by Harmon, AJ
First Class Justice
by AJ Harmon
http://www.firstclassnovels.com
First Kindle Edition, January 2013
Copyright 2013 by ABCs Legacy, LLC
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission from the author.
Acknowledgements
This has been an amazing journey for me and I have not embarked on it alone. To those who supported me from the beginning; KC, thanks for your encouragement…I wouldn’t have started this adventure if not for you. MS, thanks for the emotional boosts, they are always appreciated. Christopher, this undertaking would never have gotten off the ground if not for you and your technical wizardry – you amaze me constantly! Peanut, I know you think your mom is crazy and I love you anyway ;). And last but definitely not least, my husband Brad. Ours is my favorite love story of all time, you are my world and I love you always.
Thank you all for your support. I am forever in your debt.
"What if he took my future?"
"He didn't just take away my security, my freedom for those thirty hours," Katy said. "What if he took my future too?"
"Your future?" Sarah asked.
"What if he also stole from me the man I could have been happy with? The man I’ve been searching for all these years?"
In love
“I absolutely loved this series. I could only hope there are many more to follow.... it made me cry, it made me smile… I did not expect to love this series as much as I did. MUST read”
Cathy C – Amazon/Kindle
Loved it!
“…I can’t seem to get enough of Janie and Matt, Katy, well everyone…”
Danichica – Amazon/Kindle
First Class of Love!
“…If you love a good love story, then I would highly recommend … the series!”
psychstudent13 - Amazon/Kindle
Katy, a head-turning gorgeous ER nurse, has spent her life watching her best friend live the romantic fairytale not once, but twice. She’s had to fight and scrape for every ounce of happiness she has ever had, and must battle once again for her life and her dreams.
She wasn’t sure she’d ever been truly happy. Did she even deserve love or happiness? She doubted it. Would it ever be her turn to fall in love? She didn’t think so.
Katy had always enjoyed the fact that men found her physically attractive, but it always seemed to be the wrong men. “Does my Mr. Right even exist?” she’d wondered.
Just a week before her best friend Janie married her Mr. Right, Katy had everything taken from her, enduring what no woman should ever have to. Lured, kidnapped, and violated, her life and sense of wellbeing was destroyed in an instant.
Mark had rescued Katy from her captor, but could he now rescue her from the lurid memories that disturbed her every thought? He knew one thing, Katy deserved justice, and he would stand by her side until the criminal was rotting in prison… or hell. He would not let her face this tragedy alone.
Unwilling to spend the rest of her life as a victim, Katy fights the demons left to haunt her by the predator and searches for a way to reclaim even a sliver of hope and happiness.
‘First Class Justice’ is the third book in the First Class Novel series by AJ Harmon, preceded by ‘First Class to New York’ and ‘First Class to Portland.’
Join Katy as she discovers how to live and love again.
Table of Contents
Chapter:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
1.
Yellow was no longer her favorite color. In fact, she really hated yellow now.
Katy stood in the middle of her bedroom, her furniture pulled from the walls and covered in drop cloths. Masking tape lined the baseboards and the window and door frames. The yellow was finally going…today!
In the few days since Katy had returned from her best friend’s wedding in New York City, she’d been in top gear, whizzing around her house like the cartoon hero, Speedy Gonzalez. There was no way she was going to let up for a second, because when she did, the memories overwhelmed her. And if she went to bed slightly drunk, then she could sleep without dreaming as well. So, for the past several days she had been preparing to paint. She used to like yellow. It was the color of summer, the beach, and of fun, but it no longer represented those things so Katy had selected different colors. Not yellow. She had torn down wallpaper and dusted and wiped and cleaned all the walls that needed to be changed. Yes, today it would all be gone!
*****
Mark Lathem sat in his brother’s office staring at his cell phone. Why hasn't she called me back?
Matt, Mark’s older brother, and his new bride Janie were off in Hawaii on their three-week honeymoon. Matt wouldn't be back for another couple of weeks so Mark was occupying his office, seeing as though his was still in the middle of a major remodel.
It had been an overly emotional couple of weeks. It had changed Mark’s perspective on a lot of things. And now he sat staring at his cell phone willing it to ring, something he had never done before. Waiting for a woman to call? That was not something Mark was accustomed to. He really didn't have time for women. His was focused on work most of the time. But Katy was constantly on his mind. He was concerned about her. No, he was worried about her. And she was three thousand miles away and there wasn't a whole lot he could do.
The door opened and Angela burst in.
"Oh, I'm sorry Mark. I didn’t know you were still here," she apologized.
Mark smiled. "No problem, Angela."
"I was just going to put this on Mr. Lathem's desk. Isn't it beautiful?"
Angela, Matt’s secretary, handed Mark a silver picture frame holding a photo of Matt and Janie at their rehearsal dinner. They looked so happy and Mark knew his brother would want it front and center on his desk.
"That's really nice," he said, and placed it on the desk. "Your husband takes great photographs."
