Advance

1997

Shenkia Nesbitt worked on the thirty-fourth floor of the Diamante Bank building in Wilmington, Delaware. Every day, she arrived promptly to her desk and knew exactly what would happen, mostly. When she looked at the Wilmington Stock Exchange (WiSE) she became an assassin. Skilled in the ways of financial markets, she had boasted a master’s degree from New Sweden University.

That day seemed kind of odd, however. She overheard a conversation on the bus that regarded a stock that would go up. She followed her right mind and captured the moment to trade on this information.

The Securities and Fiscal Policy Administration (SAFPA) noticed this. Shenkia did not appear to be fazed by the questioning as she sat in an interrogation room.

“Miss Nesbitt, you have charges that could land you forty years behind bars,” a SAFPA spokesman announced. He crossed his arms.

Shenkia scoffed. “I have been able to secure a life for myself as a black woman in a largely white and male dominated field. I got an inadvertent tip and I followed it. How is that a crime? Where is the justice?” Shenkia’s lawyer Jacob Stein patted her hand. It didn’t seem patronizing but a way of saying, “that was excellent.”

“You made over ten million dollars with that bit of information. Don’t you feel the least bit guilty that—”

“She doesn’t have to answer that,” Stein announced.

“She certainly doesn’t and she’ll be behind bars for decades trying to figure out where it all went wrong.”

“Is that really the case?” Stein motioned and then allowed his client to speak.

“Thank you, Jacob. Now, how is it that there’s something called ‘insider trading’ that claims it is helping the investor. It doesn’t. It only hampers the market. I’m proud of my decision and will stand firm.”