"Yes."
"She used her hands?"
"Yes."
"Her mouth?"
"Yes."
"She encouraged you to go further, didn't she?"
Larabee glanced at Harriett before answering. "Yes."
"And you liked it, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"And she liked it, didn't she?" Lassiter hammered.
"I don't know."
"Did the defendant tell you she liked it?"
"Yes."
"And she asked you to do it again, didn't she?"
"No," Larabee answered. "She never did."
"You weren't alone with her in the room, is that what you testified to on direct?"
"Yes."
"So as a rule you watched another young man have intercourse with Mrs. Taggart after you had satisfied yourself, is that correct?"
"Yes."
"And her physical reactions to the second young man were the same as they had been to you. True?"
"I didn't watch very closely."
"But she kissed him, touched him, and encouraged him to continue as you watched. Isn't that true?"
"Yes."
"And she didn't resist the other young man?"
"No."
"In fact, she seemed to rather enjoy herself every time, didn't she?"
"Objection," Harriett said. "The witness isn't a mind reader, your Honor. He can't possibly know whether Sharon Taggart was having a good time or not."
"Sustained."
"No further questions, your Honor," Lassiter said after glancing at his legal pad.
FOLLOWING A TWENTY-minute recess, Harriett rose. "Your Honor, the defense wishes to call Jacob Meier to the stand."
Jacob Meier entered the courtroom and walked purposefully to the witness chair, raised his right hand and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He unbuttoned his jacket and took a deep breath before looking toward Harriett.
"Mr. Meier, will you please tell the court how you came to know the defendant, Sharon Collins Taggart?" Harriett began.
Coughing slightly, Meier leaned toward the microphone and spoke. "I met Mrs. Taggart through her brother, Parker Collins."
"How old were you when you first met her?"
"I believe I was around thirteen."
"And what was the nature of your relationship with the defendant?"
Meier's eyes darted toward the jury box. He closed his eyes for a moment before answering. "Parker would invite a few of us over to his house when his folks were gone for what he called 'a pussy party'."
Harriett hoped the surprise she felt at her witness's statement didn't show on her face. Although she had done a pre-trial interview with Meier, she hadn't expected the particular wording she was hearing. She glanced at the jury quickly before continuing, and it was obvious that Meier had the jurors' complete attention.
"Would you please explain what that phrase meant to you, Mr. Meier?"
"It meant that we were all going to have sexual intercourse with Parker's sister," Meier said in a clear, unwavering voice.
"Was sexual intercourse always involved?"
"It didn't start out that way. At first it was oral sex performed by Sharon. The actual sexual intercourse didn't begin until later. To the best of my memory, I was about fifteen or sixteen when that started."
"And that would have made my client perhaps ten or eleven?"
"About that, yes."
"Was there ever a time when the nature of these 'parties' changed?"
"An activity like that isn't something that can exactly be kept a secret for long, Ms. Markham. By the last time any of us were at Parker's house, there must have been at least fifteen or twenty guys involved."
"All in the same evening?"
"Yes. I'll never forget that night as long as I live."
"What made it different from the other times you had been at the Collinses' home?"
"Everything just seemed to get out of control that night. Parker lost control of what was happening, and he left his sister alone with a couple of us."
"Can you describe for the court what happened that evening, Mr. Meier?" Harriett asked quietly as she leaned forward on the defense table.
"We had all been drinking and smoking pot most of the evening. Throughout the evening, five or six pairs of guys had followed Parker to his sister's room. Finally someone tapped me on the shoulder. When I looked up, it was Parker. He told me that if I wanted to get any, I'd better go on up because Sharon was getting a little hard to handle. The guy who went up with me was this big lineman, Jerry Phelps. It was his first time at Parker's, and he was really excited. Like he'd never seen a naked girl before." Meier paused and took a drink of water from a glass next to the witness stand.
Clearing his throat, he shook his head slightly and continued his testimony. The courtroom was as silent as a tomb. "Jerry and I stripped off our jeans and jockey shorts, and Parker handed rubbers to both of us and told us to put them on. We did, but then there was shouting downstairs. Parker told us to wait and left the room. Before I knew what was happening, Jerry closed the bedroom door and locked it. He looked at me and grinned and said, 'I ain't taking no sloppy seconds or thirds.' So we....," Meier's voice cracked and he stopped to take several deep breaths.
"Are you all right, Mr. Meier?" Judge Landers asked. "Do you need a short recess?"
Meier looked at Harriett and Sharon before looking up at Landers.
"No, your Honor. It's just that this is extremely difficult for me to admit to."
"Please continue, Mr. Meier," Landers instructed.
