First Class Justice (First Class Novels) (7 page)

Janie followed her into the kitchen and saw her leaning
against the pantry door.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Yep!" Katy smiled. "I just wanted to see if
the beef was ready to carve."

Janie lifted the aluminum foil off the meat. "Looks
delicious. Let's eat." She called for Matt and he arrived with his mother
and they began delivering the platters of food to the table. Peter went to get
the men watching the basketball game, and in just a few moments everyone was
seated around the table drooling over the spread laid out in front of them.

"Looks like Janie is going to give you a run for your
money," chuckled Peter to Maureen.

"Nonsense!" Janie spoke up. "Maureen is a
fabulous cook. I hope this is half as good as hers."

Matt winked at his wife from the other end of the table and
everyone held hands as he said grace. The food platters began shuffling around
the table and Matt wondered why they couldn't all go one direction.

“For Pete’s sake!” he said as food was coming at him from
both sides.

Katy was scooping brussels sprouts onto her plate as she
looked up and caught Mark watching her from across the table and down a few
chairs. She attempted a weak smile and went back to focusing on scooping up the
little bacon pieces. Janie watched the quick exchange and frowned as she
wondered what was going on.

The food continued around as plates were piled high and the
chatter lowered as the eating began.

"This is delicious Janie," Mark commented as he
took another bite of the scalloped potatoes.

"Thank you," Janie smiled. "But Katy did the
potatoes."

"Well then, this is delicious Katy," Mark said.

Katy tried to smile and looked down at her plate.

*****

After dinner, the family gathered in the family room in
front of the massive television to watch ‘It's a Wonderful Life’. It was one of
Janie's traditions that she wanted to keep. The movie started and Janie grabbed
her box of tissues. Several people laughed at her but she didn't care. She
loved the movie and snuggled into Matt to get full benefit.

Mark and Sandra shared the loveseat and Janie noticed Sandra
place her hand on Mark's thigh. His reaction was not one Janie had expected. He
cleared his throat and offered to bring everyone a drink and jumped from the
couch and headed for the kitchen. Janie turned back to George Bailey.

Katy was in the kitchen folding a dishtowel as Mark entered.

"Oh," she jumped. "I thought you were
watching the movie."

"Just came to get some bottles of water," he said.
"Can I help with something?"

"No, thanks," Katy replied. “The roasting pan
didn't fit in the dishwasher, which is surprising seeing as though they have
two!" she chuckled. "I just figured I'd get it done now instead of
waiting ‘til morning."

"So, how've you been?" Mark asked.

"I'm good."

Mark tilted his head.

"No, really. I am," she insisted. "I am
actually enjoying my therapy and work is good."

"I'm glad," Mark smiled.

"So, Sandra? How did you guys meet?"

Mark shuffled his feet a little, not wanting to talk about
Sandra. If he had known Katy was going to be here he would have never asked her
to come with him. He had all but choked when he'd seen her talking to his mom.
But it was too late now. All he told Katy was that he’d met her on his flight
from Sydney and that she was all alone for Christmas so he’d invited her over.

Katy nodded and put the towel on the counter. “Always a
gentlemen, aren’t you?”

"Well, let's get those waters, shall we?"

*****

Mark hailed a cab and took Sandra back to the Holiday Inn by
the airport. They'd had a nice evening. Janie had outdone herself with dinner
and the movie was much better than he had expected. He paid the driver and
escorted her into the lobby.

"You're coming up, right?" she asked.

"Sure. For a bit," he replied.

The elevator let them off on the fourth floor and Sandra
opened her door and let Mark inside. She took off her coat and draped it on the
empty spare bed.

"Make yourself comfortable," she said as she
unzipped her boots.

Mark took off his coat and the scarf wrapped around his neck
and laid them next to Sandra's. He wasn't comfortable at all.

