“Is that right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Milton Castleton nodded. “I will have to look into the matter. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.”
Steve Winslow stared at Castleton a moment. The emaciated face was bland, composed. There was an innocent serenity about him, like some elderly relative who had been propped up in the drawing room to have tea with the family but who had no idea what was really going on.
Which was disconcerting. Steve Winslow had come prepared to fight. But Milton Castleton’s indifference left him with nothing to push against. Steve knew it was a charade, an act, a business tactic on Castleton’s part. Still, it was hard to deal with.
Steve pulled himself together. Never mind the guy looks half-dead. This is not a kindly old relative. This is a dirty old man.
Steve glanced around. On one side wall there was a huge computer system that seemed anachronistic in that office. On the other side wall there was a rectangular curtain. It was shut. Steve got up, walked over to it, yanked it open.
Behind it was a picture window overlooking the adjoining office. The room was dark, but still Steve could make out the desk and chair lined up directly in front of the curtained window.
Steve was surprised. He realized that in hearing Kelly Blaine’s story he had envisioned a desk with a typewriter. Instead, a CRT screen with a keyboard sat on the desk. Kelly Blaine naturally had worked on a word processor.
Steve Winslow turned back to Castleton. “Let’s cut the charade.” He jerked his thumb at the window. “Kelly Blaine told me the details of her employment. And the details of her leaving it. They are not pleasant. You have her clothes and you have her purse. I want those and I want compensation.”
“Oh?” Castleton said. “Compensation for what? She wasn’t fired, she quit.”
“I’m not talking about severance pay.”
“Oh? Then what are you talking about?”
Steve took a breath. “Let’s cut the shit, Mr. Castleton. Let’s talk about the window in the wall and the fact the woman was working nude.”
Castleton’s eyebrows raised. “Is that your angle? Is that your idea-blackmail? Mr. Winslow, there’s nothing you can say about me that’s not already been said. You wanna make a stink about the manner in which my secretary dressed, you’ll only hurt her, not me. Frankly, I don’t give a damn.”
“Oh yeah?” Steve said. He jerked his thumb at Phil Danby. “What about him?”
“What
“He’s your employee?”
“I’m sure he prefers the term business associate, but yes, if you want to call him that.”
“As his employer, you’re responsible for his actions.”
“So?”
“In this instance we have a case of sexual harassment, sexual assault, attempted rape. My client was subjected to violence and the threat of bodily harm. She was humiliated and ejected from your premises with no wherewithal whatsoever-in fact, stark naked. Her cause of action against you for emotional and mental stress alone could run in the millions of dollars.”
Castleton frowned. “Phil, what is this man talking about?”
Danby shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Oh really?” Steve said. “Are you denying you threw my client out of this apartment earlier today?”
Castleton held up his hand. “Now, Phil, you don’t have to answer his questions. You are responsible only to me. So for my benefit, rather than his, would you please tell me what happened this afternoon.”
“It’s just as I told you before.”
“Tell me again.”
“Very well. I was in your office going over some documents when the buzzer rang.”
“Buzzer?” Steve said.
“Yes,” Danby said. He shot a look at Castleton. “I suppose I should explain.” He turned to Steve. “There is no phone in the secretary’s office, no intercom, no means of communication. Which is fine, because there’s no need for any communication.
“Unless, of course, something goes wrong. A technical problem with the computer. Or the cassette recorder. Something like that. In that event, the typist needs to contact us. And she is under instructions not to leave the room and wander the apartment. So, in the event that she needs something, she can buzz us to open the door.”
Danby shrugged. “And that’s what happened. The buzzer went off. I figured it was a computer glitch, or something, I needed to fix. There’s no connecting door. Only one door to the secretary’s office. So I went out in the hallway, took my key and unlocked the door.”
“And what happened then?” Castleton asked.
“I opened the door and Miss Blaine was standing there naked. Well, that was a shock. The typists have strict instructions. In the event something was wrong and they needed help they were to be fully dressed before they buzzed. Kelly Blaine had not done that. I was, of course, shocked and embarrassed, and I didn’t know what she was doing.
“But I found out. She came on to me. I’d told her Mr. Castleton was going to be away for the day. And she said since he wasn’t here there was no reason we shouldn’t take a break together.”
“Bullshit,” Steve said.
Castleton held up his hand. “Let’s hear the rest.”
“Well,” Danby said. “That was it. Mr. Castleton has strict rules. And that was one of them. A man in his position, it’s only natural people would try to take advantage of him. Put him in a compromising situation.
“She’d been told this. She knew at the slightest bit of an indiscretion she’d be out. I guess she figured I wouldn’t tell.
“She figured wrong. I told her so. Mr. Castleton would know of this and she was through.
“And she went crazy. Screaming, kicking, crying, hysterical. I tried to calm her down, but there was nothing I could do. The woman had lost it. She pushed by me, actually knocked me down, and ran out of the office. I got up and ran out in the hall just in time to see the front door close. By the time I got to the door, she was gone.
“And that’s it,” he said. “I suppose you being a lawyer, in some way you figure all that’s Mr. Castleton’s fault.”
Steve paid no attention. He stared straight at Castleton. “Is he finished?”
“Are you finished?” Castleton asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“He’s finished.”
“Fine,” Steve said. “Are you going to let me cross-examine?”
“Certainly not.”
“My client’s story is that she never sounded the bell for assistance. Suddenly the door opened, this man appeared in the room, made sexual advances at her, abused her physically and forced her to flee the apartment.”
Castleton nodded. “Naturally she would say something like that.”
“Since you won’t let me cross-examine Mr. Danby, my only alternative is to file suit and get you into court so I
Steve Winslow got up and started for the door.
“Stop.” The word was like a whiplash, even from that reedy voice.
Steve Winslow stopped, turned around, “Yes?”
“Come back.”
Steve walked back to the desk.
Castleton looked up at him. “Your suit has no merit. However, I’m an old man and I have no wish to be dragged into court. I also feel sorry for the girl, misguided though she may be. What will it take to make this thing go away?”
“Immediate possession of her clothes and purse, plus a sizable cash settlement.”
