Author: Hungry Guy
Title: KATHY'S NIGHTMARE
Summary: Kathy has a nightmare.
Keywords: M/F true cheat rom cons slutwife cuck alcohol oral ws caution
Language: english

KATHY'S NIGHTMARE

By Hungry Guy

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is a work of fiction.  Any similarity of my character's names and situations to the names and situations of real people, either living or dead, is purely coincidental.  What with the US population reaching several hundred million, and the world population into the billions, coincidences are unavoidable.  And in my time as a writer, I've found that those coincidences can be rather eerie sometimes.  

 ************
 * PROLOGUE *
 ************

    _* Cue "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Night. *_

    Kathy's kinky boyfriend had returned to New York on the Amtrak Lakeshore Limited yesterday.  Her husband, who works a week at a time every other week for Norfolk Southern, had flown home early from Atlanta with pneumonia and almost caught them together.

    Lying in bed feeling sexually frustrated, her hands slowly crept down her body when she heard her husband turn off the television and walk toward the bathroom.

    Kathy jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom.  She sat on the edge of the bathtub as her husband stepped up to the toilet and pulled his jeans down.

    "Can I have some, Aaron?" she asked with a shy smile.

    "Don't start that again, Kathy!" he snapped.

    "But I'm thirsty!" she insisted.

    "That's disgusting!" he scolded her.

    Aaron pissed into the toilet and flushed his waste away while Kathy sulked back to bed and finished what she started.

    She turned her back to her husband when he climbed into bed and ignored his gentle touch.

 *************
 * CHAPTER 1 *
 *************

    _* Cue "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" by Elvin Bishop. *_

    Kathy and Paul had just left their last patient's house for the day.  Kathy started her Chrysler Town & Country minivan as Paul climbed into the passenger seat.

    Driving through Rocky River Reservation of Cleveland Metroparks, Kathy said, "Want to climb Carl Mountain with me?"

    "Carl Mountain?" asked Paul in a slight Indian accent.  "You mean Fort Hill?"

    "Yeah," Kathy shrugged.  "Carl Mountain is Aaron's name for it."

    "Not now, I have to get back to my office."

    A little later, Paul said when they stopped at a light, "Kiss me, girlfriend."  Their stethoscopes clinked together as Kathy leaned over to kiss her boyfriend.

    Kathy parked in front of Paul's office on Bagley Road, and then they walked into his office together.  They passed the waiting room were a couple of later afternoon patients waited for appointments with other doctors, into the back, and into Paul's private office.  He filled out paperwork while Kathy sat behind him and ran her fingers through his hair.

    Paul handed Kathy an insurance form,  "Here.  Fill out this Medicaid form while I do these others.  Just make up a name, and social, and routine diagnosis.  Bill it for $482 this time."  

    When the paperwork was done about a half-hour later, Paul said, "Like to go back to my play house for a drink, Kathy?"

    "Yeah!" said Kathy.  She grinned wickedly at her boyfriend and flipped her cell phone open, and then her tone turned icy cold.  "Aaron, Doctor Mangla and I have to see a few more patients tonight.  I'll be home later.  Did Heather come home from school tonight?  Okay.  Is Kristen doing her homework?  How's Mary?  Is AJ behaving himself?  Good."  Then she flipped her phone closed.

    "Great!" said Paul.  He flipped open his cell phone and also placed a call.  "Hi Annie!  I have a couple more patients to see tonight.  I'll be home late.  I know, honey, but you know how it is...  No!  I'm not with Kathy!  Don't be so suspicious, sweetheart!  She's just my assistant nurse.  I love you!  Bye."

    A few minutes later, Kathy and Paul pulled into the driveway of a large empty house.  The "For Sale" sign swung gently in the breeze as the couple approached the stately front entrance and entered the spacious front foyer, made even more spacious by the conspicuous lack of furniture in any of the adjoining rooms.

    Kathy fell into Paul's arms and the two kissed deeply while Paul slowly steered her up the curved grand staircase and into the master bedroom suite.

    While Kathy sat on the ultra-plush carpeting in the empty room, Paul removed a bottle of tequila and a bottle of diet cream soda from the small refrigerator under the wet bar in the alcove between the bedroom and the master bathroom.  Rinsing out a pair of plastic cups from the counter, he poured them both sizeable servings of alcohol while adding a dash of the cream soda to Kathy's.

    A half-hour later, the whole bottle of tequila was totally drained, and the couple had shed most of their clothing.  

    Holding each other tightly, Paul reached down and fondled Kathy's most private flesh.  "Do you want me to continue?" he asked.

    "Yes!" she moaned.

    Without hesitation, Paul mounted Kathy, the weight of his hips pushing her thighs apart.  He entered her and began pumping his hips.  A minute later, his orgasm filled her and he fell upon her in satisfied exhaustion.  

    "I love you, Kathy," Paul slurred. 

    "If you loved me," Kathy slurred back, "you'd leave Annie and move into this house instead of selling it, and let me move in with you with my kids." 

    "Kathy, I'm not going to leave Annie.  I already told you that.  You have to understand that you're my mistress.  You have to keep our affair a secret."

    "But my last boyfriend bought a bunk bed and everything.  He signed the loan for my minivan.  He wanted me to move into his house with my kids.  He was going to support me while I went to school to get my RN.  He even wired me $200 when I went to visit my husband in Atlanta and I had no money go get back to Ohio.  You won't do anything for me!"

    "Then why didn't you stay with him if he's so good to you?"

    "I told you, Paul!  Because he lives in New York and I can't uproot my kids.  And I don't love him any more.  I love you now.  But you have money; you could at least set me up in an empty apartment in that commercial building you own."

    "Do you want to be a whore, Kathy?"

    "No!" she gasped.

    "Then I can't give you money or help you that way.  Now kiss me, girlfriend!"  

    The two continued to kiss until Kathy rolled and forced Paul to fall off her.

    The two lay side by side, holding each other for dear life, lest the wildly spinning room buck suddenly and throw them violently against a wall or the ceiling.

    At that moment, Kathy's cell phone beeped once, and a loud voice spoke insistently in a Midwestern accent, "Kathryn!  You there?  Kathy!  You there?  Kath!  Where are you?"

    "Shhh!" said Kathy to Paul and picked up her phone.  "I'm here, Aaron.  What do you want?"

    "Are you coming home soon, Kath?  The kids are hungry."

    "Yesh," slurred Kathy.  "We're almoscht done.  I'll be home schoon."

    "Are you okay, Kath?"

    "Yeah," she giggled and smiled at Paul.  "I'm fine."

    Without saying "Bye," she closed the phone and broke her embrace with Paul.  "I have to go or Aaron's going to get suspicious," she said with a pout.  

    "We've been together for months and Aaron still thinks I'm just your employer."

    "Well, we still have to be careful.  If Aaron hadn't caught me calling and texting my last boyfriend so much, I might be living in New York now."

    "The better for me that Aaron's suspicious, then," said Paul as he winked at her.  He sighed and said, "But I have to get home to Annie, too.  She gets suspicious easy, too."

    The couple got dressed, and Kathy smoothed her blue scrubs.  "Drive me back to my car at my office?" Paul asked.

    "Of course," she said with a smile.

    Backing out of Paul's driveway, Kathy scraped the side of her minivan against the "For Sale" sign next to the driveway, knocking the sign over. 

    "Kathy!" Paul shrieked.

    "Sorry," Kathy whimpered.

    "You okay to drive?" he asked.

    "Yeah, sure," she said.

    Paul started reading a copy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, trying to appear calm, whilst Kathy tried to drive the van in a relative straight line down Engel Road. 

    A little later, Kathy returned to Bagley Road, swinging a little to wide through the intersection, almost side-swiping an RTA bus.

    _* Cue "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake. *_   

    Continuing down Bagley Road toward Paul's office, Kathy heard a "Whoop!  Whoop!" from behind her.  Bright red and blue flashing lights reflected onto their faces from the rearview mirror.

    "Shit!" said Kathy.

    "Yeah!  Shit!" said Paul.

    Kathy pulled over to the side of the road and waited.  A few minutes later, two more police cars screeched down the road and stopped in front and along side her minivan.

    "Why all the cops?" asked Paul.

    "I don't know," said Kathy.  "Maybe because I missed a couple of payments on the van."

    "They wouldn't send the whole police force because you missed a payment or two," said Paul.  "Maybe they think you're drunk." 

    "I'm not drunk!" slurred Kathy and took a deep breath to fight back the sudden urge to vomit. 

    One officer approached Kathy's window and said, "May I see your license, registration, and insurance card, please."

    Kathy handed the officer the requested documents and waited while he scrutinized them.  He then asked, "What is your name?"

    "Kathryn Mizen," said Kathy.

