their stocks had tumbled — that their money was as good as gone. Get their signature on a paper. But in reality the stocks had actually doubled or tripled. That's how I think it worked, but I can't prove it—yet."
"I can see what Simone had against Fleckman, but what did Fleckman have against him?" Frank asked.
"The more clients Simone lost, the angrier he got. So he started to put together bits of information about Fleckman and his shady dealings. I think he threatened to blow the whistle on him."
"Something bothers me about this," Frank said. "Simone's record had to have been pretty spotless if he was willing to expose Fleckman."
"That's right," Spears said. "Henry Simone was completely honest."
"Then why the alias?" Joe asked. "And what did he do with our aunt Gertrude's money?"
Spears looked blank. "I don't know. He might have taken an alias to escape Fleckman. Maybe he was beginning to play rough. As for the money ... "
"Maybe we should examine Simone's records," Frank suggested. "I'd like to see just how honest he was."
Behind them, Bart had been fiddling with the computer terminal, trying to see if it was still working.
"Bart, call up Simone's file, will you please?" Spears asked.
Bart's fingers danced over the keyboard. Instantly the screen showed columns and columns of numbers with the name SIMONE, HENRY above them.
The four of them sat around the screen as Spears explained the numbers. Every cent was accounted for.
Spears pressed a few keys and a new set of figures appeared on the screen, with the heading PERSONAL INCOME AND INVESTMENTS. "Unfortunately," Spears explained, "Mr. Simone made a few bad investments for himself and died with very little money of his own."
Frank and Joe examined the screen. Sure enough, many of Simone's investments showed losses, and his net worth was very little.
Frank noticed there was no reference to his aunt Gertrude's money going into Simone's account. Where was it? And how could he tell her that her life savings had disappeared?
"So his ex-wife wouldn't have done him in for his money?" Joe said.
Spears laughed. "If so, she'd be in for a big surprise."
So much for Clifton's suspicion about Spears as the next beneficiary, Frank thought. "If you don't mind, Mr. Spears, I'd like a copy of Simone's and Fleckman's records. I'll be discreet and give them back soon. I have a feeling this case is going in a new direction."
"It's highly irregular, but if you promise to keep them confidential," Spears answered. "Bart, will you please print out a copy?"
As Frank and Joe left the office with the evidence, they heard the solid click of the office door's deadbolt.
"Okay, next stop, Elite Eye," Frank said. "I'd like to point out a new suspect to Eric Clifton."
Joe laughed and glanced through the records as they walked toward the elevator. "Look at this!" he said. "Half of Simone's client accounts were closed out this past week!"
As Frank reached for the papers, he heard a distant ding.
"Come on!" he said. Running around the corner toward the elevator, he shouted, "Hold the door, please!"
At the end of the long cream-colored hallway, two men in suits were leaning against a wall across from the elevator doors. As the doors started to shut, one of them reached out to hold them open.
Frank and Joe ran into the elevator. "Hey, just in the nick of time," Frank said. "Glad you guys were standing there."
Frank had assumed the two men would stay on the floor, since they hadn't gotten into the elevator when the doors had first opened. But instead, they walked into the elevator. "We're going down too," one of them said in a cold voice.
The man pressed M for the main floor and stood against the back of the elevator. His husky friend eyed Frank and Joe silently, one hand in his pocket. The elevator motor hummed as they descended.
Frank wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the men share an almost imperceptible glance.
The lights above the elevator door flicked on and off at each
"I can see what Simone had against Fleckman, but what did Fleckman have against him?" Frank asked.
"The more clients Simone lost, the angrier he got. So he started to put together bits of information about Fleckman and his shady dealings. I think he threatened to blow the whistle on him."
"Something bothers me about this," Frank said. "Simone's record had to have been pretty spotless if he was willing to expose Fleckman."
"That's right," Spears said. "Henry Simone was completely honest."
"Then why the alias?" Joe asked. "And what did he do with our aunt Gertrude's money?"
Spears looked blank. "I don't know. He might have taken an alias to escape Fleckman. Maybe he was beginning to play rough. As for the money ... "
"Maybe we should examine Simone's records," Frank suggested. "I'd like to see just how honest he was."
Behind them, Bart had been fiddling with the computer terminal, trying to see if it was still working.
"Bart, call up Simone's file, will you please?" Spears asked.
Bart's fingers danced over the keyboard. Instantly the screen showed columns and columns of numbers with the name SIMONE, HENRY above them.
The four of them sat around the screen as Spears explained the numbers. Every cent was accounted for.
Spears pressed a few keys and a new set of figures appeared on the screen, with the heading PERSONAL INCOME AND INVESTMENTS. "Unfortunately," Spears explained, "Mr. Simone made a few bad investments for himself and died with very little money of his own."
Frank and Joe examined the screen. Sure enough, many of Simone's investments showed losses, and his net worth was very little.
Frank noticed there was no reference to his aunt Gertrude's money going into Simone's account. Where was it? And how could he tell her that her life savings had disappeared?
"So his ex-wife wouldn't have done him in for his money?" Joe said.
Spears laughed. "If so, she'd be in for a big surprise."
So much for Clifton's suspicion about Spears as the next beneficiary, Frank thought. "If you don't mind, Mr. Spears, I'd like a copy of Simone's and Fleckman's records. I'll be discreet and give them back soon. I have a feeling this case is going in a new direction."
"It's highly irregular, but if you promise to keep them confidential," Spears answered. "Bart, will you please print out a copy?"
As Frank and Joe left the office with the evidence, they heard the solid click of the office door's deadbolt.
"Okay, next stop, Elite Eye," Frank said. "I'd like to point out a new suspect to Eric Clifton."
Joe laughed and glanced through the records as they walked toward the elevator. "Look at this!" he said. "Half of Simone's client accounts were closed out this past week!"
As Frank reached for the papers, he heard a distant ding.
"Come on!" he said. Running around the corner toward the elevator, he shouted, "Hold the door, please!"
At the end of the long cream-colored hallway, two men in suits were leaning against a wall across from the elevator doors. As the doors started to shut, one of them reached out to hold them open.
Frank and Joe ran into the elevator. "Hey, just in the nick of time," Frank said. "Glad you guys were standing there."
Frank had assumed the two men would stay on the floor, since they hadn't gotten into the elevator when the doors had first opened. But instead, they walked into the elevator. "We're going down too," one of them said in a cold voice.
The man pressed M for the main floor and stood against the back of the elevator. His husky friend eyed Frank and Joe silently, one hand in his pocket. The elevator motor hummed as they descended.
Frank wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the men share an almost imperceptible glance.
The lights above the elevator door flicked on and off at each
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