JC: Ed Biggers
Part 6: Doyen
Chapter 3
By
Lazlo Zalezac
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2004

Sitting at the obscenely large desk, Ed stared up at the picture of 
John that hung on the wall of the office. It was an official color 
photograph of John. His white hair and beard with the robe, cane, 
and cloak made him look like a mystic. The whole world saw John 
as a mystic, but Ed knew better. He sighed and said, "John, you 
brought out the best in me. I'm a better man for having you in my 
life. I really miss you."

"Talking to yourself?" asked Ellen Faber as she entered the office.

"Talking to John," answered Ed with a sigh.

Although Ellen ran the daily operations of the Fusion Foundation 
and knew both men, she knew very little about the relationship 
between John and Ed other than the fact that they were married. 
She had watched the news coverage of John's death and had been 
shocked when she had seen him struck by lightening in the middle 
of the glade. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for 
the family to be there and observe that scene. She said, "He was a 
great man."

Smiling, Ed said, "He was a man and he was great. Calling him a 
great man diminishes his life as a man and his greatness."

The comment gave Ellen pause and reminded her why she had 
come in the office. She said, "The rest of the board is present."

"Okay," replied Ed as he stood. He paused to look around the 
office before saying, "Too fancy."

Ellen shook her head. Over the past few years she had been invited 
in the offices of some of the most powerful men in the country. 
This office was barren compared to any of those she had 
encountered. It was hard for her to imagine billionaires feeling 
uncomfortable sitting behind a desk that cost five thousand dollars. 
She shrugged and said, "Its' purpose is to impress."

The comment made Ed laugh and he retorted, "I'd rather be 
impressed by the person behind the desk than the desk they are 
hiding behind."

He walked across the hallway to the conference room and took his 
seat. The seat at the head of the table was conspicuously empty. 
Ellen stood by the seat and said, "I call this meeting to order."

After everyone acknowledged her, she continued, "The agenda is 
on the table in front of you. Normally, the first order of business is 
to review the minutes of the last meeting. However, today we have 
a different and far more difficult task as the first order of business."

Breaking the tension in the room, Fluffy yawned as though bored 
with the meeting. Looking over at the bear in irritation, Ellen 
continued, "The first order of business is to elect a new Chairman 
of the Board."

As she went through the process of reading the charter of the 
Fusion Foundation, Ed listened with only half his attention on what 
she was saying. His thoughts turned in the direction of the others in 
the room wondering which one of them would take the place of 
John at the head of the table. He felt sorry for that person, as there 
was no way they could ever live up to the reputation of John. His 
attention returned to Ellen when he heard her say, "There has been 
a motion that Ed Biggers take over as Chairman of the Board."

"Pardon?" asked Ed wondering how he had missed the nomination.

Ling said, "I second the motion."

Ellen asked, "Are there any other nominations?"

Looking around the room in the hope that someone would say 
something, Ed tried to come up with a name to nominate. His mind 
went blank and he couldn't remember the name of anyone in the 
room. As panic welled up in him, Ellen said, "If there are no other 
nominations, then I move that we vote on making Ed the Chairman 
of the Board."

"Seconded," said Sidney and Sherry simultaneously. 

"All those in favor say aye."

Everyone except Ed said, "Aye."

"All those opposed, say nay."

Ed's throat swelled up as he tried to get out a word. He grabbed a 
glass of water and took a sip. Sherry was sitting across the table 
from him watching his discomfort with a smile. Ellen asked, 
"Abstain?"

Ed finally managed to croak, "Ah."

Smiling at Ed, Ellen said, "The motion has carried. Ten votes for 
the motion and one abstain. Ed Biggers is now the Chairman of the 
Board."

As everyone clapped, Ed shook his head in disgust while 
wondering how this had come about. It was clearly time for him to 
say something, but his mind was still blank. After a minute, he 
said, "I did not seek this position, but I shall do my best to carry it 
out in the manner that John desired."

Ellen said, "If you will take the chair at the head of the table, I turn 
this meeting over to you."

Ed moved to the head of the table and looked down the table at 
everyone gathered there. Most of the board members were Druids 
and he felt that it was time for that to change. He said, "The second 
item on the agenda is approval of the minutes of the last meeting. 
Does anyone have any corrections or comments on the meeting 
minutes?"

