Chapter 24

When we got to the suite, I thought I would just get some pussy and shuffle off to sleep, no such luck tonight. “You have spent the entire day pretending to be Teddy Pendergrass, getting your picture taken and all that, so we want a Ladies Only concert right now, just let us change and get comfortable. Like I really saw this coming. They came all dressed in sexy sleepwear. They handed me a list with four songs they knew I knew the words to, as they cued up the music.

“When the whole world seems against you, and your whole life seems unborn. When all you ever wanted was a little peace, I can understand just how you feel. With a little bit a peace of mind, nowadays it’s so hard to find; you can’t even find it in your sleep. Here’s some advice that I think you should keep when baby.” -Cold, Cold, World. Is what Pam chose.

“Somebody told me to deliver this message hmmm, hmmm, hmmm. I’m sure you know who I am talking about you see. He see a world that’s full of confusion, people not knowing who to trust, naw. And he is wondering why we still can’t deal with this world he gave to us. IT’S ABOUT TIME THAT WE SUBMIT TO THE MASTER’S PLANS, AND BRING ALL THIS PAIN AND WAR TO AN END, WELL, HE SAID IT’S ABOUT TIME FOR A BRAND NEW DAY, AND BRAND NEW WORLD TO BEGIN, SOMEBODY TOLD ME and pass it on back to you.”--Somebody Told Me. At first it was just Sandy, but they all agreed to this song.

(Please excuse the all capital letters in these verses as in the songs typed Teddy Pendergrass is yelling or growling as only the late Teddy Pendergrass could do.)

“Yea ummm, hmmm gotcha love right here in the palm of my hand, and I lost it. Had a love so real and I lost it, and I lost it, had a love so real, one a man can feel, and I lost it. MAYBE IF I HAD SPENT MORE TIME WITH YOU, MAYBE then, maybe then you still be mine, OR, AND IF ONLY I HAD BEEN A LITTLE MORE KIND TO YOU, THERE WOULD BE naw naw, NO NEED FOR THIS MAN, OH LORD, TO BE CRYING. THE WHOLE TOWN’S LAUGHING AT ME, yes sir well silly fool how did you, well, lose such a good thing.”- The Whole Town’s Laughing At Me. This was from them laughing at me this morning not know my Halloween costume plus they really liked the song.

“Close the door let me give you what you’ve been waiting for. Baby I have got so much love to give, and I want to give it all to you. Close the door, no need to worry no more, let’s bring this day to a pleasant end, girl it’s me and you now. I’ve waited all day long just to hold you in my arms, and it’s exactly like I thought it would be. Me loving you, and you loving me, Close the door like me rub your back where you say it’s sore. Come on be closer so close to me, let’s get lost in each other. COME HERE BABY. I’ve waited all day long you to hold you in my arms, and it’s exactly like I thought it would be. Me loving you, and you loving ME, CLOSE THE DOOR BABY, and let me blow your mind. Plenty good loving all through the night, and then again when the morning comes. COME HERE WOMAN! ... COME HERE BABY, let me blow your mind. Let me do want I want you, LET ME MAKE SWEET LOVE TO YOU, uuh. WOO OOH, AWWW BABY. SO GOOD BABY, SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD BABY. UH, you do it to me, and I will do it to you. COME here baby, lay your head next to mine, OOHWOOOH, AWWAWW, UH, so good sweet woman, I like the way you make me feel. I like the way you make me feel, SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO GOOD, baby uuh. Let me do what I wanna do, all I wanna do is make love to you. Let me do what I wanna do, all I wanna do is make love to you. Let me do do do do do do do uuh.- Close The Door.

(All these songs are available on YouTube. In 1978 ‘Close the Door, and it’s follow up Turn Off The Lights in 1979 were considered mature or obscene back then. But music has changed the last 38 years since Teddy came on the scene as a solo artist. While it ain’t church music and never will be, but is tame by today’s standards. The first 3 songs are just the first verses. But for Close The Door since I had mentioned it several times I typed out the entire song. Teddy himself can be seen on Soul Train singing Somebody Told Me and The Whole Town’s Laughing at me. On YouTube.) All these women were primed for sex and there was no way I could fuck all of them tonight. If they ever make a pill to keep a guy going, I want to buy that stock first thing as I see a long night trying to please all of these horny women.

I started in on Pam; I asked her if she was ready. “One climax and we stop as I have a few others who want me too. With her baby bump beginning to show, Pam was a ride only from here on out until the end of her pregnancy.

When Pam sat down, “Yes Teddy do it, fuck me like that,” Pam said. As I started fucking up to meet her on her down stroke, she was feeling good to me; I was just hoping she nutted soon as I didn’t want to cum myself. Pam went off like a roman candle, and I almost went with her.

