The Sweet Goodbye

Why would an FBI agent feel remorse or guilt about the outcome of a case? Why would he be left with an uneasy and guilt-ridden feeling? Travis Lee is at the core of this prologue as the main character reviews that meeting him was where it all began and something about the case was different.

Moving to the night he met him when Travis’s wife opened the door of a cab and made sure he’d fall out the rest of the incident is quite dangerous and suspect as Travis Lee winds up out of the cab and makes sure he was left on the sidewalk. So why does our undercover agent introduce himself and claim he works for him? Danny Barrett tells him he’s a tree marker for his forestry company the branch in Algoma Limits. A friendly conversation and Danny present him with his crested background claiming his uncle owned a lumber company in the Upper Peninsula near Escanaba. Said he worked for him in the summers. They bonded over the conversation and met Pearl Lafontaine a major player involved with Travis, namely his mistress. Then moving forward to his motel room and reflecting on the Portland FBI field office that noticed the money a wire transfer of 100,000 thousand dollars going from an ecstasy dealer in Rothwell Heights into one of the corporate accounts of Lee Forestry Products. Family-owned company and all assets are equally divided between both Travis and his brother Tucker. Plus 251 million dollars was in the company’s bank accounts with no provenance. Could they be? tier-one money launderer? Wire transfers are not able to be traced back to the source. But when an FBI agent goes undercover at a Lee Bush Camp the result he’s found dead three months after going into the Woods. 

Paul Linton was his connection and Barrett was the name he’s using while harassing him about contacting Travis. But it gets more exciting from this point on as we meet bank manager Robert Powell and Linton feels he’s part of the scheme since a quarter of a billion dollars in mystery money should have set off alarms at North Maine Savings and Loan. Approaching the bank manager, Linton brought him down and the manager was told to tell the Lee brothers to get their money out of his bank. The interaction was not what the manager expected, and Danny heard it all, but the result was the FBI could not get a court warrant to tap Lee’s cell phone, so they never heard their end of the conversation. CEO was a deadly and dangerous man named Beau Lafontaine and so far no criminal record, but he did have an arrest record in Canada from 1983-1984. But just when the warrants arrived the bank manager winds up dead. 

Lies are part of the job and becoming part of the group as a lowlife is not hard for Danny. Arrests no problem because as you learn in the prologue he arrested his brother. Beau Lafontaine is horrific, and his sister is close to Travis when the company’s finances were in trouble Beau saved him and now it’s payback time. But even after telling Travis when we revisit the scene telling him about working in the logging business and being taught by his grandfather. Undercover as a tree marker but he likes Travis. 

Then someone takes Linton’s place, and we learn about Jim Flanagan and are told he had a record for most racketeering indictments in the Boston FBI office. So now Danny must relate what he saw when he decided to go to Paradise Lake plus the interaction he has with the Lee family and Beau. 

The investigation gets heated, and Danny relates his opinion about Travis, but he knows about the money the author allows us inside the meeting with the Lee brothers and Beau ad their alliance begins. Beau is deadly and Pearl plays a huge part, but she’s seen as innocent the author describes her land and the downfall of her land and how she survives. The title refers to like a flashback or interlude between Travis and Pearl, going off like two teens and then drifting apart and always finding their way back. Almost like a security blanket that they both need. 

Danny meets with the chief and Flanagan and is presented with vital information about the murder of the banker and more. But stop using the wrong map to mark trees leaves him prey to Beau’s men. 

Danny meets with Flanagan and thinks the investigation is blown but sending two non-descriptor officers to interview the Lee brothers was a way to learn more about how well they knew the bank manager and let them think it was just a routine check. Told Travis the police were just expanding the scope of the investigation and asking when he saw Powell and why? Also, the most frequently asked: where was he when Powell was shot? The answer was unique, could be contrived, or plain out and out lie. 

Then Danny had to find an excuse not to do his job as tree marker and remain in his hotel room for 4 days. But they were forced to let him go and paid plus allowed him to stay in the motel till the end of the month. But the door was still opened if he got his issues solved. 

Then Travis Lee reports his wife is missing but emotionless and the officer taking down the information and asking questions cannot see any sadness or concerns that she’s gone. Later we have another interlude chapter as Travis goes to see Pearl telling him to remain with her. Danny follows him and realizes he’s drunk but in the end, finds Pearl coming face to face with Beau but why?

As Danny comes face to face with Tucker but why?

Events take a dangerous turn and there are 2 bodies found, Flanagan is irate and knocks down the four of the police chiefs, and the information he related will it help solve the murders why is Pearl brought in?

An interview that is unorthodox and unique as Flanagan comes face to face with Pearl and the interaction seems one-sided and her demeanor and responses are sarcastic, unfeeling, and self-assured. The result is starling and a twist that lets you know that sometimes loyalties are primary, and truths cast aside as Danny and the surveillance team will witness something they will never forget. The final revelation and you hear and witness the truth as love is often blind and freedom the reward. Author Ron Corbett takes us deep inside the minds of Travis, Tucker, Beau, and Pearl camouflaging truths, honesty, and more. Lies, deceptions, greed, betrayals and you the reader decide if justice prevails as all four paid a price and those in harsh faced a harsh reality they’d never forget. The title has multiple meanings as you read the end of each section with the books title. The last one will give you a final perspective and definition.

Fran Lewis just reviews