Cultured, page 10
“She said that TLM had been good for the couple,” Nicole continued. “Made them a bunch of money. Her take was that Jonathon Lindemann was a financial genius.”
“‘Guru’ she called him,” I added.
“That’s what we’ve found so far,” Ray said. “He does know how to pick stocks, bonds, properties, those kinds of things.” A sip of Dew. “When’s the last time Allison saw April?”
I glanced at Nicole. “Three weeks, a month, something like that.”
Nicole nodded.
“Which parallels the last time anyone saw her,” I said.
“James Emerick,” Pancake said. He read from his computer screen. “He graduated with honors from Vanderbilt Law School and opened his office a month later. He owns the firm and has three associates. He also owns his office building over in Destin. Four floors, eight offices, current value about one-point-two million. His investment portfolio is thick and broad. He’s only thirty but already has a net worth upwards of four mil.”
How did he find this stuff so quickly? I knew the answer to that. He was a freaking computer whiz, and possessed the nose of a bloodhound, but it still amazed me. He could dig up more in a minute than I could in a month even though I’m a techie. I still wasn’t sure exactly what a browser was. I’m better at resting, snoozing, and relaxing than I am at browsing.
“No wonder Stephanie DeLuca’s mom was thrilled,” Nicole said. “Maybe we’ll head over and talk with her.”
“Good idea,” Ray said. “She apparently knows April, so she might offer some useful intel.”
“We have a couple of days before the big shindig at Lindemann Farms,” I said. “Plenty of time to fly over to Destin and have a chat with her.”
“Fly?” Nicole asked. She punched my shoulder. “I keep my tires firmly on the ground.”
I shrugged, thinking, Two out of four anyway. I refrained from saying that.
“Tell them what you found on Jonathon Lindemann,” Ray said to Pancake.
Pancake shoved the last of his second burrito into his mouth and spoke around it. “His TLM gig and his real estate business down in Tampa rake in the cash, but it’s his investment firm that goes deep. He services not only the TLM members but also has thirty-three other clients listed. Looks like he does make money for everyone and so far he looks clean.”
“No painting outside the lines?” I asked.
“The only thing that’s possibly off kilter so far is that he has a chunk of cash in several offshore accounts, which is not all that unusual for folks moving big money around.”
“Doesn’t that offer the ability to hide money and avoid taxes?” Nicole asked.
“Not as easy as it once was, but still doable,” Pancake said.
“What’s your next step?” I asked.
Pancake retrieved a cherry danish from the bag and took a bite. “Hmm. God, I’ve missed these.” He swiped his mouth with a wadded napkin. “I’m going to finish off these pastries and then dig deeper into his offshore accounts and a few of his bigger investors and see where it leads.”
CHAPTER 18
“YOU OKAY?” RHEA Wilson asked as she entered Jonathon’s office.
“Fine,” Jonathon said. “Why’d you ask?”
“You seem stressed.”
“I do?” He tapped the keyboard.
“Your shoulders are tense, your jaw clenched. You know, stressed.”
He swiveled his chair toward her. “One of the properties down in Tampa’s having roof issues. It seems a few leaks have appeared.”
“A few?” Rhea asked.
“Several units flooded.”
“Not surprised with the rain they’ve had the past couple of days.” She dropped into the chair that faced him. “I just saw on the Weather Channel that’s it’s clearing so that should help.”
“Still got to fix it.”
“Want me to handle it?”
“Already done. It’ll cost a bundle though.”
“The joys of property ownership.”
Jonathon leaned back in his chair. “Tell me you have good news.”
“I do. I think so anyway.”
He moved a stack of papers aside. “I assume it’s about Jake Longly and Nicole.”
“That case they worked on over in Fairhope. The victims were Emily Patterson and Jason Collins. She, Emily, grew up with Jake down in Gulf Shores. Seems his involvement was more as a friend. His father, Ray, was part of the team, but from what I could find, Jake and Nicole were there for support more than anything else.”
