Just Once - Once Is All You Get

"That's going to require some.. um... behind the scenes work."

"A little. Not much."

She stood up.

"I think this is a good place to leave this conversation. I'm not sure I want to know any more about this.

"

"Probably a wise decision."

She made a quick exit, and I opened the package of financial documents and began to work through them.

&&&&&

Arriving at the Cardoza house, it was, by almost anyone's definition, a mansion. It certainly befitted a renowned surgeon. I parked my busted up old pickup in the circular driveway. Anyone passing by would have mistaken me for the landscape guy or the pool guy. Since I was wearing jeans and a fishing shirt, I probably looked like some of the hired help. I rang the bell and stepped back from the front door.

A few seconds later, a petite blonde opened the door. She had a toddler on her hip. Two other little faces peered at me from behind her. She looked a little confused since I had just appeared at her door.

"Mrs. Cardoza?"

"Yes?"

"My name is Rick Weston."

"What can I do for you Mr. Weston."

I took a deep breath before I continued.

"Mrs. Cardoza. You and I have some things in common and I think we need to talk about them."

She looked confused.

"What would that be? Have we met somewhere before?"

I decided that there was nothing to be gained by trying to be discreet. The kids were all young enough that they wouldn't catch much.

"Mrs. Cardoza. Right now, your husband and my wife are sleeping together in Colombia. She is a nurse and has been having an illicit affair with your husband for at least the last 6 months."

I saw her eyes change and she pushed the expensive glass door open. The growl I heard from her sounded deadly.

"That son of a bitch is at it again. I told him last time that I would see his balls hung from my rear-view mirror if he did it again. Come on in. Let's talk."

I followed her as she walked back into the magnificent house. She called out to someone as she walked.

"Consuela. Take the kids to the playroom and keep them there. I need to talk to this man."

A rotund Hispanic woman appeared wiping her hands on an apron. She grinned and gathered up the three kids and hustled them off into the interior of the house. The petite blonde turned on her heel and looked at me.

"Did you say your name was Rick?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Don't Ma'am me. My name is Claudia. My friends call me Cici. You might as well, too. Have a seat and tell me what you know."

We sat around a coffee table on furniture that probably cost more than everything I owned put together. I retold the way my wife had left and showed her part of the intel from the PI showing Marcy and Cardoza were screwing at least six months ago. I told her about the way Marcy had left and about my phone call to Colombia. Cici sat stone faced as she listened. When I was done, she spoke softly but intensely.

"That ass has done this at least three times. I gave him a pass the first two times I caught him, wanting to keep the family together. The third time, I laid it down in no uncertain terms. If he did it again, I was through and I would turn my father's attorney loose on him. I met Trey while he was an undergrad. We got married when he graduated and started med school. My parents weren't too thrilled, but I was head over heels in love. Daddy insisted on a Prenup."

I listened. I was pretty sure I liked her dad.

"I have some photos, video and audio, if you need it. There is one other thing. I am almost certain your hubby has been siphoning money from the Doctors Without Borders organization. He appears to be stashing it offshore and he is probably hiding money from you as well."

"That sorry ass. Yes. I get a trust fund disbursement once a quarter. It amounts to around $250,000 a quarter. Trey said he was investing it for the future."

"Can you get the records on all of your personal finances?"

"Sure. But how would I know what else he has?"

"Can you get your tax filings for the last couple of years?"

"I suppose so. We use the same accountant as my father."

"We might find something from those."

Cici looked at me.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Honestly. I want to burn them both, but I didn't want to make you and your kids collateral damage. I wanted to give you a heads up so you can start making arrangements."

Cici looked at me critically.

"Would you meet with my dad?"

"I suppose so. But we need to get on this right away. I want this to come together before they get home."

"I agree. Let me make some phone calls. Can you hang around?"

"Sure. Can I use your restroom?"

She grinned. It was unlike the smiles I had seen before. Her eyes twinkled and she showed dimples at the corners of her mouth.

"Through there, first door on the right."

I got up and headed to the toilet. She was already dialing a number on her cell phone.

