Blue Bloods of Bois D’Arc

by Brown,Dick

  Eddie Winthrop’s office

  “Sit down, Troy. I want to explain to you what just happened. I pleaded with the judge to waive your sentence on condition that you have a job within sixty days. But you’re twenty-four years old and never worked more than a few weeks at any job. Most of them were minimum-wage jobs as a service station attendant, grocery-store bagger, or car-wash employee. Now, those are pretty easy jobs. Why can’t you hold simple jobs like those?”

  Troy hesitated before he answered. “I have a hard time with people tellin’ me what to do all the time. I try hard, but when somebody starts yellin’ at me, that’s it, I’m outta’ there. I’m sorry. That’s just the way I am.”

  “Well, Troy, I’m going to give you a lesson in real life and that’s just the way I am. I went to bat for you this morning before the judge and really stuck my neck out. So you’re going to have to do something special for me. Understand?”

  “Yeah, man, I owe you big time, I’ll do whatever you want, man. You kept me out of jail. I just hope I can find a job. I ain’t got that kind of money and minimum wages will take forever to pay a thousand dollars. I ain’t afraid of workin’—just need a job and a boss that don’t nag me all the time.”

  “Here’s the thing, Troy, if I get you a job, you have to do what I tell you, okay? No more walking off the job, you got that? Because if you do, you’re going to jail and neither one of us want that because it would look bad for both of us.”

  “No, sir, I’ll do anything to stay out of that place. Just visitin’ gave me the creeps. If you find me a job, I’ll show you how good I can be.”

  “Good, we understand each other. I think I can get you a job out at RJ Systems where you can make more than minimum wage. You think you can handle that?”

  “Oh man, I always wanted to work out there. That’d be so cool, me workin’ at RJ Systems. Can you really do that? I tried to get on out there a half dozen times and they just said I’m not qualified. Man, I can’t believe this.”

  “It’s not a done deal, but a guy out there owes me a favor and I think I can swing it. Just don’t say anything yet. And if you do get hired, don’t tell anybody I had anything to do with getting you the job because I want you to feel good about yourself. It will be up to you to keep the job.” Eddie stared straight into Troy’s big brown eyes and said in his most serious tone of voice, “You have to promise me if I get you on out there, you’ll be a model employee, no fooling around and no walking off the job.”

  “I swear on my mother’s grave—just give me a shot. You’ll see the kind of a man I can be.”

  “I thought you said your parents just kicked you out.”

  “My real mom died when I was just a teenager. My daddy married a churchwoman before my momma was cold in the ground. My stepmother is a nut case. She’s some kind of Holy Roller and told me I’m goin’ to hell if I don’t change. We never got along. She’s the one that talked my daddy into kickin’ me out. My daddy listened to her and kicked me out and . . .”

  “That’s okay, I’m sorry about your mom and having to put up with a mean stepmother. I need a phone number where I can call you when I get the job worked out. Is this a good number on your file?”

  “Yeah, that’s Haskel’s number. If I ain’t there, Janett will answer. She’s real nice. She makes sure I get a good breakfast and brush my teeth and things like that. Says she won’t marry Haskel unless he gives her a diamond engagement ring. I don’t think he ever even asked her and he sure in hell ain’t buyin’ her no diamond ring.”

  “Fine, good to know. You can go now, but keep your nose clean. And get rid of your marijuana stash. I don’t want anything to screw up the plea deal, you understand?”

  “You bet, you can depend on me, man. You’re my best friend now. Nobody ever wanted to help me before.”

  Eddie stood up and came from behind his desk to shake Troy’s hand to send him on his way. When he did, Troy lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Eddie in a bear hug. “Thank you, man. I’ll never forget what you did for me.” He quickly turned and left the building.

  Eddie watched Troy leave and thought to himself, You better believe you won’t forget. I have big plans for you, Troy, my friend. He returned to his desk, brushing himself off, as if Troy had somehow rubbed dirt off on his Taylor Brothers suit. After brushing, he flipped through his Rolodex, pulled out a card and dialed the number on it.

  “Hello, Brent, this is Eddie. How’ve you been?”

  “Hi, Eddie, good to hear from you. What can I do for you?”

  “I hate to ask, but I have a young client that needs a job real bad. I made a plea deal with Judge Hamilton that I would get him a job if he would waive his sentence. He got caught with some marijuana a friend slipped in his pocket. He had no idea he had it on him. It was just a big mistake. Wrong place at the wrong time,” Eddie lied. “The judge agreed that if he had a job he would waive the sentence and expunge his record, but would have to pay a fine. Do you think you can help me out? He’s not the brightest bulb on the tree, but he’s a good guy and will work hard. I thought of you, because you’re supervisor over the maintenance department out at RJ Systems. What do you think?”

  “No problem, I have a hard time hiring people to keep the hangars and offices in them swept out and doing a little light maintenance, changing light bulbs and stuff like that. It’s boring as hell. Do you think he will be willing to do that kind of stuff?”

  “That’s perfect. He’ll fit right in. Thanks, Brent. I owe you.”

  “No, man, thank you. That speeding ticket you took care of would have put a big dent in my bank account and my wife would have killed me. Anything I can do for you, just let me know. I owe you big time for that. What’s his name?”

  “Troy Blackmon. He’s had a hard time finding a job and I think this will really help him out. He’ll be a loyal employee, and if you have any problems at all with him, just call me. I’ll take care of it.”

  “Great, have him come out tomorrow morning. Check in at the guard gate and have them call me. I’ll come up and walk him through Personnel. If the charge was dropped, he shouldn’t have any security problems. He’ll have to fill out an application and take a drug test. It may take a few weeks to get his clearance, but that’s about it my friend.”

  “I really appreciate it, Brent. You have put a young man in need of a chance on the right track. I’ll let Troy know and he will be there at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Thanks again.” Eddie hung up and dialed the number Troy had given him.

  “Hello, may I speak to Troy? This is Eddie Winthrop?”

  “Mr. Winthrop, he just walked in the door.” Janett called out to Troy that he had a phone call.

  “Hey, Eddie,” Troy said, “what’s up?”

  “I just wanted to let you know I got you the job. Report at eight o’clock in the morning to the guard shack and ask for Mr. Brent Ferguson. He’ll come get you and take you through Personnel to fill out paperwork. You have to take a drug test, so don’t smoke any pot, you hear me? This is your big chance. Don’t blow it.”

  “No, sir, no more pot for me, God’s truth. Thank you, man, you’re the best friend a man could have. I’ll do good and show that judge he did the right thing. And you, too. Thanks again, man. You’re a life-saver.”

  “Okay, okay, you’re going to give me the big head. Just relax and listen to Brent. He’s there to help you. Get yourself some new clothes, shirt, and jeans for tomorrow. Shave and get a real haircut, too. I want you to look sharp and make a good impression. Come by and I’ll loan you some money for the clothes. And remember, no drugs.”

  Eddie hung up with a broad smile. He had one more important call to make. He went back to his Rolodex, pulled out another card and dialed the number on it. After three rings, a voice answered, “Roger Helms speaking.”

  “Hello, Roger. This is E
ddie. I’ll have a man inside RJ Systems in a few weeks. My plan is on track and Rod Miller will be on his knees soon. Thought you would want to know.”

  Chapter 60

  Business back to normal

  In the months following the fire, there were ongoing damage control efforts for RJ Systems and their Dallas team of defense lawyers. The final wrap-up of the investigation and negotiations with the Saudi representatives had been tedious. Rod and a company team of lawyers, negotiators, and engineers spent two weeks in Saudi Arabia to make the final adjustments to the revised contract. Rod bore a heavy responsibility as he monitored the technical language of the revised contract. But just as important was his role in the public relations effort to soothe the frayed tempers of the Saudi government officials, their biggest and most important customer.

