“From the beginning, Bobby played on the affections of Mr. Patrick and, within a month, they became personally involved. Then Bobby presented him with this real estate deal and, frankly, Mr. Patrick wanted to make him happy.”
The whole story made me sick. “How is it possible he thought he could sell The Cottages without my knowledge?”
“Bobby gave a very professional presentation. He presented Mr. Patrick with the financials, arranged for a tour, and for him to be present for the property inspection. After our accountant went over all the records, Mr. Patrick decided the purchase would be a good investment. Key Title has the original signed contract and other disclosures completed and signed by you, along with a sizeable earnest money deposit. The check cleared our account, and we want our deposit returned immediately.” Her tone informed me that she didn’t believe I was unaware of any of this.
“That crook has been busy,” I murmured to myself. He was very close to pulling off his scheme. What a huge mess that would have been.
“Mr. Patrick is having the entire scam investigated,” Dee informed me. “If we find out you’re involved, we’ll press criminal charges against you,” her voice was chilly.
“Don’t threaten me. Send a copy of the contract and any other paperwork. I’ll turn everything over to my attorney, and I think the best thing would be for your attorney to contact mine.”
“I’ll call Mr. Patrick’s lawyer and he can contact you directly.”
“Do you happen to know anything about Forrest, Will’s roommate?”
“Bobby,” she emphasized, “told us that Forrest was his brother. The police, on the other hand, believe Forrest is a man Bobby met in prison, Morris Pribble, who escaped two months after Bobby’s release. The escape had been well-planned and executed. He had a ride waiting for him, and they’re sure Bobby was the driver. Fortunately, this scam came to light before the transfer of the three million dollars.”
“Three million dollars?” I gasped.
“That was the negotiated price of the contract.”
“I’m hearing all this information for the first time,” I told her. “It’s difficult to process.”
“The sheriff’s office is arresting Bobby before he leaves for work today. There will be a no-bail hold until Georgia authorities pick him up,” she said. “Mr. Patrick and I decided I should talk to you and determine the level of your involvement,” Dee continued. “If it turns out you’ve conspired in any way, I promise, you’ll be prosecuted alongside him.”
“Ms. Burke, kindly stop with the accusations and threats. I realize Mr. Patrick has been through a terrible ordeal and whether you choose to believe it or not, I had no connection to this scheme. My Aunt Elizabeth recently died, so the property is in probate, not even legally mine. I have no authority to sell the property, or for that matter, do anything with it at all.”
“I almost forgot, Bobby had your power of attorney. The original is in the file at the title company.”
“He thought of everything didn’t he?”
“Except how to keep his story straight,” she shot back.
“Thank you for calling and informing me of everything. Especially since you don’t know me and have questions of your own.”
“As I said, you will be hearing from our attorney. Your cooperation is appreciated,” she said in a business-like tone
“Would you keep in touch with any update, and I’ll do the same,” I told Dee.
“I’ll do that.”
I felt as if someone had kicked me in the stomach. Will had some big balls to mastermind such a massive fraud. There was much more to Will Todd or Bobby James than a condescending attitude, and that explained a lot about how he treated me. He needed me out of the way. The fallout from his scheming would have been staggering. I was lucky he’d tripped himself up.
Chapter 28
I turned into The Cottages as three sheriff’s cars were driving out. Will was likely inside one, but he’d never spot me through tinted windows. But where was Kevin? Wait until he finds out he missed the big arrest.
I went straight for Joseph’s. His door was closed, a rarity. The blinds moved a little, when I knocked, and the door opened. “Are the cops still here?” he demanded.
“No, why? You wouldn’t be avoiding the sheriff?”
“When they pulled in, I about had a heart attack. I haven’t been in trouble lately, but I closed my door before they could open theirs,” Joseph said as he kicked the door shut and locked it.
“Did you see what happened?”
“You bet,” he said, looking insulted. “I went from window to window watching everything.”
“Well?” I asked, impatient for answers.
“I told you those two are bad news,” he gloated.
“Skip the ‘I told you so’ and get to the details.”
“I was sitting here minding my own business like usual, when the cars pulled in. One, okay, but three? I almost fell jumping up to close my door. They went to Will’s, and one knocked while the other two stood back with guns drawn. He answered right away. You could see he was surprised but he didn’t resist being cuffed and put in the back of the patrol car. The other two disappeared inside.”
“What about Forrest?”
“Funny you should ask. In the middle of all the commotion, he comes walking up the street from work. He hung out across the way, hiding behind that hedge over there, and watched. When they drove off, he looked around, continued on normal like. He turned the corner, and disappeared down the beach. After he saw me peering out the window, he gave me the finger.”
“You didn’t tell the cops?”
“No way. I’m not getting involved.”
“You let Forrest get away,” I accused. “What if he comes back?”
“He’s not stupid,” Joseph said. “He knows the drill. The sheriff will patrol the neighborhood for a few days, especially if he’s wanted.”
“I heard he’s been dealing in stolen property. Do you know if the sheriff took anything from their cottage?”
“Don’t think so. I would’ve seen the sheriffs carrying stuff out, and if they planned to return, the door would be taped. Besides, a whole bunch of electronics went out of there last night, fenced to Victor.”
“How do you know?”
“What a stupid question. I know everything,” he boasted. “Victor liquidates stolen items you can’t get rid of any other way, and he likes quantity.”
“Do you know why Will got arrested?” I asked.
“No, do you?”
“Apparently, he’s wanted in Georgia. He cleaned out the bank account of an elderly lady and stole her car,” I said smugly.
“You’re pretty proud of yourself, one-upping me,” he said, looking at me over his reading glasses. “You’re telling me the car he drives now is the one he stole? That’s funny. I told him the other day that his tags had expired. He glared at me and said ‘fuck you’.”
“That wasn’t very nice.”
“What about Forrest?” Joseph asked.
“The police aren’t exactly sure who he is. Maybe an old cell mate of Will’s, who escaped with Will’s help.”
“I told you he was wanted,” he said.
“By the way, they told other people they were brothers.”
“Brothers my ass,” he laughed. “I’m telling you they were lovers. Don’t ask me how I know.”
“A little threesome action?” I joked.
“Get out of here,” he said, pointing to the door.
“Is there anything else?”
“Where did you get your info,” he asked with suspicion.
“His boss’s assistant, Dee Burke, called to tell me he was being arrested today, and she related the whole ugly story. It turns out she’s the one who figured out his true identity. She did some investigating, found out he was wanted, and turned him into the sheriff.
“Who’s going to be running this place? I can’t see Tucker getting off his high horse to collect rent and you
can be sure his snot-ass assistant won’t either.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I doubt Tucker will object to my being involved now.”
“You’re lucky Willy boy won’t be getting out of jail anytime soon,” he said, shaking his head. “He wouldn’t be able to stand you or anyone else taking control. He told everyone who would listen, and didn’t know better, that he owned the property.”
“How come you didn’t tell me any of this?”
“You didn’t ask,” he shrugged.
I shook my head in disgust. I made no comment because I wanted details. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you, not to bite the hand that’s nice to you?”
“She never mentioned it.”
Oh, brother. “What happens when you’re arrested on an outstanding warrant from another state?”
“Before the sheriff even comes out, they call the other state involved and ask if they want him and, more importantly, if they’re going to come and get him. If the answer is yes, he sits in jail until Georgia authorities show up. How long depends on whether or not Will fights the extradition. If he does, he can sit in jail anywhere from days to months. If he’s charged with anything here in Florida, he’ll have to go to court here first before being extradited to Georgia. A lot depends on which state has the better charges. He won’t get bail; he’s already established himself as a flight risk.”
“I like the idea of never having to lay eyes on him again. Forrest is the wild card.”
“Forrest knows the rules of the game. He won’t be coming back either. He’s probably up in Miami by now, and he won’t stop moving. He’ll settle in a big city where he can blend in, and no one will ask any questions.”
“As usual, you’re a fountain of information.”
“I’m impressed you had information of your own. In the future, we’ll be trading info for info,” he said.
“Just so you know, if I don’t have anything to trade I’ll pull the owner card.”
“You damn women,” Joseph snorted. “Want a beer?”
“No thanks, I’m driving,” I said, walking out the door.
“I know, if I hear anything, I’ll call!” he yelled. “You too,” he added.
I called Tucker’s office, began to leave a message, then changed my mind. My days of dealing with Tucker and Ann were over. My new lawyer can handle them both.
I left messages for Zach and Fab. I wished I had Fab’s lock-picking skills to retrieve the records and all of the keys before something else happened. I needed to figure out everything Will had been doing, and I would need Whit’s help.
While I was on the phone, Zach had left a message. “I’m on my way to a dinner meeting with a new client. Talk to you tomorrow.”
I played the message twice, just to hear his voice. I’ll call him tomorrow to fill him in on the latest. Would we ever get to spend a night together without interruptions? Was it too much to ask for a casual evening of nothing but food and sex?
My phone rang again. “Hi, Axe.”
“Zach wanted me to get a hold of you.”
“I’m on my way home.”
“I can send someone to stay with you if you don’t want to be by yourself,” he offered.
“Fab’s coming over,” I told him. It wasn’t the truth but I didn’t need a babysitter.
Chapter 29
“Meow,” Jazz sat on the floor by my feet, staring up at me.
My mind was reeling from the events of the last couple of days. I couldn’t stop thinking of the conversation I overheard at Tucker’s office. He was one scary man. My gut instinct told me I was the pain in his ass he’d been talking about. How much did he know about what Will had been doing? Kevin had warned me that Tucker had plans for The Cottages. I didn’t have to worry about Will, now that he was a guest in the county jail. Tucker, though, was another story.
I called Fab and left a message that Will had been arrested, and I needed her help. I needed to locate the record books and, if Fab didn’t call, I’d get into Will’s cottage if I had to climb in the window. Then I called the jail to check on Will’s status, and found out he had been booked under Bobby James. He was on a no-bail hold, just as Joseph said. My next call was to Whit’s office.
