1 To Catch a Bad Guy

by Marie Astor

  “Hi there, Paul.”

  Paul lifted his eyes away from the monitor. “Hi, Jon.” Paul’s voice sounded unusually prim as he folded his hands neatly on his desk. “What can I do for you?”

  With each day that prick gets more and more arrogant. Jon took a seat in one of the chairs facing Paul’s desk. “Well, I just wanted to say congratulations again. This is such an exciting time for you and Lisa - an exciting time for all of us,” Jon added hastily.

  “Thank you, Jon. Lisa is a great girl, and I’m so happy that she’s going to be my wife.” Paul sounded a bit warmer now. “She’s really bright, Jon, and I think she could take on so much more in the company. I was looking through our legal bills – Tom Wyman is charging us a fortune. If we got back to keeping more of the work in-house, the savings would be significant.”

  “Good thinking, Paul. But there are reasons why I employ Tom. Why don’t we get together and go through them? In fact, I think we should have a standing meeting – every two weeks or so, to update each other on company developments and plans in our respective areas.”

  “Sounds great. I’ve got a lot of ideas I’d like to share with you, Jon,” Paul was bursting with enthusiasm now.

  “I’m glad to hear that, Paul. You know that Dad wants us to be partners in running this firm, and I, for one, do not intend to disappoint him.”

  “Me neither, Jon – me neither. I’m so glad we had this talk.” Paul smiled.

  “Me too, brother. How does every other Thursday sound for our meetings? I’m thinking we’ll schedule them during lunch – this way we can grab a bite to eat and catch up.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “I’ll have my secretary send you a planner. By the way, how is that new girl working out?”

  “I think she’s doing well. Lisa told me Janet was helping her with an audit.”

  “I like it – getting right to work.” Jon rose from his chair. “By the way, I wanted to have a party to announce your and Lisa’s engagement to the company. Nothing formal, just drinks and hors d'oeuvres at BLT?”

  “Thank you, Jon.” Paul blushed. “That’s very generous of you…”

  “It’s settled then. Shall we say next Thursday?”

  “Yes, well, I’d like to run it by Lisa first.”

  It took Jon all his will not to smack Paul on the head. What a sniveling blob his brother was! “Just take charge, Paul. I’m sure Lisa will appreciate the surprise.”

  “Oh, well, all right then. Thank you, Jon.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll see you soon, brother.”

  Before heading back to his office, Jon decided to swing by the legal department – he remembered the directions well from his previous altercations with the firm’s previous general counsel, Rossingram. Jon was sure glad to have gotten rid of the old goat, but now he was experiencing a déjà vu with a young female version of Rossingram.

  On his way to Lisa Foley’s office – the office that old Rossingram used to occupy - Jon passed by Janet Maple’s office. He saw the girl hunched over the new accounts folders, which were strewn all over her desk. There was no doubt that those were the new account folders now that Jon had gotten a second glimpse at them.

  “Hello, Lisa.” Jon knocked lightly on the door of Lisa’s office.

  Lisa perked up behind her desk. “Hello, Jon. What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

  “Oh, I just wanted to say hello to my future sister-in-law.” Jon swooped over to Lisa’s desk and planted a kiss on her cheek. While performing this familial gesture, Jon shot a quick glance at Lisa’s computer screen, which had Saks Fifth Avenue’s website on it. Jon smiled. At least he did not have to worry about Lisa Foley’s zeal – only when it came to her spurring Paul to become a business mogul.

  “Thank you, Jon. That is so sweet of you!” Lisa flashed an embarrassed glance at her computer screen.

  “And I wanted to tell you that we’ll be having a company party for you and Paul next Thursday at BLT.”

  “That sounds great, Jon. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

  “Great. That’s all I had to say. And by the way, how’s Janet Maple working out?”

  “Wonderful, just wonderful. I asked her to look at the new account templates for the upcoming SEC audit. I only wanted her to check the general wording, but she’s actually gone further to check the forms we have on file to make sure all the documentation is complete.”

  “Ah, personal initiative – I like it. And by the way, did she sign all the new employment paperwork?”

  “I’m sure she did. I’ll double check with HR.”

  “Great. Thank you, Lisa.”

