Criminal Defense

by Alice J. Harris-Wood

  "‘If it is okay with you, we can work and do everything together,’ said Eric.

  "‘That sounds like a good plan,’ responded Bobby.

  "‘Let’s write out a plan of what we need to do. Since we are both lawyers, we can do all our legal work. The plan should include selling all of their assets and then dividing them up between us. We should give out all the money gifts to their staff and workers as soon as possible,’ said Eric.

  "Bobby looked at Eric and said, ‘I believe they are the last of their generation including their close friends. Maybe we should have the minister come to the house and say a prayer for blessing them and their friends,’ said Bobby.

  "Eric looked like he wanted to cry. His sadness spilled over into Bobby and they both sat down and the tears rolled down their weary faces. ‘Let’s go and get something to eat. We need to keep up our strength and health because we have a tough job ahead of us,’ said Bobby.

  "As they were cleaning out their parents’ papers, Eric found a file box that was locked. ‘I wonder what’s in this box. If it is locked, then it must be important,’ said Eric.

  "It took a lot of effort to get the box opened; it had Bobby’s birth certificate. Bobby kept staring at the paper and then he dropped it on the floor, stating, ‘My whole life has been a lie. Oh my, what a lie! They should have told me. I would have understood.’

  "Eric picked up the paper and realized that Buddy Miller was Bobby’s biological father and Frank had adopted him at birth. ‘Bobby, get over it. What difference does it make that you didn’t come from Frank’s bloodline? You were loved and received the best education possible. You are the attorney general for the State of Louisiana. When we are born, we have no say as to who will nurture and raise us. It is God’s will as to what path He set for us to follow. They might not have been scumbags in their early lives but became better people after God showed them the way. Forgive them, the same way I did many years ago,’ said Eric.

  "‘You are right. Let’s move on to Harrisonville to spread their ashes,’ said Bobby.

  “Eva and Nick were seeing each other often and had fallen in love. My father wanted to know more about his family’s history. He felt that if they had children, it would be important to understand and know your family. He knew the best place to start was Harrisonville,” said Lola.

  "‘Do you want me to go to Harrisonville with you?’ asked Eva.

  "‘Yes, I just want closure on that generation. They were a group of friends that functioned like a family of criminals. I’d like to see their graves and say a prayer for their souls. Maybe my brother and Zola will go with us,’ said Nick.

  “Nate and Zola did not really want to go back to Harrisonville but he knew it would make his brother happy. Within a few weeks, they were off to Harrisonville. Even though my brother and I were babies, they took us with them,” said Lola.

  "As they approached the gravesite, they saw Mr. Stevenson from New Orleans standing in front of my grandparents’ headstones. Beside him was another man that Nick recognized as the state attorney general for the State of Louisiana.

  "‘Oh my,’ said Nick, ‘our past will not let go of us. I hope they are not trying to pin anything on us. Please God, let it be for something good and not bad,’ he begged silently to himself with his head bowed.

  "‘Hello Eric, your telegram said for you to come to California but here you are in Harrisonville. I know you were born in Harrisonville, but why are you standing over Nick and Nate’s parents’ graves?’ asked Eva.

  "‘You are right; I did go to California. I will be going back in the morning. This is my brother Bobby. We are following our parents’ wishes to sprinkle their ashes over their best friends’ graves. They are Buddy Miller, Redd, and Nina Harrison,’ said Eric.

  "Nate just stood there and suddenly took a few steps back. ‘Your parents knew them?’ asked Nate.

  "Bobby spoke up, ‘They were their best friends and partners here in Harrisonville.’

  "‘Wow! We came here for closure on that generation and met up by fate with decedents of the same generation,’ said Nick.

  "‘Let’s spread the ashes and say a prayer. Maybe your family will join us for a bite to eat. This way, we can help each other to find closure,’ said Eric.

  "‘God, forgive them for all their sins, amen!’ said Nick.

