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Robbie's Scheme

Page 21

by Justin Haines


  “Journalists protect their sources. Sometimes, better than we do.”

  “I hope you can sleep well at night telling yourself that.”

  Finally reaching the building’s main door, John doesn’t bother to respond. He’s been listening to her complaints for months and is just as sick of her as she is of him.

  Swinging the door open, his smile grows. It’s the first snow of the year and the flakes have only just begun to stick. The sidewalk is covered in a thin blanket of white. Off to the sides, on the city’s planters and inside the tree guards, the snow is still pristine, untouched by any paw prints or trash.

  John loves this time of year. He loves the innocence everything takes on with the snow covering up any blemishes. It makes his city look clean and natural for a change.

  Somewhere, he hopes Robbie’s taking advantage of the same sight and enjoying the weather. It should be his last chance to experience the snow.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  This morning’s a little different than usual for Maya. Instead of gathering in an editor’s office with her fellow reporters, she’s been summoned upstairs for a sit down with her editor’s boss’s boss.

  The email invitation demanded her presence to review the reception to yesterday’s article about Robbie. From the rumors she’s heard, her online impressions are off the charts. The news of Robbie’s Ponzi scheme might set records for the Star.

  People are going crazy over this, and Maya figures they want more — more details, more coverage, more developments.

  Which is where the suits that her editor reports to come in. They’re likely going to push her to come out with more content. The more details she writes, the more clicks they can generate. So, she has Ralph waiting in the hallway outside of the conference room. She has a few follow-up pieces on Robbie in mind, but the reporting on the Church is only beginning to scratch the surface. On her signal, Ralph’s ready to burst in and help her pitch the POTCH angle in connection to all of this fraud. After all, he’s the one who’s been on this case for years. Now that it might finally be paying off, Maya thinks he deserves some recognition.

  After several minutes of waiting, the suits finally start streaming into the conference room to join Maya around the table. She sits at the end of one table, with her back to the door, and offers a polite smile to each man she makes eye contact with as they pass her.

  The man in charge of the entire New York Star — the owner’s son, Walter Meyer — takes the seat at the head of the table across from Maya. His chair is the only one with armrests Walter’s presence only makes her feel more uncomfortable in the boardroom. He doesn’t bother to look up from his phone while the rest of the executives kick off the meeting. He doesn’t even make an attempt to recognize her presence.

  After a brief series of introductions, the other executives waste no time in getting to the point of the meeting.

  “Maya, our readers need to know everything about this Robert Locke business. Your article has stirred up quite the storm, but is there anything you left out? Any potential for follow-up pieces?”

  “Absolutely,” Maya says as she sits up straight in her chair. She’s never had such a positive and encouraging meeting with the businessmen upstairs before. “I can write an online article going into more details on the mechanics of his fraud. That article could include a bunch of quotes from Gilbert Bell, or I could break his quotes apart and post them as a full interview online. And I’m hoping to reach out to a source this afternoon for more information on law enforcement’s reaction to the news. If an arrest comes this week, that’s another article right there.”

  The men around the table nod their heads and murmur amongst each other, but it’s hardly the reaction of excitement Maya’s looking for. After a moment, one of them clears his throat and holds up a copy of yesterday’s paper with Maya’s byline on the front-page.

  “But is there anything that would grab attention like this story? Anything you can report that would feel shocking and new?”

  “Well, Robbie only committed one major crime. I’m not sure what other pieces about him you guys have in mind.”

  “It doesn’t necessarily need to be about him. Do we know of any co-conspirators that would capture the public’s imagination?”

  Arriving at the moment much sooner than she anticipated, Maya hits send on the text waiting on her phone’s screen. The businessmen seem receptive. Hopefully, Ralph can come in and sell this story with her.

  “Actually, there is something truly salacious. I believe Robbie is only one small part of a larger criminal conspiracy. I’m inviting my colleague in, as he would help me write the article and publish several follow-up pieces. All I ask is that you keep an open mind as we explain.”

  “What is it?”

  “Make no mistake, they’re a cult,” Ralph announces as he bursts through the door. He wasn’t able to hear their conversation from outside the door, and he isn’t quite sure how grand of an entrance is warranted.

  Not exactly how Maya was hoping to start the conversation, but it’s unmistakable, they have the entire room’s attention now. Even Walter Meyer’s looking up from his phone. She decides to push ahead and add some context to Ralph’s declaration.

  “Robert Locke is part of a spiritual movement known as POTCH. He has a spiritual advisor who I believe is pushing this entire fraud, and is also running one of his own.”

  “His name’s Theo,” Ralph says excitedly as he finds a seat at the table. He’s never been in a room with these men before and the proximity to power is overwhelming. Perhaps, he’ll finally be able to tell his story. “But his relationship to Locke is so close they call each other Teddy and Rob. Ignore the self-help and spiritual messaging, look behind the curtain, and you find a cult.”

  “That’s quite the accusation. What kind of proof do we have about their relation to the Ponzi scheme?”

  “I can report on countless crimes they’ve committed,” says Ralph.

  He raises his hands and uses his fingers to count down a list of accusations against POTCH, including tax evasion, kidnapping, a sexual assault allegation against Theo, witness intimidation, embezzlement, extortion, and blackmail. Running out of actual crimes he can think of, Ralph then starts complaining about the frivolous lawsuits the group launches.

  Maya worries that the suits around the table don’t look impressed with Ralph. Walter’s back on his phone and a few of the other executives are joining him in tuning Ralph out.

  Finally, one of them waves his hand in the air to interrupt Ralph’s rant. “Fine, but what about the Ponzi scheme specifically?”

  “Well,” Maya says before Ralph can sabotage the goal of the meeting. “Robbie doesn’t do anything without checking with Theo first. If he does anything against his advisor, it results in hefty fines that he must pay the group. There’s no way Robbie could be doing something like this without Theo knowing.”

  “But how do they relate to the scheme?”

  The frustration is clearly growing across the table from Maya. Not wanting the meeting to end when it’s hardly begun, she takes a breath to carefully consider her answer.

  To her horror, she hears Ralph answering before she exhales. “Look, these people are brainwashers and controlling puppet masters. One of their members, like Robbie, wouldn’t do anything without their approval.”

  “It sounds like you’re trying to push the blame away from Locke.”

  Ralph can’t believe his ears. This is an argument he’s had many times before.

  Aggravated, he completely forgets the goal of relating any of this back to Robbie. “Everyone is to blame! This cult is evil!”

  “Everyone’s responsible for their individual actions. It sounds like a bunch of consenting adults in this group, don’t blame one man for their decisions.”

  “Do you know anything about cults?”

  Another executive puts a hand on his colleague’s shoulder before the argument can descend to fisticuffs. While he thinks it’s too la
te to save this meeting, he’s willing to give them one more chance.

  “I’m failing to understand how they relate to the Ponzi scheme specifically. Can either of you explain how Robbie’s connected to these other crimes that you believe are so newsworthy?”

  Again, Ralph beats Maya to answering the question.

  He goes on a tirade listing practically everything he knows about POTCH. Ralph rattles off the group’s mission statement and their core beliefs. He talks about members’ lifestyles, from followers to guides to gurus. He even includes information about the lack of meat and alcohol in hopes of striking a nerve with the group of old, white, male executives in the room. He goes over the system of fines and punishments for breaking the success plans the cult forces on them, and he explains the concept of a person being vanquished. As he runs out of grievances with POTCH, Ralph reaches into the past and brings up their vitamin sales and reincarnation beliefs.

  Maya watches helplessly as the executives absorb all of the information and look completely unimpressed. She can smell the desperation coming off Ralph and is sure everyone else in the room can too. Nothing he says is making any difference.

  When Ralph finally stops to take a breath, Walter drops his phone onto the table. The bang it makes on impact directs the entire room’s attention to the head of the table.

  But while they’re all looking at him, he’s sizing Maya up across the table. For the first time since the meeting began, it appears he’s ready to speak and share his opinion on this matter.

  “Maya, I don’t believe going after the Church is an appropriate use of the Star’s resources. Your scoop has presented you with a major opportunity to hold the public’s attention and lead this story. I’m not sure why you’re wasting that with Ralph here.”

  Maya and Ralph both open their mouths to protest, but Walter waves his hand and continues. He doesn’t care what they have to say on the matter. His mind is already made up and there’s no changing it.

  “Keep up on your sources in law enforcement and post that online piece about the details of the fraud. I think you can include your quotes from Gilbert Bell, the man doesn’t deserve an exclusive interview. If it’s even exclusive at this point. And please, Maya, try to make it all as interesting as possible. We have a sensational story here and everyone is looking to us to lead the coverage. Let’s not let our readers down.”

  The second Walter closes his lips, the men around the room begin to stand. They know their boss has reached his decision, and they want to send that message to Maya. If she doesn’t understand it, they’ll disperse and be long gone before the useless argument erupts.

  While they’re streaming out of the room, Maya sits frozen in place. She avoids making eye contact with any of them as they button up their suits and shake hands. They may be satisfied with the conclusion of this meeting, but she’s not. She doesn’t flinch when any of them offer out their hands on the way out the door.

  She even waits Ralph out. She doesn’t need any more of his help. He lets out a heavy sigh and slumps down in his chair while the suits stream past him. Finally, after a moment, he stomps out of the room like a petulant child.

  Maya only stands from her chair when Walter is walking right past her to exit the room.

  “You don’t want any stories on the Church?” Maya asks.

  His pace doesn’t slow as he proceeds to the door. “I hope the message is clear. It’s best to leave Theo Tucker out of this. Robbie’s responsible for actions alone.”

  “How well acquainted are you with them?”

  Still, no break in Walter’s exit. He reaches out for the door handle and swings the pane of glass open. Trying to keep her nerve, Maya knows she only has time to make one more statement before he disappears. If her stories are going to be killed, she wants to make it clear how much of a threat she can be.

  “We never mentioned anyone referring to POTCH as the Church or Theo’s last name. How friendly are you with Mr. Tucker?”

  Walter hesitates with one foot in the doorway and starts to turn his head back to look at Maya, before deciding better of it and continuing out of the office.

