When I get home that night, I get a phone call from Fiona.

Fiona tells me, "You left a message and a phone number on my machine. I talked with the wife of the Commanding Officer. Do you have some idea why you were invited to have supper with the Commanding Officer?"

"Well, I assumed it was because I'm such a swayve and de-boin-er stud that he just couldn't resist my meeting his family."

Fiona snaps, "Calm down, ego boy. The CO's wife has servants, a couple of Mexican maids. The CO's wife sort of inherited the maid service from the previous CO's wife. The new CO's wife speaks a little Spanish. She thinks that the Mexican maids might be slaves."

"Hoo boy! I assumed that the supper invitation was because I'm such a swayve and de-boin-er stud. However, it might just be that the CO wants my talents as a kick ass mofo."

Fiona asks, "And just who's posteriors do you intend to kick?"

"Superman changes into his fightin' costume. Me, I talk with Margie, that's what I do."

I then wrap up the call with Fiona and then I call Margie, "Hey lady, this is Jim Holt."

Margie sort of breathes into the telephone, "Hiya Big Boy, you got some more high paid government work for little Margie?"

"Quite possibly. I made contact with a lady named Fiona O'Brien. She's going to supper with me Friday, at the base CO's place. Fiona talked with the CO's wife. The CO's wife thinks that the Mexican maids that she inherited just might be slaves. Perhaps you could nose about a little and see if there's such a problem, here in San Diego. I can front a bit of money, but I'll then try to sell the government on giving Private Eye Margie another plump contract."

"Oh, I love the way you say, 'plump contract.' Not to worry, Margie is on the job!"

Okay, I go to work in the morning. I totes that barge, I lif' that bale, I don't even have time to get a little drunk and land in jail. I get a few more things cleaned up at the base. I get a call from Margie, Thursday night.

"Jim, this is Margie. I stuck my private nose here and there. I found out quite a bit. Many of the maid services in San Diego recruit their maids from the poor villages in the interior of Mexico. The methods that they use closely resemble the old English press gangs that they used to recruit sailors, back when. The more upper class agencies then run the muchachas through a kind of boot camp and then turn 'em loose on customers, until the girls get themselves knocked up by their boyfriends, who then marry the girls, or not. However, there has been a sort of consolidation in the Mexican maid operations. An outfit called Professional Cleaning and Maid Services now seems to more or less dominate the field. They get all of their maids from Mexico and they keep them in line with hoodlums. I seem to get the idea that the girls get very little money. If I get any deeper into the investigation, it's liable to get dangerous for me."

"By all means, break off the investigation. I'll try to get some more information, from several sources. Did you find out who owns Professional Cleaning and Maid Services?"

Margie sighs, "The ownership trail goes through several corporations. None of the corporations are real entities. Mostly they consist of a lawyer and several directors. The directors are employees of the lawyer and the lawyer is, effectively, the corporation. The whole thing stinks to high heaven. If you start asking questions, be very careful Jim."

"I will be careful Margie. If I learn anything useful, I'll get back to you."

I then call Fiona, "Fiona, this is Jim Holt. I sicced Margie on the San Diego maid operations. Margie found out that a lot of the operation that use Mexican girls have now been absorbed into one big operation, called Professional Cleaning and Maid Services. If you try to find out things about Professional Cleaning and Maid Services, it can get dangerous. Better have the CO's wife back off. I'll try to find out more and then let you know."

Fiona says, "Okay, will do. We're due at your CO's place at 7PM or 19:00 hours, as they say in the military. You need to pick me up at 6:30PM."

"I'll be at your place at 6:30PM or 18:30 hours, as they say in the military. Please be ready, as it wouldn't do to be late for this particular event."

Fiona says, "I'll be on time, this once. However, don't expect me to make a habit of it."