Chapter 17: Video Killed the Radio Star.
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Tammy wakes up late at 11AM. She felt tired and restless as she slowly sat up on the bed. Waking up, she finds the clock on the dresser and finds out how late it is. She collects her personal items to go to the bathroom to shower and freshen up. It only takes 10 minutes for her to do this, coming back into her room to get dressed in her Rescue Rangers uniform. Stepping out into the hall, she does not notice how quiet the house is.
Going down stairs she finds the place empty except for when she walks into the dining room. Julietta Polancco was sitting at the table's far end, making it difficult to see her unless someone stepped fully into the room. In seeing her, Tammy freezes in place for a moment.
"What are you afraid off? It looks like you seen a ghost.", Julietta tells her.
"Where's everyone?", Tammy almost demands.
"I believe the college students are in classes right now. But I do know Mr. and Mrs. Marino are out shopping; my guards took them to where I usually shop out by the farmer's markets outside of the city.", Julietta answers her.
"So...", Tammy started to say.
"We're both alone, if you want to know.", Julietta finishes for her.
"So what do you want with me?", Tammy asks sternly.
"Nothing, and everything.", Julietta answers just as sternly. She continues, "First, I just need to know, do you have Johan's credit card? Its not that I want to retrieve it, I still think he gave it away to some skank hoe. But his mind needs to be put at ease. And as the family's finance manager, I have to know what happened to that card."
"And if I have it?", Tammy asks.
"I would not care. No way you are going to empty the family account unless you decide to fund the Italy/Sicilian bridge project with it. ",Julietta tells her.
"I don't have it. I do have a couple of credit cards my mother gave to me that might be tied to the family account but I don't know.", Tammy tells her.
"When did she gave you those cards?", Julietta asks.
"A month after she married your father.", Tammy answers.
"Can I see those cards?", Julietta asks.
Tammy leaves the dining room and heads to her room where she gets her credit cards. She takes Johan's card and puts it in her inside jacket pocket. She returns to the dining area and dumps all her four cards in front of Julietta. Julietta looks them over, tossing out the two student credit cards then she examines the two high-end cards given to Tammy by her mother. They both have her name on it: Tammy Squirrel. Julietta then pulls out a tiny QXO laptop, slightly bigger than her smartphone and types in both credit card numbers.
"Hmmm... ",Julietta hums to herself.
"What?", Tammy asks.
"These cards are connected to the family account. ",Julietta tells her.
"And?", Tammy asks.
"That's it, we do not use Visa or MasterCard.", Julietta tells her.
"In America that is all that is used.", Tammy replies.
"And you have not used them at all.", Julietta throws back at her.
"Mom said they are for emergencies only. And she said that I would have to pay back what I spend on it.", Tammy tells her.
"The family account makes more money on interest alone a day than what you could ever spend from it, even if you spend them on looking for yo... our sister.", Julietta tells her. "You could buy this house from the Marinos and not put a dent on it."
"So... Do I have to pay back what I spend from them?", Tammy asks.
Julietta holds back from laughing, "No. Not ever. If you took twenty-thousand euros, the interest on what the accounts makes it more than double, triple that a day. It would pay itself in a day before you ever could in 10 years."
"I see.", Tammy says. She reaches into her inside jacket pocket and puts Johan's credit card in front of her. Julietta just looks at it.
"It's a little late to give this back.", Julietta tells her.
"What do you mean by that?", Tammy asks.
"The card is frozen until it is found.", Julietta explains, then she goes back to her tiny laptop. She types on it for a while entering and accessing the data to the account. Then she looks at Tammy, "Like I said. I would have preferred if some street hoe he picked up had it. Why did you not return it when he told you to return it?"
"That bastard took me out on a date to get better acquainted, or so he said. I did not expect him to try to rape me. And before that he went on and on about how I'm a sister in the family and he would welcome me to the family by giving me the credit card, saying that it's for me. Then when he failed to rape me he threw me out and he shot at me.", Tammy explains, "That motherfucker tried to take my life. For what? Because I would not drop my panties for him? He can go to hell and burn as far as I care."
"I will believe it only because he's done that shit before with others before. Hold on.", Julietta takes the credit card and types on the tiny laptop. "That bastard."
"What?", Tammy asks.
"According to this, he transferred all rights of the card to you, Tammy Squirrel Polancco. Then he transferred all the rights back to him before I froze it. I can't let him have that. ", Julietta as she types on the tiny keyboard. "There."