Sandra straightened and closed the distance between them.
She undid the button of his suit jacket and placed her palms on his chest, over
his silk dress shirt and slid them upwards to his shoulders. She pulled him
down to her lips and he responded automatically. It had been a while and his
body reacted to the warm lips and tongue invading his mouth. Mark wrapped his
arms around her waist and pulled her to him, deepening the kiss. She tasted
good and her mouth was inviting. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment and
then abruptly pulled back.

Sandra looked surprised. "What is it?" she asked.

"I can't stay," he shook his head and picked up
his coat and scarf. "I'm sorry Sandra. Have a good flight back to
Sydney."

Mark strode to the door and was gone leaving Sandra dazed
and confused.

As Mark exited the hotel, he hailed the cab dropping off a
gentleman in the driveway and jumped in the back. He gave the driver his
address in Manhattan and leaned his head back.

What the fuck was I thinking?
He closed his eyes and
had the same vision he’d had while he was kissing Sandra. He had taken off his
wetsuit and was climbing on top of Katy; his dream in vivid color.

"Shit!"

"Everything okay?" the driver asked.

"No, it's not."

*****

Katy woke on Christmas morning tired and frustrated. She had
dreamt all night and had tossed and turned continually. The dreams were not of
Danny. She had dreamed of Mark. She had dreamed of him finding her tied to the bed,
naked and frightened. He had looked at her and she could see the disgust in his
eyes. He had turned and left her there, and she had woken in the middle of the
night sobbing.

She grabbed her robe and went in search of coffee. It was
still early so she was surprised to find Matt sitting in the kitchen.

"You're up early," she yawned.

"I'm always up by now. Well, usually," he grinned.

"I do
not
want to hear anymore," Katy
growled.

Matt laughed. "Coffee?"

"Please," she said sliding onto one of the stools
at the breakfast bar. "Black."

"Bad night?"

"Not any worse than usual."

"Sorry," he said, handing her a mug of the
steaming brew. "Anything I can do?"

Katy shook her head and sipped from the cup.

"Merry Christmas," he said and stooped to kiss her
on the cheek. "Thank you for spending it with us. Now I'm going to wake up
my wife." He wiggled his eyebrows and Katy groaned.

As he left the kitchen she smiled. Matt was a terrific guy
and he’d made Janie incredibly happy.

"Dr. LaVaughn is wrong," she muttered.
"Someone can make you happy."

*****

The Lathem family brownstone was smaller than Matt and
Janie's apartment. There were a lot people crammed into the space and Katy was
feeling a tad overwhelmed so she slipped out of the house onto the back patio.
It was cold outside but she needed the fresh air, the quiet, and the open
space. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tilted her head to the
sky. She’d only been out there a few minutes when Mark joined her.

"We
are
kind of loud, huh?" he chuckled.

Katy smiled but didn't speak.

"Merry Christmas, Katy."

"Thank you. And to you too."

"I didn't know you were coming to New York."

"Me either but Janie insisted and I'm glad she did.
It's a beautiful city." She shivered.

"Here," Mark shrugged out of his suit coat and
slipped it over her shoulders.

"Thank you," she smiled.

They stood in silence for a few minutes until Katy spoke.

"So, where's Sandra?"

"Probably at her hotel. Katy, we, I mean it's
not..."

"You don't have to explain anything to me Mark,"
Katy cut him off.

"Yeah, but..."

"Really Mark. You don’t owe me an explanation. I hope
you find someone special, somebody that can make you happy."

Katy handed him back the jacket and went inside.

Two weeks later, Katy back in Portland, she sat with Sarah
at the little cafe across from the courthouse.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Katy
told Sarah. She had just been interviewed by the Public Defender representing
Danny. "Once he heard what happened, he really didn't ask many more
questions."

"It really is a mostly open and shut case," Sarah
told her.

"What do you mean mostly?"

"Well he'll be found guilty, I just don't know on which
counts. You can never make any guarantees when you present a case to a
jury."

"I see," Katy sighed. She was gearing up for the
trial which was supposed to start in ten days. Matt and Janie would be in
Portland in a week and Mark was coming too, she assumed, but she hadn't spoken
to him since Christmas Day. The image of him with the flight attendant still
haunted her dreams. She really did want him to be happy. She cared for him,
more deeply than she wanted to admit.

