Rohn Federbush - Sally Bianco 03 - The Recorder's Way (17 page)

Judge Wilcox called the lawyers into his chambers. When Roger Warner came out, Helen overheard him tell Captain Tedler, “Dr. Handler is unable to find the video tapes of Marilyn, but he insists they exist.”

Sharon
Daley reached for the D.A.’s arm. “You should let me testify.”

Roger
Warner nodded. “Shortly.”

The jury heard again from Marilyn and t
hereafter from a slip of a girl under twenty, Kathy Handler, who described a sailing trip with Dr. Handler. After an uneventful vacation, she found women’s under wear in her husband’s suitcase. He claimed they were Marilyn’s. Kathy’s divorce lawyer claimed in the decree Dr. Handler was a cross-dresser.

Next a bug-eyed woman and an intense, sharp
-jawed woman, both ex-wives, testified to Marilyn’s timely interruptions of platonic but expensive alliances with Dr. Handler, who continued to bring home the mounted heads of deer.

Marilyn Helms was recalled to the stand by Verne
Chapski. “Where did you meet your doctors for the prescriptions?”

Marilyn looked at the district attorney
, before she answered. “What do you mean?”

Mr.
Chapski moved to block Marilyn’s view of Roger Warner. “In a bookstore, a laundry, your apartment, where?”

“It varied.” Marilyn crossed her arms. “Dr. Whidbey only needed a phone call. The
unnamed doctor was nice. He was a widower, and I usually took donuts to his house.”

“How nice was he?” Mr.
Chapski voice implied an assignation.

Marilyn
came to attention in the witness stand. “He once touched my face and told me God thought I was a beautiful woman.”

“Was that the only touching?” Marilyn refused to answer.
Mr. Chapski appealed to the judge.

“Young lady, answer the question.”

“That was the only time he touched me. And no other man ever laid a hand on me!”

Judge Wilcox warned Marilyn again. “There is no reason to shout. Do you want to be held in contempt of court?”

“No, your Honor. He’s making me mad.”

“Sorry.” Mr.
Chapski walked back to his table. Marilyn stood as if dismissed, but Judge Wilcox waved for her to sit back down. Mr. Chapski picked up the stack of blue notes. He turned slowly to Marilyn as he paged through the notes. “You mentioned quite a few dates in your testimony: September 8, 1991.” Chapski turned a page. “March 15, 1992. Should I go on?”

“What’s your point?” Judge Wilcox asked.

Mr. Chapski handed his list to the judge. “Dr. Handler has attached his motel receipts for all of the dates mentioned, your Honor.”

The audience hus
hed a common gasp.

Judge Wilcox returned the evidence. “The clerk will accept these.”

Mr. Chapski motioned to Marilyn and then swung his arm to include the jury. “You’re angry because you’ve been caught in a lie. Isn’t that the truth?”

“He
never touched me.”

Mr.
Chapski walked over to Marilyn, standing dangerously close.

Helen
Costello sucked in her breath. Her sore ribs reminded her to relax into the pain.

Chapski
stuck his face within an inch of Marilyn’s chubby cheeks. “So you touched him?”

Bam! Marilyn punched his face.

Mr. Chapski screamed like a woman.

Judge Wilcox stood and pounded the gavel. The
court came to its feet when the judge stood, only they were shouting and laughing. Finally, the policewoman, who had accompanied Marilyn into the courtroom and the officer of the court handcuffed a resistant Marilyn to the witness stand. “He had it coming.” Marilyn said, once she calmed down.

“And your sentence gained six
months for contempt of court.” Judge Wilcox sat back down. “This seems like a good time for a lunch break. The jury is cautioned not to talk about the case. We will resume at 1:30 for a more peaceful session. Will you be all right by then, Mr. Chapski?”

Chapski
held a reddening handkerchief to his nose. He nodded.

♦
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♦
♦
♦

Max had taken Helen’s hand, drawing her into a conference with Andrew, Captain
Tedler and the district attorney. “Do the receipts negate all the other testimony?”

