Steve
The girls have been all over me for letting Mark be everywhere, helping as many people as he could, and I had not put him on the payroll. Crystal should have done that, but she didn't really know whether he was going to be full time or part time. Ruth sort of made up my mind, as she signed him up as a full time employee with the employee benefit plan. I suppose that was alright, but you never knew.
My cell phone rang, "Steve here."
"Steve, this is Chuck. Can I use your shop up here in Chicago as a hub for some activity we have going on here on the east side? You have the RV store, the truck conversion plant, your regular showroom, and equipment building area. Could you spare a desk for some guys to work out of?"
"Sure, Chuck, tell Gordon Mathews, the manager up there, that you need the space and tell him I said for him to find it for you. They are down on staff right now, so you should be able to find a private area. Anything else I can do for you?"
"That'll do it, Steve. I'll be home tonight, but I need to set up a place for some guys to work. They will bring in their own telephone lines so we won't be mooching off you."
"No sweat, Chuck, use what you need. Let me know if your guys need anything else."
"Thanks, Steve, I'll see you this evening."
That's good; Chuck will be back in town. He says he is trying to get a line on another Lear. Crazy, but we could use it right now. Hopefully, it will be another good deal and we can get it ready to fly right away. Chuck seems to need his plane a lot lately, so another Lear would help out. You would think that with three G5s, and us possibly picking up an almost new G650, that we would be sitting with too many airplanes. The leasing company is giving us the use of the aircraft if we keep them up and pay just a standard monthly fee. That should be okay until they find a buyer, then we'll have to step up.
Sue came in and said, "Let's go to the gym before lunch today. I have a bunch of appointments this afternoon and if we go after lunch, I won't get any sun. I need the color if we're going to use the boat this weekend."
After the gym, lunch was busy on the patio. Mark was there, having a great conversation with Abe and Martin. It's nice to have another guy near their age for them to have a good time with. Mark must be some kind of decent mechanic, as he easily fixed up Martin's wheel bearing problem yesterday. He says he has a few neat ideas that may benefit our carts, so I'm interested in seeing what he has.
I was listening as he was telling Abe and Martin, "I think my ex has something cooked up for me tonight, as she's been really insistent about me coming over to our house tonight. I think I got ahead of her by moving out so quickly."
Abe said, "You be careful. Some women can be devious. I'm lucky, like Martin here, I've had my lady forever. It seems like we've been together all our lives. You be careful."
Mark said, "I have a lady lawyer who is helping me, and she's going to go with me as a friend to watch out for me. I think I'll be all right. I wouldn't go, but even my daughter has prodded me to go a couple of times."
I had a few things to do at the shop, so I took off for the main shop while Sue went to her main office on the campus out here.
Tiny caught me as soon as I was in the building. "Steve, come look at some numbers. You're going to like what you see, but we have to talk about this a little."
Tiny showed me a printout of rows and rows of numbers that looked like Greek to me, but they were for our new Italian plant. He said, "Our productivity is over the top over there. Giuseppe has that place really putting out and is keeping up production to meet Mario's groups' orders. Look at this, the orders are running at a hundred and twenty percent of projection, and the plant is not only keeping up, but has been able to supply the opening orders for the five new dealers they've signed up. Can you believe it? The place is already going to be profitable this month."
"That's super, Tiny. Figure out something we can do for the whole plant over there. Let me know what I need to do to show them how great this is."
When Tiny was done with me, I passed through the upstairs lunch room and went down the stairs into the motor room. All of the crews were working on new engines, so that means we had orders and we weren't spending time on rebuilds that might have come in on warranty. We probably guaranteed our engines for too many hours, considering how tough they were treated.
When I caught Shawna, she was putting some finishing touches on a really classy looking chopper. The bike was so long, low, and sleek, that it looked like it barely cleared the ground. It looked fast and probably was, but these bikes were built for looks, not super speed.
Shawna said, "This is for a baseball player over in Bellaire. This is a nice one, isn't it? I have him riding one of the bulldog bikes to get used to the feel. I don't want him instantly wrecking this thing. He'll be coming over this afternoon to pick it up. At least he's going to trailer it home, so I don't have to worry about him today."
I asked Shawna, "Chuck say's he trying to get another airplane. If it becomes a reality, I want you and Jimmy to work on it so it is ready to fly as soon as we can get it done. Get the coachman guys from the truck plant to work on the interior, and try to make it as nice as Chuck's. We need that type of aircraft for charter."
"We'll make it special, Steve, just like always. Don't worry; we'll even give it a special paint job. Hank and I already have the layout for one that we are just waiting for the right airplane to do it with."
