James Ross - A Character-Based Collection (Prairie Winds Golf Course)

by James Ross

  The car continued across the parking lot and parked next to his pickup. Two men got out and approached J Dub. One of the men was black. He wore a shirt and tie. His size suggested that at one time he was involved in athletics. The other man was considerably smaller and white. He wore glasses, but also had on a shirt and tie. His look suggested that he had spent the greater part of his life reading books. His frail appearance was quite a contrast to the driver of the car. J Dub immediately thought that something was amiss. Golfers normally would not show up to play a round of golf dressed in a shirt and tie.

  “Are you J. W. Schroeder?” the black man asked in a voice that bellowed across the parking lot.

  “Sure am. I go by J Dub.”

  “My name is Thomas Jefferson Booker. I’m with the U. S. Department of the Treasury. I work for the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service,” the black man replied as he offered his hand.

  J Dub was caught off guard. He was apprehensive as he shook Booker’s hand.

  “This is my assistant, Daniel Hayden,” continued Booker. Hayden nodded and extended his hand.

  “We think that you might have some information that can throw some light onto some improprieties we’ve noticed,” Hayden said.

  “I’m not in trouble, am I?” J Dub probed. He was visibly shaken and nervous. His concern was understandable. Not every person is approached by the IRS in a dark parking lot.

  “No, not at all,” Booker replied. “We’d like for you to come in and answer a few questions for us.”

  “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” J Dub quipped.

  Booker smiled. “We did sound a little forward I suppose. It’s just that we’re in a little hurry. We’d like to get off of the parking lot before your partner shows up.”

  “He’s the person that we’d like to ask you questions about,” Hayden admitted.

  “You mean Lew?” J Dub asked.

  Both men nodded their heads.

  “Do I need a lawyer?” J Dub asked.

  “You are certainly entitled to one,” Booker stated.

  “At this stage of the investigation it probably isn’t necessary,” Hayden said. “We just want to ask you some basic questions.”

  “Can you be in our office sometime this week?” Booker asked.

  “I don’t see why not.”

  Booker reached into his pocket and handed J Dub a business card. “We’ll see you soon.”

  He and Hayden shook J Dub’s hand and turned to get into their vehicle. “And by the way, keep this in strictest confidence,” Booker concluded.

  J Dub watched the men drive off and made his only comment to himself.

  “Shit.”

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  J Dub was not too excited about how the day had started out. He immediately picked up the phone and called Curt. They agreed to a kitchen table meeting later that evening with Marcia in J Dub’s home.

  “I’m not real thrilled about all the nonsense that has been going on around here lately,” J Dub started.

  “He’s nothing but trouble,” Marcia warned.

  “Fill me in on the details,” Curt prodded.

  “It’s a series of things,” J Dub stated. His life had been going along in cruise control the last several years. He had learned to deal with Lew on a certain level. Now their relationship was being changed and a lot of uncertainties were being pushed to the forefront. “First I find out that he has been skimming all of our profits. Then he told me that we were being sued . . . .”

  “Whoa, what’s that all about?” Curt interrupted. That was news that he didn’t know about.

  “Lord if I know. He was real vague about it,” J Dub answered.

  “Did he say what it was about?” Curt probed.

  “No. Not really. Other to say that is was a misunderstanding. He thought that he could get it all taken care of, but it would have to be dealt with before I could buy the place,” J Dub admitted.

  “We need to find out what is going on with that,” Curt suggested.

  “Honestly, J Dub. I’ve been asking you for years now, just get away from the guy,” Marcia interjected.

  “We’re trying,” J Dub cried in a frustrated manner. “I can’t get up and walk away. We’ve got too much time invested in this deal.”

  “Sometimes I wonder if it’s all worth it,” Marcia muttered.

  “I can’t turn my back on darn near fifteen years. That’s too much time to walk away from something empty-handed,” J Dub pleaded. “And now I have this IRS stuff to deal with.”

  “What’s with that?” Curt wondered.

  “They want me to answer some questions.”

  “Did they say what about?”

  J Dub was exasperated. Too much negativity had surrounded him. “I don’t know. They said basic stuff.”

  “Somebody had to tip them off to something,” Curt surmised.

  “Who would have done that?” J Dub asked.

  “The likely candidates would be one of us,” Curt suggested.

  “Or, maybe Julie,” J Dub offered.

  “I said something to Paul,” Curt added.

  “What difference does it make?” Marcia exploded. “It might have been a simple thing that a computer could have kicked out!”

  “That’s true, too,” Curt conceded.

  “It really doesn’t matter,” J Dub rationalized. “The bottom line is that they want me to come in.”

  “Do you want a lawyer?” asked Curt.

  “They said it wasn’t to that point yet. It isn’t about me, supposedly,” J Dub said in a tone that indicated that he had calmed down a little.

  “Remember, if they start asking stuff that you don’t want to talk about, tell them that you want your lawyer with you,” Curt advised.

  “But I don’t even have a lawyer!” J Dub yelled as his emotions got wound up again.

  “Let me work on getting one for you,” Curt offered.

