“What’s got you so happy today? Thought the idea of having to move back to Valdosta for a few days would have you on edge.”
“Nah, I loved the little place for the few days I was there. Can’t wait to get back to that bed and breakfast where I stayed before. You wouldn’t believe the body on this blonde staying there. Don’t think she likes me very much but I can be very persuasive,” Felix said, cupping his hands in front of himself to describe the woman more fully to Iggy.
The sound of a car turning into the drive brought both of their attention to the newcomer.
“Finally,” they said, in unison.
The silver car eased down the dirt path, the driver trying not to stir up the dust that was sure to result. Jeremy saw his co-conspirators before him, unhappy that he was the last to arrive. The drive from DC had taken much longer than expected, with construction delays the entire way. It had been good though, giving him plenty of time to put his calculating mind to work, sorting out the final details.
“Gentlemen,” he said, as he exited his Acura. “Good to see you both, hope everything is going well.”
“You in a good mood too?” Iggy asked. “Why is everyone in such a good mood? I don’t get it, we could all go to prison for the rest of our lives and you two seem happy for some reason. Could you give me a clue or was I the only one here that didn’t get laid today or something?”
“Yes, and most likely yes again,” Felix taunted the older man.
“Okay, we have a lot to decide on today and only a short time to finalize these arrangements,” Jeremy said, knowing that the pocket recorder was picking up everything that was being said. “Let me bring you up to speed on where we are with the legal developments. Short and simple, we lost. The courts, as high as I want to take this sham, have concluded that the will is authentic and has stood up to every legal barb we’ve thrown at it. Bottom line, I get half the estate, less thirty percent to the blood-sucking lawyers, and the same for Beverly. They have concluded that the entire estate must be liquidated and a disbursement of the resulting assets. I have an option to buy her half out, at a number the court has decided on, with no input from either side. That number is fifty million dollars, and I can tell you that is not going to happen!”
The congressional aide took a deep breath to collect his thoughts and continued, “My legal council has offered one possible sidestep to this whole thing, and that has to do with our friend and his affect on the market, also as we predicted. The court came up with their estimation of property value when markets were higher, but included in their final wording a ‘shotgun’ type clause, that allows either Beverly, to offer the other party a buyout or myself. If that offer is accepted it concludes the will, but if not, the one making the offer must be willing to accept that same amount for their half of the estate, without the right of refusal. Does that make sense?” He did not wait to see how much of this they were getting, didn’t really concern them anyway.
“In any case, I can return to court and press that the amount is too high in today’s market, and I think we have a pretty good case to bring the value down or I can lowball her again, but she could turn it around on me. That’s where we stand today if we decide that we don’t move ahead. It could mean a lot of money out of all our pockets.” He gave that a minute to sink in.
As the three mulled that over, Jeremy looked around at the setting Iggy had selected for the meeting, reminding him of the place where it all started on that morning his father passed away eight years ago.
“Iggy, you did well, I like this place, another foreclosure?” he asked.
“Yeah, lots of them these days. I knew the place was empty and it’s not listed yet so no one will be around. I was thinking it was kind of like that first place we met years ago.”
“I was thinking the same thing, guess great minds think alike,” Marshall said.
“Okay, you two are we done with the reminiscing and can we get to the work at hand?” an anxious Felix asked.
“Why not, alright then, Felix fill us in on what is happening with our hired help,” the ringleader directed.
Felix filled in the other two on the events of the past couple of days and what he had heard that morning over the scanner. The authorities were in pursuit of a possible assailant that was last seen leaving the area near the assault, on a yellow motorcycle, wearing a matching helmet, painted with flames on the sides; however, they didn’t catch him. Some numb-nuts deputy put his car in the ditch and couldn’t continue the chase. Doesn’t sound like they got a very good look at him though, he’s a cagey one, but he’s getting sloppy, too sloppy for my liking.”
“That’s okay, which actually plays into our needs even better than I would have thought. We need him to just lay low now for a week. Nothing, and I mean nothing. Give him a few extra bucks to maybe leave the area for the week and entertain himself with hookers or whatever he does for fun. We just need to see how the public and authorities deal with this for a few days,” the mastermind instructed the other men.
“I have good news on the sale of that property that was represented by Beverly. It fell through just like you said it would. Wish I could have been there the day she found that out, stupid bitch is getting what she deserves. So I guess that leaves the field wide open for you to step in and sweep her off her feet, eh Felix?” Iggy joked.
“Ain’t nothing wrong with a little meat on the bones once in awhile Iggy, I would have thought her just your type,” he countered. As far as that goes, I was able to line up a small investor that is interested in taking a look at the property, now that the Okala Group has pulled out. He’s not dying to purchase but has enough interest that I can approach this Ms. Davis and get my foot in the door.”
“Good, real good. I’ve tried to look at this from every possible angle and I think we’re covered. When this thing goes down there will be a shit storm coming at me from every possible direction and I need to know that you guys have got my back. You don’t speak to anybody. You don’t know me. Is that understood? Iggy, we have a very casual, business relationship from years past but we’ve not talked in years. You got that?” he said, looking back and forth at both men.
Iggy and Felix shook their heads in agreement, verbally confirming that they understood, and were in full compliance with Jeremy’s directions.
“You think they’ll figure you were involved somehow?” Felix asked.
“Her lawyers will do anything to collect their fifteen million, so yes, I think they will try to persuade the authorities that I was involved, otherwise, they lose their payday and I end up with the entire estate, less your and Iggy’s share of course.”
“I have a question about that.” Ignatius became very serious.
“Of course,” Jeremy encouraged his ‘friend’ to continue.
“Just how is it that we get paid out? I mean not the little bit you’ve been dishing out till now, I mean the big money, the millions?”
“I know what you are referring to. I’ve set a couple of offshore accounts in countries with no treaty agreements with the US, I will steadily, through a source that you need not concern yourself with, funnel money into those accounts until you have received the amounts we talked about. Some of that money is there today, but I can’t give you access until we finalize this little arrangement.”
“And just how much money was that again?” Felix asked.
“I’ve told you I was not willing to discuss the amount that you are both receiving. Those terms were negotiated separately, Iggy has been involved and working for many more years than yourself, therefore, he is getting paid somewhat more than you but the sums are, at this point, no longer negotiable and confidential, as we agreed.”
“But I’m assuming so much more of the actual risk, if you know what I mean. When you think of it, you’d be nowhere if I hadn’t found our guy and convinced him to come on board,” Felix countered.
“And you are being compensated very handsomely,” Jeremy reminded him.
“Yeah, I guess, but just seems to me that my piece should be bigger. I mean you’re coming out of this with something worth a hundred million bucks.”
“On paper, remember, that’s not cash. If the property doesn’t sell for what we think it’s worth, I may end up with just a very large farm,” Jeremy tried to assure him.
“Okay, I get your point, I was just asking.”
The men continued to nail down some of the logistics that needed to work themselves out over the coming week.
Jeremy summarized before they split up, “Iggy, tell me again, what are you doing this week?”
“I’m getting the information, as I’ve done before, to our guy, The Stalker. The locksmith that has been doing our keys wants more money, but I’ve handled it. He won’t be a problem. He’s been very helpful in providing me with information about possible homes to hit, but he’s got two strikes against him, so he won’t screw with us and risk