When no one said anything, he continued, "I move that we accept 
the minutes as they stand."

"Seconded," replied Ling.

They went threw the formal business of voting on the meeting 
minutes. Even as they went through the process, Ed glanced at his 
watch wondering how long this meeting was going to last. Once 
the minutes were accepted, Ed said, "The next item on the agenda 
is the empty spot on the Board of Directors. I suggest that we 
identify potential candidates and bring the names to the next 
meeting. We'll cull the candidates down to three and then invite 
them in for an interview. After that, we'll vote on the person to fill 
the spot."

Harold Hawkins, the only businessman on the board, raised his 
hand. When Ed acknowledged him, he said, "We need more 
businessmen on the board."

Ed said, "If you find a businessman that is willing to forsake all 
current and future business with the Fusion Foundation, then go 
ahead and nominate them."

"I was going to question that rule," replied Harold. That rule 
prevented any of the businesses that he owned from selling their 
products to the Fusion Foundation. Although he ran a chain of 
video rental stores, there were opportunities to get into other 
businesses that this rule prevented him from pursuing. 

"You can make a motion to change that rule, but I assure you that 
changing that rule will be defeated. It would put the tax-free status 
of this organization in jeopardy. This organization deals with huge 
amounts of money and we have to prevent any hint of conflict of 
interest on the part of the board," said Ed. He looked at Harold 
with the expectation that he would make the motion or threaten to 
resign, but the man surprised him and settled into his seat.

Sidney raised his hand and when Ed acknowledged him, he asked, 
"What would be the primary area of responsibility?"

Ed thought about it for a moment and replied, "I guess they would 
take over the Emergency Response Section."

The meeting lasted for another two hours as they established that a 
technologist would be a good candidate and covered the other 
items on the agenda. The discussion concerning the budget seemed 
to drone on forever, but in his new position of Chairman of the 
Board he found that he had to pay attention. It was with great relief 
that he was able to call an end to the meeting. 

As people left the room, they stopped to congratulate him. Ed still 
didn't know who had nominated him. When the room was empty 
of everyone except Ellen, Kelly, Ling, and himself, Ed asked, 
"Who nominated me?"

Laughing, Ellen answered, "Sidney."

"I'm going to get even with him one of these days," remarked Ed. 
It was hard for him to believe that Sidney had done that to him. 

Kelly said, "He only voiced what everyone in the room was 
thinking."

Ed sat down in a chair and thought about it. In a way, it made 
sense since most people thought that he was John's right hand man. 
He never thought of himself in that manner, but it was true in many 
ways. John had shared more of his thoughts with Ed than anyone 
else. Sighing, Ed replied, "I guess."

Ling asked, "Will you be coming home with us?"

"No. I'll finish up a few items here and head to the University," 
answered Ed. He had given up his position at the University and 
now it was time to see if he could return. 

Kelly and Ling kissed him before leaving to return home. When 
they were gone, Ed turned to Ellen and said, "I suppose that it is 
time to write a press release."

"I already have one written for you," replied Ellen with a smile. 
She had assumed that it would be Ed that took over for John. She 
added, "I assume that you'll want to edit it."

"Of course," said Ed. He decided that he would do that and then 
get something to eat. There was going to be a lot of work to do this 
afternoon and he scratched making it to the University off his list. 
He asked, "Would it be appropriate that I talk to the heads of each 
of the Fusion Foundation Sections?"

"I was going to suggest that," answered Ellen. She actually had a 
list of things that Ed needed to do that afternoon before the news 
spread too far. She added, "I have a press conference scheduled for 
this afternoon."

Ed returned to the office while Ellen went to get all of the work 
items that she had arranged for him. Sitting behind the desk, Ed 
looked around the office wondering how much time would be 
spent at the desk over the next few months. Things didn't look 
good for him in the future. 

