Fractured

Rich looked up at his father with tears in his eyes. He looked at his mother hoping to find some tenderness, but only saw contempt. He pulled himself off the floor to go pack his bag. Before leaving the room, Dave had to give him instructions.

"Listen, shithead, Monday at 10:00, show up at Bill Hardwick's office. Turn your company car over to him and he'll give you your severance package. Read the terms carefully. Now, I need your office keys. Hannah and I will clear out your stuff and it will be at Bill's for you to take.

Rich reached into his pocket, took the office keys off his key ring, and without making eye contact he handed them to his brother. Then Dave walked over to Rich's computer bag, and Rich tensed in panic.

"I'm taking your computer," Dave advised.

"NO," Rich said with alarm. "I have stuff in there."

"I'm not letting a former employee have access to company equipment or information. Anything personal in here will be at Bill's when you show up Monday."

"NO," Rich shouted. "Let me have it for a few minutes."

Rich's reaction set off alarms in Dave's head. Something was wrong with how his brother reacted. Now, more than ever, he was determined to take the computer bag before Rich could get to it.

"Get it through your head, this is company property, and it is going with me. Now, back off."

Rich, in a complete panic, charged his brother and threw a punch that landed on Dave's cheek. Dave was shocked, but a sick grin spread across his face. In a perverse way, this was exactly what he wanted. One punch put Rich on the floor, followed by seven or eight to be sure his brother felt the pain.

The others in the room were all shouting to try and defuse the brawl. To Dave, it was an unintelligible cacophony that had the opposite of the intended effect and, instead, fueled his anger. Finally, his father flopped on his back and grabbed him in a bear hug that stopped the barrage.

Dave and his dad helped each other up. Rich was semiconscious and remained on the floor.

Dave's senses returned when he surveyed the scene. "Sonia, I'm so sorry I hit you with this so suddenly. Can we talk privately sometime this weekend?"

"I guess so."

"Mom, Dad. Sorry about this."

"We understand," his mother replied. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"Yeah. I'd like that. Allie, I guess I've caused enough havoc here for an evening. You ready to go home?"

"Let's go, Dad."

Turning to his father, Dave asked one more favor. "Will you and Mom stay to help Sonia and make sure the idiot leaves peacefully?"

"We got it, Son. Go take care of your family."

"You mean, what's left of it. Now, it's just me and Allie."

"We're here for you, too, Son."

Allie and Dave left in silence. Regrets erupted in Dave regarding the scene he created, but a big part of him was glad he could take his anger out on the deserving target. Now, a more urgent concern quickly consumed his thoughts, and Allie recognized it, too.

"Why did Uncle Rich get so mad about his computer bag? What's in there?"

"I'm wondering the same thing, Sweetie. Let's go home and find out."

"Dad, are you okay? You were a little out of control."

"I'm good. My hand hurts a little," he said with a forced laugh.

"I was worried you'd hurt Grandpop when he was trying to stop you."

"I guess I was more than a little out of control, wasn't I?"

"Most definitely. I bet it felt good, though."

He looked at his daughter and they shared a knowing smile.

*****

The family left Rich alone and he loaded as much as he could into several suitcases and a bunch of trash bags. Certainly, he was upset having his long-term affair exposed. But more than anything, he was angry that Dave took that computer bag. He needed that damn thing more than ever.

He checked to be sure that no one saw him loading a lock box into one of the large suitcases. He was going to need its contents to survive for a while. Once loaded, he left his home without so much as a goodbye from anyone. He needed to get as far away as he could, so he headed North on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast extension. He needed time, but he didn't know when Dave would discover the truth about his misdeeds. He had to disappear.

Rich didn't work well under pressure, so his plans were scattered at best. He wanted to find a small town in Wyoming, or maybe Idaho. He thought he could rent some place cheap with cash, unload, then drive further West to ditch the car. To get back to the apartment he planned to rent, he would have to steal a car or a motorcycle. Taking a train or bus was another option and wouldn't get the local cops involved.

Even more urgently, he needed to buy a computer. But without the file that was on the laptop Dave now possessed, he had no idea how to access his accounts.

"Damn," he shouted to himself. "How'd everything turn to shit so fast?"

In his haste and panic, Rich overlooked two important things. One sat on the console next to him. The other was just above his rearview mirror.

*****

Dave realized he and Allie never had dinner, so he stopped for fast food on the way home. They arrived at an empty house. On one hand, they were glad they didn't have to face Linda, yet they already felt the hole in their lives from her absence.

After eating, Dave carried his brother's computer bag to his home office and started to examine the contents. Everything seemed normal until he found an envelope that didn't seem right. The logo on the envelope was from one of their larger customers, Brandy Water Processes. There was no name or anything else written on it.

He opened it and found a check inside. His blood ran cold once he saw it was made out to Rich's Cleaning Services for $9,900.00.

It didn't take Dave long to run through various scenarios that would explain this. This was a bribe. "Rich, what have you been up to," he asked aloud?

Not finding any other paperwork in the bag, he booted up the computer using his administrator password. It didn't take him long to find a file that a novice would think was hidden, but Dave was no novice.

Realizing what he uncovered, he made another call to Bill, his lawyer friend.

"Dave, I hoped you'd call. How did your confrontations go?"

"Much as expected, but I've got a new development. Once again, I really need your help, and this time it's urgent."

"As in, tonight urgent?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Scotch or beer urgent?"

"Maybe both. Can you come over? I don't really want to leave Allie alone."

"Should I bring Angela with me?"

"It's not divorce related, but she's always welcomed."

Bill Hardwick arrived twenty-five minutes later to see what his friend's latest crisis involved. Dave showed him the check and the contents of the computer file.

"What do you think Bill?"

"You already know what I think, don't you?"

"Bribery and extortion, right?"

"At least. Probably tax evasion and some other crimes as well. We're talking federal charges, so it will need to involve the FBI. It also means guaranteed jail time."

"So, what do I need to do?"

"Let me go call a friend of mine on the bureau. If it's true what you say about Rich's state of mind, we need to get on this fast. He's a definite flight risk."

Bill left a message on his friend's extension at the FBI and returned to where Dave was waiting.

"All right, my friend. I expect he'll call in the morning. We need to see him as early as he can fit us in. Let me take the computer bag and the check since it's not unreasonable to expect Rich might try to come and take it from you."

"Good idea."

"You know, Dave, most people pay after-hours and weekend premiums for legal services. This is getting to be a habit," he said with a laugh.

"What kind of premium did you have in mind?"

"Oh, I don't know. How about a bottle of fourteen-year-old Balvenie single malt?"

"That's a deal, my friend."

As he was walking out the door, a thought came to Bill. "Oh, Dave, I assume we should not give Rich the severance agreement as it's written."

"Good thought. I don't want to tip our hand on the FBI's involvement. Can you add a delay time for the payment, maybe based on reconciliation of expenses or something?"

"Yeah. I can do that."

*****

Dave had hoped to talk with Sonia and his parents on Saturday but put it off when Bill called early the next morning. They had a 10:00 AM meeting with Agent Steve Majors at the FBI offices in Philadelphia. Allie didn't give him an option about going with him. They were a pair and were facing things together.

Dave and Bill showed the agent the evidence, who then called his superior, Jack Sims, into the meeting. After introductions, they reviewed the evidence.

Jack rubbed his chin as he pondered the documents in front of him. "We have a spreadsheet highlighting all the bribes, an actual uncashed check from the last one, details on an offshore account with...how much?"

"$785,952.00," Dave responded.

"And all those funds belong to your company?"

"I would think so. Rich had the authority to negotiate the price on any project until the projected gross margin went below 23%. In all the projects I had time to check, the margins were just above that limit."

"So, he clearly gave the lowest price in return for a bribe that amounted to peanuts compared to the savings for the customer. And it looks like you had fourteen customers willing to do business like this? You know that they will all be prosecuted as well, right?"

"Yes sir," Dave responded.

"Do you know where Rich is?"

"No," Dave responded. "He's supposed to meet with Bill on Monday to get his severance package, but the way he acted when I confiscated his computer bag, and the fact that he was being tossed out by his wife and family..."

"He's probably on the run," Agent Majors said as he completed Dave's thought.

"Steve, see if you can locate his cell phone," Jack ordered.

They chatted until Steve returned. "He's on the run. Fortunately, he's not smart enough to disable his phone or the OnStar system in his car. He's in Ohio on route 80 and on the move westward."

"Okay. Let's track him and try and apprehend him as late on Sunday as possible. That will give us more time to hold him before charging him. Work with local offices as he gets into their area. Tell them to keep tabs on him until it's time to pick him up on suspicion. With the evidence we have, I think we can get formal charges prepared for Monday morning, but we can hold him for forty-eight hours without formally charging him.

*****

Bill, Allie, and Dave chatted freely on the way home. Before Rich's crimes were uncovered, he had other plans to punish his ex-brother that depended on Allie's DNA test. If the test revealed she was Rich's offspring, he'd seek eighteen years of maintenance after the split of Rich's and Sonia's funds were finalized. Jail seemed a much better option than anything he had in mind. The DNA results no longer impacted his plan for retribution, and for that Dave was exceedingly grateful.

Bill dropped off Dave and Allie, and they immediately arranged to meet Sonia and Dave's parents at Sonia's house.

Dave's mom spent most of the meeting in tears when she learned of her younger son's actions. His father looked mad enough to spit nails. Sonia, though, was rightfully concerned about where this would leave her and her boys.

"Dave, what am I gonna do? How will we live? I mean, I'm glad the SOB...Oh, Mom, I'm sorry. I don't mean to imply that you're a..."

"It's okay, Sweetie. I understand," she said with a sniffle.

"Anyway," Sonia continued, "I'm glad he's going to jail. Someday when we get past this shitstorm, I'll tell you all the things he used to do to me. But for now, what am I gonna do?"

Dave revealed his plans, hoping Sonia would agree. "Well, first, we need to get you a lawyer. You should use mine, Angela Hall, for the divorce. If he ends up going to jail, you should get the lion's share of all your joint assets. Then, if what the FBI tells me is true, the money Rich stole from the company will be returned. When it is, I'm gonna need some of it to fund a reorganization of my business. With what's left, I'll invest a large chunk of it into a trust fund for you and the boys. You'll have full access to it as needed. Finally, I know you have an associate degree in business, so I assume you can handle bookkeeping and basic accounting duties. I would really be honored if you could take Linda's position at my company. A big plus is that you can work from home and still care for your boys. How does that sound?"

Sonia ran into his arms and hugged him with tears of joy and relief. Dave's mom and dad also pledged their support. Dave smiled at Allie, who was beaming with pride at the way her dad always took care of the family.

*****

Driving home, Dave struggled to ask Allie a pressing question.

"Baby, we talked before about, maybe, getting DNA tests. Have you thought more about it?"

"I've been thinking and it's hard to make up my mind, but I think we should do it. Is that okay? You're not mad?"

"No, I can't be mad about that. And I think you're right. I'll get the test kits and we can take care of it this week. You believe me when I say the results won't change a thing about how much I love you, don't you?"

"I know it won't change how I feel about you so, yeah, I believe you. I just wanna know."

Dave really dreaded talking with Allie about that, but he could now relax a little. There was still much to do, but getting another item off his checklist from hell helped him see that the end of this nightmare was near.

*****

The night he left, Rich drove all night to the West on route 80. Just before entering Ohio, he stopped at McDonalds for breakfast and a little rest. With his iPad, he researched possible destinations.

He settled on staying in Sioux Falls. It seemed remote enough, but large enough that he could be inconspicuous. Online, he found a cheap furnished room and would call the number later to secure it. He could dump the car near Fargo, which was about a six-hour drive North of Sioux Falls, then take a bus back.

He closed his car door feeling better about his circumstances. "Yes," he yelled aloud. "I have a plan!" Once back on the road, he started thinking about the odds of getting away with this. The longer he thought, the more scared he got now that it dawned on him how stupid his plan was. Yet, he felt he had no choice.

At a low point in his mood, he thought of just turning himself in and throwing himself at the mercy of the court. But that choice scared him even more, so he pressed onward.

His mind drifted to his family and what he did to them. He willed his heart to be hard and focused on his anger instead. There would be hunters, and he was the prey. There was no time to worry about regrets.

He drove on until the lack of sleep made driving dangerous. He found an inconspicuous parking spot at a Cracker Barrell and caught a few hours of rest. Sunday, he awoke just as the restaurant opened and he decided to grab breakfast before hitting the road.

Back on the road, he drove mindlessly as he kept ruminating about all that had happened. No matter how much he wanted to deny responsibility for his failings, he felt the growing weight of the consequences he would face. He loved his family. He felt some level of resentment, but loved his brother. He wondered what caused him to go so far astray.

Daylight was fading when he pulled into a diner near Omaha. It was only 200 miles to Sioux Falls, where he'd find a cheap motel. He had an appointment to possess the room for rent in the morning, then he'd take care of ditching the car in Fargo. Everything was coming together, so he thought.

He walked toward the door of the diner and two men approached him. As soon as they asked if he was Richard Pearson, he knew he was screwed. The FBI had their man.

*****

Monday morning, Dave brought donuts, bagels, and coffee in and scheduled an all-employee meeting for 9:00. At 8:00, he met separately with Debbie Gleason and Tammy Fields to give them the good news about their promotions. He introduced them in the company meeting as the new sales team.

His employees were supportive when they heard of all that had happened and were glad that Debbie and Tammy were getting more responsibilities. All the nasty news and changes were presented. Then, as the shock wore off, Dave could focus again on moving forward with his business and personal life.

Rich was formally charged with multiple felonies the following morning. Charges against his customers that paid the bribes would follow once the FBI investigated each occurrence. Knowing that he would be alienating a good portion of his customer base, Dave made plans to alter his business structure by separating the fabrication portion under a new name and growing the distribution business as a new company.

He had the business details in place just in time for Linda's return. He would need all his wits and energy to ride that storm.

*****

Dave and Allie were enjoying the dinner portion of their first Friday Chinese movie night without Linda when he felt his phone vibrate. Looking at the screen, he took a deep breath, and connected the call.

"What, Linda?"

Dave noticed Allie grimace at the mention of her mother's name.

"Dave, I've missed you. It's good to hear your voice."

He coldly answered, "Yeah. What do you want?"

"I...I'm, ahh, ready to come home. Is it okay?"

"Come late tomorrow morning. We can talk and see where we go from there. Did you get a lawyer?"

"Yeah. I retained Rhonda..."

"We'll talk tomorrow," he said, interrupting her just before he disconnected the call.

Allie put her hand on top of his. "You okay?"

He forced a smile to try and reassure her. He could tell she wasn't fooled, so he tried to respond. "As okay as I can be right now. How'd I do?"

"Short and to the point, and on the edge of being rude. I liked it. Just remind me never to piss you off."

"Oh, Baby, I don't think you could ever upset me as much as your mother has."

They enjoyed their time together in front of a movie that neither would be able to remember an hour later. Their minds were consumed with all the crap going on in their lives. Their Friday tradition felt strange without Linda, but the father-daughter bond was growing stronger than ever.

*****

Saturday morning, Allie and Dave sat in the living room each buried in their iPad's when Linda walked in. She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. Without looking at or speaking to her mother, Allie got up and walked upstairs to her room. Dave glanced up from the screen in time to see the hurt on Linda's face, then went back to the iPad to finish his round of Solitaire.

"Hi, Dave..."

He held up his finger in the universal sign meaning to wait. Less than a minute later, when the hand of Solitaire crapped out, he huffed in frustration, closed the iPad, and finally acknowledged her.

"Okay, Linda, let's talk. Did you read the paperwork?"

"Yes," she said while taking a seat. "But can't we talk about how we can stay together as a family? I can't bear the thought of things changing from what we had."

"What? Us staying married while you step out whenever you feel like it?"

"No! That's not what I mean," she protested. "We were a happy, loving family. Why does that have to end? I'll never risk it all again. Please, Dave. This is killing me."

"What did you think would happen when your seventeen-year affair was discovered, huh? Oh, I get it! You never thought you'd get caught. You'd just have your sleazy little secret, and you and my asshole brother could keep screwing and laughing at stupid ol' Dave sitting home playing with himself."

"NO, NO! It was never like that. We never said anything bad about you. And I'll never cheat on you again. I can't stand the thought of putting any of us through something like this again.