Additionally, it was recommended that the committee be dissolved.

Bad feelings in both cases, but the rage level of the second nearly scorched the paper.

Kenneth Storm Jr. had a bad temper, even taking into account his being hauled up during an especially hard time in his college career.

Had the deal failed to appease him?

Paz and Fellows had never known about the committee. I assumed Milo had at least skimmed the transcripts, but he still preferred Philip Seacrest as prime suspect.

Because of the money and the way Seacrest twanged his antennae.

But Storm had obviously hated Hope.

A nineteen-year-old carrying a grudge that far?

Bicycle tracks on the sidewalk.

Students rode bikes to campus.

I wrote down K. Storm Jr. and turned to the third transcript, dated one week after the Vespucci-Storm debacle and three weeks before Kenneth Storm's lawyer wrote the letter that killed the committee.

Only Devane and Casey Locking sat in judgment, now. Had Professor Steinberger lost her taste for inquisition?

As I read, it became clear that this was the most serious of the three complaints.

A sophomore psychology major named Tessa Ann Bowlby accused a graduate student in theater arts named Reed Muscadine of date rape. The two of them agreed on several initial points: They'd met in the student union during lunch and had gone out on a single date that night, viewing the movie Speed at the Village Theater, followed by dinner at Pinocchio, an Italian restaurant in Westwood Village. Then, they'd returned to Muscadine's apartment in the Mid-Wilshire District to drink wine and listen to music. Heavy petting and partial disrobing commenced. Here their stories diverged: Bowlby claimed she wanted things to go no further but Muscadine got on top of her and entered her by force. Muscadine said intercourse had been consensual.

MS. BOWLBY: [Crying, shaking] I…

PROF. DEVANE: What, dear?

MS. BOWLBY: [Hugs self, shakes head]

PROF. DEVANE: Do you have any further comment, Mr. Muscadine?

MR. MUSCADINE: Just that this is rather Kafkaesque.

PROF. DEVANE: In what way, sir?

MR. MUSCADINE: In the sense of being cast under suspicion with no justification and no warning. Tessa, if what happened somehow hurt you, I'm truly sorry. But you're dealing with your feelings the wrong way. You may have changed your mind, now, but what happened then was clearly what we both wanted- you never indicated otherwise.

MS. BOWLBY: I asked you to stop!

MR. MUSCADINE: No, you really didn't, Tessa.

MS. BOWLBY: I asked you! I asked you!

MR. MUSCADINE: We've already been back and forth on this, Tessa. You feel you objected, I know I heard nothing that was even close to objection. If I had, obviously, I would have stopped.

PROF. DEVANE: Why is it obvious?

MR. MUSCADINE: Because I don't force women to be with me. Apart from being repugnant, it's unnecessary.

PROF. DEVANE: Why's that?

MR. MUSCADINE: Because I'm able to get women without forcing them.

PROF. DEVANE: Get women?

MR. MUSCADINE: Pardon the clumsy usage, I'm a little shaken up by all this. Women and I relate well. I'm able to obtain companionship without the use of coercion. That's why this whole thing is-

MR. LOCKING: You're a theater arts major, right?

MR. MUSCADINE: Yes.

MR. LOCKING: What speciality?

MR. MUSCADINE: Acting.

MR. LOCKING: So you're pretty good at disguising your feelings.

MR. MUSCADINE: What's that supposed to mean?

MR. LOCKING: What does it mean to you?

MR. MUSCADINE: You know, I came in here determined to be calm and rational, but I'm finding it a bit difficult with things getting this personal.

PROF. DEVANE: This is a personal issue.

MR. MUSCADINE: I know, but I already told you-

MR. LOCKING: Do you have a temper-control problem?

MR. MUSCADINE: No. Never. Why?

MR. LOCKING: You sound angry.

MR. MUSCADINE: [Laughs] No, I'm fine- maybe a little baffled.

MR. LOCKING: By what?

