A Courtroom Massacre

by Mark Porto

  Elmer has been working there for the past four years. “A cousin of mine got the job for me. Do I love it, yes?”

  “What happened to your son?”

  Elmer bows his head, “Unfortunately, my son has been having his share of problems. When he got out of jail, he reentered school, but was shunned by his classmates. The teachers would only talk to him whenever it was necessary, with the result, Larry felt dejected.”

  “Do you think it was the public scrutiny?”

  Elmer tells Johnny he thought the people believed what they read in the newspapers. “You can’t control what people think, but you wonder whether they have minds of their own? After all, many people knew my son to be a good kid, so why do you think they believe that garbage?”

  Johnny says it was human nature. He breathes deeply. “Elmer, what do you want me to do with this information?”

  Elmer waves his hand looking at him with tired eyes. “Look, my son managed with some luck to get into a college over a hundred miles from Black Meadows. He still has a hard finding a good job; it’s understandable with all the information on him. I’ve got to give that kid some credit, he doesn’t give up and that’s what you should do with the information.” Elmer says he knows about the lawsuits against him, he tells him, he believes he’ll find something in there which will answer a lot of questions. “Who knows Johnny; maybe you can defeat that damn machine.”

  Johnny wishes he and his son well, shakes hands with Elmer. He also thanks him for the files and his time. He promises he will use the information in order to bring justice to his son, himself as well as others.

  Johnny walks out of the guard station onto the entrance of the lighthouse to the sound of seagulls when Doreen approaches him with her arms akimbo, asking him where he was. “Ladies first, where have you been?”

  Doreen says she visited the art exhibit. She had been talking to a former classmate. “Now, I want to know where you were.”

  Johnny moves closer to her explaining about the files and the conversation with Elmer.

  When the couple reached the inn, he walks into her room to show her the files. They spent well over an hour just combing through the information. They look over various details, especially about Senator Croydon and his cronies.

  Doreen sits back lying on her side on one of the beds, rubbing her temples, “I don’t believe what I’m reading; do you realize what’s in here?”

  Johnny sits to her side, “Do you remember when you were in the grocery store and I asked you why were in Black Meadows, I’ll bet this is part of it.”

  Doreen says she has to maintain confidentiality, but suggests much of the information in these files might have something to do with it. Johnny pours her a soda, mentioning he now understands why the newspapers didn’t want to touch it. “Do you think the newspapers will reject this information, after all, look at this proof?”

  “If they didn’t for Elmer, they certainly won’t for us. Since you work for Ms. Valentine, I can say: take the file. Ms. Valentine can use it in my civil trial.”

  Doreen shakes her head wondering how it could.

  Johnny explains taking out a sheet, he tells her this sheet refers to the people who were financing the lawsuit. “This has to shoot holes into Padgett’s arguments and his two clients.”

  After attending church on Sunday, the couple is well dressed heading back to Black Meadows. Johnny is driving on their way home, but there’s a silence for most of the trip until Doreen speaks asking him if he enjoyed the trip.

  While he is negotiating a turn to Route 295, he responds watching the road. “Yes, I’d like to go on another trip when we can.”

  She is looking out the window and was glad he enjoyed himself, “Do you suppose some of the enjoyment was from talking to Mr. Elwood?”

  Johnny smirks as he enters New Rochelle; he smells the breeze from the Long Island

  Sound. “Well, let me put it this way, it was an enlightening experience.”

  Doreen knows what he meant; she slaps him on the arms as the happy couple laughed.

  The couple continues to date, well into the fall months. In early November, the couple decides to do their Christmas shopping early and spend time attending concerts. Subsequently, they received an invitation from one of her girlfriends to attend a party at her apartment in Knickerbocker. Johnny isn’t sure if he wanted to attend, but Doreen uses her wit to change his mind. She talks to Mrs. Bellow in an effort to sway him.

  Anita tells her she would be more than happy to assist, “Remember, he’s very stubborn, like his father.”

