Dead Deceiver

by Victoria Houston

  “Sometimes. Grade school, yes. Different high schools because they kept moving Dick around. We were always in touch, though, through our sisters.” Charles sighed, “Even though he got kicked out a couple times for fighting, Dick pretty much breezed through high school taking shop classes and stuff. He’s good with his hands—can build anything.

  “I managed to finish.” Charles gave a sheepish look. “The only class I ever got a decent grade in was art—so these past few months have been really nice for me.” He spoke with regret as if knowing that his days as an artist were over.

  “Yeah, my brother is a lot smarter than me. A real whiz when it comes to numbers and computers.” Lew made a note on the pad in front of her. Osborne glanced over at Bruce who gave a slight nod though he didn’t take his eyes off Charles.

  Charles’ voice was subdued as he spoke, so much so that Osborne had to strain to hear him. It was as if he was confessing rather than describing his brother.

  “In our late teens, after high school—neither of us went to college—and when we were out on our own, I didn’t see Dick for quite a few years. I’ve always stayed in touch with my sisters, who told me he’d gone west where he got arrested for forging checks and hoodwinking whoever hired him—mainly hardware stores, I think. He’s been in jail or prison off and on for years. During one of his stints in prison, he studied accounting, which he’s good at. But,” Charles shifted in his chair, “his real talent is conning people … women especially.”

  Lew resisted the urge to comment: “Like you, bud.”

  “You can see from the divorce records you got there,” Charles waved a hand toward the documents on Lew’s desk, “that I’ve always stayed with low-paying jobs like being a sales clerk or stockperson in a warehouse. Construction, I’m good doing interior detail stuff, which is how I met Patience.”

  “Let’s go back to your remark that your brother is good at conning people,” said Lew. “Wouldn’t you say that you’re pretty good at that, too?”

  Charles’ face reddened. “See, I’m not proud of it, but ever since I was a kid, women have liked me.” He gave an apologetic look around the table. “Not sure why but something seems to work. “

  “Oh, I think you know why,” said Lew in a dry tone. “Let’s not kid anyone around here.” Osborne hadn’t heard her speak with such an edge before. He was impressed.

  Charles looked uncomfortable. “Well, three wives later, I’m ashamed to admit that I have behaved miserably with women who deserved better.” He shook his head.

  As if he had made up his mind about something, Charles straightened up in his chair. He looked at Lew and said, “I’m not a very nice guy, I will give you that. But Patience is my first real chance to change things. She loves me. And she is kind. I’ve never known a human being so … kind.”

  “Then why on earth would you steal from her?” asked Lew. “I admit I’m guessing here but from what we’ve learned about you and your own statement that she thought you had—makes me wonder if she was right.”

  “She was right. She was very, very right.” Charles sat silent and the people in the room waited. Finally he gave a weak chuckle, “I’ve been stealing from women all my life. I stole from my sisters before my parents died. I stole from my foster mothers, I stole from teachers.

  “Dick, too. We worked together. I would find some woman who had money, charm her, marry her—and get in touch with my brother. Dick would show up and together we would run a scam. He’s the one who knows how to get into bank accounts or fool around with checks. He would take the money, give me some and leave. It was a bad act but divorce isn’t jail time. I was able to persuade my ex’s that Dick forced me into taking the money so they never accused me of stealing—we’d divorce and I’d promise to pay it back. And, sometimes, I did pay some.”

  “You did this three times, you and Dick?” Lew tapped a pen on her desk as she spoke.

  “Well, there were a few girlfriends in there, too.”

  “And your brother had no problem taking advantage of the women? Obviously you didn’t, either,” said Lew.

  “I didn’t really love those women and he knew that. They were a convenient way to be safe, to have a decent life. After a while, I’d get bored or, you know, start up with someone else. Time to take the money and move on. Again, I’m ashamed to tell you these things but—”

  “Why would you let him do that? Why would you let him just come in and ruin your ‘decent’ life?” asked Lew.

