The Other Path ~ Season 1
By Thomas Mc
Authors Note : The reconciliation between Devin and Father happened a few years earlier so the A plot is missing from this episode. I did think of something else to fill in though. This story is mostly WAFF with just a quick hint of danger. I also decided to expand a little bit on the court case that was part of the background in the original episode. Hope you enjoy .
Promises Of Someday
Late Friday morning Joe stopped by Catherine's desk which was virtually covered by stacks of paperwork. "What is this? That brief is due next Friday." He remarked.
Catherine looked up and tartly replied. "I needed to review the Ehringer transcripts."
Joe looked at her in surprise at the sharpness in her voice.
She paused and took two deep breaths while setting the document down on the desk. She looked down at the stacks on her desk. "Sorry if I got a little hot." She looked up at Joe. "This one means a lot to me." She sighed, shaking her head. "Ehringer is very rich and he has hired the best lawyers that money can buy."
Joe responded, a hint of sympathy in his voice. "You had to interview all the victims didn't you." He grabbed one of the ever-present guest chairs, dragging it over to her desk, and sat down. "Tell me about it. "I need to know how you're feeling about this."
Catherine took several seconds to compose herself. "Well, it broke my heart. All those little girls. The youngest one was only four. It's hard to believe that anyone can be that vile, until you have to sit with the children and listen to them tell their stories. When we put Ehringer away, that was the moment that I knew I belonged here. That what I was doing was important." She paused to take another deep breath. "And if his conviction is overturned, I don't know what I'll do." She picked up the document that she had been reading. She ground out under her breath. "I don't want to have to tell all those families that this monster is once again loose on the street."
Joe nodded his understanding. "That won't happen. We'll make sure of it, you and me together." He took the document from her hand and set it back on her desk. "But we can't do it if you let yourself get all tied up in legal minutia." He patted her hand to gain her attention. "Let's concentrate on what his lawyer is specifically contesting."
Catherine looked at Joe a moment, cleared her throat and began speaking. "There are two main objections in the appeal filing. The first issue is the admissibility of the video-taped testimony. They also claim that the judge erred in his instructions to the jury."
"Then that is what we need to concentrate on." Joe remarked. "I know how emotional an issue this is for you but I have faith in your ability to handle this."
"Thank you, Joe; I'll do my best not to let you down." Joe had been right to intervene. She had been getting herself all tied into knots over the fear that a monster like Ehringer might be released on the general public over some ridiculous legal technicality.
"You always do your best." Joe responded. "You could never let me down." He stood up, gave her an encouraging wink and walked away.
~ o ~
Later that afternoon, around quitting time, Joe stopped by Catherine's much neater desk. "Halloway's notes on Ehringer." He held out a file folder. "They're incomplete, but they still might be useful. There are some things in there that support the legality of videotaped testimony by minors."
Catherine took the file folder from his hand, sighing and smiling. "Just when I thought I was going to make a clean getaway." She opened the folder and quickly glanced through it. "Thanks Joe. I see what I can use." She flipped back to the first page and started to read.
Joe placed his hand over the file, covering most of the printing. "None of that Radcliffe. It's quitting time." He raised the other hand as she opened her mouth to protest. "Go home. Get some rest. Hold that adorable little boy of yours. Spend some time with that wild husband of yours." He paused and grinned. "In other words, recharge yourself and come back Monday ready to give Ehringer's attorneys hell."
Catherine capitulated. "OK, Joe, you win." She pulled the folder from under Joes hand, closed it and put it away in her desk. She stood up and grabbed her brief case. "I'll see you Monday morning."
~ o ~
After another long hard week dealing with the resurgence of the Ehringer case Catherine was ready for a weekend below with Vincent. The appeal of the Ehringer case brought back many unpleasant memories from the first time she had been involved and now she just wanted to get away from it all and spend a lot of time in Vincent's healing embrace.
