The weeks following the courthouse dismissal passed with deceptive calm. Michael and Amanda vanished from my radar, licking their wounds in Del Paso Heights. But I wasn’t idle. Victory in court was one thing. Justice was another, and justice required deeper digging.
In early March, I made a phone call I’d been planning since Christmas night. I’d spent 35 years in insurance. I knew how fraud worked, and I knew Michael. Court victory stopped their claim, but didn’t recover my losses. Michael was judgment proof. No assets, no income, already drowning in debt. A civil suit might win me a judgment I’d never collect. But if I couldn’t get money back, I could ensure consequences found him. I called Thomas Richardson, former colleague from the insurance industry. He worked for California Department of Insurance fraud investigation division. We hadn’t spoken in 18 months, but maintained cordial professional ties. Thomas, it’s Waldo Ross. How’s retirement treating you? Still a year away, Waldo. Counting down. Let me buy you lunch then before you escape. The firehouse work for you? Haven’t been there in months. Tuesday. Perfect. Noon. Tuesday arrived cold and clear. The firehouse sat at 1142nd Street, downtown Sacramento, upscale enough for professional lunches. I arrived first. Always did control tactic and secured a quiet corner table. Thomas arrived at noon, sharp, 58, gray hair, bureaucrats, careful manner. We covered weather, mutual acquaintances, his approaching retirement. I waited until after entre arrived to mention Sterling Construction. Cut my steak, took a bite, chewed, swallowed, then reached for my water glass. Remember that construction company that went under a few years back? Sterling Construction? Thomas paused midbite, thinking, Sterling? Yeah, that rings a bell. We had some complaints on them. Complaints? What kind? Insurance fraud allegations, inflated damage claims. We started investigating, but the company went bankrupt before we could build a case. So, the investigation just stopped. Usually does when there’s no business entity. We moved to active cases. The seed was planted. Investigation abandoned, not resolved.
