Name of the book: The Lawyer's Story (2005 novel)
          Author: Michael W. Bell
    Type of book: literary?

The Lawyer's Story

Chapter 1:  Decision Time

~The wash water was warm, which felt good on his hands but it was late and Daniel Theodore Unruh wanted to go home; well, to that place which now passed for his home. It had been a typical day: he had gotten up late, gone for a run, ate the lunch his "land lords" provided and then worked.

~He was a disgraced lawyer but he had been an accountant before that.  His afternoon was spent doing the books for a few friends who ran businesses.  They owed him and were now helping him.  It was "off the books" so it didn't pay well.  It was, however, an income that prick Bill Nichols (AKA "<i>the leech</i>") couldn't touch.

~He could do much better and he knew what he needed to do.  It just took the courage to swallow his pride and head to bar called "<b>Janus</b>".  It was located above the only legimate gay art gallery in Rockford, Illinois.  The second floor was a very discrete gay bar; in the "<i>back room</i>" was a separate place called "<b>Janus</b>": the place where lawyers, cops and the most powerful met.

~He dried his hands and thought about siting down for a snack of oatmeal and tea, his favourite late night meal.  This was a restraunt called "<b>Williams</b>" where the dishs for the "<i>special section</i>" were known to be "<i>done by hand</i>" and he had gotten a nice dinner at 5 pm and then his oatmeal (his favourate comfort meal) for doing dishs for about 20 dinners.  He could have continued on <i><b>status quo</b></i> but he'd heard of a major threat to his treasure, his Koogerands!

~This was unthinkable, so he called his friend Emma and asked her to accompany him to the "<b>Janus</b>".  He would drop by "<i>their place</i>" and pick her up.
<p>
Chapter 2: Into The Caldron
<p>
Superior Court, Rockford, Illinois 12 August 1977

@Please explain why you thought my client was "gay" and "coming onto you", Officer Filbert."

@As I've already explained, <i>Sir</i>, your client Jimmy Etro, was clearly coming on to me in the Grayhound Men's.  He made eye contact with me and then made certain styalized gestures, <i>Sir</i>.  That, <i>Sir</i> clearly meant that your precious client wanted sex with me, <i>Sir</i>. Do you understand what I'm saying, Unruh?

@Perhaps I should repeat back what you've told this court?  Officer Filbert, you say my client made eye contact with you as you were washihng your hands.  Perhaps he simply was walking over to wash his own hands and accidentally 'made eye contact' with you?

@Ojection!  Calls for spectulation", the DA snapped.

@"Overruled."

@"I suppose," Officer Filbert allowed.

@These gestures, could you repeat them for the court?

~Officer Filbert made several gestures.

@And the meaning of those gestures?"

@These are commonly known faggot gestures for them that want sex, 'DT'."  Officer Filbert had decided that excessive usage of <i>Sir</i> hadn't been acknowledged as the insult it was meant to be and so he got sneeringly familiar.  "DT" Unruh meerly smiled.

@Can you have anyone else confirm the validity of these gestures, Officer Filbert? Can anyone in this courtroom confirm these gestures, Officer Filbert?" Daniel Theodore Unruh made a big show of looking around the courtroom; no one took up his challenge.

@Perhaps you have found a unique set of gestures, Officer Filbert, one that no one else has calalogged? Perhaps you were, ah, hopeful?"

~The well known social gayfly and excessively powerful bitch, Mrs. Debra Marie Moody-LaMare, glared at Unruh.  The first case in her anti-gay campaign wasn't going as well as she'd liked.  Her target, Jimmy Etro owned a newspaper which was working hard against her anti-gay campaign. 

@Could you have mistaken innocent gestures for something you regard as sinister, Officer Filbert?"

@Hell, no!  If you think so, you've got the 'DTs', Dee Tee!"

@That's awfully close to 'Contempt of Court', you know," Unruh spoke in a mild tone of voice. "By the way, isn't a 'Filbert' a nut?"

@Objection", the DA roared.  The judge shook her head and DT replied: "Question withdrawn."

^The jury was out less than an hour before returning and announcing "Not Guilty, Your Honour".

^After the court was ajourned and Mrs. Mrs. Moody-LaMare had glared at Daniel Theodore Unruh one last time, summoned Officer Filbert to her like a woman calling a badly behavied dog and stomped out.  The DA, Andrea Luciano drifted over to DT.

@He was guilty, wasn't he?"

@On the record, no. Off the record, probably.  I've advised him to stay out of trouble.  Why did you prosecute for something this trivial, Andrea?"

@The Mayor is up for reelection and needs that bitch's good will.  You might consider just how much trouble she can give you, DT and you just might consider doing business out of town for a while.  Moody-LaMare has a lot of friends but she is a gadfly and there are rumours about something in her past.  She is making folks nervous on the city counsil and we're hoping she can be deflected away from her anti-gay campaign."

@I've heard talk about that, Andrea. All people will tell me is '<i>the irony of her campaign</i>'!  Would you happen to know what that means?"

@If I did, I'd tell you, DT.  Take my advise and lay low.  Very low."

^The DA left the courtroom and walked over to Officer Filbert and Her Magesty, Mrs. Debra Marie Moody-LaMare.

@Now, William, what went wrong?  I thought we had you better prepared than that?"

^The DA hid her smirk to keep either the cop or the gadfly from the suspection that the DA had very subtly sabatoged the case.


^DT decided to celebrate by doing some books.  He went over to his favourite restraunt, "Williams", let himself in the back and told the manager he was there to do the books.  The manager, Jack Schlegel, was always happy to see DT and happily brought everything needed to do the accounts.  Fifteen minutes later, DT was deeply involved in his favourite tasks.  A hour or do later, he left for his office.  There, he finished the paperwork needed to get payment for his defense of Jimmy Etro. 

^It had been a good week and he called his wife to invite her out to dinner that evening.  She agreed and even a nasty note from "the bitch" (as Mrs. Debra Marie Moody-LaMare was becoming known to many) didn't spoil his mood.

^He picked up his wife from their very nice house and they went to "Michael's" for drinks.  Then, they went to "Williams" for dinner.  They started with oysters (always a good sign DT's wife thought), then a nice salad and several little Filae Magnon, double baked potatoes, aspargius and a nice white wine.

^During the meal, DT told his wife about the case.  He explained how the police (save for that one idiot, Nichols) and the DA office had not wanted to try the case.  It had simply cost too much in money, in bad publicity, in "outing" Nichols as a reasonably dangerous person for testifying in a case with such flimsy "evidence" and in taking time and money away from more serious cases. 

^DT was offended.

^Several hours later, they were back home and kisses on the couch lead to some disrobbing and DT started towards the bedroom.  His wife paused.

@Why don't we use the gazibo?"

@SWhat if the neighbor sees us?"

@It's a darkish night and who cares?"

^They went to the gazibo in their back yard.  The back yard was perhaps 50 feet wide and almost 150 deep. A flagstone walk ran down the center from the house to the large gate in the back of the yard. Just to the right of the gate was a "gardener's hut". About half way there was the gazibo.

^As they walked to the gazibo, they distracted themselves with plans for where they would put trees. DT thought three tress would be nice, his wife thought at least five.

^She had taken her bra off and was walking with her arms in the air.  She was a "breast erotic" and truly enjoyed having her breasts "felt up" and Daniel Theodore Unruh was "just the lad to do this".  In the gazabo, they undressed each other not caring that the neighbor could see them.  It was a darkish night until the moon peeked out from behind a cloud and the neighbor with her large binoculars peeked at them.  She liked being on top and the neighbor "tutted-tutted" their behaviour.  Her husband, with his own binoculars also "tut-tuted" and they talked about calling the cops. They didn't. 

^It was the best sex DT and wife had had for some time.  Their inspired neighbors then started kissing and had the best sex of the past decade, out in the open, where their neighbors could see them on their porch...


^The next morning, DT seriously considered taking the day off but went in to the office anyway.  He would later regret this. About 9:54 am, two cops walked in and shut the door behind them.  

The lead cop, Jack Bauer, spoke: "DT, we need your legal advise."

@Why don't you talk with the Union or the DA staff?"

@The second cop replied: "It's rather complicated and we don't know if we should go to either.  Perhaps it would be best if we simply introduce you to the source of our problems?"

^Unruh knew he should say "no" but he was feeling cocky and agreed to go with them.  He told his secretary these two officers wanted to talk with him and that he was off billing time.  She nodded, both unimpressed and unconcerned.  DT Unruh had gotten a lot of good publicity for their firm and had a lot of "personal time off" stored up.

^They drove to a pleasant bungalo just outside Rockford in the unincorporated town called Love's Park.  They went to the door, knocked and were admitted by a very nervous man.  There were three men in the room. After they entered, introductions were mad.

@Gentlemen, this is one of the finest defense lawyers in northern Illionios, Daniel Theodore Unruh.  He is the star in the most important law firm in town that you've never heard of!" 

^The thress men didn't look conforted in any way.

@DT, these three gentlemen are retired teachers.  They were at the old high school from when it was opened in 1947 till when it closed at the end of May. May I introduce Harold Pounds, a retired English and writing teacher." The tall slender man jerked out a nod. 

@This is Donald Winter, a retired general science teacher." The short and pudgy teacher simply bobbed his head several times and then seemed to have trouble stopping the bobbing.

@Finally, this is Geroge Carr. he also is a retired teacher.  He taught art, especially photography and has small photo publishing house. the "5 0 4 House".  You may have heard of them?"

@Yes, I have!  They published our annual report last year in coffee table form.  It was quite nice, well over well and really impressed some of our foreign clients."  DT wasn't about to reveal these customers had been from OPEC.  He didn't realize the three teachers and the two cops wouldn't have given a shit. It was irrevelant.

^DT was seated in a nice easy chair in front of a coffee table.  There was a closed coffee table book on the table with the title "FLOWERS! A thirty history (1947- 1977).  He suddenly had an uneasy feeling and that was magnified when one of the cops helped him put on linen evidence gloves.  DT felt the urge to leave but was stayed when one of the teachers (the art teacher) said:

@These officers tell us you are our only hope of staying out of legal trouble."

^DT sighed and opened the book.  The first page was a very nice shot of the High School.  The second page was the first of a series of posed school pictures of each class.  Rather, it was the girls in each class and this had alarm bells ringing in the back of DT's mind. Then on page 31 was a rather nice photo of a girl, a "Senior Class Girl" taken in 1948.  The only thing unusual about the photo was she was nude...

^DT looked up in surprise. "Am I really seeing a nude photo?"

@Yes, you are," said Police Sergeant Bauer, "keep reading."

^There were a lot of photos of high school girls with dates ranging from 1947 to 1977.  After a while, DT noticed when the girls had clothing on and had gotten used to seeing them without clothing.  Then, he came to a section labeled "Girls Shall Be Girls" and feeling glad fror the gloves, proceded.

^The pictures continued to be of girls but these were girls engaged in various sexual activities, mainly with other girls but occasionally football players.  There were several photoes of what could only be felatio but the camera angle was bad.  DT was shocked but worst, he realized he was becoming aroused.  One of the girls, a high school senior who was very much the lead in "entertaining" three other girls, looked familiar to him.  The name Debbie Moody caused him to do a violent double take.  He looked at a face shot of the "lead entertainer" and said: "Is this Debra Marie Moody-LaMare?  Is this the bitch who runs the 'anti-faggot movement' in Northern Illinois?  Is this the Moral Crusader who is trying to crack down on every 'sin' that bothers her?"

@Yes, it is," replied the junior cop, Officer Zahn.

@You've got to be kidding!  They were doing things I didn't even see when I was in the Fleet in Singapore! (DT had been a Navy Supply officer for four years since his bachelor's degree was in Accounting.)  "No, of course you're not joking.  There would be no way for you to fade these photos. Beautiful work, by the way.  How the hell did you get all these photos?"

@Look at page 203."

^DT obeyed and saw a smiling Emma Marie Johnson.  She was on her back and there was a head at her crotch."

@Emma?"

@That was a lucky shot, Emma came back to the school and her boy friend made love to her in the girl's locker room.  We were both 18 years old at the time."  The Senior Cop spoke in a dry voice and it took DT a moment to realize that the very proper Jack Bauer had made love to the very improper Emma Marie Johnson in the girl's dressing room and that the photos <b>must</b> have been taken in the girl's dressing room.  Maybe Emma wasn't purely a Lesbian as he thought...

^He felt like running but that was against the lawyer's code...

@Ok, folks, so tell me how you were taking pictures of nude girls in the girl's high school dressing room.  By this time, Daniel Theodore Unruh was the very anthesis of aroused and was beginning to feel afraid.  He was also beginning to suspect why he had been called in by two police officers...

@We should tell you how this came about...
<p>
Chapter 3: Intelligence Collecting...
<p>
^George Carr, the retired Art Teacher, began to speak:

@The three of us got our teacher's degrees in 1942.  It was an abbreviated three year program in the hopes that we'd be ready for war.  Harold and Donald flewrecon flights and dropped agents in Occupied Europe.  I was an Intelligence Analyst, a photo-analyst but they taught me how to fly so that I could take a P-51 photo plane on missions over selected targets.  I was shot down once and was lucky that Harold and Don were nearby; I parachuted out after a Nazi fighter shot up my 51.  They had the balls to land, taxi up to me and their radioman dragged me onto their C3.  We got very lucky and we made it back to England.  The brass damn near had them court marshalled for being reckless but Chirchill personally intervened and they got Distinguished Flying Crosses instead.  Sometime the brass seemed to have forgotten who the enemy was."

^DT had to smile.  He had been the Supply Officer had a small base in 'Nam in 1963 and remembered senior officers who had carped endlessly about the supplies and consumables the Marines and Navy had gone through.  It was enough to make one think these senior officers had slept through War 2 and Korea.

The former Art Teacher continued: "After the war, we joined a reserve unit.  Since we had done recon filming, we were ordered to 'stay in practice'.  We were given orders to find places to take covert photos, develop said photos and perserve this 'data'.  We were given still  cameras and a very nice movie camera.  We were also issued low light film; well, low light film for 1946!  We took pictures of anything we could think of. During this time, we were recertified as teachers and were allowed to hang out (in the modern vinacular) at the new high school when it was being built. We took advantage of this."

^He paused and Don Winter, the retired Science Teacher, continued.

@We decided the most covert filming we could do would be of the girl's dressing room.  You have to remember we were still young men, unmarried young men and we didn't think too hard on the morality of what we were about to do.  After the war, our sense of morality was still a bit skuewed.  By the time we'd began to realize the scope of what we had done, it was decades too late.  Anyway, the floor plan was rather strange.  Several class rooms including my science room and the girl's dressing room were on the opposite side of the school motorpool.  One day, I saw the framing had been completed.  I could tell where the dressing room would be and where my science lab would be.  I told a construction worker that a change of plan meant he had to put the wall of the science lab three feet from right of where the plans showed. I said it 'was a safety measure for the science lab'.  He and his crew moved the wall my three feet and they put the wall in.  They didn't care, they figured school officials were simply playing with the plans.  When another crew went to put in the dressing room wall, I told them to 'please follow the floor plan. That wall over there is a design change for safety.'  They did the work without comment."

@We decided the most covert filming we could do would be of the girl's dressing room.  You have to remember we were still young men, unmarried young men and we didn't think too hard on the morality of what we were about to do.  After the war, our sense of morality was still a bit skuewed.  By the time we'd began to realize the scope of what we had done, it was decades too late.  Anyway, the floor plan was rather strange.  Several class rooms including my science room and the girl's dressing room butted up against the school motorpool.  One day, I saw the framing had been completed.  I could tell where the dressing room would be and where my science lab would be.  I told a construction worker that a change of plan meant he had to put the wall of the science lab three feet to thye right of where the plans showed. I said it 'was a safety measure for the science lab'.  He and his crew moved the wall my three feet and they put the wall in.  They didn't care, they figured school officials were simply playing with the plans.  When another crew went to put in the dressing room wall, I told them to 'please follow the floor plan. That wall over there is a design change for safety.' They put the wall to the dressing room where it was supposed to go. They did the work without comment."



^DT butted in with: "Why two walls?"

@Because the floor plans called for double walls between the classrooms. We were never told why.  There was a void between the inside wall of the dressing room and the classroom that should have butted up against it.  We were given a void (empty space) there without having to ask for it;  we were never told why it was put in. We had a little hallway between the science room and the dressing room that lead to the unused space behind the dressing room and neither of these  showed up on the school floor plans.  Then, after they put in the sheetrock, we had one of the reservist move a janitor's locker to the wall outside our 'L' shaped hallway.  He cut a door behind the back wall of the locker and arranged the locker so that it could be pulled away from the wall yet could be locked in place.  He did a really nice job of hiding the latches.  So, we had a secret entrance into our secret hallway."

@As expected, a large mirror was installed.  Before this happened, we spent a couple of weekends working out the best look angles that we'd have from behind the mirror.  It was precision work that riveled what we did for Uncle Sugar; very professional and we're still proud of it! But we were patient."  

@When the administration was convinced that everything was fine, they stopped visiting the dressing room alone and we removed some of the mirror backing.  Oh, the mirror still worked quite well; we went into the dressing room and inspected the mirror from that perspective.  Then, we began filming.  The dressing room was only used in the afternoons so we arranged the camera to film then. On our reserve weekends, we developed the film and made positives.  Our reserve Commander thought we were developing images of parades and reviews and civic events and the like.  Actually", Don Winter continued, "they were happy we were 'hiding' in our dark room because that made three less people he had to find work for.  He was happy; we were happy."

@So when did it go to crap?" DT had an idea but wanted clarification.

@Someone pried the locker away from the wall, walked inside and found the camera.  The simple shit saw these two officers outside and showed them the camera."

Sergeant Bauer continued the narration: 

@A camera in such a place was a very sensitive discovery.  We swore that janitor, Robert Riedel to secrecity and took prints off the camera.  We then ran the prints and found the names of two of these gentlemen.  We staked out the room, having figured when they were likely to come in on weekends and watched two of them - Mr. Winter and Mr. Carr - walk to the door, look around like they were trying to be causal, pull their locker from the wall, enter and close the door. We followed them a couple of minutes later."

@Officer Zahn and I walked into this little corridore. Both walls were verticle framing boards with plywood behind them.  There wsas a open space to the left and these two were working over the camera, dismounting it. They were very startled when I spoke.  Anyway, I asked 'howq long have you been making movies here?' Mr. Carr replied 'A while'.  I said 'we need to find out what you've been doing; we're not arresting you at this time.  It might not be necessary."

@Carr then spoke: "I suggested we leave and discuss this matter at my home.  When I told these officers the names of some of the people in our pictures, Sergeant Bauer suggested we talk to you."

^DT thoguth for a moment. "Now, I can't tell you what to do since that would make me an accessory. However, I can suggest hypothetical situations.  It would be best if you were to remove the camera and any other possible evidence.  You talked about removing the paint from the back of the mirror.  Did you have replacement silver paint in cases you decided to end this filming years ago?  If so, I suggest you paint the back of the mirror very soon so that the paint will be dry when the destruction crews take the mirror down.  How much film do you have?"

@Roughly one reel of film for 40 weeks of the year for 29 and a half years. These are two foot diamter reels. That would be (Mr. Winter, the science teacher paused to calculate the answer) 1,180 reels.  This is quite a library and we've been storing them in my basement. My wife has a patheological fear of going into the basement so she hasn't been  down  thnere for a very long time. I've been taking any storatge items there and bringing them back up.  I don't knmow what I'll do when I can't use stairs and I'm just glad we didn't hnve kids."

@Well, you need to move those reels to some place safe.  How did you come up with the stills?"

The art teacher replied: "We made them from the movie frames and have thousands of pictures.  It will be hard to part with them but I suppose the loayers might find some bullshit reason to confinscate them."

^The cops and lawyer simply laughed heartily!

@Gentlemen," DT finally was able to say, "these photos could get you jailed for years and cost your pensions.  Also, if the families of those girls and the girls -ah- women were to learn of them, you could be sued for everything you have. i don't see how these officers or I can save you.  You, ah we, will have to get help from the Local God."

^The police officers simply nodded in agreement.

@Local God?"

@It's the little secret of Rockford. The police and lawyers are supposed to police crime in Rockford, the prosecutors to win convicitions of the guilty and defense lawyers to protect the innocent. Well, protect the 'not guilty'. Sometimes it even works out that way. There are some situations where 'Law and Order' means achieving or maintaining 'order' at the expense of 'law'.  The 'Local God', as some call him, adjudicates the balance between two two.  I think this is an 'order' situation rather than a 'law' situation and we should visit him tonight." After he finished talking and seeing no one objecting, DT went to a phone and made a quiet phone call. 

@He said to move the camera to a safe place and he would have someone bribe the janitor.  He will see the janitor is kept happy for decades to come or lat least until the statute of limitations is up.  Howefver, I don't believe there is a statue of limitations for your allegded crimes."

DT left and the other five men left in either the police car or their cars.  After DT went home, he told his wife, Jean Patrica (also known as "Pattie"), that he'd had a strrange afternoon and they and his wife had been invited to Mass at the local Catolic Church. DT and Pattie were both Lutheran and thought that visiting the Catholic Church would be interesting.

^After Mass, DT introduced his wife to a local character named E. Pennyworth Fabrizius. Fabrizius or "Mark" as he preferred to be called, nodded corgually to DT and making a sweeping bow to "Jean Partica", kissed her hand.  SHe was taken byu surprise and didn't mind when "Mark" told her that he needed to speak with "your Daniel". 

^DT joined "Mark", who was with another man. They weren't introduced but "Mark" said:

@My friend wishes to help settle this matter.  Please write him a check for $1,000; we'll discuss this later."

^DT pulled out his check book

@What do you want on this?"

@"Write it to Mr. Robert Ridell and put down 'landscaping'. Mr. Ridell, don't I see you wife and youngest daughter over there? I'd hate to delay your Sunday esepciall since I understand you're coming to the buffet I'm putting on?"

^Ridell simply nodded and left after carefully pocketing the check.  He had recognized the "device" behind the mirror as a high end movie camera and realized who must have put it there: the Chicago Mob's affiliate in Rockford. 

DT's wife walked over.

@DT? Did you give that man a check?"

@Yes, dear, I did.  It was for landscaping. I was thinking of adding trees."

@That's very nice, dear.  Are you hungry?"

^"Mark" laughted, stepped between DT and his wife, put an arm around each and lead them off to the pavillion tent where they were given glasses of Dom Perion and sat at a table where they dipped fresh shrawberries in warm dark choclate and drank another couple of glasses of Dom. Then, when Pattie left "to powder his nose", "Mark" sat next to DT.

