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Chapter 17
February 18, 1999
William and Elizabeth
were sitting at a small table in a dark and cozy music club.
It was a modern place, a combination of steel and dark wood,
very different from the usual decrepit jazz joint. A single candle
illuminated their wine glasses as they listened to the combo
on the well-lit stage and watched the figures on the dance floor.
William's dark suit paired nicely with the simple black dress
that hugged Elizabeth's curves, her neckline just on the naughty
side of daring. He was jealous of the pendant that teased her
cleavage. Her wavy hair was swept up off her neck, giving her
a sophisticated look and allowing her earrings to catch the light.
His fingers grazed her hand, and she smiled at the attention,
her eyes never leaving the stage.
"Will you dance
with me?" he whispered.
She turned her lovely
face to his, her smile catching the candlelight. "I thought
you'd never ask."
Will rose, extending
his hand towards the lady. She gently took it and allowed herself
to be glided to the dance floor, joining three other couples.
Without a word, Will took her into his arms, and they moved together,
slowly swaying to a bluesy saxophone.
As they danced,
Lizzy laid her head upon Will's shoulder. Will smiled as he reveled
in the scent of her - a soft mix of flowers and something he
couldn't quite place in her perfume. He could feel the warmth
of her body through her thin dress. He ached for her, so he gave
into temptation to place a light kiss on the top of her ear.
He felt more than heard her chuckle of approval.
She lifted her head
to gaze into his face. The multi-colored lights of the stage
danced on her soft skin. "How is it," she asked softly
with a heart-stopping smile, "that I always seem to be dancing
with you?"
"I don't know,"
he smiled back. "I can't speak for you, but as for me, I
don't want to dance with anybody…but you."
Her eyes moved to
his lips before returning to look up into his. "Neither
do I." Her lips parted as her arms pulled him closer.
As he lowered his
lips to hers, she closed her eyes and tilted her chin.
"And now,
back to the Radio Gawds - Walton and Johnson!" blared his clock radio.
William groaned
and pounded the pillow as he turned over. This was not his first
dream about the lovely Miss Boudreaux, but this one had great
potential. And an embarrassing effect upon his anatomy. Damn
- just when it gets to the good part!
He remained in bed
for a minute more, listening to a moronic redneck named "Billy
Ed Hatfield" arguing with an effeminate hairdresser called
"Mister Kenneth." Of course, the gag was that the two
voices were created by the same person. Not for the first time,
Will was impressed with Steve Johnson's ability to stay in character
as he carried on a conversation with himself, while his partner,
John Walton, played straight man. As the crew started in about
the latest foibles from Hollywood, Will switched off the radio
and got out of bed reluctantly to start his day.
Fifteen minutes
later, William was well into his morning mile run. This one was
different from his usual - there was a six-foot five-inch black
man running beside him. "You do this every morning?"
the bodyguard asked as he kept a steady pace.
"Yeah - a mile
every day, unless it rains."
"Good warm-up,
Mr. Darcy," the bodyguard judged.
"Warm up?"
The other man laughed.
"Sir, I usually do five miles, but I can take it easy on
you."
Will glanced at
him. "Retired military?"
"Yes, sir.
Ten years in the Marine Corps."
"How come you're
not a cop?"
"I was, in
the Corps. After I got out, I was given this opportunity. More
money in the security business, if you've got a brain in your
head."
"What else
do you do, besides protect people?"
"Our firm handles
all sectors of security, sir. Investigations, reviewing plant
and office security, supply chain and inventory, cargo handling,
systems and threats - outside and inside. We've gotten into computer
security in a big way, and we're looking at identity theft. Lots
of bad guys out there. Keeps us busy."
"I'm surprised
Dad was able to hire you on such short notice."
"Sir, DGS is
one of our bigger clients. We've been on retainer for years."
William blinked.
He realized that for all his studies, there was still a lot about
DGS he didn't know. At least business school had taught him that
learning was a life-long process. Business changes too quickly
for anyone to get comfortable. There was always something new
on the horizon - new opportunities and new threats. Learning
to deal with the constant change that is international business
was the difference between success and failure.
In May, I get
my MBA. Then my real advanced studies begin.
