Gerber knew exactly what Max was talking about. She smelled of a sexual romp. Spencer suggested she shower before she went home, but Karen thought it was silly. “He’ll be asleep, and I’ll freshen up when I get there.” Gerber wondered how long the two could keep up the affair. It wasn’t as if he was in love with Karen. It was the thrill of doing something illicit. That, plus their Sunnydale scam kept him on a staggering high. Add the ice he was snorting, and he was at a cruising altitude of a commercial airliner.
While Sasha continued to monitor their conversation, she got a verification of the woman’s identity from earlier that morning. Sure enough, it was Karen Hawthorne, wife of Maxwell Hawthorne.Interesting, she thought to herself.This is quite the tangled web.
Neither of the men went into the coffee bar.
“Like I said, Maxwell. Chill. And stop acting like a scaredy cat. People are going to wonder why you’re so jumpy. Later, man.” Gerber walked toward his car, and Max got into his.
Sasha decided to follow Max so she could put a tracker on his car. She would be able to find Gerber on her device.
Max drove into the parking garage near the Rayburn Building. Sasha would flash her Press I.D. to gain entry. She drove slowly behind Hawthorne and watched where he parked. She took a space a few feet away. Once he was inside the building, she got out of her car, circumvented the security cameras, and placed the tracking device under his vehicle. She got back in her car, left the parking garage, and found a spot on the street just outside of the exit ramp. And waited.
Inside, Maxwell Hawthorne was having foreboding thoughts. He was sure his wife was having an affair. But with whom? And Gerber? He was in denial. Max’s stomach was churning. He thought about pulling out of the scheme. He had skimmed almost a half million dollars over the past five years. Tax-free. Too bad his wife spent most of it. He checked his bank account. It was dwindling down. Time to stop the bleeding. He’d ask Spencer for a small cut, and then bail. It was getting too risky, and if they got caught, it would be the end of their careers, and both of them could end up in prison.
He picked up the phone and dialed Gerber’s number.
“What’s wrong now?” Spencer sounded exasperated.
“I want to get out.”
“What? You can’t get out. We are in this together.”
“Then we have to dump this thing.” Max thought his heart was going to blow through his chest.
“No can do, bro. Too much at stake.”
“Yes, our careers, and who knows what else.” Max was close to hyperventilating.
“I wish you would take it easy.”
“Here’s a news flash for you. I can’t. I want out.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“What do you propose we do about funding?” Max asked. “We’re not going to get a million dollars for each facility.”
“And why not? So, we don’t get additional funding. What we’ve been getting so far has been good. The residential part is holding its own.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. They. Are. Not. The expenses are through the roof, and if we want to break ground for a new place, we are going to need the funds to do it. They’re just not there.” Max was feeling more confident. He clearly had a better grasp of the finances than Gerber did. Not that it made it any better, but Max could talk facts, something Gerber had long forgotten how to do.
Max continued, “That pharmacy skim is no longer viable since Sykes caught on.”
Too bad Sykes survived the wreck, Gerber thought to himself.At least the drug charges should keep him busy.
“Our interpretation of ‘long-term care’ is dwindling. We have less than half of the patients we thought we’d have this year.” Max had his personal laptop open to the financial records. He started to skim the sheets to give Gerber exact amounts. Then he froze. He looked at his screen and blinked. “Spencer, who was supposed to renew the licenses?”
“Janet. Why?”
“They’ve lapsed,” Max snapped at him. “This is exactly what Hannah was saying, and we happen to have two of them.” He took another deep inhale. “What do you suggest, senator?” Max said with disgust.
“That can’t be. Janet is always on top of things.”
“You’ve overloaded her recently. She could have dropped the ball.”
“Let me find out.”
“Spencer, I see the expiration dates of the certificates. They were up two months ago.”
Now Gerber was starting to sweat. He had made several transactions that would keep him under the radar. In total, it was more than his annual salary. But for him, it wasn’t enough. His mind was racing. He could open a few more bank accounts and transfer whatever was left in the Sunnydale coffers. He simply didn’t get what Max was telling him, that there was no money left, in part because of his transfers.
