Driving Miss Daisy - S01 E23

2 days ago

Driving Miss Daisy - S01 E23

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 23

This was the reason why I wanted a computer that couldn't be traced to me. Should Margaret complain, and I was sure she would, the financial records would show that the transaction had come from her computer. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to prove that she had not made the sales and trades herself. All of the information-the passwords and internet information would point straight to her computer, and nowhere else and I'd had another idea, one I'd address just before leaving town.

I didn't care if I ever sold my software to Tom's bank, but bringing and giving him a sales prospectus gave me a legitimate reason for being in Springfield. I anticipated a visit from either local police or the FBI sometime within the next few months and I wanted to be prepared.

I stayed there all afternoon and by five I was able to move the rest of the money. I packed up my laptop and went to the counter where I asked if they knew of a burger kind of place that had wi-fi." They sent me to a restaurant just about a half mile down the street

Once there I asked for a booth in the back and, once again, I sat with my back to the wall. Like old-time gunslingers I had learned way back in junior high to shield my computer screen from prying eyes. Of course, in those days most of those eyes belonged to my parents or to the staff of the public library. This time I used their wi-fi as my base before logging into a server in Israel where I moved the money to Switzerland. I had finished my salad when I moved it again to South Africa. Next step was the Cayman Islands. They have excellent security and privacy laws so I was pretty sure that any trail would run cold from there.

I had finished my bacon cheeseburger and fries when I moved the money again, this time to the Central Bank of Russia. After dessert -a banana split-I made the final move to a different bank in Switzerland. All told I had moved roughly four million dollars seven times-twice to locations where I knew from experience that any transfer would be completely untraceable. Almost three hundred

thousand had been paid in bank fees, a bargain so far as I was concerned. I returned to my hotel from there where I retired to the sports bar for a cold beer then to my room for a shower and a good night's sleep.

I had checked out by ten the following morning, driving to a Salvation Army drop box I had passed several times over the past two days. After cleaning up the drive with a special program I had brought with me I wiped the plastic surface of the laptop with a wet-nap-an alcohol and soap laden slip of paper that would remove both my fingerprints and any DNA had left behind even though I doubted the machine would be traced to me. That's the beauty of buying used equipment without a warranty. There was no record of the laptop's serial number. I was just back in my car when I phoned Tom O'Neill's cell. "How did things go with your lovely wife yesterday moming?"

"It went exactly as you said. She had a whale of a headache when she woke up. She couldn't even sit up without pain. Then she asked me how she had gotten to bed and told her she had a little wine and said she was feeling poorly so I helped her into bed before going to the guest room to work and sleep. I told her I had to go to Montreal tomorrow morning and she gave me my passport so I wouldn't disturb her any more today. Then she went back to bed. I'm tempted to leave now."

"Don't-you don't need her calling the cops to look for you. Stick to the plan. You'll be able to take some clothes and your toiletries and she won't worry about you for the next week. By then you'll be in Montenegro and you'll be free. I hear it's beautiful there. I'll wire you some money even before you're settled in. I'll send you an email with the details. Incidentally, I've moved everything-every red cent-and, best of all, the records will show all the activity originated at her computer while you were at work. Of course, examining the drive won't show much, but anyone with a modicum of computer experience could handle that. I do plan to address that before I leave.

"Moving it in and out of all those banks cost you about three hundred grand, but there's still plenty left, even if you decide not to invest it in securities. I think that CD's, especially in a bank in Montenegro will be safe." He agreed and I left Massachusetts, happy to catch the 3:30 ferry back to Long Island. After a seafood dinner in Port Jefferson I drove home arriving around 7:30.

I collected my mall and sent an email to Sara telling her that I was home safely-client thrilled. All that was left was in Tom O'Neill's hands. Hopefully, he wouldn't fuck it up. The best part of this was that Margaret would be facing a complete change of lifestyle. She would have no income coming in, a big mortgage on the house, and would owe at least two hundred thousand in capital gains taxes. Good luck with that, you fucking bitch! It was just what she deserved.

I was back in the office early the following morning where I was greeted by a loving phone call from Sara. "Hi," began in my usual bumbling manner. We chatted for almost twenty minutes and I realized almost immediately that I felt totally comfortable with Sara-much more comfortable than I had ever been with Daisy.

Sara explained that she was on the night shift this week and that she had to pick up the two weekend slots to cover for a colleague who was out of state to attend a wedding. "I always look forward to going straight to bed when I finish this shift. Can it be your bed? Can we get together this afternoon for an early dinner, too?"

I agreed to both and was thrilled when she told me she had all of next week off. I had no difficulty convincing her to accompany me to Columbus. She signed off with a huge kissing sound that left me laughing when I ended the call on my end.

Cara brought me coffee when she picked up the payroll approval. It included her promised $2,000 raise-well...a week's worth. I told her to schedule two first or business class tickets to Columbus for Sunday afternoon or evening for Sara and me and to arrange for a limo to pick us up at the house at an appropriate time to make the flight. She showed no signs of surprise, but she did smile as she turned to return to her desk. I knew she'd reserve either a large room or, hopefully, a suite for us.

I had done all of the installations personally when I started the business, but now I needed all the help I could get. I had more than 70,000 computers under contract and there would be more than ten thousand additional computers and servers involved throughout the state of Ohio. That meant that some of my team would be in Ohio for close to a month. Travel requirements were one of the primary reasons why I paid them so well. Each member of this team had a salary of $200,000 and, last year, had received bonuses that more than tripled their earnings. Each also received fully paid medical and dental insurance and had a $250,000 group life insurance policy payable to any beneficiary they chose.

Cara passed a typed sheet with all of the travel and hotel

arrangements to me shortly before lunch. "Want to join Sara and me for an early dinner tonight?"