Author's Note: To those readers that may work in the legal profession, please go easy on me. I've learned all I know from watching court shows on television, and I'm sure it shows.
*
Brian was sipping coffee and taking in the vista of the Long Island Sound from the oversized sun room at the rear of his mansion in Old Field. The room was what he had built the entire house around, and he had cleared out trees and brush in order to afford himself an unobstructed view of the water. There were few things in life that made him as happy as the sight of the water and the ever present smell of the salt air. His reverie was broken by the sound of the ringing doorbell. With slight irritation, he turned and walked to the main entrance hall of the house. He became a bit alarmed when he peered out the sliver of window beside the door and saw two uniformed police officers on the landing. Unlocking and opening the door, Brian addressed the officers standing before him.
"Can I help you?"
"Are you Mr. Brian Flood?" asked the taller of the two officers.
Brian noted that both men were watching him carefully and each held a hand close to his weapon. Feeling a bit unnerved, he looked back and forth at each of them.
"Yes, I am. What is this about?"
The officer closest to the door took a step forward, positioning himself in the doorway and ensuring that Brian would be unable to close the door. "We have a warrant for your arrest," he said. "Another team is on their way here with a warrant to search the premises."
Taking a step back, Brian looked at the officers, shock apparent on his face. "A warrant for my arrest? For what?"
Ignoring the question, the lead officer asked one of his own. "Do you have any weapons in your possession or on your person right now, Mr. Flood?"
"What? No, of course not," responded Brian.
"Please turn around and put your hands against the wall, sir."
"I...I don't understand," stammered Brian.
"Sir, please do as I've instructed."
Brian stared at him for a moment, then let out an exasperated sigh and turned around, putting his hands on the wall as he had seen done on hundreds of cop shows. The officer moved in behind him, kicking his feet further apart and then patting him down in search of a weapon. Finding nothing, the officer reached up, grabbing Brian's right wrist and pulling it behind his back. Brian could hear the telltale sounds of a pair of handcuffs being opened, then felt the officer attach one half to the wrist behind him. A moment later, his left arm was pulled back, and the shackle was placed around his other wrist.
The officer turned Brian around to face him. He pulled a card from his pocket and read Brian his rights. When he had finished, he returned the card to his pocket.
"Do you understand your rights that I have just described to you?" he asked.
"Yes, yes. But what is this about? I haven't DONE anything," responded Brian.
"Do you know a woman named Nancy Gaines?" inquired the officer.
"Nancy? Yes I know her. Is she okay? Did something happen to her?"
"Evidently, you happened to her, Mr. Flood. She has accused you of unlawful detention and rape."
Brian felt as if he had been hit in the gut with a battering ram. Dropping into a chair behind him, he looked up at the two officers. "I...I don't understand this at all. She said that? She said I raped her?"
"Did you have sex with Ms. Gaines?" asked the second officer.
Feeling as if he wanted to vomit, Brian hung his head down and sighed. "I think I'd better get an attorney before I say anything else," he said to the officers.
**********
The police cruiser pulled up to the door of the sixth precinct house in Selden. The driver got out of the car and opened the rear door, guiding Brian out of the vehicle and escorting him into the building. Amid the chaos of the station house, Brian was fingerprinted, booked, and placed alone in an interrogation room. A short time later, the Suffolk County Police Chief and the Precinct Station Commander entered the room and sat across the table from Brian.
"What the hell happened, Brian?" asked Jim Burke, the police chief.
"I wish I knew. I think I'm a little in shock here."
"These are serious charges, Brian, and this one is going to be a political hot potato. I spoke with Steve Bellone before I arrived here. We're going to have to make sure we follow protocol to the letter. We can't have the appearance of any impropriety or favoritism in this case. Reporters will be all over the fact that you are friends with both the Suffolk County Executive and Chief of Police. Do you understand?" Jim asked.
"I do, Jim. Jesus. I didn't support the two of you with an eventuality like this in mind. I could never have considered such a thing."
"What the fuck happened, Brian?"
"You're a cop, Jim. I can't have this discussion as if we were just friends. Even if you believed me, you'd still have to go through each step of the investigation and take appropriate action. Like you said, the press will be watching."
"Does that mean there is something to these charges?" Jim queried.
"All I will tell you is that I didn't do what Nancy has accused me of, and that the truth is not what it may appear to be as you gather evidence. Of course, you hear that from every criminal you meet, don't you?"
"So what is the truth then, Brian?"
"We'll get to that after my attorney arrives, Jim. As you said, you're in a bad spot on this. You can't just take my word, and anything I say may be twisted by an intelligent prosecutor to sound like something else. I'd rather wait for my attorney before we talk any longer."
"I'm trying to help you, Brian."
"We've been friends for a long time, Jim. I understand that I can't tap into that friendship and ask you to help me now. But I also ask that you don't tap into it to do your job as a police officer. Your hands are tied, so the only thing that can happen if we continue to talk is that our conversation can hurt me. Please."
"Okay," replied Jim as he rose from his seat. "We're going to try to get you arraigned this morning. Just hang tight, Brian. If nothing else, at least we can try to speed things along for you."
"I appreciate it, Jim."
The station commander rose from his seat and nodded at Brian, then left the room with Jim. Brian sat in silence, feeling sick to his stomach. He'd never been in real trouble before, but he knew that lucky streak had ended.
**********
Alex Stanton had spent the previous hour listening to his client describe what had gone on with Nancy Gaines. He had taken extensive notes during the retelling, peppering Brian with questions along the way. Staring down at the sheets of paper before him, Alex sighed and looked up at Brian.
"The police have found a number of items of interest at your home, several lengths of rope among them. They are sure to run them for DNA."
"Yeah. And they'll come back as a match for Nancy."
"They have the rape kit. They'll want a sample of your DNA too. They'll get it one way or another. We won't fight them on that."
"Okay. This is fucking ridiculous, Alex. How the fuck can she just lie like this and get away with it?"
"Obviously, every bit of evidence in this case is going to make sense for both the story Nancy is telling and the one you are telling. I'm afraid that in the end, this will come down to who a jury believes based upon their testimony. Frankly, I'm a little worried. Your sexual proclivities may not play well with the typical middle class suburban homeowner that will likely be on a jury."
"I've done this with quite a few women. Couldn't they testify on my behalf?"
"First of all, I'm guessing some of these women wouldn't exactly want their names dragged into all of this. Secondly, painting a picture of you as a depraved sex addict isn't going to help your case with these people. Lastly, even if they buy all of that, it will be very easy for the prosecutor to imply that Nancy wasn't interested in such play, and you forced her anyway."
"So what the hell can we do?"
"You say that you and Nancy engaged in these acts on several occasions?"
"Yes. This past time was the fifth time we got together."
"Can you prove that? Do you have security video showing she came to your home in the past? Anything?"
"No. I have cameras, but no video. I mean, we talked on the phone. Maybe that could help?"
"Maybe. I think we'll have to do some background work on Ms. Gaines. We need to poke around her personal life a little. If we can find other men that she engaged in such acts with, that will help your case."
"Jesus Christ, Alex. You never realize how tenuous our freedom is until something like this happens. To think that I could go to fucking jail for something I didn't do. It's insane."
"That it is my friend, and it does happen. Let's get through this arraignment and get you out of here so we can move on to the next steps we need to take."
"Okay. Thanks, Alex. I appreciate your help."
"No problem, Brian. You can thank me by paying my bill promptly. And staying the hell away from my daughter," he said with a chuckle.
**********
Brian and Alex sat on one side of a conference room table across from Sarah Reese, the Assistant District Attorney. She was organizing a small stack of papers on the table before her in preparation for her interrogation of Brian. Sarah was tall and visually stunning, with long auburn hair and light hazel eyes that had the potential to mesmerize a person. She had feminine curves, but was quite obviously an athlete as well. Unable to contain himself, Brian watched her as she prepared, and couldn't help but like what he saw.
"What kind of training do you do?" he asked her.
"Excuse me?" replied Sarah, looking up at him.
"You know. Working out. Training. You're obviously quite athletic. I'm just curious."
Sarah looked over at Alex, who was frowning at his client's apparent lack of judgment.
"I'd say you have quite a bit more to be concerned about than what kind of exercise I do, Mr. Flood. We are about to discuss a heinous crime, and you're sitting here asking me a personal question? Seriously?"
"Is that what we're doing here, Ms. Reese? I thought we were here to get at the truth. You seem to have already decided what the truth is, without so much as speaking to me."
"Of course I want to get at the truth, Mr. Flood. You do understand that there is a significant amount of evidence against you, don't you?"
"You do realize that the evidence you have can support a number of different scenarios, don't you?"
"Well, why don't you tell me your side of the story then, Mr. Flood?"
Alex put a hand on Brian's wrist. "I really think this is a mistake, Brian. There will be enough reasonable doubt in this case for a jury to come back with an acquittal. This discussion can only hurt you."
