Judge Roth's Law

by Bill Sage

  This time Jake pronounced each word slowly through clenched teeth. “Hang-up-the-fucking-phone!”

  “Back off and wait,” the man shot back, holding the phone a few inches away from his ear. “Who the fuck you think you are? Wait!”

  Jake gave him a brutal stare and without warning yanked the phone out of his hand, intentionally smashing his elbow into the guy’s cheek.

  “You’re done here, asshole. Get the fuck out of here.”

  The enraged man spun around to confront Jake, ready to fight it out.

  But before he could say anything, Jake said, “When you see your doctor, tell him your fuckin’ neck’s broken.”

  Jake wasn’t bluffing.

  Shooting Jake a dirty look, the man said, “It’s all yours, pal.” Then he mumbled something and stepped away.

  Jake put seven quarters into the slot and dialed an Orange County number.

  The phone rang twice.

  “Hello,” a male voice answered.

  “It’s done.”

  “Good.”

  Jake hung up.

  “Who was that?” Linda asked.

  “Wrong number,” Al said, smiling.

  58

  AARON ROSENBERG’S BAR MITZVAH party was held at the Seaside Hotel on the boardwalk in Santa Monica.

  Al and Linda sat with Ben at a reserved table off to the side and away from the dance floor. Linda was in her new black dress and Al’s pearls.

  Jake hadn’t arrived yet. Told Al he’d be a little late, had “business” in LA. “I should be there around eight. Tell Linda I can’t wait to meet her.”

  After the guests had been served steak or chicken and enjoyed slices of the bar mitzvah cake, Hack and Ruth walked the room, schmoozing with people at all the tables.

  The look on Hack’s face confirmed what Al thought. Hack wasn’t enjoying himself. He didn’t say much, leaving it up to Ruth. Most of the time, he kept glancing at Al’s table, where Al thought he probably wanted to be from the beginning.

  After Hack and Ruth visited every table, they made their way over to Al and Linda’s. Ruth took a seat next to Linda and immediately began her non-stop talking. Hack sat next to Al, Ben had just stepped away from the table.

  When Hack sat down, Al told him how much he and Linda loved the food and the room.

  A short while later, Ben returned from the restroom and sat next to Hack.

  Hack paused a second then asked, “So what happened? Jake still coming?”

  “Yeah, said he had some business.”

  “Is that what he calls it?” Ben chimed in.

  Hack chuckled then glanced over at Linda. She was still fully engaged with Ruth, so he leaned toward Al and in a hushed voice said, “It went well.”

  “Yeah, very impressive. You looked like you’d done it a hundred times.”

  “It was all Jake. I did what he said, made it easy.” Then nodding at Al, he said, “As I and especially you know, the guy’s a fuckin’ pro.”

  “Who could’ve ever predicted it?” Al said with a smile.

  Ben laughed. “Yeah, he was always so gentle and nice.” Then he motioned for Al and Hack to lean in toward him. After quickly looking around for a second, he gave them a rundown on how he and Jake knocked off Mangano.

  Finishing the story, he said, “Big, fuckin’ explosion… guys running out, yelling. The fire trucks…”

  Hack smiled.

  Then eyeing Al and Hack, Ben said, “Jake’s a happy man again.”

  “Maybe that’ll keep him off our asses,” Hack added.

  Several minutes later, the band singer finished his last Frank Sinatra song. Then he began reading telegrams from people who were unable to attend.

  As he was reading the third one, Jake showed up.

  Wearing a blue suit, a white shirt and a dark blue tie, Al thought he almost looked like a banker or a CEO.

  Well, maybe that’s going a little too far.

  Al watched as Jake searched the room, looking for him and Linda. When their eyes met, Jake started for Al’s table. As he made his way, Al had to laugh to himself.

  It was funny to see how people reacted when they saw Jake. They’d look up to catch a glimpse of him, but quickly look away before Jake could eye them back. And when he walked passed them, they’d huddle together, whispering to each other, sometimes looking over their shoulders.