“You sure?”
“As sure as I can be without really digging,” Rhea said.
“Which might raise someone’s curiosity.”
“Like maybe the local cops. But I think it was just what it seems. An old childhood friend gets murdered and they came to support family and friends.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“Emily was working through a divorce and her attorney was Walter Horton, Tammy’s current husband, and as you know Jake is Tammy’s ex. So there’s also that connection.”
“What I hear is that you don’t see any red flags,” Jonathon said.
“Jake’s father, Ray Longly, and his partner, Tommy Jeffers, were involved in the investigation, but mostly it was Chief Warren. I don’t think that Jake was actively involved.”
Jonathon nodded.
“The word on the street is that he and his father don’t see eye to eye, which makes it even less likely.”
“Good. Those two, Jake and Nicole, could be great assets.”
“Jake’s major league career gives him good name recognition around here and adds a certain cache. Nicole might be even better because of her Hollywood connection. She’s definitely part of the community and has a hit movie and rumors of another one underway. Not to mention her uncle is Charles Balfour and he’s nothing to sneeze at.”
“You think? He’s mega.”
“Which might get us a pipeline to all that easy money in LA.”
“And beef up our supporting cast here at the farm.”
“Exactly.” Rhea stood.
“What else you have on for today?”
“Remember those two girls I told you about? The sisters?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m heading over to South Alabama to chat with them. They have an apartment just off campus.”
“Sisters could be a good hook.”
“Absolutely. I already have a couple of people in mind for them.”
“If you can get them onboard,” Jonathon said.
“From my research, it should be an easy sell.”
“I take it they’re already in the game?”
“They are.”
“Love to hear that.”
CHAPTER 19
DESTIN, FLORIDA, OCCUPIED a prime place on the Florida Panhandle in an area known as the Emerald Coast. Its name is often uttered right along with nearby Fort Walton Beach, with folks saying “Destin–Fort Walton” as if they were one and the same. In many respects that’s true since the similarities far outweigh the differences. Both were bustling with tourists and populated with condos and second homes for people living inland or in faraway states. Good vacation spots with solid rental income. Each had sugary, white, sun-drenched beaches and a host of water-view restaurants and bars.
I liked both towns, preferring Destin a bit more, but since I lived in Gulf Shores, also blessed with sun, sand, and bars, including mine, I rarely wandered that far east. It was only eighty miles but during tourist season the drive could take three hours. Not my idea of fun when I could simply walk out on Captain Rocky’s deck and have the same views and, in my biased opinion, better food and drink.
Nicole blasted through Pensacola, Navarre, and Fort Walton Beach before skidding into Destin. We quickly located the home of Stephanie DeLuca in a desirable neighborhood in Destin Harbor. The large white, gray-roofed, north-facing, two-story home was fronted by an inviting circular drive flanked by flowering shrubs and several palm trees. Very classy.
“You made good time,” Stephanie said as she opened half of the double front door and let us inside.
“We always make good time,” I said.
“Jake’s a wimp,” Nicole said. “He can’t handle my driving.”
“Jim says the same about me. But a girl’s got to get to the outlet mall early.”
Stephanie, petite and trim, wore designer jeans and a pale blue silk tee. She led us into a massive living room where a wall of windows looked out over the harbor. A sturdy power boat in the forty-foot range hugged a wooden dock beyond a sparkling swimming pool. She asked if we wanted anything to drink. We declined and sat on a deep, plush sofa, facing Stephanie across a low coffee table.
“Thanks for seeing us,” Nicole said.
“Glad to do so. Mom vouched for you, and more importantly, Ginger did too, so all’s good. She said you seemed like a normal couple.”
“One of us anyway,” Nicole said. “Jake still needs some training.”
Stephanie glanced my way. “Don’t they all?”
“I can dress myself,” I said. “And I’m toilet trained.”