    "Is this your vehicle?" he asked her.

    "No," she said.  "It belongs to a friend of mine."

    "Who does it belong to?"

    "Hungry Guy," she said.

    "Does Mr. Guy know that you are in possession of his vehicle?"

    "Yes," she answered.

    "Have you had anything to drink tonight?"

    "No," she said, and started giggling.

    Kathy didn't notice that while she was talking, several other policemen had surrounded the vehicle and had their guns out.

    "The officer at the other window said to Paul, "May I see some ID, please?"

    Paul handed the officer his license.  

    "What's your name, sir?"

    "Pawan Mangla, but I call myself Paul."

    "Are you related to Kathryn?" 

    "I'm her employer," said Paul.  "She's my assistant nurse."  

    "Is it routine for you and your assistant nurse to get drunk together?"

    In a nervous voice, Paul said, "Uhm, I'm not driving.  I haven't done anything wrong, sir."

    "Please step out of the vehicle," the two police officers said to Kathy and Paul. 

    Kathy and Paul stepped out of the car.  Kathy watched Paul be escorted by his officer to one police car, while her officer escorted her to his car where he asked her to exhale into a breathalyzer. 

    After a short drive to the Berea Police Station, Kathy was escorted to a small conference room.  Paul was nowhere to be seen.

    A man in a suit entered the room and sat between the two police officers, facing Kathy.  "I'm Detective Kleinfeld."

    Kathy didn't answer, so he continued.  "Do you know you're in serious trouble, Mrs. Mizen?"

    "I guess," Kathy stammered.

    The detective glanced down at a sheaf of legal papers.  "You're facing drunk driving charges, fraud, misrepresentation, and possession of a stolen vehicle, Mrs. Mizen.  What do you have to say for yourself?"

    "Okay, maybe I had a little too much to drink," said Kathy.  "But what fraud?  The car isn't stolen--my ex boyfriend bought it for me, and I've been making the payments on it, well, until I couldn't afford to the past couple of months.  But that's not a crime!"

    The detective pulled out an automobile sales contract.  "According to this contract, Mr. Guy purchased the vehicle from Ganley Chrysler in February.  Is that true?"

    "Yes," answered Kathy.

    "Doctor Mangla says that your relationship with him started last year."

    "Well..." said Kathy.

    "Are you saying that you had two boyfriends at the time?  And you were also married to your husband, Aaron Mizen?"

    "Well, I'm planning to leave Aaron."

    "Why haven't you left him then?"

    "I can't afford to get my own place."

    "So you've been looking for a boyfriend to help you with the finances to establish your own place and leave your husband?"

    "Sort of," said Kathy.

    The detective pulled out two pieces of paper and slid them in front of Kathy.  "Do you recognize these?"

    "Yes," said Kathy who started to cry.

    The detective pointed to one of the documents.  "This appears to be a statement that you made to the police in New York back in January stating that you visited Mr. Guy of your own free will.  And this appears to be a consensual BDSM Play Date agreement that you and Guy made together at the same time."  

    Kathy said in a cracking voice, "When I first went to New York to visit Guy in January, my husband called the New York police and told them that Guy kidnapped me.  They came to Guy's house and took me back to their police station and made me give that statement so that Guy wouldn't get arrested for kidnapping me.  And that other paper is an agreement that I guess Guy makes all his play partners sign."

    "Smart Guy!" said the detective.

    "So how did Guy come to buy you a car?"

    "Guy used to came out to Cleveland every other week to visit me when my husband was in Atlanta for his new job with Norfolk Southern.  When the bank repossessed my Silverado, Guy bought this minivan for me so I could move out to New York to him with my kids."

    "So this Guy has money?"

    "Yeah.  He does something with computers for the IRS.  He lives in New York and commutes to Philadelphia by train.  And he writes these really hot sexy stories, too!"

    "And Guy was under the belief that you were his girlfriend, even though Mangla was also your boyfriend at the time, _AND_ you were married to Aaron Mizen.  Correct?"

    "Yes," Kathy sobbed.  

    "And you let Guy believe that you intended to leave your husband and bring your children to New York to live with him?  He purchased furniture for his home, and incurred other major expenses, in anticipation of you moving in with him with your children?  Correct?"

    "But I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

    "No," the detective sighed.  "I don't suppose you did."

    The detective slid a legal pad in front of Kathy.  "May we have a statement to that effect?"

    "I guess so," Kathy said and started to cry.

    After Kathy completed her statement, the detective nodded at the two officers, who walked around the table and helped Kathy stand.  

    She screamed, "Hey!  What..." when they cuffed her hands behind her back.

    "Kathryn Pauline Mizen, you're under arrest for DWI, fraud, misrepresentation, and possession of a stolen vehicle.  Because some of these incidents occurred across state lines, the charges of fraud and misrepresentation are elevated to the status of felonies.  You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.  You are entitled to an attorney.  If you cannot afford an attorney, the court will appoint one for you.  Do you understand your rights?"

    "Yes," Kathy cried.

 *************
 * CHAPTER 2 *
 *************

    _* Cue "I'm A Believer" by The Monkees. *_

    After a week in the Cuyahoga county jail in downtown Cleveland, Kathy was escorted one morning through a tunnel under Lakeside Avenue to the county courthouse.  

    Her escorts sat her in a seat in the back of the courtroom.  She sat alone between the two police officers who escorted her there.  She had called Aaron from the jail, but he had to be in Atlanta this week for Norfolk Southern.  Her only other family in the Cleveland area, her mother, sister, and brother, were all on welfare and didn't own cars and had no way to get to the courthouse to be with her.

    Looking around the courtroom, her heart pounded when she saw Paul sitting on the other side of the courtroom.  Like she was, he was dressed in drab gray prison clothes.  He was sitting between an obese woman to his left, and several men in expensive suits to his right.  

    Kathy desperately wanted to get her lover's attention, but felt sure she would be in even worse trouble if she caused a stir.  The police officers on either side of her stirred uncomfortably.

    "All stand," the bailiff announced.  

    Kathy stood along with everyone else in the courtroom.

    A woman entered from a door at the front of the courtroom.  "Honorable Judge Kristina Katyn presiding," the bailiff said.

    The judge took a seat behind the bench and struck her gavel.  "You may be seated," she said in a slight British accent.

    The judge shuffled some papers and announced, "First on the docket is the bail hearing in the matter of the people vs. Pawan Mangla.  Would the prosecution and the defense please come forward."

    Paul and the three suits walked up to the defendant's desk, while the fat woman remained seated.  Several police officers and men in suits walked up from the rear of the courtroom to the plaintiff's desk.

    She looked at the prosecution and said, "Please present your statements."

    One of the prosecutors stood.  "On the evening of Wednesday the twelfth, the defendant, Doctor Pawan Mangla, was arrested for being an accomplice in possession of a stolen vehicle and was charged with grand theft auto.  The driver of the vehicle, one Kathryn Pauline Mizen, had a blood alcohol level of 0.28 and the defendant, Pawan Mangla, had a blood alcohol level of 0.23.  We recommend that bail be denied."  

    "Thank you," said the judge.  To the defense, she said, "Please present your counter statements."

    One of the lawyers with Mangla stood and said, "Your honor, our client is not guilty of the crime of grand theft auto.  He is a doctor who, with his employee, had been making house calls during the day.  He and his employee socialized after their rounds, and consumed alcohol.  In and of itself, this is not a crime.  His employee, Kathryn Mizen, was then driving him back to his office so that he could go home to his fiancee.  My client was not aware that his employee had stolen a vehicle and was riding in said stolen vehicle.  Granted that riding in a vehicle with an intoxicated driver was bad judgment, but my client did not commit a crime.  Further, my client is a pillar of the community.  He is a respected physician and surgeon, and is engaged to be married to a respected public servant.  We'd like to call Anne Fritz to the stand."

    The judge nodded.

    The obese woman stood and stepped up to the witness stand.  "Please state your name," the bailiff said.

    "Anne Fritz," she said.  The bailiff placed a Bible on the railing and said, "Please repeat after me.  I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God."

    Anne repeated the oath, and the bailiff returned to his seat.

    One of Mangla's attorneys approached the witness.  "Please tell us your relationship with Pawan Mangla."

    "I've known Paul for over a year and we're engaged to be married."

    "And what do you do, Ms. Fritz?" asked the lawyer.

    "I am the Financial Director for the city of Westlake, and I'm a part-time faculty member of Cleveland State University."

    "Impressive credentials, Ms. Fritz.  In your opinion, is Doctor Mangla a threat to the community?"

    "Certainly not!" she said.  "As a surgeon, he performs a vital service to the community.  Keeping him in jail is the crime!  He's no criminal!  He's a victim of a gold-digging hussy!"

