The weather is beautiful across the country on this Saturday and I suggest you let go of your troubles and enjoy the day . Leave that work behind and let a light heart spread a smile across your face . We will all be back to work soon enough . by combs2jc | August 23 , 2015 · 12 : 00 am Can I Talk To You Man To Man ? Today I want to talk with someone no one ever talks with . We talk about them , we talk at them , and we never talk with them . Today I want to talk with the people who do the things society calls abuse . Since I brought society into this and for those of you reading this that I am not talking with , let 's look at whom society says the people are that commit abusive acts . Then we will look at who actually commits those acts . Then I 'll go back to the conversation and those of you not in our conversation can continue your eavesdropping . Turn to the government or one of the many domestic violence groups and most of them will tell you that people who commit abusive acts are men . Also , they will tell you they are men who are or have been in a relationship and that most of them have kids they are also abusive too . Many of the organizations get upset if you try to include anyone who is not in that group . They do that for many reasons not the least of which is a political agenda . Now , who is it that actually does things that have been called abusive by our society - EVERYONE . No I do not mean that everyone is abusive . I mean that the people who do those things can be anyone . Men , women , children , rich , poor , and middle class , and they can be of any or no religion young or old - anyone can commit abusive acts . If you are a kid , what society calls your actions is bullying , but it is domestic violence too . They will classify you as a bully and bring a world of hurt down on you . If you are a woman who is abusive to your kids , just like the bully , society is looking for you and they will not be nice about it when they find you . If you are a woman who is abusive to your man , well society is not ready for that yet . You can get by and your man will most likely be the one arrested . I know . I found that out in Columbus , Ohio , independently from three law enforcement officers all off the record . But times are changing some organizations are actually accepting the idea that women can physically abuse men . It won 't be long and they will come for you too . I 'm a man and I want to talk with men who do this . But I want you kids and women in our conversation too . This applies to you as well . Hi , I 'm Joe and I do understand you . No I do not abuse people , but my dad and one of my ex - wives did . First I just want to say I know you do not wake up in the morning and say to yourself , " I think I 'm going to be mean to so and so today , " or " I think I 'll go hit so and so today . " I know you don 't do that . You are a good person . I know that sometimes they just don 't know when to quit . I know that . I have people in my life who push me and push me , they just don 't know when to quit . But you know what ? There are probably other people who feel like you about the same person that gets you started . You know what ? Those other people do not hit her . That 's the difference . I know you don 't want to . And even if you have not been arrested yet , there are people who know you hit her . You think no one knows , but you would be surprised who knows , I guarantee it . Today in our world , anyone of them can pick up the phone , call 911 , and you are going to jail . They do not even have to see you hit her . All they have to do is to say they have seen bruises . When that happens all kinds of bad things are going to happen to you . It gets written up in the paper and now everyone who knows you , knows you were arrested for domestic violence . You spend time in jail and now you have to go to court and defend yourself . That means you have to hire a lawyer . Some employers will fire you if you have been arrested for domestic violence . Also , every time you fill out a job application you have to answer " yes " to that question " have you ever been arrested ? " and you have to tell them why . Most employers won 't hire you if they see you have been arrested for domestic violence . And if you are arrested , even if the charges are dropped , you now have an arrest record that will follow you for the rest of your life . You cannot get that erased . If you have not been arrested yet there is a reason why . Because that woman that you hit , she knows you are really a good man and she does not want all those bad things to happen to you . She just wants you to stop hitting her . Also those other people who know what you are doing ? They know you are a good man too . And they do not want to see all those bad things happen to you too . I want you to think about something though . You do not have to tell me , but I just want you to think about this . Remember the first time you hit her and remember the last time you hit her . The last time was worse wasn 't it ? You don 't have to answer . Just think about it . You know what ? Over time , you are going to hurt her even more . It is not your fault , but you can 't help it . One of these times you will hurt her bad enough she will have to go to the hospital . Hospitals look for this now - a - days , and they report it on their own . All those bad things I talked about before ? When that hospital makes that call - every one of them will happen and even more . She can 't stop it . Those friends of yours that know you have been hitting her ? They can 't stop it either . From the moment the cops are called this is where you are headed and no one can stop it . She can tell them she does not want to press charges . But many states now have laws so they can go after you WITHOUT her pressing charges . Here is the kicker . You cannot stop the abuse . Not by yourself , it is not going to happen . I know you think you can . I know how sorry you are after it happens . I know you swear it will never happen again . But you cannot stop yourself . She knows all of this . Those other people that you think do not know - but do know ? They also know all of that . All of them are waiting for just one thing . They are waiting for you to get help . It does not mean you are crazy , it does not mean you are not a man . Actually it means you are a man who is willing to do anything you can for your family . As men we are taught to make sacrifices for our family , to do everything we can for our family . Has your dad or uncles ever told you to " man up , " mine did . They said it as a put down to shame you . But there is no shame in getting help when you need it . When something needs to be done and you are not good at it what do you do ? You go to a professional - no shame . I 'm bad at plumbing . If I do it it is going to cost three times as much . So I call the plumber . This is no different . You do not want to hit her , but you cannot stop on your own . So call a professional . No shame . Just another man doing what he has to for his family just like you always do . If you don 't eventually you will have all those bad things happen to you . I guarantee it . Every day a woman ends up in the hospital or even worse . Not one of those men wanted to do that , but it happens . And if you have drugs or alcohol involved when you become violent you need help even more . I 'm not saying you need to stop drinking ( I won 't comment on drugs ) . Once you go for help they might not even tell you to stop drinking . But you need to stop the abuse . You are a good guy and there are plenty of people who want to help you . They do not want to see anything bad happen to you . And if you do not know anyone to turn too , contact me , I 'll help you , and together we can find someone near you that is a professional ( because I 'm not ) . If you do not know how to contact me , leave a comment asking me to contact you and tell me how to contact you . I have people do that on other topics all the time . No one will know why you want to talk with me and I will keep it secret . You know what ? It probably won 't even cost you anything . Most insurance will pay for it . I know how bad you feel after you hit her . And if she has bruises every time you look at her you are reminded of it . It stinks doesn 't it ? You have no idea how many of us there are that are willing to help you and support you , if you will just take that first step and ask for help . I am not an abuser . I suffered physical and mental abuse as both a child and a spouse . I refuse to call myself a victim of domestic violence . I believe that by calling myself a victim I am enabling those who abuse others . We need to stop the abuse of others . There are still women and children who are physically and mentally abuse every day . But there are also men who are physically and mentally abused every day . However , as I found out , our society has not yet accepted the idea that women can abuse men . Our system has placed laws in place that make it virtually impossible for men to protect themselves from their abusers . This needs to stop as well . by combs2jc | August 16 , 2015 · 12 : 00 am Who Knows YOU May Be The One To Make A Difference ! This year I have had a lot of people come to me with all kinds of problems . I don 't know why I have no certificates or special training . I am just a working stiff like you . But , I try to help people as best I can . This week while listening to another person I remember something that happened when I was with my daughter . Elizabeth ( my daughter ) can be very shy in public or around strangers - dad is not like that . We were walking along one of our favorite places Creekside in Gahanna , Ohio . I saw a man with a tie I admired and I stopped and told him so . Then we went on our way . Our conversation afterwards went like this : J : " It made him happy . It did not cost me any money . It only took a few seconds of my time . And he thanked me for the compliment which was good for you to see someone else with manners . " J : " Well Sweetheart you never know what kind of day that man was having . He could be having a really bad day . And if he is having a bad day , maybe , just maybe , someone giving him a compliment is enough to turn his bad day into a good day . And if he gives someone a compliment and changes that person 's day it could just keep going on and on . So you see giving just one person a compliment can make a whole bunch of people have a good day . Do you understand ? " What my daughter did start doing was telling me when she saw something she liked and I would go and give the compliment . She would stand behind me trying to hide , but she didn 't complain about daddy embarrassing her . What I also noticed was my daughter noticing the smile spread across the other person 's face when I complimented them . What I noticed was the smile that spread across my daughter 's face when she saw the other person smile . You see we cannot bring someone back from the dead , we cannot fix a broken relationship , and we cannot get someone 's job back for them , or stop a foreclosure . But we can bring a smile to someone . And sometimes that smile is just enough to change their day and make the burdens of their day just a little bit lighter . We cannot save the world . But we can help just one person today . And for today , that one person