“Anthony?” asked Marcus.
“Yeah, but don’t say my name again. Are you Walter’s friends?”
“Yes,” said Eric as they sat next to Anthony on the picnic bench.
There was no introduction or niceties, Anthony abruptly explained the terms of the loan. He would lend them $20,000 for a period of two years. The rate of interest would be 25%, and the monthly payments would be due on the 15th of each month. The monthly payments would be $1,041.67. If the loan was paid back early, there would be a 35% penalty on the total loan. He asked if they understood the terms. Seeing them both shake their heads affirmatively. He offered his hand to shake.
“Did you want our names or contact information?” Eric asked.
Anthony smiled, “Later I will call you with an address where you will deliver your monthly payments.” Pointing to one of the men standing by the van, “That’s who you will give the money to in a white business size envelope—all cash—nothing bigger than a $50 bill. Understand?”
Again, the brothers nodded.
“And the date and time are nonnegotiable. My guy isn’t going to wait, so be on time.”
As Anthony turned and walked toward the car and then he turned around one last time. “If you are late with a payment, don’t worry. We know where to find both of you. But you don’t want to be late with a payment or not have the full amount. Trust me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Extortion
Alexis always loved the Christmas season, but this year was different with all the drama that had taken over her life, the excitement had evaporated. Alexis invited her dad, Judith, Eric, Betsy, and Ruth for dinner on Christmas Eve. Kyle was going to Chicago with Mercedes to introduce her to his family. Christopher had started the process of suing Charlotte for full custody of Ashley and told Alexis he wouldn’t feel comfortable intruding on her family. They would spend Christmas alone with Darcy. Alexis and Marcus were barely speaking to each other. Yes, it wasn’t shaping up to be the typical merrymaking holiday dinner.
Christopher had stopped by after work one evening to talk to Alexis. He explained that he was falling in love with Darcy and truly believed she could be the wife he always wanted and a real mother for Ashley. He had to act now to try and get full custody. Knowing Charlotte, he was afraid she would fly into town and take Ashley back to New York on a whim. He needed legal custody. To his surprise, Alexis agreed with him with only one condition—that he would allow Ashley to be part of her and her father’s lives. He hugged her and said, “Absolutely, Charlotte’s misbehavior shouldn’t punish Ashley from seeing her favorite aunt and grandfather.”
Alexis trimmed a small Christmas tree by herself while Marcus was meeting with his brother. These meetings were becoming more frequent and after each meeting, Marcus would return home anxious, nervous, and maybe a little frightened. Alexis tried to talk to him several times, but he rebuked her attempts. Alexis noticed he was losing weight, had dark circles under his eyes like he wasn’t sleeping well, and was constantly in a state of agitation.
A little more than a week before Christmas, Marcus was walking out of the house, as Alexis was coming home from work. He explained that he was going to pick up Eric for a meeting with their investors downtown. Marcus told Alexis he shouldn’t be late.
“Does this mean you have the money to give to the investors?”
“What does it matter? You aren’t interested in the mine or what it means to me. You fight me at every turn like you don’t have any faith in my ability to do the right thing.”
“Marcus, I’m afraid you and Eric are getting in over your head and dealing with people who don’t care if you risk losing everything…if we lose everything. Where did you get the missing $20,000?”
“Walter loaned it to us,” Marcus lied. “Interest-free, so don’t sweat it.”
Marcus walked out of the house a bundle of nerves. Meeting with Anthony’s goons on Sunday afternoon had unnerved him. Anthony had called Marcus with a date, time, and address the day before the meeting. They had met in an abandoned dark house in a disreputable part of the city. The leader of the group handed them an envelope that contained $20,000. They were instructed to count the money, which they did. And as they were leaving, they were reminded that the first payment of $1,041.67 was due in three days.
“I thought we had until January 15, for the first payment,” protested Eric.
“Well, you figured wrong. Be here on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. with your payment. You don’t want to begin this relationship on the wrong foot, do you?”
Marcus began to sweat and thought maybe he was going to have a heart attack, “We have a meeting downtown Phoenix at five on Thursday. Could we meet you at three?”
“No, that’s your problem. Be here at four sharp. Not a minute earlier or a minute later. You guys have a cell phone with the exact time, don’t you?”
They both nodded and took the envelope.
Getting into the car, Eric quickly started the engine and left the unsavory area and terrifying thugs. Neither one said a word to each other until Eric pulled up in front of Marcus’s house.
“Eric, how are we each supposed to come up with $1,041 in three days, plus pay Mom’s loan of $622 on the 20th?”
“Do you have any savings? Anything we can sell?”
“No real savings and I can’t think of anything that’s worth any money. Do you?”
“No.”
Eric sighed and gave Marcus $10,000. He instructed him to deposit the cash in his bank account on Monday morning. Eric would do the same with the other $10,000. They both would get a certified check for their investors on Wednesday after the cash cleared.
“If the teller says anything, just tell her you sold your car over the weekend. If you deposit cash over $10,000, the bank can scrutinize it. Who knows what they would find if they traced these bills. I’ll figure out where we can get the money for Thursday’s payment.”