    "Thank you, Ms. Fritz," said the lawyer.  "That's all."

    To the prosecution, Judge Katyn said, "Do you have any questions for the witness?"

    "Not at this time," said one of the prosecutors.

    The judge shuffled her papers and sat reading for a moment before speaking.  "I find that Doctor Pawan Mangla is not a threat to the community, is not a risk of flight, and contributes an essential service to the community.  Bail is set at ten thousand dollars."

    "Thank you, your honor," said one of Paul's lawyers.  "We have the bail money available right now."

    "Make the arrangements with the court clerk down the hallway," the judge said.

    Paul and his lawyers left the table, and were joined by Anne as they left the courtroom.  Anne shot an icy glare at Kathy as she passed the back row of the courtroom.

    "All stand," the bailiff said as the judge left the bench and exited the courtroom.  She returned fifteen minutes later, banged her gavel, and announced, "Next on the docket is the bail hearing in the matter of the people vs. Kathryn Pauline Mizen.  Would the prosecution and the defense please come forward."

    The two police officers brought Kathy up to the defendant's table.  The same prosecution team returned to the plaintiffs' desk.

    Judge Katyn looked at Kathy.  "Do you have legal representation, Mrs. Mizen?"

    "No.  I can't afford a lawyer."

    She said, "The court will assign you a public defender after this hearing."

    Kathy didn't answer, so the judge looked at the prosecution and said, "Please present your statements."

    Again, one of the prosecutors stood.  "On the evening of Wednesday the twelfth, the defendant, Kathryn Pauline Mizen, was arrested for being in possession of a stolen vehicle and was charged with grand theft auto, fraud, misrepresentation, and driving while intoxicated.  The defendant had a blood alcohol level of 0.28.  The charges of fraud and misrepresentation stem from the fact that she misled a man from New York into believing that he was her boyfriend, and that she was going to leave her husband and move in with him in the immediate future, and persuaded him to purchase the vehicle in question for her.  At the time, the defendant was married, and also was having an illicit affair with Doctor Pawan Mangla.  She has been known to flee the state to avoid repossession of a prior vehicle for non-payment, a Chevrolet Silverado, and she may still prey upon the man in New York in an attempt to flee the state.  We recommend that bail be denied."  

    "Thank you," said the judge.  To Kathy, the judge said, "Do you have a counter statement?"

    Kathy stood and said, "I'm innocent!  I loved Guy!  And he loved me!  He bought me that car and I tried to make the payments as best as I could.  I can't help that I fell in love with Paul."

    "Is that all, Ms. Mizen?" asked the judge.

    "Yes," Kathy cried.  

    The judge shuffled her papers and sat reading for a moment before speaking.  "I find that Kathryn Pauline Mizen has demonstrated egregious irresponsibility, and is a risk of flight.  Bail is denied."

 *************
 * CHAPTER 3 *
 *************

    _* Cue "The Love Of A Lifetime" by Firehouse. *_

    The following week, a public defender arrived at the county jail to meet with Kathy.  Sitting locked inside a drab tiny conference room with a single barred frosted window, the lawyer handed her a business card.  "Kathy, I'm Ken Howe of Dewey, Screwem, and Howe, LLP."

    "Hi," Kathy said back.

    "You have some serious charges against you, Kathy.  Let's take them one at a time and work out a defense, okay?"

    "Sure," she said with a shrug.

    "Automobile theft," said Ken.  "Did you steal a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country from Ganley Chrysler and Huntington Bank?"

    "No."

    "Help me here, Kathy," said Ken.  "Where did you get the minivan?"

    "I missed some payments on my Silverado truck and they repossessed it.  My boyfriend, Guy, went with me to the garage and helped me get it back.  Then we went to Ganley Chrysler and traded it in for the minivan.  My credit score was really low, and his was really good, so he signed the contract."

    "I see.  Were you married to Aaron at the time?"

    "Yes, but I was going to leave Aaron and go out to New York with my kids and move in with Guy.  That's why Guy thought it would be a good idea to buy a minivan together.  Then we picked out a bunk bed together and he ordered it delivered it to his house so that my kids would have a nice room when we moved in with Guy."  

    "And why didn't this happen?"

    "I just couldn't do it.  Every time I tried to leave, I couldn't go through with it.  I told Guy I couldn't uproot my kids, and I told him that I had to get my own place in Berea." 

    "So after Guy spent all this money on new furniture, you changed your mind and asked him to help you set up a household in Berea?  Is that correct?"

    "Yeah.  So Guy came out to Cleveland and was going to help me get a lawyer and file for divorce, and then pay the security deposit so that I could get my own apartment, and put the utilities in his name because I was late on my phone and electric bills at the house."

    "And why didn't this happen?"

    "Aaron came home early from Atlanta with pneumonia that week."

    "So?  You were going to leave Aaron anyway.  Why would he being home stop you from being with your boyfriend and moving out?"

    "You don't understand how controlling Aaron is.  I'd never be able to get away with him home."

    "Okay.  Then tell me how Doctor Mangla is involved in all this."

    "Doctor Mangla kept coming on to me when Guy wasn't in Cleveland.  He knew that I had a boyfriend and that I was planning to leave Aaron, but he just kept coming on to me so strong every day.  I was his nurse working with him going around to see patients."

    "Didn't you just say that Aaron wouldn't let you get away when he's home?"

    "That's different.  I was working for Doctor Mangla.  Aaron didn't know that Doctor Mangla was my boyfriend..."

    "Mangla was your boyfriend?" asked the lawyer.  "I'm confused.  I thought Guy was your boyfriend."

    "Oops!  I mean that, well, I started falling in love with Doctor Mangla.  He came on so strong every day I saw him."

    "Really?  This Guy fella did all that for you and spent a lot of money on you, and then you suddenly fell in love with Mangla because he came on to you?"

    "Yeah," said Kathy and started to cry.

    "That's not going to help your case in court, Kathy.  That's going to look like you were just using Guy."

    "I didn't want to lose my kids!" cried Kathy.  "I was afraid that if Aaron filed for divorce, he might get my kids because I was having an affair with Guy.  I can't bear to lose my kids again!  I was scared and didn't know what do to!"

    "Separating from your husband and having a new boyfriend isn't grounds for being judged an unfit parent..."    

    "Are you sure?"

    "But having a _string_ of affairs could be, and misrepresenting your affections for one man for financial gain is certainly fraud, Kathy."

    "I'm scared!" Kathy cried.  "Aaron filed for divorce last week while I was in jail.  What's going to happen to me?  Will you help me keep my kids?"

    "Divorce is a civil matter, Kathy.  I can't represent you pro-bono in a divorce."

    "What's that mean?"  

    "You're not entitled to a free lawyer for a divorce."

    "But what about this other thing?" Kathy slid some other papers to Ken.  "Guy is suing me for $800 for the cost of the bunk bed and mattress he bought, and also for the $200 penalty to get out of the Sprint cell phone contract."

    "Also civil matters, Kathy.  I can represent you, but I'll have to charge you my full hourly rate of $250 per hour."

    "I can't afford that!" shrieked Kathy.

    "Then let's continue and work out a defense for the remaining charges against you," said the lawyer.  

    "Other charges?"

    "DWI," said the lawyer.  "And my contact at the police department tell me that you're under investigation for insurance fraud.  Do you know anything about that?"

    "No," said Kathy.

    "Well, as I understand it, you had two kitchen fires in your home within months of each other.  In light of the current charges against you, your insurance company has investigated and is alleging fraud."

    "It wasn't fraud."

    "How did the fires start?"

    "The first one happened when I stepped out of the kitchen for a minute.  The next thing I knew, the kitchen was on fire."

    "And the second fire?"

    "I accidentally left a pot on the stove when I took my kids out."

    "But you returned in time to catch the fire in progress?"

    "Half-way there, I changed my mind and came back home.  The house was full of smoke."

    "I see," said the lawyer.  "You're also being investigated for credit card fraud.  It seems you charged several hundred dollars against your ex-boyfriend's credit cards without his consent or knowledge after you broke up with him."

    "He gave me the card number.  I didn't do anything wrong."  

    "His complaint states that he gave you the number when you were still his girlfriend, and only to use in an emergency.  Clothing from Victoria's Secret hardly constitutes an emergency, Kathy.  Was he still your boyfriend when you made these purchases?" 

    "No," said Kathy.  "But I needed new clothes so bad.  I didn't know what do to.  He's a computer geek.  He has money.  I didn't think he'd mind."

    "Well..."

    "And another thing," said kathy.  "After we broke up, he posted some awful stories about me on his ASSTR site.  I want you to sue him to take them down."

    "That's complicated.  There's First Amendment issues there.  Are the stories true?"

