Goyim Go Home: Divine Sparks

By George W. Barclay Jr.

Sequel to BUDDHA WEPT and the TREASURE OF AQUASCALIENTES. It is mystery-action, adventure, that shows not tells, Global Comparative Religions and Classical Mythology to Anthropolog Students and faculty of the University of Saint Nicholas on their tour of Assisi, Rome, Naples, Sicily, Greece, Turkey, Israel, and Palestine. Devine’ sovers Sandra’s practice. Maria and Derek fly to Rio and Buenas Aires on business before meeting the USN tour in Cario.

WARNING: Contains violence, profanity, and erotic sex. NOT FOR DUMMIES. All of Dr. Barclay’s books are sequels. Characters, plots, and settings carry over from book to book. The Professors are experts in their field and their lectures are up to date and cutting edge (2008). GWBJ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 24, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440131851

George W. Barclay Jr.

Dr. George W. Barclay Jr. is retired Beaumont Cardiologist. He writes adventure, mystery, science fiction and metaphysics. This is his twenty-sixth novel. He is graduate of Texas AM and Southwestern Medical School (MD FACC).

Book preview

Contents

FORWARD

LIST OF MAJOR CHARACTERS

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

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 37

CHAPTER 38

CHAPTER 39

CHAPTER 40

CHAPTER 41

CHAPTER 42

CHAPTER 43

CHAPTER 44

CHAPTER 45

CHAPTER 46

CHAPTER 47

CHAPTER 48

CHAPTER 49

CHAPTER 50

CHAPTER 51

CHAPTER 52

CHAPTER 53

CHAPTER 54

CHAPTER 55

CHAPTER 56

CHAPTER 57

CHAPTER 58

CHAPTER 59

CHAPTER 60

CHAPTER 61

CHAPTER 62

CHAPTER 63

CHAPTER 64

CHAPTER 65

CHAPTER 66

CHAPTER 67

CHAPTER 68

CHAPTER 69

CHAPTER 70

CHAPTER 71

CHAPTER 72

CHAPTER 73

CHAPTER 74

CHAPTER 75

FORWARD

Freud studied Plato’s writings and Oedipus Rex. Plato said reason would triumph over greed and passion. No! No! Freud said sex was the cause of everybody’s problems. Ovid agreed! When Pandora opened her magic box, all the evils flew out.

When a human gets sexually excited, his frontal lobes are overwhelmed, and it builds up and up until the mid brain takes over and the frontal lobes completely shut down. The primitive brain starts to discharge. Time stands still. Past and future don’t exist, and finally when he is about to scream with pleasure, orgasm occurs. It only last for a few seconds, but it is ecstasy.

Eros Zenovenusetti PhD

Fiction is a creative experience having little to do with facts and logic. Man created God in his own image.

The storyteller and mythology have existed since Homo sapiens gathered around a communal fire, experienced dreams, and discovered their shadow.

TRUTH invites skepticism outside one’s own culture. No two people are exactly alike.

Scientific proofs of origins and evolution rejected by today’s generation will be taught as facts by the next.

Christy Isaac PhD

Skepticism and seeking truth are the way to salvation.

Aristotle Plotinus PhD

LIST OF MAJOR CHARACTERS

CHAPTER 1

Houston, Texas

Sunday, November 12, 1993

Temp 87˚, Sunny

Jesus Muhammad and Dr. Al Medhi descended from heaven.

The loudspeakers at the Shiite Baptist Mosque called AL-LAHU AKBAR! AL-LAHU AKBAR.

Accept no other but AL-LAH and be baptized!

The Shiite Baptist accepted Jesus, Muhammad, Moses, and Abraham as prophets and offered baptism to replace circumcision and insure immortality.

AL-LAH in English means the God. Muhammad claimed no other AL-LAH but AL-LAH. The Shiite Baptist were fundamentalist and combined belief in AL-LAH with Baptism.

*                    *                    *

Maria, Peter and Maggie flew back to Houston empty handed. The Matigwa treasure was still there.

*                    *                    *

Sandra and Tisha stood on the west balcony of Hotel Roma and watched the sun go down over the Tiber River, ancient Rome, and Ostium.

