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Authors: Mark Gimenez
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not even a picture. I
should know that sort of thing."
"Can
we talk about something else?" Becky said.
"Why?"
"Because
this is gross."
"My
question was directed to William."
"All
the other guys do. I feel stupid."
Frank
tried to recall when he had first seen a vagina. It was in a Playboy magazine another boy had smuggled into school like contraband. He was in ninth
grade and never looked at girls the same way again. Answering his son's sex
questions had fallen to Frank, father-son and all. Telling him there was no
Santa Claus was easier. That talk had also fallen to Frank.
"All
right. After dinner. We'll find a vagina on the Internet."
Becky
stared at Frank with her mouth gaped. Frank turned his hands up.
"What?"
"If
I had asked to see a penis when I was fourteen, would you have shown me a
picture on the Internet?"
"No."
"Exactly."
"And
have you seen one?"
She
pointed at her brother. "His … but not recently."
There
was more for her to tell, but Frank could not summon up the courage to ask.
She answered anyway.
"Don't
worry, Daddy. I'm still a virgin. I'm not going to let a guy use me to make
his high school memories. I'm smarter than that."
Frank
leaned over and kissed her forehead.
"Thank
you."
"For
what?"
"For
being a better daughter than I am a dad."
"You're
welcome."
Everyone
said the first child would be easy. Not so much the second.
"Can
I ask a follow-up question?" William said.
"No."
He
did anyway.
"Jimmy
said girls put IUDs up their vaginas so they don't get pregnant. But I told
him that would be dangerous because your secretary's son died from an IUD in
Iraq. Jimmy's dumb, isn't he?"
"He
is," Becky said.
"But
not about that," Frank said. "Nancy's son died from an I E D,
an improvised explosive device. An I U D is an intrauterine device. A
form of birth control women use."
"Do
they hurt?"
"Women? Yes."
Frank
smiled at Becky.
"Funny,"
his daughter said.
"What's
for dessert?" his son said.
William's
cell phone buzzed. Incoming text. He checked it then jumped out of his chair
and ran into the kitchen to the nearest TV. He clicked it on and found the
local news. Mom stood next to him. She was mad because Dad wasn't going to
some lunch with her the next day.
"Dad!"
Dad
and Becky walked in a few seconds later. William pointed at the screen. The
reporter was talking: "Bradley Todd, the star UT basketball player, was
arrested today in Austin and charged with the brutal rape and murder of a UT
coed. He's being held without bail in the Travis County Jail. The D.A. is
going to seek the death penalty."
"So
that's it," Dad said.
"What?"
"The
AD and coach called me today at your game. We're meeting Saturday morning.
About this."
"I
thought we were playing golf Saturday?"
"Sunday."
"Is
he the son of the Todds of Highland Park?" Liz asked. "The
billionaire?"
"I
don't know."
She
did.
"They're
high in Dallas society."
"His
dad'll buy his way out," William said. "Just like Kobe bought his
way out."
"Kobe
wasn't accused of murder."
"You're
not seriously going to be his lawyer?" Becky said.
"Depends."
"Daddy,
you can't represent a rapist and a murderer!"
"I'm
not going to. I'm going to meet him, see if he's being wrongfully accused, if
he's innocent."
"And
if he's not? Innocent?"
"He'll
have to find another lawyer."
Chapter 7
The
Travis County Jail anchored the corner of Tenth and Nueces in downtown Austin.
One any given day, several hundred men resided there; several thousand more
resided in the long-term jail facility south of town. They all resided there
involuntarily. They had been arrested and charged with violations of the Texas
Penal Code. Assault. Robbery. Rape. Murder. Some could not make bail.
Some were denied bail. All wanted out. Desperately.
Bradley
Todd was one such man.
Sitting
on the inmate side of the Plexiglas partition in the interview room, he did not
look like a rapist or a murderer. He looked like a very tall Mormon
missionary. But he was not a missionary. He
should know that sort of thing."