@Don't worry about the check, Danny, you'll be soundly reinbursed, very well reinbursed.  I've made contact with certain folks who collect photography of a certain nature.  All the coffeebooks, still and movies will be safely disposed of.  I'll admit I've kept one the 'archive copies' those three idiots made but then I have very safe storage."

^DT nodded for he'd heard that "Mark" owned a private bank vault; "Mark" had bought a failed bank and it was safe for he also was said to be storing highly classified government files.  If the vault was safe from inspection due these files (some of which came from a foreign source) then it would be safe for high school girl porn.  Of course, "Mark" was protected by these foreign connections but DT wouldn't learn of this for some months...

^Pattie returned, they went through the buffet line and had a very pleasant afternoon.  That evening was spent quietly at home and they both felt very happy.  Unfortuantely, the snake had already entered the garden.

Pattie couldn't resist asking: "Why did you give that man a check? 

@For trees in the back yard. I'm thinking of putting them by the walk on the side opposite to the gazabo."

^She believed him then.

^Over the next few days, DT had the feelikng he was being followed.  On three days, he saw the same car pull onto his street after he left for work.  The same car was there when he went for lunch and when he went home.

^Finally, he pulled over to the curb and when the mystery car pulled over behind him, DT quickly left his car and went to see who was driving.  The car pulled away from the curb and DT was not very surprised to see the driver was "his old friend" Officer Filbert.

^Over the next week, DT noticed his wife was acting strangly and would turn away from him and (based on looking at a mirror) tried to hide an angry expression.

@What's the matter, dear?"

@Nothing! Nothing at all!"

^DT was fairly stilled at reading people and wondered why his wife was lying.

@Please tell me what's bothering you."

@Nothing!" She sighed. "I've heard stories about you.  I've heard that you bribed some people in a case."

@What are you talking about?"

@You got a homosexual man off by bribing a jury."

@Bullshit! Why would I do that?"

@You hate to lose cases."

@I'm a lawyer!  I lose cases, sure, but I've got the lowest lose rate in town.  I won that case because I raised Reasonable Doubt in the jury.  If I'd been the prosecutor, I would have properly prepared the witnesses and I would have plugged the holes in the Prosecution case."

@Why did you take the case?"

@Everyone one needs a good defense in court.  Besides, the case was a waste of time.  Who cares if my clinet may have tried to pick up Filbert.  There were fifteen other cases, including two rapes and eight muggings the DA should have tried instead.  Did you know that three cars have been high jacked this month alone?  The thief simply walked up to his victim, opened the door, dragged the car owner out and drove off.  The thief can be out of town before the victim can call the police.  It would be very easy for the thief to leave the main roads and park in a parking garage or a secluded spot."

@How do you know this?"

@Some of the police at the courthouse like to give seminars on crime.  It's almost like they're rehearsing a few private crimes as they want to see if they could get away with them."

@Cops would never do that!"

^DT knew that some cops would but he also knew better than to tell his wife this.  She still had faith in the system and DT had been told he was nearly as suspecious of other people as cops were.

^Maybe that was why a number of cops liked him...

^The next month was fairly quiet and DT was able to forget his wife's anger.  Then, he heard his wife had contacted a divorse lawyer to "explore her options".  When he asked his wife if all was going well, 

@She said nothing was wrong. Why was he asking?"

@Well," he replied, "I've spent a lot of time at work and in doing my after work unwinding with accounting. Maybe I should bring this work home with me?"

^Then, for several weeks, he spent a couple of hours a night doing accounting work at the kitchen table. She grew very tired of hearing him talk of ledgers, accounts, double billing and asking her to check his work. She got good at tracing money through various accoutns and finally asked him to do his hobby elsewhere. 

About three weeks after "Dom Perion Day" (as they called the brunch at the Rockford Catheridal), DT was called at work and asked to visit a local businessman.  He knew this was a cover for Pennyworth Fabrizius hisself.

@Well," he cheerfully said to his scretary, "I'm off to see a possible new client!"

#DT was the top "rain maker" in his firm and had saved $300,000 before he married and the together with his wife, had jacked his investiments to #400,000,  DT and Peggie could have retired and lived off the interest.  He could have told his wife that he'd loved puttering in the garden for years. It was only her fear of dirt in the house that had lead to his curtailing <i>that</i> hobby upon marriage five years before...

^The trip down State Street was quite pleasant; DT loved to drive his customized Mercades Benz 350 SL sports car with the rag top down.  He passed his "old friend" Officer Filbert and waved at him.  It it looked like he was flipping Filbert off, that had to be an optical illusion.

^Near the edge of town was a Maytag Dealer.  DT parked out front and entered, walking past rows of washing machines, driers and other appliances.  There were no customers that mornintg and that was probably why he had been summonded there.

^He entered the back room, going past the drinking fountain on his right and the doors labeled "Men" and "Ladies" on his right.  The back room office was a clasic: while it had a door to close, the wall facing from the office across the backroom was made of glass.  It had no privacy. Inside were the three school teacher, the two cops who'd come to DT and A. Pennyworth Fabrizius his self.

^There were rosewood boxes stacked five high on the table and a small padded bag on top of each. There were five such stacks.

@Since we're all here, I can explain," "Mark" said. "I'm going to swear each of you to secrecy before I tell you what I've got for you.  You do realize the pictures and movies I obtained from you three (he looked at the three teachers) could get you three in jail for a very long time should anyone learn of them.  I can probably protect the two police offices but they would be fired and I rather suspect our lawyer here (he smilled at Daniel Theodore Unruh) would be de-barred and might even lose his CPA License.  All of this would be most unfortunate.  Speaking of unfortunate, I would be exposed and it would take my patrons a great deal of effort to protect me.  They would be very unhappy with all of you. So, is there any doubt about the need to remain quiet?"

@I didn't think so... Well, each of you may take possession of a stack. Please go to your stack on take the bag off the top. You may open the bag.

^DT was the first to realize what was in the sack.

@These can't be Kugerans! This is a small fortune?

^He and one of the teacher spilled the six coins out from the bag onto his hand.

@Small fortune is ralative", "Mark" said dryly. "Most would think getting six coins worth 900, no 900 US Dollars and ten US cents would be a small fortune, I told you gentlemen that I'd sold well your films. Kugerans come in rolls of 20 each. There are six rolls of 20 Kugeranms in two of those boxes and seven rolls in three.  The net worth is a dime under 100,000 US dollars. Now, I decided to disperse an even 100,000 US Dollars to each of you but the lowest market price I could get was US$150.15 for each coin. Now, I can give you each a dime to top it off but I'm out of dimes.  I could give each of you this 1944 silver dollar instead of a dime."

^Harold Pounds, the English teacher, spoke for the group. 

#We will be honored to accept a silver dollars, sir."

^That got smiles as everyone knew that cheap TV were going to two such silver dollars at Radio Shack.

@The real problem will be in figuring where you will stash your new money.  You could sell it but such sales are monitored and the Feds might wonder where you were getting Kurgerans.  You could go to Canada and carry the coins through customs without difficulty, I imagine.  The problem would be in returning to this country with large amounts of money.  I suggest you wait till the price of gold goes up and then make quiet arrangements to sell.  The best choice would be to wait till you have to retire and simply began selling.  You could tell the IRS that you had saved the coins over the years. Also, I can arraange sales...

^Mark's" audience looked at each other.

^Perhaps I should hold onto these boxes until you wish to collect them.  Would you like to store them in my safe?"

@I have a safe place," DT said.  "Pride goeth before a fall!"

^The others agreed to leave their new found wealth in "Mark's" vault and it was perfectly safe there for the rest of their lives and their heirs enjoyed the protection of that vault.  DT had been gripped with the rational fear that a master criminal's vault could be raided by the Feds.  He would lose this fear when he finally learned of what was really stored in the vault.

^DT asked to picke up the coins later that week...

^When he picked up the coins, he carried them to the shed at the back of his property.  Inside there was a clutter of stuff he used when mowing the yard.  Under several boxes was an old locker that he put all five boxes of coins in.  The boxes were well padded and covered with burlap bags.  He thought it would be safe.

^DT thought about his locker at work. He had something of value in that but simply didn't trust his bosses.  While he thoguth they would never break into his locker, he couldn't take the risk. He then thought of the safe deposit box he and his wife had; that was a very bad choice. He was planning on hiding his coins solely to keep them from his wife and putting them in the joint box would contradict this.  He thought of the two safe deposit boxes he had gotten without telling his wife.  Somehow, a little voice in the back of his head was telling him "No!"  

^On a trip over to Galena, he stopped by the bank and got himself a safe deposit box.  Two days later, his secretary handed him an envelope and said "this is from a bank in Galena". "Really", DT replied and waited until his secretary had left before opening the letter. It was, of course, acknowledgement of his rental.  That meant he couldn't trust this safety box.  The ironey was that his bosses could not know of this box since his bosses didn't know to ask.

^There was one spot where he could safely bury the boxes.  He would have to bury the boxes in his back yard. 

^He got a very glowing review at work.  He was their top rain maker and his ability to get new cases was legendary and his willingness to farm out work to others arosed awe and resentment; both emotions were there even when the lawyers he benefited grew rich.  He had a knack for seeing the heart of cases and that lead to high success rates for both criminal and civil cases.  He could see what his opponents wold due and could counter.

^He had become quite vain.  To quote what LCDR Deanna Troy of Star Fleet said of Romulans: "his [their] self convience went beyond arrogance".  In fact, his arrogance had grown so large that it had morphed into a form of genuine humility.  That was his most freightening aspect.

^One day in early July 1977, DT's wife went out of town to see her parents.  By wonderfujl co-inciden ce, the nosy neighbors had left town to take their McGreiger 25 sailboat from Chicago to Bay City Michigan; then they were planning on taking their boat overland to the Ohio River and were going to motor down it and then back north on the Mississippi.  After that, their kids would meet them in  Galina and go down the Mississippi to New Orleans.

^The neighbor was rich and planned on shipping the McGreigor back to Rockford via train.  It sounded like a nice trip and DT envied them.

^From his home office, DT took one of his prized treasures: the entrenching tool he had been issued when he was a Navy Officer.  Normally, Supply Corp officers (even Ensigns) were not issued shovels.  This was a different matter.  Ensign Daniel Theodore Unruh, USNR, had been assigned temporary duty to a Construction Battelleon.  It was early 1964 and the sailors were ordered to "dig it".  Being an officer, DT was not expected to help.  He asked for a shover and dug with enthusiasm.  The Sailors were amused by an officer doing work theri Senior Chiefs would not do.

^Ensign Unruh got his ass royally chewed out (in front of the troops) for digging but insisted on digging aftger the senior officers had left.  When asked, DT simply said "it was the right thing to do". 

^The VC made a probe of the CB base late one night and DT was one of the riflemen defending their outpost.  He knew he'd killed several enemy soldiers and was still bothered enough that he'd gotten professional therapy.  Unfortunately, it was something that he couldn't bring himself to talk about...

^In 1977, althogh DT didn't know it, one of these sailors had retired from the Navy, joined the Chicago Police and had risen to Sergeant.

^Electronics Technician First Class Jack Bauer, Navy Retired, remembered Daniel Theodore Unruh even if DT didn't remember him.  Bauer was not one to reneg on his debts...

^The shovel was a simple tool whose blade collasped onto the handle.  DT took it down with reverence and carefully didn't touch the long dried blood stain. (DT didn't realize that it had been preserved under a thin layer of transparent lacquer.  He got a ruler, a piece of graph paper and a tarp.  Then, he went in his back yard with a cold beer. 

^He sat under his gazabo and casually looked around. For an untrained person, he had good Tradecraft.  He was carefully looking around to see if anyone might be looking.  He finished the beer a nd went to his storage shed to retrieve the five boxes.  He had wrapped them in plastic bags.                                                                                  ^He took one box from the shed and put it one the side walk.  Then, he spread the tarp out and carefully cut a two foot by two foot divit.  This went on the tarp and hne excavitated dirt out to a depth of two feet. Then, he put the box into the hole and carefujlly packed dikrt around it.  He put the divit over the dirt and ruffled the grass to try hiding the outline.

^He carried the tarp to his garden and spread the dirt out.

^The next two "plantings" went well and he carefully put his tools in the shed before walking back to the house to take a pee.  To his shock, he heard the sound of a car motor in the direction of his snoopy neighbor's house.

^He sighed and went back to the shed where he put the remainingn two boxes deep into the locker he'd taken them from.  Then, he brushed the dirt off his pants, washed off his shovel and returned the shovel to his shed.  The doorbell rang and he opened the door.  It was his nosy neighbor's daughter and her husband.  They were staying at her parent's house until it was time to pick up the boat.  They brought gifts - a nice white wine, Black Sea cavier and crackers - and DT invited them to his gazabo.  There, they had quite a nice little party.

^DT could be very friendly when he wanted to and he genuinely liked this young couple.

^DT never got the chance to bury the otgher two boxes.

======================================================

Chapter 3: His Decline...

went to disco

gave money to Emma Maria for her to buy her way out of a lease and to buy kitchen stuff

emma looks for her contacts

two days later, DT is hired to represent Emma


wife asks him if he's "seeing someone else"...

boss reminds him that it's against company policy to have sex with a client...

^It was a Thursday night and DT had enjoyed his dinner with hisw wife.  But, it was getting late.

@Dear, I promised some friends that I'd do their books tonight.  You don't mind if I'm gone for a couple of hours?"

@Why do you have to do it tonight?"

@It's about the only time I have for this. Besides, why don't we go out of town this weekend?  We could go on a Lake Michigan dinner cruise.  One of them starts with a Friday night dinner, a cruise north along the Michigan side on Saturday and a nice dinner on the boat Saturday with a return on Sunday. 

^She smilled and agreed. He got on the phone and made the arrangements.  It would be a very good time.

^DT left shortly after 6 pm and arrived at his destination: a diso off State Street, the "Happy Hippo".  DT nodded to the bouncer, who let him in.  DT was a lot older than many of the guests and he was stared at.  He was almost at the "EMPLOYEE ONLY" door when a slightly tipsey and quite obnoxious brat, who couldn't have been of legal age, accousted him.

@What you doing here, MAN?"

@I work here."

@Doing whaaaat, MAN?"

@I'm the accountant."

@Yeah? Welllll, you're too OLD to be here, MAN. What don't you LEAVE?"

@I'm doing that." DT paused. "Since my presence bothers you so much, just tell the bar tender to give you doubles for only 50 percent more than a single. OK? Can you remember that?"

@Yeah, MAN! I ain't stoopid!  I can tell him double for 50 per center more than a SINGLE!"

@Tell him the accountant sent you. OK?"

@Yean, man. Oh, thanks..."

^The boy moved off in a movement that was a combination of strutt and lurch.  Several minutes later, the senior bar tender causally wandered up to DT.

@What are you telling people?  What is this about cheap doubles?"

@Give the onles who ask a couples of doubles, then a couple of singles and dry drinks but charge them the 50 percent plus.  If the boys and girls you're drying out seem to be too sober, give them a little booze.  Think of the profit you can be making."

^The bar tender laughed thinking the lawyer was trying to teach an old dog to clean out litter boxes...

^DT went to the back room of the Disco, where the books were set waiting for him.  He read through the ledgers, posted entries to the vairous books and thoght it a very good evening.  Then, he had a bowl of cold oat meal the cook had made that morning, washed it down with a real gin and tonic (the bar tender would never cheat him) and he drove home.

^It had been a good evening.

^There was only one thing twitchey about it.  As he was leaving, his old friend Emma walked up to him.

@Dannie, how long have we known each other?"

@Five years or so. Why?"

@Have I ever asked you for anything?"

@Well, no."

@Good.  I need to borrow a thousand dollars from you.  I'll pay it back."

@What's the problem, Emma?  I figure you're good for that?"

@When I visit my Mother, she has a bad habbit of looking through my check book.  My sister needs almost a thousand to leave her boy friend and move from Huston to a small town ikn New Mexico.  If Mom finds out that I'm still supporting my 'no good little sister', she'll give me a lot of grief!"

@Sure, let me write it."  DT then wrote a check out to Emma.  He did it on his personal checking account, forgetting this was a joing account.  He would later wish he'd had a private checking account...

^Both of them left together; she hadn't said how she planned on reimbursing him without it appearing in her checkbook but DT knew Emma did work "off the books" at a local homeless shelter.  It was a nice and unofficially taxfree income for her.

^They walked through the parking lot and into a grassy area.  There, Emma sneezed voilently several times.  Her glasses fell off and she dropped to her kneww to look for them.

^So this was a rather innocent explanation of why Emma was on her knees in front of DT when she found her glasses. As she put them on, she glanced at DT's groin and saw something that disturbed her.

@DT, did you ever have that hernia fixed?"

@No, it hasn't been bothering me much."

@Well, you've got a bulge where you shouldn't have one.  I want to check this out."

^She stood, took DT by the hand and lead him to the seculsion of bus stop.

@We can take care of our business here, dear."

^There, in relative privacy, Emma the surgical nurse dropped DT's drawers, gave him a hernia test and declared "you have got to have that hernia fixed".

@Ok, ok, I will."

@You'll be the surgeon's office at 10 am tomorrow. Don't make me have to hunt for you!"

@Aren't I supposed to see my family doctor first?"

@You'll see her at 9:45 am.  I'll arrange it."

^Then then wandered off and DT drove Emma to her current home: the Salvation Army shelter.  It actually was more of a cheap hotel with commuial bathroom and showers; the residents could cook in their rooms as long as they tried to avoid being too smelly.  Emma was an extravert and liked to share the cooking and eatting of meals with the other residents in the communial kitchen. 

@DT seemed brooding the next morning, a Thursday, when he went to work.  His secretary stuck her head into his office about 8:30 am.

@Mr. Unruh, you have a doctor's appointment at 9:45.  Are you sick?

@I hope not.  A pesty nurse I know told me I've been putting off having a hernia checked out and she insists that I go.  If I don't she'll probably tell my wife to take me in.  I really don't want to go."

^DT wsasn't too brave when it came to the possiblity of surgery.

@I'll tell the senior partner that you've got a medical doctor's appointment."

^DT had very good medical insurance and didn't have to make a co-payment.  It only took his family MD five minutes to examine him.

@Well, Daniel, which surgeon do you want?  You've got to have that hernia surgery fixed."

^Emma had quietly entered the examiniation room.

@Which ever surgeon she works for" and he pointed at Emma.

@Ah, that would be Dr. Angus MacLeod.  As soon as I finish that form, you two may go see him."

^All too quickly, the form was finished, the referral to Surgeon Dr. MacLeode made and Emma walked DT to the office.

^Dr. MacLeod looked like a Scottsman, wore a tie in his clan colors and had a hard core mid-western accent.  It would have been too much for DT if this first generation American had used the Scotish accent of his parents. He didn't or DT would have walked. (DT never found out the good doctor "talked Scotish" at home...)

^Dr MacLeon did the "turn you head, cough, cough again, relax, this isn't going to be too painful, cough and thank you."

^The doctor stood and declared his diangosis: "This is one of the worst cases of neglected hernia that I've seen in many years.  You simply <b>must</b> have surgery or you could have a strangulated hernia and possibly peratontious."

@I'd like a second opinion, please."

^Dr. Angus MacLeod nodded to his Surgial Nurse, Emma. Emma Marie Walker then went through the same rountine that Dr. MacLeod did and if she accidentally wrapped her hand around DT's penis and squeezed it, then, well, the MD wasn't watching and she didn't think DT would  comment.

^He didn't...

@Yes, Doctor, he very much needs surgery.  I can schedule him for this coming Monday at 8 am."

@Please do, Ms. Walker."

^After Emma had left, Dr. MacLeon laughed silently and said: "When did she examine you?"

@Why do you ask?"

@My Emma Marie had your surgery pencilled in before 8 am this morning. She doesn't know I check the schedule before we have our first morning meeting.  She likes to think she's the master of the schedule and that I wouldn't know what I supposed to be doing unless she tells me."

@Last night."

@I didn't notice her feeling you up before checking the hernia.  It's nice to see she likes men but don't tell her I noticed..."

^Emma noticed both men were smilling when she came back to the examing room to advise the surgery would be at 9 am Monday. 

@What's so funny?"

@I told Dr. Mac that I haven't missed breakfast in years.  I'm not looking forward to Monday."

^When DT told his boss of the upcoming surgery, the boss insisted that DT take Friday off to rest up.  DT agreed.

^His wife wanted to cancell the weekend trip but DT insisted they take it. He was afraid they'd never have another chance to have such a weekend and he was right.  Unfortunately, he choice of reasons for missing a future was "that he'd died on the operating table".  There would be days where he wished he had...

^His wife was very supportive and they had a great time defying Dr. MacLeon's orders "to avoid any intimate activity."

^The night before surgery, he ate dinner early (7 pm anyway) and had a last drink (of water) before 11 pm.  He then went to bed.

^The alarm went off and DT rolled out of bed and dressed in the clothing he had laid out the night before.  He took his morning piss and immediately after washing his hands, autormatically filled the water glass. Fortunately, his wife was watching for this.

@You're not planning on drinking that are you?"

@Yes, er, no.  I guess I'm not."

^Feeling slightly embarrassed handed the water glass to his wife who carefully saved him from temptation by drining it all.  She then filled the glass and emptied it again.

^DT walked outside in their back yard while his wife fixed and ate breakfast. He wasn't sure he'd be able to resist "sampling" her breakfast if he'd been inside.  

^Instead, he walked down the path to the back yard's enterance and noted the number of divisions in the walk.  There were five and he decided that five trees would look nice there.  It would also help block the neighbor's view...

^They parked in the visitor's lot of the Rockford Hospital and walked in the "Day Surgery Enterance". There, DT told the reception nurse "I am Daniel Theodore Unruh and I'm here for hernia surgery."

@Thank you, Mr. Unrhu, please take a seat and we'll call you."

^She barely glanced up at him and he turned feeling miffed.  It wasn't often that folks didn't know of him and treat him with the respect he deserved! Oh, well, the medical profession was a world unto itself...

^Twenty minutes later, he was called to another desk where he presented his proof of insurance, his driver's license and filled out paperwork that seeminly absolved the hospital of all accidental and mallicious acts and maybe even "Acts Of God"!

^His wife was looking stressed and that stress level increased when the insurance clerk asked her if she wanted to take out "Life Insurance on husband just in case anything goes wrong".

^Loving irony (then), DT said "sure, we'll take it".  His wife didn't look too thrilled but they ponied up the small fee for $25,000 insurance. Both were oddly reassurred by the low cost of the insuracne since that suggested it would be used infrequently...

^DT was taken into a small room where he was given a "robe" to wear and had to strip down to don said "robe".  Then, he sat down trying to "sit like a Lady" so the next nurse wouldn't get a full view of his "man parts". 