With a smile, I gave the little redhead a hug. Shawna was a tough little critter and was always on top of her groups. I don't think she even knows how much she makes anymore, because she has fun working. We try to pay her more than she can spend as she is an important cog in our wheel.
My next visit was over at the fiberglass shop to talk about the new nylon and fiberglass product they have been working on. I want to try to build our own light sport aircraft. Maybe even a larger aircraft. This might be tricky, but I think we have the ability to build one of the best composite bodies on the market. Abe's engine should be just about perfect for this light sport venture too. We'll see what the FAA says when we have one to test. The first one we're going to fly is going to be by remote control. We'll see how well it does and put some stresses on it that we wouldn't normally do.
Jeff wasn't in the shop, but the wings were up on stands. They were complete, including the winglets that are supposed to give us better fuel economy and stability. This first model will be an air coupe so it will be fewer pieces. I'm trusting everyone to meet all of the criteria that will be necessary, and so far no one seems panicked about the project. They've been considering it as just a toy, but it could be a decent future source of income, especially if we can bring it in under a hundred grand. I'd like to bust fifty thousand, retail, but that might be wishful thinking.
I stopped in at the super lift rebuilding area to note that all the bays were full. At least we are staying busy. There were several big lifts outside waiting to be rebuilt. This was good.
I looked in Abe's office and only saw his secretary, so I went upstairs to make a few calls. Gene had not been very successful at the track lately and I wanted to know if there was something our engine group could do to help.
"Hey, Gene, what's happening?"
"Darn, Steve, if I knew how to make the suspension for this new body work better we might win a race. We've been fighting suspension problems all season. Your engines are doing great and the new trannies your group is turning out are tough as nails. We're passing tech inspections, but can't stay on the track or else we're dogging along because we just can't get in the groove. I personally think it's because we moved out of Tampa. I told one of my crew chiefs to go home and build me a car that would win. He says we just need to learn how this new body and frame work with the allowed suspension."
I offered, "What do you think if I send Sandy and Mandy up to you to fool with your suspension for a couple of races. They would get a kick out it and they might see something they can modify and stay in compliance. They know how to work with NASCAR, and they do have a good working relationship with the officials."
Gene asked, "Can you afford to let them be away for a couple of weeks like that? That's a lot of revenue for you."
"I know, Gene, but I can't have the guy that helped me get started lose all season if I can do something about it. I'll send them up in a motor home with a portable shop full of their tools. Let them get into your cars. I'll get them going so they can be up at your next track to meet you Monday."
"Great, Steve, if they come up with a winner, I'm going to make you sponsor me so we can share in the glory."
"You know I can't sponsor just one guy. All of the teams use us one way or another. I'll work with any of them, but I really want you to win some races this season."
Gene was laughing, "Me too. Send the babes up here. It may change our luck."
After hanging up, I went down to the motor shop and told Shawna what I was going to do. She smiled and said, "Good, we're not running out of work, but we are catching up. Taking those two out of the mix for a couple of weeks will give us some backlog. Go tell them. They'll be flying high for that job opportunity."
I discussed with Sandy and Mandy what I needed and the two told me, "We have about a half-hour left on this engine before testing. Let us finish this one and we'll clean up and get ready. See if we can get an RV and trailer."
It was a quick trip back to Abe's area to see if he was back, and there he was. "Abe, I'm sending Sandy and Mandy up to Michigan to help Gene with his suspension problems. They need an RV and the portable shop trailer. Can you fix them up?"
Abe was smiling, "Perfect, I want to swap out for that new model Ambassador that just came in. I'll give the girls mine. It's just about brand new and is really nice. I'll bet it's better than almost all the rest of the ones they will be parked next to at the track. I'll go get the trailer hooked up and get their tools in the trailer. Are they going to need parts, too?"
"Don't know. We should probably put an entire front end, as well as a complete rear suspension. It would be better if they could do some static tests on test rollers, but they'll have to help on the fly."
Abe said, "I'm going to build a static test machine so we can test suspension in the shop. I'll bet we can sell it to those teams if we can duplicate the stresses they have. I'm going to work on that right away."
I was shaking my head as that man never quits. He's always into some new project. He's built as near a perfect motor for our carts as can be made. We have two carts in the test lab that have run for over ten thousand hours and they still sound good. Those two engines have run continuously for over fourteen months and still going great. They put a load on both so they are not just sitting running. One is varied from low speed to max high speed on a regular basis and is performing as well as the one that's running at eighty percent power, pulling the same load as a big cart. That's why I think we have an engine for an airplane.
That was taken care of, so I checked with my staff and found Deanna fretting over an order that was mishandled by the freight company. She said, "They may not need the parts for the weekend, but they will need them next week for sure. What do you think, Steve?"