She dropped her brief case on the small table beside the door and glanced around the empty brownstone with a sigh. As was often the case Vincent was somewhere below but she could feel his rapid approach. He was coming from somewhere very deep so it would take him a little longer to get home than usual. She dropped the bags of takeout Italian from one of the finer of New York's Restaurants. She thought of how nice it was going to be spending the weekend together below as she carried the days mail over to the sofa. She glanced through the mail and a very familiar handwriting on an envelope post-marked from Australia caught her attention. She quickly opened it up and began reading the letter.
Dear Cathy and Vincent,
Devin and I are kicking back and watching the locals' antics in the local pub here at Walkabout Creek. I still can't get over how much fun my life has become since I met Devin. Being with Devin these last six months has been wonderful.
You remember week before last when we were in New York and I told you how Mick had escaped from a crocodile attack? Well it seemed the story spread all the way to the States and a reporter named Sue Charleston came all the way from New York to interview him. Mick took her out to the Outback to show her the path he took on that fateful trip. Well, he saved her life a couple of times while out there and when they finally got back she invited Mick to go back to New York with her. They should be arriving back in the states just about the same time as this letter. Until Mick gets back Wally and Devin will be in charge of Never Never Safaris. Imagine that . . . Devin with management responsibilities. I bet your jaws must be hitting the ground just about now. Will wonders never cease?
Well that's all I have to report for now. Tomorrow we will be taking Mick and Sue to the airport in Sidney.
As for what the near future holds is anybody's guess but Devin and I will definitely be coming back to New York for Winterfest. Expect to see you then.
Love and kisses,
Carol and Devin
Catherine couldn't resist a feeling of amusement as she read the letter. Devin in a position of responsibility?
Catherine put the letter aside for Vincent as she looked through the rest of the mail. Two bills and a lot of Junk mail. She set the bills in the small holder meant for that purpose and threw away the junk mail.
She sat down to await Vincent's arrival and began to reminisce about how she had met Sue Charleston. They had both come from wealthy families that moved in the same social circle. They had first met in second grade and become close friends. After the death of Catherine's mother, they had drifted apart. It was only in the last couple of years that they had reconnected though they still rarely saw each other.
The last Catherine had heard, Sue had been in Australia for several months reporting on a couple of different stories for her father's news paper. Catherine made a pledge to herself to drop by and see Sue when she got back in town.
She stood up as she felt Vincent enter the basement. A very short time later they were in each other's embrace. Vincent helped Catherine set out the dishes then they settled down to an excellent romantic dinner. They talked about their day and Vincent informed her that little Edward was a big hit among the tunnel children. Everyone wanted to help watch over him. After desert Catherine showed him the letter.
"I've heard you mention Sue a few times and I've read her articles last week about that man." Vincent grinned. "Devin and Carol sure talked a lot about Mick Dundee." He shook his head. "If it wasn't impossible, I would love to meet him in person."
"I wish you could. I would love to see how they would react to you."
They turned together and headed down below while discussing possible reactions Sue and Mick might have when confronted by Vincent. The last sound to ring through the place before the hidden basement access door closed was Catherine's laughter at one of Vincent's suggestions.
The first thing Catherine and Vincent did upon reaching the heart of the tunnel community was head for Mary's chamber to see and hold little Edward.
As they entered her chamber they were confronted by the sight of Allan Taft and Mary on the floor making silly faces and playing with a gurgling grinning Edward.
Catherine broke out laughing. "Well, that's one for the books." She then sat on the floor next to the leonine infant. "And how did my little man's day go?" She inquired in a soft voice as she lifted him up and enveloped him in her arms. The infant responded with another gurgling grin as he swatted at one dangling earring. "Oops." She exclaimed as she pulled her head back. "Remind me to stop wearing large earrings." She concluded with another laugh.
"He has been a perfect angel." Mary remarked as Vincent took little Edward from Catherine's arms.
Catherine removed her earrings and placed them in her pocket as Vincent began making very un–lion like cooing noises to the infant in his arms.
Allan laughed. "Now that is a sight I never thought I'd see; a lion-man holding an infant in his arms and making baby noises at it."
