by Joe Nobody
The tension in Zach’s expression eased and the model continued with her story. “Finally, yesterday, the once-again friendly Mr. Carson contacted me personally. I felt so much better when he said, ‘Come into the branch tomorrow, and I’ll see if we can work something out.’”
“Let me guess,” Zach interrupted. “He tried to talk you into some sort of kinky, degrading sexual conduct. Probably something very nasty?”
“No,” Cheyenne replied from the backseat. “Worse … I think.”
“Don’t tell me you think he has chopped up bodies in his freezer,” Sam questioned, clearly growing upset. “I’ll shoot off his balls if he tried to hurt you.”
“Before I went to the meeting, I downloaded an app for my smartphone,” Chey stated with pride. “I recorded the whole conversation, and now I’m glad I did.”
Digging around in her pocket, Cheyenne produced her phone. After clicking a few buttons, the sound of footsteps came from the tiny speaker.
Listening intently, the two rangers heard Chey being shown to Mr. Carson’s office. He voiced a friendly, professional greeting and then asked the aspiring model to take a seat. The entire conversation was clear as a bell.
“I’ll come right to the point,” the man boomed. “You’re in default on your loan, and an avalanche of bad things are about to fall on your head. You seem like a nice girl with a great future ahead of you. I’d hate to see this situation spiral out of control and destroy your life. We need to address this immediately, before the fees do any more damage. As of today, Miss, we need $4,750 to bring your account current.”
“I’m only late a few days. I can’t believe the late fees are that high,” Chey pleaded on the recording. “Look; if I couldn’t come up with $3,500, you must realize there is just no way I can give you $4,750. I swear I didn’t understand what I was getting into.”
There was a pause, Zach visualizing the older man rubbing his chin in thought as he eyed Chey’s spindly legs and short skirt. A moment passed before he replied. “I feel somewhat personally responsible for all this. Perhaps I should have explained the terms of the loan in more detail. Regardless, I can’t have a black mark like this on my record here at Trustline if you default. It would ruin my career. So I’m willing to violate one of my strictest rules and get involved personally.”
Zach and Sam exchanged eye rolls, the senior ranger whispering, “Here it comes.”
“Go on,” came Chey’s timid reply.
“I have other clients … prominent, powerful, men who would pay fantastic sums to enjoy the companionship of a beautiful woman such as yourself. I’m sure the rewards would far, far exceed your monthly loan commitments.”
The next section of the recording made it obvious Chey was growing angry. “You want me to sleep with men for money? So I can pay a loan? Are you crazy? What kind of woman do you think I am?”
“Oh, no.… Please don’t misunderstand my meaning. The men of whom I speak are ultra-wealthy, very sophisticated gentlemen who respect and appreciate the company of elite, young women. They live in exotic locations, travel on private planes, own massive yachts, and have properties all over the globe. I’m sure they would be willing to help their friends with small personal debts, such as yours.”
Now skeptical, Chey wasn’t buying it. “If these guys are such wealthy jet-setters, why do they need to pay for anybody’s company? It would seem like there would be lines of girls wanting to hang around and bask in the opulence.”
“And that’s the very problem my clients experience,” Carson shot back. “They have to be careful of blackmailers, gold-diggers, and other nefarious types. They would prefer an established, professional relationship that was discreet and worry-free. The man I’m thinking of is someone of importance in a foreign government. I am sure you can understand his need to keep his activities out of the public eye.”
Sam stared at Zach, surprise and exasperation commanding her expression. “He’s not a pervert. He’s a pimp. White slavery? Kidnapping?”
“I didn’t see that coming,” the senior ranger admitted.
“I don’t know about this,” drifted Cheyenne’s voice from the recording. “I need to think about what you’ve said. Where would I be going? For how long?”
Zach’s attention pegged at the banker’s next words. “The man I have in mind is in Mexico at the moment. His yacht is docked there for the next few weeks,” Carson stated. “I’m actually expecting him to visit our area very soon. Perhaps I could arrange a lunch or dinner between the two of you?”
