"I need to get some information on a Douglas Fenn-Creighley. He worked as a congressional aid at one time."
"No, there's a hyphen. F-E-N-N dash C-R-E-I-G-H-L-E-Y."
"No, it's L-E-Y."
"That's correct."
"He has served some time. I'm sure that it's a matter of public record."
"Twenty-two months - something like that."
"I don't know whether it was state or federal charges."
"Corruption, I think. Maybe some election tampering."
"No, this was recent, sometime in the last couple of years."
"It's possible. He may still have contacts Washington."
"Right. Or maybe he has leverage on someone, information that some powerful person wants to keep out of the newspapers."
"I'm not sure."
"My father? No, I haven't spoken with him."
"Park sent him an email to fill him in."
"You can keep him apprised, but I would prefer not to have him involved."
"Well, it's not good for his health, first of all, and he can be a little heavy handed when he feels that someone is invading his territory."
"I understand. But I would rather deal with this discreetly and keep it out of the press."
"Our clients wouldn't appreciate the negative publicity."
"You can just tell him that I'm handling it."
"Tell him that I'm handling it, and he can call if he has any concerns."
"¡Bueno!"
"Right."
"Okay, sure!"
"Fine. Call me when you have something."
"¡Bueno! - If I don't hear from you by Tuesday, I'll phone."
Francisco noticed that his son was coming up the driveway on his motorcycle.
"That's fine."
"Sure! My pleasure!"
"Thanks again! And please tell Jocelyn that I said hello."
"Ciao!"
The younger Francisco Mela powered off his bike and rolled it into the garage. "Hey, Dad!"
"You're home promptly!"
"Yeah, I want to check on Barney. Who were you talking to?"
"Just some business," his father replied vaguely. "How was school?"
"The usual."
"The usual good or the usual bad?"
"The usual USUAL," the younger man answered.
"Okay, well, please come in before you go out to the barn. I'd like you to talk to someone."
"Is this about college?"
"No."
"Because I..."
"Don't worry about that for now," the older Francisco interrupted.
They walked to the front of the house and entered through a large white door with white trim. Francisco set his helmet on a marble-topped antique bureau. His father noted this with an expression of disapproval but said nothing.
"Is it okay if I get a drink?"
"Sure. Meet me in the study."
"Okay, just a minute."
The young man walked toward the kitchen and returned eight minutes later with a glass of lemonade.
"Did you have to make a new pitcher?" his father asked noting the delay.
"No. I had to answer a text."
"Francisco, you remember Parker Worthe?"
"Yeah, you're lawyer."
Worthe rose from a leather chair and shook the young man's hand. "Hi, Francisco!"
"Hi, Mr. Worthe."
"Please, call me Parker."
Parker Worthe didn't seem old enough to be an attorney. Clean shaven with fair skin and a boyish face, he gave the impression of being about twenty-six. He was older than that, but Francisco wasn't able to judge by how much.
"I didn't know that lawyers made house calls," remarked the younger Francisco Mela.
"Well, sometimes we do. Especially when it concerns the house."
Francisco turned to his father. "What's he talking about?"
"I'm having some issues with the government."
"What kind of issues?"
"It's an emerging situation," Worthe explained.
"Meaning that you don't want to tell me?"
"Meaning that we're not completely sure," explained his father.
Worthe added: "We don't know the exact parameters of this incident or how long it's going to last."
The younger Mela's body language had shifted from boredom to concern. "What do you mean by incident?"
"As near as we can tell," his father explained, "it's some sort of investigation."
"But why would they investigate you? You're not doing anything illegal."
"They investigate lots of people, son. If they have a suspicion, they have to act on it."
"Well, that's just stupid!"
Parker Worthe opened a legal-sized folder. "Stupid or not, we have to take this seriously. We don't want the government to seize your property.
To that end, we're transferring most of the farm's assets to an offshore corporation. Don't worry; your father will retain full control, and we may be able to save on some taxes."
"So, this is a win-win." Francisco was seeking confirmation that his father's lawyer was not making a mistake.
"It's a win-win," Francisco, Sr. assured him. "But we want to handle the house separately."
"Okay."
"Francisco, your dad has asked me to draw up papers to put the house in your name."
"Whoa! What?"
"We need to make sure that the house stays in the family," the elder Francisco explained. "And I would prefer to keep your grandfather involved."
"Yeah, I can see why," the boy said cryptically.
"So I am transferring this very important asset to you."
"But Dad, this is your house!"
"It's your house, too, son. You have lived here for your entire life. I don't want that to change just because the government has some unfounded suspicions about me."
Worthe summarized the threat. "The government could seize your home."
"That's crazy!" Young Francisco exclaimed.
"Nope. It happens all the time."
Francisco thought for a moment. "I don't know if I can do this, Dad - with school and everything."
"We'll help you through everything," his father said as he beamed with palpable pride.
Attorney Worthe continued: "We're setting up a checking account in your name for the maintenance. You are going to be responsible for insurance payments, property taxes, utilities, general upkeep, things like that."
"And I'll make sure that the account remains well-funded," his father added.
"You can work with your accountant to automate most of the payments," Worthe added. "Just review things carefully each month. You'll need to handle unexpected expenses and make sure that your account balances don't make any sudden shifts toward the red."
"That sounds like a lot of responsibility," Francisco observed soberly.
"It is," his father confirmed. "But you're ready for it, and we'll do what we can to help."
"So, this is really going to be my house?" Francisco asked.
"Yes it is," his father confirmed.
"Okay, but I have a question."
"Yes?"
"If this really is my house, we'll be living by my rules. Right?"
"Mr. Worthe did not come out here to witness a family argument, Francisco.
"Oh, sorry." All three of them were smiling.
"And, just remember who's paying the bills."
"Oh, you mean grandpa?"
"That's not funny!"
"Sorry!"
Worthe jumped back into the conversation. "I'll have some forms for you to sign over the next few days. Jerry will stop by, too. The transfer of the deed should go through within four to six weeks."
"Wow!" the young Francisco exclaimed.
"Are you excited?" his father asked.
"Heck yeah! I can't wait to throw my first party!"
'The Horse Farm'
Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
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