Chapter 42: Demonstrations of Power

February 5, 1993, Chicago, Illinois

Jamie called on Friday morning to let me know that the CPD had obtained a search warrant for Hart-Lincoln as we’d discussed with the FBI, and intended to serve it as soon as Greg was available. I told him I’d call Greg, then call him back with a time. Three hours later, Jamie, Greg, Zeke, and I were in a conference room at the Federal Building with Agents O’Toole and Stone, Detectives Boltz and Monroe, as well as three other FBI Agents, an Assistant US Attorney, an Assistant State’s Attorney, and four uniformed CPD officers.

“I’m Assistant US Attorney Jackson O’Malley. I’m supervising the search warrant that is to be served on Hart-Lincoln immediately following this meeting. I’m going to go over your roles and make it clear what you may and may not do.”

He spent the next twenty minutes describing the process, similar to what had been outlined during my previous meeting with the FBI. When he finished, the Assistant State’s Attorney spoke for about five minutes, mostly to the uniformed CPD officers and detectives, but he did have a few words for Greg and Zeke.

I’d brought Zeke after talking things over with Greg and Jamie, and then conferring with the FBI. Greg had been gone eighteen months, so we decided we needed someone who knew the latest version of our software to work with him to ensure things moved along as quickly and efficiently as possible.

When everyone had their marching orders, the room mostly cleared, leaving the two FBI Agents, two CPD Detectives, Jamie, and me while everyone else headed to the ‘Gold Coast’ offices of Hart-Lincoln to execute the warrants.

“Thank you, Mr. Adams,” Detective Monroe said. “We appreciate your cooperation.”

“You’re welcome.”

Agent Stone laughed, “I see you’ve repaired your relationship with the Chicago Police Department as well!”

“Repaired?” Detective Boltz asked.

“A long story,” I said. “Let’s just say I’m highly suspicious of law enforcement.”

“Mostly our fault, I suspect,” Agent Stone said. “He had some very close Russian friends back before the Soviet Union collapsed. He objected to us investigating him. He has lots of friends in the Navy and given what happened in the Walker case, not to mention the fact that he was friends with a high-ranking Soviet diplomat, well, we might have gotten off on the wrong foot.”

I nodded, “You’re just lucky none of you suggested to Tatyana Ivanovna that she was a ‘honey trap’. The end result of that would NOT have been pretty!”

“You dated a Russian girl?” Detective Monroe asked.

“Not just dated, but seriously considered marrying. In the mid 80s. Her father was Trade Attaché to the US. I met her in Austria when we were sixteen. We were an item for about four years.”

“And you have lots of friends in the Navy?”

“Officers at RTC Great Lakes, plus some who went to the Academy, and some ROTC cadets who later graduated and were commissioned.”

“I can see how that might attract federal attention!”

“Then there was the fact that I had some minor business dealings with Alderman Roti and Alderman Medrano.”

Both detectives laughed, “Another sure way to get unwanted federal attention!”

“Tell me about it,” I said ruefully. “Agent O’Toole, unless you need me, I’m going back to my office so Jamie can stop billing me for our idle chit-chat!”

Everyone, including Jamie laughed. We shook hands and I headed back to the office. Penny was in a meeting, which gave me the privacy to make a phone call. Jeri had suggested nearly a year before that I cultivate the press, and this gave me a perfect opportunity. I called Stan Jakes at the Tribune and tipped him off about the raid - off the record, of course. He thanked me, and we hung up.

Greg called just before 5:00pm to let me know he’d be working well into the evening, and I made sure he had my cell phone number.

“Busy day?” Elyse laughed as we got into my car for the drive home.

“You might say that. I’ll be interested to see if anyone calls me about the FBI and CPD raid on the law firm or if it makes the paper tomorrow.”

“I can’t imagine that it won’t make the paper. Four uniformed police officers, three plain-clothes detectives, two FBI agents, a US Attorney, a State’s Attorney, and two computer guys? It’ll be in the Trib. Who would call?”