^This nurse took his temperatures, measured his blood pressure and took his heart beat and said "your pressure is up a little.  Do you have any high blood pressure problems?"

@No, I think I'm just scared."

@That is normal."  After a seemingly endless waid (all of 5 minutes), this nurse checked D.T.'s blood pressure again and it was better.  The nurse then put a large needled into a vein of his left hand; the needled was attached to a large bag of clear liquid,

@Thanks for that," DT quipped, "I was getting really thirsty."  The nurse smilled at what must have been a frequent patietn comment.  DT did not comment on how painful the needle insertion had been.

^Then, DT was placed on a gurney and a slightly overweight young nurse wheeled the gurney through the halls.  Fortunately, for DT's modesty, the nurse had put a light blanet on him up to his waist.  To his surprise, he found the IV fluid was clilling him.


^What scared him was the high speed the nurse took in pushing him through the halls.  He was sure she was going to ram him through several people and slam open the OR room with the gurney. She didn't...

^DT was transferred to an operating table and a couple of surgical nurses moved arms out from the table and stretched his arms out on them.  The resemblance to a cruxification wasn't lost on DT.

^Then, while DT looked at her, one of the nurses poised with a hyperdermic syring held near the IV. She said "I'll inject this and you'll be unconscious within 6 seconds".  

^DT got bored and looked around the room, taking an instanst hatred for a young male nurse.  Thus, he was distracted for more than 6 seconds and never saw the nurse inject the knockout drug.

^DT awoke on the gurney in a room he'd never been in before.  His wife was there, looking worried.  A nurse and a woman with 
"Dr." something or another on hier name tag was watching him.

^You didn't seem to want to wake up, dear" his wife said.  In the following months, DT would regret having woken up.

@Mr. Unruh, you are not reacting well to the various drugs and we're going to have to keep you here for a couple of days." Thus spoke the MD.

@But what about my work schedule?"

@Your boss says to take as much time as you need to recover", replied his wife.

^They moved him to a room with another patient and DT was surprised at how little interest he had in eatting. He had missed lunch and could barely put down a little soup and none of the main course at 5 pm.  He was asleep before 5:30;  the pain was immense and he was on very strong painkillers.

^The next day was lost with him spending the day on his bed and only leaving when a male nurse was able to get him off the bed with difficulty and into the bathroom.

^He had been warned not to sit up using his stomach muscles and he thoguht he could do this.  Alas, when he tried to stand up, he turned his body around on the bed.  This was no problem.  Then, he tried sitting up by putting his elbows on the bed and using his arms.  He failed, used too much stomach and flopped back on the bed gasping in pain.

^A lot of pain...

^The male nurse just shook his head, placed his hands under DT's arm pits and basically lifted DT up.  The young nurse was a skilled nurse and well regarded even by the old lady nurses; none the less, it seemed like a lot of his work involved lifting patients and he was very very good at this...

^The second day started better.  Emma came to visit him.

@"Well," she said, "let's look at your bandage.  She gave his bandages a carefull and profession look over and his cock at friendly sqeeze.  Nothing happened.  She gave his cock a gently squeezing again and pulled the hospital gown down and then the sheet and blanket back up.

@I think you're going to have to wait before trying to bed your wife."

^When the regular nurse arrived, Emma was standing next to the bed and both she and DT were having an innocent conversation.

^Lunch was quiet.  After lunch, DT was shocked when Emma stumbled into his room in tears.

@I'm up on charges!  I can't beleve it!  Some drugs went missing last night and they think I stole them!"

@Calm down, I'm sure there is a mistake.  What are the facts?"

@They're going to have a preliminary hearing in a little while.  I need a lawyer!  Can you help me?"

@Let me make a call."

^The phone was answered on the second ring at this boss' office.

@Manny Shroeder speaking."

@Mannyt, this is DT.  A friend of mine is in a bit of trouble and I'd like to check it out.  I can do a preliminary meeting today and call back."

@Who is this friend and what is the trouble?"

@A nurse at the hospital."

@I'll start the billing for you."

@DT gave Emma's full name and then said "can you send the contract over for me to sign?"

@Certainly."

About 17 minutes later, a runner showed up with the contract.  The date and time of the contact wasn't filled in.

@This is missing information."

@Don't worry, sir, I'm told they'll fill in the rest of the form back at the office."

^DT should have waited...

^DT wrsteled himself upright using his arms.  He was helped into a robe and sat on "his" wheelchair.  Then, with a robe over his legs, he was pushed to the meeting room.

^DT anticipated hving to deal with several lawyers and at least one hospital executive.  He deeply regretted going into battle without at least the time to study the firm's files on the hospital's lawyers, to spend a few minutes having a quiet chat with these lawyers and int seeing what the evidende was.  Oh, well, it was just going to be a preliminary visit, sort of a probe (he thought in military terms).

^He was surprised.

^He wsas wheeled into a large and sunny executive room.  There, a very nervous looking man in a suit that must have cost $800 was waiting.  He recognized the two lawyers, including one who occasionally went to the lawyer's private bar. (The "bar for the bar"?)

^No one was introducted. Instead, the nervous looking man said: "We were wrong about Nurse Emma Marie Walker.  When some medicinal cocaine disappeared from her ward safe, we assumed she had stollen it.  We were shocked to find the transfer papers after we'd brought her up on charges."

@The transfer papers?"  DT was puzzled, this was not going like he thought it would.

@Well, yes, sir, the transfer papers to transfer the medicinal cocain from Nurse Walker's save to another safe.  We've prepared a full explanation of this and will put it in her folder.  We are also going to give her a monetary appology of $2,000 as appology.  We will also pay your expenses."

^DT was handed the paperwork and found it was done to perfection.  He was puzzled how so much paperwork could be done so quickly,

^DT was wheeled back to his room and was released the next day.  He returned home and found his hosue was not handicap ready.  His front door was up three steps so he had to enter his house from the garage.  It took him some twenty minutes to very slowly work his way up the stairs to their second floor bedroom.  He was very glad to lay down and rest.

^It wasn't until about ten days after the surgery that DT was able to return to work.  He spent his time quietly advising other lawyers and on Thursday nights, his accounting work at his house.  There, his wife finally accepted that he really did accounting work on Thursday nights...

^Exactly three weeks after his surgery, DT was able to walk around but couldn't do much work. 

^He had forgotten about the odd business at the hospital when he was leaning back in his office chair.  He was thinking of asking his wife if she wanted to go away for the weekend.  A lawyer he knew of as a husband-fucking, man-hating male was shown in.  DT wondered what this leech was in his office for.

@ Daniel Theodore Unruh, you are served." 

^The leech handed a packette to DT.

@This is rather pointless, you know.  My firm will be able to squash any of your silly ass writs."

@Please read it."

^It was on the third reading that DT realized his wife was sewing him for divorce.  DT was profoundly shocked as he never saw this coming...

^Henry tossed the documents onto the floor, picked up his phone and called home:  "Why?" he wailed into the phone.

@You know why," his wife replied. "You know why!"

@Why?  Why didn't you discuss this with me?"

@That police officer warmed me not to talk with you.  He warned me to just let my lawyer do my talking." 

^She hung up.

@All right," DT got out, "why is she leaving me and who is this 'police officer'?"

@Because you've been a very bad boy!" The leech smirked.  "Here is another form: a restraining order to keep you from going near your fomer home.  YOur wife arranged for you to move into a nice rental."

^That night, DT went to his first day at the rental.  It was a a first story apartment with a very nice private garage.  DT still had his Mercades and he immediately put it into the garage.  There were no steps to walk up and he found a fine selection of his clothing and his favourite books and even his shovel.

^It was a horrible and surreal evening and he was very subdued when he went to work the next morning.  His coworkers were sympathic.  Actually, the lawyers were not very friendly, it was the clerks and some of both of the men who did leg work that were most friendly.

^DT was puzzled; prior lawyers facing divorce weren't treated this way. In fact, several of them had been given "welcome to the club" and pseudo-hero treatement.

^DT was treated like shit...
============================================================
<p>
Chapter 4: Into the meat grinder...
<p>
^DT hired a good lawyer and gave him the commission to defend him and to try to destroy the eveidence against him.  DT wanted his wife back, he wanted his life back and he wanted his enemies fucked good. Very good!

^Days went by, some 25 of them before the first day in court.  

^His one-time opponent, Officer Filbert, was called to the stand.  ANy other time, DT would have smirked but this was far too serious.  He simply glared and looked away.

^Officer Filbert was sworn in and the preliminary questions were purely routine.  Finally, they got to the meat of his testimony.

~Why do you think Mr. Unruh was committing adultry?"

~I clearly saw him with Ms. Walker.  She was on her knees in front of him and clearely proving him oral sex.  She..."

~Objection.  Testamony calls for speculation!"

~Overruled.  Explain your testamony, Officer Filbert."

~Yes, sir, Your Honour, she was on her knews and her head level was at the same height as his belt and her head was going back and forth and he looked happy."

~No further questions."

^DT's lawyer said the majic words "Approach, Your Honour?"

@Approach," the judge replied.

@Your Honour, this testimony was not revealed in pre-trial discovery and we have not had time to formulate a reply.  Move for dismissal and change of venue, Your Honour."

@Your Honour," the leech replied, "since this divorce is being heard only by you then any failure by my learned opponent to perform proper discovery is irrevelant."

^DT's lawyer glared at Officer Filbert and snapped "No further questions for this witness, reserve the right to reexamine and call Nurse Emma Marie Walker."

^Emma was sworn in.

@Is Daniel Theodore Unruh a friend of yours?'

@Yes."

@Where do you know him from?"

@We have worked together on homeless issues and he is a friend of mine."

@What happened on the night in question?"

@We talked. I dropped my glasses and had to hunt for them. Did you have sex with Mr. Unruh?"

@No."

@Did you felate him?"

@No, I did not!"

@Are you sexually attract4ed to Mr. Unruhj?"

@No, I am not.  He is a friend and I like him but I don't like him in that way, a sexually way."

@Offider FIlbert told me you'd gone off to a bus stop for some private time with Unruh and it sounded like you were having sex."

@Objection, :Your Honour, Objection!"

@Sustained, do not pursue this line of questioning."

^The judge then spoke directly to Emma: "What exactly happened in the bus stop?"

@We talked about the last time he'd visited his Doctor.  Daniel told me his MD had worried about a hernia and that DT needed to come back.  He was afraid to and I strongly encouraged him to do so.  DT then went to his family doctor the next day and his MD found the hernia had gone from a possibility to a severe and threatening hernia."

@What else happened?"

@Nothing, your Honor."

@Why did you speak of this in the bus stop and not where you where?"

@I was afraid someone could be listening and I highly respect Doctor Patient Confidentiality."

@Do you regard yourself as a Doctor?"

@No, your Honour;  the principal should be medical specialist and patient and the confidentality still hold."

@Thank you, Nurse, you may stand down."

^The Judge did not point out the falacities in Emma's arguments and wasn't about to rish changing her attitudes; the judge liked them...

@Shortly thereafter, the judge ajourned for the day.  DT went back to work, threw up in his secretary's waste basket and heard his boss say "go home now; you're on sick leave".

^His boss was too dense to realize why DT started laughing and only his secretary heard him sob.

^His "home" as his boss had called his new apartment was on the small side.  It made him realize just how large his four bedroom, two story with furnished basement had been.  He also realized that he'd used very little of his house and couldn't tell you which part of the basement the washer and drier were and if the downstairs "toilet" had a shower.  He tried calling his wife to ask but the phone wasn't picked up..

^When he got to work the next day, he got a message that divorce court was cancelled that day.  At a staff meeting, all the lawyers were told to brief each other on their open cases and what correspondence they were dealing with.  DT was certain he was about to be shitcanned.

^This fear was made more evident when he was first briefed by a young new hire, who then took a complete "passdown" from DT.  He wished the girl the very best and told her to "take good care of my cases".

^She looked puzzled and replied: "Why do you say thatj?"

@It's obvious that you're going to be taking my cases after I'm fired."

^The young woman burst into tears and fled; DT's secretary entered fully prepared to rip him a new asshole.  She stopped when she saw the distressed look on his face.  Instead, she said:

@What just happened?"

@Well, it is obvious that I'm about to be fired and that Terrisa Lynn Burge will be taking my cases.  When I told her this, she started crying and left."

@I guess you've not been 'in the loop' lately, DT.  She knows she is about to be fired for losing two cases this past month."

@That's nonsence!  She did fine; some cases can't be won and she tried anyway.  Besides, 'Manny' vetted her cases before she went to court."

^DT paused, surprised by the smirk on his secretary's face.

@Oh, so that's it?  By losing, she makes 'Manny look bad and she has to be fired?"

@Oh, yeah, that is truly the case," his secretary replied.  She thought that Unruh was a fine lawyer but that he didn't seem to pick up on the political details.  She found this puzzling in a former Navy officer.

@Oh, God, this is sooooo Navy.  Remind me to tell you why I left the Navy, Darlene."

@To attend legal school?"

@Well, that too but mainly because I couldn't stand the politics and the back stabbing and the games.  I was hoping that being a lawyer would be above that and just about 'justice'."

^They both laughed heartally.

@If I make a phone call and a job recommendation, can you assure me that Terrisa Lynn Burge's office records will pass muster?"

@Yes, I will be vetting the records."

@Could she work as a law secretary, for the time being anyway?"

@Yes,"

^DT got on the phone to the local Federal Judge:

@Henry, this is D.T. Unruh.  I understand you need a law secretary for a short while?...I think I can provide you with a fine candidate...I haven't heard anything bad about his girl and my Secretary approves of her.  If Darlene had heard anything, she'd have told me...Well, why not talk with Darlene directly?"

^DT handed the phone to his secretary.

@Yes, your Honor, this is Darlene Bellimer speaking...The lawyer in question, Terrisa Lynn Burge is a fine young lawyer, who did quite well in law school and graduated from Washburn University.  She wrote some papers that were well received in the Harvard Law Review...She is in danger of being fired because she lost two cases our Senior Partner thought should have been won...yes, she stood in for 'Manny'...yes, her office records will be most presentable...Of course I will!...Good day, your Honour!"

@That judge told me to make sure the firing reason was something that would allow him to hire her."

^The draft of the firing order gave the reason as "gross incompetience and negliance".  The interesting thing is there were two versions of the firing order: the first listed "gross incompetience and negliance" and the second was "non prejudicial dismissial as part of a reduction in force due to a downturn in company business".

^Lawyer Burge piled her stuff into a couple of large boxes and a shopping bag.  She had only been in her office five weeks but she had made it her home.  She had several diplomas on her "I love me" wall, pictures of her girlhood pet Beagle "Sam", pictures of herself in Civil Air Patrol uniform and a lovely collection of ceranic turtles (arranged in order of descending size).

^She was crushed and could hardly function.  The firing had not been a total surprise but still hurt a great deal. It was noted when DT helped her carry her belonging out of the office.

^Having no real place to go, DT waited until 'Manny' left for the day, nodded to his secretary and they left.  Ms. Burge had gone to a resteruant across the street and had drank a couple of white wines when DT and Darlene enter to "collect her".  Darlene drove Ms. Burge's car and DT his Mercedes.  They went to the local lawyer's bar: "Janus", named for the two faced Roman God.

^They parked in the Public Library parking lot and walked to a plain looking store front.  There, the sign announced this was an "Art Gallery and Store For The Deserning".  If you looked carefully enough, there was a small sign advertising a bar called the "Third Sex".

^They entered the art gallery and DT nodded to the clerk; the clerk nodded back for DT had defended him serveral years before.  They went up the stairs to the "Third Sex", which was a gay bar.

@We're going to the back room," DT told the bar tender, a person who might have been born male.  The bar tender simply nodded; even those in a Gay Bar need someone to look down upon and a Lawyer's Bar fit this criteria nicely...

^About half way back was a door with the name "Janus" above it.  They went through it and sat at a table with a very tall and gray haired man in a $500 suit.

^DT made introductions:  "Henry Berry, this is my Secretary Darlene Bellimer (the judge already knew her) and an outstanding young lawyer, recently cut loose from our firm: Terrisa Lynn Burge, this Judge Henry Berry, the Federal Judge for this part of Northern Illihois."


^The obligatory round of "pleased to meet you", etc was made.  A waitress came around and took orders.  Ms. Burge ordered water...

@Young Lady, why were you fired?"

@I'm not sure your Honour.  My best answer is that 'Manny', the firm's CEO coached me on two cases that I lost in court.  He lost face with his peers.  I also won a case without his help but he doesn't seem to appreciate that."

^She stopped at the smirks and snickers.

@'Manny' gave you a case you were supposed to lose," Darlene told her. "When you won, it made 'Manny' look bad.  If you could lose cases when you served as his surrigate and win one 'Manny' thought you should lose, you became a threat and had to go."

@How is this going to look if I'm audited?"

^Darlene replied to the Judge: "Manny' signed two firing orders today.  His secretary gave him both orders to sign, with the nasty one on top and the nice one below it.  The pages were staggered so that he signed the 'nice one' without realizing it."

^The judge was shown both firing orders.

@I assume your 'in house files' will reflect one reason for firing and the records I will receive will reflect the 'laid off version'?"

@Yes, sir, they will Henry". Terrisa Lynn Burge was the only one shocked by this duplicity.

@Good.  I like the briefing packet you've put together."

^The secretary to the firm's boss, Darlene and two of the clerks had put together a briefing package that detailed the history of Terrisa Lynn Burge:  her schoolings, her written work and the reviews they had received, her office record (for all of 5 weeks) and her peer's opinions.  He was impressed.

@So, Terrisa, may I call you 'Terri'? I like what I see.  You clerked for a southern gentleman who is nortorious for thinking women have no place in the law and he wrote that 'he'd be honored to have you back.' That is high praise indeed from this man, a Muslim gentleman."

@Yes, sir, you may call me 'Terri', my family often did.  Why are you talking to me like this?"

@Your friends have decided 'to cook the books' so that your official records will show you were laid off and not fired.  This has been a job interview and I'm prepared to offer you a Law Clerk position.  Are you willing?"

@Yes, sir, I am."

@Good, good, well consider this both your hiring and your first day at the office.  You go on the Federal Payroll first thing tomorrow morning.  However, I don't want you to report to work until this coming Monday.  I know that you've been through a terrible shock and I want you to get therapy.  Will you talk to a professionalf?  This'll be 'on the house' as it were; the therapists are used to talking with 'Nam Vets like Daniel Theodore here and those of more recent combat experience.

@You're a combat vet," Darlene was shocked, she thought she knew everything about Daniel Theodore Unruh.

^He gave her a lopsided smile.  "I served in 'Nam for a short while at a CB detachment.  We were attacked one night and I defended my comrades;  I used a BAR.  I still wake up at night..."

^The two ladies didn't know that DT was referring to dreames of literally blowing his enemies apart with the BAR.  The judge, who had served as a Marine "rifleman, currently assigned to the BAR" in Korea knew very well those dreams for he still had them himself...

^The next weekend was a living hell for DT.  It was the one he'd planned on taking us wife on a long weekend.  Instead, he woke up by his self in his little appartment, with one "bedroom", no basement, no home office and certainly not his wine collection.  He didn't even have his conneack {sp} collection to cheer him up.

^That was a blessing: had he the conneack, he would have wanted to smoke one of the "Real Cuban Cigars" he had bought on a business trip to Canada years before.  He would have been crushed to learn these cigars were made in the town of Cuba Mississippi and that he'd been screwed...

^He went to visit Emma at the Salvation Army hotel and she got him started in an exercise programme.  He spent entirely too much money on his running and workout gear and two pairs of overpriced running shoes.  It was no big deal; he still had his checkbook and a nice salary to feed it.  He was glas his wife had not cut him off...

^He would later associate Mondays with the song lyric "I don't like Mondays, I want to blow the while day away".  That was the day he was tripple whammied.

^The first was when he was summounded to the divorce court where the judge awarded the divorce but froze all his assets.  He had withdrawn some $5,000 for expenses that morning and put them in the apartment manager's safe.  He would need this money since the judge had frozen his bank accounts.

^The divorce judge said "Mrs. Unruh may put her income in a new account and Mr. Unruh may do the same with a new account. However, all other assets are frozen effective at this moment pending the proper disposal of joint and sepearte assets."  Then, the judge declared that the division procedings would start in two months and declared courty ajourned."

@Your Honour, what are we supposed to live on?" 

^This judge glared at DT and replied: "Live on your work income."

^The wife's lawyer, the leech, stated that 'I am going to lock down all of your assets, you dickhead". 

^DT replied: "Good thing you didn't say that when court was in session or even this judge would have gotten you for contempt of court".

^DT knew his car was safe as he'd bought it before meeting his wife.  He didn't realize that it was licensed in both of their names.

^When DT got back to this office, he settled down in his chair and loosed the buttons on his vest.  It was obvious to his co-workers that the old DT was shattered and a lot less arrogant.




@Daniel," the boss' secretary told him, "your paycheck is going to be cut this afternoon.  However, you need to take it as a check."

@OK, why?"

^Without waiting for an answer, he signed the form authorizing his pay to be in the form of a check and accepted receipt of a check.  The check was in an envelope and he put this evelop in the inner pocket of his vest.

@God be with you, Daniel and you have friends. Don't be afraid to call me."

^With that, the boss' secretary swept out of his office and out of his life.

^Shortly afterwards, his boss stormed in looking angry.  At least, as DT and his secretaryt would later remember it, it was Manny doing his acting version of "being angry".

~You're fired, asshole."

~Why?"

~For having sex with a client!"

~Bull Shit, I'd never do that!"

~Well, there is the testamony from your divorse trial and the fact that your 'Emma' was a client before she was seen blowing you!"

~What?"

~You had sex with a client.

~I did not!  She wasn't a client untill the next week, when I was in the hospital.  You know that, you handled the billing."

~If that is the case, then why does your billing record show that billing started hours before she blew you.  You wife told us that you wrote a large check for this 'Emma Marie Walker' that night.  Were you paying for sex?"

~No, no, no."

~Well, you are fired, sir, get out!"


~You know this isn't true and you know <i>I've brought in more money for this firm than anyone else!</i>

^He should not have reminded his ex-boss of this; his ex-boss was shamed that DT and several other lawyers outdid the boss...

^The boss left the office and that allowed a large number of people to drop by, express their sympathy and help DT pack out his stuff.  DT had a lot of personal belongings at the office and seeing each item of his stuff packed up was a wound being being punched.  It took a horrible amount of time to remove his stuff; both a long time objectively and a very short time subjectively.  A police officer visiting the firm offered to have DT's stuff stored at the Fraternal Order of Police building.  While one cop had helped screw him, other cops were still his friends...

