Dallas, Texas

"Cynthia Moore, born August 13th 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas to parents Oliver and Stella; no siblings, middle class family. She completed three years at NTSU before withdrawing unexpectedly one week into the fall semester last year; it would have been her senior year and she would have graduated in May if she hadn't dropped out. Because of that though, most of the students she socialised with are no longer on campus and asking around, not many people remembered her other than in vague recollection of her reputation as a bit of a party girl and for lack of a better phrase, easy to bed. The two months between August and October last year were very difficult to find any information on, but looking through the public records of all counties surrounding her parents' home, the college and the bars you mentioned visiting that evening in December, I found two arrest records; one for solicitation of prostitution and the other for burglary. The burglary charge was dropped, however, for the solicitation of prostitution she paid a $350 fine and now has that charge on her record. Both of those events occurred between November and December of last year, prior to meeting you. Then again, after December of 1971, it's almost as if she dropped off the face of the earth, only to reappear a few months later, this time seeking medical attention at a non-profit clinic. From about February onward, her routine becomes quite predictable, returning to the clinic every few weeks over the next few months and socialising and living with but not resuming a full romantic relationship with a man that appears to be an ex-boyfriend. From what I gather, her withdrawal from NTSU also coincides with the last time she made contact with her parents, so unless they found out from someone else, they are unaware that she was even pregnant, let alone that she's now a mother, a mother who is attempting to extort something out of you". Pausing as he relayed the information, Harry McSween then continued, this time giving a more personal view of the issue rather than a factual one, "she's smart though, she hasn't made it clear yet exactly what she wants from you, and by that small action, or inaction, she hasn't actually involved herself in a crime just yet. My guess is that she wants you to be intrigued and ashamed enough by the supposed illegitimate child that you'll call her to find out how you can buy her silence, though she'll package her request as something much nicer in the beginning. I wouldn't be surprised at all if she attempts to hook you in with a sob story about the child's wellbeing and then feigns guilt at the thought of your wife finding out, so she'll reluctantly accept a monthly cheque and stay quiet to give you and your family the life you deserve. Of course, she could take a completely different approach, however, I'm no stranger to these type of situations and this seems fairly typical of attempted blackmail; it would pay for you to keep that in mind as you work out exactly how you want to approach the situation. I can bring her in on extortion or blackmail charges depending on her next demands, however, you'll probably need to communicate with her for that to happen, and there's also the child to consider…" He didn't necessarily want to assume that the child was JR's, because from the information he'd gathered, Cynthia was far from frigid, so it was entirely possible some other man was the father of her child, however, she was connecting JR to it and that could get messy if it did become public knowledge, even if it weren't true.

Listening as Harry McSween spoke, JR felt ill; in the past, blackmail and extortion would have almost excited him, he loved gaining the upper hand and then watching the other person crash and burn when he came after them, but this was a little different. He and Sue Ellen were happy, John Ross was thriving, his father was pleased with him and he was genuinely enjoying the way his life was going, but the letter from Cynthia, connecting him to a child that could very well be his, had just thrown a huge spanner in the works. He didn't want it to be true; he wanted another child at some point in the future, yes, but with Sue Ellen, not illegitimately with some whore who had not only given him an STD, but had then had the gall to come after him for what he assumed was financial gain. Things were a mess and for the first time in a long time, he really wasn't entirely sure how to deal with a problem. "Thank you Harry", pausing for a moment as he thought about what to say or do next, he then verbalised his thoughts, "I suppose I have no real choice but to contact her, or alternatively, wait for her to contact me, but I'd really rather do it on my terms…". Nodding, Harry spoke, "yes, however, before you do that, as an officer of the law, I do think that it's probably best for you to contact your lawyer if you're going to start a negotiation, just to get a second opinion about the legality of your actions and reactions. I can handle any charges when she does demand 'compensation' or hush money, but your lawyer will be able to advise you on your rights and responsibilities, especially those toward the child. He may not be yours, and if he isn't and she publicly tries to claim he is, then I can have slander added to the list of charges, however, even before that, your name isn't on the birth certificate, so you may need to file a different set of paperwork to get the child tested. As far as I'm aware, to establish paternity on a biological level is medically possible, however, it's not widely used and you may need to get your lawyer to make the right connections before you can access those resources. Your lawyer will be able to advise you much better than I though, so please, I know you want to keep this quiet, but your lawyer is bound by confidentiality, so you needn't worry about it becoming public knowledge because of him". Nodding at Harry, JR sighed and agreed; if possible, he would like to settle with Cynthia without having to use the law, but he understood where Harry was coming from and that it may come to that if she wasn't cooperative with his negotiations. "I will. Thank you Harry", standing, he showed Harry to the elevators and then headed back into his office, he needed a little time alone to think before he decided what move to make next.

To be continued…