"Again, what?", Tammy asks.
"I transferred all rights of the card back to you under the name he registered it too: Tammy Squirrel Polancco. And he would not be able to change it without seeing me first. What a bastard. He has not changed one bit.", Julietta complains. She slides back the card to Tammy, "Don't use it for another 24 hours, and if you use it on an ATM, it will request for new passcode. If you are going to spend on it, spend well. Don't be buying cheap stuff with it. Only buy high end and top of the line name brand items."
"Anything else?", Tammy asks.
"Yes. If you are going to the hospital and orphanages, dress like a professional like me. Those rags, even though they say you are a professional rescuer, also says you have nothing to back you up. Come in looking like you are there for business, they will treat you with a proper business attitude because it also says you have lawyers to back you up. And no one in Italy wants to be taken to court by a Polancco.", Julietta tells her.
"Anything else?", Tammy asks.
"You have a business suit to conduct business in?", Julietta asks.
"Nothing like yours.", Tammy answers.
"Alright. We will get you one. And a make over too.", Julietta tells her.
"Wait a minute!", Tammy says a loud.
"Look at you. You would be a street urchin right now if you do have the Polancco name backing you up. You look awful, rundown, ragged, your breasts are hanging low and you smell like you're in heat.", Julietta tells her.
"I am in heat. I'm not your species of squirrel but my cycle is right around this time, thank god it's at the end of it.", Tammy tells her.
"Go upstairs, take a very long shower and put on your best as if you are going to kick ass at a job interview. And don't put on an LBD, you're a businesswoman, not a party girl. And raise your bra straps up to bring up your breasts, that shows confidence in your body language when you are up straight and not handing low all over the place. It will also keep you firmer longer.", Julietta tells her. "I'll be down here waiting for you to return."
Tammy could only sigh before leaving the room.
Julietta gets up and looks around the living room, listening intently to the activity upstairs. Once she hears Tammy go into the bathroom, she goes upstairs to look around the place. She finds Tammy's room open at the end of the hall and goes inside. Without touching anything, she looks around, eyeing each item in the room. The folding electric bicycle caught her attention for a moment, as did the tiny netbook laptop. The squirrel doll with the hand made jacket on the dresser similar to Tammy's Rescue Ranger jacket on the bed. At least the cheap digital watch was a name brand everyone knows: Casio. What also catches her eye it the lone hairbrush on the dresser as well as the lack of other items: no makeup, personal powder, hair spray, deodorant, perfume or other beauty products. She leaves the room and back to the dining room.
Listening intently downstairs, Julietta can hear Tammy leave the bathroom twenty minutes later and walk into her room. Tammy searches her backpack and looks for something to put on. In not having a business suit, she puts on the shirt and skirt she had on when she went to the see the ambassador weeks before. Putting on white ankle high socks and low pump shoes, she looks more like Ms. Polancco's assistant than a professional businesswoman by her definition. Feeling uncomfortable, she walks down stairs to the dining area taking her coat inside her arm. Julietta looks at her as she walks in.
"That's your best?", Julietta asks.
"That's all I have.", Tammy answers as she puts her coat on the table.
"Why?" Julietta asks.
"Why, what?", Tammy asks.
"Why is that the only good thing you have to wear?", Julietta asks.
"I only expected to be here for a couple of weeks to find my sister. I did not expect to be here for over six months. I just bought this coat recently for the winter.", Tammy tells her.
"Alright. We'll get you a few more things.", Julietta tells her.
"I can't have too much stuff. I need to carry everything in my backpack.", Tammy tells her.
"Give me a few weeks, and we'll see about you and that backpack. If all goes well, you should be going home with Bink by then in first class air travel.", Julietta explains, "But first, lets go." She gets up and walks out of the dining room. Tammy follows her out the house as she puts on her coat.
Julietta walks to a tiny two-seater car; Tammy reads the nametags on the fender 'Mercedes Kompressor.' With the press of the button on a key the doors open. Julietta gets in the driver's side, opening the passenger door wider for Tammy to get in. After Tammy gets in, Julietta drives the vehicle away out of the neighborhood. They drive to a high-end clothing store in an area of the tourist and shopping district Tammy has not been in. Together they go in, a middle-aged saleswoman approaches them.
"And who is this with you, Ms Polancco?", the saleswoman asks.
