It Is What It Is

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Email feedback can be sent to trager2275@gmail.com. © 2015 by Eric Trager.

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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

On Monday morning after receiving the call from George Dickson, Sean reported to the clinic. He let them do what they needed to do for the paternity test, only asking the Technician how long those things usually took. The Technician said that it was usually about five business days, meaning the following Monday and that if he wanted to he could stop by himself and get the results.

Sean knew that meant that the analysis of Colleen's DNA test would be done well before it was known, if indeed there was a pregnancy, whether or not he was the father of the child. He knew that timeline worked to his advantage. While he really wasn't thrilled with having to wait two days it gave him a lot more leeway. On his way back to school, he texted Andy, John, Tim and Brett to let them all know most likely Wednesday would be the day. That is all he said. They would know exactly what he meant.

Sean also called George and let him know that if Colleen's DNA test came back showing a match with the DNA collected the night of his rape, he wanted her arrested immediately. George said that could be done, and brought up the possible subject of bail. Sean asked what that meant.

"Well, Sean, there would be an arraignment scheduled where the Judge will review if there's enough evidence for probable cause and for her to be charged and bound over for trial. If the test is a match, the answers to both those questions will be yes. There would then have to be a bail hearing scheduled. That would determine if she is to be freed on bail pending trial. I know you're smart, but just tell me if you've understood everything I said."

"Yup. I understand it."

"OK, good. Now at the same time she is arrested, there will likely be a search warrant served for the Kennedy house, her locker at school, and anywhere else the Police deem reasonable to look for evidence. Colleen will of course have Ed Steele as her Attorney. Ed and I are old friends. That doesn't matter, though, because this is a matter of law. He'll know that Colleen's got no case and he'll tell Bill Kennedy that. How do I know? Because if I were in Steele's shoes that's what I'd tell my client. As my dad always said, ya can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear...

"Anyway, depending on what they find may have a bearing on the bail hearing. For example, we should hope that they find something to prove that Colleen knew she was pregnant before she was tested at the hospital. Anyway, you let me worry about that. If we can, we will want to go for no bail so that we know she gets proper medical care and is not on her own. Bill Kennedy won't go for that, but I happen to know that he's not, shall we say, in the driver's seat here. I think we got a good chance, Sean."

"OK, George. I guess let's just wait and see what happens... Have a good one, George!"

"You, too, Sean!"

Sean was at school just a tick before lunch so he made his way to the cafeteria texting the others to meet him at for lunch at an out-of-the-way table. Once everyone had their lunch and were seated Sean began.

"OK guys, here's the deal. And as always, no one speaks a word of this. I gave blood and DNA for the paternity test this morning. I didn't see Colleen at the clinic, thank God, but Tim's dad called me and said it was a go, so we know she gave her DNA sample. Her sample might already be at the State Labs in Madison. They told me forty-eight hours for her sample. Mine will take longer, probably about a week.

"Anyway, Wednesday and Thursday if necessary I'd like us to keep a watch out. If her test is positive I'm pretty sure she'll be arrested. J.R., can you be over at the Kennedy's after school those two days? I'll make sure Coach excuses you from practice those days. That way if the Cops come to haul her off, I'll know. I'll need to know right away because if that's what happens, me and dad will need to get with George right away. I have a question for you guys. I've given it a lot of thought, but I want to run it by you guys just for some feedback..."

"Whadya got, Wymo?" Tim asked.

"OK, if they arrest Colleen it can only mean that her DNA matched the DNA they found when I was raped. That would mean she raped me. Now, there's the pregnancy thing, too. If she is pregnant the chances the baby is mine are probably pretty good. I don't trust her. I don't trust her not to do drugs, or drink and maybe damage the baby. I don't trust her not to run off and get an abortion that I don't know about. Like I said, I thought about this long and hard and if she's arrested I'd like her in jail. Where she goes after that we can work with Ginny about later, but I don't want her arrested and released pending trial and all those other steps George told me about. I don't fucking trust her. Not one bit. What do you guys think?"

"Sean-o," Andy answered. "I totally fucking agree. She can't be trusted. Or her father."

"I'll be at Kathleen's for ya, Sean," John said. "Count on it. I won't tell Kathleen, though. She hates her sister, but I won't blow our cover."

"Thanks, Squirt," Sean said. "You guys?" he asked, looking at Tim and Brett and motioning them to answer.

"I agree with everything you said, Sean," Brett said. "You can't trust her. So don't."

"You don't need me to tell you what I think about that cunt," Tim deadpanned. "Do whatcha gotta do and I'm behind you a hundred percent."

"OK, thanks, guys. J.R., I'll talk to Coach after practice tonight. It'll be fine."

"What reason you gonna give him?" John asked.

"Coach knows I was raped. I'll be honest. I'll tell him it has something to do with that, and in only a very general sense, but I won't name names. Loose lips sink ships."

"That's exactly how I'd handle it, Sean-o," Andy said.

"Alright, then, guys. We got a game plan. I'm glad I don't have to go through this alone. No matter what happens, I'm gonna lean on you guys. Especially you, And..."

"It's my job, Sean-o. Always and forever," Andy said as he squeezed Sean's hand.

"OK, well, let's get to class then..."

The boys went their separate ways, Andy as luck would have it to his Math class where Colleen Kennedy was one of his classmates. He noted that she seemed unusually subdued today. Since he didn't talk to her anyway, he made no effort to make conversation, but he did text Sean letting him know what he'd seen.

The four boys decided to gather at lunch that day. John was off with Kathleen as he usually was, but he was acting as Sean's scout on this at least until the dust settled whichever way it was going to settle. None of the boys felt this was duplicitous in any way toward Kathleen as she had no involvement. In John's mind was the kicker that Sean was, as he always said and meant with all his heart, his hero. His function was merely to keep his ears open for any tidbit that might come their way.

