chapter 18
JAKE SAT AT his cubicle and allowed the Internet to answer a few questions about Samantha Owens. He felt sneaky doing it, but no one in Jake’s circle of office friends knew her. There wasn’t much information available. She had gone to college at the W in Columbus. She had earned her law degree at Ole Miss and just recently had passed the bar. Her Facebook page was blocked. There really wasn’t much more information available. She wasn’t listed as a member of any law firms in Columbus. That seemed odd.
Jake got his morning started by checking a waterfowl-migration map online and a few select stocks that were anticipating bad news while he waited for eight fifteen to arrive so he could make the call.
“Law office,” a cheery voiced answered after four rings.
“Samantha Owens, please,” Jake stated.
“May I tell her who’s calling?” the cheery voice responded.
“Jake Crosby. I’m a broker with Morgan Keegan.”
“Hold, please.”
Jake refreshed the satellite image page that followed a radio-collared mallard drake that was currently just north of Memphis, heading south.
“This is Samantha Owens,” a similarly cheery voice said, very businesslike. She sounded younger than he was, but it was hard to tell.
Jake paused as he smiled and wondered if she was answering her own phone calls, “Ms. Owens, I’m Jake Crosby. How are you today?”
“I’m well, thank you.”
“Good. I must admit you’re a new name around here.”
“I just moved back to the area,” she responded, careful not to tell too much. She didn’t trust men. “What can I do for you, Mr. Crosby?”
“Yesterday I met with Walter Severson about me helping manage his excess cash reserves and…well, he gave me your name and said his foundation was just getting established and that you could help me.”
“That is correct. He hired me to start a foundation, but it’s not operational yet.”
“I see. He indicated that he had the money but it was all cash. Since we can’t take cash deposits here, I was hoping you could give me an estimated time that you think the foundation would be active.”
“Mr. Crosby—”
“Please call me Jake,” he interrupted.
“And you can call me Sam. Jake, it is going to be at least a week before the foundation’s legally on its feet. We still have a lot to do. Mr. Severson and his friends are retired gentlemen with a lot of free time to dream and wish and hope, but they’re gonna have to let the paperwork catch up to them.”
“I understand. Well, as soon as you can cut checks, I’d appreciate a call so we can get his brokerage account set up.”
“I’ll do that…and…if you know anybody needing an attorney, please remember me,” she shamelessly pleaded. Sam was also relieved to have somebody participating in the foundation who sounded somewhat normal.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jake responded politely. “Somebody around here always needs a good lawyer…and besides, you have such a nice-sounding receptionist.”
Sam blushed and moved the phone to her other ear. “Could you tell?”
“I had an idea.”
Sam laughed at herself and her attempt to impress. “We’re pretty new around here. My actual secretary is a single mom, and there’s a big play at her daughter’s school today.”
“No need to explain or be embarrassed.”
“Thank you. It’s been difficult getting established. Oh, one thing you mentioned—something about cash being a problem.”
“That’s right. We can’t take cash to open an account. As I’m sure you’re aware, financial transactions are no longer private, since banks and brokerage firms now have to comply with what’s called suspicious-activity reports, which basically obligate banks and brokers like me to report transactions that could be considered suspicious or over ten thousand dollars, but for the most part, all financial businesses, even precious-metal dealers, report every transaction over five thousand. It’s a nightmare, and if I don’t report it, I’m the one who gets in serious trouble. Big Brother is watching. At any rate, the tax issues are probably going to be the worst part of it, though.”
“I hadn’t fully considered all that.”
“You need to find a good community banker and tax attorney. They can help.”
“Thank you, Jake. I’ll be in touch.”
“Sure. Just have your secretary call my secretary,” he quipped and heard her laugh.