Read Weaving the Strands Online
Authors: Barbara Hinske
Weaving the Strands
Barbara Hinske
Copyright © 2014 Barbara Hinske
All rights reserved.
This
book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of
the author, with the exception of brief quotations within book reviews or
articles. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, or places or events is coincidental.
Also by
Barbara
Hinske
:
Coming
to Rosemont
, the first book in the
Rosemont
series
Uncovering
Secrets
,
the third book in the
Rosemont
series
Available at
Amazon and for Kindle.
I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me
online:
Visit
www.barbarahinske.com
and sign up for my
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to
receive your Free Gift, plus Inside Scoops, Amazing Offers, Bedtime Stories
& Inspirations from Home.
Search for
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on YouTube
for tours inside my own historic home plus tips and tricks
for busy women!
Find photos of fictional Rosemont, Westbury,
and things related to the Rosemont series at
Pinterest.com/BarbaraHinske
.
ISBN-13: 978-1499182125
ISBN-10: 1499182120
Library of
Congress Control Number: 2015907676
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Charleston, South
Carolina
Dedication
To every reader
of
Coming to Rosemont
who reviewed my book or reached out to me to offer
support and encouragement. Your enthusiasm for Rosemont poured jet fuel on my
dreams, and I am profoundly grateful.
The Honorable Margaret Martin
peered uneasily out the cruiser window at the sea of angry faces as Chief Andy
Thomas wove his way to the rear entrance of Haynes Gymnasium. A uniformed
officer sprang to open her door. He shielded her from the jeering crowd and
quickly escorted her inside.
“I would never have expected such an uprising in
Westbury,” she said, turning to the officer.
“People hate pay cuts,” he replied curtly as he
opened the door and stepped back outside.
Maggie sighed and made her way to the enclosure at
the back of the gymnasium where she and the town council were gathering before
the council meeting, scheduled to start in forty-five minutes.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said as she joined them.
“I was on my way when Chief Thomas intercepted me. He wanted to bring me in
himself.”
“That was my call,” Special Counsel Alex Scanlon
said. “I was afraid there might be trouble tonight. As mayor of Westbury,
you’re the focal point of all this animosity.”
“I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never seen
anything like this,” Councilman Frank Haynes interjected. “Maybe it wasn’t such
a good idea to move the council meeting to the largest venue in town.”
“You may be right, Frank, but we’re here now,”
Maggie replied. “And the people need to know what we’ve decided.”
“Voting to cut employee pay and revoke the
cost-of-living increases on town pension payments is idiotic,” Chuck Delgado
snapped. “I shouldn’t have gone along with it. None of us will get re-elected.”
Maggie wheeled on him. “We’ve been over this a
million times. Until Alex and Chief Thomas finish their investigation into the
fraud and embezzlement perpetrated on the town and the pension fund, we have to
drastically cut expenses.” She scrutinized each member of the assembled
council. “You all agreed.”
“Where’s Councilwoman Holmes?” Russell Isaac
asked. “She should be here by now. We said we’d do this together.”
Maggie inhaled sharply. “Tonya called thirty
minutes ago. Her son broke his arm at football practice and she’s at the
emergency room. She can’t make it tonight.”
“That’s bullshit,” Delgado exploded. “Now she can
wash her hands of this entire fiasco.”
“Calm down, Chuck,” Haynes said. “She can’t leave
her kid alone at the hospital.”
“Thank you, Frank,” Maggie said. “Tonya’s given me
her proxy to vote for the measure.”
“That’s not the same thing as voting in person in
front of this crowd,” Isaac observed. He turned to Scanlon. “You could diffuse
the situation. Just announce that you’ve finished your investigation and
William Wheeler is the only person implicated. That you’ve got your man and
you’ll get a conviction. Soon.”
“I can’t do that,” Alex answered sharply. “Our
ex-mayor may not be the only one involved.”
“Go to hell, Scanlon,” Delgado spat.
“That’s enough,” Maggie broke in as Chief Thomas approached.
“It’s time,” he said. “Every seat’s taken and more
than three hundred people are waiting outside. I’ve got all available officers,
plus some off-duty ones, in place. I’ll remain on stage with you. If I think we
need to end the meeting for safety reasons, you’ll have to abide by my
decision. It’s my call.”
Maggie nodded. How in the world had she gotten
herself into this predicament? Less than three years ago she had been the wife
of a college president, and a successful forensic accountant with a growing consulting
practice. Now she was a widow and mayor of Westbury—as a write-in
candidate no less—about to face a town’s wrath over a problem she had no
part in making. She shook her head and straightened her shoulders.
