Guilty! -The Trials of Phil Ferguson

by Sean Russell

  He fell into a deep depression after that evening with Amanda. He took his failings hard—Phil rarely failed at anything. He was ill-equipped to deal with failure and he was really taking this situation to heart. Part of the problem was that he had really liked Amanda and enjoyed her company before any sexual interaction had taken place. He knew now that he could never see her again as a client, or as a friend.

  Nothing. Jade was returning tomorrow. He could not allow her to find him like this. It was not like him. She would notice. Jade was such a determined person that she would pry and probe and prod and pick until she got an answer.

  Phil had to pull himself together in time for Jade’s return. He’d never actually made that call to find out who she was either. He had planned to that afternoon, the second time she came, and he was about to make the call when Sandra buzzed him about an urgent matter. In fact, he had to go to court on that matter the same evening. The next call he made was to the magistrate seeking an audience to argue the case. He did not get back to checking out Amanda. Of course, the next time he thought about her it was because she was in his office filling in for Sandra.

  * * *

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Amanda loved Barbados and she hated Barbados.

  She loved the luxury, the options, the lifestyle.

  Life was easy here, but she hated not belonging. She hated being an alien, a second class citizen who was not wanted. She had no challenge being accepted by men. Her looks were an instant visa. But she was hated by women.

  School was her introduction to this reality.

  Everyone knows that school children are merciless in their teasing. With her accent and the fact that she was Guyanese, the boys and the men all wanted her.

  She never got discouraged and she was never down for long. Whenever things started to get to her she would remember Tanko and his clumsy rape attempt.

  Life in Barbados was a breeze.

  Amanda also discovered something else in Barbados—education. Barbados was once a British colony, and when it became an independent nation, a lot of emphasis was placed on education. Back home no one cared whether she went to school or not. What mattered was that she did her chores; that she pulled her weight at home. In Barbados she had her share of domestic duties too, but it was light in comparison to what she was expected to do before. She was able to manage them and do her school work. Whatever string Mickey pulled was a good one.

  Mickey flew out with Amanda two days after that fateful night. She was met at the airport by a man in his fifties. He was a balding with an ordinary, bland face punctuated by a few wrinkles which exhibited his age, and an untidy mustache which was mostly grey.

  In fact there was nothing distinguishing about him to Amanda, except the fact that he had a clear fondness for Mickey. It was if she had done something he could never adequately repay her for. Or maybe he knew she was the only outstanding-looking woman that would ever pay him any attention in life—her long, flowing chestnut brown hair accentuated in places by lighter-coloured highlights, her smooth, golden skin which encased a well-proportioned body, her pert face that had a neat, straight nose, hazel eyes outlined by incredibly neat eyebrows and fullish lips which seemed just right for kissing. All contrasted with his mundane appearance. She looked more like a poster girl for a Brazilian carnival than anyone who would keep him company.

  He took Mickey and Amanda to where he lived.

  Amanda thought they would never get out of the airport. It was the first time she had traveled. It was an aweful experience. The flight was not bad, a couple of dips and lurches in the twin prop plane. Amanda survived the flight without seeing her breakfast a second time. But the experience with immigration and customs was a nightmare. It seemed they asked Mickey a thousand questions. Some of the stuff was personal and even inappropriate, Amanda thought.

  Mickey had to show the money she had on her, then they were sent to a room for further questions and the notion of a strip search was bandied about between the officers in the room. Finally they abandoned that thought. Amanda was ready to go back home. They eventually exited the arrival lounge and Amanda sucked in the fresh air of freedom with gusto.

  Ignatius Arthur seemed like a regular old guy except that he had great regard for Mickey. They chatted as he drove them home, and Amanda started to relax. She took in the foreign topography of Barbados’ tropical marine climate which contrasted with her homeland’s equatorial rain forest. She was immediately struck by the activity on the roads. They were busy. She was also struck by the number of houses. They were everywhere. The drive took about thirty minutes. They pulled up to a modest bungalow, and Amanda was shown to a small, clean room with a single bed in it.

  Amanda’s heart skipped a beat.

  Mickey remained in earnest conversation with Ignatius.

  “You will take care of her. Make sure she goes to school and gets an education.”

  “Yeah I will take care of she.”

  Mickey searched his eyes and found his centre.

  She stared into him.

  “Make sure. I want her to have a chance.”

  “I tell you I will look after she. I serious.”

  “You will not lay a hand on her, not a finger!” He nodded.

  “Understand? I mean it!” She glared at him.

  He nodded again.

  “She will do all the domestic chores. Everything.”

  “How ’bout the food, she could cook?”

  “She can cook what we eat in Guyana. I don’t know if it will suit you. But she’s a bright girl. She can learn.”

  “I hope so. I’s a man dat like my belly.”

  “Remember. Not a finger on her.”

  He looked at her, his body language confirming that he got the point.

  “I going look after you when you come Guyana.” Ignatius’ face lit up.

  “Listen Mickey. Don’t worry ’bout she. I ent no child molester. I jus’ want the place here nice. I tired payin’ out money and people teifing my things. I could trust she though?”

