A Courtroom Massacre

by Mark Porto

  Tears from her eyes slowly drip from her eyes; Johnny wipes them with a tissue he forgot he had. Doreen gives him a kiss treating her to a fish dinner.

  Later on that evening, Johnny is driving her home when Doreen tells him she wishes he could spend the night with her. She grins curving her elbow on his right shoulder.

  Johnny blushes, he politely states, “I think it’s a little soon to be spending the night.” He smiles placing her hand on his lifting it to kiss it. “To be honest, I like the idea.”

  She huddles closer to him with her head resting leftward, but turns to face him. “I don’t know, I know of a lot of couples who are having in premarital sex.”

  Johnny smirks; he comments she doesn’t beat around bush. She responds he finally figures this one out. As he enters the driveway of her home, he doesn’t want to let her go, placing his arms snugly around her. He likes having her around him to give her a kiss. The sweat of the heat in the car; pours down their faces. Doreen has to eventually leave the car, because she has to go to work tomorrow.

  The next day, as Johnny sat down to a hamburger at a dinner, Billy Miller came by with someone he knew. Immediately, Johnny wipes his mouth and recognizes Jimmy Corrini. Jimmy is dressed in an army uniform after obtaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. Two men embrace as Johnny tells him he hasn’t seen him since high school. “I didn’t know you signed up for five years, what made you join?”

  Jimmy tells him he reenlisted recently. “I tried out for the rangers, but didn’t make the cut. I heard you went into the Navy and to college. It’s a shame you went to prison, I didn’t think it was right.”

  Johnny gives him his side of the story. “The fact is I don’t know what to do.”

  Billy sits down saying he heard a rumor Fred Menden lost his license lately. Johnny puts down his fork; he was using to eat his salad asking him where he got the information. “I heard it from Mr. Daly in the coffee shop, he’s usually pretty reliable.”

  Johnny gazes outside remarking, “Since when do you go to the coffee shop?”

  Billy’s hands are in his pockets. “I didn’t want to be a killjoy, but I lost my job there a couple of weeks ago.”

  He puts down his beverage, “I’m sorry to hear it, how did it happen?” He continues to listen while his hands are folded.

  Billy’s voice descends to a whisper; he mentions the owner of the shop, Mr. Grant, held a party when someone asked him what he thought of the Johnny Bellow case. At first, he tells the man he didn’t pay too much attention to give it another thought. However, this guy kept pressing him to the point where Mr. Grant finally gave in telling him he thought Johnny Bellow did the community a favor by ridding it of those hooligans and it was wrong to put him in jail. “With the result, he receives a letter from the Jess Jasper, the banker.”

  Jimmy’s father is a loan officer. “Isn’t he the president of the Black Meadows City Bank? And why would he care what Mr. Grant thinks?”

  Billy says it was a foreclosure notice, it turns out Mr. Grant was a month late on one of his payments, a few months ago, but made the payments since then.

  Johnny asserts Jasper didn’t have the legal right to do that and Jimmy agrees with him.

  Billy scoffs, “Legal or not, it’s done and I don’t have a job, what am I going to do?”

  Johnny suggests Mr. Grant hire an attorney after taking a nibble of his second hamburger. He doesn’t see the rationale behind the action.

  Jimmy steps in saying he and his father discuss the bank business, “He wants me to go into the banking business. In this case, Jasper is calling in the rest of the loan, but he must give Mr. Grant an opportunity to pay it with the proper notifications. If not, it’s not legal.”

  Johnny says he didn’t mean to change the subject asking Billy why he might’ve been suspended. Billy explains Menden has too many clients who were going to jail or losing lawsuits, when they should’ve won.

  “When a client’s family threatened to file a complaint against him if he didn’t do anything, he found a judge who either manipulated the law or someone who took bribes to convict one of his clients and filed a complaint against the judge.”

  “The problem is why so many townspeople are apathetic to this situation?”

  Billy shrugs his shoulders saying he couldn’t offer an explanation.

