Guilt: Samantha Barclay Mystery, #7

By Suzanne M. Hurley

Who killed Doctor Ingrid Sayers? Local high school teacher David Harris confesses and is sentenced to life imprisonment. Believing he is covering for the real killer, FBI agent Samantha Barclay races against the odds to find the real murderer. Why Harris took the rap is a real shocker.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wings ePress, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781613092675

Book preview

One

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict? barked out Judge Lilian Maccabee, a no-nonsense, let’s-get-it-done type of person. In fact, she had even managed to get the trial expedited which was a real coup. Such speediness eliminated the ominous, gloomy hovering that would have colored everything. Now, it was soon to be over. Thank goodness.

Hearing a sharp intake of breath, I turned and searched Billie’s eyes as she glanced at me, tears forming as her face turned chalk white. She grabbed hold of my hand and squeezed tightly. She then took hold of the hand of the girl on the other side of her. That girl grabbed the one beside her until all eleven were clinging together like a tightly woven chain, waiting for the verdict. They were all in this together.

All had been raped by Sean Gillen.

Still so shocking to even fathom.

Gillen was a senior in high school who had gone after ninth grade girls in his own self-proclaimed nail a niner month. He’d preyed on their innocence, their awe of being singled out by an older popular student, and then blamed them for everything that happened. He’d also told them not to tell. So typical. Pinning the blame on the innocent.

He was a total scumbag.

And that was the mildest term I had for him. The other ones were much more heated and profane and I kept those to myself. Since I’d been trying to clean up my love of swearing – believing a well-uttered oath was all that was needed to express how you felt at times— due to being around teenagers a great deal and not wanting them to hear profanity streaming out of my mouth, I’d been watching what I said. But that didn’t mean I didn’t think of brutal horrendous terms when Gillen crossed my mind.

Enough about him.

He wasn’t worth a single thought.

My name is Samantha Barclay, high school psychologist/FBI agent, and I was extremely proud of these young women for taking a stand against their rapist; for shouting out loud and clear "I did nothing wrong," and shutting him down from doing this to anyone else. Good for them; they were awe-inspiring. If you were looking for heroes, eleven of them were sitting right there. I felt like bowing down to them every time I was in their presence.

I was by far the closest to fifteen-year-old Billie Smythe, who was a student at the school I worked for, Milton High in Paxton, West Virginia. Having been one of her confidantes during this long painful journey to reach this point, I was glad to see it finally come to an end. The trial part, anyway. The psychological ramifications would take much longer.

All these girls had been to hell and, unfortunately, were still there. Hopefully today, justice would be served as I too, held my breath, waiting to see what the twelve men and women had decided.

A hush floated over the courtroom as someone finally stood and a voice rang out.

Yes, your honor, said Jed Parker, foreman of the jury. We have reached a verdict.

Is it written down?

Yes, your honor.

Please hand it to the clerk.

He did, and the clerk, very judicious-looking in his crisp beige uniform, promptly brought the note to the judge, who opened it... slowly.

Faster, I thought. We’re all dying to know the verdict.

Studying Maccabee’s face, I couldn’t make out whether it was good news or bad. Hoped she played poker for she’d always win with that nondescript expression. She didn’t give away a thing.

Heart pounding, I blew out my breath then sucked it in again as the judge began speaking.

Members of the jury, you will listen to the reading of your verdict. She glanced over at the girls as she began in a loud, clear voice. In the United States Court for the District of West Virginia, we the jury, find as follows: Sean Gillen is guilty on all eleven counts of rape.

Gillen let out a loud groan then started screaming, No, no. This can’t be right. They’re all lying, the little bitches.

His voice, when he said the word bitches, was biting and menacing. A chill shot through me.

Total silence.

It was like the whole courtroom was paralysed. Both by the stunning verdict and Gillen’s outburst.

He started screaming again. But this time sounds of joy quickly drowned him out as the excited hoots and hollers of the eleven girls rose into the air.

It was as if the verdict had finally sunk in and they’d realized they’d won. Their infectious hurrays exploded to the rafters and filled the court house with shiny ripples of pure joy.

I looked around.

Everyone was energetically clapping loudly, except of course Gillen’s parents, who stared at the girls with disgust. Yep, they’d bought into their son’s declaration of innocence and had supported him from day one. How utterly foolish when the evidence against him was brick solid. All the rest of his family—grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins—as well as his so-called friends —had abandoned him, and rightly so. Only his parents hung on, obviously wearing blinders.

