investigative agency known to man
has worked me over. None of them has been able to tie me to the fraud.
“I love my father dearly. He was a wonderful husband to my mother and a wonderful father to me. I can only conclude that in some way he was mentally ill when he committed these
crimes.”
“That means he may have been mentally ill when he started the Bennett Fund fifteen years ago,” Adams reminded him. “It’s obvious that from the beginning it was a
well-planned pyramid scheme.”
“I am aware of that,” Eric said, a trace of defensiveness in his tone. “But the FBI has had no success in finding any evidence that my father is alive or where that money
disappeared to. Now I want to retain your firm to investigate the case.”
“Do you realize that if we do an investigation it could possibly result in your father spending the rest of his life in prison?”
“I do,” Eric said as his eyes moistened and his voice wavered. Then, composing himself, he continued. “If my father is alive, he must be found, and of course the money he stole
must be returned to the investors he cheated.”
“Or what’s left of it,” Adams said dryly. “I warn you that if we do agree to take on this case it will be very expensive.”
“I know that. I am a successful trader and the market has been good. In the two years since my father’s disappearance I have lived very frugally. I will continue to do so, but I can
put down a retainer of fifty thousand dollars. By the time you use that up, I should be able to give you more. If I can’t continue to pay you, you can suspend your investigation until I can
accumulate more money.”
Adams felt a twinge of sympathy for the man sitting opposite him. But the practical side of his nature overrode that feeling immediately.
“What if we take on the investigation and find that you are involved?”
“Then I would expect you to turn me in to the federal prosecutor,” Eric said promptly. “But I won’t lose any sleep over that possibility.”
Adams wondered if he knew what he was getting into as he reached his hand across the desk and said, “We’ll take the case, Mr. Bennett. And we will use every resource possible to find
your father alive or prove his death, and to locate the missing money.”
As he spoke Adams realized that he was thoroughly intrigued by the idea of being paid to search for the missing Parker Bennett.
As for Eric Bennett, he decided there were two possibilities: that he was totally innocent, as he claimed, and wanted to change the public perception of him, or that he was guilty, and also
arrogant enough to think that he and his father had planned so carefully that they were beyond the reach of the law.
Adams realized that insider trading cases had begun to seem mundane.
The search for Parker Bennett will be infinitely more challenging, he thought with satisfaction.
15
H e had known that they were closing in on him. He was so frantic to get away that he moved most of the money from one Swiss account to the other.
He had taped the new account number on the inside of the music box he had given Anne years ago. But when he successfully made his escape, he realized that incredibly, the number he had jotted down
was not the new one but the
old
one.
Now he was living comfortably on St. Thomas in a small villa on the Caribbean. He had a new sailboat, not nearly as large or expensive as the one he had set adrift. But it was perfectly
satisfactory. He was successfully established in the identity he had long ago created for himself for when the time came to escape. But the money in the old account would soon run out. Water, water
everywhere, but not a drop to drink, he thought bitterly.
In St. Thomas he was known as George Hawkins, a retired engineer who had moved here from England fifteen years ago.
The brown wig he always wore changed his appearance. So did the dark glasses and the putty he expertly applied to change the shape of his nose.
His
has worked me over. None of them has been able to tie me to the fraud.
“I love my father dearly. He was a wonderful husband to my mother and a wonderful father to me. I can only conclude that in some way he was mentally ill when he committed these
crimes.”
“That means he may have been mentally ill when he started the Bennett Fund fifteen years ago,” Adams reminded him. “It’s obvious that from the beginning it was a
well-planned pyramid scheme.”
“I am aware of that,” Eric said, a trace of defensiveness in his tone. “But the FBI has had no success in finding any evidence that my father is alive or where that money
disappeared to. Now I want to retain your firm to investigate the case.”
“Do you realize that if we do an investigation it could possibly result in your father spending the rest of his life in prison?”
“I do,” Eric said as his eyes moistened and his voice wavered. Then, composing himself, he continued. “If my father is alive, he must be found, and of course the money he stole
must be returned to the investors he cheated.”
“Or what’s left of it,” Adams said dryly. “I warn you that if we do agree to take on this case it will be very expensive.”
“I know that. I am a successful trader and the market has been good. In the two years since my father’s disappearance I have lived very frugally. I will continue to do so, but I can
put down a retainer of fifty thousand dollars. By the time you use that up, I should be able to give you more. If I can’t continue to pay you, you can suspend your investigation until I can
accumulate more money.”
Adams felt a twinge of sympathy for the man sitting opposite him. But the practical side of his nature overrode that feeling immediately.
“What if we take on the investigation and find that you are involved?”
“Then I would expect you to turn me in to the federal prosecutor,” Eric said promptly. “But I won’t lose any sleep over that possibility.”
Adams wondered if he knew what he was getting into as he reached his hand across the desk and said, “We’ll take the case, Mr. Bennett. And we will use every resource possible to find
your father alive or prove his death, and to locate the missing money.”
As he spoke Adams realized that he was thoroughly intrigued by the idea of being paid to search for the missing Parker Bennett.
As for Eric Bennett, he decided there were two possibilities: that he was totally innocent, as he claimed, and wanted to change the public perception of him, or that he was guilty, and also
arrogant enough to think that he and his father had planned so carefully that they were beyond the reach of the law.
Adams realized that insider trading cases had begun to seem mundane.
The search for Parker Bennett will be infinitely more challenging, he thought with satisfaction.
15
H e had known that they were closing in on him. He was so frantic to get away that he moved most of the money from one Swiss account to the other.
He had taped the new account number on the inside of the music box he had given Anne years ago. But when he successfully made his escape, he realized that incredibly, the number he had jotted down
was not the new one but the
old
one.
Now he was living comfortably on St. Thomas in a small villa on the Caribbean. He had a new sailboat, not nearly as large or expensive as the one he had set adrift. But it was perfectly
satisfactory. He was successfully established in the identity he had long ago created for himself for when the time came to escape. But the money in the old account would soon run out. Water, water
everywhere, but not a drop to drink, he thought bitterly.
In St. Thomas he was known as George Hawkins, a retired engineer who had moved here from England fifteen years ago.
The brown wig he always wore changed his appearance. So did the dark glasses and the putty he expertly applied to change the shape of his nose.
His
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