“Yes, this is MASSIVE insurance fraud.”
“I better call Fred and send him this picture. I know he's going to be mad at me, because he thinks I'm playing detective.” Mandy said.
“Don't worry about it, he'll thank you later.”
Mandy called Fred.
“Hi Fred. I'm calling you with a very weird story.”
“Oh?” he replied coolly.
“Well, I followed Thomas Parks because I thought he had Roger. Jill is with me,” she added quickly, hoping to forestall a lecture.
“Mandy, what did I say about playing detective?”
“No, Fred, we weren't going to, and didn't, engage or confront; however, we found something much, much bigger than you'll ever imagine.
“What is it, Mandy?” Fred asked with a tired sigh.
“Stacy Parks faked her own death, I'm sending you a picture.”
“What!”
“We just saw them step out of the hotel here. We're in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and we're afraid they're going to try to escape to Canada.”
Fred received the picture Mandy sent.
“Yep, that looks like Stacy Parks all right.”
Jill took over the phone.
“Hi, Fred, this is Jill. Listen to me, I got great footage on my DSLR of them walking. You have to reach out to the local sheriff here so he can hold them 'til you can come to pick them up. Meanwhile, I suggest you get a warrant to dig up Stacy Parks' grave; you'll probably find there's a dummy in there.”
“Okay, but whatever you do, don't engage those two. For the kind of money they're trying to bilk the insurance company for, it's possible they would be willing to kill.”
“Understood, Fred, believe me, we don't want to be victims. Here's what I think. We'll go to the local sheriff's office, explain the situation and tell them to expect a call from you or give them your number. Let them deal with Thomas and Stacy Parks. Meanwhile, you better get an extradition order so you can come pick them up here.”
“That's a good idea, Jill. If I just call the local police out of the blue, it's not as convincing as if there's a someone there in front of them, telling them this is what's happening.”
“This place seems like a tiny town. I don't suppose they get any kind of activity here, so they'll be more receptive.”
“All right, we got a plan and remember, no confrontations, no engagements. Let the local law enforcement handle them.”
“No problem, Fred.”
Jill relayed the conversation to Mandy, who had already pieced together most of what they had said. They went to the pharmacy to ask about the sheriff's office. The pharmacist behind the counter gave them directions.
“Better the pharmacy than the diner. They may be eating breakfast there, and you'd be recognized for sure,” Jill said.
Mandy and Jill got to the sheriff's office, a small, Spartan office, but clean and bright.
Mandy started, “Excuse me, may we speak to the sheriff?” she asked the officer at the reception desk.
“You're speaking to him, ma'am, I'm Sherriff Will Logan, how can I help you?”
“Sir, we have a very unusual situation which requires the help of law enforcement. We've been in touch with Police Captain Fred Stone of the Pleasant Falls Police Department in New Jersey, and he suggested we contact you and advise he will be calling you.”
“Sound serious, what could possibly be the problem?” He said half jokingly.
Mandy and Jill explained what had happened and where things stood as of now.
“And these are pictures of the suspects. This is the woman who faked her death for the insurance.”
“So, are they dangerous?” the Sherriff asked.
“We don't know, this is a completely new development in this situation. Captain Stone seems to be concerned they may be more dangerous than they appear, considering the sums of money they're trying to steal. He wanted to speak to you directly to let you know what's going on.”
“Okay, what's his number?”
Mandy gave him the number of the Pleasant Falls Police Department and Fred's extension and advised him to ask the receptionist for Captain Stone's line and to mention the Stacy Parks case. His call got right through. After a couple of greetings and courtesies, Sherriff Logan came right down to it.
“So, you want me to hold them until you come pick them up?” said the Sherriff.
“Yes, sir. Otherwise, I believe these two are going to escape to Canada, where it might be a lot harder to extradite them. I've got an extradition order in process and a warrant to dig up the grave. Believe me, this is big and we've never encountered anything like this in these parts.”
