Usual disclaimers apply. This is a work of fiction. All rights reserved by the author. If you are underage, object to gay erotic fiction, or it is illegal where you are, please leave now!
College Boys - Part Two
The following evening Dallas announced at the supper table that he was going to visit Charlie that evening as they wanted to collaborate on some or other school project. Shortly thereafter there was a honk from Charlie outside and Dallas said goodnight and got up to leave. "Have a good evening, dude." said Brad as his younger brother dashed outside. If Dallas felt any pangs of guilt, they were quickly suppressed as he had been full of anticipation the entire day at the thought that there might be some way of resolving the bind he was in.
Rick was already at Charlie's house when they arrived and they greeted Charlie's parents and went upstairs to Charlie's bedroom. Rick immediately asked whether Charlie had had any brainstorm.
Charlie said "Guys, this aint gonna be easy but I thought maybe ole Cindy could help us out."
Rick and Dallas both smiled and Charlie laughed. The reader should understand that at this time the social mores were such that teenage promiscuity was regarded in a very serious light. Girls who partook of sex outside of marriage were shunned by society and marriage became a difficult proposition if there was even a whiff of impropriety surrounding a girl's behavior. Boys also exercised extreme care in their sexual dealings as any conviction on a serious charge such as rape or even attempted rape would automatically result in being enslaved. Many a young buck ended up on the auction block as a result of the age-old "second thoughts" syndrome of girls who had originally consented to intercourse.
Cindy Draper, who was also 18 at the time, came from a respectable middle-class family and was not a slut by any means. She was however a very sexual flirtatious person and it was rumored among the boys in her social circle that she did in fact put out. There was no direct evidence and, if it were true, the boys who had had the pleasure of enjoying her charms were not about to announce the fact to the world. She was crazy about Charlie and he would just smile enigmatically if Rick or Dallas pressed him for details of their relationship. Charlie had a regular girl-friend, Heather, but he kept Cindy on the fringes and she was so besotted with him that she put up with it.
Charlie continued "I thought that maybe if we were to throw a graduation party, Dal could ask Brad, as a favor to me, to accompany Cindy. Brad knows that I would have to ask Heather and would not be able to have Cindy as my partner. Dal could tell Brad that, in order to keep in Cindy's good books, I had to invite her to the party. Naturally Cindy would have to be told what we were up to but I'm pretty sure I could handle that aspect of it and have the bitch keep her mouth shut. The bottom line is that Cindy would tell her father that, when Brad dropped her off after the party, he had forcibly kissed her good-night and touched her inappropriately. She would ask her father to report the matter to Tom as she felt that Brad should not be allowed to get away with that shit. I'm pretty sure Tom would take a pretty dim view of Brad's behavior and the chances would be good that the privilege of going to college would be taken away from him. Enter Dal. What do you guys think?"
Rick had his doubts about the scheme but Dallas was keen to be convinced and asked Charlie if he really thought they could pull it off.
"I don't see why not Dal." Charlie replied. "Shall we do it?"
Rick intimated that he would remain a bystander but naturally would keep his mouth shut. Dallas hesitated but in the end the rich reward that might come his way overcame his reservations and told Charlie "Let's go for it!"
Charlie scheduled the party and Dallas duly asked Brad if he would, as a favor to Charlie, accompany Cindy. Brad was a bit reluctant as he didn't really know Cindy that well but he was assured that there would be no problem. He therefore invited Cindy to partner him and predictably she agreed. On the night of the party he picked Cindy up and they spent a very pleasant evening together. She discovered that he wasn't the nerd he was made out to be and Brad thought she was pleasant company. When the time arrived for Cindy to leave in order to meet her father's laid-down curfew, she was beginning to have doubts about going through with Charlie's plan. She cornered Charlie away from the other guests and told him she no longer wanted to set Brad up as had been arranged.
"What!" raged Charlie. "You can't back out now! You agreed, bitch, so just do it! Otherwise we are through for good! You got that?"
Cindy had never stood up to Charlie so she merely turned away and rejoined Brad. They left the party and Brad drove her home and saw her to her door.
The following morning, George Draper was sitting at the breakfast table reading the Sunday paper when his daughter Cindy came down from her room. He smiled and asked her how she had enjoyed the party the previous evening.
"It was OK thanks Dad." she replied. Cindy plucked up her courage and continued. "Actually, Dad, it was great until we got home last night. When we pulled up, Brad suddenly seemed to change and, before I knew what was happening, he grabbed me, touched me and kissed me. Luckily I was able to get out of the car before anything further happened. I really think you should have a word with his father. He shouldn't be able to get away with that sorta thing."
