A YOUNG SUCCUBUS NAMED DELICIA by Michel Poulin - HTML preview

CHAPTER 35 – INTOLERANCE

 

20:37 (California Time)

Sunday, December 30, 1973

Patricia Love’s home, Westwood District

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Patricia was in a good mood when she arrived by taxi at her Westwood home and was able to drop her multiple bags in the main bedroom. The vacation in Japan had been both delightful and productive, for both her and John. While John was now proudly watching over two dragon eggs in his bar’s basement, she had purchased in the Shinjuku Ward of Tokyo lots of exotic and very sexy lingerie and accessories which should allow her to renew and spice up Jennifer Woods’ performances at the ‘Pussycat Cabaret’. However, the purchase she was most proud of was a superbly crafted Katana sword, bought from an old sword-making master, which also came with an equally beautiful Wakizashi short sword and a Tanto knife. Taking her new Katana out of its protective box, Patricia slowly pulled the blade out of its decorated scabbard and admired it for a moment. Her late father, Gideon the Archangel, had taught her at a very young age how to use a greatsword and even taught her the basics of the trade of weapon smithing. Unfortunately, he had been killed before he could finish teaching her his knowledge about swords and their use. Despite of that, Delicia had kept an interest in blade weapons, practicing with various swords and sabers in her free time during her years in France and paying experts to give her occasional classes in sword fighting. With this Katana, she now had a weapon truly worthy of the name, a sword that she fully intended to impregnate eventually with magical powers. Then, Avenging Angels coming after her were going to regret tangling with her.

Taking the time first to undo her bags and put away her things, Patricia then decided to call a good friend, with ideas for some wild sex in her mind. Composing the number for Robert Purnell’s apartment on her bedroom telephone, she was surprised to hear the telephone at the other end ring repeatedly, without getting an answer. She knew Purnell fairly well by now and knew that he typically was home on Sunday

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evenings, in order to study a bit before attending his classes at the UCLA on Monday mornings. On the other hand, New Year was only two days away, so maybe Robert had gone to visit another friend. She thus composed next the telephone number of a mutual friend of theirs, another closet gay young man studying at the UCLA. This time, she got an answer after two rings.

‘’Hello? Who is it?’’

‘’Jim? This is Sylvia! Are you okay? You sound weird.’’

‘’Sylvia? I tried to contact you repeatedly during the last five days, but you never answered.’’

‘’I was in Japan, on vacation, and just arrived home. Why were you trying to contact me? Is something wrong?’’

Patricia then had the impression that Jim Walker was about to break down and cry.

‘’It…it is about Bob Purnell: he is in hospital, in a coma.’’

‘’WHAT? IN WHAT HOSPITAL? WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?’’

‘’He is at the Good Samaritan Hospital, on Wilshire Boulevard. Him and me had gone to a Christmas party at a club in Santa Monica, a party for gay men. The police burst inside the club halfway through the party and started arresting men left and right, accusing them of homosexuality and systematically beating people in the process. A cop started beating me with his truncheon and that enraged Bob, who then punched that cop senseless. Unfortunately, five more cops attacked Bob and beat him to a pulp, causing a severe commotion. These bastards then threw me, Bob and many others in jail, ignoring my pleas for medical attention for Bob for hours before someone finally called for an ambulance. By then, Bob had slipped into a coma. I was myself released a day later on bail and was then able to visit Bob at the Good Samaritan Hospital a number of times. He is still in a coma, but that has not stopped those cop pigs from handcuffing him to his hospital bed and from charging him with assaulting and wounding a police officer. Even if he comes out of his coma, he will still be in deep legal trouble and will most probably be publicly known as a homosexual, thus ending his football career with the Bruins.’’

Patricia/Delicia now felt anger and rage boiling up inside her. If there was anything that she loathed most, it was hypocrisy, the kind of hypocrisy that made so-called ‘normal’ people consider homosexuals as degenerates and deviants. Those same ‘normal’ people however didn’t have much compunction about paying for the services of prostitutes or to look at pornographic pictures or movies, all in secret of course!

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‘’Thank you for the information, Jim. I’m going to go visit Bob at the hospital right away. We will talk again tomorrow evening.’’

Patricia then put down the receiver and thought about all the possible things this could cause to Robert. Jim had been right to say that his reputation was probably going to be tarnished, even if he didn’t go to jail. In today’s macho culture of American university football, being known as a homosexual was a sure way to kill a sporting career. As for homosexuality itself, she knew that sodomy was still considered a criminal act in many states, although she wasn’t sure about California. She would however have ample time to check on that later on, after having visited Robert. Concentrating for a moment, she morphed into the shape of Sylvia Thorne, but made a change to it, making her genitals female ones instead of the male ones which Robert had appreciated so much. If she could provide an alibi to Robert by declaring herself as his girlfriend, then maybe part of his legal troubles would disappear. Making sure first to change her identity papers in her purse to those in the name of Sylvia Thorne, she then called for a taxi to pick her up: there was no sense in being seen arriving at the hospital in a car registered in the name of a certain Patricia Love.

The Good Samaritan Hospital being fairly close to her Westwood home, Sylvia/Delicia arrived there less than fifteen minutes later. Leaving a generous tip to the happy driver, she nearly ran inside the reception lobby of the hospital and went to the female receptionist sitting behind a counter on one side of the lobby.

‘’Excuse me, miss, but I am here to see a patient named Robert Purnell. I just learned that he was admitted days ago, suffering from a commotion and being in a coma.’’

‘’I am sorry, miss, but visiting hours are over. You will have to come back tomorrow, between nine o’clock and…’’

Getting pissed again, Delicia bent forward and spoke in a cold voice, at the same time that she threw a ‘Suggestion’ spell at her.

‘’Miss, my boyfriend is in a coma and may die at any time. Are you refusing me a chance to see him while he is still alive?’’

‘’Uh, let me contact the intensive care unit and see what I can do, miss.’’

‘’Thank you!’’

As she was waiting for the receptionist to do her call, Delicia noticed that another visitor, a man wearing a dark blue suit, was discreetly eyeing her while pretending to read a

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newspaper he held in his hands. Now on her guards, she briefly saw the police badge hooked at the man’s belt, which became visible for a moment as his vest opened a bit when he crossed his legs. Delicia quickly understood what was the game here: the man was probably a detective from the L.A.P.D. Vice Squad, placed here to identify and catch any homosexual who would want to visit Robert Purnell. He was close enough from the reception counter to have heard Delicia say that she wanted to visit Purnell. Well, if that was the case, Delicia was certainly not going to go gently on that detective if he became too assertive or aggressive towards her: she had many ways to hurt or even kill that man and still make it look like an accident or sudden illness.

The receptionist finally looked back at Sylvia/Delicia at the end of her call.

‘’Miss, in view of the state of your friend, the doctor on duty on his floor will allow you to make a short visit. He is in Room 414, fourth floor.’’

‘’Thank you very much, miss.’’

Delicia didn’t miss the fact that the police detective hurried to get into another elevator cabin as she called and entered a cabin to go to the fourth floor. Once up on the said floor, she quickly orientated herself and walked down a large corridor, eyeing the room numbers as she went. To her irritation, a policeman in uniform interposed himself when she tried to walk inside Robert’s room.

‘’I am sorry, miss, but this patient is under police custody.’’

‘’And that gives you the right to deny him all visitors’ privileges while he lays in a coma? You want me to sue you for abuse of power?’’

With her powers to intimidate set at full, her threat made the policeman hesitate, then step aside. As she walked in and had her first look at Robert in his hospital bed, a doctor wearing a white coverall joined her in the room to speak to her in a near whisper.