Kim Green knocked on the doorframe to get his attention. Looking 
up at her, he was surprised to see how old she looked. He had met 
her when they were undergraduates in college. He said, "Come in, 
Kim. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. I really enjoy working here," answered Kim. In the past 
few years, she had traveled to many places around the world 
establishing staging areas for the Foundation, negotiated purchase 
agreements with companies, and served as a press agent during 
crisis situations overseas. For a young woman that had dreams of 
making the world a better place, this was the perfect job. After 
holding the position for nearly sixteen years, she still thought it 
was the perfect job. She looked at Ed and said, "I'm sorry about 
John."

"Thank you," replied Ed. Getting condolences still threw him for a 
loop, as he didn't know how to respond. Gesturing for her to enter 
the room, he said, "It's really good to see you. I hear that you've 
been globe trotting on behalf of the Fusion Foundation."

"Just got back from Italy where I negotiated a storage area for 
supplies," replied Kim while she entered the room and took a seat. 
She added, "I have to say that it is a very lovely place. So much 
history packed into such a small area."

"How was your reception there?"

"When people heard that I was with the Fusion Foundation, they 
went out of their way to show me a good time. You'd be surprised 
what a great reputation the Fusion Foundation has everywhere 
around the world," answered Kim. When she had arrived in Italy, 
very high-level government officials did everything they could to 
help her. Curators had given her personal tours through some of 
the greatest historical landmarks once they learned that she was 
from the Fusion Foundation. Everywhere she went, people told her 
what a great organization she represented. It was overwhelming.

"That's good. I'm very glad to hear that," replied Ed. This was the 
kind of feedback that he liked to hear. Kim was quiet for a minute 
as she struggled to figure out how to bring up a request. Ed noticed 
her sudden change in demeanor and asked, "What do you want?"

"Uh, I kind of wanted to ask you about something."

"Ask away," replied Ed curious what could be so serious that she 
wouldn't know how to go about asking him a question. Leaning 
forward with his elbow resting on the table and his finger to his 
temple, he watched her struggle with asking her question. It was 
clear to him that she had no clue how to make her request. He 
suggested, "Maybe if you give me a hint I can help you formulate 
your question."

Kim looked down at the floor, feeling like she was about to loose 
her nerve. Summoning her nerve, she said, "I haven't been satisfied 
by a man since my rape."

He didn't know exactly what she meant. Did she mean that she 
hadn't been with a man since the rape or that a man hadn't been 
able to give her an orgasm since the rape?  Regardless of which 
answer was correct, the news shocked Ed as he realized that it had 
to be at least sixteen years since she had been raped on the campus. 
In as soothing of a voice as he could manage, Ed replied, "I don't 
know what to say."

Hesitating, she smiled at him and said, "It's not your fault that I 
can't be satisfied in bed by a man."

"I thought that you had gotten beyond the rape," replied Ed very 
disturbed by this revelation. 

"You don't understand. I've gotten over the rape and know in my 
heart that it was an act of violence by a very sick man. The 
problem is that I haven't found a man that can satisfy me," she said. 
"I know it's not physical as a few women have been able to bring 
me to orgasm, but it's that I haven't been in bed with a man that 
turns me on."

Rather than say anything, Ed sat back to listen to her. It was better 
to let her come to the point than try to put words in her mouth. She 
licked her lips nervously and then said, "You rescued me. No one 
has done anything that significant for me."

He realized where she was headed and wondered if she was 
actually going to request him to sleep with her. Rather than address 
the question now, he decided that this was something that was best 
dealt with in a more private environment. He asked, "Would you 
like to come over to dinner tonight?"

Believing that he was agreeing to sleep with her, Kim sighed with 
relief that she hadn't had to say it aloud. A wide grin spread over 
her face as she said, "I'd love to come over."

"Great. Come over about seven," said Ed. He watched as she 
thanked him and fled the room far faster than she had intended. 
Smiling to himself, he shook his head at having to rescue another 
damsel in distress.

Helen returned in time to hear the final exchange and was relieved 
to know that Ed was going to take care of Kim. The two were 
occasional lovers and she was fully aware of Kim's unrequited 
desire to sleep with Ed. She knew how frustrating it could be since 
she shared the same feelings. Entering the room, she placed a stack 
of papers on the desk and said, "Here you go."