"Can
we talk about something else?" Becky said.
"Why?"
"Because
this is gross."
"My
question was directed to William."
"All
the other guys do. I feel stupid."
Frank
tried to recall when he had first seen a vagina. It was in a Playboy magazine another boy had smuggled into school like contraband. He was in ninth
grade and never looked at girls the same way again. Answering his son's sex
questions had fallen to Frank, father-son and all. Telling him there was no
Santa Claus was easier. That talk had also fallen to Frank.
"All
right. After dinner. We'll find a vagina on the Internet."
Becky
stared at Frank with her mouth gaped. Frank turned his hands up.
"What?"
"If
I had asked to see a penis when I was fourteen, would you have shown me a
picture on the Internet?"
"No."
"Exactly."
"And
have you seen one?"
She
pointed at her brother. "His … but not recently."
There
was more for her to tell, but Frank could not summon up the courage to ask.
She answered anyway.
"Don't
worry, Daddy. I'm still a virgin. I'm not going to let a guy use me to make
his high school memories. I'm smarter than that."
Frank
leaned over and kissed her forehead.
"Thank
you."
"For
what?"
"For
being a better daughter than I am a dad."
"You're
welcome."
Everyone
said the first child would be easy. Not so much the second.
"Can
I ask a follow-up question?" William said.
"No."
He
did anyway.
"Jimmy
said girls put IUDs up their vaginas so they don't get pregnant. But I told
him that would be dangerous because your secretary's son died from an IUD in
Iraq. Jimmy's dumb, isn't he?"
"He
is," Becky said.
"But
not about that," Frank said. "Nancy's son died from an I E D,
an improvised explosive device. An I U D is an intrauterine device. A
form of birth control women use."
"Do
they hurt?"
"Women? Yes."
Frank
smiled at Becky.
"Funny,"
his daughter said.
"What's
for dessert?" his son said.
William's
cell phone buzzed. Incoming text. He checked it then jumped out of his chair
and ran into the kitchen to the nearest TV. He clicked it on and found the
local news. Mom stood next to him. She was mad because Dad wasn't going to
some lunch with her the next day.
"Dad!"
Dad
and Becky walked in a few seconds later. William pointed at the screen. The
reporter was talking: "Bradley Todd, the star UT basketball player, was
arrested today in Austin and charged with the brutal rape and murder of a UT
coed. He's being held without bail in the Travis County Jail. The D.A. is
going to seek the death penalty."
"So
that's it," Dad said.
"What?"
"The
AD and coach called me today at your game. We're meeting Saturday morning.
About this."
"I
thought we were playing golf Saturday?"
"Sunday."
"Is
he the son of the Todds of Highland Park?" Liz asked. "The
billionaire?"
"I
don't know."
She
did.
"They're
high in Dallas society."
"His
dad'll buy his way out," William said. "Just like Kobe bought his
way out."
"Kobe
wasn't accused of murder."
"You're
not seriously going to be his lawyer?" Becky said.
"Depends."
"Daddy,
you can't represent a rapist and a murderer!"
"I'm
not going to. I'm going to meet him, see if he's being wrongfully accused, if
he's innocent."
"And
if he's not? Innocent?"
"He'll
have to find another lawyer."
Chapter 7
The
Travis County Jail anchored the corner of Tenth and Nueces in downtown Austin.
One any given day, several hundred men resided there; several thousand more
resided in the long-term jail facility south of town. They all resided there
involuntarily. They had been arrested and charged with violations of the Texas
Penal Code. Assault. Robbery. Rape. Murder. Some could not make bail.
Some were denied bail. All wanted out. Desperately.
Bradley
Todd was one such man.
Sitting
on the inmate side of the Plexiglas partition in the interview room, he did not
look like a rapist or a murderer. He looked like a very tall Mormon
missionary. But he was not a missionary. He
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