    "Well, yes..." said Kathy.  

    "I can write him a letter and demand," said Ken.  "But unless you can prove damages, it's basically an empty threat legal-wise."  

    "Sure, write the letter."

 *************
 * CHAPTER 4 *
 *************

    _* Cue "Crazy For You" by Madonna. *_

    In an office in the executive wing of the Westlake City Hall building, just two doors down from the mayor's office, a meeting was being held behind closed doors.

    The prosecutor sat stern-faced in the large plush office, annoyed at being summoned to this big-shot's office after hours.  "You wanted to see me, Ms. Fritz?  About a two-bit scofflaw?"

    "Katherine Mizen!" Anne Fritz spat.

    The prosecutor flinched as the name exploded from the Financial Director's lips.  "Yes, Ma'am.  She's under indictment for some serious charges."

    "I know," said Fritz.  "I was there in the courtroom when the indictment was handed down.  I told her if she didn't stay away from my fiancé, I'd destroy her.  I told her!"

    "Yes, Ma'am..."

    "I want you to put her behind bars for a long time."

    "That's our job, Ms. Fritz," said the prosecutor.

    Fritz opened a drawer and slid a file folder toward the prosecutor.  "This is in case you missed anything," she said.

    The prosecutor took the folder and leafed through the papers within.  "Unpaid barking ticket.  She paid that, and then got rid of the dog.  Teenage delinquency.  We're aware of these incidents.  Hmm, two house fires within a year.  That _is_ suspicious."

    "Stay within the law, but go after her with extreme prejudice."

    "We'll contact the State Fire Marshall about these fires, Ms. Fritz.  And perhaps DJFS will be interested in her fitness as a parent."

    "My thoughts exactly," said the Financial Director.  "Now, it's late, and I'm sure we both want to be heading home, so I'll leave you to do your job.  Don't hesitate to call me if I can be of any assistance in your investigation of these matters."

    The prosecutor glanced at his watch and stood.  "Thank you, Ms. Fritz.  I'll keep that in mind."

 *************
 * CHAPTER 5 *
 *************

    _* Cue "I Was Made To Love You" by Toby Mac. *_

    "All stand," the bailiff announced to the courtroom.

    That same judge as in Kathy's bail hearing entered the courtroom and took a seat behind the bench.  

    "The honorable Judge Kristina Katyn presiding," the bailiff announced.

    The judge banged her gavel.  "You may be seated," she said in her same British accent as before.

    She shuffled her papers for a moment and said, "Before me is the case number 23-401213-A, the people versus Kathryn Pauline Mizen."

    The judge cleared her throat and looked up at the defendant's table.  "Mrs. Mizen, you stand charged with fraud, misrepresentation, automobile theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, and driving while intoxicated.  How do you plead?"

    Kathy's lawyer stood and said, "My client pleads not guilty to all charges, your honor."

    "So noted," said the judge and then faced the plaintiff's table.  "Prosecution, please present your opening statements."

    One of three men in suits stood.  "Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the state of Ohio intends to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Kathryn Pauline Mizen of Berea Ohio, committed the crimes of misrepresentation, fraud, automobile theft, and driving while intoxicated.  We intend to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mrs. Mizen, in collusion with her illicit lover, Doctor Pawan Mangla, identified a suitable victim, misrepresented her affection for him and deceived him into believing that she was his girlfriend and that she intended to separate and divorce her husband, Aaron Mizen... "

    A man in the audience wearing a Marine uniform jumped up and yelled out, "You filthy, cheating slut!  I should have killed you that night!  Now I'm going to go kill Mangla and that home-wrecker in New York!"

    Judge Katyn banged her gavel.  "Arrest that man!"

    Two police officers standing by the door in the back of the audience tackled the irate Marine and wrestled him out of the courtroom.

    The Judge said to the prosecutor, "The court apologizes for that interruption.  Please continue your opening statement."

    "Thank you, your honor.  To continue, we intend to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Kathryn Mizen entered into a romantic relationship under false pretenses with intent to deceive him into believing that she was in love with him, with the intent to obtain money from him and to coerce him into signing a sales contract for a vehicle, a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country van.  In so doing, she committed fraud against Mr. Guy, and committed automobile theft against the dealership where the vehicle was purchased, Ganley Chrysler Jeep, and against Huntington Bank who underwrote the automobile loan.  In addition, we intend to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was operating this stolen vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.28 percent, well over the legal limit.  We intend to prove these facts in the course of this trial, your honor, and jury."

    "Thank you," said the judge.  To the defense, she said, "Your opening statements."   

    Kathy's lawyer stood and said, "Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I intend to demonstrate that there is a reasonable doubt of the charges brought against my client, Kathy Mizen.  While intending to leave her estranged husband, Aaron Mizen, she entered a romantic relationship with a man whom, together, they planned to help Kathy gain her independence.  Kathy's relationship with her boyfriend befell a number of unfortunate events, and fell apart.  Mr. Guy purchased the vehicle and gave Kathy money out of his own generosity and free will.  No fraud or misrepresentation was intended or committed."   

    The judge faced the prosecution and said, "Please present your first witness."

    "For our first witness, we would like to call Berea Police Officer Jerzy Mackoweicka to the stand."

    The police officer came up and sat in the witness stand and was sworn in.

    "Please describe the events of Wednesday the twelfth leading to the arrest of Kathryn Mizen," said the prosecutor.

    "Yes sir," said the officer.  "I observed a blue Chrysler minivan with New York plates make an unsafe turn onto Bagley road.  I followed the van, and observed that it was being driven in an erratic manner.  I called in the plates and it came back as stolen.  I pulled the van over and waited for backup before approaching the vehicle.  I questioned the driver, and took her into custody for being in possession of a stolen vehicle and for DWI.  I gave her a breathalyzer exam, which reported a BAC of 0.28.  I turned her over to processing back at the station, then I returned to duty."  

    "Thank you, Officer," said the prosecutor.  To the judge, he said, "No further questions, your honor?"

    The judge looked at the defense and asked, "Do you have any questions for Officer Makoweicka?"

    Kathy's lawyer approached the officer.  "Are you certified in the use of the breathalyzer model Drunkbuster 911?"

    "Yes sir," said the officer.  He reached down and removed a card from his wallet.  "I was re-certified last month on the 18th."

    The lawyer examined the card and said, "No further questions, your honor."  

    "Please step down," said Judge Katyn to Officer Makoweicka, then said to the prosecutor, "Please call your next witness." 

    "We call Mr. Hungry Guy to the stand, your honor."

    An ordinary looking guy in wire-frame glasses approached the witness stand and took the oath.  

    "State your name for the record," the bailiff said.

    "My name is Guy, Hungry Guy."

    The prosecutor faced the witness and asked, "Where do you live Mr. Guy."

    "New York."

    "And do you know one Kathryn Mizen, Mr. Guy?"

    "Yes, I know Kathy."  A tear fell down Guy's cheek.  "She was my girlfriend once.  We made big plans to be together until she met that bastard Doctor Mangla!"

    The judge banged her gavel.  "Watch your language, Mr. Guy."

    "Sorry, ma'am," said Guy.

    "Is she here in this courtroom today?" asked the prosecutor.

    "Yes."

    "Please point her out to the court."

    Guy pointed to Kathy sitting at the defendant's table, who glared back at him with icy cold eyes.

    "Let the record show," said the prosecutor, "that the witness identified the defendant, Kathryn Pauline Mizen."

    "So noted," said Judge Katyn.

    "How did you come to know Mrs. Mizen, Mr. Guy?"

    "She read some of my erotic stories online and wrote to me."

    "When did she first make contact with you?"

    "Around October or November of last year, give or take."

    "What did she say?"

    "She wanted to meet me.  She said that the story turned her on so much that she wanted me to come out to Cleveland so she could be my cum sponge."

    "And what is a _'cum sponge'?"_ asked the prosecutor.

    "Well," Guy looked up at the judge.  "It's kind of naughty."

    Judge Katyn nodded.  "Go ahead with your testimony, Mr. Guy." 

    "Okay," he shrugged.  "I built this two-piece harness out of leather and rings and lockable buckles.  One piece fits snugly over a woman's head with a ring pressed tight against her mouth when the buckles behind her head and under her chin are all buckled tightly.  I wear the other piece like pants with that same ring pulled tightly against my crotch at the base of my penis so that my penis is held in her mouth while I wear her.  Then I just wear her face like a piece of clothing all day, and she has to swallow whatever comes out of the end of my penis into her throat while I'm wearing her.  When her wrists are shackled behind her back, she's totally helpless and incommunicado, and can't escape until I decide I'm done wearing her."

    "And you agreed to do this..." the prosecutor began, then looked up at the judge.  

    Judge Katyn was staring off into space, breathing heavy.

