The Imposter's Trail (The Sean Kruger Series Book 3)

by J. C. Fields

  Although Nancy could not see it, Kruger smiled, knowing exactly what his next words would be. “That’s fine. Please give the sheriff a message. There will be twenty FBI agents in route to his office within the next hour to investigate the discovery of the body. As I mentioned, it may be connected to a case we are working. But since he doesn’t have time to discuss it with me, I’ll just send the agents. I’m sure he won’t mind dealing with them.”

  “Agent Kruger, please hold.”

  The same horrible rendition of the ZZ Top song came back on the phone line. Fifteen seconds later, he heard a gruff voice say, “This is Sheriff Cooper. What’s this about twenty FBI agents coming here?”

  “You have a very efficient gatekeeper, Sheriff. I need to talk to you, and she was not being very helpful.”

  Kruger heard a muffled curse, then, “Who am I speaking to?”

  “FBI Special Agent Sean Kruger.”

  “How do I know you’re a real FBI agent and not some reporter trying to get a story?”

  “You are wise to be cautious. Have someone call the FBI main number and ask for Deputy Director Alan Seltzer. Tell them you are confirming my identity. They’ll connect you immediately.”

  An orchestral version of “Sweet Home Alabama” provided the only indication the call was still connected. As his wait time dragged on, he stared at his watch and observed the minute hand circle the dial four times.

  “Okay, Agent Kruger, what do you want to know?”

  The voice was still gruff, but there was a note of resignation at the same time.

  Kruger smiled to himself. “A woman was murdered in the Buckhead District of Atlanta two months ago. The method of her death was similar to a woman in Rockford, Illinois, a month prior. From preliminary information we’ve received about the woman your department found in the Chattahoochee River, we believe there may be a connection with the other two.”

  “She’d been in the water about seventy days, according to the coroner. The water was warm, and the perch and crawdads were busy.”

  “I’m more concerned about the cuts.”

  “Oh, boy.” The sheriff stayed quiet for a few moments. “Hard to describe.”

  “If I gave you an email address of a forensic technician with the Bureau, could you send pictures?”

  “We can.”

  “It’s important, Sheriff.”

  “How?”

  “If this woman is one of his victims, it will be his eighth.”

  “Why am I just hearing about this?”

  “Because they’ve occurred over the past fifteen years. He’s smart, extremely disciplined, and dangerous as hell. I need to stop him.”

  “Give me the email address.”

  Kruger gave the sheriff the address and told him the tech’s name. When they were done exchanging contact information, the sheriff asked, “Agent Kruger, did you really have twenty agents on their way to my county?”

  “Well, Sheriff, I was able to turn them around just in time.”

  Kruger heard the man laugh as he hung up.

  Chapter 21

  Southlake, TX

  Looking out the sliding glass door leading to his balcony, Randolph Bishop sipped a cup of coffee. His newly leased condominium was on the third floor of a residential complex in Southlake, TX. It was close to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and the surrounding restaurants provided a variety of eating experiences.

  He watched the sun peek above the eastern horizon. Dallas and Fort Worth were growing financial centers, one of the reasons he chose the condo. The money from the sale of Blair’s company was scattered across numerous accounts in the Cayman Islands and Zurich. The seven-figure sale of Blair’s home provided plenty of funds for a lavish lifestyle.

  Dallas was only five hundred miles from Mexico, far enough to be removed, but close enough to be able to get there in a timely manner. Mexico provided sanctuary if he was discovered and a supply of young women for his particular desires.

  Today those particular desires were secondary. A meeting at 10 a.m. would draw the first of several well-to-do Texas investors into his web of falsehoods and empty promises. The success of Stephen Blair and his stellar reputation as a technology wizard made drawing these self-absorbed millionaires into his scheme easy.

  He walked back to his desk where a laptop displayed the website of Black Hat USA. Moving the mouse over the Business Center icon, he clicked and rechecked his confirmed appointments for the convention. Smiling to himself, he closed the website and opened the file with his notes on the investor he would be meeting with later.

