Investigation - Part 11

Since Steven Otto didn't have any other witnesses or information to follow up he started to prepare the final report for Mr. Loesing.

He came to the conclusion that the evidence Fin had been psychologically abused was there. He couldn't proof entirely that Fin had been bodily harmed, but there were signs. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. "Hello Mr. Otto. I don't know if you remember me. It's Gretchen Britt Noose, the wife of Mike Noose. "Of course, I remember you, Mrs. Britt Noose." "I... I have found something. It would definitely proof Fin has been abused." "Really? What is it?" "A video tape." "What is on the tape, Mrs. Britt Noose?" "You should see it for yourself, Mr. Otto, but it's nothing for the faint hearted. When I saw the footage my stomach churned. Can I fedex it to you?" "Naturally." Steven gave her his address and was intrigued. He wondered what was on the tape. It arrived two days later.

Gretchen had been right. It showed - what Steven assumed was the tip of the iceberg - Fin's spankings from when he was around eleven to fourteen and discussions between Coldham and Beverly. The beatings with a cane took place in different parts of the Noose's home, but mostly at Beverly's home office, one in the living room and one in Fin's bedroom. Steven admired Fin, who rarely did go down without a fight, when he believed he didn't deserve it, knowing exactly he was making it worse for himself. Official reasons for the canings ranged from cutting an unimportant class, to talking back, to playing a prank on his grandfather to stealing. It was clear, though, that Fin's parents were sadists and enjoyed punishing him, mostly not even asking for an explanation why Fin did what he did and sometimes it seemed Fin was really innocent and they were simply looking for a reason to cane him. Fin's protests were interpreted as talk back, so he was cuffed around the ears before he received the whacking. It meant also that the original walloping would have been given on Fin's underwear clad or fully covered behind, but due to his refusal to accept what was coming he ended up getting it on his bare buttocks. The only exception had been when Fin had been caught stealing. Fin hadn't put up a fight, so Steven assumed Fin had been guilty on that occasion and it coborated with what Scott Manrique had been telling. The cane was clearly visible and seemed fairly long and springy. Steve guessed it was about half an inch thick and around 3 foot long. The cane was vicious and sliced deep into Fin's flesh. Seeing it in action made Steven grimace. Depending what "crime" Fin had committed he received between four and ten cuts. The most severe beatings had been when he had cut a class and had stolen. Steve thought it was a wonder the stripes weren't bleeding, especially when they were overlapping. Once or twice Steve thought it had been a close call.

Fin tried to take the spankings stoic and the first few strokes normally didn't elicit any noise from him. He screamed blue murder towards the end.

Steven marvelled at Fin's self-control. He never got out of position and was only caught once crying on camera. In this case Fin had started to blubber even before the event started. Steven Otto guessed it had to do that he was embarrassed in front and by his paternal grandfather. Coldham F. was present, because Fin had spit on his hand and Fin's parents deemed it only fair he should see how his grandson was dealt with. Coldham F. was allowed to pull down Fin's pants and under pants, while scolding him. Fin was then dragged to the arm rest of the sofa by his mother and forced to bend over.

Steven found the arrangement odd. He didn't like both parents were there during the spankings or on this one occasion, where Coldham F. was watching too. It had been most likely the incident Stamford Noose, Fin's uncle, could remember Coldham F. had mentioned.

It felt like the adults were ganging up on the boy. It must have been humiliating to have one of his parents watch while the other one dished out the punishment. Coldham whipped Fin slightly more often than Beverly. Fin's mother seemed to enjoy watching and wielding the cane.

The investigator didn't know what was worse the physical abuse or the discussions going on afterwards. Fin's parents talked about how each spanking went, joking they should invite Coldham's father more often to get Fin to cry in front of them or if they should sneak up to Fin's room and listen in if he was sobbing.

At least Steven Otto was able to provide Mr. Loesing with verification what some of the witnesses had stated. He felt a bit sad for Fin, who had had a terrible upbringing.

Mr. Loesing was a bit disappointed Fin hadn't lied to him, but shocked when he saw the video and read the interviews. He was very satisfied with Steven Otto's work and recommended him to friends and associates, when they needed the service of a private investigator.

©2017

Investigation - Part 10

The only other person Steven Otto managed to find was Michael Perry, another childhood friend of Fin. Michael Perry was living in Wisconsin. As luck had it Mr. Perry was giving a guest lecture about sports history at the University of Texas at Arlington in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Mr. Perry promised to drop into Mr. Otto's office while there. Michael was a tall African American with the built of a football player. His handshake was crushing.

At first there was only some small talk about Mr. Perry's travel to Dallas and how the lecture went, then it turned to the actual subject. "Do I believe Fin was abused? I would say at an emotional level yes. I only accepted invitations to Fin's home, when I knew his parents were out. I couldn't take how they spoke to Fin. It was mostly to tell him off, to praise Mike, his brother, or to boss him around. Once Fin snapped back and his father promptly slapped him. The hand print was clearly visible and Fin's eyes filled with tears. I think it wasn't the pain itself. He felt embarrassed, because I had seen it. He was proud and being hit in front of his friend hurt his ego. I saw how angry he was. Fin had balled his hands into fists and clenched and unclenched them..." "How old were you?" "Twelve, maybe thirteen." "What happened next?" "I was surprised Fin backed down. He apologized for being fresh, looked away and seemed suddenly calm and relaxed." "What?!" "He definitely wasn't relaxed or calm, but he had learned to hide his feelings well. I guess it was to protect himself. Fin's father tussled Fin's hair and said everything was forgiven. Mr. Noose left us alone and when he turned I noticed the murderous glare Fin shot his father. He behaved as if nothing had happened and got very aggressive, when I asked if everything was okay. I only tried to help and Fin's behavior left a sour note. I went home soon afterwards." "Okay, so what about physical abuse? You witnessed a slap..." "You shouldn't forget the times we grew up in. It was fairly normal kids were spanked and nobody thought anything about it. My parents didn't believe it worked, so I escaped physical punishment. Fin never mentioned he was spanked and he never came to school with a black eye or unusual bruises - at least I didn't see any. Of course Mr. and Mrs. Noose might have clipped Fin around the ears or might even walloped him, but I wouldn't know about it." Michael didn't have more to add, so Steven let him go.

©2017

Investigation - Part 9

A few weeks later Mike Noose finally agreed to meet. It was a surprise for Steven, who thought it was never going to happen. Mike said he was going to be in Pensacola, Florida, on business and if Steven could make it there. Steven was eager and hoped Mike would shed some light on Fin's and his upbringing. His hopes were dashed. Fin's brother was cold and denied knowing anything about Fin being caned. Mike claimed both were spanked, but the only implement used was either his father's or mother's hands. Mike's wife Gretchen was present too and listened with astonishment. It seemed new to her. Steven couldn't shake off the feeling Mike knew much more and lied. Steven wondered if it was to protect himself, his parents or his brother. At least Mike and Gretchen confirmed Mike had been the favorite son. Mike didn't want to talk about why he hadn't any contact with his parents and was vague about some disagreements between them. "How would you describe your relationship with your brother? Are you in contact?" "Yes, we are in contact. I love my brother, but it's a difficult relationship, partly due to me being preferred by our parents, partly because we are so different." "Okay, thank you, Mr. Noose, and should you remember anything about your childhood, that would assist my investigation, please let me know." Steven gave Mike his business card. He believed it was the last he would hear from Gretchen or Mike.

©2017

Investigation - Part 8

After a longer time Steven Otto returned to his office and home in Texas, gathering up all the materials he had and trying once more to get in contact with Mike Noose. Fin's brother proved elusive as ever.

Steven Otto had settled after a few days and was chasing other possible witnesses. He also updated Kenneth Loesing.

Steven started his day with breakfast with his family. It was good to be back. They had missed each other. After dropping off his granddaughter at school he went to his office and noticed immediately something was wrong. Steven was sure he had locked his office, when he had left the previous night. The door was open and it seemed somebody had searched Steven's files, but nothing was taken. Steven wondered what it had been all about. He didn't go to the police, since everything was in place and if he hadn't been conscious he wouldn't have noticed someone had rummaged through his paperwork. Whoever had been there had been very careful not to disrupt the looks of the office too much.

Steven was just settling down behind his desk, when his phone rang. It was a man, called Scott Manrique. He claimed he had heard from Patches Sigrist Steven was looking for witnesses that Fin Noose had been abused as a child. "Mr. Noose and I are childhood friends. If you are still looking for testimonies I'm willing to give you one and what I know about Fin's treatment by his parents." "I would be very grateful in fact." Mr. Otto was surprised Mr. Manrique was in town, so meeting was easy. "I'm bogged down by business, but I have tomorrow afternoon off. Can we meet at my hotel?" "Sure."

Scott Manrique was El Salvadorian American. He had grown up in Miami and went to the same school as Fin. Originally Scott's twin brother Jacob befriended Fin and the two had been closer than Scott and Fin were. Scott's and Fin's relationship changed again, when Jacob was killed nine years later.

Scott was staying at the Westin Galleria. His appearances was as Steven had thought. Scott couldn't deny his Latino heritage with his jet black hair and dark brown eyes. He was roughly Fin's age, medium height and burly. Scott was a warm host. They met at his room and had all the quiet and discretion needed. Scott made sure Steven was comfortable and had a drink and peanuts before he started talking about the subject, Fin's character, his perception of the Noose's family dynamic and how he had found out Fin had been beaten by his father. "Jacob and I were thirteen and Fin a bit older. We had agreed to meet after school to go windsurfing. When he didn't show up we stopped one of his classmates and asked if he knew where Fin was. He told us that Fin was sick. It was a bit surprising, because before the weekend he had been fit as a fiddle. So Jacob called Fin. Our friend was candid. He said he had been caught stealing by his parents. We thought he had been grounded until like forever and decided to keep him company, so we visited him the same day. His parents had to work. The risk of them catching us was very small. Fin was ashen faced, subdued and limping. My brother sensed his state of mind and thought Fin was angry and maybe even hateful towards his parents. He offered us a seat, but didn't take one himself. We were wondering what was going on, since Fin wasn't talkative. We checked if Fin had been grounded, which he confirmed. Jacob questioned him further. Fin admitted he had been thrashed by his father - his words, not mine. It explained why he was so down and limped. Jacob and I thought the spanking had taken place earlier in the day..." Scott stopped himself. It seemed a bit hard for him to go on. Steven asked: "It hadn't been the same day?" "No", Scott shook his head vehemently, "he had gotten his deserved deserts two days before. It was... quite shocking. If Fin's bottom was still so incredible painful after that amount of time it must have been a very harsh punishment." "Would you say it was abuse or just teaching Fin a lesson stealing was unacceptable?" Scott snorted. "Are you joking me?! That was not a lesson. It was outright abuse and to justify it Fin's parents hid behind self-righteousness and norms of society." "Did Fin ever tell you why he stole?" "No, but I can guess why he did it..." "What do you believe?" "It was a cry for attention and it was a sure way to get it." "Why would Fin need attention?" "It was very obvious his parents didn't care about him very much and focused their attention and love on his younger brother Mike. The only way to make them notice him was to screw up or rebel and he did both." "Can you give an example?" "Of course. When Fin had birthday he got a cake and the family celebrated dinner at a restaurant chosen by his parents. That was Fin's 18th. Mike, who had turned 17 a months earlier received also a cake, could choose the restaurant and invite friends too. In addition the Nooses gave Mike a Rolex watch with a personalized engraving. It was every year the same including other festive days like Christmas. You would have seen a major difference too, when visiting the brothers in their rooms. Mike had much more toys and books than Fin. While the relationship between Mike and the Noose's was warm and close, Fin was treated like he didn't belong. It was much easier for Fin's brother to get away with things than it was for Fin. He could for example visit friends longer or sometimes even on school days. Fin had to be home earlier and was very rarely allowed to go over to friends during the week." "That's very sad." "Yes, it is and it made me angry - I'm still quite upset about it. That's why I chose to talk to you. Fin wouldn't like it one bit." "I appreciate it. Did he ever tell you or your brother what was going on behind closed doors?" "You mean did he tell Jacob and me what happened exactly?" "Yes." "Unfortunately Fin can be very stubborn. It was the only time he admitted to have been physically punished. Probably because he couldn't avoid it. If it wouldn't have been obvious he was still suffering, I bet he wouldn't have lost a word about it. We tried to get out more of Fin, but he clamped up and was about to lose his temper, so we thought it was better to retreat." "Did Fin show later any signs he was beaten again?" "I'm not exactly sure. There were maybe four occasions I thought he had been beaten, because he behaved like the one time he admitted he had been punished." "Did you ask him about it?" "No. Jacob and I didn't want to pressure Fin, knowing how he reacts to that. Our friendship was more important than to find out what was going on at Fin's home." "Did you think talking about it to another adult you trusted about Fin's situation?" "Fin would have killed us if we had told anyone. He's very private and proud. He admitted it in confidence, so it wasn't our secret to tell." "If everyone would do that no perpetrator would be ever caught." "That's true, Steven. You don't know Fin, though. He would have denied the charges, if a teacher or someone from law enforcement would have questioned him. Fin is mentally strong and even the worst beating or neglect didn't destroy him. He might have psychological scars, but he's a survivor." "Are you sure Fin wouldn't have crumbled when he would have been interviewed?" "Positive. He's good at keeping secrets and as I mentioned he is very stubborn, so if he doesn't want to talk or do something he won't." "Mr. Noose sounds a very interesting person and I guess you are risking getting his wrath for talking to me, should he ever find out..." "He would bite off my head. That's for sure." "Would your friendship be over?" "No, I don't think so. We have been through a lot together and of course Fin would be very unhappy about my behavior. He would let me know and then cease contact until he was over it. Afterwards he would be treating me as if nothing had happened." "He holds a long grudge then?" "He does." "Does Fin tend to shout?" "No, he is self-controlled, so no shouting. In fact his eyes change color from blue grey to blue and he's lowering his voice. It's scary and most people, who recognize the warning signs back down before he explodes." "Is there anything else you could think of?" "I have told you everything I know." "You have been very helpful. Thank you. Should you think about anything else, please contact me again." "Sure, I will and it was my pleasure." 