‘’Miss, I am Doctor Franklin, the doctor on duty on this floor. I have been treating your friend since his arrival. He is in a deep coma and it would take little to make his body give up at this stage. I will urge you to not try to make him speak and not shake him up.’’

‘’I understand, Doctor.’’ replied Delicia, her voice nearly choking up on seeing the battered, swollen face of Robert. ‘’Those bastards really beat him up badly, as I was told by another friend.’’

Franklin nodded his head once but did not reply to that. He himself had been incensed on seeing in what state that patient had been brought in, rather late on top of it, by the

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police. His protestations on seeing Purnell being cuffed to his bed had been in vain, but he had still brought the matter all the way to the top levels of the hospital’s administration. Unfortunately, the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, Edward Davis, apparently intended to play hardball in this case.

‘’I will let you alone with him for a few minutes, miss. Again, please be careful not to disturb his sleep: his body needs to rest if it is going to recuperate at all.’’ Franklin then walked out of the room, leaving Sylvia/Delicia alone with Robert. Approaching slowly her friend, she contemplated with growing emotion and grief his battered head and face and the various tubes and monitoring wires connected to him. In the year and a half that she had known him, Robert Purnell had proved to be a gentle and kind young man with no meanness in him, despite his love for the rough sport of American football. He had also proved to be an intelligent and tolerant person of absolute honesty. His only negative point, if one considered it as such, was his homosexuality, which he had been forced to hide due to the intolerance shown these days in Los Angeles and in the rest of the United States. Tears started coming out of her eyes as she bent over and approached her face to his face and gently touched his temples with her hands.

‘’My poor Robert! What have these bastards done to you?’’ As both of their faces nearly touched, Delicia was suddenly shocked to see her hands starting to glow lightly. She certainly knew what this meant, but she still couldn’t believe her eyes: Demons were not supposed to be able to have the power to cure wounds! Her surprise however turned quickly into resolve: not worrying any more about how this could be possible, she instead closed her eyes and concentrated while keeping her hands against his temples.

‘’Heal your brain, Robert! Come out of this coma!’’

She stayed like this for a long moment, losing track of time. When she finally opened her eyes again, it was to see that Robert was now looking at her.

‘’S…Sylvia? Where am I?’’

She then couldn’t help kiss him on the lips, overjoyed, before answering him in a soft voice.

‘’You are at the Good Samaritan Hospital, Robert. You have been in a coma for five days. You however need to rest. Don’t speak further and don’t try to move: I will go get your doctor.’’

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Walking quickly out of the room and passing by the policeman guarding it, Sylvia went to the nearby nursing station and addressed the senior nurse on duty there.

‘’Nurse, my friend in Room 414 just woke up from his coma. Please advise Doctor Franklin immediately.’’

The nurse froze in disbelief for a short instant, then recovered her wits and punched the button of her P.A. system.

‘’Doctor Franklin to Room 414! Doctor Franklin to Room 414, please. The patient has awakened.’’

The nurse then grabbed her stethoscope and headed for Robert’s room at a quick pace, followed closely by Sylvia. The police detective whom she had seen first in the lobby however cut her path while flashing his badge in her face.

‘’Los Angeles Police! I need to ask you a few questions, miss.’’

‘’Can’t it wait, dammit? My friend just awoke from a coma.’’

‘’No, it cannot wait! Your friend assaulted a police officer and was at a gay party when arrested. Identify yourself!’’

Making a show of looking furious, Sylvia fished her wallet from her purse and took out her driver’s permit, showing it to the detective.

‘’Here! Satisfied? As for my friend being gay, you are sorely mistaken: I am his girlfriend.’’

‘’Right!’’ replied the detective, clearly skeptical, before noting down her name and address in a notebook.

‘’Now, could you let me see my boyfriend?’’

‘’Boyfriend my ass!’’ Said the detective, who then made a huge mistake: thinking that she was a transvestite man in disguise, he put his right hand under her short skirt to feel her genitals. Sylvia immediately recoiled in indignation while shouting out loud.

‘’DON’T TOUCH ME LIKE THIS, YOU PERVERT!’’

Looking quickly around him, the detective paled when he saw that two nurses nearby had seen him touch her crotch and were now eyeing him with reprobation. Even the policeman on duty in front of Room 414 was looking at him crossly.

‘’I…you are mistaken, miss. I…’’

‘’YOU TOUCHED MY GENITALS! THAT’S HOW YOU USE YOUR POLICE BADGE? TO FONDLE WOMEN?’’

Doctor Franklin, who had also seen the detective’s gesture from a distance, then interposed himself, looking severely at the police officer.

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‘’I saw you reach with your hand under her skirt, mister. Show me your badge and police I.D. or I will call security.’’

‘’But you don’t understand! She is probably a transvestite coming to visit his homosexual boyfriend.’’

‘’BULLSHIT!’’ Replied Sylvia, playing the indignation card to the hilt. ‘’I CAN PROVE EASILY ENOUGH TO THIS DOCTOR AND THOSE NURSES THAT I AM INDEED A WOMAN. THEN, I WILL HAVE CHARGES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST ME AND FALSE ARREST AGAINST MY BOYFRIEND LAID AGAINST YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT I KNOW A VERY GOOD LAWYER WHO WILL BREAK YOUR BADGE TO PIECES.’’ With Franklin and the nurses still eyeing him severely and one other nurse starting to call a security guard to their floor, the detective had no choice but to present nervously his badge and police I.D. card to the doctor.

‘’This is all a misunderstanding, Doctor, I assure you.’’

‘’Yeah, sure!’’ said Franklin while noting down the name and badge number of the detective. Having himself been incensed by the extensive wounds inflicted on Robert Purnell during his arrest, and having protested his handcuffing to his bed, he had little sympathy or tolerance for the behavior of L.A.P.D. members when it came to this case. Next, he pointed at the senior nurse present.

‘’Nurse Mansfield, I want you to go examine in private this lady and establish as a fact that she is a woman. If so, I will personally pursue charges of sexual impropriety against this Detective Kyle Ross. In the meantime, I will go examine the patient in Room 414.’’

‘’Understood, Doctor! If you will please follow me, miss.’’ The police detective started sweating heavily as Sylvia disappeared with the senior nurse inside a female washroom. He paled even more when he saw the severe, disgusted look the nurse gave him on coming out of the washroom with Sylvia.

‘’She is without a doubt a woman, mister. Know that I will be happy to testify against you in front of a judge.’’

‘’I…I need to place a call to the police station.’’

‘’Sure, you do, mister!’’ shot back the nurse in a sarcastic tone. As the devastated detective walked away, the nurse pointed to Sylvia a private security guard who was approaching at a near run.

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‘’Don’t worry any more about that bastard, miss: our own security guard will stay with you and ensure that he doesn’t abuse you again while you wait for Doctor Franklin’s diagnostic on your friend.’’

‘’Thank you, Nurse Mansfield. In truth, my only true concern now is for my friend.’’

The graying nurse nodded her head while smiling to her.

‘’And I assure you that we will take good care of him.’’

‘’Talking of care, if there are any problems about paying for his medical bills, I am more than ready to assume the costs of his hospital stay.’’

‘’That is most generous and considerate on your part, miss.’’

‘’That is what friends are for, no?’’

‘’Indeed!’’ said the nurse, obviously liking her. ‘’Then, let’s go to the nursing station. There, we will be able to take your contact information and, if you have one, your credit card information.’’

