Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
“Mrs. Taylor?” An unknown voice asked as Laura answered her phone.
“I’m sorry, there’s no one here by that name,” she answered, puzzled by the call.
“You’re not Laura Taylor?” the man persisted.
“No, I’m Laura Turner. I was married to Jake Taylor once, but we’ve been divorced for six years,” Laura clarified. “What’s this about?”
“As I’m sure you’re aware, Mr. Taylor died last week.”
“Yes, I know.”
“As his widow, you’re responsible for his debts,” the man began.
“I’m not his widow,” Laura reiterated, annoyance slipping into her tone. She gripped the phone tighter. “I’ve already told you.”
“That’s beside the point, Mrs. Taylor.”
“That is entirely the point and as I keep telling you, my name is not Taylor. What’s this about debts anyway?” Laura asked, curious now despite herself .
“You and Jake Taylor owe my boss a hundred thousand dollars,” the man stated.
Taken aback, she blinked. “What do you mean, I owe?”
“Your name is on the IOU.”
“I didn’t sign it, so I fail to see how that’s relevant.”
“Taylor used your house as collateral for the loan,” he went on, speaking right over her. “Which means if you default on the debt, we can legally seize it. If that’s the way you want to go —”.
The house? This conversation was getting stranger and stranger. “When did he borrow this money?” Laura asked.
“Over two years ago and we’ve been trying to collect ever since,” he replied.
“Well, I’m sorry you let Jake mislead you, but the house was sold six years ago in the divorce, so not only do I have no legal obligation to share his debt, you have no legal right to that house. But don’t take my word for it, by all means, go inform the new owners that you’re seizing it because you failed to check whether he actually owned the assets he used as collateral. Who are you anyway?” Laura inquired, pulling her notebook closer and grabbing a pen.
“My name is John Smith. Taylor gambled and borrowed money to cover his gambling debts from my boss. I’m the collector,” he explained. “Since you say you don’t have the money now, let’s discuss a payment plan. Why don’t we set the base payment at five grand a week? You should be able to manage that. And since you’re a widow and all, we’ll reduce the interest rate to five percent a month. I’ll call back in a few days and let you know where to bring the money. I suggest you take this seriously, because you won’t like what happens if you don’t.”
“Is that a threat?” Laura asked incredulously, but the line went dead before she finished her sentence.
Laura knew she needed to call the police, but it was late and she didn’t want to explain to a stranger. She would wait and call Det. Stone in the morning. Her help had been invaluable before.
Her second thought was to call James, but she couldn’t dump this mess on him. She didn’t want to be dependent on anyone to solve her problems for her. Instead, she called her father – he was family at least.
“Hi, Dad, I know it’s late but do you have a few minutes? I have a problem,” Laura began and bit her lip to keep her voice from quivering.
“Of course, Laura, you know I always have time for you,” her father reassured. “What’s wrong?”
“I got a phone call from someone saying Jake owed him a hundred thousand dollars and since he was dead, it’s my debt now. Apparently, Jake somehow put my name on his IOU two years after we divorced. You know I don’t have that kind of money. I’m finally close to paying off the debts he left while we were married.” The words tumbled from her mouth and her stomach knotted. Bile threatened to rise and reflectively she swallowed against the burning pain. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Well, you don’t owe this person anything, obviously.” Concern laced her dad’s voice when he added, “Did he threaten you?”
“Not directly, but it wasn’t exactly a friendly conversation.” She tried to recall his exact words. “He kept referring to his ‘boss,’ as if that was important and he told me his name was ‘John Smith,’ of all things. He expects payments of five thousand a week with an interest rate of five percent a month. That’s insane and it must be criminal.” A shudder ran through her.
“Sounds like a loan shark to me, honey. I think you’d better call the police and go see them. Do you want me to come with you?” he offered.
His support was like a ray of sun on a cold winter morning. “I think I can manage that part, Dad, but thanks. Mostly, I needed to talk to someone about it. I still have the contact information for the detective who helped when Jake accused James of assault. I’ll call her first thing in the morning,” Laura said, grateful for her father's understanding.
“What about calling James?” he suggested. “I think he would want to help.”
“No, Dad, that’s not an option right now and I don’t want to talk about it,” Laura replied, infusing steel into her voice.