Groaning, Ed stared at the stack of papers knowing that it would be 
hours before he could get through them all. Sighing, he picked up 
the first paper finding that it was the legal form establishing him as 
Chairman of the Board. He reviewed the signatures of other 
members of the board and signed it. Ellen had recorded his vote as 
abstained. He signed the form and handed it back to her as he said, 
"I would have objected, but I was too shocked to think straight."

Ellen laughed and said, "The choice was obvious. No one would 
have listened to your objections."

He looked over the next paper in the stack. It was a draft of the 
press release that she was going to send out to the news services. 
Looking over it, he thought that it made him sound inhuman and 
unreal. Grabbing a pencil, he immediately removed statements that 
talked about his heroism and his unrelenting dedication to a list of 
causes. He then took out all of the references to his past 
accomplishments that had nothing to do with the Fusion 
Foundation. Finished, he handed it back to Ellen and said, "You 
might want to review this. I've made a few changes."

She looked at it in dismay. The one page press release had been 
reduced to four sentences. The first indicated that he had been 
elected as Chairman of the Board. The second told how he had 
helped set up the Emergency Response Center. The third described 
his dedication to the keeping the mission of the Fusion Foundation 
on track. The fourth expressed the honor that he felt at being given 
the responsibility. She said, "I'll release it if you allow me to 
include your Fusion Foundation resume with it."

"I have a Fusion Foundation resume?"

"Yes. Whenever you've done something for the Fusion Foundation 
or achieved some other public recognition, we've documented it," 
replied Ellen with a grin. 

"I'd like to see that," Ed mused aloud as he wondered what was in 
the resume. There were no doubts in his mind that it would 
exaggerate his past accomplishments.

"I thought that you would say that. The binder contains your 
resume," replied Ellen watching the expression of disbelief that 
crossed his face when he took in the thickness of the binder. 

"This isn't a resume, it a biography!"

"Not so. Each of your accomplishments has a single paragraph 
describing the significance of your involvement," replied Ellen. 
Kelly and Linda had worked with her in developing the resume. It 
was based on the material within a biography about Ed that the two 
wives were preparing. She had found the material in the biography 
so captivating that she had read the entire thing in a single night.  

Looking at the thickness of the binder, Ed laughed and said, "It's 
too thick. No one would possibly bother to read it all. Go ahead 
and release it with the press release."

Ellen shook her head at his reaction knowing that he was probably 
the only one in the world who would believe that statement. There 
were no doubts in her mind that thousands of people would read it 
from cover to cover over the next few days. She took the binder 
and the marked up press release to hand over to the press. 
Standing, she said, "Let me release this to the press now."

"Okay," replied Ed as he turned his attention to the other papers in 
the stack. 

Two hours later, Ed stood up from behind his desk and looked 
around. He stepped out of the office to find Ellen at her desk 
working on her computer. Having finished the stack of paperwork, 
Ed sighed and said, "I'm heading out, now."

"No you're not," replied Ellen. 

Looking at her as if she had declared that the world was flat, Ed 
asked, "And why not?"

"You have to meet the press in twenty minutes," answered Ellen. 
She worked for a minute on the computer and then the printer 
came to life. Turning to watch the progress, she said, "I've written 
a small speech to introduce you to the press. You should probably 
consider what you want to say to them."

The announcement that he would have to meet the press sent chills 
down his spin. He hated the press since they usually wanted to get 
more information of a private nature than what was the nominal 
subject of the press conference. Grumbling, he returned to his 
office to consider what he would say to the news vultures. 

His desire to flee was strong as Ellen led the way to the room 
where the press conference was being held. He followed her into 
the room and saw the huge number of cameras aimed at the 
podium. Ellen walked directly to the podium and looked around 
for a minute. She was used to holding press conferences as they 
were almost a weekly event as one tragedy or another struck the 
world. Seeing that everyone was ready, she spoke, "Hello. I'm 
Ellen Faber, the Executive Director of the Fusion Foundation. I am 
sure that you are aware that John Carter, former Chairman of the 
Board of the Fusion Foundation, has passed away. At the meeting 
of the Board of Directors this afternoon, Dr. Ed Biggers was 
elected the new Chairman of the Board. It is my great pleasure to 
introduce, Dr. Ed Biggers."

