BOOK 2: COMMUNITY / CH. 2:ETHICAL DECISIONS
IHM 17TH JULY
Soon after the discussion of the dire threats were issued to Horace's toolbox, Kate came in with Teresa and the computer reported that its processing had finished.
“I'm really not sure I can tell you more, Teresa,” Kate was saying. “I'll leave that decision up to Karen's mother here. Have a seat. Maria, I've told Teresa the computer got in a panic because she was Arnold's sister and because she'd been visiting the prison recently. She tells me it's not to see a client but to help in her church's ministry. I didn't even know you went to church, Teresa.”
“Well, to be honest, I don't very often, but the outreach team are my friends, and I go along to help in case they need a hand. Mostly we just run a little library, but sometimes the prisoners want to know about their rights or they need help understanding legal documents they've been sent. That's usually divorce papers, loan foreclosures, sad stuff like that.”
“OK, so it was all generic legal stuff they could have asked almost anyone?”
Maria asked.
“Yes.”
“So you're not under client confidentiality rules about anything that went on there?” Maria pressed more.
“Urm, no. Why?”
“Because being a prison, there are very bad people there, as well as stupid people who didn't think about other options, or people who have problems avoiding temptation. I'm sure you understand the difference.”
“Yes, I think so. We didn't talk to people from maximum security, if that's what you're getting at.”
“Actually, not really. I find the people in maximum security normally fit into the second and third categories. I'm more thinking about, say, politicians who gain power by extortion and bribery, misdirect public funds to their own accounts, have links to international organised crime, might at any particular time be involved in anything from kidnapping and murder to drug smuggling and extortion rackets. All while smiling pleasantly and offering you a charming little aperitif from a crystal decanter. That's who I'd put into the first category. And if you can't see the rotting scum through the veneer of civilization then you probably shouldn't be near a prison, because that's where we try to keep people like that.”
“Roland Underwood,” Teresa said with remembered fear in her voice. “There was something revolting about him. I wouldn't go near him after my first visit. One of the other ladies said that he was a reformed character and had helped her understand the prison system ever so much better. But I didn't see reform. I saw calculation and manipulation. I felt a bit foolish, the others seemed so taken with him, but I refused to have anything to do with him.”
“I am very very glad you said that, Teresa. If you could, please tell Sarah the names of those ladies. I'd like to add them to a list of potential associates of his. Anyone who's a friend of my brother isn't someone I want near Karen.”
“Your brother?”
“Yes, my nasty little brother. I understand your little brother thinks all mind readers are evil incarnate?”
“Yes, urm, I don't know where he got the idea from.”
“He probably heard a partial biography of my brother. He used to be a mind reader until some people managed to strip him of his powers through prayer. Didn't stop him being a nasty piece of work of course, just removed some of his options for blackmail, torture and the like.”
“Oh. You're serious about those crimes?”
“Relatively. Very little has come to trial because he's had too much practice evading justice. I know he tried to torture me once, when he was seven. I don't just mean hair pulling. I mean that one night when my parents were out and I was asleep, he locked the babysitter outside the house, tied me to the bed and tried to put red hot needles under my fingernails.”
“But why?”
“Because as I fell asleep I decided I was going to tell my mother what had happened to the cat that evening, and he'd heard my decision.”
“Wow,” Teresa said. “And he's been after you ever since?”
“Not exactly. He learnt to be more subtle unless he thought he was safe. But I've certainly been avoiding him as much as I can. Mostly he persuades others to do his dirty work through deception, misdirection, bribery and blackmail. But somehow he corrupted the university database or A.I., pointed Karen at a trap, duplicated her I.D. which should be very hard, recorded her iris scan well enough to fool the supposedly fool proof unit fitted to her house, and packaged the I.D. and iris scan in a neat little box for your brother to use to get in and snoop around.”
Karen added, “But we didn't suspect Arnold and Roland were going to have common contacts. But maybe your friends connected the two.”