  "‘After today, this will be my last time I will meet with your families on a social or professional level. As you know, I am the state attorney for the State of Louisiana. In the future, we might meet again but it will not be social,’ said Bobby.

  "‘You Harrison boys were born and raised in Harrisonville. Tell us how it was growing up with these two families of friends. Don’t hold back anything. I want to hear the good and the bad, okay?’ He was looking very serious as he ordered his lunch.

  "‘As kids, we observed many of their activities. One thing good about our conversation is that they are dead and their crimes will go to the grave with them. I would like for you, Bobby, to give Nate and me full immunity from any legal actions for information given to you about this family of organized gangsters. Full immunity at all levels, criminal or civil actions,’ said Nick.

  "‘We want protection for all our assets. Even though they were criminals, we have lived an honest adult life. We should not have to pay for their crimes,’ said Nate.

  "‘If you write out a contract giving us full immunity and all the items I have mentioned, we can all sign it and tonight in your hotel room, I will give you all the information that will enable you to find answers to closed cases,’ said Nick.

  “That night, they met Bobby in his hotel room. The contract was reviewed by Nate and Nick. After a few more negotiations on different issues, the immunity was agreed upon and signed on the letterhead,” said Lola.

  "‘Nina, Candee, Redd, Buddy, and Frank were all friends whose friendship was sealed with a long history of crime that started as young kids. They were a group of criminals who functioned like a family,’ said Nick

  "‘Before you get started, I want you to know that this is being recorded, understood?’ said Eric.

  "‘Yes, we understand,’ responded Nate.

  "‘To begin with, this family of criminals was just kids when they started their career as gangsters. What we are about to tell you was witnessed by us, Nate and Nick Harrison. Other accounts were told to us by one of them, or overheard, or we took part in the criminal act,’ said Nick.

  "‘Redd, our father, came here with our grandparents from Ireland. They were forced to leave because of being bootleggers and were about to go to jail. They had money and purchased a farm. They raised corn for consumption, animals, and moonshine. Business was going very well. His brother-in-law, who was a drunk, came to our home to rob my grandfather late one night after my grandmother had passed away. In the process, he woke up and was killed by his brother-in-law. Redd grabbed his handgun, which he called Sue, and shot him. That was the first person he killed at the age of sixteen. The local police liked the Harrison family and just wrote it off as self-defense. When we were about twenty-two years old, just out of college, our father executed a bootlegger competitor named Jumbo. He shot him up close in the head. We both witnessed this event. They had a gambling hall, prostitution business in which most of the town’s big shots patronized often. I know this for a fact because we were regular non-paying customers,’ said Nick.

  "‘Our mother, Nina, ran the prostitution business. She called it the Gentlemen’s Basement. Most of the women were flown into Harrisonville from foreign countries for the purpose of prostitution. Their biggest reward was living in the States. Nina was extremely beautiful and was very sweet. She was loved by all that met her. She would never hurt anyone. Even if someone could not pay their bill in full at the end of the month, she would let them slide,’ said Nate.

  "‘One day, I was looking through some papers and saw plans and blueprints for a resort in the Bahamas. I asked my father about the plans and he said, ’Do unto others before they do unto
you. I had a partner in the Bahamas named Lyle and he stole from me a lot of money. Later, I found out he was the mayor’s baby brother and a crook. He refused to refund my money, so I killed him and left the Bahamas. That was the end of my Bahamas dream.’

  "‘I am not sure how many people my father killed but there are many buried in the farm’s swamp. Candee was also very good-looking. She was everything you could ask for in a lady. She had a secret personality. People that worked for her or knew her well nicknamed her the smiling assassin. She ran the bank. It was used for loansharking. If a client owed a large sum and was far behind in their payments, she would have Frank to have an insurance policy taken out on that person and after about six months or more, she would have the client killed and would collect on the policy. All the members of this family group of criminals were horrifying but she was the worst,’ said Nate.

