Page 69 of Better Watch Out
“Our cybercrimes unit traced the ransomware threat back to an IP address for an employee at Passion and Purpose.” Agent Simpkins tapped something on her cellphone and then turned it around to show Mr. Malone. “Do you know who this is?”
Mr. Malone looked at the photo and frowned. “Yes, that’s Barbara Thompson. She’s Gerry’s secretary. His eyes lit up with recognition. “Wait a minute, I do know who Michael Tanner is. I approved a fifty-million-dollar donation for the charity. It was so soon after Patricia’s death and those days are a blur but I remember Barbara came to the house for me to sign the paperwork on behalf of Michael Tanner and she kept apologizing for the bad timing. I didn’t realize the connection until now but what does Barbara have to do with this?”
“Michael Tanner is currently being investigated by the SEC for investment fraud and using shell charities to launder money.” Agent Simpkins said. “Passion and Purpose is one of those charities. Did you know Mr. Tanner is also listed as the director of Hope’s Children?”
“Stop.” Mr. Malone shook his head and looked like he was trying to put the pieces together. “Hope’s Children was my wife’s charity. She started it nearly thirty years ago. It’s not a shell company and—”
“You said your wife’s uncle took over her charities when she passed?” Simpkins cut in and Mr. Malone gave her a nod. “And you’ve kept track of the charities’ monies since then?”
Mr. Malone hung his head. “That’s really Gerry’s area of expertise.” He looked to his side at Valentina. “He knew how important this new charity, Hope Village, was going to be to our family. It was supposed to be an extension of Hope’s Children that Valentina would eventually manage.” Worry framed his eyes in deep creases. “Are you saying Michael Tanner was laundering money through our charity?”
Before Agent Simpkins could answer, Doug rejoined them but didn’t sit down. “That was the NYPD. They picked up the driver from last night’s incident.” Doug’s eyes found Andrew’s. “It’s Solomon Adonis.”
Solomon Adonis? Andrew’s pulse stalled. Anyone in the tri-state area who bet on the ponies was familiar with the Adonis family. They owned the famous Golden Thoroughbred, one of the largest horse-racing tracks in New York, and were big investors in tracks around the country. Solomon had a reputation for collecting on unpaid bets that leaned on the more violent side though he always had a way of keeping his hands clean. He was also the one Angelo Evola owed money to when he came after Andrew.
One of the unnamed FBI agents stepped away, pulling out his cell phone to maybe pass along the new information that had Andrew concerned for an entirely new reason. He caught Doug’s attention. “Was I the target last night?”
“No. The detective questioning Solomon confirmed Ms. Malone was the target.”
Valentina sucked in a breath and Mr. Malone rose to his feet. “What do you mean? Valentina was with me last night.”
Doug motioned for Mr. Malone to take his seat. He did and Valentina gripped his hand. “You’re aware that Ms. Frost was mistakenly identified as your daughter. Last night someone took aim with their vehicle to run her down.”
Mr. Malone muttered an expletive. He looked over at Andrew. “Is she okay?”
“Yes.” Andrew appreciated the genuine concern but everything in him was anxious to race back to the airport. Was that man Frannie met in the restaurant as innocent as she believed?
“So, you have the man now? Ms. Frost and my daughter are safe?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
A ringing noise filled Andrew’s ears as Doug continued.
“According to Solomon, the threat against your daughter isn’t over. Jimmy Strazza was hired to go after your daughter while she was here in New York. When Strazza failed to get to her, whoever was behind the contract upped the ante.”
Mr. Malone frowned. “What do you mean, upped the ante?”
Doug looked between Mr. Malone and Agent Simpkins. “It’s a full contract job.”
“What does that mean?” Mr. Malone’s voice pitched high but understanding tightened the lines on his face. “Are you telling me someone is going to try and kill my daughter?” He wrapped a protective arm around Valentina’s shoulder as she buried herself into her father’s side. “That’s not going to happen.”
He’s right. Andrew’s stomach churned. “Sir, Frannie …”
“Agent Simpkins.” The agent who’d been on the phone walked over. He showed her something on the cell phone and she turned to face Mr. Malone.
“Mr. Malone, where is Gerald Kline?”
“Gerry?” He frowned and then panic hit his eyes. “Is he in danger too?”
“Gerald Kline and Michael Tanner have been illegally funneling charity monies into investment accounts that don’t exist.” Simpkins spread out more documents in front of Mr. Malone. “And it’s not just the charity money. The SEC and our fraud division have uncovered that Kline was also fraudulently investing money from hundreds of wealthy individuals that include some who have criminal backgrounds or connections. If they’ve uncovered the truth, that their money is gone, some might be more than willing to harm innocent victims to send a message to get their money back.”
Mr. Malone rubbed his brow. “They’re coming after Valentina because of the money Gerry owes? How much? Maybe I can figure out a way to pay them back.”
Simpkins shook her head like the message wasn’t clear. “He owes the man who hired Solomon Adonis forty-two million dollars.”
“Gerald owes forty-two million dollars?” Mr. Malone looked stunned.
“Mr. Malone,” Simpkins sounded agitated. “Gerald Kline owes more than that and to some very dangerous people. We need to find him.”
