Gregory shook his head, “That’s why I didn’t include her as a witness to the threat.”
“Why is that?”
“She would have denied it.”
“Why?”
Gregory lowered his head, “She would have had to admit purchasing drugs from the three men and she would have been forced to enter a rehab clinic. She told me many times that she would kill herself before she was ever forced to do that again.” Gregory paused and took a breath. “I suspect she deliberately overdosed after they took me.”
The judge stared at Gregory and said, “Mr. Jennings, the evidence was overwhelming against you.”
Gregory looked up, “I know. And I don’t blame you for what happened. You looked at the evidence and made the only possible choice you could make.”
The judge stared at Gregory for a long moment and then said, “No, I didn’t.” The room grew louder, and the judge jerked his head to the gallery. They immediately became silent again. He turned back to Gregory and continued, “But before I get into that, let’s talk about what happened last night. I believe that you acted without thinking about the consequences in the heat of the moment, is that right?” Gregory nodded. “But now you’ve had time to consider what you did and what it means to your future. Knowing what you know now, would you have done it differently?” Gregory was silent and the judge said, “Consider your answer carefully, Mr. Jennings.”
Gregory looked at the Mayor and his family. His wife was holding her daughter’s hand and Gregory saw the daughter shaking her head slightly trying to tell him to say he wouldn’t. Gregory looked down and remembered what Lou said in his trial; his answer landed him in the docks. He then remembered the last thing the Port Manager told him, ‘Make Lou Proud’. Lou had answered honestly, and he decided he would do the same. He looked up at the Mayor, “I initially questioned why you deserve more of a right to live than I do. I beat myself up for what I did knowing that my life was pretty much over.” Gregory turned to the judge, “However, he did nothing to lose his life to a killer. I would have done the same thing again, Sir.”
The judge stared at Gregory and sat back on his chair. After a moment, he looked out at the courtroom and said, “I sentenced Mr. Jennings to a life sentence and at the time, I felt I had done the right thing.” He turned to Gregory, “You said I made the decision based on the evidence.” Gregory nodded. “I’ll never forget that I was tired that night when you were brought in and I was forced to remain until you regained consciousness. By the time you did, I was irritable and in a bad mood. I listened to your alibi and chose to ignore it. I read through all the witnesses’ testimony from the scene of the crime, but I wasn’t really paying attention to what I was reading. More than twenty people had given depositions and some of them were quite lengthy. I sentenced you before I received your file from the school you attended. It came in a few minutes later and I learned that you were an all A student with a superior IQ. I remember saying that even the smart ones could be bad.”
The judge was silent for a long moment and then continued, “I couldn’t get your case out of my mind; it haunted me for years and still does. After five years, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I pulled your file and took another look at it. I believed that you ran because you saw the family attack the three men that broke through the door with pikes and spears and you knew they would have killed you. But I pulled the coroner’s records and saw that the smallest of the three men was over six feet tall and weighed more than three hundred pounds. There was no possible way for you to see around them. I also pulled the testimony of the man who was the first to arrive. He said that as soon as the men broke down the door, you dropped your sword and turned to run. He put his pike on your chest and you immediately fell to your knees and put your hands behind your head. He threw you to the ground and kept his pike on your back. I went to the school you attended and talked to the guidance councilor and she told me that you never had an altercation with any of the other students. So when you say I looked at the evidence, it’s clear I did not.”
The judge shook his head slightly, “I went to a close friend on the Appellate Court and asked him if it was possible to have your case appealed; he told me no. There was sufficient evidence to convict you and without new evidence, the court would not consider an appeal. I decided that I would never issue another sentence without reviewing all the evidence. I became a better judge as a result of your case Mr. Jennings. However, it’s clear to me that I sentenced an innocent man to a life sentence fourteen years ago. I am issuing a ruling that your life sentence be expunged from your record and you be declared innocent of the charges brought against you. I will authorize this based on new evidence of my incompetence in handling your case. I will also call for the Review Board to examine what I did and determine if I’m fit to sit on the bench. I will also require the State of Massachusetts to determine what restitution you deserve for the wrong that was perpetrated on you for false imprisonment. The sentence you were given will be voided from the date it was issued.”
The judge paused and looked around the silent courtroom. “Since your sentence is removed from that date, you were not eligible to be in the Fresh Start program in that you were not a criminal when you entered it. Therefore, you were not bound by its conditions. You were well within your rights as a free citizen to prevent the attack and I rule that you are innocent of any wrong doing. The charges against you are dismissed and you are free to go. Lieutenant, remove his collar.” Jiles smiled and put a device against the collar. It fell off and pinged on the floor. The judge raised his gavel and Gregory saw the clock. He rushed up to the bench and said, “I’VE GOT TO GET TO WORK!”
The judge looked down at him, “Mr. Jennings, there are a lot of people here that wish to speak to you.”
“Sir, I’ve got to get to work before eight!”
“Why?’
“If I’m not there, the assembly line will be slowed, and every workers production bonus will be affected…Please!”
The judge looked at Jiles, “I’ll get him there, Your Honor.”
