Chapter 3: $3
Rhea and I don't have children. We might want some one day; we both don't see the need to rush. We've only been married for three years after all and we're both in our late twenties. We may want to see the world for a bit before having little ones clinging for dear life to our legs.
Besides, Rhea doesn't want her children to grow up to be mafia members or money launderers and I couldn't agree with her more. My father and I however, are not on the same page.
"What we do is more than just a business, Jude. It's a legacy passed on from son to son!"
As you can see, my father has more pride in what we do than I. There were times I wished I could unlearn the darkest secrets of my families so called legacy. That I could start fresh and new. That I met the love of my life in college instead of because she was dropping off some dirty money to be cleaned by yours truly.
So, why do I continue to do more than just honest financial consultations? Well, because I also believe in sticking to what you're good at. I just happen to be good at both.
Sitting in front of me are the Yew brothers. My wife greeted them at the door and brought them to my office while she closed my office door before heading to her office. Rhea went to school originally for philosophy. After meeting me, she switched her major to financial and her minor to philosophy. I didn't ask her to do that but she told me she wanted to understand how finances worked.
Of course, when I wasn't helping her with her financial homework through video chat we got to learn a bit more about one another. It's how we fell in love and I can't help but know it as my clever wife's intention all along.
"How can I help the both of you today?" I asked both of them as I opened up their fake business portfolio.
They looked at me, looked at each other, and finally nothing in particular. "Gentlemen?" I ask them. I'm also fighting the urge to smirk as the Yew Brothers are notorious for being the types of criminals to escape in comedic scrapes.
The one with the broadest shoulders dumped a zipped up duffel bag on my desk as he said, "We've got some funds to cash in."
That's when I also noticed the duffel bag had red smudges on the outside of it. I also glance at the hands of the broad shouldered brother and noticed he was still wearing his leather gloves indoors. "The Dye Pack exploded in the bag, didn't it." Instead of answering, both Brothers looked down at their gloved hands resting on their laps.
Opening my office drawer, I snap on latex gloves before opening the duffle bag. A majority of what looked to be about the sum of $500,000 worth of $20 packs were coated in Disperse Red 9 dye. A dye known to permanently mark stolen cash. This is not the first bag of stolen money I've seen but it's certainly the most colorful. "You know you can't take a bank teller at their word right? Why didn't you tell them all to step away from their stations so then they wouldn't be able to slip a pack in?!"
The smaller brother shrugged as he said, "It was one of those now or never situations. It's not like this was exactly planned."
I'm amazed these bastards have yet to be caught. Their luck will run out one of these days. "Besides, you're not our mother," said Broad Shouldered Yew.
"True, but I'm sure your mother is more capable of orchestrating a robbery than you two." I sigh as I said, "You can take off your gloves. This is a safe space." Just as I suspected, their hands are stained bright red. I got up from my desk and said, "I'll be back in a moment. Stay here and DO NOT TOUCH anything."
"Okay," both of them mumbled as I quickly opened and closed my office door.
I knocked on Rhea's door and heard her say on the other side, "Come in!"
I open the door and sank into the chair in front of her desk. "Rhea, it's too late to cancel my morning appointment but if you could please handle it? I'll email you her updated portfolio status and please apologize to her for the inconvenience."
My wife's hypnotizing laughter causes me to open my eyes. "What'd they do this time?"
"A bank pack exploded on them. All of their...assets are stained red." My wife covers her mouth with one hand as I her hypnotizing laugh gets muffled.
"You know, there's a reason my father doesn't hire them for work anymore. They get results but always at a price." She leans over her desk towards me as she whispers, "And I'm still mad at you for giving them my number."
"I know, Rhea," I reply. "Looks like I'm being justly punished for it though."
"As you should," she replies in a sing song voice as I'm about to leave her office. As much as I'd like to drop the Yew Brothers as clients, I can't.
The Yew family has been with Cash Consultants since the U.S. station opened up in the 1940s. My father has told me they tend to get dumber through the generations and I don't disagree.
I close and lock my office door. "Okay, here is what needs to be done. First of all, we're going to take care of the stain on your hands. Has any other part of your body or clothes been stained?"
Broad shouldered Yew said, "No. We threw all of our stained stuff in a dumpster near the bank." Again, not a plan at all with these two!
"Alright. So first off, we clean your hands, then your money, and then...you pay me double for this trouble. Do we have an understanding here?"
"Yes," they both utter at the same time. Yes, who needs children now when I have the likes of the Yew Brothers to keep me busy.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone