Steve
Saturday
Glenda met me in the kitchen this morning as I sat drinking some coffee. "Worried about Mark?" she asked. "Martin had a hard time getting to sleep last night. He just kept saying over and over there was no way Mark did those things."
Mercy came out of the bedroom, still nude, and climbed into my lap. She said, "I know Mark isn't guilty. The man is a very loyal and gentle man. Everything I've seen in him has none of those traits. We'll find out that he's not guilty soon, I'm sure."
As more people came into the patio, Mercy got up and went to put some clothes on. The patio soon had all of our regulars as if it were a weekday morning, not a lazy Saturday.
Mercy, now dressed said, "Let's not go sailing today. I want to stay around home this weekend just to be available. Isn't it funny, Mark's only been out here less than a week and the whole group is worrying over him as if he was an original family member?"
Missy had come out and said, "He is, Mercy. The man immediately began helping others. He worked with Crystal and spent almost a day with Dennis in the R&D center. He really didn't even know he was being paid. You saw him when he brought those receipts up here. He was afraid he was going to be stuck with the cost of the parts, too. He didn't begrudge the money; it was that he really doesn't have a lot. Did you know he signed up for food stamps? Since he's been eating over here, he may cancel that, but he was worried about eating."
I said, "I think Crystal and I have told him he's being paid for his efforts. I think we'll have to put him on some kind of salary as he's doing something for several people all at once. Abe says he has a lot of good ideas and he wants Mark's opinion on some of his projects."
Betty, Shirley, and Caroline came into the patio together. The three ladies got coffee and sat at one of the small tables. Betty said, "I want to know if we, or I guess that's you, Steve, are doing anything to help Mark? There is no way that man is guilty of what was on the TV last night. We should have the cable news on this morning to see what else they might have. Have you been able to do anything, Steve?"
I said to the ladies and to everyone else listening, "Our friend, Chuck, called late last night to tell me that the FBI and his office don't think Mark is guilty. The judge who did the federal arraignment released him to Chuck to be put into their protective custody for right now. That just means that Mark is comfortable somewhere and not in a cell. Those people have to do their investigation, so we have to just let things develop downtown."
Shirley said, "The man is such a gentleman. He doesn't show it, but he's very hurt by his wife turning on him like she has. I'll bet he's really at odds over everything now. We girls should find out where he is and go visit with him just to let him know we support him."
Mercy said, "I think we need to leave him alone right now. The authorities are going to be busy with him, finding out things. When we can go visit him, Chuck will tell us."
Martin said, "I'm sure he will, and he just pulled up. I guess he wanted some family this morning out here, too."
Chuck came in with Jan, the FBI agent who lived at his house, and smiled at everyone. Another guy came in with them. Chuck said, "Don't worry about Mark. The man is in a nice hotel, being fed and pampered. I'm sure he'll be questioned extensively today, and I'll bet the Bureau will make headway. What do you think, Jan?"
Jan was handed a cup of coffee and said as she sat at the bar with Ruth, who was in a sexy Saturday gown, "We have several things in the lab we're working on and we'll know more later today. We have to treat this like any other case though, and question the suspect thoroughly. By lunch today, we'll know which toenail he clips first. Don't worry; the agents know how to be gentle. The only time they get aggressive is if they think a suspect is holding back or making stuff up."
Chuck said, "Jan and I thought we might have breakfast with you guys this morning to let you know Mark is being taken care of. We'll take care of him, and we'll get to the truth."
Holding up his hand, Chuck said, "This guy is Carter Teaneck. He's a deputy like me and is babysitting Mark's place while he's gone. We want to make sure no one tries to break in while he's in jail. Mark gave us permission to go through his place, so Carter, or someone that replaces him in a little while, will be with you. Mark sent Carter up here as he said you guys were so friendly. Come on, Carter, shake hands with everyone and eat."
Someone turned the TV onto the cable news channel. In a couple of minutes, the anchor gave an update on the case. They hinted that there were several leads federal agents were working on, and more information would be released as it became available.
