Evil in the 1st House (13 page)

Chapter Thirty-one

The FBI New York headquarters was located at 26 Federal Plaza on lower Broadway. The offices were on the twenty-third floor and looked the way one would expect. Simple, sterile, spartan. They made Lowell's office look ornate by comparison. Lowell was ushered into Agent Jensen's office where he was met by two men.

One was about six feet tall with brown hair just starting to gray around the temples. He stood up and stuck out his hand. “Mr. Lowell, I'm Special Agent Jensen and this is Special Agent Anderson.”

The other man rose. They shook hands.

“Now,” continued Jensen, “what is this all about?”

“Are you familiar with my work?” asked the astrologer.

Jensen nodded. “Buddy Ferguson told me you were involved in this embezzlement and I did a little homework. You were quite impressive on a few cases. But…” He stopped and turned his hands up.

“You have your doubts about my abilities.”

The agent looked a little uncomfortable. “You must understand…”

Lowell held up his hand. “I understand completely. You wouldn't be the first person to question the validity of astrology.”

The agent seemed relieved.

Lowell took out his laptop. “Would you be willing to give me your birth information? Or perhaps that of someone close to you?”

The agent smirked. “Knock yourself out.” He thought for a moment. “You could've looked me up already and found out things about my life.”

“True,” admitted the astrologer. “So give me someone else's.”

Jensen thought for a moment. “Do you have to know who it is?”

Lowell tugged on his ponytail. “Not at all.”

“Okay. July 10th, 1968.”

“I don't suppose there's any chance you know the time of birth and the city?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. It's 11:12 in the morning in Boston.”

Lowell began entering the information into his computer. Then he put the chart up on the screen along with the current transits. “Well, this is quite an active chart. This person is quite nervous and easily upset. He or she is fidgety and accident prone. The planet Uranus sits on the ascendant and is in square to Mercury. Car accidents are very possible. Also their health, in particular the lungs and bronchial tubes are susceptible to difficulties or sudden events. Asthma or other breathing disorders are common.

“This is a Full Moon baby with the Sun in Cancer conjunct Venus in opposition to the Moon in Capricorn. This person is quite charming, possibly very beautiful. But with both the Full Moon and Mars so close to the Sun there could be a bad temper. Emotional issues get blown out of proportion at times. This person's parents had a difficult relationship and probably divorced. He or she inherited a lot of emotional baggage from that separation and has been struggling with it all since childhood. Because the Moon is in the 4th house they probably lived with the mother through childhood. By the way, therapy would be a good idea.

“Saturn is in square to Venus. There is shyness behind the boisterous outer appearance and bouts of sadness that can make this person withdraw into themselves. There is a limitation to the amount of fun this person allows. Also there is a tendency toward difficulty with the kidneys, especially kidney stones.”

He punched in another set of charts.

“The Solar Arc Directed chart showed that the divorce probably happened about age four as Uranus was crossing the ascendant. Also Pluto crossed the ascendant when she was nine, and there may have been a violent event, possibly motivated by vengeance or a power struggle, that ended badly.”

He looked up at the agent. “There is much more, of course, but that's what I can see in these few minutes. Would you like to hear more?”

Agent Jensen opened his mouth, and then closed it. Then he said, “What can I do for you Mr. Lowell?”

“I have a strong reason to believe that Harriet Collins with the help of her brother John embezzled the retirement fund from the marshmallow company. And I think time is of the essence. If you don't move quickly the money will be transferred off-shore and the two of them will disappear forever.”

Jensen was pensive for a few moments, and then he picked up the phone. “Bill, get that court order for the bank…Yes, I believe them.”

He hung up. “It'll be done this afternoon.”

Agent Andersen grabbed Jensen's arm. “Are you sure about this?”

Jensen turned to his colleague. “That was my wife's birth information, and virtually everything this man said about her is accurate.”

Andersen looked over at Lowell, a scowl on his face. “It could be a scam. Maybe he found all of this on the Internet.”

“My wife is a very nervous, overly emotional woman,” said Jensen. “When she was four, her parents divorced. About five year later the house she shared with her mother was burned to the ground by her father who kidnapped her. He spent ten years in prison, and she spent fifteen years in therapy. She's survived several car crashes. She also suffers from chronic bronchitis, and has had kidney stones twice. I don't think all that information is on the Internet.”

Jensen turned to Lowell looking a bit pale, thought the astrologer. He took a sip of water. “I'll let you know what we uncover at the bank.”

Lowell got up to leave. “Let's hope we're not too late.”

Chapter Thirty-two

Lowell left the FBI headquarters and entered the limo. This was no time to take a stroll uptown unguarded. He looked at his watch. It was almost five o'clock. There wasn't much he could do with this case until he heard from Jensen.

“Andy, I want to pick up Melinda. Let me call her and see where she is.”

He dialed.

“Hi Dad.”

“I'm heading uptown,” said Lowell. “Are you free for dinner? I need to go over a few things with you.”

“I'm in my office. I couldn't get out of here before six. Why don't I meet you at the townhouse?”

“I just won't feel right until this embezzlement thing is behind us.” He retied his ponytail. “I think I'll just drive around for a while and we'll pick you up in an hour. How's that?”

