by Ed Nelson
The Richard Jackson Saga
Book 6: Surfing Dude
By Ed Nelson
This is dedicated to my wife Carol for her support and help as first reader and editor.
Also the BHS class of 1962 just because.
Opening Quote
“That is exactly how it happened, give or take a lie or two.”
James Garner as Wyatt Earp describing the gun fight at the OK Corral in the movie Sunset.
Contents
The Richard Jackson Saga
Dedication
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Copyright September 2019 by E. E. Nelson
Eastern Shore Publishing
7545 Lovey Lane
Parsonsburg, MD 21849
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage retrieval systems without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Chapter 1
We had got back last night from England. We stumbled into the waiting limo which took us to Jackson House. Our bedrooms were ready, to the point that the staff had made up our beds. Not that it would have mattered to me. I crashed for ten straight hours.
Monday I woke up still tired from the trip. Not sleepy, just tired. I hoped there wasn’t much planned for today. I went ahead and showered which helped immensely. I almost felt human when I went to the kitchen to find a cup of coffee.
I found out quickly the world had changed as a cook, I don’t think it was the head chef, chased me to the family breakfast room. I didn’t even know we had a family breakfast room. Mum and Dad were there with coffee, tea and newspapers. From their subdued greetings they weren’t in any better shape than I was.
The room was bright and sunny. There was a buffet along the wall which had a self-serve full breakfast in warming dishes. I helped myself to scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns wheat toast orange juice and coffee.
I think I could get used to this family breakfast room. I wondered what the lunch and dinner rooms would be like. Maybe there was an afternoon snack room, and even a midnight snack room! There would be no heavy thinking on the agenda today.
After a while and several cups of coffee I asked if there was any schedule or plans for the day. Dad told me there weren’t any but that tomorrow morning there would be a business review. It would be all of my companies under Jackson Enterprises: Jackson Productions, Jackson Home Products, Jackson Personal Products and the newest, Jackson Transportation.
“How long will it take,” I asked Dad.
“Plan on it being most of the day, it has been months since there has been an update and I’m certain you will have to make some decisions.”
That didn’t sound like a thrilling way to spend the day, but I was interested to see if I was actually making any money. I certainly had been spending it like I had it.
Mum informed us she would be out with Anna Romanov and Sharon Bronson for most of the day. They had some things to check out, she didn’t go any further than that. I was curious what they might be up to, but knew that Mum had told us all she was going to, at least to me, Dad probably already knew.
I went back to my room and changed to running gear. This would be the first time I would be able to run the trails in the park in back of the house. Using the man sized door in the wall near the stables I ventured onto the trail. I found out quickly that the running I had done in England on their flat trails had not kept me in shape for this.
It wasn’t like running up a mountain, but it still pulled muscles that hadn’t had a work out since Campbell’s Hill in Bellefontaine. My run took me past a public parking area. There was a map posted so I spent a few minutes reviewing it. This was a large park and there were many miles of trails. They joined and separated but all circled back. If nothing else, I wouldn’t get bored by the scenery.
I headed back to the house at lunch time. I had probably done ten miles and was sweating like one of those horses we didn’t have in the stables. If I didn’t have another shower soon Mum would put me out there.
Denny and Eddie were out in the backyard when I got home. They were playing lawn darts. Mary came riding through on her bike just as Eddie threw. The dart missed her, but it was close. The kids didn’t seem to think it was a big deal but I saw disaster in the making. There were horse shoe pits near the outer wall. I suggested they throw next to them. This would be parallel to the wall so there was less chance of someone running into the line of flight.
The boys saw the sense in that and moved right away. Mary was already gone like a madwoman on another round of the house.
After cleaning up and putting on fresh clothes I had lunch. It turned out we had a family dining room which we would use for lunches and dinner. There was also a formal dining room that looked like it would seat over a hundred. I later learned that it would only seat sixty.
At lunch there was a menu next to each place setting. It had light, medium and large meals listed. Since I had been running I was hungry and chose large.
I decided to take a ride in one of my T-Birds. They had brought all of our vehicles from Ohio, including the Chris-Craft from Indian Lake. It was on its trailer in the garage area. All of the cars were lined up, with the keys in them so it was easy to take off.
At least I thought it was. I was stopped by the guards at the front gate and they wanted to know where I was going, the route I expected to take and what time I would return. I must have looked like I was going to pitch a fit because the head guard quickly told me that was standing orders for all of the family. He even showed them to me in writing. Both Mum and Dad had signed them so that ended that.
