Kathy had spent a miserable night tossing in an agony of sexual frustration. Her
cunt ached for Ken's cock.  She thought about it, but came to no conclusion.  She
hadn't had a man for years before she met him and it hadn't bothered her at all. 
Why was she so tormented now?  She was thinking along those lines when the phone
rang.  It was Tony Donetti.  Hearing his voice startled her:  He had never called
her before.  "Angel, there's a problem I'm sure you'll be interested in.  It's in
Family Court, downtown.  There's a young girl named Susan Smith.  She's a runaway
from her legal guardian, Sylvia Black.  Anyway, this kid isn't represented.  I
can help, but I need someone to say some words.  Can you do it?  She needs you,
Angel."

Kathy was instantly awake when she heard Tony's voice.  "Tony, how much time do I
have?  You caught me in bed.  Do I have time to take a shower?"

Tony laughed.  "I should have known!  I called the kids first.  They loved your
wedding, by the way, as did my wife and me.  You should never have invited us and
we should never have come, but we did.  My wife cried, Angel. She said you were
the most beautiful bride she's ever seen.  All she could talk about was your
white gown and golden hair.  You were stunning!  Anyway, it's only seven o'clock!
 You know the courts better than I do, but I've never heard of anything happening
before ten.  And Angel?  Please let me know what happens.  The poor kid is being
held in jail, waiting for the hearing.  Will you let me know?"

"Of course, Tony.  I'll get right down there."  As soon as she hung up the phone,
she got out of bed, showered, dressed in her lawyer suit, had a cup of coffee and
drove down to Family Court.  She went to the jail where she was well known and
asked to see Susan Smith.

The sergeant on duty looked embarrassed.  "I can't do that, Miss Smith... I mean,
Mrs. Stark.  Orders."

"Orders from whom, Sergeant?" she inquired.

"Up high, Kathy.  It's some political influence thing," he said in a near-
whisper.

Kathy left and went to a restaurant close by where she used to eat when she was
in the District Attorney's office.  She had breakfast and was back in the
courthouse before the court was called into session.  The bailiff announced the
judge's entrance and the court was called to order.  The first case called was
Susan Smith's.  A young girl was being dragged into the courtroom from the
holding area.  She was handcuffed and was being dragged by the two matrons who
were escorting her.  Then Kathy saw Sylvia Black again.  She had seen Sylvia for
the first time when she attended her trial on conspiracy.  While she had detested
her then, she hated her now.  The judge looked around the courtroom as if he was
looking for something.  "Is this girl represented by counsel?" he inquired.

Sylvia started to say that it was a juvenile case and no counsel was required,
when Kathy came forward.  "I am Kathy Stark, your Honor, and I am representing
Susan Smith," she asserted, smiling venomously at Sylvia.  She continued, "I have
been prevented from meeting with my client.  There fore, I respectfully request a
ten-minute recess to speak with her now."

Sylvia was about to protest, when the judge's gavel came down hard.  "The court
will be in recess for ten minutes.  We will reconvene at twenty minutes after the
hour."  Looking at the deputies, he said pointedly, "Matrons will assure that
Mrs. Stark meets with her client IN PRIVATE!"

Susan Smith was brought in to an attorneys' conference room.  The matrons were
about to withdraw when Kathy said to them sharply, "Take those handcuffs off my
client's wrists."

"But Mrs. Stark, I can't.  This girl is violent!" one of the matrons replied
plaintively.

"I said, take them off.  Now!"  The matron responded instantly to the steel in
Kathy's voice, took off the cuffs, and quickly retreated.  For the first time,
Kathy had an opportunity to get a good look at Susan Smith and almost fell off
her chair.  The girl was Kathy's identical twin but about ten years younger.

"Hi, Susan.  I'm Kathy Stark, and I'm an attorney in Norfolk.  I lied in there
when I said I was your attorney.  I'm not.  I can't be your counsel unless you
ask me to be, and you haven't had a chance.  May I represent you, Susan?"

