So What's the Catch?

So What’s the Catch? he pondered.

Ben Mattingly sat in a leather chair behind the impressive ball and claw mahogany desk that was passed down from grandfather Mattingly, a highly successful attorney in Columbia Heights, Washington D.C.. Ben was respectful of his grandfather’s reputation and knew the sacrifices he had made to make sure Ben enjoyed the finer things in life.

Between the stacks of paper on the right, he felt for the pipe and lighter he left this morning before his doctor’s appointment. The tobacco pouch contained a special mixture blended for him by George at George R. Greene, Tobacconist, downtown.

He filled the bowl with the fine-smelling tobacco and tamped it down. Alysha hated the smell of any kind of tobacco, especially in the house. But this was his room, his office, not open to others so Ben felt he could do whatever he liked here. After lighting up, he moved to the oversized stuffed chair next to the fire and made himself comfortable. He had some thinking to do, and this was the best place for him. In the chair given to him by his mother several Christmases ago, he squirmed until he reached the best possible position and then put his feet up on the matching ottoman.

“The question at hand: So What’s the Catch?” he asked aloud as if addressing the jury.

Ben Mattingly and James Drexler had known each other since college when they both attended Howard University. Ben came from a well-respected family in Georgetown, Washington D.C., and James brought a full scholarship to the University based on academic achievement from the shores of the Anacostia River in Maryland. Despite having totally different backgrounds, they became best friends, and after passing the bar, they formed their law firm, Mattingly & Palmer LLC. Twenty years later, they were one of the most influential and important firms in Washington, D.C. Three years ago, they felt lucky to have scored a terrific lawyer from a rival firm and were so impressed with her work, they soon offered her a partnership that she more than readily accepted.

But then, out of the blue, Janine Sato came into Ben’s office and announced that she was quitting to attend to a personal matter. Her brother was dying from stage four terminal brain cancer, and she was his only caretaker. Janine said tearfully, there were no other family members, and she and her brother sadly only had each other.

Janine Sato made Ben a very interesting proposition. The trouble was Ben didn’t trust what Janine was offering.  She asked that she be allowed to take the Ebina account with her. After all, she was going to need a big account to get started with her own firm, after resolving the health issue with her brother. In return, she would leave her buy-in on deposit for an agreed period of time so as not to have a major impact on Mattingly, Palmer, and Sato, and they could make disbursements to her as they saw fit. All she wanted was Ebina, she had worked her ass off, and she deserved it.

 “So what’s the catch?” Ben thought.

There has to be something behind the lucrative offer, something not quite on the up and up. It sounds too good to be true, and you know what they say, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.”  

On a Friday afternoon after a brutally busy week at the firm, James knocked as he opened Ben’s office door and asked if he had a moment.

“James, c’mon in; I’m just about finished here. Will you have a drink?” 

“Sure, I’m beat, but I wanted to speak with you before I head home. I won’t keep you long, Charlene is having friends over for dinner, so you know I have to be home on time.”

Ben was surprised James approached him, because for the last few weeks, he noticed his best friend avoided eye contact with him; made himself scarce, and looked weary as if he wasn’t sleeping.

They both chuckled at the thought of Charlene looking at the clock, wondering what was keeping her husband, as Ben poured WhistlePig 18-year double malt rye into Waterford crystal whiskey tumblers and handed one to James. The two men sat.

“You know, Ben, I’ve been thinking something is off with Janine. Why would anyone leave their buy-in? I mean, we’re talking close to half a million dollars. So, if we agree to let her take the Ebina Company account with her, she’s going to need triple that to get her own firm started. I just don’t get it. Any thoughts?” 

“As usual, you and I are on the same page. I don’t get it either.” I’m thinking I may put Brian on this and see what he can turn up. You never know. Maybe we missed something when we first vetted her.” By the way, I’m surprised you knew. When did she speak with you about this?”

“Oh, we had lunch Tuesday, and she mentioned it. I just haven’t had time to talk with you about it.”

“Haven’t had the time? How long does it take to tell your partner and best friend a key player is about to leave the firm.”

“Funny thing though, she never mentioned having a brother. Did you know anything about a brother?” Ben asked.

“No, I mean, in three years, you’d think his name would have come up in conversation. Now all of a sudden, she has a brother who has terminal cancer, and she has to resign?” The men finished their drinks and cut the conversation short.

On Monday, Ben got a call from Brian.

“Hiya Boss – we should meet. “

“Okay, usual place in an hour”

Ben’s driver took him to the abandoned Aqueduct Bridge Abutment on the west side of the Key Bridge, where Brian was waiting. Brian got in the back seat of the Mercedes 2022 S-Class and felt the comfort of the white leather.

“Sorry to sound so secretive, but I think you need to see this right away. Ms. Sato has an interesting past,” and handed the folder to Ben.

“We recruited her directly from Forbes & Manning. How the hell did she pass their vetting process?”

“I don’t know, Boss, sometimes stuff just falls through the cracks. Or, she knew people in high places to conceal something like this.”

“Remind me next time we fill a vacancy to have you do the background check.”

Brian smiled and exited the car.

Back at the office, Ben called James in to read the report.

“How could we have missed something like this?” I trusted her; I confided in her. I thought she was my friend.” I know, I know, don’t mix business with pleasure and all that.”