^He sat in his office chair for one last time, rested his shoes on his desk for the last time and out of spite, scraped the mud off one sole onto the top of the desk and closed that drawer.  He put on his jacket before leaving the office. 

^Thus, it was no real surprise when he was handed a summonds to report to court to defend himself against a dis-barring action...

@He contacted his personal lawyer and told him about the dis-barring move.  His lawyer, Vernon Jacomson, ordered DT to meet him at Denny's.  There, Vernon read the paperwork.

@You are certain that Emma Marie Walker became your client when you were in hosptial and not before the alleged 'blow job'?"

@Yes, I am!"

@Then, how come your firm said you were hired before the alleged blow job?"

@I don't know.  I do know the phone logs will show when the phone calls were made and the computer will have automatic logs.  We should check them."

@We'll look into this.  Eat your lunch, you'll need it later."

^The lunch, paid for by his lawyer, was excellent;  DT could barely keep it down.  The desert was wonderful and the only thing that remotely tasted worth eating.  It didn't occurr to DT that soon he'd not be able to afford this apparently simple desert.

^The trip to the State Court House was sureal.  DT lived each second of the apparently endless trip in agony yet the trip seemed to end all too soon. They entered the Court House and had to pass by the goating Officer Philbert and the smirking "leech".

^His former boss presented the billing statement that alleged that Emma Marie Walker had become a firm client the morning that she allegedly had blown Daniel Theodore Unruh.

^Finally, the prosecution rested.

^Vernon Jacobson rose, then opened with: "The case against my client rests on billing records from his former firm.  We have not seen the origionals.  I request the court issue subpenas for the phone logs during the weeks of when my client stated he hired Ms. Walker, the origionals of his work schedule and the computer records showing the creation time of the billing request.  We ask the court to order these records sealed until they can be examined by court officers."

@Objection! Irrevelant and incompetient," sang out the Assistant Procsecuter (a person who strongly disliked DT).

@In the interest of justice, we must discover the truth.  My client professes one truth and his former employer another.  There is still the issue of why my client was fired in the first place."

@DT left the courtroom to find the men's room.  By the time he had returned, the court was ajourned.  His lawyer was looking worried.

@"Vern," DT said, "I've got to clear my head.  I'll be back in a little while.  Isn't the court in recess for lunch?"

@Yes, it is.  Be back here by 1:30 pm."

^DT left, got into his Mercedes (thank God it was his!) and roared past the Court House.  He flipped off the "leech".  The leech glowered and shouted "I'm going to take his fucking car!  That is an asset!" The leech turned to head for a phone booth.  There was already someone in it and the leech had to wait until that person left the phone booth.

^DT stopped for a coffee and left the shop, heading back to court.  He saw a couple of cops he knew and waved at them.  He was on State Street, stuck in the traffic when a man lurched out from the curb.  DT slammed on his brakes.

^It didn't look like he had hit the man but DT wasn't taking any risks.  The roof of his convertable was down and he took his seat belt off so he could leave the car and help this man.  He put the Mercades into neutral and set the hand brake.

^The man DT thought he'd hit opened the car door and pulled DT out.  DT was struck just under his ribs and felt his breath paralize from shock.  Then the man punched him across the side of his face and DT fell to the pavement, stunned from the hits and having trouble breathing.

^He was starting to gasp for breath when the stranger got into his car, put it into gear and drove off.  DT was puzzled when he heard the man put the seat belt on.

^Another driver charged up to see if DT was all right.  DT said "my lifes been stolen. Ah,", gasp, "my car has just been stolen."

^DT was helped to his feet and he staggered to the side of the road.  This car jacking had blocked traffic and many folks were blowing their horns.  The police responded to this noise and pulled over when they saw DT leaning over gasping for breath.

^The police gave DT a lift back to the Court House. There, he was greeted by Officer Filbert who started chanting "who's the disbared lawyer?  Who's the disbared lawyer?  Who's the disbared lawyer?"

^A police sergeant motioned Filbert over and clearly was chewing Filbert's ass in a tone of quiet fury.  Filber was nhot taking this well.

^The sergeant then told DT, "Don't listen to what this ass has to say."

^It was when a friend in the court house shook his head sadly at DT that he began to lose faith.  His faith was gone when "the leech" told him "Congratulations on you dis-barring! It couldn't have happened to a nicer person."

^DT turned and stumbled out of the Court House; he didn't see the looks of rage on the faces of several court officials.  He expecially didn't notice the rage was directed towards "the leech". 
 
^His life had turned to shit and DT didn't know who he could trust anymore.  He didn't think of his lawyer, "Mark", the folks he'd helped. the folks at his old firm and a number of others.

^His dreams were shattered and he thought of the words of a song: 

"The eyes of the city are opening now it's the end of the dream"                                        "Road To Moscow"
                                                   Al Stewart

=====================================================

Chapter 5 - Interum...

After DT had stumbled out of the Court House and while the lawyers and other court officials were coming and going, Emma Marie Walker was surprised to see her old friend Mrs. Debra Marie Moody-LaMare.

^They were both surprised to see each other.

~Hello, Debbie, how have you been?"

~Fine but I can't stop to talk Em.  I've got to go."

~That's what you always say these days.  When we were in high school, you always made time for me."

~Well, I'm quite a different person now.  I'vd got responsibilities."

^Fortunately, there were no witness to see Emma kiss Debbie.  It was especially fortunate that no one saw how much Debbie enjoyed the kiss.

~Are you sure we dan't talk for a while", Emma said as she pulled Debbie into an unused office.

~What the hell," Debbie said as she threw the papers into the air, "they can have other witnesses against the asshole."

~Which asshole would that be?"

"Your boy friend, Emma Walker, him."

~I've never had a <b>boy</b> friend..."

^Debbie turned and locked the door behind them.  Then,  she freshed her lip stick.

^The two women undressed each other and began kissing.  Debbie was especially happy to be performing cunnilingujis on her old friend again.  Emma was happy to reply in kind...

^After the two had redressed and Debbie went back to her "anti-faggot compaign", Emma used her makeup mirror to look between her legs.  Debbie had left perfect kissing lips on her thighs and pussy lips.  There was a beautiful kiss over her left nipple. 

^She picked up the damning papers Debbie had left behind.  They contained enough "evidence" to totally ruin her friend Daniel Theodore Unruh...

^Emma went back to her place at the Salvation Army Shelter and asked a friend - a man - to take pictures of the lipstick marks on her breast and around her pussy.

^This friend was more than happy to do so.  In fact, he was more than happy to lick the lipstick off... 

^Emma responded in kind and the afternoon ended with both enjoying sexual intercourse.  Emma was right in that she had never had a boy friend; she had several men who were ocsionally lovers and that was not the same in Emma's mind...

 
Chapter 6 - Into the Abiss...

^The next morning, DT decided he had to leave his apartment.  If the amorfous forces arrayed against him to do this - debar him - what else could they do.

^He was depressed but didn't recognize that fact.  He was also paranoid but somehow that didn't sink in either.  He decided it was time to "E and E": escape and evade.

^He picked up the phone and dialed Emma's phone numberr.  He knew she was working the evening shift and would be home.

@Emma, DT here.  I want to move.  Are there rooms at the Army barracks?"

@Well, yes there are Danny.  There are rooms at the Salvation Army hotel.  Are you sure you want to move here?"

@Yes.  After yesterday I just need a change."

@Let me check and get back to you."

^About 9 minutes after she hung up, the phone rang.

@DT, is that you?"

@Yes."  Who the hell else would be answering his phone, DT wondered?

@You can have a room, a nice room, if you're willing to do the books for the hotel and their restaurant.  Of course, you'll have to attend morning Twelve Step and I want to get you into a fitness program."

@It's a deal, dear.  I'll just need a little help in moving my stuff out and a vehicle to haul it in."

@We'll be there at 10."

^After hanging up the phone, DT spent maybe 12 minutes repacking his stuff (for he truly hadn't believed he'd been truly kicked out of his home and hadn't unpacked most of his belongings).

@Emma arrived with two young men who didin't say much.  DT was glad for that; he wasn't sure he was up to talking to anyone.  They loaded his belongings and left.

^The second moving in so short a period was yet another shock and the trip seemed to take forever.  They arrived at the Rockford Salvation Army Shelter and moved DT in.

^There was a form that DT signed and that completed his check-in.  A friendly lady in SA (Salvation Army) uniform met him and said they could talk about his accounting work when he felt up to it.  DT nodded in agreement.

^The room was nicer than Emma's and reminded DT of an BOQ (Bachelor Officer Quarters) that he had stayed in at the main Navy Base on Guam.  The differences were this room was nicer and he wasn't foreced to pay for maid service.  He would not have to worry about maid theift: he still remembered how a Playboy buried under 15 other magazines had disappeared when he was living in that Navy BOQ...

^Emma took him to lunch at a commons.  The food was rather plain, with little meat, two veggies and a nice piece of fruit for desert.  Then, they brought out ice creamme and DT began to feel better.

^He spent the afternoon in a funk and missed dinner.  He wandered out to the commons and ate a couple of left over rolls.  Then, he went back to his new room and went to bed early.

^He was quite hungry when Emma came to take him to breakfast.

@DT, what are you going to do with your life? How long are you going to stay here?"

@I eon't5 know but I'll have to get used to my new circumstances.  When can I talk with this office manager about that accounting job.  At least they haven't taken that from me!"

^Emma was a bit puzzled by this but then she realized she didn't know about lawyer stuff anyway...

^The breakfast was fine but simple and reminded DT of his childhood: oatmeal, a boiled egg, strawberries, toast and coffee.

^The office manager sat down with them and said "is this a good time?"

@Yes, ma'am, it is."

^Emma made introductions: "Daniel Theodore Unruh this is Major Elizabeth Ann McGuire; Beckie this is DT."

@May I call you Teddy?"  The Salvation Army Major was beaming as she said this.

@Certainly. May I call you Beckie."

@Of course you may.  Now, I understand you're an excellent accountant and our Emma tells me that you have a degree in Accounting and graduated very well from Law School.  Why did you go to Washburn in Kansas?"

@My parents live in a town called Great Bend Kansas and after I got out of the Navy, I went to Washburn for legal school.  I ghraduated very high in my class and was picked up by the old law firm right out of school.  Now, that is over and well, I'd like to go back to something I've always enjoyed: accounting."

@Very well, please talk with our current accountant when you get a chance.  She would like to go visit her parents."

@Emma was telling me about a Twelve Step Programme?"

@Yes, we have one.  Do you think you have a problem?"

@No, no I don't. That just means I do because I can feel dispair lurking at the back of my mind.  I'd like to join this group, if you don't mind."

@I'll have to arrange it with the rest of the group; they can be very picky."

^Oddly enough, DT was pleased by this response.  It was reasurring to know that if he were selected to join, it was because some folks really wanted him to join...

^In mid morning, an annoyingly fit young man came for DT and dragged him off to an exercise room.  There, he was told he wouldn't be joining the others in situpss, pushups, pullups, etc. and especially not running until his hernia operation was two months in the past.  He was allowed to walk a half mile and that was a real stress for him.

^He met with friends at a fancy restaurnt called "Williams" where he would do the books in the late afternoon and he was asked to hand wash the dishes.  It amused him to accept the washing duties because there would not be very many to wash and it would return him mentally to a peaceful time: when he had first been married in 1968, he had done the dishes.  There was an interesting symbolism there that he refused to consider...

^After a month of settling in, he was allowed to begin running, to begin doing situps (which hurt), pushups (which he found had to be done from the knees), pullups/chinups (which he totally failed at) and other "warm up" exercises.  It was the running that both wasted him and which he actually found pride in.  He had been able to run five miles in under 30 minutes when he had been with the CBs; now, he could run a mile in 12 minutes.  This was pathetic but it was fine given his age and condition, lack of real exercise and that annoying hernia.

^No body laughed at him through; the others exercising with him applauded DT.  They didn't push it but they had demons of their own and weeren't about to fuck with anyone else's head...

^Dt had made friends and to him that meant helping his new friends.  He let them know he'd had some legal training and experience.

^Some of DT's new friends needed legal advise and didn't know they were being helped by a dis-barred lawyer.  Those he helped were officially being helped by inexperienced yount legal aid lawyers and after DT began giving help, they started winning cases.  The oppsoing lawyers sensed the "DT Unruh" touch in these cases but the legal aid lawyers just smilled.  It was amazing how mediocre lawyers suddenly got much better.  It was enough to make a number of people think D.T. Unruh was laying dogo for his own reasons...

The Salvation Army Major, who knew who Daniel ("Danny") Theodore Unruh smiled, thinking the therapy was working.

^Shortly before Thanksgiving, DT decided he would have to get his Kugerands back.  He was fully aware that his neighbors could be watching and he also knew there had been crime scares in his neighborhood...his old neighborhood.  So, he decided to be subtle.

^He had spent a lot of time reading biographeries of those who had served in War 2, Korea and 'Nam.  One thing that had amased him was the stories of the snipers.  He was fascinated by those who wore special camie suits call Gillie Suits.  He resolved to make one!

^DT went to a local surplus store and bought a used pilot's jumpsuit.  Then, he bought burlap sacks at a local feed shop.  He had borrowed an old VW Bug for his shopping trip and bought a nice White Zinfadel for the owner.  He wasn't supposed to do this but the car's owner would appreciate it;  besides, the car's owner didn't have a drinking problem, his problem had to do with flashbacks to the Korean war.

^DT sat on his floor, with the pilot suit, the burlap and heavy thread he had bought when he got some junk food.  The prospect of actually working on his suit was daunting. He sighed and started to work.

^DT was cutting strips of burlap when with one of his spare shaving straight razors when Emma wandered in. (In her job as general medical pest at large in the hotel, she had long before been given the master key.)  She looked at what he was doing and remarked: "Halloween is past, dear."

~This isn't for Halloween."

~Then what is it for?"

~I'm making a Ghilli suit, a camie suit."

~What for?"

~Well, I want to recover some stuff, that's all."

~Ah," Emma sighed, "you must have physically buried your treasure."

~What?"

~Well, after all of your lock boxes etc were opoened, those of us who know of your pretty coins (she meant the Kugerands) wondered where you hid them.  It looks like they're someplace you can't go openly and that would have to be in your yard. Yes?"

~Yes", DT sighed.

^One of the things he loved about Emma was her sheer genius and he sometimes wished she liked men but "oh, well".  There was a lot he didn't know about "his Emma" and one item was that she did "like men" but didn't want to like DT "in that way".  He would have sighed had he known...

^She caught his grance at his precious shovel.

~Ah, ha, buried treasure!"

~Are you going to watch me work or are you going to channel Sherlock Holmes?"

^As DT worked on cutting the ribbons of burlap, Emma began sewing them to the pilot's suit.  They didn't talk much, it was rather pleasant simply being together.

^The burlaps bags cames in two colours: green and brown.  This would simulate the colours of DT's back yard.  It had taken most of the afternoon to make the ghilli suit.

^DT undressed to his underware before putting the ghilli suit on.  Emma didn't watch closely as she had seen DT nude when she'd helped with his hernia surgery and hadn't found him unusual at all (not something to tell a man).

^The suit was loose, bulky and the strips of burlap fluttered around as he strutted in his room.  They both laughed, then DT took the suit off.

~You look lovely, dear."

~Thank you."

~Tell you what, I'll buy dinner."

^They left (DT having dressed) and went to a nice Italian place.  There, DT had spehetti and a glass of lager.  Emma had shell fish and mineral water (for alcohol was a problem for her...)

^They returned to the SA hotel and Emma left DT in the parking lot.  She kissed him on the cheek, wished him "good luck" and left him there; left him with her car keys.

^DT entered the hotel by the back door and carefully walked down the hall, past his room, to the Men's Restroom.  He walked past the row of sinks and nodded to an old lady who liked to "do her face" in front of one of the sinks.  This lady claimed this Men's Restroom had better lighting that the Ladies' Restroom.  She was wearing a nice dress; there had been one night when she'd worn an old nightie and that had conviniced DT that sometimes the sight of a woman's breasts should be avoided.  He would never tell her this but 72 year old breasts did nothing for him...

^He peeded, not really needing to but he had felt the need to do a recon of the environment.  He left, leaving the old lady to her lipstick and hoped she had a good time with the 85 year old man who was sweet on her...

^DT simply bundled his ghilli suit up and carried it under his left arm out to Emma's Ford Pinto.  He held his shovel under his right arm like a swagger stick.  He put the suit on the passenger's side and after getting onto the driver's seat, drove off to the alley behind his house.

^The alley was bordered on both sides with high wooden fences.  No one could see what was in the alley and the police seldom looked there.    

^It had started snowing on the ride over but he hand't thought of the consequences of that.  He did when he saw his footprints in the light snow.

^He carefully opened the back door to his former backyard and walked in.  There, he looked at his first destination: the shed.

^It was secured with a pad lock and he didn't have the key!  In fact, he had nothing to cut the lock with. Well, he thought,  I can always come back later for that. To business!

^DT walked across the back yard, on the side he had planted his Kugerands and froze in place.  He suddenly realized there were problems with his plan.

^His plan had implicitely assumed that he would still be married and would be able to access his back yard whenever he felt like it.  This was no longer the case.

^It was snowing and finding the cracks in the sidewalk would require him to shover the snow.  That would tend to stand out.  Once he found the right places to dig, he would have to remove large divits of grass, then remove the dirt over the boxes and remove the boxes with his treasure.  Having done this, he would have to replace the dirt, the divits (at least 2 foot by 2 foot he thought with disgust) and leave.

^There were a few problems with this plan and he enumerated them in his head:
      * He would end up with dirt scattered on the snow and            that would stand out,

      * He didn't have enough spare dirt to fill in the voids          created by removing the boxes, which meant

      * The grass would sag under the weight of the snow and
        his wife...hell the fucking nosy neighbors!...would
        notice!

      * The house lights and even the street lights in the
        alley (that he used to sneer at) would hellish                 noon time bright!

^He didn't stand a chance and this had been his best hope of getting his 'rands.  He had to get them before spring because one of the last things his wife had said to him at the abortted property settlemen was "I intend to put in trees this coming spring". 

^He froze for several minutes and heard his neighbors:

~Did you see something out there in Unruh's yard?"

~No." His neighbor's wife replied.

~Are those footprints leading up to that shrub?"

~Well, they could be.  When did Mrs. Unruh get a shrub?"

~I don't know.  Maybe we're seeing things?"

^The neighbor's porch light went off and DT realized he'd gotten one thing out of the ghilli suit: he had been hidden by it.  He also got the horrible feeling the fucking neighbors didn't sleep much (it was past 10 pm) and he realzied he'd better leave.

^Walking as lightly as he could, DT went back to Emma's car.  There, he put his ghilli suit and his shovel under the hatchback and drove forward to the further enterancd to the alley. (He realized that trying to back up could have lead to an accident and would certainly have attracted more attention than someone taking a short cut through the alley.) 

^The snow had picked up while he was driving down the alley and was coming down so thick he could barely see to drive; the whippers were going full bore.  He could hear thunder and knew this was one of the fabulous thundersnows he had heard about.  The nice thing about these snows was the shear amount of snow dumped in a hurry.  

^DT drove around the block and was passing the enterance to the alley when he glanced in and saw a police car, light bar on, far enough to be by his fence gate.  He could not see any of his car tracks and the police car tracks were nearly filled in.

^The police would never find evidence he'd been there and his neighbors would be puzzled by the "missing shrubs".  "Fuck 'um", DT figured...

^DT was coming down from his emotional rush when he got back to the SA Hotel and carried the ghilli suit back to his room.  He shook the snow off it before entering and hung it up to dry in his room.  He would pack it away in the storage room the next week.  Emma brought back his shover the next morning.  She din't comment and DT didn't want to.  In fact, he couldn't, the defeat had been too hard on him.

^The resturant DT worked at was closed on Thanksgiving Day (if you could afford to eat there, you could afford a nice house to live in and eat there!)

^The meal started at noon with appetizers and little bowls of tomatoe soup.  Then, around 1 pm,  everyone took seats at tables with their friends.  Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts served the meal.  Men wearing Lions Clubs vests carved turkey and ham,  filled tureens with mashed potatoes, gravy and dressing.  Men in Kwansis vests brought out deserts, veggie trays and cooked veggies.  

^It was the nicest Thanksgiving Meal DT had had in years.  He was surrounded by friends and had a very good time.

^Thus, it was a surprise even to himself when he decided to give his stuff away.  He gave books to people he thought would like them and even tried to give his shovel to Emma.  She refused with a shutter that DT somehow couldn't interpret.  He then went back to his room, for it was getting late and took his suitcoat and dress shirt off.  He had given his tie away to a lady whose late husband had loved silk ties.

^Then, feeling horribly depressed, he decided he needed to shave.  He knew he should go to the common er Men's Restroom but he suddenly couldn't bear the thought of running into anyone.

^He cycled through pain and depression and hurt so badly the emotional pain spilled over into a dark pleasure.  He could hear the siren call of "Peace"; all he had to do was endur a little bit of pain and the pain of his life would be gone forever.  

^He resisted for a long time.  Objectively, it wa only for handful of minutes but that was enough to tip the balance.

^He shaved carefully and wipped the shaving creamme off with a towel wetted in his sink.  Then, he turned the blade of his straight razoe over and drew a careful stratch from just below his right ear to his Adam's Apple.

^He turned the blade over and cut his throat!

^At the last moment, some vestiage of hope had kicked in and he merely slit the skin.  he didn't cut deeply enough to attack an artery.  In fact, he didn't even damage the neck muscles.

^Still, he bled like a stuck pig!

^He was standing there, with a horrified look one his face, trying to hold the lips of the cut together, when Emma bargeed in she had knocked and then used her copy of the master key.

~What the fuck have you just done?  I knew something like this was going to happen.  Why didn't you call me?"

~Well," DT had the grace to be embarrassed, "I didn't really expect this."

~Well, I was afraid something like this might happen."

^She looked around and found the roll of duct tape DT kept in his dresser. "Men", she had thought when he had dropped this into his underware drawer.

^She made butterfly bandages with the duct tape and the little sissors she carried in her purse.  Then, she took a towel and told DT to hold it to his neck.  Then left the back door and even though they'd forgotten to shut the door to DT's room, it got shut anyway.

^The man who shut DT's door didn;t miss the significance of the blood on the floor in front of the mirror and a bloody towel Emma had used.  He didn't miss the signifance of seeing Emma hustle "Danny" out the back door with his coat on but not buttoned.

^The trip to the emergency room was in silence save for when Emma bitched out DT for not coming to her...

^The night was clear, it hadn't snowed that day and the pavement had actually been plowed.  DT's prayers of falling and breaking his neck before the shame of having to admit to attempting suicide were destroyed.