"Elisa, this is my step-sister Tammy Squirrel Polancco. Remember the woman my father married? Well, that is her oldest daughter, she came to visit from America.", Julietta explains.
"That would explain a lot of things.", Elisa says in an almost teasing tone.
"Get her hooked up, perhaps with Armani and Hugo Boss business suits, some silk shirts, a couple of nice ties, and some smooth things underneath.", Julietta tells her.
Elisa takes Tammy by the arm and literally hauls her away to a back private fitting room. Julietta takes a few minutes to look around, picking up a few boxes of shoes and plastic packages of nylon and silk underwear sets and packages of pantyhose before taking them to the fitting room. Tammy looks like in total discomfort and embarrassment as two women were taking measurements, pinning and marking the suit she had on. Julietta takes a seat in front of her.
"We got a grey suit, a dark blue suit and a black suit for her.", Elisa tells Julietta.
"Get her two more grey suits, one dark and one light.", Julietta almost orders. Elisa nods and goes away. The women taking the measurements take the suit off Tammy and take it to another room with the other suits. Watching her standing there in her underwear, Julietta complains, "Oh no. This won't do at all."
"What are you talking about now?", Tammy asks in distress.
"Look at what you got on. Cotton panties and bras are for little girls. At your age you should be wearing silks and nylons.", Julietta explains.
"I'm comfortable with what I got on.", Tammy tells her.
"And you have not tighten your bra straps to bring you up higher like I told you to do.", Julietta tells her, "Look. This is for your own good. You come into a business meeting slouching and hanging all over the place; no one is going to take you serious. You come in straight and held up high, no one is going to question your authority. It's all about confidence. If you look confident, no one will question what you have to say and everyone will want to serve you properly."
"But...", Tammy starts to say.
"But what?", Julietta interrupts her.
"You know. My cycle.", Tammy tries to explain.
"We are all women here, we all go through it during our time of the seasons. So that's not an excuse. You need to be confident and assertive all times, never show weakness, even if you are so deep in heat that you just want to lay down with your legs open and get banged up your love hole by the closest male next t you. If people see weakness in you they will try to take advantage of you. You do not want that.", Julietta tells her.
Tammy could only sigh. By dropping her shoulders as she does, Julietta almost wanted to scream at her. Instead she takes a subtler but yet more painful approach.
"In the many times you may have went to the police, hospital or orphanage, you were brushed off and made to go away. Weren't you?", Julietta asks.
"How would you know what I'm going through?", Tammy asks.
"Because in seeing how you are tells me that you are a person I don't want to be bothered with, so I will pass you on to the next person to deal with you and tell them to get rid of you as fast as possible. What I am doing to you is to make you appear like someone who is confident and assertive and is there for business. And when they see you are there for business with that confident and assertive attitude, you will be served accordingly. You get what I am telling you?", Julietta tells her.
"Yes, but...", Tammy starts to say.
"But nothing. Now. If it is a man that you have to deal with, any man except if he is a man of the cloth, you are going to do things to distract him, have him follow you with his eyes, make his heart flutter and his tiny penis stiffen where he sits behind his desk. When he sit back and adjusts his tie, you got him. And how you do this is simple. Ask him a question of something you need. When he says no, then its time to put on the charm. Sit up straight and push out your chest to show him what you got. Then put your hands on your lap and pull up on your skirt a bit, and open your legs at the knees. Make sure he's looking at your crotch. When he is, slowly lift up one of your legs opening them a bit wider to make sure he as a good view of what you got, and then cross your legs above the knee. See his reaction. He is sweating? Did he adjust his tie? Or is he leaning over his desk looking at you? If you're in heat, you should not be wearing a pad and let him smell your scent. At this point you have his full attention and wanting for more, talk in a girly voice and ask the question he had said no too. I'll bet a day of slave labor to you that he will say yes.", Julietta tells her.
"What if it is a woman?", Tammy asks.
"Simple. You show her who is the Alpha in the room and show her that it's not her. You show her that you will go to her supervisor if she does not serve you correctly and get her fired. You are to be assertive, confident and confrontational to her and she will bow down to your requests and tell you thank you. You need to have her fear you. And when you smile, smile like a shark and show teeth.", Julietta explains. Then she gets up, walks over to Tammy and hands her one of the plastic underwear packages, one in white nylon. "Put those on.", she tells her.