  Later on, she asks Johnny why he didn’t want to go to the party with Doreen. “I thought you want to be around her.”

  Johnny says he wasn’t sure about the neighborhood. “I’ve been watching the news and heard there was a lot of crime.”

  “Normally, I would agree, but I know Madeline’s mother and she wouldn’t allow her daughter to live in a place where she would be harmed.”

  The night of November 26 is filled with cold winds which howl from the north like a sleigh barreling down a hill. Johnny has a hard time navigating from Black Meadows to Knickerbocker on snow caked roads. He couldn’t go home, since at the last minute, his parents were invited to his uncle’s place in Vermont over the holiday weekend.

  Johnny drives Doreen from her apartment commenting, looking at the blowing snow.

  She says blushing, “Oh, honey, it’ll be fine. I know you’re a good driver.”

  He smiles glancing briefly at her hand, wondering what she is doing. Doreen has a twinkle in her eye while keeping her thoughts to herself.

  They arrive at the eastern side apartment in about half an hour. Despite the winds, Madeline rushes out the door to greet the couple. She has shoulder length brunette hair which freezes as it bounces off her shoulders.

  Johnny assists both ladies into the building, when they enter the building; he helps Doreen remove her coat while noticing her red dress, derby hat with high heels. He kisses her under the mistletoe, “You look gorgeous tonight!”

  She thanks him while formally introducing him to Madeline over the sound of Christmas music; Johnny talks with her as he heads for the appetizers.

  Madeline remarks, “Guys, there’s plenty of food and eggnog, so enjoy!” Her voice titillates Johnny, but keeps it to himself.

  Doreen stops Johnny temporarily from eating to shuffle him around introducing him to her old acquaintances. Later on, while they were dancing, she deliberately places him under the mistletoe, where they embrace along with the other couples.

  Johnny, after drinking a little spiked eggnog, puts his arms around her waist squeezing her as she giggles.

  Around midnight, Madeline and Doreen are talking; she asks her if she is going through with her plan, Doreen smirks glancing at Johnny while he was talking to the men about sports.

  Doreen quips, “Maddy, have you ever known me to back out of anything?” She undoes her bun allowing her hair to skirt her shoulder blades.

  When many of the guests manage to leave for home during the breaks from the snowstorm, Doreen insists on staying, almost to the point of nagging. “Please, honey, I haven’t seen Madeline in ages, just a little longer...” She places her head under his right shoulder while he expresses his concern about the weather. A little later, the storm resumes.

  Around 1:30, Madeline and Doreen continue chatting about their college days. Johnny was looking out the window, as he did for most of the time after midnight. The visibility was zero as Johnny’s car, which was parked right next to the building, became covered with snow. He wonders how he’ll be able to take Doreen home.

  During a break in the conversation, Madeline stands between Doreen and Johnny offering to let them stay in the apartment for the night, this makes Doreen’s eyes enlarge while she nimbly hid her blushing and snickering.

  Around two o’clock, he was shown the guest room; Johnny shut the door. Upon getting into bed, he notices a lump to his left. He decides to remove the sheets
, when suddenly, there was a pretty woman with a radiant smile covering her from the breast on down.

  Doreen giggles, putting her arms around him. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted us to do this.” She snuggles up to him with her voice lowers as they descend into the bed.

  Johnny touches her from top to bottom kissing her face, neck and lips, thinking, I know what we’re doing is wrong, but the desire for her is just too strong. He continually kisses her mouth, whispering in her ear. “I’ve had a feeling you planned for us to spend the night together – you a naughty little girl.”

  Doreen says on top of him, “Are you going to stop talking or make love to me.”

  The couple continues to copulate until they fall asleep.

  After spending the night, the couple is treated to breakfast before thanking Madeline for her hospitality, before they left. Johnny notices the glow on Doreen’s face as she wraps her arm around his, “How did you like it last night?”