Shelia proved to be the next willing rider. “Yes daddy take mama to the moon,” was the one widow with a hair trigger, and Kelly had Shelia all hot and bothered before she sat down on me so it wasn’t long before her ride was over.

Snowdove put an end to all the night’s fun when we went at one another poor Snowdove lost again, but to look at her face it looks as though she got just what she wanted after all.

(Wednesday, Morning.) Dressed in a dark blue suit with the dark blue leather trench coat we got to school after our normal stops, and the girls were all in a group still happy about Disney. I just wonder when the fever of that weekend would calm down. I moved away from the chat room just to study for today’s classes as I wasn’t the brightest light in the room, and had to work hard to stay in the B neighborhood in some of my classes.

By lunchtime, I was tired; between last night and Quiz central today, I couldn’t wait to get today over with. When the last bell of the day rang, I was happy I wanted to get a quick nap before practice but that ended when Pam came to get us. As the house was ready, and we were going to see where we were now going to be living. My parents were also moving in today to their house just down the street. After my car buying spree, Pam had a three story enclosed garage built over multiple lots for more garage space. Only this garage would match the house, with two lots left as a large parking lot to expand the garage later, if more enclosed space was needed later on. And it also has matching a three-story guest apartment complex on the other side of the parking lot. For visiting guests, as there would be no rooms in the main houses for guests. While we were looking at our new house and glad it was finally ready we didn’t know the Grand Rapids Police were looking for Carmanza to find out what she knew about the Kronis situation. Sandy had gone to her house to retrieve some food stuff for dinner. She was met by Detectives looking for Carmanza. They agreed to follow her to the new house.

Cathy and I left for practice before Sandy returned. Coach had me sit out most of the practice as he wanted the team to play with different line-ups to get a feel for how the team played without me. I began shooting free throws the one weakness in my game, so I would be better than I was, as I wanted teams to pay for me going to the charity stripe. (The free throw line is also called the charity stripe because it is a chance to get extra points because you can make the shots, and these shots are uncontested.) The Detectives were still there trying to question Carmanza when we got home. Pam pulled us aside and let us know what this was all about.

I called a halt to all the questions and let the Detectives know we would meet them at the Pantlind Hotel tomorrow afternoon at 2p.m.; of course they balked at this request. But left knowing that my last involvement with the police didn’t go over all that well as far as the police were concerned.

“Sir I have been up all day as have most of the people here, I have homework, plus I am hungry. I am a minor, and my parents are not here to look out for my interests. We will meet you then, or not at all. Goodnight gentlemen. Do I need to call your Chief, after I call my attorney?” Pam asked. Pam had the Chief on the phone at this point, and he let the Detectives know we would meet them tomorrow and to leave; Pam had let him know this time a lawsuit may happen as his Detectives were not being pleasant in their questioning.

After they left I called my parents, while Pam called our attorneys to meet us tomorrow. I wanted this over with, but I had no intention of being guilty of practicing law without a law degree. My parents came over and we talked about what was said already, and what would be said tomorrow. We all agreed that after tomorrow evening we wouldn’t answer anymore questions as this wasn’t something we intended to keep answering questions over and over again. Gino rushed over with a car load of Pizzas.

(THURSDAY, MORNING.) I woke up and took a hot non-Hotel shower; I was in love with the new house already. Today’s suit was black, white shirt, black tie, black leather trench coat. Carmanza ended our breakfast trips to the cafeteria by putting out a breakfast that won my heart.

We went to school knowing we would be leaving at noon to meet our lawyers at 12:30p.m. to be ready for the Detectives at 2p.m., so the day moved at a snail’s pace, I let the coach know I wouldn’t be at practice as I had to answer questions about my weekend, but would be at practice tomorrow. He was concerned but knew I had to do what I had to do.

At 2p.m., we opened the door to our suite to let the Detectives from last night and two detectives from Tennessee where Kronis was being held, as well as the Grand Rapids Police Chief himself. After introductions, Carmanza was quick to ask. “If Kronis is in custody. Where is my son? Nobody I talked to in New York last night has seen him since last week. He is not with either Kronis’s parents or my parents.” Carmanza asked concerning her son.

“When I called his school this morning I find out Kronis took him out of school last Tuesday, and he told the school Kronis Jr. would return Monday which he has failed to do. Do any of you know where he is,” Carmanza asked again.

Detective Jones, and Allen from Tennessee looked at each other, then Detective Jones said, “Kronis Jr. was with his father when he was arrested. Your son had blood on his person just like his father did, so he was detained also.”

“Does my son have an attorney,” Carmanza asked.

“Yes ma’am, the same one as his father, and most of them down there have,” Detective Allen answered.

“I need to get down there and see about my child,” Carmanza said looking at Pam and me. Pam told her that she along with Kelly would go with her. Mr. Bernstein promised to get a top-notch firm down there involved.