Saint Peter’s, the Coliseum, and ruins of the wall and moat were visible on the other side.

*                    *                    *

Devine’ and Opal met for dinner at the Professional Club in North Park. Sandra was in the Holy Land, and Dirk was in Mexico. Devine’ had Sandra’s practice and carried a list.

Neither belonged to the Professional Club. Opal borrowed Bill Riley DA’s card and invited Deviné. They were meeting socially.

I brought my list, and I want to pick your brain.

Okay, replied Opal. Do you want to go with me out to the university at noon while Sandra is gone? She’s part of the faculty.

Sure! She didn’t mention it, but the three of us, Sandra, Anthony, and I are on retainer as legal counsels. What’s the big deal?

The lectures are in Barclay Theater for faculty and post graduates, all up-to-date and cutting edge.

*                    *                    *

After the atomic blast over Teotihuacan, and the loss of Hugo Chavez the civil war wound down in Mexico. The Communists and revolutionaries went home.

Nationalist had lost 30,000 and were down to 100,000 troops, and the insurgents had lost 4 million, mostly indigents.

U.S. Congress passed a bill to build a twenty feet concrete fence along the border to keep the illegals out of the USA, and President Clinton signed. Good fences make good neighbors!

Mexico only lost 4 million, and their birthrate is 4%. What they lost in riff-raff was replaced by new babies.

*                    *                    *

The third floor room in the old Cushing mansion from which Ruth and Olinda heard the beating tell tale heart revealed nothing suspicious when Harvey opened the door and helped them search the room. Sheets, yellowed with age covered the bed and antique furniture. Everything was antebellum; and with a good dusting and airing would have made a nice guest bedroom back in 1840. When Harvey walked in, the heart stopped beating, and when he left, it started again.

Told about the phantom footsteps and the door to the bedroom opening and closing on its own, Harvey laughed. That’s my great granddad. Ancestors can’t hurt. You’re hearing your own heart beat. Next time rub just one carotid at a time and see if it stops. It’s your nerves! You are imagining things.

Harvey opened the third door, and they discovered a room full of headless human skeletons, dried, and odorless.

The next room revealed shelves of topless skulls, numbered and dated in chronological sequence. A dusty ledger and ancient records were arranged on an ancient desk that had to be 19th century vintage.

Harvey laughed. My great great grandfather was a brain surgeon. They used whiskey in those days.

He left two doors locked and the rooms unexplored and walked back downstairs. Ruth and Olinda followed.

That’s enough fun for today. You think we ought to call 911?

*                    *                    *

Sheila Mellons and Miguel Montalban, on duty, drove north on Homestead past The First Shiite Baptist Mosque. The minaret loudspeakers were calling the faithful to prayer. Neither knew that Mullah Jesus Muhammad and Inman Al Mehdi resurrected. There were many religious sects, and who could keep up?

Two cop cars were among the visitors’ parking, NEHP and Harris County. They decided to open the door and peep in. Lieutenant Shirley Bloom, Sergeant Elton (Happy) Early, and Deputy Sergeant Michael Finn were sockless and worshiping in the traditional Muslim positions and chanting in response to Jesus Muhammad.

They drove into McDonald’s and parked three cars over from two black dudes in a Trans Am blaring trash talk to music (Rap). Leaning against the fender of the next car was a beautiful young oriental prostitute waiting for Miguel.

You want to putty putty? she asked, smiling.

How much? asked Miguel, smiling in return. He wasn’t about to cuff a prostitute. He’d spend half the night getting her booked and half the morning at her hearing. She obviously was new, illegal, and under aged, but pretty, and the thought aroused him. His daughter was older, and his wife would kill him. What about V.D.?

The two black dudes backed out, burned rubber, and disappeared around the corner.

Sheila and Michael enjoyed McDonald’s clean restrooms, and while Michael was waiting the same two dudes picked up the girl. Miguel got their license number and called the dispatcher. Fifteen minutes later they were pulled over and arrested at an Exxon station on the corner of US 59S and Quitman across the intersection from the headquarters of NEHP. The two blacks were off duty county deputies and were booked and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, soliciting a prostitute, and possession of Methamphetamine. Later they bargained for release by admitting they were drivers of the patrol car and moving van in the jail break of Rafael and Angel Quinterez and begged to plea bargain by revealing the deputy who gunned down the jailers and Lupe Lopez.