“I know what you mean. The worst thing we get is drunk and disorderly or domestic abuse cases. No problem, friend, I'll hold them as soon as I can find them.”
“Thank you, I greatly appreciate it, I'll be up there as soon as possible.”
“Well, ladies,” the sheriff turned to Mandy and Jill, “it seems like in trying to get your stolen cat, you've opened up a humdinger of a situation.”
“You're telling us! I almost let out a scream when I first saw her. I attended her funeral.”
“You know them personally??”
“No, they were going to do a commercial with my cat, which is how this whole mess started. I went there to pay my respects. A couple of days later, my cat got stolen.”
Mandy left out the part where she found the body. Although very friendly, Mandy could see the Sherriff was also very smart and she didn't need someone to start thinking about how she found a dead body.
“Well, we'll go to the hotel and do a drive around the town and see if we can find where the Parks couple has gotten to. C'mon deputy, we're going to catch us some interstate criminals.”
And he let out a laugh, like a hunter who's tired of killing cockroaches.
Chapter Eleven
The sheriff went off to find Thomas and Stacy Parks and Mandy and Jill thought they should still hide in their car until they heard something. They drove around town and tried to find a place away from the public eye. Jill drove because Mandy had been driving since they left New Jersey. This had definitely turned into an ordeal she never imagined.
Suddenly she thought of something -- her agreement with the insurance agent! She texted Ralph, the agent and asked, “Is our agreement still on?”
“Yes, as long as there's a conviction,” he texted back.
“A conviction is going to be guaranteed.”
“How do you know, how can you be so sure??”
“Because Stacy Parks faked her death, and I just caught her.”
She sent a picture she had taken of Thomas and Stacy Parks leaving the hotel. Ralph didn't reply for awhile. He had fainted.
In the meantime, Thomas and Stacy Parks were taking a stroll around town, talking about the good old days and how they were going to be free in the future. Stacy did most of the talking.
“I have to tell you, Tommy, so far everything is going well. Nobody in a million years is going to think of finding us out here. I'm so glad I don't have to be Stacy Parks any longer and can just be plain old Stella Benvenutto from Hoboken.”
Thomas said “Yes, we can go back to normal. And let me tell you, the cockfighting business is still bringing in hundreds of thousands a month.”
“Great!” Stacy said excitedly. “Between the gambling and the insurance money, we have enough money to last us for the rest of our lives. I never wanted to go into the family business but it sure came in handy, having some connections with them. Take for instance, the doctor. He's been with the family for years, and he's an honest man because once he's bought he stays bought. He's never going to rat us out. As long as everybody gets their money, they're all good.”
“I paid the doc off first.”
“Good, good. Yeah, Joey and Sammy are my cousins working at the ambulance service. They know they're going to get their money; besides, they're terrified of me, because I made their lives miserable when we were growin
g up. They'll play ball. I tell you Tommy, I was terrified when I first took the drug to make it look like I died. I couldn't move and could just barely breathe. But it's worth it so I can get out of being Stacy Parks and get that insurance policy.”
“Yeah, you were found by the girl with the cat.” Said Thomas.
“Ah, yes, Mandy. I scheduled her to come over with her cat at ten a.m., knowing she would find me and call the cops. I'm sure I gave her a heart attack, but you know what, you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs and she was just as good an egg as any.”
“Yeah, Carol still wanted to make the commercial.”
“Good old Carol, always trying to make a buck. Give the business to Carol before we disappear, okay? She thinks we run a legit operation. She'll make it work.” Stacy really liked Carol Stamis.
Thomas said, “It's not like we're going to stick around.” And they both laughed. Stacy continued.
“Some parts of this just fell into my lap. During the planning stages of my death, I kept wondering, how are we going to get a convincing body? Then one day while talking to my father, who has a loan business, he proceeded to tell me about some guy who borrowed money from him, and had trouble paying it back. He told me he should have known better than to lend money to an artist.
