The McGaffen Trial and the Affair

This flow traces how Rusty's work beside Carolyn in a child-abuse prosecution becomes the setting for his obsessive affair.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Case of Cruelty

A Case of Cruelty A child at the center Carolyn prosecutes Colleen McGaffen for torturing her young son Wendell. Medical evidence and the child's gradual disclosures reveal abuse that his father, Darryl, struggles to accept. Carolyn's unexpected tenderness Carolyn works patiently with Wendell, listening to him without forcing him to confront his mother in court until necessary. Rusty is struck by the contrast between her public confidence and the tenderness she shows the child. A professional partnership Rusty joins the case at Raymond's request, telling himself the trial is interesting and politically important. The close work gives him an excuse to spend time with Carolyn, while the case's emotional gravity makes his attraction seem more profound to him.

A Verdict and a Beginning

A Verdict and a Beginning A child's testimony Wendell testifies that his mother hurt him, and Carolyn guides him through the account with quiet care. Rusty's closing argument becomes an expression of his own emotional investment in the child and his admiration for Carolyn. A moment after court After the guilty verdict, Rusty and Carolyn drink together and speak as if their attraction is only beginning to become real. Carolyn encourages him to reach for her, and the restrained flirtation becomes physical intimacy. The origin of the fixation Rusty later remembers the encounter as the beginning of a consuming passion. He experiences the affair not merely as sex but as escape from the routines and disappointments of his marriage and professional life.

A Lover's Unanswered Questions

A Lover's Unanswered Questions An intense private routine Rusty sees Carolyn several nights a week, often in her apartment. He interprets her attention and sexual confidence as proof of a special bond, though their relationship is never equal in his imagination or hers. Political ambition intrudes Carolyn tells Rusty he should seek Raymond's office if Raymond steps down. Rusty refuses to pressure his mentor, and Carolyn's disappointment suggests that her interest in the relationship may include a larger political calculation. Rejection and aftermath Carolyn ends the affair, and Rusty becomes distraught, making silent calls and trying to regain access to her. Later, her murder makes his longing a motive in the prosecution's theory, while his private account cannot remove the suspicion created by his concealment.

September before Carolyn's murder

The evening of the McGaffen verdict

From late fall to the April murder