Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2010 09:08:43 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 7, chapters 13 - 14 The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 7 - by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 13 -- Trumped Up Charges. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. The detective had argued with Mr. Gouldin, our attorney, because he wanted to question each boy individually, but Mr. Gouldin wouldn't agree to that stipulation. He insisted that since no one was being charged with anything, the initial questioning should be done as a group, since it would save time. Our attorney also insisted Jake and I be allowed to sit in on the interview too, although we had to promise to remain quiet and not interrupt the proceedings. We did so and now sat listening to everything that went on. The detective posed his first question to Danny. "I understand you boys have a problem with David Hubbard, over something that happened in the past," he began. "Would you mind telling me what it was about?" "Hey, we didn't have a problem with him," Danny shot back, "he had a problem with one of us. It all started because he was spreading rumors about Shannon, and then he and some of his buddies decided to push Shannon around in the parking lot." "So you went to your brother's aid?" the detective pressed. "He wasn't our brother then," Danny told him. "We only knew him from playing soccer. He and his dad came to live with us after this happened." The detective looked at us, studied our expressions and sized us up. "So you guys wanted revenge for what he did?" he asked, looking at Brandon. "No," Brandon responded. "After that, we went to a school board meeting and got cleared. He and his friends got suspended and we've had absolutely nothing to do with any of them since." "Are you trying to tell me none of you were looking to get even with him for what had happened?" the detective asked Pat. "No," Pat replied, "that was all settled when we got some funding cut off to their Boy Scout troop, for their stand on gays." "So you're all gay?" he asked, looking at Shannon. "I am and a few of the others are," Shannon responded, "but some of the boys are straight and a few others are bi. The thing is, none of us care and we protect those who are getting targeted for abuse." "Ah, so someone was targeting you boys?" he asked, still looking at Shannon. "That's not what I said," Shannon continued. "No one was getting picked on now, but in the past when they did, we all stuck together." "So you're trying to tell me that none of you had a lingering grudge against this kid?" It was Danny who spoke up now. "He's not on our 'invite' list for parties or anything, but none of us were out to get him," Danny responded, quite calmly. "What happened between us was all in the past." "In the past, like a month in the past?" the detective pressed, trying to trick them into making a mistake. "No, like in a couple of years past," Brandon announced. "We haven't had any contact with him since." He looked confident his statement would end this, once and for all. The detective eyed the boys suspiciously and weighed their words carefully as he did so. Now, he decided to get directly to the point. "If that's the case, then why do I have an eyewitness telling me he saw the four of you in the area where this kid was nearly beaten to death?" The boys all reacted in horror when they heard this, mainly because none of us knew Hubbard had been so badly beaten. We thought it was just a simple assault case, but this information just upped the ante. "Well, your witness must be mistaken," Pat told him. "We've been thinking back over the past few months and the four of us can't even remember one time when we've all been together like that." "Except for this one time?" the detective wondered. "Not any time," Pat told him. "We have hung around at various times, but not the four of us together, except if it was with the rest of the family at the same time." "Never?" the detective scoffed. "Come on, you boys must go places together at times?" "We do," Brandon added, "but just not in this combination. I don't know why, but we just never have." "I find that hard to believe," he countered, almost under his breath. "It's the truth," Shannon advised him. "Danny, Brandon, and I hang together sometimes, but I can't remember anytime when Pat was with us too, especially if it was just the four of us." "Then maybe it was one of your other brothers," the detective suggested, hopefully. "I thought you said your witness positively identified these four boys," our attorney interrupted, "so why are you now suggesting it might have been another family member and not one of them?" "I was just speculating he could have been mistaken about one of the boys," he shot back, "if what they claim is true." "Or it might be he is mistaken about seeing any of the boys," our lawyer said smugly. "Now, I'd like some information from you. I want to know who your witness is and I want to see his statement. I also want to know whether you plan on charging these boys with anything or if I can send them home." The detective was visibly upset by this turn of events, but quickly regained his composure. "I shouldn't be giving this information out in front of these boys," he told my lawyer. "And why not? As soon as you give it to me, I will advise them of it anyway," Mr. Gouldin challenged. "They have a right to know who their accuser is and what he is accusing them of." The detective was suddenly starting to get red-faced. "Give me a second. I'll have to clear this with my superiors first," he announced, before leaving the room. We all looked at each other, as he hurriedly closed the door behind him. "He's stalling," our lawyer announced. "He doesn't have to check with anyone, but he doesn't want to give us that information either. He wants to keep it as his ace in the hole, but I'm not going to allow it. He's going to have to give us this information or I'm calling an end to his