^Emma marched DT stright to the reception nurse, an old friend of her's who wore nametag marked "Glenda".

~This man just tried cutting his throat.  Who is the duty MD, Glenda?"                                                               ~Dr. White Owe.  What have we here?"

~My friend tried to cut his own fucking throat."

~It's the holidays, brings them out every time."

~But I had a great meal with fine friends and the best time I've had in a long time," DT protested.

^Emma and Glenda just looked at each other in mutual cynical amusement.

~That's when they usually come out."

~May I have your Medical Csrd, sir>"

^DT pulled his old medical card out from his wallet.  He figured his old employer must have cancelled it but when "Glenda" called the card in to verify it, she didn't act like the card had been cancelled.

^DT was given a form to fill out with name, address (the street address of the SA Hotel, next of kin (he put down Emma) and he left place of employment blank.

^Emma walked him to an exsamining room where Emma sat him on a table and took his blood pressure, his heart rate and filled this information in.

^Minutes later, the Duty MD walked in.  He was a Resident who was dressed in sweet pants, a t-shirt and some kind of slippers.

~So, Mr. Unruh, this is a hell of a way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day."

^He tilted DT's head back and examined the duct tape butterflies.  The sight of blood didn't seem to bother him much.

~Nice work on the butterflies.  Did you do this Emma?"

~Yes, I did Doctor."

~Why didn't you call an ambulance?"

~What could an ambulance crew do that I hadn't already done?"

~True.  Well, would you mind helping me?"

~Gladly."

^Dr. White Owe filled a large syring and walked back to DT and said "this is novacane.  Are you allergic to 'cane products?"

~No, sir," DT replied.

^After tilting his head back, Emma carefully scrubbed blood off around the cut with an anticeptic solutions.  Then,  the MD gave DT a series of shots. After that, he paused while the drug took effect.  Finally,  Emma began removing her butterflies and the MD started putting stitdhes in.  

^It took a long time and DT's neck began to cramp.

~How much longer will this take," he grumped.

~Well, you should have thought of this before you tried to cut your throat. Oh, by the way, grow a beard." The MD didn't have a lot of sympathy for would be suicides.

~Why?"

~You wouldn't want your friends to see the lovely scar you've given yourself, now would you?"

@Scar?" DT said rather stupidly, not realizing how he sounded.

~Yes, scar. you didn't think a cut as deep as that would be scar free?  Oh, yes, you didn't think..."

^Thee was dead silence.

@Is this your first attempt?"

@Yes."

@It probably won't be the last. Emma, do you think we should instutionize him?"

@No, he's in a pretty good place now and will be watched closely.  I'll see to it."

^Dr. White Owe was kind and simply marked on the chart "shaving accident".  The details would be in the narrative attached but the damning words "attempted suicide" were not on the form sent to his insurer.  The physical descripton of the damage was unfortunately.

^Emma got DT back into his winter coat and buttoned it up.  They left hosptital and drove directly back to the hotel.  Before going in she warned:

~Don't be surprised if everyone knows what you've done.  I just remembered that we left your door open."

~Oh, shit."

~Oh, shit, indeed."

^They made it into the wing DT lived on without running into anyone.  His door was closed and that was a bad sign.  She lead DT towards the Major's office.  There, they ran into most of the residents.

^One sweet old lady walked up to DT and said:

~Are you going to be all right?"

~Yes, I think I am."

^SHe then kissed him on his rigft cheek, backed up and whip-ped her left hand in a back hand slap to DT's left cheek.  He felt ight headed, thought he was going to fall and the pain was so much it didn't really feel like pain.  He had been verging on shock and this pushed him a lot closer.

^He was helped to a chair.

@Don't you ever fucking do this to me again," the old lady hissed in pure fury.  He didn't know her very well and didn't know she still had flashbacks to her son's suicide some 44 years before.

^The other residents began talking and no one remembered what what said the next day.  The most memorable event was when one of the older gentleman (a War 1 and War 2 Army vet) followed DT into his room, spread a thin mattress onto the floor and laid down. Emma brought in a blanket for him and a pillow.

~If you get up to take a head call, wake me up.  Oh," the old man continued, "I have to pee in the middle of the night.  You're going to the head with me when I do."

^DT got up to pee once and his "house guest" got up twice.  DT took some pain killers about 3 am and the "house guest" joined him.  ("Don't get old, it's a real bitch, boy.")

^When Emma arrived the next morning, the old man was sleeping in DT's bed and DT was stretched out on the mattress, also snorring.

^The rest of the weekend was spent with DT undergoing threapy and being the center of attention from the residents.  It was getting to be a bit much.

^The worst was losing his "shaving privledges".  That is, he was told he woujld not shave.  So, he decided to grow a beard.  This was exactly why he was being harrassed by his minders.

^The scar was rather red and "angry" and Emma Marie Walker kept a very close watch on it.  It looked to be a classic, in her opinion...

^FInally, Daniel Theodore Unruh had reached his limits.  He was tired of what his life had become.  He asked Emma to join him with his minister and head therapist, Major Elizabeth Ann McGuire.

~I was a lawyer and was dis=barred for bullshit reasons.  I am going to fight for that.  I suspect I've lost my CPA license but I can still do bookkeeping and accounting but it isn't as much fun now.  I can still advise y0unger lawyers and that remains fun.  So, I'm going to come up with a plan."

~What else, Danny?"

~I also have whast could be described as a 'buried treasure' and I want it back."

^Major Beckie McGuire decided she didn't need or rather want to know what a powerful lawyer would consider "buried treasure".  She had once wanted to know all the secrets there were to know and had learned the downside of that.  She knew things she wished she didn't and so Daniel Theodore Unruh was saved from himself.

^Again...

~So, what are the problems?" Major McQuire asked.

~First, I was fired on the grounds that I'd had sex with a client.  That was bull on the grounds that we didn't have sex and I was hired days after I was allegedly seen having sex with Emma.  My ex-boss says the paperwork is there but I haven't verified this.  I can't get back in to see. The notion that Emma was my client at the time of the alleged sex was the basis of my being dis-bared."

^Both women looked puzzled.

^DT plowed on.

~That damned judge locked up my money and I want access to it.  Of the $700,000 in our joint account, I raised $400,000 myself and logically that should be mine.  Mine to use today. (He had forgotten that fairness and such logic had little to do with money disposition in divorse cases...)  I want the stuff I left at the hosue."

~I would also like my car back!"

~Then, you have a plan, Danny?"

~Yes, Becky, I do.  Now, I just need to find helpers to get it carried out and I'm going to think on that."

~Have you given up your plans to die?"

~Yes, ma'am, I'll let God harvest my ass in his time."

~Good, we'll hold you to that."

^Both Emma and the Major knew how often first time suicides tried again.  There was something the siren call that overwelmed many and having tried once, the act had lost it's hesitation value.  They would keep a very close watch on him...

Chapter 6 - Allies...

^It was late December, near Christmas, when Detective Sergeant Jack Bauer, also known as Electronics Technician First Class Jack Bauer, Navy Retired, dropped by Unruh's old office to discuss testimony he was to give.  He stopped by the receipionist desk.

^How are today, Mary?"

~Oh, I'm fine.  Are you ready for Christmas?"

~Not really, you know buying for kids."

~Yes.  Oh, by the way, do you remember Danny Unruh, one of our 'lost lawyers'?"

~Oh, I remember him quite well.  Did you know he was one of my officers in 'Nam?  We called him shovel because he was willing to dig a fox hole and drag the wounded to safety.  Yeah,  I rmemever him."

~Well, we got a medical bill today.  He's still on our medical plan, you know.  He had to go to the Emergency Room for a shaving accident."

~Let me see those forms."  

^The Secretary, Mary, was shocked at his intensity.

~This is bad, very bad," Jack Bauer said as he read through the forms.

~Why bad," and she read the details.

~Suicide attempt with a fucking straight razor?  Oh, if I knew where he lives, I'd kick his ass!"

~Me, too, me too and a bunch of other folks.  Now, tell me about the problems he had before he 'went missing'!"

~The dis-barring, the divorce, being fired.  There was something odd about all of that, you know.  Then, when we tried to get in touch with him, there was no reply."

^Mary began hunting through some forms.

~Ah," she said with relish, "here is something interesting. Come back at 3:30, that will be after management leaves for the day."

~I'll do that."

^One of the Senior Partners wandered over.

~Can I help you?"

~No, I needed an appointment to disucss my testimony in a case." He looked back at Mary. "Down the hall and first right?"

~Yes."

~What is that," the Senior Lawyer asked.

~That is where the Men's Room is, sir."

^Jack Bauer returned to his office looking irritated.  This was unusual enough that his boss, the Chief of Detectives, motioned Bauer into his office.

~What's bothering you, Jack?"

~Have you heard anything from Dan Unruh lately?"

~Not since the morning of that dis-barring fiaasco.  Did anyone ever find his car?  He hasn't been around lately."

~He tried to commit suicide."

~What! When the fuck did <b>that</b> happen?"

~Thanksgiving Day.  He was found by a friend who took him to the hospital.  The forms didn't say where he is living."

~I'm going to visit the man. What about you?"

~I'm going back at 3:30 since the receptionist said she knew something interesting.  Here is the last known address his firm had."

^The Detective Chief stomped out of his office.  He didn't bother telling anyone he was "checking on the details of a case".  It is were personal, he would have said so.

^At 3:40, Bauer returned to the law firm.  Mary was waiting for him.

^She pointed at the the schedule book.

~I found something interesting and that's why I asked you to return.  Do you see this number?  Each page is sequentially numbered." 

^Bauer shrugged.

~Here is the day supposedly was hired by Ms. Walker;  this page number is out of sequence.  Here is the day Dan Unruh says he was actually hired.  This sheet is also out of sequence.  This means the pages were replaced after the fact.  You'll notice the hand writing?  My hand writing is quite different from the hand writing on these two sheets.  I can give you examples of the senior manager's handwriting to prove it was the number two boss in the office who filled this out."

~So it was forged."

~Yes and it gets better. Come with me, please."

^She opened a drawer and pulled out a log book.

~Mr. Unruh insisted that all our lawyer billing sheets have sequencial numbers and be checked out.  When that senior lawyer asked for two blank billing sheets, I signed two sheets out to him.  Those are the two sheets in the book.  The origionals were signed out to me the day before each work day.  There is something even more damning:  we make a copy of each day's billing book for the office.  You'll notice the billing for Ms. Walker started when Mr. Unruh was in hospital.

~Don't forget the electronics?"

^Neither Mary or Bauer had noticed a newly hired lawyer listening from the door.

~Remember how we started putting job assignments into the computer last year?  Well, management didn't think to see what all went goes into that.  When you get the printed copy of the job assignments, it just gives you the date you enter onto the form and etc.  If you look at the data stored on the computer, you'll find the actually creation date and the revision date."

~Can you find old versions?"

~Yes.  It's fairly easy to do but that's a job restricted to the Computer Administrator.  We run our system from a mainframe at the Federal Building.  I can demonstrate."

^The young lawyer went to Mary's computer terminal and typed in some codes. Then, he called up the billing record/job assignment.

~This is interesting.  The date is ... and yet the message modification date is ...  You see this code? You notice the message creation time and date are highlighted?  This means they were changed.  If we type in these commands, we get the previous version and that previous version was made on ...  So, we have the true date the job assignedment was entered.  Then, given the time frame Mr. Unruh was in hospital, we see the origional job assignment was the day after he had surgery."

^There was dead silence.

~This record was a forgery and Mr. Unruh didn't have Ms. Walker as a client the day she allegedly blew him."

~So, why would they fake a job assignment?"

~It did get him fired and was a major contributor to his dis-barment procedures."

~Dis-barrment?  That again?"

^There was a pause.

~I'll have to figure how to use this information without getting either of you in trouble. Say nothing of this to anyone."

^Jack Bauer left and returned to his office.  There, he went straight to his boss.

~I checked the job billing reports and found they were forged.  What did you find?"

~I found that Daniel Theodore Unruh hasn't been at his apartment since the day after his dis-barrment fiasco.  There were a number of letters for him, including some from his old law office.  Judge Thomas gave me a legal search warrant for these letters; I told him Unruh was missing and we feared foul play.  Let's see what our boy was sent?"

^They started reading the letters from the law firm in sequencial order.  The first was a firing notice.  The second was more interesting...

^They put out a quiet APB for "Daniel Theodore Unruh, wanted for questioning."

Chapter 7 - Facing Himself

~The wash water was warm, which felt good on his hands and althoug it was only 7 pm, DT wanted to go home; well, to that place which now passed for his home. It had been a typical day: he had gotten up late, gone for a run, ate the lunch his "land lords" provided and then worked.

~He was a disgraced lawyer but he had been an accountant before that.  His afternoon was spent doing the books for a few friends who ran businesses.  They owed him and were now helping him.  It was "off the books" so it didn't pay well.  It was, however, an income that prick Bill Nichols (AKA "the leech") couldn't touch.

~He could do much better and he knew what he needed to do.  It just took the courage to swallow his pride and head to bar called "Janus".  It was located above the only legimate gay art gallery in Rockford, Illinois.  The second floor was a very discrete gay bar; in the "back room" was a separate place called "Janus": the place where lawyers, cops and the most powerful met.

~He dried his hands and thought about siting down for a snack of oatmeal and tea, his favourite late night meal.  This was a restraunt called "Williams" where the dishs for the "special section" were known to be "done by hand" and he had gotten a nice dinner at 5 pm and then his oatmeal (his favourate comfort meal) for doing dishs for about 20 dinners.  He could have continued on <i>status quo</i> but he'd kept thinking of losing his treasure, his Koogerands!

~I've got to leave early," he told his bosses.  That was fine with them as the croud was very slim and the management didn't mind having to hand wash dishes themselves.  They wished DT a good evening.

~This was unthinkable, so he called Emma.

~I've decided to ask for help.  Will you come to the Janus with me?"

~Certainly. I'll be out front."

^Emma had been contacted by the police (Jack Bauer) earlier that day and had confirmed that "D.T. is fine."  She was wondering how to set up a meeting with various folks and how to get DT to it.  It looked like DT was doing this for her...

^Since DT was driving her Pinto, she knew he would be driving slowly. So, she had plenty of time to call a few people and they agreed to call a few more and the management of the "Janus" agreed to tell customers that they were having a special guest that evening.

^DT would be surprised...

^The crous at the gay bar were used to an electic group of people coming up the outside stairs.  It was the folks coming up those stairs and going straight to the "Janus" that had them concerned.  Among these were the Criminal Boss of the City ("Mark"), at least one Assistant DA, the Chief of Detectives, a couple of senior Detectives (including Jack Bauer) and some folks that didnm't look like they belonged in a gay bar and some that did.  

^There was one young man who gave off subtle "gay vibes" and his companion who did not.  Their body language said they were good friends.  These two were a puzzlement...

^Daniel Theodore Unruh and Emma Marie Walker up the staird to the gay bar and that got some odd looks from those who knew Emma well; the couple's body language said they were a couple and yet how could that be?

^The enterance to the "Janus" was a wide door, with opaque glass and a styalized two faced person on it.  This, then, was the lawyer's hangout...

^At first, when they entered, no one recognized DT.  He didn't look the same: he had grown a short beard (easy for a man who needed to shave first thing in the morning and then at 4 pm), he was dressed plainly and not in the custom suits that "DT Unruh, Esq." was noted for and he'd both lost a lot of weight and bulked out a bit from the workouts and running.

~Can we help you," a bar tender asked politely.

~Yes, table for you, please."

^The voice did it; even the most ineberiated legal assistant would have recognized DT's voice.  Not that it mattered, the clients of the "Janus" that night were noted for their ability to remain silent about matteres that happened at the "Janus"...

~DT, is that you?"

~Yiou can't be Unruh; you don't look right?"

~DT Unruh?  You think you're a lumber jack or something?"

~Where the fuck have you been?"  That alone summed up what everyone wanted to know.

~I've...been around. I just haven't felt like visiting anyone.

~Why not?" This was from an Assistant DA DT had "feuded" with for years.

~The disgrace.  I'm a dis-barred lawyer.  How could I come here?"

~Ah, dis-barred, you say," the same ADA replied.

~Yes, dis-barred!  Are you losing your hearing?"

~Probably but why do you say 'dis-barred'?"

^DT was getting a bad feeling, a feeling that felt like optimism.

~You remember the dis-barring procedure?  I testified, the judge ordered a break and then I went off to think.  I got car jacked on the way back and by the time I was through with giving a police report, I was late getting back to the court house.  I was then told I'd been dis-barred."

~Who told you that?"

~Nichols, that fucking bloodsucking leech and Officer Filbert.  They both gloated."

~Daniel Theodore, you dumb shit!  You should have asked for the paperwork and used it to start your appeal!"  This was from "Mark", the unofficial King of Rockford and it's surroundings.

~Yes, sir. But why, the testimony sounds very damning to me."

^There was a general sigh.

~After you left, an old friend of yours, Jack Bauer said he'd found a witness to contridict Filbert's bullshit.  His witness had been practicing covert operations..."

~What?" was DT's reply to the ADA who had taken over the conversation.

~Covert operations.  I said 'covert operations' as in SWAT Team training.  Said witness saw you and Miss Emma walk to a bus stop.  There, he heard her tell you about the dangers of an untreadted hernia, told you all sorts of bad things that could happen and told you that you and I quote 'should not have farted off your Doctor's diagnosis and should have had that hernia corrected months ago."

^There was a pause while DT took this in and wondered if this were true.

~She then touched you."  There was a general snickering from the audience.

~Touched me?"  DT didn't know what else to say.

~Yes, touched you on the left kneww and said, quoting from this officer, 'get the hernia treated or I'll touch you next upside the head.  You know I've studied Martial Arts and can slap like a two bi four. End of quote and I hope you never piss her off that much.  Someone tried to rape her a couple of years ago and she slapped the silly bastard so hard he pleaded for mercy.  Then, to you know what happened?'

~Ah, no..."

~She made him a sergial appointment."

~Surgical appointment?" DT wasn't too thrilled at being the straight man in this comedy routine.

~Kneed him in the balls two or three times and her surgeon had to do emergency work on the attempted rapist.  We felt so sorry for him that we didn't press charges.  Word is, he joined the Marines and is on isolated duty in northern Afganistan, watching the Soviets over the border."

~Where did you go?  The Court sent you a legal letter saying your dis-barrment case had been dropped for lack of convincing convicting evidence and for having credible evidence for acquital.  A major witness for the prosecution, Mrs. Debra Marie Moody-LaMare was seen entering the Courthouse with a large packet of papers just after Miss Emma testified.  She told an officer that she 'had the goods on you and had found every shady thint you'd ever done'.  She was seen about an hour later, by the same officer,  leaving by the same back door, with her hair slightly disheveled.  She didn't have any papers with her and looked very happy. One officer said she looked 'contented, pleased and like a cat that had just eatten the fat off her human's dinner plate'.  Anyway, I'd like to have seen that bitch looking pleased with anything."

~Fat off a plate?"  This was something puzzling to DT but to the ADA.

~Yeah, man, don't you know cats love to eat fat and love to eat protein.  He means a cat willing to chow down and willing to take advantage of a stray opportunity."  Jack Bauer finished speeking and smirked.

~I wonder what that bitch ate, then," and accidentally hit upon why Debra Marie Moody-LaMare had missed court.  Apparently he was the only one not in on the joke and when Emma told him later, he had the grace to blush...

~So, I've been a lawyer all along and could have been making money.  What about my firing?"

^The ADA took up the conversation.  "Jack Bauer can prove your old company faked the date when you were hired by Miss Emma.  They changed records but the senior partners didn't know where to change everything and the secretaries didn't voluenteer to help with a cover-up.  The proof is there if anyone wants to look and your former secretary, Mary, helped Jack Bauer find it."

~Why?"

~Believe it or not, shit for brains, there are people who love you.  Now, I am not one of them," continued the ADA, "but I like and respect and even, God help me, admire you.  You're a fine lawyer but you were always too damn cocky and cocksure.  You're not quite like that anymore and I think I miss the old you."

~I got very depressed, thinking of being shitcanned by my wife;  I never saw the divorce coming.  I was told that I'd been sleeping around with a client when I knew I had not been; lost my job because my boss said I'd been screwing a client - phycically anyway - (that got a laugh) and the divorce judge locked out my money.  I thought I'd been dis-barred and that my life had really come to an end.  I think back on how I should have faught back and I can't understand why I didn't.  I guess I was quite depressed and..."  He couldn't continue.

~The man needs help," Emma stated. "He's getting psychological help but there is something else he needs."

~Why psychological?" This was from "Mark", the King Of Rockford.

~My Danny went beyond depressed.  For some reason, he decided to start shaving with a straight razor instead of his electric..."

^The audience could see where she was going with this and hped they were guessing wrong.  Emma tilted DT's head back and they could see a white line through the beard on his neck.

~The silly bastard tried to committ suicide by razor but couldn't bring himself to do it.  I put butterfly bandages on his neck and got him sewed up at the emergency room.  I got him into therapy but there is always danger of relapse.  I suppse he doesn't realize I know he cut himself yesterday with his pocket knife.  He put a bandage on the cut but it was deep and dripped a lot.  I know because the bandage came off and I could see the cut.  What did you stop?"

~I wasn't trying to comitt suicide, really I wasn't.  I just felt numb and in the words of the Jahn Cash song:

        I hurt myself today
        To see if I still feel
        I focus on the pain
        The only thing that's real
        The needle tears a hole
        The old familiar sting
        Try to kill it all away
        But I remember everything

Well, I realzied I don't like pain and didn't like cutting myself and damn sure could still feel.  So, I like to think I've given up trying to hurt myself...physically anyway."

~Well, Unruh," said someone in the bar, "if I ever hear of your doing this kind of shit again, I'll personally introduce you to pain;  I will personally beat the crap out of you."


~I'll see to it that charges are never brought, Danny and I'll probably toss in a few slaps myself."  No one doubted the ADA...

~So, why did you come here, Daniel Theodore," the King of Rockfore asked.  "I think I know the answer but state it anyway."

~I came into a windfall, let us say and I stashed it.  I then tried recovering my little fortune but I'd gotten too clever and ended up not being able to get to my stash."

~The King of Rockford spoke: "What I'm about to say can't be discussed.  Danny helped me with a little problem I had and I was able to reward him with a lovely little treasure.  Since it was a slightly illegal transaction,  we couldn't exactly have Danny stating his reward as income.  So,  I gave him valuable coins.  I offered to let him store them in my vault but it looks like Danny was afraid I'd be busted.  Is that the case?"  DT nodded.  "Well, dont' be.  I store a lot of stuff in my vault and I've been told it is off limits to federal and state 'visits'."  No one needed to know that "Mark's" vault stored such sundires as the plans for an advanced neutron bomb and evidence of who had killed Jimmy Hoffa. 