I told them I was going for a ride with no particular route in mind and that I would be back in time for dinner at six. This worked as they opened the gate with no further comments or questions.
I really didn’t have any plans in mind so I just drove downtown Beverly Hills to see what was going on. Since it was Monday, but school hadn’t started yet there were plenty of kids walking past the stores. I didn’t see any of the few I knew from Hollywood High so just kept moving.
As I drove I mentally reviewed my summer, it had been full and different, you might say it was action packed, which it was, but what I remembered most was the girls I had interacted with. There was the girl in Argentina, Dorotea. I thought I would remember how she looked forever, but now all I had was a general impression.
It was a good impression that was for sure, but only an impression.
Then there was Christina, what a gold digger. I was taken in by her looks, I learned a lesson there. I was so lucky that Mary spilled chocolate on her to reveal her true character. I guess someone up there was looking out for me.
I almost missed a red light and had to jam on the brakes. I realized that I could think heavy thoughts or drive, but not both. I headed back home and got ready for dinner. Even Mary was quiet during dinner.
Later that night I read a book about Gerard Gates a sailor stranded in Antwerp with no citizenship papers. He found work on a coffin ship, the Yorikke. After spending most of my summer on a freighter what the author wrote was easy to imagine and all too real and horrifying.
Chapter 2
Since Tuesday was going to be busy I was up early doing my exercises and then a run. I only went a couple of miles, figuring that I would be ready for a good work out this evening to clear my head. While I liked the money part, sitting in meetings all day wasn’t my idea of a good time.
After my shower I put on one of my best suits and tie. If I was going to be a business man I should look the part. Heading down to breakfast I passed the kitchen and heard some very bad languages. Looking in I saw the cook had cut herself opening a can of Crisco, breaking the strip the key was attached to. It didn’t look like a bad cut, and she was continuing to open the can with a pair of pliers. I went on by; we all had cut ourselves that way, one time or the other.
I hadn’t put my jacket on, just slung over my shoulder when I entered the breakfast room. I stopped dead because we had company. Sharon Bronson and Anna Romanov were sitting there with Mum and Dad.
As I stood in the doorway Sharon piped up, “If you were older Rick I would be chasing you.”
Anna chimed in with, “Sharon I would be giving you a run for your money.”
I looked at Mum because I knew she wouldn’t let this stand; she would keep my head from swelling. My Mum betrayed me, she winked at me!
Dad didn’t help; he took Mum’s hand and said, “I’m glad I got this one nailed down early.”
In my best British accent, I replied, “Good morning all. I would say ladies if any were present.”
This must have been the right thing to say as they all laughed taking the awkwardness away from the moment; at least it was awkward for me.
“May I inquire why we are delighted with your presence,” I inquired as I joined them at the table after pouring coffee and filling a plate from the buffet.
Mum spoke up, “We are meeting with a lawyer today. Sharon is opening a rehabilitation clinic, Anna and I are co-sponsors. It will be for alcohol abuse.”
They went on to tell me that would fill several of their personal objectives. It would help Sharon’s image, it would demonstrate to the world that she had owned up to her problems and had changed. Mum and Anna needed a charity to support for their public images.
Best of all it would actually help people. They made it very clear this wouldn’t be a place where a drunken actor could check into for a week then declared themselves cured to do it all over again.
They were throwing out possible names. Dad put in, “It is a shame Ike’s wife Mamie wasn’t a drunk, naming it after a first lady would make them instantly prominent.”
He was quickly booed down as this was just plain tacky. I wondered what Dad disliked about Eisenhower so much; it carried through on everything involving the President. Yet at the same time whenever Ike saw me he was very cordial.
Sharon asked me why I was all dressed up.
“I have a business meeting to attend today.”
“Wow, I never dressed all up for my agent.”
“Yours was a slime ball, but this is other stuff.”
“You have other business besides acting.”
Mum and Anna started laughing.
“Sharon, Rick is the original over achiever. He has invented things, such as the electric hair dryer you use. He invented the adjustable shower faucet, now he has a shipping container company and even his own navy,” Mum told her.
I wasn’t certain that I wanted all my business shared publicly but I had a more immediate question.
“My own Navy,” I choked out.
“Oops, your Dad wanted to spring that on you.”
Dad spoke up, “We needed a test bed for the cargo containers, and it was easier to buy an old ship that was being retired.”
“What sort of ship?”
