Enlisting Redemption

by D. Allen Henry

  Chapter 4

  Enlisting

  The Potomac River – December, 1969

  Trevor glimpsed Rebecca from his vantage point as she dove overboard and, rushing forward from where he had been standing on deck, he could neither see nor hear anything at all in the darkness. He was so dumbfounded by the events of the last half hour that he was initially petrified with confusion and fear as to what he should do. Within seconds of her disappearance he realized that his life might be in danger and, as he had no idea exactly who the people were onboard the yacht, he feared that they might not be overly friendly towards him when they discovered that Rebecca had taken flight.

  Toying briefly with the idea of following Rebecca overboard, he immediately thought better of it, deciding instead that his best course of action would be to join the party in the dining room as unobtrusively as possible. Accordingly, he acted as if he had only stepped out for a moment to go to the head and crept in the back door to the dining room. Fortunately, he hadn’t been missed at all, thereby allowing him to retake his seat without notice.

  At that moment Ari came in with a look of concern on his face and, whispering in the ear of his boss, he elicited from his recipient, “What! You’ve got to be kidding me! That little witch!” The boss then jumped up and hurriedly left the room, followed by a clearly confused Ari.

  Meanwhile, completely unconcerned by the guest of honor’s outburst, the guests continued enjoying the cruise on the river. He returned shortly thereafter, and obviously ruffled, he stepped onto the stage and motioned for the band to stop playing. He then turned to the audience and announced, “Gentlemen, we have a little problem - The Wicked Witch apparently jumped overboard about ten minutes ago. The captain has notified the U.S. Coast Guard, and unfortunately we have been ordered to hold our present position.”

  He now added peremptorily, “I don’t think I need to tell you, we’re probably all going to be questioned by the U.S. authorities. You have nothing to be concerned about, but it would be in everyone’s best interest if nothing at all were said about my birthday present at the end of the show. Gentlemen, I will let you know when we know more, but it looks like it’s going to be a long night. So find a comfortable spot and await further developments.”

  A half hour later a Coast Guard vessel pulled alongside the yacht and three persons boarded. Within minutes of the vessel’s arrival one of the crew came into the dining room and asked Trevor to follow him to the bridge. When he arrived there a Coast Guard Officer introduced himself, saying, “I’m Ensign Thomas.”

  Trevor shook his hand and replied, “Trevor Sutherland, sir.”

  Ensign Thomas responded with, “I understand that you know the woman that went overboard. Is that correct, Mr. Sutherland?”

  “Yes, it is indeed.”

  “And what was her purpose in being onboard the yacht, Mr. Sutherland?”

  “She was here to perform her Wicked Witch Act, Ensign Thomas.”

  “I understand that her act is a strip show, is that correct?”

  “Not exactly, sir.”

  “What! What does that mean?”

  “Sir, she doesn’t actually strip. She wears a body suit.”

  “Oh, come now, Mr. Sutherland. The guests all seem to agree that she was nude.”

  “Yes, sir, for some reason, she certainly was on this occasion. However, she had never to my knowledge performed in the nude before.”

  “Before? So you’ve seen her perform before?”

  “Yes sir, but only on one occasion.”

  “And what is her name, Mr. Sutherland?”

  “Rebecca, Rebecca Carey.”

  “And where is she from?”

  “She hails from Danville, although she currently resides in Charlottesville, sir. She’s a sophomore at The University of Virginia.”

  “And what is your connection with her, Mr. Sutherland?”

  “Oh, I am little more than an acquaintance. I agreed to drive her to Washington for the show.”

  “I see,” Ensign Thomas responded doubtfully. “Do you have any information regarding Ms. Carey’s disappearance from the yacht?”

  “Not at all, sir. However, I did see her go over the side.”

  “What, you saw her go overboard?”

  “Yes, sir, I did indeed.”

  “Did she fall, or did she jump?”

  “It appeared to me that she dove head first, Ensign Thomas.”

  “Do you have any idea why she would dive overboard in the middle of the Potomac River, Mr. Sutherland.”

  “No, sir, none at all.”

  “Can you show me where she jumped from the yacht?”

  “Certainly, if you will follow me I shall be more than happy to show you,” and at this Trevor led the ensign to the starboard side midway aft, thereby pointing to where he had seen her go overboard.

  “How long ago was that, Mr. Sutherland?”

  Glancing at his watch, Trevor replied, “Oh, I’d say perhaps an hour ago.”

  “Do you have any idea where the ship was when it happened?”

  “No sir, I wasn’t looking toward the shore. I was searching the river for any sign of her.”

