Free A Class Action by Gene Grossman

dealers to keep track of the expenses incurred on a vehicle from its acquisition to its sale. The folders are like big envelopes open at the top. Outside of the folders are places to enter amounts spent and things done in order to get the car sold.
    When we’re done, we have everything back in order. The cars were stolen. Timely reports were made to the police. The policyholders got paid for their losses. The cars were recovered and sold to I.R.S., who then re-sold them to Stuart and shipped them by truck to Van Nuys, California. Every ‘i’ was dotted and ‘t’ was crossed. Perfect record keeping and compliance on every car.
    As far as everyone’s concerned, it’s a legit operation from start to finish. Stuart is happy. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m still not satisfied. It’s just too neat a package. Something has to be wrong somewhere, because this deal is still too good to be true.
    Myra calls. The caller ID on my display shows that she’s calling from home.
    “ Hi, kid, what’s up? You ready to dismiss the murder charges against my client, wanna get laid, or both?”
    “ None of the above. I called because I’m worried about the motive. You may have been right when you were in my office. I can’t connect him to the general manager’s explosion. You want to talk deal here?”
    “ I know what he did, and I know what he didn’t do, and you’re gonna have to believe me when I tell you that he didn’t do any of the things you’re charging him with. I admit he may have been involved in some hanky-panky with those first two owners, but unless you want to amend your complaint to larceny for taking those bribes, then we don’t have much to talk about.”
    “ I can’t do that Pete. This is the first major case the office has had since I got elected to this job, and I don’t want to fall flat on my face.”
    “ I agree with you hon, but I can’t allow my client to take a dive to help your image. Maybe we can work something else out that everyone’s happy with.”
    “ Okay, I’ll try to think of something, but there are about a million new competing budget requests. Do you have any idea of what it’s going to cost Los Angeles County when the President comes to town? Everyone working overtime, background investigations…”
    “ What does that have to do with you? The District Attorney’s office has nothing to do with visits by politicians.”
    “ Yeah, but all the money we spend during those visits has to come from somewhere, and our office is a favorite target. We may have badges, but we don’t have those nifty uniforms to make us look like heroes.”
    This was one of the longest telephone conversations I’ve had with Myra since before we got married, when we used to spend hours on the phone with each other. If we could have talked like this when we were married, I’d probably still be living with her in that house in Brentwood Glen. Maybe things worked out for the best. I don’t have a wife anymore, but I do have a young ward and a huge Saint Bernard – and the boat of my dreams. If Myra would come to her senses she could share it all, but that’s unlikely considering the bundle she inherited. She doesn’t need to share anything I’ve got now, because she can afford to buy it outright on her own. So much for bad timing. Her wealthy grandfather passed away shortly after I got tossed out.
    The only sharing I’ll be doing is some wine with Laverne tonight, because until I get to meet George, she’s my favorite neighbor.
     
    Joe Morgan’s preliminary hearing is set for this afternoon and I’ve already told him that not much is going to happen today. Like most other criminal clients, he wanted to know why we weren’t going to put up a vigorous defense, so I explained that unlike a trial, all the prosecution must do at a ‘prelim’ is show that a crime was committed and that there is probable cause to bind the defendant over for trial. Guilt needn’t be shown. The district