~*~*~
Lizzy awoke and
rolled out of bed, preparing to dress for class, when she almost
tripped on a large object between the two beds.
"Oh, Mari -
you left your laundry basket in the middle of the floor again,"
she said automatically before her brain kicked in.
Mari groaned and
turned over. "Huh? What's that?" She saw the basket.
"Oh - that's funny. I don't remember putting that there."
Elizabeth started.
"Mari, what do you mean you don't remember? What did you
do last night? Don't you remember?"
"No…"
Mari's eyes grew wide as she fully came awake. "No, I…I
must have done my laundry, Lizzy, but I just don't remember."
She sat up and held her head in her hands. "I don't remember
anything at all about last night! Oh my god, what's happened
to me?"
Lizzy crossed the
room to console her scared roommate. "Have you ever blacked
out like this before? Have you ever had trouble remembering?"
"I don't know!"
Mari cried before calming down a bit. "I always remember
stuff - this has never happened to me before. I…I don't
sleepwalk…do I?"
"No. Marianne,
I have to admit I'm very worried about you. Please, I really
think you need to see a doctor."
"I…I guess
so."
"Marianne,
no more stalling. We're going to the hospital - now."
~*~*~
Emma met them at
the Emergency Room at Touro Infirmary. They explained their business
to the admitting nurse, and after a couple of questions, Marianne
and her friends were placed in an examination room. The attending
physician soon appeared and asked a few more questions. Once
she heard about Mari's lack of memory, she shooed the other two
girls out of the room and began her examination.
A half-hour later,
the doctor found Lizzy and Emma in the waiting room.
"I have to
let you both know I've contacted the police. That's standard
procedure in cases like this."
"What did you
find?" asked Lizzy. The doctor motioned that the two follow
her. Outside of Mari's exam room, she asked the girls to wait
while she recived Mari's permission to discuss her case. Mari
agreed, Lizzy and Emma were invited inside and the doctor looked
at the chart.
"Not much.
There was some bruising, and definite evidence of sexual activity.
No tearing or other damage, though." She sighed. "What
raises our concern is Miss Dashwood's lack of memory of what
happened Tuesday night. We've taken a blood sample for testing."
"Testing for
what?" asked Lizzy, fearing the answer.
"Rohypnol or
GHB. Those are the popular ones."
"You mean date-rape
drugs?"
"Yes."
"No, I can't
believe it," said Emma. "Nobody at the AI House would
use something like that."
"You'd be surprised
at what I've seen, Miss," responded the doctor. "I
wish you would have gotten here sooner, Miss Dashwood. The sooner
we see things like this, the better. The police will send someone
down to take your statement. I ask that you think carefully on
what happened that night. Tell them everything. You never know
what will help them."
~*~*~
Chris Breaux hung
up the phone after getting no answer at Mari and Lizzy's. He
couldn't understand how somebody in this day and age didn't own
an answering machine, but there wasn't anything he could do about
it.
His first thought
when he had heard about the incident at the AI House was to find
John Waguespack and beat him to a pulp. Chris was not a violent
man, preferring reason to rage, but when it came to Marianne
Dashwood, reason went out the window. His next thought was to
go right over to Mari's dorm room, but Will convinced him that
Emma or Lizzy would call if there was any news. It took all the
self-control he had, but he waited a day before phoning.
Figuring that Mari
hadn't answered the phone because she was in class, Chris tried
to think the whole thing out. Surely Mari wouldn't be in class
if anything serious had happened - she would be at the hospital.
Therefore, it was reasonable to think that while she may have
been intoxicated at the house, it may have been nothing more
than that. Still, for Waguespack to get a sweet girl like Mari
so drunk she couldn't walk was too much for Chris.
The knowledge that
Wickham was a drug dealer worried Chris even more, as it raised
the possibility that Mari had gotten intoxicated on something
other than wine coolers.
Chris was going
to be very interested in tonight's meeting of Alpha Iota. Maybe
someone had information about what really happened to Marianne
that would allow him to sleep at night. And Waguespack would
finally get his.
~*~*~
The NOPD officer
returned to her Second District office and threw down her note
pad. "Well, that was a waste of time," she sighed
as she sat down.