  “Yes. Any trouble you let me know. You got my number.”

  “So we having some fun for the couple days you here?”

  “Sure. I came for fun.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close.

  * * *

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  For the first time in his life, Phil was stuck. He was really stuck. He was still angry, and he still had a plan to divorce Jade. His roadblock was that Jade was missing. He felt stuck until he could deal with her, talk to her, shout at her. Why hadn’t he heard her?

  She lived here in this house. Phil was going out of his mind. Was this karma for his affair with Amanda?

  He called her cell again… straight to voice mail. The phone was off. Where is she? She was torturing him.

  She had struck a mortal blow and she was twisting the dagger in his heart for effect. But why? He was climbing the walls. Never in his life had he been so powerless.

  He decided to meditate. He lasted five minutes before he gave up. He was unable to quiet his mind.

  He decided to go for a drive in his M3. He would scout the island, check familiar places. He must find her and confront her. It was the only way his mind would even begin to rest. There would still be a lot to do…

  like get a divorce.

  *****

  When Jade awoke she was disoriented. She did not know where she was. She felt hungover, but she knew she only had one drink. She was not familiar with her surroundings, comfortable as they were.

  She was in a bed covered with Egyptian cotton sheets with a soothingly high thread count. Jade didn’t care much for the colour and pattern—bold red and brown diagonal bands—but it was soft. There was an antique upholstered chair off to the right and an exquisite foot bench just in view beyond Jade’s feet. She was trying to make out the colour of the room, but it was too dark.

  Then the pain registered. Rather it was soreness—her vagina was sore. Jade felt a sudden, overw
helming onslaught of rage, fear, revulsion, sorrow, and confusion all at once. She broke down and cried, then she screamed into the silk pillow closest to her on the bed.

  It was after an hour of sobbing that she noticed the subject of the letter that had gotten her into this mess in the first place. It was a photo of Phil enjoying sex with a very attractive woman. Under it was more of the same, like a sequential view of the cuckolding act, except in the last one. Jimmy was in that one and so was she. No one had clothes on in that shot either.

  Her head was spinning. It was too much. How could life turn on you like that? Everything was great until she got that letter from Jimmy. He was an evil man. In fact, all men were evil. Her husband had low grades in his moral assessment. She was done with men. They made her sick.

  Who the hell was that woman in the picture with Phil? Jade had no clue, no warning about her. How did that happen? Jade prided herself on being sharp and not letting anything pass her. She also prided herself on being a good wife and keeping Phil on track, not giving him any reason to lapse. He had no right to cheat! What kind of sick man was he? She gave him everything that he wanted. She was always there for him. The only time she was off track with Phil was when she was doing her Master’s degree and then that was only the last few months. Phil could not have strayed then? Was he that much of a baby?

  She was gone for three weeks to defend her thesis in England. Was it then? She recalled that he was a little funky when she had returned and she was a bit disappointed. She had expected him to share in the euphoria of her success. It was such a big dream for her. He had seemed just a little distracted. He claimed it was because he had missed her so much. She gave it little thought because he bounced back quickly and really shared in her celebration. He even bought her a necklace as a graduation present. It cost as much as a second-hand car. Things were fine all the way through until yesterday.

  The soreness in her vagina reminded her of her own infelicity. What the hell did that sick man do?

  She was going to have herself checked out as soon as possible. She was not going to involve the police because she was not sure what happened and she did not want the embarrassment. The less that people knew about it, the better. She would see her doctor today. She decided to call Phil to let him know that she was alive. She was not prepared to say anything else to him. She needed to find out for herself what was going on. She had a list of questions for him when she was ready. She thought of Phil and she thought of Jimmy and she was convinced that men were the most evil creatures on Earth.

  *****

  Jade left the doctor’s office, not completely relieved.

  She had to wait for the test results, but she felt that she was taking charge again. One thing was clear: the affair was not an affair. It was out and out rape. Jimmy Cadogan had drugged her. Her doctor suspected that Jimmy had given her Rohypnol; he had slipped it in her drink. It was known as the date rape drug. It took effect in fifteen to twenty minutes, and commonly the victim experienced anterograde amnesia—they forgot what happened after ingesting the drug.

  That snake. I could kill him! Jade thought. But death without torture did not seem like enough punishment for the crime. What should she do with Phil? That was easy: castrate the dog. He clearly wasn’t drugged, unless it was Viagra. She knew Phil. He did not need Viagra. Yep castrate his ass, just like a dog. She had gotten him to bank some sperm, though she was now not sure she wanted to mother his offspring. They may end up as disgusting as their father.

  She hadn’t spoken to him yet, and the day was wearing on. It was early afternoon. He must be going out of his mind, calling everywhere and unable to find her. Serves him right, the fucker. She smiled to herself. His agony somehow gave her some relief and even more satisfaction. Any thought of contacting Phil disappeared, at least for the time being. She was headed to the bank and to her lawyer. She had to take stock of her situation. She was going to make Phil pay, but it was not going to be easy. Phil was a fighter. He knew how to win. But she knew him well, better than anyone else. She knew his strengths and his weaknesses. She thought she knew them all, but then she had discovered another one last night.