    "Your honor!" the prosecutor said.  "Are you all right?"

    The judge suddenly focused on the prosecutor.  "Oh!  Yes!  I'm fine!"  She took a deep breath and said, "A ten minute recess."  She banged her gavel and hurried back to her judge's chambers.    

    _* Cue "Cecilia" by Simon and Garfunkle. *_

    During the recess, Kathy whispered to her lawyer, "Did you write a letter to Guy to take those nasty stories about me down?"

    Ken pulled some papers out of his briefcase.  "I wrote a demand.  Here's his answer."  Ken slid Guy's letter in reply over to Kathy.  "Guy says that, depending on how you look at it, he paid you either $5,000 or $30,000 for the right to use your identity in his stories."

    "Well, I supopose that's sort'a true..." said Kathy.

    At that, the bailiff announced the return of Judge Katyn, interrupting Kathy's talk with her lawyer.  The judge took a seat at the bench and said to the witness, "Would you mind stating your home address, home telephone number, mobile number, and e-mail address for the record, Mr. Guy?"

    "Sure," said Guy and stated the requested information.

    Judge Katyn said to the stenographer, "Did you get that?"

    "Yes Ma'am, of course," said the stenographer.

    Then the judge looked down at the prosecutor and said, "Please continue your questioning."

    "Thank you, your honor," the prosecutor said.  To Guy he resumed his questioning.  "Did you agree to do this with Mrs. Mizen?"

    "Not at first.  I told her that I didn't want to get involved with a married woman."

    "But you continued to correspond?"

    "Yeah, she wouldn't leave me alone.  She emailed me, like, a hundred times a day and then sent me her home phone number in an email and asked me to call her."

    "Did you?"

    "Yeah.  I expected it to be some kind of religious hotline or something, but she answered.  We talked for a while and I gave her my number, and then I figured I was going to get bombarded with telemarketing calls.  Eventually, she convinced me that she had an open marriage and that she and her husband were each looking for partners to swing with.  Before I knew it, we were talking to each other several times a day like a real boyfriend and girlfriend."

    "When did you first meet in person?"

    "I took a week of vacation from my job in the first week in January and she drove out to visit me for the week."

    "And what happened?"

    "I tied her to my bed and slept on top of her.  And I wore her as my cum sponge.  She originally wanted to stay the whole week, but the following day, her husband called the police and said I kidnapped her."

    "Yes," the prosecutor said.  "I know."  He stepped over to the desk and one of the other prosecutors handed him a sheaf of papers.  He handed them to the bailiff.  "We would like to enter these into evidence.  One item is Kathy's statement to the New York police stating that she was in Mr. Guy's home voluntarily.  The second item is a handwritten BDSM play date agreement between Mrs. Mizen and Mr. Guy."

    The bailiff handed the papers to the judge, who spent a few minutes reading them.  

    "What happened next, Mr. Guy?"

    "She called me from the police station.  She left her coat at my house and she asked me to bring it to her.  It was the middle of winter, so I agreed.  She also said that her husband was driving to New York to get her.  I drove to the police station and got her and we spent the day crying together while her husband drove out to take her away from me.  He was the one who was kidnapping her and taking her back to Ohio against her will!"

    "Did you see her again?"

    "Yeah.  She called me as soon as she got home to Ohio the next morning and begged me to come out to Cleveland so we could be together again.  I still had the rest of the week off from work, so I took the train out to Cleveland the next day and spent the rest of the week in Cleveland.  One of our last days together, she and her husband went to this sex club together, then she sneaked out of the club and went back to my hotel with me.  She expected her husband to pick up a woman and go home with her too, but he left a million messages on her phone all night and she let him come pick her up at my hotel the next morning."

    "How long did you stay in Cleveland?"

    "I went home at the end of the week."

    "Did your relationship continue after that?"

    "Yes.  Her husband is an engineer or something for Norfolk Southern and he's away from home all week every other week.  I had accumulated a lot of vacation and personal days on my job over the years, so I came out to visit Kathy a few days each week when her husband was away."

    "At considerable expense, I presume?"

    "Yes.  At considerable expense.  We loved each other, or so I thought.  And Kathy was going to be moving out with me as soon as she got her affairs in order."

    "Her affairs, Mr. Guy?"

    "Oh!  Okay.  Bad choice of words.  Sorry."

    "Please tell us what prevented her from leaving her husband and moving in with you."

    "Well, it was always something.  Like she was stalling.  At first, she wanted to wait until she got all her payday loans paid off." 

    "What are payday loans?"

    "I didn't understand at first either.  It seems she was in big debt, living from paycheck to paycheck.  Each paycheck she got, she would pay off one of these payday loans, then get another one and pay that one off when she got her next paycheck.  And so on and so on.  Doesn't seem like very wise financial planning to me, but who am I to judge someone who's facing financial hardship?"

    "And did she get her loans paid off?"

    "Yeah, when she got her tax refund, she paid off all her payday loans.  In the meantime, we picked out a bunk bed together, and I ordered it, and had it delivered to my house.  And I purchased a new mattress from a local furniture store."

    "Did you incur any other expenses as a consequence of your relationship with Mrs. Mizen?"

    "Yeah.  Early in our relationship, she wanted me to get a Sprint cell phone with a _Friends and Family_ plan that would let us talk for free together anytime.  I told her that I didn't trust cell phone plans, that I use a pre-paid cell phone so I don't get any surprises in my bill, and she accused me of being afraid of commitment, so I got the phone."

    "Anything else?" 

    "Yeah.  One time, she drove down to Atlanta to visit her husband.  She didn't bring enough money to drive back home, so she called me frantically and insisted, even demanded, that I wire her money through Western Union so she could buy gas to drive home."

    "Did you?"

    "Well, yeah.  We were like a couple then.  Of course I sent her money!  Wouldn't you send your wife or girlfriend money if she was stranded somewhere?"

    "So at this point, you and Mrs. Mizen were in a serious committed relationship.  Were you not?"

    "Yeah, we were in a serious committed relationship by then."

    "How did you first learn that Doctor Mangla was Kathy's new boyfriend?"

    "Well, way back when we first started emailing and calling each other, she often mentioned this 'nice doctor' that she worked with.  He wrote prescriptions for her for whatever she wanted.  I thought that was a little fishy, but it saved her a lot of time and money from having to go see her regular doctor.  And I figured being a nurse, she knew what she was doing."

    "Is that all?"

    "She talked about him from time to time during our relationship.  He was always this 'nice doctor' that she worked with.  She always said how he would bring her breakfast at the nursing home where she worked--even when she was too busy to talk to me when I called her at work.  I should have put two and two together back then, but I guess I was naive."

    "So when did you realize that Mangla was her real boyfriend?"

    "When she started telling me that he was flirting and coming on to her.  I told her that she should tell him that his behavior is inappropriate, but she continued to see him because he gave her a second job going to see patients with him evenings during the week and she needed the money.  I didn't like that, but I trusted her.  Then the last time I came to Cleveland, she picked me up at the train station at 3 AM like she always does, but she was really cold.  She wouldn't hug me, or kiss me, or anything.  She just seemed really angry at me.  Over the week leading up to that visit, she stopped calling me as often as she used to.  I thought it was because her husband was keeping a tight watch on her that week and she couldn't call me, but I told her that I felt like she forgot she had a boyfriend."

    "What did she say to that, Mr. Guy?"

    "She said that she didn't want a boyfriend while she was still married.  I understood that she might have been feeling guilty about cheating, so I told her that she should leave him finally and move in with me with her kids.  But then she said that she didn't want to uproot her kids.  She always had some excuse why she couldn't come to me--she had to wait for her tax refund, or she had to wait to get out of debt, or she had to wait to give two-weeks notice on her job, or she had to wait to pick a fight with her husband, or for her kids to be in the right mood, or so on and so on.  After a while, it just became a blur of excuses."  

    "Did you ever give her your credit card number?"

    "Yes.  She told me that she tried to leave her husband once, and he called the bank and reported her credit card and debit card stolen so she wouldn't have any money.  I gave her the number to my Chase Visa card so that she could buy food and gas when she finally left him.  I also told her that she could use the number to pay for an initial consultation with a lawyer to file for separation."

    "Did she ever use the number."

    "Several months after she broke up with me, I started seeing all kinds of charges for Victoria's Secret and other stuff on my credit card.  I disputed the charges with Chase and they dropped them.  But I didn't think Kathy would get arrested for credit card fraud.  If only Kathy had moved in with me like we planned, I would have helped her out.  I wouldn't have charged her rent or anything.  She'd have lived for free while she saved up to get her own place if that's what she really wanted."

    Guy started to cry.  "I can't believe she chose jail over living with me."

