Chapter Eight
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The Family Jewels
-----------------

For the third time, David Bigalow added up the numbers on the tape. Three times, he had counted the cash. "Damn," He muttered, "It's gotta be a trick. Old man Martin must be testing me. First night on the job and I end up with two hundred dollars more in the till than I'm supposed to have. If I pocket this and get fired, the Bloods will kill me. Shit! I guess I'll have to turn it in."

He wrote a short note that called attention to the overage, put it in the sack, and put everything into the floor safe and left. As he locked the outer door and looked at the window sign that read, "Martin's Jewelers and Watch Repairs," he thought about how long it had taken to get Old Man Martin to give him a job.

He had taken courses in Lapidary, Jewelry making, and Watch repair while serving time in San Quentin. He had grown up in the neighborhood and after being released on parole he had returned to start his new life.

His parole officer's name was Charlie Brown and on the first visit he told David Bigalow, he didn't want any jokes about his name. He told David, he would work with him and try to get him started out right. Together they went to find David a place to stay while he looked for work.

They found David an apartment in an old tenement building. The Manager Stan Doyle said that if David would help him with some carpenter work, he could work off the rent. He said they had to tear out some walls and the floor of one of the apartments, remove some recording equipment, and then remodel the apartment to get it ready to rent.

David was happy to have a place to live and something to do, while he looked for steady employment. He thanked Charlie Brown for his help and promised to look for work as soon as he got settled in.

He couldn't get over his good fortune at finding such a nice apartment at such a reasonable price. He was amazed when Stan told him there were three other apartments available also. When he asked Stan why they were empty, Stan told him all about what had happened to Mary Ann Mathews.

He told how one of the Snake Bloods, a local gang member, had managed to sneak into the building and mutilate and rape Mary Ann. He told about her anger at her neighbors for cowering behind locked doors, while they ignored her screams for help. He then told of her subsequent revenge that drove one neighbor to suicide, a second to murder, and the third to a nervous breakdown. He finished his story with a graphic description of the way Mary Ann finally cured the rapist of all his bad habits.

David told Stan, he had grown up in the neighborhood and knew all about the Snake Bloods. He was amazed that the gang hadn't killed the girl for what she did to one of the brothers.

"Well," replied Stan, "I think if you got a look at her new boyfriend, you'd understand. She's going steady with the cop who was investigating her case. He's about six foot and mean as a billy-goat with a toothache. His name is Paul Gillette and he works out of 77th Precinct.

"He drops by every now and then to check the place out and see if the Snake Bloods are giving us any trouble."

"What about Diablo Moreno? I've known Diablo since he was twelve tears old and it's not like him to let this Mary Ann live. He'd already killed six men including his step-dad, before I got sent up. He runs the Snake Bloods with an iron fist and anyone who gets outa line, gets their throat cut."

Stan scratched his head, "It's got me wondering too. Sorta like waiting for the second shoe to hit the floor. They have been laying low ever since Vince Manelli testified against Gus Amata. Gus's attorney got him out on bail. The trial is postponed for six months, while the prosecution audits all of Amata's financial records and tax returns. They'd like to get him on a Federal rap as well as drug and gambling charges."

......................

Diablo Moreno's mother was a prostitute. The only father figure he had ever known was a pimp who kicked him around and beat his mother. When he was twelve, his stepdad beat hell out of his mother and passed out drunk on the couch. Diablo cut his throat and fell asleep with his arms wrapped around his mother's battered body.

He was awakened by her screams. She was cursing him. He was the cause of all her misery, he was nothing but trouble, and that grotesque bloody thing on the couch was the only man she had ever loved. How could he have done such a thing to her? Get out and never come back. She never wanted to see his face again.

He looked into her crazed eyes, listened to the venom spewing from her split lips, and smiled a thin lipped smile. He bitterly gave her the finger, kicked open the door and stormed out. As he ran down the sidewalk, a tear made it's way down each cheek. It was the last time Diablo ever cried.

He knew if he left the immediate neighborhood, the Police would stop looking for him after a couple of weeks. He also knew his Mother wouldn't hesitate to blame him for the killing.