Her father was quiet for a moment, but then said, “How long are you going to do this, Laura? You keep saying you haven’t broken up, but you are ignoring him and stonewalling anyone who mentions him. James is a good man. He doesn’t deserve this.”
Laura stared up at the ceiling and reminded herself he had her best interest in mind. “I know he is, Dad, but I don’t want to involve him. It would be calling him only because I need help and that’s not fair to him either.” She let out a resigned sigh. “I’ll let you know what happens with the police. Thanks for your support. Good night, Dad.” She paused and added a bit hesitantly, “I love you.”
“Love you, too, dear,” he said at once with genuine pleasure. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything else.” He paused, then pointedly said, “It’s okay to need someone sometimes.”
They said their goodbyes, and Laura decided it was best to get some rest. Maybe things would be clearer in the morning.
After tossing and turning for over an hour, Laura gave up on sleep. She got up and made herself a cup of herbal tea to try and help her relax. But the nagging thoughts of her situation with Jake kept haunting her. She remembered the meditation techniques James had taught her and decided to give them a try, despite the memories it brought back. Anything to find some calm. She really needed to get some rest.
Surprisingly, after half an hour of meditating, she felt more at ease. Without overthinking it, she quickly got back into bed, hoping for a better sleep. Though her sleep was far from restful, at least she managed to get some.
After fumbling through her morning routine, she went to the kitchen for some caffeine to lift the cobwebs from her mind.
As soon as she’d had her first cup of coffee in front of her, she found Det. Stone’s card and called the cell phone number the detective had written on it.
“Det. Stone,” the familiar voice on the other end answered.
“Hello, this is Laura Turner. I don’t know if you remember me, but a couple of weeks ago you helped me out when my ex-husband was threatening me?” Laura introduced herself .
“Of course I remember, Ms. Turner.” Detective Stone replied. “What can I do for you this morning?”
“Well, it seems like my ex is the gift that keeps on giving. I had a phone call last night from a man who called himself, ‘John Smith.’ He said Jake owed him a lot of money, a hundred grand, and since he was dead it was my problem now. I don’t have that kind of money, and even if I did, I can’t possibly be responsible for Jake’s debts. The guy said the debt was only two years old. We were divorced for six years. He expects me to pay five thousand dollars a week, with interest of five percent a month!” Too agitated to stay seated, Laura got up and started pacing the kitchen.
“Did he say what the debt was from?” Detective Stone inquired, her tone serious.
“He said it was from gambling, which doesn’t surprise me.” Laura pressed her free hand against her forehead where a headache was building. “When we divorced, I ended up with half of Jake’s debts then and found myself on the hook for thirty thousand dollars. I hadn’t realized he’d taken out a second mortgage on our house. But that at least was through the bank. This guy… He said I’d be sorry if I didn’t pay.” She couldn’t keep the trembling from her voice.
“Yes, it definitely sounds like a loan shark, and the gambling part makes it more certain.” There was some shuffling at the other side of the line and a creak of a door. “This isn’t my department, but I know who you need to talk to. Loan sharking and extortion are usually handled by our organized crime unit. I know one of their detectives pretty well. Give me a couple of hours to get in touch with him and I’ll call you back,” Det. Stone assured her. “If by some chance, this guy tries to contact you again, tell him to go through your lawyer. And try not to worry too much. I know it sounds like a lot to people like you and me, but a hundred grand is peanuts to people like them. It’s not worth it for them to shake the hornet’s nest if it puts eyes on their organization.”
“Thank you so much,” Laura responded. “I’ll wait for your call.” She sank back on the kitchen chair and took a sip from the now cold coffee.
Realizing she couldn't just sit at home waiting, Laura decided to go to work. She brought her phone with her, keeping it on and within reach. Her workplace had an informal atmosphere, so nobody objected to occasional personal calls.
Laura's fingers flew across the keyboard as she delved into her coding work, her mind fully immersed in the complex algorithms and intricate lines of code. Each line held her focus, and the outside world seemed to fade away. The soft hum of the office faded into the background as she lost herself in variables and functions.
In the midst of her deep concentration, the shrill ringtone of her cell phone shattered her bubble and jolted her out of her coding trance. Her fingers froze on the keyboard, hovering uncertainly above the keys.
