Flower Girl: A Burton Family Mystery (11 page)

Reddy paid the fees and registered us all for the seminar.

The professor, a grey-haired, bearded, bespectacled six footer, wearing jeans, a black t-shirt and a forest green corduroy jacket, asked the attendees an opening question: "What is the first ingredient one needs to start-up a family business?"

A preppy looking twenty-eight year old wearing a carefully tailored dark blue blazer with a family crest and gold buttons, grey slacks and tasseled loafers, raised his hand and responded, "First you need a product or service that someone wants or needs." 

The Prof smiled and said, "That is a factor, but what else might be first?"

Three or four more answers came from an eager audience. Then, Dalisay raised a hand and said, "A familia."

Prof Hunt grinned and said, "I do believe we have something to work with. First, you need a familia of loyal employees, willing to live on a low income basis while you get started. Next, you need to assess what skills your family team has. Third, you need to determine what business, service or product, you intend to focus on and what are your market and your mission. Notice that this is not the first thing you do. Then, return to what skills need to be developed. Finally, you need financing. Most start-ups fail and fail quickly because they do not have sufficient funds to meet payroll, start-up expenses, inventory, etcetera, for at least eighteen months. Six months is not sufficient nor is a month to month approach.

“Those are some of the basic tenants we'll discuss during the seminar. I have invited several entrepreneurs to share their successes and failures with us as we progress. Let's begin."

The final topic was presented by one of the entrepreneurs, Jill Cotton, who started an on-line consulting firm based on the slogan “Plans are for suckers." Professor Hunt had made the point that plans aren't worth spit if you can't implement them. Her story was about a disastrous case where unfinished business lingered for months, eating up revenues and time that should have been spent on growth and development. Everyone in her firm literally stopped whatever they were doing to close one unprofitable case. Cotton concluded, "Take care of unfinished business quickly and stop thinking like a start-up."

When I checked the class roster in my program materials, the preppy young man turned out to be Courtney Blaine Grey, of Highland Park, Illinois, VP of the Grey Oil Corporation. I guessed he was Edvard Grey's cousin.

After the seminar, people gathered in the foyer for snacks and beverages as they chatted in small noisy groups about family business. Courtney glided over to Dalisay, her twelve year old companion Penelope, and me with a big smile on his face.

"What business are you considering, ladies?" he said, as he made direct eye contact with Penelope. It was not Dalisay nor I but Penelope that Courtney was hitting on. He perceived her to be a virgin. My knowledge of his cousin Edvard's propensity for droit du seigneur obviously biased my thoughts.

Penelope was Critter's child slave, groomed to be his child bride. She attended the Hunt Seminar with us mostly because we wanted to keep an eye on her while Critter was still at large. She was one of the first of three girls to become a resident at Dalisay's Oakland Clinic for abused girls. Penelope had several talks with me when I was helping out at the clinic, counseling battered wives and children. We had known each other for some weeks now since she relocated from New Orleans. Reddy was the one who suggested she move into the dorm at the clinic.

She still thought Critter was an okay guy, but she didn't really understand the Stockholm syndrome. After all, she had been raised by Critter since she was kidnapped at six and had only dim memories of a drunken, abusive stepfather and a heroin - addicted mother who mostly left her to watch TV and fend for herself before abandoning her in a flea infested motel south of San Jose.

Reddy sent me stream video taken by Chip Moriga and attached to his investigative research notes on Courtney Blaine Grey. He was a slick greasy looking dude with crazy eyes. His left eye was green and the right one brown. The eyes were a genetic thing with many of the Grey family males since the time of their English ancestors according to Chip. Ruthless and ambitious, he was well down the Grey family tree but climbing.

At the end of the seminar, Reddy drove us back to the airport to catch our return flight to Oakland. I was not surprised when Penelope leaned over the front seat, smiled and asked us, "What did you think of Courtney Grey?"

I knew better than to tell a twelve year old girl to steer clear of the bastard. Matte once told me the story of Edvard Grey after a rape case became a matter of public record and got splashed all across the River Views news. Edvard had openly stated that it was his birthright to practice droit du seigneur. Using her best psychiatric terminology, she called him "one sick bastard.” Recalling that incident was what made me suspect that Courtney Grey, second cousin to Edvard, was hitting on Penelope because she was a virgin. I simply replied, "Not my type, too smarmy."

Penelope asked, "Smarmy?"

"Creepy, slick, greased back hair, fast talker, ladies man or should I say cradle robber."

"Okay, I get the idea," Penelope said. "But, I am not a child; I'll be thirteen next month."

We dropped Penelope off at the Oakland Clinic and Dalisay checked to ensure everything went okay during our absence. A fourth girl, age fourteen going on thirty judging by her make-up, her physique and clothes, had been admitted this morning. Dalisay talked with her for fifteen minutes; then, we drove home.

When we got back to my place in Berkeley, the four things that stayed with us from the seminar were: first, was Courtney Grey going to be a problem?; second, redefining our mission; third, we needed to do an inventory of "familia" members' willingness and skills; fourth, I needed to determine if we had adequate capital and working funds for at least eighteen months. We had previously figured on a strategy based on ninety days of funds, and then our plan was to use the revenues to keep going. Professor Hunt's seminar firmly put the kibosh on that feeble plan.

"Too bad we couldn't tell the Prof what our real business is."

"You know girl, I think he knew we were hiding something," I replied.

"He liked our charity angle, diversifying with the clinic and all," Dalisay said, adding, "I reckon that will be my main duty."

Reddy pitched in, "I liked the old dude. He's had some interesting experiences and that makes him more legitimate than most t-shirt professors."

"What's a t-shirt professor?" Penelope asked.

Reddy replied, "A t-shirt professor has degrees and no real world experience."

