Why I Hated The Guy From The FBI Ch. 10

"Stand up, please. I want to prove to you that I can reach them."

Celeste stood up.

Antonia looked at her and said, "Well, drop your top. I want a pinch your tits, not your clothes."

Celeste glared at her, but she removed her top, and exposed her breasts.

Antonia moved her hands to Celeste's breast and fondled them, for a moment, before moving her fingers to her tits, and pinching them lovingly. Then she kissed them both and moved back. She said to her, "I wish I could do more, but you promised him, that they were his alone. I will not allow you to break your promise, because 'PHILIP IS MARRYING YOU IN JULY!'"

She shouted the last part loud enough that Phillip's entire household staff heard her.

They came running outside, to find out if it were true.

Philip was livid. However, he would not lie to his staff. He said, "Yes, it is true. Celeste and I are getting married in July. However, I may get married, while I am in jail, for murder. I am going to kill that little bitch for revealing it tonight. I was going to announce it, after her wedding, to the entire family. However, there will be no wedding. She will be dead, before this night is through"

The staff laughed at him, because they knew he could never do such a thing.

Antonia smiled at Philip, "Now, we are even."

Philip looked at her, "I believe Celeste's favorite saying about you is, 'I hate you Antonia, I really do.' Now I know why."

36. The Devil is in the Details

James Hearst arrived in front of the Federal Building, in Brooklyn, just as one of the US attorneys that settled the Charles Gomes case was arriving at work. They shook hands, and the US attorney asked him why he was here. Jim said, "Nothing really earth shattering today, Steve. I just want you to give me a check for $30 million and then I will leave."

"What did we do this time Jim? I know you do not joke around with that amount of money."

"Charlie Gomes was swimming in the Pacific, and happened to see a drug smuggling submarine snorkeling north towards along the coast. He called in the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard called in the Air Force from Vandenberg, while Charlie and his girlfriend followed it, in their boat. He kept giving the Coast Guard updates on its position. When the Coast Guard and the Calvary arrived on station, they told Charlie to go home to be debriefed, and shot the bad guys out of the water. They captured the submarine and a little bit more than $200 million worth of cocaine. Charlie and Ann are entitled to a finders' fee. I think you are getting off cheap at $30 million, since you also got the sub. However, Charlie and Ann are really nice people and they told me not to argue over the amount. If you argue with me over the $30 million, we will go to federal court and hassle over the price."

"This time Jim, I will not argue with you. Let us go upstairs to accounting and I will have them draw you up a check, as soon as I talk to the San Francisco office."

"No problem at all, Steve. Have you guys learned how to make decent coffee, yet?"

"Yes, we have given up on buying from the government. We buy our own, and bring it in."

"Great! I also need to see these nine men, if they are in the office today."

"I will see what I can do for you, Jim."

45 minutes later, James Hearst was in a conference room, with Charlie's nine friends. He said to them, "I cannot tell you what this is about today. I need you and your families to be in my office Saturday morning at 11 o'clock. This means you, your wives and children, your parents and your wife's parents. I know this sounds all hush-hush to you now, but this is the way Charlie wants it, and I know you all trust Charlie. If you need to take a day off from work, trust me, it will be worth your while. Do not miss this meeting, do not let any of your family miss this meeting. If your dads have a golf date and tell you they does not want to miss it, break his leg, because he has to be there; it is that important. Each of you are to bring with you, your last five years of taxes, your IRA portfolio, investment portfolio, your mortgage information and anything else, referring to investment properties. Each family will be giving me a check for $100, and my firm will become your lawyers of record. We will never be able to divulge what we see on that day for the rest of our lives. It will turn out to be a long day. Your children will be taken to the Central Park zoo, depending on the weather, or some other entertainment venue. They will be guarded as if they were my own. Gentleman, I will see you on Saturday morning. The dress code is casual, but make sure the children are warm.

Saturday morning, nearly 60 people showed up at James Hearst's office. The first order of business was to get the children out of the way, because they did not have to hear about their parent's financial situation. This taken care of, the parents and the parents of the parents were led into the large conference room. They were offered anything they wanted to drink, from milk too hard liquor. All this was completed before James Hearst entered the room, and sat down.