“Mexico? Private planes? Government official?” Sam whispered. “Who the hell is this guy doing business with?”
Carson continued before Zach could respond. “Please, please think it over before the bank’s collection efforts grow in intensity. And I must insist that you keep our conversation absolutely confidential. I’m going out on a huge limb here, and I’d like to keep my job.”
“Okay,” Chey responded. “I don’t think this is for me, but I’ll call you in the next few days – one way or the other.”
The playback ended.
“And that’s why I called you, Zach,” Chey said. “This whole thing is so creepy. Is it legal for a bank to do that?”
Zach rubbed his chin, “Actually, I’m not sure. Technically, he wasn’t trying to get you to have sex for money, nor did he make you a specific offer. Even if I stretched it a bit and said he was soliciting your services, the fact that the proposed activity would be outside of Texas serves to limit what we can do. First things first. I need a copy of that loan agreement.”
Chey dug around in her purse, producing the original. “Here, you can make a copy and give it back to me when you’re done.”
As Zach began thumbing through the thick document, his girlfriend’s ire continued to build. “I have this strong urge to puke and take a shower. I just can’t figure out which I want to do first. What a slime ball. Can you just shoot him for me, Sam?”
“I can’t think of anything else that would pleasure my trigger finger more,” the lady ranger replied with an evil smile. “I wouldn’t lose a minute’s sleep.”
After pocketing her cell phone, Cheyenne leaned forward to give Zach a peck on the cheek. “I need to wash off the sleaze that reeked from that guy,” she stated. “After you peruse those documents, call if you need me to do something else. I gotta tell you, though … I’m not going to sleep very well tonight.”
“Where are you staying?” Zach asked, now concerned about the lady. She was trying to be brave, which warmed his heart, but he was still worried.
Chey told Zach the name of her hotel. “I’ve rescheduled today’s photoshoot for in the morning, and then I’ll be checking out and heading to Dallas. Let me know what you think I should do.”
The two rangers watched her leave, both silent in their thoughts.
Zach set the contract aside. The ranger was clearly troubled. “This runs a lot deeper than we thought. I’m not sure whether Mr. Carson was more offensive as a pervert and potential serial killer or as a pimp. Either way, we have to take this guy down.”
Sensing what Zach was thinking, Sam tensed. “You can’t use her to get at this Mr. Carson. It’s just too dangerous, Zach. We all know that if Chey crosses Texas’s southern border, no one will ever see her again. They’ll use her up in a few months and then kill her,” Sam stated with a slight shiver.
“It’s more than that,” Zach said with a dismissive wave. “If there is foreign involvement of this sort with our banks, then we’ve got serious issues that no one is aware of. We need to talk to the major about this.”
Zach strolled into ranger headquarters on a mission, his partner struggling to keep up with his lengthy stride. The place was bustling more than usual, the men and woman of the organization seeming to walk with a bit more purpose, their expressions and greetings shorter than normal.
“Everyone here seems to be wound up tighter than a $3 watch. I haven’t seen so many grim faces since the president announced
that the rangers were going to let females join the ranks,” Sam noted after the elevator door had closed.
“If they’re running into the same brick walls that we are, I don’t blame them,” Zach replied.
They exited into another busy corridor, Zach motioning toward an unmarked door down the hall. “Let’s see if our legal consultants can make heads or tails of Chey’s loan agreement. After that, we’ll go visit the major.”
“You’re the senior officer,” Sam nodded. “Lead and I will follow.”
“Yeah? What if I have to go to the men’s room?” he quipped.
Ignoring the question, Sam made for the door and entered a small reception area. A middle-aged woman sat behind the government-issued desk. “Good morning. How may I help you?”
“We’re here to see Tony,” Zach answered with a polite smile. “I have an agreement I was hoping he could review.”
“And you are?” the receptionist asked.