  “Alright, Mr. Sutherland, that is all for now. But stay close. This is going to be a long night.”

  “Yes, sir,” Trevor replied, and so saying, he returned to the dining room. Two hours later the yacht docked where the cruise had commenced. The ship was met by a number of law enforcement professionals who, upon boarding the yacht, fanned out to initiate the investigation, each person obviously having been previously assigned a specific responsibility. His mind racing in confusion, Trevor watched it all unfold from the aft deck railing.

  Within minutes a rugged looking man approached Trevor, inquiring irritably, “Are you Trevor Sutherland?” He was tall and on the thin side, and he looked to be perhaps in his early fifties.

  Immediately impressed with the man’s demeanor and professional appearance, Trevor responded obediently, “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m Inspector Rush, Washington, DC Police Department,” he offered, reaching forward to shake Trevor’s hand. “I understand that you saw Miss Carey go overboard. Is that right?”

  “Yes, sir, that is quite correct.”

  “And you are certain that she jumped, that she was neither thrown overboard nor coerced to jump by anyone?”

  “Yes, sir,” Trevor responded yet again.

  “So there is no evidence of a crime here,” Inspector Rush murmured to himself. He paused for a moment to see if there was a reply from Trevor and, hearing none, he added, “Okay, thank you, Mr. Sutherland. Could you please write down for me your home address and your address at UVa? And please include a phone number where you can be reached.”

  “Yes, sir,” Trevor replied and, immediately undertaking the assigned task, he subsequently handed the information to the inspector.

  Inspector Rush said distantly, “Thank you. You may go, Mr. Sutherland.”

  “Wait a minute,” Trevor responded doubtfully, “I can go? I say, what shall I tell everyone back in Charlottesville?”

  “For now, just tell them that Miss Carey has disappeared. And rest assured, I will be in touch, Mr. Sutherland.”

  “Might I have your card, sir,” Trevor queried unctuously.

  “Sure,” Inspector Rush replied brusquely and, digging a card out of his pocket, he handed it to Trevor, adding, “If you don’t hear from Miss Carey, call me in a couple of days. And if you do hear from her, call me immediately, okay?”

  “Yes, sir,” Trevor replied, and so saying, he headed aft in quest of his coat and video camera.

  Inspector Rush caught his arm as he turned and, his eyes narrowing in apparent accusation, he asked one final question, “By the way, what in hell is the son of the British Ambassador to the United States doing pimping a strip show on the side, Mr. Sutherland?”

  Caught completely by surprise, Trevor wheeled around in mid-stride and blurted i
n stupefaction, “Whaaaat? What did you say, sir?”

  “Alright, I found out what I wanted to know,” the inspector responded, nonetheless eyeing him suspiciously, “You really don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, do you, Mr. Sutherland!” But this last was clearly not a question at all.

  “Sir, I was not pimping for Rebecca. I was actually trying to do her a favor. She volunteered to do this one show for the purpose of raising sufficient funds to stay in school at UVa. And I would be remiss if I did not also say this - she wasn’t supposed to strip!”

  “And how did she find out about this show, may I ask?”

  “I’m afraid I told her about it. She performed her act on one other occasion, at my frat house in Charlottesville in October, but she had a body suit on. So far as I am aware, that was the only time, sir.”

  “And by pure chance you happened to be at both shows, right?”

  “Yes, sir, that is quite correct. I say, I’m not proud of what I did, but I certainly did nothing illegal, and she performed on both occasions voluntarily. When you locate her I’m quite certain she will verify that.”

  “Good to know, assuming that we do in fact find her,” Inspector Rush responded suspiciously.

  Intending to defend himself further, Trevor stammered, “Sir…” but Inspector Rush had already turned away to pursue other matters.

  Disembarking a short time later, Trevor noticed that he was in fact the first person that had been allowed to leave the yacht. Once he had arrived in the parking lot, he suddenly realized that he had no idea what to do, if anything at all. In the event, he climbed into his car, intending to drive home. Spotting Rebecca’s discarded clothes on the passenger floorboard, he emitted a single despondent sob, the self-revulsion at what he had just been party to only now beginning to sink in.

  Now at a complete loss, he sat at the wheel of his Porsche for several minutes, unable to summon the energy to so much as move. Eventually, his senses reemerging, he resolved to develop some sort of plan of action. After all, he couldn’t just turn around and drive back to campus.

  Rethinking the events leading up to Rebecca’s disappearance, he asked himself - had the ship been going downriver or upriver when she had gone overboard? He considered this question at length, eventually concluding that the yacht must have been going downriver. If his conclusion was indeed correct, then she had jumped overboard towards the west shore of the Potomac, and since it had taken two hours for the yacht to return to the dock, she had most likely gone into the river between ten and twenty miles south of Washington.

