FBI. No problem. I also had a few questions. Smythe-Jones was a big-time


mob boss fromthe East Coast.He had paid his debt andwas now working with the FBI.Yeah, right. But the tricky question was this: How did the kidnappers know about my relationship with Sarah and withMelissa’s (andMandy’s)mother, Betty Beeson? I looked at Smythe-Jones. “Before we go any further, it’s


time for a little truth telling,” I said. “You know more about all this than you are saying, and before I put my life on the line, I want to know the facts. There is someone in your organization, or former organization, who knows all about Sarah and her parentage. You aren’t telling the whole story.” Smythe-Jones squirmed in his


– it was probably toomuch for a young girl to handle. “But Karen did a pretty good job, kept under the local radar,


and over the next 20 years built us a very good business here. Then LaFlonza got out of prison and started sticking her nose in where it wasn’t wanted. She knew where a lot of bodies were buried, and figured out who Karen was. “This put Karen in a very diffi-


She needed to take some personnel action, but the pressure was too great for her.


chair. “OK,Manning, I’ll tell you a story. But only to you. The rest of you, leave the room.” The LAPD and the FBI weren’t happy, but they got up.


Melissa pulled a silent question at her grandfather, but then reluc- tantly joined the file out of the room. Paulo kept his chair. “It’s OK, he can stay.You’ll tell himanyway.” “When I sent ‘Karen,’ that’s Betty Beeson’s real name, out


here to LA to oversee the family business, I didn’t realize what a problemwe had.That grade ‘B’ actressMaria LaFlonza with her Howard Hughes connections, the problems with the parking scams, all the hands sticking out looking for payoffs in City Hall


cult position,” Smythe-Jones said. “She needed to take some per-


sonnel action, but the pressure was too great for her. She cracked, and you were there,Manning, when it all came down.Karenwas dead,LaFlon- za and her groupwere back in prison, and we had no one running the LA operation. “I had my own problems, thanks to the FBI, and just let California slip


away. The void was filled by aman who has ties to the old coun- try. He ran a local parking operating company.” I held upmy hand. “Southern CaliforniaValet and Park.” Smythe-Jones smiled. “You really are good,Manning. He


has ties to my operation through the old country. He also knew Sarah. He was jealous of her husband. I think you can see where this is going.”


To be continued… PT


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