The opening scene is a courtroom filled with reporters and spectators in a small town somewhere in Tennessee. The court is awaiting the arrival of Dr. Berringer, a well-known figure in Huntington, because of his position with the towns primary source of employment "the institution for the criminally insane that opened up some two and a half years ago. Dr. Berringer had been living in Florida in retirement He was extridited to Tennessee, to face murder charges against him. Two women were found in the garden of his house that he occupied when he was employed as chief of staff of the institution. Dr. Berringer is brought into the courtroom in handcuffs by two officers of the court. He is seated by his attorney in front of the courtroom. The story opens up by the prosecuting attorney Marilyn Emery. The prosecuting attorney. She addresses the jury with her opening remarks accusing Dr. Berringer of being a cold, calculus, sadistic murderer. She makes a strong case against Dr. Berringer, and tells the jury, she will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is guilty and she is seeking the death penalty. Dr. Berringer's attorney, then makes his opening remarks to the jury, that his client is innocent of all charges, and he will prove beyond any doubt Dr. Berringer is a respectable man and he will ask the jury for an aqquital because there is no tangible evidence. The story opens up with the defense attorney calling on Dr. Morrison and asks him to tell his story in his own words. A flash back opens up the story of the beginning of Dr. Morrison and the institution. During the course of Dr. Morrison's testimony he brings to life the inmates that are interred at the institution. They are all serial killers. One of the inmates, who is one of the main characters of this book is"Billy Joe Courtney" he is a young farm boy who Dr. Morrison accidentally finds out, has Multiple Personaliities of which most of them are serial killers.'Billy Joe, is a type of kid that came from very poor ignorant farm people. His mother, took in laundry from neighboring farms to put food on the table. His father was the town drunk.they never had any type of education, and Billy Joe never learned to read or write' All of his personalities are different In fact two of them are wormen. In this story you.will find, Dr. Berringer did not have a good marriage. He falls in love with a female inmate that was compared to "Lizizie Bordon" because sne had killed her husband with an ax. When she entered the institution She was pregnant at the time.He concocks a scheme to make her his misstress and swindles her out of a great deal of money and kills two people in the process I promise you this book is riveting and you will find it very hard to put it down. Sequel to follow.
The Eleventh Commandment
R-RatedBy T.J. MicelliAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2010 T.J. Micelli
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4490-5676-6Chapter One
The courtroom was filled with reporters and spectators waiting for Dr. Berringer to arrive. Two policemen escorted him to the front of the court where his attorney was seated in the front of the judge at his desk. The two bailiffs removed his handcuffs and went to the back of the court room. Dr. Berringer spoke to his attorney "Stephen Gold" as they exchanged greetings he asked him if he was satisfied with the jury he had chosen.
Stephen Gold said "the jury was a very good mixture of men and women. One was a doctor and I thought it might be beneficial for our case".
The reporters in the courtroom were so busy putting microphones in front of Dr. Berringer's face and taking pictures. Dr. Berringer was very well dressed. He had a business suit on, a white shirt and tie. He looked very dignified with his white hair. He certainly did not fit the description of a man standing trial for killing two women.
The clerk of the Circuit Court stood up and said "All rise, The Honorable Judge Roy Connor's Presiding". The clerk then said "Be Seated".
"Good Morning Your Honor" case number 41736 the State of Tennessee vs. Dr. Harris Berringer on two counts of First Degree Murder".
The judge looking through his briefcase on the top of his desk read his papers and looked over at Dr. Berringer who was standing with his attorney
Judge Connors said "Dr. Harris Berringer you are accused of killing one, Anne Berringer and one Lee Osborne How Do You Plead?"
Dr. Berringer's attorney replied "We Plead Not Guilty, your Honor".
Judge Connors said "you may be seated". Judge Connors looked at the prosecuting attorney and said "are you ready counselor with your opening remarks for the jury?"
"We are your honor". The judge nodded to the prosecuting attorney and said "you may proceed". The prosecuting attorney got up from her chair and approached the jury.