He rode the streetcar to South L.A. and cased the area until he found an abandoned warehouse. The stairs leading to the top floor had long since collapsed. However, if he went out a window and climbed up to the roof then down through the skylight.

He found himself on the top floor with the most private crash-pad in town. He was delighted with his find and for the first time he experienced the feeling of ownership. This was his, he had found it, and he'd kill anyone who tried to take it away.

He immediately started out scrounging up furnishings. He'd make up a shopping list then go out and steal or salvage the items on his list. For money, there were plenty of winos and queers to roll. One big bastard cruised by in a van and actually tried to pull him into the van and rape him. Diablo had to stab him five times before he stopped wiggling. The kinky bastard had over four hundred dollars on him so the night wasn't a total waste.

Diablo had been on his own for almost a year when he picked up his first family member. He was returning from a trip to Hollywood. He had made almost fifty dollars and was feeling good when he spotted some action in an alley.

As he crept closer he could make out two Blacks and a Chicano. The Chicano was on his knees and one of the Blacks had a gun to the back of his head. The other was watching. Diablo was now the proud owner of a thirty-eight with a screw on silencer. He had broken into a gun shop and sold all the other loot but had kept the thirty-eight.

He took careful aim and shot the watching Black in the groin to make him scream. He did and it was shrill and loud. The other Black reacted just like Diablo figured he would. He turned, gun in hand, looking for whoever had fired the first shot. Diablo shot him in the shoulder making him drop his gun. When he reached for it, Diablo shot his hand. They both lay quietly as Diablo approached.

He asked the Chicano what the problem was all about?

"These guys grabbed me and dragged me off the Bus. They said that Chicanos weren't allowed in South L.A. They were going to shoot me and hang me from the light post by the bus stop. They said then other Chicanos would know better than to get off in South L.A.."

"What's your name and where do you live?"

"Hell Amigo, My name is Jesus Gomez, and I live on that bus. You can buy a transfer and ride all night for nothing. All you have to do is change buses every once in a while. From Eaglerock to Hawthorne is almost two hours for sleeping."

"My name is Diablo Moreno. Would you like to be part of my family and live in my home?"

"You saved my life and I am tired of buses. Yes, I would like to be your family and share your home."

"Would you always obey me as your leader and never betray me?"

"Yes, I swear."

"Then, Jesus Gomez, take this knife and cut their throats. Then we will hang them from that light post."

"Diablo, I have never killed, not even a chicken. I don't think I can do this thing."

Diablo walked over to the Black who had been watching. He pulled his head back stretching his throat and sliced across it with his knife. "Little brother, that other one was going to blow your brains all over this alley. Now take my knife and do your duty or you can never be part of my family."

He handed the knife to Jesus who hesitated briefly then he jumped onto the other Black. He jerked his head back and swung the knife so forcibly that he almost cut his head off with one swipe. He sobbed, "Take that you black bastard. Try to kill me will you."

Diablo put his arm around Jesus' shoulders and said, "C'mon Little Brother, let's hang up this meat and go home. We've got a lot to talk about." And that's how the Snake Bloods got started.

Each Snake Blood was required to kill a man with a knife as part of his initiation. Every one of them swore allegiance to Diablo. Diablo knew that involvement in too much petty crime would bring heat down on his family. He kept his family busy in the fields of extortion, blackmail, and murder. They used fear to rule the streets.

At the time of Gus Amata's arrest, Diablo had grown into a young man. He had the muscular body of a ballet dancer and his youthful face was framed by hundreds of ringlets of black curly hair. The most striking feature was his eyes. The irises were a startling white. His eyes were said to instill such fear that his victim would stand paralyzed as his knife did it's work. Everyone thought he resembled a Snake. His voice was sibilant when he spoke.

The family was getting restless and Diablo was angry. He wasn't worried about their home being discovered. He was angry at Gus for getting busted and he was furious at Vince's betrayal of the family. He knew they had outlasted their welcome in South L.A. and for survival they must relocate.

The Amigos were restless and young men would only stay cooped up for so long then they'd hit the streets looking for action. He didn't think he could stop them. They needed two things, something to do and some heavy traveling money.

