Brash Endeavor, A Stan Turner Mystery Vol 3

by William Manchee

Chapter 18

  THE GUARANTY

  It didn't take us thirty minutes to spend the thirty-one hundred dollars that Kurt had paid us several weeks earlier. We had paid the most critical of our bills at that time but they were coming due again and we had fallen a month behind on our mortgage payment. I had received a hundred dollars the day before for a will I had done for one of Rebekah's friends at the hospital. With that money I had gone by Lone Star Gas and paid that bill just in time to avoid a disconnection. Later on that afternoon I got a frantic call from Rebekah.

  "Stan, some man came by from the mortgage company. He said we're two months late on our mortgage payment and if we fall three months behind they'll foreclose."

  "Why did he come by the house? They haven't even sent us a nasty letter yet."

  "Yes, they did. Didn't you see it. I put it on your desk at home."

  "Oh really, I guess it got lost in the bill drawer. Even so, why come by the house?"

  "He said the mortgage company wanted to know what the condition of the house was in case they decided to foreclose."

  "Great. So, what did he say when he left?"

  "He gave me a number to call so we could advise them of our intentions."

  "Well, I'll call them tomorrow."

  "What are we going to tell them?"

  "You get paid next week and I should get something pretty soon from Mrs. Lombardi. She said she put five hundred dollars in the mail to me several days ago. That will be enough for one mortgage payment and food for next week."

  "Stan, I hate living like this! You're a lawyer for godsakes. We shouldn't have to be worrying about money."

  "I know, but things are starting to roll. The money will start coming in on a more regular basis soon. It won't be too long before Kurt pays me again."

  "Yeah, if happens to come back from Brazil. Then you'll have to go beg him for the money."

  "I don't think so. He'll probably just send me a check this time."

  "Uh huh, sure."

  Rebekah was right. Money wasn't supposed to be a problem. After all, one of the reasons I became a lawyer was because they were supposed to make so much money. For a brief moment I wished I had gone to work for a big firm. At least I'd have a steady paycheck. Then I felt a rush of optimism and quickly dismissed the big firm idea. I knew independence was one of the greatest treasures a man could acquire. I had obtained it already and I wasn't about to give it up.

  As I continued to contemplate my economic plight the phone rang and Mrs. Lombardi was on the line.

  "Hey, you were right. I managed to get a twenty-five-hundred-dollar cash advance on the insurance policy."

  "Fabulous! Can you wire it to me?

  "I sent it by overnight mail. Oh, and I don't know what happened, but I found your five hundred dollar check on my desk. It must have got mixed in with some old bills. I thought I had sent it to you."

  "Oh, really?"

  "Yeah, anyway it’s in the package too."

  "Good, I'll look for it tomorrow then."

  "Yes. Thanks again, Stan. I really appreciate what you're doing."

  With that hurdle overcome, my only problem now was to get a co-signer on the bond. My only hope was if Gena's boyfriend, Tony, or her ex-best friend, Bridgett would help. If Tony had taken all of Gena's money maybe he would feel guilty enough to help get her out of jail. Likewise, maybe Bridgett would have enough remorse about what had happened to help out. After a long and tedious search to find them I finally got Tony on the phone just before noon the following day.

  "What does that bitch want now?" Tony said.

  "Well, you may have heard she's in jail for mail fraud. She claims she took some ticket order money and deposited it in a joint account that she had with you. She said that you took the money out which prevented her from paying for the tickets and delivering them to the buyers."

  "Is that what she told you? That lying bitch! She owed me that money. When we started the business I put up all the capital and when we I decided to split I just took what was mine."

  "I understand there are two sides to every story, and Gena's not looking to recover the money from you. She just wants some help getting out of jail so she can better defend herself."

  "She can rot in jail as far as I'm concerned."

  "Why do you hate her so much?"

  "She's been trying to turn Bridgett against me. She keeps calling Bridgett and telling her that I'm no good. She follows us sometimes, spies on us and just won't leave Bridgett or me alone."

  "Well, I guess you can understand why she was upset over what happened."

  "Maybe so, but it happened, and there's nothing she can do about it. I hope she gets convicted so Bridgett and I can have some peace."

  "Can I talk to Bridgett?"

  "No way, good bye," he said and hung up.

  After the fiasco with Tony my only hope was to convince Roger Rand to waive a co-signer on the bond. In desperation I called him.

  "I got the twenty-five hundred on that bond I talked to you about."

  "Great, come on by and we'll write her up."

  "I've just got one problem."

  "What's that?"

  "Well, I can't get anyone local to co-sign the bond."

  "Oh, well that is a problem."

  "Is there anything else we can do? Couldn't you let her mother in Michigan co-sign?"

  "No, her guarantee would be a waste of time."

  "There must be something we can do?"

  "Why don't you guarantee it?" Roger said.

  "What! Me guarantee it?"

  "Yeah, we trust you."

  "But if she skips I'm out twenty-five thousand dollars."

  "Well, just keep a close eye on her."

  "I'll have to think on that one. I'll get back with you."

