Chapter 1

In my family my uncle had always been an enigma. I was told during the Depression, while still a teenager, he had left home and "went on his own". His later rare reappearances, which had occurred at family funerals, were always unexpected. I remembered him from these events, as well dressed, cultured and seemingly very well off. It was at my mother's funeral, his sister, that I had my first discussion with him as another adult. I was eighteen then and with her death I was all that remained of his immediate family. He questioned me regarding my academic status and seemed to have some awareness of my many accomplishments. He approved of my plans to pursue a career in law. I had told him I had applied to several schools including Harvard. He informed me of some connections in Cambridge and that he could "pull some strings" to possibly speed the process.

Several weeks later I received my acceptance letter. Later during my college years he also provided me with a generous allowance. This income ensured I never lacked for money. I had a suspicion that his influence had been involved behind the many grants and scholarships that came my way. Then on my graduation I found keys to a late-model sports car and his card under my door at the fraternity house. When I called him with my profuse thanks he laughed and told me to visit him. He said he needed to go overseas for a period of time and needed someone to stay at his home. I agreed as I had no pressing summer plans and a great curiosity regarding my Uncle.

It was 1952 and a fresh New England spring morning. The new warmth in the air hinted of the approaching summer. I was driving south from Boston to New York City. I had the top down and I was pushing my new Mercedes 190SEL to it's limits.

Both my parents had been casualties of the war. First my father had been lost in one of the first B-24 bombing runs over Germany. His body was never recovered and the same could be said for my mother. She mourned herself to the grave. Her grief was so profound that her will to go on with life slipped away. She had been unable to face the world without my dad. I had come home from school and found her curled in bed. I thought she was sleeping until I touched her cold arm. Then I noticed the empty bottle of pills on her night side.

It seemed as if I had been sad all my life. I had buried my own grief and loss in my books. The past years had been bleak and the prospects of new happier days of promise and opportunity seemed just over the next horizon

It was mid-afternoon when I reached the city and it took another hour to locate the address. It was on the Upper East Side on a quiet tree-lined side street. The building itself was an unassuming brick four story that blended in with the other apartments and commerce in the neighborhood. The small brass plate on the door read THE MANHATTAN CLUB and then below in smaller prints A GENTLEMEN'S SOCIETY.

I opened the door and entered another world. The small lobby was furnished with several straight back chairs and a counter. I felt myself being observed and I was suddenly conscious of my attire with consisted of a bright undocked Hawaiian shirt and worn khakis. A distinguished looking elderly man in a butler's uniform was peering at me over the top of his spectacles.

"May I help you, Sir?" he asked politely, but coolly.

I handed him my Uncle's card and he peered and it. He lifted his bushy eyebrows and again looked at me. Then he smiled and his demeanor changed.

"Welcome to New York City, Mr. Whitlock. We have been expecting you."

He unlocked a heavy door behind the counter and indicated I was to follow him. This passage entered into a wood paneled hallway with yet another heavy door at the far end. There was a small opaque window at eyelevel, which my guide peered into. There was a buzz and the door swung open. We entered a spacious room. As my eyes become accustomed to the subdued light I realized the great size of the place. Considering the height of the ceiling and the length of the floor it would be possible to play full court basketball in the space. An ornate old-fashioned carved wood bar ran nearly the full length of one wall. I heard the snick of a cue ball and noticed several pool tables highlighted by islands of light. There was a low murmur of voices and I determined there was a dozen or so men either playing pool or sitting at the bar and tables. There was an aromatic mixture of cigar smoke and old leather.

The thick carpeting muffed our footsteps as we padded across the room. Several well-dressed men at the bar turned and smiled at me as we passed. I nodded in acknowledgment. I wished I had worn a suit.

We stopped at the far end of the bar and my guide fit a key in a sliding panel, which opened to a small lift.

He stepped aside and motioned for me to proceed, "Your uncle is expecting you."

The elevator rose smoothly and I counted three floors then the doors slid open to steps which led to a large living room. The room was dark paneled and richly furnished with heavy plush furniture. There was a roaring fire in stone fireplace. My uncle was seated in a chair by the hearth. He arose, smiling, and crossed the room. We hugged and he warmly told me how good it was to see me and how pleased he was of my accomplishments. He said my mom and dad would have been so proud of me.

We sat by the fire, drank brandy and talked for several hours. We discussed the war, my parents, school, Eisenhower and my future. I was fascinated to hear another worldview, which was diametrically opposed to what I had been taught at Harvard. Finally he changed the subject and told me he needed a big favor. He had extended overseas business to attend to and he needed me to stay at his apartment and oversee his domestic concerns. I modestly told him I had little business acumen, but he waved my protestations aside and told me there was no experience really needed. He smiled and said I would find the assignment actually quite enjoyable.

He noticed the brandy decanter was empty.

"Let me introduce you to my house servant, Lisa" he said.

Reaching over to a side table he picked up a small silver bell and rang it. There was a silence and then I heard a hissed 'no" from an out of-sight hallway.

My uncle shook his head and sniffed in disdain. "I apologize. She is not happy with my new choice of apparel. With your arrival I am afraid I had to implement a crude means of persuasion," he stated... He opened a drawer under the table and motioned for me to come closer. I leaned forward in my chair. The drawer swung open to reveal a hidden electronic apparatus.