  Based on this reckoning, he decided to drive south along the Washington Parkway in the hope that she had swam ashore. Accordingly, he searched along the parkway for two hours, eventually deeming it a waste of time. Had she been standing directly by the side of the road, he doubted he would have been unable to spot her at all in the dark. With no alternative at hand, he found an all-night diner, picking at a breakfast of eggs and toast as he impatiently awaited daylight to emerge.

  On a whim, he pulled out the video camera and, carefully rewinding it, he began viewing the footage. As he watched, his face reddened at the guilt he felt at having made a movie of her performance. While he had initially convinced himself that he had determined to make it in the offhand event that she might want to continue to do the act, in the light of what had transpired, he now forced himself to admit that he had actually filmed her with the intent of having his own private movie of her. Sitting in a dingy diner, watching a covert film of an innocent woman who by now might well be dead, he finally caste the blame for her demise where it surely belonged – on himself.

  Perhaps equally important, he now realized that whether she was yet alive or not, his life would surely be in danger if anyone at all found out that he had made a movie of the horrific crime perpetrated within the film. Unable to bring himself to watch further footage at the moment, he switched the camera off, deciding instead that he should hide a copy in a safe place as soon as possible.

  Shortly after sunrise he reinitiated his search along the parkway, concentrating on the area from Arcturus to Gunston Manor. He drove around for several hours, inquiring of people along the shoreline here and there whether they had seen a woman emerging from the river. When he had a clear view of the river he could see that, just as he was, the Coast Guard was out cruising up and down the shoreline searching for her. By noon, it being apparent that he was wasting his time, he determined to drive back to Charlottesville.

  Arriving back at campus by midafternoon, he drove directly to the frat house. Bryan answered the knock on his door, Trevor querying shakily, “Hey, Bry, how are you?”

  “Hey, what’s up, Trevor?” Bryan inquired offhandedly.

  “Can I come in? I’m in a mess, Bry.”

  “Sure, what’s up? Girl trouble, or school trouble?”

  “Neither. Hold on a minute. Check that. Actually - possibly both,” Trevor replied in torment.

  “What the…” Bryan mumbled vacuously.

  Catching Bryan’s eye, Trevor exclaimed forlornly, “Rebecca disappeared in DC last night, Bryan.”

  “You’re kidding!” Bryan exclaimed in shock. “What happened? Did she do her act?”

  “Yeah, she did the show, Bry. She performed in the body suit, but from there things became quite horrific, if you must know. Some guy raped her, right in front of his guests. It was really revolting to watch. Afterwards, they dragged her off the stage. As for me, I was so upset that I went up on deck to get some air. That was when Rebecca jumped overboard and, as far as I know, they still haven’t found her.”

  Rising from his chair, Bryan blurted, “Dear Lord!” Placing one hand on his hip and scratching his head with the other, he exclaimed, “My God, Trevor, what a mess. God, I hope she’s okay. Maybe she swam ashore. Maybe she’s alright.”

  “I doubt that quite seriously, Bry.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Perhaps you weren’t listening to me - she was publically raped!”

  “Yes, I heard you. So what are you getting at?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it. There seem to be four possibilities. First, she may have committed suicide. I doubt that she would do that, but under the circumstances, she may have done so if for no other reason than that she couldn’t live with what that guy did to her. I mean, it was really bad, Bry.”

  “Okay,” he responded forlornly, “Let’s assume that isn’t the case. What are the other three possibilities?”

  “Second possibility - she could have drowned in the river. I also doubt that possibility. If she hadn’t been a good swimmer, she wouldn’t have gone over the side, assuming her intention had been to swim for it. Besides, when she dove in, it was a pretty spectacular dive. She appeared as if she’d had plenty of experience in the water.”

  “Okay, what else?”

  “That leaves the third possibility - that she made it to shore, but that guy’s associates tracked her down and they have by now captured her, or, the fourth possibility - she made it ashore, and is now on the run from them. After all, had she made it to shore and not gone into hiding, she would have surfaced by now.”

  “So what you’re telling me is that three of the four possibilities are either bad or worse than bad.”

  “I’m afraid so, Bry. And if so, I could well be in big trouble. But let’s take the last possibility for a moment - the only potentially positive one - at least from her standpoint. If she did indeed escape, and she manages to reach the authorities, then the guy who raped her could well be in a bind. The authorities could file rape charges against him. And that guy looked pretty slimy if you ask me. My guess is he owns that yacht, in which case he has plenty of money, and he shall be making plans at this very moment to intercept Rebecca for the purpose of ensuring that it appears that she didn’t make it out of the Potomac alive.”

