Interview
By Wednesday morning, the excitement had died down a little. The close-knit community had closed ranks against the press and the curiosity seekers. There were no lurid interviews with the neighbors of the accused, no statements of foreknowledge from publicity seekers. Everyone knew the victims, and by then most knew their identities. Small town gossip is faster than the internet, and much more accurate.
As a newcomer, I was the exception. I had three names from the videos - "Nate", "Aiden", and "Mikey" - but only Nate's face was burned into my memory. Rusty could have told me more, but it would have meant nothing to me right then, and by silent agreement I didn't ask and he didn't tell.
I took a shower and dressed in clean Levis and a shirt with a collar. Dad was professional in his suit and tie, something I rarely saw except when he was coming and going.
At the prosecuting attorney's office, we waited only a few moments in the reception room before being escorted to an interview room. The room was painted a neutral color and furnished conservatively with comfortable chairs. It was the kind of room that embraced you comfortably, but about which you could remember nothing later. The young man waiting for us stood and introduced himself as Christopher. He shook our hands and asked us to be seated.
"Thanks for taking the time to help us with this case, Toby. I have a few questions for you. If you are uncomfortable with any of them, please let me or your father know and we'll try to take a different approach. May I record our conversation? I need approval from both of you."
Dad and I both approved.
Christopher started by going over my original statement, asking for clarifications and more details.
"In your statement, you described two videos that you had watched. Do you know where those videos were taken?"
"Yes. The first, of Cory and the boy they called 'Nate', was taken in Logan's bedroom in the bunkhouse in which I found the videos, and in which I'd stayed with Logan while working on the ranch."
"And the other?"
"That was taken in the living area of the same bunkhouse."
Then came some questions that told me the authorities now had information about the poker club.
"Do you know Austin and Andrew Johnson?"
"Yes."
"What is your relationship with them?"
"I consider them close friends."
There were a few more questions, and then carefully placed at the end of the interview were more questions about the poker game.
"Now, I'm going to ask some questions which may be embarrassing. Please answer as best you can. Do you have knowledge of a video being taken of you during a sexual experience with Logan?"
"Yes."
"Were you aware at the time that a video was being taken?"
"No."
"Have you ever had sex in a group setting when Austin, Andrew, Logan and Cory were present?"
"Yes."
"At that event, did you have sex with one or more of the boys I named?"
I replied with a straight face. "Yes. Austin, Andy, and Cory, but only one at a time."
Christopher actually blushed, and then continued. "During those experiences, did you feel coerced in any way?"
"No. My participation was voluntary."
"With respect to the video we just discussed, was it played at this event?"
"Yes."
"With your permission?"
"Yes."
"Do you or any family member have a copy of such a video?"
"No."
"Do you feel like you are a victim in this case in any way?"
"No."
Christopher stood and smiled. "Thanks very much for your help. We may need to talk with you again later. Have a good afternoon."
We were escorted out by a back corridor. As we left the office, I glanced towards the reception room and saw a face I recognized. The quick look showed a nervous young man with distressed parents. Nate was dressed in long baggy pants and an oversize hoodie. His attempt to disguise himself made him even more obvious. I quickly turned away and followed Dad out onto the sidewalk.
Dad had noticed. "For a minute there, you looked like you had seen a ghost."
"That's correct, in a way. Did ya see the boy in the reception room? That's Nate."
"Have you seen him anywhere else?"
"No. That's the first time."
"It would be best if you didn't let him know you're aware of his identity. If he makes the connection that you found the evidence and wants to talk, let him do so. But don't say anything that would compromise the evidence or weaken the case. If he introduces himself, you are nothing more than a new and sympathetic friend."
"It's becoming a little tough to remember what I cannot say and to whom I cannot say it."
"I know. It's best to say as little as possible to everyone."
To my surprise, Mom was waiting outside the courthouse.
"Mom! I didn't expect to see you here."
She smiled. "Your dad has an appointment with a client. I'll take you home. We're stopping to see Grams on the way."
Mom had only one question on the way to Grams' place.
"How did the interview go?"
"It was fine. I was comfortable, but I was glad Dad was there."
She didn't ask me for any details, and I was glad of that. As my mom, she had a right to know some things, but she would have to get that information from my dad. He knew what she could be told. I didn't.
When we stopped at Grams' place, Mom got a casserole dish out of a cooler in the trunk and walked to the back door. Grams greeted us warmly.