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Investigation - Part 7

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.

©2017

Investigation - Part 6

A former class mate of Fin's was next on the list. His name was Justin Daniel and currently visiting his parents in Plantation, so Steven didn't have to travel too far. Mr. Daniel had ancestors from Scandinavia and the Middle East. He was very tall, had a slight paunch and the darker complexion of his Lebanese grandfather. Mr. Daniel was welcoming and showed Steve to the living room. He didn't offer him a drink. The furniture was in good condition, but older. Steve wasn't entirely sure what Justin was doing for a living. He thought it had to do with writing.

"So you want to talk about Fin?" "Yes, if you don't mind." "I haven't got anything to do with him since he changed to that military academy down south somewhere, so I'm not sure how I can help." "I just want to get an idea how he was as a child." "Stubborn as hell, arrogant and somewhat nerdy." "What makes you say that?" "Nerdy, because Fin was good at maths and science. He could be found often with his nose in a book. Arrogant, because he looked down at me and ignored me most of the time. He was stubborn. When he made up his mind you couldn't force him to budge." "And why did Fin look down on you?" "I'm not sure. Maybe I wasn't clever enough or too aggressive. I liked playing rough. He didn't and I think once I pressed him too hard. We were discussing how our parents punished us. I admitted I had to do extra chores, if I had misbehaved. Then I wanted to know what was going on at Fin's home. He was evasive and never answered. I didn't give up and he withdrew further instead of saying anything. Since then he ignored me totally." "Of course I know this is now speculation, but why do you think he didn't want to talk about it?" Justin considered his answer. Steve realized Justin was struggling to give an objective answer. He was still angry and upset how Fin had treated him as a child.  "If Fin wasn't punished physically I don't believe he had any reason to hide it, so I deduct he was spanked." "Did you ever see Fin having unexplainable bruises or cuts?" Justin didn't take long to reply. "No. I rarely saw him naked. He was a bit shy in that regards... And when he wore a t-shirt or shorts there were just the usual scraped hands, elbows and knees. Why are you asking?" "Fin claims to have been abused emotionally and physically by his parents..." "Hm, if he was, he was good at hiding it and it might explain why he didn't want to talk about his upbringing." "Did you know Mike, Fin's brother?" "I hadn't anything to do with Mike. He was a bit younger." "So you have never seen or heard anything that could confirm Fin was treated badly by his parents?" "Not that I'm aware of. As I said we weren't close and I haven't seen him since we're fifteen." "Okay. Thank you for your time, Mr. Daniel."

