Chapter 26 Dangerous Women
The team presented their findings to Hildy when they resumed their meeting.
"Even though William McPherson runs a very profitable business by all accounts, after checking a couple other things it turns out that Mr. McPherson has a silent business partner. A man by the name of Lennox Mills", Jim informed the team.
"Do we know anything about him?" Terry asked.
"It turns out that Mills has links to some criminal elements. Makes me wonder if McPherson is using his business for more than honest trade", Jim continued. "Also, it seems that Mills is good friends with Erica McPherson's brother. So far I have not been able to dig up anything on the brother".
"Do we have any proof of wrong doing on the part of McPherson?" Hildy asked.
"We have a lot of coincidences with his business dealings but nothing solid", Edgar added.
David rubbed his chin as he said; "I think the wife is the weakest link in this … Lifetime Movie with these folks. The only sibling, she has is the same brother Jim mentioned. She messages him and emails him a lot even though he also lives right here in New York City. Using some of Kami's specialized programming, I tried to hack Mrs. McPherson's WhatsApp messages and her emails to her brother. But for some reason I was not able to crack into the communications. I also tried to access some of the phone call communications between Erica and her husband but either this couple has some high tech encrypting software stuff on their devices or Kami's programs are malfunctioning.".
Kami sat up straighter in her chair as she listened to David's words. She was not an arrogant person where her computer software designs were concerned, she understood that sometimes things could go wrong with any hardware or software. Even though she knew this, Kami doubted her equipment malfunctioned. But to make sure she was correct she immediately got up as the team continued to discuss the case and started to run some diagnostic programs to check for bugs in her programs.
In a very short time the diagnostic test was completed, and everything was working properly.
"Nothing is wrong with the programs … so that leads me to believe there is some kind of scrambling software on their cell phones and computers", Kami explained.
"Why would a woman who is a manager at a firm in mid Manhattan need that kind of encryptions on her cell phone?" Terry asked.
"David, the photos you showed us earlier, had the wife calling her husband. Did you also try to hack his phone? Terry enquired.
"Yep I did, both phones are like Fort Knox", was David's reply.
While the team was discussing the situation Kami's fingers were moving like a blur across the keyboard. She loved a challenge and the fact that her program hit a stone wall when it tried to gain access made her want to knock the wall down. She made some adjustments to her shadow program and slipped under the Fort Knox wall that was there.
"I am in", Kami said in a triumphant tone of voice. All eyes turned to her and Hildy's eyes took on a look of pride as her lady once more pulled an ace from up her sleeve and provided the team with the technical support they needed.
"What do you have Kami?" Hildy asked.
"I will play the conversation Erica had with William yesterday through the computer speakers. David can you put back the pictures of the husband and wife side by side on the monitor please" Kami requested.
In a few moments David had the pictures like a slide show rolling on a loop because he took several pictures of the couple. The first loop was the wife on the phone with her husband. The second loop which was on a split screen on the same monitor was of the husband about fifteen minutes later as he slowly walked near his business place.
As the pictures began to loop Kami began the phone conversation that corresponded with David's pictures.
"William why are you calling me? I told you that the situation is being handled".
"Erica, I do not think you understand how serious this is! You are so arrogant! You think nothing can touch you because you are smarter than everyone, but I am telling you it is a matter of time before the police gets wind of what is going on!"
Erica McPherson let out a controlled yet angry sigh before speaking in a tone of voice that broke no argument. "William, calm down. No one knows what is going on, but the persons involved. Continue to be a good little boy and do as you are told. Mills provided the additional funds you needed to keep your business in the black. Your company is in no way connected to me nor my business. So, you need to calm down".
There were a few moments of silence on the phone, then William began speaking again but in a resigned sounding voice. "Erica, I want out. I did not sign up for this. When we got married I knew your brother use to walk on the outer edge of the law, but I never suspected that you were just as culpable as he was in his wrong doing".
"Well whether you signed up for it or not you are involved now", Erica said with an air of finality.
"No, my dear that is where you are wrong. I had no prior knowledge of ANYTHING you did. I have no idea who your contacts are I do not know the details of anything! I do not even know the broad strokes. But I do know that you are in a downward spiral Erica and it is just a matter of time before everything explodes". William paused before speaking in a softer quieter voice.
"Erica, I want a divorce. I will walk away from my business without a backward glance. I can take the children and go far away, You, do not need to ever see me again. I am serious Erica. I know in the past when I brought this up you said no. But I want a divorce Erica. If you do not give me what I want I will go to the police".
Everyone sitting in the investigation firm felt the tension between the husband and wife as the couple on the phone were silent for a few moments.
Erica eventually spoke. Her voice sounded like velvet steel as she softly said; "William, you provide me with the cover I need to live my life the way I want it. I am not about to invest the time required to start all over. If you EVER ask or demand a divorce from me again I will divorce you. However, our children who are more important to you than life itself will be taken from you. I will set things up in such a way that the NO judge would let you anywhere near our children or any child for that matter".
"Erica? What are you saying?" William's voice trembled as he asked that question.
"You are a bright boy, what do you think? I will whisper a word here and a word there, and before long your reputation as an upright man and father will be ruined. Then to ensure there is no doubt that you have a fetish for young children I will ensure inappropriate pictures appear on your laptop in a hidden file. You will get your divorce William, but you will also get time in jail and be added to a sexual predators list by the police".
There was another long silence before William spoke in a disbelieving pleading voice.
"Erica … Erica …. you know that is not true. I have never done anything like that!".
