The Summer Job - 69. The Wisdom of Scotty Cross

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Casey had supper ready to start when Phillip got home. The grill was warmed up, hamburger patties in the fridge, and everything ready to kick off.

As Phillip put the burgers on the grill, he thanked his lucky stars for Casey Dubois! He was a lot of help getting the hoard fed. It was a reduced hoard as many had departed to spend Sunday night at home but, his core was still around.

Billy Jackson, Johnny Gray, Sammy Lewis, Ryan Johnson, Matthew and Jon-Jon Green were playing in the pool. Randy Hanson, Stevie McGraw, Mikie Hendrix, James & Marcus Green, Jeffry Cummins and Cole Lassiter had gathered in a friendly knot on some lounge chairs. Seth Garner, David Woods, Timmy Callahan, Scotty Cross and Kelly Scott were inside helping Casey get the side dishes prepared.

All in all, it was a tranquil domestic scene but, Phillip was troubled. Jeffry Cummings and all four of the Green brothers would have to face their moms tomorrow with the news of their abuse by Tyrone. Phillip was going to have to prep them for that tonight, and he could think of so many things he would rather do, like elective surgery with no anesthesia.

Timmy Callahan and Scotty Cross came out the patio door with cheese slices and approached the grill.

Scotty gave Phillip a questioning look, said, “You look like you’re thinking about word problems in math.”

Phillip chuckled and said, “I’ve got to tell some friends something unpleasant, and I’m trying to think of the best way.”

Scotty said, “When you talked to me the other day, the best thing I got out of that conversation, besides Timmy and a bunch of new friends, was knowing I wasn't alone.”

Phillip froze over the burgers. Was it really that simple? Many kids of this age were in that same boat: they knew they were gay or bi but, did not personally know anyone else who was. Kids like Scotty and Sammy who had become a part of their little community had thrived. Maybe the same psychology would help Jeffry, James, Marcus, Luke and Jon-Jon face this.

Phillip said, “Thank you for that, Scotty. I think I know what to do now.”

He bumped knuckles with Timmy and Scotty and thought long and hard about how he was going to handle Jeffry and the Green brothers. Dealing with problems of any sort are a lot less frightening when you are not alone. Phillip knew how he would proceed.

Stacy Scott went to her computer and began to dig. Journalists have access to databases and archives that the public usually never see unless they are willing to subscribe.

Her first searches were about the Freeway Killer. Most of her results came back from the California killer that operated during the seventies and eighties. She had to refine her search and include only Virginia, I-95 and the appropriate dates.

The hits she got were unanticipated. There was little in the press but her predecessor, Tony Sperry’s notes, were flagged in the search. She began reading and quickly became appalled.

The FBI talked to reporters about the I-95 or Freeway Killer on numerous occasions, and requested that they not publish much about him. There was a new theory that some serial killers were driven by publicity— they called it the Natural Born Killer effect after the 1994 movie.

Tony Sperry did not think highly of the Feds new approach. The public knew little or nothing about a serial killer in their midst. This seemed a particularly stupid way to run an investigation. No one knew to look for odd behaviors. Victims did not know someone was hunting them. As she did her research, she did confirm that the killings stopped abruptly in mid-2013.

Farmer going full vigilante and hunting the killer down and, saving potential victims along the way was a huge story. It would take some legwork to run it all down, but, it was do-able.

Her next search instantly hit pay dirt. Russell Fuller was arrested in October 2013 for multiple counts of sexual battery and the manufacture and sale of crystal meth. His wife Stephanie Fuller was arrested on prescription fraud and possession of meth with intent to distribute. Despite not be listed as a minor victim, Richard Van Houten’s part in the story checked out.

The story she really wanted was about the connection between shady for-profit prisons and Emily Sturgis. There was extraordinarily little on the web about the facilities but, it was run by a corporation called Security Concepts, LLC. Now they were fascinating, having a board stacked with relatives of politicians. She decided that would be well worth a deep dive.

Her younger brother Brad had told her the Youth Courts had elected to be less punitive with first-time pot offenders. Instead of spending a huge amount to send kids off for months of expensive treatment, the Courts and Police had agreed to start giving out community service. It was much cheaper, even to fund their wages, than to send kids off to drug treatment of dubious efficacy. It served the purpose of letting the kids know that the path could, and would get much worse, it keeps them busy, and provides them with work experience. After hearing from, she looked at her notes, Andrew Miller and Joey Tannehill, she was delighted Kelly and Casey had missed out on that trip.

Who was that Sergeant Brad worked with… Daniels? Maybe she could get him to comment on the change in Youth Court policy. Meanwhile, she began to research the State’s Health and Human Services Director and his appointments. Boring… but you never know where the bodies are buried until you do some digging.

After supper, the different little groups scattered about the house and grounds waiting for sunset for what was becoming the traditional skinny dip after sunset. Phillip retreated to his study to check his email.

After deleting the spam, he opened an email from Wally Garner.

To: Phillip Wright
From: Wally Garner
RE: Lost Boys Trust

Phillip-

Tomorrow in court, we will need to provide a plan of care for the boys. Please review the following PDF and see if you can think of anything we might need to add. I’ve had many cases that involved kids with special needs, and I have resources for specialists’ care.

Thanks,

Wally

He opened the PDF that ran to twelve pages. According to the plan, the Trust would sign up the eight boys in a health care plan. There would be a psychiatric assessment, and then each boy would have a care plan.

