by S. E. Lund
"Pig!" she screamed "Rapist! Sadist!"
The object, a balloon filled with urine, broke and the vile smelling liquid sprayed in my face and covered my jacket. The guard rushed to where she stood and stopped her from lunging at me, but she continued to scream, calling me every manner of epithets.
I was hustled out of the courtroom and she was hustled out another door.
Lara stood when she saw me, and made a face of disgust.
"Oh, my God, Drake. What the hell happened?"
"Some woman threw a balloon filled with urine at me on my way out."
She shook her head. The court security guard pointed down the hall. "There's a men's room down there, in case you want to clean up. Sorry I don't have an extra shirt here you could wear."
"Thanks," I said, noting the tone of sympathy in the man's voice. "I'll be fine. The sooner I get home and shower, the better."
"Yes, Sir."
While Lara waited, I went down the hallway and spent the next few moments cleaning the urine from my face and hair, dunking my head under the tap in the bathroom. I managed to get most of it off, but clearly, there was no way I was going out with Lara for a drink in my current.
When I emerged from the bathroom, Lara was talking to a couple of uniformed security officers. When I joined them, we spoke about the incident and they informed me that the videotapes would be reviewed and the prosecutor would decide whether to charge the woman with assault.
"Who threw the balloon?" I asked.
The ranking officer shook his head. "It was one of the defendant's relations. An aunt."
"She left the courtroom and went to the washroom," I said. "She gave me a nasty look when she walked by."
"She must have brought the balloons along with her and planned to do that when you testified. No one would have thought twice if they found party balloons in her bag."
"How in God's name did she pee into a balloon?"
One of the security guards shrugged. "She had a funnel in her bag. Must have used it to fill the balloon."
"Sheesh," Lara said and rolled her eyes. "What a crazy family."
"I know," I said. "A violent bunch."
After we finished discussing the event with the security officers, Lara and I were able to leave. Together, we walked down the hallway to the front entrance. When we got to the front door, I saw a crowd of reporters and onlookers waiting for me.
"Is there any other exit we can take? Considering I'm covered in piss, I'd rather not face the cameras."
"Let's go out the back. I had planned on you giving a statement, but all things considered, it might be best to avoid the cameras."
"Sounds good to me." I texted John and he agreed to meet us at the side alley. Then we left and I was never so glad to be escaping out the back door of any building.
In the car on the way home, I got a text from Kate.
KATE: Are you okay? I was watching the news and there was a report that a woman threw a balloon filled with urine at you.
DRAKE: I'm wet and stinky, and my pride is hurt but otherwise I'm fine. Needless to say, Lara and I won't be going out for a drink.
KATE: I guess not! We have a bottle of champagne if you want to imbibe here. Invite her over.
DRAKE: I will.
With that, I put my cell away and turned to Lara.
"Feel like coming over to the house for a glass of champagne? Kate invited you, if you want."
"Sounds good," Lara said with a smile. "After the past couple of weeks, both of us deserve to celebrate."
I leaned back in my seat and watched the streets of Manhattan pass by, glad that the trial and my involvement in it were finally -- finally -- over.
Kate
Drake arrived back at the apartment with Lara just after four thirty in the afternoon. When he entered through the front door, he was smiling, and he and Lara had been sharing some joke. It made me happy to see that he was in good spirits despite the latest attack.
"There you are," I said and went to the front door to greet them. I turned to Drake who was removing his jacket and shirt like it was poisoned. "Forgive me if I don't kiss you."
"No need to explain," he said. "I'm going to put my clothes in a bag and get them dry cleaned. But now, I'm going to take a shower. Maybe you could get that bottle of champagne out of the cooler and pour us all a drink."
"I will," I said and grabbed a large plastic garbage bag from the kitchen pantry. I let Drake drop his clothes into it and watched while he ran upstairs in his bare chest and slacks, which had missed getting the urine treatment.
I placed the bag outside the door in the hallway, not wanting it to remain in the apartment. Then, I turned to Lara.
