In Shadow - Ch 16 - Digging Around

"So, that's the pitch," Genie said, trying to sound confident. "An in-depth exposé of Max Villareal and his criminal connections. The Families are still a story, because of the Miranda Goth assault... and the Axis party's 'law and order' platform."

The City Herald's newsroom always smelled of burnt coffee and (for reasons Genie had yet to figure out) bubblegum. Outside, heat pounded against the window hard enough to overcome the air conditioning. The calendar might say that summer was almost over, but clearly it wasn't giving up without a fight.

Genie had been pitching her story idea for what felt like forever, but Mr. White remained unreadable. She really needed him to go for this, she thought. She needed the time and the Herald's resources, if she was going to get more information on Uncle Max. More, she'd realized after talking to Jenny and O, she actually wanted to get this story out. People deserved to know the truth.

"Alright," Mr. White said at last. "I'll let you run with this... on one condition. I also need you to help Jimmy with background research on the Unity candidates who might get tapped to replace that fruit-loop Baxter."

"I can do that," Genie said eagerly.

"You know this could hit close to home for you," Mr. White added. "It could affect your father's political career. Tarnish your family name."

"If my father is involved in criminal activity, it should be brought to light," Genie said firmly. Inwardly, she scoffed... If? Rohan Elderberry was as crooked as politicians came. "People deserve to know the truth."

"Yes!" Mr. White said, pumping his fist. The man lived for a good story. 

"You're so lucky," Jimmy said as Mr. White wandered off. "If I tried to write an exposé about my uncle, they'd have to call it 'The Truth Behind Fishing Trips: Drinking Beer and Playing Poker in Granite Falls.'" 

"I'd trade you in a heartbeat," Genie sighed. "Pass me half that list of possible candidates and I'll see what I can dig up."

"Sure thing," Jimmy said with a groan. "Another day of digging for dirt in the lives of minor city politicians. The glamorous life of a reporter..."

"You love it," Genie smiled.

"I do," Jimmy grinned. "I really do."

--------------------

"So, after a long day of digging into the lives of up-and-coming politicians... and you would not believe things these people get up to..." Genie said. 

"I'd believe it," Jenny put in, with a sly grin. 

They'd met up back at Jenny's apartment, which at least had the virtue not having any roommates. Not for the first time, Genie wondered how the actress could afford the apartment on her own. Sure, her career had really taken off since she became a regular on the Urbz, but even Spice District apartments were pricey on one income.

"Anyway," Genie said. "I managed to fit in some background checks on the names Morgan... let's call her Red from now on... gave me. I found some interesting stuff."

"Let's start at the top," Genie said. "Maximillian Villareal. Age forty, unmarried, no children on record... thank God."

"Tell me about it," Jenny sighed.

"What I found pretty much confirms Red's story," Genie continued. "Sealed juvenile record. Multiple arrests over the years for everything from bookmaking to extortion and racketeering. No convictions, but outstanding warrants for assault and kidnapping, from the Miranda Goth kidnapping."

"And yet, he's walking the streets freely," Orange muttered. "It's enough to make me rethink some of what Mr. Friend's been saying."

"Don't. Seriously, don't," Genie said. "Anyway, other than the outstanding warrants... and I don't know how that's stayed out of the press, but I'm guessing mom had something to do with it... there's nothing really new there."

"So," Genie said, bringing up another file on her laptop. "Next we have the man Red said Max has worked for in the past... Count Vladislaus Straud IV. 

"According to public records, he's eighty-three years old, a widower with one son, unsurprisingly named Vladislaus Straud V. His wife, Volenta, is deceased but I could find almost nothing about her, or junior #5, beyond birth records and death certificate for her.

"He's the fourth Count Straud, since the title was re-created two hundred years ago, at the start of the Republic, when Vladislaus Straud I was recognized by the crown for his actions in rebuilding the community of Forgotten Hollow. 

"The current Count, in addition to being a wealthy landowner, is CEO of Straud Industries, which has interests in timber, construction, furniture making, and property rental. All of that is currently frozen, by order of the Crown Prosecutors Office, due to accusations of racketeering and enterprise corruption connected to his involvement with the Landgraab Syndicate. No one has seen Count Straud for five years, since the CPO brought charges against him, not that he was a social butterfly before that. The man was a noted recluse.

"This was the only decent picture I could find of him, off his company's website."

"Also, I'm pretty sure he's a vampire," Genie concluded.

"Totally a vampire," Jenny agreed.

"Umm, guys, there's no such thing as vampires," Orange pointed out.

"Seriously," Genie blinked. "'No such thing as vampires?' How long have you and Miranda been friends?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Orange asked. "I mean, Miranda tells some pretty tall tales, and I know her mom has the whole occult vibe, but that's all for publicity."

"I'll talk to him later," Jenny said.

"OK, next up, we have Marco Tennari," Genie said. "Forty-five years old, married to... get this... Holly Alto."