  As Jon turned his back to Lisa to exit her office, the smile left his face. If there was one thing he detested, it was employees who poked their noses into matters they had no business in.

  Chapter 13

  Seated behind the desk of his home office, which really was not an office at all but a nook with a desk crammed into it in his tiny studio apartment in Soho, Dennis Walker peered at his computer monitor. Finally, he had struck gold. The rows of data Dennis was examining were commission reports for Bostoff Securities’ clients. It had taken Dennis a while to get access to the data; the accounting system was protected by intricate encryption software, but after several coaching sessions with IT specialists at the Treasury, Dennis was able to get through. And now that he had the data in his hands, he understood immediately why it was so well protected.

  The commission report was subdivided into columns, which included the name of the client, trading volume generated by the client, and the dollar value of commission received from each client. The data was weekly. The first few rows of the commissions did not indicate anything out of the ordinary, but as Dennis scrolled down the report, several numbers caught his attention. While most of the clients were being charged .25 basis points, which was the average going commission rate on the street, several of the clients were being charged as much as .75 basis points. Among the higher paying clients were Emperial, Creaton, Rigel, Gemini, and Sphinx. All of these hedge funds were known for their aggressive investment policies and innovative market views, which in reality translated to implementing unscrupulous techniques in order to reap the best possible rewards from the market, including collusion and manipulation. There had to be a reason why Bostoff was charging these clients excessive commission, and Dennis was determined to get to the bottom of it. Excessive commission in itself would not result in a major case. At most, this infraction would result in Bostoff being fined a few hundred thousand dollars, which was a sizeable amount, but would hardly be a career-making case, and would most certainly fail to prevent Bostoff Securities from taking on questionable funds as clients in the future. But if Dennis could nail Bostoff Securities for aiding and abetting in market manipulation, now that would result in a career-making case and shut down Bostoff along with its corrupt clients.

  Dennis was in the job that he was in because he was good at catching the bad guys, and he enjoyed bringing crooks to justice. And the reason why Dennis was good at catching the bad guys was that he had once been one of them. It had been an inadvertent mistake that had cost him his securities licenses. Such was the deal that Dennis had struck with the authorities for helping them bring down Vitaon, a corrupt hedge fund Dennis had foolishly accepted an employment offer from for a position of a trader. That had been five years ago, but there had not been a day that Dennis did not regret the wrong turn he had made in his career.

  A foray into the world of finance had been most fortuitous for Dennis Walker. The son of a hotel manager and a grade school teacher from Park City, Utah, Dennis had grown up dividing his time between skiing in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. Somewhere in there school fitted in. Despite his mother’s occupation, studies had not been important to Dennis in his early years, but that had changed later. Once he turned fourteen, Dennis started making an extra buck by working at the ski resort in the winter and caddying in th
e summer. Overhearing conversations between tourists from cities like New York and Chicago made Park City seem small, and Dennis started thinking about what life was like in other places. His studies became important then, as Dennis realized that if he wanted to do anything other than work in the service industry, college was his way out. Since his parents could not afford to pay tuition, scholarship was the only option.

  When Dennis turned sixteen, his father got him a part-time job as a bellboy at the five-star hotel in Deer Valley in which Dennis’s father had worked as a reception desk manager for close to fifteen years. Dennis’s elder brother had just started his first year at the same hotel as a full-time employee, and Dennis’s father saw no reason why Dennis should not follow his brother’s suit. Hauling luggage and opening doors for the hotel’s guests strengthened Dennis’s resolve that much more. He was always courteous and diligent in his tasks, but deep inside he despised his job. By now his plan to leave Park City had acquired a definitive shape. He was going to go into finance. From the scraps of conversations that Dennis overheard at the hotel, he learned that a large part of the guests occupied positions in finance; there were also private business owners and corporate executives, but the finance people always booked the most expensive rooms, had the latest ski equipment, and the prettiest women with them.