At the table, Sean started, "OK, look, I don't think anything is gonna happen today, but it could be tomorrow, or the next day. And if it happens, I dunno when. The first people I'm gonna call when I know, well besides my dad and Andy of course, are gonna be you guys and Ginny. I just have this feeling that Ginny needs to be on board here."

"I agree," Brett said. "We all saw her take charge when we were at her house. And I bet she has more power than we think she does."

"Um, she does..." Tim said.

"I don't have much to add here," Andy said. "Like I said, she looked normal in Math class. Well, as normal as she can..."

"And just so you guys know, I'm not afraid of her dad, either," Sean went on. "I stood him down pretty good when we were at the Club. I took his measure. He's not that smart, and he's just a fucking loud- mouth. If it comes to it, he'll have to accept the terms I give him. He's got no choice. He might think I'm just some kid, but I hold all the cards. And he knows it."

"I wish I could have seen it, Sean-o..." Andy said, somewhat wistfully.

"Next time you will, I promise. If there is to be another meeting on this, we will do it at the Club just like last time, and you guys will all be there. If Kennedy says anything about it, I'll swat him down. Fuck him..."

The rest of the day finished up as any other normal day. At home that evening, Sean repeated for Joe and John's benefit what was talked about at school over lunch. Joe was satisfied, adding just that George Dickson was to be involved every step of the way.

"And I want you guys to know I'm proud of how you're handling this matter. This is a lot bigger of a deal than most adults will ever have to deal with and you guys are doing it in a very mature way. Just keep it that way, and if you have any questions you come to me. Immediately."

"We will, dad," Sean said.

"I know you will. The way you guys have handled this so far tells me that. OK, I'm gonna go get some work I brought home done. You guys get your work done and we'll call it a day..."

"Yes, daaaaaaad." The boys said in unison, laughing.

Tuesday passed at school much the same way Monday had. Nothing of note happened. Classes went as they always did. Football practice saw the team sharpening up for their next victim under Coach Slater's recipe of hard work, confidence, discipline and reality. As much stress as he was under, Sean never showed it on the field. As always, he viewed football as a job he had to do and other, unrelated things in his life he would not allow to interfere with that upon which Andy, John, his team mates and his friends depended. They depended on him.

Wednesday proved to be a different story. The morning and lunch break went as they always had. Sean began to wonder to himself what was going on, or if the DNA test proved not to be a match. He didn't have long to wait. In his first class after lunch, a class that Andy shared with Colleen Kennedy, Sean felt his phone vibrate indicating an incoming text.

It was from Andy.

It said that Colleen Kennedy had been summoned out of class to the Principal's office, and not by a student hall monitor as was standard practice, but by one of the Vice-Principals.

Sean had pause for thought at that. At minimum, she was being summoned for something serious, although as he reasoned it through he couldn't know what. Curiosity got the better of him and he asked the teacher for a bathroom pass. Being one of the better students in the class, and one who'd never bothered the teacher before, his pass was granted without issue.

Sean for his part had no intention of using the bathroom. He knew from Andy's text that it was most likely that Colleen was being escorted to the Vice-Principal's Office which also served as the Attendance Office. So, he set off toward the Attendance Office noting that his teacher had neglected to stamp his hall pass and instead simply initialed it. That would be his pretext, having them initial it. No doubt they would think it odd that a student would be so overly-conscientious about something like that, but Sean could always feign not knowing since he'd never been to the Attendance Office before.

Approaching the entrance to the Attendance Office, Sean could already hear voices. He paused and decided that if he walked in at the moment Colleen Kennedy was being arrested it would look suspicious, so he simply stood stock-still and listened, making sure that if people came out he could duck around the corner and out of sight quickly. He couldn't hear everything that was being said, but he could tell the voices were heated.

He was able to discern the following:

Colleen: I'm not going anywhere!

Officer: Miss Kennedy, I've already informed you that I have a warrant for your arrest. I've already placed you under arrest and I've already read you your rights. It would be a simple matter for me to add Resisting Arrest to the charges already against you. In addition to that, you are eighteen years old and therefore an adult. There will be no waiting here for your parents, or an Attorney to show up in the hopes that you can drag this out. You are coming with me and I will take you downtown where you will be booked. You can see your Attorney then. That's it!

Colleen: I already fucking told you, dickhead, I'm not fucking going anywhere! Now get the fuck out of my face!

Officer to the Vice-Principal: Please summon the Officer that's on duty in the school to come down here as back-up. I believe I will need assistance in transporting Miss Kennedy to my squad car.

Colleen: You will so fucking regret this if you do it. You don't know who you're fucking with!

At that moment, Sean heard footsteps approaching which he took to be the Duty Officer, so he ducked around the corner in order to remain unseen.

A few seconds later, Sean heard Colleen loudly again, then what sounded like a garbled voice, then nothing. Then came footsteps, so he peeked around the corner. He saw Colleen Kennedy with an Officer on either side of her. She appeared to have been gagged with duct tape. He then went to the front doors of the school and saw them pile her into the back seat of the squad car and drive off.

Returning to his class, he apologized to the teacher for having taken so long, took his seat and acted like all that had happened was that he had taken too long with a massive dump. Then he texted the rest of the guys and told them to meet at the Italian Restaurant for lunch.

At lunch, Sean opened the discussion. "OK, guys, they arrested her. That means she's the one who raped me."

"Ayup!" Tim said.

"Fucking bitch!" Andy spat.

"Well," Brett said, "I mean I don't wanna get us all tied in knots here, but there is the matter of her pregnancy. I'll just put it straight out. You're probably the father, Wymo..."

"I fucking know that!" Sean snapped, eyes ablaze.

The other boys stared as an outburst like that was out of character for Sean under any heretofore known set of circumstances.

"Hey, Dowls.... Sorry I was testy with you. It's not your fault. And you're right. Well, once again I'm just gonna hafta do what I'm gonna hafta do. She ain't keeping that kid. I mean, if it really is mine. There's no fucking way."

