(See first part for disclaimer, notes, spoilers, etc.)
Pt 5: "Purgatory"
August 24, 2008
Opal Hayman gently places a yellow legal pad and pen on the conference table in front of the four empty chairs. She then sits an empty water glass on top of each pad. With a quick glance at the table, she moves around the front and places four additional glasses on a smaller table located directly in front of the conference table, but slightly to the right of the center. She then walks over to the podium next to the table and ensures that it stands straight without wobbling.
She has privately dubbed this small hearing room "Purgatory on Earth." In the thirty years that she has worked for the warden of the state's federal penitentiary, she has seen many prisoners come through the heavy doors. The prisoners are different and their crimes are different, but the expression on their faces is the same…one of hope. Hope that the parole board will agree that they have paid their dues and are fit to be reintegrated into society.
Opal glances down at the schedule of hearings for today. Four in total and the first one scheduled to start in just under fifteen minutes. She runs her finger across the sheet of paper to the prisoner's name:
Gregory Richards, 598GR-704-1.
The side door opens and the four members of the parole board file in.
"Good morning," she says.
They murmur quiet responses as they take their seats at the conference table. Ignoring their hushed discussion, Opal carries over the stack of prisoner files and puts them on the end of the table before returning to her small desk in the corner. She double-checks the audio system that will be taping the hearing. She looks up as the side door opens again and the first prisoner is led in.
Like all of the other prisoners, he wears the regulation prison uniform. His feet are shackled together and his wrists are bound behind his back. The bailiff takes the prisoner from the two guards and shows him the way to the smaller table in front of the board.
There is something different about this one, Opal observes as the prisoner's cuffs are removed and he sits down in the chair. He looks like the other prisoners…but there's something different. She watches Gregory Richards out of the corner of her eye. He sits ramrod straight in his chair, with his hands folded neatly one on top of the other. It's the way he carries himself, she decides. He has presence.
The heavy door swings open and three people, a man and two women, walk through swiftly. Defense team, Opal wagers. Her suspicion is confirmed as they stride over to the table where Gregory waits, briefcases in hand. A woman with curly red-gold hair drops a large portfolio of files onto the table with a soft thwack. A tall, distinguished looking gentleman with silver hair leans down to Gregory and whispers something in his ear. The last lawyer sits next Gregory and leafs through a stack of papers she removed from her briefcase.
The next few minutes pass in silence and Opal sits down at her desk. She watches discreetly as the lawyers lay out stacks of papers across the table. Gregory sits in silence, reviewing one of the documents.
The chair of the parole board looks up and announces, "Ten minutes until we'll call the hearing to order. Is that alright with you, Mr. Michaelson?"
"That'll be fine," he responds as he glances up at the conference table. "Thank you." He nods at the board before resuming a hushed conversation with his co-counsels.
Ten minutes, Opal thinks, until the start of Gregory Richards' judgment day. She looks at his face, expecting to see the hope that she has become so accustomed to seeing. Instead, she finds a face of stone.
Unreadable.
Olivia sits in the back of the Lincoln Towncar and with a shaking hand, she fingers the hem of her black sleeveless dress. She closes her eyes behind her sunglasses and leans back against the headrest. Breathe, she urges herself with a shuddering sigh. Breathe.
"You alright?"
She nods and reaches out, feeling across the seat until she finds and latches onto Sean's hand. "Yes. Just nervous."
Sean squeezes his mother's hand reassuringly. "Everything will be fine." He frowns as her hand continues to spasm nervously within his own.
"I just have such a bad feeling," Olivia says softly, "that something will go wrong." She extracts her hand from Sean's grasp and massages her temples. "It's everywhere." She exhales deeply as she opens her eyes.
"What is?"
"This…heavy feeling. This dead weight that's been in the pit of my stomach and sitting on my chest all week." She removes her sunglasses and turns her head to look at Sean. "I barely slept at all last night."
"Breathe, Mom," he orders, noticing the smudge of sleeplessness under her eyes. "In and out."