  “He’s in charge. Always has been. He knows how to hurt me—I learned a long time ago not to let that happen.” Charles was silent. He cleared his throat. “When people tell you who they are, believe them. Dick told me once that he would kill me if I didn’t do what he said. He is always armed and, like I said, good with his hands.” Charles looked around the table: “If you don’t know people who can hurt you, count yourself lucky. Very lucky.”

  “So he showed up here in Loon Lake? To run the same scam?”

  “Worse than that. When he tracked me down here, which was a couple months ago, he needed a place to hide out for a while. Put together a new identity. Patience was out of town at a conference so I let him stay over at the house. That night we had a few drinks and I passed out. When I woke up the next morning, he was on her laptop in the den.

  “Right away he could see that I had accessed one of Patience’s accounts and moved some money.”

  “Ah-h-h,” said Lew, “so you did that on your own?”

  “I used it to buy the gold to make our wedding rings. I was going to pay it back.”

  “How much are we talking about?” asked Lew.

  “Ten thousand.”

  “And she didn’t know you took it?” Lew asked.

  “Not at first. Then her accountant called to ask what she spent the money on. I tried to convince her that the bank made an error. That was right when Dick got here.”

  “So he demanded some of the money?” asked Lew.

  “No, he didn’t want the money. Actually, he had plenty of cash on him. I have no idea from where but he said he was willing to replace the ten thousand before she could accuse me of taking it—in exchange for …” Charles voice trailed off. Then he lifted his head resolutely.

  “So he gave me the money, which I deposited right away. I was able to convince Patience that the fluctuation in the account balance was a computer glitch and when she saw that the money was in there, she believed me.”

  “I think she chose to believe you,” said Lew.

  “Yes. She gave me a break,” Charles voice was meek. “I don’t deserve Patience. I know that. Better to have this all over than have the one genuinely good person in my life get hurt. Dick’s spamming operation has already damaged the reputation of the college not to mention my wife. I’m willing to help put an end to this—but,” Charles leaned forward, voice hardening as he said, “you have to help me keep Patience safe.”

  “What exactly was the trade between you and your brother?” asked Lew. “Obviously you made it possible for him to hack in to the college system but how?”

  “I gave him access to her laptop. He figured out Patience’s password and got into the college network. All that spam that was sent from her email address—that was Dick. All the spam that’s being sent today? The identity theft? The stolen credit card numbers? He has pros helping him. He told me it’s an international operation and all he has to do is ‘keep the door open.’ The key to his whole operation is that the spam must come from a computer within the college system—that validates the offers, that’s why the spammers pay him. The fact that some of the offers came from the office of the college president—”

  “Like the discounts on textbooks?” asked Lew.

  “Right. For Dick—that was stealing candy from kids.”

  “So he uses the laptop in your home first, then various computers at the college,” said Lew, taking notes. “How often was he in your house?”

  “Patience’s schedule is very predictable. On the da
ys that Dick wanted access because he couldn’t get into the college for some reason, I would be sure to leave the doors unlocked. He would come by snowmobile, park back behind the garage—a trail runs back there—and let himself in. He never needed more than half an hour. But last week everything changed. May I have a glass of water, please?” Charles’ hands were shaking.

  “You know, don’t you, that everything I’m telling you now will very likely get me killed.”

  “Maybe not,” said Lew. “You give me enough information, I can lock your brother up before he hurts anyone.”

  “Yeah,” said Charles, “but he always gets out, doesn’t he.” He sipped from the glass of water that Osborne handed him then set it back on the desk, though his right hand shook so hard he almost knocked it over.

  “I know my faults but I also know that I have … great affection for this woman I’m married to. Not sure I know what love is—but I care so much for Patience. Once Dick started the spam operation and I saw the damage it was doing to the college and to Patience, especially to Patience … She has worked so hard to build that college into something that her father would have been proud of …

  Rocking back and forth, he spoke, looking as the memory alone might cause him to vomit any moment. Charles managed to get out the words, “I kicked him out last week.”