Roger
Warner shook his head. “The jury will have a lot to consider. I’ll call Sharon to the stand if Chapski thinks he’s finished with Marilyn.” He couldn’t suppress a laugh.

“Well, let’s go over to Angelo’s and grab a bite.” Andrew held out his hand for Julia.

“That will take forever, Dad.” Helen still held Max’s hand.

Max didn’t want to let go either. “You go ahead. Helen and I need to talk about Saturday’s move.”

When they were alone in the hall, Helen looked up at him. “We could get a sandwich downstairs.”

They still held hands in the elevator. Max thought the crowd
, which included the Brents, would not appreciate their embracing. However, once they were in the hall leading to the cafeteria, Max couldn’t wait any longer. He stopped and drew her to him. Placed a hand under her chin and kissed her. He felt as if he’d never kissed a woman before. This innocent friend was so trusting, so open to his advances. Max stopped, releasing her mouth, letting her step away, but keeping Helen’s hand. “You move me,” was all he could say.

“You know I love you, Max.”

“And I love you … more than I should.” Max rubbed his curls with his free hand. He still hadn’t explained about his child to her father.

“Living alone for a year will put me on a better footing
. I’ll appreciate another person more, don’t you think?” Helen tugged her hand away to secure a lunchroom tray.

Max’s predominant thought was his child would be born before Helen’s year of innocence was completed.

♦
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The afternoon sun poured into the paneled
courtroom. Helen smiled at Sister James Marine. Tiny translucent hairs on the nun’s upper lip were highlighted by the brightness. Helen tried to concentrate on the court proceedings once they were underway again. Nothing seemed important anymore because Max said he loved her! More than he should? Nevertheless, she found herself looking forward to living alone. Max now sat next to Helen, a mountain of steadiness in her changing world.

Mr.
Chapski continued his cross-examination of Marilyn. “You received a manslaughter sentence for killing Mrs. Sally Bianco?”

“I didn’t kill her.” Marilyn looked at her handcuffs.

“Your attack dog ripped her throat out before knocking her over a cliff?”

The jury drew in shocked
breaths, shifting positions on their rigid pews.

Marilyn
whispered her answer, “He was trained by the National Guard.”

“The jury didn’t hear
the witness, your Honor.”

“Speak up.”

Marilyn glared at him and shouted. “Make up your mind.”

Judge Wilcox refused to take offense.

However, Mr. Chapski stepped back as if expecting another attack. “Why did you let your dog attack Mrs. Bianco?”

Marilyn pointed at Sister James
Marine. “It’s her fault!” All eyes turned toward the Mother Superior.

S
ister James Marine smiled ruefully. “It’s true.” She nudged Helen. Tears were running down the nun’s usually placid face.

Helen took her hand. “You know you’re not to blame.”

Judge Wilcox sighed. “Explain yourself.”

“She wanted me to tell that old hag
…
.
”

The room became
ominously silent. Captain Tedler, Andrew and Julie had risen from their seats. Their anguish was palpable. Helen, Max, and Sister J. M. joined the tribute to a lady’s passing. Judge Wilcox maintained the silence for five minutes. Captain Tedler was the first to take his chair, the others followed.

“If I w
ere allowed to strike you,” Judge Wilcox said to Marilyn in a stage whisper loud enough for everyone to hear, “I would.”

Properly chastised, Marilyn continued, “Mother Superior told me
Sally Bianco was a detective who might be interested in my story about the three deaths at St. Anthony’s Hospital in 1990.”

Mr.
Chapski stayed out of reach, standing close to the defendant’s table. “Were you surprised at Sally Bianco’s reaction to your claim?”

“She said they could go to jail.” Marilyn looked directly at the ju
ry as if to ask for understanding. “I told her patients die all the time. Doctors get away with murder.”

“Your honor?”
Chapski took a step toward the bench, but changed his mind.

“You
asked her what happened.” Judge Wilcox gave a nod to Marilyn. “Continue.”

