Emerson, in which you pleaded with him to stop harassing you.
Once again, I want to reiterate that we are here to discover the truth.”
Julia blinked as the room around her grew fuzzy. Muffled sounds
assaulted her eyes, almost as if she were sinking in water. Everything slowed down, especially her mind, as the enormity of Dr. Chakravartty’s revelation crept over her skin like a frozen finger.
Meagan passed a few sheets of paper to John and Soraya.
John glanced at them quickly, before tossing them aside. “It’s
completely out of order for you surprise us with documents that were not mentioned in the letter you sent to my client.”
“This is not a trial; it’s merely an investigatory hearing. We aren’t bound by the rules of discovery, Mr. Green. Professor Chakravartty, you may proceed.” The Dean leaned back in his chair, giving Tara
his full attention.
“I know that you didn’t file a sexual harassment complaint against Professor Emerson. But it isn’t too late to do so. If you wish, we can have him dismissed from the room so we can discuss this.”
John shook his head. “My client unequivocally denies any harass-
ment, sexual or otherwise, against Miss Mitchell. If anyone should be investigated for harassment, it should be Christa Peterson, who maliciously instigated this mess in the first place.”
“Miss Peterson will be held accountable for her actions, don’t
worry about that.” Professor Mwangi’s voice was smooth and direct.
“Miss Mitchell, I’m also interested in the email exchange we have here, in which you direct Professor Emerson to stop harassing you. Can
you give us the context in which you made that statement?”
“It was a mistake.” Julia’s voice was low, yet it echoed loudly in the room.
“A mistake?” Professor Chakravartty repeated.
“We had a — misunderstanding. I should never have used the
word harassment. I was angry. I didn’t mean it.”
Soraya began whispering in Julia’s ear but she pulled away, wring-
ing her hands.
214
Gabriel’s Rapture
“There was no harassment. That’s why I didn’t file a complaint.”
Professor Chakravartty stared at Julia skeptically before addressing the Dean. “I’d like to move that we suspend this hearing. I have a lot of unanswered questions that I’d like to pose to the other witnesses.
And I’d like to interview Miss Mitchell in a less hostile environment.”
She glared in Gabriel’s direction.
“Miss Mitchel denied the al egation. She hasn’t filed a complaint against my client, and under paragraph ten of the university’s policy on sexual harassment, she can’t be compelled to do so. Can we move on?” John objected.
“I don’t need you to tell me how to run this proceeding, Mr.
Green,” the Dean snapped. “We can take all the time we need to
investigate any matter pursuant to the matters before us.”
The Dean gestured to the other hearing officers to move closer to
his chair so they could whisper among themselves. The mere mention of a delay caused Julia’s heart to pound, and she fixed frightened eyes on Gabriel, whose face had turned very red.
A few minutes later, the Dean put on his glasses and looked
around the room.
“As Professor Chakravartty has suggested, I’m going to suspend
this hearing. You’ve been forthcoming, Miss Mitchell, and for that I thank you. But you, Professor Emerson, have told us nothing. Your
lack of cooperation has left us with no choice but to go back and
speak to all the other witnesses. In particular, I have a few questions I’d like to put to the chair of your department, Professor Martin.
“If the relationship between you the two of you was consensual,
you’re both at risk of having violated the non-fraternization policy.
And you, Miss Mitchell, have possibly perjured yourself about when the relationship truly began. On the other hand, the email that you sent to the professor is inconsistent with your other statements.
There’s also the issue of the M.P. Emerson bursary, which you men-
tion in your email.
“I’m not about to allow this proceeding to rush to judgment. So
a delay is in order for us to complete our investigation. This delay could take several weeks, depending upon the level of cooperation
we receive. Of course, if you’d rather not have a delay, you could simply answer our questions.” At this, the Dean gave Gabriel and
John a stern look.
215
Sylvain Reynard
Julia watched as Gabriel closed his eyes, his lips moving as if he were whispering something to himself. Then his eyes snapped open
and he stood to his feet.
“Enough,” he said.
Six pairs of eyes swung to stare at the angry looking professor as he glared defiantly at the hearing officers.
“There’s no need for a delay. I’ll cooperate.” Gabriel’s jaw was set, his blue eyes flashing.