"Jerry and I both removed our rubbers and got on the bed. I held Sharon down and put my hand over her mouth while Jerry got behind her and....and penetrated her anally. He was a really big guy, and when he pushed into her, her eyes went wild with pain. I told him to slow down, and let it rest inside her until she relaxed. She closed her eyes real tight for a minute, and when she opened them again, she looked at me and seemed almost calm. I took my hand away and forced her to do me orally, but it became obvious to me, even as drunk as I was, that she was having a hard time breathing. So I stopped and told Jerry to pull out. That we were done. But Jerry wouldn't stop. He just kept pounding away at her like a jackhammer. When he finally did get off her, there was blood on the bed, so he must have hurt her pretty bad. Jerry was so hopped up that he couldn't get rid of his erection and wanted to wait a few minutes and do her again. But by then she was too messed up, and Parker was banging at the bedroom door. She just curled up into this little ball like she didn't notice that we were still there. She looked so small," Meier's voice faded away.
"What happened after Mr. Collins got into the room?" Harriett asked.
"He took one look at his sister and told us the party was over. I told him I thought she needed to go to the hospital, but he said he would take care of it."
"What did he mean by that, Mr. Meier?"
"I really don't know, Ms. Markham. I got dressed and left. I never went back."
"Can you tell the court what happened to Jerry Phelps, Mr. Meier?"
"Jerry died a few years ago," Meier said. "I heard he shot himself but don't know that for a fact."
"I know this has been difficult for you, Mr. Meier. Why did you agree to present this testimony today?"
"Because I still have nightmares about that night, Ms. Markham. I have a little girl of my own, and the idea that she might fall victim to predators like we were scares the shit out of me. I'm not proud of what I did and can never make up for it, but if my testimony helps Sharon, then I know I've done the only thing I can do," Meier answered, as a tear left his eyes and moved down his right cheek.
"Thank you, Mr. Meier. The defense has no further questions of this witness, your Honor," Harriett said as she stood and concluded her direct examination.
"Cross, Mr. Lassiter?" Landers asked.
Lassiter tapped his pencil against his legal pad and stood. "The prosecution has no questions of thi
s witness, your Honor."
Chapter Forty
THE AFTERNOON OF the third day of defense witnesses, Harriett covered the basic information about Sharon's childhood through a series of questions before getting to the heart of her questioning of Clarissa Collins.
"When did you suspect that Sharon was sexually active, Mrs. Collins?"
"Before she was a teenager."
"Dr. Wilder, a company physician with Collins Industries, has testified that you brought Sharon to him when she was twelve because you believed she was active at that time. Is that correct?"
"I took her to Dr. Wilder, yes."
"Did you suspect your daughter was having sex before she was twelve?"
"I may have. I don't remember exactly when I became suspicious."
"What did Sharon do that made you suspicious?"
"She began to talk about sexual matters, and I couldn't imagine that she would have read about the things she was talking about. She must have experienced them."
"Did Sharon have a boyfriend when she was eleven or twelve?"
"No. Sharon was a rather unattractive girl at that age. Awkward."
"How did Sharon feel about her brother?"
"They have always been very close, even though Parker is six years older than Sharon. She adored him because he was her protector. He took her places with him and made sure his friends were nice to her."
"When did Parker start watching Sharon while you went out, Mrs. Collins?"
"When he was about eleven or twelve. He was very responsible when he was young."
"When did you first become aware that your son was molesting Sharon?"
"That never happened," Clarissa answered defiantly. "Parker wouldn't molest his sister. He loved her."
"Didn't Sharon tell you that he was sodomizing her when she was five or six?"
"Well, she said something about Parker touching her once, but I told her she was mistaken. Parker gave Sharon her bath many times when I was busy. She misinterpreted what he was doing, that's all. It was nothing. When I explained it to her, she never mentioned it again."
"How did you explain the fact that he inserted his fingers into her vagina, Mrs. Collins? Just doing a thorough cleansing?"
"Objection," Lassiter said. "Counsel isn't allowing her witness time to answer one question before asking another."
"Sustained."
"Did you tell Sharon that her brother wasn't doing anything wrong by putting his hands on her genital area?"
"Yes. And I spoke to Parker about it."
"What was his explanation?"
"That it had been innocent. He was bathing her and his hand slipped."
Harriett chuckled slightly and looked at Clarissa, "His hand just slipped right in there, did it? I haven't heard a line that weak since I was a teenager, Mrs. Collins."
"Objection," Lassiter said. "Counsel is testifying."
Harriett looked over her shoulder at him and saw the hint of a smile on Lassiter's lips. "Withdrawn, your Honor."
"The jury will disregard Ms. Markham's commentary," Landers said looking at the members of the jury. "And it will be stricken from the record."
"Was it common for Parker to have his friends come over to your house when he was there alone with Sharon?"
"Mr. Collins and I didn't have any objection to his friends visiting as long as they didn't make a mess."
"Was there ever an occasion when Sharon complained about his friends?"
"She told me that they would sometimes come into her room, and she didn't like that."
"What was your response to her complaints, Mrs. Collins?"
"I reminded Sharon that good manners meant being hospitable to guests in our home."
"How hospitable do you think Sharon should have been?"
"Ms. Markham, I taught both my children to have excellent manners. Sharon knew how to behave when we had guests."
"She knew she should lay on her back on the bed and spread her legs for them. Is that what you mean?" Harriett asked sarcastically.
Clarissa's face turned red. She looked at Judge Landers. "Do I have to sit here and listen to obscenities like that? What she's implying is...is disgusting."
