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sixty-two f

TIME Magazine

W here’s your tan?” Diana asked, my first night back at Dream Girls.

“I spent most of my time indoors.” I winked at her.

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

“I’ll never tell.” How could I tell Diana about Agent Miller and the true reason for my trip? Better to let her fantasies run wild.

“Big Eddie scored some fine blow. Welcome home.” Diana passed a mirror with four lines of cocaine to me.

“Just what I need.” The powder flew up my nose.

The world of dancing may have been dark and dirty, but it was heaven compared to what I’d been through in Florida.

I doubted if news of the trial would reach Philadelphia news networks, but I wasn’t taking any chances. For the next three months, I avoided all national newspapers and TV news programs. I knew my friends would be sent to prison due in part to my testimony.

But what about Mike? Did he eventually have his day in court? Would he serve time, or would he find a way to weasel out of a conviction?

My phone rang one late November afternoon in 1981.

“Hi, hon, it’s Tina!”

After catching up, Tina revealed the real reason for her call.

“Have you seen the latest issue of Time magazine?” she asked.

“Um, no.”

“You’ll never guess what’s on the cover.”

“Let me guess—The Crew?”

“Bingo!” Tina laughed. “Mostly it’s about the drug trade in Miami, but there’s an article about Ben’s arrest. It’s probably too late to buy a copy, but I bet the library has one.”

I sat on my couch to keep my knees from buckling. “I don’t think I want to read it.”

“It’s one for the scrapbooks,” Tina said.

“Not for mine. I want to forget the whole mess.”

Tina chattered on. I half-listened until she mentioned Mike.

“What about Mike?” I asked.

“Well, the Time article got me curious. I went to the library to read Florida newspapers. You wouldn’t believe the coverage the trial got.”

“What about Mike?”

“The Miami Herald from December 5 said Mike failed to show up for sentencing. Seems he’s home in Pennsy suffering from mental and physical problems.”

A shiver shot down my spine. Mike was less than an hour from me.

“I’d like to give that asshole some real mental and physical problems.” Tina giggled.

“It’s not funny. He could show up here any minute and beat me senseless.”

“He wouldn’t,” Tina said.

“Like he wouldn’t leave us in prison? I testified against him!”

“Why don’t you call your DEA buddy?” Tina asked. “He’ll give you the lowdown.”

“Good idea. Thanks.”

We chatted a while longer, then said our goodbyes.

w

I waited until February to call Agent Miller. I learned Mike was serving time at Allenwood Federal Correctional Complex near Allentown, Pennsylvania. I asked no further questions. Agent Miller supplied no further answers.