Chapter 17. Visits

Wednesday September 10, 2008

Morning In My Office

Wednesday morning Judge Stern came to my office. He was in a mood, asking what I knew about “all this.” It was a reasonable inquiry, I had purchased Jessica at the auction and had driven her to my home after the extended weekend. During the orgy people had seen us doing things together, unexpected, less than romantic things in the hallways at the resort. Also kissing, which was more romantic. Both were a concern. I knew that confused some older “poke, poke and done” folks. He did not mention these specific items, but he said I had done some “unusual” things when my team had his daughter overnight.

Putting that aside, he directed my attention to yesterday night.

I slowly got him to explain what he was asking about, tried to be diplomatic, and then denied all involvement. I admitting his daughter was very attractive and that she wanted some unusual things at the orgy, but he knew that, it was posted on the web. However, as a man who was putting in long hours at work and was married less than a month, did he really think I would risk my young marriage with an overnight sex date? With a woman older than me? That was the conversation stopper, most men cannot think about sex with an older woman in the fountain of young pussy that is LA. Suddenly he felt like a fool for asking.

I said honestly that Abril and I were at home all night. I asked plainly, with no offense intended, “if he had newlywed Abril in his bed, would a sex date with inexperienced Jessica be that attractive?” He conceded my point and agreed that maybe he had been too strong in his questions. Besides, talking with a partner about what one did to the other man’s wife exchange partner was considered inappropriate in the firm, that was in the text Stern had written. I felt I should not mention that Cynthia was with us in bed, and that she could be a witness.

When he explained that Jessica came home this morning when he and his wife were at her place, I asked what time Jessica arrived. It turned out I was already at work, which really deflated him. That really should have been his lead.

Using carefully chosen words I got Stern to realize he was upset with his daughter, but maybe was a little guilty, and she had feelings as well, about last Wednesday’s all day sex party where he and his wife used the Church girls as willing dirty sex toys. He knew that the Church girl was why Jessica came back to LA with me. But the fact was that he had nobody else he could ask. His daughter would not talk, Rose was being very coy to cover the fact that she didn’t know, and he really did not know anybody else that way.

(Rose hated being out-of-the-loop on gossip, but Jessica refused all her calls.)

Because of the car he thought of Sam and Red, but Barnes had warned him to stay away from interrogating them, there was too much at stake. I was as close as he could get to them. So I mentioned the customized car company. “I have a bit of equity there.” It was doing well on that model, so well they expected a “cease and desist” letter soon. (Actually, the manufacturer’s legal department had other issues at the time - they were all in bankruptcy seminars and hating it.) I knew that David Barnes had his own affair to keep covered up. It involved Red, and he assumed their very one-sided affair was a secret.

Stern left my office unhappy but convinced that I had no more to give him. He or his wife would have to make nice with their daughter, and she was in a contrary mood right now. He could not see a good way out of the doghouse.

As he left I suddenly had a thought that I hoped I would have no daughters. But I realized how that was unlikely so I thought that maybe I could get them all to live in the Colony. But that was also unlikely.

Afternoon - Tony Helps A Friend

Office Building, Downtown LA

Tony followed the instructions I gave to Tonto and arrived right on time. The office building had retail stores on the first and second level, and professional offices above the stores, and then corporate offices. You could not tell from the directory, but the three top floors of the building had their own elevators and were the HQ and barracks for the Patron’s enforcer/soldiers for the Western US. Toad had set it up some time ago. An office on the 6th floor was for low-intensity meetings.

I was glad to see Tony. He was getting a lot more sun these days (“yard work” he said), he had planned well so he had no money problems and was living like a citizen in his Pasadena safe house. He was pleased that Tonto was staying clear of his old life and seemed solidly set on college with Pammie. “The boy has done good, better than his mother and his old man. You deserve a fair share of the blame for setting his path, you made school a good thing instead of a jungle we coped with. Plus I must say, Cynthia is a gem, a real prize.”

I pointed out that the kid made good choices, and hooking up with Pammie was the best one could hope for. She didn’t make it easy for him (she didn’t make it easy for me either), but he passed the important tests. Then he did not screw it up by going all macho like so many did. Tony knew that with my family, things could go to extremes quickly, Tonto had learned a lot Sunday night. “I don’t understand all he said, about retainers and white scarfs and family sharing ... but it sounded like your people came from Atlantis. I have lived with your guys, and I know they are just part of something much bigger, something that is not typical hispanic.”