He clicked off the T.V. and called the group to order,

"Amigos, We got some heavy problems because of that snitch, Vince. We gotta take him out and that bitch that got him to snitch. We also gotta get some traveling dinero cause after we waste Vince and the broad, we'll be getting outta town inna hurry.

"Now, here's what I want you to do. Jesus, you take ten brothers with you and find Vince and the broad. I want you to wear business suits, no weapons, and pick up new Id. from Manny Felton. Tell Manny to make sure that two of you are private detectives and two are skip tracers for some finance company. Try to trace the broad through her family.

"The rest of you start following Gus and his boys. I want to know when his next big buy is going down. If we work it right, we can knock off both groups and hide the bodies. We'll get the smack and the dinero and they can blame each other. Sound good Huh?"

"'Sta bueno Jefe," they chorused as they brandished their fists in the air. Let's go get em."

Chapter Nine
------------

Diablo smiled his thin-lipped, humorless smile, "At least, now they had something to do." He had a plan of his own. While watching T.V. he had tuned in on a program that was spotlighting local businessmen. The featured guest had been Old Man Martin from Martin's Jewelers and Watch Repair.

It turned out that Martin hadn't always been Martin. He had been born Olaf Martineski. His parents were White Russian and had escaped from Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution. They brought all of the family jewels and heirlooms to Mexico, where they joined other White Russians and formed a colony in nineteen seventeen. Olaf was born in nineteen twenty-eight and grew up in Mexico.

He immigrated to the United States in nineteen sixty. His parents were dead and so he brought his wife and the family jewels with him to Los Angeles.

He bought a small building in South L.A. and opened up his Jewelry Store and Repair business. He and his wife lived upstairs over the business for the last thirty years.

The T.V. interviewer jokingly asked if he kept the family jewels at the store. Olaf Martin very seriously replied, "Oh no, there's not nearly enough room in our tiny place but I go to visit them quite often."

Diablo decided, "By God, one way or another, I'm going to see those Family Jewels and when I get rid of that old man and his wife, I'll be rich." So while the family were doing their thing, Diablo started watching every move Olaf Martin made. He knew if he was patient eventually Olaf would lead him to the treasure.

He was in the alley. Watching from behind the dumpster, on the afternoon that Charlie Brown brought David Bigalow for his job interview. They didn't see him but he saw David and recognized him from earlier days.

After over an hour, they left and Diablo followed. David was excited over the prospect of working with Mister Martin.

"Do you think he liked me?" he asked Charlie. "He'll never let an ex-con work in his store. I just know he won't."

"Calm down David, I think he might. He only hesitated because he always talks over these decisions with his wife first. He said he'd let us know tomorrow, so just be patient and don't bug him before I pick you up in the morning, Ok?"

David nodded his head nervously. "What time in the morning? I'll be ready at eight, so hurry." Charlie grinned and waved good bye as he entered his office building.

David hurried home to tell Stan Doyle about the good news. He asked Stan if there was anything he could help him with before he went to bed. Stan said no just to get a good nights sleep so he would be fresh for his morning session with Martin.

He went to sleep with dreams of a rosy future. A job, maybe a nice car, someday, and maybe he'd get married and settle down. He woke at four in the morning with the point of Diablo's knife tickling his throat and those terrible white eyes just inches away.

"Wake up David, we have to talk. You remember your old buddy Diablo, don't you, David?" He could see the fear in David's eyes. This was always the best part. He walked to the T.V. that Stan had loaned to David. He connected the VCR that he had brought with him. He pressed the play button on sat beside David as the T.V. interview with Olaf Martin came onto the screen.

When it was over, he hugged David's shoulders and said,

"Amigo, you and me, we're gonna steal those Family Jewels. We're gonna be rich. Now, how we do it is up to you. You can snoop around until you find out where he keeps them hidden. That's the easy way. The hard way is for me to slip in there and cut those people up until they're begging to tell me where they are.

The easy way I just slip you twenty thousand for the info. The hard way you die with them. Which will it be?"

David tried to speak a couple of times. Finally, he croaked out, "I'll find out where they are and tell you. I don't want any money, just go away and don't hurt anybody, Ok?"

"Sure Amigo, I don't wanna hurt nobody. I just need the dough to get me and my Amigos out of town. We gotta split and this is our traveling money. I'll see you tomorrow night, same time same place, Ok?" Without waiting for an answer he slid out the window.

