In spite of all of his doting, Myra remained in a fog of hopelessness until one day she saw a news clip about a woman whom the legal system had failed. Staring at the TV, Myra had an epiphany. No one else would be a victim of an injustice even if it meant taking matters into her own hands. In a very short time, the group grew, with each woman bringing her own special talents to their cause.
Lizzie Fox Cricket was a crackerjack lawyer, considered one of the sharpest in the world. Nikki Quinn, Myra’s adopted daughter, was also a lawyer. Kathryn Lucas, a graduate of MIT with a degree in nuclear engineering, had been brutally raped, while her husband, suffering from MS, was forced to watch. When her husband died, Kathryn took on his vocation as a big-rig, long-distance truck driver. She preferred the freedom of the open road over a desk job or a position in a laboratory.
Alexis Thorn, a beautiful African American woman, was wrongly imprisoned while the real criminals spent the profits from their stock scam. After her release, she went to law school and became a member of Nikki’s law firm. She also happened to be a master of disguise. Yoko Akia owned and ran a plant nursery when she wasn’t honing her exceptional martial-arts skills; and Isabelle Flanders owned her own architectural firm and was becoming a master computer hacker under the tutelage of her husband, Abner Tookus.
Maggie’s first thought was to bring in the sisters, but not before she did a little research on her own. In the meantime, she would talk to Annie and get her advice.
Chapter Four
2008
South Florida
When their final semester was ending, Noah and Liam received a disturbing phone call from their family attorney. Their father had been arrested for running a Ponzi scheme that rivaled the one for which Bernie Madoff would eventually be arrested. Sidney’s behavior during the holidays was beginning to make sense. He must have sensed that the FBI was onto him, but before he could make a move, they seized all his assets, indicted him, and stuck him in jail without bail until he could be tried. They were not taking any chances of his making bail and skipping the country.
It also answered the mystery of Mother’s earlier departure for England. She had to have known something. Whether she had full knowledge of Sidney’s financial shenanigans, and if so for how long, was her little secret, a secret she wasn’t about to share. She had transferred a goodly sum of money into an offshore account prior to her departure, then transferred it to London upon her arrival in the UK. Her New Year’s Eve gala was intended to create the illusion of normalcy.
Liam and Noah had been thrown to the wolves.
Noah was in a state of panic and rage. But Liam began to think about a plan. If he could make enough money to share an apartment with Noah, he could work on his master’s degree in psychology. Liam decided to apply for a position as a graduate assistant and to get several side jobs tutoring. It wouldn’t be a lot, and he would be living month-to-month, but he would be able to share the bills with Noah. At least the overhead. Noah was interested in leading a much ritzier lifestyle and thought he could afford it, for a while.
When Noah heard the news about the loss of his family’s wealth, he was too furious to think about continuing his education. What for? No. He would figure out a way to make money. Lots of money. He dug through his contacts list and found Daniel Ruffing’s number. Connecting with the billionaire would certainly be a good move. Even if it meant working for him. How bad could selling yachts be? Noah dialed his private cell number.
“DJ here.” Daniel Ruffing’s voice came through loud and clear.
“Hey, it’s Noah. Noah Westlake. How are you, sir?” Noah’s voice was a little shaky. He had never had to grovel before. Ever.
“Noah. Good to hear from you, but please drop the ‘sir.’ Makes me sound old,” Ruffing said with a guffaw. “Call me DJ.”
Noah was even more nervous. He hadn’t expected the conversation to be so casual. What he was expecting were questions about his father, or that Ruffing would simply hang up on him because of his father. Noah had no idea as to the real relationship the two men had. But based on the tone of his voice, Ruffing was quite blase. “What can I do for you, Noah?”
“Well, actually, I, uh ...” Noah was stammering.
“Hey, I know about the situation with your old man. Tough break.” That was even more casual.
“Yes, which is one of the reasons I called.” Noah quickly added, “Not for money, but maybe discussing a job?” He cringed as he waited for a response.
There was a moment of silence. Noah thought perhaps they had been disconnected. Finally, Ruffing cleared his throat. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m not exactly sure.” Noah hadn’t thought it through before he dialed the number.
“Well, then, why don’t you come by the marina next week. I’ll be back in the States by then. Say Wednesday?”
“Absolutely.” Noah regained some of his composure. “What time?”
“Come by around noon. We’ll have some lunch, and I’ll show you around.”
“That would be great. Thanks very much. I appreciate it.” Noah was stunned by the invitation. He truly did not expect such congeniality from a man of Ruffing’s stature. Maybe he and his father had had a close relationship. Then he remembered how his mother squashed her breasts against Ruffing at the New Year’s Eve party. Come to think of it, Noah couldn’t recall his mother being so chummy with anyone. At no point in time, with anyone.
“My pleasure, Noah. By the way, will your brother be joining us?” Ruffing asked.
“No. Just me. He’s preparing for exams. Thanks again. I’ll see you next week.” Noah got a rush of adrenaline. He was going to have lunch with the rich and powerful Daniel Josephson Ruffing. And if all went well, Noah would be gainfully employed after graduating. Next was finding an apartment for himself and Liam. He reminded himself not to start counting the money he hoped he could make. At least not until he nailed a job.
Fortunately, Ruffing obliged without too much convincing and made him a marina attendant. A fancy expression for dockhand. They were the people responsible for fueling boats and assisting boaters with whatever they needed. And there were always lots of those. But it was a start. A start in a very lucrative business, surrounded by very wealthy people.
*
In the beginning, it wasn’t as glamorous as Noah had anticipated. He didn’t get the royal treatment. The staff viewed him as a rich kid who wanted more spending money. They weren’t too far from the truth. The difference was that Noah wanted lots more spending money. He wasn’t about to let the ruin of his father become his legacy. He had often thought about changing his last name, but that would require too much paperwork. Besides, most people in South Florida had no idea who Bernie Madoff was, let alone Sidney Westlake. It was extremely rare for anyone to make a connection.