Eric spent the rest of the weekend pondering where they would find the money. He had thought about asking their mother to dig into her savings, but he was afraid that would frighten her after they had just taken a huge chunk of equity out of her house.
The answer to their problem walked into Eric’s office on Monday morning. Two of his elderly clients were scheduled for their semiannual meeting. Miss Lucille Palmer and Mrs. Lacey Turner were best friends. Twice a year they made an appointment with Eric to go over their various insurance policies. They always came together, and they always paid in cash. Eric smiled as he thought either God had answered his prayers or the devil was delivering temptation. He knew in his heart it was the latter.
“Hello, Miss Palmer and Mrs. Turner,” Eric greeted the ladies as he pulled out a seat for each of them. “May I get you a cup of tea?”
The ladies both smiled and nodded yes. They enjoyed the attention of this handsome, young man.
“Let me see, it’s Chamomile for Mrs. Turner and English Breakfast Tea for Miss Palmer, is that correct?” The ladies smiled and nodded.
Mrs. Turner remarked, “Mr. Caldwell, you always remember what we like and make us feel so special.”
“Mrs. Turner, please call me Eric. It’s easy to be nice to two of my favorite clients. Oh, I see Diane just walked into the office bringing homemade chocolate chip cookies. She takes such good care of my staff and my clients. I’ll be back in a moment.”
As the ladies happily drank their tea and ate their cookies, Eric went over their various accounts. Today they both were making payments on their six-month car insurance bill (around $350 each); Mrs. Turner was paying her annual homeowner’s insurance ($800); and Miss Palmer was paying for her annual Umbrella Insurance ($450). Eric quickly calculated $1,950.
“Mrs. Turner, the last time we were together, Lucille wisely purchased an insurance policy to protect her home and bank accounts against any lawsuits from injuries that could happen at your home. You and I talked a little about it, and you were going to think it over. I think it might be very wise to cons
ider purchasing this policy. Trust me, you will sleep so much better at night.”
Then Eric went into a detailed, slightly exaggerated story about one of his clients, a widow, who didn’t have this particular insurance, and while she was having her roof repaired, a worker fell off the roof and sued her for everything. She lost her home, the money in her bank accounts, and had to move in with her children.
Mrs. Turner stopped him, “Sign me up. You know I like to pay all my bills in cash, so if you can you start the paperwork, I’ll bring the money in this afternoon.”
“No problem,” Eric pulled up the form and started filling it out.
After the ladies left his office, he called Marcus. “Marcus I have enough money for December payments to Anthony and Mom’s loan with $287 left over for January. We are home free.”
“What did you do, rob a bank?”
“No, I’m just delaying making a premium deposit for two of my customers who pay with cash. But I can’t ever do this again. I have to figure out how to pay this money back before an audit of my office takes place. You and I are going to have to figure out how we can each come up with $208 every week until we get our investment back. During my lunch break, I’m going to a neighborhood bank and set up a joint checking account for you and me; I don’t want Betsy checking our personal account and seeing unusual deposits and withdrawals.”
“Good idea, but I wish we would have thought this through a little better. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to manage $208 a week.”
Eric hung up the phone and started a ledger listing the money he borrowed and how he would make the payments for Lucille and Lacey before their policies expired. Thank goodness, these ladies always made their payments several weeks before they were due. Eric would make the payment for Lacey’s newly purchased Umbrella Insurance Policy. That policy needed to be paid in full in order for it to be effective as of the date of purchase.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The Promise
Everything worked out for Eric and Marcus on December 15. They delivered the envelope of small bills to Anthony’s thugs and were just a little late for their meeting with the Sam and his partners where they delivered the certified check for $90,000 and finalized signing over their mine to the investment company.
Sam stood up and shook their hands to seal the deal. “Welcome to our investment group. I think this arrangement is going to make all of us very rich. I have the survey company scheduled to start the day after the New Year, barring any unexpected weather delays, the information we need to go forward should be available in a month. If the report is good, we can start mining the middle of February. How does that sound?”
“That sounds great,” Eric said as he smiled. “When do you think we could get our $90,000 back?”
“Once the report shows there is enough barite to make our investment worthwhile, you get your money back. One thing I’m really interested in is if there happens to be a significant amount of palladium in your mine, that would be a tremendous windfall.”
Eric and Marcus felt relieved on their trip home.
“With a little bit of luck,” smiled Eric. “We should get our $90,000 before our February payment is due.”
“Yes, and we can pay back Mom’s loan. What do you want to do about paying back Anthony? If we pay back the loan before the two years, we will have to give him an extra $7,000.”
“Let’s wait and see what Sam thinks the mine will be worth once he gets the evaluation report. Maybe $7,000 will be chump change, and we won’t mind handing it to Anthony so we never have to see those gangsters again.”
The next week, Alexis noticed a real change in her husband. He was happier, more relaxed, and in a better frame of mind. He moved back into their bedroom and was attentive and back to being the charming man she had married. She was afraid to ask what caused this change in his demeanor, but she was hoping the mining deal was going well.