~Well," DT allowed, "I imaging that Nichols looked in every place I could have hid the coins."

~Well, yes, he did," the ADA allowed. "He looked in your personal safe at your old law firm.  He found a 35 year old bottle of Coniac, the same brand you boss loves, with a note: Save for Manny's retirement.  Manny took that bottle and apparently likes to look at it on his bookcase.  Then, they looked in your joint safety dsposit box and your wife said she'd put stuff in there.  They found two safe deposit boxes she didn't know about: one in Chicago and the other in a bank in Stephenson County.  Both had $10,000 each and a note to your wife saying to 'use this money if I die and our accounts are frozen'.  Your wife cried over that."

~What about Gelina?"

~'What Bout Galina?' Are you saying you have a safe deposit box that no one knows about?"

~Well, not everybody.  The receipt came to my office and Mary knows about it.  I later changed the billing address and the old firm won't hear from that bank again."

"You should have used that safe deposit.  Mary nearly lost her job for defending you to the bosses and she won't be talking."

~Enough suppense.  Where did you hide your coins?"  Jack Bauser was curious now.

~Perloined letter, I'm afraid.  I hid it in my back yard."

~In your fucking back yard?"

"Well, I put two boxes in the shed and buried the other three by the sidewalk. They're kind of hard to get to."

~When did you try.  Several weeks ago, just after Thanksgiving actually."

~Why didn't you just tell your wife and go dig them up in the middle of the day?"

~She'd divorced me.  I didn't want her fucking lawyer, that leech Bruce Nichols getting them.  He'd want to know when and where and why I got them, he'd probably hide most of the coins and he would just be insufferable."  No one had ever heard Daniel Theodore Unruh cuss before and he made it sound dirty.

~Your wife fired him after learning that he may have lied on the stand."

~I could go talk to her about me getting the coins?"

~Wouldn't bet on it," Jack Bauer replied. "She is still pissed at you and is feeling guilty."

~So, who do I go get it," DT wondered.

~Why did you decid you needed it back?"

~I reemmber my wife telling me she was going to have trees put in the back yard.  Yeah, I know, there is still snow on the ground but I've got to do something about getting my coins back."

~Well, tell us what happened when you tried?"  Jack Bauer was using his patiently- talking- with- perps- voice and everyone but he knew it.  It was almost funny.

^DT thought for a moment.

~I put two of the boxes in the lowest of some storage boxes in my old shed.  Then,  I dug three holes in the yard, next to the sidewalk and buried a box of coins in each hole.  Now, I had no intention of damaging the boxes so I wrapped them in plastic bags.  The boxes will be wine, I can almost guarentee that."

~You'd better," 'Mark' muttered.  Everyone knew how much he valued the gifts he gave and how much it pissed him off when people didn't have equally high regard for his gifts...

~It never occurred to me that I'd be divorced and it never occurred to me that I might need a more accessable place to stash my treasure.  So, I picked a place that was too close to home to be suspected and yet safe; I would probably have been better off if I'd asked someone to store my boxes but I couln't think of anyone whose house might not be searched."

^There was a pause and someone said: "Actually, DT, Brucie Nichols doesn't know most of your friends and you could have stored those coins in many places.  For example, you could have left them in the art gallery's vault;  it could have been labeled "private collection, not to be displayed".  There is a secure storage facility just off State Street;  they don't take names and as long as you pay up ahead of time, your stuff is safe. It's run by the Police Union so they are very tight about search warrants.  There were other places."

~Anyway,  I made myself a ghillie suit.  That's a Scotish sniper cammie outfit.  Actually, I started it but Emma did a lot of the sewing.  I borrowed Emma's 'Ford Bomb' (Pinto) and drove over to my old house.  I let myself in the back door to the yard and walked over to stand on the grass.  This was shortly after it had started snowing.  I had my shovel with me and planned on taking five minutes or so to get the coins from the storage shed.  Then, I realazied I'd have to brush the snow off the yard but figured I'd have the other coins inside of an hour.  I first realzied the shed was locked and I didn't have the key.  Then, I realzied that if I dug up the yard, I didn't have any fill dirt to replace the hole created by the box.  I thought I was really stuck. I froze.  I thoght I'd stopped moving from shock but later realized my subconsious mind had picked up on something."

^He paused to sip a beer the waitress had given him.  He got a lot of foam at first and then a nice sip of his first beer in weeks.  It tasted wonderful...

~My nosy neighbors had looked out their window and must have seen me moving or saw the footprints.  Anyway, they opened their porch door about the time it started snowing harder and my footprints started filling in quicker.  I waited until their light went off before leaving.  I noticed my prints were filling in nicely before I shut the gate, went to Emma's car and drove off down the alley.  I figured that if I backup up, I might have an accident.  Instead, I was trying to make it look like some idiot had taken a 'short cut'.  I went around the block, sort of and saw a police car down my alley.  I guess it was a good idea that I'd left when I did..."

~So," said Jack Bauer, "they leaves the problem of getting the coins back. Any ideas?"

~I'd like to dig them up in a hurry."

~And the difference between a 'midnight raid' and a daytime group effort is what?" Jack Bauer could be most annoying.

^One of their visitors, the young man who'd come there for the second time, Dave Sillings, spoke up.

~Mr. Unruh, my experience in the Navy taught me that appearance is everything.  If you're going to do something shady, make it look like you're doing something legal.  Or, as Robert Heinlein said in 'If This Goes On', always make the evidence point to a lesser crime. so, while the goal is to retrieve your 'treasure', you need to make it look like something your wife would approve of."

~Yes."

~You planned on putting in trees or so I've heard.  Let's put in trees.  The holes we'll dig to get your boxes out will be filled with trees.  Not just three trees because there were three boxes but as many trees as you would legimately have put in.  how many would that have been?"

~Five."

~There is a problem.  If you plant live trees at this time of the year, they're likely to die and that would really make her wonder <i>why</i> them trees were planted.  You've got to 'point the evidence' away from the holes."  This was the other young man, Bill Tanner, speaking.

^There was a pause while everyone pondered this question.  'Mark' bought a round for the house (he owned the "Janus" after all...).

~My wife, ex-wife, is one of those people who plan out everything ahead of time.  When we were planning our house,  she drew the floor plans on graph paper,  make scale size representations of the furnature and moved the little pieces of paper around.  She likes to see what something will look like ahead of time."

~Then," Bill Tanner replied, "give her models of trees."

~How would that work?"

~Take two by fours, put something like a couple of big boxes on one end and bury the other end where the future trees will go.  You then tell her this is to give her an idea of what to expect.  Of course,  you'll have to arrange for real trees to be planted or she'll get curious."

~OK, so I guess I'll have to arrange for trees to be brought in come April or May. No problem."

~No problem indeed, Danny, I'll take care of it.  I've got a troop of Explorer Scouts who need a community service project and this will be a fine one.  I'll take care of the funding; I feel somewhat guilty for not saving you from yourself and this is atonement."  

^No one argued when 'Mark' decided on the battle plan.

~Danny, if you ever get in trouble again, I'd better be the first person you go to.  You don't want to piss me off again like you've done recently.  I'll let you get away with it now, because you were distraut but you've used 'the distraut card'.  Remember that my boy or pay in blood and pain."

^'Mark' had spoken.  It was not a threat, it was a soluem promise and none of the cops were willing to take legal action based on it.  After all, some of the cops wre tempted to bitch slap Daniel Theodore Unruh themselves.

^To some, nothing says "I love you" quite like the treat of a bitch slapping...

~So, your parents still live in Kansas?"

~Yes, sir."

~I would have had to fly your body to Kansas if you'd killed yourself.  I would have had to cause false police reports to be filled to make it look like you're been murdered!  I would not have allowed your parents to think you died a suicide.  Do you understand this, boy!  I would have lied for your family and I don't like lying if I can help it!"

^DT had served under the command of some real assholes when he was in the Navy (most of them senior officers but a few senior enlisted) and this was the worst ass chew he'd ever gotten.  'Mark' had gone for his weak spot, his parent's thoguhts of him and he didn't want that to happen again.

~I guess I wasn't thinking beyong ending my pain."

~Well start thinking of that.  Write your parents and your grandmother Jamie, the one who lives in Ulysses Kansas."

~Yes, sir, I will."

~Good.  Now, who wants to help?"

~The two new guys, Bill Tanner and Dave Sillings both stuck up their hands.  

^Jack Bauer said "I can make the fake trees."  

^One of the other police officers said "We can use some coveralls SWAT used when doing stakeouts.  They're the kins of clothing workers wear."

~We'll plan this work on 3 January 1977.  Have everything ready and we'll muster at the Salvation Army Hotel.  This is not only going to work, this is going to be fun!"

^The rest of the evening was spent with DT and Emma having another round each and then driving sedately back to their hotel.

^He drove and as they were getting out of her car, she paused and spoke: "Have you called your parents lately?"

~No, I hadn't even thought of it."

~Maybe you should.  There is no telling what Jean told your parents."

^They went to their respective rooms.  In hers, Emma called DT ex-wife, Jean Partica Unruh.  She answered immediately.

~Jean Unruh, this is Emma Walker. Is this a good time to talk?"

~No time is <b>ever</b> good for talking with you!"

^Emma sighed.

~I did not have sex with your husband.  How many times do I have to say that?"

~You didn't?"

~No, I didn't.  I'm, ahhh, not attracted to Daniel in that way."


^Jean Unruh didn't really know what to make of that so she let it pass.

~So, what can I do for you?"

~How have you been doing?  The divorce and Danny's job loss and all must have hurt.  Have you gotten help?"

~Yes, it hurts and yes I'm gotten help and why are you asking?"

~I'm a surgical nurse and a friend of our Danny.  I don't want anything bad to happen to you." 

^There was a subtle empahsis on "you" that lead Jean to wonder just what was going on.  The truth was simply something beyond her imagination.

~I'm trying to get him to write his parents and I need to know what you've told his parents and his grandma.  There is an 800 pound gorilla in Rockford that runs everything; this gorilla just ordered Danny to write his parents and his grandmother.  This gorilla doesn't take no for an answer.  But, I'd like to know what you've told his folks.  I've got Dannie in therapy, a twelve step programme and he is talking with a Preacher on a daily basis.  We're going to keep him together."

~Thank you for that.  It seems like I was tricked into everything."

~Please let me know <b>what</b> lead you to doubt your husband and take the divorce route.  Danny really didn't see that coming and I'm certain he never cheate on you.  He would have told me if he had."

~With you?"

~With me? With me what?  Oh, with me <b>that</b> way.  No, no, no, as I've said,  I'm not attracted to him that way."

~Good!  I told his parents that he'd had job problems and been fired.  I also told them the reason for firing was pure crap and that he should fight it.  I din't memtion that dis-barringt crap and I had to tell them about our divorce.  I had to try explaining why we'd divorced and why he hadn't written.  His parents said they'd tell his Grannie." 

^Now Jean sighed.

~Are you getting help?  You don't sound like you think the divorce was a good idea."

~I never thought it was a good idea.  It just seemed to happen and I look back and wonder why?  It's like we got pushed down a slippery slope and every thing that would make me watn to divorce seemed to be in place and the items that would make me pull out magically disappeared.  It was really eerie, especially since they stopped coming around once Danny was screwed and we were divorced."

~We'll have to discuss this further, Jean.  Please write down everything that happened so we can figure out who wanted to harm you two, dear and maybe waht can be done about them."

~Do you know the '800 pound gorilla'?"

~Yes, I do."

~Eight hundred pound gorillas can tear a man into shreds.  Let's find some folks for the big ape to shred!"

~We'll do that!"

^Emma hung up and went to DT's room.  It was late and he was alone; he had showered quickly and was dressed in a clan pair of running shorts.  Emma was impressed by how much better DT looked compared to when she'd seen him nude on the operating table.  There <b>had</b> been solid muscle under the now missing fat layer.

~I talked with Jean. She said that she'd talked with your parents and told them that you two were divorced and that you'd had problems at work.  She told them you'd been fired for bogus reasons but were fighting the firing."

~Well, I am now.  How did she sound?"

~She sounds better than you do.  I think she might miss you."

~Well, I miss her."

^Emma felt sorry for DT and walking over to him, pushed him down on his bed.  Then, she sat on his lap and they spent a few mintues kissing.  Emma was gay (or lesbo as she sometimes said) but she still liked the right men.

^After kissing for a while, she decided to give DT a nice Christmas present.  She pulled him up and then pulled his shorts down and thumped him back down on his bed.  DT want' one to turn down a nice present and enjoyed watching her blow him.  It was the best sex he'd had since the last time with his wife.

^Afterwards, she patted him on the cheek and left.

^DT waited for several minutes, thinking of what had just happened and then went to her room.  Emma was wearing a thin nightie when he entered her room.

~I was thinking of giving ;you a present, my dear."

~Something personal?"

~Very personal, my dear."  DT tried to avoid leering but didn't succed.

~I don't fuck, DT, I just don't.  It's not something I want to try and..."

~Relax, Emma, relax!  I know you don't want to fuck and I totally respect that wish.  Besides, I'm not man or rather young enough to get it up so soon.  I now what you really want!"

~What is that?"

~You want me to kiss the cross on you.  The origional version of signing the cross on one's self."

~And that is?"

^She was standing when he lightly touched her on the lips, genitals, right nipple and left nipple.

~Ah, she said, <b>that</b> cross."

~Yes and it is traditional to touch yourself in that order but it is traditional now for lovers to kiss mouth and then nipples and then pussy.  Let me help you get that nightie off."

^He helped her get the nightie off and then helped her get off but kissing his way down her body.  It wa a pleasant ending to a strange and stressful evening...

^He wandered down to breakfast just before the kitchen closed.  He sat down with a rather largeish breakfast of well cooked bacon, three eggs over medium, nice has browned spuds, a slice of sour dough bread coated with strawberry jam, orange juice, coffee and a piece of apple pie.  He'd had enough with eatting "good" and trying to lose weight.

^Emma and one of the young men of the night before showed up as he was realizing that he didn't have the appatite to eat the apple pie.  He was regretting taking it...

~May we join you," Emma said as DT stood up.  

~Certainly~  He then pulled her chair out and this got rasied eyebrows from both Emma and Dave Silling.

~Have you two eatten?"

~I missed breakfast," Dave Sillings admitted.

~Well, eat my desert.  I was feeling good and feeling hungry so I took too much. Here, you can use my fork, I don't have any mouth transmitted diseases."

^Sillings took fork and pie and started eatting it.

~Diseases that I know of, anyway."

^For some reason, Sillings thought that was funnier than it really was.

~Danny, you were a Navy officer, weren't you?"

~Yes, years ago."

~You were, Sir?"  Sillings looked surprised and quit eatting.

~Yes, I was.  I got out of the Navy back around 1966 so I've been a civilian for a long time."

~Yes, sir."

~Mr. Sillings, I figure you to be aound 26 years ago.  That means, I got out of the Navy when you were about 16 so skip the 'sir' and don't act like I'm an officer 'fixing to bust your ass'!"

^The "bust your ass" got too much of a smile. DT wondered about that...

~I was a Navy supply officer, a 'Pork Chop'.  I served on two ship and did a tour in 'Nam with the CBs.  A couple of years ago,  I was told that my unit had been serving under Army infantry officers and a privatge law was passed allowing a number of such units to receive the Army CIB." They all knew he meant the "Combat Infantry Badge".  So, what can I do for you?"

~I got out of the Navy two months ago when my enlistment ran out.  I was thinking civilian life might be nicer but it hasn't been so great.  I'd like to get a legal job  civilian side but I haven't had an easy time of it."

~What was your rating?"

~I was a Legalman First Class, sir."

~That should be good enough for you to get a para-legal job while you get your B A or BS in Rockford. There is a good legal school in Chicago you could attend.  I know of some firms that allow part time work and which would pay you full time on a payback system.

~Well, there is a problem with that. I was stationed in San Diego for four years and went to school nights.  During my freshman year, the San Diego State University Legal School admitted me to study.  They didn't ask about the lack of a Batchelers until I had graduated.  They did say I could try the bar exam but they wouldn't let me take it there."

~Humm.  What about the Armed Forces Legal School?"

~I don't know about that."

~You'd have to be back in the Navy.  For that matter, you could get admitted to practice in a place that isn't as picky as California."

~I would have to return to the Navy."

~Would you mind letting me see your evals?"

^DT wan not surprised to be handed a thick folder and he bagan reading through it.  He didn't notice the cleanup crew refill his coffee cup twice and didn't notice the SA Major nodd when Emma whispered "DT is trying to help Dave with his legal problems".  The Major smiled with pleasure at this and so DT was excused from the morning group therapy.

~You've got some good evals and some great evals as well.  The last eval, the one talking about why you left the Navy is so meeley mouthed that I feel like rincing my eyes.  It says basically they'd like to retain you in the Navy but are glad you're leaving. Can you explain?"

~One of the leading lawyers found out somethihng about me and that killed my career."

~And that something was?"

~Well, he thinks I'm gay."

~Is that all?" DT was exasperiated. "You weren't caught using drugs, you didn't bust any heads, you didn't violate any laws or regs, just one of your officers thought you were gay?"

~Yes, sir."

~Humm.  Are you?  If so, did you get caught?  Were you living in deep cover and keeping out of trouble?"

~Lets, see.  The answers are: yes, no, yes and yes."

~Run that by me again."  DT had lost track of his own questions and the expected replies.

~He means that yes, he's gay, no, he wasn't caught, yes, he was living in deep cover and yes, he was keeping out of trouble."  Emma had a very good memory.

~What got you into trouble?"

~I strongly recommended defending a sailor accused of being gay.  My LT said 'only a faggot would defend this sailor'.  Also, he didn't like that I'd graduated from Law School and I think he thought this was threatening. Sir."

~So, what are you doing, now, for a living?"

~I'm working at a plastics excrusion place.  They moved me to a nicer job.  I'm making 6 dollars an hour and they're going to move me from 38 hours a week to 40 hours a week and might even pay my medical.  Ooooh, such joy, such a job!"


~Can you live quietly?"

~Yes, sir.  I was doing that before."

~Are you working today?"

~Not until this evening?"

~Well, if you want to return to the Navy, you'll have to reenlist before you've been out three months.  That way, you'll keep your first class rating and not have to come in as a second class."

~Really?  They told me I'd be doing good to come back as a Second Class."

~They lied.  Right now, the Navy is desperate for getting experienced folks back.  I'll make a call."

^DT left for several minutes and then returned.

~I just talked to the head recruiter and he said to come by.  Why don't you go change your shirt and we can make a morning of it."

~Yes, sir."

^After Dave Silling left, DT smilled at Emma.

~I don't think he really needs to worry too much.  The head recruiter believes me when I said that young Sillings was a good man and one who should be back in the Navy."

~Why would he do that?  Does he know you?"  Emma was surprised.

~Slightly. I was his Commanding Officer when I had a small detachment in 1966 and hne was one of my Ensigns.  I got him early promoted to Junior Lieutenant and I guess he still thinks highly of my good judgement."

^She shook her head, smilled and thought of how "the Old Boy Network" sometimes turned up in unexpected places.

^DT walked Dave Silling to the Recruiter's Office and announced:

~Mr. David Silling and I are here to see the Commanding Officer."

~Pleae wait here, Sir," the young female Yeoman third class replied. 

^They were taken into the Head Recruier's office and introductions were made.

~Mr. SIlling brought his evals."

^The Head Recuiter appeared to skim the evals, he had read them so quickly.  He had however, read them very carefully.

~What really happened at your last office, Petty Officer Sillings?"

"Sir, I insisted that the office defend a Sailor accused of being gay,  One of the senior lawyers didn't want to and said that 'being accused of this meant that said sailor must be guilty'. Somehow, I didn't think he was and I didn't think this should be grounds for not defending him.  Anyway, this JAG Corp office didn't defend the sailor; one of my teachers did and completely destroyed the prosecution's case.  The sailor simply wasn't guilty, sir."

~You stuck up for this man?"

~Yes, sir, I did."

~What was the office and their phone number?"

*Sillings wrote down the name of the commanding officer, his phone number and the command name.  The Head Recruiter excused himself for several minutes.  While he was gone, the Yeoman brought in cups of coffee. She clearely was experienced at helping visitors and would one day (in fact) be a dignified Senior Chief making a Rear Admiral look good...l

^The Head Recuiter came back.  

~You old Commander was quite pleased with you, Mr. Sillings and would be happy to have you back. The lawyer who apparently pressured you to leave the Navy has been transferred to a Joint Navy/ Marine Command and is apparently finding Marines a lot harder to, as he put it, 'try to fuck over'."

~Have you ever searved on an aircraft carrier?"

~Ah, no, sir."

~Well, they're a lot like being on shore in terms of movement.  I liked them."

^The Head Recruiter wore Navy Pilot's wings and had a model of an F-4 on his desk.  The markings were that of a Navy Squadron which had faught in 'Nam...

~Come back in two weeks and we can swear you in.  If you'll sign here, we can finish the paperwork later."

^Sillings was offered a form stating that he was willing to re-enlist in the US Navy for a period of four years.  He signed this and dated the form.  DT and the Yeoman third class (Kathrine Harris) signed as witnesses.

~Oh and see if you can get some refresher training."

^The Head Recruiter turned to DT and said:

~Good to see you again, Sir."

~You too, Brian, I'm very proud of you. Naval Captain Eagles look very good on you."

^They left.

~Sir, how did you end up commanding a pilot?"

~I commanded a supply detachment and was assigned an Ensign helo pilot.  I liked this boy and I expecially liked his adherience to the rules; he wouldn't fly when it violated the rules.  A ship captain we were supporting didn't like this and I liked my officer's polite way of telling him 'no'.  That alone was enough for me to meritoriiously promote him."

~Yes, sir."

~You, Mr. Sillings are now going to be so happy with me.  I'm thinking of how you're going to get your refresher training."  

^Dave Sillings didn't find DT's grin very reassuring.

^They arrived at the Federal Building and entered.  There, DT went into an office marked "Jusge Henry Berry".  He was in there was several minutes when Dave Sillings was called in.

~Judge, this is David Sillings,  Dave this is Judge Henry Berry. I've been telling the Judge of how you're planning on going back into the Navy."

^Sillings and Berry shook hands.

~So, you want refresher training?  Well, that's a damn good idea.  If you're going to pass your bar exam, you'll need it."

~Bar exam, sir?"

~Certainly, certainly, Mr. Sillings.  I can arrange for the Armed Forces College of Law to administer their Bar Exam.  But, you'll have to do some studying.  Mr. Unruh tells me you've got two weeks until they'll let you sign your reenlistment forms?"