“I can’t say. I signed a confidentiality agreement. But put two and two together.”

“Got it. Never mind. I have to say it’s nice seeing you helping the FBI for once, instead of fighting them!”

“A lull in combat. You know my opinion of the government.”

“Yes, we all do! Did you hear anything from Patrick Shaughnessy about the funeral home?”

“Not yet. He said to give his company a week. I have not told Jessica or Kara about it, and Al won’t say anything. I just don’t want any angst on their parts. If Patrick turns up something useful, I’ll let them know.”

“You’re hoping he finds a relative?”

“Yes. And Patrick had an idea that we didn’t think of. If we find Dustin’s parents, THEY make a claim of paternity on behalf of their deceased son and try for visitation rights. We don’t care HOW it happened, but if they can get a familial match, they could get a court declaration and THAT might put an end to this. But who knows? She could fight it, but the one thing she can’t do is claim, in court, that I’m the father.”

“I have to say I continue to be impressed by you not freaking out about things any more.”

“When will you stop being impressed so that it just becomes who I am?”

“Eventually!” Elyse smirked.

“Looks like our Pittsburgh and LA trips work out to be good timing for you!”

“You mean because Eduardo will be here on the 1st?”

“Yes.”

“I figured you had your hot young thing to take my place!”

“Nobody can take your place, Belgium!” I declared.

“When does Pia arrive?”

“Sunday the 14th and she leaves on Saturday the 20th. I’m working half-days most of the days that week so I can spend time with her. Jesse wants to skip school, but I told him Marta would be there when he got home.”

“Are they sleeping together?”

“They’re sleeping in the same bed, yes,” I chuckled.

“And you and Pia?”

“She’s not expecting anything, and I haven’t decided.”

“Because Samantha gave you only two exceptions? And you aren’t sure?”

“Yes. I told Jess and Kara she was one for whom I’d potentially use one of those exceptions.

“Who else?”

“Jodie.”

“Interesting choices. Who else did you consider?”

“Aimee, but I won’t see her for at least another year, if even then, and there’s no guarantee she won’t put her ‘no married men’ rule back in play. There is an outside chance I could see her when I go to Japan, but it’s not likely. And I do have a technical out because Samantha said the agreement doesn’t apply to Japan.”

Elyse laughed, “Lucky dog!”

“I believe my opportunities will be severely limited and perhaps non-existent given what I’m doing and where I’m going.”

“Who else?”

“Cindi, though I could use the ‘24 hour pass’ with her if I wanted to, but nobody knows about that except Samantha, my wives, and now you.”

“What pass is this?”

“A Christmas gift from Samantha because I limited how much money she was allowed to spend! No restrictions on who I could use it with.”

“I swear, you couldn’t write this stuff! Nobody would believe it! Who else?”

“Lyudmila, but she was never anything but a bit of fun and while I enjoy being with her, I’m not using up one of those exceptions for her. The same goes for Vera, but the chances I’m going to Russia or she’s coming here any time soon are small. Tara, but she has a boyfriend. So I guess it comes down to Pia or Cindi, assuming I don’t want to use the pass with Cindi.”

“She’ll be REALLY pissed.”

“Perhaps, but those exceptions are ongoing. In other words, if I pick Pia, I can be with her whenever I see her. That’s why Jodie is an interesting choice. Cindi is a one-and-done by our own agreement.”

“I find it amusing that a seventeen-year-old girl is in charge of your sex life!”

“I’m in charge of my sex life. The negotiations with Samantha were simple because they more or less match where I am at this point. And if you think about it, since last summer I’ve had Jodie, Alli, Michelle, Caroline, Wanda, Lena, and Ellie. And I’m getting a freebie with Ellie, if you will, because Samantha invited her to spend the night with us.”

“Do they... ?”

“Nope. They’re right there with you on that topic. Neither of them will even touch me if I’m doing something with the other.”

“I’m not THAT bad!” Elyse laughed.

