by Millie Mack
Baxter wandered into the room and immediately brushed against Sara’s leg.
“Oh, what a sweet little kitten. Do you think he would let me hold him?” Before Charles could answer, Sara had Baxter on her lap, petting his fur. “What’s his name?”
“Baxter. You were saying?”
“Well Todd was operating like a day trader. However, unlike most day traders, Todd had thousands of dollars of other people’s money available for buys. There are fourteen women in the Club. The monthly minimum investment was five hundred dollars. However, for each individual stock buy, based on whether the member liked it, they could add up to twenty thousand dollars.”
Charles made a low whistle. “That’s from seven thousand up to two hundred eighty thousand dollars a month. Do you have an example of a particular stock?”
At last Sara opened the manila folder she’d brought with her and removed a sheet of paper. “He bought ten thousand shares of T. J. World Brand Foods when it first came on the market at five dollars. He held it for two weeks. When the price hit twelve dollars, he sold the shares the Investment Club had bought.”
“Wow, that’s seven-dollars-per-share profit.”
“Don’t forget—he took his commissions out of both the buy and the sell. Then he bought a computer stock with the profits. The computer stock was actually what the women had authorized him to buy. He bought several hundred more shares than the women had authorized, so the computer stock showed an immediate increase. He put a part of the extra profits in the Club’s account. The women were happy, and he pocketed the difference.”
“It seems unbelievable.”
“Actually, it’s kind of sad. Stocks for the recommend list are not just favorite picks. They are supported by thorough research. Todd had a magic touch for picking terrific stocks, and his research was impeccable. Had he done it legitimately, he wouldn’t have made a quick fortune, but he certainly would have made a name for himself as a top broker.”
“And he would have had the respect of his family.”
“That’s why I think it was a bit of a game for him. He was actually quite brilliant when it came to investments. It was his way of getting back at his family for their lack of respect.”
Baxter jumped off Sara’s lap, and she started to fidget with the collar on her beige sweater.
“Sara, I know this next question is difficult. Were you aware of what Todd was doing?”
Sara hesitated. “We both attended that first meeting of the Investment Club. After the second meeting of the Investment Club, I was assigned a special project and no longer given the time to attend the meetings. Looking back, I think Todd suggested me for the special project to get me out of the way. So no, I had no access to what he was doing.”
“Do you think Todd planned this manipulation from the beginning?”
“Not really. I think when the ladies turned down his suggestion at that first meeting, he decided at that moment that he would show them. Todd thought the ladies should have invested in the new IPO he recommended, but they wanted something with less risk. They were from the same backgrounds as his family. I think he felt another rejection.”
“Didn’t the women suspect he wasn’t following their instructions?”
“No, because they never knew what he did with the first transaction. He wiped it from their records and hid it in a dummy account called the ‘LOC.’ I think this stood for ‘Ladies of the Club.’ The ladies of TC3 Investment Club saw only the stock they had authorized on their monthly statement. People tend not to question when things go well.”
“That age-old vice called money kept the women happy and quiet.”
“And the money also set him free. It allowed him to get his own place in the city. I think he was planning on opening his own firm, which meant he could break away from his father and brother.”
“Sara, why do you think Todd was killed?” Charles asked.
Sara looked at him and began to cry. Charles got up to grab a box of tissues. As he reached for the box, the phone rang. He was about to check the caller ID when the ringing stopped. Carrie must have answered it.
arrie was awake, dressed, and about to go downstairs when she heard voices. She was debating whether to venture downstairs and face the visitor when the phone rang. She checked the caller ID and saw it was Christopher.
“Aunt Carrie, it’s me, Christopher.”
“Christopher, even though you’re several hundred miles away, I haven’t forgotten what you sound like. How are you?”
“I’m fine, but the primary question is, how are you doing? I’m so sorry you were charged with the murder.”
“But how…how did you know I was arrested? It only happened yesterday.”
“Uncle Charles called me and Grandma yesterday when it happened. He knew I was following the case, and he didn’t want us to hear from the media that you were arrested. What’s wrong with those cops?”
“Well, unfortunately there seems to be a lot of circumstantial evidence that made it easy for them to charge me.”
“Yeah, well, just remember that as easily as circumstantial evidence appears, it can disappear.”
“Thanks, Christopher. That makes me feel much better.”
“Look, I’m sorry I’m not there with you to work on this case, the way we did when we solved my dad’s murder.”
“Believe me, we miss you too, but it’s only a few more weeks before semester break, and you’ll be home with us. Then we can discuss the case in more detail. In the meantime we’re trying to keep you in the loop. We’ve shared everything we know so far.”
“I’ve read and reread your e-mails and read all the news articles I can find, so I’ve a good feel for the case. Any new clues?”
“Nothing much yet. Christopher, even though you’re not here in person, I’m relying on your powers of observation. Do you have any thoughts at the moment?”
For a young man, Christopher was very observant and very logical in his approach to problems. It was his unrelenting search for his father’s journal that had broken open the case of his father’s murder.
