Maxwell Stauros in :The Politicians Keeper

Chapter Three: I really hate politicians

There is almost nothing I dislike more than politicians and sour candy. I know that some people love the feelings of there lips being puckered and that odd tingling feeling in there mouth, but I never was one to kiss a politicians ass. They are just a human like any of us. Yes sometimes they can get you some sort of favor done, but that is about all I personally find them good for. When I was an ADA I found that the political machine just tried to stop me from making in roads into corruption cases. That's why I am no longer there, I just couldn't take it any more. This time though I was going to take Lillian’s advice and be nice.

I knew as I entered the neighborhood that I was in trouble. There was a gate to get into the neighborhood, and then there was another gate to get into the house grounds directly. The rich like this really get to me. They have more money than they ever could spend, and they don't spread it around for the rest of us to enjoy. I guess the liberal nature of San Francisco hasn't rubbed off on everyone.

When I made it past the second gate I was met at the steps of the house by two women. I could tell from the the silk dress that one was the politicians wife, and the other was the maid. How odd that the wife would choose to meet me outside, when I came here to talk to her husband.

“Hello Mrs Dobbins,” I said as I stepped out of my car. “ I'm Maxwell Stauros. I called to meet your husband.”

“Please Mrs Dobbins is my husbands mother,” the well dressed woman said. I noticed that as she moved the silk in her dress reflected the full sunlight of the day. “Call me Nadine. My husband is expecting you outside on out patio. I just had to meet you. I read about a few of the cases you prosecuted as a district attorney.”

I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. It was never about me when I was a prosecutor, it was always for finding the justice for those who couldn't get it themselves.

“Thank you Nadine,” I said as I forced a smile across my face. “You said he was outside?”

“Oh yes, Svetlana will show you,” Nadine said as I followed the maid.

Once I was inside the house I did my best to ensure that I was the nicest guy possible. As I followed the maid we passed several other servants within this huge estate. As I passed each one I made eye contact with them and smiled. They all looked surprised at me for even acknowledging them. I could tell this was going to be one of those meetings.

I could see the councilman was outside sitting at a cast iron table by a large fish pond.

“Maxwell Stauros as I live and breathe!” I hear a familiar voice say from behind me just before I stepped outside. I turned to find that it was my old boss at the district attorney office, Harold Gimby. Harold was a great guy, high on ethics, but short in everything else, especially height.

“Wow,” I said with a genuine smile. “ Harold Gimby. What brings you out here?”

Gimby walked up and shook my hand. He always had such a loose handshake, but I won't hold that against him.

“You do actually,”Gimby said straightening out his smile. “It seems that there is a bit of some trouble brewing for the councilmen. You know he is a big donor to many charitable organizations that are causes that you support. He has personally wrote many city laws that make child trafficking illegal, and has brought hope to many of the poorer outlying communities hit the hardest by the economic crash.”

I took in a deep breathe and tried to hide how I was rolling my eyes in disgust. I thought Harold was better than this.

“So you are telling me to drop this case because this,” I made quote marks in the air. “'Philanthropist' is a big giver? How much has he donated to your re-election?”

I knew I had gone too far with that last statement but I couldn't pull it back.

“Maxwell,” Harold said his voice filled with hurt and anger. “I am only telling you to try to keep his name out of this as much as possible.”

“I genuinely am a good man,” Dobbins said as he entered the hallway where we were standing. “Hello Mr Stauros, I am councilman Dobbins.”

We shook hands and I did my best to smile at him. He had the soft kind of face that made you want to trust him, but his rough hands said that he was a harder man then what he looked like.

“Sir, I have a few questions for you.” I did my best to keep it respectful.

“Yes yes yes,” Dobbins said. “Lets talk outside, it's such a nice day out, and there are fewer ears to hear what we are talking about. Svetlana get us some drinks please. I will have a mojito, anything for you two gentlemen?”

“Water will be fine,” I said to the servant. “It's too early for me to start drinking.”

I followed Dobbins and Gimby out to the patio where we sat down around the small cast iron table. There was a man standing just out of earshot who was feeding the fish. I found it cute that the fish were making kissing noises as they came out of the water.

“I know why you are here,” Dobbins began. “There is a picture out that seems to show me climbing out a window of a sex club. The same night that some poor waitress got shot there. Terrible how some people enjoy hurting others when they are just trying to have harmless fun between two consenting adults.”

“I am just hear as a courtesy to you sir,” I said. “You see Mrs Holmes said that she would be willing to pay to have the picture stopped from being published. I found it odd that she came to me, and not you directly. Did she come there on your behalf?”

“Mrs. Holmes?” Dobbins said with a half smile. “Yes yes that is very funny. No Mr Stauros, she came there on her own. You see her husband is the nasty sort of man who enjoys beating up those that are weaker than him. He has that mental deficiency that makes him release his stress and gain enjoyment from it. A terrible man really. A tiger in the tall grass that only feeds on the sick and children.”

I could tell right away that this guy was trying to play me. He mentioned too many times things that I know Gimby told him. It was upsetting that Gimby and him both thought that they could play me like this.

“Councilmen,” I said taking the money order out of my pocket. “You see Mrs Holmes gave me ten thousand dollars to pay them off. If this becomes a scandal, and your opponents begin looking into your finances, are they going to find this money missing?”

“Maxwell,” Gimby exclaimed. “This is one of the most steadfast members of our city government that I have ever known.”

Dobbins held up his hand, and I noticed that it didn't have his wedding ring on it. The maid arrived with our drinks. She carefully placed them down on the table in front of us and left.

“No Mr Stauros,” Dobbins said once she was out of earshot. “But I wouldn't be against it. My political enemies would love to have something like this to use against me. They would turn that fuzzy photo in an ad hominum argument against everything that I have worked for. I can't allow that to happen, there is too much at stake. Do you know that there are sex slaves that are kept in rooms smaller than dog kennels right here in our city? These women know nothing but beating and forcible sex. If this comes out it could be spun to look like I am going against everything I stand for.”

I hate it when people pull on my heart string. Sometimes I wish I could just cut my heart strings and just be a machine, with only one task. But in our universe that isn't the case.

“OK,” I finally said. “I will do my best to keep you out of this. But I will need you to become a client of my firm, and you are going to need to have my fees paid.”

“Ever the opportunist, huh Maxwell?” Gimby said as he stood. I followed suit and stood up myself.

“I will send someone over to your office to take care of all the paperwork.” Dobbins said without standing.