Growing Up Then and Now

Chapter 53

In Vancouver, a New Posse is in Town!

     On the evening of Tuesday, December 20, at about the same time that Gordy and Jane were meeting by the Vancouver seawall (in Gordy’s failed attempt to extricate Jane from her terrorist role), Super-Sleuth Susie and her newly deputized posse were, after a 24-hour straight-through drive, checking into the Hotel Vancouver, just blocks from the seawall.  

     Working for the hotel, Joey was able to get favorable rates, but it surprised the hell out of  him to see there were three others in addition to his mom.  He knew his mom was hot on the pursuit of Dougherty and Furbush – but actually forming a posse to nail them was way beyond the mom he knew growing up. 

     “Let me introduce Heck and Billy,” Susie said to Joey before Joey could ask any questions.  “Heck is a buddy of mine from the Chat & Chew. We hope to recruit Heck to run for Sheriff back in Boulder – he hasn’t announced yet.  He actually has a decent resume as a conservation officer for the Montana Department of Wild-Life.  Heck figures if he can get in on busting up the sex ring, he’ll win in a landslide. Heck and Billy know everything I know, but Joey, what’s the latest? . . .  Does Shadya know we’re working on getting him a lawyer?  . . . Is Shadya really willing to nail Furbush? . . . Nail Dougherty? . . . “

Susie continued with the introductions pointing to Eloise, “You know Eloise, your teacher – whom we got elected to the school board. Don’t know when you last saw Eloise, maybe at our house last year, but she’s in on this too!  Says she wants to stay on the School Board, but I think she’s a candidate for Congress, if – with your help – we end up busting Dougherty and Furbush. We need your help, Joey.”

     “Whoa,” Joey said.  “Okay, okay, I’m glad you’re out here, Misters . .? . . .  (pause) . . . sorry I didn’t catch your last names.  Ms. Johnson, nice to see you again.  [‘Ms. Johnson’ would be Eloise Johnson, his high school history teacher.]   

     “Listen, Mom,” Joey continued.  “Yes, let’s make a plan, but first, I’m sticking with only one room – for you all.  I can get you into the Queen Victoria Suite, sleeps four, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, the best view of Vancouver Island in this whole place – you know, they call this hotel ‘The Castle in the City.’  Wait ‘til you see your room.”  Joey then proceeded to book them the room, walked them to the elevator, and punching the button for the 17^th floor, said, “I’ll be up in a few minutes.  I want to hear all about this plan you say you’ve already worked-up.” 

     The Queen Victoria Suite was about the nicest room any of the four had ever stayed in – very modernized, yet nineteenth century lavish, with antique beds, satin pillows, bedposts and canopies.  Later, when they were outside looking up from the street, they saw they occupied one of eight towers, with gargoyle-like ornamentation, that topped off the “Castle in the City.’  

     When Joey came up, he said, “Shadya knows you’re trying to find him a lawyer.  He really wants to make a deal to save his ass.  But I can’t get him to talk unless he sees a lawyer first.”

     “We’re working on that,” Susie said.

    “What’s all this Shadya guy told you?” Heck asked.

     “Well, that he was business partners with Abdul.  Knows all about the local prostitution scene.  He was one of the ‘go-to’ guys the bellman uses – or at least use to use – when a high-roller wanted some action.  And he says, with the right deal, he’ll finger Furbush and Dougherty – that’s how he knows them – as part of the smuggling ring bringing young girls in to be prostituted.”

     “Do you think, even without a lawyer, he would give us the names of some others that might talk? Do the implicating for him?” Susie asked, and continued: “I’ve got a list of names from Ken, that movie-maker guy I told you about, of folks here in town who were in on the movie, and might know Shadya or Abdul, and might . . . “

     “Might work,” Joey offered.  “I’ve kinda got this Shadya guy figured-out – he’s running scared right now – thinks someone’s gonna finger him as the main man importing young Thai girls using the bait and switch promise of modeling careers.  Or worse, someone’s gonna come after him and he’ll meet Abdul’s fate.  If one of these guys on the list could potentially implicate Furbush or Dougherty, without Shadya having to do it, he might give up the name, with or without a lawyer.” 