©2017

Investigation - Part 5

Next Steven Otto visited Commander Corey Richmond at the military academy, where Fin had spent his last three years of high school.

At the entrance a cadet was on duty to control the comings and goings. He wore a crisp uniform. Checking with Commander Richmond's office, if "Dr." Steven Otto had an appointment. Steve was collected personally by the Commander, a fit man in his fifties with red hair. Commander Richmond was very proud of the academy and offered the investigator a tour.

They started with the students living quarters. The school accepted boys and girls from Kindergarten to 12th grade. They had of course separate accommodation, but were housed in the same building.

Students were called cadets and had to wear a uniform Monday to Friday. Up to ten students lived on one floor. Two shared a bed room. It was a bit basic with a bunk bed, two writing desks, two wardrobes and an en-suite bathroom. Cadets weren't allowed any electronic gadgets, radios or TVs on their rooms. There were a TV, DVD player and board games in the common room.

Days were strictly organized. Wake up was at 06.00 hours, afterwards beds had to be made according to regulations, then time for personal hygiene. Breakfast was served from 06.30 hours to 07.00 hours. It was followed by formation training. School lessons started at 08.00 hours sharp. There was a half hour break in the morning. To the private investigator's surprise there was no lunch break at all. School finished at 15.00 hours. Afterwards there was time for a snack and private study until 5 PM, followed by an hour relaxation before dinner and cleaning the rooms as well as some extra curriculum activities, like theatre, photography, flying and instrument lessons or other sports activities. Cadets had to be on their rooms at 20.30 hours, ready for inspection and bed by 21.00 hours. Of course the day looked slightly different for younger children.

Weekends were spent exploring the area and other educational activities.

Only once a month students could go out alone on Saturdays or Sundays.

Somehow Steven Otto couldn't imagine Fin fitting in or liking the strict discipline.

"Do you have a lot of cadets, who are problematic children?" "No. Most of our student body have already a parent in the military or plans a career in the armed forces. We are proud to have helped former students achieve high ranking positions in the Navy and Army or to become successful Air Force pilots. Others have of course careers in the private sector. We choose our cadets carefully. Sometimes we end up with unsuitable candidates. Parents lie or they realize their son or daughter isn't doing well in our environment." "Alright."  "This is our sick bay. Cadets must go here, when they feel unwell. Depending how ill the cadet is, he or she might spend some time here. They might be able to return to their room to recover or are declared healthy enough to attend class." Commander Richmond showed Steve the classrooms and sports facilities before going to the administrative building, where his office was located. Corey asked his secretary to make coffee for him and his visitor. In his office Corey invited Steve to take a seat and handed him Cadet Noose's file. Commander Richmond's office was a male sanctuary with leather furniture and dark wooden panelling. Steve thought it fit Corey.