  Johnny admits deep down, he wanted a night like last night, “You have to understand, I was raised Catholic, there we believe you wait to have sex.”

  “You were in the Navy; didn’t you ever visit a brothel?”

  Johnny laughs saying when he first entered the service; he had a girlfriend who whose relatives knew about these places. “I thought it wise not to enter those places for fear, they would tell her, believe me, if you knew these people, they would.”

  Doreen snickers. “The way you wanted to go home, I suspect you knew what was going on, but had a little fear.” Johnny admits he did, she remarks. “That’s what I like you the most, you’ll let a relationship mature.” She continues rubbing up against him.

  Johnny embraces her saying it was the most wonderful experience he ever had in his life.

  “Oh, is that so?” She swats him across the arm.

  He asks her what she wants to do for the rest of the day; there was a little twinkle in her eye thinking it might be a good idea. “How about going to the mall?”

  Doreen says it was good idea, since she had to do more shopping.

  Shortly after Christmas, Doreen has a few days of, since business at the law firm was slow towards New Year’s Day. Johnny visits her at her apartment, even though there was a lot of snow. He sees her lying on her back while the face is flushed asking her what was wrong.

  Doreen explains she’s been feeling lousy for the last few days. “It started late last Christmas night. I thought it was indigestion and took an antacid, but then she felt nauseated. “I also started urinating quite a bit during the night.”

  Johnny asks her doctor’s number, after she told him; he called him, the doctor told him to take her down to the office immediately.

  Dr. Fredrich knew Doreen well, he looked down, scratching his temple and examined her. When he was finished, he came out asking Johnny to come into the office. He asks the doctor what was wrong with her; the doctor felt it was appropriate for Doreen to tell him.

  Johnny walks in to see Doreen in her gown sitting on the table, the couple is smiling. “How do you feel?” He says in a low voice.

  She shows him a book involving pregnancy. “Johnny, I’m pregnant.”

  Johnny’s face is white as he places his hands on his cheeks. “Are you sure?”

  She nods “yes”, “What are we going to do?”

  Johnny says despite the low wages at the grocery store, he was going elsewhere for work to see their child doesn’t lack for anything.

  “Where can you go?”

  Johnny says he was talking with his childhood friend, Billy Miller. “He says his father will teach me about the jewelry business, I won’t make much at first, but as time goes on, the pay will increase.” When she shakes her head, he puts his hand on hers telling Doreen he’s been working since the age of sixteen having saved and invested his money.

  Doreen is concerned about how their parents are going to react.

  “My love, I don’t care; I’m willing to marry you.”

  She smiles at him holding his hands, “That’s so sweet, but we’ve got to be practical. Even if I married you, how are we going to raise our child? I think it would be better if I went to the clinic down...”

  Johnny’s corneas are filled with his pupils as he grits his teeth, telling her she was never to mention that place – not even in jest. “Don’t you realize if anything ever happened to you, I’d never forgive myself?” His voice lowers to a whisper, “My darling, there aren’t any easy answers, let’s just take it one step at a time before we panic, does it help you?”

  Tears stream from her eyes as he escorts her out of the office, Dr. Fredrich reminds her she was lucky to have him as a boyfriend. She agrees.

  Later that evening, Doreen tells her parents of her pregnancy, “He got you pregnant?” utters a hysterical Mrs. Norman while murmuring a variety of obscenities, then Mr. Norman tells them to settle down. Doreen puts her hands on her face and admits it was her idea.

  Mrs. Norman winces, sat down and cries, while staring at her daughter. Her three other daughters are standing around their sister. Suzanne tells Doreen their mother has to learn to live in modern times. She excoriates Suzanne saying, “She was a slut, the two of you are the same.” She was saying shaking her finger.

  Suzanne gets up, tells her mother to go to hell while encouraging Doreen to have nothing to do with their mother. “Who the hell do you think you are? You put on this moral façade when you’re around the upper crust of Tappan County. The fact is you don’t attend church; you pass judgment on anyone and everything. Face it, you’re a hypocrite!” She storms out of the house to the chagrin of her other sisters.