"False alarm?"
asked her partner.
She shook her head.
"A Loyola coed's in the emergency room at Touro, claiming
to be a rape victim. Only she's not the one complaining - it's
her friends. They're doing all the talking while she just sits
there, saying nothing, hardly. And no evidence at all."
"Nothing?"
She opened her notebook.
"Blood work - nothing. Clothes - washed. Physical evidence
- not much, except for some bruising on the insides of her thighs
and signs of sexual intercourse. Apparently, she showered since
the incident. Witnesses - zip." She closed the pad. "A
big fat nothing. Except…"
"What?"
"The girl has
no memory of what happened. I think she's sincere about that.
So…it could be Roofies or something like it. She's not acting
like somebody who's making this up - somebody who slept with
a strange guy and is having second thoughts the next day. She's
confused and a little scared."
"Blood work
is negative?"
"The initial
test was. They're going to run some more. But the way that stuff
leaves the system, I don't have much hope." The officer
rubbed her eyes. "Her friends ripped me a new one."
"No call for
that."
"This brunette
gal - her roommate, I think - was all in my face, demanding I
search the AI House at Tulane. Like I can get a search warrant
with this." She gestured at her pad.
"What do her
friends say happened?"
"They
say she was at a Mardi Gras party at the frat house, and they
say somebody slipped something in her drink. But neither girl
was there. Their word is all horseshit."
"Where did
you leave it with them?"
"The usual
- gave 'em my card and told them to contact me in case she remembers
something more later."
The male officer
glanced at the wall clock. "It's lunchtime - wanna grab
a po'boy?"
The female officer
nodded. "Give me fifteen minutes to type up this report
first."
~*~*~
Lizzy was still
steamed by the time the girls got back to the dorm. "Can
you BELIEVE that cop?! 'Protect and Serve' - ha! Protect who
- the perpetrators?!"
Mari lay in her
bed, holding her head. "Lizzy, please…I've got a headache."
Lizzy ranted on,
heedless of her roommate's plea. "How are we going to protect
ourselves if the police won't help us?"
Emma glanced at
Mari. "Lizzy…" she gestured at the girl.
"Oh! I'm sorry,
Mari. Can I get you something? A Coke - would that make you feel
better?"
"No, just some
quiet, please." She reached up to take Lizzy's hand. "I
appreciate everything you've done, but I just want to rest for
now. Can we talk about something else?"
The other two agreed
and sat down to chat softly about upcoming class work. However,
Lizzy's anger was a force only on hiatus. She planned a visit
to a certain fraternity house that night.
William and Chuck
- they'll tell me what's going on. They'll fill me in. In a couple
of hours, I'll know who's behind this!
~*~*~
Darkness had fallen
on Broadway on this cold Thursday evening. Everything looked
normal at the Alpha Iota House, except for a large man sitting
in a chair on the porch, looking up and down the street. Inside
the building, it was anything but ordinary.
The chairs again
were set in a large circle in the chapter room, but there were
more people this time. The pledges had joined their active brothers,
and what they heard chilled them. Brother Tommy Bertram, inactive,
was relaying his conversation of Wednesday with John Waguespack.
"…and
by the time I got back from my meeting, John had left. I got
a call on the answering machine from him last night, saying he
was in Mississippi. That's the last I heard from him."
Charles Bingley
leaned forward. "Thanks, Tommy. I appreciate your honesty.
I know this was hard for you." As there were pledges present,
the meeting was held in an informal manner.
"It was, Chuck.
For all his faults, John has been a good friend to me."
Henry spoke up.
"Has anyone heard from Marianne?" There was no answer.
"So we still
don't know for sure," Chuck pointed out. "But it does
look bad. Well, it's time to bring up what to do about Waguespack…What's
that, Will?"
"Chuck, may
I have the floor?" Chuck waved his permission. Will walked
to the center of the circle as if he owned the building. He planted
his feet and slowly scanned the room.
"Brothers,"
he began, "this is no ordinary incident. This is a crisis
- one that must be handled carefully and honestly. Last Tuesday,
one of our brothers, John Waguespack, betrayed everything this
chapter stands for: honor, brotherhood and respect for women.
