homey,” Kerry said.
Arthur laughed, but the reaction sounded false, like he was on autopilot. “Let me just pull up your account information.”
Kerry frowned. “My account information? What do you have on me already?”
“Nothing much. I just like to make sure things run smoothly around here,” Arthur answered
. Don’t want to make the boss angry, right?” He laughed again in the same tone as before. He typed quickly on his keyboard, but the screen was positioned so Kerry couldn’t see its contents. “And what was the amount you requested?”
Kerry cleared her throat. “Um, five thousand.”
Arthur grunted in confirmation, continuing to type. Less than a minute later, he ceremoniously tapped one final key and then leaned back in his chair and clapped his hands together. “All set.”
“That’s it?” Kerry asked.
Arthur held up his hand, and then something printed behind them. He removed the sheet of paper and then extended it to Kerry. “That is your account information. You can expect the funds to be deposited on the first of every month. It’s an offshore account, so you don’t have to worry about claiming it on your taxes. That’s something that I’ll handle every year. All you have to do is figure out what you want to spend the money on. If everything goes smoothly, then you and I will never see each other again.”
Kerry wasn’t exactly sure how she expected this to play out, but she hadn’t expected this to go so fast.
“How is that possible?” Kerry asked. “How are you able to do all of this?”
Arthur looked like a video on a computer screen that was frozen, remaining completely still until he finally blinked and then shifted uneasily in his chair. “I’m afraid my methods are my business. As I’m sure, yours are your own.”
“So that’s it,” Kerry said. “
Arthur smiled again. “Yep. That’s it.”
Kerry couldn’t leave here without learning some type of information about Cutters. It was the only reason she had gone to Cutters in the first place to get paid. She needed something more substantial from this man than a vague mention of an offshore account.
“How long have you been working for him?” Kerry asked.
Arthur laughed nervously. “I usually don’t interact this long with the clientele. I actually have a very busy day ahead of me, so if you could see yourself out—"
“What does he have on you?” Kerry asked. “I mean, he has something on everybody, right?”
Arthur was very uncomfortable now, and he stood up from his chair, adjusting his tie and jacket as he did so. “I would like you to leave now, please.”
Kerry remained in her seat. “I know that you’re afraid. But I’m a cop.”
Arthur started to sweat. “Yeah, and that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
Kerry stood, staring up at the man, who looked like he should’ve been average height but was stretched out an extra foot. “I don’t need any information that will get you in trouble. I just need a lead to follow.”
Arthur shook his head and stepped around the desk heading for the front door. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Kerry was pushed from the office and back into the reception area where Arthur had opened the front door so Kerry would leave.
“Get out,” Arthur said.
Kerry shook her head. “I’m not leaving until I get the answers I’m looking for.”
Agitated, Arthur released the door, and it swung shut as he hurried back into his office. He reached for a phone in his drawer and dropped it with his fumbling, nervous fingers. Before he reached for it again, Kerry snatched it off the floor.
“Give that back,” Arthur said, shouting at her like a kid who’d had his ball taken away on the playground.
Kerry pocketed the phone. “What made you do all of this, huh? What did he do to you?”
Arthur stepped around the desk, and while he made a big show of acting angry, Kerry saw right through it. “If you don’t leave now, then I’ll… I’ll call for help!”
“You going to call the police?” Kerry asked. “No, you won’t call them. You’d call one of Cutters people. You’d tell them I’m here causing trouble, and then they’d come over and rescue you. Is that what you use them for? Protection?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you!” Arthur shouted. “Why are you doing this if you’re associated with him? If he goes down, then so do you. Once you’re in this life, there is no escape.”
“Yeah, that’s what people keep telling me,” Kerry said. “
Arthur raised his eyebrows and gestured Kerry to the door once more. “Well, you better go before I call those… people. They’re not anyone you want to mess around with, trust me.”
Kerry understood Arthur’s fear. She was afraid herself, afraid that she would get her family into trouble that couldn’t be undone. But she could use that fear against him. “And what do you think I’m going to tell them when they show up? Do you think I’m going to play nice all of a sudden? No. I’m going to tell them that you and I were planning something.”
Arthur remained skeptical. “They wouldn’t believe you.”
“Are you sure about that?” Kerry asked. “Because Cutters is the kind of person who doesn’t like to leave behind loose ends. Even if he isn’t sure that I’m telling the truth, he’ll make sure that you’re disposed of just to be safe.”