"Did you know Cadet Noose personally?" "I encountered him a few times, mostly it was positive, like handing over an award for the fastest cross country finish of the school. Once I had to punish him, because Cadet Noose had accumulated five detention points, which meant an appointment with me and a call to his parents. It's normal procedure." "Okay, and what does a visit to your office entail?" "I discuss the situation with the parents first. They can make the decision how their son or daughter is going to be punished or leave it to the kid, depending on age and maturity." "Okay, so how do discipline your students?" "Again depending what the parents decide, what the misdemeanour was, how often I see that specific Cadet for disciplinary reasons and how old the student is. It can be anything from taking away privileges, having to do extra chores or drill training to corporal punishment." "Do you generally decide what punishment you are going to use before calling the parents or do you give them different options?" "Well, I make up my mind and give two options. One is something that students won't like to have to do, i.e. staying at school on a free weekend, cleaning the grounds or training. The other is a paddling." "Hm, can I ask what happened when Cadet Noose visited your office?" "I called his parents. They left the decision to the cadet. I then asked the Wing Leader Voltaire DeLeon to bring Cadet Noose to me. We discussed the misdemeanor without Wing Leader DeLeon being present, but he was invited in, when I offered Cadet Noose his choices. It was a week drill training including Saturday and Sunday with Wing Leader DeLeon or two licks with the paddle. He made up his mind and chose the paddling. As always I asked the Cadet to bend over my cleared writing desk and to hold on to the opposite end. I then lectured him about the importance to be punctual and reliable before applying the first stroke. I let him stew a bit and then gave the last one with a bit more vigor. Wing Leader DeLeon witnessed the procedure and accompanied the cadet back to his room." "Was the cadet contrite?" "Yes, he was when he arrived and even apologized before I told him what options he had. Afterwards he stated again how sorry he was and thanked me." "How did he react to the punishment?" "Cadet Noose took it like a man. He grunted only after the second swat. There weren't any signs he was close to tears." "Do you think Cadet Noose was spanked at home?" "Of course I can only speculate, but based on his reaction I would say, he was used to harsher corporal punishment." "Can I see the paddle?" "Naturally." Commander Richmond went to retrieve it from a cupboard. The paddle was made from oak wood and had holes drilled into it. Steven Otto thought it was a formidable weapon and must cause bruising. The paddle was around 16 in long, 4 in wide and 0.5 in thick. He barely kept from shuddering. "Is there a protocol you have to follow when giving a paddling?" "Well, there has to be a witness present and I only deal with the boys. The girls are punished by our female PE teacher. We are allowed to give up to six swats. It is up to our discretion if the cadet has to remove clothing below the waist." "Do you often paddle on the bare?" "No. I use it only for exceptional bad behavior or if the student is very often in my office for discipline." "How often do you think you asked cadets to pull down their pants in the last ten years?" "Maybe three, four times. As I said it's a rare occurrence." "And how often do use generally corporal punishment?" "First of all most students are very well behaved and I don't see them for negative reasons. Second most parents and students now a days prefer to have privileges taken away, so I paddle a cadet maybe every three months, if even." "I assume Cadet Noose was fully clad, when he was punished by you?" "Of course. It was his first and only visit. Due to this it was a low count of swats and given on his pants." "Do you normally check if a cadet cheats, for example he has newspapers stuffed into his trousers?" "It's easy to spot if a cadet is cheating. As you said, when they use newspapers or a book or wear more underpants, it's generally clearly visible. If I have my doubts about the honesty of the person in question I check." "What's happening when you catch someone?" "The cadet has to remove all clothing from the waist down. He will be given two sets of swats: The first for the original offence; the second for cheating, which automatically means six." "So you can give more than six?" "Only in this circumstance." Steven nodded, indicating he understood. Running out of questions Steven thanked the Commander and took the copy of the file with him.

Steven studied it at his hotel, learning Fin had been a good student, excelling in sports, math and science. There was a C in Chinese and Formation Training, but otherwise only As and Bs. There were two punishments noted, one was a detention for the whole class, since a prank had been played on another student, but nobody had come forward admitting to having it done, and the paddling Commander Richmond had already described. Otherwise teachers reported Fin was quiet, shy, hardworking, self-controlled and ready to help other cadets. Of course Commander Richmond's testimony added another point of evidence Fin had been probably abused. Either that or he had been very self-constrained and didn't show how much the swats with the paddle really hurt. Having spoken with many people about Fin by now he thought it was the first, leading to the latter.

©2017