~Yes, sir."

~I approve of them giving you time to change your mind.  Actually, I think they're so far behind on the paperwork they couldn't fit you in today."

~He'll have to quit his job, Henry."

~Humm, what's the good of being a Judge if I can't help people occasionally.  Betty Lou," the Judge hollowed for his Secretary, "please come in here."

^The Secretary entered.

~Betty Lou, this is David Sillings.  I'm putting him on the payroll as an Intern while he gets some serious Bar Exam review.  Please call in Terrisa."


^Terrisa Lynn Burge ran to the Judge's Office, thinking she'd screwed up something and was about to be fired...again.

~Terry, this is Dave Sillings.  Dave, this is Terrisa Lynn Burge. Call her Terry. I'm putting you on special assignment for the nest two weeks.  Help get Dave ready to take his bar exams after he returns to the Navy."

~Yes, sir, I will."

^She was thinking that it would be fun to help and thought Sillings was "cute". They left together with Sillings looking like he wondered what he'd gotten himself in for. 

^It was almost noon so the Judge took his guests and his lawyer out to lunch.  He could afford it for this counted as a "working lunch" and was paid from one of his business accounts.

^As DT left the office, his former lawyer (Terrisa Lynn Burge) was joined by Judge Henry Berry and two other lawyers.  It was clear that a study plan was being laid on Sillings.

~DT was feeling good, very good.  He had gotten tired of riding a borrowed bicycle to his various jobs and of borrowing Emma's Ford.  He called "Mark" and asked if he still had "that 1966 VW Bug for sale". He was told it was and that the car would be waiting at the SA Hotel.  "Mark" asked for $2,000 for this car and DT thought it was worth more but didn't argue. 

^DT arrived at "Mark's" garage and was shown the VW Bug.  It was classic and it was cherry; it had been fully detailed, which was probably unncessary given it 15 miles on the oddometer.  The gas tank was full and a couple of extra inches had been added to the seat rails so that DT actually had leg room. The engine turned over easily and ran like a champ.

^DT loved it.

^The AM radio, which had come with the origional, had been replaced with an AM/FM/Cassette player that blended in perfectly with the dash.

^"Mark" smilled and said "I do believe this can was made for you, son. Give me a check for $2,000 and she's yours.  Don't worry; you're not getting screwed."

^DT just smilled and wrote out a check on the checkbook that had suddenly became his again.  Then, there was some paperwork to sign.  It felt good.

^"Mark" gave him two envelopes.  The first had the title and teh second was $2,500 in twenty dollor bills.  Truly, "Mark": had not screwed him.

^DT used the office phone to call his ex and left a message that he had bought a VW Bug for $2,000.  His ex's secretary thanked him for the message.

^DT then drove over to the hospital where Emma worked.  She and several other staffers came out to admire the new car.  DT offered to give them rides later.  After this, DT drove over to his afternoon job.

^It was hard to concentrate on his labours and he made several mistakes.  Finally, he was done and his employers wsere delighted to see DT happy again. 

^DT used the pay phone in their lobby and called "Mark".

~'Mark', this is Dan Unruh.  Have you heard from our friends?"

~Yes, I have.  Our little lawn party can happen tomorrow.  Be at my garage at 9 am.  Your Patrica has been invited to a conference in Chicago and is supposed to leave with most of her office at 8 am.  This will give her time to leave and return for any last minute items.  Wear old clothing and I'll supply the coveralls."

^Great!  Thank you!  I'll see you then."

^DT hung up and never knew how amused and pleased "Mark" was at DT's renewed enthusanism.

^The rest of the day passed slowly and DT went to bed early.  He was up early and had a private therapy session with the Major in lieu of the regular morning session.  She was pleased that DT apparently was getting his life back together.  She was also pleased that he wasn't too happy;  DT was not experiencing the "high" portion of a Maniac Depressive cycle.  He was simply happy...

^When DT arrived at "Mark's" Garage, he carefully parked well out in the parking low.  He parked straddling two lines so that no one could park too close to his new car.  He was giving that Bug more loving care than he ever did his old Mercades; the one that had been car jacked...,

^"Mark" had assembled a fine crew.  For the sake of having a cop there, Jack Bauer was there.  The tall kid, former Quartermaster First Class Bill Tanner and both Legalman first class Dave Sillings and his teacher Terry Burge.  (Terry Burge had been sworn to secrecy and her boss, the Federal Judge, had just been told she had been asked to help a friend move some stuff.  The judge was amused but had no inclination to ask questions; he was busy and needed a break from the questions "his Terry" and the "new kid, Dave" kept respectfully breaking into his work load to ask...)

^They pulled on coveralls and got into the back of a mini-van.  When they arrived at the back of DT's old house, they found another vehicle there. 

^The van's driver, an old pro who had seen so much strange sit over the years that he didn't want to know what he was hauling, simply opened the back doors of his van.

^Bill Tanner had outdone himself.

^The synthetic trees were made of large mops.  The mop head had been carefully bundled into a ball and placed into plastic bags.  This was to simulate the root bundle.  On the other end wwas nailed a bushel basket, bought from a rummage sale put on my folks selling an old farm.  It was cheap and the ex-Mrs. Unruh might one day have usage for the baskets.  There were six of them and they looked lovely (to DT anyway).

^Dt had his shovel but the others were issued square bladed shovels.  They were about to boldly open the back enterance to the yard when Jack Bauser yelled "hold it. This fence gate is wired."

^The back fence had been wired with an alarm.  Jack Bauer honted the type and called the Detecive Squad on his police radio and asked one of his men which alarm company in town used that model.  He was told to wait a minute.  After a couple of minutes, he was advised that only one company used that model.  Jack Bauser asked this detective to let the company know he was entereing the yard to look for some stolen items.

^After several minutes, the detective replied that the alarm company had shut that alarm off and that the company had been told the detectives were checking a lead preparatory to possibly getting a warrant.  

^This was bullshit but Jack Bauer wasn't going to argue with it or tell the detective anything further.  Besides, he kneew this detective had done some "private hunting" as had all the detectives and did't want to know what was really going on...

^The party trooped into the back yard like they not only had the right to be there but hoped to make it on the evening news as free advertising!  

^Jack walked over to the shed and looked at the pad lock.  He was wondering if he could pick it or if he'd have to try taking the door off it's hinges.  DT saved him the trouble and walked over with a largeish key ring.

~I didn't have my old key ring with me that last time I was here."  It took him under a minute to find the right key and get the lock opened.

^It was obvious to DT that his wife had not opened the shed since fhe had been there. The items were stacked the same way he had left them.  It took several minutes to carefully remove the items on top of the two military foot lockerr and then the top footlocker.  DT opened the bottom bootlocker and removed the material on top of this "bootie".  It was a reverent moment when he took the bag with the two boxes of coins.  He couldn't wait and opened the bag to pull out the two boxes.

^The boxes were unoopened, still tied with ribbons and these came undone easilty enough.  He and Jack Bauer carefully counted the stacks of coins and all were there.  The two boxes went back into their protective coverings and into the bag and were stored in their van.  They had driven over in an undercover police van and it had a nicely hidden evidence safe.  It never occurred to DT that he might not be able to trust Jack Bauer.

^It took far longer to restore the items to the shed.  They had to be put back in just the right order in case DT's ex had actually opened the shed door and could remember the layout...

^DT had been wise in putting the other three boxes next to the cracks in the sidewalk.  Unfortunately, he had not anticipated removing the boxed in the dead of winter.  They had to take his snow shover out of the shed and dig a little line through the snow from the back of the yard to the front.  DT's ex had not felt any need to shovel the back sidewalk.  DT was chagrinned to remember he had convinced her years before that this was pointless since they didn't have a dog...

^After the shovel pusher (Bill Tanner) had gone by,  DT removed the snow from over where he remembered burying the boxes.  Then,  DT used his souvenier Navy shover to carefully remove a largish square of dead grass.  It was remarkably heavy.  Jack Bauer did the same job just past him and the team of Dave and Terry began on the third "cache".  It took DT most of a half hour to carefully dig his way to the buried box but he found it easily enough.  It had obviously not been disturbed and he carefully removed it.  The other two digging teams removed their boxes at about the same time.

^DT and Jack Bauer carried the bags to the van and opened them.  There were all the Klugerands DT had expected to find.  The others in their team were awed by the sight of the Klugerands as well as the thought of what they would be getting from "Mark". "Mark" had privately promised the others a nice reward in the form of Klugerands but had not told DT this.  "Mark" was quite rich and could afford to play various psychological games.  What else was there to do when one had become master of the local area and had even gotten high power in a foreign realm (which he was told was called "Section").

^After than, things were not quite as much fun.  They had to dig up three more areas by the sidewalk.  This was much harder as the soil had not been turned in years and was harder.  They did the work and placed the "trees" in the holes. Fortunately, they had saved the dirt and that was needed to use around the "root balls" on the first fake trees. 

^In the end, the work was done before noon.

~Remind me again," Terry said, "why these we put these thingees in your back yard."

~They are to simulate what the trees will look like when 'Mark' ahs real trees put in come May. We wouldn't want my ex to wonder why her back yard was dug up, now would we?"


^The answer was so obviously "no" that no one bothered repling.

^The six large divits were carefully stacked up at the back of the yard on the bare ground of the "garden".  DT took a rack from the tools they'd brough and racked the snow to both hide their footprints and to make their "access path" (that Bill had shoveled) look less obvious.  The others thought it was kind of silly but then there was no telling what an old lawyer was bound to do...

^They left as peacefully as they had come and no one noticed.  Jack Bauer called his office on the police radio and informed the same detective that the alarm company could be informed to "turn the alarm at the Unruh residence back on and we appreciate their co-operation."  No one would ever be told what "the police investigation" had been about...

^When they had arrived at "Mark's Garage", they had carefully7 removed the oversized galloshes each had worn and then removed the heavily insulted overalls.  They had actually gotten very little dirt on them and if anything, there were layers of snow over their knees and butts.  They put the work gloves, overalls and galloshes on shelves and went for coffee.

^Mark greeted them and said "I have a little package for each of you. He handed them small bags and said "open these in private as I don't think any of you have come up with storied to explain the contents. OK?"

^With a corus of "yes, sirs," they left.  Terry and her new companion "Dave the almost lawyer" left in her car; Jack Bauer left for work and that left DT and Bill Tanner.

~Sir," Bill Tanner said rather politely, "I need your advise...and help."

~Certainly. "Mark", do you mind if I drive Bill here home?"

~Not at all. In fact, I've had a background investigation done on him and you can bring him by my vault."

~Yes, sir."  With that, the very puzzled Daniel Theodore Unruh walked out to his new car with his new friend and DT carerfully opened the passenger side door.  There, to his surprise, someone had put paper sheets where feet would go and seat protectors on the seats.  DT realzied that "Mark" was still protecting "his" car.  There was little snow to knoock off as "Mark" beliefed in keeping his parking lots properly shoveled.  (Also, this was the kind of thing that kept the homeless employed and which kept the Mayor happy...)
\
~Sir," Bill Tanner began after they had left "Mark's Garage", "I need your help.  You helped Dave get back in the Navy and I think I need your help as well.  When I tried to re-enlist, I was told that I could go back in but I'd have to take a bust to Second Class.  It took me too damn long to make First and I don't want to have to do that again.  Did you know that even a Second Class has to do field day on some ships>"

~Ah, no I didn't.  But then, isn't that a lot like what you're doing now?"

~Yes, it is but this is different.  In the civilian world, there is no status and people change jobs so frequently that it really doesn't matter what you do.  In the Navy, it really matters."

^DT thought "this kid truly doesn't know what he's talking about but who am I to tell him that".

~Why did you leave the Navy?"

~It wan't as much fun.  To be honest, sir, the peacetime Navy isn't a fun place to be.  During 'Nam, we had a common enemy and the officers and chiefs were too busy with the 'Cong to fuck with the troops.  Why, I even got to go on a calssified run by myself.  Before I got out of the Navy, they would never have sent a mere 'Enlisted puke' to do what I did.  Still, we seem likely to be getting into more wars soon and the Navy will be fun agian.  Mainly, sir, civilian life jsut isn't what I thought it would be."

~Such as?"

~The best jobs I can get in Rock shit pay so poorly that I can't afford medical insurance.  I got sick and had to take it as 'workman's comp' and even then, I'm not sure I won't get fucked over.  My bosses have been just as devious as Navy officers and Chiefs. No, let me rephrase that, they have been much worst that even the meanest Chief I ever had to put up with.  They just don't have that honour code that Officers and Chiefs have."

^DT remembered many officers and chiefs who did indeed "have that honour code" but he also remembered a number whjo did not.  He had worked for some assholes in his old firm who'd fucked with him nicely and he knew that at least one of those assholes had retired from the Navy as a Legal Officer, a Commander.

~Have you ever read anything by Harlan Ellison?  He has a somewhat famous quote that goes 'There are sons of bitches in every race'.  You can paraphrase this to 'sons of bitches in every walk of life or job'."

~Yes, sir."

~Call me DT. It is short for Dnaiel Theodore."

~Yes, sir, DT."

^It was a start.

~We'll talk after we see my treasures into "Mark's Vault".

^They parked outside a non-descrpt building that still had tghe drive up windows of a bank.  However, they were boarded over and the sign read "Little and Moore, Naval Appraisers". 

^DT parked between a largish van and the curb on the other side of it.  He knew this van was only taken out of weekends for "jobs" he didn't need or want to know about.  DT didn't then realzie just how protective he was of his "new" car and how much the car jacking had scarred him emotionally...

^They entered and a man sitting behind a large desk simply nodded and pressed a button.  The interior of the bank had been chanded to the extent of removing the teller's cages but the loan officer's desks where still there.  There were also some light tables for drawings.  Another man was hunched over a light table studying something on a large piece of paper with total concentration.  He never noticed the visitors...

^"Mark" walked out and boomed "welcome to my place!"  The man at the ligth table glared at him and then went back to his work.  "Mark" rolled his eyes, pinched his lips shut in a clear "don't talk gesture" and lead the two visitors into the vault.

^The two foot thick outer door was open and held open with a clamp. The inner door, which was easily two inches thick, was also braced open.  DT was amused to note this inner door had it's own lock and probably could have served as a vault door itself.

^The indside of the vault had various sized safe deposit boxes and at least two secrity cameras.  "Mark" saw that both DT and Bill Tanner had noted the cameras.

~Those are just the obvious cameras. They're there to make some of my 'depositors' happy.  There are other cameras in here and other forms of secrurity."

~Yes, sir," said QM1 Tanner.

~Did you notice anything else, Mr. Tanner?"

^QM1 Bill Tanner decided to be candid. What did he have to lose?"

~Yes, sir, I did.  That floor board out front, the squeaky one could be easily fixed and I was wondering why it wasn't?  The rest of your building is in really nice shape.  I figure that has to be a 'nightentgale floor' and that someone stepping on it would set off an alarm.  Also,  I noticed the metal floor outside the safe and what had to been a metal plate in the ceiling above it.  This looked like two plates of a capacitor and if the capacnace changed, an alarm would go off. Sir."

~The significance of that, DT?"

~Any object going between the plates would change the capacience and thus you could tell if a 'midnight maurader' had come through.  I'm willing to bet that mirror over there is a half mirror with a TV camera behind it." (He would not have thoght of this before meeting the three voyeaurs.)

~Yes, it is and that is the almost hidden sensor.  You see, gentlemen, there are three layers of secruity.  The first, the obvious is the two cameras you saw when we came in here.  Then, because folks expect hidden secrurity, we have the cameras behind the mirrors and behind some of the safe deposit knobs.  Those are for the few snoopy visitors who expect such things."

~You would logically have a third layer of security, one that no one is supposed to learn about. Yes?"  DT spoke almost absently mindedly.

~Yes but why do you say that?"

~Your overt security is for show and the apparently hidden secuirty is meant to disuage anyone planning on a breakin or at least tie up their thinking in figuring out how to circumvent it.  The real secruity would have to be well hidden and I can't find it.  Therefore, it either isn't here or is simply too well hidden.  Knowing you, even as little as I do, Sir, I'm betting on 'very well hidden'."

~And so it is..."


^And so it was...

^In the mid 1970s, no one had really thought about "invisibile" laser beams making "light cages" and no one had really thought of infared, visibile and ultra violet cameras being fed to computers which not only stored images but compared images, looking for changes.  It would someday become common place secruity.  They didin't think of sensitive microphones feeding information into computers which analysed signals for doors opening, subtle sounds from nighinggale floors and the sounds of human hearts.

~Here are your treasusres, Daniel.  Please open the boxes and check the contents.

^The Klugerands were there.

~Do you trust me, Daniel Theodore?" "Mark" was very, very intent.

~Yes, sir, I do." 

~Well, I need two of your boxes as front money.  Don't worry, you won't lose any of it.  I think." The "I think" was muttered and intended to shake up DT; it worked even thought DT tried his best to hide his reaction.  Other and very subtle minds, located in Paris France, examined his reaction and discussed it...

^Three of DT's boxes were put in one safe deposit box and DT was given the key, on a chain, to wear around his neck.  The key was cunningly hidden in a plain Christian Cross.  This amused "Mark".  The other two boxes were carefully stored in a different safe deposit box.

^On a table was a coffee table type book.  The book was open and Bill Tanner was looking at the picture which took up both pages.  It was a woman in her 30s being sexually serviced by what looked like another woman.  There was something familiar about the woman, who was lounging back at her liesure and in her pleasure.

^Bill didn't recognize her but DT certainly did and gasped!

~Can that be Mrs. Debra Marie Moody-LaMare? Can that be Missus anti-faggot herself?"  DT was trying to keep a startled and incredious laugh from erupting;  this too was being analysed by minds cool and subtle in Paris France.

~Yes, it is."

~OK," Bill interjected, "who is this 'Mrs. Debra Marie Moody-LaMare', Sir?"

~She is the local anti-fag hag, the local bitch who wants to see gay men be exterminated."

~But she is getting eatting by what appears to be another woman."


~Yes, she is and if you look at the previous page, you can see both women clearly and the next page showed our Debra going down on her friend.  Very nicely done work and I'm told some very fine cinemagraphers did this work."

~Uh, why?  I mean, if she's so oppsoed to faggots, that is male homo-sexuals, then why is she doing this?  Is that 'Missue' for show or for go?"

~She is oppsed to 'faggots' becasue the bible is opposed to them or so the fundamentalishts say.  The bible does not forbid woman with woman sex and it does forbit adultry.  So, when she gets horny and her husband isn't available or isn't 'in the mood', there is always her childhood fallback of other women.  Oh, yes, she doesn't beleive that 'doing it' with other women constitues 'adultry' and that fucking men other than her husband would.  A very proper lady, our Debra Marie Moody-LaMare and very dangerous one as well."

^There was a pause as Bill Tanner leafed through the rest of the book, which featured only adults.  He blushed when he saw the pictures of men and quickly went back to the pictures of women.  The other two men in the vault seemed to find this very funny, very funny indeed.

^"Mark" motioined his two visitors out of the vault and the inner door was pulled shut.  They left, got into DT's "new" Bug and DT most carefully backed out.

~So, where do you want to go for lunch?"

~It can't be any place too long since I have to go to work at 3 pm."

~Not to worry, we'll have you there before then."

^They went to an Italian place where they had meat ball samwhiches. 

~You did say you wanted back in the Navy, Bill?"

~Yes, sir, DT, I did."

~Good, let's get it done."

^They got into DT's car and when he arrived at the Federal Building, DT parked next to curb, with lots of space between the driver's door and the next car over.  He was taking no chances.

^DT left the car with a folder he'd been given by "Mark".  DT had read the folder before they left the vault.

^They entered the building and breezed past the Rent A Cop who was supposed to be the building's security.  This worthy looked like his major challenge was trying to keep his eyes open.  It was not a dangerous place and neither Unruh or Tanner disturbed the man.

^They entered the Navy Recruiting Office and DT nodded to the Duty Yeoman.

~Are you here on business, sir?"

~That I am.  Is the Captain in?"

~I think he is," the Yeoman grinned slightly.

~Come in," boomed a voice from inside the office whose name was 'Captain Brian McCoy.  They entered.  

~Gentlemen, to what do I owe this honour?" They were moitioned over to seats around a small table.

~I have a young man here who wished to return to the Navy."

~Yes, I recognize you.  One of my Petty Officers would like to recruit you but at the Quarter Master Second Class level.  Are you interested?"

~Sir, I'm interested in returning to the Navy but I'm not interested in taking a bust to Second Class.  I worked to hard to make first and don't want to go through that again."

~Then why did you get out?"

~I don't really know, sir.  I thought I had good reason to but now I'm thinking I might have been wrong.  I think I was bored and thought civilian life would be better.  It hasn 't been, hasn't been at all, Sir."

^He paused.

~I miss being at sea.  I miss knowing that what I do matters and that I'm making a difference in folk's lives.  I also miss the discipline; if you could see some of those unspanked civilian fucks I have to work with, then, Sir, you would know."

~What would be different?"

~For one thing, if I got the flu I wouldn't have to worry about paying the medical bills.  I would not be fired for 'AWOL' after I'd been sent home with the flu."

~What else, son?"

^DT decided it was time to step in.

~Petty Officer Tanner has done classified work and has kept his mouth shut about this.  Oh, I'm not talking stories out of school, I'm just saying what the records show.  For example, Tanner was awarded the Naval Achievement Medal for helping secure a Military Headquarters in 'Nam just before the fall of Saigon."

~Indeed.  Tell me about this, Petty Officer Tanner."

~Sir, I was never told this was classified but I was asked not to talk about it.  However, I believe that a Naval Captain can change that."

^Captain McCoy replied in a dry voice:  "In this case, yes."

~Well, Sir,  I was on a ship in harbour and my Chief sent me ashore on a final message run.  That is,  I was sent to the Military Headqauarters and went to their basement to get the final set of messages.  Our radiomen were copying the messages sent from Guam and Japan but we had gotten mesages throgh this shore station,   I entered the building and was shocked to see there were no guards present.  None at all.  I went to the basement and entered the communicatons center.  There was no one present.  I called out but no one answered.  So, I went in to see if anyone was there.  The room was unmanned and there was no security.  This bothered me a lot since I kept wondering if any classified material was lying around loose."

^He paused to gage his audience's reaction;  they didn't seem prone to criticize his actions.  Thus, he resolved to continue...

