Shadow in Serenity

thirty-two


A few minutes later, while Carny waited in the anteroom outside, Logan made himself comfortable in the chair across from Gastineau, an overweight, balding man who carried his extra pounds with a polished dignity. As unassuming as he seemed, though, Logan had done enough homework to know that he was as shrewd as they came. His name carried a lot of weight in Texas financial circles, and if Logan could nail him, the other bankers would be more likely to hear him out. “I have two reasons for wanting to meet with you today, Mr. Gastineau,” Logan said. “One is to open an account in your bank. I’d like to start with a half million dollars, and within the month, I’ll deposit a million more.” That, he hoped, was the amount he’d raise in Serenity when the last holdouts came aboard.

Gastineau cleared his throat and immediately pulled out the necessary paperwork. “Certainly, Mr. Brisco. Will this be a transfer from another bank?”

“I have a cashier’s check,” Logan said.

“Wonderful,” the man said. He took the check Logan gave him, made the necessary notations, then took off his glasses and sat back. “And do you want this account in your name?”

“I’ll be the only signatory on the account for now,” Logan said, “but I want the account to be in the name of the town of Serenity, Texas.”

“You want it in the name of a town?”

“Yes,” Logan said. “The town of Serenity is in the process of raising money for a huge amusement park we’re planning to build in that area. We’re working on trying to get Roland Thunder involved, and if we do, his name will be connected with it much like Dolly Parton is connected to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. The money I’m depositing is just a portion of the cash the citizens of Serenity are investing. And we’re hoping you will have the foresight to see what a tremendous investment this is.”

Gastineau listened carefully. “An amusement park. In this economy?”

“Yes, precisely because of this economy,” Logan said, plowing past the doubt in the man’s voice. Digging into his briefcase, he said, “I’ve brought you my business plan, my projected costs for the venture, projected profits over the next ten years, comparisons with other parks across the United States …” He paused, and chuckled slightly. “Actually, Mr. Gastineau, I should probably go over one thing at a time with you. We’ll start with the projected profits, so you can see what an opportunity this is for you.”

He handed Gastineau the booklet he’d designed on his computer, then taken to Julia Peabody to print and bind. Sitting back, he opened his own copy.

“You say other banks in the Houston area have agreed to invest?” Gastineau asked.

“You’re the first I’ve offered it to,” Logan admitted. “I’m meeting with Alex Green at First Trust Bank this afternoon, and tomorrow with John Van Landingham at South Federal. I also have several bankers in Dallas and Austin I’m meeting with. It’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss, Mr. Gastineau. The profit margin is very high. And as icing on the cake, it’ll create hundreds of jobs in a town that really needs them.”

Frowning, Gastineau opened the booklet and zeroed in on the numbers. “Interesting,” he muttered, and Logan grinned.

As Logan embarked on the rest of his spiel, he had Gastineau hanging on every word.

One down, a dozen to go, he told himself. If he could just keep the con going long enough, he’d be legit before he knew it. And then all of his lies would turn to truth.


When an hour and a half had passed and Logan still hadn’t come out, Carny was beginning to regret waiting. She considered sending the secretary in to make sure he hadn’t slipped out some back door, but then she told herself that was ludicrous.

When the door finally opened and Logan came out, laughing with the bank president as if they were old friends, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ll call you at the hotel and let you know what time my board of directors plans to meet, Logan. I’d very much like you to be there yourself.”

“I’ll make it a point,” Logan said. “And if you think of any questions in the meantime …”

“I’ll certainly call.”

Carny got to her feet, and the older man smiled. “I’m so sorry we kept your lovely wife waiting for so long.”

“This isn’t my wife, sir. This is Ms. Sullivan. She’s my pi lot.”

“Pilot!” Gastineau said. “Well, I never would have guessed!”

Carny smiled and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Gastineau.”

He took her hand in both his own. “Forgive me for keeping Logan so long.”

“That’s all right,” she said.

Gastineau saw them to the elevator, and when the doors closed, she expected Logan to let out a long sigh. But instead of being drained, he seemed energized. She fixed her gaze on him. “Well, how did it go?”

“It looks good,” Logan said. “I’m meeting with his board of directors tomorrow.”

“Will they make the decision about where to put the park?”

“They might. But I’m expecting to have to fly everyone to Serenity and show them the site before there’s a final decision. How many people can your plane accommodate?”

“Six comfortably in my Baron, but if we needed to we could rent Hugh Berkstrom’s Learjet. I’m certified for it. I sometimes fly it when his regular pilot isn’t available.”

“That’ll work,” he said.

The chauffeur was still waiting when they reached the car, and as Carny got in, she couldn’t help the confusion taking hold of her. She was almost getting excited about the prospect of getting the park under way.

Logan could convince a tiger that it was a zebra. And she was beginning to wonder if that was exactly what he was doing to her.