  “My God!” Bryan replied. “Geez, Trevor. What have you gotten you
rself into?”

  “Me?! I didn’t cause this all by myself! You had a hand in it, too! You’re the one that told me about the party.”

  “Hey, I don’t know anything! Our frat brother Mitch told me about it. He heard it from somebody - I can’t remember who - and since he had attended her performance at the Halloween party, he immediately thought of The Wicked Witch.”

  “I say! Where might I find Mitch?”

  “Upstairs, room 203.”

  “I shall be back shortly,” Trevor replied, stalking out of the room. Ten minutes later he was back.

  “What did Mitch say?” Bryan queried the moment he reentered.

  “Don’t know. He’s not here today. Nobody knows where he is. Would you mind doing some checking?”

  “No problem. Let me make a couple of calls.” Bryan called a couple of friends, but nobody had seen Mitch since the previous night.

  “What a disaster,” Trevor mumbled to himself. “Right, I’m going to go back to do some further checking. Tis quite a long shot, but I shall see if perhaps she has shown up here. Call me when Mitch turns up, okay?”

  “Yeah, will do,” Bryan replied.

  Arriving at the Phi Delta house a short time later, Trevor called Rebecca’s room from the lobby. When there was no answer, he called her friend Sarah’s number.

  After a few moments she answered, saying, “Hello?”

  “Sarah, this is Trevor Sutherland. I assume you remember me,” he proffered breathlessly.

  “Oh, hey,” she responded, “How could anyone forget such a stuffy Englishman?”

  Relieved to finally make contact with anyone at all, he responded, “That is correct.”

  “Are you looking for Rebecca?” she put in, “Because if you are, she’s not in. I don’t know where she is today.”

  “I say, Could you perhaps come down to the lobby, Sarah? Tis quite important.”

  “Sure,” she replied, “I’ll be right down.”

  Appearing moments later, she approached him with a puzzled look, at which he blurted despondently, “I’m afraid Rebecca has disappeared, Sarah. When was the last time you saw her?”

  “Disappeared!” she responded in disbelief, “What are you saying?”

  “She disappeared last night in DC,” he replied, repeating pointedly, “When was the last time you saw her?”

  “Yesterday morning. We had breakfast together. She said she was going for a drive later, and she wouldn’t be back till late.”

  “Right. She went with me, Sarah. We drove to Washington together.”

  “What on earth for, Trevor?”

  “Perhaps I shouldn’t tell you, but I drove her there so that she might put on her act.”

  “What act?”

  “The Wicked Witch Act,” he admitted.

  “What? You mean the thing she did at the Halloween party?”

  “Right,” he responded hesitantly.

  “What the heck are you talking about, Trevor?”

  “Actually, I heard from a friend that you had intimated that Rebecca was having financial problems - that she was perhaps going to have to drop out of college. So when my frat brother heard about this opportunity in DC and suggested that she might be interested in doing her act, I decided to see if she might be interested in making a bit of cash.”

  Immediately paling, Sarah blurted, “Please don’t tell me she did it without the body suit, Trevor.”

  “Unfortunately, she did, Sarah.”

  “How much?”

  “How much what?”

  “How much did she take off, you idiot!”

  “It isn’t like that, Sarah. She was supposed to do the same act as before, and it did in fact start out that way. But then this guy ripped her body suit to shreds right in front of the audience.”

  “My goodness! Why’d he do that?” But at his silent and forlorn stare, she suddenly added, “No! Tell me it isn’t so!”

  “I’m afraid it is,” he responded and, tears streaming down his face, he confessed, “He raped her.”

  Her eyes flashing, she hauled off and slapped the living crap out of him, exclaiming, “You jerk! It was all your doing, wasn’t it! I’ve been wondering why she’s been so morose lately. How’d you talk her into doing the show, you jerk?”

  “I didn’t!” he denied, “All I did was suggest it was a way for her to make ends meet, Sarah.”

  “That’s a crock!” she bellowed.

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand,” he countered in apparent confusion.

  “She told me about that miserable date the two of you went on. So you couldn’t let it go, could you! You just had to get even, and now, all because of your stupid pride you’ve gotten her into real trouble, you stupid idiot! I understand now why she calls you a jerk!”

  “I say, I am deeply sorry. I’m afraid I’ve made a mess of things,” he replied forlornly.

  Eyeing him with disgust, she responded, “What an understatement! What are you going to do now?”

