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replied in a hushed tone. “I worked with your father at the Fed. I knew him quite well. Let me get to the point, young man – my reason for being here. I have lung cancer and have been told to get my affairs in order. You, or more precisely your father, happen to be one of those affairs.”
    The old gentlemen started coughing again, the handkerchief receiving more work. Reed snapped the top off a bottle of water and extended it to his visitor. Eventually, the man was ready to continue. “In my condition, there’s nothing they can do to me now. Ending up like your father would be a blessing in disguise. I’ve come here because I wanted you to know your dad wasn’t a victim of any robbery – his death was premeditated.”
    Reed’s first thought was You are a crazy old fool . He had, however, been raised to respect his elders and didn’t vocalize the sentiment. Instead, he chose a polite inquiry. “How do you know this, sir?”
    Mr. Agile smiled, expecting the question. “I’ll answer that shortly, son. Unlike most people, I have a reasonably good idea when my time will be up, and I’ll be standing before my Maker. I have a few things to clear from my conscious before I meet Him. The story of Laurence Wallace is one of those things.”
    Reed didn’t react. His ability to handle surprise far exceeded his age and experience. Years of witnesses making crazy statements, surprise evidence, unanticipated moves by opposing counsel, and insane rulings by judges had all tempered his reaction to surprise. Shock was no longer in the Reed Wallace emotional repertoire.
    The lawyer calmly replied, “You have my full attention, sir.”
    Mr. Agile smiled and nodded his head, gathering his thoughts before continuing. “Your father was on the fast track. His work was prompt and precise. Rumor was that his name was on the short list for a regional director’s position.”
    Reed decided to play along. “Dad never talked much about his professional responsibilities. To be honest, I can’t remember his ever talking about the office or his duties. I always wrote it off to a good man who left his work at the front door when he arrived home.”
    The older man waved off the statement, “Secrecy was expected at the Fed, young man. It wasn’t an attribute – it was a requirement. The Fed eral Reserve Bank is the most powerful organization in the world. Many people suspect or speculate about its influence and reach, but few really know. Every nut case conspiracy junkie and rookie reporter would love to pry open the organization’s inner secrets. Any Wall Street executive would sell his soul for even a crumb of insider information. Many try, but none succeed. The reason why is simple - a strictly enforced, total adherence to silence.”
    Reed had to admit , the old gent had drawn him in; his lawyer’s thirst for intrigue was awake and hungry. “Please, sir, continue.”
    Mr. Agile nodded, and for a second, Reed thought he saw an expression of Gottcha cross the man’s face. “The Fed has more security and intelligence-gathering capability than the CIA and FBI combined. Nothing happens in this world without money, and the Fed has access to every financial transaction. You can’t buy a cup of coffee without the Fed knowing about it in one form or another. Even the activity at pay toilets can be monitored - if necessary. Where do you think the NSA got all of the funding and brainpower to create its supercomputer search engines? The Fed funded it and made sure the technology was shared with them after installation.”
    Reed’s guest paused for a moment, anticipating another coughing spasm. After a few troubled breaths, he continued. “Your father specialized in an area called ‘expansion reserves.’ I won’t bore you with details on monetary policy or the way the system works, but as the nation’s gross domestic product grows, more money is needed. Money is subject to supply and demand. The more our economy expands, the greater