Ginny remembered how she had been instructed to meet a private jet at the airport and to be on time. She was whisked off to a Safe House, one of the private homes where Theater Group members meet without fear of being watched or recorded. A palazzo along the Mediterranean was their destination. It was a luncheon date for the two of them, Ginny and the Recruiter, an articulate, kind man.
One waiter attended to their every need without saying a word. And the entire tab for the recruitment was picked up by the Theater Group’s Backer. When their meeting was over, she was brought back to the airport for the flight home.
The Recruiter’s instincts had been right. Ginny volunteered wholeheartedly after their meeting when it was explained to her what they could do to help her get justice for her murdered son Bobby.
The framework of participants in the Theater Group had been loosely covered after Ginny became a member. No names were given for any of them. It was explained that one person is the lone Agent. He is the one in charge of the whole Group. The agent’s name, Daddy, is used to avoid his real name being known and also to make it easy for the Cast Members to talk to him on their cell phones in front of non-members. It appears to others that they are speaking with a family member when they address him as Daddy.
She learned as the Agent, Daddy knows everyone in the Theater Group, but the individual Cast Members only know the ones they must meet in order to get the Play accomplished. The Cast Members are those people involved in the present Play, the one being the complete production, written by Theater Group Playwrights, for bringing the Antagonist bad guy to justice.
“How do they get their information to know how to proceed?” Ginny had asked. She was told, “Searchers are the ones who work with the victims’ loved ones to get all the information possible about the Antagonist, the crime he committed, his police record, his life history, likes, dislikes, everything. We begin no Play without all of the answers. And, it does not proceed until it is perfect.”
Ginny had been pleased to channel her anger and grief into something productive. She enthusiastically offered what she knew about Glen Spade, the murderer of her son. The Searchers then used their contacts and whatever sources needed to fill in the rest. Exhaustive research brought an assurance of success.
The Recruiter had explained to Ginny, who was concerned about how Bobby’s Play would be financed, that The Theater Group had Patrons. “These are people who donate cash to the cause,” she was told. They don’t always participate in the Plays, but they can if they have a loved one in need of justice and want a Play done for them. Any amount, no matter how large or how small, was accepted and given to the Dollar Dreamers. Many of their Patrons were ordinary citizens who had enough of criminals getting away with their crimes.
“Where does the money go?” Ginny had asked.
She had been told that The Dollar Dreamers are Theater Group members who are concerned solely with raising money for the Plays and are responsible for keeping the cash safe and away from prying eyes. American dollars were the only acceptable legal tender. If a Patron wanted to donate foreign currency, the Dollar Dreamers accepted their pledge only after the Patron converted it to American money. No stocks, land or other investments were taken. The Patron had to sell what he wanted to donate and give the cash to the Dollar Dreamers, leaving no trails for others to follow. The Agent audited the Dollar Dreamers’ books periodically, and there was always plenty of cash, all of which was used to finance the Plays.
Ginny reflected on the Group and its effect on her emotional well-being. Knowing her son’s killer would get what he had coming to him helped ease the anxiety and anger she had been feeling. Today, after the intense emotional and physical investment in Charlotte’s Play, she just wanted to rest. She sipped at her drink and then drifted off into a well-deserved nap. She dreamed of her son as a toddler, learning to talk and feed himself. She cried in her sleep as her dream-life went forward to review Bobby’s murder.
Later . . .
After Vince finished his conversation as ‘Daddy’ with Ginny about the money having been given to the police department, he opened a drawer and pulled out a different cell phone, one of many he kept for a short period of time and then discarded. Excited to be making the call, he tapped in Marla’s phone number. His pulsed quickened as always, in anticipation of hearing her lovely voice. He shook his head to clear it and center his concentration on matters at hand.
“Hi, Marla, how are you doing?” Vince asked. He got comfortable in his chair.
“I’m great. Getting some rest. How are you?” Marla asked. She absently picked at the band aid covering the area where blood had been taken from her arm to be used in Charlotte’s Play. She resisted rubbing the itchy site.
“Good. Where are you at now?”
“Home. I’m going to see Kelly soon. How are things going with the Antagonist?”
“Excellent. Blass is in jail. Evidence is piling up against him, and according to the news, the State’s Attorney is promising a swift trial. I’m proud of you and all the other cast members. Your performances were flawless. Charlotte Levy’s parents are pleased, too. I hope you got your payment to cover your expenses.”
“Yes, I did, thank you. I think I’m getting to that stage, though, where I need to transition to more mature parts. Playing a teenager is getting more difficult for me. I think the clerk at the surf shop was having a problem with my maturity as the17-year-old Lissa.”
“Nonetheless, it worked,” Vince said. “I think we can switch you into being a 20-something for your next role in Bobby’s Play.”
“Good. It will feel more natural.”
“How much longer will you be a Cast Member for us?” Vince asked. He was hoping she would soon quit acting in that role for the Theater Group and assume a less dangerous position, or his favorite idea, quit the Group altogether.
“I think I’ll participate until we have justice for Kelly,” Marla said. “Then I’ll retire, and we can get on with our lives.”
“I like that idea. You know I love you, Marla, and while you’re a member of the Theater Group, we cannot further our relationship.” He was glad that her role would soon end.
“I know, and I’ve thought quite a bit about that,” Marla said. “But I have to do it for Kelly. Then you and I will have our future together.”
“I understand your need to see this through. I’ll call you tomorrow. Same time. Same number. Love you, Baby,” he said.
“I love you too, Vince.”
Marla turned off her cell phone and undressed to take a shower. She washed the still-sensitive areas of her fingertips.
Marla was determined to finish Charlotte’s Play, so she toughed it out until Karl Blass was in custody. She was not about to quit on anybody - especially not Kelly.
She finished her shower, got dressed, and prepared to go to her parents’ home for a visit with her sister. Marla brushed her short, black hair back away from her face. From her case of many different-colored contact lenses, a clear pair was chosen and inserted in her gold-colored eyes. Checking in the mirror, she liked the natural look her friends and family recognized.
The drive to the home of Marla’s parents was short. Marla mused about her romance with Vince. Each of them had felt a spark the moment they laid eyes on the other during her recruitment training to the Theater Group by the Agent, Vince Warren. She thought him to be handsome and thoughtful. He thought she was beautiful and smart.
Vince made an exception for her that he had never done for any of the many recruits he spoke with. He interviewed her personally. That evening, he took her to a romantic dinner, having asked her to not pledge fully to membership in the group until after their date.
The candlelight meal and their sharing of their time together were enough to bond the smitten pair. Vince felt compelled to tell her his story of being kidnapped as a child and the impact the event still has on his life.
Marla’s attraction to Vince strengthened, and she opened her heart to him.
He was a little disappointed, because one of the strict rules of the group is that none of the Cast Members are to have a romantic relationship with any of the other participants. It keeps potentially complex emotional attachments from affecting the need for strict adherence to the Play. It also diminished the possibility of entanglements becoming toxic for the group.
Marla’s commitment to justice for her sister gave her the strength to postpone a further close relationship with Vince until they could be together again. But they spoke to each other on the phone many times during each day. And they met when they could.
Today, Marla’s spirits were high. Her active participation in the Theater Group was winding down. It had been an exhausting although rewarding run, but she felt her participation was getting near its end. There was only one more play to go - her biggest role of them all.
CHAPTER TEN
Bobby’s Play . . .
Bobby Anderson’s murderer, Glen Spade, had been located by the Theater Group during the course of the production of Charlotte’s Play. He was found by the Searchers in Tempe, Arizona, where he was working at a construction site. Unskilled and poorly educated, Glen was a go-fer on his job, doing menial tasks such as handing materials to the craftsmen as they worked, and hauling construction trash away from the work area to the dumpster. His pay was low and his crimes continued. Glen had not changed since he murdered Ginny’s son.
The appointed Playwright, Nolan Cain, and a Searcher, Marvin Smith, had been taken to Tempe weeks ago on a private jet to finish their assignment. Together, they could share information and tips to assist each of them in the completion of their unique tasks.
Staying at a Safe House afforded the Searcher the freedom and accessibility to perform his duties for the Group without worrying about living arrangements. Throughout their stay, Marvin and Nolan would have no contact with the Host, the owner of the house, who preferred to remain unseen and unknown.
Having already done the background piece, it was time for Marvin to verify what was happening with the antagonist in the present and to research and document Glen Spade’s everyday life - where he lives, what he does, whom he sees and knows. Everything possible would be reviewed. The Group would know what he eats and when and where he does it.
The Playwright transferred the Searcher’s data into a workable, detailed Script of Three Acts. Although his dedication to the Theater Group was foremost in his life, Nolan was ready to get back to his profession as a novelist. Having joined the Group after his wife Cindy was raped and murdered; Nolan’s commitment to bringing criminals to justice has remained a priority for him even after Cindy’s Play was completed.
Marvin was recruited for the Group by a member after Marvin’s infant daughter, Tara, was murdered. Tara’s nanny went to trial but was found not guilty. The nanny’s husband admitted to witnessing Tara being abused by his wife, but he fled the country before her trial began. While Marvin’s in-home video surveillance showed the woman violently shaking the baby more than once, medical experts disagreed on whether or not those actions had resulted in the brain injuries the child received.
The jury was conflicted, and she was found not guilty. After being released from custody, the nanny boarded a plane for the Far East and, so she thought, out of reach of American justice. She started bragging to close friends that she got away with murder in what she called ‘The Filthy American Court.’ Tara’s Play was carried out in the woman’s native country and was one of the Theater Group’s greatest successes, given the constraints of working overseas in a different culture.
Marvin relished his work bringing justice to those who had eluded it.
