Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2012 07:37:27 +0200
From: Amy Redek <adultreading@gmail.com>
Subject: Sea View. Part Seven.

      This story is for persons of eighteen years or over.  All comments,
good or bad, are welcome and all will be answered.

Part Seven.

   Her plea of not guilty was entered into the records and the trial
began. After the prosecutor's opening remarks, the first witness called was
a Dr Harwood, a pathologist.

   `Please give us your findings on the deceased,' asked Mr. Demain, the
prosecuting Q.C.

   `The body of the deceased was a white male, approximately forty five
years of age and in good health when he died. There was severe bruising
just below the latissimus dorsi, that's the lower back, extending across
the spine. The radius and ulnar bones of the left arm were splintered and
broken. The skin showed bruising consistent with being hit by a heavy
object.

   The lower sternum was cracked and the skin had an almost circular
bruise, similar to the others mentioned.'

   A drawing of the human body had been put up on and easel and Dr Harwood
had pointed out the parts of the body he had been referring to. He then
continued.

   `The parietal bone of the skull was crushed, driving many fragments into
the brain, and the cervical joints of the neck were shattered. A broken
neck.'

   `Is that it Dr Harwood?' asked Mr. Demain.

   `Yes sir.'

   `Which of these do you think were the cause of death?'

   `The crushing of the cranium into the brain and the broken neck. Both
consistent with a fall upon one's head from a height.'

   `And the others? The bruising of the lower back, the chest and the
broken forearm bones?'

   `They are, or were caused by a heavy object.'

   `Such as a hockey stick like this?' Demain asked, holding it up.

   `It is possible, yes.'

   `Thank you Doctor.' Turning to the judge, `I would like to place this
into evidence as Exhibit A my lord. Thank you again Doctor. No more
questions.'

   Harold Seymour rose and faced the doctor on the witness stand.

   `Doctor Harwood. I do not want to question your knowledge in your field
of work, but could the bruising to the back, chest and arm have been caused
at an earlier time?'

   `No sir. The colouration and swelling of the bruises had barely time to
start when the man died.'

   `Could the lower back marks been caused by the force of his body, which
was enough to break the balustrade, have been caused by this contact?'

   `It is possible, yes.'

   `Were there any other marks or disfigurations on the body?'

   `None sir.'

   `Thank you Doctor, you may now step down.'

   Another pathologist was called who verified that two hairs found on the
curved part of the hockey stick, were the same as that of the broken
forearm of the deceased.

   The next witness called was Ronnie.

   `You are Ronald Wallis, hall porter of the Sea View Hotel, and was on
duty that day of the murder?'

   `Objection my lord! Murder hasn't been proven yet!' Seymour called out.

   `Sustained,' said the judge.

   `Please let me rephrase the question. Mr. Wallis. Were you on duty the
day that Mr. Collins met his death?'

   `Yes sir,' Ronnie replied.

   `Please tell the court, in your own words, what you witnessed that
evening.'

   `It was coming to the end of my shift when I heard lots of shouting
coming from upstairs.'

   `Sorry to interrupt you Mr. Wallis, but could you identify who was
shouting?' Demain asked.

   `Yes sir. It was Mr. and Mrs Collins who were shouting at each
other. Then they came into view, throwing punches at each other. Mrs
Collins had her back to the banister post and he, Mr. Collins was facing
her. Then he swung round and suddenly came crashing through the rails
like. As he was falling, I saw Mrs Collins turn round with the hockey stick
in her hand. Mr. Collins then crashed down onto the hall floor. Head first
with a big crash. Then Mrs Collins came down the stairs and put the hockey
stick in the umbrella stand and asked for a tablecloth from the dining room
to cover the body. We all then stood around till the ambulance men and
police arrived. Oh, it was Mrs Collins who asked me to phone for them.'

   `Thank you Mr. Wallis. Your witness,' he said, turning to Seymour. He
stood up and faced the witness.

   `Mr. Wallis. How long have you been employed at the hotel?'

   `About three years.'

   `And you were able to identify the persons shouting without seeing
them?'

   `Oh yes sir. It wasn't the first time that they had fights.'

   `Fights?' queried Seymour.

   `Oh yes sir. I've seen Mrs Collins several times with a black eye.'

   `Could it be then, that she was actually defending herself at the time
of the accident?'

   `Objection! Calls for supposition on the part of the witness,' called
out Demain.

   `Sustained,' intoned the judge.

   `When they came into your view, was Mr. Collins hitting Mrs Collins?'

   `Yes sir.'

   `Was Mrs Collins hitting Mr. Collins?'

   `Yes sir.'

   `Thank you. Now, about how high is the landing from the floor of the
hall? Approximately. Thirty foot?'

   `I would think so.'

   `And you were behind the desk, about six feet from where Mr. Collins
landed?'

   `That's right.'

   `Now correct me if I'm wrong. Your desk is on the opposite wall to the
foot of the staircase and the body of Mr. Collins landed directly in front
of you. Am I correct?'

   `Yes sir.'

   `The body landed nearly six feet away from the perpendicular of the
landing, six feet away from you. You are about five foot ten in height are
you not?'

   `Yes sir.'

   `So if we take those measurements as true, that would put your line of
sight at about forty five degrees to the floor of the landing. That means
that if there were to be another person on the landing of less than five
foot ten and six feet away from the edge, you wouldn't see them? If I'm
incorrect in my rusty mathematics, I'm sure my learned friend will correct
me. Your answer please Mr. Wallis.'

   `I'm not sure what you mean,' he stumbled out.

   `Could there have been another person on that landing along with Mr. and
Mrs Collins?'

   Julie gave her lawyer a swift kick in the leg at this question.

   The judge noticed this movement, but the prosecutor didn't.

   `Objection!' Demain called out.

   `Overruled,' came from the judge.

   `So there could have been someone else up there.' He waved his hand at
the prosecutor as he started to rise to object. `Sorry, that wasn't a
question. This is though. When Mrs Collins first came into view, was she
running, walking, coming forwards, backwards. Alone, or with Mr. Collins at
the same time? Take your time with the answer Mr. Wallis.'

   `I...she was moving backwards, clutching at the shirt of Mr. Collins.'