    The prosecutor then picked up some papers from his desk and handed them to the bailiff.  "This is a sales contract with Ganley Chrysler for a Town & Country minivan.  Under Mrs. Mizen's misrepresentation of her affections for Mr. Guy, Mr. Guy signed the loan for this vehicle, in which she traded in her Silverado that was repossessed several days earlier for non-payment and which she owed $5000 more than her equity in the truck."   To Guy, the prosecutor asked, "Why would you buy a car for a woman under such circumstances?"

    "Because we were in love.  She was on the brink of leaving her husband and moving in with me.  Her payments on the minivan were $100 less than the pickup truck, and the minivan was more practical with her four kids."

    "Where's the minivan now?"

    "The police turned it over to me, and I gave it to my daughter.  It really is a nice vehicle--self-stowing seats, navigation system, stereo that goes 'boom,' power everything..." 

    "Yes, yes, and how much did you pay for this loaded minivan?"

    "It was about $25,000.  But Ganley buried her $5,000 debt in her pickup truck that she traded in the price of the minivan, bringing it to about $30,000."

    "But why a minivan?"

    "She was going to pack up her kids the next time Aaron went down to Atlanta and come live with me.  When you're madly in love with each other and plan to spend the rest of your life together, the possibility that she's going to dump you on a whim a week later doesn't enter the picture."

    "But that's what she did?"

    "Yes!  That's what she did!  A week after she told me that she loved me with all her heart, she told me that she didn't love me any more because she didn't want a boyfriend while she's still married.  Then, a few days after she said that, she confessed that Mangla is her new boyfriend.  That hurt so much!  She told me how they get drunk together in his empty house for sale and they fuck each others' brains out..."

    Judge Katyn banged her gavel.  "Watch your language, Mr. Guy!" 

    "Sorry," said Guy.

    "So Mr. Guy," said the prosecutor.  "Is it a fact that Kathryn Mizen pursued you aggressively, led you to fall in love with her, persuaded her to give her cash money, and purchase a new car for her in your name while absorbing the loss on her Silverado truck, and then, when her program of misrepresentation and fraud were complete, she threw you away like a bag of garbage so that she could return her full attention to her real lover, Doctor Pawan Mangla?"

    Kathy's lawyer jumped up.  "Objection, your honor!  Leading the witness.  And presuming that a witness's opinion is fact."

    "Objection sustained," said the judge.  "Please rephrase your question, prosecutor."

    The prosecutor then said, "In your _OPINION,_ Mr. Guy, did Kathy seek your love for personal gain without loving you back?"

    "It seems that way," answered Guy.  "I now realize that Mangla was her real boyfriend all along, and she was just whoring herself to me.  Well, so-called _'Doctor'_ Mangla ought to remember this before he steals someone else's love of a lifetime again: even ex-lovers sometimes still share intimate secrets with each other."

    "What do you mean by _'so-called'_ Doctor, Mr. Guy?" asked the prosecutor.

    "Keep watching this trial," said Guy with a hint of anger in his voice.  "You'll see."

    Kathy's lawyer rose again.  "Same objection, your honor!"

    The judge said, "Sustained.  The jury will disregard the last question and answer."

    "I withdraw the question, your honor.  No further questions for this witness at this time."

    Judge Katyn faced the defense table.  "Your witness, counselor."

    Kathy's lawyer approached Guy.  "Mr. Guy, you say that you purchased a bunk bed and other items for your spare bedroom so that Kathy could move in with you with her children.  Is that correct?"

    "Yes.  I spent close to $800 preparing my home for Kathy to move in with her kids when she left her husband.  It cost me $200 to break that Sprint cell phone contract that she bullied me into getting so that we could talk for free, not knowing that she was in league with Mangla in committing fraud against me."

    "If Kathy was using you for financial gain, as you contend, then what was in it for her for you to buy furniture for your home?"

    "I don't know.  After she changed her mind about moving in with me, she said that she couldn't uproot her kids and wanted me to move out to Berea and find a job here.  She wanted me to pull up stakes and quit my job and everything and move to Berea.  I was willing to do that, but I needed her to have a place first before I could move here to look for a job and go on interviews here in Cleveland.  And I needed to make some repairs to my house before I could put it on the market.  Otherwise, I was psyched about moving in with Kathy.  Now, I shudder to think where I'd be if I did that.  She'd have dumped me for Mangla after I moved in with her.  They'd have the minivan and that bunk bed for her kids in their new place and I'd be far from home, without a place to live, and probably struggling with a minimum wage job.  Almost all computer jobs have been outsourced to India by now.  It was incredibly lucky for me to get a government job.  And to think I almost threw it away on a slut who was just using me."

    "I have no further questions for this witness, your honor," said Kathy's lawyer.

    _* Cue "Cheating Heart" by Hank Williams. *_

    The judge said to Guy, "You may step down."  Then to the prosecutor, "Your next witness?"

    The prosecutor stood again and said, "The State of Ohio calls Doctor Pawan Mangla to the stand."

    The bailiff swore him in and asked him to state his name.

    "Pawan Mangla," said the doctor, "but I go by 'Paul'."

    "And how do you know the defendant, Kathryn Mizen, Doctor Mangla?"

    "She was a nurse at Aristocrat Berea nursing home.  I saw her often whenever I attended to patients.  I've known Kathy for a long time."

    "Were you her primary care physician?"

    "No."

    The prosecutor handed a handful of paper slips to the bailiff.  "I'd like to enter these into evidence."  To the doctor, he said, "Please explain these prescriptions for Welbutrin and Klonopin?"

    The doctor coughed nervously and said, "These two drugs are often prescribed together to treat depression and anxiety."

    "But you decided it was in Kathy's best interest to prescribe medications for her without the knowledge or consent of her primary care physician?"

    "Kathy is a medical professional educated in the efficacy of the meds she takes.  She's entitled to make her own informed decisions about her own medical treatment.  As her friend, I simply enabled her to make her own medical choices."  

    "Are you aware that Kathy was hospitalized on different occasions for attempted suicide by overdosing on anti-depressants?"

    Mangla hesitated before answering, "No."

    "Are you aware that she was hospitalized on the night of the February 23 for attempted suicide by overdosing on Welbutrin--which _you_ prescribed for her?"

    "She did not attempt suicide that night.  She was feeling especially depressed because she got into an argument with her husband that night when he discovered that her boyfriend, Guy, bought that van for her.  So she took four extra Welbutrins, and then panicked.  She didn't have to be hospitalized.  She would have been fine in the morning." 

    "So you've been her friend for how long?"

    "A while.  I don't remember exactly how long."

    "Since before October of last year?"

    "Yes.  So?"

    "And how many times during your 'friendship' with Mrs. Mizen did you have sexual relations with her?"

    Kathy's lawyer stood.  "I object, your honor.  The defendant's sex life is immaterial."

    "Your honor," the prosecutor said, "we contend that Mrs. Mizen had already been having an affair with Doctor Mangla and then she pursued a concurrent affair with Mr. Guy, demonstrating that her intent was to misrepresent her affections for Mr. Guy for the purpose of committing fraud against him, against Ganley Chrysler, and against Huntington Bank."

    "Objection overruled," said the judge.  "Please answer the question, doctor."

    "I don't remember how many times Kathy and I had sex," said Doctor Mangla.

    "No further questions, your honor," said the prosecutor.  

    _* Cue "Lying Eyes" by the Eagles. *_

    The judge faced the defense and said, "Your witness, counselor."

    Kathy's lawyer stood and approached Doctor Mangla.  "So, Doctor, you don't remember how many times you've had intimate relations with my client?"

    "No, sir." 

    "When you were _'coming on'_ to her, as is the vernacular these days, were you aware that she was contemplating leaving her husband, Aaron Mizen?"

    "Yes."

    "Why did you pursue her?"

    "I found her attractive, and I've known her for a while.  She was going to become available, so why not?"

    "And did you know that she already had a boyfriend who she was madly in love with and that they had made a considerable financial and emotional commitment to each other, and that she was going to move in with him when she left her husband?"

    "Yes, I knew.  The gossip was all over Aristocrat.  But a boyfriend is just that--a boyfriend.  The buzz around the facility was that Kathy was known to be, well..." he paused for a moment before continuing, "free with herself.  So why shouldn't I avail myself the opportunity to be with an attractive young woman?"

    "That's an interesting attitude, Doctor," said Kathy's lawyer.

    "Don't go there, Mr. Howe!" said Mangla testily.  "Kathy was already cheating on her husband with Guy!  Don't paint me as the bad guy here!"

    "Oh no, Doctor Mangla?  Do you know a woman by the name of Anne Fritz?"

    "Yes.  So?"

    "And is Ms. Fritz not your fiancee?"

    "She is, and that's my business."