"It's his little hobby now that he's retired. We thought Mr. Lathem would like to have it."
"Yes. He will be thrilled. Janie looks gorgeous, doesn't she?"
"Beautiful, yes. And Mr. Lathem couldn't take his eyes off her. I’m very happy for them both."
Angela turned and left the office, closing the door behind her. Mark looked at the picture and then back to his cell phone. Who would have thought that only a couple of days before that photo had been taken they were all in Portland under such horrible circumstances? Who would have thought that Katy would have the strength to get on a plane with them and come all the way to New York for her friend's wedding when she probably should have still been in the hospital, or at the very least, at home recovering from the traumatic events she’d suffered through? Mark was amazed at her resilience, at her strength, at her resolve not to be a victim. She was just plain amazing. However, whenever he saw her in his mind, he saw a terrified woman bound to a bed. Not the image he wanted, but it's the image he got.
Katy, call please? I just need to know you're okay!
*****
Counseling was not mandatory, but highly recommended, by both the District Attorney's office and the hospital where she was treated after being rescued from the crazed lunatic Danny Salvo. The hospital had also been her employer for the last ten plus years, so Katy figured she'd better go to a couple of sess
ions just to appease them so she could get back to work and back to the routine of her life. They hadn’t told her she couldn’t work, just strongly suggested she take some time to recover from both the physical and emotional trauma.
Dr. Margot LaVaughn came highly recommended, but even so, Katy had no desire to lie on the couch and tell some Sigmund Freud wannabe about her childhood and her dreams. No thank you! If I could just get back to some normalcy I’d be fine. Katy just wanted it all behind her so she could forget it ever happened. She wanted to turn back time and make different choices and change the course of her life. She wanted to be prepared rather than surprised. She wanted to be her old self. But the more time that passed, the more she knew she couldn’t go backwards. And that was just as frustrating.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Katy," Dr. LaVaughn smiled as she came out to the waiting room and escorted Katy into her office.
"Where’s the couch?" Katy asked dryly.
Dr. LaVaughn chuckled and explained there weren't any 'couch' sessions in her practice. "I guess if you want to lie down I could rustle up a pillow or two and maybe even a blanket."
Katy managed a weak smile and sat in one of the two wingback chairs by the big window.
"You've got a nice view here," she said, gazing at the Willamette River in front of her.
"Yes, it is."
"Have you been in this building long?"
"A couple of years."
"It seems pretty new. I'm glad you have good parking. Parking can be a bitch downtown."
"Yes, it can be."
"So what's this costing me an hour?"
"Your insurance is covering it Katy. You don't need to worry about that."
"Well I'm not working right now, so I have to tighten my belt a little. I mean, I have sick time so I’m still getting paid, but I do have to be careful and not waste my money.”
“You think that coming here is a waste of money?”
“I don’t think that sitting on a couch, well, in a chair, and spewing out feelings is overly productive. No offense.”
“None taken.” Dr. LaVaughn smiled.
“I just need to get back to work."
"Do you want to get back to work?"
"Hell, yes!" Katy frowned at the doctor. "Sitting around doing nothing at home is not helping me, so work would be a good thing."
“You’re doing nothing all day?”
“Well no, but you know what I mean.”
“Tell me what you mean.”
“I’m in my house all day cuz I’m too screwed up to leave it very often, even though I desperately want to. I don’t even like going to the grocery store. I’m always looking over my shoulder. I check the backseat of my car five times before I get in. If I can go out for a specific purpose, like coming here today, then I’m sort of okay. If I could drive myself to work and spend all day at the hospital and feel like I’m doing something, maybe I could get back to normal!”
"You're a nurse?"
"Yep, and I love it!"
"Do you work in the ER?"
"Yeah, and I have worked as a triage nurse, although right now I’m working in Same Day Surgery. It's nice to mix it up a bit. Keeps me sharp, you know?"
Dr. LaVaughn looked at Katy and knew she had her work cut out for her.
*****
With her second beer in her hand, Katy sat on the deck in her back yard and watched the sun set. There were glorious shades of pink rippled across the sky and Katy reached for her phone and took a picture. A text message popped on the screen. It was from Janie. Katy smiled as she opened up the message and saw the photo of Janie and Matt, feet in the waves on the beach looking blissfully happy. The message read, 'Loving Hawaii. I think a girl’s week here next year is called for. You in?'
Katy smiled and typed back her answer in the affirmative. She placed the phone back on the table and picked up the beer bottle. She was incredibly happy for her best friend. To find the love of her life once was amazing, but to find it again after her first husband died was nothing short of a miracle. And if anyone deserved a miracle it was Janie.
'She is the best person I know' had escaped her lips on many an occasion in describing her friend. And she meant it, truly meant it. If Katy could aspire to be more like anyone, it would be Janie. They had been best friends forever and she wished her all the happiness she deserved.
