Taxi Vignettes

I was at the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport to pick up a taxi customer. (I'll just call him Justice Smith) Mr. Smith is a retired California State Supreme Court Justice. I had never met him before so I was holding up 'the sign' with his name like the Limo guys do.

While I waited a man wearing a long overcoat and dark shades, walked by me and very quietly whispered, "Smith." He then came back and asked, “Would that be Edward Smith?” I told him, "Well, yes it would be." He said, “The Justice?” "Yes", I told him that Justice Smith was indeed the person I was there to pick up.

Mr. Overcoat said he would wait there with me for he wished to speak with the Justice. Oh, that was just great. Me and my big mouth! I'm thinking who is this guy? Is he friend or foe? What might he be concealing under that coat, and why the dark glasses at night?

We stood there until he slowly reached into his coat and came out with a...a pen. Asking, "May I?” he took my sign, wrote a note on it; turned and left.

Eventually a man comming down the escalator saw my sign and gave me a wave of acknowledgement. I quickly introduce myself to the Justice and we begin to walk out to the taxi stand.

Getting up my nerve I told him about the mystery man, and handed him the note. As I was making up some lame apology, he smiled and assured me everything was fine.

Once settled in the taxi, the Justice filled me in. Mr. Scoppettone was a dear friend of his, and an accomplished artist. He lives on a 24-acre estate, in the mountains above Santa Cruz, California. Alfred Hitchcock formerly owned the acreage, which may help explain why the artist has an air of mystery about him.