“Hello, Madison,” he laughed. “What’s new?”
“You’re really bad.”
“If I had an office full of people, I would’ve kicked all of them out to take your call. What the heck happened?”
“Will Todd cooked up this incredible fraud to sell The Cottages. Thank goodness, everything unraveled for him before he could pull off his scam.” I quickly related the pertinent details.
“My phone started ringing off the hook with everyone wanting to tell me of Will’s arrest, but no one had any actual facts.”
I repeated the conversation I’d had with Dee Burke.
“I figured he was a weasel, but I had no idea.”
“There’s more. Will set up at least two sets of books.”
“That’s not good news. Most likely he’s been stealing from Cottage accounts, and wanted to cover his tracks. Based on what Ms. Burke told you, a well-documented set of records would be instrumental in his getting top dollar. If he made a formal presentation, as you said, another CPA would be involved for certification of the financial statements. My guess is he did both.”
“I’m going to try and retrieve all the records today. Once I do, I’ll drop them off at your office, and hopefully you can figure what he did.”
“Of course! I’ll review them and put together a plan to minimize your losses.”
“I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask in confidence.”
“Anything you say to me stays between us.”
“Have you heard of anyone showing an interest in acquiring The Cottages? Possibly as part of a larger real estate deal.”
“That’s an interesting question. Why do you ask?”
I told him about Kevin’s comment, and overhearing the conversation at Tucker’s office. “I’m not positive Tucker was talking about me, but the pieces fit, and it makes sense.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Tucker is involved in a scheme like this. If he is, he has to be the principal in the deal. He’s smart enough to know that if he did something illegal it would be challenged in court, and he’d be disbarred if the deal were found to be fraudulent. The one sure way to keep that from happening is if he had your consent, or at least make it look like you were part of the deal. I can see him wearing you down with legal machinations. I’m still bothered by the fact that Elizabeth never mentioned that she named him executor. I’m not only surprised she didn’t ask my opinion, but she never said one word about her decision.”
“Thank you for referring me to Howard Sherman. I hired him to act as intermediary after the last meeting in Tucker’s office, where I was clearly out-maneuvered and in over my head. Time to level the playing field. I loathe both Tucker and Will, and I certainly underestimated what they’re capable of, and the lengths they’ll go to.”
“Will, or Bobby, doesn’t strike me as a man sharp enough to pull off a deal of this size alone, Whit said. “I’ll ask around and if he had any help, I’ll find out whom. There are no secrets in this town. In the meantime, my dear, steer clear of Tucker and forward his calls to Sherman. He won’t be blowing any smoke up Sherman’s pant leg.”
“I’ll take your advice. Tucker is obviously unscrupulous. I hope by the end of the year he won’t have figured out a way to take The Cottages from me.”
“Tucker is in for a rude awakening. He’ll never get his hands on the property. I’ll help you in any way I can. He’s smart enough to cover his tracks, but if we get our ducks lined up, we can force him to resign as executor.”
“I’m sorry for dumping all of my problems on you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snorted. “I’m honored. I’ll get the financial matters straightened out in short order. Whatever Will has done can be undone. For someone who’s only been here a few months, you�
�re well-liked. Several people would step up on your behalf. A couple of your fan club members would happily make him disappear without a trace,” Whit joked. “I’m not recommending the idea, although it would be a service to the community. You just get me those books as soon as possible. I’ll call Dee Burke and get all the information. Then I’ll call the title company and try to figure out what their involvement might be.”
I’d barely hung up before my phone rang again with an unrecognizable number.
“Ms. Madison Westin?”
I hesitated. “This is she.”
“Campion here, your hot shot criminal attorney.”
“Oh,” I groaned. Now what?
“There went my ego,” he laughed. “I called with good and bad news.”
“Good news first, please.”
“Harder won’t be bothering you again. He completely cleared you in the death of Oscar Wyatt.”
I exhaled. “That’s a relief. I hated being a suspect. And the bad news?”
“My bill won’t be as large as I had hoped,” he said with mock seriousness.
“Sounds like a win-win for me.”
“I enjoyed sparring with Harder. He was out-lawyered and he knew it. Keep me on speed dial. You never know when you’ll need a good criminal attorney.”
* * *
Another hot, hot day, so I dug around in my clean, but unfolded, laundry pile, finding a pair of black yoga pants, and two workout tops. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and laced up my tennis shoes. Dressed for breaking and entering.
It was way past time to tell all to Madeline. I called her number and, thank God, it went straight to voice mail. “It’s your favorite daughter. How about a girl dinner tomorrow night? You pick the restaurant, and I’ll pay. Love you.”
I hung up thinking a couple of shots of Jack and a cigar would do the trick on her mood. Then I could tell her everything, but a little light on details. The most important thing is that she’d hear everything from me.
At The Cottages, Miss January was bent amongst the rose bushes weaving around.
Crazy in Paradise Page 17