It takes a few seconds for her to start open the package and takes off her bra at first. Her ankle sox came off by her feet. The panties took a bit more effort, as Tammy did not want to lose her pad. But Julietta hands her another thin pad from behind one of the counters and pushes a trashcan close to Tammy, pointing at it. Tammy peels the pad off her cotton panty and throws the pad in the trashcan. She then puts on the nylon panty half way up and places the adhesive side of the new pad against the panty crotch panel, positioning it before putting the panties up herself. The pantyhose came up next, putting it on a bit at a time and trying to get it smooth as it goes up her body. Julietta looks at her for a moment then gets up behind her and pulls the bra straps up to get her breasts up higher on her. She adjusts the strap buckles and the band to the higher position. She walks in front of Tammy and looks at her.
"Now that better.", Julietta tells her.
"It's a bit tight.", Tammy complains.
"Then let it be tight. A woman's beauty is never an easy thing. You will get used to it.", Julietta tells her. "Now sit here while I take care of you further."
Tammy could not guess what is next until Julietta comes at her with a large make up kit that folded up to a small box. She stays still as Julietta starts putting it on her face.
"Now, you have a pristine face. I bet you never put on any make up.", Julietta says as she puts on the make on her.
"Just a little lipstick.", Tammy says.
"Don't ever speak and don't move when somebody is putting on make up on you. You could cause them to mess up on your face. You don't want somebody to mess up on your face. Do you? Don't answer that except in your head.", Julietta tells her. It was all Tammy could do in order not to answer. A couple of more minutes and Julietta was finished and steps away. The other women were there with the suits already prepared and fitted to size. Julietta takes Tammy by the hand and helps her up.
Tammy walks to where she stood when measured for the suits. Julietta points to the light grey suit. One of the women gives Tammy a silk shirt to try on. She puts it on, followed by the light grey skirt, which is checked over for binding, proper folding and overall fit. One of the women walk up to her and puts a long thin sash under Tammy's collar and ties it into a knot, slowly sliding the knot to the top collar button of the shirt. As she steps away, another helps her with putting on the suit jacket and all walk away. Julietta walks up to Tammy with one of the boxes, which she opens and pulls out a pair of Christian Louboutin Shoes red-soled black low-heeled shoes. Tammy takes each shoe and puts them on one at a time. One of the women goes into the other room and pushes a full-length mirror on wheels in front of Tammy. Tammy could not believe the change she had under gone, not recognizing her own image in the mirror in front of her. If it were not for the uncertainty on her face, she would be intimidated by the image in the mirror.
"What do you think?", Julietta asks.
Tammy twists from side to side, examining the fit of the suit on her. Unseen by her is one of the women taking her clothes and folding them neatly, wrapping them in plastic and putting them in a brown paper wrapper. At the same time Julietta steps up to Tammy and get close enough to tap her on the shoulder. Tammy stops and turns to face her.
"What do you think?", Julietta asks for a second time.
"It's a little tight but its excellent!", Tammy answers
"Excellent?", Julietta asks.
"Wonderful? Almost perfect.", Tammy answer in uncertainty.
"Well. Knock down your enthusiasm a few notches. Now you have a choice, care to have them wrap the rest of the clothes and we get your hair done and then lunch or try on the rest of the of suits and maybe lunch after that?", Julietta says and asks.
"What's wrong with my hair?", Tammy asks,
"It needs to be washed and conditioned.", Julietta answers.
"I can do that at home, but how about lunch. I'm hungry. ", Tammy replies.
"Didn't you have breakfast?", Julietta asks.
"I was going to make breakfast when I found you in the dining room.", Tammy holds back from complaining.
"You should have said something.", Julietta tells her.
Tammy only sighs, "Maybe I should have, but I didn't."
"Alright.", as Julietta signals the women to wrap everything up, "Elisa. Put it all on my account along with the customary 12% service charges for everyone here. We'll be back to get them and the receipt."
"Thank you Ms Polancco.", Elisa replies.
"No, thank you. And I'll see you later.", Julietta says before taking Tammy by the arm and taking her out of the store. "Now, what would you like: Chinese, Indian, Japanese, South American, Tex/Mex, American Grill, McDonalds, Burger King, Kentucky Fried? Name it."
"Anything that serves breakfast would be good.", Tammy says.
"For you I will figure American Grill since it serves an American Breakfast style meals. ",Julietta tells her. She starts to walk in a seemingly random direction but she knows Milan better than most.
