Page 78 of The Next Door Billionaire's Deception

“I understand, sir. You can be assured I’ll keep you in the loop.” With those words, he leaves the office.

Alone, I dial the number given to me by the FBI agents who visited my office last week. I'm supposed to call a certain Chad Tracinski, head of the Emerald investigation. He's connected almost in an instant.

“Am I speaking to Agent Tracinski? Chad Tracinski?”

There’s no answer.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Again, no response.

Just before I end the call, a deep voice comes through. “Richard Burnes, CEO of Vibrant Corp, is it?”

“It’s me. Why wasn’t there a reply?”

“Security reasons. We had to confirm it was you. Apologies for that.”

“Um, no problem. So, about what I discussed with your, uh, colleagues before?”

“I can’t be seen anywhere near your office or Emerald Inc. until I’m ready to make a move. Do you have any place in mind?”

I rack my brain for a while. “I know a place.”

It’s the first time I’m visiting Central Park since the night I came with Melissa. In the glimmering sunlight of the afternoon, people are sitting on benches under the shades of trees, or playing with their pets, mostly dogs. Couples walk by, holding hands, and there’s the occasional homeless wanderer.

I clench my fists. Charity should help the poor and homeless like these with food and shelter. People like Lamar who exploit that for their selfish intent should be in jail.

I scan the meadows for agent Chad, who I’m to meet. He told me he was in a blue polo t-shirt and black jeans, with blue-white trainers and a white cap. So far, nobody dressed as that has come into view.

My phone rings, distracting me from my search. It’s a private number.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Burnes. It’s Chad. Chad Tracinski. Turn around.”

I spot him as I turn. He appears to be reading a paperback novel, with earbuds in both ears. I end the call, before striding to the man sitting on a bench under a pin oak tree. As I get to the bench, I bring out my phone to give the appearance of someone texting.

We’re both wearing face masks, so for anyone to get an idea of what we’re saying, or if we’re saying anything at all, the person has to come close. Very close.

“Mr. Burnes. You’ve met with some of my collection before today. According to them, you’ve gathered some evidence on John Lamar and his accomplices. Right?”

“I have. Due to the relationship I’ve established with the Emerald board, I’ve been allowed access to some restricted records. The idea was to study these financial records so we could plot a chart for growth in the future. In reality, though, I used these records to trace their transactions, even those they thought were covered. Criminals always leave a trace behind. For Lamar, that trace was in his financial records.”

“I see. That should be enough to convict him of money laundering and embezzlement. Is there anything else you discovered?”

“Yes. Through those records, I traced their deals. Every time money’s diverted to criminal organizations, there’s a third party that makes sure it stays under the book. A cybercrime outfit. Things like these leave a trace.”

“Now, what do you intend to do with all this evidence?”

“I plan to make Lamar and the rest of the corrupt management pay. With this much evidence in the hands of law enforcement, arrests will be made. They should be charged in court and given their due.”

Chad flips a page. “I’m impressed, Mr. Burnes. But that leaves the question. Why did you demand to see me? This information could have been given to any of my colleagues.”

Good question. “I have enough evidence to bring the entire administration of Emerald to its knees, but there’s someone that I don’t want to be caught up in that.”

“Who? And why don’t you want this person to face justice?”

I can’t bear to see her suffer any longer.“She’s innocent. She’s among the top people in the company, but she’s one of the good ones. I’d rather dispose of all this evidence, so nothing happens to her than let her be punished for something she doesn't know about.”

“No need to go to such extremes, Mr. Burnes. Just tell us her name.”

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