“A couple of thoughts and a question or two. Uncle Charles said Todd’s body was found in front of the fireplace in the library. And the police think he was killed between midnight and six a.m., when the body was discovered by Mr. Shipley while making his morning rounds.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Was there a fire in the fireplace in the library when you went back to the Club?”
“Let me think.” Carrie paused. “Yes, there was a huge, roaring fire. It flooded the room with light, so I know Todd’s body definitely wasn’t there.”
“Well, here’s my thought. Why would the Club staff build a roaring fire after the dance was over? I learned in one of my seminars that extreme heat like a fire will disguise the time of death—so Todd may have been killed a lot earlier than the police think. By the time the body was discovered, the fire was out, and everyone assumed it went out hours earlier.”
“Your uncle and I were wondering if our timing was off and Todd was killed much earlier. He could have been killed soon after we left the dance.”
There was a moment of silence between them as Carrie thought about what Christopher said. Then she said, “You said you had a couple of thoughts. What else?”
“Well, this next idea is not based on any scientific deductions, just an opinion. But if I were a jealous husband or a boyfriend and I killed Todd in a fit of passion, I wouldn’t be doing all this other stuff with the body. You know, hiding it in a secret passage, moving it to a different room, and setting up clues to frame someone else. I’d just get out of the place as quick as I could.”
“Maybe. But putting the body back in the library made a tighter case against me.”
“I don’t think so. If you or Uncle Charles killed him, why would you move the body to the very room where you had the altercation? You would definitely move him to a room farther away, or at the very least, leave him in the game room. Does the game roo
m have a fireplace?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“See, so moving the body served two purposes—to keep the body warm and to frame you.”
“Yes, I see what you’re saying. Oh, Christopher, I feel so much better. All I could see was a mound of evidence against me, and now I see there are different interpretations.”
“What’s your next step, or are you spending the time working on your mystery book?”
“Very funny. You know I’m still working on that book. Don’t worry, Christopher. Someday I’ll finish it, but right now I’m going shoe shopping.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not as frivolous as it sounds. The only real clue we have is the woman who searched Todd’s condo. I recognized the shoes she was wearing. They’re sold at Bentley’s Main Street Shoes, and hopefully she bought them there. By visiting the shoe store, maybe we can get a name.”
“Sounds like a plan. You’ll let me know the results of your shoe adventure?”
“You know we will, and thanks for your observations.”
“Good. I’m glad I helped. You know, I could probably miss some days and leave school before the Christmas vacation begins.”
“You stay put, young man. We need you exactly where you are. It’s because you’re away from the day-to-day drama that you have a different perspective on the case. Charles and I’ll be fine until you get here in December.”
“OK then, gotta go. Grandma just got back, and I’m going to help her bring in the shopping. Say hi to Uncle Charles and keep me informed.”
“I will, and thanks for brightening my day.”
harles grabbed the box of tissues from the counter and returned to Sara at the table.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Faraday—I mean, Charles. Todd and I knew each other since we were small children. He attended my birthday parties, and I attended his. There were even a couple of school dances we attended together. At college we went our separate ways, but we kept in touch. When I got out of college, I had great credentials but no job. Todd set up the interviews that got me into the firm. I consider…I mean, considered…him a friend, a good friend.”
And probably a little more than a friend, thought Charles. He handed her another tissue. “Sara, Carrie and I had nothing to do with Todd’s death.”
“Somewhere inside me I know that. That’s why I decided to talk to you. Regardless of what Todd may have been, he didn’t deserve to be murdered. I want to help find out who did it. I figured you and Carrie would have the strongest motives for finding the guilty person.”
“You’ve got that right. But motives aren’t enough. We need to have some strong leads, and your information is what I call a strong lead. Was anyone else at the company involved with placing Todd’s orders, or did anyone perhaps know about his stock deals?”
“I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”
“You were able to find the information. Don’t you think someone else could have made the same discoveries? That might account for the shredding.” Charles was hoping Sara could shed some light on the mystery woman.
“No, you don’t understand. The records he kept in his office were the meeting notes and copies of statements that showed legitimate transactions. For the real record of what he was doing, he used his laptop, and I have those records.”
“You have his laptop?” asked a surprised Charles. Immediately visions of the intruder flashed through his brain.
“Not his laptop but his files. You see, I was with Todd when he purchased his laptop, so I was sure he was keeping the Investment Club information on the computer.”
“The police must have searched his condo. How did you get the DVDs?” Charles was again thinking of all the items the intruder took.
“Actually, it wasn’t a DVD; it was a small thumb drive. I found it because I grew up with Todd. As kids we used to pass messages back and forth by hiding them. Once we took a book and cut out a section so we could pass bulky items back and forth.”
Charles smiled as he remembered how he and his brother, Jamie, had a tree in the backyard where they passed messages between themselves and friends.
“You’re smiling. You don’t believe me.” She sounded like a little child defending her statement.