With a sigh, Laura reached for the phone, her brow furrowing as she tried to process who could be calling her. Her mind quickly shifted gears, transitioning from the intricate lines of code to the real-world concerns that demanded her attention. Reluctantly, she accepted the interruption and answered the call.
"Hello?" she said, her tone slightly clipped, as she tried to regain her composure and focus on the unexpected caller.
“Ms. Turner? This is Det. Stone.” The cool and collected voice filled with concern when she added, “Are you all right?”
“Sorry, Detective.” She quickly composed herself. “I was deep into my work and lost track of the rest of the world. Can you help me?”
“Well, I can’t help with your losing track of the world,” Detective Stone replied with a touch of humor. “But I have gotten in touch with my colleague in organized crime. Can you get away to meet us?”
Laura couldn't help but chuckle at the detective's wry response. She was starting to like the other woman more and more. “Yes, I can. Can we do it right away? Now I’m back in the world, I won’t be able to think of anything else.”
“Sure, how about we meet for coffee in about fifteen minutes?” Det. Stone suggested. “Where would be convenient for you?”
Laura thought for a moment before responding, “How about the Starbucks at City Center Square? It’s only a few blocks from my work.”
They quickly finalized the arrangements, and Laura informed her boss that she needed to step out for a while. With her current project running ahead of schedule, there were no objections. When she arrived at the coffee shop, she spotted Detective Stone and a handsome younger man at one of the corner booths. The man rose from his seat as she entered. “I’m Detective Jackson Cagney, you must be Laura Turner?” he greeted her, extending a hand.
“Nice to meet you Det. Cagney.” Laura replied, shaking his hand. “Has Det. Stone told you about my problem?”
“She has and I think we can help each other,” Det. Cagney replied. “Why don’t I get you a cup of coffee, and then we can talk?”
“Sure, I take it black”
Laura nodded and waited as Detective Cagney walked away to fetch her coffee. She turned to Detective Stone, her curiosity piqued. “He seems marvelous, but what did he mean about helping each other?” She didn’t miss how Det. Stone’s eyes lingered on the man’s broad back. Laura couldn’t fault the woman for that, or for her gaze dropping to the man’s taut ass.
Det. Stone cleared her throat, all business again. “He’ll explain in just a minute. I think it’s going to be okay,” she reassured Laura.
Det. Cagney took a seat at the table, placing the coffee in front of Laura. “One coffee, black, as ordered.”
She gratefully took a sip, feeling its warmth soothing her nerves. As the taste of the bitter brew danced on her tongue, Det. Cagney began to explain the situation. His voice was steady and determined, mirroring his unwavering gaze.
“First, your loan collector’s name really is John Smith. He’s also more than a collector. We’ve been trying to get him and his boss’s operation for quite a few years now. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get people to testify in these kinds of cases. Sometimes there’s witness intimidation, other times the evidence is too thin,” he explained. “Paula doesn’t think you’re the kind of person who intimidates easily, so I’m hopeful we can solve our problems together.”
Det. Stone nodded. Laura listened intently, her eyes fixed on Det. Cagney as he continued.
“We think his boss is a man named Marco Donatelli, but we haven’t been able to prove anything. Donatelli is relatively small-time, but he has his hands in multiple rackets in town: gambling, loan sharking and prostitution. If we can get Smith, we hope to squeeze him to give up Donatelli. For that, we’re going to need your help.” Det. Cagney stated. “Paula says he made contact with you last night, is that correct?”
Laura nodded, confirming the details. “Yes, he called and told me I was responsible for gambling debts my ex-husband ran up after we divorced. He said he would call back in a few days to tell me where to bring the money. He wants five thousand a week on a debt of a hundred thousand. At an interest rate of five percent a month, which he claims is generous because I’m a widow, of all things.”
“Okay, I’d like permission to put a track and trace on your phone so we can get a record of future calls. The trace is unlikely to get us anywhere because these guys use disposable phones. But you never know, and the recordings will help as evidence,” Det. Cagney continued.
Laura quickly agreed and turned over her phone to the detective, who said he would return it to her in a couple of hours. He also gave her his card with his personal cell number on it and instructions to call him any time. He reminded her a little bit of James, with his confidence and strength.