Bert Strong, P.I. -
The Lies They Tell (An Excerpt)
The Lies They Tell (An Excerpt)
Misty's lusty thoughts aside, Bert
More to come .......
copyright 2009
More to come .......
copyright 2009
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We live behind closed doors.
The life behind the door is
insulated from the elements
and is kept secret. When we
open the door we put on a
coat, perhaps a hat and gloves,
and our mask. Then we can go
out into the world.
The life behind the door is
insulated from the elements
and is kept secret. When we
open the door we put on a
coat, perhaps a hat and gloves,
and our mask. Then we can go
out into the world.
Bert thought about family, about honesty and about lies.
He thought about human frailty and the damage lies can
do. With his family, there was a great deal Bert did not say.
A lot was assumed, but little was talked about. A reason-
able discussion could be had, but wouldn't be. Instead,
reality would be an illusion manufactured by the brain, fed
by disjointed events.
It happened just the other day, an illusion. It was Halloween
and a strange day, with strange sights. Bert was on
surveillance when a passerby sparked his imagination. It
was an odd idea that grew from a whim and transpired into
the brain’s illusion. The costumed party-goer was dressed
and fashionably dated, with an element of surprise. She
became a picture in his mind. Bert of course knew reality
from fantasy. But, how often did one stretch reality into
something else, something unrecognizable, becoming its
own truth? Was it an illusion, reality, or a lie?
Bert saw the deceptions all around us: public officials,
governments, corporations, big business, petty street
deceptions, lies told for survival, and even those told
between friends and family. He strove for the truth.
The unethical could be found on every corner, from the
guy on the street to Corporate America; Big business
stealing from the little guy, taking ideas, art, free labor,
those who take advantage of workers and patrons alike,
those who lie for the sake of profit; the patron who
shoplifts, the worker who files a false injury claim, on and
on...
Cheating is just another form of lying. Bert knew there
were a lot of unethical people out there.
Bert was brought in on a long delayed and long-winded
injury claim. He located his witness on Jackson Street, a
homeless man who turned out to be a Good Samaritan.
The information was imparted precisely. The witness had
no problem looking Bert straight in the eye. There was no
twitch, no uncomfortable fidget. This witness would be a
good witness on behalf of his client.
He thought about human frailty and the damage lies can
do. With his family, there was a great deal Bert did not say.
A lot was assumed, but little was talked about. A reason-
able discussion could be had, but wouldn't be. Instead,
reality would be an illusion manufactured by the brain, fed
by disjointed events.
It happened just the other day, an illusion. It was Halloween
and a strange day, with strange sights. Bert was on
surveillance when a passerby sparked his imagination. It
was an odd idea that grew from a whim and transpired into
the brain’s illusion. The costumed party-goer was dressed
and fashionably dated, with an element of surprise. She
became a picture in his mind. Bert of course knew reality
from fantasy. But, how often did one stretch reality into
something else, something unrecognizable, becoming its
own truth? Was it an illusion, reality, or a lie?
Bert saw the deceptions all around us: public officials,
governments, corporations, big business, petty street
deceptions, lies told for survival, and even those told
between friends and family. He strove for the truth.
The unethical could be found on every corner, from the
guy on the street to Corporate America; Big business
stealing from the little guy, taking ideas, art, free labor,
those who take advantage of workers and patrons alike,
those who lie for the sake of profit; the patron who
shoplifts, the worker who files a false injury claim, on and
on...
Cheating is just another form of lying. Bert knew there
were a lot of unethical people out there.
Bert was brought in on a long delayed and long-winded
injury claim. He located his witness on Jackson Street, a
homeless man who turned out to be a Good Samaritan.
The information was imparted precisely. The witness had
no problem looking Bert straight in the eye. There was no
twitch, no uncomfortable fidget. This witness would be a
good witness on behalf of his client.
It should have been a standard workers' compensation matter: an injured office
worker who filed for benefits after an on-the-job injury. Guadalupe Camerena was
middle age and a hard worker. She was always at work on time, rarely took a sick day,
attended available training courses, and worked overtime whenever asked. She was a
Human Resources Payroll Processing Clerk, a typical office position, and one that was
not exactly physically taxing. (Although a position that had generated numerous
carpal tunnel claims for this particular employer, exponentially raising their medical
cost reserves and workers' compensation insurance rates. This Big Business was
known to discourage injury claims, and had been accused of retaliatory termination
more than once.)
worker who filed for benefits after an on-the-job injury. Guadalupe Camerena was
middle age and a hard worker. She was always at work on time, rarely took a sick day,
attended available training courses, and worked overtime whenever asked. She was a
Human Resources Payroll Processing Clerk, a typical office position, and one that was
not exactly physically taxing. (Although a position that had generated numerous
carpal tunnel claims for this particular employer, exponentially raising their medical
cost reserves and workers' compensation insurance rates. This Big Business was
known to discourage injury claims, and had been accused of retaliatory termination
more than once.)
Ms. Guadalupe Camerena was a proud woman, U.S. born to field-worker parents. Her parents,
Roberto and Isabel, came to the U.S. on work visas, eventually applying for and receiving
citizenship. That was a very happy time for the Camerenas. The couple raised their four
children as bi-lingual, multi-cultural Americans. The family moved from the farming community
of Merced to San Francisco when Roberto was offered a job from a family friend. Although just
an evening janitorial position, it was a step up for the family.
Guadalupe was the eldest child and named for her grandmother. She excelled in school and
started at Business College. When her father became ill, she took a full-time job in order to
help the family. She didn’t go back to college. She didn’t marry. But she did help put her
siblings through school.
Continued....... Copyright 2010
Roberto and Isabel, came to the U.S. on work visas, eventually applying for and receiving
citizenship. That was a very happy time for the Camerenas. The couple raised their four
children as bi-lingual, multi-cultural Americans. The family moved from the farming community
of Merced to San Francisco when Roberto was offered a job from a family friend. Although just
an evening janitorial position, it was a step up for the family.
Guadalupe was the eldest child and named for her grandmother. She excelled in school and
started at Business College. When her father became ill, she took a full-time job in order to
help the family. She didn’t go back to college. She didn’t marry. But she did help put her
siblings through school.
Continued....... Copyright 2010