George turned quite red in the face at Cindy's revelation and she suddenly wondered whether she had gone too far.
"That little punk! Don't fret Cindy, I'll take care of him!"
The phone rang and Cindy went through to the hall to answer it. Charlie was on the other end and wanted to know whether she had carried out her part of the plan. She told him that she had but was worried at her father's reaction.
"Good girl, Cindy." was Charlie's response. "Don't worry about it. Guess I'll see you on Wednesday as per usual, huh?"
"Sure, Charlie, sure." a worried Cindy replied.
Aldo Nucci had been Chief of Police in Sunninghill for close on five years and was respected throughout the community as an honest and dedicated cop. He had ties to many in the community and had in fact been a school bud of George Draper. They had played baseball together. Nevertheless it came as something of a surprise to receive a call from George on a Sunday morning.
"Aldo, I'm sorry to trouble you like this on a Sunday but something has come up and I would appreciate it if I could have a little of your time to discuss it. May I come around at say 11 o'clock?"
"Certainly, George, my wife and the kids will still be at Church at eleven so we'll have some peace and quiet."
George arrived promptly at eleven and Aldo showed him through into the living room.
"Well, George, what can I do for you?" Aldo asked.
"Aldo, this is rather delicate but I feel strongly that something needs to be done. My girl Cindy was accompanied by young Brad Pierce, Tom's son, to a graduation party at the Smithers' residence last night, and she informed me this morning that when they arrived back at my house last night, to use her words, 'Brad suddenly changed' and he grabbed her, forcibly kissed her, and felt her up in a lewd manner. She says she was lucky to have been able to exit the car as she was sure he would have attempted to rape her. She is really shook up."
Aldo expressed surprise and shock at the story and suggested to George that he bring Cindy down to the station in an hour where she could make a statement and lay a charge against Brad. George thanked Aldo and left.
George returned home and when he informed Cindy that she should dress as they would be going down to the station where she would be expected to make a statement and lay a charge against Brad Pierce, she burst into tears.
"Oh, no, Daddy! Please!" she wept. "You shouldn't have gone to the cops. Why didn't you just have a word with Mr. Pierce like I said?" She was clearly distraught.
"Cindy, sometimes these things have to be faced." he replied. "Brad behaved completely unacceptably and your reputation could have been ruined. It's best that the police figure out what has to be done. I have complete faith in Aldo Nucci."
At the station Cindy recounted the story she had told her father and afterwards he instructed her to go back to the car. To Aldo he said that in his opinion the boy should be charged with attempted rape. Aldo replied that that would be a stretch but a charge of aggravated sexual assault might be warranted. In any event he stated that the extent of the charges would rest with the District Attorney. George wasn't very happy with this outcome but agreed to leave it in the hands of the authorities.
When they arrived back at the house, Cindy immediately called Charlie and told him what had transpired. He advised her that there was no going back on her story now and that she would have to see it through. If she recanted, she would be in deep shit. In fact Charlie was a lot more worried about the deep shit that he, Rick and Dallas would be in if Cindy broke down and told the truth. The penalties for conspiring to imprison or enslave someone falsely were dire. He called Rick and Dallas and told them they should get together without delay. When they arrived that afternoon, he recounted to them what had taken place. Dallas went white but Rick, ever assured, smiled inwardly. It was agreed that there was nothing to be done and Charlie undertook to handle Cindy.
At 7 a.m. the next morning, there was a loud knock on the Pierces' front door. Tom, always the early bird, answered the knock and was confronted by two uniformed cops. He was informed that they had a warrant of arrest for Bradley Pierce on a charge of aggravated sexual assault and had instructions to take him into custody.
Bradley, who was still sleeping when the cops arrived, was quickly hustled out of bed, allowed to dress, was cuffed, and taken away in the back of the patrol car. He was completely stunned by the suddenness of it all and asked the two cops what the hell was going on. One of them stole a back glance at him with a smirk but neither said a word. On arrival at the station he was booked in and led through to a cell in the back of the building. Sunninghill did not boast a jail as such and the cells to the rear of the police station served that purpose. In the cells, there was the usual assortment of drunks and transients as well as three college-age student types who had caused a ruckus in a bar the previous evening. They had been thrown into the tank overnight and were now looking decidedly sheepish and apprehensive. Bradley's entrance raised some interest but nobody said a word. He was pushed into a cell on his own, uncuffed, and left to stew.
