Chapter Thirteen #2
“If it’s important, they’ll leave a voicemail,” I said to myself as the ringing stopped. Then, five seconds later, it started again. I groaned, hoping it wasn’t another extended warranty call. I had never known telemarketers to be this persistent, so I answered timidly.
“Hello?”
“May I speak with Brichelle Walker?”
“This is she.”
“My name is Special Agent Harris.”
“Special Agent?”
“Yes, Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the deep voice replied.
I laughed loudly and rolled my eyes.
“It’s too late to be playing on people phone.
Who the hell is this and how did you get my number?
Did Zumo put you up to this shit? Are you one of his little minions?
” I laughed. I found It adorable that we hadn’t talked in an hour and he was playing on my phone like a high school boy who had lost his first girlfriend.
“Ma’am this is Special Agent Harris from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This is not a prank call. We’re investigating multiple reports of financial fraud connected to your business Brick & Co. Fitness.”
“Are you serious? What do you mean financial fraud?” I questioned as my eyes went wide and the smile fell from my face. This wasn’t Zumo and I didn’t give my number out easily, so whoever had it, had it for a reason.
“I need to meet with you immediately. There have been numerous complaints involving fraudulent bank accounts, unauthorized credit activity, and identity theft.”
“What does that have to do with me? You have the wrong business. I don’t have any issues with my members and fraud!” I spat.
“I assure you we do not have the wrong business. Your name is Brichelle Walker you and your brother co-own Brick & Co fitness a gym located in downtown Marietta Georgia created by your father Bernard Walker in 1993. I reached out to you first because your name is all over the business documentation. From pulling your brother’s criminal history, I can see why you decided to take control of the business. ”
My stomach tightened because this didn’t feel like a prank call this was real and I knew it.
“We’d appreciate your cooperation. We are aware that the gym closes at 1am, we would like to meet with you at 1:30am at the federal building downtown.
This is not a prank or a scam. 2457 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta Ga 30310, The justice building downtown, third floor, room 308.
See you shortly. You can bring a lawyer if you wish, but we just want to ask a few questions,” the agent said before ending the call.
My spine straightened as I snapped upright.
The gym around me suddenly muffled. This was impossible.
They had to have had the wrong business.
We weren’t in any type of fraud. I made sure that everything in my business was one hundred percent legal.
My mind wandered over to Cozart. Had my little brother done something illegal behind my back and included the gym in his shenanigans?
I had more questions than answers as I tried to keep myself calm.
This was what happened when I let my guard down.
Shit fell apart.
I stayed in my office until it was time to close.
Trallis peeked her head inside and told me that Shelly had to leave a little early, but she had performed all the closing duties and was about to head out.
I nodded my head at her and smiled even though I was a nervous wreck inside.
I wanted to confide in someone, but I didn’t know who I could call.
I dialed my lawyer’s number and explained the situation to her.
She assured me that she would meet me at the federal building downtown.
It didn’t matter the time, if I called, she would be there.
Forty-five minutes later I pulled into the federal building with my palms sweating against the steering wheel.
Every scenario imaginable raced through my mind.
I replayed every security decision I’d made over the last year and none of it made sense.
A few seconds later my lawyer pulled up beside me in her white-on-white Audi coupe.
“I can see the wheels turning in your head, don’t start making any assumptions until we hear them out,” Jackie assured me as she straightened her tie.
It was almost two a.m., and she wrote a double breast, pencil skirt suit, with 6inch heels like it was the middle of the day.
I nodded my head and followed her to the front door.
We were greeted by an agent who held a walkie talkie.
He was in full tactical gear like he was waiting a shoot out to happen at any moment.
After getting clearance, he escorted my lawyer and I upstairs to the third floor.
The elevator ride felt longer than my entire drive.
I kept taking deep breaths and trying to slow down my racing heart.
I told myself that I had no reason to be afraid because I wasn’t guilty of anything, but I had never been in trouble before and people were falsely accused of shit all the time.
If the state had enough evidence and said your ass was guilty, you were guilty.
When we arrived at the conference room, the door opened and three people were already seated inside. A thick stack of files rested on the table. Every folder had the Brick & Co. logo paper-clipped to the front.
I felt sick to my stomach.
“Ms. Walker, I’m Special Agent Harris.” A gray-haired man stood up and held out his hand for me to shake.
“Hi Agent Harris, I brought my lawyer with me.” I shook his hand before he turned to Jackie.
“Hello Agent Harris, I’m Jackie Turner,” my lawyer shook his hand and looked at him eye to eye.
“These are my colleagues, Agent Nelson and Agent Smith and we are waiting on one more,” he said as each agent nodded at both me and my lawyer. Faces were stoic, the lighting was terrible, like this was a bad Lifetime Movie, they meant business.
“Please have a seat.” Agent Harris said as my lawyer and I pulled out our chairs. We sat and he immediately slid a folder towards me. I opened it and inside were copies of driver’s licenses, bank statements, credit reports, and loan applications.
“What is this pertaining to?” my lawyer asked as she looked through the paperwork after me.
“Well, we have received multiple complaints from members of Brick & Co Fitness, your clients’ organization, these individuals have reported accounts being opened in their name without authorization.”
I stared at the paperwork like it was Chinese because I didn’t know anything about any of this shit.
I looked through wire transfers, credit card bills, personal loans, and all of it spanned back to at least two years ago.
This shit had been going on under my nose for a while. I shook my head immediately.
“No, I didn’t do this.” I turned to the agent then to my lawyer with tears in my eyes.
“Don’t say another word Ms. Walker, are you accusing my client of this? Is this an arrest?” my lawyer asked as tears filled my eyes.
“We believe customer information has been compromised, but no we are not accusing Ms. Walker of this, we do not believe she is responsible. We do believe someone inside your organization is,” he looked at me stoically. Every employee that reported to me flashed through my mind.
Every receptionist I had ever hired and fired, every manager, every trainer, contractors, cleaning staff, “There has to be some mistake, “I whispered.
“There isn’t a mistake, not only do you have some using your gym as a way to commit identify theft, and fraud, but we have an idea of who the person may be.
We called you down here to ask you to help us arrest this person while maintaining the dignity of your gym,” Agent Harris said before he glanced toward the conference room door.
“Before we continue,” he looked through the two-way mirror and signaled for someone to come in.
The door opened and I froze as Shelly walked inside.
This woman wasn’t the goofy, blonde acting Shelly who was one of my receptionists, there was no workout outfit, and Stanley cup, instead she wore a fitted navy suit.
Her blonde hair was pulled into a sleek bun.
A badge hung from her belt, and a firearm rested discreetly beneath her jacket.
She looked like a completely different woman.
“Shelly?” I questioned.
She offered me a small apologetic smile.
“My name isn’t Shelly, my name is Michelle Shelton and I’m a Special Agent with the FBI. I have been investigating your gym since I was hired.”
“What,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry,” she looked genuinely remorseful.
“I know this is a shock.”
“You’ve worked at my gym for months.”
“Yes.”
“So, none of that was real? You faked that sweet girl personality but the whole time you have been an FBI agent?” I asked her in disbelief.