Kate searched the tables near the carousel. Her caller had said that shed be alone there, with a white bag on the table and reading a hardcover copy of Great Expectations.
After scanning a few families at tables near the carousel, Kate approached an older woman who was wearing casual white pants and a mint-colored top. She was at a table with a white bag on it and-as promised-was reading Great Expectations. Kate stood at the table until the book was lowered and the woman removed her sunglasses.
Kate Page? she asked.
Yes.
Please, sit down.
The woman closed her book and placed her sunglasses on it.
I dont want you to use my name or take my picture. Will you give me that assurance?
Ill see how this goes. Remember, you called me, and I dont even know your name. Look, I dont have much time. What do you know about Lori Fulton?
The woman repositioned herself in her chair.
The news reports portray the Fultons as the epitome of a wholesome, all-American family-pillars of the community.
And you think theyre not?
I didnt say that. Dont get me wrong. Im sympathetic to whats happening to them. I hope theyre safe, of course-they have a little boy! But I think-I mean, I know theres more to the story and I believe people should know about it.
Kate put her recorder on the table and her notebook.
The woman hesitated.
You have nothing to worry about, Kate said, if youre telling me the truth.
The woman considered the situation.
And I dont have much time, Kate added.
Before he died, my husband worked for Dixon Donlevy Mutual Life Insurance as a claims adjuster. He was due for a promotion to be a senior investigator of fraudulent claims out of the office in Queens, where we were living at the time.
Kate made notes.
But the job went to Lori Fulton. My husband was crushed. Hed been with the company over twenty years. To make room for Lori, he was given a lateral position, which meant a grinding commute into Manhattan.
Okay. Kate stopped. Im sorry, but Im not sure this is the information Im looking for. Whats this got to do with whats happening now?
My husbands boss had a connection with the bank and Loris husband, so when they were moving from California, hed arranged for Lori to get the job that shouldve gone to my husband.
All right, so he was passed over for a promotion. I still dont think this has any relevance to the current situation. Kate checked the time. This was a mistake. This was a case of a woman whod held a grudge and was looking to vent, and it all seemed rather petty.
Sorry, Im complicating this. I still get a bit emotional. The reason Lori got the job as a fraud investigator is because in California shed been a police officer.
A police officer? Kate sat up and made a note underlining it.
Yes, and I think that may be connected to whats happened now.
Thats quite a leap, Kate said. How does her being a police officer have anything to do with her husband robbing his bank-or with her and her son being held hostage?
Well, I dont know. Thats for the police to figure out.
And did you contact them with your suspicion?
No, but Im sure they must know that she was a cop. Police have access to these things. My husbands boss was an ex-cop and favored hiring ex-cops for investigations. The woman pulled a tissue from her bag. Its understandable, I know. But my Jackie had put in twenty-two years and had an exemplary record with the company. Then this Lori, whod done nothing for Dixon Donlevy, aside from showing up, is handed his job on a platter. Jack never complained. He was loyal to the company. He made the commute every dayuntil his heart attack.
Do you know where in California Lori Fulton was a cop?
The woman shrugged. I dont know. But one night, Jack told me that hed heard that Lori Fulton was involved in something terrible. Something happened when she was a cop that forced her to quit, to leave the force-and that was the reason the Fultons had moved to New York.
I need something that proves you have a connection to this. How can I be sure youre not making this up?
The woman reached into her bag.
I knew you might ask. She pulled out a small stack of papers and photos and put them on the table. This is me and my husband, Jack, on our last vacation in South Carolina, she said, pointing to the photo at the top of the pile.
It was a photo of the woman and man smiling on a beach.
And heres a photo of our last Dixon Donlevy Christmas party. Thats me with Jack, and thereyou see? Lori and Dan Fulton.
Kate saw the faces of several smiling people, including the Fultons.
And here, the woman continued, pulling a piece of paper from the bottom of the stack, is the staff notice Dixon Donlevy put out when Lori got the job and Jack got his transfer. Jack brought it home and showed me-he was so disappointed. We kept it in our files.
May I take pictures of this material to show my editors that it supports what youve told me?
As long as you swear to me you wont publish them.
I wouldnt-not without your permission.
And you wont use my name or Jacks name, either? Youll find them on some of these papers.
Not without permission.
The woman touched her tissue to her eyes.
