“Fraud? I thought you were on gangs and trafficking.”
Jenn nodded. “That too. But the fraud case is based on this scammer using fake charities to solicit donations in crypto. So yeah, I’ve been talking to Lisa too. And you’re right. She makes your head hurt. But you’ll never guess whose name the scammers are using to gain donations.”
“Who?”
“Belinda Scott.”
Jane stared. “Are you serious?”
“Do Seattleites like coffee?”
“Hold on. Belinda Scott, Matthew’s mom, is involved in fake charities trying to scam people out of their crypto? She’s super wealthy. Why would she be doing that?”
“Who knows? Maybe she never thought she’d get caught.”
Or maybe August Kaminski and Rook were spinning more webs and lies.
Chapter 36
Right before sheplanned to head out from the office for dinner Thursday evening, the phone on her desk rang. Jane debated picking up then realized it might be Matthew.
Calls to his office got the same answer from his staff.The ASAC is currently busy but will get back to you soon.Frustrating, but at least his staff had seen him, so Jane knew he was still in one piece.
“This is Agent Cannon.”
“Hello? Agent Cannon? This is TS Cooper. I’ve been trying to reach you.” The caller had a strange accent, kind of Boston mixed with Chicago.
“Oh yes. I got your message.”
“We’ve been missing each other. Apologies. I got bogged down in other work. I didn’t know if I should call so late tonight, but ASAC Scott insisted if I didn’t hear back from him in more than forty-eight hours, I was to contact you.”
Forty-eight hours? She hadn’t talked to Matthew since Monday, but she thought he’d talked to SSA Grimshaw on Tuesday. Still, that added up to two whole days of Matthew being MIA to everyone but his office admin.
“Not a problem, TS Cooper. What’s the message?”
“I’ve been keeping a file on the comings and goings of certain members of a suspected crime organization run by August Kaminski.”
“I’m aware of the case we’re building.”
“Yes, well, it’s more than just something that’s building. I found hidden messages in several social media accounts and sites that add up to a pattern I thought the ASAC would like to see. I sent him the file on Monday and haven’t heard back. So I collated more data on some of the names associated with the Collective.”
She frowned. “That information should have gone through me.”
“I was told only to share what I learned with the ASAC. Unless I hadn’t heard from him,” he reiterated.
“Right. Well, what do you have?”
“I’ve sent you the files. But the gist is that there are eleven prominent families listed as members of the Collective.”
Jane frowned. “Eleven?” She had written down ten from the notebook.
“From what I’ve gathered, yes. There are eleven of them. I’m afraid…” Cooper trailed off.
“Yes?”
“Well, one of the names on the list was, ah, Scott. That’s not necessarily a reference to ASAC Scott’s family. But it’s certainly something that might concern him.”
Just what she’d been expecting. A tie to the Scotts.