&&&&&

It was almost dusk, I was still at the Cardoza mansion and Cici Cardoza had spent most of the time on her cell phone. I tried my best not to listen, but it was hard since she was sitting across the patio table from me near the pool. The two older kids were happily splashing around in the pool. The toddler was standing in a playpen, holding onto the side and looking at me steadily as if I was some sort of freak. I think she was totally absorbed in having a man in the house.

Apparently, Dr. Trey Cardoza wasn't much of a family man.

I knew that Cici had called her father first. She had explained what I had told her and then what I was asking for. When she suggested that her father come that evening, she grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Several more phone calls and she had requested that her PI deliver everything they had collected. Mrs. Cardoza had evidently already been aware that Dr. Trey was busy at more than his medical practice.

I heard footsteps coming down the tile entryway. They were heavy and rapid. I stood expectantly and watched as a man entered. The two boys in the pool bounded toward the figure and leapt into his arms. The rugged tanned face beamed as he gathered two laughing young boys into his arms, still dripping wet.

Cici tiptoed up and kissed him on the cheek. The toddler cooed expectantly and was soon in the mix of things. The man was not large, maybe 5' 9" and 200 lbs, and in good shape. He could have been anywhere between 45 and 90. I stood patiently as the familial matters were handled. Presently, he looked at me without saying a word. Cici did the introductions.

"Dad. This is Rick Weston. Rick, this is my father, Daniel Forester. I told him what you told me. I thought you two should meet and talk."

The man came forward. He was almost a head shorter than I was and probably 50 lbs. lighter, but when he took my hand, it was all I could do to match that grip. We stood for several seconds; forearms corded as we tried to outdo each other. He finally eased his grip and smiled.

"Mr. Weston. My name is Daniel Forester. Cici is my only child. I think you can understand my concern for her welfare. However, she is an ornery and hard-headed little cuss. She goes her own way. Can I ask how you found yourself in this situation?"

Cici spoke up.

"You two sit down. I'll go get some beer and tell Consuela to round something up for dinner."

We sat at the table. Daniel Forester waited. I surmised he was waiting for me to speak. For some reason, I gave him the full story starting with my time in Afghanistan and the incident with Diedre. He nodded and it didn't seem to faze him in the least. I brought him up to date with everything I had found. I am usually a little reticent to go into that much detail at a first meeting, even with my clients.

"Interesting. What do you think has prompted all this?"

I shrugged.

"Pay back. Revenge. Boredom. I am not really too worried about that, although I am curious. My main concern is the cavalier way she has gone about it. The total disrespect she has shown me tells me that she doesn't give a damn anymore."

I realized what I had said and looked around. The kids were not at the pool. I grinned sheepishly and apologized. He nodded.

"You were a helicopter jock?"

I nodded.

"Blackhawks. Two tours in the sandbox, a year in Korea."

"Why'd you retire?"

"I was set to rotate back to the states. I knew something wasn't right at home and I wanted to get back to see if I could put things back together. I transferred to intel and spent another 18 months in the reserves. When I had enough points, I pulled the plug and joined a vet-owned corporate security firm. I sold my part of the company back to the other members of the LLC as I didn't want to get them wrapped up in a nasty divorce."

Cici's dad looked at me.

"Where in Afghanistan?"

"Where wasn't I? We were all over."

"Kamdesh?"

"Yeah. I flew quite a few missions into Kamdesh."

"I was the deputy base commander at Keating. You guys saved our asses."

I looked at Daniel again.

"That was some nasty shit."

"Yeah."

I didn't tell him that one of those flights got me the Distinguished Cross.

"So, what do you plan to do about this situation? You asked Cici for some tax returns and a lot of financial information."

Cici showed up with the beer. I am pretty sure she had been standing just inside the door to the pool area listening. She was smart enough to let two old warriors get the necessary size-up out of the way.

"I think the good Dr. is siphoning money from the Doctors Without Borders organization. Cici... er... I'm sorry, your daughter mentioned that she gets a trust fund payment once a quarter and that Trey has been investing it. I suspect that he is making that money disappear as well. I intend to rain fire and brimstone onto my wife and your son-in-law. When I found out that he was married with kids, I had second thoughts because I didn't want your daughter or your grandkids to get caught up as collateral damage."

Daniel Forester looked at me again.