‘’Oh, I certainly have one, miss.’’ replied Sylvia, briefly searching in her purse and taking out a credit card, showing it to the nurse. Mansfield opened her eyes on seeing that it was the type of credit card reserved for those with very high spending limits.

‘’Oh! Without being indiscrete, may I ask what is your line of work, miss?’’

‘’Professional modeling! However, I am much better known in Europe than here in the United States. I have tons of cash in banks, both here and in Europe.’’

‘’No doubt! Your card will be more than enough to cover the medical bills of your friend. Follow me to the nurses’ station.’’

Sylvia was finishing giving her credit card information to the nurse when Doctor Franklin showed up, appearing a bit bewildered.

‘’I am happy to be able to tell you that your friend is now definitely out of his coma, miss. He however suffered a severe commotion and we will need to keep him here for a day or two at the least, in order to be sure that he doesn’t suffer from other sequels.’’

‘’Thank God!’’ said Sylvia/Delicia, barely keeping herself from invoking the Nine Hells instead. ‘’Can I see him and speak to him now?’’

‘’Yes, but no more than five minutes: he needs to rest.’’

‘’I promise that I will make it quick. Thanks, Doctor!’’

She then nearly ran to Robert’s room, where the policeman on guard duty judiciously decided to stand aside and not interfere with her. Looking at Robert with a loving smile,

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Sylvia slowly approached his bed as he watched her come closer, his eyes still foggy. Snuggling close to him, with her face inches from his face, she kissed him on the lips before speaking in a near whisper.

‘’Welcome back to the living, Robert. You really scared me.’’

‘’What happened to me? The last thing I remember is of fighting with a bunch of cops in that gay bar.’’

‘’Those bastards beat you up so badly that they put you into a coma. We are now on Sunday, December 30, and you just woke up from your coma. Now, listen very carefully to me: this is very important. The police have charged you with assaulting a number of police officers and with being a homosexual. I however intend to force them to drop the charges against you, but you will have to play the game with me.’’

‘’How do you propose to have those charges dropped, Sylvia?’’

‘’By convincing them that you are not a homosexual. You will have to deny being a homosexual, and this even under oath. On my part, I will testify that I am your girlfriend, which should blow a hole in the accusations against you of homosexuality.’’

‘’But, they could have you examined, Sylvia. They will then see that you have a penis.’’

Sylvia shook her head slowly while smiling with malice.

‘’I already proved to a nurse here that I have a vagina, not a penis, so the police is going to look quite stupid if they insist on you being gay.’’

‘’A vagina? But, that’s impossible! I bedded you often enough to know how you are made.’’

Her smile then faded and she stared him in the eyes. This could cost her dearly if Robert somehow didn’t keep secret what she was going to tell him.

‘’Robert, I have a big secret to tell you. In exchange, I will ask you to never repeat it to anyone else and to never write it down. First, promise me that you will keep my secret, whatever it is or however shocking it may be to you.’’

‘’Alright, I will keep mum about your secret, but you don’t make much sense right now, Sylvia. So, what is it?’’

‘’I am a shape-shifting alien, Robert.’’ said matter-of-factly Sylvia, hiding the real truth under another lie. At least, being an alien was probably going to be less of a shock to Robert than to tell him that she was a Demon from Hell. ‘’I am able to morph my body and appearance into either a man or a woman…or something in between. As for my presence here on Earth, it has no nefarious connotations to it, I assure you. My

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spaceship crashed into the ocean decades ago, stranding me on this planet with no hope of being able to call for help, ever. I thus had to use my shape-shifting powers in order to survive and adapt to life here. And, by the way, I am also very long-lived, so I will most probably outlast you by centuries, if I am not killed before. I say that so that you could understand that, while we can be good friends right now, you can’t hope to marry me and live alongside me for more than a few years.’’ A big lump appeared in her throat when she saw his eyes fill with tears after she had said that they couldn’t live together for long.

‘’Sylvia, you were always kind and loving towards me and I often wished that I could live with you for long years. I still do, even after your telling me that you are an alien. However, I understand and accept that it can’t be so beyond a few years. Your secret will be safe with me. I will just ask you to let me love you as long as it is possible.’’

Those last words brought fresh tears to Sylvia’s eyes and she then hugged him while kissing him repeatedly. She finally took back some distance and looked into his eyes.

‘’I will still love you as well, Robert. Now, you still have plenty of problems to face because of your arrest. Here is what we are going to do…’’

Maybe ten minutes later, she walked out of Robert’s hospital room, her mind troubled. Demons were not supposed to cry for others, nor were they truly capable of love, real love that is. Yet, she had cried for Robert and had felt deep distress and sadness at the sight of his pitiful appearance. Magical healing was also not a common skill among Demons, who were much more inclined to use ‘Inflict Wound’ spells. Then, there had been that episode in the Aokigahara Forest in Japan, where she had taken pity on all those ghostly children and had risked calling a Celestial to get help for them. Was she a true Demon after all, or was she a hybrid with some active Celestial blood in her, as Uriel the Archangel had suggested? Delicia felt that, somehow, she had just turned around in a significant way, a way that could be both wonderful and disastrous for her at the same time. Now, more than ever, she was going to have to be very cautious about her contacts with both the Abyss and the Celestial Plane, as too many Demons and Celestials still viewed things solely in black and white, rather than in shades of gray.

15:39 (California Time)

Monday, December 31, 1973

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Offices of the Vice Squad, L.A.P.D. headquarters Parker Center, 150 North Los Angeles Street.

‘’WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, ROSS, TO PUT YOUR HAND UNDER HER SKIRT LIKE THAT IN FULL VIEW OF NURSES AND DOCTORS?’’

‘’But, Lieutenant, I was sure that she was some kind of transvestite, to be claiming like this to be the girlfriend of that queer.’’ answered Kyle Ross, standing in front of the desk of the boss of the Vice Squad and feeling very much in his small shoes. His excuse did little to calm down Lieutenant Bruno Chiarrelli.

‘’Then, you should have checked her out in some empty room or, better still, requested the assistance of a nurse to physically check her out. Now, we are likely going to be hit with either a lawsuit or even a criminal charge against you and the department.’’

‘’Surely, Lieutenant, the District Attorney will dismiss any such charge out of hand.’’

‘’With a doctor and two nurses ready to testify in favor of that woman? Our Christmas raid on that gay bar has already raised a lot more stink than I thought possible, thanks to the presence of a number of sons of rich and influential people at the time.

The ACLU57 also got its nose in this case, big time. Worse, you, the detective in charge of that raid, may just be facing accusations of sexual impropriety or even of sexual assault from that woman. At the very least, this means that you can’t testify anymore in court against that Robert Purnell or against any of the other customers of that gay bar. If you tried to, any good lawyer defending those queers would then have an easy time throwing your testimony out of court. Now, what do you know about that woman?’’ Ross took the time to take out his notepad and consult it before answering Chiarrelli.

‘’Her name is Sylvia Thorne. She lives in an apartment on Colton Street, near Chinatown. I can have her checked out, to see if we could find something embarrassing against her.’’

‘’Do that! However, make sure that you personally stay away from that woman until I say otherwise. Kapiche?’’

‘’Uh, yes, Lieutenant!’’

57 ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union. A private organization dedicated to defending the civil rights of individuals.

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16:21 (California Time)

Vice Squad office, Los Angeles F.B.I. Division

Suite 1700, Wilshire Federal Building, Sawtelle District Los Angeles

‘’Listen up, people: we have a new assignment straight from Washington!’’ On hearing their squad leader, the four F.B.I. agents who had been reading documents or writing reports looked up and sat back in their chairs as Roger Fairfax stopped in the middle of the squad office.

