The interview with
the Nooses approached. Steven Otto came well prepared, when he arrived at the
house, where Beverly and Coldham lived in Palmetto Bay. The whole area had been
severely damaged during Hurricane Andrew and the home had to be rebuilt. It was
made of concrete and looked similar to the other houses in the area. The front
lawn was kept immaculate.
A gentleman in his
fifties opened the door. His wheat colored hair had turned grey at the temples
and his hairline was receding. Having seen photographs of Fin as an adult
Steven was amazed how similar father and son looked. "Mr. Noose, I'm
Steven Otto. Thank you for allowing me to interview you." "You are
welcome. My wife and I are very proud we can take part in your study. Please
follow me." Coldham led Mr. Otto to the formal dining room. It offered
seating for eight. The room was held in a maritime theme. Steven felt it was
cold and suited for business entertainment. Soon Mrs. Noose arrived. She was
roughly the same height as her husband and dark haired. She had stunning blue
eyes. Steven and she shook hands. Beverly Noose offered Steven a seat, coffee or
tea and jam doughnuts. Steven asked for coffee. After her return she told him
the doughnuts came from a prestigious bakery in town. Steven was impressed.
He started his
questions after eating one of the delicious treats. "As part of my study
I'd like to ask you a few questions about your own childhood. Mr. Noose, do you
mind if I start with you?" "No, not at all." "What year
were you born, Mr. Noose?" "1953." "Where did you grow
up?" "In Boston, Massachusetts.” Steven asked the questions on
purpose to get a feel of Coldham's and Beverly's body language. It would make
it easier later to identify when they were untruthful. "Did you grow up in
a one parent family?" "No, my parents stayed married until my mother
died." "Have you any siblings?" "Yes, my mother was widowed
with two small children, when she met my father, so I have a half-sister, a
half-brother and a younger brother." "You said you both spanked your
own sons. How did your parents rear you?" "My mother was quite modern
for her times. She never spanked Diane, Arthur, Stamford or me. We were
sometimes trying, but instead of losing her temper my mother explained how she
was feeling about a certain situation and what we should make better in the
future or she forced us to make amends. For example I was once rude to an
elderly neighbor. Lil had heard it and talked to me. She asked if I would like
to be treated like that. When I shook my head, she said: "Mr. Aujesky is
very lonely and just wanted to have a quick chat. I'd like you to go over to
him and apologize besides that I expect you to visit him regularly for the next
months." At first I went under duress, but I found out Mr. Aujesky was
quite interesting. We developed a friendship.
When my mother
could she protected us from father. He wasn't that "enlightened" and
spanked my brothers and me for our misdeeds. He never touched Diane. Dad was
traditional and believed my sister was my mother's responsibility."
"May I ask how your father spanked you?" "Generally on the bare
behind. Until I was seven he only used his hand, then a combination of hand and
cane." "When did your father start to spank you?" "To be
honest I'm not entirely sure. I guess maybe from three to seventeen."
"That's it for the moment, thank you, Mr. Noose." "Mrs. Noose,
when were you born?" "In July 1953." "And where?"
"In Frostburg, Maryland. It's about 150 miles northwest of
Baltimore." "Did you grow up there?" "Yes, it was not nice,
a blue collar town. My father was a miner and very poor. I didn't like the town
or our lifestyle, even as a small girl. I wanted to get out as soon as
possible. Thinking about how to manage it, I decided I would not end up like my
mother, who was a home maker. My way out was education. I studied hard and got
a scholarship at the University of Florida, Miami, where I also met
Coldham." For Steven it was an eye opener. He could understand why good
grades were especially important to Beverly, remembering what Carol Resch had
told him. "I assume your parents didn't divorce?" "No, they were
married for the rest of their lives." "Do you have siblings?"
