I tried to remember what Fallow said to me - something about Shelly. What was it? Something wrong???? What was he talking about? I limped back into the dining area and again looked at the computer screen. Shelly was now in a fetal position, her body trembling. I gazed at her for long moments, trying to dredge up some kind of emotion. I felt dead inside....no, not dead..... numb......confused, bewildered......lost? It almost seemed as if I were drifting in a dreamworld. I thought, "I should do something. What should I do?"
I had to sit down. I had to think.
My emotions were too raw, I knew that I needed time to sort this out. I felt the anger, bitter that she would do this to me, to deliberately hurt me like this. Beneath that anger I could feel the sorrow, the devastation. I steeled myself and made my way up the stairs and into the bedroom. Shelly was still in the fetal position and now I could hear her whimpering softly. Her back was to me, her knees tucked up and in. I could see a thin streak of semen which had run from her vagina and then down along the crease of where her thigh met her buttocks, pooling on the bed. It sickened me and I averted my eyes.
I knew that I couldn't handle this right now. I wanted nothing more than to run away and keep running. I shook my head, brushing that thought away - I knew that I couldn't do that. I moved to Shelly and put my hand on her shoulder. She flinched and moved away, now starting to cry, deep, wrenching sobs. I stepped back, hesitating a bit and then quietly left the room. I made my way down the stairs and collapsed in the living room easy chair - the chair that used to be mine.
I felt the anger and bitterness spread through me, enveloping me in a cocoon of despair and rage at what my life had become. I, at that moment, truly hated her, hated Shelly for what she had allowed. How much love could she have had for me to allow Fallow to fuck her; not only fuck her, but in front of me with the intention to humiliate and degrade me. She wasn't stupid, she knew exactly what she was doing. That wasn't love, it was the exact opposite. My so called adultery was a sham that she used so that she could fuck Fallow and in doing so could drive a stake into my heart. Well, she succeeded, any love that I had for her was dead. I knew that I could never forgive her for what she had done.
I had to decide what to do now. I slowly went down the stairs and picked up the phone.....I then just sat and waited, my thoughts random and chaotic. It seemed like just a few minutes had gone by, but was actually much longer, when I heard the doorbell. I opened the door and Lyle and Millie rushed in, breathless and concerned. I gathered my self together and tried to put my thoughts in order. I pleaded with them to let me explain, sat them down and very briefly gave them a bare bones account of the evening.
Millie sat there, her mouth agape. She then jumped to her feet and rushed up the stairs to Shelly. I looked at Kyle, he sat still, I could almost see his mind churning, a frown on his face. I rose and walked to my jacket still draped over a dining room chair. I pulled the small tape recorder out, walked back and handed it to Lyle.
I hesitated a bit and then decided to just come out with it. "Lyle, I planned to tape the conversation that Shelly and I were to have tonight. I wanted you to hear Shelly as I was sure our conversation tonight would be a repeat of the last one we had, the one I had related to you. I got something totally different, I just hope that the recorder picked up everything."
Lyle looked at me narrowly for a moment, then he put the small ear piece in, rewound the tape and started to listen. I don't know how long he sat there listening, shock evident on his features, He raised his head as Millie made her way down the stairs, obviously distraught.
"David, Lyle," she said breathlessly. "I think that you had better call 911. We have to get Shelly to the hospital. I think that she's having an emotional breakdown." Lyle rose to his feet, put the recorder in his pocket and picked up the phone. He turned to us and in a voice tight with anger, said, "First we call the police and ask them to bring medical personnel with them. David, we will need to talk, but let me tell you right now, Robert Fallow is going to be charged with rape. That's for starters.
The next couple of hours were frenetic with the police and the medics piling in. Plain clothes detectives arrived soon after the uniformed cops and were in deep discussion with Lyle. He had surrendered the tape and the recorder. Shelly had been sedated. She was put on a stretcher and quickly placed in the ambulance which left. Crime scene personnel swarmed the house, collecting evidence. My wrists were exposed and photographed and were then treated by the medics. I was questioned for over an hour, until the detectives were satisfied that they had gotten everything they could out of me. I was asked to come to the station in a few days for a formal, recorded statement. I, of course, agreed. I had no idea what was in Lyle's mind, he must have known that this was no rape, but I kept my mouth shut. The three of us would have to sit down and talk.
Eventually the crowd of people left and Lyle and Millie shepherded me out of the house. They insisted that I come home with them and I was too exhausted to argue. Fortunately the next day was Saturday and we all could sleep late. Dressed in a pair of Lyle's pajamas I fell into bed and fell into a restless sleep.
********************
The next morning, dressed a warm up that Lyle thoughtfully provided, I sat at the breakfast table with Lyle and Millie. Our conversation was stilted and broken by periods of silence. Finally Lyle arose and motioned me into the den. Millie followed.
"Dave, it's time to have a talk," Lyle began.
I interrupted him. "Lyle, I am totally screwed up, but I do know that what occurred last night was not rape. Where did you come up with that? I kept my mouth shut all evening, partly because my head was totally screwed up and partly because I didn't want to confuse the police with any conflicting testimony, but Shelly wasn't raped. She participated willingly - even eagerly. She just couldn't wait to rub my nose in it, as you heard in that tape," I ended bitterly.
Lyle waved my objections away. "Look, David. Just be quiet a moment and listen. The definition of rape varies from place to place and yes, I do claim that Shelly was raped by Fallow. In this state rape can be defined as sexual assault upon another person who is mentally or psychologically defective.
"We can maintain, and successfully I believe, that Fallow created a climate which led to Shelly's mental breakdown and made her a participant in the act through mental and psychological coercion. In fact the perpetrator can be charged if it is determined that he impaired the victim's judgement in some manner. That certainly would be applicable in this case. Look, David - Shelly was already psychologically predisposed, due to her history with her father and ex-husband, to believe that bastard's lies.
"I've already spoken with an assistant DA that I know and we both believe that there is sound foundation for such charges. He will be speaking with his boss and I strongly suspect that Fallow will be arrested first thing Monday morning. It's obvious that the tape you made will be the critical factor in this case."
"Good, I'm glad. I hope that they castrate the bastard," Millie interjected.
