Thanks for your patience in getting the next chapter. I'm back home and I'll be doing my best to continue with regular posts. I won't do saily posts any longer as I've run out of existing content, but I'm hoping to submit one every few days or so.
Enjoy!
21. Blackmail that Backfires
Thursday went by in a blur of meetings and marketing reports. Between financial projects, I was working with the marketing team trying to come up with innovative ways to lure in new customers. Late in the afternoon, after most of the marketing team had left, I was asked to look over some of the mock-ups and marketing collateral that was generated for the latest campaign. The graphics and the collateral were very good, and this gave me an idea. Unfortunately, the day was over so I wouldn't be able to discuss my idea with anyone until Monday.
I gathered my things from my desk and walked home, planning on spending the last few hours of sunlight on the deck with a good book. I changed out of my suit and was sitting on a lounger with a new book reading when my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller id and groaned when I saw that it was my parent's number.
"Stephanie, I think you should come home for dinner on Sunday night. We haven't seen much of you all summer."
"I'm sorry Mom, but I am babysitting Isabella and Evelyn Manoso this weekend. Their parents won't be back until Sunday afternoon. That's too late for me to get home for dinner. Besides, I told you the last time that I was there that I am not interested in dating Dickie."
"Stephanie, I know that you don't want to see Richard. That's why I have invited another young man for dinner, so you must come. Get somebody else to babysit those girls and come home where you belong. I found a nice young man for you from the Burg."
"I am not coming home this weekend Mom. I thought you understood that I didn't want to be set up. I am not interested in having dinner with another man. I have a boyfriend now. There is no need for you to continue with your mission to marry me off. I am capable of finding my own boyfriend."
"I know what I said, but this young man has everything that you need. He's respected in the community. He has just inherited his own house and it needs a woman's touch. He is ready to settle down and have a family. Who could possibly compete with that, Stephanie?"
"I'm dating Carlos Manoso. You remember him. I brought him to dinner the last time I was home. We decided that there was more to our friendship and we recently started dating. Things are going really well so far and I'm happy."
"Stephanie, he's not from the Burg and he's not Italian or Hungarian. You are going to embarrass me if you don't come home and settle down with a nice young man we can be proud of."
"Why does it matter that Carlos is not from the Burg? He's respectable and his family is respectable. As far as I see it, my family could learn a lot from his. Besides, I'm too young to even think about settling down. I'm only 17 years old. "
"Stephanie Michelle Plum, if you don't end this fiasco and come home for dinner on Sunday, you can forget about going back to college next year. We will stop helping with your expenses and you won't be able to afford school. You need to come home and date Joseph. He has inherited a house not too far from us, so you can help him get set up before you get married. I can help you with your cooking skills and the decorating. You will make him a good wife. You might be young, but with my help, you'll be more than ready for your new life."
"You are out of your mind Mom. I am not coming home so you can set me up with Joe Morelli. I haven't forgotten what he did to me in high school. I'm sure you haven't either. If you refuse to help me with my school expenses, I will get a second job and work my ass off to pay for it myself. You want me to settle down with a nice Burg man, but I don't want that. I don't want the same things that you have. I respect that you are happy with your life, but it's not what I want. I want to contribute to society. I want to finish my education. I want a career, and most of all, I want to marry a man of my choosing, even if he doesn't fit into the mould that you have pictured for me.
"I'm sorry if you don't approve of my relationship with Carlos, but I am not going to end it just because you picture me with another man. I care about Carlos a lot and his family have been wonderful to me with everything I've been through this summer. You are always criticising me for living my life, and if you can't accept me for the way I am then I would suggest that you lose my phone number."
"Stephanie, that's no way to talk to your mother, but you'll be sorry. There is no way that you'll be able to afford all of the fees for college, so I will just wait for you to show up on our doorstep penniless and desperate for an introduction to Joseph or some other young man from the Burg."
"I think you underestimate me Mother. Don't call me again until you can accept that I run my own life."
I hung up and stared at the phone, shocked at my mother's demands and threats. I knew that if it wasn't for their money in the past year, I wouldn't have been able to afford college. For the past 2 summers, I worked at Tasty Pastry for minimum wage, working 12 hour shifts. That was hard work, and at the end of the summer, I have very little to show for it.
My savings from the job at the bakery only paid the rent for the year, my parents paid my tuition. This year, I was working for Ricardo, and I would have significantly larger savings, but I doubted it would be enough to cover my living expenses and tuition for the entire year.