"I couldn't agree with you more, ma'am," Landers said. "But we've already heard some fairly disgusting things during the course of testimony. Continue, Ms. Markham."
"I know you don't believe your son was molesting his sister. Do you believe his friends were molesting her?"
"Objection, your Honor," Lassiter said. "Unless Mrs. Collins was present at any of these alleged molestations, she cannot testify to something she didn't witness."
Landers looked at Harriett and shrugged, "Sustained."
Harriett glanced at the jurors. For some reason, the testimony of Clarissa Collins had taken on comic proportions. The woman was in total denial concerning the actions of her son, and Harriett almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
"Mrs. Collins, what if I told you that this court has already heard testimony from two of your son's high school friends who admitted that they had sodomized and had sexual intercourse with Sharon from the time she was six until she was nearly thirteen?"
"I would say that they were lying. All of Parker's friends came from the finest families."
"What if I told you they both swore, under pain of perjury, that they had paid Parker to use Sharon to provide these services?"
Clarissa Collins couldn't answer for a moment, and Harriett was afraid the woman was going to break down on the stand.
"Parker would never hurt Sharon. He loved her," Clarissa reiterated.
"But he allowed his friends to hurt her and to pay for the privilege of doing so. Isn't that how Sharon wound up in the nursing home operated by Dr. Wilder in 1984?"
"Sharon was raped by a boy she was seeing."
"In your deposition, and again in your testimony today, you stated that Sharon never had dates when she was in school and certainly was not dating at the age of twelve. In fact, you have intimated that you believed your daughter was a homosexual before she married. Isn't that true, Mrs. Collins?"
"I don't recall saying..."
Harriett stood up. "Would you like to see a copy of your deposition, which you signed, to refresh your memory, Mrs. Collins?"
"No. I did tell you those things."
"Were you lying then?"
"No."
"So Sharon didn't have any boyfriends she would sneak out of the house to rendezvous with?"
"No."
"Then how can you explain the injuries which led to her being treated by Dr. Wilder?"
"Parker called me at the country club. He said one of his friends had raped Sharon in her room while he and some other boys were shooting pool downstairs. He didn't know what to do."
"Why didn't you tell your husband and rush home or to the hospital to be with your daughter?"
"It was already done and over with when Parker called. I was afraid my husband would kill the boy responsible if I told him."
"Were you ever aware of the extent of her physical injuries from that incident, Mrs. Collins?" Harriett asked.
"I knew she was hurt, Ms. Markham. But she was fine when I brought her home."
"Approach the witness, your Honor?" Harriett asked.
Landers nodded and Harriett walked to the exhibit table and picked up a piece of paper.
"Mrs. Collins, would you please read the underlined portion of Sharon's medical record from that night to the jury?" Harriett asked, handing Clarissa the paper.
Clearing her throat, Clarissa read, "Twelve year old female. Contusion to left side of the face. Bruising, minor tearing and swelling noted at the back of the throat. Numerous bruises and bite marks along the inside thigh area. Genital area red and swollen. Patient complains of abdominal pain. Significant tearing in the rectal area."
"Did you seek psychiatric help for Sharon after this rape?"
"No. She recovered from it. We never discussed it again."
"I have no further questions for
this witness," Harriett said as she returned to the defense table and sat down, shaking her head at the fact that Clarissa Collins had deluded herself for so many years.
Sean Lassiter declined to cross-examine Clarissa Collins. As she stepped down from the witness stand, she paused momentarily next to Harriett and looked at her daughter. Sharon looked straight ahead, refusing to look at her mother.
Chapter Forty-One
"MR. TAGGART," HARRIETT said, beginning the fourth day of testimony, "how did you meet your wife, Sharon Collins?"
"I fixed her car. We started dating not long after that."
"How would you characterize your relationship?"
Frank shrugged and looked at the judge, "Pretty much the same as any other couple when they start dating, I guess."
"Approximately how long did you and Sharon date before you were married?"
"About eight or nine months."
"What was her family's reaction to your marriage?"
"They acted happy enough, but I knew they weren't crazy about me."
"Did that bother you?"
"Couldn't have cared less. I wasn't going to be living with them."
"How long were you married before your children were born?"
"About four years before our son was born. My daughter came along a couple of years later."
"Children can sometimes place a burden on a family financially and emotionally," Harriett said. "Were there any noticeable changes in your relationship with your wife after your children were born?"
"No. Sharon was a good enough mother."
"Was there ever a time when you thought she wasn't a good mother?"
"No."
"Not even after your daughter was injured in January of 1999?"
"I thought Sharon should have been more careful, that's all. I warned her that Laurel was getting ready to start walking, and she should watch her more closely."
"What happened that caused your daughter's injury?"
"Sharon left her alone to do something, and I guess Laurel decided that was a good time to start walking. She fell and hit her head on a table."
"How severely was she injured?"
"She had a bruise on her cheek and knocked a tooth out."
"Was she treated for her injuries?"
"Yeah. Sharon took her in to the doctor right away. She didn't even lose the tooth."
"What was your reaction to Laurel's injuries?"
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