The Answer: C (Bc+X +/-) = Cm

By Hugo D. Menendez

This book by Mr. Menendez is a complete departure from his previous books. His prior works, though written as fiction, did in fact chronicle investigations that he had conducted both in the federal and private sectors. These cases were successfully litigated in the federal court for the southern district of Florida. Mr. Menendez maintains his unique style of storytelling; however, this book is a completely fictional story. The story line will keep the reader transfixed and guessing as to what the conclusion will be. While reading the story, the reader will constantly wonder what the answer is.

Dr. Harold Steiner is an internationally recognized researcher who, together with other renown researchers, set out to answer the question which scientists have pondered through the years. What is the reason why some individuals, in rare occasions, become a genius? The question is, why is a genius a genius?

Dr. Steiner, as the main researcher and project director for the Genius Project, spent over ten years researching this question. By accident, as often occurs in science, he makes a discovery, and at first, he does not understand the enormous implication of what he has discovered. He came to realize his discovery could alter the balance of power in the world if improperly utilized. If utilized with the intent of helping the human race, it could help in curing many types of mental illnesses.

He and his fellow researchers preferred risking death rather than allowing this discovery to fall in the hands of the intelligence community of nations.

His final act was to place upon the shoulders of his son and daughter-in- law the responsibility for the future course of this discovery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514482896

Hugo D. Menendez

(to follow)

Book preview

THE ANSWER

C (BC+X +/-) = CM

What man can conceive, he can accomplish

Hugo D. Menendez

Copyright © 2016 by Hugo D. Menendez.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016905654

ISBN:   Hardcover              978-1-5144-8291-9

              Softcover               978-1-5144-8290-2

              eBook                    978-1-5144-8289-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover design by Hugo D. Menendez.

Rev. date: 04/12/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

739592

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Foreword

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Epilogue

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Courage is not a commodity, it is rare quality found in a few men who seem to know no fear. Hugo Menendez is such a man. He looked evil in the eye and it blinked. He is a part of the history of this nation’s effort to rein in abuse of its labor laws by union bosses. To see the future is to understand what went on before.

Errol Bader, Former Director of Associated

Builders and Contractors (ABC)

Author of the novel GEOCACHE

On January 22, 1987, during the first session of the 100th congress, SENATOR LAWTON CHILES read into the congressional record the professional career of Mr. Menendez. His statement reads in part … Hugo organized a highly trained team of accountants and investigators who uncovered extortion, union management payoffs, theft from union funds and pension and benefit plan funds and pension and benefit plan rip-offs. His leadership and guidance led to convictions in numerous racketeering cases involving the highest ranking labor racketeers in the country … . In 1984 through 1986 he received the ultimate accolade from his Nation by virtue of a Presidential appointment to the President’s Commission on Organized Crime.

Hugo Menendez worked for me with the U. S. Labor Department, Office of Labor Management Services Administration. He was promoted to state supervisor of the agency. He was later transferred to the U.S. Department of Justice Organized Crime Strike Force as supervisor. He later was promoted to Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Organized Crime and Labor Racketeering. Mr. Menendez was responsible for the prosecution and conviction of corrupt labor leaders and organized crime individual l Nationwide. His tenacity and knowledge of labor and criminal law was responsible for his very successful career in law enforcement nationwide. His tenacity and knowledge of labor and criminal law was responsible for his very successful career in law enforcement.

Carl C. Crouch,

Former State Director for the U. S. Department of Labor, Labor

Management Services Administration

HUGO MENENDEZ A former teacher, for crying out loud! I’d heard that refrain from every mobster Hugo put away behind bars. And, I had a front row seat, since I got to prosecute most of the criminals he nabbed. Hugo was relentless, smart and inventive. Once Hugo was on your tail, you might as well give up the ghost. Whether it was the Laborers, the Operating Engineers or the Teamsters, Hugo pursued organized crime and labor racketeering with a passion. He was unflappable and incorruptible. His skill ran the gamut from meticulously sorting through thousands of records to find embezzlement and kickbacks to chasing down witnesses who no one else could convince to talk, and somehow enticing them to spill the beans. Yet, he was scrupulously fair, and, when the facts led him to a conclusion he always followed the facts, no matter whose ox was being gored. I had the distinct privilege and honor to see Hugo in action for the bulk of his career. He was my colleague and my friend, and I was all the better for it.

