Diana Racine 02 - Goddess of the Moon

he confided in her as one would to a close friend, and that touched her deeply. She thought of what he’d gone through, and before long she was sobbing like a baby, while scolding herself for becoming emotionally involved.
    * * * * *
    “S ilas Compton, for all his notoriety, is a hard man to get a handle on,” Jason said when he called back a couple of days later. “He hasn’t given an interview in over twenty years, only statements, and every article about him is pure research on the part of the journalist. He never even comments on them. His financials are off limits because his holdings are privately held. B ecause Compton International has the resources to do what few others can , his bids on government contracts are the only bids. Everything is in the control of the Compton family. No shareholders. Forbes estimates his to be the largest privately held company in the States, maybe the world, and Compton to be one of the richest men.”
    Diana held the phone to her ear and circled the room, walking off the tension that had her strung tight . “What else?”
    “That’s the easy stuff. You know, Diana, I can usually hack into anything, but his computer system is ironclad. I got what anyone with minor hacking abilities could get.”
    “Give me what you have . I doubt anyone else could do better.”
    “Okay, here goes. I know you asked for Slater first, but I ’ll start with Compton , because h e’ s more complicated . Born in Oklahoma to dirt poor farmers in 1950. He worked his way through the University of Oklahoma in the engineering program and got a job with Barton Oil and Petroleum. Before long, he was running the place. When he tendered his resignation ten years later, he was a multi-millionaire. Then he started Compton International. A few years before, he purchased a parcel of land in Southern Oklahoma. Compton perfected new methods of deep drilling, making him a billionaire a few times over and one of the most powerful men in the state. Behind the scenes, he back s political candidates who promote his agenda ―fiscally right, socially left, and he’ll ruin anyone who gets in the way of his business. If he could start his own government, he’d be God and Master.”
    “How’d he get to Louisiana?”
    “Offshore drilling, oil, and gas. Made him billions more and expanded his political clout. Of course, all the dollar amounts are supposition because no one really knows his worth .”
    “What about religious affiliations? Any contributions to any particular church or religious organization?”
    “ H e’s covered every base into heaven ,” Jason said . “ Donates to all of them: Jewish philanthropies, Christian charities, even Muslim awareness programs. Not millions, mind you, but enough to build allies against government’s intrusion into an individual’s personal business, more specifically, his personal business. Those donations are a matter of public record, so no way he can hide the information. If he’s funded other organizations, he’s done it under the radar through a PAC , because I couldn’t find them . ”
    Diana marveled at Compton’s ingenuity. He’d made sure everyone was on his side. Hard to go against someone whose deep pockets fill your coffers.
    “ He ’s a strange dichotomy ,” Jason continued . “ Against government. T hinks social work should be the domain of the private sector and that people need to raise themselves up by their bootstraps like he did, without the help of government handouts. ’Course, he forgot that he went through college on government loans, but that’s another story. ”
    “That seems to be a common occurrence these days. I got mine; you’re on your own, kid. What else?”
    “ He’s publicly condemned the IRS as a tool of government waste and feels that people should be free to invest or spend as they see fit. I’m sure he’s finagled his taxes to pay as little as possible, all legally, of course. Probably stashed money offshore, where the government can’t touch it . ”
    “I’m sure he’s not the only rich guy doing that.”
    “You do that, Diana?”
    She laughed. “No. I d on’t have that much money, and even if I did, I would n’t stash it. I believe in government. Keep going.”
    “ Here’s what I meant about the dichotomy. H e’s made comments that label him socially liberal. Doesn’t care who marries whom, believes in a woman’s right to choose, and is in favor of a separation of church and state.”
    “