will be enough , just one person for today . If you do that each day , at the end of a year you have helped 365 people . And if each one of those people helps just one person and each of them helps just one person … well you get the idea . We can 't save the world . There is going to be hunger and disease , there will be nuclear weapons and wars , there will be hate and terrorists , none of those things will go away no matter what anyone tells you . But if you help just one person you come into contact with you make the world around you better . As we all make the world around us better what we do is to lessen the influence of all the bad things in the world . In recycling the slogan is " Think globally , act locally . " That works here . So , if you are tired of the hate in the world , the hunger and poverty . If you are tired of the terrorists and the haters in the world . Do something about it today . Today help just one person . Today give just one person a compliment . Today help just one person cross the street . Today help just one person get a good meal . You can 't change the whole world . But you can change the world of just one person today . And changing the world of just one person may not seem like much to you . But to that one person you help it might just be a life changing event . And even if it isn 't … what did it cost you ? Maybe 15 seconds or at the most maybe 2 or 3 minutes ? In one day you have 86 , 400 second or 1 , 440 minutes . So , maybe those few seconds or couple of minutes really aren 't that much out of your day . What do you think ? I already helped my person today . What about you ? ( I think I 'm going to squeeze in a second person today . You know what they say " Every day of the week and twice on Sunday . " ) by combs2jc | August 9 , 2015 · 12 : 00 am A Walk in the Forest At the Writers Guild a couple of weeks ago we had a writing exercise . A one word prompt & 15 minutes to write 250 words . Here is mine . David didn 't know what he was going to do . They were out in the middle of a forest and Lisa now lay on the ground maybe dying . How was he supposed to know she was allergic to bees or that they would stumble upon a swarm of them in the middle of the trail ? Fortunately he was able to get her away from the bees to relative safety . He laid her down on her back her head slightly elevated . But she was unresponsive . He needed some way of getting help . The phone would be of no use and they had not seen anyone in over an hour . He decided to walk an ever expanding circle around Lisa . He didn 't want to go too far from her . But he needed to get her help as soon as possible . He walked as far from Lisa as he felt safe . He saw no people or anything he felt would get them help . Maybe he would see something from a tree top . He chose the tallest tree near Lisa and began his climb . Near the top of the tree he spotted something . He saw a ranger station close enough he could make out the windows in the top of the tower . He needed to contact them somehow . David thought better when he smoked . Pulling out his Zippo and cigarettes he realized he had the answer in his hand . He angled the lighter to reflect the sun at the ranger station . He flashed SOS . I have an historical fiction series that takes place in the Gilded Age . You know that period of time before World War One . I want you to read the first book and tell me what the series should be called . I have a title for the first book ( I 'll tell you later ) , but I need a title for the series . The story is about a young German aristocrat who is the black sheep of the family . Tired of his playboy ways , his family disowns him leaving him with no money and no place to turn . He becomes a spy for Germany to continue to live the lifestyle he has become accustom to ( plus it will anger his family even further having a spy for an EX - son ) . Erik could feel a gun pressed firmly into his back . He froze with fear . What was happening to him ? Erik didn 't know it now , but that gun was the crossroads that changed the rest of his life - forever . Ten minutes earlier his train had stopped at the station . He stepped off the train looking around for the porter 's office . Erik stepped from the porter 's office at the train station towards where the cabs awaited fares . He had made arrangements for his baggage to be taken home . Now he was looking for the family motor car . Wolfe waited him at the end of the long line of cabs . He walked briskly to the door Wolfe held open for him . Erik smiled at Wolfe , he was thinking of the tour of Europe he had just completed . He counted it as very successful though he was sure his father would be furious . Although that was a comparative description , it simply meant his father 's mustache might twitch . Always aware of their station , his father was excessively restrained . Erik did as he was told . The stranger entered the motor car after him and Wolfe shut the door . As Wolfe was taking his seat behind the wheel Erik turned to look at the man who entered his car behind him . It was at this moment the man behind Erik put a bag over Erik 's head . Erik started to resist and the man behind him grabbed him in powerful arms wrapped around his chest . The first man spoke again . The second man put a blackjack back inside his coat and sat against the seat back . Hans let go of his grip on Erik and leaned him back against the seat between them . Hans handcuffed Erik 's hands in front of him before leaning back in his seat . The two men sat quietly for the rest of the trip . Wolfe drove to a rough side of town . Each block they passed was in more need of repair than the one before it . After a few minutes even