After walking a few blocks, Julietta opens the door to a rather fancy restaurant, when Tammy was thinking of a greasy spoon hole in the wall type diner. Julietta holds the door for Tammy to enter the place, and takes her to a booth near the back of the place. She then hands a menu to Tammy.
"What would you like?", Julietta asks.
"I'll take the cheese omelet with sausage and some juice. You?", Tammy answers and asks.
"I'll take a pastry with coffee.", Julietta answers. Soon the waiter arrives and Julietta orders their meal in Italian. Then she tries to start a conversation with Tammy.
"So. Johan tells me that you dropped out of college. Why?", Julietta asks.
"Isn't it obvious? I dropped out to find Bink.", Tammy answers sternly.
"I was just asking. Maybe I can pull some strings and get your degree here in Italy. What were you studying: Business Administration, Digital Media and Content Management, Investment and Finance...?" Julietta asks.
"Two year degree in Emergency Medicine and Rescue Response and leading into a Pre-Medical four year degree studies.", Tammy interrupts her to answer.
"Emergency Medicine and Rescue Response, you mean a chuck wagon driver?", Julietta asks.
"Yes, an ambulance driver and medical technician, which gives me a free scholarship to college and medical school. Now what's wrong with that?", Tammy explains.
"Nothing, if you want to be poor for the rest of your life paying off student loans. Unless you invent something to help the profession and medicine itself, you will never be rich working at a hospital or in private practice. But after you get your medical degree, call me about finance options to keep you from being in the poor house. At least you will be in an honest profession.", Julietta explains.
"An honest profession?", Tammy asks.
"Any profession that does not entangle itself with politics and public opinion, one where you do not have to work hard for your position and status in political office and have to chase votes every so often. From police officers to elected officials to members of the board of corporations and their high office positions to those in the media; we all try to sway public opinion for our selves and enforce it. Doctors, nurses, firefighters, lawyers and farmers are a few who do not need to sway opinion because of their services are required to serve the community.", Julietta explains.
"I see.", Tammy replies.
"I have an idea for you, and I would like to hear what you think.", Julietta says.
"What would that idea be?", Tammy asks.
"Its in two parts. One: There has never been a missing person report done on Bink. We go to the police and file a missing person's report on her. That will get them to take action. Two: I interview you on TV and radio for Bink's sake. The one thing the prime minister does not like is hearing that his agencies have not helped in such a case like this. It will lower his ratings and he will do anything to get them back up again which means turning up the heat on those agencies and that should bring her back to you.", Julietta tells her.
"I already have a missing person's report on Bink. But for the interview, when do we do this?", Tammy asks.
"We can do it after we eat and can have it up by the evening news. You agree to this?", Julietta answers and ask.
"I guess so.", Tammy answers.
"Don't say 'I guess so.' It shows weakness and indecision in your part. Now its either yes or no. Which one shall it be, do you agree with this?", Julietta tells her and then asks.
"If it has to be a definite choice then yes.", Tammy answers.
"Good. Finish up your meal. I have to go to the little girls room and freshen up.", Julietta says to her before she gets up and leaves. She heads to the bathroom and takes the furthest stall from the bathroom entrance after checking that the other stalls are empty. There she goes through the motions of actually using the facilities but just sits there. With her panties and pantyhose down past her knees, anyone checking from the lower part of the stall would think somebody is using the toilet She takes out her cellphone and makes a call to one of her associates.
"Hello Salvatore? Yes, could you get Studio Two ready for me immediately? I might have an interview that will make the make the Prime Minister look bad. I need it ready for this afternoon's news. You can get it done? Great. See you in about an hour if not sooner. Ciao!", Julietta talks on the phone. She shuts it off and puts it away. She gets up off the toilet and pulls up her panties and pantyhose, making sure that they are not wrinkled or shifted out of place. With her foot she pushes the flush handle to make it look like she did something when she didn't and steps out of the stall to wash her hands. In another minute she is walking back to the table.
"Alright, I have a studio arranged for the interview. Are you done?", Julietta says and asks.
"Yeah, I'm done.", Tammy answers.
"We just have to go get your clothes from the store and you put on the outer layers of your clothes you had on at the studio and you be your normal self for the camera and answer all the questions like you told me. We will practice this when we get there.", Julietta explains as she signals for the waiter and asks for the bill. The waiter pulls out his receipt book and finishes the bill, which he gives to Julietta. She hands him a fifty-euro bill and tells him to keep the change.