    "So it is.  And you pursued a fling with Kathy here knowing that she was planning to leave her husband and had a boyfriend she was in love with.  While you, yourself, had your own relationship?"

    "No comment!" said Doctor Mangla.

    "And were you not indicted on the same charges that my client is now standing trial for?"

    "I was acquitted of all charges.  I was merely in Kathy's presence when the police stopped her for DWI in that stolen van."  

    "Let's talk about the prescriptions you wrote for Kathy.  Are you aware that Kathy suffers from depression and anxiety?"

    "Of course."

    "And are you aware that the drug, Welbutrin has, shall we say, an intensifying effect on a person's libido?"

    "It can have that effect on some people, I understand."

    "So you manipulated Kathy's state of mind through the use of drugs that you prescribed for her?"

    "No!" he shouted.  "That's not true!"

    Judge Katyn banged her gavel.  "Watch your temper, please, Doctor."

    "Ah!" said Kathy's lawyer.  "That temper outburst is revealing more than your testimony, eh, Doctor?"

    Mangla remained silent.

    "Now, Doctor," said Kathy's lawyer.  "Or should I call you _'Doctor'?"_

    "What?" said Mangla.

    Kathy's lawyer stepped over to the defense table, removed some papers from his briefcase, and handed them to the bailiff.  "Evidence of our own, your honor."

    The judge examined the documents, then glanced questioningly at Mangla.

    Kathy's lawyer stepped up to Mangla.  "It seems that you are not Board Certified, _'Doctor'_ Mangla."

    Mangla gasped at Kathy, his mouth agape, then mouthed the words toward her, "How could you betray my secret?"  

    Kathy turned around and faced the audience for a moment, met Guy's gaze, then faced Mangla again, and looked down. 

    With a defiant tone to his voice, Mangla said, "I'm licensed to practice medicine in the state of Ohio."

    "But you were dismissed during your residency," pressed Kathy's lawyer.  "True?"

    "It was a personality conflict with the head of surgery.  I've been meaning to go back and complete my residency at a different hospital."

    "But the fact remains, _'Doctor,'_ that you lack Board Certification.  The state allows you to write prescriptions for Welbutrin as your own personal date-rape drug, but no hospital will allow you to affiliate with them.  Is that so?"

    Mangla just stared down.

    "Your honor?" said Kathy's lawyer. 

    "Please answer the question, Doctor," said Judge Katyn.

    "Yes, I failed my Board Certification, and my medical practice is severely limited because of that."  Mangla started crying.  "I'm such a failure."

    "No further questions," said Kathy's lawyer who, then returned to the defense table.

    Kathy tugged on her lawyer's jacket sleeve.  

    "Shhh!" he whispered to her.

    "Are you going to put me on the stand?" she whispered back.

    Her lawyer stood and said to the judge, "May I have a moment to confer with my client, your honor?"

    The judge checked her watch and said, "A 15 minute recess."

    After the judge returned to her chambers, Ken said, "Look Kathy, it looks pretty bad for you either way--whether Mangla was your boyfriend before you started your relationship with Guy--or you fell in love with Mangla during your relationship with Guy, and dumped Guy after making all those plans and commitments with him.  Either way, you come across to the jury as a con-artist of the worst kind, feigning love for someone and breaking his heart for personal gain, or as a gold-digger using whoever is most useful and convenient to you at the time."

    "So what's going to happen to me?"

    "The best I can do for you now is to approach the prosecutor and propose a plea bargain."

    Kathy gasped and shook.  "What does that mean?"

    "I can probably get you five years.  Eligible for parole after two."

    "But I'm innocent!"

    "Innocent you may be, but you made some very irresponsible choices that are likely going to send you to prison despite the best of my ability."   

    "I loved Guy with all my heart!  I didn't mean to hurt him!  I just didn't want to lose my kids!  Please put me on the stand and let me say that!" 

    "Kathy, committing fraud and going to jail is a sure-fire way of losing your kids."

    "You're supposed to be on my side!" Kathy said angrily. 

    "Look, unless there's some new material fact, a smoking gun, in your favor, putting you on the stand will hurt you more than it'll help you.  So far, all the smoking guns have been pointed directly at you and Mangla.  I'm hoping that Mangla's questionable credentials and ethics will work in your favor, but the prosecutor will eat you alive if I put you on the stand."

    Kathy simply started to cry.  "Please, Ken!  Please!"

    The judge returned and called the courtroom to order.  To the prosecutor she said, "Present your next witness, prosecutor."

    "The state has no further witnesses, your honor."

    Juste Katyn faced the defense, "Please present your first witness, counselor."

    "The defense would like to call Kathryn Mizen to the stand."

    Kathy took the stand and was sworn in.

    Kathy's lawyer asked Kathy, "Was it ever your intent to defraud or deceive Mr. Guy?"

    "No!" Kathy sobbed.  "I loved Guy!"

    "Why did the two of you buy furniture and a car together?"

    "I wanted to leave Aaron in the worst way.  He lies to me all the time.  He cheats every chance he gets.  One time, I grabbed his cell phone and found all kinds of women's numbers on it.  I called some of them and they were like, 'Who are you?'  I told them I was Aaron's wife and they told me that Aaron told them he was divorced.  I wanted a better life.  Then I found Guy.  We were made for each other.  We're alike in so many ways!  He was always there for me whenever I called him.  He always treated me like I was Number One in his life.  I was so stupid to dump him."

    "Why didn't you leave Aaron and move in with Guy?"

    "I started having second thoughts.  I didn't want to move to New York and have my kids go to inner city schools.  Berea has really good schools, and I wanted Guy to move to Berea with me."

    "How many kids do you have?"

    "Four.  There's AJ who's 5.  He has Asperger Syndrome, which is a form of Autism.  Mary is 7.  They're both by Aaron.  Then Kristen is 12, and Heather is 14."

    "So, raising four children, including a toddler suffering from mental retardation, and two teenage girls, is no easy task, is it Kathy?"

    "No.  It's so hard.  I can't take it sometimes."  Kathy broke down crying.  "I loved Guy with all my heart!  I swear it!  But I couldn't uproot my kids."

    Kathy's lawyer stood back while his client sat sobbing on the witness stand.  

    Judge Katyn reached down and handed Kathy a tissue, then declared a ten-minute recess.

    After the recess, the judge asked Kathy's lawyer, "Any further questions?"

    "No, your honor."  

    The judge said to Kathy's lawyer, "The prosecution has the right to cross-examine.  Is your client ready to proceed?"

    Kathy met her lawyer's eye and nodded.

    "Yes, your honor," he said.

    The prosecutor approached Kathy and paused.  After a moment, he began.  "Mrs. Mizen."

    "Yes?"

    He held up a sheet of paper.  "I'm reading this BDSM Play Date Agreement between you and Mr. Guy."

    "What about it?" she said.

    "What, exactly, did you do together?"

    "Well, that night, he tied me to his bed with my butt up against the headboard.  He put this thick leather collar around my neck so I couldn't move my head from side to side.  Then he shackled my ankles and tied them with clothesline to the tops of the posts at the sides of the headboard.  Then he shackled my wrists and tied them with clothesline to the bottom feet of the footboard.  I was lying spread eagle on the bed with my arms outstretched over my head and my legs outstretched in a 'V' against the headboard.  Then he put this steel ring in my mouth with straps attached to it that he buckled behind my head.  Then he got on top of me, put his dick in my mouth and, well, you know."

    "And you enjoyed that..." said the prosecutor, then glanced up at Judge Katyn who was, again, panting and staring off into space.  "Your honor!" said the prosecutor.

    _* Cue "I've Done Everything For You" by Sammy Hagar. _* 

    Judge Katyn snapped to attention. "Oh!  Sorry!  I thought I saw a spider on the ceiling.  I'm terrified of spiders, you know!"

    "Yes, Ma'am," said the prosecutor.  He faced Kathy again and repeated, "And you enjoyed being _used_ like that?"

    "Not really.  At first, it was hot--I mean sexy hot.  But then it was so hot--I mean temperature hot--with my head under all his blankets between his thighs!  And he was so heavy!  I had to struggle to breathe against his weight pressing down on my chest.  And I was terrified that he was going to suffocate me whenever he got hard in his sleep."

    "You were frightened at that time?"

    "Duh!  I thought for sure I was really going to die that night, that he'd wake up to find a dead girl on his hands."

    "Did he get off you at all during the night?"

    "No."

    "Not once?"

    "Not once."

    "He didn't have to pee during the night at all?"

    "Yeah, he had to pee during the night."

    "How did he pee if he didn't get out of bed?" asked the prosecutor.

    "Duh!" said Kathy.

    "Please answer the question properly, Mrs. Mizen," said judge Katyn.