  Rod was a favorite with the Saudi acquisition team in the original contract negotiations because of his easy charm, fluent Arabic, and technical skills. But it took all of his diplomatic skills to close the negotiations satisfactorily on a positive note. He explained that the culprit died in his act of sabotage. They had no way of knowing his motive for the fire and the other incidents of vandalism to the aircraft. He assured them the program was under stricter security and on good footing again. And most important to the Saudis, their deadline would be met. But the Saudis drove a hard bargain, demanding a new aircraft to replace the damaged one. Rod had no choice. He agreed and saved the contract. Their profit was dealt a severe blow, but the company would survive.

  Over morning coffee in their office after Rod and the team returned home, he briefed Jack on the negotiations. “I wasn’t sure we were going to come away from there still the contractor for the program. The only condition they would accept was we had to replace the aircraft. They’re accustomed to getting whatever they want and they wanted a new aircraft. Jack, I’m sorry . . .” Rod’s head dropped and he avoided Jack’s eyes. He sighed deeply, raised his eyes back on Jack, and said, “I know I let you down, but there just wasn’t any other way to keep the program. I know it will hurt our profit, but if we finish the contract on time, and I believe we can, it will be worth it in the long run.”

  Jack shook his head. “You didn’t let me down. I sent you over there to negotiate with them because I trusted you. You kept the contract. That was the mission.” Jack reached down, opened his bottom desk drawer, and pulled up a bottle of Jim Beam. He slowly unscrewed the top, held it up, and motioned to Rod. “Want a shot?” Rod declined. Jack filled his half-empty coffee mug with his favorite bourbon, sloshed the cup around a few times, and took a hefty swig.

  “Look at the bright side,” he said after digesting the coffee-flavored bourbon. “We still have one of the biggest contracts in the industry. That’s what’s important. We paid thirty-nine million each for those big boys. With insurance payoff and a little money I’ve got put back, we’ll be okay. We can fix that bird up and sell it to a private company to recover our losses. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You did exactly what I expected you to do. Let’s take a walk through the hangar and see how things are going down there.”

  Chapter 61

  Problems at home

  Cass had an appointment with Dr. McCombs. She parked her T-Bird in front of his office and sat alone arguing with herself. Was she being foolish in coming to the doctor’s office? The last few months had really been stressful between her and Rod. Work still seemed to take priority in their marriage since the fire, even after he promised to spend more time with her. It affected their sex life and infuriated her. Then his two-week absence in Saudi Arabia was especially stressful, to the point that her menstrual period had stopped and she was having difficulty having sex with Rod now that he was back home.

  She’d suffered the same stress and depression when she and Rod broke up after their terrible fight on prom night. It lasted for months with no menstrual cycle and lingering depression. Margaret was concerned enough to take her to Dr. McCombs. But she was too concerned about the family reputation to take her to a psychologist in Dallas. Dr. McCombs gave her a grandfatherly talking to and a prescription for an antidepressant. He followed the same routine procedure after Roger’s assault. He again prescribed an antidepressant.

  “That’s all I need,” she thought. But that didn’t explain her irrational behavior while Rod was gone and the problems in the bedroom when he returned. She could handle this by herself. She’d never shared problems in her marriage with her mother and intended to keep it that way. Cass picked up her saddlebag-sized purse, opened the car door, and marched into the doctor’s office. Her appointment was at nine o’clock and they took her straight in.

  “Good morning. How’s my favorite member of the Worthington family?” Dr. McCombs greeted Cass just as he had since she was a little girl.

  “Not so well, doctor.”

  “You look a little tired, and Debbie says you have gained weight when she weighed you in. Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”

  “With Rod working such long hours and that trip to Saudi Arabia, I’ve just really been stressed out. When he was gone, I worried, then calmed my nerves by eating and watching TV until all hours of the night because I hated sleeping in an empty bed. Some days I lost my appetite, other days I wanted to eat everything in sight and then got sick afterward and threw it all up. I don’t understand how I keep gaining weight when I’m throwing up all the time. And it seems like I have to go to the bathroom every five minutes. I thought I might have a urinary infection or some kind of virus. I’m just a misfit and tired all the time and tired of feeling this way.” She blushed as she hesitated to continue.

  “Was there something else?”

  “I’m sorry, I’m embarrassed to talk about our physical relations.”

  Doctor McCombs chuckled and said, “Cass, I delivered you. There’s nothing you can tell me I haven’t heard before. You can be perfectly at ease with telling me anything, it will stay in this room. But if you feel uncomfortable, I’ll leave the room and you can talk to Debbie. It’s up to you.”

  “Now I really am embarrassed.” She looked away from the doctor and took several deep breaths. “I’d feel better talking to Debbie. I’m sorry, I know you have examined me many times before, but I’m just really nervous and not feeling like myself lately.”

  “Not a problem, my dear. Debbie is a nurse practitioner and she is qualified to examine you if she thinks it is necessary, with your permission of course. She will notify me when she is finished.” Doctor McCombs stepped to the door of the examining room and out into the hall. He already had his suspicions of what her problem was, but would run a full workup on her previous emotional problems.

  Five minutes passed. Cass cracked her knuckles, as she always did when she was nervous. She hummed Rod Stewart’s Tonight’s the Night, a song that played on an endless tape in her mind. She heard a soft tap on the door. “Come in.”

  “Hi, Cass. Doc says you’re a little nervous today about some intimacy problems you might be having. He always lets me handle these issues. Men don’t understand the first thing about a woman’s feelings. Take your time and tell me what’s going on.”

  “You know the problems I’ve had with my period, the miscarriage, and my physical history. You have two kids and . . . you’ve been through a lot in your marriage, right? I’ve never been such a wreck before.”

  “What do you mean, is Rod impotent or cold toward you?”

  “No, it’s not Rod. He’s always satisfied me and we’ve always had a very active sex life when he’s home. But lately I’ve been the one . . . well, I haven’t been as responsive. When he was gone for two weeks to Saudi Arabia, I almost went out of my mind. I got so horny I watched porn on TV, binged on junk food, and then threw it up the next morning.”

  “Did the porn relieve your sexual tension?”

  “No, it just made it worse. When he got home, I just w
anted to jump his bones. But when he touched my breasts, it hurt, and when we had sex, I felt like I had to pee and neither of us were satisfied. It just seems to be getting worse and I’m so stressed about it my period stopped months ago. I’ve never weighed this much or lost control of my eating habits like this. Am I losing it, Debbie?”

  “No, you aren’t losing it. Remove your clothes and put this gown on.” She handed Cass one of those hospital gowns that flashes the world from behind. “Let’s see if we can find anything. It’ll only take a couple of minutes.”

  Cass removed her clothes as instructed and sat on the side of the examination table. Debbie did the usual checks: listened to her breathing and heartbeat through her stethoscope, and checked her pulse rate and blood pressure. She shined her flashlight into Cass’s eyes and looked at the back of her eyeballs. She had her say “ahh” and looked at her throat. The thermometer showed her temperature was a normal 98.5.

  “Now lie back on the table.” Debbie lifted the gown and examined her breasts. “Does that hurt?”

  “A little, they’re really tender.”

  “How about here?” Debbie pressed on her abdomen.

  “It doesn’t hurt, but it makes me want to pee when you press on it. Maybe I have a bladder infection.”

  Ignoring Cass’s comment, the nurse said, “I notice you’re having some discharge. How long has that been going on and how heavy is it?”

  “I haven’t had a regular period in months, just this dark spotting. Could I have some kind of infection? Is there something really wrong with me?”

  Debbie continued to ignore Cass’s questions. Like Dr. McCombs, she had her thoughts on the problem, but wanted to be sure before diagnosing it. “I think we need to run some tests,” she said and opened the drawer in the cabinet next to the examination table and picked up a syringe and two little tubes and a large rubber band for a tourniquet. “Just a little sting. We’ve done this lots of times.” She withdrew the necessary blood samples and told Cass she could get dressed. She handed Cass a little cup. “I need a urine sample. Just leave it on the shelf in the bathroom,” and left the room.