Vincent grinned at Allan then responded with a shrug. "This is 'Below'; anything can happen down here." He glanced at Catherine. "Here a wealthy lawyer can fall in love and marry said lion-man and bear him a son."
Allan glanced at his watch. "Wow, it's getting late." He stood up and then helped Mary to her feet. "I have to be heading back up." He gave Mary a little kiss on the cheek. "I'll drop by again tomorrow." With another quick kiss, he headed out of the chamber.
Mary turned to Catherine and Vincent after Allan left the chamber. "We fed and changed him about an hour ago." She smiled to herself. "You know, I think Allan loves taking care of Edward as much as anyone else down here. "He is often comparing things Edward does with the antics of his grandchildren." She looked down at Edward dozing off in his father's arms. "I think in a way it helps to compensate for his grandchildren being all the way on the other side of the country." She turned her smile on Vincent and Catherine. "You two get along now and enjoy some family time together. And if you need a couple of hours break just send me a message on the pipes." Then she hustled them out of her chamber.
Little Edward was soon fast asleep in his cradle. Catherine and Vincent spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other's company.
~ o ~
It was the middle of Sunday afternoon. Vincent and Catherine had spent a wonderful weekend together. Catherine was feeding Edward while Vincent looked on, love for 'His family' swelling in his breast. He still occasionally found himself wondering if such a wonderful life could be real. He had been only eleven years old, had recently lost his very best friend and just beginning to realize that he would never be able to have any type of a normal life when he had first met. ten-year-old. Catherine. She had stepped into his life and turned it upside down. In the process, she had practically managed to grant his every wish for a happy, nearly normal, life.
Catherine looked up at Vincent and smiled, speaking softly. "He's already half asleep." She cocked her head. "What time is it?" She inquired.
Vincent glanced at the Rolex that perched so incongruously on his wrist, a gift from Catherine's Father. "It's a quarter to three. What time are you supposed to meet your father and Kay?"
Catherine glanced down at her baby and smiled. "I'm supposed to meet Daddy and Kay at the restaurant at five. I've still got plenty of time." She gently kissed the top of her son's forehead. Then she looked up at Vincent, her mind radiating contentment and love.
Unable to resist, Vincent leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her lips then he gently caressed his son's drowsy face.
~ o ~
Charles and Kay were waiting at the bar just inside the front door of the upper-class Italian restaurant when Catherine arrived. Charles and Kay each gave Catherine a quick hug then they were all escorted to their table. The food was just as good as expected for this type of establishment and the conversation was stimulating.
The only hiccup in the evening was that Catherine had to be careful what she said. Kay didn't know about Vincent or little Edward.
As they were exiting the restaurant Catherine was startled to suddenly find herself face to face with Sue Charles. Accompanying her childhood friend was a rugged man in a black cowboy hat with some type of claws on the hat band and a jacket that appeared to be made from some type of reptile skin.
"Cathy?!" Sue exclaimed in surprise.
"Sue," Catherine responded. "I haven't seen you in ages." Her gaze shifted to the man with Sue. "Is this that man from Australia that you wrote about?"
"Ah, yes. Where are my manners?" Sue remarked. "Cathy, this is Michael Dundee." Then she turned toward her escort. "Mick, this is Cathy Chandler, a friend of mine from childhood, and her father, Charles Chandler."
Catherine held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Mick took her hand as his brow furrowed in thought. "Cathy Chandler . . . You're that shela that Devin and Carol are always talking about. I thought Devin's descriptions were a bit exaggerated but I see now that they fell far short of the mark." He then proceeded to kiss her hand.
"Guilty as charged." Catherine responded with a bit of a blush. "Devin has also told us a lot about you. I'm glad to finally meet you in person."
Sue rested her hand on Mick's shoulder. "We had better get inside. Richard is waiting for us." She turned to Catherine. "Nice to see you Cathy. We need to get together sometime soon and swap a few stories." Then she was drawing Mick toward the restaurant entrance.