‘’Here is the poop: Director Hoover just tasked us to investigate possible constitutional rights violations by the L.A.P.D. Vice Squad when they raided the ‘Surfers Karaoke Bar’ last Christmas. You guys certainly heard about that raid, right?’’ Grunts and eye rolls greeted his hypothetical question: that raid had made the front pages of the newspapers then, partly because the sons of a few important politicians had been beaten up and arrested, like the other occupants of the bar, during what had been described as a particularly brutal police operation, even by the standards of the L.A.P.D. Fairfax smiled at their reactions.

‘’I see that you do know about that raid. Well, the son of a Washington senator who was beaten up and arrested at that time complained to his father, who in turn complained vigorously to the Attorney General himself, who then ordered Director Hoover to investigate this incident in order to establish if federally recognized constitutional rights were violated.’’

‘’Uh, I could name two or three such rights which were violated then, Roger.’’ replied the rookie of the squad, Janet Coleman, a pretty 25-year-old brunette who held a law degree from Harvard. ‘’We could start with the right of free association and assembly, followed by the right of freedom from discrimination.’’

‘’Very good, Janet! I see that you are already pointing in the right direction. For your knowledge, a complaint of deprivation of constitutional rights has just been registered by that Washington senator. Also, the girlfriend of a young man who had been beaten into a coma by the L.A.P.D. during the raid on that bar just registered an accusation of sexual assault against a Detective Kyle Ross, who happened to be in charge of the raid on the ‘Surfers Karaoke Bar’: he allegedly touched her crotch in public at the Good Samaritan Hospital, while she was visiting her boyfriend.’’

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More than a few brows raised at the word ‘girlfriend’, prompting Special Agent George Adams into asking a question.

‘’Did you say ‘girlfriend’, Roger? When talking about an alleged homosexual, that term sounds a bit contradictory to me.’’

‘’True! That woman however insists that the young man in question, a Robert Purnell, is not a homosexual and was arrested simply for being inside the bar. Oh, one important caveat, though: that Robert Purnell, seeing a friend of his being pummeled with truncheons by a number of L.A.P.D. officers, flew into a rage and punched out one of the officers. He was then jumped on by half a dozen cops who beat him into a coma. He just came out of his coma yesterday, at the Good Samaritan Hospital.’’

‘’Well, if the L.A.P.D. cops truly beat and arrested all those men just because they were inside that bar, that would clearly constitute a violation of the right to free assembly.’’ said Janet. ‘’As for that Robert Purnell, I suppose that he could plea either self-defence or temporary insanity when he saw his friend being beaten up. I suspect that so many irregularities and abuses were committed during that raid by the L.A.P.D. that it would not be difficult for a good lawyer to have all the charges against Purnell dropped.’’

‘’I see that you understand this case well, Janet. I will thus task you to investigate in particular the case of that Robert Purnell and the accusations raised by his girlfriend. George will be your partner and backup on this. It will be a good occasion at the same time for me to evaluate your present level of performance as an investigator.’’

‘’Fair enough, Roger. What info can you give me about that Robert Purnell and his, uh, girlfriend?’’

In response, Fairfax took out a thin file from the leather case he held in his left hand, giving it to Janet.

‘’Here is what we know of him and of his girlfriend. You also have there the official complaint by the girlfriend on behalf of Purnell, plus a copy of the charges and of the picture taken of Purnell after his arrest.’’

Janet opened the file and nearly immediately frowned as she examined the picture of Purnell: his face was blue and swollen nearly all over, while dried blood mated his hair. It was also evident that he had been unconscious when the picture had been taken.

‘’Right there, a good lawyer could claim police brutality and excessive use of force, in my opinion. In my opinion, it is high time that these L.A.P.D. Vice cops be reined in.’’

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‘’Agreed! The federal prosecutor for Los Angeles will be expecting the results of your investigation, so work diligently and quickly, Janet.’’

‘’You can count on me, Roger.’’ said Janet Coleman, already fired up by her new assignment.

As Roger Fairfax started briefing his other two agents on what he was expecting from them, George Adams rolled his chair to beside Janet’s chair, in order to look at the file given to her by Roger. He also winced when he looked at the picture of Purnell.

‘’Poor guy! He certainly didn’t deserve that just for being in a gay bar.’’

‘’An alleged gay bar, George.’’ corrected Janet, her law degree side surfacing. ‘’From what I remember of the news about the raid, the occupants all claimed that no sexual activity was going on in the bar and that they were just drinking and celebrating Christmas. The L.A.P.D. supposedly rushed inside with batons and truncheons held high and started immediately to beat the patrons and the staff of the bar. The arrest procedures used during that raid will certainly be one of the things we will need to establish firmly, in order to build a case of constitutional rights violations. Now, let’s see what we have about that girlfriend of Purnell who laid charges of sexual assault against Detective Ross.’’

‘’By the way, Janet, I know that Ross quite well: he is an arrogant bastard who thinks that his badge allows him to do about anything.’’

‘’Really? That should actually help us in this case. Well, the charge against him was laid by a Sylvia Thorne, domiciled in Apartment 36, 421 Colton Street…’’ Seeing Janet hesitate, George Adams gave her a questioning look.

‘’Is something wrong, Janet?’’

‘’Uh, this must be a hell of a coincidence, but that Sylvia Thorne lives in the same building as Jennifer Woods, the stripper from the ‘Pussycat Cabaret’ who helped us in last June’s case of child kidnapping and snuff porn. In fact, she lives on the same floor, next door to Woods, who occupies Apartment 34.’’

‘’Interesting! And what is her official occupation?’’

‘’According to this affidavit, she is a professional model. I guess that one of our first steps will be to go visit her. Then we will go visit Purnell at the hospital.’’

‘’Sounds like a plan to me. I will go sign for a car.’’

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Twelve minutes later, they were rolling out of the underground garage of their building in an unmarked dark blue Ford sedan. With George Adams at the wheel, they took Wilshire Boulevard, heading east in the dense afternoon traffic, then turned north on the Pasadena Freeway, exiting at the Beverly Boulevard. Turning right once at the corner with Lucas Avenue, they turned right again on Colton Street.

‘’I now remember the place from when we were keeping a protective stakeout of Woods’ apartment building, when that Hurst bastard was sending hired assassins her way. By the way, has anyone caught that Hurst yet, or his lawyer stooge?’’

‘’Nope! They seem to have disappeared from the face of this Earth.’’ replied Janet, not knowing how close to the truth she was. ‘’Here we are: number 421!’’ George was about to pull over and park in front of the run-down brick building when he noticed something and abruptly parked short of the apartment block.

‘’Heads up, Janet! I see an unmarked van parked in front of Thorne’s building: it has an L.A. municipal plate on it. I bet that the L.A.P.D. is watching Thorne’s apartment.’’

Janet frowned at that: that sounded very much like a retaliatory harassment tactic against someone who had complained against the L.A.P.D., something quite illegal by itself if no legal justification existed.

‘’Decidedly, those idiots are really way out of line in this case. What do we do now?’’

‘’We go out, act like a normal couple and pass by that van to discreetly check it out. Then we will go inside the building and ring Thorne’s apartment.’’

‘’Got it!’’

Both agents stepped out of their car, then joined hands like a married couple would before walking down the sidewalk towards the van and the apartment building. Going at a slow, leisurely pace, they were able to see that no one was inside the front cab of the van when they passed by it.

‘’Nobody in!’’ whispered George. ‘’I couldn’t see any extra antenna or hidden window, so I doubt that there would be anyone in the back, listening or watching. Whoever came here in it must be inside the building.’’

