Where's Ellen? (Mystery) (MPP A JOE MCFARLAND / GINNY HARRIS MYSTERY Book 1) (12 page)

“What? Sure! It was delightful! I’d love to,” said Ellen as she stood up and started walking toward the bed.

“No. No, I mean ‘yes,’ last night was great. But that’s not what I meant. I mean can we continue the crazy conversation from where we left off before going to dinner?”

“Oh! Sure,” said Ellen as she returned to her chair, her cheeks bright pink with embarrassment and a touch of anger, not used to offering and being rejected.

“One question’s been driving me nuts: How’d you manage to leave the house that morning without anyone in the neighborhood noticing you leaving or a strange vehicle driving through?”

“Well, that was easy. Vasily arranged for one of his colleagues in Detroit to help me. This guy watched our street for a few days and noticed the type and color of the car driven by the newspaper deliveryman every morning. He then obtained a similar car, painted it the same color and picked me up in it that morning. Seeing that car drive through the neighborhood every morning, no one gave it any notice or even remembered seeing it.”

“Jeez, sweet and simple. So now what?” asked Steve.

“I plan to find that secluded house we talked about and, using my new identity, either lease or buy it. You have more things to do. To start with, you need to call your office and arrange for an extended leave of absence. Then you need to start traveling all over Europe, by plane, using your real name. After a couple of months, you need to start traveling undetected by train and bus and then shift to your new identity.”

Ellen then gave Steve detailed suggestions as to how he should have all their U.S. assets liquidated and the funds wired to their accounts in Europe, and then how Steve should withdraw all this as cash.

“Is that how you collected the cash from the ransom?” asked Steve.

“No. I had to do it differently. The funds we’re talking about you collecting are perfectly legal, and there’s little downside in the unlikely event that they identify or find you. That’s not the case with the $5 million ransom.”

“So how’d you do it?”

“I called Vasily once more and asked for his help. He agreed to have the funds collected for us. I would only have to periodically meet one of his colleagues to get the money, most of which I then put in a safe deposit box. But for this help, Vasily did want to be compensated. He said I had to give him 5 percent of what his guys collected. He was apologetic, but explained that he had to pay his colleagues for doing this risky work. He also said that he needed to collect a fee in order to not look too soft to his mafia compatriots. I readily agreed. I asked him how they would be able to do this without getting identified or captured, but he refused to tell me, explaining by analogy how the magicians’ code of conduct prohibits them from explaining, other than to other magicians, how a trick was done.”

“OK. That’s clear. But one other question: How will I ever find you once you’ve ‘disappeared’?”

“My parents will know where I am. But you can’t call or e-mail or visit them in case they’re being watched or listened to.”

“Then how will I …?”

“Starting two months from now, they’ll have dinner every Tuesday evening at 7:00 in the bistro where we ate last evening. You can meet them there when you’re ready.”

“But if they’re being watched, won’t I be seen meeting with them?”

“I think the risk is very low, especially if you go into the bistro well before 7 and then stay there a little while after they leave. If they are being watched, it’s very doubtful that the police watching them would go into the small restaurant. They’d most likely wait outside to avoid being detected.”

“Boy, you’ve really thought this all out in every detail. I guess you could be, or, in fact, are, a master criminal after all.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about this. And I want to be sure we do it in a way that works. Now here are 20,000 euros. This should be more than enough for you to get by on for the next two months or so, especially since you can keep using your credit cards until you switch identities. I’ve been gathering up the ransom money that we had spread across a dozen or so banks. We’re in good financial shape for quite a while.”

“Super, Ellen. It’s so comforting to know that we’re wealthy crooks and fugitives!”

“Steve, please. Give this a chance.”

“OK, I’ll try. But ....”

“No ‘buts.’ Please, Steve. Let’s give it some time. And let’s really try. And take this slip of paper and hang on to it. It’s the phone number of a new pre-paid cell phone I bought for cash. No one, except my parents and now you, has this number. You should use it to call me only in an emergency. I don’t expect there to be one, but just in case ....”

Then Ellen picked up the hotel phone and asked to be connected to room service. While waiting to be connected, Ellen put her hand over the mouthpiece and said to Steve, “Let’s get some room service breakfast before you have to leave.”

Room service arrived about 20 minutes later. After a breakfast of baguette with jam and Nutella, and strong, black coffee, Steve and Ellen had a very emotional good-bye. Steve left the hotel, returning to Ellen’s parents’ house. He knocked on the door and entered the house when Ellen’s father opened the door. Without saying a word about his visit with Ellen, in case the house was bugged, Steve packed up his small collection of clothing and toiletries, exchanged good-byes with Ellen’s parents and headed for the train station, knowing that Ellen would be leaving shortly to go somewhere, but he had no idea where.

CHAPTER 25

T
he next 10 weeks were one big blur for Steve. Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Paris, Brussels again, Budapest, Amsterdam, London, Geneva, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Oslo, Vienna. For the first seven weeks, the travel was all by plane and included mostly EU-member countries, but also Switzerland. Steve traveled using his own passport and credit cards. He also used his credit cards to buy some basic clothing and a suitcase; the contents of the carry-on bag he had brought to Ellen’s parents’ house would not have lasted him very long. Early on, he called the managing partner of his law firm and had no problem describing his depressed state and continued anxiety about Ellen and getting approval for a three-month leave of absence.

Towards the end of week six, Steve went to the public phone booths at the train station in Salamanca, Spain, northwest of Madrid, and called his firm again and spoke with the managing partner.

“Hello, Mark. This is Steve.”

“Hi, Steve. Good to hear from you. Any news about Ellen?”

“No. Nothing new.”

“Well, let’s hope that ‘no news is good news.’ I bet you’re calling to say that you’re ready to get back to work. Right?”

“Not exactly, Mark.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, in fact, I’m calling to let you know that I’ll be resigning from the firm.”

“Whoa. Hold on a minute, Steve. This seems rather sudden. Are you sure you don’t want to take some more time to think it over?”

“I’m sure,” interrupted Steve. “I still can’t come to grips with Ellen’s disappearance. And the last thing I want is to be back in Ohio with all the memories. It’ll only intensify my feelings.”

“But what will you do? Where will you go?”

“I don’t know. For now, I think I’ll just keep traveling the world, trying to find something. Or run away from something. Or perhaps both. I’ve arranged for my old cell phone to be kept and answered by Bill Perkins, who you know has handled our wills and estate planning for several years. I bought a new cell phone here in Europe and Bill has the number. He’ll be able to get hold of me if there’s any news about Ellen or if there’s anything else important that I need to know about. I’ve also forwarded all of our mail to Bill while I’m traveling.”

“Jeez, Steve. It sounds like you’ve thought this all out and have already made detailed arrangements. What can I say? We’re very sorry to see you leave, but I won’t try to talk you out of it. You’re a big boy and have always been very level-headed and logical.”

“Thanks, Mark. As things settle down and the firm is ready to distribute my partnership equity to me, you can do all that through Bill. He’s had our blanket powers of attorney for a couple of years now and can act on our behalf in any financial transactions.”

“OK, Steve. We’ll do that. The very best to you. We’ll miss you here. If you ever get ready to come back, don’t hesitate to call me. I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out. Also let me know if you need anything. Anything at all.”

“OK, and thanks for everything. I’ve really enjoyed working with you and the others. Please give them my regards and say good-bye for me.”

“I sure will. Stay in touch, Steve. And Godspeed.”

“I will, Mark. And the best to you as well. Good-bye.”

“Bye.”

And that was that. Steve was glad that he had been able to get through that call as well as he had, but he was shaken by the realization that, for him, there now was no turning back. He would be sleeping in the bed that he had made for himself, or rather that Ellen had made for the two of them.

The final few weeks of his travel marathon saw Steve traveling to smaller cities and resort/tourist towns, avoiding the UK and Ireland to stay within the intra-EU borderless countries, traveling by train and occasionally bus and paying cash for everything. Checking into second- and third-rate hotels at each stop, he began using his new false identity.

Ellen also was busy during this period. Meeting once with each of three colleagues of Vasily Maklakov, she retrieved most of the $5 million of ransom money, less the 5 percent that they retained as their and Vasily’s fee. She kept a portion of the cash and stashed the rest in three safe deposit boxes, one each in Brussels, Rome and Marseilles. Through layers of trusts and shell corporations, she purchased for cash an old but beautiful villa in a small, rural Italian town.

