Unknown - Spread for pleasure

Lena had come up behind Joe and was holding a glass half-full of whiskey out to him she said, "Your a good half hour behind us."

"Yeah I can tell since you're all obviously sloshed," he said.

"Second surprise," Chris thought, "he has a sexy voice."

Joe found a chair opposite Chris that seemed to suit him and his long legs. Then with everyone seated and sipping their drinks he said, "You must be the lady who has met and been charmed by Marilyn Short I guess."

"My gosh how'd you know her name," Chris said with an obvious start.

"Oh our friend Marilyn has been around for a while. I'll tell you all about her some time if you like," Joe said pausing to sip his drink. "Right now I'd like to hear about how you met her and what she offered you to go over the hill to glitz and glamour."

Chris blushed and began to stammer. Tears came to her eyes. Stephi who had been watching the brief byplay said, "Don't be embarrassed Chris. Just an outline will do I'm sure."

Chris told of her trip over the hill to the Valley and of spending the night at Marilyn's house. Omitting all details including Fred's name.

Lena leaned forward and asked, "Which of our girls told you about the party in the Valley?"

"She was a registry nurse. I don't honestly remember her name – er – Dotty something, I think."

The door bell rang at this point and Stephi went to the door. She was back in a brief moment carrying arms full of wonderful smelling food.

"Let's adjourn to the dining room," she said smiling.

"By gosh, I'm starving," Joe said politely assisting Chris out of the deep, soft chair into which she had settled.

A great silence settled over the dining room as all four people dug into the various exotic dishes Stephi had ordered. The clicking of chopsticks and the occasional request for tea or for a dish to be passed were the only breaks in the contented silence.

When the fortune cookies were finally passed conversation resumed. Stephi as reigning hostess for that night declared that each must read the fortune they found. There was the usual hilarity associated with the inanities of this ritual. Then everyone settled back in their chairs and Lena said, "Let's get on with the edification of Chris, Joe."

"Let's help clean the table and do the dishes before you complete my southern California education or disillusionment," Chris said getting up and starting to clear the table.

"What's the matter with you girl? Are you trying to break the house rules?" Lena asked with mock seriousness. "The person in charge of the meal must clear away the mess. The dishes will be tended to by our housekeeper who comes in every day but Sunday. So mind your manners." Chris blushingly apologized and looked appreciatively at Joe who suggested they move back to the living room.

"That'll be OK but only if you wait until I can join you – I have to clean up Lena's mess you see," Stephi said laughing.

They sat and made small talk. Joe told of a case he was working on that tangentially seemed to relate to the recent gang warfare in LA. Chris trying to appear interested found the pleasant sound of his voice so sedative she dropped off to sleep. Stephi's soft voice and gentle shaking roused her.

"OK Joe let's hear your dissertation on Marilyn Short, the raiding hospitals and all the odd side issues that tie into it," Stephi said once again sitting down near Lena so that they could hold hands.

Joe sighed, stood up and looked at Chris as he began his explanation.

"Southern California is an interesting place in many ways. The rules that govern civilized behavior have been amended here. Frank Lloyd Wright said something to the effect that, 'If you tilted the country to the left (west) everything loose would spill into southern California.'."

"He was right if by 'loose' he meant people with no roots: no place or family or ethics. You will find that these people have one concern; immediate gratification. Usually the gratification comes from money but sex and power are also major motivators."

"Now in the field of medicine understand that the average doctor wants to get rich doing as little as possible. He prefers X-ray films to using a stethoscope; lab printouts to physical examination; and sleeping nights to taking calls."

"In this latter situation the nurses working in the Valley hospitals wind up functioning as the doctor. Especially true in the case of ICU and CCU nurses."

"Now we must add more bad things to this equation. With almost no exceptions all hospitals in the Valley are privately owned and are designed to bring in a profit. This means that regardless of how bad a physician may be he is welcome on their staff – the more doctors on staff the more beds are occupied and the more money that flows in."

"However, they have to keep costs down. So they bring in poorly trained nurses, non-English speaking aides and put them under the charge of one or two well trained, intelligent nurses."

"Now how do you recruit these few well trained and intelligent nurses? Money alone maybe; but, money and an apparent rich life style is much better. That's where your friend Marilyn comes in."

"She is paid to provide whatever is necessary to recruit whoever is necessary. She is, when the situation demands it, a drug pusher, a lady of easy virtue, and probably a co-conspirator in the smuggling of illegal aliens."

Chris sat stunned at what she was hearing. "Are you telling me that someone had spotted me as being restless or unhappy and that I was set up this past week-end?"

"Probably you were. I don't have any information on the registry nurse who told you about the a party. But that party was more or less held in your honor. And Marilyn's ploy of waiting in the Ferrari is a trick she has used before," Joe said.

"What about the people she introduced me to? Are they part of the plot allege exists?" Chris asked angrily.

Sitting down near her Joe said, "First don't be angry. I realize I seem to be putting you down and suggesting… no outright saying… you've been suckered but it's not maliciously intended. You are dealing with people who have concern for only one thing – money – greed is their religion."

"Now I don't know who you met. Let me tell you how things usually go in this scheme. The person they wish to recruit is taken to one of the fancy country clubs and introduced a pro; golf, tennis, swimming, whatever. They may be men or women depending on the recruit's apparent interest. And almost invariably they are not pros but hustlers hired for the occasion."

"Shit. You called it. I met the golf pro," Chris said angrily.

"You met a fellow named Fred I'll bet," Joe said smiling.

"Yep."

"Well be flattered they called out the first team for you."

"OK so now what do I do? I virtually committed myself to joining a hospital ICU staff and moving in with Marilyn," Chris asked.

Stephi turned to Joe and said, "Can't you take the car back for her? She can call and say she's changed her mind."

"No. I will help but I need Chris to help me right now. I think we've got friend Marilyn and a few of her cronies in a box on a drug charge. If Chris can have a few days off perhaps we can put her to work on Marilyn and the bunch."

"Meanwhile, we'll get the car back tonight and pick up Chris' car. But, and this is a big but, she'll hold out the prospect of soon joining one of the hospitals for which Marilyn is recruiting," Joe answered.

"Wait a minute. You want me to maintain my contacts with Marilyn – move in with her and meet more of her supposed friends?" Chris asked, alarm clearly evident.

"Not exactly. You just hold out the promise of returning as soon as you can make the necessary changes in your life, like quitting your job without leaving the hospital understaffed," Joe answered.

"What about them watching her," Lena asked. "You told us there might well be some risk – should she go back to her apartment? It strikes me that if she is off work and in and out of her apartment a lot the watchers might get the idea she's not what they think and hope she is."