"So, whada we do now?" Andy asked.

"Not a fucking thing," Tim said. "Look, I grew up around Lawyers all my life so let's just take the lay of the land here."

"Go on..." Sean said.

"OK, just stay with me here... She's been arrested. Right now, she's in jail. Considering she's pregnant, that's a good place for her. She can't drink, or do drugs. She'll be in jail until her Arraignment hearing which will probably be in the next two days. At the arraignment hearing, there will be a motion to set bail. I don't think she's got any priors, so the Judge will want to grant bail."

"Sweet..." Sean said, rolling his eyes.

"Wymo, I said just stay with me here. That's where my dad comes in. In two days, I'm sure he can cook something up to say she's mentally unstable right now and requires evaluation. If nothing else, that'll keep her locked up until he can get something concrete. The thing you want to do here is protect your unborn child, if in fact it is yours, from any harm that an unstable person who has a history of drinking and possibly drugs, might do. You have rights here too, you know, if you're the father. And the unborn child has rights, one would assume."

"Wow!" Sean answered. "Dix, man, don't ever let anyone tell you you don't know your shit... That was pretty tight. Fine, that'll be our game plan for now. In the meantime, how long is this gonna take to get around school ya think?"

"OK," Andy said, "You were standing by the Attendance Office. How many other kids were around when this was going on?"

"Nobody," Sean answered.

"OK, and where did they take her once they had her out of the building?"

"Toward the south parking lot"

"OK, so they walked out on the side of the large auditorium. There's no windows there, and no classrooms face that direction. Plus, it was before lunch. I don't think anyone saw her get taken away."

"Yeah, I'd be surprised, too," Brett said. "Hopefully they put something over her head when they took her out..."

"Well, they DID gag her..." Sean laughed.

At that moment, Sean's phone went of indicating he had a text. It was from Joe. It said, "Family meeting tonight the minute everyone is home." Sean relied in the affirmative, telling Andy about it and saying they'd have to let John know, too.

"I imagine my dad will be making a trip over tonight as well," Tim said. "I don't think me and Brett need to be there. Besides, I've got plans for him for later anyway."

"Oh? And what might those plans be?" Brett asked, eyebrows arched.

"It involves me, you and a tree stump..." Tim deadpanned.

"Sounds interesting..." Brett smiled as he took stock of his mate. To a certain extent, Brett was still the shy, nerdy boy he always had been even though being a not-unsuccessful member of the Varsity Football team changed a lot of his peers' perception of him. To him, he merely regarded his recent athletic success as another way of understanding what one had been taught and executing it as taught. He felt lucky, though, that Tim had proven to be the steady, faithful mate he said he would be. He loved Tim dearly and he knew his love was reciprocated.

At the same time, his heart went out to both Sean and Andy. It seemed to Brett as if those two could just never catch a break long enough to live their lives in a quiet, normal way. He resolved to plan a strategy with Tim at some point in the nearest future, that they could do what they could once the dust settled to make sure the lives of their friends would be a little bit quieter. He recalled what Ginny had said that Andy and Sean would sail through life no muss, no fuss and he resolved to ask her about that, too, since it seemed not to be coming true.

Practice went as it always had, Sean letting John know there was a family meeting that night and that it had to do "with you-know-what." John reached up as high as he could, patted his much-taller brother on the back and said, "Don't worry, Sean. Everything's gonna be OK. I promise!"

"I know, Squirt. I appreciate it..."

Once home, Joe called the boys into his study. "Have a seat, guys. I'm just going to go over this quickly. Some of it you might already know. Anyway, here's the deal: Colleen Kennedy was arrested at school today. As I understand it from George, there are multiple charges against her and they are serious. Rape is one of them, and the other charge having to do with the use of the date rape drug. She's in a lot of trouble. I got a call at work this afternoon from Kennedy. I did not take the call, nor did I call him back. George will be here in a little bit to go over everything. Sean, how are you doing, son?"

"I'll get through this, dad. It is what it is and I have to deal with it. I'll be fine."

"And what of the pregnancy? What if the baby is yours?"

"Then you will have a grandchild in the house, dad. I will not let that bitch raise my kid if it turns out that way, and I will not put the kid up for adoption. And Kennedy can't stop me. I don't give a fuck."

"I was hoping you'd say that, son. Yes, that is the way it will be."

At that moment, the front gate buzzer rang. It was George Dickson. George entered and found his way to the study. "Evening, gents," George said.

"Hey, George," Sean answered. "I guess we better get started, hey?"

"Yup. I'm gonna make this short and sweet. I already know your dad talked to you guys and you have the preliminaries. Here's where it's gonna go from here. In the next couple of days there will be an arraignment hearing. Tim already told me he went over that with you, and as far as what he told me he said it's accurate, so I won't waste your time. If you need to stop me at any point to ask a question, go ahead."

"OK..." Sean said, sitting up in his chair to pay attention.

"Now, one thing probably you guys don't know is that at the time they arrested Colleen at school, the Police also executed a search warrant at the Kennedy home. Some rather interesting things were found. They found a quantity of the date rape drug. They also found a black wig, and reviewing the tapes from that night, that's how she got in. She was wearing a wig and makeup. No one recognized her in that disguise. Also found was a small amount of methamphetamine as well as a meth pipe. She's in a shitload of trouble."

"Can she get out on bail?" Sean asked.

"Well, bail will probably be addressed at the time of arraignment. Now the way I see it, we can argue that since she's pregnant she can't be on her own given her drug use and abuse. We can also argue that since she is an adult that to remand her to the custody of her parents is meaningless. I will also ask the Court to have her evaluated for mental competence. That can take as long as we can make it take, up to a couple of weeks in the County Hospital. If I have to, I can make it a little longer."

"Then what?"