“Any one of those ladies could have told Arnold something, he's at church every service he can get to. But they're not going to convince him to take up breaking and entering, nor do I really believe they'd willingly courier equipment for it.”
“Unless he convinced them it was perfectly innocent. It doesn't seem very likely, I agree. It's much more likely he used a real partner in crime, or met Ronald directly,” Maria concluded. “Shall we see what the computer's come up with?”
“Computer, display cross matches,” Sarah commanded.
“Are these ladies here your friends?”
“Yes, and Mr Williamson here is why the whole idea of visiting came about. He used to be our youth pastor. Arnold really respected him, you know. It was so unjust him being imprisoned for some holiday photos, just because some horrid little girl made a vile accusation against him.”
[Calm, Sarah, seek peace if you need to, let Kate and me handle this, love. Karen, I know you know nothing. Let's play dumb, Kate, and see what she thinks she knows.]
“What exactly were the charges against him, Teresa? I remember there was some sort of scandal. It was what, five years ago?” John asked.
Kate added, “Did you look into the case? Miscarriage of justice is a pretty serious charge, I'd have thought.”
“Oops. And me an officer of the court too. Sorry. Very lax of me, especially in these circumstances. I've just said unjust in the sense that his wife used it, not in any legal sense. I'm afraid I didn't look into the case at all, I think I've just quoted her verbatim actually. Why would I do that, I wonder?”
“Hear something enough times and it sounds like truth, I guess,” John offered.
“So,” Maria asked, “do you know anything, except that there was a scandal, he was jailed, he stopped being a youth pastor and Arnold looked up to him?”
“From my memory and this is only hearsay, I wasn't actually here at the time. He was playing with their foster daughter and a friend of hers when the friend hit her panic button. Their step daughter said her friend had misunderstood the game and it was all a big mistake. Then, the way I was told it was that since the police had been called, they looked around for incriminating evidence and arrested him because of some holiday pictures of their foster daughter. But that doesn't sound reasonable. Did the police really check every photo the family had and then arrest him? They'd need a warrant to search unless there was some kind of a tip off.”
“Let's call up the case,” Maria suggested. “If there was any basis for the original accusations, that would make him an ideal victim for my brother to blackmail.”
“Computer,” Sarah commanded, “display all available records relating to conviction of Mr. Harry Williamson.” [Why don't you want me to say anything, John?]
[I'm getting snatches of her emotions and self talk. It took me a while, but I've just worked out a mechanism. You know that in here I always sit with my feet up on the metal frame. My guess is she's fidgeting and her leg or foot is touching the table leg sometimes. If I move she'll suspect something's wrong. Anyway, Teresa still doesn't want to believe any of her friends or her friend's husband is involved in this, and if we tell her you're linked to this too soon, she'll go into denial. She's already seriously on the defensive.]
[John, is it ethical to stay there once you've worked out how to avoid it?] Sarah asked.
[I can't avoid hearing her unless I move, which would be too obvious. Kate?]
[Borderline. Go look out of the window, John, or point at something on the display ASAP, then sit like you should, not like a slob.]
[It's not sitting like a slob, it's sitting in a relaxed and welcoming manner!] John replied.
[Relaxed and welcoming slob, move!]
John saw something to point at on the display and obeyed. “Teresa, could you imagine holiday snaps fitting this description of the evidence? Numerous costumes, clearly taken in a home studio?”
“To me, it sounds like she was getting ready for a beauty pageant, not playing in the sand like I imagined,” Teresa admitted. “Oh no. Look there, John, that's not right, surely! If that was right, how could his wife defend him so?”
“People can be funny, Teresa. She might have blamed their foster daughter, for example, thinking she egged him on or something. But no, Teresa, no decent man would take such photos of any girl, let alone someone he thought of as a daughter. What happened to her by the way?” John asked.