     Heck broke back in: “Better than showing that list to Shadya, let’s first check out these names ourselves and see if any one of them knows Shadya, and could put the screws to Shadya. That should get Shadya to cave.  Once the rest of the deputies arrive, we can cover the list in less than a day.”

     “Rest of the deputies?” Joey asked.

     “Ohh, I forgot to tell you,” Susie answered for Heck, “I’m about to call your sister to come join us . . . maybe bring some of her friends”

     “You’re kidding me . . . Mom!”

     “Yep, I’ve organized a posse extraordinaire to bring these guys to justice.  We might not be officially deputized, but Heck calls us “his deputies.”  We’ll be minimum six strong once your sister gets here, including you, of course.  Between us, we can get to every name on the list in a matter of hours.  Skip said to make sure we use Ken’s name, Ken Vardaman. These people on the list know Ken from doing this movie that’s friendly to the Somali community – and will want to help all they can. 

“That’s the plan to get Shadya to talk,” Susie finished. “Now Heck, tell Joey our plan to bust the sex-trafficking operation!”

     “Well Joey,” Heck started, “I’m not so sure I really wanna do this, but your mom says there’s a way to pull this off without much danger, and claims I won’t get arrested – says we’ve got a lawyer in the posse  . . . so I guess I’m willing to give it a try . . . pose as an older man looking for an underage girl to have sex with . . .”

     “ I’ve even a better idea!”  Heck’s partner, Billy, interrupted.  “Ask Shadya to put Heck on to the best place to go to get a young Thai girl – Shadya giving Heck the name of a place – just that alone won’t get Shadya in trouble.  I bet he’ll do it with or without already having his lawyer.”

     “All right, Joey said, “I’ve already asked for the next two days off.”

Chapter 51

Finally, a Decision on What To Do

     That Monday night, after hearing the exciting news from Susie, the three of them – Skip, Max and Rocky went for a walk to the corner pub.  In San Francisco it’s Dirty Nick’s, this one in Philly, Dirty Frank’s at the corner of 13^th and Pine.  Just the kind of bar that Billy Joel would sing about – a dusty piano in the corner, lots of guys sharing their loneliness, but it’s better than drinking alone.  On their walk back to Phyllis’ from the pub, Max told Skip, “You know what we’ve got to do, right?”  

      “Besides just waiting on developments?”

     “Yes,” Max said.  “We need to separate away the sex ring and the murder from the terrorism stuff – if we can bust up the sex ring, great – but you have to go to the D.A. with the terrorism stuff, now.”

     “All right, I’m with you on that,” Skip said after a moment.  “I’ll tell Ken I’m going in alone and I’ll work the best deal I can for Gordy and maybe Jane.  I don’t think the D.A. will be interested in charging Ken or any of us.”

     As they walked up Phyllis’ stoop, Rocky said, “Don’t go in alone.   Have Steve there with you.”

     Inside, Steve was all smiles, “Phyllis is sound asleep, fell asleep purring like a kitten, and good news, my lawyer buddy in San Francisco called back, thinks he’s found a San Francisco firm with lawyers in Vancouver.  Give me all the updates.”  And that led to the four of them staying up all night, piecing together all possible scenarios and making plans.  Rocky said, “Great idea, Max, to make this into three puzzles with separate pieces.”

     First, they started planning their approach to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York – often thought of as the toughest prosecutor in the whole United States – as to the impending terrorist attack.  But they weren’t too far down this list when Rocky said, “Wait one minute.  Demand number one has to be ‘we get credit for busting this unholy trinity.’  Max, start a whole new list.  We get in touch with Patty first thing tomorrow and tell her to start sketching out the next reprise of the San Francisco Theatre as part of an elaborate press conference with the D.A. announcing the bust.”

