Redress of Grievances (20 page)

When
the song ended, Harriett led the woman back to their table.

"Helen,
this is Jess. Jess, this is my friend, Helen. She's straight," Harriett
said.

"I'm
sorry," Jess laughed as she shook Helen's hand.

"Sometimes
so am I," Helen chuckled.

Jess
held Harriett's chair as she was seated and was half seated herself when a
beeper chirped. Jess reached for a pager clipped to her belt and pressed the
button.

"Well,
ladies, my apologies, but duty calls. I enjoyed dancing with you, Harriett. And
Helen, it was a pleasure to meet you," Jess said briefly. "Maybe I'll
see you here again sometime."

Harriett
watched as Jess walked away, the black lighting making her white shirt glow.

"Bummer,"
Helen sighed.

Chapter
Nineteen

SHE
WAS OBVIOUSLY drunk. And just as obviously underage. But she did look older
than her seventeen years. He had learned a long time ago that it wasn't the
looks that gave away their age. It was their actions, the uncertainty in their
eyes, and most importantly, their desire to experience things girls of their
age probably had never experienced before...except in the sexual fantasy world
of their own minds or on the pages of a syrupy crotch throbbing romance.

It
was easy for him to pass himself off as a member of the university set. He
didn't think he looked his age, and he had worked hard to keep himself in
excellent physical condition. Sometimes he sat in a dark back corner of a bar
and watched, waiting for just the right girl, leaving alone. After all, he did
have standards and knew exactly what he was searching for. It had to be perfect
every time. Otherwise, why bother.

Tonight
was going to be one of those perfect nights. He knew it while he was dressing,
and he knew it now as he approached the young woman. She was apparently with
friends. None of them males. Just a giggly gaggle of girls, none of whom were
sober enough to remember one man in a crowd of men. He approached the bar,
standing next to the blonde, blue-eyed all-American girl wearing a UT
sweatshirt and impossibly tight fitting pants. No underwear, he thought. Nice
ass. He smiled at her as he ordered a drink. She smiled back at the interest in
his eyes. Her giggling friends watched as the flirting began at the bar, moved
to the dance floor, and finally disappeared out the door. A couple of mixed
drinks on top of the beer she had already had made it so easy that he almost
changed his mind. But Harriett had done this to him. Watching her with the
woman at the bar earlier had made him unbelievably horny, driving him to seek
out someone to play the lead in his fantasy.

Once
they were inside the van, she hadn't left him much choice. She was eager and he
was aroused. So what the hell? He would give her a night to remember, even
though she would never be able to tell her friends about it.

Parking
in an out of the way area of the campus, he pulled her into the back of the
van, roughly pulling the sweatshirt over her head, exposing her supple breasts
with their erect pink nipples. Her sexual inexperience was obvious, and he
almost laughed at her attempts to be sexually sophisticated. The funny thing
was it might have worked on someone younger and less experienced than he. When
he finally tired of her inadequate efforts, he rolled her onto her back,
staring at her, smiling beneath him. His hands slid up her body to her neck.
Slowly squeezing his hands tighter, he waited for the look. The look that said
she was ready for the ultimate sexual experience. After a few moments, he felt
her hands on top of his, trying to loosen his grip. Her mouth opened, but no
sound escaped. He felt her hands weaken and looked deeply into her wide eyes.
There it was...the terror. Shifting his weight slightly between her legs, he
continued staring into her eyes as he drove his erection quickly and deeply
into her. Loosening his hands, he ground into her as she gasped for air, her
semi-limp body being crushed beneath his. He held her arms down and let his body
take over. Her body jerked violently and unexpectedly as he sank his teeth into
her breasts, biting and sucking at them while his penis continued to slam into
her again and again.

He
felt her struggling under him and looked into her eyes again and smiled. He
knew he could continue for hours. She was recovering some of her strength, but
was still disabled by alcohol. He stopped and withdrew from her, remaining on
top. He still had an erection. She was begging him to let her go, but it was
too late. He knew how this had to end. He knew there was only one way he would
ever be satisfied. He needed that look...one more time.

He
ran his hands down her arms to her breasts. The tender skin was already
beginning to bruise. He kissed each one softly, his hands moving to her throat.
She realized what he was going to do and fought against him. Sitting up, he
slapped her viciously, bloodying her lip. With his hands encircling her neck he
pressed against the sides of her neck. Within seconds her eyelids began to flutter.
Using his thighs to spread her legs farther apart, he forced himself into her
again. Stupid bitch is dry, he thought. With each stroke he managed to
penetrate deeper and deeper and his hands tightened more with each thrust. His
hands left her throat, and she wasn't moving as he continued to ravage her rag
doll body. He had to relieve the unbearable pressure that had built up inside
him, but it wasn't working.

Withdrawing
from her once again, he rolled her onto her stomach. He knew she wouldn't be fighting
back this time. Spreading her ass cheeks, he pushed into her anus, tearing skin
that didn't feel anything any more. He didn't need to be careful. He needed to
get off, and this bitch was going to do it. As he drove into her, he closed his
eyes and pictured the one he really wanted. The one he would soon have. The
silken blonde hair. The long willowy legs encircling him as he fucked her over
and over in his mind. The thought of it gave him the sexual release he needed,
and he was sweating and breathing heavily, gasping for air just as the girl
with him now had done. It was an exquisite pleasure.

