DEATH BY PARKING – Episode V: The Shakedown BY JVH


the Hartisons’ living room with Hartison thinking Paul was the guy who was cheating with his wife. And ah, yes, thewoman next to himwas the onewho first hired Paul to keep her husband,who turned out not to be her husband, out of trouble, thewomanwho had told Paul shewas divorcing hermillionaire husband. Now, that guy was standing next to her, and Mary had turned into a seductress who seemed very comfortable with the man she was trying to divorce. Before Paul could say anything, hewas frog-marched out the door to a truck and later dumped in the desert. Hewas saved by another PI, James Nelson,who for his own reasonswas also trying to bring down Moncrief Hartison.They returned to Paul’s office.They had determined that Mary’s son also was Nelson’s. Paul picks up the dialogue: “I don’t think Mary is ‘with’Hartison,” I told Nelson. “I think she is there out of fear andwould leave in a second if she thought she could. She did giveme the knife so I could escape in the desert. She doesn’t know what to do, par- ticularly as it relates to her, or your, son. “But parking,” I asked, “what does all this have to do with parking?” “I don’t really know,” Nelson said. “Iwas just getting into it inmy guise as a PIwhen Imet Mary and it all blewup. I just know there was a lot of cash and it was goingmissing.” I was puzzling through all this when there was a hard knock at the office door. I tookmy gun out of the desk draw- er,motioned Nelson over behind a filing cabinet, and opened the door.


Facing me was one of the strangest


looking men I had ever seen. He was dressed to the nines, including diamond studs and spats. He was about 5-foot-5 and carried a walking stick topped with a silver bear’s head. He held out a card. It read: William Jefferson, Owner, Jeffpark Services. I put away my gun and invited him in. “I apologize for coming


without an appointment, Mr. Manning. I do so dislike informality,” Jefferson said, “but it’s very important I speak to you” – he glanced at Nelson – “alone.” The “Jeffpark” on his


son said. “My manager has been mur- dered, and I have been led to understand that there have been some, shall we say, ‘discrepancies’ in the revenue at that location. I sent in a team of auditorswho discovered some irregularities as to how


“The monthly parking fee at this


location is $50. He had at least 100 so- called off the books, maybe more. The theft, with this scam alone, is more than $5,000 a month. Considering the aver- age salary today in Hollywood is $80 a week, it’s substantial. “There also appear to be


The theft, with this scam alone, is more than $5,000 a month. Considering the average salary today in Hollywood is $80 a week, it’s substantial.


business card led me to believe that this had to do with the case, so I said, “It’s OK.You can say anything you like in front ofmy ‘associate.’” Jefferson glided over to a chair. He


carefully hiked up his trouser legs to ensure that the razor-sharp creases weren’t damaged when he sat down. He leaned his walking stick on the desk, cleared his throat and began. “I own the company that is running the parking at Hollyvine Center,” Jeffer-


themanager was running the operation.” “Irregularities?” I asked. “Yes, it seems the manager was,


among other things, sellingmonthly per- mits ‘off the books.’He would tell a cus- tomer that if they paid him in cash, he would offer a substantial discount. He then issued the permits and pocketed the money. Both the owner of the building andmy companywere hurt by this theft.” “Howmuch was involved?”


50 NOVEMBER 2010 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


some other issues. The man- ager had opened a second bank account in our name and had been depositing quite a lot of money in it. He would then withdraw the money through a company he had set up – J-e-f-p-a-r-k – note the one letter difference in the name. “The amounts he


deposited were much higher than those traditionally collected in a location of this size. Hewas launderingmoney,” Jef- ferson said. “The amounts were in the neighborhood of $10,000 amonth.” “I see you have a problem.Why are


you here?” “Well, Mr. Manning, the reputation


of my company has been greatly besmirched. I need to have it cleansed. I was hoping you could assist in that


T A New Client Appears on


HE BOSS OF CRACKERJACK PI PAUL MANNING’S GIRLFRIEND was in jail for the murder of a parking garage manager. Paul was trying to help and discovered that the boss was having an affair with Mary Hartison, wife of the very jealous gangster Moncrief Hartison. Mary had confessed the affair to Paul just before he had been hit over the head and ended up in


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