Staten Island Police Precinct, Sunday, 1PM
"…after I finished my coffee, I left the café, and then I took the side entrance to the apartment above," Nessie said to the sergeant.
Outside in the hallway, Olivia viewed events from the one-way glass, Captain Stan Macy and Ken on either side of her. Her aunt's involvement made it difficult to listen, despite years of experience in rape/domestic violence. Nonetheless, she managed to remain focused and took notes on her legal pad.
"When he joined me, we began talking about the future," Nessie was continuing, "like the trip we…we were going to take over the Fourth of July weekend." She hung her head as she spoke the last part.
Try to stay focused on what happened, Aunt Nessie---don't give the defense anything to "accidentally" slip to the jury!
"When he mentioned my upcoming interview---one he had arranged---at a local bank, I told him about another job possibility in Manhatten," Nessie said, raising her eyes. "The son of one of my father's business contacts---I met him at my parents' home over Memorial Day weekend---had set it up and said he'd even 'put in a good word' for me. That's when Phil---Mr. Gates---became angry---bothered would be a more accurate word. But as we talked, his temper quickly raised."
She sighed then, hanging her head again. "I should have expected that; he's always been…edgy about…me and other men."
So he's possessive and controlling?! Olivia wrote quickly, her eyes on her pad and her ears tuned to the audio.
"Sometimes we'd…go somewhere, like to a North Jersey restaurant, a, a gentleman would compliment me as I left the restroom, and Mr. Gates would quietly grill me about how I was acquainted with him. But it was always a stranger---we made sure that no one would---" She stopped abruptly, turning away embarrassed.
"That just further demonstrates that he's emotionally abusive," Olivia thought out loud grimly.
"We know, Liv," Ken said reassuringly.
"I've busted my share that type of scum," Macy added. "I got his number."
But Olivia hardly heard. She was concentrating on her aunt's tearful words as the latter describe the attack. It required every scintilla of self-control to continue writing, but she did, her brow furrowed and cheeks burning.
"…managed, and, and, and straightened myself up a bit, and left the same way I arrived," Nessie concluded a minute later, sobbing.
After giving the woman time to compose herself, Sergeant Art Haines restarted the tape recorder and asked: "Where did you go after you departed?"
"Out to the street where the police officers found me a few blocks down," she said. "I…I was walking my usual route home, but I didn't have any particular destination in mind. I was just…walking away…" She was staring forward as if looking beyond the room.
"All right, Ms. Hamilton, I realize you tried to be discrete, but is there any chance that someone, a waiter, a customer, saw you enter or exit the apartment?" asked the sergeant.
"Yes, Corinne, the assistant manager," Nessie replied wearily. "We---Mr. Gates and I---would leave separately to go upstairs. I usually went during her cigarette break, which she took in the ally near the door. When her break was over, she would be in charge while he---he joined me."
"And this Corinne was definitely there on the night in question?"
Nodding, the woman said quietly, "She was there with her smirk and head shake."
How much do you know, Corinne? Olivia's eyes narrowed.
A few minutes later, as the interview concluded, the ADA turned to the captain and said: "Corinne needs to be questioned. But even now we have enough to pick him up!"
"Yes, we do," replied he, as Haines exited the interrogation room, "but you need to escort your aunt home."
"Please keep us posted?" she asked more quietly. Receiving a nod, she pulled the sheet from her pad and handed it to Ken before moving to the door. Putting her hand on the knob, she paused to ask: "Does a man really go from sexual harassment to battery and rape in one giant step?" Then she went in to comfort the emotionally exhausted Nessie.