He was gone so suddenly that David had trouble believing that he had really been sitting on his bed. He lay awake the rest of the night, worrying about what he was going to do. He knew Diablo would kill him if he snitched and he knew Diablo was serious about torturing the Martins to locate those damn jewels. Why did that damned old man hafta brag about them on T.V.? Didn't he know, he was just asking to get robbed?

When Charlie Brown stopped by to pick up David in the morning, he was surprised to see an obviously frightened, red eyed, angry young man. This David Bigalow, in no way resembled the excited young man he had left off the night before. "What the Hell happened to you? You look like you didn't sleep a wink. What'd you do, go out and tie one on last night?

"No, I didn't go out drinking. You sound more like my mother than my parole officer. I'm just sick. Let's go."

As they walked down the sidewalk, David was so silent that Charlie tried one last time,

"Look Dave, I'm not trying to be your mother but I do care about you and I want you to get a nice clean new start in life. So please, don't shut me out. Something is eating you up and I'd like to help."

After a long pause, David spoke, "Charlie are you a Catholic?"

"Yea Why?"

"Get us a cab and when we're sure no one is following, head for Saint Catherine's. We'll talk there."

"Ok Dave, but why all the cloak and dagger stuff?" Dave didn't answer and stood quietly while Charlie flagged down a cab. They got in and Charlie told the driver to head for Civic Center. After five minutes, he changed the destination to an address a block East of Saint Catherine's.

Once inside the church, David turned to Charlie,

"Charlie, as an officer of the court you can't do anything to help me. All you would do is get me killed. So, I want you to swear by The Virgin Mary in this Holy place, that anything I tell you will not be repeated to anyone. Will you swear?"

Charlie realized that it must be something serious or this young man wouldn't be going to these extremes to insure secrecy. He patted David on the shoulder and said, "You have my word. I swear to God, I'll keep your secret, Dave. Now, tell me what's bothering you."

David sat in one of the pews and told Charlie everything that had happened. He concluded with, "The whole damn L.A. Police force have been trying to find the Snake Bloods for over a month and they can't find them. They must have Martin's place bugged. Otherwise, how did Diablo know that I was going to get the job, when we didn't know yet? Maybe, by now, he's got your phone bugged too.

"They steal only the best electronic equipment. They can pick up a conversation from two blocks away on the street. That's why I didn't want to talk to you earlier. If you talk to anyone about this, I'm dead and The Martins will be tortured and killed. The only thing I can do is to try to locate those jewels and tell Diablo. If he can steal them without bloodshed, he might just go away."

Charlie sat silently listening to David's story. The significance of what David was saying took a while to sink in. He slowly realized that He, Charlie Brown, in trying to get David a good job had, unintentionally put his life in danger. And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

He didn't feel guilty about Olaf Martin. If the damned old fool hadn't shot his mouth off about his family jewels, none of this would have happened. He looked down at David who was sitting with his shoulders hunched and his head hanging down. He looked so miserable Charlie patted him on the back and reassured him,

"Dave, it looks like we've got us a major problem. I gave you my word and I'll keep my promise. I think, for the present, you have the best solution. Go to work and do a good job for Martin. We don't want him to fire you before we figure out a way to put that gang away, where they belong."

They left the church and caught another cab to Martin's Jewelry store. When they got inside, the first thing Martin had to say was why in Hell was David late on his first day?

Charlie explained that they had to fill out all the paperwork at his office and arrange for a state bond before David could go to work. That seemed to satisfy Olaf and he became more congenial. He told David that he had some simple repairs and cleaning jobs David could do, Whenever there were no customers in the store.

While Olaf was instructing David in his duties, Charlie scribbled a short note to Olaf. He palmed it and when he shook hands with Olaf before leaving, he transferred the note into Olaf's hand. He was pleased that Olaf gave no indication of any kind. Charlie waved good-bye to David and left.

One hour later, Olaf arrived at Saint Catherine's. He hurried down the aisle to where Charlie was standing,

"What's up Charlie? It better be serious because I don't like leaving the store to such a new kid. He sure looked like Hell this morning, Didn't He? What happened?"