"You put your plans on hold because you were worried about Cici and the kids?"

"Yes, sir."

"You are a strange man, Weston. You seem so calm and collected in spite of all this. You obviously have a plan that is going to do a lot of damage and you don't seem to be too worried about that, yet you pause to consider a strange woman and her kids. Why?"

"Sir. I don't mind dealing out hurt to anyone who deserves it. But I saw too much of the devastation that affects innocents when the damage spills over. I don't want to be a part of that. I'll find another way to take care of my problems. I don't want to be part of destroying a family."

Daniel opened the long neck beer bottle and downed half of it in one long swallow. I sipped at mine. I didn't want to get drunk and have to deal with that as well.

"Rick, may I call you Rick. You can call me Daniel. I appreciate your concern for the welfare of Cici and her kids. I appreciate you meeting with me to discuss your worries and your thoughts. I know that kind of warrior philosophy. It is what has allowed me to build a decent little organization of my own."

Daniel emptied the beer in one gulp.

"I have been following the dickhead's adventures by myself for several years. Even Cici doesn't know some of what you are about to learn. I have never been a big fan of Dr. Turdbucket. That crystalized when he had his first adulterous tryst less than a year after their marriage. Cici was pregnant and I abstained from making an issue of it since she was sure she could straighten him out and make a family.

We squelched the problems and I had a heart-to-heart talk with Dr. Dumbass. This has become more of a consistent scenario over the years. Several times, it has been a close thing, nearly losing his license once. I have to admit he is a brilliant and talented surgeon. He has saved countless people. All that has done is feed his narcissistic ego and encouraged his belief in his own godhood. Cici has had it. She has her kids and she is tired of the heartbreak and the infidelities. I think, finally, she is going to listen to her dad and get rid of the worthless piece of shit."

I looked at Cici to gauge her reaction to her dad's words and his language. She never blinked an eye except when she opened the beer and it fizzed and sent a drop of foam into her eye.

"Son of a bitch!"

She grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her eye.

Daniel chuckled.

"Tell me Rick, what is your plan?"

"If I can pull it off, this time there will be no survivors. Both of them will lose their licenses, their jobs, anything they own and all of their friends and family."

"That's harsh. Why not just walk away and be done with it?"

"You have made it plain that he is a serial cheater and he seems to prey on married women. That is going to come to an end if I can manage it. When it is all said and done, he won't be able to seduce any more married women. I see it as a gift to society. As for my wife, she has proven that she did this deliberately. It was planned. She obviously doesn't give a shit... pardon my French... about me or this marriage."

"You came here for a reason. Why?"

"I wanted to give your daughter a chance to get herself together to salvage as much as she wanted to protect. I can almost assure you that he will fight tooth and nail to keep all he can. He will turn his anger towards her. His type never blames themselves."

Daniel nodded. He got up, brought back two more beers. Cici looked at him.

"Dammit Dad. Where's mine?"

"Sorry."

I tried to stifle a chuckle. I was coming to the conclusion that Cici Cardoza was a lot like her dad in a lot of ways.

Daniel opened his beer and then looked at me.

"How would it affect your plans if I told you that Cici is as well protected as she can be. Trey signed a prenup. He basically gets a hundred thousand dollars, his car, and what he can carry out if he commits adultery. He is so damned arrogant that he thinks he will beat the prenup and take half of everything Cici has, including the children. Nothing will do my heart better than to watch him get nuked. You think you can do it?"

"I think so. The big stumbling block is the money he is ratholing offshore. I don't have a way to find that easily, much less get to it. I was hoping to get some intel where that money was coming from and where it was going."

Daniel looked at Cici. She shrugged her shoulders. It looked like we were at a dead end again. Then I remembered the admonition from the organization to leave laptops and other electronic devices at home.

"Did your husband leave his laptop and cellphone here?"

Cici thought for a moment.

"I really don't know. We could look in the study."

She stood and started toward the back of the house as Daniel and I followed. I watched as she pulled up short when she grabbed a doorknob and found it locked. Her expression went from nearly neutral to angry in a nanosecond.

"That ass never locks his doors. I wonder what's up. I don't have a key."

"Do you mind?"

She stepped away from the door and I pulled my small lockpick set from the cargo pocket on my tactical pants. In no more than 4 to 5 seconds the doorknob turned. I stepped back and both Cici and Daniel were watching with a look of amazement. I pocketed the pick set. Daniel spoke as he walked past me into the office.

"Helicopter pilot?"

"Army Intel the last three years."

He nodded and smiled. Inside, Cici went directly to Cardoza's desk. The laptop was sitting on the desk. His cell phone was on the charger on the credenza behind the desk. She opened the laptop and immediately frowned.

"It's password protected. I don't have a clue what the password might be."

I nodded. That didn't surprise me in the least. I hesitated as I made my next suggestion.

"Do you mind if I take the computer and the cellphone with me? I have a very sophisticated lab and several excellent technicians."

I saw Cici look at her father. He nodded almost imperceptibly. She gathered the computer and the phone and handed them to me.

I spoke to both of them.

"I appreciate you meeting me and your help. Let me get these back to my office. I will have them back here sometime tomorrow. I will be happy to share anything I find with you both."

I thought Cici was going to hug me. She took a tentative step toward me but then stepped back as she looked at her father. I stuck my hand out to Daniel. He grabbed it and again we tested each other's grip. I wasn't sure that I came out on top.

"Rick. Here is my card with my personal cell phone. Please keep me in the loop on this and anything else you feel comfortable sharing."

"Will do, Sir."

I left and headed back to the office. The techs were all gone for the evening by the time I got back. I sat down and plugged in Trey's laptop and began working through the most obvious things people use for passwords, but none of the obvious things worked. I pushed back from the desk and took a deep breath. I would have to be patient and let the geeks go to work on it first thing in the morning.

&&&&&

Just after lunch the next day, I got a call from our lab. The geeks had cracked both the laptop and the phone. I checked my secure internal system and found a folder in my cloud storage. In seconds, I was looking at some very interesting information.

Several hours later, I had a general overview of the situation. Cardoza had indeed been a busy guy with at least 5 offshore accounts scattered among various banks and countries. Without doing a really in-depth look at the accounts, I could safely say that he had almost $15 million in cash sitting in reserve. I also looked to see if I could track the quarterly trust payment and it didn't take long to find an account in Venezuela that got a nice quarter million-dollar deposit, regular as clockwork, every three months. I picked up the phone, pulled out Daniel's card and dialed the phone.

"Daniel? Rick. Got a minute?"

"Just a moment. Can I call you right back?"

"Sure."

It was almost 5 minutes later when my cell phone rang. The caller ID was not a number I recognized. I accepted the call and heard Daniel's voice.

"Rick. It's Daniel. Sorry for the delay. I decided that using a secure phone might be a better idea."

I grinned.

"I understand. No problem. Can we get together tomorrow?"

It was getting a little late and I didn't want to be a bother.

"Can you make it this evening? I know you have a deadline."

"Sure. Where and when?"

"Let me make another phone call and I will call you back."

"Ok."

The phone went silent. I sat and looked at the paperwork on my desk and carefully rearranged it and put it into my secure folder. I had my notes in my head. As I was closing and locking the secure file cabinet my phone rang again and I recognized the number as Daniel's.

"Weston."

"Rick. Can you come to Cici's house? She is alone, the kids are in bed and I think she should be part of this discussion as well."

"No problem. I can be there in 20 minutes."

"I'll meet you there."

The drive took a bit longer as there was an accident on the freeway. I pulled up into the curving driveway. I saw a Range Rover parked there as well. I remembered it from yesterday when I had left. The door opened and I saw both Daniel and Cici waiting. Once I was inside, we headed to a comfortable family room. Cici asked if we would like something to drink. I declined but Daniel asked for a scotch. When that was taken care of, I began to give them a quick synopsis of what I had found. The more I talked the more I could sense Daniel's ire was rising.

When I finished my short presentation, Daniel took a long pull on the scotch, set the glass on the table, and leaned forward slightly.

"That son of a bitch has been stealing from my daughter and the non-profit to hide money. He knows that if we invoke the prenup, not only does he get nothing, but I will call the loan I made to him to set up his practice when he graduated. I just wish we could get that money out of those accounts."