Mike Noose still
didn't react to Steven Otto, so the investigator looked for other people, who
could help him. This time around he was meeting with Voltaire DeLeon, the
former teacher and Wing Leader at the academy. Mr. DeLeon had made a big career
as a drag queen. His performances were highly regarded. They met at Katz's Delicatessen, a New York
institution. As always it was busy and loud. Not an ideal place to hold an
interview. Steven arrived first and was curious if Voltaire DeLeon would arrive
in women's clothing. Mr. DeLeon was fashionably late and wearing men's clothing.
He was tall and muscular. Steven Otto wondered how Voltaire could be so
successful when he didn't look feminine at all. It wasn't his business, though.
The African American shook Steven's hand before taking a seat. They ordered a
Matzo Ball Soup, a tuna salad and black and white cookies for Steven and a
Pastrami hot sandwich with potato salad and fruit pie for Mr. DeLeon. "So,
how can I help you?" "You were Coldham Fintan Noose's Formation
Trainer and Wing Leader, so you should have known him quite well, when he was a
teenager." Voltaire DeLeon nodded. Somehow he seemed tense and angry.
"What would you like to know?" "How would you describe
him?" "He had no talent for formation or wasn't interested - probably
the latter. He was otherwise a good student. I had the feeling he simply
couldn't be bothered to train very hard or try to participate properly. It made
him rebellious in my eyes and arrogant too, because our school was normally one
of the best, when showing off our formation training, and his performance was
pulling us down. I believe also that Cadet Noose didn't keep to the rules,
especially the one concerning leaving the grounds. Unfortunately I couldn't
proof it." "Hm, that are serious allegations. Your former boss
Commander Richmond didn't mention anything in that regards." Voltaire
DeLeon scoffed at the mentioning of Commander Richmond. "He was taken in
by Cadet Noose's charms and I could swear it was Cadet Noose, who alerted my
boss about me being a transvestite. Again he was so intelligent I couldn't
substantiate it. Thanks to him I was forced to hand in my resignation."
"If it's really true I can understand you are upset with Cadet Noose. What
makes you think Cadet Noose did leave the grounds without permission?"
"I caught him once and he was very obnoxious. He blackmailed me into
staying silent, because he knew about my private life and threatened to expose
me, if I was going to punish him." "And you believe he informed
Commander Richmond about you being a transvestite." "Yes. He was the
only one, who knew." "Couldn't it be that somebody else found
out?" "Of course. Cadet Noose was the only one, though, who was
clever enough and a schemer, to pull it off without getting implicated himself.
He wanted to get rid of me and that was his chance." "Why would Cadet
Noose want you to lose your position?" "I knew too much about him and
I was harsh and strict to him during the day at his own suggestion."
"Hm, that's interesting. Well, Cadet Noose claimed in the past he has been
physically and emotionally abused as a child. Would you agree with that
statement?" "Cadet Noose admitted he was spanked at home. In my
opinion not often enough. I always imagined an abused child as being subdued
and showing fear of punishment and his or her parents. I couldn't detect
anything of that in Cadet Noose's behavior." "Maybe Cadet Noose was
very good in hiding it or could his rebelliousness have been a sign?"
"I'm probably biased since there was no love lost between the two of us...
As said he didn't make the impression of being abused. Maybe I got it
wrong." "Mr. DeLeon, Commander Richmond described a paddling he gave
Cadet Noose..." "For tardiness amongst other things. I remember,
since I was his witness." "How did Cadet Noose react to the
paddling?" "He wasn't teary eyed and not much bothered by it.
Commander Richmond had been lenient and the first whack was fairly light. The
second was definitely harder. It got a reaction from Cadet Noose. His behavior
let me to believe he was regularly punished at home. Otherwise he would have
been bawling by then. He confirmed later, when I questioned him about it."
"Did he tell you anything else?" "Well, he said that his parents
used a cane on him and they punished him, when he was younger about once to
twice every month, later it was reduced to maybe twice to thrice a year."
"He told you that?!" Steven Otto asked incredulous. He thought Mr.
DeLeon was a bit uncomfortable now. "I forced him to tell me by being very
persistent on the way to his room after the paddling." "Were you surprised
he was caned?" "Yes, I had expected something more traditional, like
a belt or paddle." "Did Cadet Noose tell you more about how his
parents treated him?" "No. It was very difficult to get anything out
of him at all." "Did you believe him?" "Yes. He was clearly
embarrassed and didn't want to talk about it, but I didn't sense any
dishonesty." Steven tried to get more out of Mr. DeLeon, who couldn't give
more details.
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