  “Frankly, I’ve no idea,” he murmured despondently. “I say, if by chance she shows up, could you call me? I know it looks quite dreadful, Sarah, but I shall endeavor to make up for it. Please?”

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever,” she responded dismissively, “But if she does show up I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure she never speaks to you again.”

  “I say, fair enough. I suppose that I deserve that,” he responded and, seeing that she had nothing further to say, he turned on his heel and departed.

  American Press International

  Washington, DC – December 5, 1968

  The U.S. Coast Guard reported this morning that a woman jumped overboard into the Potomac River last night from a yacht owned by wealthy Greek financier and businessman Theofilio Andrakis. The woman, a student at The University of Virginia, has been identified as Rebecca Carey.

  There is no word at this time as to why Miss Carey was aboard Mr. Andrakis’ yacht. Although the Coast Guard and local law enforcement officials have been searching the Potomac River and surroundings for Miss Carey, there is as yet no word as to her whereabouts. Stay tuned for further word on this puzzling incident that may in fact have mounting international repercussions.

  Charlottesville – The Following Day

  Trevor awoke on Monday morning to the sound of his phone ringing in his ear. Grasping the receiver with one outstretched hand, he croaked blearily into the mouthpiece, “Hello?”

  “Mr. Sutherland?” the voice on the other end queried.

  Shaking off the cobwebs, Trevor replied, “Yes, and to whom am I speaking?”

  “It’s Inspector Rush.”

  “I say, good morning, sir. I am quite relieved to hear from you. Is there any word regarding Miss Carey?”

  “No, I’m afraid not, Mr. Sutherland. I do have a question for you, though.”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “What was Miss Carey wearing when she went overboard?”

  Trevor rubbed his head for a moment and, despite his half awakened state, he responded with self-assurance, “She was wearing a leotard, sir. If memory serves, that is all she had on.”

  “If memory serves!” Inspector Rush exclaimed irately, “I doubt that any man alive could forget that. What else might your memory be missing, Mr. Sutherland?”

  “Nothing that I can think of, sir.”

  “What color was it?”

  “What color was what?”

  “The leotard, you idiot!”

  “Oh, right. It was black. I’m quite certain of that, sir.”

  “The Coast Guard picked up an article of clothing in the river near Mount Vernon. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to return to Washington, Mr. Sutherland.”

  “Why ever for?”

  “We need you to identify the article of clothing.”

  “Yes, of course, Inspector Rush. I assume that you need me to come right away?”

  “That is correct. You have my
card. Please come to the address listed on it. How soon can I expect you, Mr. Sutherland?”

  “I expect that I shall be there by noon, sir.”

  “Excellent. I will see you then.”

  Washington, DC Police Headquarters – Midday

  Trevor was ushered to a waiting area by a policeman who stipulated, “Please wait here, sir.”

  “Thank you,” Trevor replied. After several minutes Inspector Rush came out of an office nearby and, approaching Trevor, he said, “Thank you for coming on short notice, Mr. Sutherland.” Trevor arose and the two shook hands. “Please follow me,” Inspector Rush added brusquely.

  Trailing him into the office, Trevor was surprised to find his mother and father awaiting his arrival within. Summarily launching herself across the small office, Lady Sutherland immediately struck Trevor across the face as hard as she could. For his part, Trevor staggered backwards and nearly fell down but, somehow regaining his footing, he gaped at her, awareness of the magnitude of his predicament slowly setting in.

  “You idiot!” she spat at him, “You worthless scumbag! I can’t believe that you are indeed my son!”

  At this, Lord Sutherland stood and, inserting himself between the pair of combatants, he grasped her gently in a restraining motion, cooing soothingly, “There, there. That will do, Felicité. I should have done it myself, but had I, I might have killed him.” He then turned and, spitting in Trevor’s face, he turned back toward his wife, adding matter-of-factly, “At any rate, he should have a tiny inkling where he now stands with his parents.”

  Throughout this little family squabble Inspector Rush simply stood back with his arms crossed, patiently observing this domestic scene unfold. For his part, Trevor said nothing, aware that at the very least he was in deep trouble both personally and legally.

  A few moments of further silence elapsed as the three glared at one another, Trevor still rubbing his face where Lady Sutherland had struck him.

  At length, Trevor turned to Inspector Rush and inquired respectfully, “Is there any word? Have they found Miss Carey? Is she alive?”

  Inspector Rush replied, “No, they haven’t found her yet. They have begun dredging the river. But there is no further word at this time.”

  Still stroking his now rubicund face, Trevor volunteered, “I should like to help in any way that I can, sir.”