questioning. When he comes back, if he doesn't tell me what I want to know, then we're all getting up and leaving." We all nodded in understanding and then waited patiently until the detective returned. He came back carrying a folder and looked more than a little pissed off. He slid the folder across the table toward our attorney and then took his seat, while our lawyer examined the contents. "Who is this Tim Wood?" our lawyer asked no one in particular. "He's a friend of David Hubbard," Danny snapped back. "Is he the one who tried to say we did this? If he is, he's a fucking liar." "Danny, watch you language, please," I interrupted. "Sorry, Dad," he apologized, "but I think he's just trying to get even with us because he got suspended when they tried to gang up on Shannon. He was part of the group with Hubbard when they were pushing Shannon around and he'd say anything to protect one of his buddies." "Well," my lawyer began, "I think that finishes everything here. The witness is not reliable, not only because he's a friend of the victim, but he also has considerable animosity toward my clients. I think we can get his statement thrown out quite easily." "I don't believe so," the detective countered, as all of us were getting up and preparing to leave. "The District Attorney's Office has gone over this statement and believes it is sufficient to proceed with." "Proceed with what? Harassing a group of innocent boys?" our lawyer spewed out, visibly upset this hadn't ended. "No, with pursuing the facts of the case and trying to get to the truth," the detective shot back. "Now, can we continue?" My lawyer nodded and we all sat back down. However, I spoke up at this point. "Maybe I can offer something here," I said, looking at the detective. He just glared at me, but didn't stop me from speaking. "We were preparing for our vacation all that week, and hardly anyone left the house or went any place." "Are you telling me no one went out, ran errands or anything like that?" "Yes, they did, but not in groups of four," I stated, forcefully. "If someone needed something, one, two or on rare occasions three people would go and get the items, but they never left in groups larger than that. I also know none of the boys were going out for any other reasons during this time, because we had too much to do to prepare for four weeks away. I will swear to that in court, if I have to." "Big deal!" the detective jeered. "Parents have lied to protect their children before, so why should I think you are any different?" I was shocked by his response. "Although you may have come into contact with parents who would have done anything to protect their children," I countered, "I consider myself a law abiding person with a responsible position in the community. I have also tried to teach my sons to be morally responsible citizens as well, so if I suspected they had done this, I wouldn't be coming to their defense. I would expect them to take the appropriate punishment for their act, but in this case there is no way any of them could have been involved." "Well, that's very noble for you to say, although I can't say I'm putting much stock in your words," he mocked. "I've had other parents swear they weren't protecting their children, only to discover later they were and had been lying to us the whole time. Nothing you say will change my opinion here." I was a bit incensed over his insinuation I was lying, but realized he was only doing his job, no matter how dastardly his tactics were. I let it slide and said no more, but our lawyer wasn't done yet. "I think this discussion is now over. Come on boys, we're leaving," he advised us. The detective looked shocked, but quickly regained his composure. "I'm sorry, but this isn't over yet," he told us. "Daniel Currie, Patrick Currie, Brandon O'Hara and Shannon McCarthy you are all under arrest for second-degree simple assault. "You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before being questioned and to have an attorney present during questioning, now or in the future. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning, if you wish. If you decide to answer questions, now or in the future, without an attorney present, you will have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?" The boys were in a complete state of shock! They never expected anything like this to happen and did not immediately respond. "Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?" the detective repeated, more adamantly. Hesitantly, each boy responded in the affirmative. "These boys are all represented by counsel," my lawyer advised the detective, "and you may not speak to them unless I am present. Boys, you are to speak to no one unless I am with you at the time. Do all of you understand?" They all nodded. Now, other police officers came into the room, put handcuffs on each boy and led them down the hallway. "What the hell is happening here?" I asked my attorney. "They are taking the boys down to be booked," he explained. "A bail hearing will be held, and then later a preliminary hearing will be scheduled, so we'll proceed from there. I'll move for the boys to be released on their own recognizance or given bail, and hopefully they'll be home in a few hours." I couldn't respond at this point. I was just too numb from all that had happened, but slowly Jake and the lawyer guided me out of the police station and toward my van. Mr. Gouldin told Jake and I to go home, which we did. As soon as we walked through the door, the other boys barraged us with questions about what was going on and why the others hadn't come back with us. I tried to answer them as best I could, without sending everyone into a panic, but there was only so much information I could give. They were all greatly concerned and wanted to go to the bail hearing later, but I told them that wouldn't be necessary. If this went further, say to a trial, then I'd allow everyone to go, even if it was just to show their support and signify our family's unity, but I hoped