Olivia laughs softly. "I was just telling myself that." Her laughter fades away as Bryan turns the car into the parking lot of the federal penitentiary. She looks Sean in the eye and takes his hand. "In case I forget to tell you later…No matter how this hearing ends, thank you for coming with me." She leans in and kisses his cheek as Bryan stops the car. "Thank you, Sean." She puts on her sunglasses and turns away as Bryan opens the car door and extends his hand in to her.
"You're welcome," he replies quietly as Olivia takes Bryan's hand and gets out of the car. Sean slides across the seat and gets out as Bryan helps Olivia into her black blazer.
As they walk up to the gate, Sean slides his hand into Olivia's and squeezes it. "Just remember to breathe," he whispers.
"I'll try," she whispers back as she returns his squeeze.
"Well," the chairwoman of the parole board begins, "if we can call the hearing to order." She looks over and nods at Opal, who switches on the audio taping system. "The purpose of this hearing is to determine if Gregory Richards, Prisoner 598GR-704-1, is eligible for parole and reintegration into society. It shall be noted that this is the first such hearing for the said prisoner. The board members and I have already reviewed the preliminary reports found in the prisoner's file. Mr. Michaelson, if you'd like to begin?"
"Yes, Madam Chairwoman," he says as he stands and buttons his suit coat shut. "Thank you." He pauses for a moment, as he looks each one of the board members in the eye. "My client, Gregory Richards, pled guilty to Murder in the Second Degree on July 24, 2000. He pled guilty. A jury of his peers did not find him guilty. He freely admitted to firing the weapon that caused the death of Francesca Vargas." Michaelson walks around the table and stands in front of it, gesturing at Gregory. "All of us here know Gregory Richards. For many years, he was a distinguished trial lawyer and former co-president of the California Trial Lawyers Association. Under his leadership, he led The Liberty Corporation to financial success and fostered a successful relationship between the company and its community. Additionally, he was revered as a generous philanthropist and patron to several southern California charities." He walks back around the table. "And he killed a woman," he states as he stands behind Gregory's chair. "He killed a woman that had stalked his family for months leading up to her death. Threatened their safety and attempted to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from him." He turns around and glances at the empty visitor's gallery. "A woman who has no next of kin here today to appeal on her behalf," Michaelson says strongly as he turns back to the parole board. "A woman who had no friends or family. A woman who did have many enemies. A woman who was not well liked. A woman who was so despised by the people she came in contact with that the investigating officers had over half a dozen suspects they considered before my client."
"Excuse me," one of the junior officers of the board interrupts. "I would like the record to reflect that Mr. Michaelson is correct. As required by law, the parole board attempted to locate Ms. Vargas' next of kin, but to no avail. We additionally searched for anyone willing to appeal on behalf of the victim but could locate no one." The board member gestures for Michaelson to continue.
"Thank you." He glances down at his red headed co-counsel and nods. As she stands up, he says, "While there is no one willing to appeal for Ms. Vargas, there are individuals anxious to appeal on behalf of my client, Mr. Richards." Gregory's head snaps up as Michaelson continues, "Ms. O'Rourke, if you will…Madam Chairwoman, I'd like to request a short break so that my co-counsel may escort our witnesses in from the waiting room."
The chairwoman glances around at her three associates. "Two minutes," she concedes before she and the three other members exit the hearing room.
"What the hell are you doing?" Gregory hisses as Michaelson returns to his seat next to Gregory. "I specifically advised you that I did not want anyone to know about this hearing." In case things did not go my way…Why share the disappointment?
"And I took your request into account before I vetoed it. Gregory," he whispers loudly, "you have been given a rare opportunity. So you killed a woman…No problem; we show how crazy the bitch was. But she's got no one! No one who gave a damn about her!" He lowers his whisper an octave. "But you do. You have people who care about you and-"
"You DIDN'T," Gregory growls. "You DIDN'T call Oliv-"
"-Olivia was more than willing to appeal on your behalf when I approached her with this. Who better to appeal for your parole than your ex-wife? The fact that you divorced her and she is still your strongest champion will speak volumes to the parole board."