"Yes, I know that William, but if you insist on asking me for a divorce and going off script, I will give you what you ask for but in a way you do not want. Now have I made myself clear? There will be no more talk of divorce. There will be no panicked phone calls to me because you are seeing policemen lurking in every corner ready to arrest me. You will do as you are told. You will continue to run your business as you have been doing. You will continue to be a good and attentive Dad to the children. Life will continue as it has been going. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear, William?"
There was yet another long pause and then William answered
"Yes Erica".
"Good boy. I will see you later. Goodbye".
There was shock and silence around the room. Then David turned to Abbi and said;
"Abbs, I got to hand it you, you know a Lifetime Movie when you see one". Those sarcastic humorous words broke the tension around the room.
"Well I did not see that coming" Abbi replied.
"Me neither" Jim said as he shook his head.
"We still do not know what illegal activities Erica McPherson is involved in. But whatever it is, it has got to be really bad" Edgar added to the discussion.
"Regardless of what it is, the police need to be brought up to speed. I do not trust the sound of Erica McPherson. I would not be surprised if she decides that William is becoming a liability and have him killed", Hildy shared.
"I was thinking the same thing", Terry added before continuing. "Let's call Inspector Barbara Marshal and let her know what is going on. She was a big help to us when we were working on the case with the crooked Congressman. I know this recording of the cell phone conversation cannot be used in court because of how we obtained it but Barbara will figure out a way to get the same recording legally with her contacts in the FBI".
"It is hard to understand how a woman can use her own children as pawns like that. I wonder if she even loves them?" Kami wondered aloud.
"Thank God Jim's friend figured something was wrong at his student's home. Can you imagine what it is like for the girl living at home with that mother, and a father who is not able to stand up to his wife? She probable belittles him in other ways in front of their children. Kids are not stupid, they pick up on tensions. They are bound to know their parents marriage is a farce" Hildy added.
At that point Terry stood up as he said; "Let's see if we can wrap this up this afternoon".
With that everyone got back to work, Inspector Barbara Marshal was called and apprised of the situation. Thirty minutes later she and two members of her team were at their office listening to the cell phone conversation. Even though Terry, Hildy and the guys were no longer police officers, Barbra and her team had the highest respect for their investigative skills. The police and the investigators came up with a plan of action.
Barbara planned to discreetly pick up William McPherson and point out the advantages of telling her what his wife was into. Everyone in the office believed that William's love for his children would be the leverage the police needed to motivate him to cooperate. Barbara also hoped that a desire to shield the children from the fallout that would come when his wife and her brother's illegal activities leads them to jail, very well may spur William to bend over backwards in helping the police.
While the police and the former officers were hammering out a plan, Kami immediately began looking deeper into Erica McPherson's bother and his known associates. Just as Barbara was about to leave Kami stopped her with these words.
"Barbara, I have something. Based on what I am seeing on the screen, it would appear that Erica and her brother Gerald have a shell company. And it looks like it is shielding a couple other companies that are involved in the import export business".
"Kami, can you tell what they are importing?" Barbara asked
With a few more strokes on her keyboard, Kami answered.
"I am not sure, but it is connected to the Democratic Republic of Congo".
When Terry heard that he whistled and shook his head.
"That does not sound good. If Erica is illegally trading with that country, you can rest assured they can be trading in anything. That country is one of the richest natural resource places in the world, and one of the deadliest places to live because of the pillaging that takes place for the same resources. Erica could be trading in diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, tin ore, and coltan to name a few. Any of which would provide her with wealth from the black market".
Barbara pondered this for a moment. "I will reach out to all my contacts for this case. It is one thing to be doing illegal stuff within our borders, but to be involved in illegal activities on foreign soil is another matter. This information will effect what I share with Mr. McPherson when we have out little chat"
With those words she thanked Terry, Hildy and their team and made her way out of their office trailed by her fellow officers.
"Somehow I do not think William knows the depth of illegal activities his wife is involved in", Abbi ventured.
"I hope for his sake and the sake of his children he cooperates with Barbara", Edgar added. The team all agreed as they began to wrap up their work for the day.
Across town an important work-related meeting was going on with the woman who saw the picture of Kami in the newspapers. The meeting went well as the hospital administration agreed to begin using an electronic device she designed. The device was to be used in conjunction with pacemakers, and it would be placed in the hearts of coronary patients who need life saving surgery.
Her lawyers and the hospital's lawyers had already concluded their business deal. All parties both legal and medical were satisfied that the device was both safe and innovative after it had been tested on animals and human subjects without any ill effects. Both John Hopkins Hospital and Loma Linda Medical School had already used the device on a few patients successfully.
Even though all the I's were dotted, and the T's were crossed, the woman liked to have a final hand on approach before the final signature was written. Hence her meeting today in New York City, a city she seldom visited.
She had an enviable skill in compartmentalizing her thoughts and emotions. After seeing Kami in the picture, she forced herself to calm down and focus on the meeting. But when the meeting was over, and she sat in the back of the Town Car on the way to her hotel, the woman allowed her mind to go back to the photograph.
As emotions vied for dominance in her heart, she purposely took deep breaths to calm her mounting anger. Questions flooded her mind, questions she had no answers for ….. as yet.
"Who is that woman Kami was with? I CAN NOT believe she is getting married! She had the gall to leave me. No one leaves me. I am the one who ends a relationship! How could Kami be getting married? What does that woman have that I did not have?"
As the town car arrived at her hotel, she exited the vehicle and thanked the driver. This was an example of how the woman was able to compartmentalize her mind. She could be raging on the inside over an issue but still was able to be courteous on the outside. Some folks would think that was a strength of character while others like Kami, who knew her well, understood that that trait made the woman dangerous.
The woman was named Doctor Joyce Amy Zachery.