Instead of relaxing with a book or in front of the television for the rest of the evening, I spent my time going over my finances. I worked out that I needed a minimum of another $2000 if I was going to be able to afford another year at college. That was a staggering value, and since I was a student, I'd never be able to get a bank loan without my parent's co-signature. I knew my mother would never do that, so I had to entertain the possibility that I might have to take a year off and work in order to afford going back to college the following year.
I made a plan to talk to Ricardo in the morning about extending my employment with his company. I would also start looking for an inexpensive place to live come September. My mind was racing, trying to come up with solutions because I knew I wouldn't show up in Trenton or give into my mother's ultimatums.
Sleep came fitfully that night. I was worried about my future and I was apprehensive about the meeting with the FBI the following day. At one point, I turned and looked at the bedside clock to see that it was 5:25. The sun was shining in through the curtains so I could tell it was going to be a nice day. I decided to go up to the deck and swim a few laps of the pool. I was hoping the exercise would help me burn some of my nervous energy. After 45 minutes, my exhausted limbs forced me out of the pool
It was still early so I wrapped myself in a towel and went down into the kitchen to make some coffee. While I was waiting for the black liquid to fill the pot, I pulled together some muesli, yogurt and some fruit salad. I grabbed a cup of coffee, added milk and sugar and then carried a tray with my breakfast up to the deck. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and at 7:30, I covered the pool, carried down my breakfast tray and then had a shower and got ready for work.
By 8:45, I was sitting at my desk and reviewing my emails. I was reading about a new audit assignment and then reviewed the attached documents. I got had an email from Ricardo asking me to stop by his office around 10:30. I glanced up at the clock and saw that it was only 10, but I wanted to talk to him about my job. I called up and asked Amanda if I could come up early, but Ricardo was in a meeting. She promised to call as soon as he was free, so I went back to the audit documents to pass the time.
My phone rang about 15 minutes later. "Stephanie, you can come up now. Ricardo's meeting is over and he is free to talk to you."
Five minutes later, I was sitting in front of Ricardo, wondering how to say what I wanted to ask.
"Stephanie, you look upset, is something wrong?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you'd consider letting me extend my employment into the school year."
"I don't see why not, but how could you work and study at the same time? That would be too much for anyone, even somebody as dedicated and hard working as you."
"I need to take a year off. I looked at my finances last night and it doesn't look like I'll save enough money this summer to pay for my expenses next year. I normally have help from my parents, but my mother and I have had a disagreement and she won't help next year."
"I'm sorry about your mother. She must have made some very unreasonable demands for you to risk your education. As for your job, I'm sure we can work something out, but before you make any decisions, I should tell you about the meeting I just had.
"I was meeting with our lawyers because they will need to go over any paperwork given to us by the FBI, and I wanted to give them a heads-up. They told me that they've seen similar agreements with various federal agencies, and they all have one thing in common. They are extremely classified and they compensate very well. I think you should wait and see what the FBI is offering before you throw in the towel on your education.
"If you decide that their offer is unacceptable, we'll figure out another solution."
I was so relieved that I didn't notice the tears that filled my eyes. I thanked Ricardo for his support and answered his questions about the conversation I had with my mother. When I finished explaining that my mother wanted me to quit college, marry and keep house for a virtual stranger, just because they were Burg, he walked over and hugged me.
"I won't lie to you dear, it is a big hope of Maria's and mine that you and Carlos might one day marry, but you are both far too young right now to even think about marriage. I know Maria was already married and had birthed 2 children when she was your age, but things were different back then, especially in Cuba. You have a gift when it comes to numbers and patterns in finances, and it would be a shame to let that go to waste. I'm very proud that you stood up to your mother, and I'm even more proud that I raised a son that you care about."
I wiped away my tears and smiled at Ricardo. His words were very helpful, especially the part about his pride in me. I did care about his son, and the man Carlos has turned into is because of his parent's love and support.
"I am grateful every day that Carlos chose to sit at my table that fateful morning. It took me a long time to realise my feelings for him, but now that I'm aware, they grow every day. You and Maria should be proud of the man Carlos has become. He is a reflection of you both, and I am honoured that I get to have him and the rest of you in my life."
Ricardo and I talked for a little while longer about what the FBI might require, and how it might affect my job. Neither of us really knew what to expect, but we had fun coming up with theories and possible scenarios. Amanda interrupted us at 11:30 to tell us that there was a town car downstairs waiting to take Ricardo and me to lunch. We gathered our things and walked out to the car together.
Once we were settled into the back seat, the driver told us to get comfortable because the journey would take about 40 minutes. He wouldn't tell us the final destination, but we could tell that we were travelling into New York. A half hour later, it was clear that we were headed into Manhattan when we went through the Lincoln Tunnel. Ricardo and I looked at each other, wondering where we were going. We didn't have to wait long.
A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of the iconic Four Seasons Hotel. The driver opened our door and a man dressed in a suit met us as we exited the car. He introduced himself as an FBI security guard and asked us to follow him. We were led into the Garden restaurant and left at a table where a waiter hurried over and handed us menus.
I looked around in wonder. I'd never been to the Four Seasons Hotel, so this was a bit of a treat for me. Ricardo was also looking around, but he had a more sceptical look on his face. We both looked at our menus and were joined by Agents Franks and Bartlett moments later.
"Miss Plum, Mr Manoso, it's a pleasure to see you again. Please order whatever you want and we can discuss business while we wait for our food."
I ordered the only burger on the menu and Ricardo ordered a tuna pasta dish. Agent Franks ordered a Cob salad and Agent Bartlett ordered a grilled chicken salad. The waiter brought us a pitcher of sparkling water and a carafe of white wine. Agent Bartlett filled our glasses, mine with water only and Agent Franks pulled two folders from his briefcase, handing one to Ricardo and one to me.
I opened my folder and gasped at the numbers listed inside. Ricardo must have done the same because he turned and looked at me, then back at the agents before closing his folder and excusing himself to make a phone call. Moments later, Ricardo returned and sat down. He didn't look at me, but studied the agents for a few minutes, trying to read something in their expressions.
"Agents Franks and Bartlett, can you please explain the financial terms to me as there are only values in here, no explanations. I just spoke to my lawyer and he told me that he's never heard of the FBI paying these sums before."
Agent Franks looked a little uncomfortable, but Agent Bartlett showed his strength by answering Ricardo.
"We are offering this compensation to because we will legally need to disclose the name of your company in our records. These records will then be available to every attorney involved in any prosecutions we pursue.
"We can ensure that Miss Plum's name is not disclosed, but we have to list her employer and there is a small element of risk involved. We prosecute some very nasty people, and there is always the possibility that one of these individuals will try and take revenge out on you, your company or your family. I can assure you that nobody we have ever prosecuted has targeted an accountant before. This is just a precaution we like to take, and because of the possible danger, we add compensation. We also include wrongful death benefits in this offer. If something happens to you, your family, or your business for that matter, you are generously compensated. I understand that money can't solve everything, but we hope that aspect of your agreement will never be invoked.
"The retainer fee we offer will stand, even if we never call on Miss Plum's services. For each case that Miss Plum works on, both she and your firm will receive a lump-sum payment of different values. Miss Plum will receive the greater sum, but the firm gets a larger retainer fee overall. I think this is an extremely generous offer, but now that you have the papers, you can consult your lawyers and give us an answer by the end of next week."
I tried my best to follow the conversation, but as soon as Agent Bartlett started talking about the possible dangers and wrongful deaths, I sort of lost my focus. The sums of money they were offering were large enough that I figured the danger must be significant. I couldn't really reconcile how they could justify paying me the amounts they were offering and at the same time, make it safe enough for me to accept their offer. Ricardo must have sensed my concerns because he started to ask questions.
"Have any of the companies, individuals or their families ever been harmed in any way because of work performed on behalf of the FBI?"
Agent Franks looked annoyed at Ricardo's question, but I wanted to know the answer. I looked at Agent Bartlett with raised eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
"Yes, there have been instances where witnesses who have helped us were harmed, but they didn't usually come along until much later in the investigative process. We have never had a consultant or one of our own on-staff forensic accountants targeted by one of our suspects. They're too far down the food chain and usually are too anonymous to warrant interest by the bad guys."
All of this ran around my head for the rest of the afternoon. The car ride back to Newark was quiet and sort of uncomfortable. I couldn't fathom putting the Manosos in danger and I was pretty set on not accepting the offer. We returned to the office just in time to meet Maria as she dropped off the girls. I got to leave a bit early and we all headed to my apartment.
Maria and Ricardo said goodbye to the girls and then walked back to the office, leaving us to entertain ourselves. Of course, that was the easy part. It was a beautiful day and there was a pool to keep us cool.
The next chapter will be up within the next 2-3 days.