“You may have heard of it, the Pride of Liberia.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Nope, actually you’re in negotiations to buy the whole shipping line, plus your Mum forgot to mention Narrow Freight the trucking company.”
“You mean Popeye now works for me?”
“I’m sorry Rick he has left the Pride.”
“That’s a shame; I would have liked to see the look on his face when he realized that he was now working for me. I would have him chipping paint all day. Nah, not really, he is a good guy and I would treat him well, but it would have been fun for a minute.
Mum started to cough but Sharon talked at the same time, distracting me.
“Maybe Rick isn’t too young!”
Mum waved a fist at Sharon as she continued to cough. She took a drink of water which calmed her down. She still continued to glare at Sharon.
Sharon realized maybe she had gone a little too far as she backed down.
“I want to get a better reputation, not be a cradle robber.”
I not sure how I felt about that, it would be a pretty big cradle to fit me.
This ended the table conversation as the ladies soon left. As they were leaving the room I heard Anna talk about the going shopping after their meeting. They would have a whole limo they could fill with their trophies!
Both ladies quickly agreed so I knew there were no problems, well at least as long as Sharon kept her hands off of me. Mum never said anything, but I had noticed a pattern of bad things happening to people who made my life difficult, from hot chocolate to machine gun bullets. I was beginning to suspect that my Mum was not a person to cross.
Dad and I went out to the courtyard where a second limo was waiting. I raised one eyebrow at Dad. He was blushing as he muttered about keeping up appearances. Actually it was fine with me. I was starting to get used to this life.
At Dads office we went to the conference room. There waiting for us was Roberta Grimes and a young man, maybe thirty years old. Dad introduced me to Don Pearson.
“Rick. Jackson Personal Products has enough going on that you need a Vice President to handle things.”
“I thought that all we were doing was licensing the hairdryer?”
“That in itself is enough to just justify hiring Don, but there is something else going on.”
“What’s that,” I inquired.
“You know the electric curling iron you were going to patent, but just missed out on? Well they want to sell the patent and it seems like a good fit. Don was recommended by my board as having the correct background. I asked him to look into the situation and the possibilities for the business today. It will be your decision as it is your business, and of course Don has to accept the job.”
This overview of the situation only took a few seconds. I greeted Roberta as an old friend from Bellefontaine. I asked her how she liked California and Los Angeles in particular. She smiled as she told me she loved it. She had been out here since the first of the summer. I was invited to stop by and see her new office in this building. I could find her there or in the photography studio next door. Hmm, as if that was news.
Don had a firm handshake and my first impression was that he was a good guy. He was just a little shorter than me. He had a good tan which was highlighted by his blonde hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a sport coat with no tie. His Bulova watch stated that he was doing okay in the world. He was married as evinced by the ring he wore.
I asked about his background. He was a graduate of St
anford University with a degree in business. He had been working with a private equity firm who specialized in companies who had licensing agreements. When I asked him what he was looking for he told me.
“Money!”
“Good answer, now what does that mean?
“I am starting a family and want to advance. Where I am at is a good company but my growth there is very limited. I was told by a senior partner that it would be best if I looked elsewhere.”
“How are you getting along with them?”
“Fine, my Dad is a senior partner, Mom is the other. They just feel that what they are doing is so specialized that there isn’t much room for expansion. They are in their early fifties so I won’t be inheriting the business soon, and then it will be split between five of us.”
“Well I guess your Dad will give you a good reference.”
“He would hear from Mom if he didn’t!”
I think all Mums and Moms are the same.
I asked him what he was looking for in the way of salary. At twenty thousand dollars it was good but I had an idea of how to sweeten that pot for him.
“Don what are your ideas for the business.”
That unleashed it. I quickly found out that business graduates knew how to make charts, graphs, spread sheets and projections. He had really done his homework as he proceeded to show me. There were untapped markets around the world for the hairdryer. We had no agreements in place in Australia or most of Europe.
There was even potential growth in South America and South Africa that we had not looked at. Just the licensing fees would have a possibility of ten million a year starting next year and no end in growth in sight until the expiration of my patents. He even had a plan for an R and D Division for replacement products.
This led him into the possibilities of the electric curling iron. He didn’t think it would be as great as the hairdryer but would be very good, in the five million a year range within the next two years. The patent was for sale because the holders wanted a quick payout and they couldn’t acquire the capital to start it up. We could have it for one million dollars. I suspected that number was picked out of the air as making them rich, which it would if handled correctly.