“You lost that battle but you are starting to win the war! I really am sorry that you had no one that you could run to for help, offer you a place to hide, or advise you to call the police. As horrible and bleak as that experience was for you, there still was some fight left in you! That’s what kept you from slipping into a total catatonic state of denial! Luckily Daniel and I were able to coax you out of your shell and get you to rejoin society again! Look at the progress you have made in just over a week from the cowering wreck of a kid we found in Springdale to what you are today.”
In a very determined but positive voice Jason finished his little pep talk. “Eric, I hope that you will now realize that you have what it takes to succeed! You are far away from your stepfather. Your aunt and uncle are providing you with a safe place to stay. You have Daniel, Mr. Connor, and me for friends, and I am sure you will widen that circle in a very short time. You are fourteen and a high school student. You are no longer a little boy. You are capable of doing many things on your own and certainly can do a lot more to protect yourself from bad people. That’s why I want you to work out at the Y so you can become stronger and more self-assured. Continue to meet with Dr. Agoura to figure out how to defeat those personal demons that are haunting you! There are a lot of mental things you have to work out after all of the abuse you suffered, but you can do it! You are already on the way to recovery. You have been down for so long the only way to go is up! And I want to help you get there!”
“Wow, Jason, I never thought of things like that before.” Inside Eric’s head, it was like a light was turned on. Instead of feeling frustrated and fearful, he now had some positive thoughts to dwell on, and a faint smile began to show on his face.
“Just like you are doing, Eric, I learned this the hard way. There is nothing worse than being a crime victim. Especially if you never do anything about it! You have to prepare yourself both physically and mentally to resist and fight back against those who would do you harm!”
“This is a lot to absorb, Jason.” Eric smiled at his friend as he said, “Now I see why you take those basketball breaks.”
Jason laughed and gave Eric some knuckles. “I get the hint, Eric. Let’s go outside, play a little one-on-one, and lighten things up a little. I know I can be pretty intense when I get on my soapbox!”
The two boys went outside and played basketball for a half hour. After they finished playing, they sat on the front porch and drank some water.
“That was a lot of fun,” Eric said. “I haven’t played for a while and it felt good to get back into it!”
“I can see that you will be giving me a run for my money on the basketball court soon,” Jason replied smiling back. “It does rejuvenate the brain to get in some good exercise. Which reminds me, I forgot to tell you some exciting news. Daniel talked to his guitar teacher about the fact that we were looking for a bass to purchase for you and his teacher knew of a great deal for a quality Fender bass along with a practice amp. We are going to go over to Daniel’s house for lunch, and then his dad is going to drive us to the store where we can see the bass! There also is a good bass instructor who works at that store.”
“That sounds awesome, Jason. Tell me more about this foundation you keep talking about. Everything sounds too good to be true!”
Jason took some time to explain how the Whatever Foundation came to be, and how he decided that the money should be used to help out teenagers who were the victims of serious crimes. [Editor’s note: a complete description of how and why the foundation was started is contained in the first Hunter and Holmes mystery, The Kidnapping.]
About 11:15 a blue Explorer SUV pulled into the driveway. Jason’s father, Bill Hunter, got out and came up the stairs to the porch. “Hi, Jason. How are you doing?”
“Dad, I want you to meet my new friend, Eric Acosta.”
Eric got up and shook hands with Mr. Hunter. “It’s good to finally meet you, Eric. Welcome to the neighborhood! Jason has been telling me a lot about you, and how much he has enjoyed getting to know you and helping you out.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Hunter. Your son is an amazing person. I’ve never met anyone like him!”
“You are right about that! Jason is a very dynamic person. I hope Jason isn’t overwhelming you with all of his ideas and enthusiasm. I know you have been through quite a lot lately, so if it gets to be too much, be sure to say something!”
“Dad, you know I wouldn’t intentionally do that to Eric,” Jason retorted. “We teenagers need action in our lives!”
“Well, we certainly have had a lot of that around here this summer,” Mr. Hunter continued. “Now I understand that Jason wants to put you through a rigorous program of exercise at the Y!”
“Dad, give Eric a break. We are just getting him a membership so he can work out and swim on a regular basis.”
“Yeah, Mr. Hunter, I really am looking forward to being able to go swimming and do some physical training,” Eric replied. “I am grateful that you are giving me this opportunity.”
“I am proud to say that some of this comes from the vision of my grandfather, Winfield Hunter. But the foundation was all Jason’s idea. His mother and I are so proud of him for creating it so that it would help other young people like you. I am pleased that you are one of the beneficiaries, Eric. Now let’s go down to the YMCA and get you signed up.”
The three of them got into Mr. Hunter’s Explorer and drove over to the YMCA. “Once you get your bike, you can easily ride over here in about ten minutes,” Jason said to Eric. “That’s what Daniel does almost every day.” After they arrived at the Y, Eric was signed up for a membership and he got a schedule of classes and times that he could swim or train in the pool. Then Bill Hunter dropped the boys off at Daniel’s house.
Eric and Jason knocked on the front door, which was quickly answered by Daniel. “Hi Jason, hi Eric, come on in!”
The boys came in and Eric was introduced to Daniel’s parents, Melinda and Gary. “It’s great to meet you, Eric,” Melinda said. “I hope you boys are hungry. Lunch is all ready, so come on into the kitchen.” The boys were soon seated around the kitchen table and eating tuna salad sandwiches and fruit slices that Melinda had prepared.
Daniel was very happy and relaxed. Everything seemed so upbeat and normal that Jason commented on it. “You are looking great, today, Daniel. I take it that the air has been cleared in the Holmes household!”
“We have come to a new level of understanding with each other that we never had before, Jason. Yesterday afternoon, we sat down and my parents told me all about their days as rock musicians. I still find it hard to believe that my parents actually played in a band with Eric Savage and they never said a word about it! Wait until you see the pictures!”
“Your parents played in a rock band!” Eric exclaimed. “That sounds totally awesome. What instruments did they play?”
“My dad played bass, and mom did vocals and percussion.”
“We have got to have your dad check out this bass with us!” Eric said.
After lunch, Gary Holmes drove the three boys over to the music store where Daniel had been taking guitar classes, and they checked out the electric bass for sale that Daniel’s teacher had described to him. After examining it and trying it out for a while, Eric thought it was a good instrument, and he felt comfortable playing it. He asked Mr. Holmes to try it out. Even though it had been over twenty years since he had really played, Gary tried it out and said that he liked the balance and the feel of it. Bill Rivers, the bass teacher at the store, was also there. He tried it out next and told them that the instrument was good quality and was an excellent buy. He talked with the boys about a program of bass lessons for Eric, and soon Eric had a new instrument, practice amplifier, some bass instructional books, and a schedule of regular weekly lessons.
Eric walked out of the music store with his new equipment and a smile from ear to ear. “This is so great. I am really looking forward to having music in my life again!”
&
nbsp; “I can’t wait until we can have a chance to jam together,” Daniel added. “It’s really cool to have a new friend who plays the bass!”
After loading up the equipment in the trunk of his car, Gary drove to Eric’s house. When they arrived, the boys helped Eric bring in his new equipment.
“What is all this?” Marilyn Ferreira asked.
“I have had the greatest day!” Eric said enthusiastically. “I am now signed up for classes at the YMCA and have this new electric bass, practice amplifier, and music lessons all set up. I definitely have a lot of cool things to do!”
“That’s great, Eric,” his aunt replied. “I am happy to hear that you are getting sports and music back into your life. Thank you again, Jason, for all that you have done for Eric. Jorge and I are so appreciative of everything that you have done for our family!”
“It’s my pleasure, Mrs. Ferreira,” Jason replied. “It makes our lives better, also. Now we have another kid on the block we can play sports with, and Daniel, who has been learning the guitar all summer, is looking forward to having a jam session with Eric. Don’t forget, Mrs. Ferreira, that there is one more component to the plan. My friends Laura Friesen and Diana Miglione are looking forward to going with you and Eric on a shopping spree to get Eric set up with clothing and supplies for school.”
Daniel introduced his father to Marilyn, and the five of them chatted for a while until Gary said that he had to get back to his office.
“We’ll see you again, soon, Eric,” Daniel said. “Get to work on that bass so we can have a jam session.”
“See you guys later,” Eric replied. “Thank you again, Jason, for what you have done for me today! And thank you Daniel for finding that bass for me! You guys are great. Nice to meet you, Mr. Holmes! I really appreciate you taking the time off your work to drive us around this afternoon and help us check out the bass.”
“You are welcome, Eric,” Gary replied. “I think that it is great that you want to get involved with music again. I hope you get a lot of enjoyment playing your new bass. I think you got a terrific deal!”
THE BAND REUNION
(Wednesday Afternoon)
The entire week had been one of great changes and revelations in the Holmes household. First and foremost was the impact of what Daniel had done over the weekend to rescue Ethan Savage and save his plan of charitable donations from the attempt to embezzle a large portion of the money. The general consensus of the media and people directly involved was that Daniel had behaved like a young hero, and that if it wasn’t for the efforts of the teenaged detective team of Jason Hunter and Daniel Holmes and their honest and no nonsense friend in the police force, Lieutenant Antonio Garcia, Dalton Fredericks’ plot would have succeeded.
Then on Monday came the shocking revelation that Daniel’s parents had been involved in the conspiracy, not directly in the criminal aspects, but had contributed nevertheless by writing up the paperwork for the phony non-profit organizations that were going to be funded by money diverted from Eric Savage’s estate. Even more surprising was the fact that Gary and Melinda Holmes had a legitimate grudge against the estate because the copyrights to music that they had helped to write and arrange had excluded any mention of their names. Then it was revealed that Gary and Melinda had careers as rock musicians early in their lives, and had played in a band with Ethan Savage, something that they had never told Daniel.
Monday afternoon, upon their return from the police station, Gary and Melinda decided to completely clear the air. They sat down and talked for a good two hours about their past lives and all that had gone on in the present. For the first time, Daniel felt like he was being treated like a young man instead of a kid. At last his parents were no longer hiding things from him, and they were being open with him and telling him the truth about their past and present lives. Melinda even got out a scrapbook with pictures and articles from their band days. Daniel marveled at seeing his dad Gary with mutton chops and long black hair, and his mom Melinda looking like a flower child, with long flowing hair, a paisley print blouse, tight jeans and high buckskin boots.
Now it was Wednesday, and another very significant event in their lives was about to happen. When Ethan Savage had found out that his old band mates Gary and Melinda were Daniel’s parents he wanted to have a reunion meeting. When he found out that they were involved in the conspiracy against him because they had been swindled out of royalties for the songs they helped to write he was even more insistent on having the meeting to resolve their differences. At 1:00 PM in the afternoon that meeting was to take place.
Although Gary and Melinda considered themselves the aggrieved parties in the dispute, it still was a big deal for Ethan Savage to come and see them, especially given his celebrity status and the fact that they had once been very close, during the Powerhouse Five days. Melinda spent a lot of time getting the house all cleaned up and making sure that everything was ready.
About 1:15 the doorbell rang, and there stood Ethan Savage. Unlike Saturday when he was just recovering from being drugged, Ethan looked every inch the rock star, tall and handsome with his mane of now graying black hair, chiseled facial features, and larger than life personality.
When Melinda opened the door, he said, “Mellie? Mellie is that you?” and before she could even react, had embraced her and given her a kiss. He then went over to Gary and gave him a huge bear hug and a pat on the back. “Gary, I can’t believe it is you! You look great after all of these years!” Then Ethan spied Daniel, and gave him the same treatment. “Daniel, you are my little superhero! I’ll never forget what you did for me! And then I find out that you are the son of Mellie and Gary. I was totally blown away when I found that out!”
Melinda recovered her composure enough to say, “Won’t you come in and sit down?” and showed Ethan the way to their living room.
“It looks like you have done very well for yourselves,” Ethan continued. “You have this nice house, roots in the community, and a talented and caring son, quite a step up from the days when we were scratching around for money and fame.”
“Yeah, well as it turned out, you got the money and fame, and we got scratched!” Gary replied.
“We really did go through some hard times dealing with what happened when National Records reneged on our deal and left us out in the cold!” Melinda added.
“I can understand you guys being bitter over what happened,” Ethan responded, “but unfortunately that’s the way the entertainment business is, very ruthless at times! I still regret what they did to the Awesome Power Five and the other two bands that they broke apart to make the first Ethan Savage Band. At the same time, you have to remember that I had been struggling to make a living just like you were for eight years before our band was even formed. I was thirty years old and had spent ten years of my life playing backwater clubs and every other crazy gig I could get my hands on just to survive. Finally someone said ‘I want to make you a star’ so I grabbed the chance!”
“Looking back on things honestly,” Melinda replied, “we don’t begrudge you your fame and fortune, Ethan. You had what it takes to be a big star, and we were never in that league. We might not be the front line stars, but we had the capability to be decent sidemen in a band, and we did contribute creatively to the band effort. That’s what we are most upset about. We never received any credit or financial compensation for the songs that we helped write. Our names were deliberately left off the copyright forms, and when we complained to the record company about what they did, they just blew us off! We thought about filing a lawsuit, but when we discovered how long, drawn out and expensive that would be, we realized that we were basically screwed and so we just gave it up. So of course we are bitter when we think of what could have been.”
“And justifiably so, Mellie,” Ethan answered. “If the record company deliberately left your names off the copyright notices, then you have reason to feel ripped off. I want you to know that I would have never agreed to that. No performing musician would ever
want to see a fellow musician not get paid for what they did creatively. It’s the one part of the business where we can actually make money in the future for what we did in the past. Royalties are our retirement in a sense, because if the music is good, they keep on coming!”
“So where do we go from here, Ethan,” Gary said. “We now realize how foolish we were to agree to Dalton Fredericks’ crazy scheme to get the money back through phony non-profit organizations. In the back of our minds was the idea that the money we would get from his plan would repay that debt from our past, and also provide some seed money for Daniel, should he undertake a career as a professional musician. And ironically, Daniel was the one who got hurt by this scheme. He was the person who broke open the case, and he was the person who was mature enough to say that the money wasn’t that important! He told us that if he has the talent, he will make it on his own somehow.”
“The more I hear about you, Daniel, the more impressed I am,” Ethan replied. “I know I definitely want to do something to help you out! But as to this whole royalties issue, I think the best thing to do is put my lawyers on it, and find out what you would actually be owed if your names were on the copyrights, like they should be. Now remember all of the Awesome Power Five did contribute to the songs, so you would be looking at no more than a 2/5 share. I will have them audit the accounts for the Awesome Power songs that were recorded by the Ethan Savage band. Then we will write you a check for what you are owed! How does that sound?”
“That’s a very generous offer considering everything that has gone down. Of course we will take you up on your offer if that is what you want to do,” Gary replied.
“I want to set things right, and I want to do something to thank Daniel for what he did for me. Somehow I didn’t think that breaking up his family by prosecuting his parents for writing up the paperwork for my crooked business manager was the way to go about it!”
Double Fugue Page 17