“Use the back door to leave, I’ll explain to the gallery why you left.”
Gregory and Jiles ran out the door and the room exploded into a roar. The Judge raised his hands and after the room settled down, he explained why Gregory rushed out. The Mayor walked up to the Judge and said, “May I have a copy of his file?”
“Why would you want that?”
“I’d like to know about the man who saved my life.”
The judge nodded and said, “Rose Mary, copy this file for the Mayor.”
Rose Mary turned to him and smiled, “Please come with me.”
• • •
Gregory looked at Jiles as he flew above Boston with the siren blaring and the emergency lights flashing, “Thanks for being there for me.”
Jiles shook his head, “Your case has always bothered me too. I’m glad I wasn’t needed.” They landed in front of the factory just before eight and Gregory staggered slightly as he got out of the car, “Are you alright?”
“I’m exhausted. I didn’t get any sleep last night and I’m still suffering from the shock.” Gregory rushed into the factory and clocked in exactly at eight. He ran to his position on the assembly line and Noel looked at him, “What’s with the prisoner garb and no collar?”
“Long story, I’ll tell you later.” Gregory went to a chair during the fifteen-minute morning break and Noel said, “You don’t look too good.”
“Just tired, I’ll make it.”
At lunch, Gregory pulled three chairs together and laid down on them. Noel gave him half of his sandwich and forced him to eat it. He instantly closed his eyes and was out of it. He was physically and emotionally exhausted from the day’s events. Everyone was asking about why Gregory was wearing a prisoner’s uniform when Pat walked up and shouted, “You can read about it in the paper! Now shut up and let the man sleep!”
Jerry arrived and gave Gregory a hotdog and he ate it before the assembly
line started. Gregory made it to five o’clock and Pat gave him a ride home. He spent his first night as a free man dead asleep. His world had changed but it didn’t change Gregory. He was back at work on time the next morning.
• • •
Three weeks passed and Gregory finally gave an interview to the reporter that spent the night in jail for speaking out. The reporter visited the docks and spoke with the team Gregory worked on and learned about him breaking up a fight years earlier. He wrote his story and Gregory read it one evening. He shook his head and determined that he just wasn’t the person being described in the story. He was simply a man trying to survive in the time of the Suppression.
One night he arrived at home and saw a car parked out front. He jogged up and the young woman who was the Mayor’s daughter stepped out. His brow furrowed and she said, “Please, give me just a minute.”
“I only did what anyone would have done Miss.”
“My name is Allison and I don’t know if that’s true but that’s not why I’m here.” Gregory stared at her for a moment and nodded. She sat down on the hood of her car and began, “No one has been able to determine why my father was attacked that night. They’ve not been able to find any connection to the attacker and are at a loss as to a motive.” Gregory nodded. “It was my fault,” Allison said softly. Gregory sat down on the hood beside her and she sighed, “Lewis had been pestering me to go out with him for months and I tried to politely turn him down; he was weird, and he frightened me. However, he was persistent, and I finally had to tell him that I would never, ever go out with him. I told him I would call the police if he continued to harass me.”
“How did he know you?”
“I’m attending graduate school to get a doctorate in accounting and he’s an undergraduate. We had no classes together, so he was never connected to me. His expression when I rejected him was…frightening. I should have contacted the police…but I didn’t. He knew how much I loved my father and he was there that night to punish me for what I did.”
“How did he know you were going to be there?”
“My father was the keynote speaker at a civic meeting and the newspaper reported that he and his family were going to be present. Lewis was waiting on our arrival.”
Gregory saw the pain in her eyes and said, “You had no fault in what happened.” She looked at him and Gregory continued, “You didn’t know he would do what he did. And you were absolutely right in rejecting him. Never go against your better judgment in the future because of what happened. If your instincts tell you no, then go with them. You cannot blame yourself for his death; that’s on him.”
“I just…”
Gregory put his hand on her chin and turned her head to him, “Don’t do it! The odds of you running into another psycho are against it ever happening again. Don’t allow your fear to cause you to make a bad decision.” She stared at him and nodded. Gregory smiled and said, “I need to take a shower. I’m glad I was able to help that night.” He stood up off the hood and walked toward his apartment. Allison watched him walk away and thought you also helped me tonight. She got into her car and drove away.
• • •
Dan was sitting in the den reading Gregory’s file while Martha and Allison were watching television. After a few minutes he grunted. Martha and Allison looked at him and Martha asked, “What was that about.”
“What?”
“You grunted.”
Dan waved a hand, “Oh. The man that saved us is going to college on line; his grades are impressive.” Martha stared at him and Dan shook his head, “He has a 4.0 grade point average for his freshman year and he’s taking some pretty difficult math courses.”
“Such as?” Martha asked.
“Well, his first course was Calculus and Analytic Geometry. His second course was Advanced Calculus.”
Martha’s eyes narrowed, “Where is he going to school.”
Dan looked down, “SNU University.”
“Do you have the numerical transcripts?”
Dan passed the papers to Martha, “I don’t know; take a look.”