"Don't worry about the kid, Olaf. He's gonna be all right. He's under a lotta pressure but he's a good kid. I didn't bring you down here to talk about him. I wanna talk about you and your dumb Russian mouth.

"Oh, you saw me on the T.V. huh? I almost double my business. That T.V. show was very good for business.

"Shut up, Olaf, and listen. You're always talking that's the trouble. You shot your mouth off about those damn Family Jewels, you brought with you when you came from Mexico. Now every crook in the city is trying to figure out how to steal them. That's probably why you have so many new customers.

"Olaf, that T.V. will probably get you killed. The street gangs are fighting each other to see who gets to torture you and your wife until you tell where the Jewels are hidden. I just wanted to warn you."

"Maybe you could go back on T.V. and say it was all a hoax there are no Family Jewels.

Olaf looked at him. His eyes grew cold, "You're not kidding are you? Someone is seriously planning on harming me and my family to get their filthy hands on the Jewels. Who is it? Tell me and I'll rip their hearts out with my bare hands." He was so angry his hands were shaking.

They're killers, Olaf, street gangs that kill then disappear. The Police can't find them and if they did find and arrest them, they'd be back on the streets in a few days. They are juveniles and can't be tried as adults.

"The best thing is to convince them that there is nothing to steal and maybe they'll leave you alone. Olaf, I'll help you all I can but don't expect too much and please don't go to the cops. The gangs have listening devices in your store and in my office. That's why we are meeting and talking here in the church. Don't ask me how I know but I do."

Olaf nodded. He said, "I'll be careful. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'll have to think about it, right now I'm too damn mad to think right. I'll talk to you again tomorrow, ten o`clock here at the church, Ok?" He didn't wait for an answer he just turned and stalked up the isle and out the door.

The next day, Olaf arrived with a happy smile on his face. He handed Charlie the note David had left, "The boy's gonna be alright. He had a chance to pick up two hundred and didn't take the bait. I've decided to go back on the T.V. and try to straighten this out. I called the station and told them what I wanted to do, and they jumped at the chance.

"What I'm gonna do, Charlie, is go back on T.V. on the evening news. I'm gonna tell the viewing audience I've had so many letters and so many unsavory types lurking around the store since the last show. I have decided to have a T.V. Special next Saturday. At that time, I will show the world my Family Jewels and then my Jewels will leave by truck for Chicago."

"I sure hope it works out," Charlie replied. "I'll be watching and I hope all the right people watch the evening news. Where are you keeping those damn things, anyway?"

Olaf grinned, "It's a secret Charlie. Watch the Special next Saturday and you'll find out. Gotta go now, cause I've got a million things to do before Saturday." He almost ran from the building. Charlie shook his head in bewilderment and headed for his office.

Chapter Ten
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Olaf had his wife Olga run the store for the next two days while he and David were busy elsewhere. Olga was a big boned farm girl, who was much more at ease cleaning house than waiting on fussy customers.

She was blonde and still attractive after thirty years of marriage to Olaf. She would only consent to working at the store in an emergency. Any other time, she would scold Olaf for being a cheapskate and refuse to leave their upstairs apartment.

Wednesday night, David woke to find Diablo sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Well Amigo, what have you been up to? You and the old man weren't at work today. Where were you?"

"Taking inventory," David replied. "The last time you were here, you didn't tell me how to get in touch with you.

"Mister Martin took me down to the old First Federal Bank building. You know, the one that the top four floors got burned up. It was so bad they condemned the building.

"Well, Mister Martin told me he bought all the safe- deposit boxes down in the vault. He didn't have any place to store them or any way to get them out, without spending a fortune. So he decided to use them for storage, right where they were. He didn't figure anyone would try to steal the boxes, and he had the only keys so his stuff would be safe."

"Where's he keep the Goddamn keys?"

"Shit! Diablo, that's why the inventory is taking so long. There are two thousand boxes and it takes two keys to open a box, the master and the box key for that number box.

"To keep from getting ripped off, the sly old bastard puts a key in box number one. Where that key fits, only Olaf knows. he has all two thousand memorized.