*                    *                    *

When does Maria want to leave? asked Jerry.

Thursday at 5 PM! We’ll fly to Rio, Iguazu, and Manaus, and take a paddle wheeler up the Amazon, Dirk explained.

She’ll contact a Geologist, Dr. Luiza Santos, in Rio de Janeiro who’ll accompany us and guide us. We’re going where no whites have been, and the natives are stone- age cannibals, practice polygamy, go nude and barefeet, and hunt monkeys with blow guns.

My goodness! Why Brazil? Why SROCO?

According to Maria and the experts, oil will be $200 a barrel in twenty years, and gasoline $5 a gallon at the pump. She believes in drilling on mountains, deep in jungles, and go where other people haven’t. The native chief wants a foreign company and 50%. Dr. Santos is with Dutch Royal out of Amsterdam.

Do tell, replied Jerry, yawning. How much territory?

About the size of Oklahoma north of the Amazon and west of the Rio Negro, replied Dirk, sleepy.

CHAPTER 2

Life is not all fun and games, and some days you have to go to work, mundane as it is. Monday, November 13, 1993 was such a day. Devine, Sandra’s list in hand, showed up at Bill Riley’s morning conference early and bright and sat in the first chair on right of Bill Riley DA’s.

Cealis Parks, hostess and Legal Secretary of Inspector Rene’ Descarte, had coffee and Dunkin Doughnuts ready. Deviné, ever conscious of her figure, beauty, and teeth, declined a doughnut and requested Sweet and Low in her coffee.

Cealis set a Styrofoam cup of black coffee, a napkin, and two packets of Sweet and Low in front of Deviné. Have you heard the good news? she asked.

Devine gave her a one fingered salute and replied, Jesus has risen from the grave.

No! The sinkhole at the Astrodome is spouting gas, oil, and water, and HFD has roped off the ASTROWORLD and think it will sink too. They’ve put detours up, and you can’t go near the place. They’re afraid it will catch on fire and Houston will blow up. I heard the oil companies say a salt dome is sinking, and it’s the biggest oilfield since Spindletop, replied Cealis, like ho hum.

Do tell! You’re bullshitting me, replied Deviné. What’s good about that?

We’ll all be rich if we don’t sink with it. Exxon and Dutch Royal were cleaning it up, and they’re capping it and cementing it to stop the leak before it blows out. I saw it on CNN this morning. Governor Richards is coming in a helicopter, and Christian Amanpour was at the sinkhole reporting to Wolf Brister in New York or Atlanta, wherever.

*                    *                    *

This was Deviné’s first VIP meeting. Everyone else straggled in late and talked about the sinkhole which apparently broke into a melting salt dome surrounded by gas and oil in the middle of the richest part of downtown Houston. Everybody was claiming mineral rights including King Carlos of Spain and the Matigwa Nation.

Exxon and Royal Dutch were on site when it occurred, and Ann Richards called out the state guard. Texas had special laws and rights that the US government and none of the other 49 states could touch. We joined the union voluntarily as an independent Republic, and the oil was ours out to the continental shelf and the Republic’s territorial waters. Texans get mineral rights. Eisenhower settled that forty years ago. Texas gets to keep its own oil money."

*                    *                    *

When everybody showed up and settled down, Bill announced, The Aggies own all the mineral rights under Houston. It’s on file at the Brenham Courthouse in Navasota County. Bryan Austin willed his entire estate to the A&M Endowment fund to get a railroad station built at College Station. The Texas Railroad Commission keeps up with all that.

Do tell! replied Judge Lois Morrison, a University of Texas graduate and personal friend of Governor Ann Richards. It’ll be a cold day in hell before the Aggies get that money. They’re tax exempt.

So are the Longhorns, replied Bill. "She can tax the oil companies and property owners. Let’s get down to business. Devine’ has Sandra’s practice, and we’ll cover hers first, so she can leave.