"I just wish I deserved some," Katy muttered as she took another mouthful of the cold beer. She needed to finish this one and then one more so she could go to bed and not fear that the nightmares would invade her sleep.
*****
"According to the police report, you said you were not raped. And there was no semen detected in the rape kit." Sarah looked at Katy for confirmation.
"Yep. I assume it’s all there," Katy said, nodding at the file.
"He had you for about thirty hours and he didn't rape you?"
"No."
"He didn't touch you?"
Katy squirmed in her chair and looked down at her hands in her lap. Sarah, the Assistant District Attorney assigned to her case, came and sat next to her and sighed.
"I know this is not the conversation you want to be having right now, but I need to know everything, every last detail. I can't do my job properly if I don't have all the information. I can’t put that bastard in prison."
"He tried to rape me, three times. He failed all three times cuz he couldn't get it up. That really pissed him off."
"So he did touch you?"
"Yeah, he did." Katy had told herself that it wasn’t that much worse than some of the dates she’d been on where the men figured they were entitled to grope her because they had paid for dinner.
She told Sarah all about the thirty hours tied to Danny's bed. She explained how he used a bowl when she needed to pee and how he told her all about the life they could have had if she hadn't been such a bitch and just gone out with him when he had asked.
"Did he feed you?"
"I had water. He held the glass. He refused to untie me."
After a few more questions from Sarah, Katy walked out of the office building into the sunshine. She turned her face up to the sky and felt the warmth on her cheeks. It felt wonderful. It felt wonderful to feel nothing but warmth.
*****
Mark sat in the San Francisco airport waiting for his connecting fight. He needed Angela, Matt's secretary, to start making his travel arrangements instead of his secretary, Jill. Why she booked him on a flight from Phoenix back to New York that went through San Francisco, he couldn't understand.
He checked his phone again. There was still nothing from Katy. He’d left three voicemails for her and she hadn't returned any of them. He was getting really worried.
He had offered to fly back to Portland from New York with Katy after Matt and Janie’s wedding two weeks ago. He wanted to see her home safely and that is what he’d done. He had ridden with her in the cab back to her house. He had gone into her house with her and carried in her luggage. He had made sure that everything was safe and secure and then he’d gone to a hotel for the night. The next day he had picked her up and met the police to get her car back from Danny's house. All of her clothing and personal items were still in police evidence but at least her car was released back to her. He had gone with her to see Sarah at the District Attorney's office to answer some more questions. And he had given her every phone number and email address he had so she could get a hold of him at any time. And then he had returned to New York and Katy had not contacted him since.
Mark headed for the ticket agent's desk and changed his ticket. He would be in Portland in just a couple of hours.
2.
Katy hoped that her second appointment with Dr. LaVaughn would be as painless as the first. They had talked about the weather, her son Derek who had just started his junior year at Portland State University, and the fact that she was in the middle of painting several rooms of her house. She sat in the waiting room reading a magazine and waited her turn.
&n
bsp; The door opened and a young girl around sixteen, Katy guessed, left the doctor’s office, tissue in hand, blowing her nose. Katy watched as she walked through the waiting room and out the door. I hope she’s okay. How could someone hurt a child? What kind of animal does that?
Dr. LaVaughn said hello to Katy and told her she’d be with her in just a moment. Katy sat and thought about the girl who had just left. Dr. LaVaughn specialized in sexual abuse victims and so Katy had to assume that the poor girl had been through something pretty bad. It was heartbreaking to see her so sad. She replaced the magazine on the side table and hoped that this girl would be able to get the help she needed so that she could move on with her life and find happiness.
The doctor interrupted her thoughts and Katy entered her office, sitting in the same chair as the last time she had come.
“She seemed so sad,” said Katy. “I hope your other patient is going to be okay.”
Dr. LaVaughn smiled but didn’t answer.
“It’s just terrible what people will do to others,” Katy continued. “It’s so sad to see someone so young here. Although I guess it’s sad to see anyone here. Well, I guess some people probably need to see you.”
“I can’t talk about my other patients, Katy. And we’re here to talk about you.”
“But she’s so young and she looked so sad. I’m sure she needs your help. I hope someone beat the shit out of the motherfucker who did that to her.”
“Did someone beat the shit out of the man who hurt you?”
“Yeah, they did. And I’m glad. I’d like to get a few kicks in myself.”
“Do you think kicking him would help you?”
“I’d like to find out.”
"Katy, why don't you tell me about the morning you drove to Danny's house."
Katy visibly retreated. She folded her arms, her shoulders sunk and her head lowered, her eyes on the floor.
"Pretending that it didn't happen doesn't work," Dr. LaVaughn continued. "Not talking about it doesn’t work either. Just because the physical scars have healed and you don’t see them anymore doesn’t mean the emotional and psychological scars are healed and gone too. They take much longer to heal, Katy. Keeping it all bottled inside will just turn you into a ticking time bomb. In order to move on with your life, in order to find fulfillment and happiness in future relationships, you are going to have to deal with it. And the sooner the better."