“Urm, I'm not sure. I guess she was moved to another carer. No, I remember. According to my friend anyway, she pleaded and pleaded to stay, and they decided that since she'd be an adult by the time he was out, they wouldn't interrupt her education. Then a couple of years ago she had an accident. It was soon after her foster father was released, but surely he wasn't involved! She just fell off her bike and broke her neck.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“That's happened to several people who pose a risk to my brother,” Maria said.
“Oh no!” Sarah burst out, unable to bear it any more. “Sue, did he get you killed as well as abuse you? Oh my friend, why did you ever defend him? Why? I'm sorry, I can't keep up the pretence. Sue was one of my best friends, Teresa, we'd met when we were both little, six or seven. She loved Harry like a father, but then, when she started to develop he started wanting to take funny photos — those were her words. I didn't know what exactly, but I told her it wasn't right if he didn't want to show them ho his wife. She said it was so she could be a film star when she was big. And then we went on holiday then they went on holiday and there was something haunting her when we next met. We played for a bit together. I lent her my tiara which I never took off, to try and cheer her up. And then he came and said it was time to play doctors and nurses. Sue said it was just tickling but I understood where from her mind, so I pressed my panic button. I yelled at him to stop abusing Sue. He grabbed my shoulder and held me to the door, asked what did I know about anything, it was just tickling. I said yes, I knew where, and I knew about the photos he'd been taking too. Then the police arrived and he said his piece about me misunderstanding the game, it was just a tickling game, and Sue defended him. Then he said, could he possibly go to the bathroom and I heard him think, ‘I'll fix the little tattle-tale orphan somehow, but I'll destroy those pictures first.’ And I told the police he was only going to the bathroom to destroy evidence, pictures of Sue.” She buried her face in John's shoulder as she wept quietly for her old friend.
“Sarah's tiara was something her father made, it numbed her gift,” John explained. “Sarah told me briefly about this event when we were first discovering her gift. Harry called her a little witch as he was being taken away.”
“But I don't understand,” Teresa asked, “why wasn't Sarah called to give evidence that he'd tried to touch her?”
“Firstly, because I was able to say what he'd wanted to do, but he hadn't actually done anything at that point, except name the game. Sue claimed it was her name for a tickling game, and I'd over reacted. If I'd been collecting evidence I guess I should have let him start undressing me or something. I didn't. I knew what he wanted and wasn't having his filthy hands near me. But I couldn't say anything that he'd actually done to me. I wasn't really much use as a witness. And then secondly, I'd also developed this strange mental instability in crowded places. With Sue defending him and no reliable evidence, I guess they only charged him with the pictures.”
Maria summarised: “And so he gets imprisoned with my brother, blaming the little witch who knew too much. My brother knew how she could know too much and would guess there were more than photos. But back home everyone believed his side of things because his wife was in denial and stood by him.”
“And your charming brother helps them believe she's right and explains the evidence away to my friends. And Harry, once released, explained to Arnold how the evil witch had had him thrown in jail purely to destroy his work, or something like that,” Teresa concluded. “Urm, one question, this report clearly isn't the public record, it's too detailed. How are we seeing it?”
“I gave this computer access to the relevant databases,” Maria said, without elaborating further. Teresa accepted that. After all, if Karen's mother could order internal security forces around, almost anything else made sense too. “Computer, forward details of Harry Williamson and links to Arnold and Roland to security. Flag as before, also append staff member Sarah's description of the basis for her accusation against him.”
“Unable to comply. Underspecified attachment.”
“Well at least it has some limitations,” muttered Maria. “Computer, attachment is vocal recording from this room. Start with 'Sue was one of my best friends.' End-point is my command to forward data.”
“Authorisation required to access recording. All speakers please state agreement if acceptable.”
“Authorised,” they all agreed in turn.
“Authorisation required to complete command.”
“Authorised.” Sarah said.
“Query: append contract staff member Teresa's statement regarding attitude of Arnold to Harry Williamson?”
“Affirmative,” stated Sarah.