  Johnny recommends they oust Senator Croydon. “Look, Menden is a puppet, because he isn’t smart enough to think of such a scheme by himself. Gentlemen, this is much bigger than any one of us thinks.”

  Jimmy steps in. “Is he still there, I thought they ousted that bozo. My father knows a lot about the shenanigans surrounding the senator. You wouldn’t believe what’s going on.”

  Billy explains to them he didn’t think there was much chance of that happening. “The party machinery would no doubt endorse him for reelection and the Democrats aren’t likely to put up any formidable challenger, as a matter of fact, they intend to cross endorse him.”

  “You said a mouthful, but how do you know this?”

  Billy has been listening to Mr. Daly, who is better than any local newspaper, because they’re slanted. He was thinking about circulating a petition to try to get him out of prison. “You don’t know how many times when a lot of people would slam the door in my face or yell that you deserved to be there or just yell obscenities. One man was sympathetic, but was afraid of retribution, so I had to give up; I only got fifty signatures.”

  Johnny’s eyes are mellow saying to order whatever they please, because he would pay for the meal. Billy is stunned saying he never paid for everyone else’s lunch in his life. Johnny has to remind him of all the times he didn’t have his lunch money and he bought it for him.

  Billy has to admit he remembers those occasions appreciating the gesture.

  Later on, Johnny returns home to find his father pacing back and forth in the living room, when he asks what happened, his father tells him of the letter he received from Black Meadows City Bank regarding the grocery store. He takes a look at it carefully making every attempt to maintain his composure. “Does this have anything to do with putting up the store as bail?” He sees his father wanting to burst out in tears, “You’re not going to let them to do this?”

  Sal’s head is down while his hands are in the air; tears pour from his face in rapid succession. They could hear his mother crying in her room. His father says she hasn’t been out of that room since he gave her the letter.

  “Look, Pa, I believe this has something to do with my case, if you don’t sue, I will.”

  Sal winces saying the banks have all kinds of lawyers.

  Johnny says he remembers Claudia Cossette telling him and his mother about getting Georgia Valentine as his lawyer. “This was before my trial; I think maybe we should give her a shot, because now you don’t have anything to lose.”

  His father says he’s going to have to have a long talk with his mother.

  Later that evening, Johnny talks with Doreen; she let him know she was recently hired by Georgia Valentine. He tells her of the nature of his call asking if she would be interested in going out, but she says she has too much work to do. His father asks if he was talking with Doreen. When Johnny says he was, he tells his father she now works for Ms. Valentine and all he has to do is secure an appointment.

  Sal asks why she wasn’t working for Mr. Menden, Johnny tells him Menden lost his license to practice law and why. He tells his son he’s going to have to think about taking any action against the bank.

  “I’m curious, why are they foreclosing, you’ve always made the payments.”

  “They claim I missed a payment about a couple of years ago, but I’m sure I made that payment, I just have to find out where I put those papers.”

  Johnny states emphatically he puts them in his desk upstairs. “To be honest with you, I’m not allowing them to do you what they’re doing to Mr. Grant.” He touches his shoulder. “Pa, all your lives, you and Ma, has worked too hard to allow these people to take your
store out from under you.”

  While Sal says he’ll have to think about it, admits his son has a point.

  On November 26, Johnny was outside, because it was an unusually warm day when a process server gives him a Manila envelope; it was a letter from the Padgett Law Firm stating the family of Roy Dennison, one of gang members who was killed by Johnny was suing him. His face nearly exploded with the colors of a cherry crimson radiating in his cheeks, while his eyes burst out with a radiance of a flame flumed by gasoline. He drops the letter on the desk, takes several deep breaths and calls Ms. Valentine for an appointment.

  Georgia Valentine’s law office was located in a high rise building overlooking the Hudson River, but it where on a lower floor where one could still hear the traffic from Midtown Manhattan. However, you still had to use to elevator to get there.

  Johnny meets with her the following Friday, while waiting he sees and talks briefly with Doreen who assures him Ms. Valentine will do her very best.