Marty Steinberg

Attorney

Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP

Former Assistant U. S. Attorney, Prosecuting Organized Crime cases

Former Chief Counsel for the U. S. Senate

DEDICATION

This book, as my previous three, was written as a result of my wife Cleo’s encouragement that I write a book about my many varied experiences while working for the Federal Government as well as my experiences as Secretary of Labor for the State of Florida and as a licensed private investigator.

When we were but mere children, she saw in me a potential that I was not aware of. If it had not been for her encouragement to be all I could be and her support, often times sacrificing her own potential, my career would have probably been that of a stock clerk at a local super market. She is my hero and was always the wind beneath my wings.

I thank Cleo for her encouragement and faith in me. My deepest regret is that she is not here to read the books that I have written as a result of her love, encouragement and faith in me.

FOREWORD

This book by Mr. Menendez is a complete departure from his previous books. His prior works, though written as fiction, did in fact chronicle investigations that he had conducted both in the Federal and private sectors. These cases were successfully litigated in the Federal Court for the southern district of Florida. Mr. Menendez maintains his unique style of storytelling however, this book is a completely fictional story. The story line will keep the reader transfixed and guessing as to what the conclusion will be. While reading the story, the reader will constantly wonder what the ANSWER is.

Dr. Harold Steiner, an internationally recognized researcher, who together with other renown researchers set out to answer the question which scientist have pondered through the years. What is the reason why some individuals, in rare occasions, become a genius? The question is why is a Genius a Genius?

Dr. Steiner as the main researcher and project director for the Genius Project spent over ten years researching this question.

By accident as often occurs in Science, he makes a discovery which at first he does not understand the enormous implication of what he has discovered. He came to realize his discovery could alter the balance of power in the world if improperly utilized. If utilized with the intent of helping the human race, it could help in curing many types of mental illnesses.

He and his fellow researchers preferred risking death rather than allowing this discovery to fall in the hands of the Intelligence community of nations.

His final act was to place upon the shoulders of his son and daughter-in-law the responsibility for the future course of this discovery.

THE ANSWER

C ( BC + X +/-) = C M

CHAPTER 1

V an Ayers walks at a brisk pace through the Princeton University campus. He is on his way for an appointment with Dr. Harold Steiner at the Science Building. Dr. Steiner has been a professor of his for several of his doctoral courses and is also his advisor for his doctoral studies. Van knew Dr. Steiner is the type of person who places a lot of emphasis on promptness. He followed a strict schedule and did not like to be left waiting. It was Van’s intention to arrive at Dr. Steiner’s office ahead of the scheduled appointment.

This was a very important meeting for Van. Dr. Steiner besides having been his professor and doctoral advisor, he was also responsible for making the determination if Van’s dissertation would meet the necessary empirical requirements for presentation to Princeton’s Doctoral committee. Van was majoring in Theoretical Physics with a minor in Nuclear Science. Van was very aware that if Dr. Steiner approved his dissertation for presentation to the Doctoral Committee, it was almost a given the committee would approve it and he would be conferred his Doctor of Philosophy Degree during the June graduation.

Van had a lot of respect for Dr. Steiner. Dr. Steiner was a brilliant man and had a world renowned reputation for his research projects. Van had assisted him during the current research Dr. Steiner was engaged in. He assisted Matt Bacalis, a doctoral student and lab assistant, in filing, transcribing and labeling documents and material relative to the research. The project was mammoth and at times they needed him to assist with the clerical duties.