"Well, Sean, that all depends. See, the D.A. calls the shots on that. I understand Ginny told you she'd made some arrangements. And those would certainly be ideal, but we have no control there. She very well may be sent to jail. The list of charges against her are serious, and to be honest with all of you she hasn't got a defense. This is an open-and-shut case."

"I'm most concerned about the baby," Sean said.

"As I expect you would be," answered George. "What makes matters worse for her is that she's an adult and you're a minor. Now, I expect Kennedy will have their Attorney make some kind of a move that Colleen be given custody and that custody be awarded to the Kennedys while she serves whatever sentence she's given. But that's for down the road and we can get around that, but I'll need your help, Joe."

"Just say what needs to be done, George," Joe said.

"You need to amend Sean's paperwork with respect to the assets that were found on Main Street. Kennedy's an ass and he'll probably have his Attorney try to run a gambit saying that Sean's a minor and has no financial ability to raise a child. If the paperwork is amended it will show that Sean is a millionaire in his own right. And we will include the book value of the Scotch in the calculation of Sean's assets. I'll have my CPA draw up the Balance Sheet in advance. And you need to make sure your will is updated to indicate that should you pass prior to Sean attaining majority that there are no loose ends there. We can take care of all of that in about an hour at my office.

"The care of the child will also be an issue. Kennedy will raise the issue of how Sean can care for a child when he's still in High School. I had a meeting with Ginny before I came over here. As you know, Sean, whether or not the child is yours that child will be Ginny's great-grandchild. She's adamant that the Kennedys don't raise that child. And as you also know, she owns property in London and has for many years. She's already made arrangements to hire an English Nanny at her expense while you are still in school. And not just any kind of Nanny, but from the firm in London that provides Nannies for English upper class and nobility. They don't come cheap. So, we can show that both the financial ability and the care arrangements are there for the child. Besides, Kennedy won't look real asking for custody of the child with what went on with his own daughter in his own house. I doubt if he'll press it much beyond some bluster."

"He doesn't scare me, anyway," Sean said. "He seems like an asshole if you really wanna know what I thought. I can stand up to him, don't worry. Now, when do you expect the arraignment hearing to be?"

"Well, today is Wednesday, so I'd think Monday. And yes, since Colleen's been charged they can hold her that long. There has been no bail set, so she's gotta stay put until the arraignment."

"Good, I didn't want it on Friday. I have to think of my team mates. They depend on me, well, they depend on me and Tim working together. And I don't want to let them down."

"I know you don't Sean. And I don't want to let you down. At this point, I wouldn't worry too much. Like I said, this is an open-and-shut case. And she's in a shitload of trouble."

"OK, George, so we wait until Monday, then," Joe said. "By the way, you should know that Kennedy tried to get a hold of me at my office today. I think you might want call his Attorney and have him advise Kennedy never to do that again. Were that to happen, it could make for a bad day for him."

"Yes, I suppose it could," George winked. "Anyway, I'll get out of your hair now, guys. Joe, let's get together before the week's up and do that paperwork we talked about. I can have the CPA whip up Sean's balance sheet over the weekend. I doubt if it will come up at an arraignment hearing, but I'd like to be prepared."

"Do I have to stop seeing Kathleen?" John asked.

"No, son, you don't," George replied, "that is if your dad approves of her. As of this time, she's in the clear and did nothing wrong. And I don't believe she did anything wrong."

"That's right, John. I like Kathleen. You can continue to see her, but it might be a good idea if you didn't go over to their house. I can't imagine that would be real swift here," Joe said.

"I want to add something," Andy said, "I think at school we need to play dumb. I don't know if and when this is gonna get around, but when it does we need to just say we don't know anything, nobody's contacted us and act like we never heard of it."

"I would agree," Joe said. "Loose lips sink ships."

"Well, it sounds to me like we got it down. I'll vamoose now. I'll be in touch tomorrow, Joe, and if you could get me a copy of your will, too."

"You got it George and thanks."

With that, George Dickson took his leave. What he didn't know was that Peggy had already been in touch with the County Hospital to ask the Administrator for a meeting. Peggy sat on the Hospital Board and had done so for many years, having thrice in previous years served as President of the Board. She hadn't told the Administrator the purpose of the meeting, and while Peggy naturally had no ill-will toward anyone, and was ever-scrupulous that things would be done by the book, she did not wish to chance a too-quick evaluation of Colleen Kennedy and it was her intent that any evaluation would be as thorough as it could be in terms both of scope, and how much time it would take given the time constraints that might be imposed by the Court. In other words, Peggy didn't want Colleen Kennedy out on the streets anytime soon. Her blue-collar West Allis roots told her as clear as a bell that there was no reason to trust Colleen Kennedy here and every reason not to trust her. In addition to that, she felt for Sean as it seemed more likely than not that he would have the responsibility of a child thrust on him at the age of seventeen. She steeled herself, though, in the knowledge that her grandmother had been only eighteen when her father was born, and at that after a shotgun wedding. She knew that if it came to pass Sean would do right by a child.

On this, Peggy would work behind the scenes not even letting George know. She might let him know once everything was arranged, but not yet. She'd been married to `the Old Country Lawyer' long enough to know how things worked themselves through the Courts, and in what time frame. She regarded what she would do as no more than insurance.

Across the street, Ginny Miller was on her patio enjoying an evening Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet and a cigar. It was probably her one vice no one knew of, that Ginny enjoyed a good cigar just like a man. She contemplated the events about to transpire. She wasn't worried. She knew there would almost certainly be another meeting in the Founders' Room at the Club over this. One thing no one else knew was that as titular President-Emeritus of the Club, Ginny was not only notified any time there was to be a meeting in the Founders' Room, but that she had the right to attend. It was an ancient right that as far as she knew hadn't been exercised since 1934, or `35. Possibly no one else knew of that right, but Ginny knew of it and that was sufficient. And if there was to be a meeting, she would be there.

For now, for the Old Clique, and one of the Heirs Presumptive that Ginny had created it was a waiting game. Wait until the arraignment hearing, wait until bail was set, or not, wait until the results of the paternity test. Hurry up and wait.

