Chapter 10

April started the dishwasher while Ron swabbed the countertops with a paper towel. He regarded the time display on the microwave oven. “Six fifteen. Steve ought to be here any minute now.” The doorbell rang. “Speak of the devil.”

“Mattie, take a book or game and go to your room.”

“Awww...”

“We’re going to have a grown-up conversation, so go to your room. Now.”

“Yes, April.”

Ron opened the door. “Steve -- come in.” His brother-in-law stepped inside and sat at the kitchen table. Ron retrieved a couple bottles from the fridge and opened them. “As promised.”

“Mmm ... Thanks.”

April joined them at the table. “Can I get something for you?” Ron asked.

“I’m good.”

“Steve -- what can you tell us?”

“What I’m about to tell you must not leave this room. Understood?”

“Understood,” Ron replied and April nodded in agreement.

“About a week ago, Brad and Rayla were arrested in Miami. They were about to board a flight to Belize.”

“Belize?” Ron said incredulously.

“They would’ve taken Mattie except they had neglected to apply for a passport for her.”

“That’s why Rayla asked me to watch her,” April remarked, “and was happy when I asked if I could bring her here, to Ron’s place.”

“Why go to Belize?” Ron asked.

“Brad had been running an unregistered hedge fund that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme,” Steve continued. “The whole thing was run on the dark web and was denominated in Bitcoin.”

“I remember April telling me he made a fortune investing in Bitcoin,” Ron replied.

“As Bitcoin rose in value he had the idea to create a hedge fund, which worked well at first. In order to attract new investors he had to keep a track record of paying good dividends. He ended up paying existing investors with the principal from new ones...”

“Typical Ponzi scheme,” Ron remarked. “How long had that been going on?”

“A good four or five years. When the value of Bitcoin dropped to a fraction of its highs, the whole thing collapsed. The Feds had been watching this for a couple years, but because it was on the dark web and because it was all transacted in Bitcoin and other digital currencies, they couldn’t trace it.”

“How did they connect Brad to this?”

“He made a mistake. Brad had a heavy porn habit. He accidentally visited a site that was set up by the Feds to sting child pornographers. The site installed a tracker on his PC and that’s how they were able to link him to the dark website. Brad got wise to the fact that the Feds were tracking him so he decided to head for Belize.”

“How did Brad get wise to them?” Ron asked.

“I dunno. You’re the technical geek in the family. How would he?”

“There are a number of ways. Maybe a virus scanner found the tracker. Maybe he noticed odd network traffic.”

“He almost got away,” Steve continued. “if that flight to Belize had left three hours earlier, they would be there, now.”

“So, where are they now?” April asked.

“In custody. The Fed prosecutor convinced the judge they were flight risks, so he revoked their bail. The Feds are working on a plea agreement, though due to the sums involved they’re both looking at some serious time.”

“How much?” Ron asked.

“The losses were in the mid eight figures.”

Ron let out a whistle. “How much time?”

“Brad will probably get ten years and Rayla five.”

“How did Rayla fit into this?” April asked.

“She handled a lot of the transactions. Her defense will be that she didn’t know what she was doing. She simply was following Brad’s instructions. It’s an argument that might have some weight with a jury.”

“Brad abused Rayla,” April interjected. “He probably threatened her to do his bidding. She can’t be as culpable has he.”

“It’s not for us to decide,” Steve replied. “The house and all his property will be seized and sold for restitution to the victims.”

“Even my car?” April asked. “Brad bought it so I could drive Mattie around.”

Ron made a snort. “I think we could make a deal for a 1998 Ford Festiva.”

“Is that what it is?” Steve remarked. “We were looking over the firm’s assets. One line item was for a 1998 blue Ford Festiva. It’s owned by the firm, April, not by Brad. His and Rayla’s vehicles also belong to the firm.” Steve looked up at April. “We can make a sweet deal for you. The firm has no reason to hold onto a twenty-year-old Festiva.”

