Chapter 6
During the ensuing month things went unbelievably well. The pace at which the boys learned amazed all of the instructors and greatly pleased Lisa. The boys applied themselves with desperation, as if trying to cram a lifetime of education into each waking day. Educators from several universities and from governmental agencies stopped by to examine the incredible success of Lisa's experiment. Nowhere had ill-educated boys from poverty shown such striving, such energy, such sheer will to learn.
By now, Lisa had screwed all of the boys more than once. What others didn't realize was that her intimacies with the boys had a tremendous influence on their collective wills to improve themselves. The education that the boys got was very personal. Class-groups were small and individual instruction was intensive. If a boy got absorbed in a subject or a project he was not forced to drop it simply because the time set aside for that class had elapsed. The boy was permitted to pursue his enthusiasm to his heart's content; in this way each boy pursued the subject in which he was most interested, best accomplished; his chance for success was far greater this way.
And, the intimacies that Lisa shared with the boys were of prime importance. She gave herself physically and emotionally to each boy. She proved herself right. The boys flowered, matured, gained confidence in her torrid embraces. Above all else the boys wanted to prove themselves to Lisa. They worshipped her. Lisa's selfish desire for a harem of young studs proved a blessing to both her own insatiable desire and to the ego of the boys. Most of the boys had by now lost a great percentage of their horrible diction. They were slowly beginning to sound like boys from homes and schools where English mattered. Each boy took great pride in his expanding vocabulary, his ability to spell and speak properly. All went well until one night -
Fred walked into the living room where Lisa was reading. It was ten at night. Lisa looked up as her brother entered. She frowned when she saw the hangdog expression on his face. He looked depressed and broken in spirit. She had never seen him in such an agitated state.
"What's the matter, Fred?"
"Where have you been?" he asked, sounding exasperated.
"I was over at the Mitchell's, visiting. I just got back, oh, about ten minutes ago."
"Christ! Of all times for you not to be around!"
"What's the matter? Is there trouble?"
"There sure as the devil is. Your boys have got themselves in a fine pickle. All of them. The whole bunch. All twelve." With disgust, he threw himself down in a chair and cursed.
"What happened?" Lisa asked,
"You and your damn liberal ideas!" Fred said angrily. "Now look where they've got us."
"Where have they got us? What's happened?"
"They all went out to have a big night. That's what Friday nights are for, aren't they?" he added, sarcastically. "They piled into the station wagons and drove over to Carptown - twenty-five miles away. No, they couldn't go to any of the nearby towns! They have to go all the way over to Carptown!"
"What happened there?"
"They got into trouble."
"What kind of trouble, Fred?"
"Christ only knows. I was over there. Saw the police chief and the judge. The boys are locked up. I get one story from the chief and the judge and another story from the boys. Who am I supposed to believe?"
"Will you tell me what happened?"
"I'm not too sure what happened. The chief and judge tell me the boys were in teenage hangout. They claim the boys started a mess of trouble. A fight broke out. The place got smashed up pretty bad. Luckily, the cops got there right away or there's no telling what might have happened."
"What did the boys say?"
"They claim they didn't do anything. They claim a bunch of local kids made fun of them and jumped them. All I know is that all the boys are locked up and I couldn't spring them. We don't swing any weight over there in that county."
Lisa leaped to her feet and started out.
"Where are you going, Lisa?" her twin brother shouted.
"I'm going over to Carptown and get to the bottom of this. I'm going to get my boys out of jail."
"It won't do you any good. I couldn't get anywhere with those local characters. They're mean. They mean to crucify the boys."
"Over my dead body!" she said angrily. She asked him where the boys were being held. She asked him where she could find the jail and the police chief and the judge. She asked him their names. He told her.
"Wait, I'll go with you, Lisa."
"No. That won't be a good idea. If I know you - you probably ranted and raved, right?"
"Well, yes - " he said lamely.
"If you show up with me they'll see red. You stay here. I'll see what I can do."
"They're a pretty mean, unsavory bunch. Especially the judge. He's a mean, cruel bastard," Fred said.
"Okay. You stay here. I'm going. I'll call you. You might not hear from me for some time, so don't panic and for God's sake, whatever you do, don't come down there. Leave it to me. I'll get in touch with you the first chance I get, Fred."
"Be careful, Lisa. I don't like the smell of it. From what I can gather the judge rules the town with an iron fist. He owns most of it. He is Carptown and he's cruel and power-mad. Watch him."