The next morning at his office, George Dickson received a call on his private line from Ed Steele, Bill Kennedy's Attorney.

"George, I think we need to talk about the matter between young Mr. Wyman and Colleen Kennedy..."

"I'm not clear what you mean, Ed. Didn't we talk that over at the Club last week? I thought we were waiting on some test results, or something..."

"George, there are new developments."

"I see... What are they?" George was not about to indicate that he so far knew anything of the matter.

"Well, I am informed that today Colleen Kennedy was arrested for the rape of Sean Wyman."

"Oh dear, really?"

"It seems so. She is being held at the Rock County Jail. She's eighteen, so they would not put her in Juvenile Hall. We might need to arrange another meeting."

"I'm not sure why this requires a meeting between you, me and our respective clients, Ed... There's nothing that can be done at this point that I can see."

"Well, we would like to see if there's something that can be done when bail comes up at the arraignment."

"Ed, I'll be candid with you. I do not believe my client would be so inclined. You must recall that Colleen Kennedy is also pregnant. In addition to that she is known to abuse alcohol and drugs. If it turns out that my client is the father of that baby, I can almost guarantee you that he will wish to see her detained until trial for the sake of the unborn child's health. At any rate, I can tell you that I'd not trust her if it were my child. Would you?"

"Please speak to your client, George."

"I'm sure I will once the arraignment hearing is set. But I have to be honest with you, Ed. Whatever stance my client takes on that particular matter is not something that I am bound to share with you, and by extension Colleen Kennedy. He will make his position known if, and when he's asked for it and not before."

"So that's how this is gonna go..."

"You'd do the same, Ed. This isn't personal, it's just business. You know that."

"I know, George. I'm only trying to get the best deal for my client."

"I understand, and I'd do the same thing if the shoe were on the other foot. I would ask you to advise Bill Kennedy that he is to have no contact with any of the Wymans, or with Andrew Churchill. In this matter he is not your client, and he's certainly not mine. I'm only saying that because it is my understanding that Bill called Joe Wyman at his office. Joe, of course, didn't take the call."

"I will so advise him. That could only make matters worse."

"Yes. Yes, it could... Just between you and me, Ed, Joe Wyman is ex-Marine and he's a self-made man. He commanded troops in Desert Storm. He's not going to take any crap. So, please, no more phone calls. And none to me, either, from Kennedy."

"I understand what you're telling me. I appreciate it, George. Just one last thing... Do you think young Mr. Wyman will wish to be present at the arraignment hearing?"

"I would assume so, Ed."

"Will you be speaking on his behalf if the Court wishes to hear from him?"

"If he and I deem it to be better that I speak, then yes. Otherwise, no." George gave away nothing even though Ed Steele was a long-time colleague and friend. That's the way lawyering was done in George's book. Ed Steele knew that, and for his part as `an Old Country Lawyer' himself he knew George wasn't going to give up any information, or even a hint.

After hanging up the phone, George took out the file that he'd been keeping ever since the night that he had Joe give him the dollar bill to retain him as his Attorney in the matter. He made several notes on the legal pad that was inside the file and replaced it into his personal file cabinet. On cases George considered to be of major import, he kept no computer records. That way there was zero chance of unwanted internet activity gaining access to information not intended to be in the public domain. In addition to that, George made his notes in shorthand which, if not totally dead, was a dying art and there were very few people these days that could read it and make sense of it.

Friday came, and George was notified that Colleen's arraignment would be on Monday at 9:00 a.m. at the Rock County Courthouse. He informed both Sean and Joe and said they should come over to the Dickson's for lunch on Saturday to prepare for the hearing. George had a strategy set out and he would explain it at that time.

Sean took all of it in stride. He helped the Cougars deliver another near-flawless performance on Friday night and to remain undefeated. He had the support of Andy, for which he was eternally grateful as well as that of John, Tim and Brett.

All five young men were surprised that there was no word around school as to what happened with Colleen Kennedy. John was surprised at lunch on Friday when Kathleen asked him to eat outside and while calm and steady, asked John to let Sean know that she was on Sean's side. As she told John, "You know, my sister is so fucked up. I mean, I love her because she's my sister, but even knowing her as well as I do I never thought she'd do anything like that! And she's pregnant and was doing meth? I mean, I just can't imagine... Promise me you won't hold it against me, John."

"No, of course not. You're not your sister. And, um, you know I really like you. I mean, I like spending time with you and, um, I like..."

"You like the sex?"

"Yeah. I like the sex. And we're being responsible about it. I mean, I use rubbers and you're on the pill. Plus, we don't do drugs and shit."

"Good, I'm glad we had this conversation. And yeah, we have to be responsible."

"Me, too. Wanna come over after school? I mean, we can, you know..."

"OK, but first we're gonna do our homework. After that we can fuck. I don't wanna really be around my house anyway any more than I hafta be. Dad will go nuts. Mom is like she's there, but she's not there. She's in fucking denial, or whatever... She just sits there and sips a cocktail like nothing ever happened. It's weird... Anyway, I never fucked a guy before you, Johnny, but you drive me nuts when we do it. I can't even make myself cum as good as you do..."

"That's good! I like doing that to you. And I, um, I like what you do to me, too. And, um, you remember what we were talking about? I think I'd like you to fuck me with a strap on..."

"OK, I will. We're naughty, you know that?" Kathleen grinned with a wink.

To John, she was his red-haired Irish lass. She was naughty, but she was also level-headed and responsible.

"Yes, you ARE naughty, Kath!" John laughed. "And that's fine as long as we do what we're supposed to do. You know all about me. Other than you, only my family knows. I have to work hard, Kath. I have to be somebody. God gave me just this one chance, and I have to make the most of it."

"I know. You will. And I will help you!"

