Chapter Eight
Eight
‘Once the identity change process is approved,’ Oakfield said, while they were still sitting at The Longfellow, ‘you’ll be able to pick any name you like, but please allow me to give you a few pointers here.’
‘Please do.’
‘First let me explain the difference between a “name” change and an “identity” change.’
Sam looked back at Oakfield a little sideways.
‘Anyone in the land can initiate a process for a name change. A lot of people do it once they get married, or divorced… artists and celebrities do it to make their artistic names official… some people do it because they don’t want anything to do with their families anymore.
’ He shrugged. ‘It’s not an uncommon process.
All someone needs to do is file a petition, pay the fee, and notify several federal and state agencies.
That’s it. In all honesty, the process is really quite simple and very straightforward.
’ Oakfield emphasized his next point with a head nod.
‘Now, to avoid con artists trying to run away from financial commitments by simply changing their names and moving somewhere else, name-changing processes are completely transparent to everyone. And what I mean by that is – if anybody wants to find out what Joe Blog’s new name is, all they need to do is ask the County Court.
Name-changing records are public files, and that is the difference between a “name change” and an “identity” change. ’
‘An identity change isn’t public?’ Sam asked.
‘No,’ Oakfield confirmed. ‘That’s why when you file a petition for an “identity” change, you also need to file a document called “Order to Show Cause”.
Kristin will do all that for you, and it’s in the “Order to Show Cause” document that she’ll cite “fear for personal safety and endangerment to life”.
Since the reason behind your name and identity change is to safeguard your wellbeing, those records will be flagged as confidential and access to them becomes extremely difficult. ’
Right then, Sam’s eyes darted away, as if she was mulling over different options.
Oakfield gave her another second before clarifying. ‘They’ll become hard to get to, but not impossible. And what I mean here is – there are legal and illegal ways of obtaining the information on those records.’
The concerned look returned to Sam’s face.
‘And here are the two biggest pointers I can give you for your identity change. One – go for a common name. Two – when you move, don’t pick a tiny town.’
Sam squinted at Oakfield. ‘Go for a common name?’
Oakfield nodded. ‘And here’s why – if Nelson really decides to come after you and he somehow manages to find out your new identify – a common name and a not so small town will play to your advantage.’
‘In which way?’
‘Think about it,’ Oakfield urged Sam. ‘Let’s say you picked an unusual name, something like Anuska Clissold.’
Sam frowned at him.
‘I just made that up,’ Oakfield explained, giving Sam a shrug.
‘Anyway, what I’m trying to tell you here is – let’s say that Nelson has managed to find out that your new name is Anuska Clissold.
Now he needs to find your location. There are several specific search engines out there that’ll search for names and addresses up and down the country. ’
Sam finally caught up with Oakfield’s train of thought. ‘A more common name should give him a longer result list on a name search.’
‘Exactly. Now let’s say that somehow, Nelson went a step further and managed to find out not only your new name, but also the city you picked to restart your life. So now all he needs is the address.’
Sam caught up with Oakfield yet again. ‘Chances are that a more common name will return several different addresses in a bigger city.’
‘As opposed to just a couple in a tiny town,’ Oakfield confirmed. ‘What you’ll be doing is tipping the odds in your favor… amplifying the playing field and making it harder for anyone to pinpoint you.’
‘I never thought of that,’ Sam admitted.
‘Most people don’t.’ Oakfield paused and once again dabbed the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
‘But if you really prefer to live in a smaller town, instead of a bigger city, here’s another valid trick: once you get your new identity, move to any city you like – big or small – it doesn’t matter because this first move won’t be your permanent address. ’
Sam gave Oakfield a single eyebrow lift.
‘In fact,’ the DA continued. ‘If I were you, I’d place all my belongings in storage and simply rent an already furnished place somewhere.
Go for a short-term contract – a year, maximum – at the end of which, you move again.
This time you can go for a permanent address, or, if you really want to be on the safe side, go for another one-year contract some place else – different city, different state even.
After that, I’m sure you’ll be OK to finally settle down into a permanent address. ’
Sam drummed her fingers on the table.
‘It’s a lot of fuss,’ Oakfield admitted. ‘But the more you move around, the more tangled the web gets for anyone trying to find you.’
Sam still looked a little uncertain.
‘Your new name will go on file, Sam,’ Oakfield informed her.
‘But not your address. You’re not entering a government witness protection program.
You’re simply getting a new identity, that’s all.
You don’t have to inform the court of a new address every time you move.
So even if someone manages to find out about your new name, finding your location is a whole new cat and mouse game for them.
If you move around a couple of times, you’ll make that game one hundred times harder.
