by Moulton, CD
“There’s no difference in parties anymore. Same shit from them all. Ron Paul could have made a lasting change, I suppose,” Knowles said. “There’s the daily account info. Twenty three million, seven hundred forty five thousand, two hundred seven dollars. Only four percent, but there’s no way anyone can tax it thirty percent so it grows fast.”
Clint almost whistled, then said that was about a third more than she’d figured.
“Oh, she knew about the account?” Knowles asked suspiciously.
“No. She knew about the win, but didn’t know what happened to the money. Donald wouldn’t discuss such things with her. He just told her that if anything happened she was going to be wealthy enough to where she could tell her slimy asshole bastard obnoxious father-in-law exactly where he could stick his threats of cutting her off.
“She sometimes did that, anyhow. She knew about the other wins, but never knew how much was involved.”
Knowles nodded. “Donald told me he was proud of how she stood up to his father. He hated him, but had to keep the idea he was cowed alive to get more. He once told me his father had raped him repeatedly since he was nine years old until he was almost fifteen and that he suspected he was doing the same to his sisters.”
“I got that idea from talking with them. Donald didn’t come here often?”
“Never. I was in California at the request of a close friend. He was introduced and we made the arrangements. I have since received funds only directly in California. There are several ways to move cash here.”
“But ... the others on the corporation DID come here! She thought they were bringing you the funds.”
Knowles looked surprised, then read over the corporate papers. “Orison? Rasmussen? Helmut? I believe Orison and Rasmussen ... let’s see. Yes, here it is. They have their own corporation, MedPsychLab, S.A. They may or may not have an account here. I think, yes, they asked if anyone named Lesley had an account and I told them what I just told you. They may or may not.
“Quite frankly I didn’t like ... I know better than to talk this much. You are very likable, Mr. Faraday.”
“Clint. It’s just curiosity.”
“Well, you have the power of attorney in proper form and witnessed by the police and court here. Would you prefer to change the account to her name now?”
“I think that would be a very good idea. It would tend to surprise a person or couple of people who may have been behind Donald’s murder to find she knew anything about it. It would take the reason two people are in Panamá City right now away, if you see what I’m saying? Surprise! Surprise!”
“Ah! They will use the belief that Mrs. Lesley knew nothing about this to seize the account?”
Clint gave him the thumb-up. He smirked.
“Well, we can process this and you can sign as POA. It will take about an hour to draw up the proper papers. You can return in an hour?”
“Ah’ll be bahk!” Clint aped Schwartzeneger.
“Well! Now Mrs. Lesley is in full control of the funds and they are in the name of herself, soon to be a corporate name at her option,” Knowles announced after putting the forms through the fax. “You are the only one who can sign anything until she completes the signature form, at which time it will revert to her, solely.”
Clint had contacted Manny through Manolo’s hi-freak to have a corporation registered to her as soon as possible and to have the account changed into the corporate name as soon as that was done. The signature comparison/confirmation form would be completed and notarized as soon as the storm was over. There were no roads open out of Bocas del Toro and the airport was shut down. No one could go anywhere.
The cell phones came back on-line while Clint was having a tasty dinner with Cari Andrews. He immediately got calls from Judi, Dave, Serg and several others. Manny called and said his man in California never saw Frieda meet with Landsay. She had gone into a stall where he was working with a horse and had spoken only a few words that couldn’t be heard.
So. Amanda had to be the link. She was often with Lindsay and avoided Frieda. She had to know more than she was letting on – but was Lindsay or Helmut directing the scheme? Was it Orison and Rasmussen? Lawrence or Donald? Was Amanda being used or the user?
Maybe that was what the murder was about. Donald knocking off Lawrence to get him out of it or Lawrence knocking off Donald because of the subterfuge about the account?
There were too many with motive. Apparently Trudy was the only one he could trust – which meant she was the last one he actually could trust. Wanda was too stupid – or was that an act? What about Martime? Was he the little man on the stair or was he about ten times as smart as he seemed? Why was he staying around in that impossible situation? Because he was about to clean up?
What a stupid confused goddamned MESS!
He relaxed and thought about Cari Andrews. They watched the sunset from the restaurant upper deck. She spent the night with him. He learned some things about offshore accounts, but nothing that would help much with the case.
In the morning Clint called Manny and asked if he could find some things about Martime. He was always in the background and ignored. Maybe he was a Miss Marple type who would be the killer on the next to last page.
Manny started to say something, then chuckled. “Dave is always harping on Agatha Christie being totally unfair to her readers by introducing a character on the first few pages who didn’t appear until it was discovered he or she was the killer on the last page, so I know where you’re coming from. I fell into it, too. I’ve as much as ignored him. The boys did check him out. It’s here ... born, raised, met Donald who introduced him to Trudy who introduced him to Wanda who married him. Lupewarm marriage, but that’s as exciting as any of that family get.”
“If you only knew! Is there anything about contact with Lindsay?”
“Hmm. Very limited. Just normal things when they were on the estate.”
“Helmut?”
