Gabriel's Rapture gi-2

by Sylvain Reynard

  woman at Julia’s left.

  “Soraya Harandi, Dr. Aras. I will be representing Miss Mitchell.”

  “Is there a reason why Miss Mitchell has elected to bring an at-

  torney to this informal meeting?” It was clear that he was already irritated.

  “Why, Dr. Aras, my client was simply following your instructions.

  You suggested she retain a lawyer in your letter.” Soraya’s voice was deceptively sweet.

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  David resisted the urge to growl at her, for he did not like being made a fool. He gestured to the man beside him. “This is Professor Martin.”

  Julia took a moment to appraise the Chair’s appearance. She knew

  that he would be meeting with Gabriel to discuss Christa’s harass-

  ment complaint after this meeting concluded. She tried very hard

  to discern his disposition but found herself puzzled. His demeanor was decidedly neutral, at least toward her.

  The Dean cleared his throat. “We have received a very serious

  complaint about you, Miss Mitchell. Our purpose in inviting you

  to speak to us today is solely for information purposes as we begin our investigation. We will ask a few questions, then you will have the opportunity to ask questions of us. I hope the meeting will terminate in about thirty minutes.”

  Julia inhaled slowly, watching him and waiting.

  “Are you having a romantic relationship with Professor Gabriel

  Emerson?”

  Julia’s eyes bugged out of her head, and her jaw dropped open.

  Before she could speak, Soraya jumped in.

  “My client will not answer any questions until the substance of the complaint is revealed. The letter was understandably vague, given the policies of the university, but you have passed the point of vagueness with that question. Exactly what is the complaint against my client, what is the evidence for the complaint, and who is the complainant?”

  David tapped a finger at the glass water pitcher in front of him,

  making the slices of lemon dance to his drumming.

  “That is not how these meetings work. I am the Dean. I ask the

  questions.”

  “Dr. Aras…” Soraya’s voice took on an almost patronizing tone.

  “We both know that the policies and procedures assumed by the

  university are governed by the principles of natural justice. My client deserves to know the specifics of the complaint, the nature and scope of the evidence against her, if any, and the identity of the complainant before she answers any questions. Otherwise, this is an unjust proceeding and I will have no choice but to file a complaint to that effect. Immediately.”

  “I have to agree with Miss Harandi,” said Professor Martin quietly.

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  David gave Jeremy an annoyed look out of the corner of his eye.

  “Very well. An allegation of graduate student misconduct reached

  our office concerning your client. It was alleged that she entered into a sexual relationship with one of her professors for the purpose of procuring academic favors.”

  Julia’s eyes grew wide and round.

  Soraya laughed. Loudly. “This is a farce. My client is an extremely talented student who was recently offered an early acceptance to

  Harvard, as you well know.” She nodded in Professor Martin’s direction. “My client doesn’t need to prostitute herself.”

  “The allegation is not without precedent at this institution, Miss Harandi. And we take all complaints seriously, as dictated by our

  policies.”

  “Then why isn’t the complaint being processed as a sexual harass-

  ment case? Surely, if a student initiates a transaction in which favors are exchanged for sex it would count as sexual harassment?”

  “That avenue of inquiry is also being explored,” David snapped.

  Soraya chuckled. “Fine, fine. What are the alleged favors?”

  “A high mark in a seminar in which the professor was the instruc-

  tor, financial payments in the form of a bursary, and the procurement of an established, retired scholar to direct Miss Mitchell’s thesis.”

  Soraya waved a dismissive hand, almost yawning in boredom. “I

  reiterate the fact that my client’s academic merits speak for themselves.

  And who, pray tell, is the unfortunate professor?”

  David watched Julia closely. “Gabriel Emerson.”

  Soraya smiled widely. “Your complainant has a wild imagination.

  He or she must be majoring in fiction. Did Professor Emerson file

  the complaint?”

  Julia held her breath, horrified, as she waited for David’s answer.

  He tapped the papers in front of him with the end of his pen.

  “No, he did not.”

  “Well, what was his testimony when you spoke with him?”

  “We intend to speak with Professor Emerson once we have gath-

  ered more information. Our protocols dictate that faculty members

  who are a party to a complaint are brought in last, not first.” Professor Martin spoke for the first time, his voice firm but calm.

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  Soraya fixed him with a stern eye. “So in the hierarchy of the

  university, female graduate students are preyed upon first? And only afterward the professor, whose testimony could exonerate her, is

  approached? I’m shocked that you would drag my client in here

  without the courtesy of even attempting to speak to the other person involved. This entire matter could have been put to rest with two

  telephone calls. This is a disgrace.”

  David began to protest but Soraya interrupted him again. “Before

  we end this meeting, who is the complainant?”

  “The complainant is a person who I believe is known to Miss

  Mitchell. Her name is Christa Peterson.”