Arthur went pale, and Kerry knew that she was getting under his skin.
“Do you have any idea how many other accountants he probably has working for him?” Kerry asked. “I don’t know the exact number, but if you’ve seen some of the bigger accounts, then you must know you’re not the only one he has on the payroll.”
Arthur shook his head as he retreated and fell back into his chair. “You’re insane.”
“There is an easier solution to all of this,” Kerry said. “You can tell me what I need to know. I’ll make sure that it doesn’t blow back on you, and then we can both go about our days.”
Arthur bit his lower lip and shook his head. “How do you know it won’t come back to me?”
“I told you I’m a cop,” Kerry answered. “I can keep your name off the official report.” Kerry wasn’t actually sure if she could do this, and with her LOA from the department, she didn’t exactly have her badge, but she needed to keep Arthur calm.
Even though Arthur was terrified, Kerry saw his wheels turning. He was considering doing what she asked of him.
“What did he do to you?” Kerry asked.
Arthur grimaced. “The same thing everyone has ever done to me my entire life. He made me afraid. He saw what I could do—I’m a very talented accountant—and then threatened me. I wish I could say there was more, but a threat against my life is enough to convince me to break the law.” His eyes watered, and he wiped at his left eye before a tear could fall. “These people are murderers.”
“I know,” Kerry said. “That’s why I have to do something.”
Kerry waited patiently while Arthur considered his position. She wasn’t sure exactly what she would do if he didn’t agree to what she demanded, but she knew she couldn’t leave here empty-handed. The longer she was working for Cutters, the more difficult it would be to get out from under his thumb, and the more danger she would be placing on her family.
“I’ve been working for… him, for almost six years now,” Arthur said. “I’ve seen a lot of what he keeps on his books. Where he funnels the money. Strictly from an account basis, mind you. I’m not sure of the exact businesses or the people who own them. But his accounts are… extensive.”
“I get those accounts to someone in forensic accounting, and they’ll be able to do something with it,” Kerry said.
Arthur shook his head. “No. They won’t.” He placed his hands on the keyboard and opened up a file on his laptop. “I encrypt all of the information. Even if I were to download it for you, and you gave it to the account team, it still wouldn’t work.”
“They couldn’t hack it or something?” Kerry asked.
“The code was designed to collapse during any sign of a breach,” Arthur said. “It’s embedded in the software. And in addition, your forensic accountant’s computer would be destroyed.” He typed quickly, and Kerry couldn’t make sense of the numbers on the screen. “But I know of another account
ant whose codes we could use so this doesn’t trace back to me.”
“Who’s the other accountant?” Kerry asked.
Arthur paused and then looked up at Kerry as he smiled. “Me.”
Kerry frowned. “What?”
“I created another persona,” Arthur asked. “In case I ever needed a scapegoat. This guy has a social security number, bank accounts, owns a house that he pays a mortgage on, passports, the whole shebang.”
Kerry couldn’t even comprehend how this guy had done what he said he’d done, but if it got her the information she needed, then she wasn’t going to stop him. “Okay, then let’s do it.”
“I can’t access the guy’s account from this office,” Arthur said. “It could be traced back to me. I told you, I keep everything separate. I have a VPN link at my house that will show this character accessed his codes from his house in New York.”
“Okay, so let’s take a ride,” Kerry said.
“No.” Arthur shook his head. “I don’t know if he has people watching me.”
“You’re kidding,” Kerry said. “I think you might be giving yourself too much credit.”
Arthur stood. “And you’re not giving me enough. Were you not listening to everything I just told you? Cutters trusts me enough to handle his big money. He knows what I can do, and anyone in his organization who poses a threat is watched.”
“Then how do you know this place isn’t bugged?” Kerry asked.
“It is,” Arthur answered, and then he walked over to a lamp and carefully lifted the base of the lamp to reveal a small responder device inside. “I tapped into his frequency, and I have a pre-recorded message playing over the top of it to make sure they can’t hear what I’m really doing unless I want them to hear.”
Kerry arched an eyebrow. It was impressive, but it wasn’t evidence. “We don’t have any trust, you and me.”
“You can trust that I want to live,” Arthur said. “And you’re right; this life isn’t sustainable. Sooner or later, the other shoe always drops. If I can get out now, then I’ll take that chance. It’s the reason I created my scapegoat in the first place.” He returned to his desk and removed a sheet of paper from inside and scribbled down an address and a time. “Meet me there. I’ll have what you need. The rest is up to you.”