MR. MUSCADINE: This process. Being here. Am I a little angry? Sure. Wouldn't you be? And that's really all I have to say.

PROF. DEVANE: The intercourse. Did it proceed to climax?

MR. MUSCADINE: It did for me. And I thought you enjoyed it, too, Tessa.

MS. BOWLBY: [Crying]

MR. MUSCADINE: Obviously, I was wrong.

PROF. DEVANE: Did you wear a condom, sir?

MR. MUSCADINE: No. It was kind of- the whole thing was spontaneous. Impetuous. We really hit it off- or at least I thought we had. Nothing was planned, it just happened.

PROF. DEVANE: Have you ever been tested for HIV?

MR. MUSCADINE: No. But I'm sure I'm-

PROF. DEVANE: Would you be willing to be tested?

MR. MUSCADINE: Why?

PROF. DEVANE: For Tessa's peace of mind. And yours.

MR. MUSCADINE: Oh, c'mon-

PROF. DEVANE: You relate well to women. You've gotten many, many women.

MR. MUSCADINE: That's not the point.

PROF. DEVANE: What is, sir?

MR. MUSCADINE: It's intrusive.

PROF. DEVANE: So is rape.

MR. MUSCADINE: I never raped anyone.

PROF. DEVANE: Then why all of the anxiety about a simple blood test?

MR. MUSCADINE: I- I'd have to think about it.

PROF. DEVANE: Is there some fundamental problem with it, sir?

MR. MUSCADINE: No, but…

PROF. DEVANE: But what, sir?

MR. MUSCADINE: I don't know.

PROF. DEVANE: These are the facts: You had unprotected sex with a woman who claims you raped her. The very least you can do is to-

MR. MUSCADINE: It just seems kind of… drastic. Have sex and prove yourself healthy? I've slept with lots of other women and it never came up.

PROF. DEVANE: That's the point, sir. In effect, Ms. Bowlby has now slept with every one of those other women. The precise details of what occurred that night may never be proven, but it's obvious that Ms. Bowlby is experiencing some real trauma.

MR. MUSCADINE: Not because of me.

MS. BOWLBY: You raped me!

MR. MUSCADINE: Tessa, I didn't. I'm sorry. You've twisted this-

MS. BOWLBY: Stop! Please! [Cries]

MR. MUSCADINE: Tessa, if there was some way to undo it, believe me, I would. We didn't need to make love, we could have just-

PROF. DEVANE: Please stop, sir. Thank you. Are you all right, Tessa? Casey, get her a fresh tissue… thanks. As I was saying, Mr. Muscadine, the precise details may never be known because there were no witnesses. But Ms. Bowlby is clearly traumatized and she's entitled to some kind of closure. Given your sexual history, she'd feel a lot better if you were tested and shown to be HIV-negative. And so would this committee.

MR. MUSCADINE: Is that true, Tessa? Tessa?

MS. BOWLBY: You just said you sleep around!

MR. MUSCADINE: Wow. From Kafka to Dracula- give up my body fluids. Okay, I have nothing to hide- do I have to pay for it?

PROF. DEVANE: The testing can be done at Student Health with no charge. I've got an authorization form, right here, that will release all results.

MR. MUSCADINE: Oh, boy- okay, fine, I've got nothing to hide- but she should get tested, as well.

MS. BOWLBY: I already did. Right after. So far I'm negative.

MR. MUSCADINE: You'll stay negative. At least from me- listen, Tessa, I'm really sorry this whole thing has gotten to you, but I- forget it. Sure, fine. I'll get tested, tomorrow. How's that? If that's all I have to do.

PROF. DEVANE: You should also give some serious thought to the issue of rape.

MR. MUSCADINE: I don't need to.

PROF. DEVANE: Sometimes we're not aware of-

MR. MUSCADINE: I'm telling you- okay, fine. I'll think about it. Now can I go?

PROF. DEVANE: Sign these release forms, go to Student Health, and get tested within twenty-four hours.