  "‘Buddy and Redd were teenagers when they teamed up to pursue their careers as criminals together. Based on the stories they told us, they were instant friends and were born to be criminals. Their motto was: friends to the end. Sure enough that was how they ended their lives as criminals who were friends to the end,’ said Nick.

  "‘Buddy was the CEO of business. He kept abreast of all the income money and all the payouts. He conducted weekly meetings in order to determine if changes needed to take place. He determined whether or not to purchase real estate or how to get it for free. He loved the word ’free.’ Buddy would go to the tax sales in the county and buy up tax liens. He was not liked by some of Harrison County’s residents because of his overreaching of tax liens. If a resident approached him with anger about his buying of liens, he would say, ‘Pay your taxes or your home will be my home.’ He turned the homes into rental properties and the businesses. He would build them up and when he was legally able, he would sell the business for a profit,’ said Nick.

  "‘Buddy was not a killer; that was Redd’s department. Buddy was all business and money. Buddy would have you beaten up by one of his goons. If you didn’t come around to his way of thinking, he would inform Redd and the situation would be solved. Buddy was killed by an associate and Redd took over everything. He was doing a good job but hung out every night till very late. Redd was murdered by Rita, our stepmother. We took everything of value out of the house and, with the sheriff’s blessings, we burned the house down with the two dead bodies inside. One thing we discovered was Buddy’s journal. It had a log of all the income money and payout that took place daily. That senator, who was indicted on federal charges that was given total immunity to testify against Redd’s indictment on many charges, was poisoned by Frank on Candee’s orders. They used rat poison, which is hard to detect,’ said Nate.

  "‘The journal listed all the important people that were on the payroll. Some names had a line drawn through them. That signified that these people were eliminated. The senator’s name was in the book, with a line through his name. I have the book but would like to keep it for a while. It is like an insurance policy in many ways,’ said Nick.

  "‘Oh my,’ said Bobby, ‘our parents were awful people. While growing up, they hid their past well from me, as if it was hard for them to even kill an insect. They loved both of us boys and did not want anything to interfere in our lives as honest adults. They did a good job. I feel that was their small way of easing the pain of the past. On holidays, I would hear my mother crying and my father talking to her. He would hold her for hours while they played religious hymns. They never got over the past but continued to live the best they knew how. I believe that is what’s next for all of us,’ said Bobby.

  “‘Here is the tape; this family group of criminals is gone. Their sins died with them. Keep the tape and keep it safe. You never know when it might come in handy. I often tell young people; you know where you’ve been but you don’t know where you are going. It was nice meeting you two guys, and maybe in the future we will meet up again on a happier occasion,’ said Bobby.”

  “Lola, did they ever get together again?” asked Ted.

  "No, Bobby resigned from the position of state attorney general and married his childhood sweetheart. My father received a postcard from him years ago, sent from Paris, France. That was the end of their relationship. Because of his family history, it was believed that he felt he was the wrong person for that position.

  “Nick built a beautiful boathouse on the river here in New Orleans. He now works for legal aid, helping poor people get justice. I understand he works for free. Last year, there was a big write-up in the local paper about his success stories. He has also sponsored a full four-year scholarship to one student with outstanding grade and good citizenship. He is around but does not get involved with our family,” said Lola.

  "My mother Zola loved working for her cousin and my father loved his country club. My mother was only nineteen when she married my father and he was twenty-six. The age difference didn’t matter at first, but after we were born, she wanted more than just being a Sunday-afternoon singer. She did not want any more children. She would tell her family and friends that two were enough.

  “Zola did get pregnant and I had the cutest little baby sister, her name Janet. She looked like an angel. In fact, Mom called her Angel. Toto and I were three years old when Janet was born, and Mom was spending more and more time at her cousin’s restaurant and bar. She was not just working. She was having fun with the customers, especially the men,” said Lola.

  "During the week, Mom would go out partying with her girlfriends. Pop opened up a liquor store down by harbor. He worked for long hours even after the store had closed. Sometimes he would get home after two o’clock in the morning. He didn’t need the money but just wanted to be in the loop. He wanted to work and be an honest husband and father.

