Gabriel's Rapture gi-2

by Sylvain Reynard

  “There’s no need for a delay. I’ll cooperate.” Gabriel’s jaw was set, his blue eyes flashing.

  Julia’s heart sank.

  “It appears we’ve finally captured your attention, Professor Emer-

  son, and persuaded you to come out from behind your lawyer,” said

  Professor Mwangi sarcastically.

  “Such a remark is beneath you.” Gabriel waved a dismissive hand

  in the air.

  “Are you willing to answer the committee’s questions?” The Dean

  interrupted the staring match between the two men.

  “Yes.”

  Once John got over his surprise, he stood at Gabriel’s side. “Dr.

  Aras, my client has retained counsel. Can you give me a moment to

  consult with him?”

  The Dean nodded, and John began whispering hastily in Ga-

  briel’s ear.

  Julia could see that he did not like what John was saying, and

  she watched him mouth the words “No, no, no.”

  Eventually, Gabriel dismissed John with a murderous look. “I am

  willing to answer any and all questions, but not while Miss Mitchell is in the room. Some of the answers I wish to give are of a personal nature and for various — ah — reasons I prefer to keep those answers confidential.”

  The Dean measured Gabriel intently and nodded. “Very wel .

  Miss Mitchell, you are dismissed for the moment, but please don’t

  leave the building. We might have need of you shortly.”

  “If Professor Emerson is intending to malign my client, he can

  do so in front of us,” Soraya protested.

  “The collective agreement with the faculty union ensures con-

  fidentiality in all judicial proceedings.” The Dean’s voice grew very 216

  Gabriel’s Rapture

  cold. He took a moment to consult with his colleagues, then nodded in Julia’s direction.

  “If Professor Emerson offers testimony that implicates your cli-

  ent, you will be given the opportunity for rebuttal. Any matters not bearing on your case, Miss Mitchell, will be kept confidential. Miss Harandi, Miss Mitchell, you are both dismissed for the present. My assistant will notify you when your presence is required.”

  Soraya shook her head but took Julia’s arm and tried to pull her

  toward the door at the back of the room.

  Julia planted her feet. “Our relationship was consensual. I knew

  what I was doing and I don’t regret it. At all. This is not a tawdry affair. There was no harassment.”

  The Dean couldn’t help but notice as Professor Emerson began

  to rub his eyes and mouth, cursing silently.

  “Miss Mitchell, you will have your chance for a rebuttal. Now

  if you please…”

  Soraya quickly pulled Julia out of the room. She tried in vain to

  catch Gabriel’s eye before she exited, but he hung his head, eyes shut.

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  Chapter 24

  “What?” Professor Jeremy Martin almost shouted into his office telephone.

  Across campus, Meagan, the Dean’s assistant, turned her back on

  the hearing officers as she prepared to speak more loudly.

  “I said that the Dean would like to ask you a few questions about

  Professor Emerson and Julianne Mitchell. Professor Emerson just

  confessed to having broken several university policies with respect to her. Can you hold the line, please, while I put you on speaker phone?”

  “Holy God,” breathed Jeremy, blinking and gaping like a fish.

  “Professor Martin? The hearing officers would like to speak to

  you now.” Meagan turned and locked eyes with the Dean.

  “I’ll be right there. Ask the Dean not to do anything until I ar-

  rive!” Jeremy slammed the telephone down on his desk and quickly

  exited his office, forgetting to close and lock the door behind him. He jogged out of the building and across Queen’s Park, pausing only to avoid being run over by downtown traffic. By the time he’d traversed the few blocks to where the hearing committee sat, he was winded,

  disheveled, and incredibly annoyed at how out of shape he was.

  “Stop,” he panted, bursting through the doors. He placed his

  hands on his knees so he could attempt to catch his breath.

  “Thank you for joining us, Professor Martin.” The Dean’s tone

  was sarcastic.

  “I came — as fast — as I could. What’s — going on?”

  The Dean gestured to his assistant to fetch the ailing professor

  a glass of water, which he drank gratefully. The beverage gave him a moment to find Gabriel, who was sitting stoically next to his lawyer.

  Gabriel’s Rapture

  The Dean frowned. “It appears that things are amiss in your

  department. Professor Emerson has just confessed to pursuing Miss

  Mitchell and engaging in an amorous relationship with her while she was his student. I’d like to know how long you’ve known about this.”

  “Excuse me?” Jeremy grabbed a chair and sat on it heavily.

  “You told us Professor Emerson disclosed his relationship with

  Miss Mitchell to you this semester, but that you couldn’t recall when.

  I’m wondering if you had any inkling that they were involved last

  semester?”

  Jeremy’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “I — what?”

  “Gabriel Emerson tried to cover up his affair with his student by

  transferring her thesis supervision and seminar work to Katherine

  Picton,” Professor Mwangi explained. “What did you know about

  this and when?”

  Jeremy’s expression grew grim. “With respect, am I on trial here

  or is Gabriel? I was told that you wanted to ask me questions about a matter arising between Gabriel and Miss Mitchell. I was offered

  no indication that I was under suspicion, otherwise I would have informed the Faculty Association and brought my union representative.”