Chuck said he was going to his office and would be back to the rec center at ten to give the group lesson he promised. The kids who were up cheered and said they would be there. Jan and Chuck took off, with everyone telling them to find out that Mark is innocent.
Carter said his relief should be here soon, so he left to go back to Mark's place. The three ladies, Betty, Shirley, and Caroline, left with him to walk back to their places next door to Mark.
Tiny asked me, "Want to go fishing? A couple of us thought we might just wander around in the brushy areas and catch some of the redfish that are schooling."
"Thanks, Tiny, but I think I'll just stick around here today. For some reason I think I'll play ball with the kids and just hang around. It might be a good day for us to have a family car wash day or perhaps we'll just play with the hose a while."
Saturday's are different around the patio. People come and go all day long. In the early mornings, there is the breakfast crowd. The folks who work leave for their jobs, but the ones who remain hang around, reading the paper, having more coffee, playing a game of chess with someone else. By nine, at least ten kids were in the living room, practicing on their guitars. It was funny to have one of the youngest, Bonita, helping the others with fingering and chords. Bonita assumed the leadership role so naturally that the other kids happily followed her.
As ten o'clock approached, the kids were packing their guitars, ready to go up to the recreation building. The early kid program would be over at ten, and then the guitar kids from all over the park would descend for a two hour lesson from Chuck. There was a professional guitar teacher that taught Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, plus the teacher gave separate lessons to those that wanted to progress more rapidly.
At lunch time, Chuck and the guitar kids came back to the house. He got me off to the side and said, "We have some positive evidence that Mark couldn't have downloaded the pictures the detectives found on that computer. Jan's people have the computer in the lab and are analyzing it now. By tomorrow, we'll have Mark cleared, and the charges dropped Monday morning."
I was breathing easier, but Chuck said, "Don't let all of that out right now. Jan's in the process of picking up some people that will make a difference on the case. Oh, Jan asked me to check to see if one of you guys picked up Mark's car?"
"Not that I know of, Chuck. You might ask the ladies over by his place."
Chuck said, "I did, his Bronco is missing. Wonder where it is? It's probably just misplaced for right now."
The patio was busy this afternoon. Several people were hanging around, watching sports on one of the TVs, playing games, or just snacking and chatting among themselves.
Kathy and Juanita were busy getting clothes ready for the next week. Now that the kids were in school, we had ten from our house in grade school. The school was having a problem with our kids, as usual, because Beth, Missy, Susan, Nancy, and Kathy had taught all our family and the extended families' kids how to read before they reached four. All of the kids could write legibly and some were very good with math. Add to that their worldly knowledge, from sailing and flying around the world, and you have some kids that get bored rapidly. They wanted to put Bonita into second grade, but Sue and I thought it best she stay in first grade this year since we already had her a year ahead. She needed to remain with kids near her age. We were having some serious discussions about home schooling. The older kids were all at least one grade up, as were Shawna's, Hanna's, Debbie's, Kate's, and Deanne's kids. It was our fault, but our kids were learning as fast as we could teach them.
Sue had a couple of potential home school teachers come by to interview. It was the only day all of the mothers could be there at the same time. They were trying to figure out how to balance getting the kids a good education, as well as having a social life with the kids at school. Sue had been saying ever since Greg, Stevie, and Lizzie started school, that we should be home schooling. Our friends didn't know what to do with their kids either. Sue felt a couple of real teachers could make the difference, but this was going to require a building and a classroom of some kind. This wasn't for just a couple of kids; this was for about two dozen children.
Kathy was all for home schooling Bonita, as she was saying, "She's too advanced for the other kids. She leads them around like sheep. If she can lead her brothers and sisters around here, imagine what she does with those kids in school."
Mercy's little twin girls, and their brother, Tom, have been potential trouble since they were three. They could get into more mischief than just about any of the others. Poor Mike, the oldest of that group, was forever trying to get them out of trouble. Greg helped out a lot, as did Stevie and Liz.