  Soraya received the news impassively, but Julia’s eyes flew to

  Professor Martin’s. It was one quick movement, but he noticed it

  and stared straight back at her with knitted brows.

  Blushing, she looked down at her hands.

  David held up two pieces of paper.

  “Based upon our preliminary investigation, it seems that Professor Emerson awarded a very high mark to Miss Mitchell in his graduate

  seminar. She was awarded the M. P. Emerson bursary, which was

  mysteriously donated by an American foundation after Miss Mitchell began the program. And Professor Martin has provided me with Miss

  Mitchell’s academic file, in which it shows that Katherine Picton

  was approached by Professor Emerson last semester to replace him

  as Miss Mitchell’s thesis supervisor.”

  He passed a file over to Soraya.

  “As you will see, Miss Harandi, that file contains additional evi-

  dence provided by Miss Peterson. It includes a series of photographs and news clippings from a Florentine newspaper showing Miss Mitchell and Professor Emerson at a public event in Italy, where Professor Emerson is quoted as saying that Miss Mitchell is his fiancée.

  “And there is a sworn statement by an employee of a local club

  who claims to possess security videos that show personal interactions between Miss Mitchell and Professor Emerson at that club during

  the time that she was his student. These interactions appear to be of an intimate nature and certainly go well beyond the appropriate boundaries of a professional relationship.”

  He paused for effect. “It’s possible that the evidence provided by the complainant could be proof of more than one infraction. So for 185

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  this reason, we are eager to hear Miss Mitchell’s side of the story. So I ask you again, did you receive special aca
demic favors from your professor because of your personal relationship with him?”

  “Dr. Aras, I am astonished that a man of your stature would be

  persuaded to give credence to a complaint that not only strains credulity but is supported by the very flimsiest of evidence. Newspaper clippings from an Italian tabloid? Videos that cannot be authenti-cated? There is no prima facie case. None whatsoever.”

  “Don’t question my competency, Miss Harandi.” The Dean’s swift

  temper got the best of him. “I’ve been working in higher education since you were in kindergarten.”

  Soraya raised her eyebrows at him and closed the file ceremoni-

  ously, tossing it onto his desk.

  “What kind of interest does the complainant have in making

  such an allegation?”

  David glared.

  Soraya looked from the Dean to the chair and back again. “Per-

  haps the complainant’s true target is Professor Emerson. Why am I

  suddenly getting the impression that my client is collateral damage?”

  “Any other matters are outside your purview, Miss Harandi.”

  The Dean’s chin began to wobble. “Even if this office would prefer to ignore the supporting information filed with the complaint, we

  can’t. The newspaper article demonstrates that Miss Mitchell and

  Professor Emerson were romantically linked only days after the end of the semester. It appears to demonstrate the existence of a prior inappropriate relationship, if nothing else.”

  “I can’t believe you summoned my client to listen to these bizarre accusations. The complainant is clearly unstable and living in a fantasy world. If she has an issue with Professor Emerson, she needs to pursue a complaint against him, not my client. Given what I have seen here today, I will advise my client that she is well within her rights to file a harassment complaint against Miss Peterson and to see that she is investigated for making a fraudulent and defamatory charge.”

  The Dean cleared his throat noisily. “If your position is such

  that Miss Mitchell and Professor Emerson engaged in a consensual

  relationship, I will gladly make note of such a declaration and we can dispense with the charade. When did this consensual relationship begin?”

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  “The only charade is the one your office is performing, in which

  you attempt to appear to be investigating an academic infraction but rather are engaging in some kind of prurient sexual McCarthyism.

  This meeting is over.” Soraya closed her briefcase dramatically and stood to her feet.

  “Just a minute, Miss Harandi. If you had troubled yourself to

  take a closer look at Miss Mitchell’s academic file, you’d have seen a form signed by Professor Picton and dated in October, declaring

  that she would be supervising Miss Mitchell’s thesis because Professor Emerson had a conflict of interest. What reason would he have

  to approach Professor Picton other than giving Miss Mitchell what

  she wanted? What kind of conflict of interest could there be, other than an inappropriate relationship?”

  Julia opened her mouth to answer him, to reveal the fact that

  she had known Gabriel since she was a teenager, but Soraya grabbed her forearm in a death grip.

  “You sound as if you have already taken a position on the com-

  plaint, Dr. Aras. Perhaps your letter would have been less disingenuous if you had stated that your true purpose in this meeting was to poison the well against my client so you could punish her.”

  The Dean appeared to swallow his growing anger. He gestured

  to the paperwork in front of him. “The complaint alleges that aca-

  demic favors were granted to Miss Mitchell for reasons other than

  academic performance.

  “The complainant testifies that Professor Emerson and Miss

  Mitchell engaged in a lover’s quarrel in front of a room full of witnesses during one of his seminars. Shortly after that embarrassing public display, Professor Picton signed the paperwork that allowed her to become Miss Mitchell’s thesis advisor. Quid pro quo. Quod erat demonstrandum.”