  Doreen kneels down crying, “Mother, I love Johnny! When I told him I was pregnant, he said he wanted to marry me!”

  Mrs. Norman gets a tissue to dry her eyes, “Oh, where are the two of you going to live? What does he do for a living?”

  Doreen shakes her head walking around the room as her father continues to mollify his wife. “Johnny is at least taking responsibility for me! Do you think that bum Troy Grayson would; that degenerate would’ve insisted I have an abortion!”

  Mrs. Norman’s eyes are inflamed as she turns her head away from Doreen, “He’s a nice boy, who comes from a good family and wouldn’t have gotten you pregnant!”

  Doreen walks over to her mother. “That’s shows how much you know, Suzanne’s right, you are a hypocrite!” She explains there were many times when Troy would try to have sex with him. “I always came home from those dates in tears, did you care, no, all you care about your precious social status!”

  Mrs. Norman screams, covering her ears walking over to her husband demanding he do something. “Would do talk to her? God knows I’ve tried to instill good values in those girls and you never supported me!” Her two other sisters told Doreen to leave this insanity, while they were sane.

  Mr. Norman left the room while his wife screams at the top of her lungs, complaining of a splitting headache.

  When Johnny told his parents over dinner, Anita is cooking with one hand with the other is akimbo, she asks him what he was going to do about a job. He explains about being an apprentice to Mr. Miller about going into the jewelry business.

  Sal yells from the front parlor saying that was good because there’s a possibility of losing the house. He walks into the room to let Johnny know he was glad to he wanted to take care of Doreen.

  Anita places her hands on Sal’s face, “Even if we keep the store, you can’t support a family on that salary!”

  “Are you going to lose the store, Pa?” Johnny sits down to face him.

  Sal wipes back his bangs, explaining he talked with Roger Knopp, Ms. Valentine’s law partner. He tells him the bank was seizing the property, because of the loan he took out to defend Johnny in this civil suit.

  Anita stands up asking how this could be if he was making the payments.

  Sal tells her while he was paying the debt on a bimonthly basis; the paperwork wasn’t being submitted to Jasper on
time. “Mr. Knopp doesn’t know how this happened.”

  Anita starts wailing, “How could this happen? All our lives, we’ve followed the rules, we’ve worked too hard in building a business! What are we going to do for a living?”

  Johnny has his suspicion about the neglected paperwork, but keeps it to himself. He tells his father about a possible apprenticeship.

  Sal acknowledges it is hard to get jobs in Tappan County, he suggests Johnny move in and marry Doreen. “Good luck, son, you’re going to need it.”

  Johnny, while waiting for the apprenticeship to begin, applies for any job opening in a fifty miles radius. However, the only openings were either in Black Meadows or Knickerbocker.

  During several interviews, the personnel manager would sit back with his hand behind his head inquiring about his time in prison. Although Johnny explains the circumstances behind his incarceration without being evasive or indignant, the interviewer flinches as his eyes dart towards the other side of the room. The typical response would be, “I personally don’t think it’s going to work out, but thanks for applying and best of luck.”

  However, there was on the many rejection letters Johnny receives which state since he was an ex-convict and his school records indicated he had a tendency towards violence in which his application for employment was always denied.

  Johnny searches around the house and eventually finds those files surrendered to his mother discovering the statute of limitations have expired. It was then, the telephone rings and he has to take several deep breaths before answering it.

  It was Ms. Valentine; she says she wants to discuss the pending case against him with Dennison. “Johnny, they’re claiming mental anguish and since the family was going to be taking the stand, the jury could automatically have sympathy for them.”

  “Are you telling to settle with these people?”

  Ms. Valentine says she had a conversation with Mr. Padgett saying he told her the boy’s family has greatly suffered as a result of the incident.