“Actually, it is MORE hispanic, it just depend on perspective. Think Isabella and Ferdinand.”

He knew enough that before Isabella and Ferdinand there was no country called Spain. But that just confused him so I dropped the subject. He did not show any interest at the time, but the next day he checked a pile of books out of the Pasadena library.

In terms of himself, Tony was looking into plastic surgery, just little things so he would not be recognized on the streets or by the damn computers. For now he grew a little beard, wore shades and avoided the old neighborhood. I said that was smart, not rushing into anything.

Then he got to the point of the meeting. In a round-about-way he had heard from a doctor who was in trouble with both the state and his ex-wife. He wondered if I could help with a fast, safe exit out of the country. The trouble was his papers were coded “arrest on contact” in the computer so a legal departure would not work. He also had some attachments where the papers were an issue. He was not looking to return anyplace but was looking for work. But first he had to get out of this country.

“Who is this Doc?” I asked.

“Dr. Xadi Arteta, the DA is going to pick him up on a slow news day next month, before the election.” It is political, with the LA DA it was always political.

I knew Xadi. He was a Basque, his parents were multimillionaires with homes in both Spain and France, they had ownership interests in several legit businesses, including a hospital. He had an older brother born in France who would inherit the businesses.

Xadi was born in Spain, he studied medicine in Paris on scholarship and graduated at the top of his class. He wasn’t “House M.D.” but he was a “better than most” doc in real life.

During his schooling in Europe Xadi was a natural troublemaker. He was too skeptical to agree with any group but he had a genius for saying the wrong thing at meetings while a free-lance informer from the government was recording. The out-of-context sound bites were good currency for free-lance informants, like “get out of jail” cards. When his family would not buy the guy off (they never did trust a rat) the informant went to the authorities. Xadi left Europe on a fishing boat 30 minutes ahead of the Spanish cops. Both France and Spain had arrest notices for him if his name showed up anywhere, like a flight list for an airline. It was all trumped up charges, but those worked. Since his name was on the list the US would be glad to package him up for shipment at any point of exit he might try.

He got into the US before 9-11 by coming through Canada. There he made himself unwelcome by corrected people speaking French which caused bad feelings which led to fights which led to more warrants for his arrest so going North was not an option.

Now he had a problem here in beautiful LA. He was operating as a doctor but lacked the blessing and associated paperwork from the state. His greater sin was that he was pro-life and attended protests against abortion which as you know, are well photographed by the authorities. Politicians and cops are always looking for people they can arrest with less risk of a shooting and pro-lifers top the list, those who oppose the murder of the unborn are a pretty safe choices for the nightly news. Some of the LAPD photographs were completely out-of-context, but an illegal anti-abortion doc is always fair game in California, and is especially good for grabbing headlines at election time.

Fortunately, Xadi was a master of disguise, a true genius. Hollywood pros came to him. But his real advocation was helping the poor.

“Can you help him?” Tony asked. “I owe him big time.”

I happened to know a specialized medical practice in Peru that would be available yesterday and could not recruit in regular channels, as long as Tony was with me I called Xadi. We could meet at the Pablo and start negotiations that evening.

Tony did not expect such a fast response, but I said I was already a little late for getting this started.

Next Tony asked about Cynthia’s trip. Pammie put him up to it of course. I explained it was her choice, there was a good reason, but I could not tell him more unless he wanted to “take the long first step off the deep end,” on some real secrets. “Yucatan was toys, I mean real secrets.” Secrets always have consequences attached, and there was no turning back after the first step on this journey. Tony wisely said he wasn’t there yet, except maybe he was. When he wondered aloud if Tonto was likely to go deeper. At this point Tony hinted about the ring. I said plainly that the ring made it possible, maybe even likely. Pammie had the right ear to whisper in. In fact I was hopeful that once Tonto and Pammie were 18 and the obvious connection took place things would change in a big way. I said nice things about his kid and Tony agreed with it all. Things were suddenly moving fact. “The next two big steps were college and then life someplace south, not on the map.”