Read Death, Taxes, and Peach Sangria for Free Online Page B

institution to the recipient’s account at another, with neither
     party actually handling cash. In such cases, banking records provided a clear money
     trail. Cash, however, was an entirely different matter. Large cash transactions were
     unusual these days and, therefore, suspicious. Because cash was essentially untraceable,
     it was often used in criminal activity. Thus, the Bank Secrecy Act required MSBs to
     report cash transactions involving amounts of ten thousand dollars or more.
    Recent legislation had been passed to cover loopholes related to the sale or redemption
     of prepaid stored-value cards, which could easily be purchased in the United States
     and sent overseas to prohibited parties for redemption. Cash-for-gold transactions
     were also now subject to record-keeping requirements after it was discovered that
     gold bars and jewelry had been used as a means of illegally moving assets between
     the United States and foreign countries. Unfortunately, regulations were often reactive
     rather than proactive, with the laws put in place only after a scheme had been discovered.
    Agent Wang pulled out three copies of a computer-generated map and an accompanying
     list with addresses for local MSBs. The list covered a diverse range of businesses,
     including liquor stores, tobacco shops, travel agencies, gas stations, grocery stores,
     convenience stores, and bus terminals. Heck, there was even a state correctional facility
     on the list.
    “I’ve divided up the list,” Wang said. “With three of us working on this, we should
     be able to visit each of the businesses within the next few weeks.”
    I took my copy from him and ran my eyes over it. Many of the MSBs were located in
     the North Dallas sector that surrounded the TI location where one of the men arrested
     had worked as a product engineer. Sheesh. I wondered if any of his coworkers had suspected him of links to terror cells overseas.
     I hoped he hadn’t programmed any of the products to explode. It would be an awful
     shame for some high school sophomore to be working on his geometry homework and have
     his TI calculator burst into flaming shards.
    The cosine of B = KABLOOEY!
    “Be careful,” Zardooz warned. “We know that whoever helped the men move their money
     is on the loose, but it’s possible there are others still out there, too.”
    Eddie’s brows drew together. “Say what?”
    “We’re not certain we got all the terrorists,” Zardooz clarified. “Some of the communications
     we intercepted implied there was another here in the Dallas area, but we feared we’d
     lose the main targets if we waited any longer to bring them in. They had plans to
     return to Syria shortly.”
    “These men don’t play games and they don’t like getting caught.” Wang shot us a meaningful
     look. “Don’t let your guard down.”

 
    chapter four
    Old Flames
    Eddie and I returned to the IRS office and stepped off the elevator. Voices from down
     the hall drew my attention to Lu’s office, where she sat in her high-backed chair
     behind her enormous desk, Josh and Nick flanking her on either side. The three huddled,
     looking down at her computer screen.
    While Eddie headed back to his office, curiosity led me to the Lobo’s digs. I stopped
     in the doorway. “What’s up?”
    Lu glanced up through her false eyelashes. “We’re checking the results from Big D
     Dating Service, seeing if we’ve got any hits.”
    I stepped into her office, taking a place next to Nick. He glanced down at me. Though
     I gave him a smile, his face remained impassive. Surely his response would be different
     if he knew I planned to talk to Brett tonight, to make arrangements to take Nick for
     a test-drive.
    The three checked Josh’s account first.
    His cherubic face lit up when he noted he’d had a response. Just one, but that was
     all he needed, right? He reached down and maneuvered the mouse, clicking on the link.
     The screen brought up a photo of a skinny