"I will," Lisa said.
With those words, she was gone. She purposely drove the Ford, reasoning that if she drove up in one of the big cars or one of the foreign sport cars, she'd be immediately resented. It cost her a bad case of nerves to keep the car within the speed limits as she drove purposefully to Carptown.
Carptown was a thriving town in the midst of a sprawling farmbelt. The houses and lawns were well-kept. It was a prosperous community. Lisa drove her car into town and quickly found the police station. She parked and walked through the darkness into the light of the station house. She gave her name and after a short wait, was ushered into the police chief's office.
The chief sat behind his desk, looking self-satisfied and important. He was a man in his forties, short and stocky and powerful.
"So you're the famous Lisa Brown," the chief smiled.
"Yes sir," she smiled. "I don't know about the famous part, but I am Lisa Brown," she added cheerfully.
"Oh, you're very well-known around these parts," the chief laughed. "Set yourself down, Miss Brown. Make yourself at home."
"Thank you. You're very kind, Chief Raskin," she smiled, taking a straight-backed wooden chair and crossing her legs demurely.
"Guess you're here about the boys, ehh?"
"Yes. That's right."
"Mighty rowdy bunch of boys. But I guess boys gotta blow off steam. That's the way boys are. I was pretty wild m'self when I was a boy," the chief said, pleased with himself.
"Yes. Sometimes older boys are just as bad," Lisa smiled.
"How's that?" the chief said, narrowing his eyes.
"My brother," Lisa laughed lightly. "I understand he was here making a row."
"He sure was, Miss Brown. That brother of yours has got himself quite a temper, he has."
"I'm sorry that he wasn't polite to you, Chief Raskin," Lisa said, diplomatically. "I chewed him out. He had no right acting loud-mouthed to you. He owes you his respect. Please accept my apology for my brother," Lisa smiled with charm.
"Well, now," the chief grinned, flattered by her respectful words.
"What did the boys do, Chief Raskin?"
"They were over to the Spangler's. That's a teenage hangout. Real nice place. The kids from around here hang out there. Well, those twelve boys showed up there and sparks began to fly. Y'know, we don't have no niggers or spies around here. Guess the local kids didn't like your boys takin' over the place. Sparks began to fly and there was a brawl. A lot of heads got banged up and the place got wrecked a bit. Woulda been a whole lot worse if my boys hadn't got there quick like. Mr. Spangler, Joel, he called me when your boys showed up. He knew who they were right off. We all heard about whatchur doin' up at your place for the boys. Mighty fine gesture it is on your part, too," he added.
"Thank you, Chief Raskin," Lisa smiled.
"I really hated to lock up your boys, but it was all I could do under the circumstances."
"I'm sure you did what was right," Lisa smiled, showing the chief great respect, knowing that it was the only way she could act under the circumstances.
"Ya know, Miss Brown, after meetin' you, I'd sure like at release those boys in your custody."
"Will you?" Lisa asked hopefully.
"Much as I'd like at, I can't. My hands are tied. You'll have at see Judge Crawford. He'll have at give me orders at release the boys. The old judge is madder than a hornet. Joel Spangler, you know, the gent who owns the place where your boys got themselves into trouble, well, Joel Spangler is the judge's nephew. The judge don't hold with no ruckus bein' stirred up by out - a - town boys in his nephew's place of business."
"Would it be possible for me to see Judge Crawford, Chief Raskin?" Lisa asked innocently and sweetly, playing on his male ego.
"I guess it could be arranged," he drawled.
"I know it's late - but it would mean so much to me if you'd be kind enough to use your power to help me," she asked, throwing herself on his good will.
"Well, now," the chief smiled, pleased by Lisa's beauty and respectful behavior. "I just might be able to arrange that, Miss Brown. Let me see what I can do. The judge he don't go at sleep too early. He's probably watchin' the tv right now."
"Will you let me see the boys?"
"Sure. You go right back through that door, there. You tell Hank, he's the one on duty by the door, you tell him I said it's okay. He'll letcha in with the boys. When ya get done talkin' with 'em, you come right back here and see me. I'll fix everything for ya." He was beside himself trying to show off how kindly and powerful he was. Lisa understood. He had reacted just the way she had figured that he would. She had used the correct approach with him.
"Thank you so much, Chief Raskin," Lisa smiled graciously as she got up. "You're a very kind, understanding gentleman."
"Well, now - " he grinned, greatly pleased.