  Rounding on her son at this, Lady Sutherland narrowed her eyes and hissed vehemently, “No, you shan’t, Trevor! You are hereby forbidden from this moment to have anything whatsoever to do with this unfortunate situation, am I understood?”

  “But why, mother?”

  “You fool! It is going to be difficult enough to keep the family name out of this. If you continue to be involved, it could damage our family, and still worse, it could create an international incident between the U.S. and Great Britain, and perhaps even Greece.” She halted and, glaring at him momentarily, she subsequently exclaimed, “You really have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, have you!”

  Trevor stared at her and, his face draining of all color, he uttered disconsolately, “Yes, mother. I understand. I understand all too well. And I promise you, I shall obey your wishes.”

  “You had better obey me, young man, because if you do not, you shall most certainly wish that you had.”

  Still smarting at the force of her blow, he replied sullenly, “Yes, mother.”

  Lady Sutherland now squared her shoulders and, proceeding towards the door, she announced without so much as a backward glance, “I shall deal with you further as soon as Inspector Rush is quite finished with you. You are to come straight home.” And then she was gone from the room.

  Inspector Rush now announced to Ambassador Sutherland, “I will see that he comes directly to your residence when I am finished with him, sir.”

  Ambassador Sutherland turned to the inspector and responded politely, “We shall be at home awaiting his arrival. Thank you for your patience and understanding, Inspector,” and at this he too departed.

  Inspector Rush then turned to Trevor, commanding, “You should probably have a seat, Mr. Sutherland. I’m afraid that we are not finished here.” Taking his seat behind his desk, he added perfunctorily, “Now, I am taping this conversation,” and as he said this he punched a tape recorder, subsequently ordering, “Please signify that you understand that I am taping our conversation, Mr. Sutherland.”

  Aware for the first time just how serious the situation, Trevor responded in wide-eyed bewilderment, “Yes, sir, I understand.” He then inquired inanely, “Do you want me to identify the article of clothing?”

  “Mr. Sutherland, there is no article of clothing. That was simply a ruse to persuade you to return to Washington.”

  “Why ever for, sir?”

  “For questioning, but more importantly, so that we could serve the warrant.”

  “Warrant? What warrant?”

  “The Charlottesville police searched your room while you were in route to Washington,” he replied matter-of-factly.

  At this Trevor paled but said nothing.

  Inspector Rush now opened a dossier and, perusing it at length, he eventually cleared his throat in preamble, “Now then, let me see if I have this correct. You arranged for Miss Carey to perform her show at the party on the yacht. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir. That is correct.”

  “Were you aware of the nature of the event?”

  “In what way?”

  “Did you know that Miss Carey would engage in sex with one or more of the attendees at the party?”

  “No, sir! Had I known that, I would most certainly have discouraged her from performing her act.”

  “So she did in fact have sex at the party!”

  “What!” Trevor responded, “You just said she did!”

  “No, sir, I did not! In point of fact, you did, Mr. Sutherland.”

  Realizing his gaffe, Trevor responded miserably, “You tricked me!”

  “It is nonetheless true, is it not?”

  “Yes, I suppose there is no denying it at this point, Inspector.”

  “And you encouraged her to engage in such an act?”

  “No, sir! That was not a part of her act at all!”

  “Her act? Are you implying that she had performed on previous occasions?”

  “Yes, sir, I already told you that part. She performed it on one other occasion, at a Halloween party in Charlottesville.”

  “And you were also present on that occasion?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “So you were pimping for Miss Carey, is that correct?”

  “No, sir!”

  “Oh, come now, Mr. Sutherland. We have evidence to the contrary.”

  “Evidence? What evidence?” Trevor blurted in bewilderment.

  “Sir, we have located your scorecard within your room at the fraternity house in Charlottesville.”

  All color suddenly draining from his face, Trevor gurgled, “Scorecard?”

  “There is no point in denying it, Mr. Sutherland, you have been keeping a dossier of your conquests, most likely for the purpose of blackmailing them, as you so skillfully perpetrated on Miss Carey.”

  At this Trevor responded in sheer terror, “Inspector Rush, I believe that I would like to speak to a lawyer,” adding clumsily, “At this point I have nothing more to say.”

  At this pronouncement Inspector Rush leaned forward and, placing his face close to Trevor’s, he snarled reprovingly, “I should think that you would have quite a bit more to say, Mr. Sutherland. You are in one hell of a lot of trouble, young man!”

  Trevor responded fearfully, “Sir, I admit that I have made some regrettable mistakes. However, I have done nothing whatsoever illegal. I should like to speak to an attorney now.”

  “You’re going to need one, Mr. Sutherland! And, by the way, don’t look for consolation from your parents. They’ve already seen a photocopy of the evidence,” Inspector Rush replied, an
d at this he stood up and stormed out of the office.