“Neutral. Just busy around the house. Normal ... except one time two years ago when he saw or heard something about Lawrence and her. Minor stink until Wanda said she didn’t care what the old bastard did or with whom so long as it wasn’t with her. Nothing since. She seemed to get along with Helmut on an employee/employer sort of basis.”
“Crap! Nothing leads anywhere in this MESS!” Clint complained. “Did Orison and Rasmussen manage to get some kind of thing that would let them get into Donald’s account in Panamá?”
“Not yet. Something’s in the works and they’re busy trying to see that no one is paying attention to them – which leads to everyone paying attention to them. Amateurs!
“Listen, Clint. If Donald’s part of any of their corporate crap you can make a claim in Trudy’s name.”
Clint got a very evil look on his face. “It could mean she can obtain a fast accounting of those corporate holdings, huh?”
“D’ju godt it!” They chatted a few minutes more, then Clint rang off. He called Judi, who had nothing more to report except that the storm hadn’t damaged his property or hers. Dave had gone to La Fortuna to try to salvage plants on the trees that had come down into the David – Chiriqui Grande road. The police tried to stop him, but he has the permits from the government. They were worried because it was dangerous, but you know Dave!”
Clint pictured Dave and a few Indio friends wandering around land that was still sliding around. He shook his head.
Clint went to the internet café and accessed the office of industry and commercial projects. He brought up the MedPsycheLab, S.A. license and got another evil smirk on his face. Donald Lesley had been a vice president. He probably never knew that. Orison and Rasmussen were going to wish no one had ever checked those records!
Information Needed
“Hi! I have to get some further information. It’s to do with the MedPsycheLab, S.A. accounts,” Clint greeted Knowles.
“Er?”
“Donald was vice president. His widow has to have an accounting of all assets he
was involved with. You don’t know what kind of mess this is turning into! She didn’t know much about any of this crap until he’s dead, now she finds corporate papers and stocks from all kinds of things.”
“Er.”
“All I need is the overall amount. She can figure what her part is and offer to sell it to Orison and Rasmussen at a greatly reduced rate. She does NOT want to be on any corporations except her own.”
“Er, I can see ... a moment?”
He called Cari to bring him the complete file on the MedPsycheLab, S.A. account. They endured a somewhat uncomfortable silence for about five minutes until Cari brought the thick folder to him. Knowles searched through it a moment and found the corporate registration certificate. He read it.
“Well, it does seem that Donald held a small percentage ... seven percent ... as third vice president. Helmut, twenty five percent, hmm. I suppose this will ... but you have the power of attorney and this isn’t a rights of survivor type corporation ... murder ... I can see why NOT!”
“You can see why I take a personal interest. I AM investigating those murders! I want to know if, just maybe, those two....”
“Who are in Panamá City right now requesting a new accounting of Donald’s holdings! He was listed on their corporation as they are on his, but not as percentages. No, they each have two and a half percent and no access to legal procedures or management decisions – something that was NOT included on their corporation where he’s concerned. I can see they are very strong suspects in Donald’s murder!
“They were here ... but one can hire a, what you call ‘hit,’ very easily and cheaply here.
“Orison called me and instructed that no one be given information as to whether or not they have an account offshore. They did not instruct to withhold information from anyone who would logically know about it.
“What are you going to do?”
“Why, nothing much. Maybe I’ll let them know we know about the account and the terms of the corporate structure.”
“Which proves they had a reason, a strong one, to have Donald killed!”
“It goes to motive, your honor! Problem here is that several other people had as strong a motive. The only ones cleared definitely are Trudy, his wife, and Wanda, his sister – and there is a very small doubt where Wanda is concerned.”
“Too many possibilities under suspicion. Miss Andrews, bring up the present status of this account, please.”
“You and I are suspects until we’ve been cleared. I can say I had nothing to do with it, but I did have an experience with Lawrence earlier that could give me a motive. Everywhere I look I come up with someone else with motive.”
The comp was showing the account. This time Clint wasn’t able to get the access information. Knowles had obviously given Cari some definite instructions about that!
“Six million plus dollars,” Knowles announced. “Mrs. Lesley’s claim can be instituted for seven percent of that. Four hundred thousand plus.
“So! They kept this small account – to them – so they could claim the Lesley account and show legitimate status to seize it. You have thwarted that.
“Clint, if they come here with some claim, what do you want me to do?”
“Call the pol ... no! Tell them the widow has taken control ... no ... that the widow’s lawyers have frozen the account until they can get direct orders from her. They’ll have to discuss that with her, personally.
“Bummer! She’s as much as isolated on Isla Colón! The police won’t allow her to leave until the two murders are resolved!
“By the way, the lawyers have also frozen the accounts of others where he was listed in the corporate papers as part owner.”
Cari and Knowles laughed.
“That will put a burr under their saddle, as we used to say in Texas!” Knowles said smugly. “I do NOT care to have any of the banking interests where I am involved ever face these kinds of investigations. It leads to a breach of privacy scare.
“That is not the case, of course, as the widow naturally is privy to said information. It is a misconception that will cause fears. That is bad for business.”