this case didn't ever get that far. My response didn't seem to pacify them, so I had to calm down a few of my protesting brood. They continued to push to be able to go to court with me, but finally they calmed down and accepted my decision. Once that was settled, I called Brandon's parents and told them what was going on. The O'Haras were very upset and wanted to fly here immediately, but I told them not to overreact, at least not until we knew what was going to happen next. After spending many minutes discussing everything in detail, they finally agreed, but made me promise to keep them informed and let them know if and when the case was going to trial. They advised me they would be coming out if that happened and I agreed they should. I also let them know I would keep them apprised in the meantime. Once this agreement had been reached, they thanked me for calling and for everything I was doing for their son. We ended the call after I told them I'd let Brandon know they sent their love and were greatly concerned about him. A little while later, Mr. Gouldin phoned and informed me he had arranged to have the bail hearing that evening. He had kept pushing until the District Justice of the Peace, DJ for short, agreed to handle this duty immediately, so the boys wouldn't have to stay in jail overnight. I was nervous, actually extremely nervous, at the thought the four boys might end up with a permanent criminal record, and that didn't help any. I knew even if they weren't convicted of this crime, the charge would always show up on their police record in the future, if anything else were to happen. The fact that it was there would immediately raise questions about their character and innocence, regardless of any other factors. Even though our judicial system is based on the premise you're innocent until proven guilty, much of society tends to feel that if the police feel there is sufficient evidence for you to be arrested, then you're probably guilty anyway. That's not exactly what our Founding Fathers had in mind and is definitely unfair to those who have been falsely accused. Later that evening, Jake and I drove to the bail hearing and it was obvious he was worried about everyone too, not just about Shannon. When we got to the courtroom, we took our seats and waited patiently until the case was announced. It wasn't very long before things got started. "Docket numbers 14319, 20, 21and 22, bail hearings for defendants Daniel Edward Currie, Brandon Patrick O'Hara, Patrick Alan Currie and Shannon Michael McCarthy, who have been charged with one count each of second-degree simple assault." "Mr. Stone," the judge said, looking at the District Attorney, "what is your position on bail?" "We request remand, Your Honor." The D.A. stated, emphatically. "Remand?" our lawyer nearly screamed. "This is the first time any of these boys have ever been charged with a crime. Not only that, they come from a loving family and have very strong ties to the community. This sounds extreme to me, Your Honor." "Mr. Stone?" the judge said, looking at the D.A. "We are asking for remand because the boys fled the jurisdiction of the court after they committed the crime," he added. "What?" Mr. Gouldin shrieked, in amazement. "Your Honor, these young men went on a family vacation, which had been planned well in advance, so they were not fleeing anything." "Is that true?" the judge asked the boys, but before they could respond, I stood and spoke. "If I may answer that, Your Honor," I stated, eyeing the judge. "And who are you?" he wanted to know. "I am the father of two of these boys and legal guardian to one of the others. The gentleman sitting next to me is the father of the remaining boy. Yes, we took these boys on vacation for four weeks, but it was planned months before we actually went. Up until then, there was some question about whether we would be going or not, because I had another son who was battling leukemia and all of us wanted to be there for him. Regrettably, he passed from his illness before we were to leave, and after serious consideration, I decided to go ahead with our plans. I felt it would do the boys good to get away and forget about things for a while." "Well, Mr. Stone," the judge began, "from what I've just heard, it doesn't sound to me as if the defendants were attempting to flee the jurisdiction of this court. Anything else?" The D.A. looked frustrated and upset, so it took him a second or two to respond. "Then I think they should be remanded due to the severe nature of the crime, Your Honor." "I understand your concerns, but you have only charged them with simple assault and I don't find those charges sufficient to incarcerate them. If it were aggravated assault, that would be a different matter." "Then I'll amend the charges to include aggravated assault," the D.A. announced, smugly. "Not at this hearing you won't," the judge informed him. Seeing his opening, our lawyer decided to speak up. "I request the boys be released to their parents, Your Honor," Mr. Gouldin interjected. Frustrated and upset, the D.A. voiced his objection. "The District Attorney's Office is strongly opposed to this, Your Honor," he shot back. "I'm sure you are," the judge said dryly, "but I always believe my rulings are fair when both attorneys go away not fully satisfied. Therefore, each defendant will be granted bail of $50,000 each, cash or bond." "Excuse me again, Your Honor," Mr. Gouldin began, "but these boys are also scheduled to be going to various colleges shortly. Would the court have any objections to their being able to resume their education, if we promise to ensure they will return for any and all court appearances? This, of course, is providing we have sufficient notice for such appearances and the proceedings are reasonable and not excessive?" "Mr. Stone, you're opinion on this?" the judge asked. "Your Honor, I don't think these boys should be allowed to leave the jurisdiction of this court until this case is resolved," he suggested. "I don't believe