“Rangers Bass and Temple,” Zach replied, flashing his ID.
The screener reached for the large, multi-buttoned phone beside her. After a quick, hushed conversation, she pushed back her chair and rose. “Please follow me.”
The two lawmen were escorted through an inner door, finally arriving at a small office that seemed completely overwhelmed with papers, folders, case files, and at least three laptop computers. A small, balding head appeared from behind the mess, examining the two rangers through thick glasses.
With a smile and extended hand, a short man traversed around the canyon of documents. “Ranger Bass, how are you?”
“I’m doing well, Tony. Let me introduce you to my new partner, Ranger Temple,” Zach said, watching the two exchange a polite greeting. He then continued, “Sam, Tony is one of the best legal minds around. He’s actually with the Attorney General’s office, but graces us gun-toting primitives with his brilliance often enough that the colonel gave him an office over here.”
Tony waved off Zach’s compliment but didn’t offer any verbal argument. “What do you have for me, Zach?” the lawyer asked. “I don’t mean to be short, but we’re completely buried right now with everything that’s going on.”
“Aren’t you always trying to fit a size 10 head in a size 8 hat?” Zach teased, producing Cheyenne’s loan agreement.
Pushing his spectacles up his nose, the attorney ignored the remark and began reading the contract. Sam noted the man didn’t invite them to sit, and then realized it was probably because all of the chairs were occupied with paperwork of one form or another. The lady ranger had little doubt Tony wasn’t a man known for social graces.
It soon became obvious, however, that the lawyer could read like a demon.
Sam watched as he flipped the pages at an astounding pace, the pudgy fellow’s lips mumbling in a low whisper as he consumed paragraph after paragraph of the legal gobbledygook.
A few minutes later, Tony peered up and gave Zach a wide-eyed, blank stare. “This is very good,” the attorney commented.
“How so?” Zach inquired, not expecting such a reaction.
Again, pushing his constantly wandering bifocals back up his nose, Tony responded, “A real pro wrote this.” Then, thumping the pages with the back of his hand, he continued, “From a purely legal perspective, I’m actually a little jealous.”
Sam was puzzled. “So you’re saying there’s nothing in that agreement that violates the Republic of Texas banking laws?”
“What banking laws?” Tony grunted, handing the contract back to Zach. “All of the old U.S. FDIC rules, banking regulations, and consumer protection acts have expired. They’ve not been replaced by the legislature … just yet.”
It was Zach’s turn to sound surprised, “So a bank can do whatever it wants?”
Tony shook his head, “No, not anything. As a state, Texas had reasonably defined volumes of business and contract law, as well as a significantly detailed history of court decisions and interpretations. All of that case law is still on the books, and it applies to banks, as well as car dealerships, and even verbal contracts between two individuals. What our legislators haven’t implemented are the regulations and codes that apply specifically to financial institutions or their interactions with the public at large.”
“So any bank in Texas can fleece its customers, and there’s nothing that can be done about it?” Sam asked, her voice sounding incredulous.
Tony pointed to the documents now in Zach’s hand. “The bank’s note is a masterpiece of legal doublespeak, shadowy clauses, and dependent requirements. I’m not sure how much could have been done even if the old rules and regulations were still in play. Regardless, I don’t see anything in there that warrants the attention of the Attorney General. Sorry, Rangers, but that’s just the way it is. The people of Texas wanted less government. There’s a price to be paid for having fewer regulations or agencies to enforce them.”
Zach went on to explain Mr. Carson’s offer for services to be rendered.
“Now, you’re going in a completely different direction. Like the loan agreement, you’re venturing into some very complex legal waters. Prostitution is still illegal in the republic, but it doesn’t sound like you have a clear-cut case of an offer to engage, an agreement to engage, or actual engagement in sexual conduct in exchange for a fee.”
“So we’re this ones getting screwed?” Zach stated, a look of disgust on his face despite the pun.
