Fatal Dose (26 page)

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Mel Tarkington, aka Walter Simmons, stepped up to the reception desk in the lobby of Westminster Financial Resources in Denver, CO. “Walter Simmons to see Ed Marcus,” he announced to the attractive redhead seated behind the desk. He handed her one of the new business cards printed up recently.

“Is he expecting you, Mister Simmons?”

“He is, but I wasn’t sure of when I would be arriving. I’m sure he’ll have time to see me.”

“Please take a seat. I’ll check with his secretary.”

Two minutes later she gestured to him “Mister Marcus will see you. If you go down the hall, it’s the last door on the left.”

“Thank you.”

Ed met him in the hall before he reached his office. “Walter, it’s good to see you. Come on in.” Once inside, he gestured to a chair “Mel, have a seat. Can I have my secretary get you anything?”

“No thanks, Ed, I’m good.”

“Boy, I wouldn’t have recognized you with that beard, styled hair and dark tan. You even look like you’ve put on some weight since I saw you last.”

“Do you mind if we get down to business?”

“Boy, you haven’t changed a bit. I would have thought that island living would have mellowed you a bit.”

“It has, Ed. That’s part of the problem. I’ve always been an active guy. You know, sports, working out and all that. They don’t even have the facilities I’m used to on the island and I’ve gotten flabby. Like you said, I’ve gained over twenty-five pounds. What I need is some action.”

“Have you ever considered building a sports complex on Isla Fortalenza? It sounds like that would be a good investment.”

“I looked into it, but since I’m not one of the original investors, I’m restricted for ten years from any business venture costing over one hundred grand. What I have in mind costs a helluva lot more.”

“Well, it’s just a thought. Did you have a chance to go over the prospectus for Atlas Funding that I sent?”

“I did, and on the surface I like what I see, but I’d like to visit with them before I put any money into it.”

“That can be arranged. A group is going out there tomorrow. You could join them.”

“I don’t think so. You forget that I used to work out here. Just because my hair is different, I have a tan, put on weight and have a beard now doesn’t mean that someone might not recognize me maybe pick up on some personal characteristic. You’re going to have to arrange a special visit for me. Is that a problem?”

“No, of course not; whatever is right for you. I just thought it would be faster if you went out tomorrow with the others.”

“Well, that isn’t going to happen. Set something up as soon as you can. Tell them it looks like a sure thing. That should motivate them to spend some special time with me. In the interim, what do you have for me on that guy, Mark Matthews?”

“Not a lot more. I did find out that he travels a lot. His secretary tried to hook me up with his office manager because she couldn’t tell me when Matthews would be in the office. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it does raise a red flag.”

“You’re right. Were you able to find out where he goes?”

“Not yet. I just know he spends very little time in Centerville. I have somebody watching for his car at his office during the day and his home at night. Since we found out about him, he hasn’t showed at either place.”

“Of course we do know that he used to spend a lot of time in Cleveland and Hudson while Susan Harrigan was alive.”

“Yes, but I wouldn’t know where to start looking for him up there.”

“You’re right, but there must be some way to locate him. Maybe a trace of some sort.”

“Mel, that’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. He could be out of the country, for all I know.”

“Then he would need to use his passport. There are people who know how to check that stuff out. While you’re at it, have your men check to see if there is anything out there on his license plate. Maybe he was stopped for speeding or had an accident. It won’t hurt to check. Find him for me, Ed. I’ll make it well worth your while.”

“I’ll put my best people on it. If you’ve got a minute I’ll check right now with my Cleveland operative.”

Ed checked his directory and dialed a number. “Alex, Ed Marcus. How’s the surveillance going?” Ed listened for a few minutes and shouted into the phone, “That idiot. He saw Matthews’ car and didn’t report it to you? What the hell did he think he was doing the surveillance for?” He slammed the phone down so hard that a styrofoam cup, half filled with coffee, spilled over the top of his desk. Ignoring the spill, he turned to Mel and sputtered, “The idiot watching Matthews’ house and office saw the car at both places for three days and just wrote down the time and location. He didn’t even report it to his superior; total incompetence. Apparently when Matthews left his office on Friday the jerk assumed that he would be going to his house and took another route to avoid being spotted. Matthews never showed at his house and he hasn’t been seen since.”

“Look Ed, I’m not paying you for that kind of slip-shod performance. You make sure that your associates understand what their assignment is. I want you to find Mark Matthews, whatever it takes. I’m getting a feeling about this guy and my instincts usually aren’t wrong.”

“I’ll have my guys in Cleveland check with the hospital and the company that Susan Harrigan used to run. I’m sure we can find somebody that knows something about him.

“Look, since you’re back in the States, why don’t you deal directly with Alex? I’ve got too much to do and no one knows better about what you’re looking for than you do. His full name is Alex Norbett and except for this recent miscue his results have been outstanding. He runs an outfit called Investigative Findings.” Ed gave Mel all the information he needed and set up the private meeting with Atlas Funding for the next day.

“That’s good. You’ve got my special number if you find out anything else. In the meantime, after I go on that tour, I’ll be heading out to Cleveland to look after things firsthand.”

“Great! Now let’s look over some other investment opportunities. Here’s one that may interest you, and by coincidence it happens to be in Cleveland. The company is called Pharma-Smythe.

It’s a Chinese start-up looking for silent partners. They’ll be manufacturing generic drugs and distributing them through US distributors including one headquartered in Cleveland. Their projections look promising. I’ve already sold a bunch of their notes. The return will be about seven percent, with interest payments four times a year. It would probably be worthwhile for you to check it out as long as you’re out that way.”

“It does sound interesting. Give me the prospectus. What’s the deadline on it?”

“They’re starting up in a few months. The deadline for the notes is in two weeks.”

“Do you know if they will deposit the interest payments in my bank on Isla Fortalenza?”

“The prospectus says anywhere in the world. I think they are sophisticated enough to know that a good number of their investors prefer offshore banking.”

“Then, I’ll take a look at it. I’ll let you know what I find out when I get out there.”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Nurse Betty was the RN assigned to care for Susan Harrigan during her recovery from an operation that removed a bullet and reconstructed her shattered shoulder.

A well dressed man approached her at the nurses station.“Good morning. My name is Barton Phillips. I’m with the law firm of Bailey, Phillips and Graham.”As he introduced himself, he handed her a business card. “I represent an estate that lists a Susan Harrigan as one of the heirs. I’m trying to locate anyone that may know something about her whereabouts. One of my investigators reported that Ms. Harrigan spent some time here a while back and that you were responsible for her care. Is that accurate information?”

Betty’s eyes started to fill with tears; her voice quivered as she replied, “Yes, I certainly was. There was no sweeter woman in the world than Susan. It was so tragic what happened to her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, she was kidnapped, shot in the shoulder and eventually rescued. She required extensive surgery. She recovered from her injuries, left here and a short time later, when she returned to work, her car exploded and she was killed.”

“Oh! My god. What a terrible thing to happen. I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you. Well, that’s about all I can tell you.”

“Do you know if there were any next of kin or close contacts that I might follow up with?”

“I can tell you that she had a very close friend who spent a lot of time here. It was obvious that they were lovers. His name is Mark Matthews. He’s an FBI Special Agent assigned to the Bureau here in Cleveland. She was an agent there, too. Mark’s a real nice gentleman. I really can’t tell you anymore. Except I believe he lived in Centerville. That’s a few hours south of here. Aside from that you could check with the company she owned out in Hudson, Ohio. It’s called Cybernetic Solutions. Ask for Joan Talbot. She might be able to help you. They were very good friends.”

Nurse Betty picked up some files and turned to walk away. “I wish I could be more helpful.”

“Actually, you’ve been a great help. Thank you so much for your time. Have a great day.”

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

The voice at the other end said, “I got the lead from a nurse at the hospital where the Harrigan woman stayed. I followed up with the company that she ran over in Hudson; everything checked out. Apparently she was working undercover for the FBI. She was a lover of this guy Matthews who also turns out to be an FBI Special Agent assigned to the Cleveland office.”

Ed couldn’t believe what he just heard. “They both worked for the FBI?”

“That’s right. He’s worked there for a couple of years. I confirmed that with a simple call to the office. The gal at Cybernetic Solutions also gave me his address out here and private cell phone number. Can you believe that? Is there anything else you need?”

“Not right now. Thanks for finding this, Alex. I’m sure Mister Simmons will be very appreciative. He’ll be contacting you soon.”

“I look forward to meeting with him. Ed, call me if you need anything else.

* * *

Ed welcomed Mel into his office. “Come on in, Walter; make yourself comfortable. I’ve got some great news, something I could only tell you in person.” He closed the door behind him.

“I’m all ears, Ed.”

“We have the fix on Mark Matthews. It turns out that he’s an FBI Special Agent and Susan Harrigan was with the FBI, too.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“I kid you not. They both apparently worked undercover. His cover is a PI company, hers was a software company.”

Mel sat back in his chair. “It all makes sense now. That raid that shut us down was conducted by the FBI. That son of a bitch must have been in on it with that Harrigan dame from the start. It looks like I only finished half the job.”

“Alex is personally taking over the investigation. He expects Matthews to show up in Cleveland any day now. They know where he works and where he lives when he’s in Cleveland. Once they spot him, they’ll put a tail on him for you.”

“Ed, that’s a top-notch job your men did. I can’t believe that this thing is finally coming together.”

“I’ve arranged for you to meet with Alex in Cleveland tomorrow. He’ll fill you in on everything. I’m going to bow out of this thing. It’s all yours now and I wish you luck with it.”

“I’m good with that. This was never your battle. In the meantime let’s talk about Atlas Funding. I was out there earlier this morning. It looks sound. I’m in for a hundred shares. I’ll have the money transferred to you as of three today. Pharma-Smythe is a different matter. I’m intrigued, but I’ll need to talk with their advance men before I decide. Maybe I can even get a chance to talk with the people at Atronen.”

“I don’t see why that wouldn’t be possible. Let me see what I can set up for you.”

“I expect to spend some time in Cleveland tying up loose ends, if you catch my drift, but I’ll probably be coming through here on my way back to Isla Fortalenza.”

Ed looked uncomfortable. “Er, maybe that isn’t such a good idea, Mel. If your plans include what I think they are going to include, I would prefer that you didn’t do that.”

“You’re always so squeamish. Well, Ed, I can’t say I blame you. There is no sense in me causing you any undue concern. We’ll talk by phone. Okay?”

“Thank you, I would prefer it that way. In the meantime, you have a safe flight out there. It was really good seeing you again, Mel. Let me know what you decide about Pharma-Smythe.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Clifford Melbourne used an untraceable throwaway cell phone to make the call.

It was time to put his master plan into action. It involved tipping off the FBI about the major drug shipment, resulting in the shutdown of Atronen, the removal of John Pierce as head of the Midwestern region of the drug cartel, his own appointment to the job, the disposal of Marco Vennuti and tipping off the FBI about the traitor in their midst. It was an ambitious undertaking; the result of six months of careful planning. He was taking care of the first step now. After that ran its course, the rest would fall into place like a row of dominos.

He dialed the FBI office asking to talk with the SAC. He spoke using a garbled voice. “This coming Friday night a shipment of top quality counterfeits of major pharmaceutical drugs worth ten million dollars on the open market will be shipped from Atronen Pharmaceuticals to a hub in Indiana. They will be leaving the Atronen warehouse at ten-thirty in the evening.”