They leave together and head for the expensive clothing store to pick up Tammy's things. After getting into the car with the store bought items, they head to downtown Milan and the center of the city's business district. Soon they were entering the rear of building through its garage. After parking the vehicle in its private space, they head for elevator. Julietta puts in a key into a keyhole next to the floor number '12.' They get to the floor in a under a minute.
Several people were there to meet them, and take them to separate private dressing rooms. Tammy was given her clothes in the brown paper wrapper and changes into them in a private partition. A makeup crew comes in and does her make up and hair for the TV cameras. Another takes care of her suit and remaining items. After several minutes of unwanted attention to her face, she is taken to a studio space; on the door she can see its 'Studio 2.' Inside it was a couple of chairs with a table on a set with a camera and sound crew setting up their equipment. One of the crew walks up to Tammy and explains what he is doing as he puts up a radio microphone set on her, with the microphone on her shirt collar and the transmitter at the back on the hem of her skirt behind her tail. She is lead to the chair on the right. Julietta enters from another door and takes the chair on the left.
"This is a practice run. I need you to keep the answers short, we only have a half hour to deal with. But I also want you to show emotion. The computer will generate a few background pictures of Bink that we have from the family album your mother brought over here. Now sound check, say something Tammy.", Julietta explains.
"Like what?", Tammy asks.
"Got it!", somebody in the back of the A/V crew says out loud.
"Alright. Now lets start with this practice run. I'm going to introduce you, saying who you are as a Rescue Ranger from America, and related to my family when your mother married my father. And how you stopped the robbery of my possessions yesterday. Then I'll say something about the tragedy and lead to you with a question. When did you found out something was wrong?", Julietta explains and asks.
"Well, we would call each other every week to see how we are, and suddenly those calls from Italy stopped. I started calling and only got the answering machine for two weeks and then the number was disconnected after that. I sent letters but they were all returned. So I gathered some money together and arrived to Italy to go look for them. In coming here I found out that I was related to you and the rest of the Polancco clan and found out what happened to mom.", Tammy explains.
"That was excellent. Do not change it. Now, let me ask, what did you do to find out about Bink?", Julietta says and asks.
"After some researching, Bink was sent from hospital to hospital and then to an orphanage and back the hospital and to another orphanage. After that she was sent to another hospital and then disappears from there. Nobody knows where she is or where she was sent too. Even the IRAS could not find her.", Tammy answers.
"Excellent, especially the part of the International Rescue Association Society. Another question: Did you ask any Italian agencies to help in the search for our sister?", Julietta says and asks.
"Yes. After getting of the plane, the first place I went to was the police. Though they brought an English translator, all they did was waste my time. I filled out forms and was told to go home, but home is half way across the world in New York City. I asked the hospitals and I was told that she was never there though I have papers saying that she was sent there. And I'm afraid to go to the orphanages for the same reasons of being given the run around and being lied too. Its like they are covering something up.", Tammy answers.
"Perfect!", Julietta says, "But show a little more emotion. Last question, how long have you been in Italy looking for our sister?", Julietta asks.
"Over six months now. I thought it would take a couple of weeks to find her but I've been here since.", Tammy answers.
"Wow. Six months is a long time. I understand you had to drop out of school and put your life on hold during this search. Don't mention details of school, classes or majors, just your grades.", Julietta says.
"I had to miss out on my finals at school, but I got an A- on my midterms.", Tammy answers.
"So anybody knows you're here? Other family? Friends? Significant other?", Julietta asks.
"Nobody knows I'm here. I just got up and left. They probably think I disappeared." Tammy answers.
"Great! Now lets try to record this in one take. I will have a long introduction about you and show the TV audience out there that you are a professional rescue profession who cares about her community. When I'll introduce the situation and then you and start asking the same questions as before more or less in the same order. And then you answer them exactly as you just did. The tape will be taken to the editor's room and put together with the computer graphics and it will be on the air later on the evening news. Now I want you to not worry if this sounds too political, because this is the action of government agencies not doing their work and they need a wake up call to get their job done or else.", Julietta explains.
"Or else what?" Tammy asks.
"Or else they should be fired and be replaced with somebody who will do the job properly and not make excuses for not doing it. No one should be suffering through their actions like they have to you.", Julietta answers.
Tammy nods in agreement.
"Alright. Lets do this. Hiram!", Julietta says and then yells at the crew.