"Toby, Gramps is in the barn and would like to talk with you."
I left Mom with Grams and went to find Gramps. He was changing the oil on the tractor.
"Hi Toby, how are things going?"
"Quite well, actually. I just spent an hour at the prosecuting attorney's office, and it wasn't too bad."
Gramps wiped his hands on a cloth.
"You'll find when you get home that I've cut the hay in the field by your house. For the next two days, I'll be turning it and then raking it into windrows. If you're around when I'm doing that, feel free to come watch. I want you to see how it's done, but I need to do it this time. I'll teach you how another time. However, on Friday, I want to bale the hay, starting about mid-morning. It will take the rest of the day, perhaps well into the evening. Will you be able to help? I've asked a friend's son to come help out too."
"I'll plan on it, Gramps. I've got nothin' goin' on then, and if somethin' comes up, it can wait."
"Okay, I'll see you on Friday, if not before. Lucy will be feeding us from time to time, so don't worry about that. Expect to go home dead tired."
I walked back to the house. Mom was ready to go. Grams waved goodbye as we drove away.
"Are you aware of how highly your substitute grandparents think of you?"
"I guess not."
"It sounded to me like they have you confused with Superman, but maybe that's really who you are."
I smiled. "Well, about Friday I'll probably wish I was. I'm gonna help Gramps bale hay."
"Your father just called. He'll be home in about a half-hour. When he gets there, he and I have an appointment with a realtor. Do you want to go along?"
I was puzzled. "What are we gonna look at?"
Mom laughed. "Oh, yeah. You don't know this yet. Your father is going to be working with most of the child abuse victims, so his firm is setting up a temporary office for him here. I'll be helping him. I've been given a leave of absence from my job with the school district. It's summer, so the superintendent decided he could do without his administrative assistant for a couple of months."
The devil made me do it. "I don't know if I like that idea. I've gotten used to bein' independent. Havin' my parents that close to home all day is gonna cramp my style."
Mom was parking the car in the driveway. "On the other hand, I think it will be a good idea for us to be around more. Maybe it will keep you out of trouble for a while."
We grinned at each other. We were both kidding, and we both knew it, and it was fun to suddenly have a more grown-up relationship with Mom. But there was an undertone of seriousness. I'd managed to get into quite a bit of trouble in three weeks, a little of it even my own fault.
Mom had more. "But don't worry, even with us around, you'll still have your alone time with Rusty. I hope you're on the receiving end because from what I saw last night, I think he'll keep you very satisfied."
I turned beet red. "Mom!"
She grinned at me. "Rusty is good for you. I can't say I wasn't surprised to find him in bed with you because I was, but I'm glad he was there. He loves you, Toby. Call it a mother's intuition, but he's right for you. Take care of him, and he'll take care of you."
Mom kissed me on the cheek and got out of the car, leaving me sitting there wondering what the hell had just happened.
Dad rented the office on the spot. It was a suite of two rooms which was part of the bank building but with a separate entrance. And it was one block from the courthouse. By evening, rented furnishings had been ordered. They would be delivered and set up on Friday. By Monday, the office would be operational.
Dad had a request. "Toby, would you go with me to Boise tomorrow? You could help me get the files I'll need from the office. We might have another stop to make too, if things work out right."
"Sure, Dad. I'd be glad to. I oughta mention that I'm committed to help Gramps all day on Friday. I hope that will be okay, 'cause he needs my help."
"That will be fine. Your mother is ordering office supplies and equipment tomorrow and she'll set get that set up on Friday. I'll help when I'm not at the courthouse. Gramps is important to all of us. I'm glad you can help him."
Rusty showed up about eight o'clock for keep-Toby-sane duty. We watched TV for a couple of hours. The first hour was news, and the abuse case was back in the national news. Eight victims had been identified, and the evidence was still being evaluated for more. The deputy sheriff had been charged with eight counts of sexual child abuse, and his unnamed minor son with four counts of sexual assault.
I turned to Rusty. "Looks like yer source was accurate."
"Yeah, and yer source probably is too, except ya can't talk about it."
"Are ya ready to go to bed?"
"Are ya ready for some relaxation therapy?"
"Uh, huh."
The therapy was excellent, as always. After an hour or so, I was completely relaxed. Mom was right. Rusty was keeping me very satisfied.
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