Chapter Fourteen
"What are we looking for today then?" Asked Clarity. It was an early day at Swankeye, after Clarity had taken an early cab from Milton's, to reach the home of Mannen. The chubby guy was edgy, sensing the closing of a new deal, or the big fiasco of that same deal. Clarity finished her breakfast, two eggs over easy with toast. She glanced at the court hearing notice document sent by Judge Alridge to Mannen the day before. She did not fully understand the strategy of the chubby guy regarding the meeting with the judge. Mannen was sitting across from her, reading one of the chapters of Cocoanomics regarding 'collaborative dynamics', the area of the book which had replaced the more traditional 'collusion dynamics', which could be found in the pages of Beefonomics, the manual that Di Laure was reading for all mob-related business.
"We want a favorable ruling for our license to operate Oakland Bellevue," said Mannen, "and a non favorable ruling for the horse meat issue. Our investors are waiting for the favorable ruling in order to send their money to our vehicle, Oakland Capital."
"So how are we going to do that?" Asked Clarity.
"Not sure, that's kind of the problem." Mannen stared at her, his face looking like that of a bulldog awaiting some kind of indication. There was no indication from Clarity.
"All right, well, let's go then," she said.
Mannen nodded, and closed the manual, leaving it on his scholar table. They walked out to the garage where Baggio was waiting for them with Jaguar 73. They picked up Eiesland at the East hotel and drove to the Miami-Dade Courthouse for their meeting.
Clarity walked past the inscription which said 'Dade County Courthouse 1925'. She glanced at the tall historic building on West Flagler Street, before going through the entrance after Joe Mannen and Eiesland. The courthouse building, made with granite and terra-cotta, was part of the National Register of Historic Places. The original escape-proof jail, placed on the top floors of the building, had witnessed the escape of more than seventy prisoners.
Judge Alridge was a seventy five year old federal magistrate. Because the Federal Courthouse was undergoing renovations, the judge was holding the meeting at the Dade County courthouse. The wife of an attorney asked Clarity about the lactation room for new mothers. Chief Judge Bethany Selis had decided to offer a comfortable space for nursing mothers. The new room was useful for attorneys and other court participants who spent many hours at the courthouse.
"You'll have to ask a new mother," said Clarity.
She followed Mannen to a courtroom, where judge Alridge, seated behind a wooden desk, was looking at a pile of documents labeled Gladeview Pawn Shop. Beside the first pile, a second pile of documents, taller than the first, labeled as 'Mclannan's horse meat issue' awaited the judge as well. Gavino Di Laure was sitting in the second row of the courthouse, with Moe sitting beside him, and Mush Revving sitting beside the old lady. Harvege and Monfort were sitting on the seats opposite Di Laure. Clarity and Eiesland took their seats with Mannen, near Harvege. A clerk named Barrett announced that the hearing was about to begin.
Moe Alamy raised her hand and walked up to the judge, just to mingle with him, before the session began. Being seventy eight herself, she was always on the lookout for eligible bachelors. Judge Alridge had lost his wife five years earlier, and he didn't mind the attention from women in his age group. They exchanged numbers and agreed to meet for a drink the following week.
"This hearing involves several issues," said Alridge, "which are kind of muddled at the moment. There seems to be a feud between two rival mob groups here. As you know, here in Miami, we are not lacking in the area of mobsters, narco traffickers, general organized crime representatives, and other type of Cappi wannabes. If we can avoid having another of these groups here, it will be appreciated." Mannen stood up and began to talk. He wanted to give the judge a first impression, before Di Laure or Moe Alamy.
"Your Honor, no, we are genuine, not wannabes. Then we are also independent business persons," said Mannen, "there is absolutely no collusion or any sense that we operate with a framework of oligopoly, you know, this idea that a small group of people hold all of the resources, or money, or prices."
"The Honorable Member should note that Mr. Mannen is correct," said Di Laure. The local meat boss with whitish hair was sweating more than usual. He wanted the day to finish.
Barrett walked up to the judge whispering some words in his ear.
"Gentlemen, there is a problem and a slight confusion. Two men from the monetary authority of Cayman, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Marville, are waiting for us, somewhere else. Mr. Marville called my assistant Barrett to explain the confusion, his own incompetence, and the recurrence of it. We have no other choice but to move our hearing to the Miami Federal Courthouse on North Miami Avenue, where the two men are waiting, to prevent Mr. Marville's incompetence from engaging in further interference with the hearing."
Alridge slammed his gavel on the sound block, ending the session in part, and breaking the gavel bought in a seven eleven in two, creating sort of a half time atmosphere. Barrett handed the judge a second gavel. Everyone grabbed some sandwiches and walked out of Miami Courthouse, driving to the Federal Courthouse. About an hour and a half later, the hearing continued. A third pile of paper, coming from Taylor, reached the desk of Alridge.
"Mr. Taylor, your view of things, please," said Alridge. Taylor read the line written by Marville to address Alridge.
"Your honorable membership, Mr. Mannen is a shady character, an elusive businessman, and a notorious scholar of sexual matters. We do not think that his presence in South Florida will be good for business here. Our documents on your desk, will show that to you, your honorable character."
"The monetary authority would also like to examine the books in Mr. Mannen's library," said Marville.
"Thank you Mr. Marville, your contribution is valuable, albeit irrelevant." The judge reflected for about ten minutes on the issues in front of him. This thing was getting out of hand. He needed more people on the case, there was too much paper for one person. He began to get a sense that he was listening to three different cases. His right brain, holding his common sense and intuition, kept the upper hand on his left brain, the part that wanted someone else to go over the three separate piles of paper, before announcing a sentence on the various issues. Harvege took the initiative of talking, because he had other things to do.
"How about a barbecue at my place?" Asked Harvege. "It may be easier to do things in a relaxed atmosphere." Alridge finally reached a consensus with Barrett, that Marville and Taylor were kind of irrelevant.
"No barbecue, Mr. Harvege, this is no picnic," said Alridge. The local judge could be firm when he wanted to be so. He looked at the watch, noticing it was nearly lunch, and also noticing the watch had stopped. The watch indicated lunch from the day before, but fortunately, lunch hour was the same also on the following day.
"All right, let's go to my place in Pinecrest." said Alridge, "I get a sense we'll solve the issue there a lot more easily. Barrett, get some burgers will you, order some Ollie burgers from Mclannan's." Mannen whispered a few words to Clarity, giving her his phone.
"Call Collins and tell him to go there," said Mannen. Clarity dialed the number showing on the smartphone screen and left the message on the answering machine of Collins.
The caravan of cars parked around one pm in the large driveway of the home of Judge Alridge, a nice one floor home, on South West 73rd street. After a good set of burgers, Alridge let Mannen express his view on the matter being discussed. This time without using a soapbox, Mannen explained that the community did not deserve horse meat, if it had not decided it was legitimate to eat such meat. Many locations of Mclannan's were not dependable, or reliable as a result. The chubby guy from Cayman wiped off some remaining mayo from his burger by leaving it on the frame of a painting on the wall, as he prepared for the final part of his speech. In short, according to Mannen, the spirit of Ollie the clown had been mocked in derisory fashion, by the sheer incomp
etence of Mclannan's administrators. To prevent something like that from happening another time, in South Florida, he was ready to purchase twenty four locations of Mclannan's, to offer the community a new type of burger restaurant which offered the veb, or very expensive burger, made with genuine organic beef.
"That's bull, you just want business here," said Moe.
Alridge took a phone call on his private number from Congressman Collins. The congressman made his way to the home slightly after Senator Grover, who'd been alerted of the informal meeting by Di Laure. A heated discussion between the two politicians ensued, one arguing for widening the burger market, and letting Mannen operate the new business, the other alleging that horse meat incident was simply an incident and that Mclannan's should continue to operate all of its franchises. Collins stopped arguing after half an hour.
"So the deciding issue may actually be this idea of diet disruption," said the congressman.
"I mean it's just a ridiculous idea, your Honor," said Mannen, "the public should be able to choose to be chubby freely." Alridge reflected on the comment by Collins, finally sensing they were reaching the bottom of the whole issue. Distracted by the compliments of Moe Alamy, he couldn't quite reach a clear view of the matter.
"Call the governor your Honor," said Collins, "we would like an independent opinion on this. It is important to resolve this properly."
Alridge sipped some gin tonic and nodded. He made a phone call to his friend, the governor of Florida, governor Baringsale. The governor was busy chatting and entertaining some friends in his colonial mansion in Tallahassee, and so it was his advisors who listened to Alridge, and relayed the information to the governor. After about half an hour of being briefed, the governor came back with an electronic mail message delivered to Alridge.
Alridge opened the message on his phone and began reading. Florida, South Florida, and also the northern part of Florida, traditionally welcome additional business ideas, things that will make the area attractive to potential investors. Providing a sense that the market, especially the meat market, is open to new ideas, and new people, is going to be good for Florida, and for Miami-Dade. Organic beef is a pretty good idea, it's good meat, and it's healthy. And the cows are happier than regular cows, also important. Diet disruption, this idea of Mclannan's, to let people be chubby, is a stupid idea. People should be free to eat freely, and to understand that if they disrupt their regular diet by eating four or five burgers every day, a company like Mclannan's is making money, off of them, and their health. I don't want so much Mclannan's around. It can be around, but I want Oakland Bellevue in Florida. Mannen is a legitimate pawnshop operator in Florida. If he came up with the money to put Oakland Bellevue in place, let him fund the new burger franchise.
"All right, lady and gentlemen," said Alridge, "the governor has decided. We have a new burger venture in South Florida. Oakland Bellevue will be operating twenty four locations of Mclannan's in South Florida, under a new name, with a new type of burger franchise that will use organic beef. Mclannan's will keep operating with little over half of their restaurants in Florida. All licensing procedures pending for Oakland at the USDA, will receive a favorable mention from me and the governor. Congratulations to Mr. Mannen, on his new restaurant. We leave the details of the transaction to the parties involved, money and such. On behalf of congressman Collins and the senator here, and also the governor, we hope to taste the new burger there when the locations of Bellevue are open for business."
Mannen shook the hand of the judge, thanking him for his diligent work.
"You will your Honor," said Mannen, "you will get an invitation from us."
Mannen walked towards the entrance, followed by Clarity and Eiesland, letting Alridge attend to the next item on his agenda, getting to know Moe Alamy.