     “Okay, ‘just-for-fun-Rocky,’ that goes to the top of the list,” Skip said, trying to laugh.

     But Steve disagreed.  “No, prosecution of anyone on the bus has to be first on the list.”  

     “No,” Skip argued.  “First on the list, right after how we do the press conference, will be no prosecution of Ken and Gordy.  I don’t think the D.A. will have any interest in charging anyone on the bus – I’ll do that as the last condition.  As for me, I’m going to bluff him into thinking I don’t give a rip if he charges me; that way I can insist he doesn’t get a single detail out of me until he meets our conditions.  You don’t think he’ll resort to torture to get me to talk, do you, Steve?”

     “Okay, you’re the client – all I do is advise – you get to make the final decision,” Steve responded, “but I’m sorta representing everybody here, so promise me we don’t leave the room until you get immunity for all of us on the bus.”

     “Will do,” Skip said.

     They then moved on to puzzle number two.  “If, and it’s a big if,” Rocky started, “if we get the evidence to prosecute the sex trafficking operation, or anybody’s complicity, like that fucking sheriff – and it sure would be nice to nail Furbush – then we get the U.S. Attorney here in New York to talk to his counterpart in Montana and agree to certain things there too, like investigating that corrupt sheriff.”

     Max added, “And no prosecution of anyone Joey finds – Jesus Christ, now it’s Susie, Eloise and the cowboys too – who agrees to provide evidence, or to testify against Furbush or whomever.”

     “Yeah,” Rocky said, “we nail Rafferty/Dougherty in puzzle number one.  We don’t need to nail him with the sex trafficking, just the terrorism.  Furbush is our target in puzzle number two.”

     “Puzzle number three:  Who knows if we’ll ever know who murdered Abdul,” they concluded.

     At 4 a.m., they called it quits.  Max and Steve went to bed.  Skip and Rocky went to the Melrose Diner in Phyllis’ car to celebrate and fortify having each other’s backs all through life’s adventures, miseries and now mysteries.  Sipping coffee, amazed at how many Philadelphians were already up and on-their-way somewhere, Rocky said, “Scotch ol’ pal, you’re going to be great tomorrow, or whenever you show up at the D.A.’s Office.  I’ve watched you all through your political career.  You’re a master negotiator.  Always keep people optimistic and smiling.  Keep the pole star in mind.  Have your list of non-negotiables, but don’t share it with them.  Give up on the street theatre if you have to – but make them think that’s the non-negotiable.”

     “Yeah well, thanks for that,” Skip said, giving Rocky a friendly pat on the shoulder, “but it’s the timing of all this that has me worried.  We have to get the details about the New Year’s Day plans from Ken and Gordy tomorrow, or we won’t have shit to bring to the prosecutor to negotiate with.  Let’s grab 40 winks before this all unfolds.”      “I don’t think I can fall asleep,” Rocky said.  “Still got a doobie left.  Like old frat house days, let’s make this an all-nighter – drive to the Shore, get high, and watch the sunrise.”

Chapter 49

Skip Forsakes Expert Legal Advice

     On Monday, December 19, we met with the lawyers Steve recommended – two different sets of lawyers.   We’d first stopped at the NYC headquarters of the ACLU about handling a class action law suit to stop police profiling for stop-and-frisks (arising out of our Oklahoma City bust) – saying we knew a friendly judge who would be happy to spill the beans. 

     In the afternoon all six of us (minus Huck) were back on the Jersey side of the Hudson River heading to the office of the Constitutional Rights Center.  Suddenly Sally pointed, “Hey, there’s the airport exit! – Really close by if this next meeting doesn’t make me feel safe, everything feel safe.”

     Leaving the Lincoln Tunnel, Rocky had made a joke about the heavy toll we paid to get into the City (the heavy burden we were carrying) but getting out was free: “Last chance everybody – our ‘Get out of jail free card.’ Keep heading straight back to Minnesota. Don’t give Steve the chance to bungle this – and we all end up locked up before nightfall.”

