more murder

A year ago, Caitlin had joined the District Attorneys’ office as new lawyers did. She was vigorous and ambitious. She had won several cases in the lower courts and had set her targets on the higher ones. Paul had met her and in a subsequent meeting asked her out. He had placed his hand on her buttocks as a flirtation. Then the next thing he knew, he was being charged with sexual harassment. How did she dare to charge the Assistant DA with such an act? She was just one of those “Militant Feminists” out to destroy men. Out to topple men in high places, like Paul. The case had been thrown out for insufficient evidence and Caitlin summarily dismissed.

Paul smiled at the thought of this woman, having whored her way to the peak only to fall all the way down. Had her disgrace been complete she would have left him alone, but the DA wouldn’t allow him to counter sue.

Caitlin had changed weaponry and came back at him from new directions. She tried to slander his name to the press- that had failed when the Attorney General had backed Paul’s defense. She then began to follow him and harass him over the phone. Paul had a judge put a restraining order against her, but it had only slowed her down. She began to harass his friends and neighbors, and girlfriends. Fortunately she had never learned of Peggy, and Peggy had no knowledge of Caitlin. Still Paul could not help the way he felt about Caitlin and now looking at her like she was a cornered animal; he felt a strange sense of power come over him. Recalling the excitement of gripping her arm, the feel of her goose flesh gave him a sexual excitement that he rarely felt. He wanted so much to reach out and slap her across the face.

“What do you want?” Caitlin began fiercely, wanting to draw notice away from her.

“What do you think, I want?” Paul quipped back. “I have a restraining order against you.”

But I-“ She began, then stopped. “Look, this is just a misunderstanding, I just came to see the movie.”

“Where’s your date?”

“Where’s my what? I came alone.”

“From the West Side?” Paul shot back, the theater being on the northeast side of Railston.

“I was looking for a change of place- I mean pace and this grand old’ theater came to mind.” Caitlin smiled. “How could I have known that you were here?“

“How could you have known? Well, you have been interrogating my neighbors and friends about where I go, what I eat, and who I see.” He said this with an air of authority, feeling power in his words.

“No. It’s not like that.” Caitlin interrupted. “I didn’t interrogate anyone.” She felt a desperation that had clung to her teeth for the last few days.

            “Shut up! Look- what we did is over.” Paul said raising his voice, knowing he could be heard. “You can’t have it back. Get on with your life and leave me alone!”

“What do you mean what we did?” Caitlin replied, her face going pale.

“If I ever see you again-“ Paul said commanding with his tone. “No- if I ever hear of you again, I will sue for every dime you have to your name. No- every dime you will ever have to your name. If that isn’t enough, I will have you charged with solicitation and prostitution!” Paul realized he was shouting, but the glee of his manner kept him going.

“And I mean every word of it you- you clinging, conniving bitch!”

            He glanced back to the concession counter to confirm that he had been heard. He looked back to Caitlin, who sat stiffly with a shocked expression on her face. She looked as if Paul had just slapped her and Paul decided that this was better than hitting her. Almost all the color had drained from her face, her mouth was moving but no sound escaped from her lips. She blinked and then blinked again. Paul looked back to the concession stand to find everyone, three employees, an assistant manager and a customer staring back. Steven, the manager was in his office with a phone call, but had stopped midway and stood with the phone dangling in one hand as if deciding what to do. Paul then turned back to Caitlin.

Caitlin’s mind raced, when Paul had first alluded to a fictitious affair. Then he had completely gone off the hook and accused her of immoral actions, calling her a whore. His words rang in her ears. Solicitations- she had heard this from the judge who had restrained her. Her thoughts were jumbled and she choked as a new understanding struck her like a bolt from the blue. Was that how he had won the lawsuit?

What had Paul Murray told the DA and the judge behind closed doors? Her fingers on her right hand worked the diamond ring around on her index finger as she struggled to come to grips with what Paul had said. Turning the edges of the ring brought new clarity to Paul’s words. He had called her a whore!

“Are you listening to me!” Paul said as he turned back to face her. He heard the door to the office close behind him.

Caitlin did not answer; the thought of Paul’s name-calling had brought a new revelation. Paul had convinced a judge that her allegations of sexual harassment and assault, had been nothing more than Caitlin trying to hide that she had solicited him for sex. The judge had dismissed her case with a warning- she was to maintain professional conduct at all times in the work place and to stop making false or imagined allegations against her superiors. In one stroke, Paul had sullied her reputation and destroyed her career. She had been surprised when the DA had dismissed her, but now the surprise was gone. She looked at Paul with newfound hatred.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to.” Paul said as he glanced once more at the concession stand. The manager stood there now. Paul noted that he wasn’t coming over and relaxed.

He looked back at Caitlin. To his surprise, she made a quick movement and her right arm blurred. Paul barely had time to blink before Caitlin’s right fist connected with his jaw and a searing pain stabbed his face. She knocked the words out of his mouth so hard that saliva hit the wall. Paul toppled off the bench and hit the floor with a thud.  He lay there in shock as Caitlin rose to her feet. She looked at him, then at her hand. She felt her anger drip away as the reality of what he had done flooded back in.

            Cheers erupted as the employees and a customer broke the silence. Caitlin looked back at Paul, somehow knowing what he would do now. She looked over to the concession stand to find Steven grinning and his assistant on the phone. Cops, she thought, not what I need. Despair overcame her; she turned away from Paul and fled the theater out into the night and the rain. Steven followed.