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Authors: Mary Higgins Clark
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it out and Mr. Bennett would give them their investment back and
a thousand dollars, the ten-percent return the fund had averaged. But if investors took their money out, they were never again allowed to invest in the Parker Fund.”
“Did people often take their money out of the fund?”
“No, hardly ever. They were getting monthly statements showing them how much their money had grown. They stayed in because they wanted their money to keep growing.”
“Did those investors who left get their promised ten-percent return?”
“Yes.”
“Those investors who stayed in the fund, did they tend to put more of their savings in?”
“Yes.”
“And what was the average return on their investment?”
“Ten percent.”
“After a few years did Parker Bennett start to take on wealthy clients?”
“Oh yes, he did. People came to him on their own.”
“When that happened, did you continue to send out letters inviting small investors in?”
“Yes, but not as many as I did in the early days.”
“Why was that?”
“Because we didn’t have to. The investors we had were very happy and they were recommending the Parker Fund to their friends, relatives, and coworkers. We were growing so fast I
didn’t have time to search for new investors.”
“You have worked for brokerage firms since you were twenty-one years old. Didn’t you find those returns suspiciously high?”
“I had witnessed what a genius Parker Bennett was in the other firm. I believed in him and trusted him.”
“Didn’t you think that your salary and bonus were unusually high?”
“I thought he was very generous.”
“What did you think when he continued paying for your husband’s medical bills?”
“I was overwhelmed.”
“And when your husband was forced to retire because of his illness, what did you think when Bennett paid off the mortgage on your house?”
“I broke down and cried.”
She knew that the prosecutors were going to indict her. “My husband and I had to take out a new mortgage to keep paying our medical bills,” she had burst out.
When she was finally finished, she left the room in tears. Grover Johnson, who had anxiously waited outside, embraced her and tried to calm her down as she sobbed, “I don’t think
they believed me.”
That was another thing. She and Frank had been horrified at how much it cost to hire a lawyer and how much their ongoing case had been running them. Frank exclaimed, “Whoever said,
‘There are no lawyers in heaven’ was right.”
They were supposed to hear from Johnson this afternoon. Nervously the two of them sat in the kitchen having a cup of tea. Frank was thinner now, but still had those wrinkles around his eyes and
lips that showed how easily he smiled.
He was not smiling now, and certainly she wasn’t. Her hand was trembling as she lifted the cup to her lips. The strain was so unbearable that her eyes were always watering. And a sudden
sound could make her gasp in fear. Her cell phone rang. The ID showed that it was Grover Johnson. “If it’s Johnson, make it short,” Frank warned. “The minute he dials, the
clock starts ticking.”
“Mrs. Becker?”
He sounds worried, Eleanor thought. Her grip on the phone tightened.
“Yes.”
“Mrs. Becker, I am so sorry to tell you that the grand jury has voted to indict you as a co-conspirator of Parker Bennett.”
17
T he weekend was cold but beautiful. Lane took Katie ice-skating in Rockefeller Plaza. She skated well enough, but Katie was a natural. She had
started skating the year before and nothing made Katie happier than to be at the rink. Eric Bennett had sent Katie a note thanking her for the cookies and asking if she also made oatmeal cookies
with raisins. Those were his other favorite. He had closed by writing, “I hope to see you soon, Katie. Your friend, Eric Bennett.”
He had not phoned Lane. She wondered if the note to Katie was simply a charming gesture or if he meant it when he said he would see
a thousand dollars, the ten-percent return the fund had averaged. But if investors took their money out, they were never again allowed to invest in the Parker Fund.”
“Did people often take their money out of the fund?”
“No, hardly ever. They were getting monthly statements showing them how much their money had grown. They stayed in because they wanted their money to keep growing.”
“Did those investors who left get their promised ten-percent return?”
“Yes.”
“Those investors who stayed in the fund, did they tend to put more of their savings in?”
“Yes.”
“And what was the average return on their investment?”
“Ten percent.”
“After a few years did Parker Bennett start to take on wealthy clients?”
“Oh yes, he did. People came to him on their own.”
“When that happened, did you continue to send out letters inviting small investors in?”
“Yes, but not as many as I did in the early days.”
“Why was that?”
“Because we didn’t have to. The investors we had were very happy and they were recommending the Parker Fund to their friends, relatives, and coworkers. We were growing so fast I
didn’t have time to search for new investors.”
“You have worked for brokerage firms since you were twenty-one years old. Didn’t you find those returns suspiciously high?”
“I had witnessed what a genius Parker Bennett was in the other firm. I believed in him and trusted him.”
“Didn’t you think that your salary and bonus were unusually high?”
“I thought he was very generous.”
“What did you think when he continued paying for your husband’s medical bills?”
“I was overwhelmed.”
“And when your husband was forced to retire because of his illness, what did you think when Bennett paid off the mortgage on your house?”
“I broke down and cried.”
She knew that the prosecutors were going to indict her. “My husband and I had to take out a new mortgage to keep paying our medical bills,” she had burst out.
When she was finally finished, she left the room in tears. Grover Johnson, who had anxiously waited outside, embraced her and tried to calm her down as she sobbed, “I don’t think
they believed me.”
That was another thing. She and Frank had been horrified at how much it cost to hire a lawyer and how much their ongoing case had been running them. Frank exclaimed, “Whoever said,
‘There are no lawyers in heaven’ was right.”
They were supposed to hear from Johnson this afternoon. Nervously the two of them sat in the kitchen having a cup of tea. Frank was thinner now, but still had those wrinkles around his eyes and
lips that showed how easily he smiled.
He was not smiling now, and certainly she wasn’t. Her hand was trembling as she lifted the cup to her lips. The strain was so unbearable that her eyes were always watering. And a sudden
sound could make her gasp in fear. Her cell phone rang. The ID showed that it was Grover Johnson. “If it’s Johnson, make it short,” Frank warned. “The minute he dials, the
clock starts ticking.”
“Mrs. Becker?”
He sounds worried, Eleanor thought. Her grip on the phone tightened.
“Yes.”
“Mrs. Becker, I am so sorry to tell you that the grand jury has voted to indict you as a co-conspirator of Parker Bennett.”
17
T he weekend was cold but beautiful. Lane took Katie ice-skating in Rockefeller Plaza. She skated well enough, but Katie was a natural. She had
started skating the year before and nothing made Katie happier than to be at the rink. Eric Bennett had sent Katie a note thanking her for the cookies and asking if she also made oatmeal cookies
with raisins. Those were his other favorite. He had closed by writing, “I hope to see you soon, Katie. Your friend, Eric Bennett.”
He had not phoned Lane. She wondered if the note to Katie was simply a charming gesture or if he meant it when he said he would see
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