"Good. OK, then, we'll do our homework and then we can fuck. I wanna play with your clit for a long time first. I love it when it gets all hard and you squirm around and squirt your juice all over me. Sometime I want you to juice in my mouth. I wanna taste it. I really like making you cum. Wanna know something, Kath?"

"What..."

"I um...I well...I think I love you."

"I know you love me, Johnny. And I love you, too. I did since the first time I saw you. I could see what you are. I knew. And I admire you so much for it. You're a worker. I respect that."

"OK, I guess I can live with that!" John laughed. "Hey, do your parents know about me?"

"I told my mom there's a guy I like. I dunno if she heard me say it, or not. They don't know it's you, though..."

"Well, maybe we should keep it that way for now. Whadya think?"

"I think you're right."

Friday turned into Saturday and the Wyman clan found themselves at the Dicksons. In George's office they prepared for the hearing on Monday. George began, "Alright, this is how it's gonna go. Colleen will be brought in and she'll be seated with her Attorney. On the other side will be the D.A. representing the State. The charges will be read to Colleen. She will then be asked if she understands them, and how she pleads. She will most likely plead not guilty and in that instance the case will be bound over for trial.

"At that point, they will begin the bail portion of the hearing. The Judge will ask the D.A. what bail he recommends. I am already informed he's going to be asking for bail to be denied. Ed Steele is probably going to ask for either release on a signature bond, or a small bail amount, say $5,000. At that point, the D.A. will inform the Judge that the victim is present and if the Judge will entertain a statement from the victim. That's you.

"Now, Sean, do you wish to make the statement, or do you think I should do it for you?"

"I want to do it," Sean answered. "Can you give me a pad and maybe five, or ten minutes and I'll write down what I want to say and you can tell me if it's OK?"

"That's fine, Sean. Here's a pad and a pen. We'll go outside and come back in ten minutes." The others rose, and left Sean with his pen and pad.

Ten minutes later, they returned. Sean handed George what he'd written. George read it, pursing his lips and nodding. It read as follows:

"Your Honor, I'd like to thank the Court for entertaining my statement today. If it pleases the Court, this is what I have to say.

"I understand a bail hearing is not to argue the case and I shall not do so.

"I will speak only to the matter of the Defendant's pregnancy for which she is not on trial.

"There is a possibility that I am the father of the child.

"To that end I have taken a paternity test, the results of which should be in at some point this week. I beg the Court that the matter of bail not be addressed until the results of the paternity test are known, and that the matter of bail be revisited at that time.

"If the child is mine, then I am responsible for its well-being and should that be the case I shall fully assert my rights as the father. If required, I shall provide the Court with a personal financial statement and other documents showing my ability to care for a child in a more than adequate fashion.

"I feel certain that the rights of the unborn child to life, health and safety must outweigh any temporary convenience for the Defendant.

"Thank you, your Honor."

"This is perfect, Sean!" George said. "It's brief and to-the-point. Judges like brief and to-the-point. If I were the Judge, I'd certainly entertain what it says. I think the Judge will agree to reschedule the bail portion of the hearing. There's no requirement that bail be set at the time of arraignment."

Joe read it and nodded his approval as well as Andy. It did not go unnoticed that Andy wiped a tear from his eye.

The meeting went on a little while longer, then the men adjourned to the Dickson patio and enjoyed a lunch of cold crab legs, Cesar salad and a lime Jell-O desert with whipped cream and pineapple. By that time, Tim and Brett had arrived and expressed their support for Sean. Sean thanked everyone and simply asked that everyone pray the next few days go as well as they could.

At the Rock County Court House on Monday morning at precisely 9:00 a.m. the Bailiff opened the Court session.

The first case on the docket was the arraignment of Colleen Kennedy.

Once the Court was in session, the Judge instructed, "Will the accused please rise."

Colleen rose, looking not at all cowed, and in fact looking defiant.

"You are Colleen Kennedy?" The Judge asked.

"Yes."

"Miss Kennedy, you are charged with First-degree sexual assault of a minor, the use of drugs in the commission of a crime, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, possession of a Class-A controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest. Do you understand the charges against you?"

"I never did anything!" Colleen blurted out. "This is a lie! All lies!"

"Mister Steele, will you admonish your client to answer the question I asked and say nothing more? I asked whether, or not she understood the charges against her. Now, let's have an answer to the question, shall we?"

Ed Steele briefly consulted with Colleen who was still acting defiantly. Steele answered the Judge that she understood the charges.

"Very well then. How do you plead, Miss Kennedy?"

"Like I said this is all lies, it all a bunch of..."

"Let the record indicate the Defendant has entered a plea of Not Guilty," the Judge said. "Mister Steele, I will ask you to admonish your client that if there is another outburst she will be removed from the Court Room and we will wrap up without her."

"We understand, Your Honor," Steele replied, whispering into Colleen's ear that she needed to treat the events with the gravity they commanded.

"Very good. We will now move on to the bail portion of the hearing. Mister District Attorney, what does the State have to say on the matter?"

"Your Honor, the State feels that it would not be in the people's interest to grant the Defendant bail. The charges in this case are many and serious. We will show overwhelming evidence as to her guilt. She is an adult, and therefore to remand her to the custody of her parents would be meaningless. We also are unconvinced that she is not a flight risk given her reckless conduct and conduct she has displayed thus far in Court today. Finally, and in addition, there is the matter of her pregnancy. The State recommends the Defendant be held without bail pending trial."

"Very well. Mister Steele?"

"Thank you, Your Honor. Your Honor, my client has no prior arrests. She is currently a Senior in High School and has a 3.5 grade point average. She represents no threat to the community. We ask the Court grant bail in the amount of ten-thousand dollars."

"Thank you, Mister Steele. Mister District Attorney, I understand you may have something else?"

"Yes, Your Honor. If it pleases the Court, the victim in the case is present and wishes to address the Court on the matter of bail."

"Objection!" interrupted Attorney Steele. "This is a hearing, not a trial."