The lights were dimmed, and Charlie and Ann appeared on the large LED screen.

"Good morning, everyone, how is cold, New York this morning?"

"Fuck you, Charlie. You already have a tan and you are rubbing it in before you even get a chance to tell us what this is all about."

"It is nice to see you to Hank. Watch your mouth, because I can see your mother and father sitting beside you." There was a murmur of laughter running through the room.

Hanks mother said, "Charlie, what can you expect from someone who did not finish the fourth grade. I had to pay each of his teachers to pass him all the way through college."

"In that case, Mrs. Simmons, after today, he may be able to pay you back."

"Not unless he becomes a millionaire, Charlie!"

"You nailed it right on the head, Mrs. Simmons; that is exactly what he is going to be."

Hank said, "Charlie, do not yank my chain."

"Listen, everyone, I am not going to waste your time, because Mister Hearst will explain everything better than I can. I did something this past week that we as a team tried to do for years. Ann accidentally spotted a snorkeling drug smuggling submarine off the coast of California. We got into her boat and followed it north. We called in the Coast Guard, they did their thing, and we got a little finders' fee."

"How little Charlie?"

"We received $30 million, and because I am no longer a federal employee, Ann and I got to keep."

"You are out of the Bureau for one week, you spot a submarine, and you get $30 million. Charlie, I am going to kill you, personally."

"No, you are not, because that is why you are in that room. Jim, I have talked long enough. Would you explain to my pea brain friend, and the intelligent ones, what is going on, while Ann and I listen in?"

"Ladies, gentlemen, my name is James Hearst. You are here today because several important things are about to happen, in very short order. All of them are going to impact your lives greatly. First, I need each of you to sign the forms that are in front of you, and give my staffer a check in the amount of $100, before I proceed.

This process took less than two minutes to complete and Jim continued.

Now, you all are covered by a confidentiality agreement with my firm. Initially, Charlie wanted me to split $1 million between nine of his best friends, who are gathered here today. As you all know, nine does not go into $1 million evenly. Charlie said he already knew which one of you would get the additional penny. Now, would the man who gets the additional penny, please stand up.

Hank immediately stood up.

Jim looked at the screen and said, "Were you write Charlie?"

"Do not ask me, Jim. Ask the other eight guys."

Jim turned around and looked at the other eight men who were ready laughing. He said to them, I guess you know him too well. One of them said, "If Hank can get anything for free, he will take it."

James continued, "Ann did not think that Charlie's $1 million was enough of a reward after hearing what happened to you nine people at work, because of your supervisor. She asked me to add $1 million more dollars to the amount, so again there is an extra penny to be had."

Hank stood up immediately.

This time his wife hit him on his head, and asked him if he had ever heard about the word sharing?

He replied, "No."

His mother smacked him in the back of the head, also.

"Nature has a way of getting even with people like Hank, who do not believe in sharing. I have only one true client. I look after Charlie and Ann because they are truly fine people, and friends of my client. My client's name is Celeste Mesner. Some of you may have heard of her, however, for those of you who have not, she is the 16th wealthiest person on this planet. When Ann told her about the adventure with the submarine and what she and Charlie were doing. She added another $7 million to the pot bringing the total to $9 million. Hank there is no longer an extra penny."

Hank was speechless, and his friends were laughing at him heartily. He always had something to say about someone, but this time he came up short.

Charlie shouted from the screen, "Breathe Hank! Someone hit him. He is turning blue."

There was no shortage of people hitting Hank.

Finally Hank raised his hands and said, "Enough, enough, enough, I am okay."

Charlie laughed at him and said, "I thought we lost you Hank."

"I am a millionaire, Charlie. If I had died, it would be your fault."

"Elaine would have been a very merry widow."

Hank turned to his wife, and saw a smile on her face. She looked like the cat that had just eaten the canary. He said to her, "You would not dare marry anyone else."

She said to him, "Let me see, before you there was: Jerry, and Steve, and Phil, and Andy, and..."

"Alright, I get the message."