  Professor Mwangi abruptly closed his mouth.

  “Jeremy, there’s no need to be defensive. We’re simply interested

  in whether or not you can shed any light on the account Professor

  Emerson has offered us. That’s all.” The Dean offered a withering

  look in Robert’s direction.

  “We can return to the question of the timeline in a moment. I’m

  interested in an email that Miss Mitchell sent to Professor Emerson in which she accused him of harassment and told him that she would be returning the M. P. Emerson bursary. What can you tell us about that?”

  Jeremy’s eyes slid over to Gabriel’s.

  He had no idea why Gabriel had confessed; it didn’t make sense.

  He was far more likely to avoid any kind of discipline if he said nothing. Having confessed, he’d handed his career to the Dean in an act that could only be described as academic hara-kiri. Moreover, he’d implicated Jeremy with his confession, and that was something he

  did not appreciate, not one bit.

  “I know of no such harassment. In my position as Chair of Ital-

  ian Studies, I have a spotless record of upholding university policies.”

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  He glanced in Meagan’s direction. “And I’d like my administrative

  record to be included as part of this proceeding.”

  The Dean waved a hand at his assistant, acquiescing to Jeremy’s

  demand.

  He looked at the hearing officers. “Has Miss Mitchell filed a

  harassment complaint?”

  The hearing officers shook their heads.

  “May I see the email?”

  The Dean nodded to Meagan, and she quickly passed a piece of

>   paper to Jeremy.

  He used this opportunity to buy some time for his over-wrought

  brain, hoping to get some clue from Gabriel’s body language as to

  what the devil he’d been thinking. But still, Gabriel would not look at him, simply sitting stone-faced, clenching his fists.

  “Since Miss Mitchell never reported the harassment, I can only

  infer that she changed her mind. Perhaps she sent the email in haste and repented at leisure. It sounds as if she didn’t hold his behavior against him.” Jeremy handed the paper back to Meagan.

  “What do you know about the bursary?” asked Professor

  Chakravartty.

  Jeremy’s eyes flitted to the Dean’s. “I advised the Dean in an email that donor services was approached by a philanthropic organization from the United States, whose name escapes me. The charity wished

  to bestow a bursary on the top MA student in my department. That’s all I know.”

  “What’s the connection between Professor Emerson and the bur-

  sary?” asked the Dean.

  Jeremy shrugged. “None.”

  Professor Mwangi clasped his fingers together on the table in

  front of him. “I find that difficult to believe. There is a coincidence of name, department, and student. Miss Mitchell seems to have associated the bursary with Professor Emerson — why else would she

  threaten to return it?”

  Jeremy smiled wryly. “Do you remember what life was like when

  you were a grad student? Living on coffee and ramen noodles and

  going without sleep? Students engage in all kinds of erratic behavior under those conditions. I’m sure we’ve all seen worse.

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  Gabriel’s Rapture

  “I assure you — ” At this, he nodded in Gabriel’s direction. “Pro-

  fessor Emerson had nothing to do with the bursary. I’m the one who awarded it, and I did so based on the fact that Miss Mitchell was

  the top master’s student admitted into our program. You can speak

  to Tracy in donor services about the charity that made the donation and you can view her paperwork.”

  Gabriel tried very hard to hide his surprise at the fact that his

  chair was defending him. He fidgeted in his seat, swiping a hand

  through his hair as he waited to see how the Dean would respond.

  “That won’t be necessary.” The Dean took off his glasses and

  nibbled at one of the ends of the arms thoughtfully. “As you’ve heard, Professor Emerson has confessed, taking upon himself full responsibility for his involvement with Miss Mitchell. By his own admission, he played on her vulnerability, promising her that ‘he would take care’

  of their situation. His use of Professor Picton seems to bear that out, as does Miss Mitchell’s nervous behavior during these proceedings.

  “Since Professor Emerson was in a position of power over Miss

  Mitchell, and since more than witness has testified that he was initially very harsh with her, we don’t believe that their relationship was consensual.” At this, his eyes met Professor Chakravartty’s, who nodded triumphantly. “Consequently, we are inclined to excuse her perjury, since it was clearly under duress, and we will dismiss any allegations against her. Unless you can suggest a reason why we shouldn’t.”

  Gabriel caught Jeremy’s eye with a stare so sharp, Jeremy almost

  winced.

  “I see no reason why Miss Mitchell should be punished, no.”

  Jeremy tugged at his shirt collar uncomfortably.

  “We will be encouraging Miss Mitchell to consider the possibility

  of filing a harassment complaint. Having said that, and given the

  fact that Professor Emerson has been forthcoming, I’m not inclined to drag this matter out. However, I wonder if I should recommend

  to the Provost that your department be placed under scrutiny. We’re facing a lawsuit from another of your students, Miss Peterson. And Miss Mitchell has filed a harassment complaint against her. That’s several unfortunate events in one semester, Professor Martin. What is going on in your department?” The Dean gave Jeremy a stern look.

