Hello folks, there has been a little bit of confusion. Nichole was Grissom's student, but because of the accident Sara gave the finals and failed her. If you reread chapter one, you will see that Sara had to wrap up the class. She didn't know who to fail and who to pass. She did the right thing by giving each student what they had earned. Please leave a review. I will try my hardest to have this story wrapped up in a few days. Then I will finish Stealing Faces. That one is a little tough. …. To answer some more questions… I think I will write two more chapters.
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Gil and Sara hired their own attorney, a man named Joshua Simmons. Simmons was a handsome man who reminded Sara somewhat of Warrick. He suggested that the Grissoms hire a private investigator to investigate Nichole Stevenson.
"I am sure the college is trying," Simmons told them. "But it is best that you cover your own ass. There is too much at stake."
Sara agreed. "I'm curious to know just who this little bitch is," she said.
Simmons took off his glasses. "Since Gil can't recall what exactly happened," he explained. "It is going to be hard to denounce anything that she says. We need tangible proof that she has a flawed character."
The private investigator that they hired looked almost like Dr. Phil, not the Magnum P.I that Sara was hoping for. During their first meeting, he was devouring a dozen doughnuts. He offered one to Gil and Sara, but they both quickly declined.
"I might look messy," he said when he saw Sara's worrying look. "But I'm the best in the field; used to work for Hollywood homicide."
"Why did you quit?" Gil asked.
The investigator sighed. "Bad knee," he explained. "You're not worth much if you can't chase down a crook. So what can I do for you?"
Gil started off by explaining his condition. He talked about relearning the last eight years. Then he talked about Nichole Stevenson and the accusations. He assured the investigator that he wasn't the type of man to do such an thing and mentioned Emily's medical bills and the new baby.
Sara handed him any information they had on Nichole Stevenson. The hearing is in a week," she explained.
The investigator looked over the information and nodded. "One week is cutting it a little close," he said. "I can do it for five hundred… make that three hundred because I like kids."
Gil looked over at Sara and she gave a nod. He wrote out the check, signed it, and handed it over to the investigator. It disappeared into his pocket and he smiled.
"I'll get right on it," he said.
O~O
On the morning of the hearing, Sara was nervous. She tried to eat, but she was too nauseated to keep any food down. Weather it was because of the baby or her own anxiousness, she didn't know. So, leaving Emily with a sitter, they left for the hearing. The investigator they hired hadn't reported his findings, and Sara was worried that he hadn't found anything.
"Don't worry," Gil said as they walked into the courthouse. "It's going to be fine."
Inside the courtroom, there were many faces that Gil did not know. Eyes starred at him as he walked towards the front to take his seat. One the prosecutor's side, side the mysterious brunette. He had a name for her now; Nichole Stevenson. Two older people, who looked like Nichole's parents, were sitting beside her.
"I hope you get what you got coming to you," Mr. Stevenson said to Gil. "These students trust you. How could they hire a monster like you?"
Sara bit down on her tongue, but the urge to lash out and scream at them was overpowering. Mrs. Stevenson looked at Sara like she was supposed to feel ashamed of herself. Nichole Stevenson looked down at her shoes.
"Ignore them," Sara told Gil as they sat down.
"And you" Mrs. Stevenson said, glaring at Sara. "How can you stand behind such a man? If my husband had been attacking and raping students, then I wouldn't be able to even look at him."
"All rise," the bailiff said.
Sara let out a sigh and stood. If the bailiff hadn't spoken, then she would have gotten into a screaming match with the Stevenson's. She tried her best not to judge them, Nichole had them pegged.
"Judge Brier is residing," the bailiff said. When the Judge took a seat, everyone sat down.
Sara tried to pay attention to what the prosecutor was saying. She painted Gil as a man who took advantage of people and who was a monster who needed to be controlled. People in the seats behind them spurred the prosecutor on, and were warned many times to be quiet. Sara felt like she was in a pit full of hungry saber-toothed tigers. Everyone behind them was convinced that Gil was guilt. It was a classic 'To Kill a Mockingbird' moment. Sara glanced at her watched and turned to scan the faces, looking for their investigator. Finally, the defense spoke and the school's lawyer, Mr. Lewis, and their own lawyer, Mr. Simmons, took the floor. They painted Gil as an honest man with a family. They assured the court that Gil's background had been thoroughly scoured before UCLA hired him. All the words blurred together, and Sara felt herself growing faint.
"Sara," Gil whispered. "Drink some water."
Sara poured some water from the pitcher and gulped it down. For a moment, she felt better, but then spots began to dance in front of her eyes. Gil whispered something to the lawyer and they quickly stood.
"Can we break," Mr. Simmons asked. "Mrs. Grissom is in a delicate condition."
The judge looked at his watch. "Court will recess for one hour."
When the gavel sounded, everyone stood. Mrs. Stevenson didn't waste a moment to speak her mind. Sara stood weakly and glanced at Mrs. Stevenson.
"I feel sorry for you," Sara said. "Your husband is a blind bastard and your daughter is a little lying bitch."
Mrs. Stevenson looked like she had been slapped. "You shut your filthy mouth," she said. "Your husband is a monster who preys on his students."
Gil hurried Sara away and out into the hallway. The air was fresher outside the courtroom, but Sara still felt faint. She sat on a bench and waited while Gil went to get a wet paper towel. Nichole Stevenson walked up beside her and quietly took a seat.
"You're the one I feel sorry for," she said. "You love your husband, but don't want to hear the truth."
Sara looked up. "You're a liar," she said. "When this trial is over you're going to look like a fool."
Nichole shook her head. "How do you know I am lying?" she asked. "He doesn't remember anything and you cannot say for sure if he did rape me."
Sara disagreed. "I do now," she said. "I know my husband and I know that he would never hurt anyone."
"Think about it," Nichole said. "So many wives think that they know their husbands, but ninety percent of the time they having affairs or mass murdering people. "
Sara closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "I don't feel like talking about this anymore," she said. "You need to go."
Nichole stood. "I am sorry about all your trouble," she said. "It has to be hard having a sick child and dealing with this. I sure hope this baby works out for you."
O~O
After recess was over, Sara was having doubts. Her head ached from racing so much and nausea continuously threatened to boil over. Mr. Stevenson took the stand and explained how his daughter had called him one night and told him her Entomology teacher had raped her.
"My daughter isn't a liar," Mr. Stevenson said. "It's sad when we can't trust our college professors these days."
After he stood down, a few of Nichole's friends took the stand. They all witnessed bruises on Nichole and said that she shied away after the alleged attack. Gil's lawyers did their best to cross examine, but without Gil's story, no one knew what to ask.
"Court will continue and noon day after tomorrow," the judge said, banging his gavel.
Everyone stood quickly and filed out of the courtroom for the second time that day. Gil put his hand on Sara's arm, but she brushed it aside. Her mind didn't know what to do. She loved Gil with all of her heart, but the seed of doubt had been planted.
"Come on," Gil said. "Let's go home."
O~O
Sara stuffed clothes into Emily's bag hurriedly. Gil watched from the doorway, unsure of how to stop her from leaving. Sara turned her back to open the toy box and Gil saw his chance. He opened the diaper bag and put Emily's clothes back into their correct drawers. When Sara turned back to pack some toys, she saw what Gil had done.
"I'm just going to stay with my mother for a few days," Sara explained.
"I need you," Gil said, taking the toys from her. "I need you to stay here with me."
Sara shook her head sadly. "I don't want to go through this," she said. "This isn't fair."
"I know it isn't fair," Gil said. "This is obviously a big misunderstanding."
Sara wasn't convinced. "It isn't," she said. "They know what they are doing."
Gil paused. "Are you saying you think I did it?" he asked brokenhearted.
Sara started repacking. "You know I'm not saying that," she said. "I just need to leave. I can't put myself through this."
To Sara's surprise, Gil agreed. "Alright," he said. "We'll take a break. After all this is cleared up and when school lets out… then we'll go on vacation."
Sara disagreed. "I can't put my body through this stress," she said. "I don't see how we can beat this. I mean, I don't even know what your side of the story is. You can't even remember."
Gil felt as if he has been stung. "You know I would never," he said. "What's gotten into you?"
Sara finished packing Emily's bag and turned to grab her own suitcase. "I'm just so tired," she said. "I tried so hard with you and then, when we finally have a break, this happens," she said, wiping her eyes. "I just want things to be normal."
Seeing Sara cry was his weakness, he knew it always had been. "Please don't go," he said. "I can't do this without you. You are the only person whose opinion matters to me."
Sara slipped Emily's jacket on her and buttoned her up. "You know I love you, Gil," she said.
Sara carried the bags out to the car and tugged Emily along by the hand. The little girl looked back at her father. Sara loaded the bags into the trunk and buckled Emily into her safety seat. She patted her pockets for the keys and turned around to see Gil holding them out to her.
"Here," he said, putting them in her hand. "I know me and I know I wouldn't have made you do anything you didn't want to do."
"Thanks," Sara said, taking the keys.
"Call me," he said, opening the back door. "Bye Em. Daddy loves you."
O~O
Gil watched Sara back down the driveway before he headed back into the house. He knew that Sara was right, she did need a break. He didn't know if they were going to make it through this, but there was hope that the investigator had uncovered some information. Gil left him a voice message, explaining that the hearing would be over tin two days and that they needed whatever information he had. With Sara and Emily gone, all Gil felt like doing was sleeping. He felt like pounding his head until a memory, any memory that could help, returned.
"Did I do this?" He questioned himself. "Did I know myself that well?"
He rolled over in the empty bed and felt the same empty feeling that he had felt the first time he slept in the bed alone. Not having Sara near him was like a flower not absorbing sunlight. He felt like he wanted to die without her, but wanted her to make up her own mind. Gil wasn't a man who cried easily, but he felt burning tears well up and threaten to run over. If he did lose this case, then they would have to move. He didn't know what kind of job he could get or if he would have to face jail time. They would have to find Emily a new pediatrician, one who didn't charge as much. Finally, he could take it no more. He put his arm over his eyes and he cried. He cried because he didn't remember the truth, he cried because Sara was gone, and he cried because he was afraid. A gentle hand rested on his back and Sara's familiar, smoky voice filled his head.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I won't leave."