  As Jake came closer, he and Al locked glances again, sharing smiles. Linda saw Al smiling, looked out in Jake’s direction, then she smiled too.

  Leaning in to Al she whispered, “So that’s Jake.”

  Jake came straight over to Linda, stopped. “You must be Linda.”

  She extended her hand. He gently took it into his and said, “Al’s the luckiest man in the world.”

  “I’m lucky too,” she said, smiling warmly.

  Jake nodded hello to Ben and Hack. Ruth pushed her chair back and got up. “Jake, sit here next to Linda.” Then she moved over one chair.

  Jake sat down and scooted his chair closer to Linda. “I’m so happy to finally meet the woman who’s going to be Al’s wife.”

  Linda smiled at Jake then looked at Al.

  Jake paused a moment then said, “You remind me of my Elsa.”

  Al touched Linda’s hand without looking at her. He was relieved when she smiled at Jake but didn’t ask him any questions. Knowing her, Al guessed she probably had plenty.

  Jake and Linda then talked by themselves. Al heard snippets of conversations about the wedding, the Veterans Club, and the 12th Street Gang.

  Later when the band played a slow song, Jake asked a delighted Linda to dance. As Al watched them on the dance floor, he could tell Linda was having a good time. She was smiling and seemed to be listening to Jake’s every word.

  Al wondered if a time would ever come when he could tell her what he’d done in the Mangano case. Would she understand and side with him or think he’d done something unethical and deplorable?

  When Linda and Jake returned to the table, Jake gave Al a subtle nod, then looked toward the windows on the ocean side. They excused themselves and walked to the opposite end of the room.

  Jake said, “She’s even more beautiful than her picture.”

  “She likes you. I’m glad I saw her first.”

  “No, Al, she’s classy.”

  “Thanks. I really love her.”

  “She’s going to make you very happy.”

  “Uh-huh,” Al said, nodding. “So what happened?”

  “Claudio wanted me to go with him. Needed some muscle.”

  “So that was it?”

  “Not a big deal. Didn’t even need me.”

  “I bet he’s happy now that Mangano’s out of the picture.”

  “He’s fucking happier than shit. He can’t believe I pulled off the mistrial and that it’s finally over. Never seen him smile that much. He couldn’t thank me enough. In fact, they’re sweetening the pot.”

  “Good. That ought to put you back in first place out here.”

  “They think I’m King Shit. Want me to move to LA. I’m not shitting you.”

  Al said, “Hamilton, what did you do with the…?”

  “Don’t worry about it. They’re not gonna find his body floating in a ditch somewhere.”

  “Just curious.”

  Jake paused a few seconds, then said, “Forgetaboutit, I guarantee it’ll never be found.”

  “Okay, that’s all I wanted to know.”

  A short pause.

  “So now it’s all done,” Al said in a reflective voice. “All our enemies have been eliminated.”

  “Life is good, huh? Now I’m heading back to Detroit, unless you changed your mind about Ward,” Jake said with a chuckle.

  “That’s a thought. Maybe I’ll call you back for my proscription. Then you can have some more fun,” Al said, playing along.

  “Well, Ward or no Ward, I will be back for the wedding.”

  “I think it’s going to be in August. I’ll let you know as
soon as the ‘Angel-Princess’ decides.”

  They returned to the table and joined in the conversation. Most of the time it was Al, Hack, and Ben’s gruff banter and their almost nonstop friendly put-downs.

  Jake didn’t take part, just listened. He only did that with Al.

  As Al expected, Linda couldn’t hold back her curiosity. So a few minutes after returning to the table, she put her hand on his sleeve and asked in a sweet voice, “So what was the big secret?”

  “Something Jake needed to tell me.”

  “I won’t tell anyone,” Linda said, smiling coyly.

  “Can’t be done,” Al said in a firm voice.

  She stared at him with a dejected look, almost a pout. Then seeing she wouldn’t be able to coax any information out of him, she dropped it.

  They tuned back to the table conversation.

  Ben was in the middle of telling Hack and Al about a gasoline tax scam he was working on. “You just don’t remit the taxes to the state. Then close shop and open another one under a different name. That’s what they’re doing in New Jersey.”

