Arthur Hailey - The Moneychangers

At last the bank security chief had a sense of closing in on his main objective the conspiracy which had, and still was, defrauding the Keycharge system of huge amounts.

The fake driver's license confirmed the existence of a versatile, efficient organization to which there was now an additional lead the ex-con, Jules LaRocca.

The Impala, inquiry showed, had been stolen. A few days after Eastin's iourney it was found abandoned in Louisville.

Finally, and most important, had been identifying the counterfeiter,

Danny, along with a cornucopia of information including the fact that the source of the counterfeit Keycharge credit cards was now known with certainty. As Wainwright's knowledge had accumulated because of his pipeline from Miles Eastin, So had an obligation grown to share what he knew. Therefore a week ago he had invited agents of the FBI and U. S. Secret Service to a conference at the bank.

The Secret Service had to be included because money counterfeiting was involved, and theirs was the constitutional responsibility for protecting the U.S. money system. The FBI special agents who came were the same team Innes and Dalrymple who investigated the FMA cash loss and arrested Miles Eastin almost a year ago.

The Secret Service men Jordan and Quimby, Wainwright had not met before. Innes and Dalrymple were complimentary and appreciative about the information Wainwright gave them, the Secret Service men less so.

Their beef was that Wainwright should have notified them sooner as soon as he received the first counterfeit bills from Eastin and that Eastin, through Wainwright, ought to have advised them in advance about the Louisville journey.

The Secret Service agent Jordan, a dour, hard-eyed, runtish man whose stomach rumbled constantly, complained, "If we'd been warned, we could have made an intercept. As it is, your man Eastin may be guilty of a felony, with you as an accessory."

Wainwright pointed out patiently, "I already explained there was no chance for Eastin to notify anybody, including me.

He took a risk and knew it; I happen to think he did the right thing.

As to a felony, we don't even know for sure there was counterfeit money in that car." "It was there all right," Jordan grumbled.

"It's been surfacing in Louisville ever since. What we didn't know was how it came in."

"Well, you do now," the FBI agent Innes injected. "And thanks to Nolan, we're all that much further ahead." Wainright added, "If you'd made an intercept, sure you might have got a batch of counterfeit.

But not much else, and Eastin's usefulness would have been ended."

In a way, Wainwright sympathized with the Secret Service point of view. The agents were overworked, harassed, their service understaffed, yet the quantity of counterfeit money in circulation had increased by staggering amounts in recent years. They were fighting a hydra-headed monster. No sooner did they locate one source of supply than another sprang up; others remained permanently elusive.

For public purposes the fiction was maintained that counterfeiters were always caught, that their kind of crime didn't pay. In reality, Wainwright knew, it paid plenty.

Despite the initial friction, a big plus from involving law enforcement agencies was recourse to their records. Individuals whom Eastin had named were identified and dossiers assembled against the time when a series of arrests could be made.

The counterfeiter, Danny, was identified as Daniel Kerrigan, age seventy-three. "Long ago," Innes reported,

"Kerrigan had three arrests and two convictions for forgery, but we haven't heard of him in Sfteen years. He's either been legit, lucky, or clever."

Wainwright recalled and repeated a remark of Danny's relayed by Eastin to the effect that he had been working with an efficient organization.

"Could be," Innes said. After their first conference Wainwright and the four agents maintained frequent contact and he promised to inform them immediately of any new report from Eastin.

All were agreed that the remaining key piece of information was the location of the counterfeiters' headquarters. So far, no one had any idea where that Night be. Yet hopes of obtaining a further lead were high, and if and when it happened the FBI and Secret Service were ready to close in.

Abruptly, as Nolan Wainwright meditated, his telephone jangled. A secretary said that Mr. Vandervoort would like to see him as soon as possible. Wainwright was incredulous.

Facing Alex Vandervoort, across the latter s desk, he protested, "You can't be serious"

"I'm serious," Alex said. "Though I have trouble believing you were, making use of the Nunez girl the way you have. Of all the insane notions.," "Insane or not, it worked." Alex ignored the comment. "You put the girl in jeopardy, consulting no one. As a result we're obligated to take care of her, and may even have a lawsuit on our hands."

"I worked on the assumption," Wainwright argued, "that the fewer people who knew what she was doing, the safer she would be."

"No! That's your rationalization now, Nolan. What you really thought was that if I had known, or Edwina D'Orsey, we'd have stopped you. I knew about Eastin.

Was I likely to be less discreet about the girl?" Wainwright rubbed a knuckle along the surface of his chin. "Well, I guess you have a point."

"Damn right I do!" "But that's still no reason, Alex, for abandoning the entire operation.

For the first time in investigating Keycharge frauds we're close to a big breakthrough.

Okay, my judgment was wrong in using Nunez. I admit it. But it wasn't wrong about Eastin, and we've got results to prove it."

Alex shook his head decisively. "Nolan, I let you change my mind once before.

This time I won't. Our business here is banking, not crime busting. We'll seek help from law enforcement agencies and co-operate with them all we can.

But we will not sustain aggressive crime-fighting programs of our own. So I tell you end the arrangement with Eastin, today if possible." "Look, Alex…"

"I already have looked, and don't like what I see. I will not have FMA responsible for risking human lives even Eastin's.

That's definite, so let's not waste time in further argument."

As Wainwright looked sourly despondent, Alex went on, "The other thing I want done is a conference set up this afternoon between you, Edwina D'Orsey, me, to discuss what to do about Mrs. Nunez.

You can start considering ideas. What may be necessary…"

A secretary appeared in the office doorway. Alex said irritably, "Whatever it is - later!" The girl shook her head. "Mr. Vandervoort, Miss Bracken's on the line. She said it's extremely urgent and you'd want to be interrupted, whatever you were doing."

Alex sighed. He picked up a phone. "Yes, Bracken?"

"Alex," Margot's voice said, "it's about Juanita Nunez." "What about her?" "She's disappeared." "Wait." Alex moved a switch, transferring the call to a speaker phone so that Wainwright could hear.

"Go ahead." "I'm terribly worried.

When I left Juanita last night, and knowing I was going to see you later, I arranged to telephone her at work today.

She was deeply concerned. I hoped to be able to give some reassurance."

"Yes?" "Alex, she didn't get to work." Margot's voice sounded strained. "Well, maybe…" "Please listen. I'm at Forum East now. I went there when I learned she wasn't at the bank and I couldn't get an answer on Juanita's home phone either.

Since then I've talked to some other people in the building where she lives.

Two of them say Juanita left her apartment this morning, at her usual time, with her little girl Estela. Juanita always takes Estela to nursery school on her way to the bank.

I found out the name of the school and phoned. Estela isn't there. Neither she nor her mother arrived this morning."