If you have not yet read parts 1 and 2, please do so before moving on to Part 3. Here they are:

Guilty by Association, Part I:   http://www.cheshirescribe.com/2010/01/guilty-by-association-part-i/

Guilty by Association, Part II: http://www.cheshirescribe.com/2010/01/guilty-by-association-part-2/#more-42

Remember, this is a true story!

The girls had rented a room in the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street for an after prom party. Zoé was there with Kenny Roussell. The only reason she had even agreed to this date was because his brother, Keith, one of her best friends, had begged her. He even offered to pay her $20 to take him to prom, but she refused the money. After seeing him, however, she wished she had taken it. Kenny was not attractive. He was about six inches shorter than Zoé, who was five-foot-six, but in his white platform shoes, they were the same height. He had curly fire-engine red hair down to his collar, big, bushy eyebrows to match, and braces. He thought he was super cool in his baby blue tuxedo, white ruffled shirt, and blue bow tie. After they had been there for about an hour, Edith gathered the girls together.

“Teddy wants us ta go see him,” she said.

“We can’t just leave our dates here. They’ll wanna know where we’re goin,’” Breanna answered.

“We’ll just tell ‘em we’re goin’ outside for a few minutes. We won’t be long. We’ll just go tell Teddy hi, have a few drinks, and come right back.”

“Okay, as long as we come right back.” The girls rounded up their dates and told them they were going outside to smoke and walk around.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes, Kenny. Don’t wait around for me,” Zoé said.

“Can’t I go with you? I don’t like you girls wandering around out there by yourselves,” Kenny replied.

“No, you can’t come. We’ll be back in a few minutes. Now let us go.” Zoé and the other girls left their dates and snuck downstairs. They made their way to Scorpio’s around the corner, where Teddy was waiting for them.

“Oh, girls! How wonderful to see you! Edith has told me you wanted to come back.” Teddy poured them some Ouzo and the party began. The same woman was singing, but she was wearing a green sequined gown this time. Teddy walked up to the Mafioso table where the girls were sitting and said, “Come. I have a place I want you girls to see.”

The girls followed Teddy outside, and he led them down the street to an obscure building that he needed a password to enter. The door opened to another world, and Zoé felt like she was walking right into a movie. There were illegal gambling tables scattered around the room, from blackjack to roulette. Men and women dressed in formal wear milled around, gambling, drinking, and having a great time.

Teddy led the girls straight through the gambling room into a suite of offices in the back. They passed through Teddy’s office and into a conference room. The room was extremely plain, adorned with nothing but a large conference table, some chairs, and a couple of bookshelves.

“You girls have bright futures ahead,” Teddy said as he poured each of the girls another drink. “You want make lots of money, yes? I can help you make lots of money,” Teddy announced.

Zoé did not like what she was hearing. She looked at her watch and realized they had been gone for two hours.

“I think we need ta go,” she said. “Kenny’s probly worried. He’s gonna come lookin’ for us in a few minutes.”

“You do not need go just yet,” Teddy replied. “I want to ask you girls somesing.”

“You don’t understand. Kenny’s a dork. He’ll probly call the police.”

At the word “police,” Teddy jumped. “Okay, you girls may go as long as you promise to come back.” The girls jumped up and practically ran back to the hotel. Kenny was a nervous wreck.

“Where the hell have you been? I was about ta call the police.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’re back now,” Zoé replied.

“You girls didn’t get yaselves in trouble, did ya?”

“Does it look like we got in trouble? Just shut up.”

“I think it’s time ta go. I need ta bring ya home.”

Zoé looked at her watch. It was almost two in the morning. “Yeah, okay.” They said their goodbyes and climbed back into Kenny’s mother’s Lincoln town car.

 *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *        

Zoé could not believe her eyes. Could it be? No, it couldn’t be them, could it?

“The FBI broke up a major gambling and prostitution ring earlier today in downtown New Orleans after surveying the ring for about nine months. The ring was led by a man who called himself ‘Teddy’ along with his two associates, ‘Billy’ and ‘Stavros.’” Images of the three men being arrested flashed across the screen. “The men have pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the crime, and have been deported back to their home country of Greece. In other news …”

Zoé’s face drained of all color and warmth. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think, she couldn’t move. She just knew that at any moment the FBI would come knocking at her door to question her about what she had seen. She and her friends had to be on the FBI’s tapes. She was just waiting for the FBI to come knocking at her door to take her away, along with four of her friends. This could not be happening.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         

This is a true story of events that happened to these girls back in 1979. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. Today, the women are 47 years old and still remain friends. The girls were never questioned, nor did any of their parents ever find out what they had done. None of the girls ever saw what they now call “The Greeks” ever again, though they do still meet for dinner once a month and sometimes reminisce about the experience.