the prostitutes were not on the streets . The motor car pulled into a large lot beside a large dilapidated warehouse , Wolfe parked the motor car at the corner door of the warehouse . Wolfe stayed in the motor car with the engine running while the two men lifted Erik out of the motor car and carried him toward the warehouse . " Oh shut up . Are you afraid of a little work ? Quit your complaining , we are paid well , aren 't we ? He is easy to handle , he is not struggling , and we do not have to listen to his arrogant mouth . " Otto grabbed Erik under both arms while Hans walked to the door . Hans opened the door and stepped back revealing a dark interior with what looked like a pinpoint of light directly across from the door on the far side of a large empty space . Hans grabbed Erik 's feet and followed Otto inside the warehouse . They carried their burden to the far side of the warehouse where the single light was sitting on a table . They set Erik in the lone chair by the table and tied his hands behind his back and feet to the chair legs . Hans walked back across the warehouse and shut the door . As soon as the door was shut Otto turned up the wick on the kerosene lamp that sat on the table . Otto stood in front of Erik with his hands on his hips looking at Erik . Hans walked up and stood beside Otto . Hans did as he was told . Otto stood looking at Erik for a minute . He was slumped against his restraints with his head on his chest . Otto took Erik 's chin in his hand and lifted it . Then he slapped Erik in the face a few times with his other hand to arouse him . Startled , Erik woke up . He jerked his chin out of Otto 's hand and looked around at his surroundings . Then he looked up at Otto , anger and determination filled his face and eyes . Otto stepped back from Erik taking off his coat and laying it across the table , and then he began rolling up the sleeves of his shirt . He sat his derby hat on the table on top of the coat , and dropped his suspenders off his shoulders letting them hang by his legs . Then he raised his left hand and pumped his right fist into the open palm . Without warning , Otto delivered a quick jab to Erik 's stomach . Catching Erik by surprise , the blow knocked the wind out of him . He lurched as far forward as the ropes would let him gasping for air and coughing . Otto backhanded Erik with his left hand , laughing in his face . " You do not listen too well , do you boy ? But then if you did you would not be here now . Would you , boy ? Well , I am going to see if I can smarten you up a little bit . Maybe your daddy should have done this to you a little more when you were growing up . " With that Otto struck Erik again , this time with a powerful punch to the jaw . Erik 's head whipped to his right and a small line of blood appeared on his lip . He quickly looked up at his tormentor . Otto hit him again , this time to the chest . After the first two punches Otto began to pull his blows . The boss did say to rough him up , but not to hurt him . He was just a kid , and a privileged one at that . Otto was afraid of hurting Erik if he hit him full force . The beating went on for about another twenty minutes with banter going back and forth between Erik and his attacker . Erik could not image what this was all about , except maybe one of his dalliances during his trip . But , these men looked German , like himself . Of course they were probably just hired thugs . Behind him , Erik heard a door open followed by footsteps across the floor . Hans stepped around the table and stood behind Otto . Otto stepped back and hastily put his hat and coat back on . He bowed slightly at the waist putting his hand to his derby while backing up into Hans . The man did not say anything , but walked up behind Erik and hit him with a gloved open palm across the back of his head . Erik turned his head trying to see who this third man was . But , the man moved back and forth sideways avoiding Erik 's gaze . Then the new comer motioned for Otto to continue . Otto took off his hat and coat again , throwing them haphazardly on the table this time . After a few more blows the man held up his hand for Otto to stop . Then he walked around in front of Erik , standing in the light of the kerosene lantern so that Erik could get a good look at him . The baron stood his with feet a shoulder 's width apart . He raised his hands and began to take off his leather gloves , loosening them by pulling at the finger tips one at a time . When he had removed his gloves , he held them both in his right hand and slowly drew them through his fisted left hand . Then the baron dropped his hands to his side and looked back up at his son . He studied his son 's face for a moment before he spoke . Erik simply sat in shock , realizing his father was responsible for his treatment . The slap to the back of his head was the first time in his twenty - two years that his father had ever struck him . " For years we have tolerated your behavior . We 've even tried to straighten you out . That trip was supposed to be your introduction to the family business . Not your opportunity to sample the decadence of other countries ! " Erik lowered his head . He had never seen his father like this , and he would have never imagined his father would have had him kidnapped and beaten . He could not believe this was happening to him . The baron looked down on his son with a twitching mustache , quivering lower lip , and wild eyes . He clenched his fists and then began striking his open palm with the gloves he held tightly in his right hand . The baron struck his son full force with his gloves across the face . Erik 's head whipped to his right , his cheek immediately