  Upon walking into her office, he sees a stout, but attractive, middle aged woman with a handsome face, reading a brief while her eyeglasses are partially down her nose. She pauses to ask what she could do for him.

  Johnny stands dressed in a suit introduces himself; explaining why he’s there. He submits the letter to her. She puts down the brief, sits back to reads it. He thinks out loud saying he couldn’t understand how they’re suing him, when Dennison was the one shooting at him.

  Ms. Valentine puts her finger up while she continues reading the notice. Afterward, she removes her glasses giving the letter to Doreen to make a copy; she gives it back to him later. “Mr. Bellow, you’re being sued for wrongful death.”

  After asking about wrongful death, she explains she was familiar with Mr. Padgett’s lawsuits. Ms. Valentine diplomatically states his claims have a tendency to be frivolous. “Essentially, Mr. Padgett is saying you killed Dennison out of negligence, not self-defense.”

  “Here’s what I don’t understand, he comes in of his own free will threatening to kill my family. He explains what happened that day over two years ago starting to discuss the criminal trial, but she stops him to say she thought she would have enough to shoot holes in his case.

  Johnny went on to discuss the reason he brought up the criminal trial. “The prosecutor justifies my incarceration by saying I could’ve called the police, but I did.”

  Ms. Valentine waves her hand, “I’m very familiar with Mr. Muir; Mr. Bellow, he will use anything to make a name for himself. Besides, his argument is so faulty. If you indeed called the police, what is his problem?” Johnny says he claims he should’ve only pointed the gun at them, even though; they were shooting while waiting for the police to arrive. Ms. Valentine scoffs saying if he did say that, he is silly at the very least. “Another issue would be is the police aren’t paid to protect you. They’re essentially paid to prevent Person A from killing or inflicting injury on Person B.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  Ms. Valentine explains the difference between a criminal trial and a civil one. In the former, he had the option of testifying, because of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution barring self-incrimination. “Since you wouldn’t be criminally penalized, you won’t have the option in a civil trial.” She further warns him to bury his feelings about the people involved in his criminal trial. “I’m going to be honest with you; the jury is more likely to decide the case on your temperament. I’ve been in law practice for twenty years. Many times I’ve seen too many people lose, who shouldn’t have, because of the lack of composure.”

  Johnny is concerned that his incarceration would be taken into consideration.

  She says a lot was going to be brought up, but assures him she will make every effort to make it beside the point. “However, it’s a long shot; primarily since your liability only needs the preponderance of the evidence and being convicted beyond a reasonable doubt sort of makes you liable.”

  “Will it be possible for Dennison’s criminal record to be used to disqualify the suit?”

  Ms. Valentine winces telling him the decedent’s criminal record was probably not admissible for the simple reason he wouldn’t be able to defend himself. “Also, it might be misconstrued as a ‘below the belt’ attack against him.”

  “I know this is a lot, but I must bring this to your attention, my parents’ grocery store is facing foreclosure by the bank.”

  She tells him what his father must do is submit his financial records to her. “I charge $50 an hour with a $3,000 retainer for both cases.”

  Johnny’s eyes bulge pulls out his checkbook, then handing the check over to Doreen. “Ms. Valentine, when will I hear from you?”

  She starts to make a phone call saying he’ll hear from her in a week.

  Afterwards, Johnny walks to a nearby delicatessen ordering a ham and cheese sandwich. Upon sitting, he looks around seeing Doreen. He walks up to her despite a crowded patronage asking if he could sit with her.

  She smiles while motioning him to sit down, however, tears flow from her eyes, while she eats her lunch. “Johnny, I don’t know if I can keep seeing you, because of your lawsuit.”

  Johnny asks what was wrong; she says her parents are pressuring her into dumping him.

  He convinces her to stand up to them; he also would have a stronger relationship with her that wouldn’t be in either of their best interests.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Later that week, Johnny reaches into his mailbox, finds an envelope taking the mail inside. The blue card had a white rose, which aroused the questing. When he opened it, it contains an invitation for him and a date to go to a party.