"My name is "Marilyn Emery I am the prosecuting attorney for the state of Tennessee. Today, you will hear the most gruesome story of a man who committed not one, but two cold-blooded murders. He killed his wife Anne Berringer and then killed his mistress Millicent Lee Os'borne. Not only did he kill these two women but he is a man who abused his authority, and performed inhumane treatment on all mentally ill patients. His patients were treated worse than any animal you can imagine. You'll hear testimony from witnesses that worked with Dr. Berringer for many years. I assure you that the testimony you will hear will not be pleasant. Don't be deceived by the defendant's clean-cut appearance. By the end of this trial you will know he is nothing more than a cold blooded sadistic killer. I am confident you will do your duty and deliver a verdict of guilty on both counts of first degree murder, thank you"
Judge Connors said to Dr. Berringer's attorney "are you ready counselor with your opening remarks?" Dr. Berringer's attorney approached the jury.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the jury my name is Stephen Gold, I am the defense attorney for Dr. Harris Berringer. I would like to begin by telling you exactly what Dr. Berringer's position was prior to his retirement. He was chief of staff for one of the largest institution for the criminally insane in the State of Tennessee. All the inmates that were incarcerated into the institution were labeled "serial killers". We all know when we hear the words "serial killers". We're not talking about "choir boys". "Today you will hear many statements. Some of the statements will come from disgruntled employees that work for Dr. Berringer when he was in charge of the institution. I am sure you will understand the position that Dr. Berringer had was not an easy task. There were many times in order to insure the safety of all the employees many drastic rules and regulations had to be in place to keep the inmates from hurting themselves and or employees. A great deal of the evidence you will hear will be circumstantial evidence. It will be up to you to decide whether or not it is the truth or fiction". My client is an honorable man, but because he ran a tight ship in the institution, it might seem cruel to you. Possibly you may view this as an inhumane procedure. But, I would like you to keep in mind while Dr. Berringer was in charge of the institution no employee was ever recorded as being hurt by any of the inmates. An institution with inmates such as this type must be run with extreme measures. "You will also discover that he is a man, like any other man in this courtroom. He needs love, companionship and in his position loyalty from his employees because of his dangerous authority. "Dr. Berringer like every other married man had his problems but that does not make him a murderer.
"Again, I would like you to keep in mind in our country everyone is entitled to a fair trial. Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If there is reasonable doubt you must vote "Not Guilty". "Thank you". The defense attorney returned to his seat.
Marilyn Emery "The prosecuting attorney stood up. "Your Honor the state calls Dr. Robert Morrison to the stand.
Dr. Morrison was sworn in by the bailiff and took his seat in the witness chair. Marilyn Emery said "Dr. Morrison please tell the court what kind of a doctor you are? Are you a cardiologist, General practitioner, what is your specialty? ". I hold a masters degree in psychiatry and several other degrees to numerous to mention.
Marilyn Emery said Dr. Morrison please tell the court what is your present position? Dr. Morrison replied "I am chief of staff of the institution for the "Criminally Insane for the state of Tennessee"
Marilyn Emery said "Dr. Morrison you are the successor of Dr. Berringer's position am I correct? Dr. Morrison said "that is correct".
Marilyn Emery said "would you please tell the court when you first met Dr. Berringer".
Dr. Morrison replied "we first met at Cornell University, at a seminar that he was giving. His seminar was focused on mentally ill patients that were in his care at the institution. I was so fascinated by the subject that we arranged to meet later to discuss his work at great length"
The prosecuting attorney said to Dr. Morrison "please tell the court what happened next". "Well about eight months had passed by since we first met. Later I received a letter from Dr. Berringer and he said he remembered me and asked me if I would be interested in meeting with him to discuss my future. He said in the letter it was a wonderful opportunity because he was retiring and needed someone to replace him for his position." I sat down with my wife and we discussed the offer, and we both agreed that this would be a wonderful opportunity for us and our daughter to settle down in a small community.
I wrote to Dr. Berringer and I said "I would be interested and I wondered why he chose me to be his successor". I knew he considered many other doctors with better qualifications than I had. I learned later why I was chosen.