“I authorise recording access,” added Teresa, pre-empting the computer's predictable question.
“Information sent.”
“Why didn't I think of doing that?” asked Maria.
“Does that solve everything?” Karen asked.
“Not really dear. All we've done is come up with a possible motive and opportunity.”
Kate agreed, “Harry could end up not being involved in this part at all, but we've got a nice neat theory.”
“But why would Arnold go and break into Karen's flat?” Teresa asked.
“I expect he was collecting information, anything Roland could use later. My brother would want that.”
“Sorry, I still don't understand. He's got high morals, why would he agree? How would Harry or anyone convince him to take up robbery?”
“Not robbery, Teresa. Intelligence gathering,” Karen said. “He didn't break down any doors or smash anything, just bypassed security, and the only thing he took was photos. On Friday he thought I was a morally weak Christian who presumed too much on God's grace, a totally stupid little girl who needed a baby-sitter. By now, after he's talked to my uncle, he knows I must be able to read minds to have heard anything from my rescuers. Therefore, instead of an object of derision, I'm now an enemy of all that is good and noble, a servant of the devil. Maybe a poor example of one of course.”
“And as an 'enemy of everything that's right', you’re best avoided unless he's actually planning violence, but you're certainly a legitimate target for any espionage activities,” Maria agreed.
“But what would your brother actually be planning, Mummy? He's gone to a lot of effort to get my I.D. and everything, but as far as I can see, all he's done now is alert us to that fact by sending Arnold to use it.”
“Well, if he wasn't convinced that he's got you and not some other Karen, then I guess our response of sending security has proven you're you. If I were him then I'd have had someone watching Arnold to see if he got away with it. That on its own might be enough to suit him. If Arnold had actually found out what courses you're doing and your timetable, then he'd be able to have a good idea where you are any time he wanted to kidnap you, if that's his plan. Plus he knows where you live. Sorry, dear, you're a sitting target now, unless you change everything about yourself. Or we catch him good and proper. I'm really sorry, Teresa, but your brother is probably due to have a fatal accident right now, unless we catch him first or he hands himself in.”
“Why?” Teresa asked.
“Because he's almost been caught. It's only a matter of time before he is. And when he's caught then he might talk. Even if he hadn't been caught, he knows too much. My brother doesn't take those sorts of risks. That was another reason I wanted to get you here. If he doesn't talk to you, then you're safer. One less fatality.”
“Mummy,” Karen decided, “can I scan you, please? I love you and I trust you but I also know you can tell the cold hard truth and mislead people with equal ability. Are you serious about Arnold having probably served his purpose as far as uncle's concerned? If so, then I'm willing to help find him if Teresa wants me to.”
Maria was surprised. She hadn't expected her assessment to do more than prepare Teresa for the worst. The last thing she'd expected was that her daughter would get involved like this. Perhaps Kate or one of the others might eventually, but that ethics statement Kate had forwarded to security had made her think that there wouldn't be any help. As for the request to scan her to test her veracity. Ouch.
“Tell me more about being scanned. What do you see, what might you see?”
“Um,” Karen floundered, “at this distance, whatever you're thinking about. I've only done it once. Perhaps one of the others could explain?”
John chose to answer with an example. “In our first public test, one of the staff here agreed to be scanned. He didn't believe really it was possible, or he wouldn't have. But he did. We saw everything he was thinking about. At the top layer he was thinking “nothing to see, you can't catch me.” From what I understand that's all your brother would have got. Under that was fear and revulsion that someone might read his thoughts. Under that was the reason for the fear: he had done something wrong. Associated with that were how he'd reacted, how it had played out, what had happened, how he felt about what he'd done. Based on all that we were able to point out to him that the Bible said he'd been forgiven, never mind what he felt like, and he should stop pretending he didn't believe in God and should go back to church where he belonged. Not often as complex as that of course, but people can be.”
“And that was what, a minute of thought?”