“No, you aren’t, but their mentality is the same. I think I just argued myself into Pia and keeping a spot for Jodie. Cindi’s divorce was delayed again, so I don’t have to worry about that at least until April at this point.”

“She’s not in a committed relationship at this point!”

“No, but she’s still married. And that’s an absolute no-no.”

“So that you don’t have to make a potentially dangerous judgment call.”

“Correct.”

February 6, 1993, Chicago, Illinois

The raid on Hart-Lincoln didn’t make the front page of the Trib, but it did make it on page 3. It was reported as part of the investigation into what they were calling ‘the suspicious death of an up-and-coming young lawyer at a high-powered Chicago law firm’. The article which filled four column inches, gave a brief background on John Lentz, a brief history of Hart-Lincoln, and recapped John’s death. It didn’t mention NIKA, and I was happy to see that. Now it was just a matter of awaiting the fallout.

February 7, 1993, Chicago, Illinois

“These gatherings seem to be losing steam,” I said. “We’ve sort of talked out just about everything except politics and nobody wants to have political discussions.”

“There is NO WAY Steve Adams has said everything he wants to say about sex!” Abbie laughed.

“Sometimes you have to stop talking and start doing,” I chuckled.

“Says the man who made me wait six months!” Kara huffed, but with an impish smile.

“Amateur,” Elyse teased. “I got him the first night!”

“Me, too!” Abbie smirked.

“I think I might be the only person on the planet who made HIM wait!” Jennifer said.

The room exploded in laughter.

“Being nervous and waiting isn’t a personality defect!” I chuckled. “Not at age 14!”

“You were each other’s firsts?” Elizabeth asked.

“No,” I replied with a silly grin. “If you recall, my first was 23 when I was 14.”

“I suppose it depends on how you calculate it, but my first time was with a girl in 7th grade,” Jennifer said.

“You knew you were a lesbian at that point?” Carissa asked.

“I had no idea what that even meant at that point. I spent the next ten years trying to figure it out. Alcohol, pot, and depression are not very helpful. It didn’t help that my first heterosexual encounter was what I guess we’d call ‘date rape’ now. And no, it was NOT Steve. He was a huge help to me, just as he was to Bethany in her recovery from her rape. The difference was, she admitted it very early on. I hid it from everyone until I was twenty-two.”

“Jen, we’ve talked about that,” I said gently. “Rape is violence, not sex. The first time you had intercourse was with me.”

“And that was true for me, too,” Bethany said. “Steve understood at fourteen that rape is not about sex, but about violence, power, domination, and control. And it doesn’t make the person raped ‘dirty’ or any other thing that comes to mind. Most of you have heard the story, but I was raped at 13, got pregnant, and had an abortion. But I gave Steve my virginity when he and I made love the first time.”

“What happened to the guy? Did you report it?” Carissa asked.

Bethany shook her head, “No. I wish I had, because he went on to rape at least three other girls before someone finally reported him. He got 15 to life for the three rapes, not including mine. When he was in prison, another inmate stabbed him to death.”

“That inmate apparently knew one of the girls,” I said, “and decided to show him what REAL penetration was like. With a shiv.”

“Now THAT is a fitting end to a piece of shit,” Elizabeth said.

I nodded, “I agree. Back when I heard about it, I said the only thing more fitting would for him to have been found with his balls stuffed into his mouth. One thing I simply CAN NOT abide is rape. Benton is lucky I didn’t know who he was before he left the area.”

“I didn’t tell Steve who it was out of fear he’d kill him.”

“But he’s a pacifist!” Joan protested.

“Not if you hurt someone he loves,” Samantha said quietly. “Then, he’ll destroy you.”

“Whatever happened with that asshole that attacked Michelle?” Elizabeth asked.

“He pled guilty back in November and was sentenced to fifteen years for attempted sexual assault with another seven tacked on for felony battery. The only sad part is the state has to pay for the reconstructive surgery and prosthetic eye.”

“The WHAT?!” Paula gasped.

“Michelle stabbed him in the eye with a pair of scissors,” Elizabeth smirked. “That kind of put him off his game.”