He has lied to us, brought an unworthy outsider into our house
and, at the very least, treated a young lady in a despicable
manner. We do not know what happened in Pat's room that night
- we suspect much, but we do - not - know.
"However, at
the very least, he has acted in a manner unbecoming a member
of Alpha Iota Fraternity. He has violated his initiation oath.
We know that the purpose of tonight's meeting is to decide whether
to expel John Waguespack from our brotherhood. A heavy decision,
but one that must be carried out for the good of all."
He looked around
again. "I know you will all put aside your personal feeling
and do what is right. I have no fears there. Alpha Iota has taught
all of you well. You pledges, only weeks from your initiation
into this fraternity, now know what I mean. You know how important
AI is to all of us. As a doctor cuts off a gangrenous limb to
save the body, so must we forever disassociate ourselves from
anyone who so betrays our core values.
"But - let
me make myself perfectly clear - this chapter can go to hell
if we betray the friendship and trust of a wonderful young lady!"
The room was completely
silent as William stalked the floor. Every eye was on him. George
Katz, sitting next to Chris Breaux, marveled at how William held
the room in the palm of his hand. He could easily see his friend
thusly take command of a corporation boardroom, or even the floor
of Congress, if he so decided. My god, he could be President,
if he ever went into politics!
"We all know
the state of the media these days - scandal upon scandal. The
facts mean nothing - only how salacious the rumors are. People's
lives are destroyed every day.
"Now, if you're
thinking I'm talking about our reputation, about our lives, you're
wrong. We have a duty, as members of Alpha Iota, to honor our
guests, especially our female guests." Will pointed to the
chapter's charter, hanging on the wall. "It's in our motto:
'God First, Then the Ladies.' Guys, this ain't no joke.
This is who we are. If we can't live up to the standards set
by the honored founders of our brotherhood, then we are not worthy
to call ourselves Alpha Iotas! Not a brick of this house should
remain standing if it comes at the expense of Marianne Dashwood's
reputation!"
~*~*~
"Justin, do
we have a tape recorder?" asked Lizzy her editor.
"Yeah, right
in that storage cabinet." As Lizzy retrieved it, he asked,
"Got a hot story?"
"I think so,
and I want to get it on the record."
"What's the
story?"
"A friend of
mine was assaulted at a fraternity house on Mardi Gras."
"Whoa! Which
one?"
"AI at Tulane."
"You're going
over there now?"
"Yes."
"Let me grab
a camera, and I'll go with you."
~*~*~
For fifteen minutes,
William held the members of Alpha Iota spellbound with his oratory.
He convincingly laid out his reasoning for suppressing any rumors
about the events of Mardi Gras night. Finally finished, there
was one member not persuaded.
"Will,"
said Henry, "you make some very good points. But I don't
see why we shouldn't bring this to the Dean of Students' attention."
Will nodded sadly
at his friend. "I wish we could, Henry, if we could trust
in the system. Look, if this was an internal Tulane issue, I
might agree with you. I feel certain that the administration
could investigate this matter effectively and confidentially.
I know they would respect everyone's rights and privacy. But
this matter goes beyond the walls of the university. Marianne's
from Loyola, and Wickham's not a student at all. That means not
only will Loyola be involved, but so will the NOPD. Can we count
on them to keep it quiet? Can we take the chance that Marianne's
name wouldn't end up on the front page of the newspaper?"
"Wouldn't the
NOPD be called in if Mari was from here, with Wickham being involved?"
"I'm sorry,
Henry, I spoke carelessly. I'm sure the police would handle this
professionally. It's the situation between Tulane and Loyola
that concerns me. They are two separate institutions. Everything
is done at arms-length. That's just the way it is. I don't believe
this matter could be handled in any way but publicly."
Everyone silently
considered William's words.
"Do you have
anything else, Will?" asked Chuck.
"No. Thank
you, Chuck." Will took his seat.
"Does anyone
else have anything to add to the discussion? No? Very well, we'll
begin." Chuck addressed the room. "We will all be voting
on this. Pledges, as you are not yet full members of the fraternity,
you will be taken to the back to vote, while the actives will
vote according to the laws of Alpha Iota. Your vote, like ours,
will be by secret ballot. Please go with the Sergeant-at-Arms."
Chuck looked at the man. "Take them to my room…"
There was a knock
on the door. The Sergeant-at-Arms gave Chuck a glance before
going to answer it. Everyone in the room kept silent until he
returned a moment later.
"Will,"
he said, "your bodyguard says there's somebody here to see
you."
"Will, you
go ahead," said Chuck. "Alumni can't vote anyway. You
either, Tommy - you're still inactive. Pledges, you're dismissed."
William walked through
the front hall and opened the door. The bodyguard was right next
to it, the bulge from his shoulder holster apparent under his
half-unzipped bomber jacket. "What is it?"
He gestured with
his head. "This lady wants to talk to you."
William looked over
and saw Lizzy Boudreaux standing in the front yard with a young
man. "Okay, I'll handle this," Will told the guard.
Carefully closing the door behind him, he approached the two,
the guard close behind him.
Lizzy spoke before
he could descend the stairs. "Will, I want to know what's
going on around here." She could not keep the anger out
of her voice.
Will looked over
at the stranger. "Lizzy, we're kinda busy at the moment.
Can I talk to you later?"
"No! I want
answers now." The scene was filled with the flash of Justin's
camera.
"What the hell…?"
cried Will. "What is this? Lizzy?"
"Darcy, what
happened here Tuesday night? Tell me!"
Will felt his temper
rise. "Boudreaux, are you asking me as a friend or as a
reporter?"
"Both!"
Lizzy couldn't believe Will was being this obstinate.
"C'mon, Darcy,
spill," Justin added, "or are you gonna hide behind
your armed guard there? Why do you need him? Is he giving the
chapter time to dispose of the evidence?"
"Who the hell
are you?"
"Justin Middleton
- editor of the Loyola VOICE." He took another picture.
There was a soft
voice from behind Will's shoulder. "Want me to take care
of this?"
"No,"
Will answered the guard. He returned his attention to the two
in front of him. "We have nothing to say to the press at
this time. If, at anytime in the future we have something to
announce, we will be sure to send you a press release."
He looked hard at Elizabeth. Lizzy, I can't say anymore in
front of that photographer. Please trust me!
"I see you
passed your Corporate Cover-Your-Ass class, Darcy," taunted
Justin. He was trying every trick he knew to get Darcy to drop
his defenses and say something printable. He had no way of knowing
that was the least effective way of dealing with the man before
him; when Darcy became offended or uncomfortable, he became less
talkative, not more.
William's face lost
all expression as he pulled himself to his full height and turned
to Middleton. "You are on private property. I must ask you
to leave - now." He turned and walked up the steps to the
house.
"Darcy!"
cried Elizabeth.
He turned and looked
into her eyes, trying to control the raging emotions flaring
within him. Affection fought with disappointment. Damn it,
Lizzy, trust me! His face betrayed him, as his hard glare
telegraphed only his anger, not his confusion.
The guard stepped
forward. "Okay, folks, time to go."
"Or what -
you'll shoot us?" Justin jeered.
The guard sighed
and pulled out a cell phone. "You can leave now, or you
can have campus police escort you away."
"Freedom of
the press!" cried Justin.
The bodyguard flipped
open the phone. "Want to tell that to the cops?"
Lizzy grabbed her
editor's arm. "C'mon, Justin, we're not going to get any
answers here." She turned her back to the house, and did
not see William's hard expression collapse into melancholy. The
two got into Middleton's car and drove away.
~*~*~
"How did the
votes go?" Will asked Chris as the other members milled
around, talking in low voices.
"Waguespack's
gone, and the chapter is supporting your plan of action."
He didn't say that the vote on the second issue was one short
of unanimous.
"Who was at
the front door?"
"Lizzy and
the editor from that on-line paper she writes for."
Chris whistled.
"What did you say?"
Will looked at him.
"What could I say? We gotta talk with Chuck."
A few minutes later,
the three of them, with Henry and George Katz, were in Bingley's
bedroom. Will briefed them on the events outside.
"Oh, man…"
groaned Chuck, "we may end up in the paper anyway."
Will shook his head.