“A minute?” Sarah replied in shock. “No, we'd be dead. Tests so far indicate that our brains light up like Christmas trees and use about thirty times more power than normal when we scan someone. I tried scanning Teresa here for fifteen seconds and passed out. I probably would have died if I hadn't got lots of emergency care just down the corridor from Janet. Scanning that man took about a second to a second and a half.”
“So if Karen scans me and my mind wanders, or I'm still thinking about reasons I shouldn't let her scan me?”
“Then I guess I'd see them and understand them, Mummy.”
“In that case I think I need to decline your offer, dear. Too many secrets in my skull.”
“Oh.”
“Why do you need to know your mother's telling the truth, Karen?” Teresa asked.
“You helped write the ethics rules, Teresa!” John said “This thing is too powerful. If we just go around probing people because it sounded like a good idea, then we'd be only just short of the thought police and evil thought stealers that Arnold thinks we are.”
“So you'd risk my brother's life to uphold a principle?” Teresa asked.
“People have gone to war for freedom, Teresa,” Karen replied. “This thing abused is the end of freedom. We're not going to let ourselves be manipulated into misusing it, even for good purposes. And I'm afraid I know my Mummy. If she'd felt there was no risk to Arnold but really wanted him caught, say to protect me, then she'd have no qualms about telling a tall tail about it.”
“What about a sworn statement before a lawyer, say for example, me?” Teresa asked.
“You mean would my Mummy perjure herself to protect me or to catch her brother? I don't know. Mummy?”
“Of course I would, you should know that, Karen. I wouldn't feel very happy about it, but I'd do it.”
“Then I've a suggestion,” said Kate. “You know how the power works, Maria, surface thoughts, emotions, intentions, but no deeper. We could just use that on you while you swore an oath. Or you could admit it was pure speculation and we could do it the other way.”
“The other way?” Maria hadn't thought there was any other way.
“We consider this to be equivalent to bugging someone,” Kate explained. “You could give us a court order to bug Arnold's brain one second every few minutes, or your brother's for that matter, preferably from a panel of judges very well informed on the civil liberties can of worms they're opening up. If you do that then we're rather bound to comply as best we can, aren't we?”
Karen added, “Given the real and immediate risk to his own life that you've described, and the fact that his sister is here able to represent his best interests, I'm willing to waive the court order in Arnold's case. Assuming you can convince me it wasn't all a big porkie, Mummy.”
“You know, Karen, I'm surprised at you,” Maria said. “That's a very distrustful attitude you've developed there. Well done, keep it up. I'll let you hold my hand while I swear an oath, dear. Will that convince you?”
“Yes, Mummy, that'll convince me.”
Teresa prepared the statement and Maria swore it, with Karen holding her other hand. Karen didn't hear anything at all suspicious.
“Would you like me to swear that I'm the reincarnation of Mickey Mouse as well, as a test?”
“No, but if you want to swear you didn't remember it was my birthday on the day you visited me last year, that might be an interesting comparison.”
“I didn't.”
“So, make a sworn statement to that effect too.”
“OK, I don't know what we're proving though.”
“Let's find out, shall we?”
“Teresa, could you please prepare another statement: I didn't know it was Karen's birthday when I came to meet her last year?”
“Fine.”
Maria swore the statement. Karen heard [When I came, I didn't know. Glad I could word it like that. I'd remembered when I arrived, of course. Saw what the date was on the arrivals display.]
“Thank you, Mummy,” Karen said and kissed her.
“What did that prove dear?”
“That you don't perjure yourself easily. You were very very relieved about that wording. Teresa, I'm satisfied my mother's statement was truthful as far as she knows. Would you please formally request me to find your brother, given the imminent danger to his life my mother has described.”
“Yes, Karen, please try to find him. I'd much rather he was arrested than dead.”
Karen focussed loosely on Arnold. Was he OK?
“He's alive, he's running, not panicking.”
“Arnold likes to run. He says he can think most clearly when he runs,” Teresa said.