Marilyn Emery approached Dr. Morrison on the witness stand and said "why did he choose you Dr. Morrison?"
Dr. Morrison said "it had something to do with my son, and how he was killed"
Mrs. Emery said "if you prefer not to go into detail about your son being killed I think the court would understand". "Dr. Morrison, would you please tell the court in your own words what happened next"?
Dr. Morrison said "alright let me start at the beginning"
"The Beginning"
It was about 9 p.m. on Friday night and traffic was quite heavy. Dr. Morrison had been traveling for three days. Stopping at a hotel for one night so his daughter could get some rest. He looked at the sign and it read "Welcome to Huntington". He looked in the rearview mirror and noticed his little daughter's face as she was sleeping she looked like a Little Princess.
It was raining so hard it was difficult to see the road ahead. Looking at his watch, he thought they probably think we changed our minds we were expected to arrive three hours ago. They left New York in plenty of time but never expected to run into a rain storm.
Dr. Berringer was now 74 years old. After many interviews, his position as chief of staff he decided Dr. Morrison should be his successor. They had only met one time and that was some nine months ago, when he was giving a lecture at Cornell University. Dr. Berringer had a reputation as being one of the foremost psychiatrists in the country. His specialty was "The Criminally Insane". Dr. Berringer remembered, after he had delivered his lecture at Cornell University he spoke with Dr. Morrison privately for six and a half hours. Later on we went to dinner and spoke for another two hours. Dr. Morrison did impress him because of the intricate questions that no one ever asked. Dr. Morrison didn't quite have all the credentials he would have liked him to have, but he was the right age and certainly a quick learner. Dr. Berringer's personal motivation was to have his successor continue all of the exact procedures that he had installed in the institution without any questions or variations.
Dr. Morrison's car finally pulled into the driveway. He picked up his daughter who was sleeping and carried her to the porch. He rang the Bell. It was a very old-fashioned door chime.
Dr. Berringer opened the door and said "come in, welcome we expected you three hours ago". Millie, take their wet coats. Millie was Dr. Berringer's house maid.
Millie said "Dr. Morrison the dinner I prepared for you and your family is cold, would you like me to warm it up or would you prefer sandwiches and coffee?"
Dr. Morrison after apologizing for being so late told Millie they weren't hungry, but a hot cup of coffee sounded good. Soon as he and his wife could change clothes and freshen up a bit, and put their daughter to bed. "Would you be kind enough to show us where we are going to sleep?"
Mille said "follow me please". She escorted the Morrison family upstairs and showed them their bedrooms. Dr. Morrison and his wife Claire came downstairs and sat in the living room by the fireplace. They engaged in some small talk. Claire asked "Dr. Berringer about the house". Dr. Berringer said, "the house is approximately 80 years old and has eight bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs with three bathrooms downstairs. We have a library, an office and a full kitchen and dining room with two guest bathrooms. The dining room accommodates 10 to 12 people comfortably. It took me many years and lots of care to make one of the most award-winning gardens in Huntington. The fact is I have won many blue ribbons. Pointing to the wall in the dining room. My garden was featured in our local newspaper many times. If you'd like I'll have Millie give you the grand tour tomorrow morning. While your husband and I, are at work. You know of course this is where you and your husband will be living permanently after he has my job. In the meantime I would like you to feel perfectly comfortable as my guest. The state besides providing you with living accommodations also provides you with a housekeeper. Millie has that position, and has been with me for quite a few years.
Claire said "Bob mentioned something about living conditions being provided but I had no idea it would be so beautiful. And Millie is a complete surprise she seems like a charming young lady.
Dr. Berringer said "Mrs. Morrison, do you mind if I call you Claire?"
Dr. Berringer said "tomorrow morning while your husband and I are at work. If you need anything please ask Millie". The next morning Claire and her daughter Milissa were having breakfast in the garden. Millie was pouring fresh hot coffee she had just made for them. Claire, being the curious type, asked (Millie all kinds of questions. "Millie, how long have you been here? Where are you originally from? Are you happy living here? Do you think you will be happy with us?". Millie, tried to answer the questions as fast as she could.
