Revelation Blues Pt. 04

The more Scott traveled for business, the more he spent time alone in his room after dinner, the more he started exploring and doing new things, like reading business and financial articles on the Internet, researching company fundamentals, getting software to do investment analysis, manage asset allocation, and using technical analysis to select investments in a global market. It seemed like something his financially minded parents had embedded in his genes.

Scott ended up getting his sport car, two cars even, without having to touch a dime, or a penny in that instance, from his Trust back home.

Over time, Scott bought and sold shares, collected dividends, made amazing profits, converted to cash, and invested some more. With some occasional good advice from his father he even invested in some industrial real estate projects. He was lucky in a way to have the ability to sense when the winds were changing and sold shares in companies before they folded over or have their shares take a sudden dive. He lost some, several times, but nothing of significance compared with the amazing gains he made.

It wasn't surprising at all that, at the last count, the shares, options, term deposits, real estate investments, and various foreign exchange accounts, represented well over twenty one million US Dollars in value, and growing. Not including the close to three million US Dollars in his Personal Pension Plan.

* * *

At times, after ending a trading session or managing his investments, Scott would sit back and imagine what he could do with all that money. It was just ideas, he never truly formulated any specific plans to use that wealth. He just didn't want to use it for his day to day life. He always shunned a life of luxury, he liked working, and most of all he liked the family life he had. That's why he never withdrew money from his Trust for personal use. He didn't have to. His salary and big bonuses were more than adequate to provide for his family's needs.

He also knew that should anything happen to him, and regardless of his two life insurances, Mary and Dean would be very well taken care of. His will ensured that.

He flirted with vague ideas, such as retiring early and traveling the world with Mary. The reality was that they had to wait until Dean graduated from high school and started college before they could really have the freedom to do that, there was no point in creating expectations that could only materialize in several years.

Scott never imagined that one day he would have to use that money for the purpose he now intended to use some of it for. Now that money, weaved over 25 years in a very discreet and unspectacular manner, will become his safety net and the instrument of his retribution.

Chapter 20 -- Life Goes On

The first few weeks after his divorce became final passed slowly. Scott was settling in his new life and buying time, waiting for the next move that he knew would be coming. Like a chess player, he didn't know for sure what his opponent move will be. It didn't matter, he was ready for all contingencies.

Scott asked his father to transfer small amounts to his bank account in Florida. His main purpose was to demonstrate a dependency on his parents. He also made sure that there was never over 2,000 dollars in that account. Scott withdrew the money he needed, when he needed it.

Occasionally, usually during the week, Scott would head to the Bahamas to take care of business. He would sail to Port Royal then fly from Bimini to Nassau. He would call his father from there and update him on the situation. He used Skype for those sort of conversations, never his cell phone. In fact Scott switched off his cell phone and removed the battery the minute he sailed out of Matheson Hammock Marina. Simple precautions.

He had taken a few days leave just after filing for divorce to set up things in the Bahamas. With the help of a local agent, Scott had acquired an international business company of which he was the sole beneficial owner. He appointed the local agent as the nominee director. As usual in these cases, his name was not disclosed to the Bahamas authorities. Scott transferred funds from one of his holding company's accounts to an account he opened in the name of the new company with a bank in Nassau.

That was the company he used to help Carla. He didn't tell her that he was the invisible face behind the company that advanced the funds and invested in the new partnership. He didn't tell her that the company representative she dealt with was none other that the nominee director of his Bahamian company. She didn't need to know these things. What mattered to Scott was that he managed to help her get out of a bind, allow her to release herself from the dependency on her idiot husband, give her the freedom to run a good business, and help her live a good life. He had also benefited from that.

His primary objective was to take away all that mattered to Don, a loving wife that was providing for him and supporting him, the comfort of a family home, and, above all, take away his financial support structure. He wondered how long it would take Don before having to knock at the door of the Salvation Army or some other charity. His secondary benefit was the 30% he will be getting from a successful business that he would indirectly help Carla build and develop. He didn't need the money, but anything else would have looked suspicious, to Carla and to the banker.

When Scott told his lawyer that he sold his two cars, he hadn't lied, technically speaking. What Scott didn't tell his lawyer was that both his mechanical pets were in individual containers heading to the Bahamas. Their ownership had been transferred against a modest fee to a certain company based in Nassau. They will stay in their containers for a while. He would worry later about their final destination.

Scott rented a small furnished apartment west of Nassau airport, paid for in cash in advance, just in case. This arrangement suited him for many reasons. Unlike a hotel room, here he had his privacy and anonymity. It was also close to the airport. He could sail there if he had to as the apartment complex was close to a marina. He hasn't done it so far but it was a possibility. But most importantly he could store some personal belongings he didn't want to keep on the boat or anywhere else in Florida. First among those was his laptop.

Scott had bought a new laptop in Flagler Street, also paid for in cash, and set it up with the most sophisticated security, identity protection, and encryption software know to man. He installed all his business and trading software on it. He didn't want any traces of his business or transactions on the laptop he kept on the boat. He only used the latter for private email, personal correspondence, and the occasional browsing. Nothing of significance was stored on it anyway.

He thought at times that he was probably overdoing it, he probably didn't need all these precautions, but he always thought it was better to be safe than sorry. He knew about the investigation initiated by Mary's lawyer. Someone could become suspicious or advise Mary to take certain actions that would expose his situation and ruin his plans. He simply didn't know what Don, Fiona, Aldo, or Mary's lawyer for that matter, were capable of doing. Desperate people can do a lot, desperate fools are capable of everything.

* * *

It dawned upon Scott one night that he hadn't changed any of the dispositions of the Trust since it was first established, nor had he updated his will since his divorce.

During one of his Skype chats with his father, he told him to use his power of attorney to add Dean as beneficiary. He also instructed him to have the family solicitor draft a new will with Dean as sole beneficiary and to do the same with the Personal Pension Plan. His father, then his brother, would be appointed as executors should something happen to Scott before Dean's 21st birthday.

Scott wanted it written in bold in his will that Mary was not entitled to any part of the Trust or the Personal Pension Plan nor was she allowed to act as executor should something happen to him before Dean was 21.

* * *

Needless to say that Scott didn't look for a job nor was he planning on doing so. His days were those of a beach bum, a dramatic change from his professional life days. Whatever time he didn't spend in the Bahamas or with Dean, he spent looking after the boat, fishing, sunbathing, or on the beach reading one the many books he always wanted to read. He really didn't need much to live well. He was relaxing and enjoying his new lifestyle. Scott had let his hair and beard grow. He was also tanning nicely, his skin was darker now. He looked like a rugged old sailor.

Between the sailing and the various chores he had to do around the boat, he worked out more than he did at his gym; he was healthier and fitter than he had ever been. It was like a prolonged holiday. Not much else to do anyway but wait, so he might as well enjoy it he thought. He was waiting for the weekend to be with Dean. He was also waiting for the next move.

Every weekend, Scott would pick up Dean and they would spend the weekend together. They did many things father and son do but they mostly sailed, weather permitting. They sailed from Key to Key, trawling a line, often catching their lunch or dinner. Cooking their catch on the grill was another fun experience. These were the moments and the adventures that Scott wanted Dean to remember.

As the weeks progressed, Scott would occasionally pick up Dean on Friday at school and drop him back at school Monday morning. He would call Mary to let her know beforehand, she never objected. She never failed to ask Scott how he was feeling and was he ready to get a new job.

Mary's new BMW had been delivered. He had thought several times before filing for divorce about canceling the order, but he decided finally not to do so. It made the settlement look better for Mary and, knowing his future plan, he expected that the car will become more of a financial liability than an asset.

Two months had passed since the divorce. Mary was still helping Aldo with his gallery. Scott had no idea what her longer term plans were. Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday season were nearing and not much was happening. Maybe he should provoke things.

* * *

One thing Scott learned and developed throughout his professional career was to research and know as much as possible about the people he was dealing or doing business with. To his great regret now, he never applied this principle in his private life. That was about to change.

When he knew that Aldo was sharing an apartment with Mary, and hence in daily close proximity to Dean, Scott decided that Aldo will be the first to qualify for his new research.

Scott made several inquiries after googling Aldo's name. He visited and spoke with several art gallery owners who dealt with Aldo, his inquiries were discreet, appearing as he was interested in investing in some art work and wondering whether Aldo's work was a wise investment. He also made several phone calls, the first to Carla, the last to Wanda.

He found out several interesting things about Aldo. He was one of the most in demand artists in Miami at some stage, but his repetitive style and his apparent delusion about his greatness changed that. His work became unappealing to serious buyers and the tough economic conditions made buying 'decorative' art a lesser priority for buyers such as corporations, business owner, and interior decorators. He accepted several down payments on commissioned work that he either delivered late, significantly altered from what was expected, or in a few instances never delivered. Scott often heard the words 'nice guy but unreliable'.

He also heard about his notorious womanizing, some gallery owners told him that Aldo was known for chasing every skirt within sight. He didn't learn anything noteworthy from Carla, other than the fact that Don and Aldo were very good buddies, but Wanda gave him some very interesting information. The positive was that Aldo was a fun guy to be with, often made her laugh and treated her like his queen. On the negative, Aldo was very self centered and lazy around the house. She finally got fed up with his cheating. She also told him that Aldo never wanted children, in fact he couldn't stand the 'little brats'. Scott had wondered why they didn't have kids and suspected that one of the two was infertile.

With his newly acquired knowledge Scott considered Aldo as an active participant in his plan for retribution.

Chapter 20 -- Retribution

Mary's lifestyle had changed dramatically. She had to be careful how she spends her money. Her lawyer's fees contributed to her diminished wealth and she received nothing in return. He lawyer's extensive investigations were completed and led to nothing. She decided not to follow up on her lawyer's recommendation to pursue things and look into Scott's pension. She knew Scott and figured that he would have planned for this in advance. She would simply waste more money.

She had to pay for things now she never had to worry about before; rent, utilities, house insurance, medical insurance, car service, and car insurance. Going out became a luxury she could only afford occasionally. The child support payments were covering much more than what they were intended for, nevertheless, her capital was eroding, slowly but surely.

Mary couldn't figure out how to reverse that trend. The fact that Aldo was contributing financially reduced her own exposure, but Aldo could decide to move out or find someone else to be with and that would have dramatic consequences on her finances.

* * *

Aldo on the other hand was facing a major challenge. Business was clearly not going to improve anytime soon. Most of the savings he and Wanda had were gone in the divorce settlement. Whatever he was earning barely covered his gallery's costs, his part of the costs for sharing the apartment with Mary, and Wanda's alimony.

Aldo was not stupid. He knew that sooner or later he will be facing a serious financial crisis. He also knew that Mary had money. He didn't know how much exactly but from the little that Don had told him a while back he concluded that she had received a huge settlement from her divorce. Mary could become his 'financial buoy'. Of course they had sex, several times, however the idea of marrying her was totally foreign to him.

That is until Mary came home late one Saturday evening with a big smile on her face. She was out shopping that day and when she came back her car was blocked by one of those fancy Italian sports cars. She was upset and trying to locate the owner when a very handsome man came running towards her and apologized. He had to pickup something he purchased in a shop nearby and couldn't find a place to park. As a token of apology he asked her if he can offer her a drink. The man, Mike, was not only handsome, he seemed rich and well-mannered. She accepted.

Mike took a few minutes to park his car properly and they walked to a nearby bar for a drink. They had a long chat and she found out that he was a wealthy businessman, recently widowed, and was an avid art collector. She had of course told him about her own interest in art and her somewhat unfulfilled ambitions. They got along so well that time simply flew by. Mike suggested dinner and again she accepted. He drove her in his fancy car to a restaurant she used to go to with Scott and had a wonderful dinner. Mike asked if he could see her again and she gave him her phone number at home.

Mary was beaming for the first time in a while. Aldo saw an opportunity and a threat. The opportunity is to have the man she met demonstrate some serious interest in his work. The threat was that, if this developed into a relationship, he would lose his 'financial buoy'.

During the following weeks, Mary had dinner several times with Mike. She inwardly hoped that this would eventually develop into something more serious. Mike hadn't exhibited any romantic sentiment nor any interest in having sex with her, so far. He was the perfect gentleman and behaved more like a friend, listening to her, encouraging her, and simply enjoying her company. They had dinner once with Aldo and Mike even visited the gallery.

* * *

Scott brought Dean back unexpectedly one evening and Aldo was alone. He apologized and told Aldo that Dean wasn't feeling well and he was afraid that being on a boat wasn't helping much. Scott helped Dean change and prepare for sleep. He then had a brief chat with Aldo. He learned that Mary was out, having dinner with Mike, her 'rich friend'.

Scott told Aldo that he was happy for Mary and that Mike's wealth had nothing to do with it. Mary was also wealthy. She had a hefty divorce settlement and was to inherit a fortune when her grandmother passed away. Aldo remembered Don mentioning something about such inheritance during one of their drinking sessions.

When Scott left, Aldo was convinced that Mary was a 'good catch'. Scott was laughing all the way to his boat, he didn't care who invented the lie about Mary's inheritance, but it sure served a purpose.

From tha day on, Aldo became much more attentive to Mary's well being. He would go out less on his own, spend more time with her, take her out to nice restaurants, and buy her the occasional gift. He even hinted a few times that he had feelings for her.

Heaven must have been on his side. Mary came back home one evening, after having dinner with Mike, looking sad and distressed. She couldn't suppress the tears when he hugged her and asked her what was wrong.

With a shaken and jerky voice Mary told him that Mike had met a woman and became sentimentally attached to her. He told Mary that he didn't think it would be appropriate for them to see each other privately.

Mary was devastated, she had developed high hopes and expectations over the last few weeks.

* * *

They say that problems or bad things come in threes. That was certainly true for Don Weldon.

First he lost his wife, she divorced him and never looked back. Even his own daughters refused to talk to him.

Then he lost the business he owned, or so he thought, and by doing so he lost his major source of income. Considering the debt and the independent valuation report, the sale of the boutique resulted in a ridiculously small amount. Hardly enough to do more than buy take away meals, petrol, do some shopping, most of it consisting of an ever increasing quantity of liquor.

Now, the bank advised him that he was late in his mortgage payments and was given a 30 days notice to settle his arrears or have the house repossessed.

He decided to put the house for sale hoping to save whatever could be saved. He imagined he could repay the loan and use whatever was left to rent a smaller place. It didn't occur to him for a minute to look for a regular job and renegotiate the loan. The market being what it is, he couldn't find a buyer in time and certainly not one willing to pay the asked price.

Finally, the bank set it's unforgiving processes in motion and repossessed the house. Don found himself homeless. His initial reaction was to look for a small inexpensive condo to rent. He discovered the hard way that it was difficult to find anyone willing to rent him even a chicken coop without the usual references and documents, including payslips or proof of income.

None of his former 'good friends' would help him. He was denied access to all the bars he had the habit of frequenting. Even Phil, his former brother in law, kicked him out of his club. Bit by bit, he had to sell all his furniture and sleep in his car. Whatever meager amounts he made from an occasional trade fair was mostly spent on gas, some food, and alcohol.