  ***

  “I must say, Stephen, the prospectus you’ve presented is most intriguing. How long do you believe it will take to start generating profit?”

  Marian Burke tilted his head slightly as he asked the question. He was a retired oil company executive with more money than he knew what to do with. Instead of playing golf, he enjoyed investing in longshot ventures. In his early seventies, his snow white hair was cut stylishly, but long. Forsaking suits when he retired, he wore expensive blue jeans, an oxford button-down light blue Joseph A. Banks dress shirt and a navy blazer. His permanently tanned face was wrinkled after decades in the Texas sun. Hazel eyes stared at the fake Stephen Blair behind rimless glasses.

  They were meeting in an office suite close to his condominium. The temporary space contained a small office, a shared conference room for meetings and a part-time receptionist. Bishop was renting it for two months, with an option for additional months should it take longer to sucker investors into his scheme.

  “As it says in the prospectus, once the research and development stages are completed, initial profit should occur, at minimum, in one year. Our preliminary research indicates not only a desire for the product, but a true need within the computer security segment.”

  Burke nodded as he looked back at the paperwork on the conference table in front of him. “How many investors are you looking for?”

  “Initial estimate is for ten with an outlay of three million each. These stakeholders will comprise the basis of the Board of Directors. Provisions are made for smaller investors without voting rights.”

  Nodding again, Burke removed his glasses and looked back at Blair. “What if a stakeholder wants to invest more than three million?”

  Blair smiled. “At this point, we want to limit the liability of our partners. This is, after all, a new approach to AI. There are risks, and we would prefer to keep investor outlay at the three million level. However, once the project starts and we need additional funds…” He paused and smiled. “We can always open the door for more contributions.”

  “I appreciate your concern for my investment.”

  Blair nodded his head once.

  “Okay, I’m in. When do you need the funds?”

  “Before the end of the month. I will be attending Black Hat USA next week. After numerous conversations this past week, I see no problem filling the remaining slots for the board by then.”

  ***

  After Burke left, Bishop returned to his small office and closed the door. There was one more meeting scheduled later in the afternoon. Until then, he would work on scheduling appointments at Black Hat the following week. So far twenty were lined up over the course of the conference. He had lied to Marian Burke. His goal was to sign up as many investors as possible, take their three million dollars and return to Taiwan using the guise of Stewart Everett. Once the investments were received, they would be deposited, along with the proceeds from Blair’s stock in New Age Software, in various accounts around the globe. If all went as planned, Bishop would disappear again, this time with enough money to pay off a debt and live the rest of his life in luxury. Once he was out of the reach of the FBI, the final element of his plan would be completed. An anonymous tip would be provided to CNN about the whereabouts of the real Stephen Blair’s body. Once it was established the real Stephen Blair was dead before the investors made their contributions, the firestorm of a financial
scandal would play itself out in the news media.

  A slight smile appeared as he scrolled through the list of appointments for the next week.

  Chapter 22

  Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV

  The line to check in was long, with what seemed like hundreds of conference attendees arriving at the same time. JR looked around nervously, scanning the room for someone he might recognize from his previous life. Mia’s excitement was not quite contagious enough to calm JR’s apprehensions. She held on to his arm as they stood in line, more for his sake than hers.

  “JR, try to relax. This is the first time we’ve done anything like this as a couple. It will be fun, if you let it.”

  He sighed and nodded. “I know. You have to remember, I haven’t been in a large crowd for a long time.”

  “What about our wedding reception?”

  “Different circumstance. All of those people know me as JR. Not necessarily the case here.”

  “Have you seen anyone you recognize?” She asked with a conspiratorial smile.

  “No.”

  “Didn’t think so. Now, can we try to have fun?”