“We measure progress in small steps,” Nicole said.
Stephanie seemed amused with that. “Mom said you were thinking about signing on with TLM and wanted my take on it.”
“That’s right,” I said.
“I wouldn’t be here—” she waved a hand— “were it not for Jonathon and Rhea. I met Jim at TLM.”
“He’s an attorney, right?”
“He is.”
“We understand that he was a TLM member and you worked up at the Farm,” Nicole said.
“Jim had met Jonathon through a mutual friend. He attended one of his seminars down in Tampa and then a couple of retreats up in Magnolia Springs. He was impressed with the entire program. Self-improvement and, even more so, the financial side.”
“That’s the consensus from the people we’ve talked to,” I said.
“No doubt Jonathon has a handle on life and success,” Stephanie said. “Even as an employee, I learned a lot about being self-sufficient, confident, pursuing dreams. Rhea helped me create my own life plan. Finish college, law school, hang out a shingle. I had it all planned and there’s no doubt in my mind that I was on the right track.” She shrugged. “Then I met Jim.”
“And things changed,” Nicole said.
“Did they ever. We’re trying to start a family so all that law school stuff is on hold right now. Not completely. I’m taking some online college courses and only have a few credit hours left to get my degree.”
“Then law school?” I asked.
“That’s the part on the back burner. Jim and I decided that kids would come first.”
“We’re most interested in the financial side of TLM,” I said. “The hundred and twenty thousand buy-in is not pocket change and we want to make sure it’s worth the investment.”
“It is a big number, but as Jonathon and Rhea say it makes sure the members are committed to the program. For sure, without marrying Jim I would never have been able to afford it. Jim has said more than once that it was the best investment he ever made. Jonathon has done well for us.”
“He does seem to have a gift,” Nicole said.
“It’s almost magical,” Stephanie said. “He understands the market, stocks and bonds, real estate, you name it. I don’t know how he does it, but he does. I have little concept of any of that. Jim understands it better but Jonathon is the guru.”
That word again.
“How did you end up at TLM?” Nicole asked.
“They recruited me.” Her gaze shot downward, then back up. “I was in my junior year of college. I attended a TLM seminar on campus and it was as impressive as all get-out. I mean, Jonathon had the attendees in the palm of his hand. He not only excited everyone with his vision for living a successful life but also he gave us a bunch of practical tips on investing and money management.”
“What kind of advice?” I asked.
“Number one was to avoid debt. Pay off things before you buy more. He said debt interest was a killer and, like empty sugar calories, wasteful. He said not to chase the current deals on stocks and bonds but stay with the tried and true. Once you have some savings you could get more adventurous, but early on a degree of caution was best.”
That coming from who I viewed as a scam artist? On some level anyway. But, to me, this felt like sound advice. More or less how I approached things. No doubt Jonathon Lindemann talked a good game and from what Pancake had uncovered so far, that seemed to be the case.
Was I wrong about him?
“Anyway,” Stephanie continued, “a few months later I went to another seminar. Then, Rhea came to visit me.”
Stephanie glanced downward, and another hesitation followed, as if she were trying to organize her thoughts or carefully choose her words. Was she hiding something? Was there something about TLM, or Rhea, or Jonathon that made her uncomfortable? It felt that way, but was I over-reading it?
Stephanie lifted her gaze back to us. “She said she had a job for me. My response was that I was in school and didn’t have the time, but she said I could continue school and work in between. On weekends and holidays, that sort of thing. She also said that they could help me finish my degree remotely from Magnolia Springs. Either way they would help pay for it. An education stipend is what she called it. Plus room and board and a generous salary on the days I worked.”
“An amazing offer,” Nicole said.
“It was, and I took it. Turns out that it was a smart decision. I had fun, learned a lot, and got a chunk of my college paid for by them.”
“What did they expect in return?” I asked.