"No, I gave 'em nothing."
Henry snorted. "Nobody
reads that on-line joke, anyway."
Chris asked, "Did
Lizzy say anything about Mari?"
"No, I didn't
want to ask about her, either, not in front of that Middleton
character."
"You know,
I disagreed with you on this secrecy bit," admitted Henry,
"but now it's decided, we've got to stick with it."
"Henry, you're
right," agreed George. "This isn't the way I would've
handled it, but we've got to show a united front."
Will turned to Chuck.
"Did Patel wash his sheets?"
"Nope, not
yet. He still has 'em in his closet."
"Keep 'em there
for a while, just in case."
"In case what?"
"In case we're
wrong."
~*~*~
"He blew you
off?" cried Emma.
Lizzy looked around
the lobby, making sure it was still deserted. "Yes. We've
got to think the worst, Emma. Alpha Iota is hiding something.
They know what happened to Marianne - I can feel it. I've
got to find out what it is. I'm not going to let them get away
with this." Lizzy grinned, but there was no humor in it.
"Darcy forgot one thing. Never piss off somebody who can
buy ink by the barrel." She turned to Emma. "This is
more important than friendship. We've got to put everything aside.
This is for Marianne, and justice for all women who have been
victims. Are you with me?"
Emma looked at her
friend. "Lizzy, I'll help you any way I can."
~*~*~
Tommy parked his
car in front of his apartment. As he locked his car door, he
heard somebody call his name.
"What do you
want, Greg?"
"I'm lookin'
for JW. You know where I can find him?"
"John's not
here." Tommy held back the anger he felt. He wasn't scared
of Wickham, but he knew it would serve no purpose to confront
the man.
"I know
that - I'm askin' ya where he is. He ain't answerin' his
cell."
"I don't know.
He took off."
"Why'd he do
that?"
"Why do you
think? Look, Greg, I don't know what happened on Tuesday night,
but John's in a world of trouble. Hell, he's just got kicked
out of AI. He's left town, and he didn't tell me where he's going.
That's all I know."
"Shit. Look,
you hear from him, tell him I'm lookin' for him, okay?"
"I'll pass
that along," Tommy said in a neutral voice. He watched Wickham
return to his Camero and drive away. Tommy then let himself into
his apartment. He noticed the answering machine blinking. As
he hoped, John had left his aunt's phone number.
"John? It's
Tommy."
"Hi, Tommy.
Thanks for calling me, man. How are things?"
"Not good.
John, I hate to tell you this…"
"What?"
Tommy sighed. "The
chapter met tonight…and…"
"And they
kicked me out?"
"Yeah. I'm
real sorry, man."
"Shit. Can't
say I'm surprised. Anything else? Anything from Marianne?"
"No - except
Wickham stopped by."
"Oh crap."
"Don't worry,
I didn't tell him anything."
"Thanks,
buddy. You watch out for him, you hear me? He's crazy."
"I know, and
I will. John, when are you coming back?"
"I don't
know. I haven't decided yet."
"You can go
to the police…"
"Yeah, maybe.
Like I said, I'll think about it."
"What about
the rent?"
"Oh, yeah.
Umm…we're paid up through the end of the month, I think."
"Yeah. John,
look, if you're not coming back soon, I gotta do something about
the apartment."
"Uhhh…can't
you sub-let?"
"No, the lease
says we can't. But I've got another idea. I've met some people
through NA who might come through. Stay here for a while."
"Female?"
"Umm…yeah."
John laughed. "Go
for it, dude."
"It's not like
that, John." But Tommy knew it could be. Sarah was like
nobody he had ever met. Having gone through the same hell, they
knew each other almost immediately. They were friends, and maybe,
someday, they would be more. One day at a time.
"Sure it
ain't. Umm…I gotta go. I'll call ya soon. Maybe get down
there an' meet your new lady-friend, okay?"
"Okay. Take
care, John."
"You too,
buddy."
Tommy sighed as
he hung up. John wasn't fooling anybody. He wasn't coming back
- at least while Greg was still in the picture. John was scared
of him, and Tommy couldn't blame him. Until Wickham was taken
care of, John would never come back and face his demons.
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