"Overruled, Mister Steele. This is a bit unusual but not totally unprecedented. The Court will entertain a brief, and I do mean very brief, statement from the victim that does not address, or argue any portion of the case to be tried. Will the victim approach the podium?"

Sean rose, strode to the podium. He noted Bill Kennedy's glare and stared right back at him, never blinking.

"State your name," The Judge demanded.

"Sean Wyman, Your Honor."

"Mister Wyman, I admonish you of what I said a moment ago. Your statement shall be very brief, and shall not address, or argue anything at issue in any trial there may be in this matter. It shall only address the matter of bail. Am I clear?

"Yes, Your Honor," Sean said matter-of-factly. He then without printed text with which to refer delivered to the Court the same statement he wrote at the Dickson's home.

He was interrupted once by Colleen shouting "Liar!" at which the Judge pounded his gavel, called for order, admonished Ed Steele to control his client, and motioned Sean to continue.

"Thank you, Mister Wyman," the Judge said once Sean had finished. "Mister Wyman, where did you have the paternity test done?"

"At Saint Mary's Hospital, Your Honor. The outpatient clinic."

"I shall retire to my chambers. This hearing is hereby recessed and shall reconvene in ten minutes."

Ten minutes on the dot later, the Judge returned to the bench and the hearing was recalled to order.

"Mister Steele, Mister District Attorney. During the recess I telephoned the hospital where Mister Wyman had his paternity test. I was informed that they expect the result to be in between today and Wednesday of this week. They have agreed to provide me with the written result as soon as they have it, and once Mister Wyman and Miss Kennedy been notified. Miss Kennedy, due to present circumstances your notification shall be to your Attorney. The hospital has been so instructed.

"Once I have the result I shall decide bail at that time, but not before, and I will issue my decision the same day. There will not be a need to reconvene as I will issue my decision in writing and distribute it to both Attorneys via email and text message. Hard copy will be hand-delivered by courier to your offices. In the meantime, the Defendant shall remain in the custody of the Rock County Sheriff's Department at the Rock County Jail. This hearing is concluded."

"This is bullshit!" Colleen screamed. "I told you I didn't fucking do anything! I'm going home! Fuck this!"

"Order!" the Judge pounded his gavel. "Bailiffs, remove the Defendant from the Court Room to the custody of the Sheriff for transport to the County Jail! Clear the Court Room!"

George leaned over to Sean and whispered, "She's not going to get bail. I guarantee you. Not after that. The Judge was being reasonable and she blew it. Big time."

Sean, for his part, continued to keep his gaze straight ahead, his posture erect and his shoulders square. He knew he had nothing to fear and had done nothing wrong. Colleen Kennedy, Sean appraised, was simply not mentally well. Her father simply seemed like a bully who thought he could intimidate Sean, a prospect Sean might have found amusing were it not for the gravity of the situation. As it was he found it annoying, and more than a little bit disgusting.

On the way out of the Court Room, Sean and George were accosted by a very angry Bill Kennedy. His face was red, and although his physical posture was non-threatening, he looked like he was about to blow his top.

"Wyman, you're not going to get away with this! I don't know who you think you are and who you think you're fucking with here..."

Instead of waiting for George, Sean turned, faced Bill Kennedy square in the eye and told him in businesslike, matter-of fact tones, "Mr. Kennedy, I am not going to be on trial here. Neither are you. I don't see how this matter could possibly make you upset with me. I've done nothing. Your daughter has been charged with felony crimes. She has an Attorney. I did not accuse her, the D. A. did. If you have a beef, it's with him, not with me. Now, I need you to understand what I am about to say to you: you are never to speak to me again. Not unless my Attorney informs your Attorney in advance and in writing that I've agreed to it."

"You fucking little cunt! How dare you speak to me that way! Just exactly WHO the FUCK do you think you are! You're going to fucking regret this if it's the last thing I ever do!"

"Mr. Kennedy, once we leave the Court House I am going to instruct Attorney Dickson here to obtain a Restraining Order against you. You just threatened me, and Attorney Dickson is a witness. Good day."

Sean then turned and marched off, George Dickson doing the same and not saying a word, both hearing

Bill Kennedy shouting, "God damn you! You haven't seen the last of this, you little fucking punk!" in the distance.

Once in George's Escalade, George chortled, telling Sean, "Sean, that was incredible. He really doesn't scare you, does he..."

"No. He's an asshole. But I meant what I said about the Restraining Order. I might have got ahead of myself, though. I mean, can we get one?"

"Yes. We'll have it this afternoon. Steele will get a copy and it will be served to Kennedy's home as well."

"Good. I just want this to be over with. I mean, I'm not a pussy, or anything, but all I want to do is just live a quiet, peaceful life. First it was the guys on the Tremper football team, then I had to move, then it was the guys that beat Andy, then it was John Berrifield, then it was Jane Berrifield, and now it's that fucking crazy Colleen Kennedy and her asshole dad. And what if I AM the father? I mean, I'll do what I have to do, that's not the issue, but it'll mean that my kid is Bill Kennedy's grandchild. Jesus Christ..." Sean said, ending with the sarcastic laugh one has when something is so awful that all one can do is laugh.

"Sean, I want you to hear me when I say this. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. You don't have anything to worry about, son. Trust me. You don't."

"Well, OK... I guess so..."

"And don't forget, before any trial happens there's the discovery process. You and I will know exactly what evidence the D. A. is going to bring in the case. I can just about guarantee you it'll be open and shut. I'd be surprised if the trial took longer than two days, three tops. And that's counting time for breaks, lunch and other crap."

"Alright. I won't wimp out. I'll see it through."

"I know you will, Sean. There are a lot of people in your corner. Not that you need the help, I'd say, though. But however many people are in your corner doesn't really matter."

"Whadya mean?"

"It doesn't matter when you're in the right. Which you are."