“
Sally said they were culpable. I had to ask her what that meant. She said they would go to jail. Well,” Marilyn made a gesture to the jury as if her reasoning was obvious. “How were they going to provide me with diet pills if they were in jail?”

“
Paying you for sexual services rendered with diet pills?” Chapski asked, keeping his distance.

“
No.” Marilyn acted as if the lawyer had turned stupid. “Paying me to keep my mouth shut.”

The D
.A. asked for permission to re-examine Marilyn. “Weren’t you suspicious when Dr. Handler invited you to a motel – to receive your payments?”

“I knew I could handle the good Doctor Handler.” Marilyn glared at
Roger Warner.

“Did you tell his wives you provided sex?”

“No.” Marilyn again petitioned the jury. “All I said was I wanted to talk to them privately about Dr. Handler. I can’t help it if they all assumed I meant I was his lover. I was prepared to tell them about the death of Larry Schneider, if they had the nerve to ask.”

“But you knew they would assume you were involved sexually?”
Roger Warner rubbed his palms together.

“I never denied it,” Marilyn said, “because the
y never asked me.”

“Did
Sally Bianco know you were blackmailing the doctors?”

Marilyn became ver
y quiet. She looked up at the judge, then the jury, then back at the district attorney. “I told you in the deposition to receive the manslaughter sentence.”

“Repeat your words,” Roger Warner motioned, “to the jury.”

“I told Sally, if the doctors went to jail they wouldn’t be able to pay me.”

“Blackmail?”

“I’m sure she knew what I meant. Sally took out her keys and started back down the path. When I first saw her keys, I only intended to take her car and run. But, she had way too much information. She would have stopped them.” Marilyn pounded her stomach. “I never would have gotten rid of this. No diet pills.” She hung her head, as if she knew there was no sympathy forthcoming from anyone in the room. “I wanted Rufus to scare her, but Sally struck him on the nose with her keys. Then he attacked her. She dropped her keys before she went over the cliff. I cleaned up Rufus and set him free. Then I drove to my grandmother’s in Cape May.”

Verne
Chapski got to his feet. “You expect this jury to believe, after you killed another human being, that your allegations about Dr. Handler paying you blackmail are true.”

“
Have you heard of the twelve-step program?” Marilyn asked.

Verne
Chapski nodded.

“I’m addicted to diet pills. Diet-pill addicts are insane. Their only friends are pills. I had friends, real ones like everyone else, before the deaths at St. Anthony’s.
Sharon Daley is here. She’ll tell you. I was a good nurse. Actually I think I would have remained sane if only Charley Klondike and Jean Bacon died that weekend, but the poor kid …” Marilyn motioned in the direction of the Schneiders. “Handler could have helped, should have known earlier what was wrong. I killed him you know. I gave the boy his last dose of morphine. We chouldn’t let the parents see his horrible condition.” Tears streamed down her face. Judge Wilcox handed her a box of tissues. Marilyn coughed. “I lost my job at the hospital. No one would hire me. Then one morning I was reading the Bible.” Marilyn looked up at the judge. “I recited the passage to Sally Bianco. Do you want to hear it?” Judge Wilcox’s sympathy was showing for the dishonored nurse. He nodded.

So Marilyn delivered her biblical motivation
. “I memorized two verses in Ezekiel, Chapter 38, ‘Thus saith the Lord God; It shall come to pass that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shall say, I will go up to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places and upon the people.’”

Marilyn hung her head. “I
did blackmail Dr. Handler, for pills. But I’m gay. I’ve never been interested in men. I’m sorry Sally Bianco got involved. She seemed to want to help, but I couldn’t let her.” Marilyn didn’t look up. “My life was unmanageable as an addict. Look where I am. I hope a Higher Power can restore me to sanity, someday. But you can believe me about him.” Marilyn pointed to Dr. Handler. “Dr. Handler paid me blackmail to keep quiet about the Schneider’s son. They should have taken his license and sent
him
to jail!”