“Morgan Peterson sold the house that he lived in with his wife Irene two years after she died of Alzheimer’s,” Morris said over the phone speaker. “He immediately moved into his current apartment. A thirty-five year veteran of the Philadelphia Public School system, Morgan taught… history. Primarily American history. He is financially stable and politically active. That last part really kicked into gear after his wife’s passing. Before that, he was a regular voter, worked a few Democratic campaigns, mostly local politics, posted a few thoughts on Facebook. During his wife’s last year of life and ever since, he has become extremely vocal. Not a fan of the Electoral College system, not impressed with the current state of our two-party system. And very vocal about the lack of truth and accountability in today’s politicians—from both parties.”
“So the Vorsook postings might be how he really feels?” Agent Jay asked.
“Possible, but Omega was right… the syntax and writing style is very different on those posts,” Eve replied.
“What about Cecil Clarett?” Agent Jay asked, turning to Chana Mazar and myself.
“Masters in History—wrote his thesis on the evolution of the two-party system,” Mazar said. “Lost his job in the last recession, has been struggling financially. However, recently he’s been making progress on his bills, due in no small part to a regular monthly check from a nonprofit organization that’s a benefit fund set up in the early eighteen hundreds. That one is on the IRS books as LOA Widows and Orphans fund.”
“LOA?” Mitch asked. “As in Loyal Order of Arcana?”
“Maybe. It’s not defined anywhere, nor is the reason he receives the monthly deposit,” I said.
“Because the Widows and Orphan’s fund was separated from the main organization. It was set up as a true fraternal benefit society—sort of an insurance company for a group of individuals with a common tie. Falls under US tax code 501(c)(8),” Seth Harwood interjected.
“So this fund got split off from the main group… why?” Jay asked.
“To meet the fraternal benefit criteria. They sprang up in the early nineteenth century, but have mostly died off since then. This one recruited patriotic citizens from the Philadelphia area,” Seth said. “Originally under the Loyal Order name but then changed the fund to just LOA.”
“Which allowed the parent organization to go underground,” Jay said.
“Seems likely,” Seth said.
“So both Morgan and Cecil are members of this thing,” Alice said. “Or at least tied to it.”
“Yup. What about Jaleesa?” Jay asked, looking at her and Mitch.
“Well, we found nothing about the Order or any benefit fund, but her family is very much tied to the Holmesburg area. Been there since the Civil War. Mother and sister still live there too. Father died a few years ago,” Alice said.
“Does the mother receive any benefit from LOA?” Jay asked. Mitch and Alice just looked at each other.
“Yes. Just found the deposits in her mother’s checking account. Started the month after the father died. But closer to Jaleesa is the fact that three of her student loans are from LOA,” Omega said. “And she received a scholarship from LOA.”
“Who controls the LOA fund?” Jay asked.
“The Supreme Council. The LOA is a non-profit fraternal life insurer. Essentially the insurance version of a credit union,” Seth said. “There is a board—the supreme council. Hard to find the members of that, but Omega helped track them down.”
“And?” Jay asked.
“Attempting to connect council members with either the subversion postings or our three main suspects. Nothing obvious at this point. The leader of the board is titled the Supreme Chairman.”
“What’s his name?” Jay asked.
“Her name is Juliet Morrell. She is thirty-four years of age and her father was Supreme Chairman before her, Samuel Morrell. She was educated at the University of Philadelphia in business and went to work for LOA right out of college. She is unmarried and has no children. Her term as Supreme Chairman began three months after her father’s death, three years ago.”
“Three months?” Mitch asked. “Shouldn’t she have just stepped in within a week or two?”
“Unless there was opposition,” Alice said.
“There are no public or private digital records of the Council’s actions. However, one of the existing Council members had an email exchange with an individual who was campaigning to become the Supreme Chairman. That person, David Blake, was an ex-employee of the LOA organization. He died in San Diego, California a month after Juliet Morrell became Chair. Car accident. Another car hit him head on. Both drivers killed on impact.”
“Anything odd about the other driver?” I asked.
“Checking now,” Omega said. “Yes. Body disappeared from the San Diego County morgue two days after the accident and before an autopsy could be completed. Deceased was Corbin Rose. No family, almost no online footprint, listed as retired ambulance driver. No further details.” A drivers license picture appeared on our SMART Board, showing a blond dude with blue eyes.
“At all?” Eve asked, voice shocked.
“At all.”
“Yeah, that’s straight-up wack,” Seth said.
“So, we have a shadowy organization that split off from its original purpose,” Agent Jay summarized. “Connected to all three suspects. Modern version is a form of non-profit mutual insurance controlled by a woman whose father ran it before her. Her only opposition dies in an accident where the body of the other driver disappears. And that insurer pays or paid money to all three of our suspects. The whole thing is smelly as hell. Seth, where does LOA keep its headquarters?”
“Bryn Mawr, adjacent to Bryn Mawr College. Outskirts of Philly.”
“Juliet Morrell also resides in Bryn Mawr in her parents’ home with her mother, Natalie Morrell,” Omega said.
“Okay. Eve, look into the body mystery in San Diego. Mitch, you have your upcoming date with Jaleesa. Make sure you nail it. No, not that way—wipe that smirk off your face. Alice, keep digging deeper into Morgan. Chana, same thing for you, but with Cecil. Caeco, you and I are going to pay a visit to LOA, specifically Juliet Morrell.”
“Won’t that alert the opposition?” Mitch asked. “You said we had to lay low?”
“I did, but things have changed. It’s time to rattle the tree. We need to make things happen,” Agent Jay said. “I don’t know how much time we have here before we get yanked away on another call.”
“Something happen?” Mitch asked.
“Going to happen. President Polner has called for another update in two days’ time. Caeco and myself are required to attend. I want something before we head to the White House.”
“Roger that,” Alice said. The others all nodded. Agent Jay turned my way. “We’ll head out in twenty minutes.”
“Ready whenever you are.”
She nodded and then turned away to make a call. Chana Mazar gave me a wink, then picked up her computer and leaned back with it on her lap. Me, I pulled my phone and sent out a few texts, figuring I better keep my intel up to date on everything Arcane and Demidova.