Satin O'Toole was for rent. Anyone with the price could have her,
for any purpose; by the hour, day or week. She was available for
longer periods of time, but only a very wealthy man could afford
that. She was so expensive that marriage, divorce and alimony
would have been cheaper than long term rental. Even so, Satin
wasn't interested in anything with the trappings of permanence,
although she had told her friends that she might consider marriage
when her youth and good looks were gone. Yes, she was beautiful;
in her mid twenties with flaming red hair, alabaster skin, and
a shape that tantalized men and was the envy of women. She dressed
in clothes that accentuated every curve and made her appear naked
(naked, not nude).
This Saturday afternoon in November of 1958, she was at The May Company, purchasing underwear. Across the counter from her stood William Fredericks, 48, 5'6", overweight, graying and balding; an accountant, employed by the City of Los Angeles. He was shopping for an intimate gift for his wife who was returning tomorrow from a visit with her parents in Florida. While inspecting some frilly undergarments, he spied Satin. Her face and figure had, for him, promises of endless delights. He could see the outline of her breasts and prominent nipples through her sheer blouse.
"I've just got to lay her," he thought. The thought itself shocked him. He had never thought that way in his whole life --at least he couldn't remember ever having had such blunt thoughts. He forgot about his shock as he felt a stiffening in his trousers and his feelings replaced his thoughts.
Like a tomcat in heat, his total concentration riveted on the object of his desire. He stealthily moved to the other side of the counter. Once behind her, he reached around and cupped both of her breasts with his hands, simultaneously thrusting his hardness against her buttocks. She wheeled around and, as she did so, her spike heel snapped, throwing her off balance. As they both fell to the ground her head struck the counter and she lost consciousness.
When her awareness returned, she became dimly aware that she, Satin O'Toole, was being raped. She also was aware that the flashing lights, which she had attributed to the blow to her head, actually came from a camera. She instinctively averted her face.
"Not here, you idiot!" she hissed into her assailants ear.
He was oblivious to everything except the rhythm of his thrusts. A crescendo of guttural grunts and several especially violent thrusts ended the act, as Fredericks collapsed on top of his victim.
A few very very long seconds later William Fredericks became painfully aware of where he was and what he had just done. He looked slowly up, to the left and to the right, at the crowd of faces staring down at him. Then he closed his eyes and buried his head between Satin O'Toole's ample breasts.
"This is a dream," he thought, "and when I wake up, I'll find myself home and in bed."
But he didn't wake up. Instead, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder and heard a stern voice say,
"You'd better get up, buddy, and come with me -quietly now!"
When he looked up, he saw a monster of a man, holding a small
wallet containing a glittering badge.
The arresting officer looked in his rear view mirror at the manacled figure huddled in the corner of the rear seat. He could hear him sobbing. He was glad that there was a barrier between him and his prisoner. Nuts like this were unpredictable.
He remembered that first year he was on the force. A quiet tailor
went berserk and butchered his wife and two children. He found
him sitting in the corner of the room, covered with blood, looking
at the knife and crying his eyes out. When he attempted to arrest
him, the man lunged at him with the knife. If it weren't for the
quick action of his partner, he would have been a dead man. This
Fredericks guy was no murderer; but he was a rapist and he was
definitely a nut. What kind of man would rape a woman in a department
store during the busiest time of the day?
Well, what kind of man was William Fredericks? Fredericks had grown up in Westwood, not too far from U.C.L.A. He had been a good student; not at the head of his class, but one who worked hard, got his assignments in on time and managed to earn mostly A's and B's. On leaving high school, he enrolled at U.C.L.A., majoring in accounting. During his senior year, he married Evelyn Carter; a girl whom he had known since grade school. They were both members of the choir of the St.Andrew's Episcopal Church and both had sung with the U.C.L.A. Glee Club. He was a member of the local Society for the Preservation of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, and she a member of the female branch, the Sweet Adelines. If it is true that a person is a product of his environment, then William Fredericks was the person least likely to become a rapist. He came from a warm, nurturent family where he had two older sisters and one younger, all of whom treated him as the prince consort of the family. They were a close family and, as adults, visited with one another often. His wife came from a similar background.
Both William and his wife enjoyed sex, but it would hardly be considered a major part of their lives. Both had been virgins at the time of their marriage and, after a flurry of intense activity during the first year of their marriage, they had settled down to a routine of every now and then, after a stimulating movie, or when they had had an exceptionally successful day or evening. It was hardly, as with some, the keystone of their marriage. If sex disappeared from their lives, they would probably continue much as they had in the past, with little regret for it's passing.
A few weeks before the incident, Evelyn left to spend two weeks
with her ailing parents in Arizona, where they had moved after
her father's retirement. With three married sisters, William lacked
for little. He took turns dining at each of his sister's houses
and enjoying their families. He and Evelyn had no desire for children
and they enjoyed the roles of aunt and uncle. One evening with
his older sister's four noisy children was all that he could take.
In short, while he missed Evelyn, he was hardly lonely. On the
Tuesday, three days after he had had dinner with his sister Emma,
her husband and four children, he developed some kind of illness
which kept him in bed for three days with an excruciating headaches
and a high fever. Two of his sisters took turns making sure that
he was well taken care of. By Thursday night, he was obviously
on the mend, so they left him to his own devices. When he awoke
on Friday morning, he felt wonderful. He had a sexual craving
for Evelyn that far exceeded his desires when they were first
married. Thinking about her presence gave him an erection, which
he relieved by masturbating; something that he hadn't done since
his marriage. He fervently hoped that, when she returned, Evelyn
would feel as he did, but decided to hedge his bets and surprise
her with some intimate gift when she returned on Sunday. He knew
that little thoughtful gestures made her feel romantic. On Saturday
morning, he would go to The May Company and buy her one of those
frilly things that she loved so much. The rest is history.
As he sat in the police car sobbing, he knew that his marriage, and life as he knew it, was finished. No matter how much she loved him, Evelyn couldn't possibly live with the disgraceful publicity.
At the Police Station, he called his sister Emma and asked her to find him a lawyer. No matter how strait laced she was, she would do that much for her brother. When he had finally found enough euphemisms to tell his sister what he had done, he was astounded at her response. She had always been the most moralistic member of the family. Now her response was, "I don't understand what all the fuss is about, Willie; you were only doing what comes naturally."