-1-
I let the syrup fall slowly from the lip of the pitcher and slide down the edges of the French toast cascadeding off and of the edge of the plate it dripped to the table. I quickly wiped up the spot with a napkin.
“You shouldn’t stay in a hotel another night,” Sawyer said stirring his cereal,” We can find room for you,”
“Sawyer, you can’t tell people what to do, “Elisa told him chugging the last bit of her coffee.
“I’m not, I’m just saying—“
“She should milk government for what they are worth. I mean after all they are paying for her,” Elisa said standing up and brushing of her pant suit, “I have to go, but I’ll see you later,”
She grabbed her bookbag and Sawyer quickly took her arm and she leaned down to kiss him on the cheek before shuffling out the doors of the Sunset Diner.
“I hardly see her,” Sawyer said, “Elisa got this great internship and then with her classes. I mean of course I’m happy for her.”
I smiled, because I had no idea
what else to do. My plane had come in late and my hotel was in the city away
from San Costa but, Sawyer offered me a free breakfast so I woke up the next
morning and took the bus here.
Sawyer had made some positive changes to the Sunset Diner, the decorations were a little better and everyone seemed happier with him in charge.
“Hey kids,” I jumped as I felt a hand on my back.
I turned to see Raleigh dressed in a black suit and red tie standing behind me. He sat down in the chair next to me and exchanged greetings with Sawyer.
“I know Jennifer is going to tear into you,” he said tapping my hand, “So, I’m coming with you to the law office acting in your interest. Maybe sticking it to Caine will help me get a better job,”
I nodded my head. I had known very
little about Raleigh and still didn’t know much about him much less that he had
passed the Florida bar before joining United Light. He had volunteered to be my attorney before I came here.
“All, she is going to do is ask you some questions and take a deposition.” he explained
“ I don’t understand,” Sawyer said,”Why is it just Juliana, why aren’t any of us being served?”
“Caine is being charged with a lot of crimes. ,” He explained, “ Parading a bunch of witnesses in isn’t as effective as getting one or two who will have the most affect,”
Raleigh turned to me and gave me a reassuring glance.
I knew Raleigh understood but, he still didn’t know everything. Caylen walked up to our table and smiling she dropped a to go cup of coffee off at the table.
“I’m ready when you are,” Raleigh said taking a sip.
***
Just standing in front of the glass paned high rise I felt underdressed in my a blouse and khaki skirt. I had seen buildings like this every day when I lived here but had never really wondered what went on inside.
“Don’t be afraid,” Raleigh said, “Don’t give them the pleasure.”
We walked inside, the building was buzzing with people going back and forth barely aware of each other. Raleigh guided me up to the 4th floor and inside of a conference room where I saw Jennifer and a few other lawyers.
“Raleigh Cameron,” he introduced himself,” You must be Jennifer Caine,”
She took his hand in a handshake
“Take a seat right here,” she said pulling out two chairs so Raleigh and I were both sitting facing Jennifer and about 5 other people in suits all staring at me.
“Let’s start with just a few little things,” Jennifer said taking out a legal pad,” You worked in a gentlemen’s club in the Violet district , right ?”
I nodded my head.
“She was just a waitress, though,” Raleigh added but, she didn’t seem to notice.
“And you were admitted to the hospital for herpes correct ?”
I nodded my head again.
“It was a rare medical complication,” Raleigh added
Jennifer nodded her head and seemed to take note.
“So, Ms. Reese you lived in close proximity with Caine for 18 years and you never once complained about him. Can you tell me about your relationship with him in those 17 years ?,”
I looked at her and then to Raleigh
“Is she pleading the 5th ?,” A lawyer asked
“She doesn’t speak you know that Ms. Caine ,” Raleigh said taking out a laptop, ”Her deposition will be written,”
-2-
I’ve learned that having a
relationship with Caine in United Light is the equivalent of having a
relationship with a God. He exists and he controls and affects your life but, you only talk to
him if you are in trouble or in a good position. My parents were among those
who believed there life was so good they needed to always be around him. They wanted me to love them as much as they did but, I don't think that was possible.
The most vivid memory I had dealing with Caine directly was when I was 14 years old. Thinking about it it may have been this all started.
It started like any other day, except my father was still doing some recruiting trips and was not there. I woke up in the early afternoon and after breakfast , my mother read aloud whatever address Caine had given the night before. His addresses were usually this 10 page long mission statements. I mostly zoned out during these but, the ones I remember the most were about metaphors for salvation . Then I worked for a few minutes on my home school workbook before giving up. My mom never liked playing teacher so, she never questioned me when I didn’t do my school work. When she saw I wasn’t doing anything we stated doing some knitting and started making a blanket.
The door to our house was kept open
and around the evening Caine walked in with something behind his back. And like
usual Mom immediately got up and
greeted him with a hug as he came inside.
“You are so pretty today, Juliana,” he smiled to me , “What a lovely blanket,”
His smile was so perfect it was
scary.
“Thank you,” I said and Mom stared
at me sharply until I got up to give the blanket to him. She had suggested we knit it for him after all
but, I didn’t really like approaching him, I hated the way he looked at me.
“How nice,” he said and then he handed me the gift bag he had behind his back. I knew I was expected to open it so, I did and I was surprised by the shiny bracelet inside, it looked like it had diamonds inside and it was the nicest thing I had ever seen.
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” Mom said,
“Well, you have a beautiful daughter, Melanie. I only want to give her something in exchange for all you and Daniel have given me,” he responded and then stopped like he was thinking about something,”Juliana would you mind giving your mother and I some privacy ?,”
I did what I always did and would go into my bedroom and shutting the door I opened my window so, I could hear the conversations in the kitchen.
“Melanie, do you need anything ? Please tell me,” he said
“No, we are fine,”
“Melanie, I have to say I think your daughter is not only beautiful but one of the few girls raised in United Light with no outside influences. That is quite special, a goal of mine almost. Seeing such a wonderful girl tells me what we I am doing is right,” He paused for a moment, “You know I don’t talk about my mission for United Light much but . . . I think your daughter could be an important key,”
“What an honor, Caine,” Mom said,” Whatever you need, we can do.”
“I notice most teenagers once they reach a certain stage start leaving the commune and I think in order for this to work she needs to remain here until I figure out what she needs. I’m going to have a lock put on her door and window and I need you and Daniel to make sure she doesn’t leave.”
“Julianna would never leave—“
“I know but, it’s a precaution,”
I couldn’t see but, I he was handing her a key with a ribbon tied around it.
I had snuck out a few times for no other reason to see if I could do it but, I had never done anything. At that time I was afraid he knew about those times.
Later when Dad came back he and mom argued about the key. I didn’t like to listen to them fight so, I don’t know what happened but, later that night 2 TL’s came by with Caine to install the lock and my dad went along with it.
I had some inkling of an idea at that time that having that kind of control over another person’s child is not normal. But, as far as Caine seems to be concerned I was his as much as I was my parents.
***
“It seems to me like Caine was a benevolent caretaker.,” Jennifer said, “You were a kid he was trying to protect you, parents do that even surrogate one. Maybe he didn’t give you everything you wanted and you are getting back at him ? ,”
I shook my head no but, she produced some images of my old room on the commune.
“This is an French antique restored bed, it cost over 1000$,” she said “ You even have the matching bedroom set . . .It looks like you had a lot of nice things,”
I shrugged my shoulders, all I knew was the truth.
Two days later Raleigh and I went back to the same offices this time with Elisa in tow. She had taken an interest in helping out. She was pulling a couple of briefcases out of Raleigh’s car trunk
“Are you sure this isn’t keeping you from something ?” Raleigh asked Elisa
“No,” she said,”Why would you prefer someone hotter ?”
He laughed her off
“I have to observe some legal preceding for school and I feel like I should be here, anyway,” she said with knowing tone in her voice.