  It was then that the alarm went off in her head.

  The pictures of Phil and that woman; one of them was not of Phil. It was of her and that man… she could not bring herself to even think of him having a name.

  What was the purpose of that picture? Was it more than to tell her she’d been had? Literally? She was so filled with anger and self-righteousness that she forgot to examine the implications of that picture that held her nude image. What did he do with the other copies? She was sure they were digital. He was such a sick man that he might have it as the wallpaper on his computer or his phone. Did he send it to anyone?

  The alarms went off again. What is he going to do with that picture? Suppose he sends it to Phil? No. She refused to accept that. He wouldn’t be that crazy. He wasn’t so ruthless. He did not like Phil, but he would have no need to do that. This was between him and her. He was feeding his already over-indulged ego.

  He wanted her. The fact that she was Phil Ferguson’s wife was another feather in his cap. He would gloat on it privately. He was a lawyer… a professional.

  That matter was between them alone. Like a client’s confidentiality.

  Her ego could not accept the truth. Jimmy would post the picture on the worldwide web if he felt to.

  There was one thing that Jade did accept. Jimmy was going to pay for what he did.

  * * *

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Ignatius was not used to the temptation he was facing. He was generally a decent man, but he was not prepared for the frequent visual treats of Amanda’s beauty.

  He fell to temptation one Wednesday morning before he left for work. Amanda had just stepped out of the shower and the bathroom door was slightly ajar.

  Ignatius could see her smooth skin glistening from the layers of water as she was drying off. It was not the first time he had been privy to this visual feast. In fact, he had wrestled with his conscience several times as he reveled in the act of seeing her young, flawless body sans clothes. He knew Mickey would be furious if she were to ever find out what he was doing—being a veritable peeping Tom with a minor she had entrusted to his care. It was accidental initially—he happened to be in the right place at the right time. The lock on the bathroom door was faulty and therefore allowed the door to swing open soundlessly without any provocation. Living in the house alone, Ignatius had never had any incentive to fix it.

  One morning he was on his way to the kitchen when in passing he glimpsed Amanda’s almost naked body as she stepped out the shower and started to dry herself. He was both captivated and aroused and was lucky enough to be in a position that she could not see him observing her. Before long he started to time her baths and it became a ritual, though for the last few mornings his conscience had taken over and he decided to forgo his morning pleasure. He had recently sworn himself off his voyeuristic activities, but that Wednesday he was vulnerable to lust and his lascivious drives overtook him. He decided there and then that she needed assistance in the basic task of towel-drying her skin.

  He stepped into the bathroom. Amanda heard him enter and looked up. Ignatius saw her eyes and what he saw stopped him cold. What he didn’t see would also have stopped him—Amanda had a brick within close reach, hidden under the towel, just in case the experience that caused her to flee her home happened to repeat itself. He came to his senses immediately. He exited the room and went straight to work. Although he said nothing, somehow Amanda understood that it would never happen again. Not long after that she was told to find somewhere else to live. In the end, Ignatius found her a new place—a home for battered girls located in the country, in the parish of St. John.

  It was run by a middle-aged woman who was known to everyone as Matron.

  The work was twice as hard because she had crops and livestock to look after in addition to her domestic chores. The girls could no
t stand her, except for one girl—Gail Ann. Gail Ann was Matron’s lieutenant. She took a liking to Amanda, but the other girls thought it was more than that. Gail Ann was able to protect Amanda from most of the ill feelings the other girls harboured against her. Amanda took her anger and fear and poured it into being successful. She wanted out, and education was her vehicle. Her body was the backup NOS bottle for use in case of emergency.

  * * *

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Over the years Phil had developed a healthy respect for his family’s enterprise. His appreciation grew when he parted company with Jimmy Cadogan. He found himself out in the cold, harsh world of business with no insulation. At J.C. Chambers he pretty much did his legal work and billed. He did not have to solicit work. He did not have to woo clients or compete for contracts. He was in a ready-made practice.

  During his first month on his own Phil thought he was going to starve. He had developed a reasonable portfolio of clients at J.C. Chambers, but he thought it unethical to take them with him to his new practice.

  He made sure that they were informed of his switch to independent practice. It was then up to them to decide if they were going to stick with him. His clients, mostly a conservative lot, largely preferred to remain in the comfort of an established, successful practice.

  Phil had few adventurous clients to start his new law practice. It was a reality check. One day he was a hot shot attorney at one of the top firms in the land, the next he was virtually unknown.

  His father was no stranger to the entrepreneurial world. He knew that his son would need a start, or he would soon drown. He knew people and he had a great reputation, so did his business partner and brother. They directed everything they could in Phil’s direction. They knew that Phil would not drop the proverbial ball, and he did not disappoint them. He delivered and in five short years he was beginning to rival the top established firms.