Gregory slams his fist down on the table, drawing the attention of Opal and the bailiff, who takes a warning step closer to the table. "I did not want to put her through this. Damnit!"
Michaelson sighs. "Gregory," he starts as the parole board returns to the hearing room, "if your parole is denied, you can chew me out afterwards. But, if the board grants our request, I promise not to say I told you so. Trust me."
The only reply he gets from Gregory is an angry snort.
"Mr. Michaelson, where are your witnesses?" the chairwoman asks as she takes her seat at the conference table. As he stands and opens his mouth, the heavy doors swing open and O'Rourke walks in behind Olivia and Sean.
Gregory stares in shock at his son. My god, he thinks as he watches Sean hands O'Rourke a sealed envelope before holding out a chair for his mother. Of all the people, he's the last person I expected. He catches Olivia's eye and smiles subtly at her. She returns a shaky smile and he is immediately concerned with her pale complexion. Even from a distance, he can see her hands trembling in her lap as she folds them together to keep them still.
"Members of the board, I would like to introduce Olivia and Sean Richards…my client's ex-wife and their son. Sean has prepared a written statement for you to consider. Mrs. Richards has requested to address you in person." Michaelson walks over to Olivia and holds out his hand to her. As he helps her up, he whispers in her ear, "You'll do fine."
Olivia drops her purse onto the chair she vacates. She takes a deep breath as she walks the few feet to the podium and holds onto it tightly. With a deep breath, she looks for a brief moment at each member of the parole board before speaking.
"When I met Gregory, he was a brilliant young man. He graduated at the top of his class in law school and was immediately appointed to a prestigious law firm," she says softly. She feels Gregory's eyes on her and she draws strength from it. She raises her voice a bit and says with a slight waver, "And we fell in love and married." She pauses and focuses her attention on the chairwoman of the parole board. "He worked hard so that we would have a good life. That was all he ever wanted to do, ta- take care of us," her voice falling again with her last statement. She grips the podium tighter and lowers her eyes. "And there were bad years when we forgot why we married each other in the first place." Her voice drops to a whisper as she says, "And I betrayed him in the worst possible way that a wife can betray her husband - I slept with another man. And not just any man, but a man he despised with every fiber of his being. Not only did I sleep with this man, but I bore his child." Olivia chokes back a sob. "I let Gregory believe the child was his. I allowed him to fall in love with the child, knowing there was a chance he wasn't the father." Olivia looks at Gregory with tear filled eyes. "I let him fall in love with my son. And he did. He loves my son. And it was because of that love that he shot Francesca Vargas." She turns back to face the parole board with angry eyes. "She threatened to take my son and leave the country with him. She was going to kidnap my baby. Please, don't forget that. Francesca Vargas was a liar, a thief, and a con artist. If Gregory hadn't stopped her, kidnapping would've been added to her resume." She reaches into the pocket of her blazer and removes a 5x7 photograph from her pocket. She holds the photo up so that the board can see it. "My son is ten years old now. He's happy and healthy. I shudder to think what the fate of my son would've been if..." She puts the photo back in her pocket after a moment. "Everything that Gregory has ever done has been for the good of his family. The only things that he ever wanted to do were make us happy and keep us safe." She looks back over at Gregory. "He committed a terrible crime. He did the wrong thing but for the right reason. He did it to save the life of my son." She struggles to breathe as Michaelson crosses to stand next to her.
The chairwoman clears her throat. "Mrs. Richards, the board and I thank you for appearing before us today. But, I think I speak for the rest of the board when I ask: don't you feel that your opinion is just a bit biased?"
Olivia looks over at Michaelson and he nods slightly, indicating that it is alright to answer. She takes a deep breath before responding, "A bit biased?" She waits until the chairwoman nods. "No. I don't think that I am a 'bit' biased…I think that, when it comes to Gregory, I am 'the most' biased person in the world."
"I'm sorry?" another member of the parole board asks.
"Out of anyone here, I've known Gregory the longest…I was married to him for over twenty years. I know everything there is to know about him." She glances quickly over at Gregory before turning her attention back to the board. "And it matters. It matters that my opinion is the most biased because, after everything that has happened between myself and Gregory, I can forgive him. I-," she falters, "I can still love him."