  Marcia’s ire was raised. “You know how lawyers are. I don’t want to start paying for one unless I have to. They charge you for every mille-second!”

  “I’m getting into this mess way over my head. Maybe it is getting to be the time where I need one,” J Dub admitted, ignoring Marcia.

  “They are a necessary evil,” Curt said. “A good one can be worth his weight in gold.”

  “Let me go in and see what they want,” J Dub stated.

  “And then we’ll have to finish our homework,” Curt added. “We’ll have to find out about the lawsuit, and the appraisal, and run title on the property, and talk to the banker, and deal with the IRS, and check with planning and zoning, and . . . .”

  “Stop! That’s enough! I don’t want to deal with any more right now!” J Dub was clearly annoyed. “Curt, I can only deal with one thing at a time.”

  Curt and Marcia exchanged glances. “That’s enough for one night,” Marcia concluded.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  On his next day off, J Dub pulled up in front of a building that had INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE in large, bold letters across the front. If there is one thing that scares half of the people in America, it is the IRS. J Dub was no exception, he was petrified.

  The environment that surrounds the IRS is impersonal. Long waits and slow responses drive the frustration level of dealing with the IRS to an all-time high. Once in the system, it is hard to get out. Those people who are unfortunate enough to deal with the IRS usually communicate with a computer halfway across the country. It is tough to get a straight answer or one you trust to be correct.

  The minute that J Dub walked through the door he felt the distant mood that permeated the walls. After going past a metal detector, he was led to a conference room where he was told to wait. The room itself was tiny and contained only a small conference table and chairs in the center.

  There were no windows, no pictures and nothing to read. The room looked and felt as if it was bugged. The walls were painted a stale color and the chairs were uncomfortable a
nd in need of re-upholstery. He was told to wait and that someone would be in to get him shortly.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the door cracked open and Booker poked his head through the opening. He had a smile on his face from ear to ear. “Don’t let this place scare you,” Booker joked.

  “That was an introduction that I wasn’t counting on,” J Dub said. Booker’s congeniality made him relax.

  “Come on into my office . . . Coffee?” Booker offered.

  “ . . . Why not? If I was at the course I would have had a cup by now,” J Dub said.

  Booker led J Dub into his office. It seemed as personable as any office he had ever visited. Plaques commemorating Booker’s accomplishments decorated the walls. Diplomas indicating his schooling were posted. Pictures of his wife and children were in abundance. The overall impression that J Dub felt was that Booker was a normal guy.

  Sitting in a chair across from Booker’s desk was Daniel Hayden. He looked much more frail and timid in the light of the room than he did on the dimly lit parking lot. His nerdy-looking glasses made him appear to be barely out of college. It almost seemed like he had taken an entry level position with the IRS. J Dub wondered what was going to happen.

  “You remember Daniel Hayden from the other morning, don’t you?” Booker asked. J Dub nodded as Hayden rose to shake his hand. “He and I have been partners for almost eleven years now,” Booker continued.

  That seemed hard for J Dub to fathom. Booker looked to be in his thirties. Hayden appeared to be much younger. Yet if they had been together for that length of time then they must have been about the same age.

  “Have a seat,” Booker encouraged.

  “I’m not in trouble, am I?” That was a question that J Dub repeated from the parking lot. He hoped that the answer would be the same.

  Booker shook his head. “No,” he said.

  “I hate to keep looking at you,” J Dub clamored, “but you look familiar.”

  Booker smiled. J Dub didn’t get a good look at him in the parking lot. It was too dark out that morning. It didn’t surprise Booker that J Dub started to figure out where they had met.

  “The brownies,” Booker said as his smile lit up the room. He beamed from ear to ear. “That was how we met and Lew is one of the reasons you’re here.”

  J Dub felt awful. He shook his head in disbelief. “ . . . With Coach!” J Dub exclaimed.

  “You got it.”

  “I had no idea,” J Dub said in total surprise. He had entirely forgotten that Julie had mentioned that Coach played golf with a guy that worked for the IRS. “It’s a small world, isn’t it?”

  “Are you starting to feel a little more comfortable?” Booker asked as he continued to kid J Dub.

  “Now I feel like it is old home week,” J Dub joshed. “How did you two meet?”

  “We played college ball together. Coach was our scoring forward and I was our point man.”

  “You guys had a good team.”

  “Oh, yeah. I think we were like eighty-eight and ten the three years that we played together,” Booker grinned with excitement.

  “Coach sure has developed some good high school squads,” J Dub said. He felt like he was in the pro shop talking sports with the guys. That was something he truly loved to do.

  “He knows what he’s doing. But more importantly, he’s a good man,” Booker explained. “If there is anything that those kids will learn from him, then it will be how to live life. Coach will teach them how to grow up and be productive members of society. He will show them how to become men.”

  “I felt so bad for you guys that day,” J Dub stated apologetically.

  Booker shrugged as if to let bygones be bygones. “You didn’t have anything to do with it. In fact, Coach had nothing but praise for you. He was very appreciative of the fact that you allowed teachers to have school passes. The reduced rates helped him out.”

  “Yeah, but that is some of the nonsense I’ve had to deal with. You know, from a rude partner,” J Dub continued. “You guys don’t come out that much anymore.”

  “Can you blame us?” Booker muttered. “You have to go where you feel welcome. He didn’t seem to want us over at his place.”

  “If I have anything to say about it, then you guys can come over whenever you feel like it. Next one is on me,” J Dub offered.

  “Thanks. I’ll mention it to Coach. He always had liked playing over there.”

  The tension in the room had subsided immensely. The conversation was about to continue in a different direction. “What else can I do for you fellas?” J Dub had gotten into a cooperative mood.

  Hayden was about to take a more active role in the conversation. He was going to go from a spectator to a participant. “We set up different models of different businesses around the country. That way we can program our computers to look for things,” Hayden started. “The golf business is so unlike any other business out there. We wanted to talk with you to get a better understanding of how the business side of golf works.”

  That was nothing for J Dub. He would be able to tell them exactly what they needed to know. He would be able to fall back on over fifteen years’ worth of experience. “That’s no problem.”

  Booker reinforced what Hayden said. “We noticed that you had the longest tenure of any golf-professional in town, especially at one place, and the fact that I knew you . . .”

  “ . . . It made sense for us to contact you and have you come in,” Hayden finished.

  “That’s nothing guys. I’d be more than happy to help.” J Dub didn’t really know if he would be helpful or if they were going to pump him for information about Prairie Winds, but at that point he didn’t care. His frustrations with Lew were hitting their peak.

  “How does the golf business work?” Hayden pried.

  “Truthfully, it’s a lot like a daytime bar,” J Dub said matter-of-factly. “You need to have your regular players during the week to cover expenses. The weekends take care of themselves. Instead of selling beer and other beverages, we’re selling people the right to walk over our property.”

  “How do you watch the cash?” Hayden’s interest was piqued.

  “Usually, it’s either Julie or I that is on the register. That was the main reason that Lew wanted me as his partner. He wanted to make sure that he had someone he could trust with the money, you know, someone that wasn’t going to steal from him,” J Dub rambled.

  Hayden continued his line of questioning. “What happens with the money?”

  “It gets counted and either Julie or I make the deposit into the bank,” J Dub answered.

  “We’ve noticed some improprieties with the money,” Hayden explained.

  “We’d like for you to fill in some of the blanks,” Booker added.

  Booker got up from behind the desk and walked to the door. “We’ve got a gal around here with brass kahunas.”

  Booker grabbed his crotch. “You’ve been in a locker room. You know what I mean.”

  Booker smiled from ear to ear once again. His grin was deviously contagious. “The U. S. Attorney would like to hear what you have to say.”

  Booker opened the door. Ellie Hackett and Peter Dooley entered. Hackett had been appointed the U. S. Attorney recently and her number one assistant was Peter. Peter appeared to be very clean cut. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was well-groomed, meticulous, and polite. “I’d like for you to meet Ellie Hackett and Peter Dooley,” Booker stated.

  J Dub wasn’t ready for this surprise. His eyes opened wide. He got the jitters. “Are you sure I’m not in any trouble?” J Dub looked squarely at Booker.

  “It’s okay,” Booker replied.

  “Anyway I’d like to continue with what we were talking about,” Hayden interjected. “The cash always went into the bank, right?”

  J Dub nodded. “That’s correct.”

  “Lew never took any money and put it in his pocket, did he?” Hayden wasn’t going to let go of the cash angle of questioning.<
br />
  “No, he never did that. I take that back, I saw him put twenty bucks in his pocket once when he couldn’t figure out how to use the register,” J Dub reflected.

  “Where does all of your money go?” Hayden asked.

  “That’s a good question. In fact, that has been a topic in recent weeks. I carry the option to buy the business and we’ve been going through the books.”

  “ . . . And?” Booker wondered out loud. “Was anything out of the ordinary?”

  “We discovered that one of the expenses was made up,” J Dub said.

  “That is one of the blanks that we needed you to fill in,” Hayden admitted. “It seems that your business has expenses that are running twelve to fifteen percent above what a normal golf course company operates within.”

  “Is it that much?” J Dub asked naively.

  Booker nodded his head. Hayden nodded his head. Both felt the disappointment that poured from J Dub’s body.

  “We’d like for you to continue to help us. We’d like for you to provide more information,” Ellie stated in an attempt to break the silence in the room.

  “I definitely would want assurances that I am safe from any wrongdoing,” J Dub offered.

  “That can be agreed to. We don’t want you,” Peter pledged.

  J Dub eyed Booker. He turned to Ellie and commented, “My focus is buying the golf course. That is my livelihood to support my family. If I help you and Lew finds out, then I can kiss the golf course goodbye.”

  “Swell guy, isn’t he?” Ellie said. She had not been too fond of the guy since her previous investigation of him.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Curt and Marcia were ready to question J Dub later that evening. They met around the kitchen table as they had in the past. “What are they after?” Curt asked right off the bat.

  “They just wanted a more clear understanding of how the golf course business worked,” J Dub explained. He wanted to downplay the meeting. “They told me that they wanted me to provide information to help them develop a model for golf course operations around the country.”