Hi Everyone:

I am pleased to publish chapters, 18 & 19 of my novel, RAPE. After reading the chapters, I hope you will comment. As you know, your comments and suggestions influence my revision. If you missed any of the previous chapters, check the archives.

          I encourage you to visit my website:  joshswritingroom.com/ where you will find, a short story.

You can also check out my e-published novels. If you find one to your liking, you can purchase it from Amazon.com, or from Barnes and Noble. You’ll find links on the website taking you right to it.

PATH TO A PARDON,

THE EINDHOVEN STRATEGY,

& PALM BEACH STYLE.

 

As I publish each new chapter, the previous chapter(s) should be archived, so you can easily catch up. For those who prefer, here is an encapsulated version of the previous action:

 

PREVIOUSLY: RAPE

Prosperous executive, Gary Sanders, has an appointment at the home of Julia Walsh, the reigning Empress of Palm Beach. Julia’s niece, Oscar winning actress, Miriam West, is visiting and has jewelry to insure.

Miriam accuses Gary of assault and rape. Chief Moore shows Gary a close-up of her facial cuts and bruises. They await the lab report.

Gary’s wife, Carol is furious. She moves him into the guest room.

Reporters who publish stories favoring the actress surround Gary’s home and office. His children are harassed at school and Gary loses his clients and his major companies. Neighbors and friends shun Gary and his family.

Gary’s lawyer, Joe Flaherty sends P.I. Jim Bosley to investigate, and then visits Carol. He finds her parents have arrived and plan to take her and the children back to Boston.

A January court date is set. Bail is set. Carol tells him that she and the children are going to Boston to live with her parents.

Gary is assaulted by a Miriam West fan. A neighborhood committee offers up to $15,000 to help Gary sell his home if his family leaves Palm Beach within 60 days.

P.I. Bosley learns that Consuela Arista was fired after Gary’s visit & Reporter; Miguel Gonzales is already looking for her.

Miguel’s editor helps him find an address for Consuela. He learns she has gone to visit her mother in San Antonio.

Consuela tells her mother that she was in the next room when Gary came to see her about insuring her jewelry and she saw him leave. Now, Miriam is forcing her to help bring him down.

Carol’s parents make an appointment for her to meet with the family lawyer about a divorce.

Bosley meets with ex-girlfriend, Connie, who works for the same newspaper as Miguel and learns the reporter has gone to San Antonio. He offers & she accepts a job running his office.

 

 

CHAPTER 18

 

 

 

Julia Walsh finished changing into her three-quarter length blue, chiffon dress, applied fresh make-up, and then, with the help of Rita, her maid, put on her triple strand pearl necklace to compliment her pearl earrings and distinctive pearl ring.

“It’s eleven forty-five Ms. Julia, we must hurry,” Rita said shaking her head.

Julia glanced at her mirror and caught the maid’s gesture. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you shaking your head?”

“Ms. Julia, I mean no disrespect, but you never wear a wrist watch. I know you own half a dozen, but you never wear one.”

“It’s true I have a number of those things. They were given to me by some of my admirers. Keeping track of time is for other people. I choose not to be bothered.”

“Yes Ma’am, but one of these days you’re going to be late.”

“I’m Julia Walsh. People wait for me. I’m never late. Ring for Samuel.”

Within minutes they heard a polite knock at the door. Rita opened it and admitted the Butler.

“You rang Madam?”

“Samuel, please ask my niece to join me in the library for some Sherry and have Oscar bring the car around. We are due at the Sailfish Club for lunch at noon and I don’t wish to be late.”

“Yes, Ms. Julia. I’ll see to it. Do you prefer the Fino or the Manzanilla?”

“I had the cook chill a bottle of the Manzanilla this morning, thank you Samuel.”

As Samuel departed, Rita wrapped a light styling cape around her mistress and picked up her large comb and a can of hair spray to add the finishing touch.

When Julia entered the library, it pleased her to find, not only her niece, but also two partially filled catavinos glasses on a tray along with a small dish of mild cheese.

Miriam curled her fingers around the stem of a glass and lifted it; “This is so thoughtful of you Julia; it’s so dry, the perfect aperitif!”

“I thought you might enjoy it, especially since you’ll have to put up with that tea-totaling Harriet MacDougal at lunch.”

“MacDougal? That’s an Irish name isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve never met a non-imbibing Mick before.”

“Well, your record is still intact; she was a Barrington before she married James. Her family manufactured farm implements. He and his family are in the fertilizer business in Connecticut. Now Harriet chairs the Palm Beach Garden Club. It’s a perfect fit. Well, drink up dear, I’ve instructed Oscar to bring the car around.”

“I’m afraid we are running a bit late, it’s already ten ‘til.”

“Nonsense, child; I’m never late.”

Samuel opened the front door for them. “Ms. Julia, I took the liberty of calling the Club and changing the time of your arrival to twelve-fifteen. Have a nice lunch.”

“Thank you Samuel.”

As they settled in the back of the burgundy colored Bentley Continental, Julia sighed, “That Samuel,” he means well, but it’s totally unnecessary.” She leaned forward and said, “Oscar, take North Ocean to Sandpiper Drive and then go west to Lake Way. I want to get a look at the house where Gary Sanders and his family live.” Leaning back, she took a deep breath and then turned to her niece. “Have you heard anything more from that producer?”

“Not since he sent me that horrid letter. I’ll make him pay for that.”

