The Philadelphia Dupe

By Jerry Zaslow

Jonathan Harris has a loving wife, Linda, and two children, William, and AnnaLee. He is a prominent Philadelphia business man who owns the majority of the stock of Victor Export and Import Company, which trades on the New York Stock Exhange. His business requires him to do extensive international traveling. In order to get financing for steel beams needed for the construction of the Freedom Tower Condominium, which is to be the tallest building in Philadelphia, he travels to England to meet his friend Harold Dunn, Head Manager of Dover Bank. Thereafter, he travels to Hong Kong with another friend, Marshall Gooding, a highly reputed Professor of Business and Economics at Oxford University. In Hong Kong, Jonathan Meets with his agent, Kim Lee, who is to order the steel beams from Hokyoshi Steel Company in Japan.

Before leaving from England to Hong Kong, Jonathan meets Lady Millicent Browckworth, a beautiful English aristocrat, to whom he is drawn, not withstanding his love for his family.

When the large order of steel beams reaches the Port of Philadelphia, the beams are to be taken from the ship to the waiting flatbed trucks, to be transported to the Freedom Tower Condominium. The mistakes of an inexperienced tower crane operator reveal that all is not as it seems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728328423

Jerry Zaslow

Jerry Zaslow has been an attorney since age twenty-three and practiced law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida, where he currently resides with his wife, Diane.

Book preview

THE

PHILADELPHIA

DUPE

JERRY ZASLOW

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AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2019 Jerry Zaslow. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/23/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-2843-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-2841-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-2842-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019914653

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Epilogue

About the Author

About the Book

To my wife, Diane Elizabeth, as

we enjoy life together.

PREFACE

After practicing law for many years, I decided to write The Philadelphia Dupe, my first novel. Of course, the subject I know best is the law, and I have attempted to write a story that is wrapped around the law.

A lawyer is expected to be many things—an advocate; a warrior; a defender; and someone who is compassionate, forthright, honest, trustworthy, and dedicated.

Writing this book was a real challenge. But at the same time, it was a joyful outlet of expression of what has been in me for a very long time.

All persons mentioned in this book are fictitious and intended to be such. Any similarity to any actual person or name, living or dead, is merely coincidental and not meant to be otherwise. Of course, geographical names of cities and countries are as stated and obviously not fictitious. However, the names of buildings, streets, and places have been fictionalized in many instances.

As a lawyer, I always knew that the tentacles of the law were difficult to overcome. The law serves to let everyone know the expected rules of behavior. It can be very frightful if you are the person being prosecuted.

I hope that you will enjoy reading this book and observing the actions, personalities, conflicts, and problems of the characters as they combat each other and the law.

Sometimes fiction can be truer than life.

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CHAPTER 1

One evening, Jonathan was sitting in the world famous Oxford Hotel dining room in London, waiting for Harold Dunn, head manager of the Dover Bank, to join him for dinner. Mr. Dunn was a distinguished banker, well known for his financial expertise.

As Jonathan sat studying the menu, he noticed a young woman entering the dining room. She was dressed in a black Chanel suit with a diamond broach on her lapel. Her blond soft curls hung over her beautifully chiseled face. Her fingernails were meticulously manicured. Precious gems radiated from her wrists and fingers. She was about five foot six and 120 pounds, had a petite build, and was a picture of elegance. Two gentlemen, dressed in dark double-breasted suits accompanied her to a table immediately across from where Jonathan sat.

Jonathan wondered whether the two men were family, friends, or bodyguards. He could not help but stare at her. He caught himself as she turned toward him. At that point, he put the menu in front of his face. The music of lush violins was playing in the background. The table settings were immaculate, with crystal glass and fine English silverware.

Harold Dunn suddenly appeared and broke Jonathan’s spell.

Hello Jonathan, and a good evening to you.

Slightly startled, Jonathan replied, Good evening, Harold. It is good to see you again.

Harold seated himself at the table. He was a man who was very self-assured, with a wealth of banking experience, especially in international loans. He was dressed in a gray suit, with a striped gray tie and a white silk handkerchief in his breast jacket pocket.

The waiter approached. Jonathan ordered pâté de foie gras, followed by lobster thermidor. Harold ordered a prawn cocktail, followed by chateaubriand and a bottle of Dom Pérignon. The waiter brought the Dom Pérignon to the table and filled the glasses.