Michaelson puts his hand on Olivia's arm. "Thank you, Mrs. Richards." He looks up at the conference table. "Does anyone have anything else they'd like to ask Mrs. Richards?" He urges Olivia to turn around when there is no response.
Olivia returns to her seat and collapses into it with a heavy sigh. Sean reaches for her hand and smiles comfortingly. She looks over at Gregory and blushes at the proud smile he sends her way.
"Are there any other witnesses you wish to call Mr. Michaelson?" the chairwoman asks.
"No, Madam Chairwoman. Thank you."
"Well then, we will take a short recess while the board and I review everything we have heard today. Bailiff, return the prisoner to the holding cell."
Olivia stifles a gasp of pain after Sean tightens his grip on her. He watches, stunned into silence, as Gregory is led out of the hearing room in chains.
"I've never seen Dad like that before," Sean mumbles as images of his father flash through his memory. Walking unobstructed through the house, yelling at him for selling his car and donating the money to charity, dancing with Olivia on the balcony, walking Caitlin down the aisle, screaming at Olivia in the living room as she downed expensive Russian vodka, pacing the courtroom as he defended Elaine Stevens. Shaking himself free of his memories, he looks down and frowns at how clammy Olivia's hand is. "Mom, take off your blazer…You're sweating."
Olivia nods absently and shrugs out of her black blazer before folding it over her lap. "Sweetie, can you go to the vending machine and get me a bottle of water?"
Sean stands up and touches her shoulder before leaving the hearing room.
Michaelson saunters over and stands in front of Olivia's chair. "You did good."
"You think so?" she asks unsurely. "The parole board didn't look too impressed."
"You did good," he insists. He sits down in the chair next to her. "You were right, by the way."
She rotates her body left to face him. "About what?"
"He's extremely angry that I told you about the hearing."
"Oh that," she says with a small smile as she crosses her legs in front of her. "I imagine he was. Did he say he wanted to spare me?" She pauses until Michaelson nods. "I told you so, didn't I? Sometimes, I honestly think that when he looks at me all he sees is a woman made of fragile china. He's so afraid I'll break into a million pieces."
Michaelson looks straight ahead as he says softly, "It's like you said before, he just wants to keep you safe." He grunts and stands up. "If you'll excuse me, I have a date with nicotine." He starts to walk away but doubles back. "And for the record, he has referred to you as the strongest person he knows."
Olivia looks down at her lap and smiles as Michaelson walks away.
Gregory paces back and forth anxiously in the holding cell. With each step, the 8x10 cell shrinks a bit more. He sighs and stops short in front of the archaic clock that hangs on the wall.
Almost an hour, he thinks as he steals a glance at it. Damnit. He continues to pace as his mind furiously reviews the parole hearing. Michaelson certainly earned his paycheck today. He stops short for a second time in less than a minute. Olivia and Sean. He sinks down onto the cot in the corner of the cell. Two of the people I've hurt most in this world and here they are…Asking the parole board that I be set free.
He leans back against the bars and closes his eyes. I can still love him, she had said.
"Richards," the guard says gruffly as unlocks the cell. "They're back."
Gregory opens his eyes slowly. "Well then…Ready when you are."
Opal nervously shuffles the stack of papers across her small desk in the corner of the hearing room. The level of tension skyrocketed in the room when the bailiff led the prisoner back in. She sneaks a glance at his ex-wife and son. The son is staring down at the ground. The ex-wife holds his hand but her gaze is locked on the prisoner. Opal shifts slightly in her seat and directs her attention to the prisoner. He stares at his ex-wife, a small smile completing the tender expression about his face.
The side door opens and the parole board returns to the hearing room. Opal scans their faces for anything that gives away their decision, but without success. As she flips on the audio recording system, she steals one last glance at the prisoner's ex-wife. She is sitting up anxiously in her chair and the little color she has in her face drains away.