    "Well," Kathy said and felt her face turn red.  "He peed into my throat and I swallowed it," said Kathy.  "But I had no choice.  I was tied down and helpless.  I had no way to talk to him.  I had no way to get out of it until he got off me the next morning."

    "How many times did he pee that night?"

    "At least twice.  Maybe more.  I don't remember exactly."

    The prosecutor stood for a moment with his mouth agape.  "And you agreed to this beforehand, Mrs. Mizen?  You actually pursued him so that he would treat you like this?"

    "Yes," said Kathy.  "I'm so ashamed."

    "What happened the next morning?"

    "Guy got up and untied me from the bed, then he wore me as his cum sponge for a while.  Then he attached a manacle to my ankle and chained me to a bolt in the ceiling."

    "Why would he do this?"

    "I asked him to."

    "You did?"

    "Yeah.  In the weeks before I went to visit him, I asked him over and over to keep me against my will so I wouldn't feel guilty about abandoning my kids.  But I didn't think he'd really do it."

    "And what did you do."

    "I got my cell phone, and went into the bathroom, and called Aaron."

    "Why didn't you call 911?"

    "I don't know.  I just wanted Aaron to come to New York and take me home.  I didn't think he'd call the police."

    "And Guy let you have your cell phone, and you seemed to have free reign of the house, even though you were chained and manacled."

    "Yes."

    "So he wasn't really keeping you against your will."  

    "No.  Not really.  Guy didn't do anything wrong.  He's a good person.  He just did what he thought I wanted him to do for me."

    "What happened when the police came?"

    "They forced me to go to the police station with them.  They wouldn't even let me say 'goodbye' to my Guy.  Aaron was on his way to New York and they were going to turn me over to him, like I was a slave."

    "But you wanted to be Guy's slave."

    "That's different.  That was consensual.  I loved Guy.  I didn't love Aaron any more."

    "So then what happened?"

    "I left my coat at Guy's house.  I called him after the police let me wait out in the lobby, and asked him to bring me my coat.  Guy was furious at me at first.  But we once made a promise to each other to always take each other's calls, even if we were mad at each other.  We talked for a while and he drove to the police station to get me."

    "Then what?"

    "We went food shopping together, then we went back to his house and made lunch together.  And we just cried in each other's arms all day while we waited for Aaron to come get me.  I took a shower so that I wouldn't smell like sex to Aaron, though I had terrible stomach gas all day that tasted like piss.  When we figured Aaron was within a half hour, Guy drove me back to the police station and waited in the parking lot and watched me go with Aaron."

    "Now, Mrs. Mizen," said the prosecutor.  "Who was that man who shouted out at the beginning of this trial that he should have killed you?"

    "That was my husband, Aaron."

    "Of what night was he speaking?"

    "We had a big fight when he found a bunch of text messages between me and Guy on my cell phone.  He hit me, and I called the police.  They arrested him and he spent a night in jail."

    Kathy's lawyer stood.  "Objection, your honor, how is this relevant?"

    "I'm getting to that, your honor," said the prosecutor.

    "Please do," said Judge Katyn.

    "And Mrs. Mizen, where is your father right now?"

    "In prison," said Kathy.

    "Yes, in prison," said the prosecutor.  "He's serving a life sentence for..."

    Kathy's lawyer jumped up again.  "Objection, your honor.  The criminal record of Kathy's father is immaterial."

    "Sustained," said the judge.

    The prosecutor then said, "Mrs. Mizen, you said that Mary and AJ are Aaron's children.  Are Heather and Kristen also Aaron's?"

    "No."

    "They're from a previous husband?"

    "Heather is from a previous husband." 

    "And what about Kristen?"

    "I was never married to Kristen's father."

    The prosecutor then said, "Mrs. Mizen, what kind of work does your mother do for a living?"

    "My mother is on welfare," said Kathy.

    "What about your sister.  Is she on welfare, too?"

    "Yes," said Kathy.

    Kathy's lawyer jumped up again.  "Same objection, your honor."

    The prosecutor continued, "Mrs. Mizen, was your teen daughter, Kristen, not convicted and fined for shoplifting on April..."

    Kathy's lawyer jumped up again.  "Your honor!  Please!"

    The prosecutor then said, "And Mrs. Mizen, wasn't your other teen daughter, Heather, convicted for..."

    Kathy's lawyer jumped up again.  "Your honor!  I move for a mistrial!"

    Judge Katyn said testily to the prosecutor, "I'd advise you to cease this line of questioning.  I'm on the verge of declaring a mistrial.  You should know better!"

    "I beg the court's forgiveness," said the prosecutor.  

    "Do you have any pertinent questions for the defendant?"

    "No, your honor."

    _* Cue "What Goes Around" by Justin Timberlake. *_

    To Kathy, the judge said, "You may step down."  Then the judge looked at Kathy's lawyer and said, "Call your next witness."

    "I have no more witnesses, your honor."

    "Very well.  Prosecutor, do you wish to recall any witnesses?"

    "No, your honor.  The state of Ohio rests its case."

    "Your closing argument, then?" said the judge.

    "Your honor," the prosecutor began.  "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury.  I have presented you with a defendant who, while married and while having an ongoing affair with one man, aggressively pursued a third man and strung him along for months while she continued to coerce money from him.  Kathryn Mizen prostituted herself, allowing herself to be degraded and defiled in absurd ways beyond the ability of most people to comprehend.  She allowed her body to be used as a sex object, a playtoy, even a receptacle for sewage, in her program of misrepresentation and fraud against her victim.  In committing fraud against her victim, she committed theft against Ganley Chrysler and against Huntington Bank.  Furthermore, I've shown that her whole family is a collection of criminals and ne'er-do-wells.  Her own teen daughters are even taking after her.  This woman is a danger to society and to public morality.  The people need to be protected from her for a good long time.  I urge you all to do so."

    The judge faced the defense.  "Your closing argument, counselor?"

    "Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, Kathy is no criminal.  She's a loving and caring mother with a heavy burden.  While married to an abusive husband, and while raising four children, one of which is diagnosed with autism, a form of mental retardation, she faces the same hardships as any other parent of teens face.   But Kathy, unfortunately, also suffers from depression and anxiety, medical conditions that can be treated by a competent physician.  But Kathy, as we've seen, already vulnerable, had fallen prey to a physician of dubious credentials and abhorrent ethics, who used a prescription medication as his own personal date-rape drug, stole her from her lover who had shown her enormous generosity and kindness.  Yes, Kathy has a kinky side, but as long as it's mutually consensual, which it was, being kinky is no crime.  And if taking a lover during the early stages leading to separation and divorce is immoral, then 90% of all divorced people in America are menaces to public decency as well.  But no, Kathy is innocent.  Doctor Mangla is the root of the crime that occurred, yet he got off scott-free.  My client, his victim, deserves justice.  If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, Kathy does.  She deserves acquittal so that she can get on with her life of raising her children.  Thank you."

 *************
 * CHAPTER 6 *
 *************

    _* Cue "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum. *_

    Kathy awoke screaming in her cell during her first night in Federal Prison.

    "Kathy!  What's wrong?" a familiar voice asked quietly and touched her gently.

    Kathy rubbed her eyes.  The room was pitch black except for the reddish glow of a stack of computer servers in one corner.  The curtains on the windows swayed lazily under the air conditioning vent in the ceiling.  

    Kathy screamed at the sudden unexpected touch.

    "Kathy!" Guy said and touched Kathy's face.  "You're having a nightmare!  It's okay!  You're safe!  You're here with me!  I love you!"

    Kathy pushed Guy's hand away.  "My kids!  Where are my kids?" she screamed.

    "Kathy!" Guy called out as she ran from the bedroom and across the hall.  She flung the door open to the rear bedroom.  A large wooden queen-size bunk bed dominated the room.  AJ snored soundly in the top bed while Mary stirred gently in the bottom bed.  Heather sat up in the single bed along the wall.  "You okay, mom?"

    Without answering, Kathy turned and pushed Guy aside and ran downstairs into the little den off the kitchen.  Kristen was up watching a movie on her portable DVD player.

    "Sorry, mom," she said. "Did I wake you guys?"

    Kathy ran over and hugged her daughter.  "It's okay, honey.  You finish watching your movie."

    Kathy backed out of Kristen's room and fell into Guy's arms.  "You okay now, Kathy?" he asked.

    "Yeah," she said with a sob of joy.  "Let's go back to bed.  I'm thirsty and I bet you have to, well, you know."

    "Yeah!" he said with a grin.  "I have to pee pretty bad.  I hope you're very thirsty!"

 **************
 * POSTSCRIPT *
 **************

    _"Detector, mile 142.7, track two, CSX, four four axles, no defects, over."_

    * END *