Jonathan lifted his glass to tap Harold’s glass. Here’s to our success.

Yes, I hope so old boy, responded Harold.

As the entree was served, Jonathan couldn’t help but notice that the young woman at the next table was looking at him. Intermittently, he looked at her and she at him, as if there were some magnetism pulling them together.

The dinner meeting with Harold was important for Jonathan, as he intended to secure a loan to underwrite his next business adventure, which was the importation of steel to Philadelphia from Japan. He tried very hard to concentrate on his conversation with Harold but subconsciously was drawn toward looking at that magnificent specimen of a woman at the table across from him.

Harold and Jonathan talked about financing the shipment of steel, which was to be used to construct a high-rise condominium in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. The two seemed to get on well together. Jonathan felt sure that he would get the loan from Dover Bank. After about half an hour of conversation, Harold called the waiter.

The waiter approached once more with a white towel over his tuxedo jacket sleeve. Jonathan again looked at the woman and had a lapse, thinking, What am I doing?

Harold told the waiter that he wanted a bottle of Dom Pérignon sent to the lady and two gentlemen seated at the next table with a note that said, Enjoy. Jonathan. This was done.

Jonathan had seen Harold write the note and asked him, Why did you write that note in my name and send it to the next table?

Harold replied, I may be wrong. But I had a feeling you wanted to get to know the lady. I saw her staring at you a few times, and it seemed that you looked back at her.

Secretly, Harold was hoping this little ploy would work.

When the bottle arrived at the next table, the three of them raised their glasses in tribute to the gift of the bottle of Don Pérignon. Harold visibly nodded and looked at Jonathan to indicate that it was he who’d sent the bottle.

Do you know them? asked Jonathan, as he did not know what was going on. Why did you order the bottle of Dom Pérignon in my name?

Jonathan was inwardly annoyed but did not want to create a regrettable situation that would cause business problems with Harold. So he let it go. The more he thought about Harold mixing him up in this scenario, the less he thought of Harold.

Everything else seemed to be going well.

Jonathan, if you would like to meet the lady, I will ask Benedict, the maître d’hôtel, to find out her name as stated on the reservation list.

Before Jonathan could say yes or no, Harold excused himself and approached Benedict with the question.

She is Lady Millicent Brockworth of Richmond and the two men are her escorts, advised Benedict.

Harold so told Jonathan and added, She appears not to be wearing an engagement or wedding ring, and this is so much the better, old boy.

Jonathan was inwardly annoyed by Harold’s remark. He felt like Harold was implying that Jonathan should go after her, even though he knew that Jonathan was a married man. Nonetheless, there was something drawing him to her that he had never felt before. He got a grip on himself, thinking, I have to snap out of these thoughts.

Finally, Harold and Jonathan reached an agreement for the loan. The loan was to be collateralized by five certificates of deposit in Jonathan’s bank located in the Cayman Islands. The loan agreement would be signed by the corporation and by Jonathan individually as a guarantor of repayment of the loan. This kind of loan put Jonathan’s personal fortune on the line but it had to be done. Friend or no friend, Harold had to protect the bank.

The two of them shook hands and departed. The shipment was to be made freight on board, Port of Philadelphia. From there it was to be delivered by flatbed truck to the project in Port Richmond, to be known as the Freedom Tower Condominium.

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As Jonathan lay in his feathered quilt bed at the Oxford Hotel, he thought about the deal he had just made, but more so, he thought about Lady Brockworth. The next morning, as Jonathan and Harold were having breakfast, Harold informed Jonathan that he had instructed the hotel concierge to send two dozen red roses from him to Lady Brockworth at her home in Richmond. Attached to the roses was a note that read, Best wishes, Jonathan.

On hearing this, Jonathan’s initial impulse was anger, but he tempered himself when he realized that, for some reason, it did not bother him that much. Then he thought, I have always been a devoted and loving husband and father. Just what am I getting myself into now? He knew that what he was thinking and doing was wrong. However, his psyche was alarmingly taking over his brain, and he felt unable to put the lady out of his mind. Instead, he was being strongly drawn to her, like a teenager in love.

He was in a self-created dilemma. His stature as a respected business and family man was being attacked by a great uncontrolled state of mind. He was being pulled one way and, at the same time, trying not to do what the devil was seemingly compelling him to do.

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CHAPTER 2

The next morning, at 7:00 a.m., Jonathan and his personal bodyguard, Mel Simpkins, were seated in a limousine en route to Heathrow Airport. Jonathan’s appearance was that of the consummate businessman. It would be a long journey to Hong Kong.

At the airport, Jonathan went to Chaucer’s Pub to meet with Marshall Gooding, professor of economics and international trade relations at Oxford University. They greeted each other cordially. Gooding gathered his paperwork and documents, which were on a table, and put them into his black briefcase, where he also had a laptop computer. Marshall had been a professor for twenty-two years and had written scores of books on economics, finance, international trade, and business. He was a renowned academician with a sterling reputation. He was also a very shrewd man. He would involve himself in something only if there was a great deal for him to gain from it.

Jonathan and Marshall had met many years previously at an international conference in Paris regarding world economics and trade. They got along well together and had meshed into a small brain trust. Over the years, they had partnered in multiple business ventures. They’d traveled much of the world and met with executives and government officials across the continents. They were a great team and extremely successful. Their business acumen seemed to be second to none. They both had money deposited in offshore banks.

They thoroughly thought out their business and financial transactions, investigated them, and planned well. Their zest for business was incessant.

Jonathan, my man, so good to see you again! How are things?

Excellent. Could not be better. I am looking forward to our nonstop trip. We will have plenty of time to review documents during out flight and come up with the best ideas that will put us on the road to success and accomplishment of our goals.

They both picked up their travel bags and briefcases and walked to Jonathan’s company’s Gulfstream jet, which was waiting at the departure gate for Hong Kong. As they walked, Jonathan momentarily stopped and hastily said, Marshall, I forgot to make one telephone call. Excuse me for a moment.

Marshall smiled slightly. He thought he knew what the telephone call that Jonathan would be making was about. Of course, he kept it to himself.

Jonathan saw the smile on Marshall’s face and wondered about it as he ducked into a side corridor and picked up the telephone. Operator, I would like to make a call to Richmond, England, to Lady Millicent Brockworth, please.

One moment, sir. I will try to connect you.

After about four rings, the phone was answered.

Lady Brockworth’s residence. Barlow speaking. May I help you?

Yes. This is Jonathan Harris. May I speak to Lady Millicent Brockworth please?

One moment, sir. I will see if she is available.

That one moment seemed to be a very long time.

This is Lady Brockworth, Mr. Harris.

Yes, I just wanted to personally say hello to you. Please recall that we saw each other last night in the Oxford Hotel dining room.

Oh! You are the gentleman who sent the bottle of Dom Pérignon and the two dozen red roses? You are Jonathan?

I am Jonathan, madam. My plane for Hong Kong is leaving shortly, and I hope to be in touch with you, if I may, when I return to England. Meanwhile, I extend my best wishes to you.

Thank you and have a safe trip.

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Millicent hung up the telephone and was somewhat amused that she had just spoken to a perfect stranger who seemed so charming. He was the man with whom she wanted to talk. She thought to herself, I now have him pursuing me. I must be cautious.

She reclined into her Victorian sofa, taking a cup of tea, pensive and drifting.

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At the stroke of 8:00 a.m., Jonathan and Marshall boarded the Gulfstream with Mel. They were escorted to very comfortable seats.

After they settled themselves, Anne, the Gulfstream’s flight attendant, approached.

Mr. Harris and gentlemen, my name is Anne, and I will be your flight attendant on this journey. Please feel free to let me know if there is anything you want or need. In half an hour, breakfast will be served. She was very accommodating, in typical British style.

Jonathan, Marshall, and subsequently Mel paused momentarily and gave their breakfast orders.

After Anne walked away, Marshall said, Well, Jonathan, sounds like we will have a jolly good breakfast.

The plane lifted into the air with the jet engines roaring. They were on their way to go halfway around the world.

While airborne, Marshall asked, Jonathan, I assume you ordered the steel from Japan and that Harold was cooperative with the financing.

Oh, indeed. Harold is always a delight, and I believe we can count on him. After all, he does not do too badly when he deals with us.

