Plastic Gods, A Rich Coleman Novel Vol 2

  Chapter 18

 

  The night following Matt's incarceration, a terrible ice storm hit Dallas, preventing Lynn from going to visit him. For two days the streets were too treacherous to be traveled. Lynn couldn't sleep without Matt in her bed, and being unable to visit him for several days was unbearable. Lori had volunteered to stay with her until Matt was released, but even with her best friend nearby, Lynn was a lost soul.

  Matt missed Lynn terribly but in a way the ice storm was a blessing. He needed time to figure out how to tell her that he was pleading guilty. He wondered if he should tell her the truth, that he was pleading guilty for her sake, or if he should make up some other rationalization for his decision. If he told her the truth, he figured she wouldn't allow him to plead guilty and that could ultimately be her death warrant.

  When the streets finally thawed out, Lynn was one of the first visitors at the jail. She was escorted to a visiting room and told to wait. Momentarily she heard a buzzer go off and a steel door open. Matt came through the door, smiled, and sat down across from her.

  "Hi, honey," he said.

  "Oh, Matt. Are you okay?"

  "Yes."

  "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, but—"

  "It's all right. I heard about the ice storm."

  "You're not mad at me?"

  "No, of course not. I can't believe you're here now. I heard it was still bad out there."

  "It wasn't too bad. . . . Are they treating you okay?"

  "Yeah, they're not very friendly but nobody's abusing me."

  "How come you're still in here? Brad said he had your bail just about arranged."

  "Well, that's something I need to talk to you about."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, I could get out on bail but it would take every dollar we have to post bond. Then what money would you have to live on?"

  "I can live off the profits from the practice."

  "How long do you think we'll be able to keep the Debt Relief Centers open with me in jail for bankruptcy fraud? The U.S. Trustee's office I'm sure will try to get me and the firm suspended from practicing before the bankruptcy court until the case is settled."

  "You think so?"

  "Yes, I'm the sole owner of the practice so they would have no other choice."

  "I don't care. Even if we don't have a penny, I'd rather have you on the outside with me."

  "I know and that's where I want to be too, but we've got to be realistic. What are the chances that I can beat this rap anyway?"

  "You have to beat it! You can't go to prison."

  "Bruce says if I plead guilty I could be out in eighteen months. If I go to trial, no telling what will happen."

  "Matt, I can't believe you're even thinking about a plea bargain. You were set up for godsakes! You've got to fight this thing. I won't let you just throw away your life to save money."

  "Come on, honey. Face it. We're beaten. The bank is too powerful. If they played by the rules we might have a chance to win, but they are ruthless. Those guys would gut their own mothers if it helped the bottom line. If I give up now and let things cool off, they might leave us alone. When I get out of prison we'll move away from Dallas and start an advertising agency or something."

  "Matt, what's going on? This isn't you talking."

  "Yes, it is, damn it! You've got to face reality. There are more important factors to consider here."

  "They've threatened you, haven't they? They told you if you win, you lose, right? Did they threaten to kill you?"

  "No, honey. They said they'd kill you if I didn't give up the battle."

  Lynn began to cry. "This isn't fair," she said. "They can't do this! Isn't there anything we can do?"

  "I wish there was, honey, but there isn't."

  "What about the Senate Banking Committee? What if I went to them and told them what's going on?"

  "They want me to disappear too. I hardly think you'd get a receptive ear."

  "What about the Day-Timer?"

  He sighed. "That’s a long shot. Senator Goss probably won’t even see Bill. "

  “Yes, he will, and Senator Goss will start an investigation. You’ll eventually be vindicated.”

  "Lynn. . . . Come on, honey. You've got to give it up. Eighteen months won't be that long. I'll survive and then we'll have the rest of our lives together."

  "Oh, Matt. How could I live without you for eighteen months?"

  "You can visit me every week and in between we can communicate over the internet."

  "Will they let you do that?"

  "Sure, if Charles Manson can have a website, I sure as hell can communicate with you on AOL."

  "Have you talked this over with Bruce?"

  "Yes, he says it makes a lot of sense."

  "I still don't like it."

  "I know. Listen, honey, there is something you need to do ASAP."

  "What."

  "Before I started law practice I did some defensive estate planning, you know, just in case a calamity struck us."

  "Oh, really? You didn't tell me."

  "Well, it was something best kept a secret. Anyway I have an offshore trust. It doesn't have much in it right now, so I need you to wire transfer some money into it. I left you wiring instructions on my desk at home. While I'm in prison, the trustee will pay you an income. We need to get the money out of our account before the feds freeze it."

  "Is that legal?"

  "It's our money and right at this moment we can do whatever we want. We just can’t afford to wait to do the transfer. Once I plead guilty, the court will assess a fine and then they'll take everything we have."

  "Can they go after the trust?"

  "No, not where I've got it. It's safe."

  "Okay, honey. I'll take care of it today."

  "Good,” he said, holding back his tears. “I'm really sorry it turned out this way. I never realized I was putting our lives in danger. I would have never—”

  Lynn shook her head. “No. It's my fault. All I could think about was bringing the masses into the bankruptcy courts so we could get rich. I never considered who would be affected by what we were doing."

  "We were just too good, babe. I'm just glad we're both still alive.”

  "Me too. Let’s keep it that way."