Page 7 of The Beachside Cafe 6
“Neither of them said how I’m supposed to contact this Captain Hastings,” she said. “Where do I go from here?”
“What?” Cameron sat forward and took the box from the table in front of him. He lifted out the jewelry box and set it aside. “Looks like there’s a business card here,” he said, pulling the small card out of the bottom of the box. He handed it to Jaymee. She saw that it was indeed the contact information for Captain Hastings.
Jaymee pulled her phone from her back pocket and proceeded to dial the number on the card. She listened as it connected to the other line across the ocean. When a man picked up, she lowered the phone and pressed the speaker button so Cameron could also hear what was discussed.
“Hello?” the man who answered had a British accent, which Jaymee found amusing since he was the American ambassador in that country.
“Hello, is this Captain John Hastings?” Jaymee asked politely.
“This is he. To whom am I speaking?”
“My name is Jaymee Le… Mason. Jaymee Mason. My name used to be Lent. I’m Doug Lent’s wife.”
“So you have received the package then,” John said, his voice changing from jovial to solemn.
“Yes, I have. I’ve watched the video. Right now, I don’t know what to do. My feelings for my ex-husband were extinguished when I found out what he was doing and now he’s dead, so there’s no chance to ever change our relationship.”
“I was disappointed to hear of his passing,” John replied. The Doug Lent I knew was my friend. A polite, somewhat reserved man. I considered him when I made decisions and sometimes called to ask his financial advice. He never steered me wrong. He was a laugher, as everyone in the office knew. I’m sure you understand from having been married to him. He must have made you laugh a lot.”
Jaymee couldn’t remember really laughing much after maybe the fourth anniversary of their marriage. Doug had lost his sense of humor. She didn’t have any fun with him shortly after the birth of their daughter. She’d become distracted, too. She couldn’t put it all off on him. Unfortunately, the distance that grew between them became a gap so wide it was uncrossable.
She gave Cameron a skeptical look but didn’t respond. When the pause grew long enough to be uncomfortable, Jaymee asked, “Did you watch the video?”
“With his permission, yes, I did.”
“Then you must realize that we weren’t the happiest of couples. Did you participate in the blackmailing?”
“No, I didn’t know where the money was coming from until I saw the video. As far as I knew, the payments being deposited were from paying clients. I am surprised to find out he was doing that but not surprised by his reasons, selfish as they may have been.”
“Selfish is an understatement,” Jaymee said, feeling some irritation from the callous way the captain was talking about Doug’s misdeeds and unlawful behavior. Carmine came to mind. With the help of IDL, Doughadeffectively destroyed Carmine’s life and then they tried to take it. It was Cameron and Jaymee that kept the older man from being murdered by hanging. If they hadn’t gotten there in time, he would surely have died. “Doug drove people to despair. People who didn’t actually deserve it.”
“That was not my impression,” John replied. His voice continued to be warm and friendly, though it had to be obvious Jaymee suspected he’d had more to do with the blackmails than he was letting on. He may have been Doug’s partner for all she knew.
“Well, it’s the truth. He made a victim out of people who were already victims of IDL. How can that be okay? Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
“I agree,” John responded. “Please don’t take me wrong. I know what he was doing was wrong. I had nothing to do with it other than collecting the payments, which, as I said, I thought were from legitimate clients. If it makes you feel better to suspect and accuse me because he’s not here to do that to, feel free. However, I am blameless and you would be placing blame and suspicion on the wrong man. I’m merely an accountant for another accountant.”
“Didn’t you ever stop to wonder why an accountantwouldneed another accountant?” Jaymee asked. She was finding it harder and harder to suspect John. He was calm and collected. He didn’t sound arrogant and hotheaded like Doug would have. She was surprised the man saw anything good in Doug. They didn’t seem to have the same personality traits at all.
John laughed softly at her question. “I am in another country. There are many, many accountants who keep their money safely hidden away for one reason or another. Usually greedy relatives. In this case, the money was not legal. Which reminds me, do you want me to send you the documents so you can receive the money in the next few days? Once all the proper documents are in place, I’ll transfer it all into a bank account of your choice.”
Jaymee glanced at Cameron, who was gazing down at his phone but his eyes weren’t moving, which told her he was listening to their conversation. Aware that she was looking at him, Cameron met her gaze. He sat forward, realizing she had been asked an important question.
“I don’t know,” Jaymee replied, keeping her eyes on the man in front of her. “I don’t know if I want illegal money.”
“That’s a lot of money to let the government seize when it wasn’t theirs to begin with,” John said.
Cameron tilted his head to the side and gave her a look of agreement. He mouthed for her to ask how much it was in total.
“How much money is it?” she asked.
“Seventeen point five million dollars.”
Jaymee’s skin lit up in goosebumps. Her eyes widened and she stared at Cameron, who’d adopted the same expression on his face.
She repeated the number back to John, who confirmed how much it was.
“It came from criminals, Jaymee,” John said. “Do you really want them to have their money back? It’s not like they’re going to sue you for it. That money is yours now. I recommend highly you take it.”
