23课
She relished the novelty and thrill of having been summoned to this prestigious man's home. The sheer beauty of the place far surpassed her expectations. However, she was becoming suspicious about the reason for this visit. Now that she had received an orientation to his home, and notwithstanding her first impressions of the man, she was anxious to learn why she was here. What could a mere reporter do for this rich, influential man? He began to speak soberly, contradicting his earlier spontaneity. I will tell you a story you may have difficulty believing, he said, softly. I was not born into this lifestyle. It is ironic that there is such a discrepancy between what I was and what I am. My father left the United States when I was about two years old. He ran a junk store in the slums of Winnipeg when I was a kid. He was a vulgar man but he knew how to fool people into thinking they were buying something rare or valuable. It was under his tutelag that I learned to be a fraud. I decided at an early age that if there was a shortcut to success, I could bypass the complications of getting there by the conventional methods. I was like a hurricane, rushing forward without consideration for the rules. If it's any consolation, I didn't intentionally harm anyone in the process. I was able to stay within the parameters of the law, but just barely. I bought and sold used furniture before going into the antique business. When I bought, I always paid a fraction of the potential worth of the goods. When I sold, I always made a profit. I was able to upgrade my stock with almost every transaction. In time, I had a warehouse full of merchandise.I didn't flatter myself by thinking I hadn't muddied the waters a bit. I knew I had probably stepped on a few toes, but I was on a roll. I had the momentum and rejoiced in my success. As long as the money kept coming in, anything was permissible. One day, I received a visit from a rather important patron of the arts. He had an interesting proposition for me. He held the patent and trademark for the prototype of an innovative way to determine the age of a painting using ultraviolet light. He would sell them to me for the nominal fee of a nickel if I would reciprocate by doing him a favor. I was to include one of his personal paintings in my next shipment of antiques going to New York. At first, I thought he was mocking me, but he gave me his oath that he just wanted to ensure the painting would arrive at its destination safely, and, because it would be a part of an antique shipment, it would be exempt from import duty. It was a provocative offer, and even though I remained skeptical, I agreed.A few days later, a crated painting arrived and was added to my goods ready for delivery to New York. I had always subscribed to the theory that if something appeared to be too good to be true, it probably was. However, my greed prevailed and the painting was on its way. I was unaware at the time that my fortunes were about to go into a downward spiral. My benefactor, it turned out, was a man with a grudge against me. Irrespective of the fact that I felt a deal we had made years before had been fair, he felt I had cheated him. I was about to be the recipient of his wrath. When my agent in New York went to customs to retrieve the shipment, he was greeted by a squad of police waiting to detain him on charges of smuggling cocaine. It appeared there was a bit of a discrepancy between what I was told was in the crate and the actual contents. The drugs were in a hidden compartment in the crate. I admit it was naive of me to believe I had no enemies, but I didn't know anyone would go to this degree to prove how much he despised me. Hitherto, I had gone through life thinking that when two people agreed to a deal, if one of them got the better of the other, it was fair, because they did agree. Now I was learning that if you take advantage of some people, even with their permission, you aggravate them to seek revenge. I can't refute my recklessness. Almost seven years have elapsed since that time. My agent took responsibility for the crime and went to jail for five years. I felt guilty as hell, but I continued to pay him by sending the money to his family. I even withheld extra in a bonus account to give to him when he was released. I also gave up my business and began to help others start their businesses. In time, the guilt I felt subsided. I put my energies into stepping into the breach to help those less fortunate than I. To my amazement, my luck started to fluctuate upward and I flourished. All you see here today, I have accumulated since that time. Now, it seems, my enemy has decided to reclaim his power over me. He has reported the crime and the erroneous imprisonment of my agent and named me as the person responsible for the offence. I had never changed my citizenship, so the F.B.I. wants me deported so they can prosecute me in New York. I hope I can induce you, through your column, to tell my story. Next week I have to appear before a magistrate for the preliminary hearing. If I'm not mistaken, public pressure might enable me to avoid deportation at least. I am more likely to get a fair trial here than there. My record as a good citizen may offset the perception that I may be a criminal. What do you think? Will you help? Kate had listened to this synopsis in silence but her outrage was building. While his story seemed plausible, this plea for her assistance didn't quite fit. With his financial resources, he could hire the best legal team in the country. She realized she had to detach herself from her first impressions and extract fact from fiction. Why didn't she believe him? Suddenly, it came to her. Exposition of this version of Victor's tale would not only gain him public sympathy, it would invalidate any testimony against him. Nothing could constrain her when she realized she had literally been taken in by his story. If you were innocent, why weren't you the defendant? If you were innocent all those years ago, why did your agent go to prison for you? Why did it take so long for your enemy to turn you in? The statute of limitations for that offence has expired. I believe this has been a pathetic attempt to get me to mediate your case in the press. I think you have always been an integral player in the criminal world and your past has caught up with you. My cardinal sin was allowing myself to be reeled in by your tales of what a model citizen you are. Kate could feel herself getting dizzy and light-headed, surprised by the audacity she had, talking to anyone in that manner. Before she lost complete control, she would have to get out of there. She stood, turned, and marched toward the door. As she began to open the front door, she looked back. Victor stood beside his chair, pale and shaken. You admitted you were a fraud in your youth. You are still a fraud! I will write your story... my version! My guess is that the eventual verdict will beguilty! |
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