In a moment, Lisa was alone in the cellblock with the boys. They crowded around her and jabbered excitedly. They were all a mess. Their clothes were torn and their faces were scratched, cut and bruised. They all looked as if they had been on the losing end of a brutal brawl.
"Hold on, boys," Lisa said. "I can't understand you when you all talk at the same time." She looked from face to face. The boys crowded around her. To a boy they looked as if all now would be all right with Lisa here. They trusted her. The boys had a look of frustrated rage on their battered faces. They all looked as if they believed that a great injustice had been done to them. Lisa turned to Amos Black, the huge Negro. He was the leader. "Amos, what happened?" Lisa asked. Instantly, the boys all began to explain at once. Amos raised his hand and the boys got quiet.
"Lisa asked me to explain. Now you guys settle down. I'll do the talking," the huge colored boy said with quiet authority. He turned to Lisa. "Lisa, we got a bum rap here," he said with conviction.
"Tell me everything that happened, Amos. Start from the beginning."
"Well, Lisa," Amos started. "We decided to explore the countryside. We heard that Carptown was a pretty nice place. So, we drove down. We roamed around and then we found Spangler's. It looked like a swinging place, so we went in."
"Fine. Give me all the details, Amos."
"Okay, Lisa. There must've been fifteen girls in there and about twenty-five or thirty boys. They were laughing and eating ice cream and stuff and dancing. Having a real good time. Man, when we walked in there it was like the Commies were invading. That's the way they acted. They froze when they saw us. At first Mr. Spangler tried to serve us, but, man, then it got mighty rough."
"How did Mr. Spangler act, Amos?" Lisa asked.
"Well, you could see he didn't like the idea of us coming in. He was kind of scared. When he finally came over to us - "
"What do you mean, 'when he finally came over'?"
"For a long time he ignored us. I guess he hoped we'd just disappear. Finally, when he saw we meant to stay, he came over. Well, when the kids - the guys - saw that Mr. Spangler was going to serve us, things got ugly. They were just waiting. The place got quiet. They waited to see what would happen. When they saw Mr. Spangler was going to serve us - "
"Yes?"
"The guys got pretty rough on us, Lisa. They started calling us names."
"What kind of names?"
"Nigger and spic. Nice things like that."
"What did you do?"
"We ignored them. We didn't want any trouble. We didn't want a fight. We remembered what you told us about violence. We didn't want to make trouble for you. We didn't want to make you ashamed of us," he said in a low voice. "And now - "
"Go on, Amos," Lisa said.
"The guys, there were twice as many of them as there were of us, well, the guys crowded us - crowded around where we were sitting. They began to curse us and call us names. They spat on our tables. They pushed us. It was rough-"
"What did you boys do?"
"Nothing. We just took it - quiet like - even though we wanted to rip them up."
"You didn't curse back at them?"
"No. We just sat there quiet, all of us and took it and then they jumped us. They had us outnumbered two to one. They jumped us and began to beat the tar out of us."
"Did you fight back?" Lisa asked.
"We tried not to, Lisa. But, God, they were intent on killing us. I gave the boys a shout and then we fought back."
"What happened?"
"They had us outnumbered two to one, like I said. But as big and strong as those guys were, they were cream puffs. We took them all out."
"You what?" Lisa asked.
"We took them all out. When the cops came in there were about twenty-five local boys sprawled out on the floor, knocked out cold. We were all on our feet. The cops took one look. They called us hoodlums and niggers and spies. They took out their guns and clubs and began to beat on us."
"What did you do about that?"
"Not a blessed thing. No use fighting the law. When they satisfied themselves, they didn't ask any questions. They just dragged us over here and here we are."
"What about the local boys?"
"Ha. That's a laugh. They're all pure-white goodie-goodie local boys. They didn't cause any trouble as far as anyone around here is concerned. They accuse us of starting a riot. They started it. We defended ourselves. That's local law for you," he said sarcastically.
"I believe you," Lisa said simply. "I'm proud of all of you," she smiled. The boys smiled back at her, all of them feeling better with Lisa in charge. "You'll just have to cool your heels here until I can do something. I have to go see the judge."
"That guy's a fink," Jose said with heat.
"He sure is," Amos agreed. "You're not going to get anywhere with him. He's mean. He's really got it in for us."
"I'm going to go see him right now. I'll get you all out. You just stay here and behave. Be passive."
"We dig," Amos said.
"Good. Now this might take some time. From what I've heard of the judge, this is going to take some doing on my part. Fred couldn't budge him."