Later that morning Bradley was hauled out of the cell, cuffed, and taken through to an interview room where he found his father and Jack Sutcliffe, the family lawyer, waiting for him. He experienced a rush of relief and enquired of his father what the hell was going on and why had he been arrested. Tom Pierce and the lawyer exchanged glances.
"Son", Tom replied, "Cindy Draper has laid a charge of sexual assault against you. She maintains that you forced yourself on her after the party last night."
Brad eyes opened wide. "What! It's an absolute lie. I would never do a thing like that! After the party, I drove her home, saw her to her door, said goodnight and left. I never laid a hand on her!"
Despite Brad's protestations, Tom and the lawyer appeared a little unconvinced although they naturally did not verbalize their doubts. Why, after all, would Cindy make such a charge if there were not some element of truth in it?
"Brad", said Jack Sutcliffe, "you will be arraigned in the morning. I will be here to stand by your side and after the arraignment we can sit down together and you can tell me the full story. I believe that, in a case like this, where there is no physical evidence of assault, and it is one person's word against another, there is a good chance of an acquittal. We will apply for bail tomorrow; in the meantime don't say anything to anyone."
The following morning Brad was formally arraigned and the trial date was set for the following Monday. The judge ruled that bail would not be granted, citing the argument that, while he accepted that there was no flight risk, in cases of this nature, the authorities had to ensure that state witnesses were not interfered with.
There followed the loneliest week of Brad's life. He sat in his cell brooding over the injustice of it all and, although he was a strong person, at night he wept tears of frustration at what was taking place. His father visited him daily and his brother Dallas also came to see him on one occasion. They tried to reassure him but he had a terrible foreboding of what lay ahead.
On the following Monday at 8 a.m., Brad and three other inmates of the jail were driven to the Courthouse and placed in a holding cell which was situated under the courtroom itself. It was eleven o'clock before Brad's case was called but when the time did eventually come, he was quickly hustled up a short flight of stairs which exited in the courtroom itself. He had never been in a courtroom in his life and the number of people consisting of court officials, lawyers, city cops, prison officials and slave police, not to mention the gawkers in the public gallery, bemused him. It was nothing like the court rooms he had seen on TV. During the week his father had brought his best clothes down to the station for his appearance and he looked neat in a pair of slacks, button- down shirt and tie, sport coat and smart loafers. His hair, as always, was neatly cut and styled. Brad's parents and Dallas were seated directly behind the defense table to lend support and just before the judge entered he noticed Rick Parker and Charlie Smithers slip into the back of the public gallery. Brad's embarrassment and humiliation at finding himself in this situation knew no bounds. The prosecutor read out the charges and when asked Brad pleaded not guilty. Thereafter Cindy took the stand and repeated the story she had told her father but for effect, no doubt at his behest, added her opinion that she was sure that had she not managed to exit the car, she would have been raped. The defense's objection to this supposition was sustained but the damage had been done. Brad in turn gave evidence on his own behalf denying that he had in any way molested the girl. After the summations, the jury left to consider the evidence and returned within thirty minutes with a verdict of guilty.
Jack Sutcliffe requested that he be allowed to address the court in mitigation of sentence and was granted leave to do so. He stated that Brad came from a good Christian home, had never been in any sort of trouble before, was an excellent student who had just graduated from a good local high school, was due to go to college, and would surely turn out to be a useful and upstanding member of the community in the future. He asked that Brad be given a suspended sentence with community service.
The judge, in summing up, stated that he had considered all the evidence and had come to the conclusion that the jury had made the correct decision. What swayed him the most was the fact that the victim was a young lady of high moral standards, who came from a respected Christian family, well known in the community. He could see no reason at all why, at considerable embarrassment to herself, she would come forward with such a serious accusation if there were no truth in the matter. He had listened to the defense's plea in mitigation of sentence but the number of cases coming before the courts relating to drugs and violence and involving minors and young adults was highly disturbing and it seemed that nothing that was said or done made any impression on young offenders. Young people seemed to think that their tender age would always shield them from the proper application of the law and it was time in his opinion that an example be made which would discourage would-be offenders in the future. The defense's request for a suspended sentence would therefore be denied. In considering sentence he had to be guided by the severity of the offence. Aggravated sexual assault was a heinous crime, falling just short of rape, which carried a compulsory sentence of lifetime slavery. The lesser offence gave him the option of imposing a prison sentence in the state penitentiary but, when considering the fact that the life of a young lady may have been completely ruined, he did not feel constrained to follow that route. In his view this was a case where a sentence of lifetime slavery would be wholly appropriate and such a sentence was therefore handed down.
To be continued.