the bail is sufficient to guarantee their return, seeing the severity of the charges against them." While he had been pleading with the judge, he kept turning to stare at our lawyer and the boys. After the district attorney finished his statement, the judge merely sat and contemplated how he was going to rule. "Once again, I don't believe either side will be totally happy with my ruling" the judge began, when he was ready to inform us of his decision, "but I can't see making these boys put off their education until there is a verdict. However, the District Attorney's Office does make a valid point. Bail will now be set at $100,000 for each defendant, cash or bond, and they may return to college, providing they promise to return for all scheduled hearings." The boys nodded their heads, almost in unison. "Your honor," Mr. Gouldin began, "this is a weekend and Mr. Currie would have trouble producing the required amounts until Monday. I will vouch for the fact Mr. Currie has assets sufficient to post bond, but we'd prefer not to leave the boys in jail over the weekend. Is there anything we could do to correct this situation?" "I will allow Mr. Currie to sign for their release, if that release also includes the pledge of his property against the required bond amounts. If he can produce the appropriate sum on Monday, then the court will release him from his pledge. Would that meet with your approval?" "Yes, your honor," Mr. Gouldin responded, pleased with the judges compromise. "Your honor, I object," the D.A. bellowed. "We seem to be bending over backward to accommodate Mr. Currie and his family, but I think it would be more appropriate if we followed standard procedures…" "Objection overruled," the judge ruled, cutting him off. "I am doing no more for them than any defendant who might appear before me and had the wherewithal to post the required bond. I don't feel a weekend or holiday should work to the prosecutions favor and delay the defendants' release. I also see no need for the Commonwealth to pick up the tab for housing his sons when it isn't absolutely necessary." With that said, the judge slammed down his gavel, thus ending the formal arraignment. An agreement was quickly produced, which Mr. Gouldin read and approved, so I readily signed it. Once that was done, the boys were released into my custody. The four boys were still visibly shaken when they got to us, so Jake and I tried to comfort them with assurances that everything would turn out all right. After collecting the items taken from them when they were arrested, we walked to the van. Once inside, they told us some of the things that had happened to them during their brief stay in jail. "Man, I've never been so scared in all my life," Shannon told us. "Even though I'm gay and have no problems with gay sex, those guys wanted a piece of our ass and I know they wouldn't have been making love to us either." "Why, what happened?" Jake wanted to know. "It started almost as soon as they took us in with everyone else," Danny responded. "Seeing we are all 18 or older, we had to go in with what they call the general population. They split us in pairs, with Shannon and me going to one cellblock, and Pat and Brandon going to another. The minute we were within sight of the other inmates the comments began, with guys saying things like, 'hey, cutie, come over here,' or 'hey, sweetie, come see what daddy's got for you,' and then they'd grab their crotch or fake blowing us a kiss." "And that was only part of it," Brandon added. "Then they started saying things like, 'can't wait for the next shower, boy, cuz you'll be picking up my soap for me,' and then they'd laugh." "Once we were placed in our cellblock, I was told by another young guy that he had tried to resist when he first got there," Pat informed us, "and he got the shit kicked out of him by four guys. They seem to know where the guards can or can't see what's going on and got him in one of these spots. Once he could no longer resist, they did what they wanted with him. He advised me not to resist and it would hurt much less that way." "Yeah, I heard that too," Shannon confirmed. "Thank God you got us out of there before anything like that could happen to us." The boys all agreed with his comment, as I started the van and headed home. During the ride, they also told us about the booking process and the jailhouse wardrobe they had been issued. "Yeah, and that one guard made sure he got a good look at our packages when he did the strip searches when we first got there," Brandon advised us. "I think he even got hard, because he sure had a big bulge in his pants when I was walking away. Of course, I was the last one to get searched." "They let us wear our shoes, but made us take the shoelaces out first," Pat continued. "I guess they were worried we'd use them to commit suicide or strangle someone else with them." "Yeah, and I hated those orange jumpsuits they made us wear," Shannon added. The boys all agreed with these various observations and then we talked about what might happen next. The lawyer had given Jake and me an idea about what to expect, so we shared that information with the boys now. It didn't make them feel any better, but we felt they should know what was up and what they might yet have to face. After that, things got pretty quiet and you could have heard a pin drop by the time we reached home. As we pulled into the driveway, everyone else was piling out of the house and heading for the van, to see if the boys were with us. However, they also came out to tell us what had happened at home while we were gone. The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 7 - by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 14 -- Unfounded Allegations. Although, everyone was relieved when they saw the four boys behind us, the euphoria didn't last long. It ended when Frankie stepped forward and broke the news to me. "Dad, you aren't going to be happy when you go into the house." "Why not?" I asked him, wondering what was