“Okay, Dad. If it makes you feel better.”

“It will. I won't relax until they've caught McFarley.”

Lowell hung up. “Andy, you heard?”

“You wanna take a drive until we get Melinda. Gotcha, Boss.” Andy pushed a button on the steering wheel and the glass opaque partition between the front seat and the rest of the limo came up. Lowell looked out the window at Manhattan at rush hour, crowded, overwhelming. He shook his head and twisted the knobs on his console. The windows darkened and suddenly the coast of Southern California appeared to be zipping by. He enjoyed the illusion, and why not? It was better than a movie. You were more involved. Your life went on within the car but the world outside was changed. He opened the little refrigerator and took out a Spatan beer and a chilled mug. He poured the beer and sat back enjoying the passing view. When the limo appeared to pass Vivian Younger's house, he tipped his beer in a toast.

***

They picked up Melinda at six. She came down the steps from her office building and approached the car. “Hi Andy.” She gave him a peck on the cheek as Andy held the door for her. She got into the limo and kissed her dad.

“How was your day?” asked Lowell.

“Oh, you know, just the usual lawyer stuff. How was yours?”

“I saw the FBI agent in charge of the embezzlement case.”

Melinda smiled. “I noticed you don't refer to it as the
marshmallow case
any longer.”

“No,” he replied. “Sarah's made that impossible.”

“So what did the Feds have to say?”

“Well, I had to dance around with them.”

“Proving astrology once again,” said Melinda knowingly.

Lowell nodded. “Yes, I had to play that game. I read the agent's wife's birth chart and convinced him.”

“No doubt,” said his daughter with pride.

“Special Agent Jensen is going to do as I asked and get a forensic examiner to look over the books of the bank.”

“What do you think they'll find?”

“I'm afraid they may discover a paperless trail that leads to an offshore bank.”

He laughed.

“Dad?”

“I also met a Special Agent Andersen. I was just wondering if all FBI guys are
special agents.
Don't they have any
regular agents
?”

Andy drove them to the townhouse. When Melinda opened the front door Lowell's four-legged house guest welcomed her with a big wet kiss on the face.

Karen was behind him. “Luigi, stop that,” she shouted. “I'm sorry, Melinda. He's just such a big baby he has to make friends with everyone.”

Melinda wiped her face. “That's okay, I grew up with dogs. I'm used to being slobbered on.”

Lowell came in behind Melinda. Luigi came up to him and pushed his head into Lowell's thigh. Lowell leaned over and gave him a good scratch behind the ears. “Let's sit in the living room.”

Julia came out of the kitchen. “Hello Mr…David.”

Lowell smiled. “Good evening, Julia.”

“Dinner will be ready in about forty-five minutes. Do you need anything?”

Lowell shook his head. “No, you relax. We'll help ourselves to drinks.”

Julia looked at Karen and Luigi. “He hasn't eaten yet. I've still got to make a salad. But bring him into the kitchen in a few minutes and I'll feed him.” She turned back to the kitchen.

The three went into the living room and sat.

“Melinda, I want you to be ready to coordinate with me on the Williamson case. He's preparing for the operation on his twins. I expect to hear from him in a day or so, and I need to be prepared.”

Lowell noticed that Karen was looking rather unhappy.

“Try not to worry,” he said. “If Williamson had anything to do with your uncle's death it'll come out.”

Karen bent down to rub Luigi's belly. His legs stuck up in the air. His head lay on the carpet, the tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth, a picture of total joy. “And if we don't learn the truth by the time the operation is completed, then what? You're not going to continue to investigate his death, are you?”

“Probably not,” Lowell admitted.

“So then what could I do? I can't stay here much longer. Maybe I've got another day or two, but then I've got to get back to L.A. and my job.”

Lowell nodded understandingly. “I'll do what I can.”

Karen sighed. “I know you will. But I need closure on this, and I just won't rest until I know what happened to Uncle Mickey and why. He was like a father to me after my real dad died, and he never let me down. I don't want to let him down now.”

Melinda looked over at her father's stoic face, showing little emotion. But for a slight twitch in his left eye one might have thought Karen's words had no effect. Melinda knew different. She knew this case was bringing up all sorts of emotional issues for Lowell. And she worried a bit about how it might ultimately affect him.

Lowell stretched out his legs. “Karen, there's a lot going on here that doesn't make sense. I hope that as we unravel this web of deceit, your uncle's thread will unwind as well. I've found that once the truth begins to spill out it's most difficult to stop it. I think we'll know what happened to him by the time this has all played out.”

Karen stood up abruptly. Her sudden motion disturbed Luigi who got up too and watched carefully as Karen began pacing. “I can't stand feeling impotent. There's got to be something I can do. I can't just sit around waiting for you to solve this. That's just not my style.”

“I don't know what else you can do,” said Lowell.

“I don't know either, but I'm not sitting on my butt waiting. There's a few more leads I'm going to follow. Let's see where they take me.”

“I understand your frustration. Just please be careful.”

Karen grunted loudly. “I'll keep my eyes open. But remember, David, I may be short, but I'm still a cop. And I can take care of myself.”

