One of the basic premises of the Lady Justice novels is that life doesn't end with retirement.Walt Williams, the hero of the Lady Justice novels, decided at age 65 that he wanted to be a cop!
Author Robert Thornhill, after a thirty-two year career in real estate, decided at age 65 that he wanted to write a book.
In three years, he has written twenty-one!
Life doesn't have to end with the arrival of the first social security check.
It could just be the beginning!
And then work to get a new, fighting, Lady Justice selected!
Lady Justice and the Candidate
A Walt Williams Mystery/Comedy Novel
By Robert Thornhill
“Walt,” Mark continued , “I’m sure you’re aware that this is an election year.”
Duh! How could you not know? At least fifteen minutes of every TV hour were filled with campaign propaganda and since the beginning of the year, the newspaper had been reporting primary results ad nauseum. “So what does that have to do with me?” I asked. “Looks like the slate is set. The president is a shoo-in and the Republican guy seems to have wiped out his remaining challengers.”
“Then I guess you haven’t heard of Benjamin Franklin Foster.”
I shook my head, “Should I?”
“If you haven’t, you soon will. It seems that many Americans aren’t exactly thrilled with either the socialist Democrat or the snooty, rich Republican.”
I could certainly understand that. I could never figure why, out of a population of over 300 million people, we can never come up with two truly qualified candidates to run for the highest office in the free world. “So who is he?” I asked.
“He’s an independent, not affiliated with any political party, and he’s causing quite a stir. “His message is ‘reform’ --- everything from the U.S. Tax Code to the abolition of the Electoral College. “The good news is that his campaign is winning the support of voters. The bad news is that he’s making a lot of enemies.”
“Like who?” I asked.
“Take your pick,” he replied. “It’s in the best interests of both political parties to maintain the status quo. No one wants to admit it, but our government is built like a house of cards . The balance of power is precarious at best and if any one agency or department is affected, the whole thing could come tumbling down. “The alliances that exist have taken years to form, and they reach from the local precincts to the halls of Congress and even to the White House itself. “The policies that Ben Foster is promoting would disrupt all of that and no one on either side wants to lose their position and influence. “There are powerful people out there who want to see the man dead.”
I understood what he was saying. A year earlier, I had been involved in an undercover operation involving the collusion between a giant pharmaceutical company and corrupt politicians. An assassin had been sent to kill a holistic physician that was poised to disrupt the 'status quo.' Our investigation uncovered a tangled web that included a local law firm, the Department of Corrections, the Food and Drug Administration and a U.S. Senator. “I see your problem,” I said, “but again, what does all this have to do with me?”
He handed me a photo. “Meet Benjamin Franklin Foster.” I took the photo and it was like I was looking in a mirror. If my mother had sired identical twins, this guy could have been my brother. I didn’t know what to say. I had an idea where this might be going, but the concept was just so outrageous, I quickly dismissed it.
“Here’s the situation,” Mark said. “Once an individual becomes a viable candidate, he is assigned a Secret Service detail. “We have enough creditable intel to know that the man’s life is in danger and it’s our job to protect him. “We need you to help.”
There it was --- I was being offered the job of sacrificial lamb.
Mark could see the wheels turning. “I know how this must sound ---.”
“Do you really?” I said, cutting him off. “This Foster guy is important enough that you’re willing to set up a private citizen for his enemies to bump off --- your own flesh and blood, for chrissakes!” I didn’t mean to say that, but it just came out. “Then what happens when I’m blown away? Will you have another stooge waiting in the wings?”
“Walt , you’ll have the same protection that we give to the President of the United States.”
“Which president?” I asked sarcastically, “Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy?”
~~~
 |
| I had expected to be whisked aboard a private jet, but when the limo pulled up at the curb of the KCI airport, I noticed that we were at the Southwest Airlines gate. “What, no private jet?” Paul Ford smiled , “Sorry, Marvin. Since Ben won’t accept any money from the big corporations or Super PACs, we operate on a tight budget. I’m afraid it’s commercial --- coach! ”Swell, I thought. With my luck, I’ll be seated by a lady with a screaming kid. After checking in, we made our way to the boarding gate and the line stretched out for a hundred feet. While we stood there waiting to be frisked and x-rayed by the TSA, a guy came up to me and sang quietly in my ear, “You babe. I’ve got you babe,” and wandered away grinning. Mark saw the exchange, “What was that all about?” “Nothing that involves national security I assure you. That fellow and I just shared a sixties moment.” He shook his head and walked away. ~~~ |
“You are --- just not in public. We can’t have two Ben Foster’s running around the airport, now can we?”