   `Which hand Mr. Wallis?'

   `Er...the right hand.'

   `Is Mrs Collins right or left handed?'

   `I don't know.'

   `You don't know? You've worked there for three years and you don't know?
I find that hard to believe. Has she never written a memo, and order or
ever written anything at your desk in front of you? A menu, notes, booking
in guests or signing anything?'

   Ronnie's brow creased in thought for a few moments.

   `She's right handed sir,' he said somewhat triumphant.

   `So she had the hockey stick in her left hand then?'

   `Objection!'

   `Overruled!'

   `I don't know. I didn't see it then.'

   `When did you first see the hockey stick?'

   `When Mr. Collins came crashing through the rail and she turned round.'

   `What hand was she holding it in?'

   `Her...her right sir,'

   `So she was clutching at the shirt of Mr. Collins as he swung round to
hit the balustrade. Then all of a sudden this hockey stick appears in this
same hand? No more questions my lord,' Seymour got out before Demain could
put in his objection.

   `Thank you. Mr. Demain, do you wish to ask any more questions of your
witness?' and at the shake of Demain's head, the judge told the witness to
stand down and adjourned the court till ten a.m. the next morning.

   With the customary remarks to the jury, he stood and left the
courtroom. Julie couldn't wait till she was in the holding room with
Harold. As soon as the door was shut, she whirled on him.

   `What the hell did you think you were doing in there? Suggesting that
somebody else was on the landing! The only other person upstairs at the
time was my daughter Carol. Are you suggesting and trying to implicate her?
Is that what you are trying to do?' Julie's face was flushed with anger at
him.

   `No. No I wasn't trying to implicate Carol. All I was trying to do was
put doubt into the minds of the jurors that somebody else could have been
there. That's all.'

   `So if you do that and it is found that she was the only other person up
there, you've then implicated her, so leave it alone. I don't want Carol
brought into this. She's suffering enough as it is with me in jail and
Richard, er, David's dead and she's all alone in the hotel.'

   `What do you mean she's all alone. Her brother and sister are still
there, aren't they? And who's Richard?'

   `Richard? Did I say Richard?'

   `Yes. You called him Richard.'

   `A mistake. I must have been thinking of something else. Now it's time
for me to go back to my cell while you enjoy the fleshpots of the town.'

   `Huh! What fleshpots. There's nothing decent in this place.'

   `Try Amy and Doris at the hotel,' she said drily as she left the room.

   He slowly left the court, pondering on her last remark, and was still
thinking of it as he ate his dinner in the hotel. Doris was serving him and
when he'd finished he asked her to come up to his room when she'd
finished. There were some questions that he would like to ask her. She
agreed and couldn't wait to tell Amy.

   `He's asked me to go to his room after I've finished work,' putting a
heavy emphasis on the word after. `Be on stand by Amy. He might want to see
you too,' she giggled, and went up to his room when she had finished.

   `Come in Doris,' he said when he opened the door to her. `I'm afraid
there's only one chair and the bed. Take a seat.'

   `The bed's fine. It's more comfortable doing it on a bed than a chair.'

   `Pardon?' he asked.

   `I said it's more comfortable on a bed than on a chair. Talking I mean,'
she said with a coy smile. `What did you think I meant? No, sit here next
to me,' she said as he moved towards the chair, `and tell me what I can do
for you Mr....er, Seymour.' She started to laugh and with some difficulty,
managed to get control of herself.

   `Call me Harold, or Harry, whichever you like. Why did you laugh at my
surname?' he asked.

   She put her hand first on his knee and then ran both hands over her
breasts and thighs and giggled again.

   `I thought you wanted to see more Seymour. Get it?' as she went off
again into another paroxysm of laughter. She fell back on the bed, shaking,
her breasts almost falling out of the top of her blouse. He could see her
nipples quite clearly as she had taken her bra off before she'd entered his
room, neither was she wearing any knickers. That he could see too. She saw
his eyes flicker from her thighs to her bosom and then slowly undid the
buttons and watched him become mesmerised as they fell into view as the
blouse opened completely. She took his hand and placed it on one ample
mound, the nipple hard and stiff under his palm. She cupped his hand so
that it moulded itself round her breast as she pulled his head down gently
to hers for a kiss.

   This they did slowly, his hand now moving on its own, gently kneading
the large mound, feeling an erection starting within his trousers. Doris
knew what was happening to him and started to move on the bed, knowing that
he would follow her movements until they were both lying full length on it.

   Her hands undid his tie and unbuttoned his shirt so that her hands could
move inside against his chest. His erection was hurting, squashed as it
was, so he had to move again. She moved as well so that he was now on top
of her, and by a gentle movement of her hips, aggravated his cock even
further, so didn't object when she started to undo the front of his
trousers.

   He stopped kissing her so that he could finish the job of taking his
trousers off and she stripped off the rest of her clothes and they fell
back onto the bed, rolling their naked bodies together, her legs opening
for him to mount her. He gave out a sigh as he slid his throbbing cock into
the waiting wet vagina, sighing again when he was fully inside her. He
looked down into her shining eyes as he started to thrust himself in and
out of her, his hands going up under her shoulders as he moved faster, Her
smiling face added power to his driving in and out, loving the clinging
flesh around his cock as he fucked her.

   She closed her eyes as his hot solid flesh moved inside her, bringing
great pleasure from an orifice that had been denied the thrill of being
fucked by a living cock instead of a piece of rubber. She came with great
gusto, clinging tightly to him as she was hit by the waves of heat in her
belly, sending huge tingles up and down her whole body.

   He'd never had such a woman, such a voluptuous hot woman in his whole
life. He tried to hold back, to stay in this gorgeous woman for as long as
he could, but his balls were not to be denied. He arched his back as he
came, sending out his seed in rapid bursts as he bucked his hips as hard as
he could.

   He rolled off her, gasping for breath. His chest heaving with the
exertions he had just put into the past few minutes.

   Doris, flushed with the excitement of having a man inside her again,
rolled over to the phone and quickly dialled Amy's room.

   `Get down here now!' she whispered. `Room seventeen. He's gorgeous,' and
put the phone down. She'd only just got off the bed and had gone to the
door to softly open it and there was Amy.