My wife, Bette, went on that Holy Land trip. She and Maria are picking up the tab, and Bette wants to detour around to Sicily to see my in-laws who retired to Agrigento near Mount Etna, no less. We have to get out of here by 9 AM, so let’s don’t get off on tangents. Devine’, whatcha got? By-the-way, you’re due in Day Court at nine. They have a couple of off duty deputies down there that Neva Braun booked on sex and drug charges last night.

CHAPTER 3

Dirk drove through old Humble, got on 1960 and turned left at an arrow pointing north to a Texas Historical marker at the end of a two lane potholed hardtop leading to Moonshine Hill, the site of the first gusher in old Humble Oilfield for which Humble Oil and Refining (EXXON) was named.

Except for a few rusted stripper wells, the field had been abandoned, but according to experts fifty percent of the oil was still down there, and if the price got up to $30 a barrel you could start up the pumps and make money. In Liberty and Hardin where Dirk grew up there were at least 200 stripper wells capable of pumping 10-15 barrels a day in good times. The problem with salt domes were sinkholes if some chemical or excessive water dissolved the salt. In Saudi Arabia they pumped down salt water right out of the ocean to float up their oil when the hole went dry or the pressure went down.

Moonshine Hill road turned at the historical marker and ran west along Spring Creek and the east branch of the San Jacinto River. The crime scene where the Bunker Hills had been brutally murdered and Ima Seemore committed suicide had been completely washed away when Lake Conroe Dam broke. There was nothing left to investigate. Likewise, the mobile home park where Daisy Haggard was shot had been destroyed and not even a mailbox was left standing.

Dirk drove back to 1960, drove south on US 59, crossed over to IH 10 East toward Beaumont, and got off on 146 to Baytown, home of the Exxon Refinery, largest in the world, which ran 480,000 bbls./day at 90% capacity. Across San Jacinto Bay there were at least 200 refineries and chemical plants which made Harris and Galveston Counties home of the largest concentration of petroleum and petroleum related chemical plants in the world. Lyndon Johnson Space Center at Clear Lake made Houston the Energy and Space center of the universe. Petroleum was stored energy from the sun, and just about everything you used in everyday living was made from oil or oil products except maybe the air and water. Everything started out as air, water, and rocks, so Dirk had been told.

When 146 bypassed south of Cedar Bayou, Goose Creek, and the Refinery, it made a Y with the south branch going to the La Port tunnel and the north branch heading toward old Baytown, behind the refinery and next to the docks. The La Port tunnel collapsed during the freeze, and they were constructing a double A frame suspension bridge across San Jacinto Bay. He took the detour to old Baytown, and to get to the Dutch Royal Refinery in Pasadena and the Castroil Chemical Plant in Deer Park he would have to cross over on the Lynchberg Ferry to the old San Jacinto Battleground road.

They pulled Janis Cotton out of the bay next to the Lynchberg Ferry, and both Drs. Jekyl and Brinkley lived along the bay on Bayside Drive that led into Bayway road which crossed at the ferry.

Baytown, Pasadena, Deer Park, Galena Park, Channel View, etc., etc. and on and on hurriedly evolved over the last 90 years and were not preplanned communities. What puzzled Dirk was that those companies had pulled out so much oil and ground water over the years what kept the whole area from becoming one big sinkhole.

Dirk remembered old Baytown from his high school days. They had a theater that showed real picture shows, a pharmacy, café, businesses, and a genuine whorehouse across the tracks frequented by merchant seamen on pass. There was a city hall, police station, union dispensary and rows of white stucco houses for management and a dormitory for bachelors and merchant seamen.

The old front gate was gone, and the back of the refinery had enlarged and extended back to the main road and was protected by a heavy 12 feet cyclone fence. The refinery was huge and three times bigger than he remembered. All the old town businesses were gone, and there was a U.S. Post Office and Elementary School. The mom and pop businesses, cafes, cleaning and pressing shop were history. The old Palace Theater was empty, but the sign remained and reminded Dirk of The Last Picture Show.

He was looking at the back of the refinery. The entrance was now on the east side which was formerly the back. They had expanded north, south, and east to increase capacity. Old Main Street passed docks where tankers were tied. Insulated conduits ran overhead and dog legged down to the docks which hadn’t changed, only gotten bigger.