Our six kids that are about the same age including Danny and Manny, Trixie, Dixie, Tom, and of course the youngest, Bonita, were a formidable group. Trixie and Dixie were mischievous, with Tom going along for fun. Manny and Danny were all boy, and wanted to play cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, or race their bicycles. Bonita would follow, but as soon as she saw they were getting into trouble, Bonita would end up in the living room, playing her keyboard or her guitar. It was always a giveaway that the other kids were up to something if Bonita showed up to play music by herself. At least one adult would immediately go out looking for the others to keep them out of danger.
Anyway, I enjoyed people and kid watching today, and was finally able to get the kids to go up to the pool to join the other park kids for the Saturday splash-a-thon.
It was good that I went up there, as the general conversation was about Mark. I had to keep telling people the feds had already found evidence that Mark was being framed. A lot of the folks said they would see, but didn't want Mark around their kids. It was going to take some time to get people to accept that Mark was an innocent man.
Saturday evening, Chuck called me to let everyone know that evidence had been found that would completely clear Mark. He asked that we not broadcast it around yet, but by tomorrow the Bureau would make a press release clearing Mark. Mark would still have to go to court to have the charges dismissed, but he would be cleared of everything.
Sunday
Sometime after Sunday dinner, the cable news channel began reporting Mark had been cleared of all charges and that his wife and her friend were being held for submitting false evidence, downloading child pornography, and two counts of attempted murder each. The friend was a man wanted for several past crimes, including jailbreak. There was something about the wife's friend being in the hospital for something. I never did get what was wrong with him.
Chuck called and asked if I could think of a way to let people know Mark was now innocent. He said the local news channels were not as interested in the story any longer because it wasn't as newsworthy. Chuck did say that Mark had a bulldog of an attorney helping with his divorce and was very adept at making people right some wrongs.
The folks on the patio were talking about how we could help Mark when Samantha said, "I can do a story, complete with pictures, which would show Mark in a good light. I could interview some of the folks he's helped, as well as Crystal and Dennis, who he has worked with. I'm sure I could get it in both the Tampa and St. Pete paper for Monday morning."
I asked, "Could you do a video of the same thing. You could make it with someone from the FBI disclosing Mark's innocence, something from the federal prosecutor's office, a brief interview with Mark, and a couple of short sound bites from people out here at the park. Do both a short version and a longer version so it could be played like one of the magazine articles they have. Perhaps Mark's attorney can put the arm on the TV channels to keep him from suing."
Samantha thought and asked, "Where would I get a camera crew fast enough?"
I said, "I'll get the kids that put together all of our video advertising. I'll bet they will jump at the chance. Should I call them?"
"Do it, I'll call Mark and find out if we can go interview him where he is," Samantha said excitedly.
I called the cell phone of the young videographer who had taped several video commercials for us. When I explained what I wanted to happen he said, "I'll come out with my truck right now. We can get some of the locals to comment and then run down to tape your man where he is downtown. I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Samantha had sent kids to get Betty, Maria, and Donald and Prissy Krause. As soon as each of the people arrived at the patio, Samantha explained what she was going to do and how she was going to present it. She was shooting still pictures for the newspaper articles when the video truck showed up.
I was impressed, as Samantha and the videographer were able to interview a half dozen people very quickly, and were off to meet Chuck downtown at the hotel where Mark was staying. The videographer said he had up-link capability, so he and Samantha would put together a quick newscast release for the evening and late night news, and then present a five minute magazine article for Monday evening follow-up.
The park and patio was buzzing with the information that Mark was innocent. Everyone was happy to hear the allegations were not true. Mercy and Missy said, "We can't see into the future, Steve, but we both know Mark will be lucky for you. He has an aura of luck that seems to rub off on people he meets."
Luck or no luck, I was happy Mark was being cleared, and that he was going to be able to have some notoriety as the victim, and not the perpetrator.
Primary editing by Pepere
Proofing by Sagacious