   `Quick now. Take over,' she whispered as Amy came gliding into the
room. She was already prepared and naked under her gown which she now took
off and moved over to the bed. Harold was still lying there on his back,
eyes still closed. His cock was still semi erect, shining with the juices
of Doris and beads of semen still there at the top of his foreskin.

   She leaned over and took his penis into her mouth and he gave out a
small groan as the mouth became another wet cave for his cock. With his
eyes still closed, he gave out yet another small groan of pleasure as his
penis was rolled about while being sucked and he felt it start to stiffen
again under her ministrations.

   Doris moved over to the bed and as Amy took her mouth off his erect
penis, moved closer and whispered into Harold's ear, telling him to keep
his eyes closed for another few minutes. Amy went and climbed up on top of
him and inserted him into herself, sinking down on him, taking him fully
inside her.

   `You can open your eyes now,' Doris said. With a big smile on his face
as Amy was moving up and down on him, he opened his eyes. The look of shock
in them made both the girls laugh as he saw that it was Amy riding him and
not Doris as he had thought. He couldn't help but grin back at this
deception that had been played on him. His wildest dreams had come true as
Amy kept up her movements on him, her breasts bouncing up and down in time
to the movements of her hips. Another woman, Doris, lying naked next to
him, her hand now caressing his balls.

   `I'm in heaven,' he finally managed to get out. `Vixens, the pair of
you,' as his hands went up to hold the two orbs bouncing above him. Holding
onto them tight as he started to come. Body rigid as his cock spewed forth
for the second time within the short span of fifteen minutes.

   Exhausted, lying between two naked women, Harold sighed.

   `Now I know what she meant,' he breathed.

   `What?' Amy asked.

   `Nothing,' he replied. 'It's just something that I didn't understand
earlier, but do now.' He sighed again and let the two hands of different
women, stroke and rove over his body.

   `Was this what you wanted me for?' Doris asked of him.

   `No and yes. Julie, Mrs Collins said something before I left her this
afternoon, and I didn't know what she meant. But I do now. Also I did want
to ask you some questions. I suppose I can ask them here, as we are,
instead of being all formal and getting dressed.'

   `Ask away,' Doris said, stroking his chest. Amy was rubbing her hand
over his stomach.

   `The night Mr. Collins died...'

   `David,' said Amy. `Downstairs, he was Mr. Collins. Upstairs in bed,
where we are now, he was David.'

   `Upstairs in bed,' he mused. `There was much more in that one sentence
than I first thought. Clever woman. A very clever woman,' he said
again. `Amy, please. Not yet,' pulling her hand up from his growing
erection. `Please not yet. Let me finish first.' Doris chuckled.

   `We won't let you finish first. We come together, we finish together,
don't we Amy,' and they all laughed at the innuendoes.

   `Please girls, this is serious. Julie's life is at stake.'

   `Who cares,' said Doris. `She took our man away didn't she?'

   `What do you mean, our man? He was her husband for Christ's sake!'

   `She might have been married to him, but he spent most of his time with
us,' said Amy, tossing her head. `For the last sixteen years anyway. He
only slept with her, if you know what I mean. Oh yes, he did have sex with
her, occasionally, but nowhere as much as he did with us.'

   `I haven't asked a question yet and you're taking me on the wrong
tack. What I'm trying to get at was that on the evening that he died, they
were fighting. Was this the first time that they had fought, or had it
happened before?'

   `Well I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but she did take him away
from us. She did kill him!...'

   `Answer the question please,' he asked getting exasperated. `Did they
ever fight before?'

   `Yes. Many times. Sometimes she had to stay up in her room for as long
as two weeks before the bruising went away,' said Amy. `Do you remember the
night we first did it in his room?' she asked of Doris, who nodded, and
went on to tell him of that night that they had sex in front of Julie after
he had smacked her around for a bit, and how she had looked and even made
to join in.

   `Did the children ever see her in this bruised condition, or any other
members of staff?' he asked.

   `Well the children definitely did. I don't know about the rest of the
staff. She usually kept to her room as I said when she was like that,' said
Doris.

   `Thank you girls,' he said, sighing and relaxing back into the pillow,
`now we can continue where we left off. Amy, your hand please,' and took it
and placed it on his penis and pulling Doris over so that he could suck on
a breast.

   Next day in court, the other two members of the staff, Sylvia Higgins,
the cleaner, and Dennis O'Rourke, kitchen hand, gave their evidence, which
was from the point of Richard crashing through the balustrade and landing
in the hall. Harold did not cross examine either of these two, and at this
point the prosecutor Sherwood Demain, Q.C. stated that that was the case
for the prosecution.

   Harold, after lunch, gave his opening address for the defence. As he
wanted to call Mrs Collins to the stand first and the time getting on into
the afternoon, asked if they could adjourn early to start the defence next
morning. The judge agreed and so he adjourned the court till ten a.m. the
following day.

   Harold escorted Julie to the holding room as before, and when alone, sat
down opposite her at the table.

   `You are a very intelligent woman Julie,' a statement to which she
didn't acknowledge. He went on. `Yesterday afternoon, when I mentioned the
fleshpots of the town, you said to try Amy or Doris. I did so, and was
astounded at what I learnt in such a short time which I don't think I could
have found out by any other means. Also I have possibly compromised our
position. It would if I called them as witnesses, so I cannot. If you
understand what I mean?' Julie smiled at him.

   `I know exactly what you mean. I know Amy and Doris. I trust you had
a...pleasant evening?'

   He blushed as he replied, `Er...well...er...yes. I...I was well looked
after.'

   `I'm glad,' Julie replied. `We do aim to give all our guests the best we
have to offer,' she said with a smile.

   `Your husband beat you up on quite a number of occasions I believe,
forcing you to stay in your rooms until the bruising and contusions had
faded?'

   `No,' was the flat reply.

   `I beg your pardon?'

   `No I said,' Julie answered, her face expressionless.

   `But I spoke to Amy and Doris. They said...' she interrupted him.

   `As you said, you have compromised yourself with these two women, and
therefore cannot call then as witnesses.'

   `Yes, but...'

   `No buts. You had sex with them, didn't you? You fucked yourself stupid
with them, didn't you?'

   `Yes, but...'