As all eyes turned to look at him, Ed slowly took his place at the 
podium. In a serious tone of voice, he said, "Hello. I'd like to thank 
you for showing up to this new conference. It is with great sorrow 
that I became the Chairman of the Board of the Fusion Foundation 
this afternoon. No one can replace John Carter and his vision for a 
better world. I will do my best to see his vision become a reality. I 
will entertain your questions now."

A reporter from the front asked, "Are you on any other Boards 
associated with charities or companies?"

Ed answered, "I'm on the board of a major airline and have started 
a number of other charities."

A woman reporter from the back of the room asked, "I noticed in 
your resume that you have performed some services for the CIA. 
Those services have earned you the Distinguished Intelligence 
Medal. Is the Fusion Foundation a CIA front company?"

The question shocked Ed as he stared at the woman that had asked 
the question. He answered, "No. My work at the CIA is as an 
American Citizen who supports his country in whatever fashion he 
can. I work with the IRS, FBI, CIA, and other government 
agencies to make the United States a better place to live. I also 
work to make the world a better place through my charities. The 
Fusion Foundation was established by John Carter to help the 
world using royalties from his inventions. The charities and other 
activities are totally separate."

The woman said, "I'd like to follow up on your answer. If it were a 
CIA front, you wouldn't tell us that it was. What proof can you 
provide that the CIA is not involved?"

Looking at the woman, Ed replied, "I can't prove a negative, but 
you are welcome to view all of our books. In my service to the 
Gods and Goddesses, I can not tell a lie without feeling horrible 
pain. I tell you straight out, there is no connection between the 
Fusion Foundation and the CIA."

"You expect us to accept that you are telling the truth just because 
you say you have to tell the truth?" asked the reporter with a sneer. 

Ed realized that she was trying to create a story rather than report 
on this one. The medallion on his chest started to burn and then 
glow with brilliant light that blinded all that looked upon it. The 
cameras facing him went blank as if they had been turned off. 
Leaning forward on the podium, Ed said in an inhumanly loud 
voice that reverberated through the room, "There is no connection 
between the Fusion Foundation and the CIA."

The power of his voice, the light emanating from the medallion 
and the flash of anger from his eyes convinced the reporters in the 
room more than his words. The technicians recording the press 
conference didn't hear a word through their headsets. 

Relaxing back, he said, "Let us remember the mission of the 
Fusion Foundation. It is to help people. We have education 
programs, health programs, art and science programs, and disaster 
relief programs. All these are to help people, all people, live a 
better life. We give with equal ease to the homeless poor and the 
wealthy in their castles. Almost every one has had their lives 
touched in a positive manner by the Fusion Foundation. I am proud 
of that history and will work my hardest as Chairman to assure that 
it carries on into the future."

Another reporter asked, "Why is it that the Emergency Response 
Teams of the Fusion Foundation are the only part that has an 
international scope?"

Ed smiled and said, "Social issues tend to differ from nation to 
nation and we would never impose a solution for this nation upon 
another. However, a disaster is the same everywhere. We go to 
disasters where our people can help victims through the hardest 
times of their lives. Medicines, food, shelter, and clothes are 
provided. Other services are brought to play as necessary. Once the 
emergency is over, our people leave. We ask nothing of those that 
we help. We give and then we go."

Another reporter asked, "Are there any countries that have refused 
your assistance?"

"Yes, there have been a few. It is their sovereign right to refuse 
admittance of individuals into their country and one that we 
respect."

A woman on the front row raised her hand. Ed looked over at her. 
She was tall, blond, and with her hair short. She reminded him of 
his late wife, Beth. In a very sultry voice, she asked, "Why do you 
do that?"

"Do what?" asked Ed confused by the question. He wondered if 
she had been sent here because of her similarity to Beth. 

"Give and then go," replied the woman reporter as she adjusted the 
position of her hair. She crossed her legs and pulled her shoulders 
back to pull attention to her breasts.

