Al

Al was a Yankee, married a southern woman. Southern woman with a bit of money, owned some nice properties in Memphis. Had a kid with her previous husband, he died, she married Al. Al was an ex-Marine, typical bombastic Yank. Not offensive, kind of like guys from New York City. I met quite a few in the Air Force. They seem smart-ass right off but it's just the way they talk, most of them turned out to be nice guys like from anywhere. Guys from upstate some of them was as country as me.

So Al was kind of loud but nice easy-going, always ready to help anyone in need. He was the collections officer, the guy that got stuff repossessed when the loans didn't get paid. He tried to get the debtors to come in or he'd go see them and see if they could work something out. Banks don't like repossessing cars as they usually lose money. Guy doesn't make his car payments often doesn't take care of it. Theoretically the debtor agrees to make up the loss if the bank loses money but if he couldn't pay for the car he probably can't pay the losses.

So he didn't have to repo many. Sometimes I'd ride along on a visit to a delinquent debtor to drive the vehicle back if necessary but never did. So I rode along and listened to Al's war stories and if it was a few hours we'd have lunch somewhere on the bank's dime. Ideally it would take most of the day and we'd get back about closing time.

Al was the one officer I went on trips with that didn't drink while we were out. He could drink all right, partial to gallon bottles of Ancient Age, had a handle on them. He'd hook his thumb in the handle like it was a moonshine jug and tilt his head back and pour some down. I never saw him really drunk the way some guys got. Guess he had some practice.

He was one of the ones had a nice house up on Cedar Ridge, wife being pretty well-off. Told me he used cypress wood from a barn on a farm his wife's father owned to build it. Some people did that, cypress would last forever. Had a few parties there, he and Jerry didn't like each other much and tried to outdo each other with parties in houses their wives (or wives' dads) paid for. He was there when I worked at the bank before and still there when I came back.

Only now he didn't go out and repo cars any more, hired a fellow to to it. Fellow with a gimpy leg and a blue Pinto. I had a blue Pinto about that time, a station wagon I used for banging around back roads. Had a ten foot boat that would fit in the back, went fishing at a lake out on the farm. And shooting bullfrogs with an old Winchester .22 Dad bought before WWII, but don't tell anyone. I guess the statute of limitations lapsed about forty years ago anyhow. Fellow with the gimpy leg used it to tow in repos using one of them towing dollies.

I'd bought a 1978 Chrysler LeBaron, slightly used, at the local Dodge dealer. Dove grey, all the buttons including power sunroof. Or moonroof, whichever it is. Two-door of course, 318 2-barrel that would eventually get replaced but only because sticky lifters chewed up the camshaft before I took it to get fixed. Friend was into Mopars had couple of freshly rebuilt 360s and one of them went in. Another car I wish I hadn't sold but there you are. Fun cruising cranking the Pioneer Supertuner through a set of Jensen coax speakers. Judas Priest released Screaming for Vengeance in '82 and it was a favorite for starting a drive. Had a serious high-dollar setup (Air Force BXs in Europe had fancy sound and camera shops) and would dub the virgin vinyl onto Maxell cassettes at five bucks a pop. Records didn't get played any more as he cassettes were almost indistinguishable and you could play them in the car.

Digression finished I'll get back to the subject at hand. Al had hired a repo man. With a blue Pinto and a towing dolly. When he had to retrieve a car he'd hook it up behind the Pinto and bring it in. At least that was the setup when I returned. His office was outsied the "data center", a room partitioned off on the top floor. I'd chat with them regularly, did some custom reports they needed. Secretary was tall blonde, pretty good-looking, thirties. Her husband was a small building contractor, got cancer, she divorced him, he died. Before he died he came by the bank one day when it was closed and pushed an envelope under the front doors.

I don't remember who it was that arrived first and found it but he took it up to the president (he used a different entrance) and before long several people were looking at them. Pictures of Becky (Al's secretary) engaged in sexual activity with her ex-husband. Becky came up and looked and said "That's me!". Apparently the picture quality and age had prevented an earlier identification.

Okey-dokey. Becky was living with a guy that had a auto repair shop and towing service. He and a brother. Brother was a good mechanic, nice-sized shop, plenty of business. Had him put a new exhaust on my LeBaron when I put the new mill in. Did I mention I miss that car? Probably more than any but the '93 Mustang. Their father owned a big salvage yard, probably twenty to thirty acres of old cars, drank beer all day and sold car parts. Sold a few to me. Al retained the services of Darrell to repossess cars, replacing the guy with the blue Pinto.

Darell (the one banging Al's secretary) and his brother Dennis got in a habit of stealing cars. They'e replace the VIN with one from a vehicle of the same make and model in the junkyard, paint it a different color and sell it. I don't know how much money they made but it wasn't worth it. They got caught, how I don't remember, but one day I came to work on a Saturday morning and found the cars of most of the officers there. There were several other cars I didn't recognize. Went in to the computer room and was doing some work, didn't feel like sticking my nose into someplace it didn't belong.

A little later one of them came up and told me. The Andrews boys had been stealing cars. Dennis was in jail and Darrell had fled. Al's secretary had been driving one of the stolen cars and had offered to sell others to bank employees.

Al didn't suffer any repercussions, and he hadn't done anything wrong. Bad judgment but that was about it. Becky was under suspicion but nothing could be proven. But she had other problems. She was chronically short of money and behind on some loans and had been told get them caught up. Instead she changed the delinquency reports to omit her loans so the board didn't see them. That bought her a week or two, then she was fired for falsifying records.

I don't remember who replaced her. Being a secretary they probably hired a new one. That was probably a year or so before I left, what happened to Al I don't know except he died and his wife married a third husband and outlived him. My barber or thirty-some years went through three wives so...

Darrell was apprehended and may have done some time, or may have gotten a suspended sentece as he had no priors. Dennis had a record and went away for a while. Last I heard of him he was in on a fed drug rap, in his seventies now.