Somebody walks to the set with a clapboard, saying, "Taking Action in 3... 2... 1!", followed by the loud clap of a clapboard.
Julietta begins as a set of graphics from the photo album pictures are played through the video mixer, "This is Julietta Polancco for Taking Action. And I have a story for you to hear, know and take action. First, a little history, as you know, my father married almost two years ago to an American and they moved here, and eight months ago, they were slaughtered, in what we believe to be a political assassination because of his political beliefs. Through that marriage I gained a little stepsister who is also an American and this is her story. Since that time I did not know she has an older sister who stayed in America to live her life but stayed in contact with the family. When she lost contact with the family, she came here looking for them. Only a day ago did I discover that I have a second stepsister in search for our relative, from a criminal action against me that she stopped. You all have seen the news videos of her heroic act from the security cameras of stopping the thief and holding him until the police got there. And since she turned herself in to this TV Station, she collects the ten thousand euro reward. Everyone, this is Tammy Squirrel Polancco, who is a Rescue Ranger in America.", Julietta pauses for dramatic effect, then continues, "Tammy, When did you found out something was wrong?"
"Well, we would call each other every week to see how we are, and suddenly those calls from Italy stopped. I started calling and only got the answering machine for two weeks and then the number was disconnected after that. I sent letters but they were all returned. So I gathered some money together and arrived to Italy to go look for her. In coming here I found out that I was related to you and the rest of the Polancco clan and found out what happened to mom.", Tammy explains.
"What did you find out about Bink?", Julietta says and asks.
"After some researching, Bink was sent from hospital to hospital and then to an orphanage and back the hospital and to another orphanage. After that she was sent to another hospital and then disappears from there. Nobody knows where she is or where she was sent too. Even the IRAS could not find her.", Tammy answers.
"You asked the IRAS for help, did you ask any Italian agencies to help in the search for our sister?", Julietta says and asks.
"Yes. After getting of the plane, the first place I went to was the police. Though they brought an English translator, all they did was waste my time. I filled out forms and was told to go home, but home for me is half way across the world in New York City. I asked the hospitals and I was told that she was never there though I have papers saying that she was sent there. And I'm afraid to go to the orphanages for the same reasons of being given the run around and being lied too. Its like they are covering something up.", Tammy answers.
"New York City is a long way away. I hope you can found Milan to be a helpful and wonderful community. How long have you been in Italy looking for our sister?", Julietta asks.
"The people in Milan have been nice, but it's been over six months now. I thought it would take a couple of weeks to find her but I've been here ever since.", Tammy answers.
"Six months is a long time. I understand you had to drop out of school and put your life on hold during this search. How well were you doing in school?", Julietta says.
"I had to miss out on my finals at school to search for her, but I got an A- on my midterms.", Tammy answers.
"Anybody from New York City knows you're here? Other family? Friends? Significant other?", Julietta asks.
"Nobody knows I'm here. I just got up and left. They probably think I disappeared." Tammy answers.
"They probably do think that you have disappeared. There you have it, a story of a search for a missing little ten-year-old girl. A girl who I seen at our families' wedding as the flower girl, one who moved to Italy with her mother to live a new life with my father, one who has disappeared after a family tragedy. We are all looking for her. And to those people who have halted this search for this little girl, I hope you all get fired. Seriously. This is a search for a missing girl who disappeared at a hospital. Where was the administration? Where was security? Where were the doctors? Where were the police? They were all giving Tammy a hard time, covering something up. We Polancco's are filthy rich and insanely wealthy. Her hospital bill would have been nothing for us to pay. In fact we were planning on a several hundred million dollar expansion and upgrades at the hospital she disappeared from. We will be meeting on whether or not to continue on this project. We bear no ill thought or will against the people of Milan and of Italy. But mind you, this government down from the lowest police officer and lowly office clerk up to the prime minister himself owes us; they owe you the people of Italy and they owe my family for if it happened to us, it will happen to you. I want you all to hug and hold your children tonight and think, if the government is not willing to do its part in protecting our children when they are supposed too, then who will? This girl disappeared from a hospital. Your child might be next when they go to the hospital. This is Julietta Polancco for Taking Action."
The clapboard is clapped loudly and guy with the clapboard says, "That's a wrap!"
"That was great. No doubt our studio will be getting calls from the audience about Bink's disappearance soon after its aired. I'll send you what we get.", Julietta tells Tammy as she takes her hand and holds them, "Lets get you home."