Kathy almost melted as Susan's beautiful blue eyes regarded her.  Then Susan did
a double take as well.  "But... but... you look like me!"

"I know, Honey.  But we don't have much time.  May I represent you?"

"Of course!  Anything to get away from that horrible woman!  Miss Stark, please
help me!  I only wanted to go to school."

"It's Mrs. Stark," Kathy corrected gently.  "Why are you moving so stiffly?"
Instead of answering, the girl lifted her shirttail and turned her back. Kathy
was horrified to see streaks of blood criss crossing the girl's back. "Who hit
you?" she asked quietly.

"One of the guards, ma'am.  She's a sadist, I think.  After stripping me bare,
she tied my hands to a hook that came down on a pulley from the ceiling.  They
pulled me up until my toes were barely touching the floor.  She took off this
leather belt and whipped me with it.  I was spinning on the hook, and she just
kept beating me."  Kathy was appalled.  There was a phone in the room for attor
neys' use.  She used it to call Peter Mahoney on his private line, and he
answered at once.  "Pete, it's Kathy.  I'm at Family Court.  Can you get down
here right away?  And get a squad of police over here, too?  I'm supposed to go
back into court within three minutes.  It's Courtroom Three.  Just stand in the
back of the room and have the police in the corridor waiting.  It won't be a long
wait.  Can you come?"

"I'll be there as soon as I get my shoes back on.  It'll take about five minutes.
 See you!"

Kathy turned her attention back to the girl.  "Susan, I'm dreadfully sorry! Would
you please take your shirt off?"  The girl was wearing a man's shirt that fit her
like a tent, along with a pair of dungarees tied with rope at the waist.  She
took off the shirt and faced Kathy.  Kathy almost became ill.  The girl's
beautiful, but still-immature breasts had been cut by the belt.  Marks
crisscrossed her body and went below the belt line.  "How far down do they go?"
she asked.

"To just above my knees," was the quiet reply.

"How many times did she hit you?"

"I don't know," Susan replied softly.  "I passed out after about thirty.  It
really hurt, Mrs. Stark."

Kathy's voice was so full of menace she didn't recognize it herself when she
spoke, "Never again, Susan.  I swear to you this will *never* happen again. Come
on, it's time to return to the court room."  When they stepped outside the room,
the same matron was waiting.  She looked at Susan with a question in her eyes. 
The girl shook her head and Kathy turned back to the matron.  "Do you know who I
am?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am.  You're Kathy Smith.  Or you used to be."

"That's right.  Now, who beat this girl?  I want to know *now*!"

"I can't tell you!  Mabel would kill me!" the woman replied, terrified.

"So we know her name is Mabel.  Is she in court today?" Kathy asked.  Both the
matron and Susan nodded.  "Fine!" said Kathy.  "Let's go!"  They reentered the
courtroom.  Kathy escorted Susan to the defendant's table as the judge returned. 
The court was called to order and the judge announced that the plaintiff, Mrs.
Black, the child's legal guardian, could proceed.

Sylvia Black came forward.  "It's a simple matter, your Honor.  I have the papers
here appointing me the legal guardian of Susan Smith.  She ran away and got
caught.  I want her back.  Thank you."  Sylvia returned to the plaintiff's table
and sat down.

"Mrs. Stark, do you have anything to say on behalf of the minor, Susan Smith?
However, before you speak, Mrs. Stark, I have a question to ask the girl. Susan,
would you please stand?"  Susan stood up.  The judge continued, "Susan, Mrs.
Stark has claimed to be your counsel.  Did you ask her to represent you?"

"Yes, Your Honor.  I certainly did."

"Thank you, Susan, you may sit down.  Mrs. Stark, you may proceed."

