Page 108 of Head Room

Preliminary research on my phone gave me three basics and another reminder about being an artifact with poor thumb-typing skills.Who knew being a touch typist would be a drawback.

Every company registered in Wyoming must have a physical address in the state.

Registered agents can provide that address for out-of-state entities.

Many such entities, including those not only out-of-state, but also out-of-country, choose to register here because Wyoming’s less than stringent laws and regulations favor privacy.That’s important to companies that prefer privacy for, let’s call them,particularreasons.

The Cowboy Cocktail.

That’s what tickled my memory in James’ office.

I sat back, still looking at my phone’s screen.

For deep dives into details, I am significantly more effective with the full keyboard of a laptop or desktop computer.

Returning to the station to research risked being roped into something else, especially if Orson was still there asking Audrey questions.

Better to go home.

Turning to grasp my seatbelt, I spotted a familiar, upright figure sitting on a bench in the grassy area near the back corner of the courthouse.

I’m a pretty good online researcher.Not to the level of Jennifer, but pretty good.

Good enough to know that many times it was more efficient to talk to a person who knew enough about the topic to tell you the things you don’t know to ask.

I hurried across the grass to that upright figure.

****

“Hello, Elizabeth,” Mrs.P said without turning.She had that teacher eyes-in-the-back-of-her-head trick mastered.

“What brings you here?”I asked with friendly casualness as I sat beside her.

“I am awaiting Gisella, who is conducting business in the courthouse.She kindly brought me to Sherman this morning for a series of meetings only now concluded—” In addition to the museum, she was on at least as many boards and committees as Tom.“—and will drive me home.”

Mrs.P didn’t drive.Gee never let the rivalry between them, stand in the way of being of service to her neighbor and Mrs.P never took it for granted.

No segue to my questions occurred to me and if Aunt Gee returned while I was still here, she’d try to feed me, raising wedding dress issues, so I opted to jump in, segue-less.

“Mrs.Parens, what do you know about the Cowboy Cocktail?”

It was far too cutesy a nickname for what it stood for.

Using Wyoming’s trusts and discretion-centric approach to financial disclosure, entities with thoseparticularreasons to desire privacy crafted a protective tax haven.The combination of tactics employed to achieve that was known as the Cowboy Cocktail.

One ingredient was a registered agent.

Envision entities like Russian oligarchs, South American money launderers, and African dictators.I’d wager far more geographic regions were also represented, but they haven’t been brought to light — yet.

Yes, that made the back of my scalp tingle with journalistic desire to be the light-bringer.

It’s one of the frustrations of journalism.So many wrongdoers, so little time.

The first time I’d seen the term Cowboy Cocktail was in an article based on millions of records acquired by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Millions of records.By an international consortium.

As amazing as Jennifer’s skills are, expanding on that research would be asking a lot.