“My father explained this guy used to work at Madame Tussaud's and now he wanted to start a business creating life-like statues for regular people. But people weren't buying into it. All of a sudden I got this epiphany and I said, how much does he owe you? He said fifteen grand and I said, I'll pay it, let me talk to him. One thing led to another, and he made the body you saw in the coffin. You could see it looked exactly like me, nobody could tell it was a dummy double. And my Uncle Joe runs the funeral parlor, so again, as long as they get paid, they don't talk, and because it's family, they're doubly bound not to talk. Besides, they know they'll always get their money.
“Tommy, I have to tell you, it's so great to step out of the Stacy Parks character. It's like taking off a pair of tight-fitting shoes. I mean, the malarkey I had to talk every day almost drove me crazy. I may have gone a bit too far with the video of the chickens with the satin cushions and the Mozart in the background. But those broads ate it all up. I mean, I wanted to get into a legal racket for a long time. The family wanted me to go into their regular business, but too much goriness, people getting killed, not for me.
“But with the internet, I saw my calling. All of a sudden I could see all these broads were going nuts for their pets. I knew I could make a killing in this market, if I played it right. So I became Stacy Parks, Stella Benvenutto being too ethnic. Plus, I didn't want any ties to Hoboken, in case of investigations. So I started selling high and buying low. Like for instance, we get our food supplies from China, but who cares? It's just pet food, and these broads are crazy. They think we're making this upstate at the chicken farm.
“And then there's psycho nutjob Gwen Fetlock, constantly crusading for animal rights and truth in advertising for pet nutrition. I tell you Tommy, I'm willing to bet $100 bucks she hasn't had a date in fifteen years. That's what happens to a lot of these broads, something happens in their lives, they have a traumatic experience, or perhaps they were crazy all along. Then, all of a sudden, they wind up getting seventeen cats and striving for animal rights, but they couldn't have a relationship with another human being if they tried. Unless, of course, it's another animal nut.
“And here she's been going on and on about the thing with Hedon and the cockfighting for all these years. Which, if you look at it realistically, it's the biggest bunch of baloney you've ever seen. These people striving for animal rights are constantly screaming the cockfighting business is exploitative of animals. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we slaughter millions of chickens every year just so we can eat them. Where do these animal rights people think these chickens come from, trees? I tell you Tommy, it's all nuts. We have more ways of cooking chicken than Carter's got pills and they're all concerned we're exploiting gamecocks for gambling purposes. And they're signing petitions against this “heinous crime” while they're eating a chicken salad sandwich. It's completely crazy.
“I really thought in the 70s, with women becoming feminists and demanding their rights, the whole world would change for women and we'd have smarter, more rational women. Instead, these new women today seem to have lost all their common sense, and can't make a decision in their life without looking at their phone.
My mother raised me and kept house for thirty years in Hoboken without ever having to consult Facebook or the internet about how to do something. And nobody ever came around to ask us to sign a petition for anything. The only people who knocked on your door were Jehovah's Witnesses and trick or treaters on Halloween.
So, long story short, I'm so glad I don't have to be Stacy Parks any longer. It's good to be Stella Benvenutto again.”
“By the way, I've touched base with our contacts in Paraguay, and everything is okay there.” Thomas spoke quickly, to be sure to get his bit into the conversation.
“See, that's the kind of country I love, where you can buy the government officials and as long as they have their money, they smile and invite you to all their parties. Uruguay is too close to Argentina, but Paraguay worked out perfectly, sitting dab smack in the middle of South America.
“Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun retiring there. The weather is warm all year long, so we don't really have to have too much winter stuff. It's gets a little cold, but we're talking the 50s.