wrong. "While you were at the courthouse for the bail hearing, the police showed up with a search warrant and literally tore the house apart," he explained. "They threw things everywhere, looking for evidence from the crime, and they really trashed the place." "Let's go see what happened," I told him, because I wanted to see how bad it actually was. "Did they take anything with them?" "Just some of their clothes, but nothing else. They also searched the Grand Am and the Suburban, and they even sprayed some stuff inside both vehicles. I think they were looking for traces of blood, but I don't think they found what they were looking for. They weren't exactly happy when they left." "Yeah, well it was nice of them to wait until they figured Jake and I would be away at the bail hearing," I spat out. I wasn't happy at the way this had been handled, especially after I saw the extent of what they had done to my home. However, I also knew there was probably very little I could do about it, even if I wanted to. I did take some pictures, before I directed the boys to start cleaning the various rooms up, and then Jake and I took care of some of the other parts of the house. Once we finished putting the house back into a somewhat respectable condition, I called Mr. Gouldin to notify him about what had happened. Mr. Gouldin was incensed that this had been done while we were in court and promised to bring it up, the first chance he got. He thought the detective was way out of line with the way he was handling things and felt he might possibly seek some form of disciplinary action against him later, win or lose. Once I got off the phone with the lawyer, the questions began, as everyone wanted to know the details about what had happened in court. Jake and the others had refused to say anything until I had finished my call, so after we filled them in about what had taken place, I suggested it was time to turn in and get some sleep. It had been a long day and I was sure we were all exhausted, especially those who had gone through the worst of this ordeal. After the others had gone upstairs, I kept Brandon behind for a few minutes, so I could fill him in concerning my conversation with his parents. He immediately informed me he had been considering not telling them about this, but after hearing what they had said, he thanked me for calling them and agreed it was probably best that they knew. He then gave me a hug, before he went to join Danny, and also told me he loved me. I told him I loved him too, and then he disappeared up the stairs, before I went to join Jake for the evening. Sunday morning I got up early, but I waited a while before I started rousing the boys to get ready for church. They all seemed to be dragging and I got the impression none of them wanted to go, but I insisted we attend, to show everyone we had nothing to hide. Once they understood what I was doing, they moved with a little more purpose and soon we were ready to go. Prior to leaving the house, I told everyone I would like each of them to say an extra prayer today and ask God to show us a way to get the boys out of this mess. Even though we all knew they weren't guilty of what they had been charged with, it seemed the District Attorney's Office was determined to prove they were, so we needed something besides our word to prove this wasn't the case. Other than discrediting their witness, none of us knew exactly what that might be. I was beginning to think we'd need a minor miracle to make sure none of them were convicted. It was kind of ironic that the sermon this morning was about the trials of Job, because last night I had been drawing analogies between what he had endured and what our family had been going through. I had been thinking about how God had tested Job, to see if he would turn against him, and then I thought about all we had gone through. I reflected on how we had lost Cody and Brent, Kevin's medical problems, nearly losing Cole and Graham to their mother, not to mention nearly losing all of the boys because of the accusations made during that fiasco, the current problem with my older children and now this. Sometimes, I wondered if God was testing me too, to see how strong my faith was. It's easy to believe in God when things are going well, but quite another thing when problems arise. It's so easy to blame God, or anyone else for that matter, for the problems in life, but it's hard to trust His judgment and believe what happened is part of a greater plan. It's not easy to find a reason for what happened, especially when we cannot appreciate or understand what those reasons were. As I sat listening to the sermon, I noted how Job never let his faith in God falter and in the end his faith was rewarded. Although I had never considered blaming God for our woes or even thought about not attending services any more, I'm still not sure I can honestly say it's because my faith is strong. It's mostly just who I am and that I find a solace and peace in knowing there's someone greater supporting me. I also believe my family needs the reassurance our faith gives us and it has helped us through many rough times. Now, I merely sat and listened to the rest of the sermon, while silently praying God would pull us out of this mess too, as he had helped us deal with the earlier situations I'd mentioned. After the service, several people stopped us and mentioned they'd heard about the boys being arrested. They then offered their support and said they'd offer prayers to help see us through this. They also assured us they believed the boys would be vindicated and emphasized their belief my boys weren't capable of such brutality. We thanked each of them for their kind words and then headed out for brunch at our favorite restaurant. This outing wasn't our usual light-hearted Sunday brunch. The boys with the legal problems were still down about their experience the previous day and the rest of us were trying to think of something that would get them out of this mess. After we got our