Look for some weekend chapters so I can get caught up! 49 and 50 coming!
Chapter Forty Eight
Lisette looked prim and proper in a navy blue day dress from the mercantile and long white gloves to cover her wrists and forearms. Jarrod had left her at the store to try on dresses. He made sure they did not arrive or leave the store at the same time—-he did the same thing at the meeting with the sheriffs and federal marshalls. Macklin met him at the office and they walked over together.
"Are you privy to their visit?"
"Nope but I have been with you all week incommunicado."
They walked into the office and Jarrod apologized for being a few minutes late. Macklin greeted his coworkers.
"Let's get down to business. Mrs Franklin, I mean , will you give us your sworn deposition of the kidnapping and the events leading up to it. Then a timeline until you were rescued."
She began with her failed marriage to Paul Franklin and his inability to accept a sick child.
"He has not been in our lives since."
It angered Jarrod every time he thought of the man's selfishness.
She did not show any emotion and clearly detailed his business dealings with her father. She did not know Miller personally ,only anecdotes of their arrangements. Her mind for details was clear and the clerk wrote quickly in great haste. She even knew the amounts missing from each casino-hotel, the date of all of the lines of credits, liens and mortgages signed by her father facilitated by her husband and Miller.
"Mr. Barkley, I assume you have all the paperwork?"
"Yes sir. I must compliment my client on her recall. Every number has been correct." he said with pride.
She recounted meeting Victoria on the train and her hiring Jarrod as her attorney.
"Do you have a record of your personal bank accounts?"
"Jarrod does. Two accounts. One in Boston and one in Stockton. The shares of the hotel are in my son's name; dividends are paid to his trust and I withhold twenty percent for living. I believe that is standard. He will gain control at twenty five."
They nodded and Jarrod slid the bank statements over to the marshals.
They jotted down the totals.
"I also receive my mother's family's pittance from France once a year."
One of the marshals spoke up, "And you guaranteed the Modesto employees salary for a month from your personal assets. Why?"
"It was the right thing to do," she said simply.
The men nodded in respect.
"Do you have any other assets?"
Jarrod frowned for a second, "Is my client under suspicion?"
"No Mr Barkley but there are several court filings under way that may need criminal investigation and several judgments."
"It's fine Jarrod. I live frugally. I rent a cottage on the seashore. Henry's schooling was paid by my father. I hired Anna for the summer as a companion out of my funds. I save my resources. I have jewelry that you can find insured under a security company; I can get you that policy from my east coast attorney. Most belonged to my mother and her mother before her. My greatest personal asset aside from jewelry are my mother's books. I plan to take up my uncle's offer of a cottage on his estate in France if I need to. He will educate Henry if I need his help."
Jarrod's stomach hurt at her mention of Europe again.
"Tell me about the attack in the hotel room in Modesto."
"May my attorney tell you? He was there. It's a personal matter to me,"
"Of course."
"The day of the kidnapping?"
Lissette described it in depth.
"Did you hear anything that identified the men?"
"Yes. It was the four men who attacked me in Modesto—the fourth one kept me hostage in an old fashioned bedroom, dark burgundy drapes and a musty smell. He hit me repeatedly with the riding crop."
"I am very sorry to question you about such a horrific experience, Mrs. Taylor.
"I understand it's part of it."
"How did you end up at the mine shack?"
"He put the Chinese herb rag on my face; I woke up tied to the cot in the shack. He sat by the pot bellied stove and played solitaire. I could see him from the blindfold."
"Was he the only one in the cabin?"
"I never heard or saw anyone else there."
"And your rescuer?"
"He came in and I heard two shots. His ranch hands took off my blindfold and untied me. I saw the guard dead by the potbellied stove. They carried me out."
"What about the first house?"
"I heard another man's muffled voice and a woman's. They were in another room. I couldn't identify them if I tried."
They looked through their notes and asked her a few more clarifying questions. She answered and thanked her for coming in.
"I will be at the Barkley home for the next few months until I settle my father's estate."
"Thank you. I will wait at your office, Jarrod so we can ride home together. I am anxious to see my son."
"Fred, can someone see Mrs. Taylor safely to my office?"
She excused herself and walked to Jarrod's office with a deputy. She greeted Esther and went back into the kitchenette for a glass of tea. She packed up the calico and the boots for the church bin. Lissette lovingly made up the bed and warmed by the memories of the night before.
"Thank always Jarrod for showing me the beauty of love. I shall treasure your touch all my life." as she smoothed the covers.
—-&—
Jarrod answered all the questions put to him and described in detail the attack in Modesto. The sheriff of Modesto read along with his original statement. They concurred. He gave the statement to the marshals to corroborate.
"Mr Barkley, I see the physical exam was inconclusive. Has your client confided that she was violated?"
Jarrod shook his head, "No I do not know either. I did see her bruises and she was brutalized beyond comprehension. It could be either way. I sought not to pry."
They made notes and thanked him for cooperating.
"May I ask what has brought you to Stockton?" Jarrod asked.
"It has come to the government's attention that a significant amount of money may have been transported fraudulently across state lines and violated banking charters. And some prominent banks are getting nervous enough to ask for an investigation."
"I believe that Lisette will soon liquidate three of the four western hotels and pay off all the debts of her husband."
"You said three?"
"Yes, we have a smaller yet substantial obligation in Stockton that still needs to be taken care of. Building supplies, custom orders, mainly along with a loss of a deposit on the land. But we hope selling the Denver, San Francisco and Modesto properties will take care of the total debt. It is the goal that none of the properties are foreclosed as collateral for the lines of credit, taxes, liens and mortgages."
"How long?"
"We have a legitimate offer in hand for Denver and one in the wings for San Francisco. Pinkertons has suspicions that the fire and insurance collection in San Francisco was criminal."
"We have heard the same."
"That leaves Modesto. Since Buck lost his partners, we will go with one of the offers from the broker in San Francisco."
"What made you suspect Buck was behind the kidnapping?"
Jarrod handed over the note.
"May we keep this?"
"Yes."
"Any other threats?"
Jarrod sighed, "Yes but Mrs Taylor does not know."
The men exchanged looks, "If we can, we will keep it confidential."
"Before the kidnapping, I received a 5x5 square of the purple silk dress she was wearing in Modesto that the animals cut off her. There was no note in the package."
The marshals shook their heads.
"We will take this statement back to Sacramento. We will contact you if we have more questions. Can you send copies of the sales and proceed receipts to the federal courthouse when they occur?"
"Yes, I will be glad to. May I ask a question before we close this interview?." Jarrod answered.
They nodded.
"Will Paul Taylor and Miller be prosecuted?"
"Not at this point of the investigation. They seem to have perpetrated a perfect crime and left your client holding the bag."
"That's what I thought."