Chapter 10: What Happened to Marcus Teller
Rachel called on a Thursday morning, three weeks later.
I was at my desk at work.
I stepped into the hallway to take it.
"The warrant executed this morning," she said.
"His apartment and a storage unit registered in his name."
"What did they find?"
"Enough." A pause.
"Multiple devices.
A spreadsheet — and I mean an actual, organized spreadsheet — with women's names, cities, restaurants, amounts, and notes on whether they paid or pushed back.
Going back four years."
I leaned against the hallway wall.
"Four years," I said.
"At least forty-two women documented in his own records.
Probably more who he didn't bother to track." Her voice was steady, but I could hear something underneath it.
"He rated them.
There was a column.
One to five.
Based on how easily they complied."
I didn't say anything for a moment.
"He's been charged," Rachel continued.
"Wire fraud.
Interstate fraud scheme.
The false chargeback filings across multiple states gave the federal angle.
The FTC referral helped.
The health complaint against your brother's restaurant is being treated as witness intimidation, which adds another layer."
"Is he in custody?"
"He was taken in this morning.
His attorney is already filing for bail.
I don't know yet what the judge will decide." She paused.
"Olivia.
The eight women who gave statements — their names are in the record.
This is going to become public."
"They know that," I said.
"I told them.
They all said yes anyway."
"I know.
I just wanted you to hear it from me directly." Another pause.
"Petra flew in to give her statement in person.
She didn't have to do that."
"I know."
"You should know something else." Rachel's voice shifted slightly.
"When they brought him in this morning, his attorney tried to negotiate immediately.
Offered cooperation in exchange for reduced charges.
The investigator asked him how many women he had targeted in total."
"What did he say?"
"He said he didn't think of it as targeting.
He said he was testing people.
Seeing who had self-respect."
I stood in the hallway and let that sit for a moment.
May you like
"What happened after he said that?" I asked.
"The investigator closed his notebook," Rachel said, "and told the attorney they'd see him in court."