Claire was quite surprised. As quick as she could ask the question. Millie replied to her questions very rapidly. Millie said "My full name is Mildred O'Brien, but everyone calls me "Millie". My mother and father owned this house at one time, and this is where I was born, in the room at the top of the stairs where Melissa is now staying. "My father was a very successful banker, but lost all of his wealth on bad investments that he had made in 1959. The only thing he had left was this house and he sold it to the state to payoff some of his debts. I understand that he made a deal with the state, that my mother and I could live in the house as long as we chose to. My mother was paid by the state in her position housekeeper and caretaker for Dr. Berringer. I've never seen the contract, but Dr. Berringer told me about it. He told me that when I was old enough, I would help my mother and get paid by the state. Shortly there after my father committed suicide, I was never told how. My mother and I lived here ever since. Some years ago my mother decided to leave. I have no idea where she is. When she left, I took over her responsibilities and Dr. Berringer made sure that I received a check from the state. I will always be grateful to my father for making these arrangements. I never knew him, but I'm sure he was a responsible man. I don't know what would have happened to us. I guess I would be living in the streets with no place to go. I enjoyed working with Dr. Berringer and will miss him when he is gone. He said something about going to retire in Florida. I hope he will be very happy there?'
"Millie did you ever meet Dr. Berringer's wife?" Millie said, "I met her one time when I was very young. I know she and Dr. Berringer never got along. I've never had any sort of relationship with her. I don't think she liked children very much. I know my mother and his wife had many fights. I used to hear them at night when I went to bed".
Claire said "and what about you? Would you like a family of your own someday?" Millie's response was I guess if I met the right person I would like to. I have plenty of time to think about those matters".
The morning started at 5 am. The two doctors drove to the institution. Dr. Morrison acted very nervous, fumbling with his tie.
The first thing Dr. Morrison noticed was the barbed wire around the building at the top of the high concrete walls. Dr. Morrison had never been to a prison before. He was very excited and curious as to what the inside was like.
There were many armed guards with rifles patrolling on the top of the building. Two of the guards waved to Dr. Berringer from the tower. He waved back. The gate was then opened. The guard said "good morning sir" the guard asked Dr. Berringer to please sign in. He then asked Dr. Morrison what his name was and would he please sign in.
Dr. Berringer said to the guard "say hello to your new boss" the guard being a little surprised said "are you leaving us Dr. Berringer?"
"It won't be long now, it's time to put the old cow out to pasture". The two doctors went directly to Dr. Berringer's office. As soon as he sat down at his desk he called his secreatery on the intercom.
"Good morning Hattie, please bring me a cup of coffee, you know how I like it and I want you to meet your new boss".
Hattie, came in carrying a cup of coffee and gave it to Dr. Berringer.
Hattie said "good morning Dr. Berringer, and good morning to you, "Dr. Morrison its a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you, would you like a cup of coffee?"
"Yes, I would, black and no sugar, thank you" When Hattie returned with the coffee. Dr. Berringer asked if there had been any problems during the night. And her answer Was "The natives were a bit restless, but there were no major incidents".
Dr. Berringer said "Hattie please bring in all the necessary papers for Dr. Morrison to sign, I also want you to make an announcement there will be a staff meeting in the cafeteria at 3 p.m.". Hattie's reply was "yes sir".
The institution employed about 300 employees, included in the count were 6 doctors, 15 nurses, and 10 male attendants. The rest were guards, kitchen help, janitors and maintenance personnel.
Dr. Morrison seemed quite surprised how brightly lit the inside of the building was. Everything was painted white, white walls, white floors, the padding of each cell was white, even the telephones were white. The only thing that was gray was the cell doors. Each door had a small window at the top with a sliding panel on the bottom of the door. The purpose of window was to see what the inmates were doing at all times. It was quite a contrast from the looks of the building on the outside. From the outside the building resembled a castle from the 14th century. It had large Gray stones and very high walls. That's all it needed was a watery Moat around the building to complete the illusion.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Eleventh Commandmentby T.J. Micelli Copyright © 2010 by T.J. Micelli. Excerpted by permission.
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