I know in my heart that had my husband got the job he earned instead of Lori Fulton, hed be alive today.
What about your husbands boss at the company, the ex-cop. Whats his name? I could talk to him? Kate asked, after snapping a few photos of the items on the table.
Angelo Korda. But you wont be able to talk to him. He drowned two years ago, fishing in Maine.
Did your husband ever hint at what went wrong for Lori?
No. I have no idea of what she was up to in California. But if it was bad enough that she had to quit her job and leave the state, then maybe it could be linked to whats happened to her family.
Kate got a number and email address from the woman in case she needed to contact her again. Then Kate promised once more to protect her identity, thanked her and left. She wove around the dozens of families surrounding the carousel. Amid the huffing pipe organ and squeals of happy children, she realized one thing.
She was getting closer to a bigger story.
28
Manhattan, New York
The subject was a white male with large, soft eyes that hinted at innocence, a stubbled chin and tousled hair framing the face of a man barely out of his teens.
His photo filled the large monitor in the boardroom at the FBIs office at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan.
This is our prime suspect. Jerricko Titus Blaine, Nick Varner told the investigators at the table and those whod dialed in from across the country for the emergency case-status meeting on the robbery. Based on the evidence, which weve outlined in the case summary notes weve provided you, we dont believe Blaine acted alone.
The FBI, the NYPD, New York State Police, Homeland Security and a range of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies had joined the ongoing investigation, which grew with every passing hour.
After summarizing key facts known so far, Varners top agenda item was to find their primary suspect: Jerricko Titus Blaine.
Blaines prints were left on duct tape found in the Fulton home that we believe was used to bind the family, Varner said. Youve all been provided with our status sheet on this case-Blaines height, weight, DOB and any other information we currently have. Blaines last known address was in Dallas, Texas, so thats where were headed. Doyle, what do you have?
The voice of Trent Doyle, an agent with the FBIs Dallas division, came through loud and clear over the conference phone speaker.
Weve got our people heading to Blaines last address with warrants, and weve got detectives from DPD initiating a canvass and scouring all local and state records. Were pursuing any employers, relatives, friends and associates.
Good, Varner said, as he took notes. He noticed how one detective hadnt stopped staring at Blaines photo. Almost as though he recognized him. Varner kept his eye on him as he continued. Blaines Social Security Number shows he was born in Torrance, California, and attended school there. Over to you, LA. What can you tell us?
Bill Kendrick with the FBIs Los Angeles division gave an update.
Were working with the LAPD and Los Angeles County. Weve dispatched teams to all addresses associated with Blaine.
Schools? Varner said.
Yes, were going to schools, looking into any jobs he held, searching for relatives and any associates.
Marv, you want to jump in here?
Marv Tilden, NYPD. Were circulating Blaines photo to all confidential informants, were going door-to-door in the Fultons neighborhood in Queens. Were also chasing down family, friends, social circles. Were going through the familys computer and phone records for any leads.
Where are we on Dan Fulton? an FBI agent at the table asked.
We havent located him or his car, Varner said. Theres been no activity on any of the Fultons credit or bank cards. Were obtaining camera footage from the bank and neighboring businesses, and were looking at all security footage we can secure from the Fultons neighbors.
What about the BOLO for Dan Fultons Taurus? the agent asked. Anything from Real Time Crime Center?
Nothing so far, the NYPD commander for the center said. They couldve switched vehicles or changed Fultons plate. The BOLO remains active.
What about Fulton as a suspect? an NYPD detective asked.
Varner flipped pages of his case notes.
Unlikely, based on everything we know to be true at this stage-including the note he wrote before he left the bank. Youve got all the details in the summary.
Varner clicked a button, and Dan Fultons note appeared on the monitor next to Blaines photo.
Whats Fultons personal situation? the detective asked. Could he have set this up?
Its unlikely. We have no indication of him having any overwhelming debts, gambling or drug problems. Nothing that would require immediate access to a large sum of money, nothing that would make him this desperate. Right now we think the Fulton family was targeted.
What about this threat from Luca Bazerinni?
Weve not ruled that out. Weve spoken to Bazerinni and executed search warrants on his company and home. So far weve found no grounds to show that Bazerinni acted on his threat. No connection between Blaine and Bazerinni. But weve not ruled him out. Were still processing material seized from his trucking operation and home.