Chapter
Twenty

BY
THE TIME Harriett and Nick arrived at the Hyatt in Dallas, Wayne had obviously
been a very busy man. As she walked past a newspaper vending machine in front
of the Hyatt, the Taggart case was front-page news. There were pictures of
Harriett and Sean Lassiter on the front page of both major Dallas papers. An
inside story recounted the Wilkes case and had interviews with everyone
associated with that case who would agree to be interviewed. Wayne had almost
done his job too well. A reporter approached Harriett as she was getting the
key to her room, demanding a statement. She and Nick escaped into an elevator
to get to the safety of their rooms. Harriett arranged to meet Wayne and Nick
in her room.

"I
want to thank you for that greeting I received when I arrived," she said
as soon as Wayne walked into her room.

"It's
just the beginning, kiddo. You said you wanted a change of venue."

"You
didn't have to tell them where I was staying."

"I
didn't. They all know how to let their fingers do the walking."

"Maybe
I should contact my agent," Nick said wryly.

"First
time in Dallas, Nick?" Wayne asked.

"Yep."

"Maybe
you and me can sneak out of here later. I know a couple of places you might
enjoy."

"I
want publicity, Wayne. I don't want my partner arrested with one of your hooker
friends. Who leaked the information in the papers anyway?"

"Better
you don't know, but Riley isn't happy about it, and Lassiter is crappin' in his
Brooks Brothers suit. You know how fast gossip spreads, especially if it's a
lie," he grinned.

"I
hope it's enough. I have to talk to Sharon," Harriett said as she opened
her briefcase. "And you two need to read over this stuff."

She
handed Nick and Wayne a stack of Xeroxed papers.

"What
the hell is this?" Wayne asked.

"Information
about dissociative identity disorder, formally known as multiple personality
syndrome. Helen Mortenson put it together for me before we left Austin."

"Harriett's
arranged a meeting with the judge tomorrow to change the plea to not guilty due
to mental disease or defect," Nick said.

"I
can't believe you'd resort to NGRI, Harriett," Wayne said.

Taking
a deep breath, Harriett said, "Before I can do anything, I have to
convince Sharon to take this plea. If she won't, then I'm back to square one
because Lassiter isn't going to turn loose of murder one. He's like a damn dog
with a bone."

"When
are you planning to talk to Taggart?" Wayne asked.

"Very
shortly. And this time, I'm going in the front doors. If I convince her, I'll
announce it to any reporters who are there."

"You
ready to handle questions about Wilkes?"

"Guess
I won't have a choice. Tomorrow I want you to contact these men," she
said, handing a paper to Wayne. "One of them is here in Dallas, but the
others are out of state. Offer them their fee and room and board to conduct
psychiatric evaluations of Sharon. If they're available, make the arrangements
as soon as possible."

"What
if she won't agree?" Nick asked.

"She
has to," Harriett frowned.

NINETY
MINUTES LATER she pushed her way through a group of reporters and entered the
front doors of the Allen Center. She was standing when Sharon was brought into
the interview room. Waiting for the officers to remove her client's handcuffs,
Harriett grew impatient, but remained standing as Sharon pushed her hair back
and sat down.

"You
lied to me Sharon," she stated flatly.

"I
haven't lied about anything, Harriett."

"Why
didn't you tell me you bought the ammunition for the Browning?"

"I
haven't. No since we first bought the rifle."

"That's
bullshit, Sharon!" Harriett said, raising her voice. "They found the
store that sold it to you. Want to try again?"

"I
didn't buy any ammunition," Sharon insisted.

"If
you keep lying to me I can't help you."

Sharon
looked down at her hands and appeared to be deep in thought. Harriett waited
but her patience was already at its limit.

Slapping
her hand down on the table, Harriett demanded, "Look at me, goddamn
it!"

When
Sharon did look up at Harriett her face was relaxed.

"Guess
I should've gone a little farther from home, huh?" Sharon stated
matter-of-factly.

"So
you did buy the ammo?"

"Well,
of course, I did. Wasn't likely she would ever get up the guts to do it."

"Who?"

"Sharon."

Harriett
watched as the woman's lips curled into an easy smile. Slowly, the woman looked
around the room.

"Depressing
place."

"Excuse
me?" Harriett said.

Slowly
the woman's head turned back to Harriett.

"I'm
Jan. But you'd already figured everything out but that, hadn't you?"

"Not
exactly."

"Oops."

Harriett
kept her eyes on the woman who now claimed to be Jan as she sat down. Jan laughed
out loud at the look on Harriett's face. Just as suddenly, her face became
solemn.

"How
much trouble is she in?" Jan asked.

"Neck
deep. The prosecution is pressing for murder one. There's a possible death
sentence attached to it."

"Damn!
I really fucked up this time."

"You
want to tell me about it?"

"Maybe
I shouldn't."

"Don't
you want to help Sharon?"

"Shit.
I been doing that my whole life. I need a break."

"Jan.
Wasn't that the name of Sharon's imaginary playmate?"

"Ta-da!"
Jan said expansively.

"Do
you communicate with Sharon?"

"No.
I just get stuck with all the shit she doesn't want to deal with."

"Like
what?"

"Sex,
anger, stuff like that."

"Is
Sharon angry?"

"Hell,
if your life was as pathetic as hers, you'd be pissed off, too. Stuck with that
bastard pig Frank."

"Does
Frank know about you?"

Jan
laughed and pulled a leg up under her. "I've been with him a few times,
but he doesn't have a clue. I made him think he was some kind of stud duck,
which, believe me, he ain't."

"When
you say you've been with him, what do you mean?"

"What
do you think I mean? I fucked him. I wouldn't dignify what he does as making
love. Things have to be really tense before I sleep with him."

"I
know what he did when he visited here last week."

"What?"

"I
know he grabbed you and tried to force you to have sex with him."

"Then
I guess you know he didn't quite pull it off. You think I'd let that animal
rape me the way he did her? I'm not afraid of that asshole."