Brent but probably thirty pounds heavier. Brent guessed him for early forties.
The other man introduced himself as Agent Darius Stewart. He was several inches shorter, thin and wiry by comparison to his partner, and his reddish hair and freckles made his age hard to guess. Anywhere from late thirties to late forties, Brent thought.
The two agents held up wallets with badges and FBI picture ID’s. “We need to speak with you about Dr. Khaled Faisal,” Agent Anderson said.
The way the two agents looked at him made him feel surprisingly furtive. His mouth was dry as he pointed them to chairs.
They sat, and Agent Stewart cleared his throat. “How long have you known Dr. Faisal?”
Brent shrugged. “Not long. I’ve only been with the firm a few weeks.”
Agent Anderson made a note of Brent’s answer. “How would you characterize the relationship?” Agent Stewart continued.
“Professional,” Brent said.
“Ever been to his home?”
“No.”
“Have you disbursed funds to Dr. Faisal or members of his family?”
“No,” Brent said. He added, “Previously money was disbursed from the account, but never to Dr. Faisal or any member of his family.”
“What were the reasons for the disbursements?” Anderson asked. He leaned forward, thick forearms on his thighs.
Brent was surprised by the hostility in the agent’s eyes. “Humanitarian causes and peace projects,” he shot back. He barely knew Dr. Faisal, but Anderson’s attitude was getting under his skin.
Anderson raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Peace projects?” He shook his head slowly. “Sorry, sir, but no way.”
“I beg to differ! It’s in our correspondence file!” Brent said, feeling his cheeks grow hot.
Stewart leaned in. “What Agent Anderson is trying to say is that we’ve learned Dr. Faisal has been a major funding source for worldwide terrorism.” He said it in a quiet voice, with none of his partner’s venom.
Brent sat back. “That’s insane! I’ve read the whole account history. The money has gone to the International Red Cross, UNESCO projects, Doctors Without Borders, peace conferences.”
“You know that because he told you that,” Anderson interjected.
“No, I know it because I can read.”
“You see where you think the money has gone,” Anderson insisted.
“The last I knew, the Red Cross wasn’t a terrorist organization!”
Agent Stewart raised a calming hand. “We’ve learned that money transfers can be addressed to legitimate organizations yet sidetracked through the assistance of complicit bankers.”
Brent suddenly felt less certain. “You’ve checked with the Red Cross and UNESCO and the others?”
Anderson cut a sideways look at Stewart, who nodded. “They never got the money.”
Brent felt like he’d been slugged, and he sat back and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”
Stewart removed a stack of documents from his briefcase and placed them on the edge of Brent’s desk. “I’m sure this is upsetting,but I assure you we do not suspect that Genesis Advisors or its employees were aware of what was happening.”
Brent nodded. “I hadn’t even thought of that,” he said in a miserable tone.
“And I am aware that this is also a very large account with very large fees. I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about that.”
Brent took his hands away from his eyes and looked across at the agent. “What do you mean?”
“We’re seizing the account.” Agent Stewart pointed to the stack of documents. “That’s what this paperwork is all about.”
“Dr. Faisal doesn’t get a chance to at least defend himself?”
Anderson sniffed as though Brent had made a joke. “If he feels that we’ve seized his assets wrongly, he’s welcome to make his case in court. He won’t though because if he loses he’ll go to jail.”
Brent was thinking he and the FBI were supposed to be on the same side, but in his guts it somehow didn’t feel that way. “You’re taking his
The other man introduced himself as Agent Darius Stewart. He was several inches shorter, thin and wiry by comparison to his partner, and his reddish hair and freckles made his age hard to guess. Anywhere from late thirties to late forties, Brent thought.
The two agents held up wallets with badges and FBI picture ID’s. “We need to speak with you about Dr. Khaled Faisal,” Agent Anderson said.
The way the two agents looked at him made him feel surprisingly furtive. His mouth was dry as he pointed them to chairs.
They sat, and Agent Stewart cleared his throat. “How long have you known Dr. Faisal?”
Brent shrugged. “Not long. I’ve only been with the firm a few weeks.”
Agent Anderson made a note of Brent’s answer. “How would you characterize the relationship?” Agent Stewart continued.
“Professional,” Brent said.
“Ever been to his home?”
“No.”
“Have you disbursed funds to Dr. Faisal or members of his family?”
“No,” Brent said. He added, “Previously money was disbursed from the account, but never to Dr. Faisal or any member of his family.”
“What were the reasons for the disbursements?” Anderson asked. He leaned forward, thick forearms on his thighs.
Brent was surprised by the hostility in the agent’s eyes. “Humanitarian causes and peace projects,” he shot back. He barely knew Dr. Faisal, but Anderson’s attitude was getting under his skin.
Anderson raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Peace projects?” He shook his head slowly. “Sorry, sir, but no way.”
“I beg to differ! It’s in our correspondence file!” Brent said, feeling his cheeks grow hot.
Stewart leaned in. “What Agent Anderson is trying to say is that we’ve learned Dr. Faisal has been a major funding source for worldwide terrorism.” He said it in a quiet voice, with none of his partner’s venom.
Brent sat back. “That’s insane! I’ve read the whole account history. The money has gone to the International Red Cross, UNESCO projects, Doctors Without Borders, peace conferences.”
“You know that because he told you that,” Anderson interjected.
“No, I know it because I can read.”
“You see where you think the money has gone,” Anderson insisted.
“The last I knew, the Red Cross wasn’t a terrorist organization!”
Agent Stewart raised a calming hand. “We’ve learned that money transfers can be addressed to legitimate organizations yet sidetracked through the assistance of complicit bankers.”
Brent suddenly felt less certain. “You’ve checked with the Red Cross and UNESCO and the others?”
Anderson cut a sideways look at Stewart, who nodded. “They never got the money.”
Brent felt like he’d been slugged, and he sat back and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”
Stewart removed a stack of documents from his briefcase and placed them on the edge of Brent’s desk. “I’m sure this is upsetting,but I assure you we do not suspect that Genesis Advisors or its employees were aware of what was happening.”
Brent nodded. “I hadn’t even thought of that,” he said in a miserable tone.
“And I am aware that this is also a very large account with very large fees. I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about that.”
Brent took his hands away from his eyes and looked across at the agent. “What do you mean?”
“We’re seizing the account.” Agent Stewart pointed to the stack of documents. “That’s what this paperwork is all about.”
“Dr. Faisal doesn’t get a chance to at least defend himself?”
Anderson sniffed as though Brent had made a joke. “If he feels that we’ve seized his assets wrongly, he’s welcome to make his case in court. He won’t though because if he loses he’ll go to jail.”
Brent was thinking he and the FBI were supposed to be on the same side, but in his guts it somehow didn’t feel that way. “You’re taking his
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