Martha began thumbing through the papers and said, SNU has one of the best mathematical schools in the country. She found what she was looking for and sat up straight in her chair. Allison saw her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Martha looked up, “His numerical grade for those two courses is 100. He hasn’t missed a question on any of the tests.”
“Is that good?” Dan asked.
“It’s impossible,” Martha replied.
Allison raised a shoulder, “The judge said in court he had a superior IQ.”
“No one is this smart.”
Martha was silent and Dan asked, “What are you thinking?”
“He just can’t be this smart.”
“What if he is?” Allison asked.
“Then he should be attending a college that will challenge his abilities.”
Dan smiled, “Like MIT?”
Martha turned to him, “You’re just being cute; but yes.”
“How would you find out, mother?”
Martha stared at the transcripts and said, “Give him a challenge he can’t refuse.”
• • •
Gregory arrived at the apartment and saw the woman’s car parked out front. He had some groceries in his backpack, and he saw the two women step out of the car. He stopped and Allison said, “Gregory, this is my mother.”
Gregory nodded, “I recognize her from the courtroom. Why are you here?”
“We’ve been looking at your transcripts from SNH and…” Martha began.
“Why do you have my transcripts?” Gregory interrupted.
“The judge gave a copy of your file to my husband. He is the Mayor of Boston and he was curious about the man who saved his life. He will keep everything confidential, but he noticed that you are doing quite well in your math courses at SNU.” Gregory shrugged. “Well, I know a few things about mathematicians, and I happen to know the good ones like a challenge.”
Gregory smiled slightly, “Are you here to offer me a challenge?”
“As a matter of fact, I am, and I don’t believe you’re up to it,” Martha replied.
Gregory took off his backpack and put it on the ground. “Exactly what kind of challenge are you offering?”
My husband believes you can handle any math challenge thrown your way, but I believe he’s prejudiced because you saved his life. I made a bet with him that you couldn’t score a B on one of our basic tests.”
“And who is ‘our’?”
“I work in the math department at MIT.” Gregory stared at her and Allison said, “Mom, I told you he wouldn’t want to do this; just leave him alone.”
Martha smiled, “What about it; are you up to a challenge. I win the bet if you refuse to take it.”
Gregory tilted his head, “Betting against me in math isn’t a good thing to do.”
Martha waved a hand, “I’ve seen some good mathematicians in my day, Mr. Jennings. Are you up to being challenged?”
“Exactly when would this challenge take place?”
Martha raised her hands, “Right now.”
Gregory frowned and Allison said, “Mom, you’re pressuring him just to win a silly bet with Dad…”
Gregory interrupted her, “Bets are serious things. But I need time to put away the groceries and take a shower.”
Martha crossed her arms, “Like you said, bets are serious things. We’ll wait.”
Gregory chuckled, “I don’t have any plans this afternoon. You’re on.”
• • •
Gregory walked out thirty minutes later and got in the car. Allison drove them to MIT and Martha turned around, “Mr. Jennings, I feel like I’ve pressured you into this and you can call it off if you want.”
“Will that mean you win the bet?” Martha nodded. “We’re here, let’s do it.”
Martha turned to Allison, “I’ll call you when he’s done with the challenge.” They got
out of the car and Allison drove away. Martha led him into a large building, and they entered a room with rows of desks with computers on them. A man walked up, and Martha smiled, “This is Doctor Ridgeway. My husband insisted that I couldn’t grade the test you’re about to take. Dr. Ridgeway runs the testing center and he will grade the test you’re going to take.”
The man held out a hand to Gregory, “Call me Robert.” Gregory shook his hand and smiled, “Call me Gregory.”
Martha said, “Robert, I’m going to my office to grade some tests. Call me when he runs out of time.”
Gregory’s eyes narrowed, “You don’t expect me to complete the test.”
Martha waved a hand, “What good would it be to bring you here and not give you a challenge. Ta-ta.”
She walked out of the room and Robert smiled, “Sit in the front desk on this row and I’ll download the test. There are five sections to the test and each one is harder than the previous section. You may not go back in a section once you have begun another one. Do you have any questions?”
“How much time do I have?”
“Five hours.”
Gregory flinched, “Boy, this is some challenge.”
Robert nodded, “You may begin the test…now.”
Gregory saw the first problem appear and he stared at it for a moment. Robert went to his desk and began grading tests. He watched Gregory and saw he was into the exam.
• • •
Robert looked up and saw Gregory leaning back in his desk with his hands behind his head staring out of the window. “Are you taking a break, Gregory?”
Gregory leaned forward, “No, I finished the last question about twenty minutes ago. I didn’t want to interrupt you; you appeared to be quite focused on your computer.”
Robert pulled up Gregory’s exam on his monitor and saw he had finished the last question thirty minutes earlier. Robert looked at the starting time and saw Gregory had completed the test in slightly less than three hours. Gregory smiled, “How did I do Doc?”
Robert shook his head, “I need to confirm you completed every section.”
Gregory laughed, “The first four sections were simple enough; it was that last section that was the real challenge. I have to admit I really enjoyed it.”
The Watcher II: The Time of Suppression Page 12