James’ whole demeanor changed with body language that screamed defeat. He was physically struck with disappointment written all over his face. He felt for the chair behind him and slowly descended.

“Rather a strange personal reaction. Why is he so devastated…odd, very odd.”

“James, is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Well, ah, I, it’s just that…okay, I know you’ll be disappointed in me, but Janine and I have been seeing each other.” Yeah, I get it, but Charlene has changed from the small-town innocent girl into this rich bitch diva, and all she wants to do is go shopping and have dinner parties. We don’t spend time together; hell, I don’t think she even likes me anymore.”

“I’m sorry, James, I didn’t realize you were having trouble.”

“How could you? We’ve become masterful at the cover-up.”

“Yeah…you have.”

“While I sympathize with your personal situation, we have to do some serious thinking here to decide if we’re going to give Janine this account. Why don’t we go to lunch at The Wok and see if we can figure it out.”

Ben called his driver, and the two men were soon settled in in the back of the Japanese restaurant with their usual waitperson Daiki brought their Konacha immediately. With white linen on his arm, he smiled, “How are you gentlemen today?”

“Fine, thanks Daiki, I think we need a few minutes before ordering, but I’ll have a WhistlePig neat, please, while we wait.”

Ben nodded in agreement, and Daiki left the two.

Not more than five minutes later, a well-dressed Japanese man of about fifty passed by their table and gestured hello to James. 

“Good afternoon Mr. Palmer; good to see you.”

James smiled and nodded.

“Who was that?”

“I’m not sure. He looked familiar though.”

“What do you mean you’re not sure?”

“Just what I said.” “Let’s order. I’ve got a lot to do.”

“Someone says hello like they obviously know you, and you don’t remember them? Sounds a little fishy.”

“Yeah, I’m trying to remember where I know that guy from. Seems like I met him at a cocktail party. Oh, yeah, I know, it was the party when we closed the deal with Ebina, and if memory serves, it was Janine that introduced us.”

“How did she know him, she didn’t have the account yet. You and I were handling it at that point; we hadn’t given it to her yet.”

“I don’t know; I never thought anything about it until I saw the guy just now.

Really, or are you setting her up?

As Ben puffed on his hand-carved meerschaum back in his home office, he considered what James told him, saying he had no knowledge of the stranger in the restaurant. He had no proof that Janine was guilty of anything more than bad timing with her resignation. Yeah, she had a sketchy background, but nothing criminal.

I just don’t understand why she would want to leave her money in any longer than necessary. Most people would say get my money to me as soon as possible.

“So again, I ask you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what’s the catch?”

Failing to come up with a reasonable explanation and deciding he was only being paranoid, Ben decided he would vote in favor of giving Janine the account and be done with her. Ebina wasn’t one of the larger accounts anyway.

Days later all parties having an interest in the transfer of the Ebina Account were present, and the agreement was signed. Ben took particular note that the man from the restaurant was not present.

The situation continued to bother Ben after Janine left. He put a request to the accounting firm of Bradley & Coutu for a balance sheet reflecting the firm’s financial position for the past six months. After reviewing it, he then requested an income statement for the past year. It was clear to him now what had happened, but not how or why.

In his office, Ben explained to James they had been robbed of not only the Ebina account but their entire escrow account worth millions. He had Brian working on finding Janine since she had long disappeared after leaving the firm and breaking up with James.

“I’ve been such a fool Ben. Please forgive me. I was not thinking rationally. I never should have gotten involved with her.”

“It’s okay, my brother, don’t you worry; it will all turn out okay.”

Ben sounded reassuring, but he was worried sick about how many clients they would lose if the word “embezzlement” came out. They would be ruined, and Ben wouldn’t tolerate that. He would take matters into his own hands.

It took Brian almost a month to track her down and get her routine down pat. She hid well within the thirty-eight million people in Tokyo, but Brian found her and knew when she was going to be at home. Ben took a first-class flight to Tokyo, where Brian picked him up at the airport and drove him to Janine’s apartment. It was 1AM Tokyo time, and Janine was sound asleep when the two men let themselves in. Brian clamped her mouth shut while Ben stuck a flashlight in her face. She awoke with a start, squirming, arms flailing, but Brian, a rather formidable force, was too strong for her.

“Calm down and don’t scream, or this will get a lot worse for you. We only want to talk.”

Brian released her, and she bolted to an upright position with the speed of a jackal, pulling the sheet over her as she rose. Brian turned the light on, and Ben sat in the chair opposite the bed.

“How did you find me? What do you want? I don’t know what you want!”

“Just listen to me, Janine. Hear me out before you continue with your ridiculous denial.” We know what you and the CFO of Ebina did with the money. I have all the proof I need to send the two of you to prison for a long time, but I’m willing to forget prosecution if you give the money back.

Janine asked, “So what’s the catch?”

“Catch? Why would there be a catch, Janine?  I simply want the money back.”

But Janine was right; she didn’t have the money. She confessed to Ben that she had, in fact, stolen the money, but the Ebina CFO directed her to put the money in an offshore account, which she did, but when she checked later, he was gone, and so was the money. She had been swindled too. 

The next day, as Ben and Brian were climbing the stairs to board the plane in Tokyo, James and the strange man from the restaurant were boarding a plane at Dulles Airport headed for Vietnam.