 

Oscar pulled up to the Club’s entrance and hurried to open the rear door of the Bentley. Julia stepped out and waited for her niece to join her before going inside, where they found Harriett MacDougal seated on a bench near a huge blue and white sailfish mounted on a paneled wall. The maître de escorted the three women through the main dining room to an outside patio table. Miriam noticed that while all the men wore jackets and most of the women wore dresses, like her, several were wearing slacks. Perfect, she thought, for dining al fresco in seventy-degree weather. Beyond their table and the immaculately kept lawn, boats bobbed at their moorings on the Intracoastal Waterway.

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to meet you, Miriam. I’ve so enjoyed your screen performances, especially that part you played in Slater’s Revenge.”

“Thanks Harriett, I kind of enjoyed that one myself.”

Julia put down her menu, “She got an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her performance in that one.”

Harriet grinned, “I know, I know. The camera doesn’t do you justice, you certainly are gorgeous!”

The waiter brought a large breadbasket and asked if they were ready to order.

Julia said, “I’ll have the crab stuffed shrimp, sugar-snap peas, and rice pilaf.”

Harriett quickly doubled the order and Miriam made it a threesome.

Reaching for the breadbasket, Harriett said, “Take my advice and try one of these cinnamon rolls, they’re awesome!” As Miriam picked one from the basket, Harriett added. “I can’t begin to tell you how disturbed the entire community is over the dreadful experience that man put you through.”

“And to think that I invited him into my home,” Julia said, while tearing a portion of her cinnamon roll apart. “The question is: what is the community prepared to do about him?”

“According to the Dispatch,” Harriett replied, “he’s been arraigned and his trial is set for January 24^th. I drove past his home on the way here. I noticed a police car parked out front. Do you suppose he’s being arrested for another crime?”

“Miriam signaled the waiter, “I know you don’t drink, Harriett but if we’re going to discuss that man, I need one. We saw the police car too. I think they’re keeping an eye on him in case he tries to leave town. Waiter, I’ll have a vodka martini, straight up please!”

Julia shook her head, “Well, I for one, wish he’d leave town. Good riddance! It’s a solution that saves us all a messy trial that poor Miriam doesn’t need and rids Palm Beach of an unwanted rapist.”

Harriett lifted a forkful of shrimp, but paused to say, “I wonder where he comes from?”

Julia sighed, “Up north. I’m not sure just where, but his wife’s parents are from Boston, very wealthy, very snooty, new money wouldn’t you know.”

Harriett swallowed hard and in a low voice said, “One of the women in my Garden Club is a member of the same Country Club as that disgusting creature, and she says that the Club cancelled his membership.”

Miriam sipped her martini and said, “Apparently, they don’t want his kind either.”

“Speaking of that,” Julia said, dabbing her mouth with a napkin, “I heard that his wife took the children and left.”

The waiter returned to see if they wanted to order desert. After a moment’s delay, Harriet ordered the chocolate stuffed poached pears; Miriam picked Crème brûlée and Julia selected chocolate mousse. As he left with their order, Harriett asked, “Do you think she’ll divorce him?”

“I hope so,” Miriam said lifting her half-empty martini glass in a mock toast. “Here’s to you Mrs. Sanders, take the bastard for all he’s worth.”

 

 

CHAPTER 19

 

 

 

Miriam finished her martini, ordered a second and leaned back in her chair. She had a great view of the Intracoastal Waterway. Near the opposite shore and slightly to the north, a cruise ship exited the Port of Palm Beach and sailed past Peanut Island where many years before Jack Kennedy had an emergency bunker in case of atomic attack. The bobbing of several sailboats tied up at the Sailfish Club’s dock diverted her attention from the cruise ship. The boats bobbed up and down, up and down. The bobbing movement of the bare, cylindrical masts invoked a brief smile at the thought of Ralph Sorenson’s weak dick.

The waiter returned with her second martini. She held it up in a mock toast to her lunchtime companions and took a tiny sip. Harriett MacDougal, you insipid tea-toddler, you have no idea of what you’re missing. What a silly woman. She’s impressed by my success and she should be. It took both luck and guts. I crawled on my hands and knees for that part. She took another sip, if I hadn’t been the first one back to our apartment that day and heard that message, Jill would have reported to the studio in the morning for a screen test and I’d still be doing walk-ons and praying for a single line of dialogue just as she’s doing. Jill had been too naïve to catch on, and even if she had, her goody-two-shoes persona prevented her from saying anything. The director had bought her big sob story about how poor Jill had laryngitis and had let her take the test.

She sucked on the swizzle stick from her drink; it too reminded her of Sorenson. He had a reputation as a tit man, but it turned out, he acted just like Clinton. He really craved having her pull his zipper. Four nights of that, and he offered her the part.

But why won’t the bastard give me the lead in his new project? She’d done another film for an independent producer. It’s not my fault the picture flopped. It would have done better with me in the lead. The supporting role didn’t fit me and the writers produced a lousy script. How can he blame me? She needed another good role, one to sink her teeth into; had to prove the Oscar had been no fluke.

She had only received one letter from him since they handed out the Oscars. It had hurt, especially when he wrote that he’d only consider casting her for one role, the evil queen in Snow White. Maybe he found out that I told the reporter about him screwing his dog. I didn’t know he didn’t own a dog. He’s lucky I didn’t charge him with rape.

The slimy bastard lives for blowjobs. Maybe I’ll have to crawl across his room one more time. Next time, I’ll really bite hard.

Julia Walsh gripped her wrist, “It’s time to go, Miriam dear.”

“Yes, Auntie,” she said, and drained the martini glass.