Page 31 of Soaring Free
“Your lack of trust in my information gathering wounds me, Theodore. Of course, I immediately had to verify any of this tea. So, I called an assistant I know over there from the gym, and he said that the tip to Homeland Security conveniently coincided with chatter the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network was hearing. One of the client’s trust accounts with the firm had been flagged for suspicious banking activity and potential financial interactions with alleged cartel connections.”
“No way. No. I don’t see Shane having the balls to do something so dangerous, let alone foolish. That’s a massive risk!”
“I agree, as did my source over there. The guy told me the client’s first and last names match an individual that thegovernment has on the Specially Designated Nationals list of individuals that citizens of the United States are prohibited from doing business with. The person that they’re confusing the firm’s client with has strong, if not proven, ties to the Colombian cartels. He said he’s convinced they have enough evidence to prove that it’s in name only and not the same person. Obviously, he couldn’t disclose client names, but a quick Google search led to an interesting discovery.”
“Of course, it did.” I pull into my parking spot at the firm and Cian is standing there, holding a tray of coffees, and smiling. We disconnect as I get out of my SUV and continue the conversation. He extends a cup to me and the familiar smell of my usual salted caramel cream latte greets me.
I lift my cup in acknowledgment. “Thanks for this. Okay, time for show and tell. What did your internet research reveal?”
Cian wiggles his eyebrows. “Did you know that the most common surname in Colombia is Rodriguez?”
My eyes narrow. “That doesn’t feel groundbreaking, Byrne.”
“No, but it becomes much more interesting when you consider some of the top male first names of Colombia.” He pauses for dramatic effect until I wave for him to get on with it. Walking in into my office, I ease into my chair and look at him expectantly. “Juan, Miguel, and … Alejandro.”
Pausing before my lips can reach my drink, I snap my head to him. “Shane represented Alejandro Rodriguez in that embezzlement case in Nashville. There was a ton of press coverage because of that video with his assistant at the concert went viral. Wait … that guy has ties to the Colombian cartels?”
“Likely not.” Cian grins as he continues and he sounds more like he’s reporting the winning play at his last rugby game rather than a massive headache that sounds like Shane’s recent reality. “But his name rang a bell for me too, so I looked it up and sure enough, there’s an individual with the same name on the list. What is incredibly ironic is that Shane’s client, Alejandro Rodriquez, and the one on the prohibited federal transaction list, do not only have the same name, but they have the same birth date andmonth. However, the guy on the fed’s list was born fifteen years prior to the one Shane is representing, but I bet the birthday and month matching made the tip that much more credible.”
“Situations like this can happen, it’s not totally unheard of, but what a fucking headache of red tape, forensic accounting, and audits to deal with to get it straightened out. And that's not to mention the embarrassment now that word is clearly getting around about it.” I don’t fight the smile that is now as broad as Cian’s.
“Honestly, Cian, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.”
Chapter eighteen
“And then what happened?” Olivia asks my brother Finn, hanging on his every word as he tells the infamous big fib story of my life around the dinner table at Daddy’s.
“Your mother insisted she broke her ankle while running down the stairs.” Finn smirks at me as he bares my secrets to our father—and my very own children.
“Listen, you aren’t getting the full story. I knew that if the truth came out, then whichever brother was actually the brains behind the operation would be grounded, and I figured I was already in trouble, and I was already in a cast, so I took one for the team.” I point to myself with my thumb before pointing an accusatory finger to my siblings. “And I don’t appreciate the lack of loyalty now!”
“I wasn’t even home when it happened!” Ryan insists.
“How did you really fall on the stairs then?” Olivia turns her attention to me.
“Well, I kind of tripped. But I was using a large suitcase as a sled down the stairs and the whole thing tipped, and I went tumbling down the rest of the way. I landed wrong and ended up spending part of that summer vacation in a cast, which was a real pain when I wanted to go swimming with my friends.”
“Do you know how many times we were told not to run on the stairs or we would break an ankle?” Vivian shakes her head as she laughs, apparently joining the coup against her dear sister.
“Now hold on, who was the actual master mind behind this if you didn’t accidentally trip while running down the stairs? Whowere you covering for?” Daddy’s eyes dance with amusement but he also wants to know the truth after all these years.
Ryan, Finn, Vivian, and I all look at each other before we respond in unison, “Liam.”
“Of course!” Daddy is not at all surprised that Liam was the one who was trying to recreate the famous movie scene, but instead of using a wooden sled, he had us using a large suitcase. Liam was convinced there was a skill behind how to steer it to avoid the wall, but I quickly proved it required zero effort to wipe out and end up injured.
“Statute of limitations, Daddy! You asked for the truth, and now you have to be okay with knowing it,” I tell him, trying not to laugh as he rolls his eyes at me.
“Did Nana get mad at you?” Emily inquires.
“Not really mad, that wasn’t how Nana operated. To be honest, I think she knew my story was a big ol’ fib, but she also knew I was bummed about it effecting my summer vacation, so she didn’t push it.”
“She absolutely knew you were covering for one of your brothers; we just weren’t sure who was the culprit because other than Ryan, the other three were all home at the time.”
I sheepishly shrug. “Sorry, Daddy. I promise that’s the worst lie I told y’all growing up!”
I don’t know what prompted telling a few true stories from our childhood, but over the years, some truths have come to light, much to our father’s disappointment. We all claim statute of limitations though, and Daddy insists he finds these stories entertaining more than anything. I’m sure Mama would have been a little disappointed, but she would have laughed at us even more than Daddy. It’s been five years since Mama passed, and I still wish I had more years with her … it was never going to be enough time.
I’m not at that stage in parenting where my kids are my friends yet, but I look forward to the day when they can come to me as a friend and share their lives with me. Not only because I’m their mama, but because I will always have their back and be theirnumber one cheerleader. I’m still in the stage of being the rule keeper and making sure my girls grow up with a good head on their shoulders and a strong sense of who they are before the world tries to convince them otherwise.
