The Proposal

Dickie Reardon had an I.Q. north of one-eighty. He was having difficulties deciding upon a birthday present for Tatiana's birthday. It was Thursday evening in his bedroom, and the party was slated for Saturday afternoon.

Dickie had admired Tatiana from afar and had convinced himself that he was headlong in love with her. What was sad was that he couldn't summon the requisite courage to convey his true feelings to the object of his affection, but he thought a gift might be a way forward.

His meager savings indicated that to purchase a quality gift for the occasion, he would have to raise some more Do-Re-Mi; cash!

It was a habit of his to read through several new outlets each morning to keep abreast of events happening in his community and around the world. He could accomplish such a prodigious feat by his ability to speedread.

As he pondered the thought of a suitable present for his heartthrob, he suddenly remembered one particular article that had caught his attention.

The article detailed the arrest of a man who had hidden ill-conceived gain in some offshore account somewhere on an island. Dickie also regurgitated that when the authorities arrested the thief, they discovered a paper trail that led them to his treasure trove.

Why did this man hide his money on an island like a pirate? What could be the circumstances that led him to even consider such a proposition? How much money was he able to hide on the island?

These were some of the many questions that caused him to revisit the news outlets. He wanted to ascertain answers to his questions. A plan was shaping up to augment his savings, but he would have to do more research. Sitting at his computer, he began his work and found the article after several hours. He soon immersed himself in the paper and came away with a grand idea.

After a careful read, the island in question was actually the offshore banking enterprise, more commonly known as the Cayman Islands. This revelation helped clear up some of the mystery.

His later research revealed that the Cayman Islands banking system provided financial cover for those who chose to shield some of their income from prying eyes. In Dickie's estimation, this was an attempt to deceive the proper authorities and conceal possible criminal activity.

Of course, it also became heir apparent that these law perpetrators avoided paying taxes and other associated income by concealment. He thought there were probably better mechanisms to avoid detection that were not as convoluted. Still, he could move forward with his plan per his immediate needs.

There was a Cha-ching moment when he read that supposedly millions, if not trillions of dollars, were unlawfully diverted to the Islands by unscrupulous individuals and corporate concerns. He thought that perhaps no one would mind if he borrowed a few of those dollars for the present duration.

The gravity of his predicament required that he exercise his hacking techniques and a plunge into the Dark Web for a journey along the "Silk Road".

He knew what he was looking for and had to be very careful in his search as the Dark Web had ears and eyes. He found his intended information as it was revealed to him. Still, he took a pass on the first goody as he detected Sniffers that suggested the presence of law enforcement. The Dark Web was home to the FBI, CIA, Interpol, and other policing agencies looking to pounce on anyone engaged in suspected criminal activities.

Retrieving his sought-after prized, he proceeded to the next portion of his plan, which eventually led him to the doors of the websites for banks on the Cayman Islands. After checking for Sniffers, which he discovered a few, he began to look for his entrance.

He was looking for a way to trespass into the banking facility without any of the many known ticklers alerting the Techno-geeks hired by businesses to thwart cybercrime. And there it was, an unattended port that had been placed along with several other ports that did work.

He sent a soft code to the port to see if any red flags would cause an alarm and patiently waited to be rewarded with no flags noticed.

He then sent another code to the port to open it and was met with success. His technique involved building a cyber bridge between a working port and the unattended port, with both ports using the same power, seemingly as one. In this manner, he could send data into the system. No detection.

Now that he was legally in the bank's system, he looked for bank clients with vast cash deposits. He also looked for accounts that generated regular activity. In addition, his information from the Dark Web suggested looking for funds tied to many different businesses, suggesting that some were "dummy or Shell" corporations, if not all. He found several and chose one with an excess of three-quarters of a billion dollars.

Having already set up his own account in the banking system, he sent a request to the Shell company to send three hundred thousand dollars to a vendor on the account. The transfer was marked as construction funds. The funds were sent to the construction company on record and many other reports. During the transfer, the funds were diverted to Dickie's account when he transferred to his new Swiss account. He closed out his rogue account, covered his tracks, backed out of the system, and disappeared into the vastness of the Dark Web.

While involved in his nefarious research, he saw the most fantastic diamond necklace on a Tiffany website. He couldn't get the beauty out of his mind. He went to the website, made an online purchase through his Swiss account, and had the platinum diamond necklace sent to Tatiana's home to arrive by Saturday afternoon. It only cost one hundred and eighty thousand dollars.

The precious gift arrived as stated, and when opened by twelve-year-old Tatiana, her mother gasped in amazement. She recognized the trademark blue Tiffany box and saw the unmistakable glimmer of diamonds. Who could be sending her young daughter such a gift? No one realized that her classmate, Dickie Reardon, was the culprit.

After the Police were called and had ascertained that the gift was not part of any known criminal activity and that the gift was paid from a legal account through normal channels, they left. However, they suggested her parents continue monitoring their daughter's online activities to detect anything untoward. After five years, they stopped tracking as no such activity was observed.

Tatiana continued to remain on the Dean's list throughout high school. She received a letter from a prestigious law firm. They informed her that she would receive a fully paid education at any institution of higher learning. Tatiana chose Columbia University in New York and settled into her studies.

Within the month, after looking for a job to splurge at Bloomingdales, she was called to the Dean's office to be informed her that an engraved letter needed her attention. Upon opening the letter, she was amazed to find a job offer which she quickly answered.

She was quickly hired by the law firm and was instructed to report to work the next day after school. Upon arriving at the firm, she was directed to an ornately decorated office overlooking the city. On her desk was a blue box with a yellow bow. As the clerk left her alone in the office, Tatiana opened the small box and recognized the ring-size platinum diamond necklace. It was then that she noticed the engraved letter with her name. Opening the letter, she read, "Will you marry me"?

Tatiana named her first son Dickie Reardon, Jr.