"I get it," Penelope responded. "They have been there and have the t-shirts to show for it, but they have never done that."

"Exactly!" Reddy said.

As we settled in, back home in Berkeley, Dalisay and I started a family skills inventory as per seminar guidelines.

"As for our skills, I'm destined to be the bookkeeper and to keep an eye on finances and taxes," I said, thinking all the while of Reddy telling me I'm ready.

"And, when Reddy thinks you are ready, or the case fits, you will be a sniper. I will put my skills to work at the clinic," Dalisay said.

Eidetic memory does not mean psychic I thought.

"That makes Reddy the CEO, Trainer, Tracker, Target Designator, and Primary Sniper."

"So that makes my job title, Family Business Partner and Clinic Director," Dalisay said.

I said, "How about for me, Partner, Director, and Knight in training. Wow! What a business card!" I played Paladin's theme song on my smart phone for all to hear.

"I like it. Can we all share your theme song?" Dalisay said when she stopped laughing.

Reddy came up from the basement, brewed an espresso, and sat silently during all this jocularity. Angie, Dalisay, and I nonchalantly continued our conversation as though we knew he was there all along. Actually he has been absent for nearly two weeks. Then he said, "So, we're in the business of assassinations!"

"And we run a clinic and home for girls who need our help."

Reddy paused, then added, "What say we call ours a business of child rescue and protection?"

"That does have a more socially acceptable sound to it," I said. "Child rescue, aid to young women, and assassinations when justified?"

"Okay, if we all agree that the assassinations part will remain secret or at least not publicized," Reddy said. Dalisay and I nodded in the affirmative. We are nothing if not respectful of our leader. The notion of filial piety ran through my memory.

"Speaking of our business mission remaining a secret, what are we going to do about Courtney Blaine Grey?" I asked.

"Why was a member of the Grey family at the seminar?" Reddy asked. "Maybe Courtney was checking up on us. The Greys are partners with the Parks in their Clinics in South Korea. However, I am certain they don't know I'm investigating the Home for Girls in Cheju-do on behalf of Princess Zubaida."

"Princess Zubaida?" Dalisay asked.

"Oh yeah! As soon as I can, I'll tell you about another case I am working on," Reddy replied.

 

Back in Berkeley, after Professor Hunt's seminar, Dalisay became a regular running partner with Angie, the dogs, and me. Chip Moriga joined us a couple of mornings, and we all really liked him. He is one terrific runner and when it comes to encryption and decryption he's the best. Well maybe the second best. He's also a gifted hacker.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are shooting practice days at the Oakland PD handgun firing range. Reddy insists that even our Clinic Director remain proficient with the Kahr 9mm pistols he prefers for self and home defense. On Saturdays we fly up to a cabin Reddy has near Lake Tahoe. That was where Reddy and I practiced sniper shooting. Dalisay and I were both becoming proficient at setting up a hide, tracking, and getting the hang of Reddy's six direction training. We also screened the emails on michaela.com when Reddy was unavailable. He showed us how the system worked to keep both client and now BFB secure. I wondered how Reddy planned on replacing Chip at the CIA, or whether Chip could continue his screening and background checks on potential clients from another location.

After I completed a check of the BFB finances, Reddy made signature arrangements with all of his banks so Dalisay and I could access funds. Then we gave some thought to non-family members - Angie, Penelope, Chip Moriga, and a lawyer we might need.

Reddy didn't like the title 'employee,' and called it demeaning, so 'partner,' and 'contractor,' were considered. Not everyone would be full time; however, I insisted that medical and retirement benefits as well as life insurance be provided from day one for anyone who works for us full time, along with a share in the profits to be calculated at year's end. Professor Marshall Hunt's seminar gave me that last idea.

The clinic for abused girls was a legitimate front for Burton's Family Business. Reddy suggested this, claiming, "I learned the value of having a legitimate business as a front from the Parks. Their clinics fronted successfully for over a decade for their child bride business."

Reddy also insisted that we charter our business off-shore, for tax reasons and to keep government interference in our operations at a minimum. I was still researching this and had a call in to Professor Marshall Hunt Jr. for a consultation.

As I've mentioned, Dalisay has located a warehouse near the Oakland Naval yard and made a six month lease agreement with option to buy from the retired Chief Petty Officer who owned the place. His name was Rusty O'Malley and everyone called him Chief. He agreed to provide some labor to help her with electrical and plumbing renovations. She put her medical studies on hold and went to work getting beds, building a showers area, a kitchen, and the necessary medical equipment and personnel who, with the residents, helped us design the examination and operating rooms, the rest of the workspace, and a visitor's area. Reddy pitched in and added a security system that rivaled Fort Knox. Every member and resident was to be issued a photo and fingerprint identity card that synched with the metal detectors that arched over each entrance and window. Reddy personally ran detailed background checks on every job candidate. I noticed that he also asked Chip Moriga to run a check on Courtney Blaine Grey.

"Speaking of unwanted guests," I said, "remember what I told you about how Penelope was approached by this Courtney Grey creep at the Seattle Seminar a few months ago?"

"Yes."

"Well, he came to Oakland to visit Penelope at Dalisay's Clinic," I said. "I have to give Penelope credit. For a girl her age, she has incredible instincts for identifying creeps. He suggested that she join him for a rock concert at the Oakland Center for the Performing Arts."

She darted him with, "Aren't you a bit old for rock concerts?"

"That little arrow stopped him in his ego."

Penelope was the one who told me about this encounter with Courtney. "He kept asking questions about my health and was I raped, was that why I was at the clinic. I told him it was attacked but not raped. I think it finally dawned on him that a rescue clinic for abused girls was not a source of virgins. The bastard is what I call a volume skirt chaser. He doesn't really care how many times he gets shot down; he just wants his virgin piece of ass as often as he can get it."