Steve used the lack of laughter to say, “Time to get serious,” and began briefing us on what to expect.  Occasionally twitching his mustache, he told us the lawyers we were off to see were very experienced with politics, terrorism, constitutional rights stuff.  They’d handled cases representing Tom Hayden in the Chicago 8 trial, Native Americans at Wounded Knee, the Weather Underground in the Brinks Armored Car Robbery.  More recently, they had been successful suing the U.S. government to stop unlawful surveillance and to check executive power in the “Global War on Terrorism.”

     “They’ve negotiated deals where – before you turn yourself in – the government agrees not to prosecute you, or agrees to get you a reduced sentence, so we should be okay.  I don’t think anybody, except maybe Skip, has done anything that could lead to charges at this point.”

     We had been careful to plan what we told the Rights Center lawyer to just put Skip in the middle of all this, and have the rest of us be like Patty and Sally who knew nothing until the ride up to the City.  

     With a final tug at his moustache, Steve finished: “One thing they’re going to tell us is that everything we tell them is confidential and will be held in strict confidence – except if we start blabbing about this to other people, or tell them we’re about to go out and commit some crime – then they have a duty to stop us.”

     “Well, is it a crime just to hold on to our information, keep what we know from the authorities?” Skip asked.

      “Good question for the lawyers – that’s a gray area,” Steve replied.

     Sitting in our second less-than-opulent conference room of the day, Skip, holding his St. Paul Saints baseball cap in his lap, did all the talking, keeping all names out of it, except his own.  Before he was too far into the story, one of the lawyers (there were two of them) said, “Hold on a minute.  There has to be an attorney – client relationship established in order to make what you tell us confidential, and if you say things in front of these others, you lose that right of confidentiality.”

     Sally, dressed for the first time in the one business suit she brought along (in case of flying we guessed) broke in: “We don’t know anything about this.  Maybe the rest of us should just leave you two alone with Skip.”

     “That’s probably a good idea,” the other lawyer said, “but Steve, you’re an attorney, right?  If you want to stay, and tell us you’re acting as Skip’s lawyer – that would be okay.”

     So we all left the room, except Skip and Steve, and couldn’t wait to learn what transpired after we left.  Meanwhile, Sally already knew the flight schedules out of Newark to MSP International.  

     An hour later, Skip and Steve emerged, and we gathered outside for a recounting.  Steve started: “Look you guys, it’s not good.  They advised Skip to immediately call the FBI, said they’d walk over with him right now to the FBI office at the Courthouse.  Skip will tell you his thoughts in a minute.  My advice is that the Land Yacht go back to Huck’s and his musician buddies, and just go on with being Rumpkins.  Forget all the murder mystery and terrorist stuff.  Forget you ever heard anything about any of it.  AND DON’T TALK ABOUT IT!”

     Skip said he was pondering his next move – that he appreciated all the advice – but was going back to Philadelphia with Steve on the next train.  “Phyllis is okay with having us back, but you guys should stay close by – Huck’s place is only an hour away straight up I-95.” 

     Rocky said, “I’ve been best buddies with Scotch [his nickname for Skip] since 1972.  I’m not abandoning him now.  I don’t know enough about it all yet.  I’ll make sure my buddy gets to the authorities if it becomes necessary.  I’m going back to Philly with Scotch and Steve.” 

     Our doctor, Max, said his ex-Lisa might be implicated indirectly through her brother Ken, and felt the best way to look out for her was by going back to Philly as well. 

     Skip, Steve, Rocky, and Max then headed back to Philadelphia on the Metro Liner.  Patty said, “Sally, your choice, ride with me up to Huck’s or drop you at the airport?”

     “My curiosity has got the best of me – this exceeds any past harnessing of my imagination.  I can’t leave now.”