Read Online Sins of Our Fathers (9781571319128) by Shawn Lawrence Otto - Free Book Online Page A

announced what it is yet,” he said.
    â€œLast year when he was in here, was it a tribal loan he was after?”
    JW shook his head. “No, I would have approved that. It was for his house. An addition, remodel or something, and some kind of small business.”
    Jorgenson nodded, thinking about it. “You know he used to be a vice president at one of our competitors in Minneapolis,” he said. “A real climber. They called him the Indian Obama.”
    JW saw the implication. He picked the phone back up and thumbed through some of the other images. “You think it’s a bank.”
    Jorgenson looked both worried and aggressive, like a bear about to strike. “You tell me.”
    JW finished thumbing through the images. The structuredid seem to have preparations for a drive-through canopy. “We’d lose the tribal deposits,” he said, setting the phone back on the table.
    Jorgenson nodded. “Yeah, and that would probably put this branch out of business. I bet that’s his intent. Do you know how much Capitol Bank Holdings paid for this branch?”
    â€œNo.” He wanted to sit, but Jorgenson hadn’t asked him to, and he sensed that it would anger him.
    â€œEight million dollars. And you built it higher since.”
    JW suddenly realized how damaging such a development would be to Jorgenson’s CEO campaign. If a tribal bank put Jorgenson’s flagship branch out of business, they would lose millions of dollars and his entire strategy for growth near casinos would be called into question. JW and everyone who worked here would be out of a job, and permanently blemished by the failure. It would be a blow to the entire community.
    â€œYou’re the expert on this, John. Christ, you teach it,” said Jorgenson. “How many tribe-owned banks are there?”
    â€œNot many. They’d need a state or federal charter to do it.”
    Jorgenson looked at him for a moment as if contemplating something, then nodded faintly.
    â€œIf you took a leave, do you think you could get your arms around this thing for us?”
    â€œA leave?” JW was shocked. “Frank, I’ve got my hands full as branch president—”
    â€œWell, actually—”
    Jorgenson slid a piece of paper out from beneath the stack of financial reports he had been reviewing and pushed it across the table to JW.
    â€œI’ve been looking into some of your loans. One in particular.”
    JW picked it up, noticing how the embossed recorder’sseal caught the light. He saw his signature along with the forgeries of Sam’s and Sandy’s as the notary public. It was the second mortgage on his home. The $100,000 figure suddenly looked staggering. He felt a wave of nausea.
    â€œWhat’s the problem? It’s my second mortgage. That’s what banks do, they improve people’s lives.”
    â€œJohn, come on, okay? You’ve been waiving your payments for almost a year.”
    JW laughed. “You know Carol. Her redecorating—”
    â€œBullshit! Okay? Bullshit.” Jorgenson slapped the table. “Everybody knows you’ve got a gambling problem, and that you and Carol are separated over it. Christ, I used to run this branch! You think I don’t still have connections? I also know you’re being evicted from your apartment. So let’s cut the shit, and you give me some honest answers.”
    â€œFrank, it’s just a little gaming.”
    â€œThis is embezzling,” Jorgenson said, stabbing the papers with his fingers. “Put your keys on the table. I’m going to call the FBI.”
    JW hesitated.
    â€œNow!”
    JW felt sick and paralyzed. The enormity of what was happening was surreal. He started to reach for his keys, but somehow he found the presence of mind to push back.
    â€œJust, now just, wait,” he said, his voice shaking. “Okay? I’ve made you a lot of money. I’ve turned this into