  My stomach began to turn as I realized it was possible now to get Gena out of jail. All I had to do was risk twenty-five thousand dollars. Shit, Rebekah would divorce me in two seconds if I guaranteed Gena's bond. I just couldn't do that. I'd just have to tell Gena that I couldn't get her out of jail. I started to get up and go to the courthouse to tell Gena the bad news but I suddenly realized I was wasting my time. She'd just convince me to co-sign the bond if I went to see her. I couldn't resist her charm. Anyway, Gena wouldn't skip town. At least I don't think she would. If she did, well, . . . I could take her Corvette as collateral. That would be an iron clad guarantee that she'd never leave town. I picked up the phone and called Roger.

  "Will you take a second lien on a Corvette as collateral."

  "How much equity does she have in it," Roger said.

  "I don't know, five or six thousand," I replied.

  "No, I'm afraid not, the first lien holder would grab the car if she skipped out on the bond and we'd end up with nothing."

  "Oh really, shit!"

  "I'm sorry Stan, but we've got to be really careful on how we collateralize these bonds. Bonding is a very risky business."

  "I know, damn it! . . . Okay, I'll guarantee the bond."

  "Really, what made you change your mind."

  "Well, I know this girl and if I've got her car there's no way she'd ever skip out."

  "Okay, come on by and we'll do the paperwork."

  "I'll be right over."

  After I had Gena's bond in hand I went to the sheriff's office, got it approved and then went to the jail to see Gena. As she walked through the door to the visiting room her eyes lit up and she smiled joyfully. She sat down and immediately said, "I knew you would come through for me."

  "What makes you so sure I came to get you out of here?" I said.

  "I can tell by the look on your face and besides you wouldn't be here so soon unless you had good news."

  "Well you're very perceptive," I said as I pulled the bond out of my briefcase. "Here's your bond which I need you to sign."

  "Oh Stan, I'm so excited. I knew I could count on you. "

  "Well you can thank your mother, she came up with the twe
nty-five hundred premium for the bond."

  "See, I told you Mom wouldn't let me down."

  "Oh, there's one little thing. I had to co-sign this little sucker to get you out of here, so I'd like your Corvette as collateral."

  "You co-signed my bond for me?"

  "Yeah, I had to or they wouldn't issue it."

  "That is so sweet. No one has ever believed in me the way you have, Stan. I'll never forget this."

  "It's all right. But I do want you to pledge your car on the bond."

  That's okay, I already told you to keep it for me."

  "I don't need to keep it, just sign this paper giving me a second lien on it."

  "Fine."

  I slid the bond and the assignment through a small slot in the window. "Just sign these papers and I'll have you out of here in no time."

  Gena signed the documents and slid them back to me through the window. "Okay, when do I get out?"

  "Right now. Just go back to your cell and someone will come get you in a few minutes."

  "Oh, I'm so excited! This is the happiest day of my life."

  I left the visiting room and took the bond to the desk sergeant. He said to have a seat and they would get the prisoner. As I sat in the waiting room I felt a great sense of accomplishment. It was the best I had felt in weeks. Suddenly the door to the jail opened and there stood Gena retrieving her valuables from one of the jailers. She looked over at me and smiled. Then the jailer nodded that she could leave and she quickly made her exit, ran over to me and embraced me.

  "Thank you Stan. I am so happy I could kiss you."

  With that she pressed her lips to mine and kissed me passionately. For a few seconds I enjoyed her passion and then I gently pushed her away and said, "That's okay Gena, I know you're grateful."

  "Oh Stan, it was horrible in there, you just don't know how terrible it was," Gena said.

  "It's the loneliness that's really tough," I said.

  "Oh, that's right, you've had some experience in serving jail time."

  "Yes, unfortunately," I said. "If you've got everything, let's get out of this place."

  "I'm ready. Let's go."

  We left the Criminal Justice Building and entered the parking garage. I stopped in front of my Pinto and Gena gave me a puzzled look.

  "You drive this piece of shit?" She said.

  "As a matter of fact I do," I replied.

  "But you're a lawyer you should have a Mercedes or a Porsche."

  "Well, as you might recall, I just started law practice and haven't struck it rich yet."

  "I'm sorry. I just wished you had a better car. You deserve it."

  "Well, someday I will."

  "I sure hope so. This is pathetic."

  I took a good look at my little Pinto and had to agree compared to Gina’s Corvette or one of Kurt’s exotic cars, it was pretty pathetic. I told myself it didn’t matter. The Pinto was reliable and got me where I needed to go, but I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed and depressed. We drove back to Gena's house and I let her off. Her Corvette was still in the driveway—thank God. I had worried a lot about someone stealing it. She smiled, thanked me again with another unexpected kiss and rushed over to it.”

  "You want to come for a ride, Stan?" she yelled as she opened the driver’s side door.

  I shook my head. "No thanks, I've got to get back to the office. You go ahead, have fun."

  "Okay," she said and slammed the door. The Corvette started up with a roar, black smoke billowed out of the exhaust pipes, and Gina tore off down the street.

  I sat in my car and watched her as she disappeared. I could still taste her sweet lips and smell the pleasant odor of her body. I almost wished I could have gone with her as there was no doubt she would have given me anything I wanted that night. After a while I regained my senses and drove back to the office.