Although she looked like Beth, she didn't act like her. While at 
work, Beth was a consummate professional and not a flirt. Ed 
answered, "John Carter established the Fusion Foundation to help 
people with the money that he earned from the Fusion Well and 
Fusion Battery patents. His goal was to make the world a better 
place for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The 
Fusion Foundation is working. Inner-city slums are slowly 
disappearing as young people achieve a better education and move 
up economically. Health costs are down, performance arts are 
flourishing, and science is solving problems that have long haunted 
people."

The grilling continued for another ten minutes before Ellen stepped 
up and said, "That's all for now, folks."

She led Ed out of the room. Once the door closed behind them, he 
sat down in exhaustion letting the wall support his back. Putting 
his elbows on his knees, he held his head in his hands and said, 
"That was horrible."

Ellen looked down at Ed amazed at his collapse. The press 
conference had gone much better than she had expected. The 
reporter that had asked all of the questions about CIA involvement 
had been trying to find something negative to report about the 
Fusion Foundation for years. Trying to tie the Fusion Foundation 
to the CIA was a very imaginative approach. She looked down at 
him and said, "It went pretty well."

"I don't like talking to the press," replied Ed. 

One of the men that worked in the press office walked down the 
hall and stopped in front of Ed. He said, "Three of the reporters are 
asking for private interviews with Dr. Biggers."

Ed looked up at the man, realizing that he didn't recognize him. In 
a tired voice, Ed replied, "I don't give private interviews."

"This is important," replied the young man.

Tired, Ed stood and faced the young man. He said, "I'm sorry, but I 
don't know your name."

"I'm Eugene Ford," replied the young man.

"Eugene, you have to understand that I don't give private 
interviews. I am a private person and value my privacy much more 
than my money," said Ed. 

The young man didn't know what to make of Ed's statement and 
looked to Ellen for guidance. She smiled and said, "He doesn't do 
private interviews."

Ed started to walk away and then stopped as a thought occurred to 
him. He turned to Eugene and said, "I am not giving a private 
interview, but I will talk to the reporter that wanted to tie the 
Fusion Foundation to the CIA. Bring her to my office."

Both Ellen and Eugene reacted with surprise. This was the last 
person that they would expect him to meet privately. Eugene left to 
deliver the news to the woman while Ellen followed Ed to his 
office. Once there, she asked, "Why would you want to talk to 
Brittany Lee? She hates the Fusion Foundation."

"You just answered your own question," answered Ed as he took a 
seat. Learning that there was someone that had a deep dislike for 
the Fusion Foundation hurt Ed more than he would admit. There 
had to be a reason for it and he wanted to discover it for himself. 
Realizing that he had worked through the afternoon without 
drinking anything, he asked, "I really hate to be a bother, but could 
you please ask someone to bring us some coffee?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't even think about that," replied Ellen. She 
returned to her desk trying to figure out how she had answered her 
own question. She called down to the front desk to send up one of 
the volunteer workers to serve as a hostess. 

Eugene entered the top floor looking lost followed by Brittany Lee. 
It was his first time to the top floor and it took him a minute to get 
his bearings. Brittany looked around rather disappointed at the 
executive quarters of the Fusion Foundation. She had expected 
something a little richer in appearance considering the wealth of 
the people that sat on the Board. Eugene took her to Ed's office and 
knocked on the doorframe. Ed looked up and said, "Please come 
in."

"Dr. Biggers, I would like to introduce you to Brittany Lee."

From behind his desk, Ed looked over at Eugene irritated at the 
formality of address. He requested, "Please call me Ed. I do not 
like formality when I deal with people. That goes for you, as well, 
Ms. Lee."

The reporter looked at Ed and wondered why he hadn't stood up to 
greet her. When Ed gestured to a chair, she sat down wondering 
why he had asked that she come up to talk. Her mind flashed to the 
questions about the link between the Fusion Foundation and the 
CIA, making her wonder if she had stumbled upon a secret. 
Eugene had been very insistent that this wasn't an interview, so it 
must be an attempt to silence her. She asked, "So why did you 
want to talk to me?"

"First, this is an informal conversation and not an interview. Are 
you recording this?"

"No."

The lie struck Ed like an out of tune piano. He ignored the lie and 
declared, "You hate the Fusion Foundation."