While the judge had been addressing Susan, Kathy looked around the room.  She saw
Peter Mahoney with a policeman sitting in the back of the courtroom. "Your
Honor," Kathy began, "There is a great deal about this case I do not yet
understand.  First, I do not know how Sylvia Black came to be this child's
guardian in the first place.  Your Honor may not be aware of the fact that Sylvia
Black was sentenced to three-to-five years imprisonment less than six months ago
after being convicted of larceny, conspiracy and bigamy.  Her sentence was
suspended.  I do not understand how a convicted felon could obtain guardianship
of a minor."

"Mrs. Stark, can you support this charge?" the judge asked.

At that point Pete spoke up from the back of the courtroom.  "Your Honor, I am
Peter Mahoney, District Attorney of Norfolk County.  I can attest to the truth of
Mrs. Stark's statements.  Copies of the relevant documents could be delivered in
a matter of minutes from Criminal Court, if you wish."  Peter sat down again.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Mahoney.  Please proceed, Mrs. Stark."

"Your Honor, I request a continuance of this case for ten days.  In the meantime,
I request that the defendant, Susan Smith be remanded to my custody. Further,
your Honor, I demand that the matron standing over there be placed under arrest
immediately."  Kathy pointed to a beefy matron standing back in the corner of the
room.  "The charge is felony assault and battery!  Susan, please show the judge
your back."  Susan approached the bench, turned her back to the judge, and lifted
the back of her shirt.  When she exposed her back to him, Kathy saw the judge
turn white as a sheet.  Kathy spoke up sharply, "That was done to the child by
the matron I indicated.  Perhaps I should ask you to look over this child in your
chambers where she could be fully unclothed.  I saw more, your Honor, and it's
sickening!  She has been beaten from her shoulders to her knees as she was
suspended naked from the ceiling revolving helplessly.  Your Honor, that woman is
a brutal sadist!"

Just then a shot rang out, followed quickly by three others.  Kathy felt the
breath of a bullet passing by her head.  She turned quickly to see the matron,
Mabel, crumpling to the floor while the officer who had accompanied Peter was
standing holding a smoking revolver.  Kathy ran to the fallen woman and reached
her the same time the officer did.  A glance at the still-drawn weapon in the
officer's hand told Kathy all she needed to know.  It was a Smith & Wesson .44
Magnum, a hand cannon.  Mabel was dead.  At least one of its bullets had blown
her apart.

During the instant that the courtroom remained in a stunned silence, the judge
spoke quickly.  "This case is continued for ten days.  Miss Smith is remanded
into the custody of Mrs. Stark until that time.  This court is now adjourned!"
His gavel pounded down as chaos erupted.

Kathy spoke quickly to Susan, "Let's get out of here.  Move!"

On the way out, she spoke quickly to Mahoney.  "Thanks, Chief.  This is a lot
more melodrama than I had in mind.  This kid is in terrible shape and I really
have to get her home fast.  May I call you later?  And please thank the officer
for saving my life!"

They quickly left the courthouse before the press and TV crews could arrive.
Ducking into a luncheonette Kathy used a pay phone to call the hospital.  When
she got through she asked for Dr. Miller and was told he was off duty.  She
identified herself and asked for his home telephone number.  Calling his home,
his wife answered.  "Cindy, this is Kathy Stark.  I need help desperately.  Is
Charley home?"

Charley was on the phone immediately.  "Charley, I need your help, and Cindy's,
too, if it's possible.  I have a young girl with me who's been viciously beaten. 
She recalls about thirty lashes before she passed out, but God only knows how
many there were.  I could bring her to the hospital, but I think another
institution is the last thing she needs to see right now.  Can you help?"

"Of course, Kathy!  What's your address?"  She gave it to him.  "We can be there
in thirty minutes.  Is that soon enough?" he asked.

"That's great, Charley.  In fact, the girl and I are in downtown Norfolk now. I'm
not sure we can be there in thirty minutes."

"It's okay, Kathy.  If Cindy and I beat you, we'll just wait for you there." The
connection clicked off before she could speak.