Order in the court, shouted the judge with a loud bang of her gavel. But she also had a smile on her face as she turned to address the twelve men and women who had made this decision. To make things perfectly clear, I will now poll the jury individually.

After each member answered with a loud Guilty, and of course it was unanimous, Judge Maccabee said in a matter-of-fact voice, Members of the jury. You have determined by your verdict that the evidence establishes the guilt of Sean Gillen on these charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

She brooked no argument.

Except for the sentencing, it was over. Finally.

Billie, seemingly struggling to contain her excitement out of respect for the judge and courtroom, wrapped her arms around me and held on tight. Thank you, Ms. Barclay, oh, thank you, she whispered over and over.

"Me? No, thank you, Billie. Pulling back, I stared into her eyes, bright orbs that twinkled and shone for the first time in months. You did this. You and the other ten girls, with your courage and strength. So enjoy the victory. You deserve it."

Yeah? Doubt suddenly slid across her face.

I knew that was normal, but hated to see it just the same.

Billie, along with the other students, had been assaulted while attending high school in Richmond, Virginia. She had never told a soul. Instead, she’d started acting out, staged enormous pranks and ended up expelled and on her way to boarding school. FBI agent Ryan Leam, who was a friend of her family, and also one of my bosses, convinced her parents to give her one more chance at the high school where I worked. After all, counseling was what I did for a living. Or at least most of the time. The rest was involvement with FBI business, depending on what was needed.

So Billie had moved to a group home in Paxton.

At first, I wasn’t too sure about whether I could help or not, for the girl was pretty close-mouthed, but eventually, over multiple mugs of hot chocolate one poignant night, she had spilled her secret.

It all led to today.

Yet I knew she was still unsure about her decision to charge Gillen.

You did the right thing, I said firmly. One day you will realize that.

Without a doubt, it would still take a long time for Billie not to blame herself. Of course, this was quite common in rape cases, especially when the perpetrator typically drilled into his victims’ heads not to tell and that it was all their fault. Sean’s strategy had served him well for a long while and he’d thought he’d gotten away with it. Also, according to Billie’s lawyer, he’d also believed he’d done nothing wrong—that he was innocent. Definitely a very sick guy, this Gillen. A true, self-centered narcissist in every definition of the word. But Billie was a strong force and had taken the first steps to not only becoming a survivor but to thrive as well. The other students had followed her example, but I knew she’d slip back and forth between multiple emotions before peace reigned.

And it would one day.

I had complete faith in this young powerhouse to sort it all out and use this horrendous experience for good. Somehow and somewhere.

Taking a deep breath, Billie said, You know, you’re right. I do deserve this. Her face lit up again.

You sure do.

Billie then turned to the other girls, and joined in once again with their clapping and cheering. They just couldn’t seem to help expressing their happiness in the verdict, and I didn’t blame them one bit.

Order in the court, said the judge again, half-heartedly this time, not even bothering to control her own grin.

I was sure she was thoroughly enjoying seeing how excited the girls were. Sometimes it seemed like no one ever believed a rape victim. They were prodded and poked by the legal system. Often doubted and criticized and made to feel they were the perpetrators not the actual victims. So to have their rapist fingered and facing a long jail sentence was a huge coup. A supreme victory. The ultimate.

Sean Gillen, Maccabee said loudly. You will be returned immediately to jail, and your sentence will be determined in two weeks.

Still showing no remorse and with a scowl on his face the size of the Pacific Ocean, Gillen looked directly at Billie and said in a loud nasty voice, It’s all your fault, Smythe. You just wait until I’m out of here. I’ll get you yet.

Excuse me, young man, shouted the judge, a look of pure distaste on her face. We have your vile words on tape as well as recorded by the stenographer and heard by many witnesses. This will just get you more years locked away. She motioned to the guards. Please. Get this nasty piece of trash out of here. Can’t bear to see his face a minute longer.

Me neither.

More clapping, as Gillen snarled and protested and yelled out as if stating an order not to be messed with, Mom, Dad, do something about this, as the two guards grabbed hold of him and pulled him out of the room. It was good to see the back of him, knowing his mom and dad couldn’t do a thing. The law had spoken. Finito.

I sure wished his outburst hadn’t happened though. As if these girls needed that. To see his wretched face all scrunched up, eyes spitting daggers, and still blaming them. What an ass. But it was hard to take for the victims. My heart went out to each one of them. They’d been through enough.

Billie was shaking as she looked up at me, clearly startled at his words and her face even paler, if that was at all possible.