Tankers in San Jacinto Bay and ship channel made waves that eroded both shores. The bay was getting wider and the shores were crumbling and pretty soon the San Jacinto battleground, monument tower, and the luxury homes along Bayside Drive would disappear into San Jacinto Bay.

The Battleship Texas was gone, towed out to sea and scuttled, or sold to India for scrap metal. Dirk chuckled. As far as he could see both north and south, tankers were docked along the west side of San Jacinto Bay at refineries and petrochemical plants too numerous and congested to count. It had been thirty years. Tanker horns were blowing, bells were ringing, and tugs were moving in and out. There was a traffic jam in the Houston Ship Channel by tankers from all over the world going and coming and hopefully steered by skillful pilots.

He watched. They seemed to know what they were doing and where they were going at 20 knots. No collisions occurred, and none had been reported.

Dirk turned in Bayside Drive and drove out the peninsula to Dr. Jekyl’s address given to him previously by Sandra. The two lane hardtop stopped at the water’s edge, and Dr. Jekyl’s house was bolted to a slab now submerged in six feet of water about forty yards from shore. Dirk didn’t see a garage, and the house was empty. Every time a tanker or cargo ship passed, the waves splashed Dr. Jekyl’s empty house and eventually it would break loose and wash away. Dirk wondered if the people still living in luxury homes along the rest of Bayside Drive had flood and erosion insurance. What seemed like a wonderful opportunity for developers and home buyers forty years ago was now going to hell in a hand basket, and it was just a matter of time. The same thing was occurring across the bay all way to the Gulf thirty miles away for those not protected by a seawall of reinforced concrete like the industries used.

Dirk got back on Bay Way and drove to Dr. John R. Brinkley’s address at 810 Bayshore Drive about a mile north of Dr. Jekyl’s. He had a beautiful two story southern Colonial with nice yard protected by reinforced seawall. A yard man was working out front. The garage was open and empty. An outboard cabin cruiser with twin 250 hp Johnsons tilted and covered by a tarpaulin was sitting next to the garage. Dr. Brinkley had his own boat launch out back.

Dirk decided to make friends with the yard man, meet the widow, and let her show him the deep freeze in which Dr. Brinkley committed suicide.

Dirk showed Hobart Guttman, the caretaker, handyman, occupant, and long time employee of the Brinkley’s, his badge and license and requested to ring the doorbell. A woman about thirty appeared at the door in hip huggers, halter, and long black hair. She looked like a hooker, ex-con, dope addict and prostitute who was still shooting up and had done time in the state penitentiary by the tattoos that covered the exposed parts of her body. Unknown to Dirk at the time, she had a rose vine tattoo out of her rear that climbed up her back and arms. She had a cigarette hanging out her mouth, a can of BUD in one hand, held the screen open with the other, and stood there smiling and sizing up Dirk wondering if she could con him out of some money for a fix. Dirk wouldn’t have touched her with a ten feet pole for many reasons including gonorrhea, syphilis, AIDS, STD, and possible leprosy, now rare but mentioned frequently in the Holy Bible. She probably had Herpes Simplex II.

As it turned out, Mrs. Brinkley and her daughter had rented a Condo in Milan Italy and left Hobart and his lady friend in charge. He was happy to show Dirk around and didn’t need any search warrant. Hobart had done seven years in Leavenworth where he found Jesus and was serving the Lord and going straight, thanks to Dr. Brinkley.

Dirk with Lisa, the girlfriend, following, looked at the deep freeze. It was big enough to hold two bodies. The cops had unplugged and drained it looking for clues.

I’ll sell you her nightstick for a hundred bucks, said Lisa, giving Dirk her sexiest smile. You want to see in the boat? There’s an ice cooler that will hold a two hundred pound shark or twenty six-packs.

Who used that boat last? asked Dirk.

That’ll cost you a thousand bucks, replied Lisa, giggling.

The kitchen was messed up and the stove and microwave were spattered. The room smelled like ether and ammonia and had a musty pungence familiar to Dirk. As a Dallas Policeman he’d been there and done that.

Who is the cook around here? asked Dirk. It could blow up any minute.