  “Mom, on the other hand, felt that Papa was getting too old for her and she started meeting up with guys of her age. She would invite them to Papa’s country club. They would come with beer and eat and drink all evening and into the early morning,” said Lola.

  "Some of Mom’s girlfriends were very outgoing and would flirt with Papa. ‘Keep your fucking hands off my man. I have had three babies for him and he belongs to me,’ Mom would shout.

  "The girlfriends would back off but Papa would get drunk and pursue them, stating, ‘You look so good. You look like angels from heaven.’ He spoke like a player.

  “Mom walked up to Papa and cracked him in the head with anything she could find. Sometimes it would be a bottle, dinner plate, or whatever,” said Lola.

  “Papa was trying very hard to be an honest man. His country club on the weekends was his way of filling in that desire for criminal activity. Mom, on the other hand, didn’t give a damn. She missed her parents and her enjoyment of singing every night. One night, Mom slipped out on Papa while he was at his liquor store, working late. She left us with a teenager. Mom had turned on the iron to press a dress. She went out of Harrison County to get an abortion. She forgot to turn the iron off and the house went up in flames,” said Lola.

  "Karen, the babysitter, got my brother and me out but forgot about Janet until she turned around looking at the burning house. Yelling at the top of her voice, she yelled, ‘There is one more!’

  “By that time, it was too late to try to save Janet. Janet was only three years old and had a very short life,” said Lola with her eyes tearing.

  "‘Do you know where Mrs. Harrison is, Karen?’ asked the fire marshal.

  "‘Not exactly, she said she was going to visit a friend in the next county. She left a phone number. She told me she would be home very late,’ said Karen.

  "Papa was called and was told to come home now, for there was a family emergency. As he drove up, he could smell smoke and see the flames. ‘Oh no, not my home, not my family. God, please save them and keep them safe!’ he said to himself as the fire chief stopped him from going too close.

  "‘What about my family? Are my kids and wife safe?’ he asked.

  "‘Nate, do you know where your wife is?’
asked the chief.

  "‘She is supposed to be home with the kids,’ responded Nate.

  "Well, she isn’t,’ said the chief.

  "The whole yard was full with family, neighbors, and onlookers. My cousin Amy came up to my father and said, ‘Come with me, Nate. We need to talk to you.’

  "‘Where are the kids?’ asked Nate.

  "‘They took them to the hospital to check them out,’ she responded.

  “The fire was out and only the smell of smoke and burned wood filled the night air. My sister was the cutest little girl who was full of joy and life,” said Lola as tears flowed down her lovely cheeks.

  "Nate screamed at the top of his lungs over and over again, stating, ‘My God! Why Janet?’ Finally he remembered he had two other children and a wife. ‘Where is the rest of my family?’ asked Nate.

  "The chief responded, ‘We took the children to the hospital just for a routine check-up. Janet is also there.’

  "‘Where is my wife?’ asked Nate.

  "‘We were hoping you could tell us,’ responded the chief.

  "‘She was home when I left to go to my store. She did not have any plan to go out tonight that she shared with me,’ said Nate.

  "‘The babysitter told us that she only said she would be home late,’ said the chief.

  "The sun was rising as Zola was almost home. The air was full of strange smells. The smell of death was the most obvious smell which was mixed with a strong, smoky, nose-burning odor. Zola started coughing as she approached her home.

  "‘Oh, oh, what happened to my home? Where are my children?’ asked Zola. As she got out of her red Cadillac, her cousin approached.

  "‘There has been a terrible tragedy. Come home with me and I will explain everything to you,’ said the cousin.

  "Her cousin Barbara fixed her a cup of tea. ‘First of all, the children are at the hospital for a check-up. They are okay. Nate is there with them. You look awful, Zola. You take one of my sleeping pills and Nate will talk to you later,’ said Barbara.