becoming red . The stinging on his face almost brought tears to Erik 's eyes , he gritted his teeth determined not to cry . He would not give his father the satisfaction . " You are no longer my son . You will not return to our home ever again . If you cannot learn to be responsible with our guidance then you will learn on your own in destitution . " " Wolfe will take you two men wherever you need to go . You are to leave this disgrace here . Untie him , but give him no assistance whatsoever . Do you understand ? " The baron turned abruptly , without even a glance at his son , and walked from the warehouse . Otto stood looking down on Erik without saying anything . He waited until the baron had left the warehouse and the door had shut before he spoke . Erik sat looking at Otto the whole time , showing no emotion and not taking his eyes off of Otto . Hans stepped around Otto and spoke first . " We cannot leave him here . He would never survive to the end of the block . The boss would have never told us to do that . The boss would have at least told us to take the kid back to the train station , " Otto said . Otto relaxed his stance while Hans walked around behind Erik to untie his hands . After Hans untied Erik 's hands he stood up behind the chair . Erik began rubbing his wrists . Hans walked to the front of the chair and squatted down to untie Erik 's legs . Erik sat rubbing his wrists , looking up at Otto . He did not know what the big man had in store for him . But , for now he decided he would behave himself while waiting to see what they would do . Hans finished untying Erik and stood up behind the chair . Otto and Erik locked eyes for a few seconds before Otto spoke . Erik stood up , still rubbing his wrists . Otto motioned Hans toward the door . The three men started walking single file to the door with Erik in the middle . Hans opened the door and the three men walked out into the cool night air . Wolfe was standing by the motor car . Otto motioned Hans and Erik inside the motor car . Otto walked over to Wolfe and laid his big paw on Wolfe 's shoulder . Both men climbed into the motor car . Erik sat between his captors in the back . Hans started to put the hood back onto Erik , but Erik balked , jerking his head back . Erik dropped his head forward again . Hans put the hood over Erik 's head and then both men sat back in their seats . Otto leaned forward to tap Wolfe on the shoulder . Wolfe pulled out of the warehouse lot and started driving back to the train station . The drive back to the station was quiet and seemed longer . It gave Erik a chance to think about what had just happened . His father had threatened to disown him before , but he had never actually disowned him . His father had never struck him before either . He would wait until he was back at the station and plan his next move . One thing he knew , whatever he did , he would be on his own . Erik knew when they were approaching the station because the motor car slowed , and then turned into the station . When they arrived at the station the cabs were all gone . Wolfe pulled up to the side and stopped the motor car . Otto pulled the hood off of Erik and then stepped out and held the door for Erik . Erik climbed out of the backseat and stood in front of Otto staring at him . Otto sat back down in the motor car . He tapped Wolfe on the shoulder while he closed the door . Wolfe pulled away . Erik stood in the same spot , watching the motor car until it turned a corner and he could not see it any more . After the motor car was gone he doubled over in pain , dropping to the ground , a grimace sweeping across his face . He did not have to be a doctor to know that Otto broke ribs on his left side . There was just no way he was going to let those thugs know they hurt him . He decided to stay at the station . When the morning train came through the cabs would come back , and he could take one to a doctor . He knew he would not sleep much , if at all . He did not really think his ribs were broken . He probably just cracked one or two . But , God he had never had pain like this . Of course Erik had never cracked a bone before , much less broken one , so he did not have anything to compare his pain too . Besides , the time alone at the train station would give him time to decide what he was going to do after the doctor 's office . Erik walked up to the boarding platform and sat down on one of the benches for waiting passengers . He replayed the entire evening in his mind for a while . Then he started making plans for what he would do . He did have degrees in engineering and medicine . He was not a doctor , but there were still ways to put his education to work for him . First though he would have to go to the doctor . If he did hurt a rib , instead of just bruising one , he would need to get his chest wrapped . Then he would have to find suitable accommodations for himself . As Erik sat thinking about his future he fell asleep and began dreaming about his conquests during his six month trip on family business . His dream eventually took him back to the warehouse from the previous evening . Suddenly a pair of rough hands grabbed Erik , yanking him up right on the bench he had fallen asleep on . In Erik 's mind this was still part of the dream , he was groggy and having a hard time waking up . When a large man took a step back from him and spoke . He had Erik 's full , wide - awake attention . Erik started to leap up when another arm , this one behind him , reached around his chest pulling him back to the bench . It was not the hand on his chest that stopped him . It was the other hand that was holding a very sharp knife at his throat . The first man opened Erik 's jacket and