"How is he?"
Lara waved her hand and removed her coat. "He's strong," she said, and I took the coat from her then hung it up. Lara took my arm, leading me to the kitchen. "He'll be fine,” she said and squeezed my arm.
"Thanks for looking after him through all this."
"He's like my little brother," Lara said. "Where's Sophia?"
"She's napping right now, but she's due up any time."
"I'd love to see her."
"Do you want to sneak up and check in her room?"
"Yes, let's do it."
She followed me up the stairs to Sophie's room. I opened the door. Inside, the room was dim, the blackout shades down against the afternoon sun. Sophie's crib was against the wall. Because she was older and taller, we had the crib set up like a day-bed with the mattress down low and the railing up about a foot so she could easily crawl out.
She was sleeping on her stomach, her butt in the air, her stuffed toy beside her.
"She's beautiful," Lara whispered, her arm around my shoulder.
I nodded, not wanting to wake Sophie.
We left the room and I closed the door.
"You are so lucky," Lara said as we went down the stairs to the main living area. "You have your man, you have your baby and you have your art. I'm so glad for you, Kate."
"I am lucky."
"Too bad Drake's career is tanking here in Manhattan. It would be so good for him to take Michael's offer."
I frowned. "What offer?"
"Michael Owiti's offer to go to work for him, set up a pediatric robotic neurosurgery unit."
"Michael made Drake an offer? To go back to Nairobi?"
"No," Lara said and put her hands on her hips. "I'm going to tell you something but you have to promise me not to tell Drake I told you until he tells you himself. Promise?"
I nodded.
"Michael's heading up the pediatric neurosurgery department at the Southampton Children's Hospital in England and wanted Drake to set up a robotic neurosurgery unit."
"He didn't feel he could tell me? " I felt a sick sensation in my gut. "When did this all happen?"
"He told me about it today, but the offer happened a while ago. He must feel torn about the job and didn't want to force you to make a decision. Don't say anything. Let him tell you. At that point, you can confess that I told you. Okay?"
"Okay," I said doubtfully, hurt that Drake had already talked to Lara about this news but not me.
"When will Sophie get up?" Lara asked, her voice sounding a bit sheepish. "I'd love to play with her a bit."
"She usually gets up at around 4:30."
Lara sat at the kitchen island. "Now, how about that champagne?"
"Coming right up." I went to the wine chiller and removed the bottle of Dom Pérignon from the bottom shelf. "We keep a bottle on hand in case we ever have anything to celebrate."
I chose three champagne glasses from the shelf in the kitchen where we kept the liquor. While Lara watched, I removed the foil from the stopper and popped the cork into a napkin. My mind was focused on Drake's news, wondering if and when he was planning to tell me about the offer.
I had no idea what to think about it. Southampton? That was across the Atlantic Ocean...
There was no way my father would want to make the trip very oft
en. We'd just gotten back into the apartment on 8th Avenue. I only recently started back at the studio. I felt a little sick about it.
"You're good at that," she said, clapping when I poured the first glass for her.
"I used to play bartender at my father's parties when I was old enough. He taught me how to open a champagne bottle."
I poured myself a glass and downed it, needing the warmth to offset the sadness I suddenly felt about the prospect of leaving Manhattan.
It was just then that Drake started down the stairs, freshly showered and drying his hair with a towel. He was wearing pajama bottoms and a robe, looking every inch the wealthy man of leisure that he was.
"Don't say anything," Lara said, reaching out to touch my arm. She raised her eyebrows. "Let him tell you."
I nodded.
Lara turned to Drake when he entered the kitchen. "Just in time," she said and held up her glass. Drake took his and the three of us toasted each other before taking a sip.
Drake drank his whole glass down at once.
"Ahh," he said when he was finished. "I needed that. And it tastes like another."
I laughed and poured him another glass of champagne. "It's going to be that kind of night, is it?"