food, but before we began to eat, I made the family join me as I said grace. After thanking God for the food and blessings, I asked Him to guide us through this problem and help clear the boys of the crime with which they'd been falsely accused. Everyone gave a resounding 'Amen' when I finished, which caused a few of the neighboring tables to turn and look at us, but no one gave any sort of negative response to our actions. Now, we ate quietly, since no one felt like talking or had much to say. When we got back home, the boys went off to be on their own, so I went to the computer to check my email. I suspected my inbox would probably be full, since we'd been away for a month, and I wasn't disappointed when I opened it. The first thing I noticed was that there were a whole bunch of emails from Nick, so I quickly opened the oldest first, so I could read them in the order he wrote them. Hey Pop, Things are going super down here and I'm making lots of new friends. I get along great with my host brothers too and we've had loads of fun. Don't worry. I'm using the stuff you sent with me, but just with them. They've never done anything with anyone else, so they're safe, but I could use more. Do you think you could send me a package with everything I need in it? You know what I mean. It seems to go really fast when you're having a good time. ;-) How's everybody back home? I hope everything is good and everyone's doing fine. I bet they're not having as much fun as I am though. Hehehe. My host family took me to Sao Paulo and that's a huge city, but there are a ton of street kids there. I really feel bad for them, because they have a terrible life. My host brothers told me those kids spend most of their time sniffing glue and stealing. They don't live to be very old either, cuz the glue destroys their brains or someone ends up killing them, because the storeowners get tired of them stealing things all the time. It's awful. I wish we could open up a Castaway Hotel here and give them a safe place to live. Well, I hope to hear from you soon. Love and miss ya all. Nick Well, Nick's email told me he was as sexually active, as I had assumed, and that I'd better get more condoms and lube shipped out to him as quickly as I could. At least he's only messing around with his host brothers, whom he claims haven't done anything with others. Not only that, but at least he's using protection. Even though it isn't foolproof, he is taking precautions and not being completely reckless. Now, I opened the next email, which arrived the following week. Hi Pop, Why haven't I heard from you? Is something wrong? I hope everyone is fine and that's not the reason I haven't heard from you. I thought you'd at least send me an email by now. I hope you're sending me that stuff soon, cuz I'm nearly out. I even tried to call you Sunday, and all I got was the answering machine. Where were you? Please call me when you can. You have the phone number here and I need to hear you tell me everything is fine and you're not mad at me. Or is there some other reason you haven't contacted me? I hope not. Love ya all, Nick Maybe I should run to the store and pick that stuff up and send it overnight express. I don't want him to be tempted to try stuff without using protection, but I'll read his other emails first, to see what else he has to say. The next email was dated almost a week after the previous one. Pop, I still haven't heard from you. Why not? Is everything okay there? I hope no one is sick or hurt. I really need that stuff and soon. Man, what's going on and where have you been? I used the calling card to call again, but only got the answering machine. I hope everything is okay there. Will you please let me know as soon as you can? I'm getting really worried about all of you. I love you, Nick Well, his emails were getting shorter, more to the point and his tone might even be considered a little frantic. I'll just read the last one and send him a reply. Then I'll go buy what he needs and ship the items to him. Wait, I can't do that. It's Sunday and there's no place open to do that today, so I'll have to wait and do it tomorrow. I'll send him his reply via email and then call him a little later, so I can explain everything in person. Okay, let's just see what his final email has to say. Pop, What is going on? Have you disowned me or something? I need that stuff big time and I want to know if anything is wrong. Please contact me somehow. I do love ya all, Nick Wow, I have to send that kid a reply and ease his concerns. Nick, I'm sorry I haven't been around to answer your emails or calls, but we just got back from vacation. We were gone a month, but I thought I'd told you about that. I will call you in a little while and explain everything, but I'll also get the items you requested and ship them overnight tomorrow (Monday). Please forgive me for my tardiness in responding, but we'll discuss this more when we talk on the phone. We all love you too, Pop I hoped that would suffice and get him to stop worrying. I planned to call him shortly, but I felt I needed to talk to the four boys first, to see if I could ease their concerns. I went to Pat's room first, but he wasn't there, so I went to Danny's room and found all four of them sitting around talking. I didn't even have to ask how they were doing, since I could read the worried expressions etched on their faces. "Hey, guys, I'm glad you're all here," I announced, as I walked in to the room. "I wanted to talk to you, to see how you were holding up." They looked up at me and their eyes expressed the pain and worry they were feeling. "Look, guys," I continued, "we're going to get through this. I promise. You didn't do what they're saying and we will make sure you are cleared of all charges. I will spend every penny I have to defend you, if I have to, so please try to relax. It's going to be all right." "We know you'll do everything you can, Dad," Danny answered, "but it's hard not to worry, especially after what's happened so far. We know