“Yes, I know you can.” Lowell glanced briefly at Melinda, catching her eye. Karen noticed.

“Stop worrying. I'm not a screwball. Just an aggravated, pissed off niece.” She winked at Lowell. “Who happens to carry a gun.” She headed for the kitchen. “Come on, Luigi, it's supper time.”

Chapter Thirty-three

Mort knocked on Lowell's office door and entered.

The detective looked up from his computer. “What have you got for me?”

Mort was on his third cup of morning coffee and talking very fast. “Neither Harriet nor her brother owns an SUV,” he said, his arms waving in the air. “They both drive Toyota sedans.”

“I guess it could have been a rental, or stolen,” said Lowell.

“Could be. But can you prove it was them?”

Lowell shrugged. “I doubt it. But if we get them for the embezzlement it's a moot point. I'm just surprised that they would take such a big chance, especially if they hired McFarley.”

“McFarley hasn't done all that well trying to eliminate you. Maybe McFarley was driving the SUV. Or maybe they just got antsy.”

“I guess so. It's all down to the wire now, anyway. They know we're on to them. Now it's up to the Feds. Not much more we can do about it until we hear from them.”

***

Jensen called at noon. “I have some news about that embezzlement. Could you possibly come to my office some time today? I want to show you the report.”

“I can come right now, if that's okay. Someone seems intent on bumping me off, and I'd like it to stop as soon as possible.”

“That would be fine. I'll be expecting you.”

Andy dropped Lowell at the FBI headquarters.

Jensen was standing by the window looking out over New York harbor when Lowell entered. He looked over his shoulder at the detective. “Please have a seat.”

Lowell sat on one of several faux leather chairs that made a semi-circle around the agent's desk. “So what have you discovered?”

The agent walked over to his desk and tossed a folder in front of Lowell. “That's the report,” he said, as he sat. “Be my guest and take a look.”

Lowell opened it and read through the first few pages. He closed it and put it back on the desk. “So there's nothing you can do?” he asked the agent.

Jensen shook his head. “A few days ago they moved the money into a bank in Geneva, and then wired it immediately to a bank in the Caymans. After that the trail turns cold. This guy really knows the banking business. And he had a head start. About the only chance we have of getting the money back is by grabbing them and cutting a deal.”

Lowell tugged on his ponytail. “That's what I was afraid of,” he said. “Suppose you did catch them, what then?”

The agent shrugged. “That depends on how willing they'd be to cooperate. I think we have enough evidence to convict, but they might be willing to sit out a long prison sentence to guarantee a comfortable old age. We'll never get the money, unless they give it up.”

Lowell nodded. “It's the retirement fund for about forty employees. This is their bloodline. You think you can find them?”

Jensen smiled. “That's what we do.”

“Well,” said Lowell as he got up to leave, “I hope you can. I would concentrate on the airports and the docks. Neptune is quite active in their charts implying that there's a lot of water involved. I would say they're heading for an island, probably in the Caribbean.”

***

Lowell went back to his office. Later that morning Williamson called.

“Everything's ready for the operation,” he said. “Would you please call Gloria and let her know?”

“What day are you doing the procedure?”

“Day after tomorrow,” said Williamson. “Friday. I'll need the boy out here the night before to prep him.”

The boy,
thought Lowell.
He doesn't even use his name.

Lowell called Gloria. “Your husband is going to do the operation on Friday. You must have Kevin ready to go to the hospital tomorrow.”

She was subdued and barely responded to the information.

“I'll pick you and Kevin up about noon tomorrow.”

Gloria sighed audibly. “I know how busy you are, but could you possibly stay at the hospital until the operation is completed?”

“I promised you that I would be around as long as you needed me.”

“Yes, you did,” she replied. “And you keep your word.” She sighed again. “That's a rare quality these days.”

They made the arrangements and hung up.

***

About three o'clock Lowell's cell phone rang.

“Mr. Lowell, this is Jensen again.” Lowell noticed that he didn't add his title.

“What can I do for you, Agent?”

“We caught them.”

Lowell was just a bit shocked. “Already?”

“Yep,” said Jensen. “We sent out their pictures over the Internet to airlines, trains, and bus stations. They were at JFK just about to board a plane to Aruba, just like you thought, when a very alert airline employee recognized them. He called us immediately and we were able to get someone there in time. They're bringing them back now. I'll be chatting with them later today. They made the mistake of thinking we wouldn't move quickly enough.”

There was silence for a few moments. “We wouldn't have,” added the agent, “if you hadn't forced the issue. I want to thank you.”

Lowell nodded slightly, accepting the accolade graciously. “What about the money?”

“That's the rub, isn't it?” said Jensen. “We'll know a lot more once I've had time to discuss the situation with them. They're both screaming about lawyers and lawsuits, and the usual denials. Once I explain their choices, we'll see if either or both want to make a deal.”

“Please let me know what you find out,” said Lowell.

“Will do.”

Lowell was about to hang up. “Oh, Agent Jensen, would you also try to find out if they hired McFarley and his accomplice? I'd like to put this all behind me, if possible.”

“I'll let you know.”