Big Bear Mountain - The Complete Series Read Online Free PDF Page B

giant of a man
for protection, although she knew next to nothing about him. But that didn’t
mean she was ready to tell him the entire story. It was too dangerous. For both
of them.
    “It’s a long story …” She sucked on her
lip, stalling for time.
    “Well, then, you’d better get started,”
Jarrad commanded, folding his thickset arms and leaning forward attentively.
    That’s exactly what she did, too. Right
from the very beginning, when everything seemed too good to be true.

Chapter 15
     
    F resh out of college, Elle was desperate to
make her way in the world and escape the controlling, suffocating influence of
her socialite mother, whose idea of a hard day at the office was having a nail
appointment run five minutes late. So, the opportunity to interview as the
executive assistant to the financial controller of a national finance company
was a godsend. A prestigious title with a leading firm and a large enough
paycheck to escape the clutches of her domineering mother. Win-win.
    For three years, Elle worked longer hours,
harder and smarter than anybody else in the accounting department, carving out
quite a reputation for herself as a hard worker and a savvy accountant. That’s
what they needed at Starnet Finance. The problem was, Elle was just a little
too smart and savvy. Worse, she had an enquiring mind and a pedantic nature.
Everything had to balance to the penny and when the accounts didn’t balance,
her investigative instincts kicked in. Like a pit bull with a bone, she
wouldn’t let it go until she’d solved the problem. She hated to lose a
challenge.
    “So,” Jarrad interrupted her story to clear
up his confusion, “how did you know these bank accounts were actually being
used to launder money?”
    “I didn’t at first, but after a while, I
saw a pattern. I doubt anyone else would have seen it because they weren’t
looking too carefully. They weren’t supposed to see the pattern. That
was the whole point,” she explained. The blank expression on Jarrad’s face
remained unmoved.
    “OK,” Elle continued, “I had to verify the
bank accounts of the various loan applicants, right?” Jarrad nodded. “I’m
seeing deposits, all under $10,000 so they avoid the federal identification and
reporting requirements, being made into these accounts from branches all over
the country. All cash. I mean, who even uses cash these days, right? Not one
single online transfer. Only cash deposits.”
    She waited for Jarrad to get his head
around what she was saying. When she was satisfied, she continued.
    “These seemingly random cash deposits from
hundreds of different branches were then used to buy luxury cars, precious
metals, aircraft, ships … you name it, they bought it.” She waved her hand
expansively, to emphasize her point.
    “But here’s the kicker.” She stabbed at the
dining table with her finger. “Each of the purchases, regardless of the amount
or which bank account I looked at was exactly the total sum of all the seemingly random deposits. In each and every case. No exceptions.” She poked the table
again to make her point.
    “I’m with you so far. A bunch of people all
over the country are pumping money into these bank accounts and the account
holder then uses the funds to buy something. But how’s that illegal?”
    “It’s drug money, from distributors and
dealers in every city in every state. Thousands of them. The money doesn’t
belong to the account holder … it belongs to the cartel” she clarified.
    “What happens to the money? You said they
bought stuff with it.” Jarrad was trying hard to impress her by keeping up, but
she was losing him. Fast.
    “They buy anything online that’s high value
and easy to sell. They either buy the goods overseas or have them shipped
there, then they sell it at eighty cents on the dollar and have the funds wired
by the buyer to their US based bank accounts. The money has been cleaned and it
looks like a legit commercial deal.” She