Feeling in the Christmas spirit, Alexis took Ashley to the mall to have her picture taken with Santa Claus. Alexis sent a framed copy of the picture to her sister and called to see what plans she had for the holiday. She was surprised that Charlotte and Aaron were going to Paris for Christmas. She never mentioned the custody suit nor asked about Ashley.
Alexis bought token presents for her dad, and Judith, Ashley, and Marcus. She limited her spending, as she still wasn’t sure exactly how much Marcus was responsible for to repay his mother’s loan. Unwilling to dampen the holiday spirit, she didn’t ask.
Christmas Eve turned out to be a lovely evening. Both Marcus and Eric were in good humor; her dad and Judith were happy and entertained everyone with stories about some shenanigans of their friends. Dinner was Prime Rib, crisp green salad, roasted golden potatoes, freshly baked rolls, and apple pie for dessert. Everyone enjoyed the meal and parted in good spirits. For the first time in a long time, Alexis and Marcus made love later that evening.
The Wednesday after Christmas, Alexis received a phone call from Pablo.
“Alexis, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season and that this coming year will be very good for both you and your husband.”
“Pablo, thank you and how nice to hear your voice. Are you in Key West?”
“No, actually I’m in New York spending Christmas with my parents and family. Have you heard any more about when your book will be published?”
Alexis was so pleased that Pablo sounded so content and happy, “Parts of my book have been rewritten a couple of times as I wrote you, and I sent another revision to my agent a couple of weeks after Thanksgiving. I’m spending a fortune on mailing and copying expenses. I wish Michael, my agent, would allow computer transmissions or even allowing me to just send him a flash drive.”
“Have you thought about working with another agent?” Pablo couldn’t understand anyone in the publishing world not using computer technology.
“Oh, no,” Alexis responded. “The changes that Michael made have been brilliant and make my story better than I could have imagined. Two of my fellow professors have read my marked up copies and complained they couldn’t put it down and how my story kept them up all night. But enough about me, tell me more about you and how the arrangement at the art museum is working out.”
Pablo’s voice became excited, “Actually that’s why I’m calling you. First of all working and living above the museum has been perfect. I have been able to create so many paintings that the museum gave me a special wall where I could display them for visitors. Last fall, the art museum decided to have a showing of my artwork. Nothing elaborate, it was held in a small room and only advertised with posters and an advertisement in the local paper. The exhibition was so successful that I sold all my paintings. The museum curator was thrilled. Soon other art museums in larger cities starting contacting the curator and wanted to borrow some of my paintings to showcase. I’ve had shows in Miami, Charleston, and Richmond. My exciting news is—now listen for the drum roll—ta-ta. The Phoenix Art Museum has commissioned a special exhibition in March. It will be my biggest show. I want you and Marcus to be there for opening night.”
Alexis had tears in her eyes, “Oh, Pablo, I’m so thrilled for you. Of course we will be there. You know I framed the picture you gave me in Key West, and it is hanging over my computer in my office. It’s my inspiration when I write.”
Alexis looked up from her desk at the painting of Hemingway’s house. Wow, I may have a valuable original Pablo hanging in my house, she thought. Pablo seemed content and even happy. He promised to send an invitation to his showing as soon as possible.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
More Problems
In St. Louis, January 2017 began with a freezing ice storm, and all small aircrafts were grounded. The scheduled airborne gravity system study was postponed. Surveyors started the evaluation and mineral analysis of the mine, but had to quit when the weather became dangerous. Sam Murdock assured Marcus and Eric that once the storm blew over, they would be able to resume. After several days, the s
torm moved east, but another one took its place.
Marcus and Eric found enough money to meet the payment for Anthony and their mother’s loan in January. Thankfully, Arthur and Judith always gave small gifts and a sizable check to Marcus and Alexis for Christmas. Eric received a bonus from his insurance company for having such a profitable year.
Hoping for better weather, February turned out to be worse. News reports calling St. Louis’s weather unheard of for the region. It became colder with devastating gusty winds that would keep all small aircrafts grounded for at least a couple of more weeks.
Eric was still jiggling his books at work, but he didn’t dare take any more money from his client’s accounts. He searched his closets and garage looking for items to sell. One Saturday afternoon at his mom’s house, he walked up to her china cabinet. He shook his head as he looked at her extensive collection of figurines. He opened the door and pulled out one of the German figurines and looked at the bottom, it was a Hummel. Eric used his phone to do a search on Hummel’s. He quickly put it back and closed the cabinet door as he heard his mother entering the living room with cookies and coffee. They conversed for a little while when the house phone rang.
“Eric, I think that may be Mrs. O’Reilly; she always calls me about this time of day. I’ll take it in the bedroom. Can you stay a little longer?”
“Sure, Mom, Betsy is working today.”
As soon as Ruth left the room, he pulled out his phone and several figurines. His mother always told the boys that her Hummel collection would pay the bills if ever there were another depression. On the side of each figurine was the name of the item. Eric was amazed at the worth of these tiny china items. “Master Painter” was worth $2,515; “Apple Tree Boy” and “Forever Friends” were each worth $750. Eric was sure his mother would never miss a few of these items and placed four of them in his coat pocket.
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