As they walked up the street away from the restaurant, Catherine began to chuckle to herself.
"What is it that you find funny?" Charles inquired.
"Did you notice how possessive Sue got when Mick kissed my hand?" Catherine responded. "Richard had better watch himself. I think he has some competition."
Charles laughed at the thought as they continued up the street. "I have met Richard . . ." He shrugged. "I wasn't particularly impressed."
Catherine laughed at her father's assessment. It had closely resembled her own opinion.
They had only gone a couple of blocks when three men wearing bandanas over their faces and waving knives stepped out in front of Catherine and Charles. The next second they had been roughly shoved into a nearby alley.
Two of the men were restraining Charles against one wall of the alley. The third man had Catherine backed up against the opposite wall and was waving a knife in her face. The look in his eyes was cold and hard. "You have become an inconvenience to a friend of ours." He brought the knife closer to her face. "But we're going to end that." He finished with a sneer as the weaving knife got closer.
Catherine suddenly brought her knee up, hard, into his crotch. With a strangled scream, he dropped the knife and doubled over, grabbing at the violated part of his anatomy. Catherine clasped her hands together and brought them down with all of her strength on the back of his neck. The man collapsed in a heap on the alley floor.
At the sound the first two men looked over their shoulders to see their cohort motionless on the ground and their intended victim standing over him looking very angry. Both men turned at the same time and started toward her.
Charles stuck his leg out, hooking his foot around one man's ankle. The man went down with a loud grunt then groaned in pain.
The remaining man barely spared a glance at his other fallen comrade the raised his knife and charged her. Catherine held her ground 'til the last possible second, then dodged under his swinging arm. The hand holding the knife smashed into the wall and scraped the knuckles on its rough surface. He bellowed in pain and rage as he turned to again face the woman. He charged her and again she dodged him at the last second.
Catherine felt a sharp pain at her shoulder blade as she dodged the second time and knew that she had not escaped unscathed this time. The next moment she heard a distinctive thunk followed by the sound a falling body hitting the ground. She whipped around to see the last man on the ground and her father standing over him with a broken piece of wood in his hand.
"Dad, if you will watch these guys, I'll go call the police." Catherine turned toward the street.
Charles reached into his pocket and pulled out a curious looking device. "These smaller cellular phones are brand new to the market. I just got this one Friday and I've been dying for an excuse to use it." He flicked his wrist and the device flipped open then he pulled up a short antenna and started punching numbered keys on it. For a moment Catherine was reminded of the old Star Trek TV show that she and her dad had watched together when she was young. Two seconds later he was talking to someone relating everything that had just happened.
Ten minutes later the police arrived and took the three men to the station.
~ o ~
Tuesday afternoon Catherine sat stoically on the witness stand fighting to maintain her calm as the defense attorney tried to besmirch her character but it was getting more difficult by the minute. The lawyer had seemed surprised when she first took the witness stand but after a few uncertain minutes at the beginning of his cross-examination he had shifted to an all out attack. He was questioning her about her work for children's charities, claiming that Catherine had an unreasonable grudge against Ehringer and had been intentionally leading the young witnesses in their testimonies.
The defense attorney had seen the signs of stress on Catherine's face and was sure that she was about to crack. He knew how strongly Chandler felt about the issue of child abuse. All he needed was one highly emotional outburst and then he could shred the rattled woman to pieces and discredit both her testimony and the video testimonies.
Just then Catherine received a calm, confident and loving emotional projection from Vincent. The serine look that came over her face as she calmly answered the latest inflammatory question with a stinging rebuttal. This seriously unnerved the defense attorney and he could see his carefully laid out attack disintegrate right before his eyes. After another couple of inflammatory questions, that Catherine calmly and devastatingly responded too, the lawyer quickly concluded his cross examination before the situation got even worse.
Joe stood up requesting a redirect. The defense objected. The judge granted it and Joe faced Catherine. "Miss Chandler, The defense has claimed that the witnesses were led or possibly pressured to say the things recorded on those video testimonies. Were any steps taken to prevent any such occurrences?"