Exactly so. Harold is indeed a good chap and quite astute—yes, a very good man, you know.

Marshall, have you contacted Kim Lee in Hong Kong?

Certainly. He expects us and will be waiting at the airport with a limousine to take us to the Hong Kong Palace Hotel, which we have always enjoyed.

So everything seems to be in order?

Yes.

I assume Kim Lee has been in touch with Hokyoshi Steel Company in Tokyo? asked Marshall.

He has, but he would not give all the details over the telephone and would not trust email. However, as in the past, I think we can count on Hokyoshi to do the job.

I hope so, replied Marshall.

As the flight continued, for hours and hours, Jonathan and Marshall discussed in intimate detail their plans—financing, distribution, delivery of the steel, potential problems, and how to resolve them. Much depended on good timing and the two of them appearing not to be too openly involved. They had assembled a perfected international team, not to fail but only to succeed. There could be no glitches or slipups. All had to go off like clockwork, as planned.

The flight was tiresome. Anne was most obliging. The business plans appeared to be in order. Almost eighteen hours after departure, the plane began descending. Peering out of the windows, one could see the brilliant lights of Hong Kong, skyscrapers, and moving vehicles on the roads. This was the new metropolitan Asia.

The captain then made the standard announcement: This is Captain Willig. In about five minutes, we will be landing at Hong Kong Airport, terminal fourteen.

Kim Lee was waiting at that terminal gate. He saw Jonathan and Marshall approaching and exclaimed, Mr. Harris, Professor Gooding, how nice to see you both again. I hope you had a good flight and that all is in order.

Indeed, we did, responded the professor. It is always good to see you, Kim. And we hope all is well with you and that things are in place.

Yes, yes, all is good, answered Kim.

Although Jonathan had met Kim before, he could never be sure whether Kim was just yessing him or was truly genuine. Kim, a slight figure of approximately 150 pounds, about age forty, with jet-black hair, had a natural smile. Jonathan often suspected that Kim had ulterior motives in many instances. Viscerally, Jonathan felt that Kim’s acting skills were good enough to hide his real thoughts. Jonathan always had a funny feeling about Kim but could not say that, in his past dealings with the man, Kim had done anything wrong.

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CHAPTER 3

Hong Kong at night was an unbelievable site. The city was alive and teeming with people, vehicles, lights, and action that never seemed to stop. Jonathan and Marshall had been there many times before, but the fascination of this city was always overwhelming. The limousine pulled up to the Hong Kong Palace Hotel. Jonathan, Marshall, and Mel stepped out of the limousine as the valet took their luggage. The smartly dressed doorman welcomed them again. The hour was late, and the plane trip had been long and exasperating. The bellman showed Jonathan, Marshall, and Mel to their rooms. Sleep overcame them quickly.

The next morning, symptoms of jet lag were quite apparent, but there was business to be done. Jonathan, Marshall, and Kim met at 10:00 a.m. in the luxurious hotel dining room for an elegantly served breakfast. They began quietly discussing the matters at hand. As usual, Mel sat in the back of the room with a watchful eye on Jonathan.

Hokyoshi Steel Company had received the steel order and the cash to produce it. There remained for Jonathan to withdraw additional money from his Hong Kong bank to finance the shipment to Philadelphia.

Approximately ten thousand steel beams were ordered for the new Freedom Tower Condominium skyscraper, which was being erected on the Delaware River in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. This was a huge order to manufacture pursuant to precise specifications. Marshall had been assured by Hokyoshi that the final product would be strictly in compliance with the specifications.

The completed order was to be transported by cargo ship from Tokyo to the Port of Philadelphia. Kim had been in touch with contacts all around Southeast Asia and had been assured that what was needed would be obtained.

Kim arranged for the transport to be made on the ship known as the Asian Mariner, which had to make various stops in Southeast Asian countries en route to Tokyo. Kim knew that, when the ship docked in Tokyo, special care would be taken of the beams.

The ship’s captain, Captain Osaki Hatashi, had assembled an excellent crew to transport the beams. When the ship would ultimately arrive in the Port of Philadelphia, the beams would be unloaded by cranes and placed on top of flatbed tractor trailers and taken to the construction site of the Freedom Tower Condominium.