"No, I don't," she answered looking at him through narrowed eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Ed replied, "Don't lie to me. You hate the 
Fusion Foundation. What did the Fusion Foundation do that hurt 
you?"

"Nothing," replied Brittany with a straight face.

The lie ripped through Ed like a chainsaw. Something bad had 
happened to her in the past that she blamed on the foundation and 
it was up to him to discover what it was. Her name didn't ring true, 
but that was common among television personalities. He said, 
"You weren't always called Brittany Lee. What is your real name?"

"Brittany Grant," replied the reporter with bitterness in her voice.

The name released a floodgate of memories in both of them. Ed 
recalled the case where a woman had tried to use the Fusion 
Foundation as a means of leaving her husband by claiming that he 
was physically abusing her and sexually abusing her daughter. The 
charges had been false, but the father had died before he and his 
daughter could be reunited for even a visit. The daughter, a young 
girl by the name of Brittany, had blamed the Fusion Foundation for 
the fact that she couldn't see her father before he died.

A volunteer knocked on the door and asked, "Would you like your 
coffee now?"

"Yes, please," replied Ed as he considered how to address the 
problem at hand. The volunteer handed a cup to each person in the 
room and dealt with adding sugar and cream to Brittany's coffee. 
When she had finished and left the room, Ed asked, "Do you 
remember me?"

"No."

"Try to imagine me wearing blue jeans and a work shirt," 
requested Ed as he saw the light of recognition cross her face.

Makeup couldn't hide the clear flush of anger that came over her 
face as she charged, "You and that fat bitch kept me from my 
father!"

As the young woman started to rant, Ed sat and let her vent her 
anger. In this state of mind, nothing that he could say would deflect 
her need to express years of frustration, hate, and anger. After a 
few minutes, she stopped shouting and broke down into tears. Ed 
moved around the desk and handed her the handkerchief that was 
always present in his robe pocket. She accepted it without thinking 
about the source. When she had calmed down, Ed said, "Years ago 
a woman came to a shelter claiming that she had been physically 
abused by her husband and that her thirteen year old daughter had 
been sexually abused by him. She had bruises, cuts, and a fractured 
arm to back up her story. The problem was that it didn't seem right 
to the caseworker since the woman didn't act like any other 
battered woman that we had in the shelter."

Brittany looked up at Ed, startled to hear what he was saying. She 
asked, "She didn't?"

"No, she didn't. The caseworker called in Sherry to review the 
case. Sherry is the fat bitch that you referred to a moment ago. 
Sherry talked to the mother, to the young lady, and to the father. 
She suspected that the mother was lying, but the injuries were real. 
Sherry called me to talk to the family. Unfortunately, I was not in 
the area at the time. If I recall correctly, I was with John hunting a 
serial killer that preyed upon prostitutes. When I returned, I came 
to the shelter and talked to the mother, the father, and to the young 
woman. At that time, I didn't wear the robes when I worked."

Brittany stared at Ed unable to believe what she was hearing. Ed 
continued, "It didn't take me more than a minute of talking with the 
mother to determine the truth. She had lied to everyone involved, 
including her daughter. She had paid a high school athlete to beat 
her and then told everyone, the daughter included, that her husband 
had done it."

"You discovered that?"

"We figured it out and then made arrangements for the father to 
visit the daughter. He died before the visit was to take place. The 
daughter blamed us for keeping her separated from her father. The 
problem was that once the father was dead, we had no legal 
recourse to right the wrong that had been perpetrated on the young 
woman. Her mother had legal custody and we had no proof that 
would hold up in a court of law. The mother left with the daughter 
that afternoon and we never saw either of them again." Ed stopped 
and looked at the reporter. 

Brittany unable to think took a sip of her coffee. With a trembling 
hand she brought the cup to her mouth, spilling some down the 
front of her dress. At one time, she wouldn't have believed the 
story, but it explained all of the disturbing details that had come to 
haunt her nights. She asked, "How did you figure it out?"

"I'm a human lie detector. I know that you are recording this 
conversation, so don't try to convince yourself that I didn't know," 
replied Ed. He looked at the young lady and then added, "I think 
you need to have a long talk with your mother. However, I'm sure 
that she has been telling the lie for so long that she believes it to be 
true."