   `I rest my case.'

   `Dammit Julie! I'm trying to save you from a murder charge! Yes! I did
have sex with them and I fucking well enjoyed it!' He had stood up as he
shouted, and began to pace around the small room. `I enjoyed it so much
that I'm hoping that I can do it again tonight! I am not going to call them
as witnesses because I have others who can say that he beat you up on more
than one occasion.'

   `Who?' she asked.

   `You'll find out tomorrow.'

   `Don't you bring my children into this. I told you at the
beginning. Keep them out of this. I don't want them in court on the stand
to be asked about my personal life. Christ man!' she stormed out of her
chair. `Isn't it enough that I'm being plastered all over the front pages
of every bloody newspaper in the land, that I want my children's names to
be headlines as well!'

   `I'm your defending counsel...' she cut him off short.

   `Yes! My counsel! You counsel me. Advise me, but you do not, do not,
dictate to me! Do not put my children on the stand! Now go. I'm going back
to my cell, I'd rather be alone. You can go back to the whores of my,' she
paused and took a deep breath, `the late Mr. Collins whores!'

   Amy greeted him as he returned from court, and at dinner he was
presented, without charge, a fine bottle of vintage wine. The night passed
in a sexual frenzy between the three of them. Never before had he
experienced such delights, and somehow wished that this was some other
case, like fraud. That could take months to reach a conclusion, prolonging
the delights that were here at hand.

   `I call Mrs Collins to the stand,' said Harold next day. She took the
oath and after stating her name etc, sat and faced her defence attorney.

   `Mrs Collins. On the evening in question, did you or did you not have an
argument with Mr. Collins?'

   `Yes we did.'

   `Did you fight?'

   `Yes we did.'

   `Why did you fight?'

   `I refused to have sexual relations with him.'

   `May I ask why you refused?'

   `Yes.'

   `Well?'

   `Well what?' Julie asked.

   `Mrs Collins. I asked why did you refuse him.'

   `No you didn't. You asked if you could ask, and I said yes.'

   There was a titter from the public gallery, and he cast an exasperated
glance at her as he shuffled some papers to cover his error.

   `I'm sorry Mrs Collins. Would you please state for the court the reason
why you declined to have sexual relations that led to the fight.'

   `It was my monthly period.'

   `Thank you. Now this wasn't the first time that you had a fight with
your husband, was it?'

   `No.'

   `You've had several fights over the years, haven't you?'

   `No.'

   `I beg your pardon, did you say no?'

   `Yes.'

   `I'm sorry,' Harold said, flustered at this. `Let me rephrase the
question. Have you had fights with your husband?'

   `No.'

   `Mrs Collins, please,' he beseeched, getting hot under the collar. `You
are under oath. Answer me truthfully. Have you ever had a fight with your
husband?' He had spaced out his words to make the question quite clear.

   `To answer your question truthfully as you request, is that I never,
ever, had a fight with my husband.' She too spaced out her words. Harold
threw his papers down on the table before him, some falling to the floor
with the violence.

   `May I approach the bench m'lord?' he asked. The judge nodded, and
Harold moved close to whisper to him.

   `I'm afraid my client has become a hostile witness sir. I know for a
fact that she has been beaten up before. There are witnesses to that
effect.'

   `Why didn't you call them then?' the judge demanded.

   `She has expressly forbidden me to do so. What do I do?' he pleaded.

   `Give me a moment,' he said, waving him away while the judge pondered
for a moment. He banged his gavel and announced a ten minute recess and
left the chamber.

   He returned ten minutes later and gave a short speech.

   `Before recess, the defence attorney approached the bench and declared
his own client as being hostile. He say he knows of witnesses that would
refute what the defendant is saying. Now whether she is being in contempt
of court or not, I am not sure at this juncture. So at this point, in the
interest of justice, I am going to ask the accused to step down for the
moment until the defence can call these witnesses that he has said can
refute what his client has said. This hearing is adjourned till the same
time tomorrow.'

   As Harold and Julie walked down to the holding room, she hissed through
her teeth at him.

   `If you are bringing the children into this, you better have sharp
teeth, because you will have bitten off more than you can chew!'

   `Julie!' he said as the door closed behind them. `I am trying to save
you, not destroy you.'

   `You are not destroying me, you fool! You are going to destroy them! Oh
bloody Pandora. What a fucking heavy box it is I carry,' she wailed and
started to cry. Shook off his arm as he tried to comfort her. `Oh go and
fuck off,' she cried through her tears, `you've fucked the whores and now
you want to fuck my children as well. You are really going to lift the lid
tomorrow. Now fuck off and leave me alone,' and she went out and straight
to the cells, her shoulders heaving as she cried.

   He was bewildered at her attitude and not being able to understand her
reference to Pandora's box. That story he knew, but not how it came to have
relevance to their present position. So with his ignorance, he presented
himself at the hotel with subpoenas for Carol, Patrick and Nancy to be at
court the next day as all being possible witnesses for the defence.

   It was a bodily release for him that night as the girls both licked his
erection at the same time, taking it in turns to put it in their
mouths. Thus spreading the time between his fucking of them both.

   It was a heavy eyed Harold who stood in court the next morning and
called Patrick Collins to the witness stand.

   `You bastard, now you've done it,' Julie hissed from her seat next to
him. `I suggest that you send one of your minions out to get the medical
and dental records from the Ministry of Defence for the time that David was
in the fire service.'

   `We are waiting Mr. Seymour,' the judge called out to him.

   `My apologies m'lord,' he said rising and facing the bench, `but I'm
just receiving some new instructions from my client. Please bear with me a
moment longer.' He didn't wait for the judge's answer as he sat down.

   `When are we talking about?'

   Julie gave him the date of his discharge from the service and other
relevant details which he scribbled down on a sheet of paper and gave quick
instructions to his assistant who then immediately left the court room.

   `Are we now ready to begin, Mr. Seymour?' the judge asked, beginning to
lose his patience.

   `My apologies m'lord. Yes, we are.' Turning to Patrick who was on the
stand and having taken the oath and given his name and address for the
records, faced Harold.

   `Mr. Collins, or may I call you Patrick. To save confusion as we
proceed?' Patrick nodded.