  As Ben was talking, Al put his hand on Linda’s. When she turned to look at him, he whispered something off-color in her ear. He wanted her to know he was thinking of her, but he loved teasing her too.

  She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

  A half hour later, Al said he and Linda had to get going. It was late, and they had a long drive back to Newport Beach.

  Everybody stood up to say goodbye and shake hands. After saying their goodbyes, Al took a brief moment to take Hack and Ben aside to say a few farewell words.

  When he turned to Jake, Jake put his hand on Al’s shoulder and drew him closer. Speaking in a low voice, he said, “I’m happy for you.” Then eyeing Al closely, Jake said, “I love you, brother.”

  Al looked at him, a wistful look in his eyes. “Brüder für immer,” he said softly. That’s something Jake used to say when they were stationed in Germany. Brothers forever.

  Jake hugged Al, a happy but sad look in his eyes.

  59

  AL DROVE AWAY FROM THE HOTEL, heading toward the 405 Freeway. After a few minutes, they were in a southbound lane driving to Newport Beach.

  Linda said, “I like him. You’d never guess what he does.”

  “The thing is, you got to see the real Jake. The guy I know and love.”

  “Now I understand, you two.”

  “Well, he really likes you.”

  “Really?” she said, a little surprised. “I wish he’d move out here.”

  “Maybe when he stops doing his thing. Gets too old…”

  “He can’t do that kind of thing forever.”

  “Hack and Ben said they could get him set up out here, so…it could happen.”

  They drove in silence for a while, listening to classic rock on K-EARTH 101.

  After about four or five minutes, Linda wanted to know more about Jake. “What did he…?” she began. “What was Jake talking about? A girl named Elsa.”

  “I never told you. But now I think you need to know. To understand him and what went on in his life.”

  “It’s part of your life too.”

  Al nodded and waited a few seconds before going on. “Jake was stationed in Munich. Was an MP there. He saw two German punks harassing Elsa when she was waiting for a streetcar. He chased them away. That’s how they met.”

  “You weren’t an MP?”

  “No, I was in an artillery unit in Mannheim.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “They started seeing each other, and before long, they fell madly in love. He had an apartment off base, and she moved in with him. But it didn’t last long, just about three or four months. Gerard, her ex-husband, hired guys to find her. They kidnaped her from Jake’s place.”

  “They just nabbed her?”

  “Yeah, and Jake had no idea where she was. Gerard kept her hidden. She told Gerard she’d never stop loving Jake and would never love him. So, to stop her from running away, Gerard injected her with sedative drugs. Every day.”

  “My God.”

  “He worked at a pharmaceutical company in Munich. One of the big cheeses there. A male nurse helped him.”

  “He must have been crazy.”

  “He was. If he couldn’t have her, no one could, and especially not Jake.”

  “So with her gone, what did Jake do? Did he try to…”

  “He didn’t know where she was. Later Elsa’s mother wrote to Jake, telling him that Gerard was holding Elsa against her will. But since Gerard moved, she didn’t know where he lived. So Jake staked out the company where Gerard worked and tailed him to his house. He broke in a few days later when Gerard was at work. He was gonna grab her, take her home with him. He found her inside, but she didn’t even recognize him. The maid told him the whole story how Gerard was injecting her with drugs and that it had destroyed her mind.”

  “Oh, my God.”

  “He broke in again. Wanted to make sure. She still didn’t know who he was.”

  “Jake must have been devastated.”

  “He was heartbroken and vowed to get revenge. No matter what, he was going to kill Gerard. Make him pay for what he’d done to Elsa.”

  Linda didn’t say anything, sat still, looking sad.

  “After Gerard complained to the MP commander about Jake breaking into his house, Jake was taken off patrol and assigned to a desk job.”

  “So everything was happening to him. It must have been horrible for him.”

  “It was. Really bad,” Al said.

  “Then he…he killed Gerard?”

  “Not right then. It happened months later. He shot him in the head.”

  “Jeez.”