  The party was in The Black Meadows Baptist Church in the honor of the Rev. Harold Daniels’ son, Elijah, who was going obtain his graduate degree in December with honors and was recently installed as an interim assistant pastor.

  Johnny has a glow in his face; he calls Doreen to ask her if she would be interested in coming to the party. She was sitting at her desk, trying on some lipstick and mascara asking when it was going to be held, when he told her, she says she would love to go. “The reception will be held around seven o’clock; Eli says they’ll be a small dinner.”

  Johnny, after talking to Doreen, notices his father reading the newspaper with the television running. He shuts the television, his father put down the paper asking why he shut it. He asks her if he talked to Ms. Valentine about the foreclosure, his father comments she has told him, she didn’t think the bank had a case.

  On Saturday evening, Johnny and Doreen walk into Black Meadows Baptist Church amid the incandescent lights, which enhance the white cathedral ceilings. The walnut lectern had a wooden “box” where the choir sings. The couple walks down the aisle as Johnny tells her the pews were made from chestnut trees which were originally from an old church that was torn down about twenty years ago. The oval arch above the altar was carved from a famous architect, the name Johnny couldn’t recall at the moment. Doreen asks how he knew so much about the church and its furnishings; he says he’s known Eli for a long time. They used to spend a lot of time here.

  “Were you ever considering converting to the Baptist Church?”

  “I’ve never seriously considered converting to another church, I’ve learned at the philosophies and rituals of other churches. The Catholic Church, I feel is best suitable for me.”

  Doreen complains that it is cold; Johnny suggests entering the large vestibule. The vestibule was colored white with brown trim; the couple sits down in chairs next to the register where warm breezes emanated from the furnace.

  While Elijah is adjusting his collar to his Geneva gown, his face lit up after spotting Johnny. “Man, how are you? I haven’t seen you in a long time!” They embrace, but Johnny was careful not to wrinkle his vestment. Eli said he tried to explain to his father that gown isn’t used anymore, but insists on being traditional.

  Johnny says he has his good days and his bad days. He introduces Doreen to Elijah. “Wh
en we were in school, you can always count on Eli to make you laugh, no matter how bad your day is.”

  Doreen says it was a pleasure to meet him. Johnny tells Eli about his trials, Eli comments he got taken for a ride.

  Eli says he knew about Menden, because his father once dealt with him. “That guy is a piece of work; no one knew how dishonest he is.”

  Johnny says while in prison, he saw “Wild Willy” Dickenson, Elijah laughs out loud. “We know him; he’s another piece of work!” He places his finger and twirls it around his temple.

  Doreen is laughing wanting to know more. Elijah looks at her and states he, Johnny, Billy, and Jimmy attended high school together, he and Johnny knew each in middle school. “The middle school was run by an idiot, but we’ll get to it later on.”

  He further explains about middle school especially “Wild Willy” Dickenson; he was a grade ahead of them. “There were only two grades...” He snickers. “As I was saying, “Wild Willy” was the school bully and he’d pick on everyone who he thought wasn’t ‘cool’. Well, one day, I had had enough of his shenanigans by getting into a confrontation with him, he pushed me against the lockers, so when my locker swung open. I grabbed him trying to shove him inside. When his two flunkies tried to come after me, I gave them a couple of boxing lessons they’d never forget.”

  Doreen puts down her punch starting to giggle.

  Elijah continues. “Well, I got this gibberish from the principal about if someone hits you, you walk away. That jerk must’ve been living on another planet.”

  Johnny adds, “Or high on something,” There was one incident where the police were called to the middle school. “But, the discipline problems continued, because the school board members had a bunker mentality that would put Washington to shame.”

  Elijah nods asking him to tell her about the vice-principal.

  Johnny says the principal would first sit someone down, sometimes in the presence of the vice-principal to lecture you about, “Oh, I can’t tell everyone in the school, over the loud speaker to leave you alone. I’m sorry, Eli, as you were saying?”