  “Dick,” said Lew.

  “Yeah, I told him enough was enough and he had to stop—he had to leave town. No more using my wife to run this horrible fraud. I expected a repercussion of some kind but for God’s sake, the man made over half a million!”

  Charles paused, head down, then said raised his eyes to Lew and said, “I thought I had talked him into taking it all the money and leaving. ‘Take it all, every penny,’ I said. ‘Just get the hell out of here—now, today. Please.’ I made it clear the money was all his. He seemed to agree.

  “Then the break-in while I was gone. He knew I was going to be away that weekend and he must have figured he had one more opportunity to make money. But when he got here and found that someone had substituted a different laptop and changed the password and email addresses … I’m sure he assumed it was me.”

  “I don’t understand why he would leave the obvious—that semen on the bedclothes?” asked Bruce. “He knows that’s easy to trace through DNA. And it is your house, after all. Your marital bed.”

  “I said my brother is smart, I didn’t say he’s brilliant. He was angry that I tried to stop him His revenge? Make me take the rap for his spamming fraud. That mess on our bed was disgusting but it would make it look like I never went to the conference in Milwaukee. Maybe leave Patience thinking I had had another woman in the house. Who knows—but he did it to make it look like I had been there.

  “With my record,” Charles pointed at the divorce documents, “who would believe me? Even if Patience did—no one else would. Why would they? I come across as a liar and a weirdo. One hell of an easy target and brother Dick knows it.”

  “Where is he right now? That’s the question,” said Lew.

  Charles stared at her. “I haven’t heard from him since the break-in but that doesn’t mean anything. I’ll do my best to help. I have to—for Patience.” He glanced over at Lew, “Am I under arrest this morning?”

  “You’re an accomplice to computer fraud,” said Lew. “I have to. Sorry.”

  “Would you let me tell Patience—in private?”

  “Of course,” Lew said. “But first, since we know your brother is entering the college at random times to work on various computers, we must stop him. Where can we find the man?”

  “I don’t know where he is living. In all these years, whenever he’s been around, he has never told me where he sleeps. Dick is always on the run from somebody. Half the time it’s the Feds, so he says it’s best if I don’t know. Hell, I don’t argue with the man—I don’t want to know.”

  “How does he get in touch with you then?” asked Lew.

  “Prepaid cell phones. Can’t be traced.”

  “We know all about that,” said Bruce in a frustrated tone. “At least around here that’s the case.”

  “Charles,” said Lew, “that art seminar you attended. Did you happen to buy any art supplies while you were there?”

  “I got some new oil paints. Why?”

  “Do you have the receipts?”

  “I do. Patience’s accountant insists I keep all those. For when my art sells,” he snorted. “Fat chance for that happening.”

  “Good, that’s all I need to know.” Charles gave her a curious look but Lew volunteered nothing more.

  Bruce slid a photo across the table. “Mr. Mason, is this your brother?”

  Charles looked down. “Yes, that’s Dick. Bigger than me, isn’t he? Always has been. Bigger, stronger. I’m the runt. But I am better looking, aren’t I?” He gave a sad smile.

  CHAPTER 28

  A short time later, after arranging for Patience and Charles to meet in private in the large conference room down the hall, Lew locked the door and returned to her own office.

  “Time to set a trap?” asked Osborne as she walked into the room where he and Bruce were waiting. A nervous worry gripped him as it always did when he knew Lew was about to put herself in danger.

  “Maybe,” said Lew. “Thanks to Beth and Dani, we know the pattern: even though he has never been seen, the network activity indicates that Dick Mason has been somewhere on the college grounds every other night. Assuming he keeps to that schedule, if I can have surveillance in place tomorrow night between nine and midnight—”

  “But you are so shorthanded,” said Bruce. “Why don’t I check with my boss and see if we can provide back-up from Lincoln County?”