“I’ll explain the budget we discussed,” she
announced with more confidence than she felt. “Then we’ll all vote for it as
planned.”
***
Catcalls and comments from the
floor derailed Maggie’s presentation almost immediately. At one point, she felt
certain Chief Thomas would step in to close the meeting. She finally finished
and called for a motion to adopt the budget that would decrease the salary of
every member of the audience as well as her own, a fact she had reiterated to
the crowd. Haynes made the motion, which Isaac seconded. Maggie leaned into the
microphone and voted yes. The crowd’s boos and jeers drowned out her
pronouncement of Councilwoman Holmes’ proxy vote.
“Councilman Isaac?” she queried.
“I vote
no
.”
Maggie spun toward him. He dropped his gaze to
avoid eye contact.
“Councilman Haynes,” she continued.
“I vote no.”
Maggie stiffened. So this is what it felt like to
be stranded on the bridge while the rats deserted a sinking ship.
“Councilman Delgado.”
“I stand with my esteemed colleagues in support of
our faithful town workers,” he pontificated. “I vote no.”
Pandemonium broke out in the auditorium as the
crowd leapt to their feet and surged toward the stage. Maggie felt an arm around
her shoulders pulling her firmly toward the rear exit. “You can deal with them
later,” Chief Thomas said. “Right now, I need to get you out of here.”
Maggie complied in a daze. “I was set up, wasn’t
I?”
“It appears so, ma’am,” the chief answered, sliding
her into his cruiser with the practiced motion he employed for suspects heading
to jail.
Maggie followed the hostess to a
table by the window overlooking the Shawnee River. She scanned the treetops
just beginning to don the golden cloak of autumn, then checked her watch.
Traffic had been light and she was twenty-five minutes early for her scheduled
lunch with that preeminent expert on municipal finance, Professor Lyndon Upton.
Maggie remembered his habit—annoying, really—of being early for every
appointment. She didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot by making him wait
for her.
She settled back into her chair. Westbury was
beginning to feel like home, and she loved living in Rosemont, the manor house
she had inherited from her late husband Paul. Her decision to uproot her life
and move instead of just selling the place as originally planned had been
uncharacteristically impetuous, but she knew it was right at the time. Despite
the town’s unrest and the council’s recent betrayal, most days she still felt
that way. But she certainly wasn’t living the quiet, solitary existence she had
envisioned upon her arrival. Ever since she had assumed the position of mayor
six months ago, she’d lived at a blistering pace, in the process breaking every
promise to visit her family in California and to spend time with the new man in
her life, Dr. John Allen.
Maggie shifted restlessly in her chair and
retrieved the morning paper from the oversized satchel that served as her
purse. There was no point in beating herself up over things she couldn’t
change. Her family and John would have to understand that her obligations and
responsibilities to the town came first.
She turned her attention to yet another article
detailing the deplorable state of Westbury’s financial condition. The less than
completely objective piece also decried the lack of progress in prosecuting
former mayor William Wheeler for the fraud and embezzlement that had brought
the town to the brink of bankruptcy. She hated to admit it, but the paper was
right. The fraud investigation was stalled and, as she had discovered at the
recent town council meeting, the council refused to take the necessary steps to
restore the town’s ailing finances.
In spite of herself, Maggie turned to the
editorial page where she was routinely the subject of criticism. Today was no
exception. The editor’s column was titled “Martin’s Election a Failed Experiment
in Democracy,” and all six of the published letters to the editor featured
scathing indictments of her leadership. Her lack of experience in politics and
her unfamiliarity with the town and its people were a constant refrain.
Why
had they elected a write-in candidate with no prior experience in public
office, especially since she had moved to Westbury only a few months before the
election?
they queried.
Maggie agreed with much of that. The politics of
this job were far beyond what she had ever anticipated. She didn’t know whom
she could call on for assistance. Worse, with the exception of Tonya Holmes she
didn’t trust any of the other councilmembers. For all she knew, some or all of
them were involved in the corruption that had toppled Wheeler.
She fished an antacid from the roll that now lived
in the outside pocket of her satchel, then took a drink of water and tossed the
paper onto the floor by her chair. Whether or not she was qualified to clean up
the mess that now defined the Town of Westbury, she was responsible for doing
just that. Knowing she needed reinforcements, she had contacted her old
colleague Professor Upton. If she were lucky, she’d enlist his aid over a nice
lunch.
***
Maggie smiled hopefully across the
table at the professor. “It’s kind of you to join me for lunch on your way back
to Chicago. I know this takes you out of your way. I wasn’t sure you’d remember
me.”
“My pleasure, Maggie. Or should I call you Mayor
Martin? Of course I remember you. We worked on that big fraud case some time
ago. Our testimony put the defendant away for years, as I remember. Besides,
your being the first write-in mayor in your state made news in Chicago. So I
was more than a little intrigued when I received your call.”
“Have you heard anything about the arrest of our
former mayor on fraud and embezzlement charges and the mess that the town’s
finances are in?”
“A little bit, yes.”
“Well, that’s why I’ve invited you to join me
today. And I’ve asked Special Counsel Alex Scanlon to be here as well. He
should be along any minute. We need your help.”
Professor Upton raised an eyebrow. “I don’t recall
any of the specifics. Can you fill me in?”
“Sure.
Reader’s Digest
version—Mayor
William Wheeler was indicted on charges of fraud and embezzlement. He
orchestrated risky high-interest loans from the pension fund secured by shopping
centers around town. When the Recession hit, most of the borrowers
couldn’t—and possibly had never intended to—make their payments.
The pension fund foreclosed and sold the shopping centers for pennies on the
dollar to offshore entities controlled by Mayor Wheeler. In effect, the pension
fund lost a lot of money on these loans and Wheeler’s entities got to buy the
shopping centers at an absurdly undervalued rate. To make matters worse, most
of the shopping centers were owned by other offshore entities that he
controlled. Those entities had taken out loans against the shopping centers for
way more than the properties were worth, made only one or two mortgage
payments, and then pocketed the remaining loan when the shopping centers went
into default.”
“Classic equity skimming,” the professor remarked.
“With multiple offshore entities involved, this was a very sophisticated
scheme. Anyone else implicated? In my experience, carrying off this type of
fraud takes more than one person.”
“That’s what we suspect, too. Wheeler was the only
one indicted. I was part of the citizen’s group that investigated after the
town workers were told that the pension fund might not be able to make its payments.”
“Who else do you think is involved?”
“Honestly, all of the council with the exception
of Councilwoman Tonya Holmes. She was the first one to uncover the problem. She
formed the citizen’s committee to investigate and obtained records as well as
bank statements clandestinely from the town clerk, which the committee used to
put the pieces of the scheme together. The pension fund also made loans on a
bunch of vacation condominiums in Florida that Wheeler used to visit. Most of
those have been foreclosed upon as well. We took our information to the police
and Wheeler’s indictment followed shortly thereafter. I’d bet my bottom dollar
that Councilmen Chuck Delgado and Russell Isaac are in this thing up to their
eyeballs. Delgado’s brother, Ron, is the pension fund advisor, and he has to be
involved, too. The only one I’m not sure about is Councilman Frank Haynes.”
Upton looked like he was about to speak, but stopped himself and motioned her
to continue. “He’s an extremely successful restaurant franchisee. Supports all
the local sports teams, and founded and funds the no-kill animal shelter.”
“If he’s a legitimate businessman with
philanthropic ties to the community, it’d be odd for him to get mixed up in
this type of criminal activity,” Upton replied slowly. “Why do you suspect him?
Is he tied in with the others?”
“No, not that we know of. Other than being on the
council with Delgado and Isaac.” Maggie sighed. “Frank Haynes is a snake in the
grass, for sure. I always get the impression that he’s coiled and ready to
strike. And that he doesn’t do anything that isn’t in his own self-interest,
despite all of his charitable causes.”
“That describes a lot of people. Doesn’t make them
criminals.”
Maggie smiled. “True. He also backed Isaac in the
special election last spring after Mayor Wheeler stepped down when he was indicted.”
“That was the election you won?” Upton asked. “How
did you decide to run as a write-in candidate?”
“That’s the amazing thing—I never decided to
run. I was a last-minute write-in candidate, and I didn’t even know it.”
Professor Upton leaned forward in his chair.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You didn’t know you were a candidate?”
Maggie nodded.
“I really need to hear about this!” Upton held her
gaze.
“The committee agreed that we would all support
Alex Scanlon to oppose Isaac. Alex had run for mayor in the prior election
against Wheeler. He was interested in the position, and more than capable and
qualified.”
Upton nodded.
“Alex ran a terrific campaign and was ahead in the
polls the week before the election. We had one debate, held on the Thursday
night before the election. Alex was brilliant, and it was clear he had the
support of the voters. On the way home, he and his partner were in an auto
accident. Alex was seriously injured, with multiple broken bones that required
several surgeries and extensive physical therapy. On Election Day we knew Alex
wasn’t capable of stepping into the mess in the mayor’s office. I figured that
the election would go to Isaac. I was so busy going back and forth to the
hospital, tending to both Alex and Marc that I frankly didn’t care. As it turns
out, the committee mounted a grassroots effort to get me elected mayor as a
write-in candidate. I was Alex’s campaign manager and did almost as much
speaking around town as he did, so I guess people knew me.”
“Incredible.” He took a sip of water and slowly
shook his head. “A lot’s happened to you in the last few years.”
Maggie laughed. “That’s for sure.”
Professor Upton leaned back in his chair. “So, how
are you finding public office?”
Maggie hesitated and turned to gaze out the
window, considering her response. She desperately needed to confide in someone.
“Truthfully, I’m feeling lost. I’m in over my head. Not only am I new to this
town, I’m new to politics. As a forensic accountant, I understand the financial
problems facing the town, but crafting workable solutions and getting the
council to act on them is another matter. I came into office on a wave of
public support, but that’s dwindling fast. My approval rating is dropping like
a rock. I don’t care if I get re-elected; I just want to help the people of
this town. I really care about them. They’re warm and genuine. I don’t want to
fail them.”
“Is this Alex Scanlon helping you?”
“Yes and no. He’s a former prosecutor, and I
appointed him as Westbury’s special counsel to assist in Wheeler’s prosecution.
He’s bogged down in all of that and, frankly, hasn’t fully recovered from the
accident. Although he wouldn’t admit it, I think he resents that I ended up
with the mayor’s seat; even though, at this point in time, I’d gladly give it
to him.” She turned to face Upton. “I’m at my wit’s end, Professor. That’s why
I called you. Of all the people I’ve met in my career, you’re the only one with
the expertise to bail us out.”
Professor Upton looked like he was about to object
when Maggie waved to a well-dressed man in his late thirties, standing at the
hostess stand, scanning the tables in the restaurant. Alex spotted Maggie and
nodded.
“Sorry I’m late,” he apologized as Professor Upton
stood and Maggie made the introductions. “I headed to Stuart’s on autopilot and
was parking my car when I realized I was at the wrong place.”
“I wanted this meeting to be out of the
limelight,” Maggie replied. “Professor Upton and I became acquainted when we
worked together years ago. He’s currently a professor of municipal finance in
Chicago.”
As Alex sat, Maggie signaled the server to bring over
an extra glass of water and some menus.
“I understand that the fraud investigation is
ongoing,” she said to Alex once the server had left. “But in the meantime, we
need to get our town’s finances straightened out and the pension fund on firm
footing. That’s why I’ve brought in Professor Upton.”
“I believe that we’re putting together a very
solid case against ex-mayor Wheeler,” Alex declared. “I’m convinced he didn’t
act alone. Frankly, he isn’t smart enough. We just haven’t developed evidence
against anyone else yet.”
“I understand that, Alex. As I said, I need
assistance with the day-to-day handling of the town’s finances.”
“Maggie, I’ve got my hands full with the
investigation.”
“I’m not asking you to jump in. Just supply the
professor with what you know.”
Professor Upton broke in, “Don’t you have a
treasurer and an accounting department? Don’t you have an auditor? The finances
for a town this size shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“That’s part of the problem,” Maggie said. “We’re
still not sure how widespread the corruption is and who’s part of it. And we
keep uncovering new issues. Just this morning I learned that a senior center
known as Fairview Terraces may be in jeopardy because the town defaulted on the
ground lease of the property we sublease to them. If that property gets
foreclosed upon, more than three hundred senior citizens who’ve paid their rent
on time and who’ve developed a community there will be thrown out on their
ears. We can’t allow that.”
Maggie leveled her gaze at Professor Upton. “I do
know one thing. I’m not going to let that happen.”
“First I’ve heard of this,” Alex snapped.
“It just came up.” Maggie sighed. “Bottom line,
Professor, things are getting worse, and the only people I can trust within
town government, not counting myself, are Alex and Councilwoman Holmes. We
don’t have the necessary expertise. We need your help.”
“It surely isn’t as bad as all that is it?” the
professor replied.
“Maggie isn’t exaggerating anything, sir,” Alex
took over. “I’ve been so focused on getting the bad guys that I’ve turned a
blind eye to all the other issues that Maggie’s had to face in keeping the town
going. We’ve both been working around the clock for months. My partner is about
ready to throw me out if I don’t spend more time at home,” he concluded with a
rueful smile. “And I know a certain veterinarian who is feeling neglected.” He
raised an eyebrow at Maggie.