Meeting Ms. Help
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Chapter 6
Mike felt relieved that Connie was on board with the case. The evening was getting very late and Mike hated the thought that Connie would be leaving soon. He was trying to think of a way to make her stay longer when fate intervened.
R-r-ing!
The both looked over at the ringing of the phone.
"I hope you don't mind, but I had my calls forwarded to your office," Connie explained as Mike smiled, recalling how he had forwarded his calls to her earlier.
"Maybe it's fame and fortune calling," Mike teased.
"Then let's answer it quickly, " she returned the jest.
"Yes, let's," Mike stated, "before fortune gets too impatient."
By now, the phone had rung three times.
"Actually, I'm expecting 'Ms. Help' to call, and this could be her now," declared Connie, as she picked up the receiver.
"Go ahead and put it on speaker phone," Mike suggested as Connie acknowledged and pushed the button.
"Hello, this is Connie Rubirosa," she greeted.
The feminine voice of Ms. Help sounded eager, "Hello, Miss Rubirosa, are you free to talk now?"
"Most certainly," Connie looked at Mike, "And I have Mr. Cutter here with me, too."
"Oh! Perfect!" Ms. Help's voice came through loud and clear, "Hello, Mr. Cutter! I felt so relieved when you called for a continuance!"
"Always happy to please the gallery," Mike stated dryly, before turning serious, "So what is the purpose of this call?"
"I was calling to ask both of you..what did you two think about what happened in court today?" she asked with interest.
"Very peculiar," Mike stated, "...I've got some unanswered questions."
"No, not about the case," Ms Help stated, "I'm talking about the witness."
"I was referring to her, too," Mike stated.
"And?" Ms. Help inquired.
Mike looked over to Connie. They had discussed earlier what needed to be done.
"And ...we can't tell you anymore than that," Connie concluded.
"What?" Ms. Help sounded surprised and annoyed, "But I was the one who introduced you to the case, Miss Rubirosa! Why can't you tell me more? I deserve an opinion from you!"
"I can't give my opinion of testimony unless I'm certain my statement is privileged communication." Connie declared, as Mike nodded his approval.
"Is the news that bad?" Ms. Help sounded anxious.
"That not why she made the previous comment," Mike stated, "Miss Rubirosa is merely enunciating a principle.".
"So how do I find out how you two feel about whether or not you think the defendant is guilty?" Ms. Help asked.
"You'll need to come to the office," Connie explained
"But I took all these precautions so I wouldn't have to speak to you two in person!" She sounded exasperated.
"But we do need to talk to you in person," Mike said, "to verify your intent…"
"My intent?" Ms. Help's voice sounded baffled.
"Yes, in our line of work, not everyone is as honest as they claim to be." Mike explained, "You with your alias name, for example, might just be a plant for the defense."
"You have to believe me...I'm NOT!"
"Let us make that determination when we see you in person," stated Mike, "then we'll be able to judge for ourselves the reason for your motivation."
Connie and Mike exchanged furtive looks. It was like they were in on a secret conspiracy, and they both were enjoying it.
"How fast can you get to the DA's office?" Connie asked, as if Ms. Help had already decided to come.
A relenting sigh could be heard from Ms. Help, "I'm 15 minutes away."
"We'll see you then, Ms. Help," Mike said as he turned off the speaker phone.
"Well, for such a simple case, we seem to be getting deeper and deeper in the frying pan," Mike commented.
"...and right into the hot fat," Connie added.
Mike looked at her, pleased, "I'm glad you're in on this case with me, Connie."
Color rose to Connie's cheeks, although she knew he meant it professionally and not personally. Looking at the time, she knew she was already so late in getting home, but there was no way she was going to skip meeting Ms. Help face to face. Johnny would just have to understand.
"Just try and keep me away from this case, Mike," she said, with a sparkle in her eyes.
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Twenty minutes later, a door knock interrupted their talk and in walked 'Ms. Help',
Though not considered beautiful with her nondescript brown hair and glasses, there was a certain pleasantness to Ms. Help's features. She walked with an air of someone who had to work hard for what she got; nothing came easy for her and life was something to be taken seriously.
And she was definitely the young woman that sat next to Connie in court.
"Hello, Mr. Cutter, Miss Rubirosa," she announced, sounding businesslike and slightly perturbed, "Well, here I am. Now you've seen me. I hope this satisfies your curiosity."
"Not quite," Mike said as he gestured to a seat, "but please have a seat and tell us your name."
"My name is…" she hesitated, as if wondering if she should tell the truth or not, "is Katherine Scott, but please don't make any other inquiries."
"Ms. Scott," Connie's voice was soothing, "We just want to know what is your relationship to the witness Mary Harrison?"
Katherine turned towards Connie, not looking too happy.
"I came here to get information from you, not to give it!" she frustratingly said, "So please don't cross examine me! I came here wanting to find out your opinions about the case, especially in regards to Mary Harrison's testimony. Nothing more. I'm here for an expert evaluation."
"Fair enough," Mike agreed, "to put as succinctly as possible, we think Mary Harrison was lying on the stand."
With that new information, Katherine seemed to relax slightly. "Oh. So you think she was lying, too, " her question sounded more like a statement as she looked at Mike.
"Yes."
"Can you…give me any reasons for your conclusions, Mr. Cutter?"
It was Connie who replied.
"Here, we'll show you instead," Connie stated as she picked up a pencil and a piece of paper, "Write down the number 'six' on this paper," she instructed Katherine, "Write it large enough so that it is legible.
Katherine looked puzzled, but she took the pencil and paper and did as instructed.
"Now," Connie instructed, "get up and walk around the room and write another figure 'six' the same size while you're walking."
"Uh, okay…" She followed the instructions, walking across the room one time while jotting down the number and then returning.
"Now compare the two numbers," Connie suggested.
Katherine glanced at what she had written, "All I see on this paper are two sixes. I don't see the difference," she concluded.
"Bring them over here, ," Mike said, "I'll show you the difference."
Katherine came over and handed the pad to Mike. He pointed out to her how the six she wrote while sitting down was almost perfect, with the loop coming back and joining the down stroke. With the one she made while walking, the end of the loop went completely through the down stroke and protruded for probably a thirty-second of an inch on the other side.
Then Connie showed how Mary's sixes on her FTD 664 paper was written perfectly. The loops joined the down strokes so that the loops were perfectly closed. Hardly possible to write so well in a moving car going over a road at a good speed.
"I see your point," Katherine acknowledged with a satisfied nod.
"Something made you suspicious of this case, which is why you originally came to us," Mike stated, "It's imperative that we know as much about this case as possible before we can continue prosecuting. So again, do you know the witness, Mary Harrison?"
This time Katherine made eye contact to signal to show she was telling the truth, "I've never met her before in my life."
Mike and Connie exchanged questioning glances.
"Then, Ms. Scott," Connie inquired, "Do you want to explain your reason for contacting us?"
She shook her head, "I can't."
It seemed as if she was being guarded once again.
"Why not?" questioned Mike.
"Look, I have nothing to do with this case," she snapped, "otherwise, I would be on a witness list, wouldn't It?"
"Well, you've asked for our opinions and we gave it to you," Connie surmised, "It's only fair that you tell us your involvement in this case."
Katherine thinned her lips as in deep thought. Connie read a look of worry, in the woman's eyes, a concern for...something. Or someone.
At last Katherine made a determination and stood up, "Thank you, Mr. Cutter, Miss Rubirosa," she stuck out her hand and shook each of their hands, "I'm pleased with what you told me. Both of you are…everything I expected."
She dropped an envelope on the desk, "It's not much money, but I appreciate the expert conclusion."
The money envelope laid on the desk. Connie placed her hand on top of the envelope and pushed it back in the direction of where the young woman stood.
"Keep the money," Connie insisted, "I told you, we do not accept money from the public."
Katherine could see they would not take it. She hesitantly picked it back up and placed it inside her purse, "Thank you again."
Mike looked directly at Katherine, "So we will not hear from you again?"
"No, you never will again,," Katherine announced, and then sounding anxious, she added, "Please... you must not tell anyone we have been in contact. If anyone knew I was here, I'd be ruined. Believe me, there are interests involved that are not only powerful and ruthless as well. I don't need any trouble."
Mike and Connie studied her anxious face before she turned and left, closing the door behind her. For a second they both stared at the last place Katherine Scott stood, thinking that she gave them more questions than answers.
"That was the strangest interrogation ever," Mike commented, "I could not decide whether or not she was strangely curious or scared."
"She was desperate," Connie countered, "desperate enough to want to pay us."
That's so true..," Mike murmured before his tone suddenly sounded playful,"And yet you refused her payment. You do realize, Connie, that the money in that envelope could have paid for a very good lunch for us?"
Connie smiled at his quip, "What, and give up our delicious takeout lunches of warmed-over Chinese food and greasy pizza? Pshaw! "
Mike grinned, "Okay, then, tell me this...what is your impression of Katherine Scott?"
It was back to the case, but neither was complaining.
"Ms. Scott does not hide her feelings very well," she said with certainty.
This time it was Mike's turn to lift an eyebrow, "Meaning what?"
"Meaning," Connie stated with confidence, "Ms. Katherine Scott did not go through all this trouble to conceal her identity just to get our opinion of Mary Harrison's testimony, a woman she had never met before."
"That had me puzzled too," Mike agreed, "But then, why had she gone through all this trouble?"
"It's fairly obvious, I think," she concluded confidently.
Mike sat back, relaxed, "Do tell! Don't keep us unobservant, common folks in the dark, Connie!"
The corners of Connie's mouth upturned, "I am of the opinion that Ms. Katherine Scott... is a young woman in love."
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