Tony sensed the frustration in the ranger’s voice. Pulling a pen from his pocket, he scribbled a name and phone number on a sheet of scrap paper. “Call this number and ask to speak with Cecil. He works for the comptroller’s office, auditing the banks for tax purposes. He might be able to shed more light on Trustline or its affiliates. That’s about the best I can offer with what you have right now.”
A minute later, the two rangers were back in the corridor, both of them frowning over what they had just learned. “That sucked,” Zach offered.
“No shit,” Sam spat. “What were you saying earlier about moving to the United States? I don’t know which is worse – machine guns in the street or banks that can rip out your heart without fear of repercussions.”
Nodding, Zach’s next statement deepened the issue. “So now, the real question is do we go to the major with this?”
“It doesn’t sound like we have a lot to go on. Other than Mr. Carson’s mention of Mexican clients, there’s not a whole lot of justification for our sticking our noses in. There have to be thousands of wealthy individuals matching the banker’s description who aren’t part of some criminal apparatus.”
Rubbing his chin, Zach deliberated, “Still, the part about Carson’s client coming to town is one hell of a coincidence. Don’t you think? My gut says we need to dig a little deeper into our friendly financier's affairs.”
Sam shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. Is this one of those situations where it’s better for us to follow our instincts and ask for forgiveness later?”
Zach didn’t seem to have an answer. “We got in a lot of trouble for not requesting backup on that last case. Not to mention the fact that Buck ended up dead. On the other hand, if Major Putnam orders us to cease and desist, I’ll be leaving Chey hanging and ignoring the only possible lead we’ve got right now.”
“You’re the senior officer,” Sam repeated. “Lead and I will follow.”
Shaking his head, Zach sighed. “Somehow, I feel like I’m taking you someplace a whole lot worse than the men’s room.”
Chapter 5
The two rangers left Austin, Zach eyeing the phone number Tony had provided.
“Are you going to call?” Sam inquired from the passenger seat.
“Sure. Why not? How can it possibly make things any worse?”
Zach dialed the number, putting his cell phone on speaker so Sam could hear. “Texas Department of Treasury. This is Cecil. How may I help you?”
After identifying himself, the ranger quickly explained the reason for his call as well as Tony’s recommendation.
Cecil was more than familiar with Trustline. “This isn’t the first I’ve heard of Mr. Carson and the branch in Abilene. I’ve spoken with police officers from both El Paso and Lubbock in the last year. If you hold on a minute, I’ll get you their names.”
Zach threw his partner a questioning glance, not really sure where the bank inspector was going. A minute later, Cecil was back on the line, reading the names of two police officers and rattling off their phone numbers. Sam jotted it all down.
“What was the nature of those other two cases?” Zach asked.
“I’m not sure I am at liberty to discuss those matters, Ranger Bass. I wouldn’t want to violate a confidence or interfere with an on-going investigation.”
Shaking his head, Zach let it go. “I understand, sir. Let me ask you this; is Trustline in compliance with existing regulations? Are they financially sound? Is there anything you can tell me about the bank that might help me?”
“I can only tell you that they pay their taxes. I would suggest, however, that you contact those two law enforcement officers. I’m sure they can shed additional light on the subject at hand.”
Zach could spot a government bureaucrat from the next ridge. Frowning at Sam, he thanked the man and disconnected the call.
The detective sergeant in Lubbock was out of the office. With building frustration, the Texan left a message.
It was with no small amount of relief that his next call to El Paso was answered on the second ring. “Detective Monroe.”
Again, Zach introduced himself and provided his badge number.
“No offense, Ranger, but you understand I have to verify you are who you say you are. Let me put you on hold.”
With his grip tightening on the steering wheel, Zach waited for over three minutes before Monroe came back on the line. “How can I help you, Ranger Bass?”
When Zach mentioned Trustline, the El Paso lawman’s response was instantaneous. “Horseshit and bull feathers. Not another one?”