  “He really loved her. Seeing what happened to her, he nearly went off the deep end. Came close.” Al paused a moment. “If he hadn’t killed the guy, he probably wouldn’t have made it. It was something he had to do to get some peace. It drove him crazy.”

  “Wow.” She hesitated a few seconds. “I know you and Jake are like brothers…” She stopped and looked at Al.

  “What?” Al said, anticipating what was coming next.

  “I’m just wondering. Don’t get me wrong, but knowing how tight you two are, did you have anything…anything to do with Gerard? You know.”

  “You got me,” Al said, smiling. “No, all kidding aside, I can understand why you’re asking. But no, I’ve never even been to Munich.”

  “I didn’t think you’d do anything like that.”

  “It’d be difficult for me to be involved in anything like that, to take a life. That’s something…”

  “I know,” Linda said softly.

  A short time later they exited the freeway and headed toward the beach area where Linda lived. She sat quietly, looking straight ahead. Al patted her knee as they exchanged smiles.

  Then after a few minutes, Linda turned toward him. “He said I looked like her.”

  “You do a little. I think it’s more a longing, a fantasy.”

  “It’s so sad.”

  “He’s okay.”

  “Now that I’ve met him, I’m so happy he’s going to be your best man.” After pausing she said, “It’s so right, the three of us…standing up there together.”

  Hearing Linda say that about Jake made Al feel honored to have her love. God, I love her.

  Al drove to Linda’s house and parked in the garage. He was staying at her house that night.

  Linda wanted Al to take a bath with her, but he thought sitting in a tub of hot water was boring, even with Linda.

  He waited for her in the family room. She’d put a bottle of Rittenhouse Rye on the bar near the TV set. He poured himself a small drink and sat down.

  Al sighed, thinking that he’d lied to her again. This time in the car when he told her he had nothing to do with killing Gerard. Not only was he the mastermind behind the plan, he took part in carrying it out.

  Looking back at that night in December 1958, he reme
mbered how it started. With Jake in the passenger seat, Al drove his green Opel Olympia to the American bar area in Munich. When they saw an MP jeep, Jake got out and stole it. Something he learned how to do when he was an MP.

  Then Al followed Jake to a side street two miles away where he parked the Opel behind a gasthaus. Al jumped into the jeep with Jake and they drove to the outskirts of Munich where Gerard lived.

  In his wool winter uniform, Al had an MP armband on his left sleeve and was wearing a white MP service cap. He carried a .45 in his cartridge belt holster.

  Jake wore his army fatigues, Ike jacket, and a winter field cap with the ear flaps up.

  Arriving at Gerard’s home late in the evening, Al knocked on his door. When Gerard came out, Al said, “Good evening, Mr. Michel. Colonel Nicholson feels bad about Corporal Gertner breaking into your house and wants to give you a case of Liebfraumilch to make up for it. He’d be honored if you’d accept.”

  Gerard was thrilled and agreed to help Al carry the wine from the jeep into his house. When they got to the jeep, Al shoved the .45 in Gerard’s face and forced him down onto the hood, pinning him there until Jake came around from the other side.

  Jake then jammed a .32 automatic with a silencer into Gerard’s mouth and shot twice, saying what he’d repeated to himself hundreds of times, “This is from Elsa.”

  “So, how do I look,” Linda asked. She was standing in the doorway, wearing a bathrobe, fuzzy slippers, and a towel wrapped around her hair.

  Al took a swig of the rye and set the glass down on a side table. “You look squeaky clean and delicious.”

  Linda smiled and sat down next to him. “There’s no doubt about it now. I do love you more than you love me,” she said as she laid her hand on his thigh.

  “Impossible.”

  “But you wouldn’t take a bath with me.”

  “Yeah, but you’re wearing a towel on your head and I still think you’re beautiful and love you.”

  “Doesn’t matter, you revealed yourself. It would’ve been fun.”

  Al remained silent for a few seconds, making it look like he was pondering something. Then nodding, he said, “Okay…you win.” A short pause. “I admit it…you love me more than I love you.”