“I’m not sure there’s enough here for my bosses to be impressed with us taking the laser off you, Mrs. Warren, and onto your ex.”
“I had a feeling we might head this direction.” With a nod of affirmation from Lyse, Monica said, “During my time with Jackson, I saw multiple instances of him buying up property across the country under multiple shell companies. About five years into our relationship, when he trusted me more, I saw some of his tax returns. At the time I didn’t understand how a man could have so many investments but not see them on his tax return. Now that I’m older and more experienced with business myself, I see it quite clearly: he didn’t claim any of it at all. Only enough to feel confident that you would not investigate further.”
Agent Muller sighed. “As it is, our resources are quite thin already.”
“Yes, I saw in the news that you dropped the case against Francesca Blake and her husband.” They had been in hot water for the past year for the same supposed thing Monica now accused Jackson of. “Coincidentally, after it came out she made quite the contribution to our senator’s reelection campaign.” It was not a senator that Monica had any love for.I campaigned for the guy he went up against.Monica saw so many things coming that she considered changing her name to Cassandra – especially since so few of the men in her life believed her. “Funny how that works out.”
“I have no control over that, Mrs. Warren.”
“No, and I appreciate the position you’re in Agent Mullen.” She glanced at the other, fairly younger man. “Agent Haskins. You’re both doing your jobs to the best of your abilities. As a taxpayer myself, I appreciate it. What I don’t appreciate is havingmytaxes called into question when I know for a fact that your scant resources are much better directed at someone smuggling money into offshore accounts. Knowing Jackson, he’s still using the same ones he had when I was with him. I know you don’t have reach in the Caribbean or Switzerland, but you have reach in Wyoming, yes? How about Nevada? Alaska and Texas? Because I can tell you what casino he owns on the Strip under a shell company. I highly doubt he’s paid a single cent in taxes from it.”
Both agents conferred a few feet away from Monica while Lyse took notes on her laptop.They’ll come around. They always do, if there’s a bigger fish to fry.Monica knew the current political landscape, though. She didn’t have a chance. No matter who was in charge, or what faction oversaw her taxes, it affected her more than she ever liked to admit.
She always had to be prepared – and that included being able to divert attention from herself at a moment’s notice.
For my employees. For my daughter. For all my girls.
“Understand that you will need to come down to the office to give an official statement,” Agent Muller said when he returned. “We may be able to let you do it anonymously. I’ll have to check on that for you.”
“Appreciated.”
“And understand that unless this information is a credible lead, we cannot go forward with a deal to drop our audit and interest intoyourbusinesses, Mrs. Warren. Quite frankly, having seen what you do, your ‘Château’ in particular is always going to come onto our radar. I understand that you have taken great pains to be ‘legal’ with your… business… but it’s the exact kind of thing a more conservative era is going to look into. No offense. I’m merely sharing this off the record.” He said that while looking at Lyse, who stopped typing. “Both you and your accountants should be doing your absolute due diligence to ensure that everyone’s taxes are completely clean. Even if it means you’re paying for your primary employees’ tax filings.”
“I understand. I assure you I take all of this quite seriously.”
Despite the uncertainty Agent Muller offered, Monica heaved a giant sigh of relief when he left. This was the best news she had received in a long time.
Lyse agreed. “That went better than I thought it would,” she said. “Now, I want to go over everything you’re going to tell them first. If you have some time, I’m ready.”
“What? You mean start figuring out what Jackson’s been lying about on his taxes?” Another sigh. “All right. Let me get a drink first. It will help jog my memory.”
While she also dipped into the bathroom to have a few minutes of privacy, she texted Henry how the meeting went and that shewouldn’t be able to stop by home before the Salon opened that evening.“Too much to do here,”she wrote.
“That’s fine. I might take Abby out to the movies with Eva tonight. She really wants to see the Minecraft thing or whatever it is.”
“All right.”
“Do you have any idea what the hell a Chicken Jockey is?”
“No.”
“Oh, great.”
When Monica walked back out into the lounge, she was ready. There were at least three things she could begin with – she only had to know how far back she should go.
Eat shit, Jackson.She marched to the couch where the agents had sat and grinned in giddy excitement.
This would be fun.
That wasn’t the only order of business that week.
“We’re not pressing civil charges against her.” Monica held Henry’s hand between their chairs as they sat in the FBI office, facing a very different agent for averydifferent matter. “That’s what we decided as a couple. Mostly for our sanity, but also our daughter’s. She’s… young and struggling to understand what’s happened.”
The head of the field office nodded in understanding. “I do not envy either of you, Mr. and Mrs. Warren. This is a right mess. And considering your stations in the local community…” He folded his arms on his desk, sharing his gaze between the two of them. “Perhaps it’s for the best that you do not create a bigger media storm than this already has.”
Monica had been ignoring that. Outside of streaming apps, all of the TVs in their wing of the house had been turned off so they wouldn’t accidentally see the news. They were not talking to the media. Outside of the FBI and police, they talked to nobody about the incident if they weren’t in Warren Manor. Henry and Eva had patched up after their fight and Monica forgave her sister-in-law for being in a position where she had to spill the details. Jackson was no longer harassing Eva, so it was probably for the best.
It hadn’t been long enough for Monica to know if her deal with the IRS would pan out.Or if there will be a deal at all.But one thing at a time. Today was about hearing how things were going forward with Isabella.