He’s a horrible person, Billie, you know that, I said, trying to be reassuring, knowing the horror he inflicted would take enormous time to abate.

Yeah, I know. Just forget sometimes. He comes across so cocky and self-assured and so convinced of his own innocence. She leaned closer to whisper, Ms. Barclay, everyone’s going out for coffee, but ... er... can we please just go to your place instead? For hot chocolate? I’m dying to see Scruff. To tell him the good news and um, just cuddle him.

She looked so tired. This had been tough, and I bet she was exhausted, and Gillen’s last words didn’t help. Wasn’t so sure how her parents would feel about her choosing to come to my cabin rather than stay with them, but it sure made sense that holding her wee cat Scruff in her arms was all she wanted at the moment. It was probably the best thing for her.

Of course. We certainly can. Bet Scruff would love that.

Great. Relief swept across her face. Well, better go see Mom and Dad and get it over with.

Watching her walk slowly down the aisle to greet her parents, I was surprised when they reached out to hug her. They hadn’t been too supportive of her stance in charging Gillen, especially her dad. He was dead against it and stayed on the periphery of it all, aloof and cold. Her mother, who was a lawyer, seemed to be growing warmer towards her daughter throughout the trial. You’d think she would have been leading the brigade out to get the bad guy, but nope, she wasn’t too thrilled either about her daughter laying charges, stating she knew what could happen in a courtroom. That a verdict could go either way. Fortunately she had seemed to be changing her tune though. Obviously the guilty verdict made a huge difference as I witnessed their smiles and even heard her dad say, Good job. Hopefully, permanent reconciliation would take place.

I grinned when I saw her sister Leslie and her fiancé Jason come running down the aisle to embrace Billie. They were close which was wonderful. They’d stood by her decision which helped a lot, and I knew they’d be there for her forever. Billie did have a lot of support. Unfortunately, not as much from her parents, although that might change in time, especially since she’d won her case. Too bad that might be the defining moment. They should have been there from the beginning.

Strong arms slid around my waist, startling me. Turning quickly, I saw that it was the sheriff. Tall, brown-blond hair, blue eyes with his charming trademark space between his two top teeth, seeing him made my heart pound every single time. Sheriff Al Michaels. My fiancé. The man I adored and would be marrying soon. Like really soon. In fact, in two weeks. I couldn’t wait.

Fantastic verdict, he said, pulling me even closer. Couldn’t have asked for anything more. Good work, Freud.

I smiled hearing that nickname.

Al never called me honey or dear or sweetie or a host of any other romantic endearments. Instead, I was his Freud, in honor of the great father of psychoanalysis due to, as he put it, your probing interest in analyzing everyone. I still found it funny no matter how many times I’d heard it. Besides, it was an honor. Freud was an icon in the world of psychiatry.

Best verdict ever, I said in agreement. But hey, I didn’t do anything.

Oh, yes you did. You listened, and that was the best gift you could have ever given to Billie. He tightened his hold.

Clutching his arms, I closed my eyes and breathed in his spicy Hugo Boss aftershave, sucking in his strength. He was my rock, and for that, I was always grateful.

Just to let you know, he whispered. You have two people here who requested to talk to you.

I do? My eyes popped open.

Yes.

Pulling away, he pointed to a man and woman who stood nervously at the back of the courtroom. They seemed out of place, clenching their hands and shuffling back and forth on their feet, waving when they noticed me looking.

I think you know them, he said.

Really?

Not recognizing them immediately, I squinted bringing them fully into view.

Oh my goodness. Could it really be them?

Charlotte and Brian O’Neil?

All the way from Canada?

Two

Smiling widely, I realized it really was them. And their faces brought back beautiful memories.

A number of years ago, while searching for a missing teenager in Canada, I had stayed at the O’Neils’ charming bed and breakfast in the small town of Caledonia, Ontario. They were wonderful people—kind, good-hearted and took fantastic care of me. My stomach rumbled just thinking of them for Charlotte also made a chocolate chip cheesecake to die for. In fact, she was known for this sweet confection, and people came from all over to sample it. It was a culinary respite guaranteed to soothe the soul. No doubt about that.

Hurrying over, so surprised my manners literally jumped out the window, I exclaimed, What are you doing here? Oops, I quickly added, Sorry. That was rude of me. I’m just so shocked to see you.

Oh, that’s okay, said Charlotte. I’m sure it must be a real jolt that we’re here.

We’ve been following the trial, added Brian, jumping in. Found out last night the jury was deliberating, and since we knew a guilty verdict would be a no-brainer and a fast one, we headed here immediately.