With that drama out of the way, questions began where we were last week. Pam told them she headed up a group of families going to Disney complete with a list of who all went. She let them know the reason for the trip as it was mid-week, rather than the weekend.

My dad explained how our weekend went starting at Cedar Point amusement park both Thursday, and Friday. Saturday we went to Tennessee to look at property that we intended to buy.

I took over at this point in the discussion. “As I am the head of the family business we were there to buy said property as a family getaway. Travis Mason was familiar with the area, and he proposed this property idea, come to find out he owned the property right next door unbeknownst to us until the day before we left.” I said.

“We at first wondered why he failed to mention his ownership in the area. However, shortly after we got to town, we were looking at a topographical map; we noticed that the numbers had been transposed. Travis, a person I had more than a few issues with since I gained my inheritance, was trying to pull a fast one on me showing me the better property while selling me a lesser property at the better property price,” I stated.

“Once we got the paperwork issues straightened out I agreed to buy the property, as he looked at me, I explained what the map showed us about the number mishap. He claimed not to have noticed this and apologized for the mistake, we shook hands, and he agreed to call Pam this week to set up a meeting to close out this deal. After that we left to have lunch and return to Ohio and Cedar Point. I have yet to hear from Travis since we left Tennessee.”

“So Mr. Mason you never saw Kronis LaDrania Sr. or Kronis Jr. or any of his associates last weekend,” Detective Allen asked.

“That’s correct if they were there I didn’t see them. Both of these properties are large, the better property is twenty-five acres, with the lesser property being about 20 acres, plus all of it is somewhat heavily wooded. I only saw the people I was there to see. And after the number mess up I was anxious to get back to the amusement park as it was the last weekend, they would be open. I returned to Grand Rapids late Sunday afternoon.

“Sir some of the men in the LaDrania group claim you were there and forced them to do things, are you sure you did not see, talk to, or otherwise come in contact with Mr. LaDrania and his people,” Detective Jones asked.

“No, we did not,” My dad stated!

“Sir the stories we are hearing are not your run of the mill stories, in other words, the story we have heard from more than one of them matches up. And to be frank they can’t make up the shit they are saying,” Detective Allen said.

Mr. Bernstein asked, “Well just what have you heard that you are hinting to my clients but are not saying.”

“We’d rather not say at this time.” Detective Jones said.

“Well Detectives my office is in Detroit, and since we are all here, and you refuse to go into details, here is my card, do not approach my clients without me. And before you come back up this way, you can lay out the case for me because if all you have is stories from the people that you now have in custody; you will need more than just their word, sir.” Mr. Bernstein said.

“When Mrs. LaDrania arrives to see what is going on about her child, she won’t be answering any questions. She will be there about legal representation for her son only. She will be there to see about what she can do concerning her child only. I am her attorney of record, are we clear about this, Detectives,” Mr. Bernstein asked.

“We will go wherever the evidence leads us sir.” Detective Allen said.

“So you do have some evidence that puts my clients at some crime scene then?” Neither Detective would answer this question. “Well when you can answer that question we can talk more. Until then, we are just going in circles and are wasting valuable time. We are done here gentlemen have a good evening.” Mr. Bernstein said to the entire room.

Said Detectives were more than a little pissed off as they were under the impression a 14-year-old kid would fold under the questions they intended to throw at me. Before Lyle, Travis, and Kronis they would have been right in their thinking. But experience is experience, and fighting to keep what is mine, as well as trying to stay out of harm’s way, is very life-changing, no doubt about it. And it taught me that bringing my own lawyers to protect my interests was something I now must do when dealing with law enforcement at all times.

Pam lined up a flight to get them to Tennessee in the morning to see what could be done for Carmanza’s son. I am sure Carmanza was going to be upset but there was nothing I could do to save her son; he came with the crew to kill me, and he was armed when he was captured. However, he is the reason I didn’t kill Kronis and his crew but set them up to take the fall for what they planned to do to me.

“Pam would you ask Collette, Diana, and Kelly to stay in here along with Cathy, Snowdove, and Sharon. Call the PI next door and get the film ready to show in here.” I asked. Pam did what I asked. When everything was ready, I stood up, walked over to Carmanza, and said the words no man wants to from a woman. “Honey we need to talk.” I said.

“Before you go to Tennessee you need to know that most of what the Detectives are asking is nearly what really happened last weekend. No matter what happens to us from here on out, you need to know that Kronis and EVERYONE who came with him came to kill me, and the people with me. I have proof of what all I am saying. However, because Kronis brought your son to this event, I changed my plan, and that is the only reason why Kronis is still alive. Anyone meaning to kill me is someone I am willing to kill. But as you and Collette are living with me I just couldn’t kill them, at this time.” I said.