Revenge Of The CEO: White Collar Crime Financial Thriller

by Peter Ralph

  “Raj.” She sobbed, throwing her arms around him. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Why? It is not your fault, my little sister.”

  “How..how did the drugs get in your luggage?”

  “They were planted in one of my suit coats. It was most certainly one of my servants.”

  “But Chan Chun Hee has been your valet for more than ten years and he’s so loyal. Surely he wouldn’t have done such a thing?”

  “The gangs in Singapore are very vicious and persuasive. What if they threatened him and said that they were going to kill his wife or children if he didn’t do what they wanted?”

  “That is terrible. How are you going to clear your name?”

  “My people in Singapore will track down the culprits. I’ll soon know who planted the heroin.”

  “How are you going to get out?”

  “Don’t worry. My lawyers are applying for bail as we speak so expect to see me for dinner tonight.” Raj smiled.

  “God, if only I hadn’t asked you to come down, you wouldn’t be in this mess. It’s all my fault.”

  “No, it’s not. It’s the work of a very evil man.”

  “I’m expecting Jack to checkout of the drug rehabilitation clinic anytime now,” Jasmine said, her face drawn and her brow furrowed in a way that Raj had never seen before. “I’m sorry. You have more than enough of your own troubles now.”

  “Don’t worry about Jack. He won’t be checking out until he’s completely clean. I hope he isn’t, but you do realize that he may be addicted for life.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Hollinghills are very influential, and I’ve instructed them to ensure that Jack is not released. If there’s a problem I’ll buy the clinic so you have nothing to worry about. You should also know that I’ve organized around the clock security for you and the boys.”

  “You’re so calm. How can you be so unflustered at a time like this?”

  Before he could answer one of the policemen said, “That’s time.”

  “I’ll see you tonight,” Raj said as he was led away to the cells.

  Aspine spread the morning newspapers across his dining table and gloated. The Herald-Sun had gone with the headline Drug Mr Big Apprehended and The Age, Beagled, with a photo of the dog and a photo of Raj George below it. His lawyers, Hollinghills, one of the most powerful and influential legal firms in the land, had made an urgent application for bail, but the judge had refused and instead remanded Raj in custody until Monday.

  I wonder how you’re going to like five nights in the cells you bastard. And what are you going to tell the court? ‘I framed this guy 10 years ago and now he’s framed me as pay back.’

  Aspine flopped on the couch and flicked the television on. There was a stern looking woman being interviewed on one of the morning shows. “We have to send a message to these drug dealers,” she thundered. “God knows how many young lives a hundred grams of heroin would’ve ruined. It’s time we got tough and adopted the sentencing procedures of our Asian neighbours. If this was Singapore, this piece of vermin would be looking at the gallows.” Aspine rolled over on his back and immersed himself in the warm glow coursing through him.

  There’s not a drug in the world that could put me on a greater high.

  Fiona Jeczik read the same newspapers which confirmed what she already knew – it was Douglas Aspine who had brought her, Raj, and the others down. Two questions played on her mind. Was he in Australia and had his quest for revenge been satisfied? She was almost certain he was back and revelling in the havoc he was wreaking. If that was so, and he could be found, he could be back in Singapore and in Changi in no time at all. She doubted his desire for vengeance had been sated and her biggest fears were for Jasmine. His hate for her must know no bounds, and Fiona thought murder was not beyond him. There was one man who could stop him and put him back in Changi where he deserved to be. She punched Bill Muller’s number into her mobile and waited for the gravelly voice to answer.

  “Bill, it’s Fiona. We have to stop this bastard. I’m really scared for Jasmine.”

  “Don’t worry about her. Raj has security guards looking after her twenty-four hours a day.”

  “How do you know? How could he have organized that from a cell?”

  “I went out to the airport yesterday to warn him to be careful, only to see him being carted off to police headquarters. I met his lawyer and Jasmine there. The lawyer told her that Raj had instructed him to make sure that she and kids were protected around the clock. The security firm they’re using is top notch, and Aspine won’t get close to any of them.”