we didn't do anything wrong, so we didn't think we'd get charged either, but we did." "Yeah, and it seems like the cops want to pin this on us," Shannon added. "They didn't want to hear the truth or what we had to say. All they wanted was for us to admit we did it and why." "That's true, Pop," Brandon added. "They didn't want to hear we didn't go out that day or that the four of us had never been out together in ages. They kept asking about why we did that to him and if we thought we were going to get away with it." "You mean the police questioned you again, without your lawyer?" I asked, totally incensed. "They tried, but none of us would say a word," Pat assured me. "This time they took us one at a time, but we've talked about it and none of us told them anything." "It doesn't matter," I fumed. "I'm going to tell Mr. Gouldin about this too and I hope he can use it to end this crap." "Dad, the police already have us convicted," Pat stated, while giving me a look that told me he was very worried about this fact. "Well, it's a good thing they don't decide your guilt or innocence then," I countered. "I'm confident that once all the facts are in, it will prove you boys had nothing to do with this and things will go back to normal." "They won't ever go back to normal after this, Dad," Danny responded. "After being booked and spending time in jail, I don't think I'll ever be the same again. Man, I'll do anything to stay away from ever having to go through that again and I hear prison is ten times worse." "Yes, I'm sure it is," I sympathized, "but you won't have to worry about that. Let's just get through this and I know nothing like this will happen to any of you again in the future." "I hope not," Brandon added. "Once is more than enough." The others quickly agreed. "I'll have to ask Frankie why he wants to be a cop," Pat added. "It's not a job I'd want and I hope he doesn't turn out to be like Detective James, or I'll disown him as a brother." "I don't think you'll have to worry about that," I informed him. "I think Frankie will bring his compassion and humanity with him, especially since he had his own share of run-ins with the legal system, when he was younger." The boys eventually agreed with my reasoning and then I left them alone. I hoped I was successful in allaying their fears, but I would continue to keep an eye on them. Hopefully, they will begin to perk up a little, now that they're back home. Once I got back downstairs, I decided to call Nick's host family in Brazil, so I could speak with him. "Ola," the voice at the other end answered. I knew I wouldn't be able to communicate in their language, so I just said whom I wanted. "Nick, por favor." The other person began shouting something, and I could hear quite a bit of commotion in the background, before Nick came to the phone. "Ola." "Nick, it's Pop." "Pop! Where the heck have you been? Didn't you get my emails?" He sounded very excited and confused. "Yes, Nick. I finally got them," I replied. "Didn't you get my email?" "When did you send it?" he asked. "Earlier today," I told him. "No, I haven't been online since Friday," he admitted. "Okay, then let me explain what happened," I suggested. "We went away on vacation and were gone for four weeks. I just opened your emails earlier today. I'm sorry if I forgot to tell you we were going. Originally, I had cancelled the plans when Cody got sick, but after he passed away, I felt we all needed to get away, so I put everything back into motion." "Oh, okay, but I was really worried something was wrong. I wanted to call Uncle Steve or Aunt Sally, but I didn't bring their phone numbers with me. The only thing was, I figured if something were really wrong, someone would have called to let me know. I was still worried though. In fact, I was even a little scared about why you weren't answering me. If I didn't hear from you soon, I was going to call my parents and ask them to get a hold of you." "Nick, I'm sorry I put you through all that," I commiserated. "S'ok, as long as I know everything's all right now," he replied. "How about the stuff I need… the condoms and lube. Did you send that?" "Not yet," I answered. "As I said, I just opened your emails today and no place is open to ship it out until tomorrow. I will pick everything up and send it overnight delivery as soon as I can. Is that okay?" "Yeah, that's fine," he agreed, while sounding relieved. "Nick, you had a lot of stuff when you left," I countered. "Remember, we talked about you abstaining from sex while you were down there, so do you think you might be overdoing it a bit?" "Well, maybe a little," he agreed, with a giggle, "but the guys here are hot and they don't mind doing everything with me. I'm being safe, Pop, so I hope you don't mind." "I take it you're talking about your host brothers?" I asked, to clarify what he had said. "Them and a few other friends," he responded. "Nick!" I nearly screamed. "That's not abstaining from sex. You can't be sure you won't pick anything up from them." "Yes, I can," he countered. "They're all like my host brothers and none of them have done anything with anyone else, at least until I got them all started. Now, we only do it with each other." "And you're positive they are being honest about having no other sexual partners," I pressed. "You'd believe me if you saw how dumb they were about things at first," he claimed. "They were all virgins, except for jerking off." He laughed after telling me this. "Well as long as you are certain they are being honest and no one is messing around with anyone outside of your group," I compromised. "I will send what you want tomorrow, but in the future try to keep your dick in your pants more often." He merely laughed at my warning. "Okay, I'll try, but it's not easy," he confessed. "My host brothers are really hot and they're willing to go all the time." He laughed again. "That may be," I reasoned, "but I don't want you taking unnecessary chances." "I try not to," he answered, "and I'll only do things with the