"If you can, Lisa, you're a miracle worker," Juan said.
"I'm going to try for you. You've been treated unfairly and I'm going to square things for you."
"How, Lisa, how?" Joe Sanchez asked.
"That's my problem. But I won't fail you men. I believe you and respect you too much. I'll try my best and I'll get you out, I promise. Now just stay here and be passive. Okay?"
The boys nodded their agreement. They were now relaxed and confident that Lisa would save them. They had absolute trust in her. She left them and went back out to Chief Raskin.
The chief looked up as Lisa entered. He smiled, his eyes surveying her loveliness with appreciation.
"Ah, Miss Brown. Had a good chat with your boys?"
"Yes, thank you very much for letting me see them."
"Ah, not at all. Well, I talked to Judge Crawford over the phone," he said, pausing, enjoying his power.
"It's so nice of you to go to all of this trouble for me, Chief Raskin," she said sweetly.
"It's really nothin'. Well, the judge is still up. He was watchin' an old movie on the tv, just like I said. He said for you to come right over."
"Oh, that's so thoughtful of him to see me at this hour."
"He ain't such a bad guy. Now you hurry over there - but don't ya go breakin' none of our speed limits, hear?" he laughed. He gave Lisa the directions to the judge's house. "He lives in that big old house all by his lonesome. His missus passed on five years ago, rest her soul in peace." The chief got up and walked around his desk toward Lisa. "Now you just hurry over to the judge's and don't you worry none about the boys. I'll see they're treated fair and square."
Lisa thanked the chief graciously. She had made a good, strong impression on him by acting sweet, feminine and showing him great respect. She hoped that she would have as much success with the judge.
It was only a five-minute drive to the judge's house. He lived on a well-landscaped, wooded acre of land. The house was a rambling Victorian house, at least one hundred years old. Lisa pulled her car up to the house and got out. She walked slowly up the path toward the wide porch that graced the front of the house. Somewhere in the dark a lonely dog began barking. Another dog, far off in the distance, returned the barking. As she rang the doorbell she could hear the two dogs barking at each other over the long distant stillness of the country night.
The door opened. Judge Crawford stood in the doorway squinting his eyes at Lisa. There was no welcome in his eyes as he let her enter. He was a short man in his sixties. He was half-a-head shorter than Lisa. He was bald except for a fringe of thick, long, white hair that circled the pink crown of his head. His face was pink and puffy and the line of his lips was thin and suggested cruelty. His body had long since gone to seed and his trousers were slung low beneath his protruding potbelly. Judge Crawford was the kind of man who could make people nervous with a dart of his watery eyes.
He watched Lisa closely as she entered his study. His eyes took her in and there was a suggestion of the lecher about him - in the way his eyes seemed to strip away her clothes, his tongue licking over his thin, cruel, unsmiling lips. He gestured to a chair and Lisa sat down. He sat down across from her, not saying a word, waiting, watching, measuring her thoughtfully. Lisa knew that he would force her to do the talking. She gripped herself and smiled warmly at him. He did not respond to her smile as Chief Raskin had. He simply continued to stare at her with his watery eyes, waiting.
"It's very kind of you to see me at this late hour, Judge Crawford," she smiled.
"Yes, it is," he said coldly. "Say your piece."
Lisa was momentarily knocked off-balance by his curtness.
"As you know I'm here about the boys. I'm sorry there was trouble. Chief Raskin told me that you have the power to release them."
"I do."
"Well, what do I have to do to gain their release?"
"For one thing, don't act like your damn fool brother acted."
"I'm sorry about the way he behaved. It was inexcusable. It was unfortunate that I was out when this happened. If I hadn't been out visiting friends, my brother would never have come down here." She paused. He said nothing. "How can I gain their release from jail, Judge Crawford?" Lisa did not know how to approach this forbidding, cold old man. He farther confused Lisa by not answering her question, by bringing up things from the past.
"I knew your father, Miss Brown. He was a bastard. A smart one. He's the only man who ever outsmarted me in a deal. From what I've heard, you got his brains, not your brother. Why'd you let those niggers and spies come down here to my town and wreck my nephew's place?"
"I had no idea they were going to drive down here, Judge Crawford."
"Is that right? Just let them jailbird hoodlums have the run of the countryside, eh?"
"They're not prisoners, they're - "
"Don't tell me what they are. Kids in this town never got into any trouble till your herd of niggers and spies came roaring in."
"I wish you wouldn't call the boys names that bigots use."
"I call them what I want. I'm a bigot."
"You seem proud of that."
"Not proud. Not unproud, either."
"What do I have to do, to say, to have them released?"
"I've seen you before."
"I beg your pardon?" Lisa said.
"Saw you with your father when you were little and then saw you again at a charity ball 'bout a year ago. You were being fussed over by a bunch of very important people."
"Did I meet you?"
"No. You were with a very important crowd, never noticed an old judge from a little town."
It was obvious to Lisa that the judge hated her and everything that she stood for. He hated her because her father had bested him in a business deal. He hated her because she was young and beautiful and rich and powerful. He hated her because he thought that she was better than he.
"I assure you, Judge Crawford, there was no intention of slighting you in any way. I - "
"You swing a lot of power, Miss Brown. But, girl, you mean nothing to me. I'm the power around here. Understand?"
"Yes."
"And don't try to bribe me. I'll toss you in jail."
"I resent that."
"Damn shame, girl," he said, dropping the 'Miss Brown', calling her 'girl' in an effort to demean her, just as Negro men are demeaned when they are called, 'boy.'
"This is getting us nowhere, Judge Crawford. I didn't come here to trade angry words with you. I came here to ask you how I can affect the release of the boys."
"You can't do anything about it. You were stupid to come here."
"Why?"
"If you had any brains, you'd have arrived with a good lawyer. But, no. You thought you could soft-soap us hicks."
"I believed nothing of the kind. I didn't even think of a lawyer. My only thoughts were emotional - get the boys out of jail."
"You're stupid," he snapped. He scowled at her.
"Let's see if we can't reach an agreement, Judge Crawford," Lisa said keeping her voice under complete control.
"We can reach an agreement very easily." His cruel, thin lips broke into a wry smile.
"I was hoping that we could. You're in the position of power. What must I do to have the boys released?" She paused. "If it's a matter of money - "
"Yes. You have plenty of that."
"Name the amount. It'll be between you and me. Cash."
"I'm an old man. I have enough money, more than you can guess. Money doesn't interest me."
"Well, then - ?"
"You interest me."
"I? I don't understand."
"Miss Brown. I've been living without a wife. Do you understand?"
"You mean you want me to - ?"
"Listen, girl, I'm an old ruin of a man, but dangling between my legs is the pecker of a young man. No brag, just stating a fact, girl."
Lisa looked at him, stunned by his words. He was so old, so short, so fat, so physically disgusting to her.
"You can't mean - ?" she started.
"I can and do mean," he laughed sharply. "Listen. You want those boys set free with no record of their misfortune, don't you?"
"Yes," she breathed softly.
"I can fix everything. The papers won't print a word. Here's the deal girl and it's a take-it-or-leave-it deal. You're going to strip. You're going to give yourself to me. As part of the deal I use you as I see fit, for my own pleasure. I let you go when I'm finished having my pleasure with you. I might add that it might be a few hours until I'm through. I got a lot of power in my old pecker, girl. I've been aching to get a hold of you. Well?"
"I - don't see - that I have any choice," Lisa said hoarsely. She could not stand him. He made her skin crawl. But she didn't have a choice, not if she wanted her boys freed. The boys and her school's reputation meant more to her than her own self now. She had to get them free. "No. I have no choice. You're not tricking me, are you?"
"No, girl. I may be a first-class bastard, but I'm a man of my word. You cooperate with me and when I'm through with you I'll release you and free the boys, too."
"Tonight?"
"Tonight. You have my word. Now, do we have a deal, girl?"
"Yes - We have - a deal - " she said, feeling shame, lowering her eyes.
"All right, girl, strip. Nice and slow, now. I want to enjoy this," he said, a sly, sensuous grin on his lips.
"Yes. Anything you said," she whispered, defeated, hating what she was about to do. Her skin crawled as she began to unfasten her dress, slowly dragging down the zipper in the back.
He stood there, calmly, watching as she stripped. His lewd watery eyes watched as she stripped and then she was standing before him, naked. His watery eyes moved like claws over her round, full, ripe breasts over her narrow waist, flat stomach, down to the curly, blonde puff of hair at her triangle. His eyes gleamed as his greedy eyes feasted on her nudity. She cringed inwardly, but stood her ground, feeling dirty under his raping eyes.
"It's going to be a pleasure fucking you, girl," he snarled.
She did not want this to happen. But it was about to happen. She could not stop it. She wished now that she hadn't agreed, but it was too late ...