Interview with Billionaire David Bastien
In an unprecedented interview with billionaire philanthropist David Bastien
Hosted by Bob Witherspoon
New Year Press: First of all, Mr. Bastien, we appreciate the time you have taken from your busy schedule.
Bastien: No problem.
NYP: What made you decide to go public with your story?
B: That's a good question, Bob. I didn't want someone else to come out with a biography or some other memoir before I had a chance to explain what really happened.
NYP: Did you ever worry that people might misunderstand? See you in an unfavorable light?
B: Sure. Of course. Most people see what they want to see, and when you're a public figure, that's truer than ever. Which is partly why I hired an independent author. I wanted someone who wouldn't be swayed by corporate ideals. Someone who would keep our interviews confidential, and write what happened based upon the facts, rather than sensationalism.
NYP: But why put yourself under this kind of scrutiny? Especially when you so jealously guard your privacy?
B: The scrutiny was there either way. My kidnapping made such spectacular headlines in the thirties, and with my reappearance last year, the constant press and photographers have been … well, let's just say, it's difficult to readjust to the limelight once you've lived an anonymous life.
NYP: I'm sorry, I didn't quite understand your answer. You risked everything to publish your story, which could have been so easily misunderstood by millions. Why?
B: Millions?
MR. BASTIEN SHIFTS UNCOMFORTABLY IN HIS SEAT.
B: I wanted to tell what happened before anyone else did. Call is selfishness, or call it honesty, I'm not sure which, but I needed to be the one to bring my story to light.
NYP: In the time since your return, have you attempted to contact the men who kidnapped you?
B: Actually, yes. Willy, as I'm sure you know, died in prison.
NYP: I heard about that. An electrical accident.
B: You could call it that.
NYP: What about the other one, a Mr. Beez?
B: I did see Beez again. By the time I searched him down, he had been released from prison and was living in Brooklyn. It's strange what time does to a person. He was so much smaller than I remembered. And frail. (He) didn't look like someone who could fill the mind with terror … anymore. He looked old. Broken.
NYP: Do you think he should have been incarcerated for life?
B: That is the sentence he was given.
NYP: I understand that he was released after the court learned you had survived the event.
B: Yes, that's true. Apparently, the portion of his sentence for the kidnapping was considered time served. The rest of his sentence was for my murder. And once it was known that I was still alive ….
NYP: Were you angry that he was released? After all the pain he cause you, and your family? Why should his life return to normal when your family will never be the same?
B: Let's move on.
NYP: Fine. According to the book, Class Collision, to which you have given your seal of approval, your wife was raised on a ranch in Wyoming. Is that correct?
MISTER BASITEN FIDGETS, THEN STANDS AND WALKS OUT OF THE STUDIO.
NYP: That's quite an answer.
MR. WITHERSPOON TURNS TO THE STUDIO CREW:
NYP: Well … I guess that's it, then.
Suddenly an announcer breaks in: NYP has just learned that Mrs. Linda Bastien, wife of the famous David Bastien, has just been kicked out of the Mandolin Mansion this morning. We have a reporter on the scene.
NYP reporter, Megan Callton: Bob, it looks like there has just been a major breakdown in the family. While her husband, David Bastien, was in the studio, Mrs. Linda Bastien has been thrown out of the house by Elizabeth Bastien, the matron of the billionaire family. Reports are coming in from multiple sources, stating that problems arose quickly between the two women shortly after David Bastien's return a year ago.
NYP Bob: It must have started right after the wedding extravaganza.
NYP MC: Exactly. At this point we don't know what has happened, though sources point to the low social standing of Linda Bastien. That combined with the strong will in both women has been a recipe for disaster.
NYP Bob: How soon until we know more?
NYP MC: Several of the servants have left the mansion with Linda Bastien, and as soon as we catch up with them, we'll make the information available. This has been Megan Callton, reporting for New Year Press Radio.
THE PREVIOUS POST HAS BEEN A FICTIONAL ACCOUNT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CLASS COLLISION SERIES BY ANNETTE MACKEY.