‘’Then, they better have a search warrant with them, if they came to search Thorne’s apartment. If not, that will be another legal nail in their coffin.’’

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Now fully alert, the two F.B.I. agents walked to the entrance of the apartment building, passing the glass and aluminum main door and stepping inside a small lobby in which small mailboxes were lined up against one wall. Another glass door, a locked one, stopped them from going up the staircase visible beyond the second door. Taking a quick decision, George pressed on the buzz button of the intercom located above the mailboxes, to speak with the building superintendent. A female voice answered him after a few seconds.

‘’Yeah, what do you want?’’

‘’F.B.I.! We are here to visit Miss Thorne, at Apartment 36.’’

‘’More cops? But, three policemen already went up to her apartment less than twenty minutes ago. Is something going on about Miss Thorne?’’ George exchanged a knowing glance with Janet before speaking again in the intercom.

‘’Miss Thorne didn’t do anything wrong, madam. We are simply here to speak to her as a witness in a case. Please open up!’’

‘’Alright, you may enter, but I want to see your badges before you go up.’’

‘’We have no problem with that, madam.’’

A buzzing sound then prompted Janet to pull on the inside door, which opened at once. A graying woman wearing a cooking apron over her dress then appeared in the doorframe of the nearest ground level apartment.

‘’May I see your badges, please?’’

‘’Here you are, madam.’’ Replied Janet, flashing her F.B.I. badge and I.D. card. George did the same, making the woman nod her head and point to the nearby staircase.

‘’Very well! You may go up.’’

‘’Thank you, madam!’’ said Janet before starting to quickly climb the stairs, heading for the third floor, George close behind her. She however slowed down and took care to be as quiet as possible before arriving on that floor. Stepping on the wooden floor of a short corridor with six doors lined along the two sides of it, Janet pointed at the nearest door on her left.

‘’This is Jennifer Woods’ apartment, Unit 36. Thorne’s apartment should be the next one on the same side.’’

Nearly tiptoeing in order to be as silent as possible, the two F.B.I. agents positioned themselves on each side of door number 34, with George putting an ear against the door to listen. After only a few seconds, he whispered to Janet.

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‘’I hear movement from multiple persons inside. Make sure that your badge is visible and have your revolver at the ready, just in case.’’ George then grabbed both his badge and his revolver before knocking on the door and speaking up loudly.

‘’F.B.I.! OPEN UP!’’

There was suddenly a flurry of whispered exclamations and shuffling noises before the door opened after maybe twenty seconds. The man who opened the door looked severely at the two federal agents while holding a police badge at eye level.

‘’I’m Sergeant Resnick, from the Intelligence Division of the L.A.P.D. What is the F.B.I. doing here?’’

‘’I could ask you the same question, buster!’’ replied George Adams, not intimidated one bit. ‘’The person renting this apartment has filed charges of sexual assault against one of your detectives, while we are investigating a complaint of violation of constitutional rights by your police department, so you better have a damn good explanation for your presence here. Is Miss Thorne here?’’

‘’No!’’ Simply said Resnick while still blocking the doorway with his body.

‘’Then, show me the warrant that allows you to be here, searching this apartment.’’ replied coldly George. The hesitation of Resnick then told him what he wanted to know. Roughly pushing Resnick out of the way, George walked inside, his revolver still in his hand, and looked at the two other men wearing suits who were inside. His trained eyes then noticed the telephone sitting on a small table of the lounge: its bottom had been undone and there were various tools beside it. It was also evident that the place had been searched.

‘’You are tapping Miss Thorne’s phone, on top of searching her apartment? Show me a signed warrant that allows you to do this!’’

Instead of producing a document, Resnick shook his head in disdain.

‘’We don’t need a warrant! This is our area of jurisdiction, not yours. Now, let us do our job and leave!’’

‘’Like Hell we are! You were engaged in a flagrant violation of the constitutional right to privacy of Miss Thorne and were committing an act of illegal search and wiretapping. Janet, note down the full name and badge number of that clown. You two, pass me your police badges and I.D. cards! As for your bugging equipment and tools, I confiscate them as being accessories to a crime.’’

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Realizing that they had been caught red-handed, the Los Angeles policemen grudgingly obeyed, handing their badges and cards to George and Janet. The F.B.I. agents were still noting down the names and badge numbers when a female voice coming from the doorway startled them all.

‘’WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY APARTMENT?’’ Pivoting to face the door, George saw that a statuesque blonde in her mid twenties with a huge chest stood in the doorway, looking with indignation at the four men and one woman inside. Janet took on her to walk to the woman, who stood a good fifteen centimeters taller than her, flashing her badge.

‘’Special Agent Janet Coleman, F.B.I. Me and my colleague, to my right, came to your apartment to get your deposition about your accusation of sexual assault against you by the L.A.P.D. and to ask you about the case of Robert Purnell. We however stumbled on the three men over there, who are from the L.A.P.D. and were busy searching and bugging your apartment and telephone, all without a proper judicial warrant. If you want to register a complaint about violations or your right to privacy, I will be more than happy to file it with the federal attorney.’’

Sylvia threw a murderous look at the three L.A.P.D. men before looking back at Janet.

‘’Damn right I will file a complaint about this! Do you mind if I inspect my apartment first, before those assholes leave, so that I can make sure that they didn’t remove anything?’’

‘’By all means, Miss Thorne.’’

‘’Thank you!’’

While Sylvia went through her apartment, checking on her things, Janet stood firmly in the doorway of the entrance, blocking the L.A.P.D. men from leaving and giving ample time to George to finish noting down their names and badge numbers. Sylvia finally came back into the lounge and gave a murderous look at the L.A.P.D. cops.

‘’Nothing seems to be missing…thankfully for you. You can tell your genius bosses that I will be bringing charges of illegal entry, search and wiretapping against you and them. Now, get the hell out of my apartment!’’

She followed with her eyes the three departing men, who had to leave their tools behind, then looked at the two F.B.I. agents. Far from being a coincidence, her arrival at her apartment had been triggered by the magical ward that she had put in it, alerting her to the fact that someone had intruded in it.

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‘’I must thank you for your most timely visit. Now, what can I do for you in return? But, please, do sit down on my sofa first.’’

‘’Thank you!’’ said George before taking place with Janet in the tired sofa of the lounge. The apartment’s furniture didn’t strike of near poverty, but it was obvious that Sylvia Thorne didn’t swim in money…unless she was stashing her earnings in some bank account in expectation of her future old age. On her part, Sylvia sat in a chair set facing the sofa from across the narrow lounge.

‘’Miss Thorne, the F.B.I. is investigating possible violations of personal constitutional rights which would have been committed by the L.A.P.D. during a Christmas raid on a gay bar in Santa Monica. We know that a Robert Purnell was one of the men arrested during that raid and that you claim to be his girlfriend. Is that correct?’’

‘’Partly, as you told only part of the story, mister. He was in fact beaten into a coma by cops after he tried to defend a friend who was being brutally beaten by baton-wielding police officers. When I learned yesterday that he was in hospital, I rushed to visit him. That was when a L.A.P.D. Vice Squad detective, a Kyle Ross, accosted me as I was about to enter Robert’s room at the Good Samaritan. When I told him that I was Robert’s girlfriend, he evidently thought that I was lying and that I was actually a transvestite. That was when he put his hand under my skirt to touch and feel my genitals. Thankfully, a few nurses and a doctor saw that and offered themselves as witnesses in my favor.’’

‘’What happened then?’’ asked Janet, who was taking notes.