was looking in his pockets when he saw a hand come down on top of the man 's head and knock him out . The attack on the first man was immediately followed by the second man dropping his knife and the other hand losing its grip on him . Erik whipped around and looked into the face of his rescuer . The two men went out to the front of the station where Wilhelm 's motor car was waiting on him . The driver opened the door and Wilhelm stepped back to let Erik enter first . Erik started to get in , then paused and looked into the back seat first . Then , smiling over his shoulder at his friend he climbed in . During the ride to Wilhelm 's house Erik told him about everything that had happened . When they arrived , Wilhelm sent his driver for a doctor . The two college friends sat sipping brandy until the doctor arrived . The doctor examined Erik in the guest room . When the doctor was finished both men rejoined Wilhelm . " Not a problem , he is my guest . He can stay here as long as he needs to . My man will take you back . Thank you , Doctor . " The driver and the doctor left the room leaving Wilhelm and Erik alone again . Wilhelm handed Erik a fresh brandy . Erik felt the warmth of the brandy through the glass of the brandy snifter . He held the snifter up to his nose while breathing in the refreshing aroma . The texture of the leather chair he sat in felt inviting after his experience at the train station . Erik could have sat here with his brandy all night . " First thing in the morning we will get you to your bank so you can withdraw your money . Then we will come back here so you can rest . When you feel better , we will find you some place suitable . " The next morning both men were up bright and early . They had a quick breakfast , and then they left to go to the bank . When they arrived at the bank the car let Erik out at the front entrance and then drove to wait at the corner . Erik walked into the bank and went straight to the vice president 's office . The door was open and he paused in the doorway before being welcomed in . The vice president rose from his chair when Erik walked into the office . By the time he broke the news to Erik he was at the door closing it . The discussion became heated , but the door muffled their voices so that no one in the bank could hear what was being said . Minutes after the door closed Erik emerged stern faced and walking briskly out of the bank . He looked down the street at the car . As Erik walked to the car a man in the street wearing a long grey coat and soft hat was bent down at the rear window and then abruptly started walking away . Erik tried to get a look at the man 's face , but he never looked in Erik 's direction . As he approached the car the driver stepped out and opened the rear door for Erik . He climbed into the backseat and the driver closed the door , took his place behind the wheel , and began to join the traffic on the street . During the drive home Erik told Wilhelm everything that had happened in the bank . Wilhelm told Erik not to worry about it . He thought he could find suitable employment for him tomorrow . The two arrived back at Wilhelm 's home and went to the study to drink and smoke cigars while waiting on lunch . After lunch they spent the rest of the afternoon in the study reminiscing about college while enjoying a couple more rounds of brandy and cigars . The next morning both men rose early and met in the study again before breakfast . They both had tea while waiting for breakfast . Erik was feeling worse today than he did yesterday . He also noticed bruises while he was shaving this morning . Either he had not noticed them yesterday morning , or they were worse today . " It is something that is well suited for someone in our status and culture . You will see , travel , good pay , and a bit of excitement from time to time as well . You will be good at it and you will enjoy it . " The two men engaged in small talk as they ate . Wilhelm picked up the morning paper from the table and started scanning it while they talked . He held the paper , folded in half , in one hand . Wilhelm held up his hand for Erik to stop for a minute . He took the paper in both hands and began intently reading it . Wilhelm lowered the paper slightly , looking over the top at Erik for a moment . He folded the paper into fourths with the lower left corner on top . He reached across the table , turning the paper around so Erik could read it as he passed the paper to him . Erik took the paper , his mouth slightly open , his eyebrows scrunched up together , and his eyes widening slightly . He took the paper in his right hand and began to read . After a few moments he gripped the paper in both hands . Then he flipped the paper open to see the headlines across the top just before he dropped the paper over his plate . " What is that ? That wasn 't me ! They told me my father closed my account the day before and then asked me to leave . I did not even see anything that looked like a robbery . It must have happened after I left ! " The servant left and then moments later entered with the man . The man was dressed in a long grey coat and soft hat . He walked up and stood behind Wilhelm without saying a word . Wilhelm addressed him without turning around . Erik did as he was told , his mouth agape , eyes wide . He tried to speak , but no words came out . He could not believe this . He was being arrested for a bank robbery he did not commit , and his best friend from college is the one who called the police on him . Erik was still trying to talk when he felt the cold steel of the handcuffs as they locked around his wrists . The inspector grabbed him and roughly turned Erik around . Finally Erik