“Listen, after putting up with winters in Jersey all these years, Paraguay is going to seem like summer year round. And as long as we have weapons in the house, we'll be safe from any political nonsense that may happen while we're there. Besides, we don't have to stay there forever; I just found them to be the most responsive country allowing us to live there and with no extradition. As I remember my conversation with Miguel at the Embassy, “Miss Parks, you will be like a ghost in our country.” Again, it's all in who you pay off, so I think we're pretty good in Paraguay for awhile.”
They were so engrossed in their conversation they didn't notice a car pulling up to them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Parks?”
They both looked at the source of the voice and saw it came from the driver of a police car.
“My name is Sheriff Logan and both of you are under arrest for insurance fraud.”
“Wait a second, I think you've a made a mistake. We've done no such thing,” said Stacy to the sheriff.
“Ms. Parks, the state of New Jersey has proof of your crime and they have requested your arrest while they fly up to extradite you, so you can stand trial for your crime, which, as I understand it, you faked your own death to collect the insurance money.”
Stacy turned to Thomas and said “Who squealed?” and in the same motion, she pulled a gun out of her handbag and pointed it at the sheriff.
“Look, Sheriff, I'm sure you're a nice guy and we'd love to spend time talking to you, but this whole getting arrested thing is not in our plans. So I suggest you get back in the car, and we'll go our way and it's like you never saw us. We don't want any trouble, I'm sure you don't want any trouble, and we just came here to relax and take in the sights. I'm sure whoever told you we committed insurance fraud lied to you.”
Then a loud booming voice yelled: “Lady, put the gun down. I have my rifle aimed at your head, and I hunt moose and bear with this rifle and I never miss. Shooting you from over here is like pitching fish in a barrel. So, I suggest if you want to stay alive, put the gun down on the ground real easy and you sir, put your hands up in the air. And lady, after you put the gun down, put your hands in the air, too.”
Stacy looked at the guy and said “Great, I have to have a Daniel Boone wannabe walking by at this point.” Stacy put the gun on the ground.
“Thanks for the help, Mike.” Said Sherriff Logan.
“Don't mention it, Sheriff. I get a little suspicious when strangers are pointing a gun at the one and only sherif
f in town. So I figured something didn't smell right.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Parks, before I tried to peacefully hold you in the name of the State of New Jersey, but you have threatened an officer of the law of the Upper Peninsula with a gun at point blank range, so now you have committed a crime right here in this state. I have to agree, law enforcement in the State of New Jersey is more than correct with their allegations, which I am certain will turn out to be truisms.”
The Sheriff handcuffed both of them and put them in the car. He turned to his friend and asked “Mike, you want to follow along and make a statement about these two?”
“With pleasure. Who are they anyway?”
“Fugitives from New Jersey.”
Mandy and Jill were sitting across the street from the police station when they saw the Sheriff pull up.
Mandy said, “Look, I think they caught them!”
Sure enough, Thomas and Stacy Parks were led out of the police car and both were handcuffed. Another truck right behind the police car parked as well and the driver got out and followed the Sheriff inside.
Jill said, “Wow, you know what this means don't you?”
“That justice will be served?” said Mandy.
“No, that we can rent rooms at the one and only hotel in town and not be afraid to be recognized by the Parks. I can't sleep in the car another night. Plus I want to take a shower and afterwards go out to dinner. It's not like we're the fugitives, they are.” Jill said exasperated.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. This car is very uncomfortable. And we are getting grungy.”
So Mandy and Jill booked a big room in the hotel and took showers, changed and had a nice dinner at the local diner. Later they passed by the Sheriff's office and tried to get the attention of somebody inside. Finally, the sheriff saw them, and waved for him to come outside.
“Hi, Sheriff, sorry to get your attention like that, but we're afraid to be seen by the Parks. They can recognize Mandy and they may put two and two together and figure out who reported them to the police.”
“I understand ladies, but they're safely under lock and key. She pulled a gun on me; luckily, one of the locals saw this and had his rifle handy and calmed the woman down.”
Mystery at the Pet Food Corp. Page 10