“Wow! Nobody ever mentioned that!”

“It was actually in the news report,” Elizabeth said. “She didn’t tell me that part.”

“Maybe this is the topic for today,” Bethany said. “Rape, sex, and violence.”

“Add in ‘consent’,” I offered.

Bethany nodded and I watched as she quickly transformed from my friend and lover Bethany, to Doctor Krajick. I listened as she talked and answered questions. As I expected, there was some pushback on the ‘acquiescence is not consent’ idea, but when I explained what had happened with Annie, some light bulbs went on. Nobody would classify it as ‘rape’, but most of the kids, including the guys, understood Bethany’s point far better, even if they didn’t completely agree.

“What about drinking?” Job asked. “Is one drink too much? Two?”

“That’s a tough question,” Bethany said. “But in effect, anything that impairs your judgment would impact your ability to freely consent. The same is true for drugs.”

“Being in love impairs your judgment!” Ben laughed.

Everyone joined in laughing.

“Yes,” Bethany said, “and that feeling often leads to a first sexual encounter which is later regretted. Though it’s usually among young girls, not guys.”

“Has any guy, EVER, regretted having sex?” Elizabeth asked.

“I hope you’re joking,” Jorge said firmly. “Guys can be coerced into sex and regret it later.”

“And guys can be raped,” Bethany said. “And I’m not talking homosexual rape. Men can be abused spouses, as well. It’s not common, but it does happen. If you think society is hard on female rape victims, you should see how male rape victims are treated, even by the medical community.”

“How can a guy be raped?” Mike asked. “I’m asking seriously. I’d need an erection, and I can’t imagine getting one at gunpoint or knifepoint. That would have the opposite effect!”

“Your body will respond to manual or oral stimulation in most instances,” Bethany said. “Involuntarily. Or you could be drunk and your resistance is low and you do something you ordinarily wouldn’t have done. I heard about the experiment Kara ran a year ago? Several of you men had involuntary reactions. Embarrassing ones, if I understand correctly.”

“Uh, yeah,” Mike laughed nervously.

“So if you can’t control it in THAT situation, do you think you could control it if you were somehow incapacitated?”

“I see your point. I guess I just never thought about it that way.”

When we finished, and most people had left, Abbie put on the tape of the ‘Busch Clash’, an invitational race for pole winners from the previous season. The race didn’t go well for either Bill Elliott or Alan Kulwicki, who finished 9th and 10th respectively.

February 8, 1993, Chicago, Illinois

“Did you find anything?” I asked Patrick Shaughnessy when he called first thing on Monday morning.

“Not much, unfortunately. We have the name of the person who arranged for Dustin Brady’s cremation, a Gayle Tomkins. Unfortunately, the address and phone number are no longer valid, and there’s no forwarding address active with the Post Office. At this point it’s basically a needle-in-a-haystack search. Do you want me to continue?”

“That’s a tough call. I’d say that Carla might know who this Gayle Tomkins is, but I’m not sure getting in touch with her makes any sense.”

“We could do that without it pointing back to you. Even finding out if she knows who Gayle Tomkins is could be helpful.”

“OK. Let me give you Carla’s phone number.”

I gave him the information and he said he’d get back to me in a few days. I held my staff meeting then Elyse and I took Zeke into one of the small conference rooms.

“Any problems Friday? And no details, please.”

“No problems. Greg is still Greg! We were there until about 2:00am. All the stuff went to the police and FBI. Greg said he’d call in his hours to Chris.”

“OK. Sorry about messing up your Friday night. Take Tasha out for a nice dinner and bring the receipt to Elyse. We’ll cover it.”

Zeke nodded, “You’re a good boss, Boss! How well did you know this lawyer who did the swan dive?”

I grimaced at the comment, but it was typical Zeke.

“I met him maybe a dozen times over the past year or so. He did the other side of the BLS financing and also of the real estate transaction for this building. I also saw him at some Lundgren Foundation events.”