“How does Brad’s scheme impact the firm?” Ron asked.

“This is even more sensitive, Ron. From a legal perspective, it doesn’t as it was all extra-curricular activities Brad did on his own time with his own equipment. The news will certainly lose us clients. What I can say is that Bruce and I are scrambling to obtain financing to buy out Brad’s and Rayla’s interest in the firm.” Steve drained his glass. “Well, that’s about all I can say until it comes out in the news.”

“We didn’t hear a word you said,” Ron replied.

“Make sure to keep it that way.” Steve stood and headed for the door.

“Wait,” Ron said and handed him the rest of the six-pack. “You can take these. We won’t use them.”

“That’s right. How is the ticker doing?”

“About the same. Alcohol aggravates it and April doesn’t care for the taste of the stuff.”

“Well -- thanks.”

Ron bolted the door behind him. “That was quite the bombshell,” he remarked. “I feel sorry for them.”

“I don’t. How much did they steal?”

“Steve said mid eight figures ... fifty million or so.”

“I fee sorry for the people they defrauded,” April replied. “Brad and Rayla are getting what they deserve.”

“Yeah, I agree. This all happened on the dark web. Given the sort of clientele who do business there ... I can’t admit to having much empathy for the victims. What are we going to tell Mattie?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I’m going to wing it and we’ll see how she reacts.”

“You do read her well.”

“Very well ... almost as well as I read you.” She kissed his cheek. “Mattie!” she called up the stairs. “Come down here.”

Mattie bounded down the stairs. “What?”

“Mattie -- we have news about your mommy and daddy.”

“What news?”

“They’re in jail,” April said, matter-of-factly. “We won’t be able to see them for a long time.”

“Why are they in jail?”

“Because they did something bad. They stole money from people. People who steal go to jail. It doesn’t mean they’re bad people. It means they did something wrong.”

“How long?” Mattie asked.

“Years ... five or maybe more. They’re going to lose the house that’s been your home. You’ll have to stay here, with Ron and me.”

Mattie’s eyes widened and she broke into a wide smile. “YAY!” She jumped up and down, ran to April and hugged her; then, she hugged Ron. “Does this mean you’re going to be my new mommy and daddy?”

“Is that what you want?” April asked.

“YES!”

“I’d love to be your mommy,” April replied.

“I’d love to be your daddy,” Ron added, “but the decision won’t be up to us.”

“For the time being,” April continued, “Ron and I will be taking care of you as if we’re your mommy and daddy.”

“That’s good enough for now,” Mattie replied.

“Now -- you need to get your jammies on and get ready for bed.”

“So soon? It’s only a little after eight.”

“School starts in a week and you need to get used to early to bed and early to rise,” April said.

“And, we know you’re not a morning person,” Ron added.

“Now, go on.”

“Okay...”

“Once you’re in bed you can read for a half-hour or so. Then, it’s lights out.”

“Okay ... Good night.”

“Good night,” April said and headed back up the stairs.

“She took that well,” Ron remarked.

“Her reaction was sincere. I felt honest joy when I told her she was staying with us. Her parents never displayed any warmth toward her. I wonder why they had her.” April began rummaging through the pile of clothes on the sofa. “I should start sorting these. There’s lots I’ll never wear and should go to Goodwill. A lot of what was in Mattie’s closet is stuff she’s grown out of.”

“I have a couple of empty storage tubs in the basement, if that’ll help.”

“I think it will.”

Ron retrieved the tubs. “One on the right is for keepers; on the left for Goodwill.”

“Got it.” April began sorting through the clothing. “Maybe you can look through Mattie’s stuff and sort out what’s obviously too small for her. I’ll go through the rest and do some curating.”

April continued sorting her wardrobe until all was in one or other of the two bins. “That’s a start,” she said. “I’ll take this upstairs and put it in the closet.”