~I walhed in and found two Radiomen talking.  They were not happy and it turned out they had been sent there on a message run as well.  None of us could figure out why the room was abandoned yet full of operating crypto gear.  The equipment was working and there were brief messages on all the receive circuit printers of the 'are you there? Talk to uys/ variety.  They were going unanswered.  So, we were wondering what to do when this fellow in what appeared to be an Army uniform showed up.  He commented on the lack of security.  We told him the room had been empty when we arrived.  I noticed bins of unsent messages.  These were rolled lengths of paper tape and those basically were messages that were waiting to be sent.  So, being curious, I put one of them on a tape reader and let her rip.  I read the message and it turned out to be something sitting there since 1965.  Why the Comms people would put an antique out puzzled me.  Anyway, one of the radiomen said I'd sent the message.  One of the receive circuits printed a message from San Diego asking why we had sent this?"

^Tanner drank some of the coffee the Yeoman had "snuck in".  It was good, way too good for Navy Coffee, Tanner thought,

~The Army person said he was a Police Officer and the paper tape was part of a crime scene.  He ordered us to send the tapes as part of preserving the historical records and part of dealing with the crime scene.  We got a reply back from the San Diego shore communications station asking if we really wanted to send thsee old, old messages.  WE later found out these were messages that had been sent years before and stored, unsent, because the message circuits were too busy.  So, one of the radiomen sent back "an officer has ordered us to send these messages".  San Diego simply said "zag it".  That's code for 'Send it', sir".

^Tanner drank some more coffee.

~In case you were wondering,  the radiomen can patch a teletype into each send or receive circuit and the senior radioman had done that and had been able to talk with San Diego.  So, we did as this officer ordered and we sent over a hundered old messages.  The radiomen found five rolls of history tapes that had been delivered recently (or such was my impression) and when the routine messages were out, we started sending these five history rolls.  The radiomen warned San Diego to be ready to switch receive circuits to make sure the receive tgapes didn't run out.  They replied that all messages were going into a computer memory and there were simply no tapes to run out.  That was news to me."

~So what happened then?"

~We were ordered to leave the building and were told that a secruity detail would take care of the building.  I didn't like the idea but my Chief passed that word and I could tell he wasn't happy.  Anyway,  we later testified in a Court of Inquiry and were told that we'd done well.  We were told not to talk about this and I haven't since then."

~I looked into this after you were here, Petty Officer Tanner.  There were some very senior officers involved in the abandonment of that building and the whole thing had to be covered up."  Captaiun McCoy was disguested.

~You do realize that whatever demons compelled you to leave the Navy will still be there, Bill?  You'll be in for four years and that'll give you a total of 12 years service.  At that time, it would be very hard to break off your career with more than half the required time till retirement.  So, are you sure you want this?"

~Tanner thought of the lunch he'd just had and that it was the best he'd had in some time.  He also thought of "GafMan" trying to find him to sue him over the workman comp and flu fuckup.  He thught of the canned roast beef hash and stale bread he was fixing, no, <i>planning</i> on having that night.  It was a no brainer and a correct no brainer: he would return to the Navy.

~Sir, I definitely want back in!"

~Good!"  He motioned to the Yeoman, who had been standing in the door.  "Please bring the paperwork."

~Who do we put down as witness, sir?"

~Daniel Theodore Unruh."

~Is that 'U N R U H', sir?" and she looked at DT.

~Yes. How did you know?"

~My second cousin is one of the Gerards of Hamilton county and it seems like everyone there is named 'Gerard' or 'Unruh', Sir."

~And your cousin's name is?"

~Marie Lorainne Unruh, she used to teach school."

~I'll be damned! She was my fourth grade teacher!"

^In a soft voice, the Yeoman murmurred: "You are staying out of trouble, sir?  You have made good and done well for yourself?"

~Well, I like to think so."

~Good, my second cousin is very possessive of her former students and would kick your aas if you'd said 'no', Sir."

^Captain McCoy smirked and then laughed out loud.

~Her cousin can be very intimidating and she came to visit relatives when Yeoman third class Kathrine Harris was assigned to me office.  I was introduced to her and the coversation went nicely.  Then, the cousin lowered the boom on me.

~Young man," she said to me, "my Kathrine is a good girl and was raised in a Christian household.  I expect you to treat her well.  If she gets into trouble, I expect you to deal with it personally.  I hold you in 'local parientis', Sir so don't let me or the families down!"

~Madam, I replied, I always act in 'local parientis' towards my kids.  You can count on me'.  That made the Lady happy and she left well pleased with doing her duty to help her cousin."

~Gunners Mate First Class P,G, Smith knocked on his Captain's door and entered with the forms freshly typed up.

~Sir, I have the forms that Kathrine typed up for the 'Gator'.  She put herself down as a witness and me down as the 'recruter'.  She also put Daniel Theodore Unruh down as a witness."

~GMG1 Smith politely handed the paperwork to his Commanding Offcier.  Said Commanding Officer handed it to DT, who read it over in cynical detail.  He approved of it.

~Well, William, I'd say this is your last chance to pull outl. However, what happens now is up to Captain McCoy."

~Where do I sing, Sir?"

^The Captain pointed out the obviously spot, which was directly above the "Wiliam Tanner, Quartermaster 1/c" and that was where he signed.  DT, Captain McCoy and Yeoman 3rd class Kathrine Harris also signed.

~We can give you per diem to return to San Diego, where you'll attend 'returnee's boot camp'.  This is a little like boot camp and mostly is the Navy version of 'The NCO Adacemny'. It'll be one of the most intense schools you'll attend.  How would you like to get out there?"

~Sir, I have to move my car there but I remember driving out here and I didn't enjoy the ride.  I would like to see the senory and was wondering if I could take an Amtrak train.  I could ship my car as freight."

~Unusual, but doable.  How soon do you want to be out there?"

~Given a choice, sir, I'd like to be there a couple of days before I have to report.  Perhasps I could check in early?"

~That will be arranged.  We'll have the tickets in three weeks so come back then."  Yeoman 3rd Harris wrote a reminder down on the back of a card, her business card.

~Call me," she whispered to Tanner as she handed the card to him.

~I will."

~Well, you're back in, Petty Officer Tanner.  I hope things work out better for you this time around."  

^The Captain shook Tanner's hand and the recuiter shook his hand, looking pleased.  The Recruiter had good reason to be pleased.  His Commanding Officer had told him that if he recruited Tanner than he was fairly assurred of makind Chief.  He did the next promotion cycle and his wife and kids were pleased at becoming a 'Chief's wife' and 'the Chief's kids' respectively.

^As Tanner and Unruh were leaving, they heard the Yeoman say, with a laugh in her voice, "you don't mind if I see Bill Tanner socially, 'Dad'?"  The Captain, other wise known as her 'in local parientis' groaned and said, "fine but stay out of trouble".

~Tanner called Kathrine Harris that nigth and they spent the rest of his civilian time dating.  It was fun and since neither one expected it to go beyond simple dating, it was fun for both.  Tanner kissed her three times and patted her on the butt once;  neither had the desire to take things physical.

^DT dropped Bill off at his boarding house and then stopped at an overlook next to the river.  It was a typical winter day, cold, windy and it hadn't snowed in several days.  There was plenty of snow on the ground and kids playing with sleds on the slight hills.  It reminded him of his childhood, when they'd visitied ralatives in South Dakota.  Those were pleasant days indeed.

^Now was different.

^He had his right to practice law back,  nothing had ever been done to his CPA or right to do accounting,  he was for some reason still on the old firm's medical plan and it seemed like he even had most of his money back.  He had retrieved 60% of his Klugerands and now firmly believed they were safe in "Mark's Vault".  Oh, sure, he had the "only key" to his save deposit box but didn't believe for a moment that it was the only existing key to his box.  If he'd been running things, there would have been three keys made:  one for the "renter", the second as an emergency key in the vault owner's off site storage and the third key hidden in a deep cover safe.  He knew "Mark" could get into his safe deposit box given that "Mark" had to be physically present when anyone opened their boxes.

^DT wasn't worried since he knew "Mark" well enough to know that being able to access any safe deposit box was good enough for "Mark".  He would not feel the urge to brouse through the contents;  he didn't need to.

^But, what was he going to do with his life?

^His marriage was fucked, his wife appeared to stil be angry with him,  his old boss would try to keep him for working at the "old firm" and he couldn't work for the DA.  He had pissed off too many for that and no one would believe that he "had gone to the dark side".  He would have screamed "conflict of interest" if a defense lawyer had done that.

~There was always the option of running for the bench.  The problem was, he liked most of the current judges and didni't want to take their jobs and the ones he didn't like were too well connected to be unseated.  Merely trying would lead to him being permantly and irreversabily fucked by the legal system.

^He'd seen it happen before...

^So what was he to do with his life?  There was always getting back at his old firm!  That was something he could do with impunity.  There was going into private practice but he couldn't see himself putting out his shingle and trying to drum up business.  He had done commercial and criminal defense for too long to think he'd like that.  

^He drove home to the Salvation Army Hotel and parked in a closed garage.  Then, he took a bus over to his part time job and did something different.  He had a grilled cheese samwhich and sat down to doing the books.  He enjoyed this even more than usual for he knew he was doing the book keeping for pleasure rather than for need or even greed.  He double checked his work and it was righteous,

^He knew the falacity of trusting himself under those conditions and so he had taken great care in his checking.  He also took comfort in knowing the "regular" accountant would be double checking his work.

^The owners, old friends of his, came in.

~I'm tryng to think of what to do with my life.  I was a Navy officer and an accountant.  I've been a lawyer for some time and fell on strange times lately.  I can go back to being a lawyer but I'm not sure that I want to.  I'm trying to figure out what I want to do.  Any suggestions?"

~Well", said teh co-owner, Mrs. Williams, "you like the accounting but it's just a hobby for you and something you did for pockete change.  If you'd really liked it, you would have stayed in the Navy.  But if you had, you'd be a senior officer now and would be doing no accounting and would be political as hell.  I was enlisted and I remember how the senior officers were fighting each other to look good and to get the job done and make the job look good.  That just isn't you, DT."

~No, it isn't," he had to agree.

~You like fighting battles for folks," Mr. Williams stated. "So, are you going to fight as a lawyer or not?  There's not much fighting you can do as an accountant, is there?  You could use that CPA of yours but you'd be an auditor and that means fucking over some folks.  You could be an auditor and lawyer for the IRS but you're too old to go that route.  You're too sympathetic toward 'dirt bags' and to the IRS, everyone is a 'dirt bag'."

~What have you done lately?"

~I helped two young men get back in the Navy.  They had both gotten out for differetn reasons.  One was pressured to get out and I was able to get him back in.  We, that is the Commanding Officer of the local recruitment command and I, think we can keep him from contact with the officer that tried screwing him. We've also figured how to protect his futue and that is good.  The other fellow could have gotten back in on his own but would have been busted for doing so.  I got details on his career and was able to get him back in with his origional rating."

^His listeners looked a bit puzzled.

~I got him back in as a First Class Petty Officer and not be foreced to accept a down grade to Second Class Petty Officer."

~So," Mr. Williams mused, "you like helping people?"

~Yes." 

~Have you thought of going the legal aid lawyer route."

~I could but there is a horrible stigimata associated with that. I would have to find something like legal aid but without being legal aid and that is hard."

~First things first, get revenge.  Didn't your old firm fuck you over?"

~Yes, they did." DT smilled but it wasn't a pleasant smile.  His hosts and sometime employers were pleased with this display of rage and thought it long overdue.

~I think I'll change my wardrobe just a little.  I've been wearing pin stripes and button down light blue or light green shirts for a long time.  I think it's time I send them a subtle message; I think it's time I go with your basic black."

~Good," Mrs. Williams agreed.  "Now, don't forget the cuff links, they must be silver.  Don't forget your Naval Institute tie tack and especially, don't forget to wear your miniture CIB above the left pocket of your suit coat."

~Don't even think of putting one of those little hankies in your coat pocket the way you usually do.  It is so 19th century." 

^DT wasn't sure that Mr. Williams was right about the hankie being 19th century b ut he wasn't in the mood to argue.  For all he knew, it might have been.

~Do you know of something a young man could do for sevearal weeks?  One of my sailors ran into some legal problems at GafMan, Inc. and needs to make a bit of money while also keeping out of town."

~Is this one of the fellows you got back into the Navy?"

~Yes, the Quartermaster."

~Not the lawyer?"

~No, he's getting a two week cram course preparatory to taking his bar exams.  He love the time away from the books but too bad!"

~This other fellow, would he mind doing some driving? We pick up a lot of stuff at whole salers in Chicago and our regular driver wants to take some time off.  Would he be inteested?"

~I can ask. I'll get back to you."

^One of the day waiters was going off shift and gave DT a ride home.

^At breakfast the next morning,  DT commented to Emma: "Have you ever noticed how my suits are all light colored?  Some folks have asked me if I think I'm the reincarnation of Ruddy Kipling, he of the linen suits.  I've worn black but always with a white or very light blue shirt.  That isn't what I feel like now."

~What do you feel like?"

~Black, solid black."

~I suppose I should go with you then to buy that new suit. There is no telling what you'd come up with otherwise."

^DT didn't particularily want someone second guessing his suit choice but he liked the thought of company.

~OK, the 'Big and Tall' store opens at 10.  Are you off today?"

~Yes, my Doctor had to go to a continuing credits class and I was told to study refresher material.  I believe I can skip it as I wrote the material I was given to study."

^DT chocked on his oversizsed bite of scrambled eggs; he hadn't realized that his Emma had written professionally.

~We will have to leave at 10:30, dear, you still have group."

^DT didn't talk much at his group therapy session but felt he'd gained a lot.  So, it was perhaps 10:36 am when they actually got into Emma's Pinto and left for the tall man's store.  DT didn't want to take his "new" car since he had a bad feeling about driving that day.

^When they arrived, the store manager immediately lead DT and Emma to the rows of nicely made, light colored suits.  Emma interupted the parade with:

~DT told me that he wants a black outfit: black jacket, trousers, matching shirt, a really nice black tie and decent socks.  He didn't say anytihng about black socks but I want him to have well padded and thick black socks.  It's about time the silly shit started taking care of his feet; diabetes runs in his family.  Oh and maybe you have some sensible shoes?"

~For 45 minutes, the "silly shit" felt like a fashion model dummy as the two women picked out the right clothing, had him put it on and bickered over the results.  He even considered not shutting the door to the changing room the third time Emma pushed it open to see what was taking him so long.

~You'll need a tie tack," the store owner observed.

~I'd like to wear my Naval Institute one."

~I suppose that will do.  What about cuff links?"

~DT should go with solid silver." A set of $25 solid silver cuff links was added to the growing pile of "needed stuff".

~Since Emma has forbidden me to put a hankie in the left pocket of the suit, I think I'll wear my miniture CIB above the pocket."

^Both women thought that was an excellent idea but for different reasons.  The store owner's husband had faught in Korea and treasured his; Emma thought the CIB represented "strength" and thought such a visual reminder would help DT and might confound his enemies.

^DT bought three sets of trousers (loose fit in case he gained weight), two jackets, one vest and four fitted black dress shirts.  He also got two ties, a hugh pile of thick black socks and one pair of "sensible well fitted black shoes". 

^The jackets were fine but the trousers were left for alterations;  Emma took his arm when they left and the store owner was sorely puzzled by their relationship.  Emma didn't look like the wife who'd accompanied him two years before.  Had Emma realized this, she probably would have kissed DT in front of the woman...

^They had lunch at a local deli and decided to go to the hospital to "check some records".  They entered the hospital quietly and went to Emma's floor (the floor where she worked general staff duties occasionally).  They asked to see the phone records.

^The phone records were very clear.  They showed that DT had called his office to report he'd been hired by Emma Walker.  The date was clearly the day after his surgery.  The recpetionist remarked remembering DT calling this in and remembered getting a return call stating that "our lawyer, Daniel Theodore Unruh is now representing Emma Walker".  She not only remembered this but had written the facts in the phone log.

^DT looked at the drug control logs and found that while Emma had been on duty that morning, she did not have responsibility for narcotics control and didn't have it the day before.  Another nurse had this duty.

^There was a revealing list of entries.  It seemed that someone had taken morphine from the safe without leaving a transfer form or checking it out.  Then,  an audit was made the next day.  Then, magically,  a transfer form, made out and signed the day before, appeared.  It was very mystical and strange and seemed like a set up to DT.

~The question of how and why this had happened was resolved when the head ward nurse remarked that "the hospital head was a political appointee".  So, Emma had been set up to set up DT and it logically had been a political move of some sort.

^It was telling of the hospital morale that none of the nurses or the record clerk or even the MD who had asked "what is going on" felt the urge to notify higher management that a pissed off lawyer and his client (one of their own) had been asking snoopy questions...

^This was a day his restraunt employers had not assigned him work and that was fine.  He needed the time off.  He dropped Emma off at the library and went to visit "Mark".

^DT was admitted quickly to "Mark's" office.

~I found out something interesting, today, 'Mark'"  Do you remember why I was hired to represent Emma Walker?"

^"Mark" nodded 'yes'.

~My old firm told me that I'd actually been hired the week before.  I found phone records showing I'd been hired the next week." From his facial expression, none of this was news to "Mark". "I also found records that suggest someone had moved medical morphine from one safe to another without presenting the proper paperwork.  Also, Emma Walker was not responsible for guarding medical morphone that day.  It looks very contrived."

~It was."

~Do you know who appointed the hospital director and the board members?"

^This took "Mark" by surprise; he had not expected such a question.

~Let's find out."

^"Mark" rang a bell and a young man with surprisingly old eyes entered.

~I need you to find out who hired the current board directors and the current CEO of the hospital."

~They were sponsored by our junior Congressman; Lynn made some deals with a local anti-porn group and with the managing CEO of an American drug whole sale firm, sir.  This firm was afraid the hospital would buy from a Canadian firm that sells the same shit but cheaper.  What the anti-porn group has to do with anything is something we (being "Mark's" staff) haven't been able to figure out.  These folks in question, at the hospital, promised to 'only buy American' and that forces the patients or more important, their insurance companies, to pay more for drugs.  We think the drug company kicks money back to Congresswoman Lynn and the hospital people are seemingly getting a bit of a kick back as well, sir."

~You know this how?"

^"Mark's" man grinned at DT after DT's question.

~We added up their bank deposits, amount spent on house payments and other expensies as reflected in their bank transactions, property tax and withholdings for their income taxes.  They pay in checks and never in cash.  The figures don't add up.  Either they are all living on money kept under their mattrasses or they aren't buying food and booze and we know they are or they have 'hidden sources of income'."

~Well, done," DT commented.  He was favourably inpressed.  He didnt' know then who "Mark" moonlighted for or the power "Mark's" clerks commanded...

~Why did you have them check these matters out?"

~Change is dangerous and unexpected change is more so.  I like to keep track of what is going on in town and had my people look into the changes.  By the way,  the same folks who arranged for new hispital management also suborned the senior lawyers of your old firm.  Their dicks are in the same mouths as the hospital pricks are."

^"Mark", the King of Rockford, actually sounded disguested when he said all of this.  DT was shocked; he didn't like it when folks he thought he could predict suddenly did the unexpected.  He would later comment to a TV writer "no one is who he seems to be" and this writer would put those words in mouth of a character on a show called "Babylon 5".

~So, what is in it for them?"

"Mark's" clerk picked up the conversation.

~The usual, the opportunity for gaining a lot of money and to get into the same circles as the really powerful.  They want to live the good life.  Did you know the CFO - Chief Finanial Officer - likes to go to a whore hosue in Chicago?  This is a clean house and only takes the most discriminating customers.  This CFO likes well built beautiful women, with beautiful faces, full figures slender waists and cocks bigger than his."

^DT looked surprised.

~Yeah," the clerk with young face and old eyes continued, "he calls them 'his Chicks With Dicks!'"

~Really?"  DT decided he had been living a sheltered life since he had never heard of such a thing.  

~I'm told the chemicals needed to keep big firm tits and a functioning cock on this people may cause long term health problems but they make a lot of money.  Then, too, the blackmail potential is so large that this CFO gets off and doesn't have to pay much and he works for other folks enabling them to make a lot of money."

^This clerk sounded disguested and it was obvious that he was not money motivated.  DT would later learn this man had far greater things to worry about.

^DT thanked "Mark" for his hospitality and thanked the clerk for his help and left with much to think about.  "Mark" and his clerk smilled at each other and the clerk asked the rethorical questions:  

~When do you think he'll confront his old bosses?  When do you think he'll decide he can't lawyer in this town and we can offer him a better position?  Something based on his desire to help others like that gay lawyer who wants to be a sailor again and that ship driving sailor who thinks the Navy will be fine again and even DT's girlfriend of the uncertain sexual orientation?"

~You're the spy so you tell me!"

~Yes, sir." Then, the clerk frowned.  "I've heard that former Lieutenant Paul Wolfe and a 'Mister Jones' are in contention for the position of 'Operatons Officer of Section One'. Which do you think will get it?"

~It will be a long faught campaign with some bribing and much politicing going on but Wolfe will get the job.  Jones will be bumped up to 'oversight committee' and will be the political advisor.  He will be 'Director of Oversight' and the strongest spy master in history in about five years."

~Why him, I thought Wolfe wants the job so badly he'd sell his soul and that Jones would never touch it."

~That, my boy," "Mark" replied, "is exactly why Jones will get it.  He doen't want the job and won't abuse his power.  Wolfe would abuse his power and worst of all, pull an 'Al Copone'. This is, he would go public and we can't afford that.  As for his soul,  Paul Wolfe secretly believes that he is Satan and therefore can't sell his soul."

~Thank you, sir.  I'm glad we're Section five."  Then, the clerk gave "Mark" a strange look.

~Don't worry, Walter, I never sold my soul to Satan or to anyone else.  I'm still a good Catholic and believe my actions are consistent with leading a good life of protecting my people."

~Yes, sir," the clerk muttered as he left.  The Old Man was even stranger than he'd thought.  "Mark" wolf laughed quietly and wondered how much of what he'd just said was true.  He had the horrible feeling that it all was...

^DT drove over to the Federal Building and wandered in to see how Dave Sillings was doing in his "refresher training".  He was taking a break of sorts.  The judge and his newest legal clerk, Terry Burge, had decided that Dave Sillings needed a break and had him going through moot court.  It was highly amusing.  It was less amusing when DT was drafted to 
"play the part of the prosecutor".

~DT did surprisingly well as a prosecutor. Then, DT had an idea.  He suggested that the judge play the defense lawyer role, Dave and Terry play prosecutor and for lack of anyone else, DT would be the judge.

^It was a lot of fun and DT got to burn off a lot of resentments towards judges.  He was vinedictive, evil (as the others later said), totally unfair and had a lot of fun.  He didn't realize this little performance totally screwed him out of becoming a judge in Northern Illinois.

~The other legal people, judges, lawyers and clerks, had been invited in as observers and what they saw of "Judge Unruh" scared the crap out of them...