   `No Patrick. You must speak for the recorder.'

   `Sorry. Yes, you may call me Patrick. Can I call you Harold?' This
caused some tittering from the public gallery.

   `No you may not!' thundered the judge. `You will address the defence
lawyer by replying with the words sir, or Mr. Seymour. Let's not have any
flippancy in this serious case. Do you understand?'

   `Yes sir. Sorry sir,' Patrick said in a low voice, his head down at this
stern rebuke.

   `My apologies Patrick. But you will see as we go on, that to keep having
to differentiate between yourself and your father, would take up valuable
time of the court as well as that of the recorder.'

   `And of the court's patience if you keep on Mr. Seymour,' growled the
judge.

   `My apologies m'lord. Now Patrick, you were called down to the local
hospital to identify a dead person taken from the hotel, were you not?'

   `Yes, I was.'

   `And who was it?'

   `My father.'

   `Where were you when the ah, accident occurred?'

   `In the kitchen. I was cleaning up after preparing the evening meal and
didn't hear anything until Dennis came in and told me of what had
happened.'

   `Did you get on well with your father?'

   `Yes. I suppose I did. We never seemed to see much of each other, but,
well, yes, we did,'

   `Do you think that he was disposed to be the same way with your two
sisters?'

   `Yes, I think so.'

   `Did your father ever strike you?'

   `Not that I can recall, no.'

   `How about your mother? Was he the same with her as with you?'

   `Objection!'

   `I'll overrule it if you rephrase the question Mr. Seymour.'

   `Thank you m'lord. Did your father ever hit your mother in your
presence?'

   `Er...once. He slapped her.'

   `Why?'

   `I don't know. I had just entered the room as he did it.'

   `What did he say when you entered the room and witnessed this?'

   `Er...' Patrick fell silent.

   `Patrick. I demand an answer. What did he say to you at that time?'

   `He...he told me to fuck off.'

   More titters from the gallery.

   `Silence,' the judge ordered, banging his gavel.

   `Was that the only time you saw him hit her?'

   `Yes sir.'

   `Did you ever see your mother with black eyes, swollen face and in
pain?'

   `Yes sir,' he mumbled, `several times.'

   `Thank you Patrick. No more questions,' Harold said as he sat
down. Patrick made to leave the stand, but was told to wait, as Mr. Demain
stood up.

   `Mr. Patrick. Apart from the one slap, did you ever see your father
strike your mother again?'

   `No sir.'

   `When you saw your mother with black eyes and,' he looked at his notes,
taking a gamble on the answer to his coming question, `er, swollen face,
did she ever say how she came by these?'

   `No sir.'

   `Thank you Patrick, you may step down now.'

   Nancy then gave evidence, but there was very little difference between
hers and Patrick's.

   Carol was far more effective in the witness box. She described a number
of times when she held her crying mother in her arms after a brutal beating
from her father. Her answers were so clear and descriptive that it made a
profound impression on the jury despite the prosecutor's attempts to
discredit her testimony, and the question of her ever being on the landing
at the time of Richard's death, never arose.

   That concluded the other defence witnesses and the day in court closed
at that point.

   Julie was furious with Harold for subjecting her children, especially
Carol to that publicity.

   It was a very haggard Harold in the court at ten a.m. next morning when
the session opened. He tried to delay as long as possible, because David's
records hadn't arrived yet, but with the judge getting impatient, had no
choice but to put Julie back up in the box.

   `I beg your lordship's pardon for the irregularity that we've had, but I
am still waiting for some records of the dead man. But I will continue, so
Mrs Collins,' he said, turning to her. `I will start again. Did you on the
evening in question, murder, kill or accidentally cause the death of your
husband, David Reece Collins?' Julie turned to the judge.

   `May I ask you a question before answering the one from my lawyer?'

   `Yes, you may.'

   `The specific charge is that I did murder my husband, David Reece
Collins, is it not?'

   `Yes,' the judge replied somewhat irritably.

   `Then my answer is no, because the dead man in question was not David
Reece Collins and neither is, or was my husband.'

   The court erupted into pandemonium. The noise was very loud of people
shouting questions at each other. Reporters rushed from their seats to grab
phones. Harold stood there open mouthed. The prosecutor's table was a
flurry of papers and the team all asking questions of each other. The judge
was banging his gavel and trying to bring order to his court room. During
this upheaval, Harold's assistant came in and gave him an envelope, which
he quickly slit open and sat down to read. He quickly skimmed through it
and then asked questions of his assistant, who flipped through his
notebook.

   The bailiff as well as the judge was shouting for order while still
banging his gavel, slowly bringing order back to the court. Harold was on
his feet, trying to make himself heard above the noise.

   `My lord! My lord!' he managed to get heard as the ruckus started to
subside. `My lord. I have just been handed some papers which supports my
clients claim that the dead man is not her or to be precise, not David
Reece Collins.'

   `This is most irregular I must say,' said the judge.

   `In the light of this new evidence, I would like Mrs Collins to step
down and recall back to the stand, Dr Harwood.'

   Julie, the only person not to have moved during the bombshell she
dropped, was still sitting on the stand, white faced, but composed. The
judge agreed and asked her to step down till they heard this new
evidence. She left the box and sat back down at the defence table.

   `Why didn't you tell me of this before,' he hissed at her. `You could
have saved everybody a lot of embarrassment. We'll probably be held in
contempt of court now.'

   `That's the least of your problems,' she replied.

   Doctor Harwood was back on the stand.

   `Sorry to call you back sir, but there appears to be a misunderstanding
somewhere along the line. I received, but a few moments ago, the wartime
records of David Reece Collins. But before I read them out in court, could
we just go over a few points you made here in court. Please,' he held up
his hand. `I am not in any way disparaging your remarks, observations or
expertise, but to prove a point that I shall shortly raise. Let's pass over
the head and neck injuries and the broken arm. Also the bruises to the arm,
chest and middle back.' The doctor looked puzzled at this as Harold
spoke. `Apart from what I have just mentioned, I will quote from the
records what I then asked you and your answer. Question. Were there any
other marks or disfigurations on the body? Answer. None sir. Do you still
stand by that answer sir?'

   `I do sir.'