At the end of his 10 weeks of traveling, Steve returned to Brussels, checked into a third-rate hotel under his assumed name and waited until Tuesday evening. He then went to that same bistro a little after 6 o’clock and took a table near the rear of the restaurant. Sure enough, as Steve was finishing his second glass of wine, right at 7, Steve saw Ellen’s parents arriving. They joined Steve at his table, spoke for a few minutes and then ordered dinner. It was a small, relatively quick meal. The food was tasty, but more important, Steve was given the address of the villa Ellen had purchased and at which Ellen would be waiting for him so that they could start their new life together. Steve was shocked at how totally normal this was all beginning to sound and feel to him. Following thanks and a good-bye, Ellen’s parents left. Steve stayed in the restaurant for another half hour, then was off again to the train station, this time for a trip to what would become his new home, and new life.

CHAPTER 26

A
bout two months after Steve had met with Ellen’s parents, his recently purchased cell phone rang for the first time. “Hello?” he said cautiously.

“Hi, Steve. This is Bill Perkins calling you from the U.S.”

“Hello, Bill,” said Steve as his whole body relaxed. “How are you? Is everything all right.”

“Yes, all is fine here. I hope this call didn’t startle you. How are you doing?”

“Well, you sure couldn’t call it ‘fine.’ But I’m keeping busy with a lot of traveling, and the passage of time at least helps to numb me to everything.”

“Yes, I can imagine. But we have to keep a positive outlook. There’s still a chance that everything will turn out OK.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself, but it gets harder and harder to believe it. In any event, what’s going on? Why’d you call?”

“Two things, Steve. First, the firm is finally ready to pay out your equity participation and I wanted to know what you want me to do with the proceeds.”

“Hmm. I haven’t really given it much thought. Why don’t you invest it in short-term, liquid funds until I get back to you with a more permanent decision.”

“OK. Will do.”

“You said there were two things, Mark. What’s number two?”

“Yesterday, the post office forwarded two letters to me. They’re identical letters from Ellen’s employer, one sent to Ellen and one to you. Want me to read you the gist of the letter?”

“Yes, please. Go ahead.”

“OK. It’s on Tycon Technologies letterhead, and signed by a Ms. Harding, who apparently is their HR VP.”

“Yes. I know who she is.”

“OK. As I said, one letter, which came by certified mail by the way, is addressed to Ellen, and the second is a copy to you as her Designated Beneficiary.”

“And?”

“It says, ‘Dear Ellen, I regret to inform you that your continued unapproved absence from work requires us to send you this letter. While we have maintained your active-employee status ever since your disappearance, the extended period of your absence now leaves us no choice but to declare that said extended absence constitutes your resignation from the firm. Therefore, effective immediately, you are no longer an employee of Tycon Technologies, Inc. and/or any of its subsidiaries and affiliated companies.’ ”

“Jeez, that’s very sensitive and understanding of them.”

“Don’t take it personally, Steve. With all the state and federal regulations regarding employee benefits, they really had no choice. They’re not allowed to provide these types of benefits to non-employees and, at some point, a so-called no-show has to be deemed to have resigned his or her employment.”

“Point well taken. So what does all this mean?”

“The letter goes on for two more full pages describing the impact on each of Ellen’s benefits. In a nutshell, all of Ellen’s benefits stop either immediately or after 30 days — medical, life and disability insurance, savings and deferred compensation plans, further vesting in all unvested stock options and restricted stock grants, and, of course, Ellen’s salary and car allowance. It also reminds Ellen and you that per the terms of the various plans, anything that has already vested is Ellen’s to keep, but any already vested but not yet exercised stock options will expire if they’re not exercised within 90 days of the date of this letter.”

“OK, so what should we do about all this, Bill?”

“Fortunately, it’s not as complicated as it might sound. A lot of these things have been set up to operate through one of the estate planning trusts we set up for Ellen. And, as you are one of the trustees, you can decide what to do with these assets. For the others, we can use the power of attorney Ellen signed that gives you the authority to make the decisions needed. Or, if it’s easier for you while you’re away, I can do all this with the powers of attorney I have from both you and Ellen. There are only two things that require relatively short-term decisions or actions: We must be sure to exercise all of Ellen’s vested stock options within the 90-day window. And you need to decide whether you want to sign up for Ellen to continue to be provided medical insurance, with her paying the entire premium, for the next 18 months — Tycon is legally required to offer this to her.”

