{"id":2497,"date":"2023-11-22T01:09:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T01:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/?p=2497"},"modified":"2023-10-13T15:08:16","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T15:08:16","slug":"chap-51-finally-a-decision-on-what-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/?p=2497","title":{"rendered":"Chap. 51 – Finally, A Decision on What to Do"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chapter 51<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, a Decision on What To Do<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     That Monday night, after hearing the exciting news from Susie, the three of them \u2013 Skip, Max and Rocky went for a walk to the corner pub.  In San Francisco it\u2019s Dirty Nick\u2019s, this one in Philly, Dirty Frank\u2019s at the corner of 13th<\/sup> and Pine.  Just the kind of bar that Billy Joel would sing about \u2013 a dusty piano in the corner, lots of guys sharing their loneliness, but it\u2019s better than drinking alone.  On their walk back to Phyllis\u2019 from the pub, Max told Skip, \u201cYou know what we\u2019ve got to do, right?\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cBesides just waiting on developments?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cYes,\u201d Max said.  \u201cWe need to separate away the sex ring and the murder from the terrorism stuff \u2013 if we can bust up the sex ring, great – but you have<\/em> to go to the D.A. with the terrorism stuff, now<\/u><\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cAll right, I\u2019m with you on that,\u201d Skip said after a moment.  \u201cI\u2019ll tell Ken I\u2019m going in alone and I\u2019ll work the best deal I can for Gordy and maybe Jane.  I don\u2019t think the D.A. will be interested in charging Ken or any of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     As they walked up Phyllis\u2019 stoop, Rocky said, \u201cDon\u2019t go in alone.   Have Steve there with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Inside, Steve was all smiles, \u201cPhyllis is sound asleep, fell asleep purring like a kitten, and good news, my lawyer buddy in San Francisco called back, thinks he\u2019s found a San Francisco firm with lawyers in Vancouver.  Give me all the updates.\u201d  And that led to the four of them staying up all night, piecing together all possible scenarios and making plans.  Rocky said, \u201cGreat idea, Max, to make this into three puzzles with separate pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     First, they started planning their approach to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York \u2013 often thought of as the toughest prosecutor in the whole United States – as to the impending terrorist attack.  But they weren\u2019t too far down this list when Rocky said, \u201cWait one minute.  Demand number one has to be \u2018we get credit for busting this unholy trinity.\u2019  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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cOkay, \u2018just-for-fun-Rocky,\u2019 that goes to the top of the list,\u201d Skip said, trying to laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     But Steve disagreed.  \u201cNo, prosecution of anyone on the bus has to be first on the list.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cNo,\u201d Skip argued.  \u201cFirst on the list, right after how we do the press conference, will be no prosecution of Ken and Gordy.  I don\u2019t think the D.A. will have any interest in charging anyone on the bus \u2013 I\u2019ll do that as the last<\/em> condition.  As for me, I\u2019m going to bluff him into thinking I don\u2019t give a rip if he charges me; that way I can insist he doesn\u2019t get a single detail out of me until he meets our conditions.  You don\u2019t think he\u2019ll resort to torture to get me to talk, do you, Steve?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cOkay, you\u2019re the client \u2013 all I do is advise \u2013 you get to make the final decision,\u201d Steve responded, \u201cbut I\u2019m sorta representing everybody here, so promise me we don\u2019t leave the room until you get immunity for all of us on the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cWill do,\u201d Skip said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     They then moved on to puzzle number two.  \u201cIf, and it\u2019s a big if,\u201d Rocky started, \u201cif we get the evidence to prosecute the sex trafficking operation, or anybody\u2019s complicity, like that fucking sheriff \u2013 and it sure would be nice to nail Furbush \u2013 then we get the U.S. Attorney here in New York to talk to his counterpart in Montana and agree to certain things there<\/em> too, like investigating that corrupt sheriff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Max added, \u201cAnd no prosecution of anyone Joey finds \u2013 Jesus Christ<\/em>, now it\u2019s Susie, Eloise and the cowboys too \u2013 who agrees to provide evidence, or to testify against Furbush or whomever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cYeah,\u201d Rocky said, \u201cwe nail Rafferty\/Dougherty in puzzle number one.  We don\u2019t need to nail him with the sex trafficking, just the terrorism.  Furbush<\/em> is our target in puzzle number two.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cPuzzle number three:  Who knows if we\u2019ll ever know who murdered Abdul,\u201d they concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     At 4 a.m., they called it quits.  Max and Steve went to bed.  Skip and Rocky went to the Melrose Diner in Phyllis\u2019 car to celebrate and fortify having each other\u2019s backs all through life\u2019s adventures, miseries and now mysteries.  Sipping coffee, amazed at how many Philadelphians were already up and on-their-way somewhere, Rocky said, \u201cScotch ol\u2019 pal, you\u2019re going to be great tomorrow, or whenever you show up at the D.A.\u2019s Office.  I\u2019ve watched you all through your political career.  You\u2019re a master negotiator.  Always keep people optimistic and smiling.  Keep the pole star in mind.  Have your list of non-negotiables, but don\u2019t share it with them.  Give up on the street theatre if you have to \u2013 but make them think that\u2019s the non-negotiable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cYeah well, thanks for that,\u201d Skip said, giving Rocky a friendly pat on the shoulder, \u201cbut it\u2019s the timing of all this that has me worried.  We have to get the details about the New Year\u2019s Day plans from Ken and Gordy tomorrow, or we won\u2019t have shit to bring to the prosecutor to negotiate with.  Let\u2019s grab 40 winks before this all unfolds.\u201d      \u201cI don\u2019t think I can fall asleep,\u201d Rocky said.  \u201cStill got a doobie left.  Like old frat house days, let\u2019s make this an all-nighter \u2013 drive to the Shore, get high, and watch the sunrise.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 51 Finally, a Decision on What To Do      That Monday night, after hearing the exciting news from Susie, the three of them \u2013 Skip, Max and Rocky went for a walk to the corner pub.  In San Francisco … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2497"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2816,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497\/revisions\/2816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}