"It is," he said and only sipped at the next glass. "I'm going to stay in all weekend and do absolutely nothing.
"Will you listen to the coverage?" Lara asked, eyeing Drake over her glass. "The closing arguments are tomorrow. I don't know how you can stand not going to court so you can hear it."
"Will they be broadcast?" I asked, curious myself.
"No," Lara said. "But I imagine there will be lots of news coverage."
"I may go," I said, glancing quickly at Drake. "I usually wouldn't want to, but I'd like to hear the closing arguments myself."
"We could go together," Lara said. "I have an in with the clerk."
She winked at me and I laughed. "I'm sure you do."
"You really want to go?" Drake asked, frowning. "I thought you wanted to avoid the trial and anything to do with it."
"I did, but this is the end and it would be interesting to hear them argue their cases. Would you mind?"
"Of course not," he said and drank more of his champagne. "As long as no one recognizes you. I thought you'd want to avoid any publicity."
"No one knows me," I said. "There are so few pictures of me in public. The one they use when they talk about me is from several years ago. I could wear my hair up, fake glasses and casual clothes. No one would know who I was."
"I'll get you in, if you really want to go, but maybe we shouldn't sit together. Some reporters know me and would likely ask questions about who I was with. If you want anonymity, that would be best."
"That's fine. You don't need to get me in, if that works better. I'll go incognito wearing my ordinary mom disguise."
"If you really want to," Drake said. "You can be our spy. People know my face by now, so as much as I'd like to hear closing arguments, there's no way I'm going. Who knows what another nutcase family member might do?"
We all nodded, thinking about the two attacks on Drake from Lisa's crazy family members. For the next half hour, the three of us drank our champagne, and talked about the trial, going over the main testimony and evidence, then how we thought the jury would decide the case.
"Guilty of second degree murder," Drake said.
"Agreed," Lara replied and finished her second glass of champagne. "I do think she'll get a light sentence. There's been a lot of talk in the press about women and abuse. A lot of sympathy for victims who later do violent acts. I think the defense lawyer has been pretty good at playing that up in the jury's mind."
"It doesn't excuse her," I said, angry at the thought that someone as conniving and manipulative as Lisa would be seen with anything but contempt. She wasn't a victim, although she played one very well.
"The most important thing is that she'll most likely get at least another ten years minimum -- more likely fifteen -- tacked onto her existing sentence," Lara said firmly. "She won't be out of jail before she's fifty. And based on what I've seen of her, she'll likely get in trouble in jail and spend even more time there. Someone like Lisa can't help but try to control others around her. She'll get in trouble inside as well as out of jail."
"She should stay in the rest of her life," Drake said.
I turned to look at Drake, surprised at his tone, which was acid. "She should, but that's not going to happen."
It was then we heard a little voice on the baby monitor.
"I'll go get her," I said and left Drake and Lara. When I got to Sophie's bedroom, she was sitting up in her bed, playing with a tiny plastic person that was part of her tiny world toy. She had the farmer in one hand and a cow in the other and was sucking on her pacifier.
"You ready to get up?" I said and went to pick her up. She was wet so I changed her and then carried her down the stairs to the main floor.
"Here she is," Drake said and came over to us, kissing Sophie's cheek and taking her from my arms. "Daddy needs a hug and kiss from his best girl."
Lara and I watched Drake with Sophie. He seemed so happy to see her and hold her, kissing her cheeks and stroking her hair.
"She looks like you, Kate," Lara said, smiling at them. "Same hair and eye color. She's going to be a pretty little thing."
"She's beautiful," Drake said and came over to sit at the island.
We spent the next hour taking turns holding Sophie or watching her eat a snack in her highchair. Finally, after we'd all eaten some tortilla chips and salsa, Lara picked up her bag and stood.
"Well, as much as I'm enjoying this little sojourn, I have to get back to my office and finish up some paperwork."
"You can't stay for supper?" Drake asked, offering Sophie another piece of cut up banana.