As he turned to lock the door a red Lexus swerved into the space right next to him. Jennifer quickly got out of the car and greeted us with a smile. We all started walking towards the office building in silence.
“So, You really think he’s getting away with anything ?”Raleigh asked breaking the silence
“Of course” she said, “ Caine is just an innocent man exercising his free speech.”
“Your reaching Ms. Caine,” Raleigh smiled “I don’t think there is a jury in America that will let a cult leader go,”
“Are you kidding me ?” she laughed,” Caine is charismatic, he got over 200 people to join his organization. Including you. He doesn’t need coaching, he’s personable, this is the easiest case, I will ever have.”
“We’ll see,” Raleigh said opening the door.
“We will,” she responded
As we entered the room, I saw Elisa take Raleigh aside.
“Should you really be talking to the defense like that ?”
“It’s just friendly banter,” he said,”It’s fine, just help me get everything set up,”
“I have other appointments today so, if you could hurry this along,” Jennifer said folding her arms and sipping her coffee.
Raleigh nodded his head and turned to me as Elisa fumbled in the back with cords and a laptop.
“I need you to lift up your skirt, just to your knee,” he told me.
I almost slapped him as I shook my head no.
“Please,” he said,” I just need to take a picture. It’s for evidence,”
I closed my eyes and taking my tight’s off I quickly lifted the hem.
“I’m just going to take a picture,” he said.
I had a quick peek at the bruise. It was small and looked more like a blemish than anything else.
“A bruise ?” Jennifer asked peering over the table,”As evidence ? Aren’t you going to take a deposition ? ,”
“No, I’m not ” Raleigh said.
He clicked on the laptop and I watched an image materialize on the screen. It took me a while to recognize that the video was of me. I recognized the basement before I recognized myself.
“This is where that little bruise is from,”
-3-
The camera was a little pixilated and the light was dim as I watched Caine pulling me by my hair down the wooden steps of the basement, I stumbled to my knees half way down and he dragged me down the rest of the steps to the basement floor. The camera zoomed in more shaking as he pulled me up by my hand and pushed me into the darkness against a wall. He took a hammer off the ground and raised it above his head. It sounded like the crack of a pistols going off as the blunt edge made contact with my skin. I heard hard labored breathing and disembodied screams.
“I will make you wish you were dead !” he shouted
In the video, I fell to my knees but, he jerked
me up by my hair and pushed me back against the wall.
“You are not worth anything except what I tell you,” he said through my sobs “ Do you understand, you stupid ignorant child! “
In the video I begged him to stop and for forgiveness through incoherent sobs until finally he let go of me, letting me fall to the ground . As I lay on the ground he spat on my and held the sharp edge of the hammer over my face.
“ Next time, I will make you wish you were dead,” he said
The camera zoomed out as he stood over my body. After a second he kneeled down into the darkness
and he gently picked me up and stood me
up until I was standing on my own two feet.
His hands touched my face and then he put his arms around me and guided me towards the stairs. We walked pass close enough to the camera that I could see what looked like blood
trickling down my leg but before we got any closer to it the camera shook and the screen went black.
I had a disconnect watching something I had lived. It sounded so painful--I was glad Caine had me drugged so much because I did not remember the severity of the pain.
“We found this online,” Raleigh told Jennifer, “ A former tranquility light took the video and posted it on some smutty website that pays for videos of fights and violence.”
Jennifer seemed to be looking off into the distance and then quickly turned her eyes back to the notepad.
“You can hardly tell that is real—“ Jennifer began
“I’m sending the video to one of my witnesses, when he comes here I am taking his deposition of it’s truth,” Raleigh said
I had not even to think of looking for Rhett in the video.
“We will discredit your witness, it doesn’t matter,” Jennifer said “ The jury will like Caine better, I mean she was on the bond for a drug dealer, she worked gentlemen’s club—“
“One look at this video,” Raleigh said “And no one will care,”
