She had enjoyed the excitement and the intrigue of detective work. Piecing some puzzles together, solved real problems. A monster was removed from society. He was no longer a threat to the rest of its members. She could only imagine how much suffering Carson caused in his life. She felt vindicated. It was finally over. He was ruined, or so she thought
Carson was freed on bail later that same day.
Carson's story made it to the papers, but Betty had to dig to find it. It never made the front page. It wasn’t covered in depth, and no one else was talking about it. Day after day she looked for more news about the impending trial, but the details were sparse. No one seemed interested, except Betty and the Professor.
At times she surveilled Carson looking for a hint of distress, but nothing about his life had changed. He still had his job. The bank didn't seem to care what he did as long as he made them money.
Carson’s defense team held up the trial with strategic delays and stalling tactics for as long as they could. When the trial finally started, Betty, in disguise, was the first one seated in the courtroom, on the first day. Everything in the room was made of wood. Even the walls were covered with it. The space reminded her of a theater. The performers, the lawyers, took the stage. The judge acted as a backdrop. Even the jury looked liked special guests in box seats. Betty sat in the audience with the rest of the common folk and watched the show. Each day she dressed as a different woman. One time she even sat next to the Professor. He didn't recognize her.
The Professor came to watch the legal team he'd assembled to handle the case. They were his former students. Over the years he’d trained an army of attorneys. Many became excellent lawyers. One of them was even the Citadel District Attorney. He led the prosecution. Some of the defense members were also former students. They wouldn't look their old mentor in the eye.
From the first thump of the gavel, Betty observed the proceedings with great interest. She thought Carson was steps away from incarceration, but it didn't turn out like she had hoped. Outside of the courtroom, Carson and the Silver Spoons bragged about the fruits of their crimes, but when forced to take the stand, they told a different story. Though they were all officers of the Schadenfreude Corporation, none admitted awareness of what actually went on there. Of all the deals the company was involved in, and all the profits the members received, they claimed to know nothing about the business. It was a game. One by one they marched up to the witness stand and played dumb. They were instructed what to say to get out of trouble. They followed a script. Their lines were, "I had no knowledge of any wrongdoings."
They sounded like fools but they didn’t have enough integrity to care. Apparently pretending to be an idiot wasn't a crime. In reality, they knew what they did was wrong, that’s why they were lying about it. The whole thing seemed like a formality rather than an investigation for truth.
Day after day the trial dragged on as Betty watched.
Schadenfreude was overwhelmingly protected by provisions and precedence. The laws seemed written for its benefit. They lent the board members a veil of protection not offered to real citizens. Companies were given the same rights as people, but they were just ideas or schemes. When companies committed crimes there was nothing tangible to hold accountable, nothing to punish.
The Professor's legal team was aggressive, but fair. They approached their opponents with arguments from many different angles. Carson’s team deflected every attack with Schadenfreude. It was an effective shield for the culprits.
As the courtroom drama unfolded, Betty realized. "The company was there to hide behind, just like her Jewel disguise."
The Professor’s team was losing. Betty wondered if she could tip the scale of justice to the side of right and help influence the trial's outcome. Curiosity got the better of her and she called Carson, as Jewel, on the direct line to his office.
Once Carson heard Jewel's innocent voice on the line he asked, "Why did you quit?"
She said in Jewel's subtle southern drawl. "I was scared. I didn’t know what to do."
He asked. "Why are you calling now? Do you want your job back? I can’t stop thinking about you, precious.”
Nearly weeping she said, "I was so worried about you."
He said. "I need to see you again."
She agreed to meet him for dinner. He sounded distressed, and might be vulnerable enough to make some confessions. She was ready to do whatever it took to get him. He was waiting for her at the restaurant when she arrived. He was already seated in a darkened booth in the corner and working on his second scotch.
Betty was disguised as Jewel. The maitre d helped remove her coat. Under it, the platinum blonde beauty wore a tight oriental dress. It was red and silky with an ornate gold print that wound from the hemline, across the long slit at her thigh, to the high collar. She looked stunning. The dressed accentuated her curves and made men look. Even the most handsome men, with the loveliest dinner companions, were struck by her appearance. She stopped them mid chew. The host led her across the dining room. Carson ogled her from his booth.
He stood and greeted her with a long, passionate kiss. She matched his performance. He confessed, "I really missed you, gorgeous."
She smiled.
They sat for dinner but shared more conversation than food. The trial appeared to be taking a toll on him. He was nervous and manic at times. He weaved in and out of trial talk, but admitted to nothing she could use. He came close to telling her many things he shouldn't have been discussing. When he did Jewel tried to pry more information but he changed the subject. Betty became frustrated, but Jewel never showed it.
Eventually, Carson seemed burned out of words. With a relieved smile he told her, "It's so nice to have someone I can trust to talk to again. I've really needed you, and it was like you knew it. You called me out of the blue, while I was at my worst. We have a special bond. I always knew you were the one I could count on. I need you in a bad way, Jewel."
"You have me." She replied as she kissed his hand. "We can talk all night if you'd like."
"I just can’t relax anymore. Do you want to get out of here and go some place private?" He held a longing look through bedroom eyes.
She looked away from his gaze and gulped. She knew precisely what he was asking. She thought about her answer. He seemed so vulnerable right now and she knew how chatty men could get in bed once they had been relieved. If there was a possibility she could ply him with pleasure and milk information from him, she had to take it.
She acted shy. She looked down at the table. She nodded yes.
He said. "You understand what I’m proposing? I want to be inside you."
She smiled and looked at him with big innocent eyes. They began to water. She looked so happy like he just proposed to her. She nodded and said, "Yes."
The fake girlfriend was offering her fake boyfriend her pretend virginity. As far as Carson knew, he just got what he wanted. His lips parted into a relieved smile and he said, "Let’s go."
The fake couple slinked out of the public setting.
Outside, in the night street, Carson looked around for cabs. There were none. His date kept smiling at him, like a little girl about to get a present. He looked around again. He smiled and led her away from the streetlight and into the alley.
He pushed her up against the cold brick wall and kissed her long and deeply. Passion consumed them. His kisses were wet and sloppy. Betty was swept away in Jewel's performance. She hated this bastard but controlling him this way felt so devious. She loved it, and wanted more.