He exchanged high-fives with Clint and Cari, somewhat surprising Clint. He seemed more staid than that. Lots of people were surprising him here.
Well, as soon as friends Orison and Rasmussen got the information that they were screwed they would have to go to Bocas. It would be clear that Trudy wouldn’t be coming to San Blas. It could be fun to turn a crooked scheme back on the ones who were scheming.
Clint called Manny and requested that he have Trudy make out a will leaving all the assets she held go to the Smithsonian Institute and to try to protect her there if she needed it. If Orison and Rasmussen had hired Donald killed they might try the same with Trudy. If it was known she had willed everything to others, that wouldn’t do anything other than to make them direct suspects in Lawrence’s and Donald’s deaths.
He had Manny’s small plane come to pick him up to take him to Bocas. He’d charge all of that to Trudy. She should be damned glad to get away with umpty million for a couple thousand!
“This silly mess is getting messier by the day,” Clint announced to his little select group sitting around the table on his deck in Bocas. “It’s also getting to be some fun. I love outcrooking a crook!
“We have to be careful for awhile. It can be dangerous. Ask Lawrence and Donald. I’ve got it set up now to where Orison and Rasmussen have to come here to try to get something from Trudy. She’s coming over in a few minutes. We have to convince her of the danger and of the fact this is probably our best – if not only – shot at getting her husband’s killer.”
“I’ve gotten to know her a little,” Judi said. “She’s not so bad. Wanda’s actually as stupid as we all thought or she’s one hell of an actress. Martime is insipid and only hanging on for the easy life. He’s a gigolo. I don’t like the type. Amanda’s one I just can’t figure. She has some confusing points about her and some likeable ones. She seems to be alright, but she knows a lot more than she’s letting on. They’re all mental cases of one sort or another.”
“I have a little more information about the fixed races. It seems to have stopped when Buster bought it, but has started up again in a way I haven’t been able to trace. Yet,” Manny said. “Lindsay has it set up again would be my guess.
“Helmut is a lot more involved than anyone else in the states. She might be behind the whole thing. She knows a bunch of shady people someone like she’s pretending to be wouldn’t know. Most of them in Europe.
“Martime could be the one feeding her their information, but I don’t see that, either. He isn’t known anywhere and hasn’t met or, so far as we can find out, knows anyone who could set those things up. If he hired the hits he’s by far the best actor here!”
“He’s purely insipid,” Sergio said. “He was a minor gigolo who hung around the race crowd in Switzerland and went to Belgium a lot to meet older women with money. He met Wanda Lesley, saw she had one hell of a lot more coming than any of his two-week affairs and latched onto her like a tick on a hound.
“Manolo, a character with mob connections in San Blas, gave me the information and said no one but Clint, who he had made a deal with to exchange information with no one ever being mentioned, was to get it from me.
“Clint would include this group, I hope. If not, I owe him an apology.”
“He’s not into anything that would hurt anyone who didn’t almost beg for it. No problem, but no one else. He does have a network who can do us some good at times. We’re friends who will never let the other down.”
Manny didn’t say anything, but he knew about Manolo.
“Well, I’ve got it figured within twenty people,” Dave said. “I’ll get out before Trudy gets here. I’m going back to Fortuna. There were a hell of a lot of trees knocked down in the storm. They’ll only hold the orchids a little while before they get into the ground and everything’s lost. We’ve moved several thousand plants to ne
arby trees. Most of them will be Okay.
“Helmut has to be a major player – or one of two or three major players.”
“Sure bet! She’s on Orison’s and Rasmussen’s corporation for twenty five percent,” Clint said. “She’s one of three or four in on it. There’s still a connection who’s right here in Bocas now, so it’s one of the family. Trudy’s the only one I can say it isn’t with any certainty.”
“And you could be wrong, in which case she’s not only a major player, she’s THE major player in this game,” Judi warned.
“There is that!” Dave agreed. Manny nodded.
“No one’s who they seem,” Manny added, to which all of them nodded.
“But none of them seem to be anything,” Clint pointed out. They all agreed with that one, too.
Judi looked thoughtful, then said, “This Olga or Frieda or whatever seems to be something.”
“She seems to be something else!” Dave shot back. They laughed and he left.
Trudy was coming in as Dave left. They all greeted her and told her what they planned. She agreed and said that Orison had called her and told her his lawyer wanted to speak to her about the corporation he and Rasmussen were part of and the fact that, though she probably didn’t know about it, she had inherited a part of another corporation Donald was on with them.
She told them her lawyer and her detective had told her about it and had done something or other to guarantee she would be protected in any business deals. All she wanted was to get out of all that business stuff. She had inherited millions and didn’t have any need or use for more.
“Manny told me to act like Wanda with their lawyers and anyone from them I didn’t already know. Stupid as dirt. I’m all ‘Aw, gee whillikers! REALLY?! Oh gosh and golly! What’s going on? I’m so conFUSED by all this BIS-nis stuff and have to rely on you pre-fess-ee-ohn-als to get me through it all!’ with them.”