  It took almost an hour to check in and find their way to their room on the 20th floor. The room featured a magnificent view of the mountains toward the west, one king-sized bed, Wi-Fi and a fully stocked mini-bar. As Mia stared at the mountains, JR unpacked his bag and set up his laptop on a desk. “Do you want to go to the mountains later?”

  She nodded, but did not say anything right away. As JR looked inside the room’s mini-bar, he heard. “I don’t know why the mountains are so attractive to me. I’d like to live out here somewhere one day.”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me, we can live wherever you want. I can manage my business from anywhere.” He stopped and looked at her. She was still staring out the window. “You’ve never mentioned anything about living in the mountains.”

  “I know. Just a fantasy I’ve always had. The week we spent in Colorado four years ago reinforced it. I’d never spent an extended amount of time on a mountain before. I loved the view and the crispness of the morning air.”

  JR heard her take a deep breath and then let it out slowly. He walked over to where she stood and put his arms around her. “Do you think it’s because you grew up in a flat state like Texas?”

  She shook her head. “Texas has mountains.”

  He chuckled, “Texas has hills, just like the so-called mountains of Missouri and Arkansas. They are nothing compared to the Rocky Mountains or even the ranges surrounding Vegas.”

  She turned around in his embrace and started pulling his polo shirt out of his jeans. As she did so, he backed up toward the bed.

  ***

  Dinner was at the Border Grill. Mia ordered the vegetable quesadilla and JR the grilled fish tacos. After dinner, in deference to Mia’s condition, they both sipped on virgin margaritas. She looked over her drink at JR. “What’re our plans for tomorrow?”

  “I have us signed up for a couple of hardware seminars in the morning, but in the afternoon, there wasn’t anything I thought would interest you. If you want to go shopping, it might be a good time to do it, or you can lounge around the pool. Your choice.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “There’s a seminar on cell phone security I’m attending. I’ve got a few clients expressing concern about their company phones being hacked. The seminar leader is someone I’ve been wanting to meet. We’ve exchanged emails. When he heard we were coming, he suggested the seminar.”

  “You’re right, that doesn’t interest me. Think I’ll go to the pool.”

  ***

  Terence Craig was in his mid-thirties with short reddish brown hair and a closely trimmed beard. His black frame glasses sat on an unremarkable nose in front of green eyes. He didn’t have the appearance of a tech geek, but was the owner of a very specialized security company catering to Fortune 500 companies.

  After the seminar, as the attendees were shuffling out of the conference room, he walked up to JR and shook his hand. “I’m glad we finally got to meet in person, JR. I’ve followed your company’s progress over the past few years. Impressive.”

  “Thank you. We’ve had several good years of growth.”

  “Did you learn anything this afternoon?”

  JR nodded. “A lot. Thanks.”

  “Bullshit. You know more about his topic than most of the people here combined. Now why are you here?”

  “Busted.” JR gave Terence a sheepish grin “Sorry, I did enjoy your presentation.”

  “I’m glad.”

  JR took a deep breath and asked, “Do you know Stephen Blair?”

  Craig shook his head. “I’ve heard of him, but have never met him. I understand he’s here looking for investors.”

  “That’s what I heard.”

  “Are you wanting to invest in his AI research?”

  “No, nothing like that. I just thought if you knew him, you could introduce me. I have a few questions for him.”

  “I know someone who can. There’s a cocktail party before tonight’s keynote speaker. Do you want me to arrange a meeting?”

  JR shook his head. “Not necessary, I just need someone to point him out, I’ll introduce myself.”

  Craig nodded. “Consider it done.” He smiled and continued. “When are you going to merge your company with mine and come work with me, JR?”

  With a half-smile, JR grinned. “Someday… Maybe.”

  ***

  Mia wore a tan sundress to the cocktail party, her shoulders displaying a slight sunburn from her afternoon in the sun.

  “You look stunning in that dress.”

  She smiled. “I bought it this afternoon. Everything else I brought with me would have hurt my shoulders.”