"No, I'm an only child." "Did your father or mother spank
you?" "My Dad spanked me. When I was misbehaving my mother warned me
and if I repeated the same thing, she told me to go to my room and wait until
my father was home. I knew what that meant. My mother would give my father a
chance to relax a bit, before telling him about his unruly daughter and that
she wanted him to punish me. I'm not sure what I dreaded more: The waiting or
when I heard my father approach up the stairs. He was fair and gave me a chance
to explain myself. If he still believed correction was necessary, I would get
spanked. Sometimes he let me off, but it was rare." "Can I ask how
your father spanked you?" "Like Coldham, always on the bare and at first
with his hand, later we migrated to his slipper and when I was twelve the belt
was introduced." "Up to what age did your father discipline
you?" "Until I was fifteen." "Would you mind if I ask you
both an intimate question?" Coldham and Beverly shook their heads.
"I'd like to know from both of you if you were embarrassed when you had to
bare yourself or were bared in order to get punished?" Beverly answered
first: "I guess it was for me more embarrassing than for Coldham - maybe
I'm wrong -, but he had someone of the same sex, thrashing him. I hated it in
fact when I reached puberty. My Dad always said I needn't to worry he had seen
it all before, which was true; still I dived as soon as possible over the
pillow mountain on my bed. Not that I wanted to be spanked, but it was better
than showing off... I couldn't care less what I showed my Dad, when the
whipping was in progress. I forgot totally about being ashamed. The pain was
searing and my father merciless." "Well, it was embarrassing for me
too. I never liked presenting my naked buttocks for father's hand and / or
cane. The cane was worse, though. He was very thorough and it hurt really a
lot." "Is it right of me to assume the cane and belt left
marks?" Coldham and Beverly nodded. She indicated Coldham should go first.
"Yes, I had tramlines and bruises for about a week." "It was
similar for me. The welts reminded me for a few days about my misbehavior, but
were visible much longer than they hurt." "What made you decide to
spank your sons too?" Steven asked. It was Beverly, who answered. "We
agreed sometimes a sharp, painful shock was better than dragging out a
punishment, making all feel miserable. When the boys were smaller it was easier
to simple smack them immediately after their misbehavior. They generally
dropped their behavior, and it made them better understand it was wrong what
they did than explaining it." Steven didn't agree with the sentiment. He
thought to avoid a mistake it was always better to be told what went wrong. Of
course he didn't mention it. Now the critical point was coming. "Did you
spank your children exactly the way your parents did or did you do something
differently?" This time Coldham spoke: "Beverly and I thought our
fathers had been too harsh, so we never used the belt or the cane. We agreed
when the gravity of the misdemeanor was really serious to first give a hand
spanking and then six to ten strokes with a wooden spoon." Steven thought
Coldham wasn't telling the whole truth. "Up to what age did you spank your
sons?" "We stopped when they turned fourteen and deemed it not
suitable anymore for them." Beverly replied. Again Steven believed Beverly
was lying. "Would you say you had to punish Coldham Fintan and Holiday
Michael roughly the same amount?" Beverly and Coldham communicated
silently. Beverly answered: "Fin was a quite wilful child, very own
minded, rebellious and stubborn. He got more spankings then Mike."
"So Mike was generally better behaved?" "Yes, he was in much
fewer trouble at school, obedient and didn't talk back unlike Fin."
Beverly answered Steven's question. Mr. Otto thought Beverly was telling the
truth.
The question was
had there been more going on than Beverly and Coldham were willing to admit or
had Fin perceived the spankings as abuse? There were other options to consider
too. The Nooses might have used stronger force or a different implement when
punishing Fin or gave more strokes. Steven Otto couldn't shake off the feeling
that the Nooses had something to hide. He was determined to find out what. For
the time being Mr. Otto thanked Coldham and Beverly, asked if he could come
back if had more questions and finished the interview. The Nooses agreed and
brought the investigator to the door.
On the way to the
car he passed the neighboring house. Steven thought he saw the curtain of the
living room moving. If the neighbor was nosy, maybe he or she knew something
about the Nooses. It was worth investigating.
Steven drove off,
but returned to observe both houses.
The Nooses were
obviously out all day, while the neighbor was an older lady called Randy
Tomczyk. She ventured out nearly every day.
Mr. Otto arranged
a "chance meeting". She was just leaving her home, when he approached
the Noose's. "They aren't in." The grey haired lady told the
investigator. "Really?! Sugar! I must have confused the day I should have
come back!" Steven Otto pretended to be disappointed. "They normally
return after 8 P.M. You should try then." "Thanks, but I have to go
back to the airport in a couple of hours..." "That's tough. I've never
seen you here before. Are you a friend of Beverly and Coldham?" "No,
I'm conducting a study about child rearing methods. They agreed to take part.