Glen Spade’s past was fairly easy for one with Marvin’s talents to uncover. Spade was thirty-two years old with an average I.Q. He boasted being a grade-school dropout and reform school graduate. Spade possessed a rap sheet that mirrored his drugs of choice, Opioids. His life revolved around them, and stealing other people’s goods supported his habit. Food and everything else followed behind. Spade was a poster child for not legalizing drugs. When he was using, he harmed people and broke laws.
Spade had been treated for Opioid Dependence, with all the typical signs and symptoms. He had a high threshold for drug tolerance and had awakened each day, not to attend work, but to commit petty thievery, house break-ins and muggings with his low-life friends, and all done because when on drugs, committing crimes seemed okay to him. No matter how awful the outcomes of his actions, he rationalized his behaviors. One of his drug sprees led to the murder of Bobby Anderson. All were performed solely for the purpose of obtaining money for morphine, heroin, methadone . . . and so on. He was a drug dealer and a drug user.
“For every Glen Spade we take off the street, plenty more are enticed by drugs to take his place,” Marvin said. He sighed heavily and drank the coffee which was brought to him by a server at the Safe House.
“I know, but I still feel empowered each time one of them goes down,” Nolan said. “Look at our record. We get them sent to prison which keeps them from hurting more people. I hope Spade is our next takedown.”
“Besides drugs, Spade brags about liking cheap blondes and pornographic materials. Nice guy, huh?” Marvin said.
“Your research has been crucial in my writing Bobby’s Play,” Nolan said. “I finished the final draft early, and it was delivered to Daddy and the Cast Members. Everything has been in the works to do this Play for quite awhile now, so I’ll be leaving this afternoon for home. Is there anything else that you need from me before I go?”
"I should be asking you that,” Marvin said. “I’m finished, too, and will be on the jet with you. Working here in Tempe was productive, thanks to our host. I was able to get about town, follow the Antagonist, and fill in the blanks of Spade’s past and present life without much difficulty. I continue to be surprised how easy surveillance is, given the right tools. All it takes is money and time. And while all that is true, I must admit that I’m wearing out. I’m ready to go home.”
Their jobs completed, the Searcher and the Playwright finished their meals, packed their bags and prepared to leave town like all guests do when their time away is over.
Staff carried their luggage to the waiting private jet. The Theater Group members boarded the aircraft and departed for their homes. Cash payments for Nolan’s and Marvin’s expenses were placed in envelopes for personal delivery when the men got to where they lived.
While they were flying out of Tempe, another jet was bringing Cast Members into the city to begin Bobby’s Play.
Aboard the incoming Theater Group jet, Marla Michaels reviewed the Script one more time. She was impressed with its structure and substance, having studied it since the delivery of the final draft.
“This is brilliant. The scriptwriters have outdone themselves,” Marla had said to Vince when they discussed it.
She was pleased that Kelly’s justice would be served along with Bobby’s, during the Play.
After the plane landed, Marla settled into her room and unpacked her suitcases. She rushed through the process so she could make a phone call.
“Hello,” Vince said on his end.
“Hi,” Marla said. “How are you?”
“Good, Baby. And you?”
“Rejuvenated. I’m here and ready to begin.”
“I bet you look beautiful with short blonde hair and blue eyes.”
“When I complete my final Theater Group production, I’ll do this look for you when we get together,” Marla said, giggling. “By the way, how did you like me as a redhead?”
“As a blonde, redhead, brunette, or even if you’re gray, I will love you, no matter what.”
“I feel the same about you.”
“How was your ride to Tempe?” Vince asked.
“Good. Bennie was on my plane, and we had a chance to review the script tog
ether.”
“Great. The other Cast Members are already in place, waiting to begin. They had their final copy of Bobby’s Play delivered, too, so everything is ready to go.”
“I’ll talk to you soon,” Marla said.
“Be safe, Baby,” Vince said.
Marla blew a kiss to the phone before she finished.
Vince spoke with others involved in the upcoming production.
“Is everything ready for Bobby’s Play?” Vince asked each responsible Cast Member.
“We set everything up months ago and are ready,” were their replies.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Eight p.m. Bobby’s Play begins . . .
Benny drove the SUV to the corner a short way from Max’s Bar & Grille. As is the policy for all Plays, he stayed inside the vehicle behind darkened windows, so as not to be seen and later identified. As a former Israeli Commando, member of the Shayeter 13, their elite Special Forces unit, Benny understood covert operations into the enemies’ territory. The S-13-mandatory twenty months of training prepared him not only for service to his country, but also for the Theater Group.
The passenger’s side back door opened and Marla Michaels, costumed as Tina Yarnell, twenty-something hot babe party girl, slid long black-stockinged legs out to the curb. She stood, adjusted her revealing, black leather skirt, and closed the door behind her. Steadied on five-inch stilettos, she got into character and assumed the pose. She stuck out her chest and brushed back her hair like a pro. Daintily, she held her hot red painted nails out in front of her face and gave a half grin of approval.
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