The Innocent and the Psychopath, Part Three
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com
Helen Richter studied her new client’s information carefully. She had a feeling about this man, Will Pliner, about him being a special kind of person. He was intelligent in his own way, but his kind heart was the big thing that drew her to him. He seemed not to have a harsh bone in his body.
This Jasmin woman, whom she suspected to be a true gold digger, and one to take advantage of those weaknesses, instead of going after someone rich and powerful, was very bad news.
I need to see a picture of her, she muttered, making a mental note to ask Will if he had a photo.
As she mulled over Will’s situation about Jasmin’s charge against him for not paying her what he owed her, and Will not having any evidence to back up his claim for having paid her every cent, she thought, I’ll get bank statements that would show withdrawals.
While jotting the note down on her legal pad, she said, “That should help convince a judge that Jasmin might be lying. I hope. It’ll depend on the judge. If I could get on the docket for Victoria Bradberry, that would be helpful. At least a woman judge would be less likely to be influenced by the pitiful cries of help from a good-looking woman.”
She made a scoffing “humph” sound when she thought about the fact that all judges were supposed to be unbiased and not influenced by looks. But she knew that men were men, especially when it came to wanting to help the distraught damsel and some being unable to ignore that twitching between their legs when there was a sexy woman in front of them. From what Will’s sister had told her, that had been Will’s downfall…succumbing to Jasmin’s sexuality that she seemed to spread as easily and thickly as “creamy peanut butter”…her words.
As she read through the psychologist’s findings about Will’s mental state, all those years ago, she was reminded of another case she’d had regarding an accused mentally challenged young man. The kid was accused of raping a girl in the neighborhood after putting a pillowcase over her head when her back was to him while she sat reading outside. He absolutely denied the accusation, saying he would never want to hurt this friend. But the evidence was strong that he was with her at the time of the rape, and he didn’t know how to defend himself against such recriminations. All he could say was, “I couldn’t do that to a friend! I couldn’t do that to a friend, or anyone!” he’d stated emphatically over and over.
Helen, with the help of a psychologist’s exam and then testimony at the arraignment, showed that the young man was being truthful, that his nature was not to force anything but to back down instead, if necessary. He didn’t have the mindset to be devious, mean, or hurtful, nor did he have the mental skills to plan out such a deed.
Before the judge was to make his final verdict on whether or not the kid would go to trial, evidence came through from forensics and DNA that it was not the kid.
It had been the stepfather who ended up in jail, and even though it had been forensics that helped tie that case up, Helen became a firm believer in psychiatric tests and her own gut feelings.
“I’ll present a similar defense for Will,” Helen said aloud. She liked talking to herself because it gave her a truer sense of the courtroom than mere thoughts would.
She called in the detective they had on staff for the complex. Besides the detective and the attorneys, the receptionist/clerk and janitor were all paid through grants and donations. And as long as their efforts were fruitful, the money would keep coming in, Helen thought, or at least hoped, because it was a worthy organization. Working there was not as lucrative as being in an office of high-powered attorneys but representing a client pro-bono was much more satisfying.
Photo by Craig Whitehead
When Jake, the tall, lanky, graying-haired detective, who was a retired police officer, walked into her office, Helen motioned him to sit while she told him about the new case.
“I want you to go to Arizona and check out the farm that Will had owned and talk to his ex-wife. Also, find out what you can about the place that Jasmin had set on fire, and get information about the insurance settlement, if any. Go to the police department and get the report about Jasmin’s arrest and why her hearing never came to pass. I want every detail of that woman and where she came from, if you can find that, and check her background. I have a feeling that she has done this before, and I want to know who, what, where, and when. Can you do all that for me?”
“Yeah, sure, boss,” Jake stated. I don’t think any of that will be too hard to find. It’ll just take a little time to gather all the details, because I may have to travel around to get them, but I can manage. No worries.”
“You’re a treasure,” Helen told him. “You have always come through, and that makes my job easier and more successful. I appreciate your diligence. Now, get to work, and keep checking in with me, okay?”
“Will do,” Jake told her, rising and then turning to leave the room.
Helen was getting excited at the prospects of finding all kinds of dirt on this pariah and being able to set Will’s mind at rest. In the meantime, until she had some good solid pieces of useful information to work with, she had other clients to help. She’d have to put Will’s case aside until Jake found what he was looking for. She had a little time, so wasn’t worried about not having to rush things.
________________
A month and a half later, just before the hearing was scheduled, Jake had returned to show Helen what he had found. It was more than she dared hope.
She knew that what she’d found out about Jasmin’s past would not be admissible at this hearing, but the information was valuable for her to know about Jasmin’s patterns and frame of mind.
She’d lived in Texas before moving to Arizona, and, not surprisingly, was running from the law for burning down another house she’d lived in to try and collect the insurance.
“You’d think she’d have learned not to leave the cans of evidence in plain sight,” Helen muttered when she read Jake’s report. “That show’s me the woman isn’t as shrewd as she thinks she is and might be easier to trip up.”
But when she read the part of Jake’s report about a guy who Jasmin had been living with after the fire, and how she’d ripped him off, taking nearly every valuable thing he owned, Helen thought she could use that statement, since he’d lived in Arizona, not far from Will’s farm.
She was feeling excited about the likelihood of winning this case for Will and spent the next few days preparing her statements for the judge, hoping that he or she would see the case as one she’d throw out, instead of taking it to trial. There was also the possibility that the tables could be turned against Jasmin in having her pay restitution to Will, and perhaps even spend some time in jail herself. Helen was feeling a little vindictive and very good about the case she’d present.
________________
She called Will to come in and talk about the hearing and what she was going to say to the judge and that they would go to the courthouse together. He seemed apprehensive about going into the courtroom and facing the woman he thought he’d loved, but who had turned against him. He wasn’t sure how he should act toward her.
Helen suggested that he just ignore her, not even look at her and pretend she wasn’t there. He didn’t know if he could do that but said he’d try.
Later, when they walked into the courtroom and settled into their seats, the bailiff ordered everyone to stand as the judge came into the room and to his bench.
Photo by Colin Lloyd
Helen was disappointed to see that she had not gotten Judge Bradberry but would face Judge Warner instead. He might be okay, though, she thought, since he was known to be pretty religious and conservative. To her delight, Jasmin made her appearance after the judge was seated and clearly saw the frown on Judge Warner’s face about her tardiness.
Helen glanced at the woman. Having seen a photograph of her, she wasn’t surprised about her being attractive, with long blonde hair. Today, she was dressed in a tight skirt with a low-cut blouse showing her ample cleavage and wore heavy make-up. Her shoes were bright red, four-inch spiked heels.
Ah, I bet this harlot thinks that she can sway the judge with her outlandishly sexy outfit, Helen thought. We’ll see about that.
She looked at the judge as she waited for him to say something and saw that his eyes were riveted on Jasmin’s hiked skirt from the leg dangling down toward the aisle above her crossed knee.
Click to read the finale in Part Four now!
If you missed it, click to read Part One.