  JR held her hand as they walked into the reception area. It took a few moments, but they found Terence Craig talking to several older gentlemen. When he saw JR, he excused himself and joined JR and Mia. JR introduced them. “Nice to meet you, Mia. Are you enjoying the conference?”

  She pointed to her shoulders. “Probably too much.”

  They all chuckled. After a few more pleasantries, Craig turned toward the entrance of the banquet room they would soon be entering for the evening’s dinner and keynote. He pointed toward a man talking to a group of Japanese businessmen.

  “That’s Stephen Blair. I’ve been told he’s quite the charmer. He’s already secured twenty investors, and this is only the first day.”

  JR nodded, but said nothing as he stared at the figure of Stephen Blair.

  “How much is he asking for?” Mia asked.

  “Three million. I turned him down an hour ago. I was polite, but he didn’t say anything that instilled confidence in his work.”

  JR turned back to Craig. “How so?”

  “I asked him about a few protocols my company introduced into the AI mainstream several years ago. He acted like he’d never heard of them. After I turned him down, he excused himself to pursue others.”

  JR looked at Blair again. “Interesting.”

  “Well, good luck. Will I see you two after the speech?”

  “Probably. We’ll find you.”

  With this comment, Craig turned and returned to his previous conversation.

  Mia looked up at JR. “Shall we meet the great Stephen Blair?”

  JR smiled. “Don’t be surprised if I say something you don’t expect.”

  They walked over to Blair and waited until he was finished setting an appointment with the Japanese men. As soon as they walked off, JR quickly walked up to Blair with his hand out. As they shook hands, JR introduced himself using the name he had not used since becoming JR Diminski.

  As he suspected, there was no recognition in the eyes of the man calling himself Stephen Blair. “I was surprised when I heard you sold New Age Software.”

  Blair smiled. “Time to move on. My interests have shifted lately and I wanted to do something spectacular with AI. Ar
e you interested in the field?”

  Nodding, JR crossed his arms over his chest. “Very much, I’m looking to integrate it into several security protocols I use with my clients.”

  Blair’s eyes widened. “Really. If you invest in my new venture, you’d have immediate access to our break-through technology.”

  “Interesting. Have you solved the problem of migrating algorithms?”

  Blair hesitated before answering. He glanced around the room quickly and then answered. “No, but we have top people working on it. If you will excuse me, I have an appointment in a few minutes. It was nice to meet you.”

  He hurried off and was lost in the crowd within seconds.

  “What the hell was that all about?” Mia chuckled. “Migrating algorithms and your old name?”

  JR stared in the direction of Blair’s retreat.

  “That wasn’t Stephen Blair.”

  “What are you talking about? Everyone here says it’s Stephen Blair.”

  “I know. He may resemble Blair, but he’s not Stephen Blair. Migrating algorithms was a joke we used in college. If someone expressed a crazy idea, we would compare it to migrating algorithms. Blair was the one who came up with the saying. While we weren’t close, I did spend some time with him in college. His sense of humor was extremely dry when he took his meds correctly. He would crack us up with some of the things he said.”

  He paused and took a deep breath before pointing in the direction of where Blair disappeared. “The Stephen Blair I went to college with would have recognized my name. That Stephen Blair didn’t.”

  “Do you think…?”

  “Yeah, I do. We need to go back to our room and call Sean.”

  ***

  “Slow down, JR. Explain again why the man you met in Las Vegas is not Stephen Blair.”

  “I knew the minute I saw him it wasn’t Stephen. There’s a strong resemblance, but it’s not him. I used to look slightly down at him in college. Now I looked up. The face is fuller, which is understandable, but the eyes are different. Stephen’s eyes were always slightly droopy, with a faraway look most geniuses’ exhibit. This guy’s didn’t. Plus he didn’t have a clue about migrating algorithms. He acted like it was a real problem, and he had top people working on it. Give me a break.”