  “That’s a relief, Bill. Okay, how do we find him and make sure he’s incarcerated again?”

  “Fiona, we don’t even know he’s here. He could be sunning himself on a beach in Hawaii, orchestrating everything from there.”

  “You don’t believe that. He’s close by all right, watching and relishing the pain he’s creating.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right but that doesn’t make the job of finding him any easier. I’m guessing he’s had extensive plastic surgery. If I’m right, how do we go about identifying him, let alone finding him?”

  “You’re the detective,” Fiona said with a weak laugh. “Work it out, and Bill, work it out in a hurry.”

  “We need to have a meeting. Maybe someone has seen something or perhaps even seen him, but paid no attention to it. Any clue would help. Have you spoken to Harry Denton yet?”

  “I was meant to see him yesterday for coffee but he cancelled. Mary left him, and he was too distraught to talk. I’m seeing him this afternoon.”

  “Did you tell him about Aspine?”

  “No, he was crying and it didn’t seem appropriate.”

  “He must know.”

  “I doubt it. I get the feeling that he’s not reading newspapers or watching television these days.”

  “Poor bugger. Aspine really done him over.”

  “He’s done us all over, Bill.”

  Chapter 43

  ASPINE ENTERED THE CROWDED bar of the Birmingham and saw Mick McHugh, cold beer in hand, surrounded by a small group of acolytes hanging on his every word. Seeing Aspine, he shouted, “Over here,” and then looking at the men around him. “Okay, you lot can fuck off. I’ve got some business to attend to.”

  “Hello, Mick.” Aspine grinned, extending his hand.

  “I don’t think I’ve seen a happier man this year. Chin really delivered for you, and then you got lucky when the judge knocked back that prick’s bail application. You know he’ll make bail on Monday, don’t you.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because they’ll either find the prick who planted the shit or they’ll get someone to say he did.”

  “Get someone to say he did?”

  “Yeah, imagine some poor bastard up in Singapore with half a dozen kids being offered a million to say he planted the heroin in the arsehole’s suit coat, with a guarantee that he won’t do any more than ten years. Do ya think he’s gonna say no? Do you think that if he says he wants two mil that the prick’s going to haggle? Christ, he’s a billionaire. A few mil is chicken shit to him.”

  “Okay, let’s say he makes bail. Can he go back to Singapore?”

  “Nah, a condition of bail will almost certainly be the surrender of his passport. If the Director of Public Prosecutions doesn’t drop the ball, he’ll be here until his trial.”

  “Drop the ball?”

  “Yeah, that smartarse mob of lawyers he’s using will be going all out to prove that there’s no case to answer and that he shouldn’t even be charged.”

  “Fuck, I don’t want that.”

  “Why? He’s almost certainly going to get off when it gets to trial.”

  “I know, but the longer he’s here the more chance there is for his enemies to undermine and work against him in Singapore. They’ll already be shafting him.”

  “Enemies? What enemies?”

  Aspine laughed. “For
someone who knows so much, Mick, you can be awfully naïve. You don’t get to be a billionaire without burning a lot of people along the way. They’ll be coming out of the woodwork in Asia, doing everything they can to hurt him. The longer he’s stuck down here, the better.”

  Mick McHugh didn’t take kindly to being called naïve. “Ya just got fucking lucky, Einstein. The media’s all over it and it’s an election year. The government’s not gonna let him walk without a trial. Are ya going to hang around for it?”

  “No, Raj George will never attain the status and power that he once had, and we’ve ruined the lives of the others. I’ll stay for another few weeks and that’ll be it. Job done. If I’m really lucky that bitch’s son will be addicted for life.”

  “Do ya want me to fix ya up with a genuine Australian passport before ya go?”

  “I think I’m okay in that area.” Aspine grinned. “Besides, I’m not sure how genuine it would be or whether I could afford it.”