  In his senior year of high school, Dennis spent most of his time behind books. He subscribed to the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. Gradually, the articles he read started to make sense. He continued to work at the hotel a few hours a week for his pocket expenses, as his father did not believe in giving his kids an allowance. That winter Dennis happened to deliver luggage to the penthouse suite rented by Terrance Stanton. The name of the guest stood out in Dennis’s mind immediately: he had spotted it in a Forbes article only a few weeks ago. Having served as a senior executive at numerous high-profile financial firms, Terrance Stanton had just been recruited as the CEO of Rossman Grozling, a major investment bank. Terrance Stanton was also a generous supporter of many charitable causes, including the famous four-year scholarship he awarded to several lucky students every year. Dennis had applied for the scholarship, but had yet to hear the results. As he wheeled the luggage cart in Mr. Stanton’s suite, Dennis could feel his heart beating wildly. Most likely nothing would come out of it, but he was going to at least try. Before knocking on the door, Dennis straightened his uniform and puffed out his chest. As he had read in various ‘how to succeed’ books, personal appearance was the first thing people noticed about a person. Then Dennis rang the bell.

  A woman so incredibly beautiful that Dennis had lost his ability to speak opened the door. She was in her early twenties, about five ten, with lanky legs, deep blue eyes, and long, blond hair. She was dressed in skinny jeans and a tunic of see-through material, under which Dennis glimpsed a lacey black bra.

  “Come on in,” the blonde said.

  With a tremendous effort of will, Dennis recovered. “Thank you, ma’am. Where would you like the bags?”

  “The foyer is fine.”

  Dennis lowered his eyes as he wheeled in the luggage. One more glance at the siren and his pants were bound to become dangerously tight.

  “Terry, give the boy a tip, will ya?” The stunning beauty cast Dennis a bewildering smile before she disappeared in another room of the suite.

  Just as Dennis finished offloading the last bag, a gentleman appeared in the hallway. Dennis recognized Terrance Stanton instantly from the photo he had seen on the scholarship application brochure. At fifty, Terrance Stanton had the lean, trim body of a man who exercised regularly. His strong features – a straight nose and firmly set lips - were accented by his pepper-gray hair, which was brushed back.

  “Here you go, kid.” Terrance gave Dennis a twenty dollar bill.

  The generous tip set Terrance apart from the majority of the guests who, despite their wealth, were often stingy.

  “Thank you, sir.” Dennis bowed slightly. “And if I may, congratulations on your new job.” Dennis held his breath. He had gone out on a limb, and the result could turn out to be disastrous. But Dennis was not kept in suspense for long. When he saw the smile on Terrance Stanton’s face, he knew he had made the right move.

  Terrance nodded approvingly. “I see you follow the world of finance. What’s your name?”

  “Dennis, Dennis Walker, sir.”

  “And what do you plan on doing with your life, Dennis Walker?”

  If the question had come from anyone else, Dennis would have been annoyed, but now he was extremely flattered.

  “I plan to go on to college and major in Finance, sir – I’ve applied to five schools.”

  “Oh, yeah? What schools?”

  “Princeton, Duke, Harvard, Yale, and University of Utah.”

  “Good choices.” Terrance grinned. “But those are expensive schools and hard to get into. What’s your GPA?”

  “Three point nine, sir.” Literature had been the reason for Dennis’s not having a four point zero GPA. He simply did not have the patience for fiction. Numbers were his game.

  “Impressive. Any extracurricular activities?”

  “I’m on the town’s ski racing team, my school’s debate team, and I’m also chair of the finance society, which I’ve started, sir.”

  Terrance whistled. “Do you know that I run a scholarship fund?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ve applied, sir, but I haven’t heard back yet.”

  “We’ll be sending out responses soon.” Terrance scratched his chin.

  Just then a golden lab retriever bounced into the foyer, followed by the blonde Dennis had admired earlier.

  “He doesn’t listen to me, Terry!” The blonde complained. “We’ve got to get somebody to walk him while we’re here.”

  “You just have to be firm with him, Cindy. Stand your ground.” Terrance whistled to the dog. “Here, boy. Come here.”

  But rather than heeding his master’s orders, the dog wagged his tail at Dennis and started to nuzzle his hands.

  “I’m sorry I don’t have any treats, boy.” Dennis petted the dog. Ever since he was a kid, dogs had always liked him.

  “He likes you.” Terrance grinned. “Say, you wouldn’t be interested in making an extra buck walking Grover, would you? I’ll pay ten bucks an hour.”

  “Thank you, sir. I could definitely use the money, sir.”

  “Great, you start right now.” Terrance Stanton thrust a dog leash into Dennis’s hands. “And take your time: he needs an hour walking time every day.”

  “Yes, sir.” Dennis put the leash on Grover and hurried out the door. From the way Terrance was eyeing Cindy, it was clear that the reason he wanted Dennis to take his time walking the dog was not Grover’s wellbeing – at least not primarily.

  For the ten days that Terrance Stanton stayed at the resort, Dennis walked his dog, but the initial cordiality that Stanton had shown to Dennis had been a one-time occurrence. Upon all the encounters that had taken place between them after, Terrance maintained a demeanor of polite and superior indifference. By the end of Stanton’s stay, Dennis was regretting his agreement to walk the dog. Sure, the money would come in handy, by his dignity was worth more than one hundred bucks. Dennis had agreed to Terrance’s offer because he had hoped to ingratiate himself into getting a scholarship – a foolish plan, he now understood, but it was too late now. His winter break had been wasted on walking Stanton’s dog, and his friends, along with his brother, seemed to have an unending supply of jabs to dig at him for being a dog walker.

  In the spring, Dennis received his acceptance letters. He had gotten into all the collages he had applied to. Most awarded him scholarships, but those were not full scholarships, and University of Utah was the only option that would be fully paid for. Then, a few weeks later, just as he was about to send in his admission acceptance, Dennis received a letter from Stanton scholarship fund stating that he had gotten a full scholarship for four year tuition at any school that he chose to attend. The choice was e
asy: Dennis decided on Princeton, which was Stanton’s alma mater.

  During freshman orientation at Princeton, Dennis was not surprised to see Stanton as one of the speakers. The man was one of the most honored alums of the school, but Dennis was surprised to see Stanton approach him during the reception afterwards.

  “I’m glad to see that you chose the right school, Dennis.” Terrance greeted him.

  “Thank you, sir. If it had not been for your generosity, I would not be here.”

  “Nonsense, Dennis. You’ve worked hard, and if you continue the same way, you will reap the rewards.”

  Stanton’s prophecy turned out to be true. Dennis did succeed, at least for a while. Stanton became Dennis’s mentor of sorts. They did not have standing meetings or anything of the kind, but Stanton did get Dennis a summer internship at Rossman Grozling’s offices in New York while Dennis was in college, and he even arranged for a room and board for him in the corporate housing. When Dennis graduated, he was hired by Rossman Grozling as a first-year analyst and began working through the ranks on a trading desk. The first year had been brutal, as Dennis worked eighty hour weeks. His duties ranged from getting the senior traders their breakfasts and coffee to doing the grunt work that was too dirty for the senior guys. He also studied for his securities licenses exams, which he passed on the first try.

  The second year was much better. Gradually, Dennis started getting more meaty tasks, which gave him a chance to implement his understanding of the market. The market movements were like music to him: as he sat before his Bloomberg screen, eyeing the trading activity on all the world’s exchanges, Dennis saw a pattern that could bring in millions of dollars in profits. All of his ideas were vetted by a senior trader, but Dennis still got the credit for generating record revenues as a junior associate.

  Dennis repeated his success year after year, and three years later he was promoted to Vice President. Money was pouring in, and Dennis upgraded his lifestyle accordingly by moving out of the apartment he shared with a roommate in Hell’s Kitchen into a swanky loft in a luxury building in Battery Park, which was only a ten-minute walk from his job. With the hours he worked, he could not waste any time on commuting. And then there were women… Dennis was not vain, but he was fully aware of his good looks. From his early teens, members of the female sex had found him attractive. The guys on the trading desk took Dennis to exclusive New York clubs frequented by models and starlets. At first, there was a nameless succession of beauties, but when he turned twenty-seven, Dennis zeroed his attention on Vanessa Cleary. Vanessa was a model and an aspiring actress: her resume included a variety of commercials, but she was determined to get on the big screen someday. She had long legs, sandy-blond hair, and eyes as blue as the sky. She was the kind of girl Dennis Walker of Park City, Utah never imagined he would be with. It was not long before Dennis asked Vanessa to move in with him. He upgraded his apartment to a two-bedroom, and the two settled into a blissful life. Dennis was rarely home during the week, but weekends with Vanessa more than made up for his grueling days.