"Give them to Sandy and Mandy and have them deliver them. They will be there by Monday."
Deanna hugged me and said, "Perfect, I'll stuff some T-shirts in the box and they will be happy. Thanks, Steve, you solved my problem."
Upstairs, in the massive office, I checked to see if I had any more messages, but I was clear. In that case, since it's almost four on Friday, I'm gonna be history. I checked in with Ruth and Tiny, then headed out. I noticed Sue's car across the street, so I wandered over to see what was up.
Sue was upstairs looking at some new fashions that were just coming out. She was showing the seamstresses how great the new top would look. They saw me come up behind her and were giggling. I gave a loud wolf whistle that made Sue spin. She grinned then showed the new top off to me. It looked nice, but you know that to a guy, a top is a top. It covers the goodies.
I told Sue I was heading home and she said she would be there shortly. She told me that the new guitar teacher should be on the patio with the family kids that wanted lessons. The teacher was also having a Saturday lesson for other kids in the park that wanted to learn. Sue said, "Bonita is getting a special lesson when the teacher is done with the regular class. Any others that are up to her level can join in as well."
I asked, "What about her piano lessons?"
"She will have piano on Tuesday's. One day a week should be enough for both guitar and piano. She'll soon have to do some homework or reading, in addition to practicing. She's going to be busy."
Smiling I said, "How much studying can a first grader have to do? She's been reading since she was four and is decent with basic math. She speaks Spanish like a native, and can point at almost all of the countries in the world and name them. She's going to be as smart as Tina or Barb."
Sue reminded me, "She still has to play. You have to remind her all the time to get outside and play. She sits on the patio, reading books that high school kids read. Juanita even bought her some books in Spanish so she would be used to reading in the language as well. How smart is that?"
Just what I need, another whiz kid to go with the others around there. Stevie is really smart, but would rather play baseball than eat. He's always playing ball. At least he's good in school. Between the help from Beth, Missy, and Juanita, all the kids in our extended family are doing really well.
Home was a pleasant surprise. Chuck was on the patio having a beer. He said, "I'm going to enjoy this one, but since I have guys spread out all over, I'm only going to have one. The rest of the evening is going to be iced tea."
I said, "Just having you around is nice, Chuck. You're a nice extra. Are your ladies coming tonight?"
Chuck looked perplexed, "Who knows, the five said they might come out right after work, but they had to talk about it first. Lisa is out on a run and won't be back until late, and Tina is buried in a lab until late. The tall one is making a run home to Sarasota to get some love from her Mom and Dad. That just about covers it, except for Wanda, and John has her monopolized right now."
I was laughing, "All those women and I need to loan you one? How bad is that?"
"No, no, no loaning of ladies around here. I have my tormentors and you have your lovers. Let me work it out with my group first. Perhaps I'll send a few over for training."
With that, we were both laughing hard enough to draw a crowd of Juanita and Kathy. I tried to explain, but it was too silly for Kathy, the mom, and Juanita, the ever observant mate, to comprehend.
The Friday night crowd descended upon the patio. There were no special announcements for tonight and the maker of news, Phil, was out of town, enjoying a couple days vacation with his special lady. So this was a peaceful Friday night with all the regulars enjoying visiting with everyone.
Bonita finished her lesson and her teacher wanted her to show off, so she came over to Chuck and sat in front of him and picked Yankee Doodle for him, then did a chord progression that Chuck had taught them early on the boats. When Chuck looked confused, Bonita said, "That's all this lady can teach me. She didn't listen when I told her you taught us this already. Please, Chuck, can you talk to her?"
Chuck got up and went to the guitar teacher and began a long conversation with her. He had Bonita get some more guitars from the house and began showing the teacher everything he had taught the kids. He had to keep adding to what he was showing her as he had progressed farther with Bonita. The teacher had Chuck in her clutches and kept encouraging him until he was playing some of his favorite blues pieces. The teacher used another guitar and played a background rhythm while Bonita, used to what Chuck played, strummed right along in a harmony that Chuck had taught her.
The teacher finally said, "Okay, okay, I'll try to be more progressive. Bonita is only five going on six, and I normally don't teach kids that young. She is a lot farther along than anyone could have expected. I promise, I'll push her, I'll teach her at a faster pace. Does she really play the keyboard that well too?"
All of the parents were laughing as we had watched Bonita sitting at the keyboard for hours and hours, learning how to reach keys and chords that were beyond her. The teacher finally said, "I guess she'll have to teach me at what rate she will learn. I'll just consider her an advanced student."