found his voice while looking at the inspector with indignation and surprise . Erik could not believe what was happening to him . As they approached the front the butler opened the door and bid the inspector good day . The inspector roughly pulled Erik down the steps to a horse - drawn police wagon . Another officer was standing by the back holding the door open . The inspector roughly tossed Erik in the back and the other officer slammed the door shut . Erik fell on his face and chest . He struggled to his knees just as the wagon started forward with a jolt , dropping him on his face again . He struggled back to his knees and then onto the narrow bench that ran down the side of the wagon . He sat on the bench , hunched over so his head would not bump the roof . Erik began to go over the past couple of days in his head . He was kidnapped and beaten up , disowned by his family , almost robbed at knife point , all of his money taken and his accounts closed , and wrongly arrested for robbing a bank . If that was not bad enough , it was his own friend who turned him over to the police ! This was all a bad nightmare . That was the only plausible explanation . It had to be . Tomorrow he would wake up in his own bed and tell his mother about the horrible dream he had . The wagon stopped with a jolt . Erik was just struggling to his knees when the door opened and the second police officer grabbed him by his ankle and yanked him out of the wagon . He fell on the ground , only to be grabbed by his arm and roughly yanked to his feet . They entered the police station where Erik was chained to a bench . The inspector began processing paperwork on Erik 's arrest and incarceration . When he was finished he walked around a big wooden desk to Erik . He unchained him from the bench and took him down a long hallway of jail cells . The inmates of the other cells whistled and yelled catcalls at Erik as he was led past them . The inspector pushed Erik into an empty cell , spun him around , and took the handcuffs off . Then he pushed Erik back into the cell where he fell on his back . The inspector slammed the door shut and clasped the bars in both hands . " Don 't think you are getting special treatment , because you are not . If I put you in with those other animals you will never make it to trial , that 's all , and nothing more . You young kids with the silver spoons in your mouths think everyone owes you . We owe you time in prison for what you did , or a rope around your neck if that bank teller dies . " Then the inspector was gone . He sat up on the floor , pulled his knees up and sat with his head on his knees . He felt like crying , but he could not do that in front of the scum in the cells around him . They were still calling out to him . They would not shut up and leave him alone . There were no windows in his cell . There were bars on one side of his cell and the other sides were grimy bricks . The only light came from a kerosene lantern hanging from the ceiling of the hallway . Erik had no friends , no family , and no money . He had no idea what he was going to do . His life was over and he was not even twenty - three years old yet . He kept trying to think of some way to defend himself against the charges . But , the only way he could defend himself was with the testimony of the people at the bank . They already said he robbed the bank , so he would have to get them to change their testimony or go to prison . He could not even bribe them , he had no money . With the right lawyer he could get out , but again , he had no money . While Erik was trying desperately to find some way of getting himself out of the fix he was in Wilhelm was with the inspector . The two men were in the inspector 's cramped office . The office was small , one table that served as a desk , two chairs a trash can , paperwork everywhere , and one dirty window . Wilhelm stood , reached across the table and took back the business card he had given the inspector earlier . Emblazoned across the top of the card was a doubled - headed eagle . The only other thing on the card were Wilhelm 's full name and an address and office room number at a government office building with a phone number . " Yes , Inspector , even as we speak everything is being handled in the prosecutor 's office . This is of the utmost importance to His Majesty the Kaiser . As such I must ask you to speak not a word of it to anyone . Later today a man similar to young Herr Straus will be transferred here and you shall hold him for the robbery . You will list Herr Straus 's imprisonment as a case of mistaken identity . " At that Wilhelm reached his hand out to shake hands with the inspector . When he pulled his hand back there was a roll of bills in the inspector 's hand , which he quickly put into his pocket . The inspector opened the door and the two men walked down the hallway leading to Erik 's cell . Erik stood up and saw Wilhelm . He said nothing . He had no idea what Wilhelm wanted , but Wilhelm was the reason he was in this cell . He did not know what he wanted but he was sure it was not good . He stepped back and placed his back against the wall , watching Wilhelm enter his cell . The inspector shut the door behind him . With that the inspector was gone . Wilhelm walked over to the bed . He could see why Straus chose the dirty floor to sit on . The bed was worse , but Wilhelm sat down anyway . " I understand why you think that . But you need to listen to me . I can take care of all of this and you can walk out of here with me - a free man . " Voicing Violence Award " Your comments have encouraged , inspired , and overall put a smile on my face . 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