"So now we have nine new millionaires in this room, before the government takes out their percentage, and that is why we asked you to bring in five years of your income tax returns. We will be doing some work on those, with the accountants that are in other rooms in this office waiting for you. Their fees for this year's services are already covered. The information I am about to give you must not leave this room. If it does it will be a breach of contract, and this office will sever all ties with you. Whoever you give this information to will be sued if they use it. Does everyone understand?

Everyone in the room answered in the affirmative.

"As I have informed you Ms. Mesner is extremely wealthy, and you do not get that wealthy by being wrong very often. Sometime within the next six months, the United States economy will enter a recessionary spiral that will last between three and six years. The first thing that will happen is the real estate bubble will collapse. Home prices will drop by half or more. That will cause many banks to fail. Those failures will cause many of the large Wall Street banks and firms to fail. This will be the largest collapse since the Great Depression. The United States government is already preparing for this to happen, and it cannot stop it. There is not enough money in the world to stop it. Banks are overleveraged, mortgage houses are overleveraged, and people are overleveraged. I am going to say something now that goes against everything you have ever believed in your entire lives. If you own a home, sell it now. Rent something of equal size at a modest price or rent something smaller for a few years. In three or four years you will be able to buy a house three times larger than the one you have now for the same price that you have paid for the one you live in.

The stock market is going to plummet between 1000 to 2500 points. Many people's IRAs are going to become worthless. Gold, platinum, and silver prices will skyrocket, along with other precious metals. Diamonds and other jewels will remain at base prices. I am not trying to scare you. I am telling you the facts of life. Ms. Mesner has already taken defensive positions with all of her fortune. I have done the same for Charlie and Ann and a few other friends of Celeste's. I am offering you that same service, because Charlie loves you nine guys. I could not ask the nine of you not to tell your parents or your wife's parents, what I have told you, because that would have been too terrible a secret to bear.

However, now you have a choice to make. You may not find it an easy choice, especially your parents who have lived through part of the depression and believe that the US economy is unbreakable. I am telling you, it is, and it will be in deep trouble before this summer begins. There are 18 certified public accountants in my office waiting to serve you. Think about it, and when you are ready. Let me know and I will have one of my staff bring you to them."

"Charlie, do you have anything else for them?"

"You guys remember Frank Gennaro? He came into a great deal of money, recently, and he put his faith in Celeste Mesner. His parents sold their house in Brooklyn and made a very hefty profit, and they put their money with Celeste also. Believe me, my friends, this is going to happen and it is going to happen very soon. Even if you do not decide to use Mister Hearst's firm or accountants and you keep your houses, put the other money that you have in positions where you can get it out quickly, before you lose it. Bye-bye for now, it is time for me to take Ann back to bed, for a protein treatment."

Ann said, "Charlie you are gross."

"You only say that Ann, while the lights are on."

Charlie's friends erupted in laughter and yelled, "It is about time. Charlie, we thought you were gay."

Ann looked at the camera and said, "I can tell that you guys never showered together; you would have penis envy."

The wives of the nine FBI agents laughed hysterically. The nine FBI agents did not.

If it was his intent to drive the FBI crazy, Anthony Caruso was doing an excellent job. He called Susan Appleby on her personal cell phone while she was on duty, and nearly knocked her out of her shoes.

He said, "Good afternoon, Ms. Appleby, this is Anthony Caruso. I hope you are having a fine time in that fourth floor apartment overlooking the playground."

"Mister Caruso, how did you get my private number?"

"If you tell me all your secrets, I will tell you all of mine."

"Okay, you start."

"That is not the way it works, Ms. Appleby, and you know it."

"What can I do for you today, Mister Caruso?"

"American Airlines just called me, and advised me that my flight for Sunday has changed. Instead of an 8 o'clock in the morning departure, we are leaving the previous evening at 5:55 PM. The agent's name was Melissa Snyder. Her phone number is 1-899-555-5555, extension 40104. Her agent ID number is 333311. You can call her and verify this change. As far as I know my return flight remains the same."

"Why are you being so cooperative, Mister Caruso?"

