The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 251: Ignorance Is Bliss]

The red Ford Mustang sped down Ocean Park Boulevard, stopping in front of the Twitter office building.

Tom Cruise stepped out, tossed the car keys to the security guard at the entrance, and entered the lobby. He approached the receptionist and asked, "Is Hawke in?"

The receptionist smiled and replied, "The president is in his office on the fourth floor."

Tom Cruise headed for the elevator, taking it directly to the fourth floor. Hawke had already received the notification from the front desk and opened the office door just as Tom arrived.

Seeing Hawke, Tom Cruise beamed brighter than the Southern California sun. "I don't even know what to say. You really helped me completely solve the problem of Pat Kingsley."

He opened his arms and hugged Hawke briefly, then added, "And Nicole Kidman! I called her yesterday, and the feeling was as refreshing as enjoying ice cream on a summer afternoon. It felt like I was floating!"

Hawke casually remarked, "You should thank Fox Television."

Tom made a gesture as if zipping his lips. "I get it. Don't worry, it's all thanks to Fox."

The two men entered the office. Tom understood exactly what Hawke had done for him. Hawke can easily handle Nicole Kidman and Pat Kingsley, and the same would be true for him.

Tom Cruise was a smart man with a clear understanding of himself and Hawke. He excitedly announced, "Our Oscar campaign plan got the green light from the studio! Cruise & Wagner Productions secured $5 million to hire West Coast Studio for next year's Oscar push. You'll have all the resources you need."

"Sure thing," Hawke replied, already looking to leverage Tom Cruise's Hollywood connections. "Tommy, let's give Hollywood a surprise."

Tom Cruise thought of the Ice Bucket Challenge and the recent scandals, saying, "Just as long as it's not a scare!"

Hawke replied seriously, "A scare can also be a surprise for our opponents."

"I like that kind of scare," Tom Cruise shifted the subject to his ex-wife, "I just got news that Chanel pulled out of negotiations with Nicole. Karl Lagerfeld originally planned to hire her for Chanel No. 5."

He continued about his former agent, "I've heard from LAPD that Pat Kingsley spilled a lot during questioning. She has reportedly infringed upon over ten students at the welfare school, and she's currently being temporarily held by the West Bureau with no option for bail."

Hawke said, "Your former agent is finished."

Tom Cruise laughed, "With such a good opportunity in front of me, I won't let her get back up."

He had been famous for over twenty years and was still one of the top figures in Scientology. "Believe me, Kingsley will go to jail."

For more than six months, Kingsley had been smearing Tom Cruise, possibly having some dirt on him, making Tom's initial responses seem weak until he hired Hawke.

Now, Hawke had created a chance for a lethal blow.

...

West Los Angeles, the West Bureau.

In the break room, Simon Foster paced anxiously back and forth, checking his watch from time to time. His wife, Pat Kingsley, had been forcibly summoned by LAPD directly from CAA and was quickly arrested, the speed leaving everyone stunned.

He had watched the video and didn't think much was wrong; his wife was under a lot of pressure at work, and it was normal to vent occasionally. The only issue was that someone had caught her at a weak moment.

At that moment, the lawyer returned from the office area.

Simon quickly approached, asking, "Any news? Can we arrange for bail?"

"The bail request was denied by the prosecutor's office," the lawyer glanced around and said softly, "Pat's situation is complicated. It now involves the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and they intend to shift the blame to those involved, including Pat. I've heard that the archbishop has been in private talks with the police commission and City Hall."

Simon reacted quickly, "Those politicians and clergy plan to sacrifice Pat and the others?"

The lawyer lowered his voice further, "It's worse than that. Pat can't be released on bail because of someone else."

Simon furrowed his brow, "Who?"

"Tom Cruise!" The lawyer had ample connections. "Tom Cruise has colluded with the prosecutor's office behind the scenes. Generally, bail is possible in this kind of case."

Simon grew restless, stamping his foot in frustration. "Worst-case scenario, will Pat be sentenced?"

The lawyer thought about Kingsley's own admissions and reluctantly replied, "Yes."

"Can we seek a suspended sentence?" Simon held onto a glimmer of hope.

The lawyer dashed his hopes, "It will be a minimum of five years in prison." He advised Simon, "If the Archdiocese quietly reaches an agreement with the city and justice, Pat could wind up with a sentence of ten years or more. You need to pull some strings; the situation is extremely unfavorable for Pat right now."

Simon nodded, "I'll do what I can."

"I'll take my leave," the lawyer said, "Contact me promptly if anything comes up."