"Not tonight. Once the trial is finished and the verdict is in, we'll go out and really celebrate. How's that sound? My treat?"
"Sounds good," I said and smiled, walking her to the front door. I got her coat out of the closet and handed it to her. "How soon should I get to the courthouse if I want to watch the proceedings?"
"At least fifteen minutes early, probably more if you really want to pick your seat. Thirty might be best, given the publicity around the case."
"Okay," I said and opened the door for her. "Thanks for being a support to Drake through this."
"Don't mention it. He's my friend as much as my client." She leaned in and gave me an air kiss, squeezing my arm. "Look after him."
"I will," I said and watched her take the stairs.
Then, I turned back and watched Drake playing with Sophie at the kitchen island. He loved her so much -- that much was clear. It had to be an emotional time, watching the trial and seeing Lisa sitting there. She'd almost succeeded in killing me, and potentially Sophie. She did succeed in killing Derek and encouraging Jones's suicide.
I really wanted to see her face when she was sentenced. Part of me wanted to avoid the trial, but I was feeling stronger now, the farther away from my own ordeal we got. The truth was that I wanted to see her go away for a very long time.
With the release of the video showing him striking Sunita, I hated to think what his supervisors at NYU and NYP would think of having him on staff or in the fellowship program.
I went over to the kitchen island and joined Drake. Together, we watched Sophie eat her snack.
"Care to go for a walk? The sky is still sunny. She could use some air."
"Sure," I said and we got ready for a walk along 8th Avenue. Drake texted John, who would wait for us on the street. We carried Sophie and her stroller down the stairs and with John walking behind us and Mike walking ahead, we took Sophie for her afternoon walk. The air was crisp and cool, the sidewalk crowded, but there was a small park-like playground down the street from us that we took Sophie to almost every day. There, she could play on the swings and run around in the grass while we watched. A half an hour of her playing outside had her cheeks rosy, so w
e decided to make our way back to the apartment.
When we returned, I started supper while Drake and Sophie played on the living room carpet. Drake had on an after school program for kids and Sophie played happily until supper.
It was a peaceful domestic scene and I smiled to myself to see how happy Drake was to be a father. It made all of the heartache and pain of the past two years, including the attack and trials and all the related publicity, worthwhile. I decided not to mention what Lara had revealed about Michael's offer. Drake would tell me when he felt like it.
* * *
Sophie went down at around eight, a little later than her usual bed time. After supper, she had a quick bath and I put her in her jammies and then she sat down in the living room with her father for her usual routine of reading picture books. Drake seemed to want to keep her up a little longer, reading her book after book and she was happy to oblige, turning pages and pointing to various animals and people in the book, saying their names. When she finally started tugging at her ear, I knew she was ready for bed.
I picked her up, insisting that it was time. "She's a sleepy-head, Daddy," I said when he pouted. "You'll have her all day tomorrow if you're up to it."
"I am up to it," he said and put the books away, tucking them into the magazine rack beside the sofa. "You really want to go to the court and watch the closing arguments?"
I nodded. "I really do. And then maybe a quick trip to my studio. But only if you feel well enough to manage on your own."
"I do," he said and stood up, leaning down to kiss Sophie on the cheek. "I'll be happy to. Maybe I'll take her over for a visit with Dad and Elaine. They'd like that. I'm sure Dad will enjoy hearing about the courtroom hijinks."
"He'll love it."
Then, I carried Sophie up to her bed and turned off the light. Her bedside light came on, which projected a thousand tiny stars on the ceiling. I laid her down in her crib, stroking her back as I usually did, and sang her a song, which I also usually did.
"Hush, little baby don't say a word, momma's going to buy you a mocking bird..."
She listened for a while and then closed her eyes, snuggling down into her bed, her cheek pressed against the blanket, her stuffed bunny under her arm. I tiptoed out of the room and slowly closed the door and didn't hear a peep out of her. She was tired after her afternoon in the park and staying up late listening to her dad read her books.