"What is it?" Sarah asked.

A tear escaped Katy's eye and fell from her cheek.

"Katy?"

"He didn't just take away my security, my freedom for
those thirty hours," she said. "What if he took my future too?"

"Your future?" Sarah asked.

"What if he also stole from me the man I could have
been happy with? The man I’ve been searching for all these years?"

Sarah didn't know
exactly
what Katy was speaking of,
but from her own personal experience she knew how devastating rape could be.

*****

There was a bad virus going around and several nurses had
called in sick. Katy’s supervisor asked if she would mind covering in the ER
for the day.

“Of course not!” she replied, and happily made her way down
to the first floor.

It was busy. Unusually busy for a Thursday. There were
several vomiting children, a really bad bicycle accident, and two car accidents…
and that was only the first forty-five minutes. It had been a few months since
her last rotation in the department and she had to catch her breath after a
couple of hours. But it was also exhilarating. She really did love her job and
the time was flying by, which was an added bonus.

About an hour or so before her shift ended, the call came in
that the ambulance was bringing in a young woman who’d been beaten pretty
badly. The crew put on new gloves and face masks and waited for the EMT’s to
arrive. As they wheeled the girl in through the doors, despite the blood and
swelling on her face, Katy instantly recognized her from Dr. La Vaughn’s
office. She froze for a split second and then her years of training and
experience took over. She put on the blood pressure cuff and helped to cut off
her clothing and get her covered in blankets and a hospital gown. She took the
girls’ hand and tried to calm her sobs.

The police arrived just minutes later and wanted to question
her but the doctor told them to wait outside. As Katy left the room to get the
portable ultra sound machine, she came face to face with Officer Robbins. He
was the policeman who had been one of the first to arrive at Danny’s house. She
had spoken with him several times after as well.

“Katy!” he smiled. “It’s great to see you looking so well.”

“Hi,” she said. “Are you here for her?” Katy pointed to the
girl behind her.

“Yeah, how is she?”

“I don’t know yet, but she doesn’t look good.”

Katy grabbed the machine and pushed it into the room where
another nurse took it from her.

“What happened?” Katy asked.

“A family friend. I think this time he will actually stay in
jail.”

The doctor yelled for Katy so she turned and ran back into
the room, doing whatever she could to help this bruised and scared girl.

*****

She didn't leave after her shift was over. Katy stayed by
the bed of Shelby, the fourteen year old who had been both sexually and
physically abused by her mother's boyfriend who was now sitting in jail.
Shelby's mother was also sitting in jail on charges of child endangerment. It
sickened Katy to think of a mother allowing that to happen to her child. Her
heart had broken for Shelby and she couldn't leave her; she wouldn’t leave her alone.

Officer Robbins came back to the hospital a few hours later
with news that Shelby's grandmother was coming from Wisconsin, but wouldn't
arrive in Portland ‘til late tomorrow. Katy promised him she would stay with
the girl. She didn't have anything better to do.

The sky darkened outside and Katy sat in the chair next to
Shelby's bed. They would be taking her to surgery soon to fix the compound
fracture in her arm. The bastard had certainly beaten her with obvious intent
to kill. Fortunately the neighbor had heard her scream and called the police or
else this would have been a very different outcome. Shelby was heavily medicated
and drifted in and out of consciousness. Katy had told her who she was but she
didn't think Shelby would remember.

Katy had been in this very same room only a few short months
ago. The memories flooded her mind and she closed her eyes as the emotions
washed over her, drowning her. She could see him. She could smell him. She felt
him hovering over her. She could still feel his hands on her. She could feel
him licking her. She remembered his warm breath on her skin. She felt the bile
rise in her throat just like it had then. Katy ran to the bathroom, slamming
the door behind her and vomited ‘til she thought she'd broken a rib, and then she’d
sank to the floor and cried, cried for her and cried for Shelby, cried like
she'd never cried before.