Page 27 of Facing the Enemy
“The Christmas season is extremely busy. Can I get the information to you on Monday?”
“No, ma’am. We need the list today. Please expedite the matter.”
Jack Bradford didn’t have Risa’s beauty and unique perspective, but he got the job done.
14
While Jack and I interviewed maternity homes, the Wades and their attorney had booked an earlier flight to Houston and arrived at the FBI office.
Extra time to strategize the Wades’ interview would have benefited my comfort level, but conducting the QandA now made more sense than making us wait hours for answers.
“We’re not prepared,” Jack said, his face a mass of wrinkles and lines. If I wasn’t careful, I’d call him a bulldog. “They’ve placed us at a disadvantage.”
“I doubt they’ve strategized either. They’ve faced tremendous losses—an adopted child, thousands of dollars, and possibly implicated due to Alex Wade’s former incarceration.” I pointed to what we knew about the three waiting in the receptionist area. “The attorney is Alex Wade’s cousin, same last name, and he specializes in real estate.”
Jack scratched his jaw. “I’d like a background on the guy.”
“I’m curious, and I want a ton of answers. Make the request and let’s get this done.”
Jack and I introduced ourselves and escorted the three to an interview room. I’d take lead on the questions if personalities clicked. Nanette Wade’s face blotched red, and her eyes watered. Howheartbreaking to believe a baby was hers, only to discover she and her husband had been deceived. Alex’s rod-straight spine and stiffened body read anger, nervousness, and a huge dump of wariness. His emotions must be fried. The attorney, about the same age as his cousin, wore an average-priced suit and serious lines across his forehead and the corners of his eyes. Sleep would have benefited the three, but the shock of the crime obviously had worn them raw.
After I covered the preliminaries of name, address, and other pertinent info, I moved forward on the interview. “Mr. and Mrs. Wade, Agent Bradford and I appreciate your willingness to fly to Houston during this tragic time. I have no idea what you must be feeling, but I’m sure shock and anger have tossed you into a nasty arena.”
Alex swallowed hard. “We haven’t shared the adoption agency’s paperwork with our attorney yet because he’s been out of town. We met at the Des Moines airport enroute here.”
Odd their attorney hadn’t seen any documentation. “Your attorney didn’t read your paperwork before the adoption or on the plane to Houston?”
“Agent Patterson,” the attorney said, “I was in first class and slept on the flight. My clients were in economy.”
Alex rubbed the back of his neck. Problems there? “Our dream of calling a child our own has been shattered. And while the adoption agency ran off with our money, a baby boy could have died of cystic fibrosis.” He glanced at his wife. “As bad as this is for us, we know the biological parents must feel worse. Our emotions are spent, and the biological parents must be filled with relief to have their son back. My wife and I would like to apologize to them. If possible.”
The attorney whirled sharply to Alex. “I advise against it. You’re asking for trouble and a potential lawsuit for lack of due diligence on your part. Consider your previous conviction, and the high likelihood of you and Nanette being sentenced for neglect.”
Alex spoke calmly. “If my child had been abducted, I’d want to meet those who’d cared for him even for a little while.”
“Alex, let’s focus on exonerating you of any wrongdoing and the missing forty-eight thousand dollars. Get your head on straight.When restitution is made for your money, you can privately adopt somewhere else. Unless you agree to my terms, I can’t represent you.”
“Agents—” Nanette’s voice trembled—“would you kindly remove our attorney from this discussion?”
“That’s Alex’s call, not yours.” The attorney glared at her. “I am family, and—”
“I agree with my wife,” Alex said. “Nanette and I came to Houston to help the FBI arrest those who are responsible for a kidnapping and operating an illegal adoption agency. You claimed to share in our goals, but I haven’t seen it. For the record, recovering our money is last on the list. We believe other couples have faced the same scam, and any information we can provide to stop the scammers benefits good people. No other agenda.”
The attorney jabbed a finger at Alex. “You’re an idiot. I shouldn’t have jeopardized my reputation for the likes of you.”
“Sir,” I said, “your clients have requested you to leave the interview. Agent Bradford will escort you.”
“When I’m ready!”
Jack stood, all five-foot-ten inches of bulldog tenacity. “Sir, either leave with me now, or you will face arrest.”
The attorney slowly stood. “You’re a bigger fool than I thought, Alex. I’ll take a taxi back to the airport. You could have invested that money into something valuable instead of getting taken by a fraudulent adoption agency.”
“You mean invest in some of your real estate?” Alex maintained a calm demeanor. “Agent Bradford, the receptionist has a manila folder with paperwork and receipts regarding the adoption. Can you retrieve those for us?”
“Of course.” When Jack and the attorney left the room, Alex took his wife’s hand. “Agent Patterson, I apologize for that scene. We needed an attorney fast, and my cousin fit the bill. Or so we thought.”
“Not a problem.” I’d heard worse. I hoped the couple had documentation that pushed ahead the investigation. The more we uncovered, the more I questioned if the fraud stretched across other statesbesides Texas and Iowa. “As soon as Agent Bradford returns, we’ll resume.”