  “Oh, it’s genuine. I buy the passports and driving licences off the bums sleeping in parks and under bridges. They’ll never use them again. I pay a grand for a passport and five hundred for a licence. I gotta tell ya, identity theft is the fastest growing area of my business,” McHugh said, snapping his fingers at the barman for another beer. “If they don’t have a passport I get one of my lawyers to accompany them to the Passports Office and help fill out the application form. I pay the bums’ fees and flip them a grand.”

  “Yeah, but what happens when they die?” Aspine asked. “The office of Births, Deaths and Marriages notifies immigration and the police department. The poor bastard who’s been using the dead guy’s identity is screwed.”

  McHugh laughed. “That’s right, but what if they die without being identified? Half the bums have no form of identification when they cark it, or they’ve been hiding out and using false names. No one can identify them and they remain as John Does for eternity. Births Deaths and Marriages can’t notify immigration or the police.”

  “Jesus, the buyer has just bought himself an identity for life. How many sets of documents for John Does do you have?”

  “At the last count, around six hundred. I’m sure I can fit ya to a set of documents, and all ya have to do is adopt the stiff’s name and perfect his signature. I told ya they were genuine.”

  “How much?”

  “Fifty thousand and I’ll need a photo,” McHugh said, pulling out his iPhone.

  “Yeah, fix me up with a set of documents. I’ll do the transfer tonight.”

  I’m getting ripped off but a genuine Australian passport is worth that to me. I’ll never have to worry about customs and immigration again.

  “That’s a wise decision and as a gesture of goodwill, I’ve got a little present for ya.”

  “Mick, I’ve got no more money. I’ve paid you more than a mil and whatever you’ve got planned, I can’t afford it.”

  “I said it was a present.” McHugh scowled. “If ya gonna be like that ya can fuck off.”

  “Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Aspine said.

  “So ya bloody should be. I thought you might like to spend a night with Candy on me, but if ya’d rather be smartarse I’ll just forget it.”

  “I said I was sorry, and that’s very generous of you, Mick.”

  “Too bloody right it is,” McHugh said, sliding a card for The Executive Suite across the table. “Don’t forget she’s a major asset, so make sure there’s no rough stuff. I’d hate to have to break yar legs.

  Chapter 44

  IT WAS A HOT SUMMER’S day and Fiona Jeczik sat under a large umbrella out the front of a popular High Street Road coffee shop. Harry Denton had been reluctant to meet with her, but couldn’t refuse when she chose a location so close to his home. An old hunched-over man shuffled along the footpath and it was only when he was a few metres away that she saw his distinctive blue eyes.

  “Harry,” she said, standing and pulling a chair out for him. “Let’s get you out of the sun or would you rather go inside?”

  “Hello, Fiona,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “I’m fine out here and I can use the fresh air. If you can call it fresh. Sorry, I can’t stay long. I’m expecting a phone call and have to get home. You said you have something urgent to discuss with me.”

  “Have you been reading the newspapers or watching the news on television?”

  “That’s a strange question. No, I stopped reading and watching the rubbish that passes for news after the media savaged Mary.”

  “You’d better order a black coffee, Harry, because I’m going tell you a few things about our friend, Douglas Aspine, which might come as a bit of a shock,” Fiona said, beckoning to a waiter.

  “What about him?”

  In the next ten minutes Fiona related all of the strange events that had occurred in the past few months and Bill Muller’s involvement.

  Harry didn’t say a word but his mouth was agape. He then told Fiona of the events that had befallen Mary and how she had left him. “But how did the cash get in the freezer? Someone would’ve had to have broken into our home.”

  “Bill Muller said that his sources told him that Mick McHugh is somehow involved, and if that’s right, your house might well have been broken into. To me it smells of Aspine,” Fiona said.

  “Mary was telling the truth. Her memory wasn’t failing her. God, what have I done?” Harry moaned. “I should’ve believed her.”

  “Don’t beat up on yourself. Your reaction was normal. It was a very cunning scheme.”

