A Tangled Loop

The stakes are high. Over the past five years, since Thorco’s merger with Zeus Chemical, and with the increased amount of government war spending, Thorco stock has more than doubled in market value. Such a fortune is a law unto itself.

“Yes,” says Noelle Needleman, Hilda Swan’s counsel, “a case can be made that Sarah Swan has deserted her child and that you, her step-aunt, the signer of the hefty Thorco dividend checks, is the closest thing Gloria has to a next of kin. Better anyhow than leaving her in the hands of a drug-using baby-sitter. With the mother off who-knows-where, this Miss Lord person out of our way, it might well be possible to have the minor put under your protection by default. After all, you are concerned for the girl and want to see that the money from her inheritance is not being used to fuel her corruption.”

“Then that’s my plan,” says Hilda. “Move that tar baby out here to Stetson City and torture her with cowboy music. You don’t imagine that slick, soft, city girl knows anything about horses, do you? Who knows? She may even have an accident.”

City bureaucracy is a tangled loop. As impeccably as the arrest was made, that’s how unlawfully the detainees’ rights are violated afterwards. And with maddening illogic, as slowly as the police department brings the case of Gloria’s sitter and her friends to court, that’s how fast the city social service process attends to the case of the corrupted minor. In two days Gloria is standing with Horace Grabble in front of Judge Poderesta of the family court with Miss Needleman representing Hilda Swan, the petitioner. In her complaint no mention is made of where the baby-sitter might be, only that she is missing and that without her the child’s upbringing, rickety to begin with, is falling apart completely.

Of course, it is a farce. Grabble can see that, but he flinches when he faces the court, stepping lightly, not wanting to prejudice one case with the other. He hems and haws, and bends the rim of his hat, as he tells the judge that there are at least two sides to every story, that, yes, the father is dead, the stepfather is dead, the mother is missing, but the baby-sitter is minding the child nicely, that Miss Lord was not remiss in exercising what is a viable option for the rich with home schooling and a state-certified teacher. He points out that Gloria is no relation of Hilda Swan’s, the two have only seen one another once twelve years earlier at Gloria’s mother’s wedding. But he fails to make his point.

“And if Miss Lord is so conscientious,” says the judge, “why isn’t she present in court today to argue for her job?”

Checkmate. Neither Grabble nor Glory want to bring up the baby-sitter’s arrest for it will certainly lose the case for them. Grabble asks for a five-minute recess to confer with his client.

“It’s diabolical, Horace,” Gloria whispers in the hall almost in tears, “We’ve been set up in a crooked game to bear witness against our friends!”

“We might as well tell the judge,” says Grabble. “Maybe we can at least get Laudette and the boys out of jail.”

What choice does Gloria have but to accept the advice of counsel?

“Your Honor,” he says, “a great injustice has been done. The reason Miss Lord is not here is that she and two friends were arrested last week and have not yet been booked. We cannot get anyone over at the city jail to tell us what’s happened to them.”

“Held without charges? That’s a very grave accusation, Counselor. I hope you have some evidence to support it.”

“For X’s sake, I saw it with my own two eyes.” The minor Bee goes out of order. “What do we have to do, file charges against the police for kidnapping? Talk to Lieutenant Butler.”

Poderesta bangs his gavel. “Have a little more respect, young lady. What did the arresting officers say the charges were?”

“They didn’t, man,” says Gloria, standing up and lying. “They just took them.”

Court is recessed until two in the afternoon, while Poderesta checks into it. When it is reconvened His Honor takes the bench, looks down at Gloria and says, “The case against your baby-sitter charges her with possession of illegal drugs, and contributing to the delinquency of the minor, as if you didn’t know, young lady. She’s being arraigned right this moment.”

The judge rules that Gloria be enrolled in the Wright Institute, a special uptown school for wayward and truant heiresses.

Help!

And it is further determined that if the minor’s mother, lost on the horizon, is not found within ninety days, Gloria should be moved to the Lonely Bull Ranch of her step-aunt Hilda. And until that time, when Gloria is not at school, she is to stay at home and mind the staff. Does she hear?

Help! Help!

Now that her day in family court is settled so dismally, Gloria and Horace make their way across the street to criminal court to find out about their friends and to see what they can do to help them. First denied arraignment, now given one before their court-appointed defender has a chance to prepare a case, Laudette and company are back in stir. The judge found the district attorney’s argument compelling. These drug fiends were potential risks for flight. McCoy and Bonet have prior convictions. He set no bail, and deposited them back in the can to wait for a trial date just over three months away.

Help! Help! Help!

Grabble’s appeal is turned down, as is Gloria’s application to see Laudette. The women’s house of detention is no Sunday School picnic. Visitors under eighteen are not allowed. As for Earl and Bones, they are being held in maximum security at Merkel’s Island, at least until their connection to the Gourmet drug market, and perhaps Rudolph Reichmann, is thoroughly investigated.

Help! Help! Help! Help!