Double Fugue

by Aiden Vaughan

  “I’m okay, Jason,” Eric replied with a calm but determined voice. “My old schoolmate Johnny here was just getting ready to go.”

  Jason gave Johnny a steely-eyed look and a little lecture. “It’s too bad you didn’t recognize the potential in Eric and help him out when you had a chance. There is nothing worse for a young kid’s self-esteem than to be abandoned by his friends. Friendship should be determined by someone’s character and actions, not the clothes on his back, shoes on his feet, or the money in his pocket!”

  Then Rebecca came up and held Eric’s hand. “I am so proud to know you, Eric. That was a wonderful tribute to your mother!” She then hugged Eric and gave him a little kiss on his cheek.

  Daniel and Diana came over next. Diana said, “That introduction you gave to ‘Shenandoah’ was really powerful! It set up our performance so well. Performing it was like magic. I could feel all of these emotions pulsating through me as I was singing, but instead of being distracted by them, they helped me to focus!”

  “That was a very moving performance, Eric,” Daniel said. “I hope we have many more in the future! In fact I know we will if you are willing. Mr. Molinari wants both of us to be in the jazz band at school this fall. He liked what he heard when we were practicing at school on Saturday. He said that he has to rebuild the rhythm section this year and wants both of us to be a part of it.”

  Meanwhile, Johnny Dale stood around for a minute, and then realizing he was no longer welcome, edged his way out of the hall.

  “Are you okay, Eric?” Jason asked. “I hope we didn’t interfere in your affairs.”

  “Not at all. You guys are my true friends. Johnny was the guy who started calling me Eric Flip-flops and made fun of me in front of the other kids. Now he wants be friends again! I guess he didn’t realize how much he hurt me. I know I was supposed to be the nice guy and say everything is okay again, but I just couldn’t. That rejection and spite from Johnny and my other ex-friends was part of the reason that I was fast sinking into a blob of cowering jelly when Jason and Daniel decided to rescue me. Now that I have a new place to live and a new life with all of you as friends, I can’t wait to get out of here and go back to my new home. Thank you all for being here today and standing up for me. I am so lucky you have come into my life!”

  Marilyn and Jorge came over a few minutes later. “Eric, we have to go to the funeral home for the final cremation ceremony. We also will need to stop by the house on Green Street to see if there is anything you want before it is put up for sale and its contents are auctioned off.”

  “Okay, Aunt Marilyn. I’m ready when you are.”

  Eric then said goodbye to everyone and left with his Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Jorge.

  As Daniel, Diana, and Rebecca were getting ready to drive home, Melinda came up to Daniel and gave him a big hug. “Daniel, honey, that was a superb performance you gave this afternoon. I am so proud of you.”

  “Yeah Mom, I had to be there for Eric. Out of nowhere he has come into our lives and now I consider him a very good friend!”

  “You have been standing up for your friends all summer, Daniel,” Melinda replied. “Don’t you think that it is appropriate for your first musical performance as a guitarist and vocal soloist that you were doing just that — standing up for one of your friends! And Diana, you were wonderful also. That was a very moving duet you sang this afternoon with Daniel!”

  Meanwhile, Jason, his dad Bill and Joe Connor were talking also. “Dad, do you think Winfield Hunter would approve of what I did with his legacy?”

  “No question about it, Jason. Your Whatever Foundation is already a success and you haven’t even gone public yet. If he were alive today, I’m sure your great grandfather would say, (Bill mimicked the voice of an older man) ‘Jason, you have done some very good deeds with your foundation so far. That proves to me that you have true Hunter blood running through your veins.’

  “You have had an amazing summer, Son,” Bill Hunter continued. “Your actions have earned everyone’s respect and admiration. And you did all of this at age fourteen! What do you have for an encore?”

  “I don’t know, Dad. I think that helping more people is what the foundation and I will continue to do. I am positively inspired by how Eric has responded to the help he received from the foundation.”

  Bill Hunter put his hands on Jason’s shoulders and smiled at him. “Son, your mother and I are positively inspired by you! Now let’s go home!”

  THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND ETHAN SAVAGE

  (Wednesday and Beyond)

  The next day, the district attorney’s office in Santa Clara County came out with their indictments in the Ethan Savage case. It had taken them over a week to consult with the police and sheriff’s departments in Santa Clara County and the sheriff’s office in Monterey County to work out who was responsible for what, and what charges should be filed against the defendants in the case. Since Ethan and Daniel’s kidnappings had both occurred within Santa Clara County, it was decided that all criminal charges would be filed in the Superior Court in Silicon Valley.

  One of the problems that they had to deal with in the Ethan Savage case was the actual charge of kidnapping, since Ethan was found on his own property and that’s where he had directed the limousine to take him. Of course he was held against his will for over 24 hours, so they decided to go with false imprisonment and conspiracy charges against Dalton Fredericks, Ethan’s business manager, Timothy Butterfield, his publicist, Oliver Samuels, the station chief from the sheriff’s department, Jeffrey Richardson and Richard Hanley, the two sheriff’s deputies, Estavan Sanchez, the limousine driver, and Bettina Crawford, the nurse-groupie who watched over Ethan and kept him sedated. Samuel Helbey, the actor who impersonated Ethan Savage, was given a suspended sentence and probation for his testimony against the others and his role in the conspiracy.

  There were several more serious charges against Richardson, Hanley, and Samuels for what they did to Daniel. Each of them was charged with a count of kidnapping, a second count of false imprisonment, and assault with a deadly weapon. They were also suspended without pay from the sheriff’s department, pending the results of their trials.

  Because the cases had received a lot of media coverage, and there were eyewitnesses whose testimony would be devastating in court to the defendants, eventually plea bargains were worked out. Oliver Samuels’ brother Frederick did some behind the scenes maneuvering which helped lighten the sentence for his brother. Oliver Samuels still received the heaviest sentence of ten years in prison, while his deputies received five-year sentences. Dalton Fredericks and Timothy Butterfield received eight-year sentences, and Estavan Sanchez and Bettina Crawford were given two-year sentences.

  No criminal charges were filed against Gary and Melinda Holmes. It was determined that their role was more civil in nature, since they had no actual knowledge of how the conspiracy was to be carried out. However, the district attorney did feel that their involvement in the preparation of false paperwork for non-profit organizations should be looked at by the state licensing board. A separate hearing for that was convened. Gary and Melinda retained Madison Reeves, a very experienced attorney to represent them at the hearing. Since none of the paperwork had actually been filed yet, Reeves got the state to agree to simple fines for unprofessional conduct for each of them.

  Ethan Savage did follow through on his promise to investigate what royalties had wrongly been withheld from Gary and Melinda Holmes since the four songs they helped write were recorded by the Ethan Savage band. The attorneys and their accountant determined that the total royalties that should have been paid out over the years amounted to $98,752. Gary and Melinda Holmes were then issued a check for $39,500.80, which represented 2/5 of that amount. After they paid their fines of $10,000 each, court costs of $1750 and their attorney’s fee of $15,000, they ended up with $2750.80, just enough money to pay for a year of private music lessons for Daniel.

  “So much for our big score in the music business,” Ga
ry said to Melinda after they heard about the settlement. “As usual the legal process ends up with the lion’s share of the money!”

  “Gary, I’m very relieved that we are not being arrested and charged with a crime. And imagine how horrible we would have felt if something more serious had happened to Daniel!”

  “He did pay a price and still ended up saving the day. As foolish as we were, we did discover that somehow two old washed up rock musicians managed to raise one very cool kid!”

  Later, when Daniel heard about the settlement, he said, “I’m sorry that you never were given credit for what you did as musicians. I can understand how that must have hurt. But we have each other! That’s what is important. I’m so happy that no charges were filed against you! Will you promise never to do anything like that again?”

  “Oh yes, Daniel, we have learned our lesson. Your father and I will stick to being conventional accountants and tax advisers. No more crazy schemes for us!”

  Gary then said, “I’m glad that we are communicating well again and have no more secrets. You are right, Daniel. The most important thing that we have is each other. Now what about having one of those fun family nights tonight to celebrate? I think we can scrape together enough money for a nice dinner and a movie!”

  “Sounds great to me, Dad,” Daniel said with a big smile. “That’s a plan I can get behind!”

  THE THERAPEUTIC THANK YOU

  (Thursday)

  Eric continued to thrive in his new environment. With Anna’s funeral behind him, and his fears of Rogelio fading away from memory a little more each day, Eric’s confidence and determination to become a whole person again were becoming more evident to his family and friends.

  “There seems to be an inner glow to you now, Eric,” Jason remarked one morning when they had gotten together to play some basketball. “It is so cool to see you emerging from your shell of self-doubt!”

  “It’s like the weight of the world has been taken off of me, Jason. I don’t know how to describe it exactly, but it is a very liberating feeling! I’m free now to spend my days playing sports and music, swimming and visiting with my new friends.”

  “As you continue to gain strength and self confidence, you have your whole life ahead of you and now you have control over it again!”

  “It’s also great to have a girl friend!” Eric smiled as he thought of Rebecca. “Rebecca has been so sweet to me. I guess it was another one of those things that was somehow meant to be, us both coming here at the same time.”

  “It sure didn’t tale long for you, did it, Eric. Here you are already spoken for and you haven’t even spent a day at Merriam High. Oh that reminds me,” Jason continued, “Laura wants you and Rebecca to come over to her place this afternoon. Be sure to bring your swim trunks because she has that great Olympic sized pool in her back yard. She has someone she wants you to meet.”

  “I can come over later this afternoon. Today is the day that Aunt Marilyn and I are bringing lunch over to the SWAT team members who came to my rescue, and then we are going to the hospital to visit Sergeant Thurgood Francis, the officer who was severely wounded by my stepfather.”

  “What a very nice thing to do, Eric, and I’m sure this will have therapeutic value for you as well!”

  “Those guys put their lives on the line for me, Jason, so this is the least I could do!”

  Marilyn Ferreira had prepared a wonderful luncheon for the team. She packed a large picnic basket with linguiça sandwiches, potato salad, cole slaw, and homemade cookies. Needless to say, the luncheon was a big hit at the police station. Lieutenant Garcia and the rest of the team ate heartily. After everyone was served, both Marilyn and Eric took turns telling them how grateful they were for what the team was able to do.

  “Just before you guys arrived,” Eric said, “my evil stepfather told me that my two choices in life were to either become his obedient slave or be tortured slowly to death. I am so happy that you provided me with option C!” The men whistled and applauded that line. He then presented the unit with a signed picture inscribed, “Thank you for saving my life. Gratefully yours, Eric.”

  As they were leaving, Lieutenant Garcia told Eric and Marilyn that what they did was really appreciated by the men. “So many times we go out and rescue someone, and then never hear anything afterwards. We know it is our job, but we appreciate it when someone takes the time to at least give us a simple thank you.”

  At the hospital, things were a lot more emotional. Sergeant Francis had been in intensive care for seven days before he was brought to the regular room where he was now resting. It had been a very difficult time for his family. He had a wife and young daughter who had just turned four. His daughter still couldn’t understand why her daddy couldn’t come home and play with her like he had always done before. Sergeant Francis’ wound to his throat was the most difficult injury to deal with for him. It was still very difficult to swallow or to have a conversation with anyone, but he would try until it exhausted him. Sometimes it was just easier to write things on a note pad that he kept by his bedside.

  Lieutenant Garcia had decided to accompany Eric and Marilyn on their visit. This gave him a chance to visit his fellow officer Thurgood, and he also wanted to introduce Eric and his aunt in case Sergeant Francis wasn’t quite sure who they were.

  This day, Thurgood was very lucid, and seemed in a lot better spirits. The bullet wound in his arm had healed rather nicely, and he no longer had it in a sling. It now only needed to be lightly bandaged. The sergeant did his best to smile and say hello when he saw Lieutenant Garcia. After Antonio talked to him for a few minutes, he introduced Eric and Marilyn. Marilyn came up to him first and held his hand.

  “Our family is so grateful to you for helping to rescue my nephew, Eric. His stepfather who shot at you had no regard for other people and he was especially mean to young boys like my nephew. Rogelio was an evil and vicious predator, who only married my sister so he could get at Eric. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and pray for your recovery every day.”

  Then it was Eric’s turn to say something. He had talked about this meeting extensively with Dr. Agoura in his counseling sessions. Dr. Agoura told him that if he was able to do so, he should talk about how grateful he was for the sacrifice Sergeant Francis made, and tell him some of his history with Rogelio Fernandes. It would be good therapy for Eric and would help the sergeant to deal with his pain and suffering from his wounds.

  Eric began by thanking him for risking his life. “I know it is part of your duties as a SWAT team member to be in the line of fire, but you truly risked your life to save mine. There is no finer thing that you can do for another person.” Eric then went on to tell him some of his recent history with Rogelio and how traumatized and abused he had been. He talked about his rescue from all of that by his new friends and how he had been taken in by his aunt and uncle.

  “Just as I was beginning to recover from all of his abuse,” Eric continued, “my stepfather tracked me down, broke into my house, and pointed a gun in my face. In order to protect my aunt and uncle, I had to become his prisoner again. He kidnapped me, tied me up, dumped me in the back of his car, and drove me to his ranch where you were wounded. His plan was to torture me until I became his submissive sexual slave or he would kill me if I refused. He had already strung me up to one of his torture devices in his hidden torture chamber under the barn on the property to start the process. If it wasn’t for you guys and the persistence of my new friends, that would have been my fate!”

  Sergeant Francis struggled to sit up a little on his bed. He looked back at Eric and said, “You were very brave to try and fight against the abuse of that man. I know that had to be very hard to do when a much stronger and intimidating bully is all over you. And I know that it took some real inner strength for you to relive those experiences again by telling me what had happened before in your life. If I had to do it all over again, I’d take another bullet for you, kid!”

  That brought tears to Eric�
��s eyes. “Thank you for saying that. That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me!”

  “I know you have had a rough time in the past. Lieutenant Garcia told me some of the details of what you had to endure. What that man did to you was unforgivable!”

  “Are you going to be all right, Sergeant Francis?” Eric asked with concern in his voice. “You paid a very high price for helping me!”

  “Don’t worry about me,” Sergeant Francis replied. “I am on the road to a full recovery. Hopefully in a week I will be able to go home!”

  “I would like you to have this.” Eric handed Sergeant Francis a framed picture of himself on which he had inscribed, “For Sergeant Thurgood Francis. I will never forget your sacrifice and bravery. Your friend, Eric Acosta.”

  “This is great, Eric. You are my friend. Shake on it!” Eric put out his hand, Thurgood took it and then clasped it with his other hand. He held it in a tight grip for a few seconds. “Thank you for coming to see me, Eric. You have made my day!”

  Just then Thurgood’s wife Estelle and their young daughter Sasha came into the room. “Look, honey,” Thurgood said holding out the picture. “See what young Eric here gave me!”

  * * * * *

  Later that afternoon, Marilyn dropped Eric and Rebecca off at Laura Friesen’s house. When they knocked on the door, Laura answered and said, “Hi, Rebecca and Eric! Come on in. There is someone here I would like you to meet. We are all out by the pool!”

  They went through the house and into the back yard where the pool was located. Jason was there conversing with a tall, slender man in his late forties.

  “Eric and Rebecca, I would like you to meet Mr. Edward James, who is the swimming coach at Merriam High School.”

  Mr. James got up, said hello, shook hands with them, and how nice it was to meet them. Then he said, “I’ve been hearing some good things about your abilities as a swimmer, Eric. Jason here thinks that you should be encouraged to join our aquatics program at Merriam High School and begin participating in water polo and competitive swimming. What do you think?”