  “No, but thank you for the offer, Bruce,” said Lew. “I want the FBI to take over ASAP. Now that we know who is behind the computer fraud—which really should have been their job—the least they can do is provide the manpower to nab the guy.

  “Given that he is a fugitive from a federal prison in California and likely other warrants have been issued for his arrest—dammit, this case belongs to them.

  “I’ve had it,” said Lew, slamming the file she was carrying down on her desk. “I’m tired of going with five hours of sleep every day and I’m tired of our department doing a half-assed job for the people we’re supposed to be working for. You know?”

  It wasn’t a question but a rhetorical demand and Osborne had a flash of sympathy for the FBI bureau chief who would be on the receiving end of her phone call.

  “As far as I’m concerned, screw their case in Ironwood, Michigan. It can’t possibly be as serious. This is a multi-million dollar scam happening under our noses. If the regional bureau won’t come through, I am prepared to go higher.”

  “You know, Chief Ferris, you are absolutely right,” said Bruce, looking up from where he was sifting through the legal documents sent over from Minneapolis. “Not only is this a federal case but I know several FBI officials to call if the regional guy blows you off.”

  “Good, but that doesn’t solve another problem I have with this case,” said Lew, striding back and forth with a grim look in her eye. “What if they agree to take over and take so goddamn long getting up here that Mason gets away? He has to know we’re closing in on him.”

  “Right again,” said Bruce.

  “That does it. I’m calling the regional bureau chief as soon as we’re finished here,” said Lew. “If he doesn’t have agents heading this way by morning—I’ll have his career.”

  “In the meantime, Dani and I are planning to monitor the network tonight. I don’t want to take the chance that Mason might change his routine and try to access one of the computers tonight.”

  “Is Todd available to help you out?” asked Osborne. “Because you need back-up if Mason shows. Let me stay with you.”

  “I’d offer, too” said Bruce, “but I don’t have the credentials unless you want to deputize me.”

  “Doc and I will be fine,” said Lew. “But thank yo
u for offering. I’ll check with the sheriff’s department but with the tournament main events scheduled for tonight, he may not be able to spare anyone. I know Todd isn’t available. I’ve got both Todd and Roger working twelve-hour shifts ending late tonight.”

  Lew checked her watch, “I hope Patience and Charles finish up soon. I want to call the FBI but not if I’m going to be interrupted—” At a knock on the door, she put a finger to her lips, then said, “Come in, please.”

  “Chief Ferris?” asked Patience, poking her head through the doorway, “do you have a minute?”

  “Certainly, come right in,” said Lew. “Would you prefer to meet in private?”

  “No,” said Patience, glancing over at Bruce and Osborne, “everyone here knows the situation. May I sit down?”

  Before Lew could answer, she took the chair in front of Lew’s desk. She seemed oddly composed: her features were relaxed and she walked with a new air of confidence.

  “First, I’d like to say that Charles has told me everything and—you may find this strange—but I’m relieved. I’ve known in my gut that something was really, really wrong but now that the worst is out in the open … Well, it helps to know the enemy, doesn’t it?”

  Patience offered a soft smile as she spoke. Her voice was calm, almost musical and she held herself with a grace that Osborne had not seen before.

  “I’m very sorry things are turning out this way,” said Lew.

  Patience raised a dismissive hand. “You know, I am convinced we can work this out. I’m willing to post whatever bail the judge feels appropriate so Charles can be released in my custody. He promises to stay with me—at least until we know what we both want.”

  “And he is cooperating fully with our investigation,” said Lew.

  “Charles may have made some foolish mistakes but he isn’t an out and out crook. After all, the money he took from me he was planning to spend on us. And he is a sweetheart. He isn’t domineering and cold like some men I’ve known.”

  As she spoke, Osborne thought of her father: big, bombastic, bullying.