"He tells me which box it fits then when I open the box and inventory that box, I return the key to box number one, lock it up, and take the next key out of the open box and he tells me where it fits.

"So, you see if you had enough time and enough people, you could run around trying the key in each lock until it opened one. Then on to the next one until they were all open.

"He keeps the master and key number one at the store and I was able to get these soap molds of both."

"Good work Amigo," Diablo took the molds and went to the window. "If this works out, you might have just saved your gutless hide." He left and David went back to sleep with a tiny smile on his face. He didn't know what was going on but he did know that all of the jewelry he had inventoried was either costume jewelry or cheap fakes.

Chapter Eleven
--------------

The evening news had a five minute segment in which Olaf was interviewed. Olaf apologized for his vague reference to the Family Jewels. He said that his telephone hadn't stopped ringing, his store had been bugged, there had been all sorts of scary types of individuals hanging around and trying to break into the store.

He had had enough. So, on Saturday at Noon, he was going to have a Television Special. At that time he would proudly display his Family Jewels and then the Jewels were going to Chicago by truck.

Thursday, Diablo put out the word. He recalled all of the brothers back to their safe-house for an emergency meeting. They flew in from La Paz in the South and from as far North as Seattle. By Friday at three o`clock in the morning, they were all assembled.

"Amigos, I have great news!" He held up the two keys. "I have here the keys to our fortunes. This key is a master key. I had one made for each of you. The other is the key to safe deposit box number uno at the bank. In that box are some jewels and another key to another box.

"If we try to fit keys in two thousand boxes, we would be at it for weeks. We don't have weeks. We have twenty four hours to try to grab as much jewelry as we can.

"I was able to steal this key making machine and about two hundred blanks. To speed up things at the start we will make four copies of the first fifty keys. That way we can get five teams looking for the next box instead of one. As soon as we find a fit we make four copies and continue, Ok?

"Anyway by ten o`clock Saturday morning, we gotta be outta there and on our way to Rio. We'll be worth millions!"

Thursday, Olaf and David took inventory and didn't complete the job until after midnight. As they walked out of the building and climbed wearily into Martin's old Buick,

David spoke up, "Mister Martin, I hope you don't get mad at me, but why did we just spend two days inventorying tons of old worthless junk? I can't tell you why but I had to take two impressions of those keys and pass them on to someone. If you want to fire me it's Ok, but I had to do it.

"It's Ok, Boy. Don't you worry about it. Olga and I knew that something was troubling you. We figured it was my fault for talking so stupid on the T.V. so I paid your apartment manager to watch over you and protect you. He told us about the two times that street Devil climbed through your window while you slept. It didn't take much to figure what he wanted.

"I've just given him something to steal. Then maybe, he'll go away and leave us alone. Your taking those impressions only helped my plan. If you hadn't done it, tonight, I would have given you the keys to give to him tomorrow."

David's eyes filled with tears as he started to realize what the old man had done. He turned his head and looked out of the window so Olaf couldn't see his tears. He silently vowed that if Diablo did anything to hurt Olaf or Olga, he would kill him or die trying.

Olaf got an early start Friday morning. He called the Television studio and talked to the program director. He told him there had been a change in plans and the truck had to leave for Chicago at two o`clock Friday afternoon instead of Saturday. Could they possibly tape the show at eleven and then show it at the regular time on Saturday?

The program director saw no problem and agreed to have the camera crew and the interviewer meet Olaf at The First Federal at ten thirty.

Olaf left David to watch the store while he and Olga took care of some business. At ten thirty exactly, Olaf and Olga met the T.V. crew out on the street in front of the old condemned bank building. He asked Mel Hacker, the Host, if they could set up the cameras out on the street?

"We'll do the actual interview in the doorway leading into the building but I'd like to show the whole building and then pan in on Olga, you, and myself. I'll make my statement then comment on the Jewels as they come out of the building. The cameras can then follow the Jewels to the truck and film them heading for Chicago."

Mel Hacker said it sounded like a good plan to him. Everyone got busy and soon everything was ready. Hacker and the Martins stood in the doorway. Above them was a huge gothic arch supported by two massive columns that framed the large open double-doors. It was an impressive setting.