“No, to the contrary, I’m remembering a similar game with my brother. Where did you find the thumb drive?”
“When I couldn’t find any computer records at the office, I remembered our childhood game. That’s why I went back to Todd’s office on Sunday. It was easy to find when I knew what I was looking for. How many investment offices do you know with a book on how to play party games hidden among the volumes of handbooks, SEC regulations, and mutual fund directories? I looked in the book, and sure enough, there was the drive. I printed copies of everything on the drive. That’s how I figured out the scheme.”
“Any chance someone knows what you found?”
“Believe me, I’m not about to take any chances. We don’t have cameras in the office, so I know there was no record of my entering Todd’s office. But I know there’s still a murderer out there. Once I found the thumb drive, I went to a girlfriend’s house and used her printer. She has nothing to do with any financial firm.”
“You have the drive hidden?”
“Yes, Mr. Faraday.” She’d reverted to formal titles again. “I believe I’m making the right decision in talking with you, but in the investment business, you learn to diversify your portfolio. I’ve taken steps to protect the drive, along with the copies I made.”
“You’re absolutely correct to do so, but I hope you understand my concern. These materials, along with your testimony, could help clear my wife.”
“I understand, and I assure you I’ll be ready when called upon.” Sara emptied her wine glass and gathered her crumpled tissues. She walked over to the trash can and deposited the used tissues.
“Great!” Charles’s earlier comment had relaxed her again, and she was showing signs of wanting to leave. “Sara, you have been wonderful, but I have a couple more questions.”
She sat back in her chair. Charles replenished her wine.
“I’ll ask again, could someone else have known what Todd was doing?”
“It’s possible someone suspected the transactions weren’t legitimate because of the high returns. I mean, people were beginning to notice the success of the Club.” Sara stopped for a moment, then added, “That could explain something else that happened. Several weeks before Todd died, some audits were ordered.”
“Is that unusual? I thought brokerage firms were under constant audits.”
“We perform constant internal audits, but these were two friends of old Mr. Barrington from outside the company. When people asked why they were there, there was a rather weak explanation that they were exploring the possibility of an acquisition.”
“Anything else?”
“It was about a week after the auditors arrived that Todd reminded me of our childhood game of hiding things. At the time, I never connected the events.”
“Who were the two friends of Mr. Barrington?”
“It’s Mr. Tom Heathrow and Mr. Frank Albright from the Club. I think that’s why we thought the audit was unusual, because most of us knew they’re both retired.”
“Yes, I know who they are. In fact, they’re the two who walked in on the fracas with Todd.”
“Yeah, I heard you punched him.” She smiled for the first time.
“Sara, I know this is an unfair question to ask. I need to know about Todd and his women.”
“Oh, there’s no mystery there. As the old saying goes, ‘If it wore a skirt,’ Todd was a suitor. I think he felt the womanizing was part of his image. Sometimes it was pretty hilarious,” she added.
“Why hilarious?”
“Well, if you could have seen some of the women he brought to the company functions…It was a joke among his coworkers to see if he could outdo his previous bad date. Most were definitely outside what his father and brother would call their class.�
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“How about the women he didn’t bring to the company functions?” Sara continued looking down at the table. “I’m talking about women from the Club who would have been recognized at a company function,” Charles clarified.
“I’ve heard those rumors too, but I’ve no personal knowledge that Todd dated any of these women. Why are you interested in Todd’s dating habits?”
“Carrie and I’ve reason to believe that a woman was involved with helping Todd. The more I know about who he dated, the more it might help us identify this person. Can you think of anyone else?”
Sara thought for a few seconds. “I can’t give you a name, but there was someone else from the Club. One night there was a group of us working late. Todd made the comment that he needed to go because he wanted to get to the Club before eight p.m. I asked him why, and he responded that if he wasn’t there, ‘she’ would just go home.”
Charles responded, “It sounds like an employee.”
“Right, someone who works at the Club. That was my conclusion too. People when they finish work—if there isn’t a reason for staying, just go home.”
“Any idea who she is?”
“No, not a clue.” She paused and then added, “Charles, I’ve told you everything I know. I must say, I feel better for having told someone.” Sara finished the last of her wine and stood to leave.
“Sara, I think this information will help us prove Carrie’s innocence.” Charles opened the kitchen door and walked out with her.
As they walked to her car, Sara stopped and turned back to Charles. “You know, there’s the possibility that the stock dealings may have nothing to do with Todd’s murder. It could still be a personal relationship that caused a jealous woman or her husband to commit the murder.”
“I understand, but the financial dealings provide some interesting new angles.” Charles opened her car door. “Nice car. I see it’s new.”
“It’s easy to handle but not my type. It’s my mother’s.” Sara smiled. “Mom bought it with some of her profits from the Investment Club. She’s very proud of it. I think it’s the first thing she’s bought since she was married that wasn’t paid for by Dad. She let me borrow it while mine is being repaired.”