"Come on, Susan.  We're off."  They went to her car and got in.  Then she noticed
the cellular telephone that she had just had installed.  "Damn!" she muttered
under her breath.  Being so new, she had forgotten she had it.  She picked it up
and dialed "O."  When the operator came on the line she asked for the State
Police barracks closest to Norfolk and said it was an emergency. She was
connected and asked to speak to the watch commander.  He came on the line and
identified himself as Lieutenant Pinkney.  "Lieutenant, this is Kathy Stark.  You
may know me better as Kathy Smith.  I need help.  I'm in Norfolk and need to get
to my apartment in Virginia Beach as fast as possible.  Could I get an escort,
please?  It's an emergency."

"Just a moment, ma'am."  A few seconds later he was back on the line.  "Ma'am,
Trooper Stockdale is in that general area.  He knows you and your car.  He will
meet you at the Expressway entrance near the Omni.  He'll be there in two minutes
or less.  Is that satisfactory, ma'am?"

"That's perfect, Lieutenant, and many thanks.  I have to come out to see you
folks at the barracks some day soon.  Thank you, sir.  I'm rolling."  She glanced
at Susan sitting in the passenger seat.  "Honey, the way you've been beaten, that
seat belt harness won't feel too great, but I think you'll feel better with it
fastened.  This ride is going to be a fast one."  The girl buckled her belt. 
Kathy felt her heart tug as the girl winced just once as the belt slid across her
tortured shoulder.  When she reached the Expressway, Will's cruiser was pulled
off the road, waiting.  When he saw her in his mirror, he waved and started to
roll.  He cut in his siren and flashers and made for the high-speed lane.  Kathy
was on his tail as they were soon up to 100 mph speeding east.  In her rear view
mirror, she saw another police car closing in the middle lane.  He passed them
both and moved far ahead to provide more warning to other vehicles.  In no time
they were at the exit and off the highway.  Again, Stockdale escorted her to her
driveway with his siren screaming.  She had made it in less than fifteen minutes.

Will jumped out of his car and ran up to her, saluting.  "I hope that was fast
enough, Kathy," he asked.  When he peered into the car he did a double take. "Is
this the...  Good grief!  Kathy, she's... she's a younger twin sister! Woweee! 
Ma'am, I don't think this poor old town can take two o' you.  It surely cain't."

Kathy looked at the beautiful girl sitting beside her.  "Will, I would like to
introduce you to a girl you've just helped a great deal, Miss Susan Smith. Susan,
this is Trooper William Stockdale of the Virginia State Police."

"How do you do, Trooper Stockdale?" Susan said in a soft, melodic voice. "Thank
you so much for your assistance."

"It's a real pleasure to meet you, Miss.  A real pleasure, indeed!  I surely hope
you're feeling better, soon."

"Will," Kathy said, "I spoke with your Lieutenant.  Susan and I would like to
visit your barracks soon.  We hope to see you there when we do."

Will blushed.  "I'll surely be there, ma'am, unless of course, I'm on patrol.
Have a good day!"  He went back to his cruiser just as the Millers drove up.
After Kathy parked her car, the four went up in the elevator together.  Kathy led
them into the guest room.

"Charley and Cindy, I would like you to meet Susan Smith, your patient. Susan,
this is Dr. and Mrs. Miller.  Mrs. Miller is a nurse.  They are a trauma team,
and I think you need their help."

Both Millers had done a double-take similar to Will Stockdale's, but Charley
recovered quickly.  "Susan," Charley said, "would you please tell me what
happened to you?"  Susan told the story of the matron, Mabel, and what the woman
had done to her.  Dr. Miller asked Susan to undress and she did so quickly.  She
was standing before them completely unselfconscious and completely nude.  Kathy
glanced at Cindy who had turned pale at what she was seeing.  The girl had been
unmercifully beaten with special attention to her breasts, thighs and pubic area.
 Kathy noticed that Susan had a small patch of rather dense pubic hair, a darker
shade of gold than the hair on her head. Charley turned to his wife, "Honey,
could you start cleaning up Susan, please? I would like to speak with Kathy for a
few moments."