Mel Hacker opened the program with,

"Friends and Neighbors, welcome to another edition of Spotlighting your neighborhood businesses. We are changing our format for this one special program at the request of Mister Olaf Martin. You will recall that two weeks ago, we spotlighted Mister Martin's business. As a result of that program, Olaf and his wife have been subjected to harassment, attempted break-ins, and threats on their lives.

Olaf requested this opportunity to clear up some misunderstandings about some of his previous statements. This station is happy to supply him with this opportunity. And so without further ado, I give you Olaf Martin.

Olaf started to speak, "I hope you can hear me. This seems like such a tiny microphone to talk into." and he pointed to the lapel mic pinned to his shirt front.

"When I was on the T.V. before, I was a damn fool. I wanted to appear more successful than I really was and I nearly got some nice people killed because of my stupidity. Two of those nice people were Olga and me.

"I bragged about bringing Family Jewels from Mexico, when we immigrated to this country. I knew everyone would think that the Jewels came from Russia when the family escaped the Bolsheviks. I wasn't lying. I was just misleading. Not all White Russians escaped with the Tzar's riches, our family was quite poor.

"Olga and I did bring Jewels from Mexico that we value more than life itself. We only have two Family Jewels and you shall see them now." As he spoke, two bronzed blonde giants came out of the building and hugged Olaf and Olga. They shook hands with Mel Hacker and turned to the cameras.

"I'd like you to meet our twin sons, Andy and Randy. You can see what I mean about there not being enough room in our tiny place for these gorillas. There is another reason for not having them around the store and when you see it you'll know why. These boys had a hobby which they later converted into their own business. They'd much rather do what they do than repair watches. Andy.."

At the sound of his name, Andy pulled a control device from his shirt pocket and pressed a button. There were several small pops like firecrackers and a huge scroll unrolled down the front of the six story building. The cameras followed the scroll as it unrolled. It read.

MARTIN BROTHERS
Commercial & Industrial
Custom
DEMOLITIONS

Olaf's voice cracked like a whip, "Randy! It's your turn son." Randy pulled out his control device and pressed the button.

Andy grabbed Mel Hacker, and the delighted camera crew got some great footage of Mel Hacker screaming and trying to run. As six stories of brick and mortar imploded on itself and fell in place leaving only the Martin family and an incoherent Mel Hacker standing safely under the Gothic Arch. It was the only masonry left standing.

Olaf spoke, "Friends and neighbors, I think the show is about over. Mel doesn't seem to have anything to say. The camera crew is welcome to film my Family Jewels packing their truck to leave for Chicago. I believe they have another job to do, then they'll be back."

"One last thing, I know that many of you have been paying extortion money and letting drug pusher hang around your businesses. You did it out of fear of a street gang. Those killers were known as the Snake Bloods. I use past tense because every one of those killers were down in the basement of that building. They were down there trying to steal my Family Jewels.

"Tonight you can sleep without fear my friends. Good-bye and Good-luck." Olaf and Olga walked toward the cameras supporting poor Mel Hacker between them. The station went to commercial break as the cameras swept over the area as if looking for survivors.

Chapter Twelve
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Two of Gus Amata's hired killers located the Mathews family salmon fishing on the Columbia River. Charlie Mathews had wired the boat with infra-red security devices and twenty-four hour sonar scanning.

Paul was asleep topside in the flying bridge, when the first intruder climbed out of his rubber raft. The buzzer went off in Paul's earphone and he peeked down onto the deck. In the moonlight, he could see the man approaching the ladder leading down to the cabin space. Paul could see he was armed. He held his breath and when the man bent to look down into the cabin, Paul whacked him behind the ear with the boat hook. The man dropped instantly. Paul was afraid he had killed him.

Paul climbed down and was dragging the man out onto the fantail of the boat when Charlie came up from below.

"Paul, what the Hell's going on? I heard a scuffle up here and then my sonar started sounding off."

Paul looked over the side, saw the rubber raft, and said, "This guy came in a rubber raft. He couldn't have set off your sonar. I'll cuff this one and you go check your scope again. I think we're going to have more company soon."

Charlie climbed to the flying bridge and switched on the scope. He said, "Paul, hand me that trolling pole. I've got one big fish about forty feet off the stern."