  Trevor’s one phone call was to his father, who had already arranged for a lawyer to come down to the station. Trevor was released two hours later. Although no charges were as yet filed, he was prohibited from leaving the country, and he was required to report his whereabouts at all times.

  Thereafter Trevor drove directly to his parents’ ambassadorial residence in Alexandria, whereupon he was treated to a second and more intense round of castigation by his parents. He was given a set of instructions as to his acceptable behavior for the time being and permission was granted for him to return to Charlottesville solely for the purpose of completing the final two weeks of the current term.

  Charlottesville – The Following Day

  On his return to campus, Trevor found that the circumstances of Rebecca’s disappearance had somehow become public knowledge. The news had spread that Trevor was at the root of her demise and, still worse, that he could have averted the tragedy had he been so inclined. The uproar far surpassing anything that he could have expected, he concluded that someone had intervened, as all of his friends had suddenly stopped speaking to him.

  Tired and distraught after two days on campus attempting to persuade friend and foe that he was not at fault, he had no choice but to leave school and go home until things quieted down somewhat. He thus drove back to Alexandria, where he continued to face the wrath of his mother, who informed him that had his father not interceded he would have already been expelled from UVa.

  Alexandria – The Following Day

  Trevor sprawled listlessly within the living room, completely at a loss for something useful to do. Eventually the butler entered the room, announcing that Inspector Rush had arrived for the purpose of seeing Trevor. Ushered into the living room, the inspector failed to so much as say hello before exclaiming, “Mr. Sutherland, why didn’t you tell me that Mr. Andrakis raped Miss Carey onboard the yacht?”

  At this rather brash intrusion, Trevor replied circumspectly, “I say, it didn’t seem important when we first talked. After all, she had just gone missing, and I was at that point quite concerned about her welfare. By the second time we met, there were other issues on everyone’s minds.”

  “So he DID rape her!” Inspector Rush responded accusingly.

  “What!” Trevor responded in confusion, “You just said he did, Inspector.”

  “On the contrary, you did, Mr. Sutherland. I simply queried you about it, and you confirmed it.”

  “Damn! You trapped me yet again, inspector.”

  “That’s a crock!” Inspector Rush responded. “You are one hell of a piece of work, Mr. Sutherland. It seems that everything is about protecting your own ass. You are the worst kind of scum in my opinion. Has it ever even entered your mind that Miss Carey may have drowned that night, or worse, that she may even have been murdered?”

  “Yes, sir, of course it has,” Trevor responded forlornly.

  “Would you be willing to testify in court that you saw her raped, Mr. Sutherland?”

  “Could I check with my lawyer before answering that question, sir? He has advised me not to talk with you unless he is present.”

  “A simple yes or no will do, Mr. Sutherland. Would you be willing to testify?”

  “Sir, I most certainly want to, for Miss Carey’s sake. That is all that I can say at this moment.”

  At this Inspector Rush frowned menacingly at Trevor and requested, “Mr. Sutherland, would you mind asking your mother to join us here for a moment?”

  “Why?”

  “Just do it, please,” Inspector Rush remonstrated.

  Uncertain as to why he had been detailed to do so, Trevor went in search of his mother, who was at this point still not speaking to him. Nonetheless, when he found her, she agreed to meet with the pair of them.

  Upon entering the room, Lady Sutherland offered politely, “How nice to see you again, Inspector Rush. What may I do for you today?”

  “Nice to see you, too, Lady Sutherland. I know that you must be busy, so I will get right to the point of my visit. Did you know that Rebecca Carey was raped by Theofilio Andrakis on the night that she disappeared?”

  “What!” Lady Sutherland blurted and, grasping her throat, she exclaimed, “Surely not, Inspector. How horrible!” She then turned and, eyeing Trevor sternly, she appeared to weigh his reaction to this disclosure.

  “Your son has just corroborated the fact, Lady Sutherland. He appears to have witnessed the rape,” Inspector Rush put in.

  “Good God, Trevor!” she exclaimed, “What in heaven’s name is going on? It has been more than a week since that young lady disappeared, and you are just getting around to disclosing that she was raped? Although I doubt that anything you could utter would justify such reprehensible behavior, do you have anything to say for yourself?”

  “Mother, I’ve made quite a mess of things. Believe me when I say that I’ve been trying since that night to set things right. Unfortunately, I’ve not been doing a very good job of it. Please, mother, I need your help. I am afraid that without your help, I shall make yet a worse mess of it!”