Hobart, replied Lisa. He got eight years in Leavenworth for cooking up Meth, before that he was a Chemist.

What do you do, Lisa?

In my young days I hopped tables and rode the bull at Gilley’s. That closed, and I pole and lap dance at the Unicorn in Pelly. It’s just a beer joint for queers. Those Orientals stay across the channel. There’s nothing but rednecks and Mexicans over here.

How about head?

Fifty bucks, but I’ll do you for ten. Lisa flipped her cigarette in the microwave and wiped off her lipstick on a Scotch towel."

Did Mr. Guttman work for Dr. Brinkley at the Refinery? asked Dirk.

Dr. Guttman! corrected Lisa. You bet! He was his right hand man. He and Dr. Brinkley got their name on every patent in Research.

CHAPTER 4

Judge Amos Nandy, semi retired, was presiding, and a new ADA, Kenneth Clark Kent (Clark), was holding two charts off the top of thirty on the table. Bill Riley DA slipped in and sat at the prosecution’s table. It was Clark’s first day, and all he had to do was read the charges, question the arresting officer (Neva Braun), and argue bail. If they weren’t guilty, they wouldn’t be there. The initial hearing was to welcome the citizen to Criminal Justice, read him his Miranda rights, and determine disposition, either bail or jail. They were all legally innocent until proven guilty.

Deviné’s two clients, Deputies Horace Greely and Elvis Jones, were shackled and handcuffed together on the first row behind the defense table. They wore Air Jordan’s, jeans, and black T-shirts with KNOCKERS stenciled in white on back. Elvis had a white pearl attached to his left earlobe, and Horace wore a gold tongue ring. Devine’ wondered who they were kidding. The KNOCKERS were an all white criminal motorcycle gang from Houston Heights.

Deviné, taking Pro Bono call, introduced herself as their lawyer. She noticed a sense of disappointment. They wanted a white male to defend them not a black woman. They wanted mercy not justice. White males were easy on blacks. There but for the Grace of God go I. At his age, Judge Nandy was unpredictable to say the least.

They elected to plea not guilty and request immunity from publicity and incarceration because they were reserve officers working freelance undercover while on administrative leave from the Sheriff’s Department. Sergeant Braun had caught them with their shorts off at the Bamboo Curtain, and when they drove into the Exxon station yesterday with an underage oriental prostitute who couldn’t speak a word of English, Neva cuffed them, read them their rights, and booked them last night. The prostitute was in juvenile detention at city jail.

Amos banged the gavel, and the Day Clerk called out, "State of Texas versus Horace Greely and Elvis Jones. Charges: Possession of Crack Cocaine with intent to distribute. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Soliciting for prostitution and impersonating a police officer.

Devine’ and her two shackled prisoners, Horace and Elvis, stepped forward. Amos read them their rights. Clark put Neva on the stand. Devine’ pled not guilty and requested bail. Amos denied bail, bound them over to the Grand Jury, and ordered them back to jail. Devine’ made sure they understood she wanted $500 from each before arraignment or they could get a lawyer that would work free. She didn’t know any offhand.

Devine’ rushed to the elevator, got off on the fifth floor, and rushed to Judge Eva Petrarcelli’s court. Marci Galbreaux and Elizabeth Quinteras, her associates, were waiting with two defendants to be arraigned in succession, Percy Lovette and Muhammad Hussan. Both Percy and Muhammad were capital murders and would require jury trials.

Devine’, breathless, sat next to Percy, smiled, squeezed his arm, and whispered, Don’t worry, Percy. You’re going to walk. No jury in the state would convict you. It was an open and shut case of justifiable homicide.

56th Criminal District Court

Judge Eva Petrarcelli

10 A.M., Monday, November 13, 1993

Temp 80˚, Wind 10 mph

Sunny

Next case.

State of Texas vs. Percy Lovett

Charge: First Degree Murder

Percy in county jumpsuit, handcuffs, and shackles stood with Devine’ until Eva sat down. Even though he had twenty years experience at the bar, was Professor of Legal Ethics at the Law School, was on a first name relationship socially with Judge Petrarcelli, and was Judge Lois Morrison’s high school sweetheart, it made no difference. He shot a man in shackles out in the hall of this courtroom with everybody watching. It was premeditated, and dead was dead. His case would go to jury, and there was no bail. All Devine’ had to do was plead not guilty, and Eva set a tentative trial date of January 3, 1994 when Sandra got back.