We saw you were involved a while back when we read about that horrible Gillen fellow, chimed in Charlotte. He was all over the news even up in Canada, so I kept track of the proceedings on the internet. With all those reporters tweeting like crazy, we felt we were right here with you. Tremendous verdict. Hope that guy never sees the light of day ever again.

Sure was a great verdict, I agreed. The only one, too. But you really kept track of me? And the trial? That was odd, or at least to me it was.

Sure, said Brian. His voice then softened to a whisper. We need to talk to you. Badly.

And you drove here from Canada? You couldn’t have just phoned? Emailed? This is a long way from home. I could have even met you halfway for a chat. I felt equally in awe and confused that they would drive this far to see me.

Wouldn’t want to put you out, said Charlotte, also whispering. What we have to talk to you about really needs to be done in person and, besides, it only took six hours to get here. Not even, and not a bad drive at all.

Booked ourselves into a bed and breakfast in Paxton, said Brian. The Shiny Dragonfly?

Oh, I know that place, and I hear it’s quite nice. But, of course, you are perfectly welcome to stay with me. I have a vacant guest room.

Oh, we don’t want to put you out, and besides, we want to check out our competition, said Brian. Always looking for ideas to spruce up our own establishment.

Well, in my opinion, other bed and breakfast places could learn from you. I slept so well when I stayed with you and, besides, the owners are warm and loving. I grinned.

Well, thanks, said Charlotte, smiling.

But I noticed her smile never reached her eyes which looked sad, lost, and deeply frightened.

What was going on?

I’d love to have a good old tongue wag with you, I said. I must admit, you’ve got me curious as anything. But first, I’m taking Billie home for a chat so, how about I meet you a bit later at Connan’s Restaurant in Paxton? We’re having a celebratory gathering for her, and you’re more than welcome to join us. As much as I was anxious to find out what their concerns were, this was Billie’s day, and I wanted to honor her request of hot chocolate at my cabin. She deserved anything she wanted right now. It was a time to celebrate.

Oh, of course, dear. Take care of that young girl first, said Charlotte. We don’t want to interfere. We can even wait until tomorrow, if that would work out better for you.

Oh, no. Tonight’s fine. This must be really important if you came to see me here in Paxton.

It is, said Charlotte, a mask of pain settling on her face, completely draining her of the little color she had.

Whatever it was, it was causing her great stress. That was a definite. I was even afraid she might faint as she wobbled a bit, and Brian grabbed hold of her arm and held on tight.

And we remember you telling us about Connan’s, said Brian. It’s run by your stepmother, right?

That’s the one. It’s right on the main street. You can’t miss it. The Shiny Dragonfly is just around the corner.

We’ll be there. We’ll get settled in and might even nap for a bit. He yawned.

Or sight-see, said Charlotte.

She was yawning too, so I figured they’d both be asleep as soon as they found their room.

Well, how about six o’clock?

Great, said Brian.

Do you need directions?

No. Charlotte got me a GPS for my birthday a few months ago. Wonder how I survived without it.

Me, too.

But my eyes were on Charlotte, who still looked over-the-top worried and upset. Brian did too, but not as much as his wife. I was sure she was on the verge of tears at any moment. And to think she drove all the way here to talk. Something huge must be going on in her life, I thought, as I watched them walk away. A chill shot through me. This wasn’t going to be good, that was a definite.

Who are they? asked Billie, coming over.

That’s who I stayed with when I was looking for Jason a while back.

Yeah? In Canada?

I was surprised she remembered, but of course, she knew the whole Jason story almost word for word. After all, he was her sister’s fiancé, and was like her big brother and one she adored. During one of our chats, she’d confided how worried she’d been when he’d taken off and she’d feared she’d never see him again. I was the one who’d gone on the hunt to locate him and when he came back home, once again, he’d been supportive from the get-go in all of Billie’s decisions. I glanced over at Jason standing with Leslie. His arm was wrapped around her as he still gazed with joy at Billie. He nodded when he saw me watching. He truly was a wonderful person in every way.

Realizing I hadn’t answered Billie, who was looking up at me, not even hiding the curiosity stamped all over her face, I quickly said, Yes. In Caledonia.

And they came here to see you? Did something happen?

Not sure but my guess is yes. We’re going to meet later at Connan’s at your celebratory party. Is that okay? Figure it’s serious, and I didn’t have the heart to make them wait until tomorrow.

"Oh, I’m cool with that. They need your help. And hey,