guys I fool around with now. Okay?" "It's a start," I told him, "but there are some other things I need to discuss with you too." Even though Nick was prepared to listen to me drone on about his sexual proclivities, I switched topics and explained what had happened to Danny, Pat, Brandon and Shannon. I gave him all the information I could and he was very concerned. He asked many questions, hoping he could help, so I wasn't surprised when he asked to speak with each of them. I called them to the phone, one at a time, and gave them a chance to discuss this in person. It also gave Nick an opportunity to tell each one that he believed in him and supported his legal battle. Nick's final conversation was with Shannon. They had been having a relationship before he left and I thought Shannon might be the one to break Nick of his wandering ways. However, from what Nick had just told me, that didn't appear to be happening. Nick and Shannon talked for over twice as long as Nick spoke with any of the others and I could tell they were discussing more than just Shannon's legal woes. I wasn't sure if Nick had confessed his sexual escapades, but I did hear Shannon tell him he loved him. All in all, it was quite an emotional sequence of conversations for everyone involved, but I think it was needed and helped to reassure both Nick and the others. Before the phone call concluded, I spoke briefly with Nick again and promised I'd call him the following weekend. I also told him he could talk to any of the others at that time, if he wished, so he thanked me. He also made me swear I'd keep him informed about what was happening to those who had been charged, so I assured him I would. Before we hung up, he also reminded me to send his special package and then thanked me for everything. We said good-bye, knowing we both felt a little better. The next day, once I got back from running a few errands, which included sending out Nick's package, I received a phone call from Mr. Gouldin. He informed me the boys' preliminary hearing would be held on Wednesday, in front of the same DJ and in the same courtroom, so no surprises there. Even though this was basically just another formality, the boys became very nervous when I passed the message along. The rest of that day and the next passed very slowly. I did everything I could to reassure the boys everything would be fine, but nothing seemed to work. A pall fell over the house and everyone became very morose. Each of them was worried about how this was going to turn out. When Wednesday came, I saw to it that everyone dressed as if they were going to church. To show our family's unity, I also allowed all the boys to go this time. Mark was the only one missing, because he didn't have any more time he could take off from work. He did express his support before he left for the bank and apologized for not being able to join us. The boys told him they understood and said they'd fill him in about what happened later. We met Mr. Gouldin at the courthouse and followed him into the courtroom. We took our places and then waited for the case to be called. "Docket numbers 14319 through 14322, defendants Daniel Edward Currie, Brandon Patrick O'Hara, Patrick Alan Currie and Shannon Michael McCarthy have been charged with one count each of second-degree simple assault and one count each of first-degree aggravated assault." "Your honor," our lawyer spoke up, "when did the felony charge of aggravated assault get added? When my clients were arrested and during the bail hearing, these young men were only being charged with a misdemeanor charge, simple assault, and you refused to allow the charge to be amended." "I did for that hearing," the judge responded, "so we'll ask the District Attorney to shed some light on this matter." We all looked over at the other table and waited for an answer. "Your Honor, the charge of aggravated assault was meant to be included, but my office wanted to verify the facts first, before formally including it." "Your Honor," our lawyer responded, "the charge of simple assault covers what allegedly happened in this case and the charge of aggravated assault doesn't apply. The prosecutor is merely adding that charge for leverage, but has nothing to support its inclusion." "Mr. Stone," the judge began, "do you have a response to that?" "Yes, Your Honor. The simple assault charge was made because the defendants inflicted bodily injury with a deadly weapon," he began. "The aggravated assault charge was included after various doctors verified the extent of the damage done to the victim. The defendants inflicted EXTREME bodily injury upon the person they assaulted and showed an extreme indifference to the value of human life." "Well, Mr. Gouldin," the judge began, "it appears the District Attorney's office is acting well within its legal jurisdiction and the charges do coincide with the severity of this crime. So how do the defendants plead?" Our lawyer whispered to the boys, and then Danny spoke up first. "Not guilty, Your Honor," Danny stated, forcefully. "Not guilty, sir," Pat followed. "Definitely not guilty," Brandon added. "Not guilty," Shannon finished. The prosecutor, acting on behalf on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, put on its case for the District Justice of the Peace. It was his job to establish probable cause, by showing the charged crimes had been committed and these defendants had participated in the crime. Once the District Attorney had presented his case, it was the DJ's job to determine if a jury could convict the defendants of the crimes charged with the Commonwealth's evidence. It was not the DJ's job to decide if the evidence is believable, only that it was sufficient to procure a conviction. Therefore, after listening to the District Attorney's case, the DJ bound the boys over for trial. Unfortunately, our problems weren't over yet. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com - but please put the story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail.