Chapter 10: " ... how was it when Ms Cummings left with the police?"

Lisa said...

"Meredith, I'm upsetting your routines enough as it is, go ahead and wear whatever you like ... or not wear anything at all. Please don't change anything on my account. In the wading pool, near the end, I didn't even notice anymore that you were naked. As for Mark, I find it completely normal. I'm still not used to being naked, myself, however and, even though I joined you in the pool this afternoon, at the moment, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it. I hope you won't feel insulted if you catch me staring at you from time to time."

"This afternoon, my blouse was damp with sweat. If you have another tee-shirt, I'd borrow that and wash my blouse again. Tomorrow is Sunday ... I'd like to possibly go to the Mall and pick up some spare clothing and a toothbrush, anyway. I'm not saying I'll not go over to the 'Dark side, ' although, from your point of view, I guess you'd see it as the 'Bright side' but, for the moment at least, I'd like to hide behind something, even if the only thing between me and total embarrassment is an old tee-shirt."

"Yes?"

"Ms Catherine Harris? We spoke on the phone this morning ... My name is Harold Pettigrew, May I come up to talk to you?"

"Yes, certainly ... BZZZZT!"

"Come in, please ... No, no, that's alright, Keep your shoes. How may I help you? You said something about Lisa?"

"Yes, I am representing her in the upcoming trial. As you know, Lisa Cummings has been accused of inappropriate behavior while in the presence of minor children. While, technically, it is not the same as pedophilia, in the eyes of the general public, they ARE the same and, if she is found guilty, that will follow her for the rest of her life and she will probably be unable to teach anywhere anymore."

"I would say that that is totally insane if it wasn't for the fact that I was there when she was arrested. Poor Lisa, we were at university together ... It was her dream; she spoke of nothing else."

"She hasn't been found guilty yet, Ms Harris, and I will do my utmost to see that she won't be. I would like your take on the situation ... what did you see, what did you hear and how you came to be involved in this?"

After they had both seated themselves in the living room, Catherine recounted the phone call asking her to buy the wading pools, how she had brought them over to the preschool, how she had discovered that half the children had been naked, that Lisa had described how one of the children had instigated it and how Lisa had spoken to him, only to discover that his mother was a 'Naturist' and that, because of that, she was reluctant to force him to get dressed again.

"I was unfamiliar with the term ... I had to look it up. I found out later that the child was Mark."

"Oh? Ms Cummings hadn't told you who it had been?"