Serializing a new novel.
Chapter 22: Brooklyn May 2002 — Part 2
Fay and Eli are back in New York City. They are staying in
Eli's parents' old apartment and living quietly, while their
friend David is trying to figure out what has happened. At
last, after several months, David is ready to present what he
has learned.
*
"We will start at the beginning. You were asked to merge with
another supermarket chain. Why? Well because they were in
trouble. A lot of money had been taken from the company by
the managers to support an extravagant life style. Only by a
merger with a company with plenty of assets could this be
hidden away in the accounting.
"Then you turned down the merger. So, soon after that a smart
young man, Fred Smith, comes to your office and wants to be
your assistant. You are tired from all the work. You feel
that you can trust this young man. He tells you he knows your
son from that smart boarding school. You employ him. You
cannot know that he was sent specifically to ensure that the
merger would go ahead.
"Fred Smith suggests this idea of the Brazil rain forest
charity and that part I don't need to tell you. This young
man has learned how to forge your signature. Before he leaves
for Brazil he types out at your secretary's desk a letter
agreeing to the merger. He signs it with your signature and
gives it to the man wanting the merger. He does something
else. You give him a withdrawal form for three thousand
dollars, to leave for petty cash in your safe at home. Each
month you give that to Fay for her charity work.
"You are entitled to draw three thousand dollars from the
firm. But this assistant, he changes the number to three
million and places the money in a Swiss bank account. All
this he has been instructed to do. He is promised that when
he returns, that money, that three million, will be his.
"Now things begin to go wrong for these people plotting to
take over your firm. When they feel sure that you will never
return from Brazil they take the letter that Fred, the
assistant, gave them. You supposedly wrote it before you
left, agreeing to merger. But your lawyer, Maurice, won't
accept it.
"Of course we know why. Your father was upset when you wanted
to change your name from Barchefsky to Barton. He told you
the Jews in Egypt were saved because they kept their true
names. So in the end, you didn't change your name by law. You
were known in business as Barton, but all your legal
documents you had to sign "Barchefsky." But no one knew about
this. Your secretary would bring you letters, and those that
needed to be signed "Barchefsky" because they were legal
documents, you would sign privately and then seal and post on
the way home yourself. No one knew of this in your office. So
Maurice knew immediately that the letter was a fake when it
was signed "Barton."
"Now all along there was a plan to kill that assistant
fellow, Fred, when he got back. Of course, he knows too much
to be allowed to live. Plans are made to kill him. Also, they
decide it is necessary to kill your son. Why? Because if you
are gone then he is the heir — and who knows if he
would agree to a merger? But the killing doesn't succeed,
apparently. Maurice received a letter from Dean telling him
to renew the payment for this apartment. There was no address
so it seems that he knows that he should remain hidden. It
seems that there are lots of queries about Fred Smith, so
presumably he too is hiding. I am still trying to figure out
how Dean and Fred discovered they were in danger and what
happened to them after that.
"Now who do you think has been hired to do all this killing?
None other than our old enemy, big Thomas, the bully from
school. Remember him? Well his old mother still lives around
here. She won't move to the fancy place he bought her because
she knows how he came by the money. Still, he visits here
once a month and she sees him. People here, they know about
him. He brags, they listen.
"Something goes wrong. He can't find your boy. He can't find
your assistant. They disappear. Poof . . . like that. No one
can find them, not even the crooked police in his pay.
"So now we know why they tried to kill you. They didn't
succeed in Brazil and they tried again here. Maurice told the
deputy chairman at work that you were safe and well and would
be arriving back. This fellow, he has been living at a very
high lifestyle since you disappeared . . . much more than he
could on his salary, generous though that is. I suspect that
he too is part of this bad business. I have spoken to Maurice
and warned him not to talk to anyone at your office.
"Now, we must find your son and this assistant fellow, Fred,
before Thomas and his gang do it. This assistant fellow,
Fred, only he will know of every part of this story: of the
three million you are supposed have drawn and placed in a
Swiss Bank account, of why you seemed to disappear in Brazil.
Only when all the facts are out in the open and those who did
these deeds are behind bars, will you once again be safe.
"I am sorry that in telling you this, you will realize the
danger that your son faces. Fortunately he appears to know
this and he is keeping his whereabouts a secret. I am sorry
to tell you this, but what can I do?
"The worst part is, I don't know how we should begin looking
for him. Next week the Hirshes go to Israel. Their doctor son
is paying for the trip. It is an old dream of theirs. All I
can think of at the moment is that you write a kvittel
for them to put in the Kotel."
There was a long silence. Eventually Fay spoke. "That these
things should happen here in America. We were taught that
here we can live in freedom, without fear. We heard of things
like this happening in the old country, where Jews had no
power. Where anyone could do anything against them, but
here!"
David said, "Evil and greed exist everywhere."
Then Eli spoke. "We will go ourselves to the Kotel. If our
only help is from above, then we will not send a kvittel.
We will deliver it ourselves."
*
It was arranged that Fay and Eli would leave within a week.
Money was no problem. Though Eli's salary had been
discontinued after his long months of absence, the profits of
the business in the form of share dividends had been
regularly paid into their account.
They would stay in rented accommodations in the center of
Jerusalem, rather than a hotel where it would be necessary to
register by showing their passports. "These men are still
looking for you. They have international connections. It is
better to live quietly in a small apartment. There is no way
for them to trace you there. In a hotel you would be too
vulnerable." David had said.
How could they know that other more sinister travelers had
already been in Jerusalem for some time? These sinister men
were at that moment hot on the trail of Fred Smith.