“We’ll need to go out and buy some hangers,” he remarked.

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

April carried the tub up the stairs and Ron followed her. He closed the bedroom door. She embraced him and looked directly into his face. “I can’t believe how enthusiastically you welcomed Mattie into your life.” She kissed his lips.

“April -- I accept you and I love you unconditionally. That means I accept and love you as a whole package. Circumstances have made Mattie part of the package. She’s your family -- some of your blood flows in her veins. I have no choice but to accept and love her unconditionally as well.” He kissed a tear from her cheek.

“I know. I feel your sincerity. You are a good man.”

“I’ve gone from being a single guy with a girlfriend to a family man. I like how that feels.”

“I know. I like how it feels, too.”

“Let’s get ready for bed.” He kissed her forehead.

“I’m going to make sure Mattie’s settled. Be right back.”

Ron readied himself for bed. He switched on the nightstand lamp and switched off the room lights. Then he stripped to his briefs and slid beside the sheets.

April returned and headed into the master bedroom’s en suite. Soon she returned wearing a sheer white babydoll nightgown. It had an empire waist and the front was open revealing her navel. Underneath she wore matching tap pants.

“Where did you get that?” he asked.

“I’ve had it for a while. One of my ex-boyfriends liked to shower me with lingerie. I’ve never worn it -- the tag was still on it. I didn’t think I’d like how I would look in it -- especially how it shows off my tummy.”

“I think your tummy looks spectacular in it.”

“So do I ... mainly because I know you like how it looks.”

April slid between the sheets. She lay facing Ron and caressed his face. “Something wrong? You don’t seem quite as eager to see me tonight.”

“All that happened today -- it’s a lot to assimilate. I’m realizing neither of our lives will be the same again.”

“I know,” she replied. “Change can be good. I’m going to enjoy my new life.”

“You wanted a change,” he remarked.

“No -- I craved a change.”

“I had change thrust upon me.”

“So, you have doubts and anxieties. Ron -- you are the finest person I’ve ever met. I have no doubt you’ll rise to the occasion ... and love it.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Ron stroked her upper arm. “You have sexy arms ... did I ever tell you that?”

“Not that I recall.” He began caressing her breasts through her gown with the backs of his fingers. “We don’t have to do this if your heart’s not in it,” she said.

“I remember you saying that our physical love was food for your soul. Do you need sex every night?”

“I don’t know -- I’ve never had it every night. I think it was different when I was living at the house and you were here. The times we could be together were special. Now we’re living together twenty-four seven. It’s different, now.”

Ron slid the gown’s shoulder strap down her arm and peeled away the bodice to expose her right breast. “You do have sexy breasts. I don’t think I’ve ever looked at them closely.” He gently stroked her nipple. “A woman’s breast is a miracle. It’s a thing of beauty ... it’s important in foreplay and it nourishes an infant. I love your nipples, their gnarly texture and how they get thick and firm.” He stroked her areola. “I love your pinks and tans and how smooth and slick this skin is ... how it transitions to normal skin, covered with the finest baby hair ... traced with faint blue veins.”

April’s breathing was growing deeper and he felt her breath on his face. “You’re making love to me with words.”

“I’m touching you, too.” He leaned toward her breast, drew her nipple into his mouth and sucked it. “Look how firm and tall it gets.”

April rolled onto her back, pulled down her left shoulder strap and exposed her left breast. Ron leaned to nurse it. He caressed her smooth belly and fingered her deep navel, then he slid his hand under the waistband of her tap pants and began stroking her clit. “Wow, you’re already wet down here.”

“I don’t need an orgasm tonight,” she said. “What I need is, to feel yours. That’s the true food for my soul -- the psychic connection of feeling your joy, your desire ... your arousal and your satisfaction combined with the strong jet of your sperm spraying into me.”

He grasped the waistband and slid her tap pants down her legs. “What’s your favorite sex position?” he asked.