“Whew. That makes it a lot easier. Definitely do whatever is required to avoid forfeiting any of those stock options. And, sadly, given the current situation, I don’t see any value in paying to continue Ellen’s medical insurance. Regarding what to do with all the resultant stock and cash, I’ll get back to you to tell you what I want, or Ellen would want if she could tell us, and then you can make it happen.”

“OK, then. I’ll wait to hear back from you. As a minimum, in the interim, I’ll make sure we exercise all of Ellen’s vested but not-yet-exercised stock options before the end of the 90-day period. These were worth about $3.6 million the last time I checked.”

“We most definitely want to act before the deadline. And Bill, I’m really glad I have you there to take care of this while I’m away.”

“Glad to be of help. I’ll await hearing from you about how you want me to proceed longer term.”

“Great. I should be back to you within a couple of weeks. Good-bye for now, Bill.”

“Bye, Steve. And take care.”

And true to his word, two weeks later Steve called Bill Perkins from a public phone booth in the Munich, Germany, central train station. “Hi, Bill. This is Steve Sanders.”

“Hi, Steve. Any news about Ellen?”

“No. Nothing. But I’m calling to tell you how to proceed with the various things we discussed a few weeks ago. Let me preface this all by telling you that I’ve decided to remain in Europe.”

“What? Do you mean forever?”

“Well, forever’s a long time. Let’s just say at least for the foreseeable future. Somehow I feel closer to Ellen, being here in Europe where she was born and grew up. As a result of my planning to stay here, I’d like you to liquidate everything we own — all the assets Ellen has that are related to Tycon, all of her and my personal investments, my equity distribution from the firm, and yes, even the house and our cars.”

“Wow! Are you sure, Steve? That’s a bundle of money and you’ll have a huge income tax liability.”

“I know. But that’s what I want. As I have enough money to live on for now, there’s no need to do this on a bargain-priced, rush basis. Except for the stock options and their 90-day window, you can do it bit by bit over the next six or eight months, trying to time things as best you can. As you get groups of assets converted to cash, please wire the cash in equal amounts to the German and Luxembourg bank accounts you had us open a couple of years ago. When we opened the German and UK accounts for currency diversification and the Luxembourg account for privacy, I never thought they’d become my primary bank accounts.”

“Yes, well it’s convenient that you have them, in view of your current plans. I can do all that, Steve. What about the UK account? Shouldn’t I wire some of the funds to that account also?”

“No. Nothing to the UK account. I want to keep everything in euros,” said Steve, not wanting to explain that his real reason was to avoid having to travel to the UK with its requisite passport controls, even with the other European Union countries.

“Not a problem for me to do what you’re asking. But are you sure? Don’t you want to take some more time to think about it? Maybe you’re not yet in the right frame of mind for making big decisions like this.”

“Yes, I’m sure, Bill. I appreciate your concern, but this is really what I want to do. I’ve already given it a lot of thought.”

“OK, Steve. You can consider it done. We’ll, of course, stay in touch through all this — including the resulting large and relatively complicated tax returns to be filed — and I hope to see you in person one of these days. And Ellen too, God willing.”

“Yes. And thanks again for everything, Bill.”

Over the next several months, Steve, under Ellen’s tutelage, was busy dealing with the funds that Bill Perkins was wiring to Europe every few weeks. Aware that the U.S. authorities might be able to trace the funds that were being wired, Steve had to be quick in withdrawing these funds. Although he went to great lengths to avoid being detected, the downside risk if he were detected was small. As long as he was sure not to be followed back to their home in Italy, nothing much would happen if Steve were discovered. He was not wanted for any crime, and he was legitimately entitled to all of these monies from his law firm, from his and Ellen’s personal investments and from the proceeds generated by the sale of their house.

The money from Ellen’s stock holdings was technically not legally theirs, but the authorities had no evidence linking Steve to Ellen’s disappearance. Steve traveled to Frankfurt and Luxembourg City by train, using his false identity. He went to the two banks and, using his true identity, withdrew the great bulk of the funds, leaving a reasonable balance in each account so as to not attract any undue attention that might result from closing the accounts. He then went to another nearby bank in each city and, again using his fake identity, opened a small account and rented a safe deposit box. He placed most of the cash in the safe deposit box. Then, making sure he wasn’t being followed, he took the train back home.