Do you know the Noose's sons maybe?" "Mike and Fin?" Steven Otto
nodded encouragingly. "Of course I do. Haven't seen them in many years,
though. I think Mike for about five and Fin around ten." "But you
knew them as kids?" "Sure. Very different boys. I think Mike is
slightly younger than Fin. I guess a year. He was outgoing and very close to
his parents. Fin was quiet, but I had the impression he liked to be the boss.
He wasn't close to Coldham or Beverly." "Did they treat him
differently than Mike?" "I'm not entirely sure. I think Mike got away
with things Fin wouldn't have." "Do you have any examples?"
"Well, sometimes the kids were playing in their back garden. It borders on
mine, so I could hear what was going on and see into the rooms at the back.
Anyhow Beverly sometimes called the kids in to do homework or because dinner
was ready. If Fin tried to stall, Beverly got angry and impatient quickly. Mike
could stay in the garden longer and would get the wrath of his mother after
maybe being asked five times to come in." "Okay, and how do you know
Fin liked to be in charge?" "When Mike and he played, he told Mike
what he expected him to do." "I see. Coldham and Beverly said they
disciplined their children by spanking them. I guess you didn't notice
anything, did you?" "Only once." "Really?! Would you mind
telling me about it?" "I'll better ask you in then. It's a longer
story." Mr. Otto had expected Mrs. Tomczyk lived in a more lavish
interior, but it was astoundingly simple and clean cut. The color scheme was
black and white with sparse furniture. "Coffee or tea?" Mrs. Tomczyk
offered. "Coffee, please." It was Mr. Otto's fifth cup of the day.
While Mrs. Tomczyk was bustling around she started telling her tale. "My
husband Sebastian was much older than me. His biggest hobby was growing award
winning flowers and I realised I enjoyed it too, so I continued even after his
death. Mike and Fin caused me a lot of grief by playing soccer in their own
garden. The ball went astray too often and damaged my roses. I had enough and
confiscated the ball. Boys can be the spawn of Satan and Mike and Fin were no
exception. They were upset and angry I kept the ball, so they planned their
revenge. I caught them with their trousers down, peeing on my terrace. I was so
angry I grabbed them by the ears and brought them next door. Beverly and
Coldham made Fin and Mike apologize. They also promised me their sons would be
punished and were clearly embarrassed and disappointed by their offspring's
behavior. I didn't know what punishing Mike and Fin entailed. Back home I made
myself a cup of tea, before I checked if the neighbor's kids had vandalised
other parts of the garden. My roses were still in all their glory. Looking up I
saw one of the windows on the second floor of the Noose's house open and a boy
looking out. At least I had the impression. A second or so later I realised it
was Fin bending over. Someone was standing behind him. It was Beverly and she
was talking to Fin. I couldn't make out what she was saying. Beverly took a
step back. I wondered what this was about. Then she raised something. It was a
switch or some kind of stick. Beverly brought it down on Fin's behind. Three or
four times. I couldn't see if Fin cried or hear him shout. His body language
spoke volumes, though. It must have hurt like the dickens. I thought it was
over the top. Don't get me wrong. Boys need a strong hand, but a few swats with
the hand would have done the job in my opinion." "Did you mention it
to Beverly or informed the authorities?" "No, Fin wasn't my son and
I'm not related to the Nooses, so I couldn't tell them how to raise their children.
I watched out if there were other thrashings, but didn't, so it must have been
a once off." "Steven Otto was suspicious, though. “How old were the
kids at the time?" "Maybe eight and ten or so." Randy Tomczyk
wasn't too sure. Finishing his coffee, Steven thanked Mrs. Tomczyk and was on
his way. So the Nooses had been lying. They had used a different implement than
they had told him at least on Fin. Steven thought he had to talk to Mike and
hoped Fin's brother was open enough to tell the truth. Maybe he could dig up other
family members, who knew...
©2017
No comments:
Post a Comment