  “Yes, but if I’d trusted her, she’d still be with me.”

  “Once she knows what happened, she’ll come back, Harry. It’ll be just like it was before Aspine implemented his rotten schemes.”

  “She might come back, but it’ll never be the same,” Harry said, hanging his head. “Do you know where Aspine is?”

  “No, he could be orchestrating this whole thing from a safe haven overseas.”

  Harry paused. “No way. I know him and how he thinks. He’s here and he’s watching the pain unfold in front of him. That’s his style. Sorry, I have to fly,” he said, giving her a peck on the forehead. “I don’t want to miss Mary’s call if she phones. Thanks, Fiona. It’s a relief to know what really happened and that Mary’s okay. If only I’d believed her.”

  Fiona watched as Harry walked away and thought she noticed a little bounce in his step.

  Aspine was euphoric after his meeting with Mick McHugh and phoned The Executive Suite on the drive back to his apartment. The receptionist knew who he was the minute he said his name. “Mr Adderley, we’ve been expecting your call,” she said. “When would you like to see Candy?”

  “Tonight at eight o’clock works for me.”

  “Hold on, I’ll just check her availability.” A few seconds later she said, “Yes, that’s fine, Candy’s looking forward to meeting you.”

  “My address is …”

  “We know where you reside, Mr Adderley.”

  I never told Mick where I lived. He must have had me followed. I won’t be here for much longer, but I need to be careful with him.

  Bill Muller was anxious to setup a group meeting, but Jasmine wouldn’t hear of it until Raj was released and could also be there. Muller didn’t say anything but was far from convinced the court would grant Raj’s bail application. He was more concerned about Aspine becoming violent and looking to harm or kill Jasmine or her children. She told him not to worry, and that Raj had security guards looking after them. “Arrange your meeting for Monday night at my home,” she said. “Raj will be free by then.”

  “Sure,” he replied, no less concerned. Aspine by the actions he’d taken against Jack and Raj had not tried to hide his involvement. He was not the type of man to anonymously seek revenge; he had to let them know it was him. If Muller was correct, Aspine would now move to the fear phase of his vengeance, or perhaps something more deadly. He was not convinced that the security guards would be smart enough to protect Jasmine and her family. I
n all his years as a policeman he’d never met anyone as Machiavellian as Douglas Aspine.

  Chapter 45

  CANDY ARRIVED AT ASPINE’S apartment right on time, carrying a small overnight bag. She was wearing a sleeveless, light blue cotton dress with matching sandals. Aspine thought that the photos he had seen didn’t do her justice. The blueness of her unblinking eyes was haunting and he found it hard to hold her gaze. “Hi, Charles. I’m Candy,” she said, holding out her hand before quickly withdrawing it.

  “What’s wrong?” Aspine asked.

  “We’re in the middle of a heat wave and you’re getting around in gloves. What’s your story?”

  “It’s nothing. I had my hands and lower arms mangled in an accident and I always wear gloves when I go out. I forgot to take them off when I got back,” he said, peeling one glove off.

  She took his hand and turned it over. “It’s not all that bad,” she said. “It’s only the palms and fingers that are severely scarred. It must have been terribly painful.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” he said. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  She laughed. “You don’t want to talk about it. That’s fine. Do you have sparkling mineral water?”

  “Sure,” he shouted from the kitchen. “How do you know Mick McHugh?”

  “I don’t really. I’ve met him a few times and I know he owns the agency, but I really have nothing to do with him.”

  “I’m confused. Who’s your boss then?”

  “A supervisor runs the agency and he’s my boss.”

  “Yeah, but if you had a falling out with your supervisor you’d complain to Mick.”

  “No, there’s a manager in charge of the escort agencies. He visits a few times a month. If I had a gripe, I’d let him know, but I’ve never had one.”

  “Far out,” Aspine said, flopping on the sofa. “Mick runs the agencies just like you’d run a corporation. You might be interested to know that he describes you as one of his major assets.”