Catherine nodded. "Yes there were several safeguards in place." She responded confidently. "There was a court appointed child psychologist and a court appointed children's legal advocate present at each meeting. Each witness was reminded several times to tell the truth as they remember it and that they would not get into any trouble regardless of their answers. The defense attorney was allowed to witness the taping and given the chance to submit written questions for the witnesses if he wished. Taping began as soon at the child entered the interview rooms and was not shut off until the child left the room."
"Thank you Miss Chandler." Joe remarked then faced the judge. "No further questions, your honor."
Catherine gave Joe a quick half smile as she stepped down from the witness stand. She quickly exited the courtroom and found a spot to sit and relax.
An hour later the judge called the court in recess for the day. Joe complemented her on her excellent work on the case and in her testimony then sent her home.
~ o ~
Later that evening Catherine and Vincent were strolling arm in arm just inside the park.
Catherine was staring into the dark shadows under the surrounding trees as she was speaking. "I can't tell you how much help your timely intervention was. That disreputable lawyer was really starting to get to me. It's obvious to me now that he must have done a lot of research on me personally, because he knew exactly which buttons to push to make me blow my stack. He knew that he couldn't find anything wrong with the children's testimonies so, instead, he set out to destroy me." She shook her head. It's a very old dirty trick. If you can't discredit the message then you discredit the messenger." She glanced up at Vincent's face. "Then you sent that emotional projection to me and suddenly I was back in control of myself."
"I could feel how upset and off balance you felt so I did what I could to make you feel better." Vincent responded. "I'm glad I could help."
She smiled up at him as they continued their walk. Soon they were discussing the latest on Sue Charles and Mick Dundee.
~ o ~
Wednesday morning Joe was relating to Catherine what they had learned from the three men that attacked her last Monday evening. "All three of them told the same basic story. They had been hired specifically to attack you. One of them had been carrying a thick envelope containing ten one-hundred dollar bills, a photo of you that had apparently been taken outside the court house and instructions to make it look like you had been killed in a botched robbery. They had never met the person that hired them. Everything was done by way of one phone call and a dead drop."
"Are there any clues at all who hired them?" Catherine asked.
Joe shook his head as he continued speaking. "I'm afraid not. That was where the trail went cold." He lowered his voice slightly. "I suspect that the lawyers of that firm hired by Ehringer were responsible. It fits a pattern that seems to pop up in many of their cases. They already have a shady reputation among the law enforcement community but no one has ever been able to prove their suspicions." He nodded toward Catherine. "Fortunately, this time they failed. Ehringer's appeal has been denied."
"At least we won that much of a victory." Catherine responded. "I just wish we could have traced that money or the picture back to its source."
"Don't give up hope just yet." Joe remarked. "The lab boys are still working on that picture. They may yet turn up something useful."
~ o ~
It was another late 'after dark' evening and Vincent and Catherine were again strolling through the park when Vincent suddenly pulled up short. Catherine could feel his uncertainty and caution.
"Vincent what's wrong?" She asked.
"There are several people up ahead. I think that couple is about to get mugged."
Catherine glanced ahead and spotted a couple heading directly toward a stone structure and three youths that were standing quietly out of the couple's view. The shadows beyond the far side of the stone structure made it impossible to identify the approaching couple. But the light on the near side where the youths were loitering made it easy for Catherine and Vincent to see them and it was obvious by their clothes that the youths were gang members.
"We need to help them somehow." She looked up at Vincent uncertain what to do.
Vincent started moving quickly but quietly towards the impending confrontation and Catherine did her best to keep up. She saw the gang members pull knives and threaten the coupled as she and Vincent approached to just close enough to hear their voices. Catherine now recognized the couple as Sue Charles and Mick Dundee.
Mick reached behind his back as he spoke. "You call that a knife?" He pulled out the largest knife Catherine had ever seen. "Now this is a knife." Then with a quick flick of mick's wrist the leader of the gang suddenly found his jacket reduced to tattered shreds.
After a moment's pause the three toughs took off. They had gotten no more than a half dozen steps when they saw Vincent and Catherine standing just a couple of dozen feet in front of them. Vincent's hood was pulled back just enough that they could clearly see his face as he let loose with a low growl. All three toughs screamed in fright and took off in different directions.
Catherine's attention was drawn by a sound that was halfway between a squawk and a gasp coming from the Sue whose expression was a combination of fear and disbelief. Mick's expression, however, showed only curiosity and a hint of surprise. He had lowered his knife but had not put it away.
Catherine remarked in exasperation. "That's just great. There go our walks in the park. Plus, now, we have to endure another round of 'The Creature of Central Park' rumors."
Sue had grabbed Mick's upper arm and was holding on for dear life when Mick spoke, breaking the tense silence. "Now that's something you don't see every day." He seemed to study Vincent for a couple of seconds then sheathed his knife somewhere behind his back.
Mick took a step toward Vincent and Catherine, pulling Sue along with him. Mick raised his arm, his hand in a fist with the pinky and thumb extended, and began to emit an odd soft sound for about a second then stopped and His eyebrows shot up nearly to his hat. With a shrug and a shake of his head, he lowered his hand and started moving again toward Catherine and Vincent.
After a few steps, a look of surprised recognition washed across Sue's face. "Cathy?" She asked. "Cathy is that really you?" Another couple of steps and her attention shifted to the very imposing creature standing next to her old friend. "Who . . . What . . .?" She couldn't seem to come up with a coherent question and ended with a shake of her head.
Mick and Sue were now within arm's length from Catherine and Vincent. Mick stuck out his open hand toward Vincent. "G'day, mate. Mick Dundee." He cocked his head. "You must be a friend of Devin Wells. He used to tell some tall tales about a lion-man when we went out on tours of the out back."
Vincent raised his hand. "Vincent Wells, Pleased to meet you."
After a momentary hesitation at the sight of a furry clawed hand, Mick clasped Vincent's hand in a firm friendly grip. "Wells?" He inquired.
"Devin is my step–brother." Vincent responded.
During this time Sue's gaze had been alternating between Catherine and Vincent. Then Vincent had spoken and Catherine had smiled at seeing a very familiar reaction cross Sue's face at the sound of his voice. Catherine almost laughed at Sue's surprised reaction to Vincent's mention of his relationship to Devin.
Now Catherine spoke. "Sue, I would like you to meet Vincent . . . my husband."
A renewed look of extreme surprise washed again across Sue's face as her gaze centered on Catherine. "Your . . . Your husband!?"
Catherine nodded. "We were married shortly before I started college."
Vincent's head swiveled to the left. "Catherine, someone's coming."
"We'd better go then." Catherine remarked to Vincent then faced Sue. "We try to keep a low profile where Vincent is concerned. I'm hoping that I can count on your discretion. We'll get together later and talk." Catherine and Vincent turned away and quickly disappeared into the shadows of the park."
Mick and Sue looked uncertainly at each other for several seconds then they heard the sound of voices approaching. A few seconds later a group of three couples came into view, talking and laughing animatedly among themselves.
~ o ~
Ten minutes later Vincent and Catherine passed through the secret tunnel entrance where they had first met. They walked along the tunnel in silence for several minutes. Vincent was the first to break that silence.
"I know that your friend, Sue, is a reporter for a very prestigious magazine." Vincent remarked. "Her emotions were a chaotic maelstrom when we left them so I couldn't get a very good read on her. Will she keep our secret?"
Catherine was silent for a couple of seconds before she spoke. "I hope so. I haven't seen her since just before you and I first met. She was my best friend back then." Catherine took several steps before she continued. "I believe that she would talk to me first before she published anything." She looked over at Vincent, walking beside her. "At least I hope she would. I told her that we are married to illustrate how important the secrecy is to me, personally."
A short time later they were back at their brownstone. An hour later they were in bed.
The End (of episode 16)
'Beauty and the Beast' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.