He took the pole with the big white jig and cast out about fifty feet then he started reeling like mad. Suddenly, he grunted and set the hook. The tip of the pole bent and Charlie yelled,

"Yahoo! Get the gaff, Paul. I'm bringing in a whopper."

By this time, Mary Ann and her Mother had come up on deck. "What's going on?" She asked sleepily. She was looking at the still unconscious captive when Paul answered,

"I think Gus sent someone to kill us. I got that one and your Dad should land the other one any minute now." Paul leaned over the rail so that the first thing the would-be assassin saw when he surfaced was the large opening in the end of Paul's thirty-eight special. The trolling jig was caught between his back and the scuba tank and he was bleeding profusely. Charlie had really been cranking him in without mercy.

They tied both men to the aft rail and after letting them get a good look at Vince Manelli's recent surgery. Paul suggested that if they didn't sign a complete statement about who had hired them. He would let Mary Ann start rehabilitating them in the same manner she had Vince.

They resisted until she opened her little case of surgical instruments and took out a wicked looking scalpel.

Vince grinned happily, "Can I watch, Mary? I'll be good. Please, let me watch."

That did it. They started talking and telling stories about jobs they had done for Gus Amata. Paul had trouble shutting them up long enough to draft a decent statement.

Chapter Thirteen
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They went back into Portland and Paul made a call. The D.A. agreed that they now had enough to rescind Amata's bail and put him back into jail with no possibility of bail. He also told Paul about what had happened to the Snake Bloods.

They agreed that it was probably safe for the Mathews family and Vince to return to Los Angeles.

Mary's Father and Mother elected to continue with their fishing trip. Mary and Vince waited in Portland while Paul arranged for a charter flight. Then they and their two guests flew back to L.A.

Diablo was in shock. He had never felt more alone in his life. He was finally on his way to Rio but instead of first class with all his Amigos, he was freezing his ass off down in the hold of this crummy cargo ship.

He had left his family working away like happy little beavers. They knew they didn't have time to open all the boxes but they were piling up the loot pretty fast. He left to go rent a U-haul truck. He got a big one so they could haul all the stuff in one load. He stopped to have a couple beers and when he got back, the whole Goddamned building was gone. When he saw the huge pile of bricks and mortar, he almost cried. He ditched the truck and ran home. When he got there, he saw a sign in front of the building. It read,

"Future site of the Penway Condominium Castles. Demolition and construction to start Monday June twenty- first." He thought, "Shit that's only ten days from now. I got no family and now they're gonna blow up my home. I don't dare show my face on the street because of that damn Gus Amata trial. I gotta split this scene, pronto."

He ran back to the truck, drove to San Pedro, and stowed away aboard a Peruvian freighter bound for Rio.

The neighbors and merchants were so grateful to the Martins that they threw a block party. There was all kinds of food and music. Olaf and Olga were having the time of their lives dancing first to the polkas played by the Polish and Lithuanian musicians and then to the happy music of the Mexican Mariachis. Charlie Brown and the District Attorney sat watching from their car as the Mariachi band leader called Olaf and Olga up to the microphone.

"Attencion Amigos, I would like to introduce our Guests of Honor, Olaf and his lovely wife Olga Martin. We all know that Olaf always does all the talking at the store and on the T.V. so why not let his beautiful wife, Olga, talk for a change?" He grabbed Olga by the hand and pulled her to the microphone.

"Olga, tell us what it's like, living with this old man?"

"Oh, he's not so old. After thirty-two years, he might be slow but he's still pretty frisky."

"What impresses you the most about living in the United States?"

Olga's face was flushed from the dancing and the wine,

"I think the language. It's very complicated. You can say something to one person and it means one thing and to another person it means something else. My Olaf, he goes on the T.V. and say's he's got Family Jewels and right away, the crooks want to steal them."

"Now when Olaf thinks about his Family Jewels, he wants to hug them.

"And me," she continued grinning wickedly, "when I think of the Family Jewels, I want to..." and she reached low and grabbed at Olaf. He bent over and backed away rapidly.

"No Olga, not in front of the neighbors!" He turned and ran for home with Olga, wine bottle in hand, in hot pursuit.