It was about seven when Chuck's cell phone rang. Chuck answered and had a discussion that had him becoming alarmed. He was getting up, walking off the patio as he spoke. I followed him to make sure everything was all right. Chuck finished with that call and was about to dial another number, when I asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Chuck stopped and said, "Your newest do good guy out here is about to get bent over. That was my favorite attorney, asking me for help. I'm going to take over the case. I need to get the Bureau involved as they have jurisdiction. Steve, I can tell you that Sarah, Mark's, and my attorney, says that what is happening with Mark is totally bogus. Mark Robins has just been arrested for possession of child porn and assault. The county had all the news trucks out there, so this was definitely some kind of setup. Think good thoughts and warn your family and friends to keep an open mind."
Chuck left driving cautiously, but you could tell he wanted to hurry. Seconds later I heard tires squealing as they spun to gain traction out on the highway.
As I sat down in the patio, Mercy came out and said, "Chuck is really upset. I can tell when he's trying to hide his feelings and his thoughts. What's he so upset about?"
I told her, "He said that Mark, you know Mark Robins, the guy who has been helping some of the old folks with their cars, was just arrested at his old house for possession of child porn. He also said something about assault, but I don't know what that is about either."
Mercy sat heavily in a chair with her eyes closed and her hands in her lap. She was focusing hard somewhere or with someone. She stayed like that for a couple of minutes, then opened her eyes. She didn't smile, but she did look more relaxed, "We have nothing to fear from Mark. Someone is trying to hurt him. Chuck will help him, I'm sure. We must tell everyone that Mark is innocent."
All I could think of was that this was Friday night, not the best time in the world to get arrested. Courts wouldn't even be available to arraign him until Monday. I know they have some kind of video hearings with the judge in one place, and the suspects out at the jail, but I don't know whether they do that on weekends. Chuck knows about stuff like that, I'm sure he'll work out something.
Word of what happened to Mark spread through the patio quickly, with everyone reaching the consensus that there was a mistake somewhere. There was nothing any of us could do right then, so we were all at a loss. All of us wanted to help Mark, but none of us knew of anything we could do.
At ten, the first of the local channels had their newscast. They didn't have that much, just reporting only that Mark Robins was arrested for possession of child pornography. The detective who was interviewed said they had solid evidence against Mark.
That news broadcast left a pall over all of us. We waited for the other channels newscast at eleven. The cable news had not picked up the story yet, and that is unusual as they are often the ones who have it first.
The channel we watch the most frequently reported the story with a lot more video than the ten o'clock report. Seeing all the people in the yard in front of the home in the video made it look like a circus. There must have been fifty news people in the front yard. They showed a man and a woman embracing, watching Mark being led away in cuffs. This time, the detective interviewed by the news reporter, said Mark was being held on suspicion of possessing pictures of children in sexual situations. He said there should be more information throughout the weekend.
You could tell everyone on the patio watching the news was still stunned. They were discussing the situation and protesting that Mark couldn't be guilty of something like that. Mercy was quietly going from group to group, assuring everyone that Mark was not a child pornographer and would be proven innocent of these charges.
Chuck called to tell me that Mark was out of jail and was going to stay downtown in the Marshal's protective custody at the hotel they used for protecting witnesses and relocations. He tried to assure me that the FBI would get to the bottom of this quickly and not to worry.
I think everyone had stayed up late to watch the news together, and were now slipping away to go to bed feeling a little better.
"Senor Steve, Senor Steve, please tell me this is not true about Mark, tell me this is a mistake, please, Senor." This came from little Maria, a Mexican immigrant who lived in the park and worked at one of Sue's plants.
Sue took the little one that Maria was carrying, to let Maria get a hug from me. I told her, "Maria, no one believes this is true. My friend, the Deputy Marshal, is working on the problem right now. He'll help take care of this and prove Mark is a good man."
Maria said, "Mr. Mark is a good man, abuelo, a grandpa, ah grandfather to my children. He is a good man and I must help him some way. You tell me how, Senor Steve, tell me how to help mi hero, Mark."
I told Maria, "Let me walk you home. You need to get to bed and get your babies to bed too. Come, Sue and I will take you home."
Maria was really upset about this. but then Mark had helped her, while so many others had taken advantage of her. She respected that type of man among men.
On the way back home, Sue asked, "You don't think Mark could have done something like that do you?"
I hugged Sue to me and said, "Not a chance. The man has too many good ways about him to be like that. I'm sure he'll be cleared and back here soon."
All of us were hugging, snuggled up with each other. All of us were saying a prayer that was asking for Mark to be found innocent and for him to be all right.
Primary editing by Pepere
Proofing by Sagacious