  But the entire interaction strikes a nerve. With both of them.

  Maya no longer thinks Ralph’s paranoid for believing the Star is killing any of his stories about POTCH, even if he does sound like a lunatic when he starts going on about them.

  Besides Robbie, she’s starting to wonder what other powerful people Teddy counts amongst the Church’s membership.

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  John smiles and cracks his knuckles as the elevator doors close. Today is the kind of day that he dreamed about all those years ago when he signed on with the Bureau.

  More specifically, it’s the exact one he’s been dreaming about for months. There’s nothing he enjoys more than delivering justice. And in his mind, that always comes with an arrest warrant.

  While some wanted to arrest Robbie as soon as he stepped off the helicopter early this morning, John insisted on having agents follow him until he arrived at his office. This is his case, and it’s ending on his terms.

  By waiting, they can conduct a thorough search and arrest everyone all at once. Arresting him early would have risked tipping off his accomplices, giving them time to run. John even refused to let Sally tip off Robbie’s lawyers to the warrant. He convinced the judge to issue a gag order for anyone aware of the impending arrest. John wants this to be a lovely surprise for the office of Merry Men Financial Management.

  Inside the elevator, cracking his knuckles is practically the only movement John’s able to do. Nearly a dozen fellow FBI agents are cramming into the metal box as it climbs the skyscraper. There’s another dozen in an elevator only a few seconds behind them and many more agents waiting in the lobby. Some will be making trips up to help with the search warrant, but most will be staying in the lobby to protect the crime scene and work crowd control for the press.

  Robbie’s pending arrest hasn’t hit the news wires yet. John only gave the scoop to Maya. He considered it a professional courtesy. She may not be a cooperating witness in his investigation, at least not yet, but he never would have secured today’s warrant without her article. The rest of the city’s reporters can find out about today’s arrest from her, just like they did the fraud in the first place. Still, he’s sure she’s sharing the scoop with enough reporters to ensure Robbie’s perp walk will lead the evening news on every channel.

  Plus, a few outlets have been camping out at the office building ever since the story first broke. They’ve been waiting for Robbie’s eventual return and entertaining their editors with quotes from Luka.

  John checks his watch as the elevator dings to signal their ascent up the Manhattan tower. The stock markets opened three minutes ago, so everyone should be busy and focused at their desks. It’s the perfect time for him to make his entrance.

  As the elevator doors open, John steps to the side and happily lets Pete take the lead. His partner’s always the one more interested in the spotlight. If all goes according to plan, they’ll both become household names and receive promotions so that they never have to work together again. John’s hoping that taking the lead turns Pete into a tabloid figure, while his own press coverage concentrates on the press conferences and perp walks.

  “Everybody, step away from your computers,” Pete yells into his megaphone. The entire office looks up in shock, none of them expecting a second FBI raid after only a couple of weeks. “We’re here for Robert Locke, and anyone impeding his arrest will be subject to their own charges. We have a search warrant and will be confiscating anything we deem necessary.”

  “Anything you deem necessary?” Wyatt yells as he storms out of his office.

  It’s less of a question and more of a challenge as he reaches for the warrant. Pete smiles and hands the document to Wyatt’s outstretched hand. It contains a specific mention of Wyatt, and Pete’s happy to let him see that for himself.

  After giving him a few seconds
to scan it and understand its magnitude, John pulls out a pair of handcuffs and walks behind Wyatt.

  “Wyatt Johansson, you’re under arrest.”

  John struggles to contain his grin as he hears the lock on the handcuffs click shut around Wyatt’s wrists.

  “What are you talking about?” Wyatt yells. He wiggles his arms and fights back against the restraints more than the FBI agents expect a lawyer to. “I’m the compliance officer and a lawyer. I have nothing to do with any of the fund’s financials.”

  “You’re the compliance officer,” John hisses as he leans in to Wyatt’s ear. “Meaning you were in the best spot to catch this and flag it. Unless, of course, you’re a part of it.”

  “Probably in on the scheme since the beginning,” Pete says as he spits on the marble floor. He wants to make his feelings about lawyers clear. His saliva misses Wyatt’s shoe by less than an inch.

  “Lawyer,” Wyatt starts repeating at the top of his lungs while John tries reading him his Miranda rights.

  While the two shout over each other, FBI agents move through the office and systemically rip people away from their desks. Today’s warrant alleges a criminal conspiracy, and John doesn’t want to leave the office without everyone who bears some responsibility. The actual level of their guilt is an afterthought to him. The more people he throws in jail cells, the more likely he is to find a witness willing to flip and testify.

  “I thought you were the lawyer here?” John asks once he concludes the rights. “Can’t you represent yourself?”

  “Lawyer.”

  “Can you kindly point us to Albert Dale’s office?”

  “Lawyer.”

  “Al doesn’t have an office here, idiot,” Jalen yells at John as FBI agents drag him toward the elevators. “You guys don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “Your headtrader doesn’t work with the rest of the fund?” John asks.

  “We don’t know what we’re doing?” Pete asks in disbelief. “What the hell kind of operation do people think you’re running here? Or, I guess I should say did people think.”

 

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