Van arrived at the Science Building about ten minutes prior to the appointment time. He entered the building, took the steps down to the basement level where Dr. Steiner’s office and laboratory were located. He made the turn towards the hallway which led to the office. Van entered and noticed that Dr. Steiner was not in the office. He assumed Dr. Steiner was in his laboratory. Van took a seat and waited a few minutes until his appointment time before disturbing Dr. Steiner in the laboratory. Van quietly entered the laboratory in case Dr. Steiner was in the middle of something so as not to startle him. Upon entering something caught his peripheral vision. He looked to his left and saw Dr. Steiner on the floor. He rushed to him. As he bent down to check on him he realized Dr. Steiner was dead. His face had been beaten. He had a huge gash across his head and it appeared as if he had been hit hard with something very heavy. There was blood everywhere. His hands and feet were tied. A laboratory towel had been placed in his mouth.

Van ran out into the hallway and began to scream for help. Other students and professors responded to his call. Someone called Security and an ambulance. In no time, the police and medical personnel arrived.

It was hard for Van to think with the image of Dr. Steiner’s face still fresh in his mind. He tried to answer the questions the Campus Security and Princeton Police were asking. Van explained to them how it came about that he had come to see Dr. Steiner and how he had found him on the floor of the lab. After what seemed to be hours, Van was allowed to leave. The Police told him they may need to ask him more questions at a later time.

The President of Princeton University was advised by the Police about what had transpired and advised him it was a homicide. He in turn called Dr. Steiner’s son, Dr. Harold Steiner Junior. to give him the sad news about his father.

Junior found himself with a heavy heart as he entered his father’s office at Princeton. Looking at his wife Jessica, he saw the sadness etched on her face as well realizing she was feeling much the same as he was. They had come to start cleaning out his father’s office.

His father, Dr. Harold Steiner Sr., had worked as a researcher and professor at Princeton University for over 20 years. During his tenure, he participated in many research projects both as the head researcher as well as an assistant to other professor’s research projects. Dr. Steiner had a worldwide reputation as a researcher in the fields of cellular science, anatomy, DNA and chemistry. His office was located in the basement of one of the older buildings at Princeton University. In fact, he occupied one of the offices that Dr. Einstein had occupied when he had worked on the Manhattan project which was the code name for the development of the Atomic bomb.

Junior could not believe nor accept the fact that his father had been brutally murdered in his laboratory on the Princeton campus. Not only had he been murdered, but the autopsy performed indicated that he had been tortured prior to his dying. Junior had no idea why this had happened to a man who as far as he knew had no enemies.

The Princeton Police Department as well as the Campus Police Department did not attribute the murder to a theft attempt even though two old Apple computers and several notebooks used by his father to record administrative information were taken. The notebooks did not contain any research data since this type of information is never left in the open for anyone to see or take.

In the laboratory there were very expensive pieces of equipment such as a modern electronic microscope and a special tissue slicer used for analyzing tissue samples. The slicer provides an extremely thin slice of tissue which is required for viewing the tissue sample with the electron microscope. Just the slicer would have sold in the black market for over $50,000.00. The electron microscope was worth several hundred thousand of dollars. The slicer could have been easily removed from the premise however; the electron microscope would have presented a problem moving it.

The savage murder of his father made no sense to Junior or his wife Jessica. They wondered if the crime had been perpetrated by some current or former deranged student. Junior and Jessica thought maybe Dr. Steiner had caused a student to be dropped from the doctoral program or had not given him or her opportunity to work with his father. In his or her deranged mind the perpetrator decided to torture and murders his father. They kept urging the police to look into the possibility that the perpetrator was a student.

CHAPTER 2

C leaning the office was going very slow. Their heart was not in it.

Junior said to Jessica, I just cannot focus on this. Dad was here so many years this is a bit overwhelming and difficult to know where to begin the packing. I just keep thinking of him dying in the lab and wondering who could have done such an awful thing to him.

Jessica set down the box she was holding and came over to Junior. She put her arms around him and said, I know this is really tough on you. Twenty years of work and memories are in this office however, as much as it may pain us, we have to get it done. Maybe we can find some clue as we pack which might give us an idea as to why he was murdered. I know there were times when you and your father were not as close as you used to be. Both of you were busy working on your own research projects. I know that he shared some information with you regarding his current research project. Maybe this project has something to do with his murder.

Junior shook his head in agreement and determination lit his eyes. He said, "I know, my dad and I have been busy these last few years and he did