"I apologize for the delay," the chairwoman announces as she puts on a small pair of reading glasses and reviews the open file in front of her. "We had much information to review and consider." She looks up at Gregory briefly before returning her gaze to the file. "Mr. Richards, the murder of anyone, regardless of what sort of person they were in life, is not to be excused or taken lightly."
Olivia sucks in her breath and bites down hard on her bottom lip, drawing blood.
"Of your own volition, you pled guilty to Murder in the Second Degree. To date, you have served more than half of your fifteen-year term. In these eight years, your prison record has been impressive, with no instances of disorderly conduct." She removes her glasses as she looks up. "It is commendable that you adjusted so well and without incident to prison life…considering the luxurious lifestyle you left behind."
"On behalf of Mr. Richards, I thank you," Michaelson advises after several moments and no response from Gregory.
"The crime of Murder in the Second Degree," the chairwoman continues, "is a serious offense. A life was taken and we cannot ignore that. The purpose of a parole hearing, in addition to determining if the prisoner is fit to be reintegrated into society, is for the victim's voice to be remembered. I speak for the entire board when I say that this is the first hearing in recent history where the amount of people supporting the prisoner has outnumbered those representing the victim." Adopting a softer tone, she says, "We were very moved by the appeal of the prisoner's ex-wife and son. Again, thank you for taking the time to appear before us today." She nods at Olivia and Sean before putting her reading glasses back on. "Taking all of this into consideration, as well as the nature of the crime, we have determined that Gregory Richards, Prisoner 598GR-704-1, has served his time. We feel that he no longer poses a threat to others and that he can be reintegrated successfully into society."
The shallow breath catches in Olivia's throat. Rasping for oxygen, she struggles to focus on the words of the chairwoman. She pulls away from Sean's grasp, allowing her hand to flutter up to her throat and flinches at how icy her touch is.
"Excepting any further delays, the prisoner is to be released on the first of September, 2008." The chairwoman removes her glasses and looks back up at the prisoner. "You are a free man again, Mr. Richards. You have been given a second chance at life. Please, use it wisely."
Gregory nods and responds quietly, "Thank you." He turns around to Olivia and Sean. Sean is leaning over Olivia, holding the bottle of water to her and urging her to sip it. He sees her shoulders shaking and she hangs her head down, her long hair obstructing his view of her face.
Michaelson follows Gregory's line of vision and notes the concern on his face. Turning back to the parole board, he asks, "Madam Chairwoman, under the circumstances…." He gestures to Olivia and Sean. "Would you permit Mr. Richards to have physical contact with his family?"
The chairwoman looks over the top of her glasses. "Alright," she says with a small nod to the bailiff.
The bailiff unlocks the foot chain and Gregory walks slowly across the room to Olivia and Sean. As he gets closer to them, he hears Olivia whispering erratically, "Are you sure? This isn't some cruel joke? Sean, please tell me! They ARE releasing your father, aren't they? They can't take it back, can they?"
He crouches down in front of Olivia, the air crackling with energy as he places his hands on her knees. Her entire body jerks and she snaps her head up. Her face is regaining its color at an alarming speed and Gregory fears she is going to pass out as her body runs through the gamut of emotions.
"Breathe, sweetheart. Please, breathe." He reaches out and takes the bottle of water from Sean, mouthing 'thank you' as he does. He holds the cool bottle to her cheek, his fingers brushing her skin as he does.
"Did she-, did they really-…" she struggles to ask.
"Yes." Gregory moves his hands up and lays them flat on the tops of her thighs. "They did." He lowers the bottle to the ground. He captures her face in his hands, pulling her down to him as he places a gentle kiss on her lips.
The impact of the board's decision finally slams into Olivia as she feels Gregory's lips on hers. She sobs aloud and throws her arms around him. "Oh god," she whispers. "Finally…"
Gregory stands up, taking her with him and pulling her body close to his. His hands snake around her back and he feels her shudder as she pushes herself further into his embrace. As a tear escapes from his eye, he buries his face in her hair and inhales the heavenly aroma of Olivia's shampoo. Almond blossoms and vanilla…The scents of my dreams.
"Seven days," he whispers in her ear. "Seven days."
