Last Friday The New Takhoman printed the
first story in a series of Paul Malone investigations
about escort services operating in Tacoma
without city licensing and oversight.
What follows is the second installment of
what can only be called
an unregulated sex
for hire cliffhanger.
Sin City’s head of Tax and Licensing finally
rang my chimes. I had asked
her if an escort
service located at 7034
South Alaska Street
had a valid business license.
She responded they didn’t. Said that a letter
would be sent. If the city didn’t receive
a reply a second letter would be issued.
Then a third. I requested a copy of the letters.
My name is Paul Malone. I publish a rag Councilman
Talbert wishes got the
beating he took.
My source Wendell “Bud” White continued to
call me.
His story I should sell to Vince, my Hollywood
agent.
So tell me White, “What happened to this
lady of the night?”
“Who knows what name she’s going by now.
I lost my battle against
her addiction. She’s
blonde. About 5’4. Weighs
about 130. She
had a goofy smile now marred
by a missing
tooth. I’m afraid the ravages
of the meth
will shortly take away
whatever looks she
had. Her story is probably
like many others
that find themselves in
this crap line of
work. She was broke; the
father of her child
had just been deployed
in the military. She
was left alone with the
kid.”
After bartending at Lincoln Lanes I knew
his story well. The 38th Street tweakers still abound.
He continued to spill his tale of woe.
“The meth started to interfere with her life.
She lost her job and was
desperate for money.
She came from a rural background.
Had very
little or no support system.
She responded
to one of the ads in The
News Tribune about
becoming an escort. When
she arrived she
probably signed some form
of entertainer’s
contract. A contract that
specified she would
not engage in any acts
of prostitution and
that such an act would
be a terminable offense.”
White was spilling his soul on Sin City’s
pothole ridden streets.
His words were painful.
“She soon discovered that if she did not
engage in sex acts there would be no work
and ergo no meth money. She couldn’t work
for any other service. She was not allowed
to see the clientele outside of her contract.
The service totally controlled who she could
date and when she could date them. It was
expected if she was having sex with anybody,
other than the employees of the service,
that she would be bringing money to the service. It was also understood that she was expected
to be accommodating to
her bosses.”
White felt for Amanda as the fictional “L.A.
Confidential” Bud felt
for Lynn Bracken,
but this is a typical Tacoma
story.
“I recall her telling me that shortly after
she was hired one of the drivers dropped
her off at a hotel where she expected to
meet a stranger for sex. Who she found was
the owner of the escort service. He told
her that he was her call for the hour and
that she was to have sex with him. She was
sworn to secrecy regarding this act because
he was a married man. Ironically his wife
was also involved in the management of the
escort service.”
To my way of thinking this business believes
itself to be above the
sexual harassment
laws. If any of these women
wanted to force
the issue they probably
would have one hell
of a lawsuit.
My synapses were popping off like a Doug
Miller Freedom Fair celebration.
Bud carried on.
“Getting back to the e-mails between Ladenburg
and Woodard, it’s perplexing
that Woodard
would be so untruthful.
It appears Woodard
was just blowing her off.
There are always
some allusions that the
place would get tipped
off.”
I wrangled my way off the blower.
When the line cleared I rang the Pierce County
Exec’s abode.
Connie answered.
I asked her if she still had an interest
in 7034 South Alaska.
She pondered. She thought.
I think she’s still on the case.
Respectfully submitted by
Paul Malone
(To be continued next Friday.)
To read installment one Click Here