‘’I told that Ross that I would register a complaint against him for sexual assault, then went back to speak with Robert, who had just awakened from his coma. He was then able to tell me in detail what happened at the ‘Surfers’ Karaoke Bar’ on Christmas.’’

‘’We will certainly go speak with him later on. Is he still in hospital, by the way?’’

‘’Yes, he is! The doctors want to monitor him for another day or two, in case that he suffers some sequel from his commotion.’’

‘’That is probably a wise precaution. Would you mind coming to the F.B.I. downtown office to formally register your accusations against the L.A.P.D. and to make signed depositions, so that the federal attorney can file charges against those city cops?’’

‘’I would be most happy to! That way, my New Year will start on the right footing, with those intolerant bastards’ brutality and flouting of the law being publicly exposed.

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But, first, I think I need to do something. Miss, could you come with me to the bathroom?’’

‘’Uh, sure!’’ replied Janet, unsure at first about what Sylvia wanted to do. She then understood in a flash and got up from the sofa, following Sylvia inside the nearby bathroom. Less than a minute later, both women walked back in the lounge, with Janet nodding to George.

‘’She is no transvestite, George.’’

‘’Then, that Kyle Ross could well say goodbye to his badge soon. Let’s go back to our office now. We will of course provide you with a ride back to your home, Miss Thorne.’’

‘’I thank you for that, mister. On the other hand, I must thank you and the F.B.I. as well for making it possible to bring true justice to my boyfriend.’’ With Janet leading and with George grabbing the equipment confiscated from the L.A.P.D. cops, the trio then left the apartment, Sylvia carefully locking it behind her before going down to the agents’ car.

Sylvia was back in her apartment a bit over three hours later, quite satisfied with her time spent at the F.B.I. offices. Her complaints had now been turned to formal accusations against the L.A.P.D. and its vice squad, accusations which were now certain to go to court, unless someone cracked at L.A.P.D. Headquarters and made a deal with her. However, such a deal was going to have to include at a minimum the dropping of all criminal charges against Robert Purnell before she would even consider accepting it. Even if it went to court, something that was probably going to happen, she had a few tricks in her bag to turn that trial her way. Sylvia/Delicia smiled to herself at the thoughts of all the hypocrites she was going to be able to expose and punish.

09:45 (California Time)

Saturday, January 05, 1974

Offices of the ‘Sterling and Associates’ Law Firm Spring Street, Downtown Los Angeles

‘’Please, have a seat! Would you like coffee, tea or water before we start talking?’’

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‘’Thank you but no, Mister Sterling.’’ replied Sylvia as she took one of the two padded chairs facing the huge work desk of Vance Sterling.

‘’I will take a glass of cold water, please.’’ said Robert Purnell. Sterling glanced at the secretary who had introduced the couple in his office.

‘’Could you get a glass of cold water for Mister Purnell, Anita?’’

‘’Right away, Mister Sterling.’’

As the secretary walked out of his office, Sterling discreetly examined Robert Purnell. The young man was evidently fit and muscular, apart from having an impressive bulk and height, but his head and face were swollen and bruised in many places from what had to have been a very vicious beating. He waited until her secretary had come back with a glass of water for Purnell before he started speaking to the young man.

‘’I am pleased to be able to tell you that I decided to accept to defend you, Mister Purnell. After looking at your request and checking a few things with the Los Angeles Prosecutor’s Office, I believe that your case has a lot of legal merit and can be won. However, I must caution you that the charges filed against you are quite serious and may need extensive work and time to counter them. I am saying this because my standard fees are quite high, thanks to my reputation and record of successes in court, and because the city prosecutor seems to be ready to pursue this case aggressively and may even appeal if he loses the first trial.’’

‘’I am ready to cover Robert’s legal expenses, Mister Sterling.’’ said at once Sylvia. ‘’What I want is true justice for my boyfriend. I made quite a lot of money as a professional model in Europe before coming to the United States and am willing to spend whatever will be needed to clear Robert from the charges laid against him.’’

‘’And what are exactly the charges against me, Mister Sterling?’’ asked Robert, prompting the lawyer to pick up a document on his desk and read a few lines from it.

‘’The Los Angeles Prosecutor’s Office has filed against you charges of ‘lewd and lascivious behavior’, ‘disorderly conduct’, ‘resisting arrest’ and ‘aggravated assault against a police officer’. By far the most serious charge is the one of aggravated assault against a police officer, although the charges of lewd and lascivious behavior and of disorderly conduct could get you some prison time, a fine and would also force you to register as a sex offender, something that would weigh heavily on you in many ways in your life, like when looking for a job or for a place to live. Being found a sex offender could even result in you being forcibly sterilized. Thankfully, this barbaric punishment is now rarely applied in California.’’

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‘’Sterilized?!’’ exclaimed Robert, both shocked and incensed. ‘’But, that’s ludicrous! The only thing I did before the cops came crashing in with batons raised high was to drink and dance with a friend in the ‘Surfers Karaoke Bar’. And they would sterilize me for that?’’

Sterling made an apologetic smile as Sylvia listened on, truly stunned and outraged.

‘’I am sorry, Mister Purnell, but that is what the law in California says. I must tell you that California, as prosperous and modern as it is now, is by far the state with the most restrictive, if not to say repressive, laws about sex in this country. Many have been lobbying to tone down or even repeal those laws, which include the 1872 Sodomy Law of California, the 1915 Statute against Fellatio and Cunnilingus and the 1939 Psychopathic Offender Law, but they are still technically in force in California.’’

‘’They base their judgments on sex on a law dating from 1872?!’’

‘’Yes, and a married couple, meaning a man and a woman, could still be arrested in California for practicing anal or oral sex in the privacy of their own home. Thankfully, I expect the laws concerning sexual acts in private between consenting adults to be amended or repealed by the end of this year.’’

‘’Unbelievable!’’ couldn’t help saying Sylvia. ‘’What about the charge of

aggravated assault against a police officer? What is the penalty for that if found guilty?’’

‘’Mister Purnell would then look at a possible prison sentence of five years or more in prison.’’ replied Sterling, his expression sober. ‘’However, in view of the circumstances of his arrest and the way he was savagely beaten by the police, I believe that we would have a good chance of either getting a not guilty verdict or of making a deal with the prosecutor to drop all charges against him, in exchange for dropping the charges of wrongful arrest and of denial of constitutional rights he wants to bring against the L.A.P.D.. Personally, I believe that arranging such a deal with the city prosecutor would be safer and simpler than to go to trial.’’

‘’And what if the city prosecutor refuses to make such a deal?’’ asked Robert, now quite nervous. That brought a mean grin on Sterling’s face.

‘’If he does refuse to make a deal, then I will light a legal blowtorch under the city’s ass, Mister Purnell.’’

‘’And I will gladly help you in my own way, Mister Sterling.’’ thought Sylvia.

10:02 (California Time)

Wednesday, January 9, 1974

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North Campus Student Center

University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA)

Patricia Love was rounding a corner in the main ground level hallway of the university’s North Campus Student Center when she saw a small crowd ahead of her. The crowd was surrounding a tall, big student who had his back to a row of lockers, while harsh words were clearly audible. A flash of anger rose in her when she recognized the student who was surrounded and she hurried her steps, arriving near the group as Dave Bakersfield, the star quarterback of the UCLA Bruins football team, was nearly shouting in the face of Robert Purnell.

‘’WE DON’T WANT FAGS IN OUR TEAM, PURNELL! DON’T EVEN TRY TO ENTER OUR LOCKER ROOM AT THE NEXT PRACTICE OR WE WILL TEACH YOU A LESSON THAT YOU WILL REMEMBER.’’

