Room with a View

Chapter 7 - The Scammers

Winston Graves set down his morning paper and strode across the broad, open-air living room to the kitchen where he'd left his phone. It was barely past five-thirty and the sun was still inching its way into the day. He loved getting up before the sun, awaiting the day like some high potentate receiving acolytes.

Fifty-five years of age and rapidly becoming financially independent, Winston accepted his success with equanimity. The fact that conning was his career, accounted for the current setup he enjoyed at Windy Palms, where he was also enjoying the fraudulent reputation of major investor in the resort's potential future.

He checked the caller ID and frowned, answering with a gruff hello.

"I need to see you," the caller said. "We might have a bit of a problem that requires your attention."

"Not on the phone. Come over to my villa but be discrete." He closed his phone and continued to frown. His business day was already intruding and he most certainly didn't want to know about problems no matter how small. In a setting like this there should never be problems.

He looked at his lounging pants and robe and decided to leave them on; this wasn't a visit requiring sartorial perfection. He did however check out his appearance in the mirror and did some casual patting of his silvering hair. His partner would be about ten minutes he figured, so he gathered up the scattered paper, set out a couple of glasses and opened a fresh bottle of orange juice.

The sun crept across the glazed terracotta tiles turning them a bright red and the tiny finches searching for crumbs from the breakfast cart, hopped about as if their feet were burning. Shelia had taken a smaller unit in keeping with the sham that she was Winston's employee, which allowed her to conduct business around the resort without raising eyebrows. When they were together, it was very public or very clandestine - this morning was clandestine.

The subtle chime sounded and Winston climbed the short stairway to the door, admitting his caller.

"You made it without incident?"

"Of course. Nobody noticed, as you might imagine. In fact nobody was even around. It's too early and it's so damn hot out there already."

"Well come out to the front, I've got some nicely chilled juice. Have you eaten, you're up awfully early?" He held out a hand and let her precede him down the steps.

"I had some toast and coffee, thanks." She set her handbag down and settled into one of the upholstered chairs overlooking the resort center below. "I've been thinking about this last group; there's a couple we could have some trouble with." She took her sun glasses from her purse and slipped them on before accepting the glass of juice and sipped delicately.

Winston took a matching chair alongside and settled himself, tasting his juice and staring out at the magnificent view; the sun was a fluorescent ball balancing on the horizon and the water was an opaque slate.

The scheme they were running, formulated at the real estate seminar, which led to their partnership, had worked so far exactly as planned. It was no quick grab and run game; it required long term development and massive patience, daring and risk. Pretending to represent the resort as realtors for the resort's conversion to time share, a complete fabrication, they had secured the interest of several couples and using their own money to rent one of the main villas and one room unit, they began their con.

One couple at a time was invited to come down and stay free for a few days while they examined the property and the supposed opportunity. Shelia's role entailed posing as the resort real estate advisor, taking the interested parties around, emphasizing the fact that until registration was achieved, the investments they were encouraged to make would be held in a modest, interest bearing account.