’ This time, the wink he gave Sam didn’t come across so sleazy.
‘Tipping the odds in your favor, remember?’
Sam smiled back.
But Oakfield wasn’t done yet. ‘Now, here’s my most important piece of advice regarding your identity change.’
Sam locked eyes with the DA and waited.
‘You just said that you’re thirty-four years old right?’
Sam nodded, stretching her mouth in a sad manner, as if being thirty-four was a sin.
‘But on looks,’ Oakfield continued, ‘you can easily pass for twenty-six… twenty-five even.’ The pause was deliberate just to hold the suspense for a little longer. ‘Well… here’s your chance.’
Sam bit her bottom lip. ‘Are you saying what I think you’re saying? I can alter my date of birth?’
‘It’s not so much that you can alter your date of birth,’ the DA told her. ‘It’s more a case of you should alter your date of birth.’
Sam’s smile was one hundred percent genuine.
‘Within the realms of reality, of course,’ Oakfield added.
‘Of course,’ Sam agreed.
‘And the reason why I told you that this is my most important piece of advice, is because if Nelson manages to find out which new name you went for, the one searching parameter he will have to try to narrow down the number of results for location is…’
‘My date of birth.’ Sam was, once again, late to the party, but she got there eventually.
Oakfield lit up another cigarette. ‘Pick a different day… a different month… a different year and Nelson will be dead in the water.’
Sam’s shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, as if a huge weight was finally being lifted off of them.
‘I bet you never thought of that either, right?’ Oakfield asked.
Sam shook her head. ‘No, but it all makes perfect sense. And I’ll be able to pick any date I want?’
‘Of course,’ Oakfield confirmed.
Sam’s smile reached her eyes. ‘That’s amazing, because I’ve always hated being a Cancerian.’
Oakfield laughed. ‘One more piece of advice, if I may.’
‘Please, by all means,’ Sam replied. ‘I need all the advice I can get.’
‘This is regarding the money you will get from Nelson, because there’s no doubt that you will get it.’
‘OK.’
Oakfield leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table.
Sam did the same.
Oakfield spoke in a much quieter voice. ‘Your divorce settlement will come through before your identity change is finalized. That’s a fact.
Once the divorce settlement is finally completed, however much money you are awarded by the courts, it will all be electronically transferred straight into your existing bank account. You won’t get a cheque for a deposit.’
‘I didn’t think I would either,’ Sam commented.
‘OK,’ Oakfield continued. ‘So, here’s my advice – once the money hits your account, just sit tight and wait until the identity change process is concluded. It won’t take that much longer after the divorce – a few days probably.’
‘Alright.’
‘Now, before you swap identities.’ Oakfield lifted a finger at Sam. ‘And I mean either the day before, or on the day that you are supposed to go pick up your new documents, go to your bank and clear out the account. Withdraw everything… in cash. Do not transfer it to a new account.’
‘Withdraw the whole lot in cash?’ Sam looked back at Oakfield as if he was joking.
Oakfield nodded. ‘I know that with the amount that you’ll probably get, this sounds like a crazy thing to do, but Nelson worked with hedge funds and finance, am I right? So, I’m sure that despite being behind bars, he’ll probably still be very well connected with people in the financial sector.’
Sam gave Oakfield a subtle nod of acceptance.
‘So, my guess is that if Nelson really tries to track you down,’ he continued, ‘that is exactly where he’ll look first. He’ll look for a financial transaction between your old account and any new ones.
’ He shrugged. ‘He’ll want to know where his money went, and if he finds a transfer document from your bank, your new name will no doubt be attached to it. ’
Sam’s jaw tensed.
‘By withdrawing the funds in cash,’ Oakfield explained, ‘what you’ll actually be doing is avoiding creating an electronic money transfer trail.’
‘So, what do I do with the money? Put it inside my mattress?’
‘No. After you take all the money out of your bank, you get your new identity, and you open new bank accounts… and I mean accounts – more than one. And if you want to play it really safe – use different banks… spread your money around.’
Sam took a second. ‘You mean – by walking into a bank carrying a suitcase full of cash and dumping it on the counter?’
‘Pretty much,’ Oakfield agreed.
Sam pulled a face at the District Attorney. ‘I don’t think that nowadays banks allow you to make a large cash deposit without bombarding you with questions.’
‘And you’re right,’ Oakfield confirmed. ‘They don’t.
’ He gave Sam a conman kind of smile. ‘And they would bombard you with questions if you didn’t have a legal document, signed by a court judge, explaining the reason why you are making such a large cash deposit.
With that, they won’t ask you a single question, and they will take as much cash as you can dump on their counter. ’