"I feel it is my duty as a good citizen, who the government believes has done something wrong, to prove to them that I have indeed not done anything illegal. It will keep my conscience clear. I have done nothing wrong, and I will do nothing wrong for the remainder of my life. I love my wife and my children, and now I have my first grandbaby. I will do nothing to harm any of them. I will do nothing to keep me from being with them. I have never even gotten a speeding ticket, although I should have gotten one, the day I broke my wife's coffee maker."

"Although you and I both know you are lying, Mister Caruso, I will check on your reservation status and see you off to Italy Saturday evening."

"Now I know you are lying. Ms. Appleby. You are not working Saturday evening, so I will not be seeing your beautiful face at the airport."

"You even know my work schedule, Mister Caruso?"

"It is posted on the bulletin board at your place of employment, for anyone to see Ms. Appleby."

"I take it you, personally, walked in to the Federal Building and looked at my schedule?"

"I did not do that personally, Ms. Appleby, because I believe in conserving gasoline. However, there are many people that pass the building, or work in the building, for the government full-time or as contractors, that could see who was working and at what time. This person might speak to some person that I might know and accidentally mention it to me, in passing."

"Now, who is lying to whom, Mister Caruso?"

"It was only a hypothetical situation, Ms. Appleby."

"I hope your daughter has a wonderful wedding, Mister Caruso and I will see you back in two weeks."

"Miss Appleby, would you keep an eye on my house for me, so I do not get robbed, in my absence?"

"Give me a break, Mister Caruso. The likelihood of your house being robbed is as great as someone breaking in to the White House and stealing the Great Seal of the Presidency."

"In that case, Ms. Appleby, I shall feel very comfortable, while I am away."

Tony, Susan Appleby, and the entire FBI had no way to know, that the title to Tony's house was being transferred to the not yet married, Antonia and Frank Gennaro, for the tidy sum of $1000, on the day Tony was due back, from Milan. Neither did Tony's associates, lawyers, accountants, or friends. It would be done via computer, instantaneously, and recorded, according to law, before anybody knew what happened. Celeste's people worked in mysterious ways, and her plan was already being put in action. James Hearst would earn his paycheck this month.

Rose was packing for the trip when Tony arrived home. She had a worried look on her face, and he was not happy about it. He took her into his arms and asked her, "What is wrong, Rose? We leave tomorrow for our daughter's wedding. You should be floating on air."

"Tony, I know you love me, but do you trust me enough not to ask me any questions, if I ask you to do something? Think about this before you answer, because the question I am going to ask you is going to be very, very difficult for you to understand and comply with."

Without hesitation, Tony replied, "Rose do you remember the little gift that you had on the kitchen floor for me several weeks ago, when you had the house cleaned; I do? Anyone who would do that for me without asking any questions deserves the same from me. My life is your life. Ask me what you will, and if it is within my power. I will get it done."

"Tony, can you get me $20 million, before 10 o'clock tomorrow morning?"

It was almost a natural reaction to ask 'why,' but he did not. Tony simply kissed Rose and asked, "Do you want more and do you want it sooner?"

"More would be nice, and sooner would be better, Anthony."

He said, "Come with me to the basement, and bring some big plastic bags."

"The money is in the house?"

"No, Rose, it is not in the house."

Once in the basement Tony walked over to the boiler and removed the back panel. In it was a keypad and he punched in a series of seven numbers. Rose, the combination is; our house number, followed by our street number. Rose heard a series of clicks and the boiler started to rise. The vent pipes started to collapse inside one another, and the copper water pipes seemed to disappear inside the boiler. At a height of 2 feet above the floor, everything stopped.

Tony said to Rose, "Now comes the hard part." He got down on his knees and started to scoot down backwards into the hole that was made and disappeared through it.

"Come on down Rose."

She repeated what Tony did and found herself in a small room 6' x 6' x 7' high. She said, "Anthony, how and when did you build this?"

"How, with quite a few friends, and when over a period of several years. I did not want anyone to know what I was doing down here, while everyone thought we were playing cards or darts, a few of us were excavating the dirt beneath the house and getting rid of it as we left. Your garden out back was the beneficiary of much of the good earth that was beneath our humble home. I brought in the two vaults, when I had the basement resurfaced and the new boiler put in. I think it worked out very well."