Simon saw the lawyer out and left the police station, getting in his car to call several partners at CAA, but all he received were excuses.

The media was in a frenzy, and everyone who appeared in the videos was being vilified, with no one wanting to associate with them.

Help in this dire time was scarce.

...

Los Angeles City Hall, Mayor's Office.

Assistant Gordon entered, knocking on the door, and said to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, "Cardinal Maione from the Archdiocese just called..."

Antonio raised his hand to cut him off. "Tell him that under the current circumstances, I can't meet with him."

Gordon wore a cross around his neck.

As the mayor's assistant, he had some authority and asserted, "Given the circumstances, this could spark a crisis of faith, undermining social stability in Los Angeles. If LAPD keeps digging, more problems will arise, leading to a situation beyond control."

The mayor's assistant was a senior staff member, so Antonio could listen to him. "Not investigating means there's no problem?"

Gordon replied, "Cardinal Maione has promised that in the next election, the Archdiocese will mobilize all its followers to support you."

Antonio pondered. The red and blue struggle in California was intense; the governor had already been taken by the Elephants, with LA's mayoral seat being the next. He would soon face enormous political pressure.

While the influence of the Catholic Church had waned, their support could significantly boost his chances in the upcoming election.

In politics, self-interest always took precedence.

Antonio slowly said, "Tell Cardinal Maione to cut ties with St. Beatrice's Church and the welfare school quickly; they can't be saved."

He thought further and added, "They need to get the LAPD police commission sorted out. I'll give them a call."

Gordon understood that this was about all Antonio could accomplish under the circumstances. He nodded and left to make the call.

...

Later that evening, a member of the LAPD's five-member committee and assistant chief, Charles Baker, welcomed a special visitor to his home.

Cardinal Maione from the Los Angeles Archdiocese personally paid a visit.

Charles Baker stated plainly, "You've given LAPD a tough problem. This case is attracting nationwide attention, with all four major networks, including Fox, rolling news 24/7, and thousands of reporters descended on Los Angeles, seeking news about it. Everyone is watching LAPD."

Maione softly replied, "The Archdiocese won't let you struggle. Tomorrow, you can search St. Beatrice's Church and the Church's welfare school to take away a batch of students."

He shifted his tone, "This incident was carried out jointly by St. Beatrice's Church and the welfare school; the Archdiocese was not aware of it."

Charles Baker understood the implication; they wanted to contain the case within a certain scope, and LAPD didn't want it to blow up either.

Cases like this often brought little benefit.

But he paused before making any comment, pretending to be in a dilemma.

Maione stated, "There are still many good people in the Church; we should overlook these issues and focus on the good side of the Church."

As a cardinal, he had decent secular affairs handling skills. He added, "This year, there will be a representative of the Archdiocese at the LAPD's annual appreciation event, and they will donate a sum that is three times what we gave last year."

"Thanks to the Church for supporting LAPD's work." LAPD had never intended to dig deeper; Charles Baker was quite satisfied with the Church's attitude, saying, "We hope the Church can manage strictly and prevent similar incidents from happening."

The grandiose words sounded great coming from Maione, "In our doctrine, children are the most sacred beings."

With the pressure money from the Church now tripled, Charles Baker didn't have much more to say.

The two exchanged a few more hollow niceties, after which Maione took his leave.

This time, the American Archdiocese would allocate over $120 million to settle the incident.

...

The following morning, the search warrant, which had been stalled at the district attorney and judge's office, was officially approved.

A large number of LAPD officers mobilized, surrounding St. Beatrice's Church and the welfare school, conducting a legal search under the watchful eye of numerous media cameras.

Multiple priests and school staff were taken away, and the students of the Church's welfare school were temporarily handed over to child protective services.

Targeted investigations would follow, determining the future placements of these minors.

As we all know, the ending is basically foster care.

Later, LAPD held a press conference to announce the individuals involved and the case details that had been clarified.

Among the highlights was the mention of Hollywood's famed agent and PR manager, Pat Kingsley.

She had become the poster child for LAPD's focus.

The Catholic Church also released a statement acknowledging mismanagement and asserting its undeniable responsibility, pledging to cooperate with the investigation.

Cardinal Maione publicly apologized on behalf of the Los Angeles Archdiocese and tendered his resignation.

The Archdiocese promised to provide a series of compensations to the victims.

The American Catholic Archdiocese worked tirelessly behind the scenes as media coverage gradually subsided.

Even Fox, which had initially broken the story, began to shift its focus to other news.

No matter what, dozens of children temporarily escaped the vortex.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.