   `Thank you doctor. Now here I have the medical records of David Reece
Collins, as,' he peered at the name on the bottom of the report. `as signed
by a Major Standish-Fellowes, Army Medical Surgeon, and dated 15th August
1941. It tells of his operation on Auxiliary Fireman, one David Reece
Collins, to remove a piece of shrapnel from the Adductor magnus which had
also partially severed the Quadriceps femoris. The size of the piece of
shrapnel that was removed was just over two and a half inches long and
three quarters of an inch wide.' Julie smiled to herself as she remembered
that it was herself who really pulled it from his leg as she held his penis
for the first time. She had then left it with him so that the surgeon could
see what had actually caused the wound. If the surgeon later wanted the
credit for the removal, so be it, it was a moot point anyway. Harold looked
up at the doctor. `This would leave quite a large scar would it not
doctor?'

   `It most certainly would, and it would give the man a limp. For life,'
he added.

   `Please read the original report and see if I have quoted it correctly.'
He passed the document to the doctor who quickly scanned it and passed it
back.

   `I submit this as exhibit A for the defence, m'lord. So can I please
have your comments on what you have just read, doctor.'

   `I don't think I can doubt the veracity of that document and what it
contains, but if that is the true record of David Collins, then the man I
examined was not of that name.'

   More noise from the courtroom over this remark, giving the judge more
exercise to his right arm with the gavel again to restore silence.

   `M'lord I also wish to enter the dental record as exhibit B and I
believe that if these are checked against that of the dead man, I can then
ask that my client be declared not guilty of the specific charge of the
murder of David Reece Collins.' The judge then banged his gavel and several
times and called out above the hubbub.

   `Gentlemen, approach the bench,' he ordered Seymour and Demain. They
whispered together for several minutes, all getting rather heated in the
exchange.

   `You must declare a mis-trial and announce my client not guilty of the
charge of murdering her husband,' Harold argued.

   `You cannot,' countered Sherwood Demain. `A man is dead. Killed we
believe, by Mrs Collins.'

   `I cannot declare a mis-trial at this stage Mr. Seymour. The best I can
do is call for an adjournment till the dental records are checked. But we
still must know who the dead man really is and as she is still under oath,
you must ask her.'

   `Objection,' Seymour protested.

   `Overruled,' said the judge. `The trial will proceed. How you conduct
the rest of the defence is up to you. Back to your places gentlemen.' The
judge turned to the witness on the stand. `Our apologies for keeping you
there doctor, but you may stand down now.'

   A furious Harold slumped down in the chair next to Julie.

   `What was that about?' she whispered to him.

   `I tried to get the judge to declare you not guilty, but I think we've
just been shafted.' He put his hand on that of Julie. `I've done all I can,
but I don't know where we are going now.'

   `Mrs Collins?' the judge said. `Would you please take the stand again.'
She had no option but to get up from the table and go back into the box and
sat down, facing the court.

  `Remember, you are still under oath. Mr. Seymour, please continue with
your defence.' Harold slowly got to his feet.

   `The defence rests m'lord,' and wearily sat down again, a defeated
man. Demain, with a smug expression of his face rose for his cross
examination.

   `Mrs Collins. Now a short while ago, you stated that the man who died
from the fall in the hotel, the man you are accused of murdering, was not
your husband. Not David Collins. Is that true?'

   `Yes,' she replied in a low voice.

   `Do you know the name of the dead man?'

   `Yes,' she whispered. It was a low whisper, but with the hushed silence
now in the court room, it was clearly heard.

   `Then would you please be kind and tell the court the name of this man.'

   `His name was Richard Roscoe Collins. The twin brother of my dead
husband David.'

   There was a stir in the court at this statement, but the place stayed
hushed, the reporters with their pencils poised, hanging on her words,
waiting like vultures for the lion to kill so that they could fight over
the remains.

   `His twin!' Demain exclaimed and then with his head down, paced the
floor of the courtroom for a moment or two, marshalling his thoughts so
that his questions would bring out the truth. `How many people knew of this
deception Mrs Collins?'

   `No one. Not even the children,' she said quietly.

   `Let me get this straight for the record. You married David Collins and
yet finished up living with his brother, right?'

   `Yes.'

   `When did this, er, change take place?'

   `I think it was late 1942.'

   `Twenty five years ago?' was the astonished exclamation from the
prosecutor. `He posed as your husband for twenty five years?'

   His assistant at this point passed a piece of paper to him which he
quickly read.

   `Yes,' her voice getting lower with each answer.

   `Can you tell the court the reason for, for this change of er, husbands?
Or should I say late husband. You did say a few minutes ago, your dead
husband.'

   Tears started to fall from her eyes as she looked at Harold and started
to shake her head. Her sobbing was clearly heard, even at the back of the
courtroom it was so quiet.

   `Mrs Collins. Please answer the question!'

   `You must answer,' the judge said to Julie.

   `He ...made me. That's why we had fights. He...they...they had a fight,
and...and...and Richard killed David. He cut his brother's throat in my
bathroom.' She was now beginning to choke on her tears. `He forced me to
help bury him in the Garden of Remembrance.' She burst into a flood of
tears as reporters rushed out of the court for the phone boxes. The noise
as everybody tried talking at the same time was overpowering.

   Harold rushed up to the bench, asking that his client be excused. She
was obviously in great distress and could he have a recess for him to
confer. The judge banged away with his gavel, slowly bringing the noise
down, threatening to clear the court if there any more disturbances, and
granted a thirty minute recess.

   In the holding room, he managed to calm her down and got her to tell him
of the death of David. In a quiet voice, she told him the story, but saying
that it was Richard that had cut his throat, and that she was forced to
help in the burial because of his threats to do the same to her.

   Back in the courtroom, Harold asked if he could confer in chambers with
his worship and the prosecutor. So another recess was ordered and the three
retired to the judge's chambers.

   Harold then related what Julie had said and asked for a mis-trial on the
present indictment. Demain argued that though he agreed to a mis-trial, she
should be held because even though it wasn't the person named who'd died,
they still had a dead body and she was still the prime suspect. The judge
agreed on both counts and so they went back into court where the judge gave
out his verdict.

   There was mayhem everywhere.

   In the court, Harold had to calm her down again, her thinking she was
about to be set free, only to find that she was still going to be kept for
possibly another trial.

   The bewildered jurors being told that it was all over and to go home
while being pursued by reporters.

   The police had dispatched officer's to cordon off the Garden while they
tried to organise the warrants to dig the place up, and at the same time,
get together a forensic team.

   Carol, in shock, made her own way back home to hide in her
room. Fighting her way through the crowd of reporters that had already made
camp outside the hotel. Some were even in the lobby, talking to anybody
they saw.

   The twins, as bewildered as Carol, had the same problem of getting into
the hotel. Their answer was to go straight to bed and comfort each other.

   Doris managed to fuck two of the reporters before the police actually
got round to clearing them from the hotel.

   Though the police had obtained a warrant almost immediately, there was a
crowd of over three hundred people milling about the place and night had
fallen before they managed to gain control of the Garden, the hotel and the
grounds.

   Back in the courtroom cells, Julie had spent three hours being
questioned. The prime one being, where in the Garden was David buried? She
finally broke down, screaming at them, over and over again. She couldn't
fucking remember! It was over twenty five years ago! She'd been fucking
raped, beaten and then made to drag the almost headless body of her husband
to his grave, down the path and somewhere on the right. She was really
screaming as the police doctor intervened and sedated her.

   It was after midnight before the lamps were in place and the men
detailed to dig on the right hand side of the path from the hotel. Twenty
policemen dug for several hours, each man waiting for his shovel to strike
bone, because they knew it was a skeleton that they would be finding.

   Even at three in the morning, there was still a crowd waiting outside
the cordon, ghouls waiting for the news. It was three forty two precisely
when a shout came out from the row of digging men. The crowd hushed as
officers and forensic people moved over to the man who had called out.

   A canvas screen was erected around the hole as forensic took
over. Sweating policemen, thankful that the body had been found, went and
clustered round the mobile canteen van. Senior police officers stood inside
the screen, talking to themselves as the two white coated forensic doctors
cleaned the dirt away from the bones in the hole.

   More light was asked for and a lantern was passed down. The two men in
the cramped space brushed more soil away and talked together for several
minutes. It was Doctor Winstanley, leader of the forensic team who climbed
out of the hole and approached Police Superintendent Bush.

   `Well we've cleared enough to ascertain that we have a human skeleton
there, but who are you looking for?'

   `His name was David Collins,' said the Super, tired after hanging about
most of the night. `I'm glad you've found him. Now maybe we can go home to
bed and let you fellows bring him to the morgue.'

   `David Collins, a man?'

   `Yes dammit,' the Super snapped.

   `Ah well,' sighed Winstanley, `you can forget your bed. This was a
woman.'

   `Oh fucking bloody hell!' exploded the Super. `Oh shitting bloody
bollocks! Rawlings!' he shouted out to his next in command. `Put that
bloody lot round the tea truck back to work!

   There's more than one, and it's going to be one long fucking night for
the lot of you!'

   At five o'clock, they found the second one, again a female. The forensic
team called a halt for a conference with the senior police officers. The
obvious place was the hotel, so they trooped into the dining room to
talk. The night porter phoned Amy to say that twelve policemen wanted an
early breakfast.

   She went to get Doris out to help, kicking a policeman's helmet, the one
worn on the head, before turning on the light. She yanked the covers back
off the two bodies asleep on the bed.

   `You're nicked!' she shouted into the sleeping copper's ear, making the
poor bastard almost shit himself. `That's not much of a truncheon is it,'
she jeered as he scrambled out of bed to get dressed. `So it's boy's you're
taking now Doris? Come on. The men in blue want an early breakfast. I'll
get Patrick.'

   Now Amy wasn't prudish, considering the way she lived her life, but she
was stopped in her tracks when she went into Patrick's room and saw the
twins in one of their favourite positions.

   He was flat on his back, his erection in the mouth of Nancy, and her
fanny over his face. Ever since Richard's death, she'd been trying to
seduce Patrick into taking his father's place. As Nancy lifted her head up
from him, Amy could see that his cock was just as big as Richard's, heavy
in the head and just as thick. Seeing it wet and shiny from Nancy's saliva,
made her instantly damp between her thighs, but also made her jealous. So
much so that she moved forward and slapped at Nancy's upturned face,
knocking her off the bed.

   `You perverted slut,' she shouted, `and doing it with your own brother!
You!' she pointed at Patrick's startled expression. `You are wanted
downstairs, now!'

   Nancy, face not only red from the slap, but was now suffused with rage
at being hit by just an employee of the hotel. `The holier than thou cow,'
she hissed, rubbing her cheek. `I'll make the bitch pay for that.' Her
breasts still heaving as she sat up on the floor as Patrick started to get
dressed.

   Winstanley and Bush conferred, while one of the Inspectors' organised
for their breakfasts with Amy. Winstanley was saying that as they were only
supposed to be looking for one body, and that of a man, and yet had found
the remains of two women, it must be assumed that there might be more. Bush
gloomily agreed. Winstanley went on.

   `Therefore, the whole Garden must be pegged out in sections, and that if
any more are found, must be labelled as to the exact location
found. Starting with the two we've already got.'

   `You're right in what you are saying. Two dug up and both women, means
that there's still him down there. Let's hope that he's the only one. The
commissioner will have a heart attack if we've had a mass murderer here all
the time and we didn't know a thing about it.'

   So they all ate breakfast, instructions being issued in regard to the
screening off of the whole Garden, the pegging out of the ground, and the
logistics of teams of diggers, in relays, plus the catering side for them.

   They were staggered at what they unearthed. The newspapers ran screaming
headlines every day as the body count rose. The Home Office and the Prime
Minister were constantly being harassed by questions in the House, but
could only fend them off by saying that until the investigations were
complete, nothing could be commented on.

   It took the team of forty men, ten days, working round the clock, to
sift through the Garden to finish up with a total of thirty seven remains,
making it the world's greatest mass murder outside of wartime.

   By the second day of digging, all the remaining hotel guests had left,
and nobody sought accommodation as the newspapers kept quoting its name as
the body count grew. They couldn't have booked anyway because the police
took it over for the duration of the digging, and said that it would remain
closed until further notice.

   Amy had to talk to Superintendent Bush about the staff, having to pay
wages etc., what with Julie in prison, what was she supposed to do? All
residential staff were to remain in the hotel, the others, who lived
locally, could go, but were to stay in the vicinity for later questioning,
Bush told her.

   Patrick refused to do any cooking for non paying guests, i.e. the
policemen staying there during the dig. So they had to have their meals
brought up from the police canteen.

   The authorities had to take over the church hall as a temporary morgue
for the remains to be placed as they were found. Four of these were still
in the stages of decomposition and were dealt with quickly and despatched
to the county morgue to be frozen for a more detailed analysis at a later
date, though these were counted into the statistics.

   Of the thirty seven bodies, twenty two were women, fifteen men. All were
adults. Three still had plastic bags over their skulls, two of these being
women, one of which was found buried with a male on top. Twenty three of
the victims had broken necks, four also had broken or cracked ribs. Of the
others, cause of death could not be verified.

   Before, and long after the second trial, many man hours were spent
sifting through missing persons, but they were unable to come up with any
positive link or identification to any of the bodies. Except one, the
thirteenth one found, that being of David Collins who was identified
through his dental records. His is the only new grave in the town's
cemetery of the thirty seven to have a name on the small headstone. The
other stones saying Unknown, rest in peace and the date of burial.

   But all that came after the second trial.

   It took them over six months of taking evidence, and many, many hours of
questioning all those who worked at the hotel, past and present. For Julie
it was at the prison, the others at various police stations. She, Julie,
had gone hysterical when she was told of just how many bodies were found
and had a mental breakdown and had to be kept confined in a secure hospital
unit.

   Carol had been as near to hysteria as her mother. She knew nothing of
what had been going on, but it didn't stop them from spending many hours
interviewing her.

   Patrick finally broke after one particular session that had been going
on for nearly nine solid hours. He fell for one of the oldest tricks in the
book. They had taken a flyer with one of the plastic bag victims.

   He was very tired, and had been in this interview room for over eight
hours fending off two questioners, when a sergeant burst into the room
saying that they had got it. That Nancy had confessed, saying that she and
Patrick had killed one of the victims with this plastic bag, and that she
was now spilling the beans. Corny dialogue, but it worked. It broke Patrick
to think that his sister had given way and was now telling them all.

   It took them over three hours to write down his confession. There was
jubilation in the station after this was signed, but it still left thirty
one victims unaccounted for as he stated that they had only killed six of
them. Though they had buried one other body on top of their victim, this
one being put in the same grave on the instructions of their father.

   It was this one that convinced Nancy that they had indeed gotten Patrick
to tell them all. So her statement corroborated that of Patrick's, though
Nancy did add to hers. Remembering Amy's entry into Patrick's room and
slapping her off his erection, viciously stated that both Amy and Doris
were party to two of the murders. A party piece, she had said, and went
into great detail of an orgy that had taken place involving five
people. Her, Patrick, Amy, Doris and the victim. The press had a field day
when this was said in court. The headlines were so diverse on the subject
and far too many to recount here.

   The trial took place in London at the Old Bailey, with Julie, Patrick
and Nancy being tried for murder, with Carol, Amy and Doris being charged
as accessories to murder.

   Harold Seymour fought hard to keep Julie as his client, but finally had
to give way to Sir Adrian Morecombe, Q.C. who took over the defence of her
along with Patrick and Nancy. Harold was left with the lesser charge of the
other three.

   It lasted four months with the following results. Julie was found not
guilty of murder, but convicted of being an accessory to murder and guilty
of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years imprisonment, to be spent in a
mental hospital as she had never recovered from her breakdown.

   Patrick was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment,
as was Nancy.

   Amy and Doris both received sentences of four years each for being
accessories, though both constantly and vehemently denied having any
knowledge of the crimes throughout the whole trial.

   Carol was found not guilty on all counts. She was free to go but nowhere
to go to, because while the trial had been in progress. A person or persons
unknown had firebombed the hotel and the police never did find a culprit,
though it was suspected that they never really tried. Carol then instructed
an estate agent that the land be put on the market for them to sell on her
behalf. She went off to London and using her mother's maiden name, applied
for work with a domestic agency. With her skills she was fortunate that six
months later she was a nanny and tutor to a family in Canada.

   Julie never came out of the hospital. She became the librarian there and
had no desire to step out into the world again.

   Amy and Doris served their time in a women's prison in the
Midlands. They managed to stay together and made quite a formidable pair
while inside. They repulsed the usual inmate attacks and eventually
succeeded in becoming the reigning pair.

   It was by some mistake of a prison administrator, that after two years
of her sentence, Nancy was transferred to the same prison. She knew her
fate was sealed when she found out who was running the inside, and she
wasn't wrong. Amy let it be known that the disposer of Nancy would be
elevated within her circle.

   Nancy was found one morning, hanging in her cell, and though the death
certificate listed it as a suicide, there was no mention to the cuts and
lacerations of her once beautiful breasts or of the bottle that had been
pushed up into her vagina before being smashed.

   Her death was widely reported in the press because the fact that her
twin brother also died on the very same day in his prison. His death was
listed as an accidental drowning after a fall in the showers. No mention
was made that he had been repeatedly raped and that his insides could never
had been repaired if he had lived.

   So the burnt remains of the Sea View hotel remained an eyesore on Beach
Road for nearly ten years before a known supermarket chain became
interested in the site and pressured the Town Council to include the old
Garden of Remembrance in their plan for development. The council was only
too happy to rid themselves of this grisly reminder of the past.

   Why, nobody could answer. Not even the best of architects, that the
building should collapse after only being open eighteen months. Thirty
seven people died in the tragedy, and all had been in the section that was
above the old Garden.

   The supermarket chain would not rebuild and sold off the land to a
developer, who resold it again to a consortium that built a night club on
this corner.

   As you've probably guessed. Three weeks after opening, a fire broke out
and thirty seven people died in the conflagration.

   The site has been vacant ever since, boarded up and left to nature. So
if you ever visit this seaside town and see this prime corner site with a
magnificent sea view, think twice before buying it, or make sure that there
are never, never more than thirty six persons there at any one time.

                                                   *   *   *

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