Out of Bounds
Friday
Practice Round
Bradford threw his $20 entry fee into the kitty and headed to the practice range. This was his last practice round before the match. He had played well Wednesday, and shot 77. Dave’s goal today was 74, or better.
It promised to be a fun round. Dave was playing with three friends from the club. Bradford reflected briefly on how things had changed. Four months ago Dave’s regular Friday foursome included Ken and Buzz.
Ken always told him that before a round you should treat practice time as a warm-up, not practice. “Don’t work on something right before you play. If you need practice, do it after the round is over or on a day you’re not playing.” That’s easy to say if you are a professional golfer who plays every day. Most club players only play two or three times a week and seldom get to the practice range. Dave had only hit a few irons when Gary told him he was wanted back in the clubhouse. What now, Dave thought.
“You’re a captain, Dave. It’s your turn to pick.”
Today 44 players showed up for “the game”. This meant Dave had one of the 11 lowest handicaps. The Friday game attracted “scratch” golfers from around the area, so this was quite a move up for him. Dave had started as a D-player when he first moved to Tampa. Dave picked second, which meant he was seeded tenth. Handicaps were listed for each player only to assist the captains in making their picks. Only the two best scores for each hole were counted. The $20 entry fee was paid out in four pieces; front nine, back nine, total and a $5 birdie pool.
Dave didn’t pick anyone from his foursome. The added responsibility of being a captain was enough pressure. He just wanted to play his own ball and not worry about what someone else was shooting. His goal was to post a low score and let Buzz think about it overnight.
Bradford shot 83 and his team finished dead last. He couldn’t help but notice that Buzz shot a 72 with four birdies. His team won the back nine, and tied overall. They split $330 plus whatever each person won on skins; so much for entering tomorrow’s round with confidence. Maybe Buzz would be overconfident, he thought.
Dave’s driver let him down all day and he never sank a putt longer than four feet. He thought of going to the practice range, but decided against it. He just didn’t feel like practicing. Ken used to say that every golfer has bad days. Sometimes it’s better to just walk away and forget them. Tomorrow is another day.
Chris and Mike were in a good mood when Bradford stopped in the office. The contracts were ready to be signed. Mario was on his way over and Sven was coming in around 4:00. The Zurich attorneys had requested a few minor changes, but nothing significant.
“How will the wire transfer instructions be handled? Who is the escrow agent?” Dave asked.
“Tom Larkin, a partner at Foley and Lardner, one of the largest law firms in Florida. Zurich and Mario have already wired the bank accounts and authorizations. Tom just received word that the accounts are authentic.
“How will this work Saturday?” Dave asked.
“We get together in at the club and execute the wire transfers by telephone. Larkin has provided both Mario and Sven a security code. As soon as we receive confirmation that the funds are transferred, we sign the papers. It shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes.”
“How do I get paid?”
“Sven and Mario have both signed agreements to pay you a $25M commission as soon as they receive payment.”
“Mike, do you really think the FBI will allow all that money to be forwarded out of Mario’s account? Wouldn’t they freeze the money?”
“I see what you are getting at, Dave. Let me see if I can arrange for your commission to be sent directly to your account.”
Carlos used a pay telephone to dial the number he had been given. He heard the click of someone picking up, but nobody spoke. Carlos delivered his message. ”The package will be delivered on schedule.” The next sound he heard was a dial tone.
Romano turned to Mario. “The merchandise will be here. Is everything set on your end? This is a big shipment.”
“Everything is ready,” Mario replied. “The trucks will be there and the buyers are ready.”
“I will personally handle the exchange. I don’t want anything left to chance,” Romano said as he poured himself a drink.
“I have done business with these buyers for three years. There won’t be a problem.”
“Do you still have those gambling markers from the grand opening? I think it’s time we collected our IOU from Bradford,” Romano said with a smile.
“I don’t think we need them, but a little insurance won’t hurt. I’ll see that they are delivered tomorrow morning.”
“Toast,” Romano offered. “Tomorrow at this time we will be 100% owners of the best money laundering operation that money can buy.” he said with a chuckle.
“Toast,” Mario replied as they touched glasses. Mario couldn’t remember ever having heard Romano laugh.
Saturday Morning
The Big Day