  At this she eyed him sternly and exclaimed, “Trevor, I’m afraid that I cannot help you if you cannot see your way to tell the truth.”

  “Mother, the lawyer has advised me to say nothing to Inspector Rush,” Trevor replied. “I want to answer him, but I’ve been advised not to.”

  “To hell with the lawyer, Trevor! If you want my help, then tell Inspector Rush the truth. Tell him the whole truth!” and it was clear from her tone that she was not making a suggestion.

  “Yes, mother,” Trevor replied, and at this he immediately turned to Inspector Rush, volunteering, “Yes sir, I would be willing to testify that I saw Theofilio Andrakis rape Miss Carey.”

  “Alright, Mr. Sutherland,” Inspector Rush supplied and, his eyes narrowing in accusation, he expounded, “I am certainly glad that you are not a relation of mine, because if you were, I would at this very moment be flaying you alive, you insignificant little piece of worm dung.” At this Inspector Rush glared silently at Trevor, clearly awaiting a response, indeed any response at all. Hearing none, he added, “Do not stray far, Mr. Sutherland. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it would be inadvisable for you to so much as leave this house. I will have more questions for you very soon.”

  “Yes, sir,” Trevor replied, but by then Inspector Rush had already left the room.

  Lady Sutherland simply stood frowning at her son, apparently mystified as to what on earth had possessed him to behave so disgracefully. For his part, Trevor could not remember the last time that he had seen his own mother utterly speechless. It was perhaps the most disheartening revelation in his entire life - the realization that he had lost his own mother’s endearment and respect.

  Alexandria – A Week Later

  Trevor suffered through an entire week, during which he paced incessantly about like a caged animal. He felt a desperate compulsion to do something, indeed anything at all, but there was little that could be done but to wait. At length, he found himself unable to concentrate on anything whatsoever beside Rebecca.

  At one point he wrote her a letter, but immediately thereafter tore it up and threw it away. Two days later he wrote her another letter, but he tore it up as well. Words would not, indeed could not suffice. He was for the first time in his life confronted with an impossible situation, one that can neither be solved nor reconciled, thus presenting an even more sickening alternative – the incomprehensible realization that there was no alternative but to live with it.

  After ten interminable torture-ridden days, the phone finally rang. It was Inspector Rush. “Mr. Sutherland, I am calling to tell you that the district attorney has decided that no charges will be filed. Under the circumstances, you are free to get on with your life.”

  “I say, Inspector…what do you mean by ‘no charges will be filed’? Against me, or against Mr. Andrakis?”r />
  “No charges will be filed against either of you. Every attendee at the party except you has denied having seen a rape onboard. And since the chief witness has either disappeared or worse, it is not possible to pursue the rape charge at this time. Thus, since a charge of rape is out of the question, it has been determined by the District Attorney that there is insufficient evidence to charge you with a crime as well.”

  “Whew! So I can move on,” Trevor replied with relief.

  At this Inspector Rush offered, “Mr. Sutherland, may I give you a piece of advice?”

  Wanting no part of the inspector’s guidance but afraid to say no, Trevor replied meekly, “Yes, sir.”

  Inspector Rush admonished, “You have participated in some highly reprehensible activities. These actions would appear to me to be leading you on a direct path towards a life of crime. You, sir, are at a crossroads. If you do not significantly alter your behavior immediately, your life will spiral downwards into a place described aptly in Dante’s Inferno. Get your act together, Mr. Sutherland, and do it now, or the next time I see you, you will either be in prison, or worse, you will be stone cold on a metal table. Mark my words, Mr. Sutherland, you can still right your life, but you must take heroic measures very soon in order to do so.”

  Trevor responded dejectedly, “Yes, sir. Thank you for your advice,” and, hearing the click on the other end, he hung up the phone.

  That afternoon Trevor made a copy of the video that he had made that night on the yacht. The following day he rented a safety deposit box and placed the original video within it. He sealed the copy in a metal box and buried it in the woods.

  Realizing that his college days were over, he didn’t bother attempting to return to UVa. Having lost the confidence of his parents, he simply lollygagged about at home, attempting to determine what he might do to restore his sense of self respect, not to mention his entire life.

  A week later Trevor’s last remaining friend Bryan graduated from the University of Virginia and was commissioned into the U.S. Army. With two weeks leave before he was supposed to report to Fort Bragg, Bryan came to see Trevor for one last visit in Alexandria, whereupon he found Trevor in a state of extreme depression. He did his best to coax Trevor from his melancholy, but it was no good. After two days, Bryan said his goodbyes to Trevor and set out for his first military posting.

  The following day Trevor Sutherland enlisted in the U.S. Army.