Yet another brief but uncomfortable hesitation. “That I do a good job for them and carve out a successful path for myself. Of course, they hoped I’d eventually join TLM.”
“But that wasn’t required?”
Stephanie shook her head. “No.”
“What did you do there?” Nicole asked.
Stephanie shifted in her chair and tossed another glance down and to her left. “Lots of things really. Mainly marketing and PR. I entertained clients and helped Rhea arrange social events and the seminars.”
“Any travel involved?” I asked
“That was one of the real perks. I went to San Francisco, L.A., New York, Chicago. All very high-end events.”
“Sounds like the perfect job,” Nicole said.
“It was. I met people I’d never have met. Rich and important people. And, of course, Jim. That alone made it all worthwhile.”
“I guess it’s safe to say you had nothing but a positive experience at TLM,” Nicole said.
“Oh yes,” Stephanie said. “I even referred a few friends, ones I thought would fit in, to Rhea.”
“Which means?” I asked
She shrugged. “Pretty, smart, good with people.”
“Like you?” Nicole asked.
“Oh. That’s not what I meant.” She gave a headshake. “I wasn’t talking about me.”
“But it fits,” I said. “From where I sit anyway.”
“That’s a nice thing to say.”
“Do you know Lorie Cooper?” I asked.
“I do. She’s a sweetheart. Is she still at TLM?”
“She is. So are a couple of other girls I think you know. Robin Meade and April Wilkerson?”
Stephanie’s face lit up. “Yes I do. How are they?”
“The same. Still working at TLM and enjoying it.”
“I miss those days hanging out with them. We had fun. It was like a little sorority. Of course, I wouldn’t take anything for my life now. Finding Jim and marrying him changed everything. For the better, but I do miss my friends. Please tell them I said hello and that they have an open invitation to come visit anytime.”
“We’ll do that,” Nicole said.
“Do you or did you ever have any concerns about TLM?” I asked. “Anything you didn’t like, or thought was maybe not right?”
“Like what?”
“Anything.”
“None. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” She glanced toward the pool. “It was work and not all fun and games.” She looked back at me. “But it was a very exciting time. Meeting people, traveling, just being able to hang out with Jonathon and Rhea and learn from them. In some respects it was even better than college life and that’s saying something.”
As we blasted back toward Gulf Shores, I mentally ran through the conversation with Stephanie. Along with holding on as Nicole tacked through traffic. Stephanie’s enthusiasm for TLM and Jonathon and Rhea was real, but I had an uncomfortable feeling that there was more to the story. What, I wasn’t sure, but something seemed off kilter.
“She’s hiding something,” Nicole said.
“You sensed that too?”
“I did.”
“What do you think it is?” I asked.
“I don’t know but for sure there were things she didn’t want to get into.”
“How are we going to find that out? Without blowing up our cover story?”
She passed a slow truck on the right, her tires kicking up some dust, the car rocking slightly.
“We’ll be there Saturday. Maybe we can uncover something then. Carefully.”
Carefully being the operative word.
CHAPTER 20
STURDY PINES AND elegant oaks dotted the campus of the University of South Alabama, which snugged against the small town of Wheelerville, a few miles west of Mobile. Rhea Wilson’s drive from Magnolia Springs took only a half hour. She arrived twenty minutes early for her meeting with Shane and Sara Hutton, students, sisters, and hopefully new TLM employees. She swung by their apartment complex, The Oaks, just south of campus to make sure it was as easy to find as her GPS suggested. Four three-story structures, each with twelve units, red brick base topped with gray siding. The sisters’ apartment, D-1, first floor, left end, faced a pool complex that sported a rock waterfall and several palm trees. It looked like a nice place and Rhea estimated it probably ran around $2,500 per month. Even split two ways that was a chunk of change, and coupled with partying, drinking, and, based on their Facebook postings, the trendy clothing the sisters relished, meant they could use an extra income stream. Didn’t most college-aged girls?