When Jonathan excused himself to go to the bathroom, Marshall asked Kim, in a commanding low voice but stern demeanor, Are you sure everything is in order? Has everyone involved been contacted? Has the special crew for the ship been selected so that glitches are eliminated? Perfection is required. We have too much to lose and much to gain.

I can assure you that the plans have been impeccably made and will be carried out with extreme precision. All payments received will be delivered to the Royal Monarchy Bank in Grand Cayman.

All right. Remember, you do not know us. You do not know anything about this matter. No one in the link is aware of us. We are nonexistent and fictitious. You know the consequences of any slip up, not only for you but also for all of us. No one is to know any of our names, except for Jonathan and his company, Victor Export & Import Company. Anyone involved is only to know what they are supposed to do. Is that clear?

Very clear, sir, Kim replied, feeling the intensity of Marshall’s voice. You need not be concerned about anything. I believe our past ventures support our work.

I expect nothing less. After today, there will be no further communications between us. The next time you hear from me will be when this transaction is completed.

I understand, sir. You can count on me.

Marshall and Kim got up from the breakfast table just as Jonathan was returning. Jonathan and Marshall said goodbye to Kim and departed.

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CHAPTER 4

Jonathan had an uncomfortable feeling. He had successfully relied on Marshall in the past but could never be sure of the future. He wanted to trust Marshall, as he was a trusting type. On the other hand, he knew enough to not let himself be duped. Great wealth could not be obtained without great risk and, when received, had to be protected. The two went in tandem—risk and protection. Nothing ventured, nothing gained was a worn axiomatic phrase that never loses veracity. Financial venture had become part of Jonathan’s blood.

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Upon Jonathan’s return to England, he had planned to stay overnight and return to Philadelphia the following day. He knew that Linda, William, and Anna Lee would be waiting for him.

Jonathan went to the Oxford Hotel and settled into his room, tired, exhausted, and somewhat uneasy. There was absolute silence in the room. Jonathan slept.

On awakening, he told himself he just could not leave London immediately.

Jonathan hit the speed dial on his cell phone, calling Linda. How are you, sweetheart? he said. I’m in London at the Oxford. I was supposed to leave for Philadelphia tomorrow, but I’m afraid I cannot do this because some matters to which I must give my further attention have developed. I will call you in a few days and let you know what’s happening. I’m sorry about this. By the way, how are William and Anna Lee? Are they okay?

Yes, replied Linda. We were looking forward to your return and miss you. Please come home as soon as you can. We all miss you very much.

I will, replied Jonathan with a degree of inward guilt. He put down the phone and thought to himself, What am I doing and why am I doing this? Linda, William and Anna Lee are my family and mean everything to me. I should not be doing this!

On the other hand, Millicent was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. I want to get to know her, he decided. I’ll call her again.

He was deeply afflicted with shame and lust at the same time. He was not even sure what was happening to him and felt uncomfortable with a new personality trait that seemed to be creeping up on him. Who am I now? Am I the same man I have always been? he contemplated.

He answered his own questions, saying to himself, Yes, I am what I am. But I am not exactly what I have always been.

He was lingering on the thought of whether he should pick up the phone and call Lady Brockworth. His life had been quite orderly up to this point, but now he felt a certain propensity and compulsion gnawing at him. Finally, he thought to himself, Yes or no? I cannot go on like this. I must be decisive. And in the same breath, he thought, This is really something different. It’s like high adventure. If I engage in it, no one on the other side of the pond will ever know. After this encounter is concluded, it will be the last of it. Then I can return home and feel secure. Or am I just crazy and trying to talk myself into doing a very irrational and disloyal thing?

He paused for a few seconds and suddenly picked up the luring telephone, which was in front of him and so easily accessed. He tried to think about what he would say. Lady Millicent was of royal descent, and Jonathan was merely a nouveau riche American. What would the lady see in me?

On the other hand, Jonathan never gave up. I will politely charm her and prevail. He then again thought, Why am I thinking these things? His brain felt like it was climbing and diving on a roller coaster.

Slowly, with his right hand shaking slightly as he held the receiver, he called the hotel operator to request that he be connected to Lady Millicent. The phone rang about eight to ten times. He thought, Maybe she’s not there or is away. Maybe I will never get to see