"I suppose. Well, for now we'll just wait to get those test results and see where we go from there..."

"That's all we can do, Sean. It is what it is."

George dropped Sean off at school, for which Sean thanked him and reminded George that he would let him know the minute he was notified of the test results. Instead of going to class, Sean made his way to Coach Slater's office. He knew, once again, that sooner, or later word would get out and, once again, Sean decided his Coach should know. Stepping up to Slater's office door, Sean gave his trademark door- knock and Coach Slater answered with his trademark "Enter."

"Mr. Wyman, aren't you supposed to be in class? Never mind, what can I do for you today?"

"Coach, I just came from the Court House. You remember when I was raped?"

"Yes. Go ahead, son, tell me what it is you have to say."

"Well, they have the person who raped me. I can't say who it is. It was a girl. She's pregnant. In the next day, or two the paternity test results will be back. I'm probably the father, but we won't know until then. I don't think this is a particular matter that I need to let the team know about because there will be a trial scheduled at some point, and I probably shouldn't be talking about it. I just wanted you to know, that's all, Coach. And I want you to know this won't affect my play. I said when I came here that I was gonna be a team player, and I keep my promises. So, in case you hear anything floating around, it will be bullshit. And if you do, I'm going to ask you to let me know if you think it proper."

"Thank you for letting me know, Mr. Wyman. I appreciate how this might place you under some stress. I think you will handle it just fine. We're well into the shank end of the season now. If for any reason you think you are having issues coping with everything please come and talk to me. I'd hate to see this affect what you've worked so hard for. You're a good man, Mister Wyman. Always remember that."

"It won't affect me on the field, Coach. I can compartmentalize. And there won't be any trial until after the season is over anyway. I won't let this affect you, either. You said we were a once-in-a-lifetime team and I won't let anything get in the way of that. I won't let you down, Coach, and I won't let the team down, either. But I just want to say again, these most recent events I don't see as a matter for public consumption at this moment."

"Neither do I, Mr. Wyman. You have, as usual, judgment mature beyond your years."

"I just figure it as I see how the road might unfold in front of me, Coach. Someday, maybe my life will be normal, but right now it isn't and I just have to live with it."

"Maybe someday," Coach smiled. "Go on and get to class now, son. Maybe that'll make your day at least somewhat normal. I'll see you at practice later."

"Thanks, Coach, I appreciate it."

With that, Sean exited Coach Slater's office and made his way to the Attendance Office to check in and get his pass. The rest of the morning went as normal. Actually, Sean thought it surreal in one particular way, and that was that as far as he could tell there wasn't any buzz going around school about Colleen Kennedy's absence. He reasoned that there probably would be once word got out. After all, she had been arraigned and Court proceedings are a matter of public record. As a minor, he hoped perhaps he'd not be named.

What Sean did not yet know was that George Dickson had already been working behind the scenes with both the Janesville Police, the Rock County Sheriff's Office and the D. A. to establish a gag on Sean's name being released to the public. They all agreed, and the Judge in the case issued a gag order at the same time he issued the Restraining Order against Bill Kennedy. George had not informed the local newspaper because for as long as it could be withheld and for obvious reasons, he didn't want Colleen Kennedy's name in the news, either.

The next day, Tuesday, in his third-hour class Sean felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and saw that he had a voice-mail message from St Mary's hospital. Between classes he listened to the message informing him that the test results were in and he should contact their office at his earliest convenience. He returned the call and was told that he would need to come in to receive the results in person. Due to the patient privacy laws, they weren't able to give them out over the telephone. Sean then texted Andy letting him know to meet him at the car at the beginning of lunch. He then texted John, Tim and Brett to stand by for a further message after lunch.

The hospital was a less-than-five-minute drive from school, and they should be in good shape time-wise. Getting through the next class proved unusually difficult for the ever-cool Sean. Thankfully, the fourth- hour teacher had seen fit to give a pop-quiz that day which kept his mind off matters. Once the bell rang, Sean bounded out of class and straight to the parking lot. Finding Andy's Cruze, he waited not more than a minute for Andy to materialize.

"Is this what I think it is, Sean-o?"

"Yeah. They got the test results back and I have to get them in person. So I don't know anything yet.

Let's roll."

Pulling into the hospital parking lot, both boys made a beeline to the clinic, Andy keeping up with Sean as well as he could which by now was almost back-to-normal.

At the desk, Sean announced himself and was told to have a seat. Five minutes went by and a Nurse came out asking for Sean. Both boys stood.

"I can only release the results to Sean. I'm sorry... If you will just wait here," she said to Andy. Andy agreed not wanting to cause any problem for Sean.

Once in the Nurse's office, Sean was offered a seat which he took.

"I have the results here, Sean. I'm sorry it took an extra day, but they had to run the test twice. I'll explain how the test was conducted, what they looked for and what the results are. As you know, they took a sample of the amniotic fluid from the mother's uterus. From that, DNA was extracted which yields the DNA profile of the fetus. That was then compared to the DNA samples from both you and the mother."

"I understand, and it makes sense to me. Can you tell me the results?"

"Yes. You are going to be a father, Sean."

"Wow..."

"I know it's a lot to absorb."

"No. No, I'm fine," Sean said.

"I want you to know that my office received a gag order from a Rock County Judge this morning concerning this matter. You can rest assured that I am the only one here in the office who knows the results and I am going to furnish you with the only copy of them that we have. I did, of course, have to furnish the Judge with a copy and I've already done that. You will probably want to give the results to your Attorney. I think that's what I would do."

"Yes, I will. Is there anything, Nurse?"

"Well, yes."

"What's that?"

"Well, it has to do with the baby..."

"Is there anything wrong?"

"From what I know, and from what the test results show, there is nothing developmentally wrong that these tests would show, in other words things like a marker for a physical birth defect, or Downs Syndrome, or those type of things that this type of test would indicate if you know where to look."

"OK, what then?"

END OF CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE