Robbie's Scheme

by Justin Haines

  “How can I help?” Wyatt asks from behind his desk.

  Maya doesn’t miss the fact that they’re skipping any pleasantries and jumping right to business. She pulls the chairs out opposite Wyatt’s desk and takes a seat, despite the absence of an invitation coming from him to do so.

  “I’m Maya Morrison, a reporter for the New York Star. You might have seen me with Robbie before.”

  “I have.”

  Closing his laptop, Wyatt turns to give Maya his full attention. It’s not what she’s looking for. His eyes are dismissive and his lips snarl as he breathes. She can already tell he doesn’t care about answering any of her questions. His mind’s already made up on how this interaction will unfold.

  “Do you mind if I record our conversation?” Maya asks as she bends over to fish her phone out of her purse.

  “I do,” Wyatt announces before she can find it. “How about you start talking and I’ll tell you when I have a comment that I want you to record.”

  Slowly, without her finding her phone, Maya sits back up in the chair and locks eyes with him. She realizes now that Jalen’s introduction is guaranteeing an adversarial approach from Wyatt. This isn’t at all how she wants this conversation to go.

  “Well, we’ve been hanging out as friends, not in a professional manner. I wasn’t planning any stories about him, but I’ve been approached with several accusations and want to write a piece on them.”

  “What accusations?”

  “You have to understand, I like Robbie. I’m hoping this is all just a big misunderstanding and I can write an article clearing his name.” While no longer fully true, it’s exactly what she would be doing if these guys weren’t acting so damn guilty.

  “That’s good to hear. What are the accusations?”

  “How does your fund make its money?”

  “That’s not an accusation. How about we start with a more specific question that I can give a direct answer to. I’m not a banker, Ms. Morrison, I’m a lawyer.”

  Disappointed with Merry Men’s approach to this interview, Maya forces herself to take a deep breath and resist the urge to become antagonistic. She recognizes the need to throw her plan out the window, and she decides to abandon the easy questions she normally starts interviews with to win over her subjects. She won’t antagonize, but if Merry Men won’t cooperate, her gloves are coming off.

  “Are you aware of any ongoing investigations from law enforcement against Robert Locke or Merry Men Financial Management?”

  “No comment.”

  “Do you plan to answer any of my questions today, or will this be a waste of both our time?”

  “That’s the first real question you’ve asked me since sitting down. And you still haven’t answered any of my questions about these mysterious accusations. Frankly, I’m beginning to wonder if you’re the source of the speculation.”

  “I can assure you, I’m not. How is the fund handling the crash in the market?”

  “I already told you, I’m a lawyer, I’m not involved with any of that. Do you want me to call Jalen back in here? He might be better equipped for this conversation.”

  “So, you’re dodging more questions?”

  Wyatt clenches his jaw and forces a smile past Maya. He can see a security guard near the receptionists’ desk and considers waiving him over for an extra layer of intimidation. Ultimately, the urge passes and he waves for Maya to proceed.

  “Keep asking and we’ll find out.”

  “Fine. Is it true the FBI recently raided your offices with a search warrant?”

  “Yes.”

  The confirmation is a small surprise for Maya and gives her much-needed confidence to proceed with the interview. She decides to push him for information on the subject of the raid, but he again returns to stonewalling her. No matter how she phrases her questions, Wyatt refuses to comment on an ongoing investigation.

  After a few attempts at probing for the probable cause that earned the warrant, she gives up and decides to pursue a new track of questions in hopes of hearing another real answer from Wyatt.

  “Is the fund receiving significant withdrawal requests from investors?”

  “Again, not my area. Are you sure this interview shouldn’t be with Jalen?”

  “Sorry, I’ll try to rephrase. As compliance officer, have you noticed large movements of money, either into or out of the fund?”

  “No. Everything is business as usual as far as I’m concerned.”

  Maya smirks and turns around in her chair to face the office. Surveying the damage, she’s surprised they haven’t heard a fire alarm yet. The carnage is evident from Wyatt’s viewpoint. So is her point.

  “I want to paint a picture so my readers understand the scene. What would you say business as usual looks like in Merry Men’s offices?”

  “Next question.”

  “Because if I may say, your office appears chaotic at the moment. I doubt investors want this to be what’s considered normal.”

  “You’re editorializing.”

  “Well, if you give me permission, I’m happy to pull my phone out so I can record the scene. When the Star publishes my article, we can post the video on our website to accompany it. Readers can decide for themselves if this is chaos or not.”

  “No.”

  “If I can’t record a video, can I at least record some of our conversation’s audio? Assuming you plan to comment on anything,” Maya says as frustration starts to seep back in to her voice.

  Finally, Wyatt smiles and appears receptive to her idea. He stands up and struts across the room to close the door, allowing Maya’s phone to pick up his comments clearly, without any Russians screaming in the background.

  Diving into her bag, she quickly locates her phone and turns the recorder on. With the office now quiet, Wyatt walks back over and sits on the front of his desk, only inches from Maya. Continuing to smile, he plays it up and leans in close to her phone before clearing his throat and aggressively licking his lips. Maya’s sure the audio’s picked up, and she’s already cringing thinking about having to play it through later.

  “Robert Locke is completely innocent of any rumors or slander against him. I look forward to dealing with any libelous accusations in court.”

  Finally giving up, Maya drops the phone back into her purse and steps out of the chair to distance herself from Wyatt.

  She walks to the door, before letting out a heavy sigh and deciding to make one final attempt. “Off the record, do you want me to help clear Robbie’s name or not?”

  “I don’t see how your questions could help him.”

  “Then tell me something that can help him instead of stonewalling me.”

  “What did you expect from this interview, Ms. Morrison?”

  “I was hoping you would give me confidence in Robbie’s innocence, not his guilt. When my story runs, are there any comments from the fund you would like included?”

  “If your story runs, it’s as I said. Robert Locke is completely innocent of any accusations. I look forward to dealing with any slander or libelous accusations in court.”

  “Thank you for your time,” Maya says as she swings the office door open.

  Wyatt doesn’t budge from his desk as he watches her leave. He wants to make sure she’s actually leaving and doesn’t try to ask any other employees for statements on or off the record.

  She doesn’t. She’s giving up on Merry Men and is happy to put some distance between herself and this place. Waiting for the elevator, she can feel Wyatt and Jalen staring at her. She glances over to Robbie’s office, wishing he were here to offer a real explanation. Hell, she wishes he was here to provide some order for the fund’s sake.

  The elevator’s arrival draws her attention back across the office. As her eyes wander away, she confirms Jalen’s closed his office door and is glaring at her from behind his desk. Holing up alone in his office is the exact opposite of the friendly advice she tried to give him. But of course, men never listen.

&n
bsp; Chapter Twenty Six

  John doesn’t wait for a response to his knock before bursting through the door. Happy to see he’s not interrupting any meeting, he marches triumphantly right up to Judge Richards’ desk.

  He can’t hide his smug smile as he throws the front-page of the New York Star down in front of the judge.

  “The cat’s out of the bag. The entire world knows about Robert Locke now and they’re calling for us to arrest him. Hell, they’re calling for his head. This article is a death sentence. For his safety, we need that arrest warrant.”

  Judge Richards calmly picks the newspaper up off his desk and pushes his reading glasses up to the bridge of his nose. Apparently, he’s the only person left in the world who hasn’t already read Maya’s article. John bites his tongue and tries to wait patiently for the Judge’s response to the bombshell story.

  “Does the government share your sentiment on this issue?”

  “They’re on their way. But this is a slam dunk, there’s no reason to keep avoiding it.”

  Throwing the paper back down on his desk, Judge Richards removes his reading glasses and starts chewing on the earpiece. Recognizing he’s deep in thought, John resists his instinct to keep pushing.

  “How much of this is true, and what do you have the evidence to prove?”

  “I believe every word’s true. At least, I don’t have evidence to contradict any of it. The only minor surprise is the article’s frequent mention of some guy named Al. He wasn’t on our radar before this. But I assure you, it’s minor. If your arrest warrant can come with search warrants for his office, and pretty much everything over at Merry Men, I’m confident we’ll have all the evidence the prosecution needs.”

  “For once, we share Knott’s confidence,” Sally announces as she enters the room.

  “Thanks for joining us. Am I safe to assume the government’s now all on the same side and wants to move forward with this?”

  “Absolutely, your honor.”

  “Alright, Knott, you’ve got your warrant.”

  Just like that, the stress starts to melt from John’s shoulder. He’s ready to replace it with anticipation, eager to go hunting for Robbie.

  “Now, how do you plan to arrest him?” Judge Richards asks.

  And as fast as it was disappearing, John’s stress is back.

  John was hoping this question wouldn’t be asked. Knowing his answers aren’t what the judge has in mind, it’s not a conversation he’s looking forward to.

  It could do wonders for his career to arrest Robbie with lots of press coverage of the perp walk. That’s not possible if they move in on him at the resort while Theo has him on lockdown. Making an arrest at Merry Men’s offices the most appealing option. But if the judge finds out John’s been fudging the truth about a planned return for Robbie, he’ll be in hot water. The trouble with Judge Richards wouldn’t even be the end of it; judges talk, and they might make sure he’s never granted a warrant again.

  “He’s still in the state, right?” Sally asks while John chooses his words carefully. “I can reach out to my counterpart at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York if you need help moving in on the location. Have you informed the FBI field offices in Albany or Buffalo?”

  “Albany is currently assisting with the surveillance on Locke. But my agents in the area are insisting it’s a bad idea to attempt an arrest at the resort.”

  “What are you saying?” Judge Richards interrupts. “You’re the one pushing for an arrest before he flees the country.”

  “My agents won’t let him flee,” John insists. “Our sources tell us he is planning a short, temporary return to New York City. I propose intense surveillance to track his movement and then arrest him as soon as he reaches his destination. It’s the safest option for all involved. We could arrest him when the helicopter lands or wait until he arrives at his penthouse or office.”

  No such sources exist, but John’s hoping no one calls him out on it. In his career, he’s learned there’s no easier way for law enforcement to reach their objectives than fudging the truth a little bit. He’s become well-informed on the POTCH birthday week traditions and knows Robbie will be back in the city by Wednesday morning. That gives them less than two days to get their ducks in a row.

  “What’s the benefit of waiting?” Sally asks.

  “Besides the safety of our agents? Press coverage,” John grins. “It might not be what we want to hear, but this could put both our careers on the fast track.”

  “I’m not signing a warrant to make you a celebrity or give you a promotion,” Judge Richards cuts in. “What’s the argument against arresting him at his current location?”

  “Are you familiar with the Waco siege, Judge?”

  The question catches the Judge by surprise and mellows his stern expression. “What does that have to do with Locke’s Ponzi scheme?”

  “Robert Locke’s a complicated man. Right now, he’s holed up with his spiritual guru, Theo Tucker. The man’s a cult leader and that resort is crawling with his followers. My team worries an attempt to serve a warrant will cause a standoff that could turn violent. Our intelligence suggests they have some weapons and lots of supplies. I worry about how long they could hold out and the potential cost of the standoff. Both in financial terms and the lives of law enforcement.”

  As far as John knows, there are no weapons at the retreat. They do have a lot of supplies, but the greedy bastards are blowing through the food and drinks at record pace. At this rate, POTCH wouldn’t survive a weeklong standoff with the FBI.

  But again, the truth doesn’t fit the narrative John wants to deliver.

  “You’re saying if we try to arrest Locke, FBI agents will die and we’ll have an embarrassing stalemate with another crazy cult?”

  “It’s a potential outcome of which I’m gravely concerned.”

  “But you’re confident Locke will willingly leave his little fortress soon?”

  “Within the next two days,” John confirms. “Most likely by helicopter, so we’ll have our own following him in addition to drone surveillance and monitoring his flight plan.”

  “Any objections to waiting for two days then going all out to arrest him?” Judge Richards asks as he shifts his attention to Sally.

  She doesn’t return his gaze. Instead, Sally’s focusing on John. Her office doesn’t have nearly as much information as he seems to be in possession of, and he isn’t volunteering to share much of it outside the judge’s chambers. She’s not sure she trusts him, but standing here in the moment, she can’t think of a better plan.

  “No objections, your honor.”

  “Fine, so Locke’s brought to justice in two days’ time. Knott, don’t fuck this up.”

  Judge Richards waves his hand to dismiss them from his office and picks the phone up off its receiver, reminding John that his entrance interrupted however he was spending his morning.

  Following Sally out of the office, John can't contain his smile. Not that he bothers to try. Something’s finally going right for him and it feels good.

  But once the door to the judge’s office closes behind them, Sally doesn’t let the smile stay on his face for long. Spinning around, she throws a copy of today’s New York Star at his chest.

  “What the hell is this?”

  “It’s a newspaper,” John responds sarcastically as he bends over to pick it up. “It’s important to stay informed.”

  Sally doesn’t laugh at the comment. Glaring at John until he stands back up, she crosses her arms. The look in her eyes reminds John of an upset school principal disciplining a seven-year-old boy. He doesn’t relish playing the role of little boy.

  “What I want to know is who’s informing this reporter.”

  “Hard to say. Sounds like she’s good at her job.”

  “It sounds like she has more sources than we do.”

  “I can try paying her a visit,” John offers. “See if she’s willing to share notes and point us in the di
rection of more cooperative witnesses.”

  Sally snatches the paper out of John’s hand, hoping the quick rip leaves him with a few paper cuts. “You know what I think?”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “I think you've already visited with her. This article lists everything you’ve been saying for the past six months. She even mentions a source in law enforcement and you’re the only one that comes to mind.”

  “I’m flattered to hear you’re thinking about me.”

  “She references every source we have in this investigation, plus more. I think you shared all of your notes with her but she didn’t reciprocate.”

  “That’s quite the theory,” John says as he pushes his way past her and tries to walk away down the hallway.

  Running to catch up, Sally isn’t dropping this that easily. “You’re risking our entire case.”

  “This article’s the only reason we finally have an arrest warrant. Quit worrying so much.”

  “You remind me of a victim I was prosecuting for last year.”

  “Was he charmingly handsome?” John asks, the smile back across his face. “Did he have a quick wit?”

  “He didn’t trust me to do my job. He kept making the same annoying joke before undermining me. He liked to say the only way to get law enforcement to act on something is to blow it up in the press.”

  “While I’d hate to agree with that strategy, this article is finally giving us the freedom to act here.”

  “You just don’t get it, do you?” Sally yells. John has an uncanny ability to sap away all of her patience and she’s past the point of caring who overhears their conversation. “The arrest warrant isn’t the end goal here, it’s the start of the war. Now we need to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. That’s not a battle that’s won in the newspapers. Headlines only distract from the real trial and make you susceptible to civil lawsuits for libel if we lose our criminal conviction.”

  “What libel? I’m not quoted anywhere.”

  “It’s not hard to read between the lines, John. You think your reporter friend will protect you when Locke and his lawyers press to find out who she talked to?”