That did make sense. “So what do you have in mind?” He tossed a bag on the bed. “Nothing elaborate --- just a wig and a moustache so you won’t look like Ben’s double --- something easy to get you in and out of.” I took the bag into the bathroom and after showering, I pasted the black moustache on my upper lip and slipped on the wig. I looked like Sonny Bono.
Mark had been patiently waiting for me in the living room, and when I emerged in my new do, he smiled, “Perfect!” He handed me a packet. “Here is your new identity for the next four months. You’ll find everything you need in there, driver’s license, passport, even a debit card, but don’t get too excited, it has a $ 500 limit.”
I examined the contents of the packet. “ Marvin Fitzwater? Really? With all of the cool names available, that’s the best you could come up with?”
“It’s a name that nobody will notice --- I mean, who could possibly care about Marvin Fitzwater? By the way, if anyone asks, you’re part of Ben’s publicity team. That could mean most anything.” He looked at his watch, “The limo leaves in fifteen minutes. Better hustle.”
As I was packing my suitcase, I marveled at the expediency of our government. In less than a week, Walter Williams had ceased to exist and had been reincarnated as Marvin Fitzwater. I began to wonder if the real Walt would ever return.
~~~
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Walt and his wife met Benjamin Franklin Foster and immediately was attracted to what he was saying. After thinking about it, both decided to do this...what that meant was that Walt Williams was going to have to die...
The fantastic think about his death was that he was actually on the job and, in dying, ensured that nobody else was hurt on the bust... It was fantastic because it almost succeeded in actually getting Walt killed!
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So after watching his own funeral along with his lookalike candidate, Ben, Walt was immediately on the campaign trail...directly into a path on which he could get killed! You see, once Ben had given his speech, it was Walt that came out to meet and greet all of his new fans--and enemies...
The intriguing part for me was that everything that Benjamin Franklin Foster covered on his campaign trail was exactly something that I and most average citizens would want! That's why I thought that if we could turn this fiction book into a real campaign, that it would be the best possible outcome... Soooo, how about it? Vote for the next president using his pen name Walt Williams, Ben Franklin, Ben Foster, Sonny Bono...or, even...Robert Thornhill! After all, he's the real speech writer that has given us exactly what we want!
I might even vote this time for a very viable candidate!
Seriously, this is meant to be humorous, but there were many serious issues and facts that were enclosed in this short book. We already have been doing worse because no other candidate has ever told us that "status quo" was not going to be!
I would have preferred a different ending, but the important part--the changes that are needed to get the United States back to being the great country it once was, are all right there... Find a man like Ben and let's support our champion for change!
A must-read recommendation on this one...And if it sounds like it's saying what needs to be said, let the author know! We support Thornhill for President! Loved it!
GABixlerReviews
The fantastic think about his death was that he was actually on the job and, in dying, ensured that nobody else was hurt on the bust... It was fantastic because it almost succeeded in actually getting Walt killed!
So after watching his own funeral along with his lookalike candidate, Ben, Walt was immediately on the campaign trail...directly into a path on which he could get killed! You see, once Ben had given his speech, it was Walt that came out to meet and greet all of his new fans--and enemies...The intriguing part for me was that everything that Benjamin Franklin Foster covered on his campaign trail was exactly something that I and most average citizens would want! That's why I thought that if we could turn this fiction book into a real campaign, that it would be the best possible outcome... Soooo, how about it? Vote for the next president using his pen name Walt Williams, Ben Franklin, Ben Foster, Sonny Bono...or, even...Robert Thornhill! After all, he's the real speech writer that has given us exactly what we want!
I might even vote this time for a very viable candidate!
Seriously, this is meant to be humorous, but there were many serious issues and facts that were enclosed in this short book. We already have been doing worse because no other candidate has ever told us that "status quo" was not going to be!
I would have preferred a different ending, but the important part--the changes that are needed to get the United States back to being the great country it once was, are all right there... Find a man like Ben and let's support our champion for change!
A must-read recommendation on this one...And if it sounds like it's saying what needs to be said, let the author know! We support Thornhill for President! Loved it!
GABixlerReviews
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Robert Thornhill, author of Lady Justice Takes a C.R.A.P.: City Retiree Action Patrol, Lady Justice and the Lost Tapes, Lady Justice Gets Leid, Lady Justice and the Avenging Angels, Lady Justice and the Sting, Lady Justice and Dr. Death, Lady Justice and the Vigilante, Lady Justice and the Watchers, Lady Justice and the Candidate, Lady Justice and the Book Club Murders, Lady Justice and the Cruise Ship Murders, Lady Justice and the Class Reunion, Lady Justice and the Assassin, Lady Justice and the Lottery, Lady Justice and the Vet and Lady Justice and the Organ Traders.
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