  “Nemo me impune lacessit, Dr. Aras.” Soraya smiled at Professor Martin, before turning a stony gaze in David’s direction. “I started studying Latin when I was in kindergarten.

  “The complaint is malicious and false. If the Provost decides to

  lay charges on the basis of this complaint, I will pursue other avenues of remedy against the complainant and this office.”

  Julia watched as the Dean gripped his pen rather tightly. “Are

  you sure this is the position you wish to take, Miss Mitchel ? An

  argument for leniency can be made if you cooperate.”

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  “You’ve basically called my client a whore and accused her of

  sleeping with a professor to gain a preferment. I don’t need to remind you of the laws regarding defamation of character. I believe we found ourselves in a similar situation last year. We don’t give in to threats.”

  “We do not threaten, we adjudicate. We will be interviewing

  witnesses and other relevant parties and then we will repeat this

  conversation. Jeremy, have you any further comments or questions?”

  Professor Martin measured Julianne with his gaze, then shook

  his head dispassionately.

  The Dean closed his file. “Since you refuse to answer my ques-

  tions, Miss Mitchell, you are dismissed.”

  Soraya nodded at the two men and escorted Julia out of the room.

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  “That meeting was a confederacy of dunces,” announced Soraya, leaning against the banquette in the bar of the Windsor Arms

  Hotel.

  Julia nodded, wondering if she was Ignatius Reilly, the protagonist of that book, or whether Gabriel was Ignatius and she was Myrna

  Minkoff.

  The bartender delivered their martinis with a smile and a few

  dishes of tapas, “on the house.” He winked at Soraya, who was a

  regular, and returned to the bar.

  She took a long sip of her drink and settled herself in her seat.

  “My advice is to file a harassment complaint against Christa Peterson, citing malicious intent, as soon as possible. There are provisions in the university’s academic policies that are supposed to protect students from fraudulent accusations.”

  “I’m not sure I want to antagonize her.”

  Soraya laughed darkly. “What more could she do to you? Boil

  your bunny?”

  Julia cringed.

  “Listen, a complaint against her would be a shot across the bow.

  We don’t have to follow through on it, but it would give her and the Dean something to think about. You told me that she accused Gabriel of sexual harassment. Don’t you want to strike back?”

  “I want all of this to end. I don’t understand how she can file a

  complaint against me when my situation has nothing to do with her.”

  “Based upon what we learned today, I think it’s pretty clear what

  she’s doing. She accused you of sleeping your way to the top, and

  she accused your boyfriend of trying to make the same arrangement

  Sylvain Reynard

  with her. It’s clever, really, because she doesn’t need her complaints to be successful in order to take both of you out at the same time.”

  Julia blanched. “What do you mean?”

  “She’s forcing you into admitting that you had a relationship

  with your professor. Then the university can hit you and him with a fraternization charge. She’s either bril iant or she’s had some coaching.”

  Julia traced a finger up and down the side of her martini glass,

  fi
ghting the urge to be sick.

  Soraya sipped her cocktail once more. “I need you to make a list

  of people the Dean might interview and anything they might say that would be damaging. The evidence he has is slight, but if you put it all together, it could be enough to convince a tribunal that Gabriel gifted you with favors because of your relationship.”

  Julia began sawing on her lower lip with her teeth.

  “Don’t worry, yet. Let’s focus on beating this complaint and worry about everything else later. The administration is very cautious when it comes to matters involving faculty members because of their union.

  The university will continue the investigation until they’re sure, and then they’ll pounce.

  “In the meantime, let me file a complaint against this Christa

  Peterson character. From now on, you and Gabriel need to stay out

  of the public eye. David will be investigating both of you this week, and we should assume he’ll interview everyone who has come in

  contact with both of you.”

  Julia shook her head, a wave of nausea crashing over her as she

  thought of other faculty and students from the department being

  asked to give testimony in front of the Dean.

  “All right, Soraya. File the complaint. I don’t think it will accomplish anything other than to antagonize her, but you’re the lawyer.”

  “Excellent.” Soraya smiled widely and downed the rest of her

  dirty martini.

  P

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  Later that afternoon Julia was exiting the elevator on Gabriel’s

  floor. She passed his French Canadian neighbor as she walked down

  the long hallway, and they exchanged a brief but friendly nod. Then she let herself in with her key.

  “Julianne? Is that you?”

  “Yes. How was your meeting with the Chair?” She quickly re-

  moved her coat and boots and was ready to walk into the living room when Gabriel met her in the front hall.

  “I want to hear about your meeting first.” He placed his hands

  on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “Are you all right? What happened?”

  “They asked me a few questions and let me go.”

  He let out an expletive and pulled her into his arms. “If anything ever happened to you…”

  She returned his embrace, exhaling slowly against his dress shirt.

  “It was Christa Peterson.”