Julia’s heart sank.
“It appears we’ve finally captured your attention, Professor Emer-
son, and persuaded you to come out from behind your lawyer,” said
Professor Mwangi sarcastically.
“Such a remark is beneath you.” Gabriel waved a dismissive hand
in the air.
“Are you willing to answer the committee’s questions?” The Dean
interrupted the staring match between the two men.
“Yes.”
Once John got over his surprise, he stood at Gabriel’s side. “Dr.
Aras, my client has retained counsel. Can you give me a moment to
consult with him?”
The Dean nodded, and John began whispering hastily in Ga-
briel’s ear.
Julia could see that he did not like what John was saying, and
she watched him mouth the words “No, no, no.”
Eventually, Gabriel dismissed John with a murderous look. “I am
willing to answer any and all questions, but not while Miss Mitchell is in the room. Some of the answers I wish to give are of a personal nature and for various — ah — reasons I prefer to keep those answers confidential.”
The Dean measured Gabriel intently and nodded. “Very wel .
Miss Mitchell, you are dismissed for the moment, but please don’t
leave the building. We might have need of you shortly.”
“If Professor Emerson is intending to malign my client, he can
do so in front of us,” Soraya protested.
“The collective agreement with the faculty union ensures con-
fidentiality in all judicial proceedings.” The Dean’s voice grew very 216
Gabriel’s Rapture
cold. He took a moment to consult with his colleagues, then nodded in Julia’s direction.
“If Professor Emerson offers testimony that implicates your cli-
ent, you will be given the opportunity for rebuttal. Any matters not bearing on your case, Miss Mitchell, will be kept confidential. Miss Harandi, Miss Mitchell, you are both dismissed for the present. My assistant will notify you when your presence is required.”
Soraya shook her head but took Julia’s arm and tried to pull her
toward the door at the back of the room.
Julia planted her feet. “Our relationship was consensual. I knew
what I was doing and I don’t regret it. At all. This is not a tawdry affair. There was no harassment.”
The Dean couldn’t help but notice as Professor Emerson began
to rub his eyes and mouth, cursing silently.
“Miss Mitchell, you will have your chance for a rebuttal. Now
if you please…”
Soraya quickly pulled Julia out of the room. She tried in vain to
catch Gabriel’s eye before she exited, but he hung his head, eyes shut.
217
Chapter 24
“What?” Professor Jeremy Martin almost shouted into his office telephone.
Across campus, Meagan, the Dean’s assistant, turned her back on
the hearing officers as she prepared to speak more loudly.
“I said that the Dean would like to ask you a few questions about
Professor Emerson and Julianne Mitchell. Professor Emerson just
confessed to having broken several university policies with respect to her. Can you hold the line, please, while I put you on speaker phone?”
“Holy God,” breathed Jeremy, blinking and gaping like a fish.
“Professor Martin? The hearing officers would like to speak to
you now.” Meagan turned and locked eyes with the Dean.
“I’ll be right there. Ask the Dean not to do anything until I ar-
rive!” Jeremy slammed the telephone down on his desk and quickly
exited his office, forgetting to close and lock the door behind him. He jogged out of the building and across Queen’s Park, pausing only to avoid being run over by downtown traffic. By the time he’d traversed the few blocks to where the hearing committee sat, he was winded,
disheveled, and incredibly annoyed at how out of shape he was.
“Stop,” he panted, bursting through the doors. He placed his
hands on his knees so he could attempt to catch his breath.
“Thank you for joining us, Professor Martin.” The Dean’s tone
was sarcastic.
“I came — as fast — as I could. What’s — going on?”
The Dean gestured to his assistant to fetch the ailing professor
a glass of water, which he drank gratefully. The beverage gave him a moment to find Gabriel, who was sitting stoically next to his lawyer.
Gabriel’s Rapture
The Dean frowned. “It appears that things are amiss in your
"Gabriel’s Rapture" отзывы
Отзывы читателей о книге "Gabriel’s Rapture". Читайте комментарии и мнения людей о произведении.
Понравилась книга? Поделитесь впечатлениями - оставьте Ваш отзыв и расскажите о книге "Gabriel’s Rapture" друзьям в соцсетях.