Next case.

State of Texas versus Muhammad Abdullah Hussan.

Charges: First Degree Murder, reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle without a license, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, destruction of private property, assault and battery of a hospital insurance clerk and ER nurse, and disturbing the peace.

State may discuss charges, ruled Eva.

Opal described Mr. Hussan’s deliberate vehicle murder of Principal Henry Greenberg in front of Garden Oaks Elementary School on September 18, 1993, the day his wife suicide bombed Ali’s Bar out by Hobby on IH-45 south killing fifty and stopping traffic on the freeway for two hours. Because of the obvious language barrier and difficulty getting interpreters, Opal recommended confined incarceration in a private cell, a special Halal diet, and daily visits by a mullah.

After Opal sat down and before Devine’ could speak, Muhammad picked up his prayer rug, hobbled around in chains, checked the little arrow on his digital watch, unrolled his prayer rug facing Mecca, got on his knees facing Mecca, bent over and kissed the floor, stuck his butt up in the air, then sat erect on his ankles and sang out as loud as he could in Arabic, AL-LAHU AKBAR, AL-LAHU AKAR. There is no AL-LAH but AL-LAH and Muhammad was his Prophet. AL-LAHU begat not, nor was AL-LAH begotten. AL-LAHU AKBAR, AL-LAHU AKBAR. There is no AL-LAH but AL-LAH and MUHAMMAD was his Prophet.

Mr. Hussan picked up his prayer rug and hobbled back to his seat at the table by Devine’.

Miss Sparks, announced Eva.

Devine’ stood. Your honor my client pleads guilty and demands a new judge and counsel. Since he is a guest in our country, he would prefer an Imam and abide by the rules of Islamic law. Under Shariah he is a martyr for killing a Jew, and after decapitation, would receive his own little oasis with seventy virgins.

Eva, held back a giggle and tried to look stern, I’m entering a plea of Not Guilty. We’ll begin trial on January 9, 1993. No bail and back to jail! It’s a capital case.

*                    *                    *

Devine’ was about to leave when she saw Bill Riley DA walk down to see Judge Petrarcelli.

Most of the cases in Judge Petrarcelli’s court were Sandra’s.

Dr. George Jekyl, Castroil Chemical physician accused of shooting and strangling nurse Janis Cotton is scheduled for a jury trial this court on November 27. May we delay that two months? His house washed away, and they moved to Clear Lake. He’s not a flight risk. The FBI is in on it and think the victim smuggled a secret reactor catalyst out in the trunk of her car, requested Bill.

I’ll have to get back to you. Next, replied Eva.

Mr. Hosea Gomer, captain of gate security at Dutch Royal refinery was accused of a nightstick murder of guard Angela DeShotel back in February. Her skeleton with a cracked skull and mummified hands and feet washed up on West Beach. Witness will say he saw Angela get in Gomer’s car the day she disappeared. Why don’t we leave that on November 28. I’m figuring about three days. It’s open and shut.

Okay, next! said Eva.

Drop charges on Dr. Raul Capistrano and Juanita Alvarez for murder of Theresa Capistrano and conspiracy to murder Dr. Alvarez. The Grand Jury no billed. They came up with witnesses that’ll swear both were working at the time of Theresa’s demise.

Okay, next! said Eva.

Please issue warrants for the arrests of Dr. Raul Capistrano, Shelby Fox, Brice Redmon, and Patrolman Everett Wilbur. Charges are drug trafficking, possession of bulk cocaine with intent to distribute, and on Dr. Capistrano, money laundering.

Eva giggled. We’re going to get Capistrano yet. Next!

Issue warrants for the arrests of Desi Cartenegro, Councilman Sam Pablo Huston, and Lieutenant Carl Briby for Dereliction of Public Trust, receiving bribes, fraud, and unlawful gambling. Please have the clerk look up the correct terminology.

Okay, next!

"Issue warrant for the arrest of Tillie Lovett for the