The Greatest of These by Greg Wendleton (booksvooks txt) 📕

and what they had endured. I assured her that they were both doing well and were physically recovered. They were planning to fly home Sunday or Monday. I told Fonda about the Crowleys and what Scott had done for me. Basically, with those accounts, my 401k and vacation cash out from The Company, we were pretty well set up.

We discussed the job offer from Scott and starting over on Maui. And of course, I told her about the house, the view, and the beautiful sunsets.

“Well Garret, I’ve had more than half of my clients cancel since the news broke on Friday, so I only had four scheduled therapy sessions for this week, and I rescheduled them, or passed them on to another therapist. I can do physical therapy anywhere. I just have to be licensed, and that shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Okay, that part sounds like you are open to relocating. What about your friends?”

“My friends? You mean all the ones who have called since Friday to offer support and have come by to see how I was doing?”

“Well, yeah.”

“My only visitors have been the horde of media on Friday and the FBI. The Special Agent in Charge, Gene Shaw, was very kind and offered whatever support I needed. The only phone call I received was yours from the airport on Maui and before you came home.”

“I’m so sorry. People choose to believe what is reported before they know the truth.”

“Nothing is holding me here, especially if you say Chad and Jamie are going to buy a home on Maui. I do know a good real estate agent. She is one of my loyal clients. Should we give her a call?”

“Let’s do it.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

Chad and Jamie had decided that they did want to move forward on the purchase of the house they had visited the previous Monday afternoon. So, when Scott and Leilani stopped by for cocktails and the nightly sunset watch, they signed the paperwork and dated it Sunday, March 7, even though it was Thursday, March 4. Scott called the listing agent while they were all together and explained he had a full price, cash offer, that he could deliver on Sunday. It was verbally presented to the sellers and they accepted, gladly. The two couples toasted to the new life with Special Agent Mears standing by in lieu of the usually present Jerry Presley, as he was now known amongst the group. He had taken another day at home to refresh and recharge. He had been on this case for more than eight days and was showing signs of strain and fatigue.

The realtor that Fonda and Garret had called on Thursday morning, came over later that afternoon and fell in love with their craftsman style home. She pointed out a few little tweaks that might help the house sell quicker and promised that she would send a photographer the next day to take photos of the interior and exterior. She would create the listing and have it entered into MLS and posted on Realtor.com and Zillow by Friday evening. Based on her market knowledge, neighborhood comps and a ‘gut feeling’ about the house, they should list it for $399,000 and create a small bidding war.

JoAnn Bess was a woman of her word. Friday morning the photographer staged the rooms to present the house in its best light. Garret and Fonda had spent Thursday night cleaning and rearranging a few things that they thought needed tweaking. The online listing looked great and by Saturday morning, JoAnn called to schedule three showings for the weekend. She told them to be prepared for a quick sale and a closing before the end of April.

Things were moving fast, and Fonda was excited to begin a fresh life on Maui. To keep the ball rolling, I called Scott Crowley and told him that we had put our house on the market and we were definitely interested in purchasing the Maui house. Scott shared the news with Leilani while we were still on the phone. I could hear her shriek of excitement in the background and laughed out loud. They would be friends through thick and thin.

Saturday broke with a radiant sunrise that presented a different perspective for six people in Texas. Two men greeted the day with faith in a man who didn’t deserve it. They were not good men, but they felt they had done their jobs and earned two-million-dollars apiece. They would be traveling separately from their safe houses to The Farm.

Two additional men awoke hopeful that they would successfully evade law enforcement, the United Bamboo Gang and anyone else brave enough to pursue them. Jackie Ming had consolidated his financial holdings into a bank account in Mexico City. His various accounts and the split of the fifty-million-dollars Conrad had been paid, gave him a total of $31, 400, 400. Conrad consolidated his holding to a different bank in Mexico City. He had moved twenty-five million to Wilhite Logistical Consulting, to frame Chad Wilhite, and one million to Garret Cooper to make him appear as a conspirator. So, his Cayman account balance was down to $6,463,899. He added that to his half of the payment from the UBG and his account total was $31,463,899. Two men of nearly equal assets would be on the run together. Of course, Conrad wasn’t going to tell Jackie that he expected to recover twenty-million from his hacker.

We awoke to a big dark chocolate dog plopped in the middle of our bed, wanting to go outside. We were in love and were joyously awaiting what the day would bring. I jumped out of bed and slipped on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and hooked Chief’s leash to his collar.

“You know, Chad and Jamie have a fenced in yard. You can take Chief to their house and let him roam free.”

When I turned back toward Fonda, before departing our bedroom, I noticed that Fonda’s nightgown strap had slid off her