Frankly Speaking - A Frank Rozzani Detective Novel (#1)

by Don Massenzio

They pulled off I-10 and soon found themselves at Biffs. Frank parked his old Lexus next to a dark, late model Mercedes sedan. The two cars stuck out a bit amid the pickups, SUV's, and big rigs. Frank thought the Mercedes with the Florida government tag just might belong to Assistant Attorney General Travis Bullock, III. They entered the restaurant and the hostess/waitress/owner directed them to a table in the back where a man in business casual clothes rose to greet them.

  "Mr. Rozzani. Mr. Jones? I'm Travis Bullock."

  "Please call me Frank. It's nice to meet you in person."

  "You too. If I'm calling you Frank, then you're calling me Travis."

  Travis Bullock, III was the perfect blend of the best features of his parents. He had his mother's deeply intelligent blue eyes and tight curly blond hair. He also had his father's strong jaw line and chin. He only had one chin, however, unlike his father. He was fit like his mother with a runner's build.

  "And this must be the legendary Clifford Jones. You are a bit of a legend in law school circles. Your ability to analyze complex laws and speak to any legal area at a young age is well known even if you did go to that other school."

  Bullock was referring to Jonesy's alma mater, The University of Florida, which had a long and spirited rivalry with his own Florida State University.

  "I just have a good memory. By the way, please call me Jonesy."

  Frank was surprised at this as it usually took Jonesy much longer to trust someone enough to allow them to call him by that name.

  "I want to fill you both in on what I've found out about Worthington, but first I need to know how vital you think his background is to the case," Bullock said.

  "Why don't I let Jonesy fill you in on what he discovered regarding the ownership of the good pastor's church and we can move forward from there."

  "That's a good idea. From what I know so far about how well Worthington's files are protected, I need compelling evidence to pull the trigger on the favor I would call in to get to it."

  Jonesy spent the next 20 minutes laying out an extremely detailed picture of the complex ownership structure and board memberships of the company hierarchy of Christianity Today. His detailed account included names, dates, cities, bios of key individuals, some of the less than reputable business pursuits, and the industries that the ownership spanned. He did all of this without referring to a single note. Jonesy believed in keeping everything in his prolific memory. It was safer that way. He then switched to the Cobb-Drake family tree. Bullock shook his head when he heard about Drake's involvement in trying to intimidate Frank and Jonesy off of the case.

  "First," Bullock said when Jonesy was finished, "That was an incredible accounting of the information you discovered. Not only was it extensive, but you have some information that is highly confidential to those outside of the companies you've researched. How did you get to that information so quickly?"

  "Mr. Deputy Attorney General, sir. I would prefer not to answer that question."

  "Good point," Bullock said. "Based on what you've told me, Worthington is involved in this. That snake Cobb doesn't want him exposed because of his financial interest in the church. He has his idiot relative pulling high school pranks on your friends. Apparently he is not aware of your background, Frank."

  Frank was startled at this statement, but not surprised. The more he got to know this man, the more respect he was developing for him.

  "I think it's time to fill you both in on what I found as well. It is starting to make sense."

  Bullock then went on to tell them about his initial calls to the Oklahoma Attorney General.

  "At first it was all roadblocks. Worthington did something bad. He was a juvenile so his records were sealed. I used every argument I could to convince him the content of the file was relevant to Maggie's case. They just wouldn't budge. Then it all changed this morning. A mysterious call came in from a woman who was a law clerk for the judge that handled Worthington's case. She was an FSU grad and knew my family. She said she could get me a copy of the file if I could help her with a case here in Florida. Normally, I wouldn't get involved in a situation like that, but my sister is missing and if Worthington is involved, he needs to pay. What you've shared with me justifies getting the file from her."

  "That's great Travis," Frank said. "How long will it take to get it?"

  "Order a piece of Key Lime pie and some coffee. By the time you get it, the file will be here," Bullock said as he took out his phone.

  Bullock waited for an answer to his call and then simply said "Do it" and disconnected.

  The pie and coffee arrived while Bullock reached into his messenger bag and took out an iPad. He opened his email and opened an attachment. As he read it, his expression changed to concern. He handed the tablet to Frank so that he and Jonesy could see what had been received. The reason for his concern was immediately clear. Worthington had been charged with the rape of a teenage girl. The girl was 15 and had become pregnant.

  There was other information in the file related to where Worthington was during his "missing years." As part of an elaborate plea bargain process, he was sent to a Christian "boot camp" for lack of a better term. This preempted him from being tried as an adult, branded a sex offender, and potentially spending decades in prison.

  Jonesy, Frank and Travis felt a new aggressive posture toward the pastor. He would now be a central figure in the investigation. They finished their pie and coffee and got up to leave. Bullock had agreed to email them the file. As they walked to their cars, Travis asked Frank to wait for a minute.

  "I hope you weren't offended by the reference to your past, Frank. I had to do my homework."

  "As little as I know you, I would have been surprised if you hadn't checked up on me."

  "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss. I appreciate you helping us deal with ours."

  "It helps me cope," Frank said.

  They shared a warm handshake as Bullock and Frank walked to their cars.

  "Jonesy," Bullock said "If you ever want to apply your talents at a higher level, I will make room for you in Tallahassee."

  "I'm at a good level right now. Besides, I don't want to invest in long pants and shirts with collars. Thanks anyway."

  CHAPTER TWELVE