  He straightened his spine. “I am as surprised and distressed as

  you are. But surely you can’t blame me for failing to have a prurient interest in the personal lives of those in my department.”

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  “No, but we expect you to maintain a safe environment for stu-

  dents, especially females.” Professor Chakravartty’s tone was firm and disapproving.

  The Dean nodded in her direction. “Nevertheless, I am cogni-

  zant of your spotless record and the reputation of your department.

  So I’d like to ask for your input on what we should do in terms of consequences for these policy violations, and I invite you to meet with us while we discuss it.” The Dean waved Jeremy over.

  Jeremy cleared his throat. “Thank you. I’d like a word with Pro-

  fessor Emerson first.”

  “His testimony has been minuted. Meagan will provide you with

  a transcript.”

  “Since I am his supervisor, I’d prefer to ask my own questions. I

  doubt you’d deny me that right, as his Chair.”

  The Dean frowned. “Very well. You have five minutes.”

  With a nod of his head, Jeremy walked to the door, waiting for

  Gabriel to join him.

  Gabriel waved aside John’s attempt at accompanying him and

  walked slowly strode toward his old friend, his shoulders sagging.

  “What the fuck have you done?” Jeremy hissed, turning his back

  on the hearing officers.

  Gabriel mirrored his position. “They were going to suspend

  the meeting and launch an extended investigation. Julianne would

  have lost her spot at Harvard, not to mention the fact that she was in danger of being punished for academic fraud and perjury.”

  “What the hell do you think is going to happen now? The Dean

  could dismiss you!”

  “Before I made my statement, my lawyer asked for leniency. The

  Dean agreed, provided I wasn’t involved in any criminal activity.”

  Jeremy scrubbed at his face with his hands. “So you went ahead

  and admitted everything? Are you crazy? You should have kept your

  mouth shut.”

  “And ruin Julianne’s life? Never!”

  Jeremy gave his colleague a long, cold look. “They could revoke

  your tenure. If you’re dismissed, no university will touch you. Your career will be over.”

  Gabriel’s expression hardened. “I don’t care.”

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  Gabriel’s Rapture

  “Well, I do!” Jeremy fumed. “I’m not about to lose one of my

  best professors over some grad student. With all the funding cuts

  being made in our division, I might not be able to replace you. It’s bad enough we have only one Dante specialist. How am I supposed

  to run a decent department without one?”

  “That isn’t my problem.”

  “The hell it isn’t.” Jeremy glared. “You and Julianne and — and

  that Christa are crippling my department in one fell swoop. Even if I could get permission to replace you, who is going to want to work for me when news of Christa’s lawsuit gets out? Not to mention your affair with Julianne!”

  “It wasn’t an affair,” Gabriel whispered, stubbornly. “The Dean

  promised complete confidentiality. That’s why I agreed to speak on the record.”

  Jeremy shook his head in disbelief. “You just don’t get it, do you?

  I’m your friend. And you made me look like an imbecile in front of my boss. It’s quite possible they’re going to investigate me in order to discover what I knew and when. I’ll have to appear be
fore God

  knows how many committees and possibly in court!”

  “I’m sorry,” said Gabriel stiffly.

  “You should be. I look like an idiot who allowed a predatory

  professor to wreak havoc on two female grad students. You’re lucky Tara is on the committee and not the Chair of Women’s Studies. She would have strung you up by your balls in the middle of campus.”

  Gabriel straightened his shoulders. “I’ll tell them you knew noth-

  ing and take the consequences.”

  Jeremy took a step closer, staring his younger colleague straight

  in the eye. “Don’t give me that martyrdom bullshit. You’re hurting a lot of people in your quest to protect your conquest. Now my ass is on the line. What do you think is going to happen to her if they fire you?”

  “If they try to fire me, I’ll sue them.”

  Jeremy put his hands on his waist. “It will be too late. As soon

  as you’re dismissed, the people at Harvard will hear about it and

  Julianne’s MA will be tainted. You’ll ruin her and my reputation

  and the reputation of all the other professors and students in my

  department. We’ll all be tarred with your brush.” Jeremy shook his head. “How could you do this to us?”

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  Gabriel was silent, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists.

  Jeremy swore loudly and was about to turn away when Gabriel

  caught his arm. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s too late for apologies.”

  “I didn’t realize this would have implications for you and everyone else. I wasn’t thinking.” Gabriel paused, a tortured look on his face.

  “Help us. Please.”

  Jeremy stared in disbelief. Professor Emerson looked panicked

  and desperate, which was an expression he’d never seen before. “You’ve done a tremendous amount of damage trying to protect her. You

  should have denied everything.”

  “Then the Dean would have punished her or dragged the inves-

  tigation out.”

  “She could have re-applied next year.”

  “And been turned down outright. The longer the investigation

  continued, the more likely that details would be leaked. It’s a small academic community and you know it.”

  “Of course I know it.” Jeremy shook his head. “And you knew

  better than to fuck a student.”