As Phillip scanned the document, he was impressed. Wally had a list of doctors and dentists who agreed to take patients he would send their way. As he looked, there wasn’t an ophthalmologist on the list, and Dale Moss needed one. Phillip replied to Wally Garner and let him know.

Sammy Lewis knocked and said, “Are you busy?”

“No Sammy. I just finished.”

Sammy, looking sporty wearing his new blue Jammers, bounced into Phillip’s lap. He was cute enough to get away with that. He said, “I’m curious about a couple of things.”

Phillip said, “What’s that, Sammy?”

“First, those boys who got arrested. Some of them were bullies and mean to a lot of our friends. Why is it so important to help them now?”

Phillip puts his arms around the little scamp and said, “Sammy, those boys have serious problems. Their parents are all addicts or alcoholics. Their parents were not taking care of them like they should have. Some of them have problems they need medication for, and poor Dale Moss needs glasses badly, but their parents didn’t care enough to do the right thing. The system that was supposed to help them is messed up. If they get sent to group homes or get caught up in the system, their chance for a decent life is very slim. We have a chance to really make a difference for them. Seth and David took a lot of harassment from those guys but, they stepped up to help, and I’m proud of them.

Sammy made himself comfortable in Phillip’s lap and said, “They weren’t all mean. Frank Ballard is nice, so is Angel Benardi, and Dale Moss is smarter than you would think. The second thing I wanted to ask about is, Ryan won’t tell me anything about his spanking but, he gets a big old boner anytime I ask about it.”

Phillip chuckled and said, “Did you know some boys get turned on by a spanking?”

A wide-eyed Sammy exclaimed, “Really!?”

“Big time. When I spanked Ryan, he got so hot he needed a towel. He is not the only one. Several of our friends like a little spanking as a warm-up.”

Sammy laughed with pure mirth and asked conspiratorially, “After we all go to bed, would you stop by and give Ryan a few licks?”

Phillip said, “I will. Could you and Ryan help me something.”?

Sammy wiggled with anticipation and asked, “Sure. What do you need?”

“I have to give some of our friends some bad news later”, Phillip said. “It would really help if we treated Jeffry Cummings and all four of the Green brothers especially well tonight.”

“That’ll be easy. Everybody likes them.” Suddenly, Sammy rose and gave Phillip a sweet kiss on the cheek.

Phillip asked, “What was that for?”

Sammy said, “For the best weekend of the summer so far, and the looks Ryan gives me in my new Jammers.”

Phillip gave Sammy a squeeze and said, “It’s not the Jammers. It is the cutie wearing them. Now… it’s getting about time for our swim.”

While the boys were skinny dipping in the dark, a seventeen-minute conversation between Emily Sturgis and Bob Baxter occurred over their cell phones. It was everything FBI Special Agent Andy Kellogg had hoped for. Baxter and Sturgis incriminated themselves on eight counts of bribery, eight counts of wire fraud, and best of all, eight counts of racketeering. That was just for starters. When the FBI used subpoenas and search warrants against Security Concepts, LLC, they were going to discover that the limited liability did not cover criminal acts.

As Kellogg reviewed the call transcript, he smiled. How unfortunate for them.

By ten o’clock, everybody who was going home had cleared out. Phillip told Mikie and Randy that he was going to have to stay with Jeffry and the Green brothers for as long as it took.

After a short diversion with Sammy and Ryan, he entered the room where Jeffry, James, Marcus, Luke and Jon-Jon were staying. They were all in good spirits, and he hated what he had to do. As they were all in boxers getting ready to go to sleep, it was a little distracting, but he soldiered on.

They all sat in a circle on one of the beds and Phillip began, “I got a call this morning from Detective Butler. Early Saturday morning, Tyrone got caught with a load of drugs in his car at a DUI checkpoint in the county. The drug charges were serious to start with, but when they unlocked his phone…”

Marcus’s face fell, and he groaned, “Oh no…”

Phillip said, “I hate to have to be the one to tell you this, but, they got his pictures. He’s way up shit creek, and Butler is required by law to inform both of your mothers.”

Silent tears rolled down James’s cheeks, Marcus looked horrified, and Luke and Jon-Jon were trying valiantly not to cry.

Jeffry was the only one not freaking out, and he said, “Guys, don’t panic. It sucks, is embarrassing as hell, but Tyrone is the one that is in real trouble. We are the victims in this mess. We both know our moms are going to be emotional about it but, it is over. We won’t have to do stuff for Tyrone anymore.”

Luke said, “Those pictures… he got us all with our faces covered in his jizz.”

Phillip said, “He can get twenty-five years for every one of those pictures in his phone. It is obvious what they were for— he was using them to intimidate you into silence.”

James sighed and said, “What will happen now?”

Phillip said, “Lunch time tomorrow, Detective Butler is going to bring your moms and a counselor to meet with you and talk. It is going to be uncomfortable but, it is not going to be horrible. I’m fairly sure they are going to want you to see a therapist for a little while to make sure you aren’t freaking out.”

Jon Jon leaned against Phillip and said, “Can you be there tomorrow?”

Phillip put his arm around the youngest Green and said, “I will if you want me to. You won’t be going through this alone. I will actually be going through this with you. You see Jon Jon when I was your age something similar happened to me. When they send you guys to a therapist, I am going to ask to see him too.” He pulled Jeffry and all the Greens into a big group hug and said, “We are all in this together.”