‘’THAT’S THE COACH’S DECISION TO MAKE, NOT YOURS, BAKERSFIELD! BESIDES, I AM NOT GAY!’’

‘’OH YEAH? THEN WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN A GAY BAR LAST

CHRISTMAS? YOU…’’

Bakersfield didn’t have time to finish his sentence before Patricia plowed her way through the small crowd of onlookers and pushed aside two of the students backing him.

‘’You talk shit as always, Bakersfield!’’ said Patricia forcibly as she jabbed hard her right index in the young man’s chest. She used that occasion as well to silently bestow a curse on him as she was in contact with him. ‘’Bob is a friend of mine and I know him well.’’

Bakersfield gave her a contemptuous look as his seven followers, all players with the UCLA Bruins, formed menacingly on each side of him, glaring at Patricia.

‘’Now now, ain’t this the university slut in person, coming to defend a fag?’’ To everyone’s astonishment, Patricia’s answer to that was to grab the front of Bakersfield’s jersey in a lightning move and, pivoting on her heels with him in her grip, throw him violently against a steel locker, his back slamming hard in a loud noise. She then stared hard in his eyes as Robert Purnell stepped forward to protect her back from Bakersfield’s minions.

‘’Listen up and listen well, you hypocritical asshole! You were yourself too happy to have me around at your parties but you don’t own me. Nobody owns me! Now, you

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will leave my friend alone and will leave now with your gang of ass-licking sissies, or I will be the one teaching you a lesson.’’

A concert of gasps and exclamations of wonderment went around at the sight of the star quarterback being manhandled by a girl. Seeing that his reputation was taking a hit, Bakersfield tried to break free from her grip, only to be slammed back even harder against the locker, cutting his breath away and caving in the locker’s door with a noise of tortured steel.

‘’This is your last warning, asshole: leave now or pay for it.’’ More exclamations went around again when Bakersfield, thoroughly intimidated by her monstrous strength, chose to withdraw without a fight, walking quickly away with his followers while glancing back a few times at Patricia. The latter then looked around her at the small crowd still surrounding her and Robert.

‘’There is nothing to look at here, folks. Move along, please!’’ Slowly at first, the onlookers dispersed, finally leaving Patricia alone with Robert Purnell, who gave her a grateful smile.

‘’I don’t know how you did that, Patricia, but I must thank you for your help.’’ In response, Patricia got close to him and spoke in a whisper, so that no one else could hear her.

‘’I could do that because me and Sylvia are one, Robert. Shape-shifting has its usefulness, but it is not the only power I have. This, of course, must stay a secret.’’ Robert’s smile turned to a bewildered look as he stared down in her eyes.

‘’You, Sylvia?’’

‘’Yes, I am Sylvia…and Patricia. Has this asshole been bothering you for long about this?’’

‘’Only since yesterday, when a newspaper article identified me as one of the men arrested during the raid on the ‘Surfer’s Karaoke Bar’. Now, I am afraid that my football coach will ban me from the team. I hope to Hell that he won’t, but I suspect that Bakersfield will do his best to convince him to expel me. If that happens, I don’t know what I will do: football is my passion, always has been.’’

‘’I know, Robert. Somehow, things will arrange themselves. Don’t lose hope and believe in yourself…and in me.’’

‘’I…I will! Thanks again, Patricia.’’ replied Robert, sounding only half convinced, before walking away. Patricia watched him go, feeling bad for that gentle giant: Robert

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Purnell really deserved better than this. At least, one asshole would now pay for this…all his life.

21:18 (California Time)

Dave Bakersfield’s apartment

Magnolia Court, Weyburn Terrace Housing Complex UCLA campus

‘’I swear to God that I will get that fag thrown out of the team. As for that bitch, Love, I am going to make her regret defending that Purnell.’’ Norma Etteridge, lying naked in his bed and waiting for him to finish undressing, made a dismissive gesture with one hand.

‘’Forget those two, Dave: they are not worth your time. Come and show me what a real man can do.’’

Encouraged by her words, Bakersfield pulled down his briefs and kicked them away. He was about to jump in bed when he realized with a shock that his penis was still limp. Norma noticed that as well.

‘’That encounter with that bitch must have really stressed you out, Dave. Let me help you here.’’

Sitting on the edge of the bed and facing Dave, Norma took hold of his penis with both hands and started rubbing it, pulling away the foreskin and denuding its tip, then licking it. To her surprise, and to Dave’s horror, the desired effect of her stimulation didn’t happen and, after nearly a minute of fondling and licking, Dave’s penis was still as limp as it had even been. Giving a befuddled glance at her boyfriend, Norma renewed her efforts, using all her expertise in the matter, but in vain. She finally gave up after nearly five futile minutes.

‘’I…I don’t know what is happening, Dave. I never failed to excite you before.’’ Bakersfield, now bordering on panic, could only stare at his limp, shrunken dick.

‘’What is happening to me? MY GOD, I AM IMPOTENT!’’

 

14:29 (California Time)

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Thursday, January 17, 1974

Hall of Justice Building, North Spring Street

Downtown Los Angeles

Vance Sterling gave a reassuring smile to Robert Purnell, who was visibly nervous, as the young man sat beside him at the defense table in front of the judge’s bench of the small courtroom.

‘’No need to be nervous, Mister Purnell: this is only a pre-trial hearing meant to take your preliminary plea and to set the date of the trial itself. By the way, I insisted on a trial by jury.’’

‘’Thank you, Mister Sterling. Still, my whole life could depend on the outcome of this.’’

Sterling nodded his head once at that, knowing that his client was too right about that. He then glanced quickly at Sylvia Thorne, who had taken a place on the first row of wooden benches behind the defense table. He had been quite surprised to see that the young woman, who was supposedly of modest origin and means, had been able to pay his preliminary fees in cash without a problem, even though he was known to be quite a pricey lawyer. The city’s prosecuting attorney, William Stone, a man Sterling loathed for being both unscrupulous and dishonest, had also been surprised that Purnell could afford Vance’s service, even asking him about it. He then sat back and placed his various files in front of him on the table.

They all rose to their feet twelve minutes later, when the judge walked in, announced by the court bailiff.

‘’All rise for The Honorable James Ritter, judge of the Los Angeles District Municipal Court.’’

Ritter, a thin man in his advanced fifties, sat down behind the judge’s bench and, grabbing his gavel, knocked it three times.

‘’This court is now in session! You may now sit.’’

Waiting for the persons present, including a few reporters, to sit back down, Ritter then grabbed a document and read calmly from it.

‘’This session has been called to take a preliminary plea and set a trial date for the case ‘Purnell vs Los Angeles’. Are the defense and prosecution ready to proceed?’’

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‘’Yes, Your Honor!’’ Answered Vance, getting up briefly, imitated by Stone. The judge then made the court clerk read the charge sheet.

‘’The City of Los Angeles has laid the following charges against Mister Robert Purnell, domiciled at Apartment 26, 117 Kelton Avenue: aggravated assault causing bodily harm against a police officer, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, lewd and lascivious behavior and frequenting a place of ill repute.’’ The judge then looked at Robert with a neutral expression.

‘’Is the accused ready to give a plea against those accusations?’’ Vance Sterling answered that question after getting up with Robert.

‘’Yes, Your Honor! The accused pleads ‘not guilty’ to all the charges.’’

‘’The Court Clerk will thus register the plea of ‘not guilty’ from the accused. Does the prosecutor wish to add to the charges at this time?’’

Stone got up and gave a mean look at Robert before answering.

‘’No, Your Honor! However, the prosecution still holds that the defendant, who is accused of attacking a police officer, is a dangerous suspect and should be held in confinement until the trial.’’

