Johnnie Oh and the Scarlet Portent prologue

Johnnie Oh, an extraordinarily intuitive government operative is ordered by his supervisor, Winston Mills, to acquire, through any means necessary, the secret behind the insanely popular energy drink, Toro Rojo. The drink’s creator, the fabulously flamboyant Dr. Maxwell Plume – along with his beautiful but deadly assistants, the occasionally conjoined Siamese twins, Eva and Tera Wong – are determined to thwart Johnnie Oh at every turn. When it seems there’s little hope of accomplishing his goal, Johnnie falls in love with a beautiful, mysterious, scarlet-maned woman who shares with him an ominous revelation that leads to a fateful showdown with Dr. Plume.

Johnnie Oh reads the latest news on the Dr. Plume trial as he relaxes by the pool at Winston Mill’s Beverly Hills mansion while Julie Nigia Pearl, relaxing on Mr. Mills private South Hampton beach, does the same. Meanwhile, in a crowded courtroom in Washington, DC, Dr. Blahblahbling, noted chemist and forensic scientist, is called upon to testify upon the behalf of Doctor Maxwell Plume.

Some of the jurors thought Dr. Plume was responsible for the party goers who died after consuming Toro Rojo because it led them to take risks they would not have ordinarily taken. Others felt that Dr. Plume was just a business man selling a legal product and that the people who died were responsible for their own actions. They all agreed there had to be a little give and take but one thing was for certain - no one wanted Dr. Plume to be at the mercy of Judge Judy Larsen, a woman more commonly referred to as the executioner.

Judge Judy Larsen sat waiting for the jury to return with a guilty verdict. This was the biggest case of her life and she expected to reap the benefits of the fame and fortune that was sure to follow. Blah-blah-bling’s surprise testimony was pretty compelling but the fix was in. She wondered how the defense team was able to find him and convince him to testify. It wasn’t all that surprising considering the resources that were available to them. Dr. Plume was after all one of the wealthiest men in the world. Still, how did they find Blah-blah-bling so quickly?

Might they find him innocent? Was the plant having second thoughts? “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”. “Who said that?” she wondered as she thought about the dry dusty barn where she spent hours hidden in the wooden rafters reading Charlotte’s Web when she should have been doing her chores. She thought about the savage beatings she took at the hands of her drunken stepfather when she returned home for supper. All she could think about was Charlotte’s Web and the beatings she took and how someone was going to pay for it.

The jurors filed back into the courtroom. It was very quiet. The door to he judges chamber opened. “All rise,” said the bailiff in a booming baritone. Judge Judy Larsen sat down and said, “You may be seated.” “Has the jury reached a verdict?” The jury foreman, a tall handsome blond man wearing a bright yellow tie, stood up. “Yes, we have your honor.” A pretty, dark-haired woman wearing a blood-red jacket was looking gazing longingly at him. “Hmmm,” thought Judge Judy to herself. “Why hasn’t she given me the confirmation wink as planned?” “We find the defendant not guilty!”

The dark-haired juror in the red jacket was worried and a little afraid. “What have I done?” she thought. “Did I put my family at risk?" She couldn't look the judge in the eye.

She noticed two burly, dangerous looking men. They seemed to be following her. She decided to stay close to Bill.  They went outside.  She couldn't help notice how un-natural his blond hair appeared in the sunlight.

She didn’t expect to fall in love. She figured she’d take the money, vote guilty, and spend the next few years traveling the world. “Stay out of the country and out of the press,” they told her. “Wait for me at the motel near the airport,” Bill said. “We’ll fly away and live happily ever after.” Thoughts of the big, blond jury foreman raced deliciously through her mind. She looked at her watch; he was more than an hour overdue. She heard a car. She peeked out. Her heart soared. It was Bill! But who’s the woman in the car?

She let him in. She wanted to hug him but she was looking at the woman in the car. She wore dark glasses and a scarf but you could still see that she was very beautiful. “You’re late,” she said to Bill. He took her in his arms and kissed her. “I’m sorry”, he said. “It’ll never happen again.” She peeked out the window. “Who’s the woman in the car?” she asked. “My sister,” he said. “She’s dropping us off at the airport.” She felt a tremendous sense of relief. “Let’s go,” he said. “Don’t want to miss our flight.”

“Let me get my bag,” she said. “I love you, Bill! Do you love me? “Of course I do,” he said. She smiled and went to the closet to get her bag and her red jacket. “How long do you think it’ll be before the prosecutors office realizes what’s happened and starts looking for us?” she asked. “I wouldn’t worry about that,” he said. With lightning quickness he launched a razor sharp banderilla toward her heart. He walked over to retrieve the dart. He placed the red jacket over her lifeless body. “Ole',” he whispered as he left the room.