"Like, Holly Alto the artist?" Orange asked. "I know her. We've met at events."

"Artist and daughter of Nick Alto, the currently imprisoned head of the Alto crime family," Genie nodded. "It looks like Marco married the boss's daughter. They have one child, a son, Carl. 

"Marco is listed as a 'studio executive' for Symphony Entertainment, whatever that means," Genie continued.

"Mostly it means he has a big salary and a plush office with a big couch for groping young actresses," Jenny said with a hint of bitterness.

"Well, in addition to that, Marco rounds out his charming resume with multiple arrests for assault, possession and sale of stolen goods, bookmaking and racketeering," Genie sighed. "Only a handful of convictions. He did a little time in jail when he was younger, but nothing recently.

"All in all, a real Family man," she concluded, bringing up the most recent picture she'd found.

"Is that the last Casbah Gallery fundraiser?" Orange asked. "I went to that. Damn, I might have met him... but I don't remember specifically."

"Any chance you could get in touch with Holly?" Genie said excitedly. "Maybe she'd be willing to talk to us..."

"I don't really know her, know her," Orange corrected. "I've just run into her at events and such. You know how it is."

"Yeah," Genie sighed. She did know. "Thing is, I think I might have met him, or at least heard about him, if I could just remember it. That gangster I mentioned dating, Johnny Pretty... He worked for a guy called Marco. Marco T. It's probably the same guy."

"I hate to ask, but any chance you could talk to this Johnny Pretty about him?" Orange said. 

"Not really," Genie sighed. "Johnny P's dead. He got involved with the wrong kind of trouble and got his throat torn out. It was... really horrible, actually."

"Crap," Orange groaned. "I'm sorry, Genie."

Taking a deep breath, Genie forced her hazy memories of Johnny P's death aside.

"Moving on," she said. "George Tobar..."

"Wait," Jenny put in. "Max Villareal. Max V. Marco Tennari. Marco T. George Tobar. George T? George T! I know him!"

"You what?" Genie gasped.

"When I was dating Max," Jenny said excitedly. "He introduced me to this scummy drug dealer friend of his. George T. A total creep but he had good drugs. Like really good drugs."

Genie looked worriedly at her friend. She could almost feel the same concern radiating off Orange.

"Hey, no. Not anymore," Jenny said hastily. "Three years clean and sober here. I wasn't back then, but... Three years. Clean and sober." 

"So," Genie said with another deep breath. "He and Max are friends?"

"I don't know if they're friends friends," Jenny said carefully. "You know how guys do the guy thing?"

"The guy thing?" Orange said, looking confused.

"Yeah, you know," Jenny smiled. "That thing where you and another guy are really friends, but you're constantly ragging on each other and trying to put each other down. The guy thing." 

"Right," Genie nodded.

"Well, with Max and George T, it was more like they were really trying to pull each other down, and just pretending to be friends," Jenny said. "Like the whole thing with them was this ongoing 'who's got the bigger dick' contest... which is ironic because they both had pretty average sized dicks. Oh my God, did I just say that out loud?"

"Yes," Genie blinked. "Yes, you did."

"It's OK," Orange said soothingly. "I mean, I know you weren't a virgin, Jenny. There's literally a sex tape of you online... not that I've watched it!" he added hastily.

"Why not?" Jenny asked, actually sounding a little hurt. 

"OK, talking about sex later," Genie said firmly. "Talking about gangsters now. George Tobar, forty-three, unmarried, no children on record. 

"Educated at UBrite but didn't finish his degree. He had to drop out at the end of his final year after he was severely burned in a fire in his dorm room. Spent a year in the hospital, and didn't go back to school afterward.

"He has a sealed juvie record, and a couple years after university he did some time for drug possession and assault. More recently he's got multiple arrests for drug possession, possession with intent to sell, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, sexual assault, rape and murder, but nothing's stuck. An all-around charming guy. Jenny, we have got to have a serious talk about your ex-boyfriends," Genie concluded.

"He was never a boyfriend," Jenny said firmly.

"Here's a recent picture," Genie added.

"Yeah, that's George T," Jenny nodded. "Really, he should be in jail for that outfit alone."

"Jenny," Orange said breathlessly.

"I mean, yeah, he should be in jail for rape and murder and stuff," Jenny said, "but that shirt alone should be illegal."

"Jenny, that's her," Orange said, horrified. "The woman with him. That's Corrie."

"Oh my God," Jenny gasped.

"Wait, Jenny told me about this," Genie said. "Corrie is the woman you met a few days ago jogging... the damsel in distress in a bad relationship?"

"Yeah," Orange said seriously.

"Damn," Genie sighed. "She's in a really bad relationship. Have you heard from her at all?"

"No," Orange shook his head. "We've got to help her, Genie. I mean..."

"I know," Genie said. "I know... but how?"

"I might have an idea," Jenny said.