Robert Purnell felt his heart stop for a moment as the judge mulled that request from Stone. Ritter finally shook his head briefly and spoke while staring at the prosecutor.

‘’Mister Stone, no new element has surfaced in this case since the granting of bail to justify such a pre-trial confinement. Request denied!’’ Then looking at a court appointment calendar in front of him, Ritter wrote down a date on a notepad and looked at Vance Sterling and Robert Purnell.

‘’I set the date of the trial to Friday, May the Third of this year. The trial will be in front of a jury and will be presided by The Honorable Judge Paul Resting. Are there any objections to that date?’’

‘’No, Your Honor!’’ Answered Sterling and Stone, making Ritter slam his gavel down.

‘’Then, the Court Clerk will register the coming trial for May the Third, 1974. This session is adjourned!’’

Waiting until the judge had walked out of the courtroom, Robert then looked at Vance Sterling, who couldn’t hide a bit of gloom on his face, as Sylvia listened on.

‘’Is something wrong, Mister Sterling?’’

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‘’Maybe! Judge Paul Resting, who will preside on your case, is an old fossil who is widely known to be severely biased against homosexuals. We couldn’t have ended with a worse judge than him.’’

‘’Can’t we ask for another judge?’’

‘’Not really, unless we can prove that he has some conflict of interests in your case. Don’t worry too much, though: the jury will decide your guilt or innocence, not Judge Resting.’’

Vance then gave a dark look at William Stone, who had a mean, taunting smile as he was about to walk out.

‘’Good luck for your degenerate, Sterling. Resting will nail him real good at the trial.’’

‘’Don’t shout ‘victory’ yet, Stone.’’

On her part, Sylvia eyed coldly the prosecutor as he walked out of the courtroom.

‘Be ready for a few surprises, you asshole!’

17:32 (California Time)

Monday, January 21, 1974

Private chambers, Municipal Court

Hall of Justice Building, Downtown Los Angeles

The Honorable Paul Resting took off his ceremonial court robe and suspended it on the coat rack of his private chambers, then went to his work desk, on which he had just put down the trial notes and documents pertaining to the case he had presided this afternoon. He was actually quite satisfied with his day of work, having all but demolished the defense of the accused by handcuffing his lawyer.

‘Another queer bites the dust!’ He thought as he sat down at his work desk. He never saw or sensed Delicia’s presence, who was using her spell-like ability of invisibility to hide and wait inside Resting’s chambers. As Resting was rereading some notes he had taken during today’s trial, he suddenly hesitated, then stopped reading, his eyes becoming dazed. He also lost control of his facial expressions and quickly started drooling, saliva dropping from the corner of his mouth and dripping on his notes. Delicia then teleported out and went back to her Westwood home, having just uttered a ‘Feeble Mind’ spell on Resting and turning him permanently into the intellectual equivalent of a lizard. Resting was discovered hours later by a court security guard doing his evening

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rounds, still sitting behind his work desk with his eyes empty and his mouth drooling. The panicked guard called for medics at once, who in turn loaded Resting on a gurney and drove him to the nearest hospital, where he was diagnosed with a probable neuro-vascular accident which had caused irreversible brain damage.

18:11 (California Time)

Wednesday, January 23, 1974

Robert Purnell’s apartment, Kelton Avenue

Westwood District, Los Angeles

‘’Hello?!’’

‘’Mister Purnell, this is Vance Sterling.’’

‘’Oh, good evening, Mister Sterling. What can I do for you?’’

‘’I actually called to pass on to you a piece of news that, while tragic, could be positive for our cause in court. Judge Resting suffered some kind of cerebral accident two days ago and is now considered permanently unable to practice law and judge cases. As a result, he has been replaced as your case’s judge by Judge James Ritter, a man with a much more liberal mindset. The date of your trial has also been changed and is now scheduled for Thursday, July the 25th of this year.’’

‘’Er, let me grab a pen to write that down, Mister Sterling.’’

‘’Take your time, Robert.’’

‘’…I’m ready now! You said ‘July 25th’?’’

‘’Correct! Will that date do for you? I asked for such a late date so that you would have time to finish your Spring session at the university.’’

‘’That date will be perfect for me, Mister Sterling. Thank you for having called.’’

‘’It was my pleasure, Robert.’’ said Sterling before hanging up. Now feeling as if a big weight had been taken off his chest, Robert went to sit back on his sofa, where he had been watching a hockey game happening on the East Coast. Judge Ritter had given him a good impression during his brief pre-trial hearing and Robert could certainly use every piece of good news about his trial, as the city prosecutor and the L.A.P.D. showed no signs of easing their attitudes towards him. He was tempted for a moment to call Sylvia to pass the news to her, but refrained at the last moment, remembering her warnings about his apartment being possibly watched and his telephone bugged by the police. He thus decided to wait until tomorrow, when he would be able to see Patricia

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Love at the university. That brought a short-lived suspicion in his mind about the possibility that Sylvia/Patricia could have been implicated in the cerebral accident which had struck Judge Resting. He finally dismissed that thought: even a shape-shifting alien would have limits to her powers, right?

10:40 (California Time)

Thursday, January 24, 1974

Broad Art Center, UCLA campus

Patricia Love was walking down a hallway of the Broad Art Center Building, going along with a flow of other students in a hurry to get to their next class, when she started feeling mentally the thoughts of someone close by with intense anger and hatred directed at her. Now on her guards, she slowed down her pace a bit and turned into a side corridor which led to a secondary staircase. There were much fewer students in that corridor but, whoever was after her, she wanted no witnesses to her actions to come. Seeing a female washroom near the staircase at the end of the corridor, Patricia entered it and quickly checked that nobody else was inside, looking under the doors of the toilet stalls. She then positioned herself behind the door of the washroom and waited. Less than three seconds later, Norma Etteridge entered the washroom, hiding something behind the leather briefcase she held with both hands. That was when Patricia closed the door of the washroom in her back and coldly stared at the Bruins head cheerleader.

‘’What do you want with me, Etteridge?’’

The sight of Patricia, blocking the door, brought a look of utter fury in Etteridge’s eyes.

‘’YOU! YOU CAUSED HIS SUICIDE, YOU WITCH!’’

‘’Whose suicide?’’ asked Patricia, genuinely surprised by this.

‘’YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHOSE SUICIDE I AM TALKING ABOUT! MY BOYFRIEND, DAVE BAKERSFIELD, HANGED HIMSELF LAST NIGHT AND IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU MADE HIM LOSE FACE IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY AND HE HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE THEN.’’

‘’Your boyfriend was a sissy and a bully, that’s what. He could only date empty knuckleheads like you.’’

That proved too much for Etteridge to take. Dropping her briefcase and uncovering a long knife held in her right hand, she raised her weapon and threw herself at Patricia while screaming like a fury. She however could not make more than two steps before a

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bright green ray shot out of Patricia’s right hand, striking her in the chest. Etteridge only had time to push an ultimate scream of pain and despair before she was enveloped in a green halo and turned into ashes, disintegrated into oblivion. Patricia coldly looked down at the small pile of ashes on the floor of the washroom, with Etteridge’s briefcase beside it.

‘’From dust you came and to dust you returned. See you in Hell, bitch!’’ Grabbing the girl’s briefcase first, Patricia teleported to inside her Westwood home and hid the compromising item in her basement before jumping back to the Broad Art Center. Tonight, she was going to have ample time to make that briefcase disappear. This way, nobody was going to ever be able to say what happened to the cheerleader and why she had apparently disappeared without a trace today.