15 - 25 November 1965

	Run For Your Life Starring Ben Gazzara Homepage Paul Bryan's Journal 15 - 25 November 1965
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15 - 25 November 1965 ("A Rage for Justice")

Paul is assisting in the defence of a black soldier who helped him escape from Albania. Prosecuting the court-martial is Major Joe Rankin (Sam Wanamaker) who tells Paul that he relishes the opportunity to show he isn't guilty of positive discrimination, even though he has participated in Civil Rights marches.

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Chronology of Events				Journal Entry
Paul learns that Kate Pierce has inheirited her father's multi-million-dollar estate, and that he left nothing but an income to her mother and sister.				Athens, Monday, November 15 Tried to see what was going on with my motion to act as civilian defence counsel for Dave Corbett again, but still no word. Met Katie at the airport, and she insisted on waiting until we got to the hotel to talk, then dropped the bombshell. Her father had left both her mother and sister only reasonable incomes, the entire estate of millions going to her. It was a shock, to say the least, and she was extremely upset, but The Will had been specific about the reasons for cutting the other two women out - Alice's infidelity, and Molly's irresponsibility. (Kate said that Molly had gone through a substantial portion of the quarter million Gerald had given her for graduation less than six months ago.) It had been horrible and embarrassing to sit there and hear her father's words about religion being the only reason he hadn't divorced her mother, as well as the statements about the anguish Molly had caused. Plus his edict that the family house be sold to partially finance the monthly payments. Alex Ryder had been with Molly, and began screaming how he would break The Will, and that it was an outrage. Alice's attorney had also said The Will was flawed. Though the women had all hugged afterwards, Kate had observed Nick's advice to say nothing. He sequestered her at my grandmother's over the weekend, the contingency plan we'd all agreed on. Kate didn't know what to do, and all I could advise was to leave it to the lawyers, and to have Nick in on everything. It was certainly more than I could handle even on a full-time basis, with a complexity well beyond my expertise. But I could hold her hand - and did.
Paul feels guilty about not being around to support Kate in the future.				Athens Tuesday - Wednesday, November 16 - 17 We talked endlessly about the estate, and what Kate could or should do - or shouldn't. She wants to give a million or two to her sister and mother, but I think we need to wait and see how things settle in the short term. For the first time, I started experiencing feelings of guilt over my health - that I wouldn't be around as a husband for Kate. Or that she might fall prey to someone unscrupulous. All this time I had resented Armand, not so much his wealth, but for the passion I knew Kate still feels for him. Now, suddenly, I'm starting to think that, if she were to go back to him, he would be a safe and secure harbor. At the end of the day I finally received word that my motion to defend Dave Corbett has been tabled, so we decided to fly back to San Francisco tomorrow.
A Rage For Justice Paul has put in a petition to defend Sergeant Dave Corbett on charges of theft, black marketeering, treason and aiding and abetting the enemy, but has just about given up waiting when his application is approved. He meets Corbett's military counsel and the man who will be prosecuting the case, Major Rankin - who could present additional problems.				Athens, Thursday, November 18 Was in the process of trying to get us reservations for Paris when stopped by a military type who was first secretive, then finally told me that my application to defend Dave Corbett had been granted. Went back to the waiting room, and asked Katie what she wanted to do. Rather than make a rash decision, she decided to go back to the d'Angleterre for another night at least, and I went off with the soldiers. Corbett's situation isn't good. He's recovering well from the leg wound, but they're really going to throw the book at him. His military counsel, Major Fowler seems like a good guy, and will be essential in the defence, but I also met a colleague, Major Rankin, a dark type, who is going to be trial counsel. Got back to Katie as soon as possible, but the break, thinking of something else, had cleared my head, and I'm suggesting that she fly to New York and see Peter Kenyon. I don't know of a better expert on contested Wills, and he can give her a lot of general advice. Really can't leave until I've done my best for Dave Corbett. Maybe without him, I wouldn't be around.
Dave Corbett tells Paul that he never knew that he and his wife were defecting to Albania.				Athens, Friday , November 19 Corbett told me that he didn't even realize that he'd be defecting, his wife having made the entire arrangement with persons unknown. An exchange of unlimited drugs for Linda for Corbett on show as an “escapé from US imperialism.” Incredibly, the mitigating circumstances of Linda's addiction can't be proven in Court. I've gotten a hold of Kenyon, and he'll be able to see Kate on Monday, so I'll fly out with her.
In a private conversation with Paul, Major Rankin says that he's going to be relentless in prosecuting Sergeant Corbett - to show that he does not discriminate against black servicemen.				Athens, Saturday, November 20 Col. Brush dismissed the charge of Aiding and Abetting the Enemy, but all the rest stand. Met Rankin at the Officers Club, and he said that he planned to make a show trial of Corbett to display how there was no discrimination of him as a black man. It was twisted logic, and I intend to ask for him to be removed as prosecutor. Katie is starting to feel better about her predicament - if that's the word for it.
Paul fails to get Major Rankin taken off the case over the statements made in the Officers Club, then flies to New York with Kate for a legal appointment.				Athens, Sunday, November 21 Was able to arrange an emergency meeting with Col. Delaney regarding dismissal of Rankin, but the Colonel took the military's side, so we've got nowhere to go. Katie and I got a mid day flight to New York, and tried to pretend - for the night - that we were here for fun. It worked - a few minutes here and there.
Before leaving New York, Paul tries to get Linda Corbett's father to testify that she was a drug addict. Without such proof, her husband has no case, but the father denies the fact.				New York, Monday, November 22 Two years today. I wonder what the long-term political and social impact of the tragedy will be. Morning meeting with Kenyon went very well, and I think Katie is going home with a lot more confidence. Before putting her on a flight for San Francisco and catching my own for Athens, I went to see Linda Corbett's father in Brooklyn. He was totally uncooperative - in complete denial that his daughter was an addict. We are now just about at the end of our rope with Corbett's defence.
Back in Athens, Paul tries to identify one of the pushers selling Linda Corbett drugs, and pins down a name to which her husband reacts. Enlisting the help of the US agent George Kerpantos - who engineered Paul's flight from Albania - the pusher is located, but the man refuses to be of any help. Paul offers the carrot of Ward Cooper getting off the charges against him in the US, and after thinking about it, Cooper agrees to meet Paul again. But the man is then found dead at the location where they were supposed to meet.				Athens, Tuesday, November 23 In an effort to pin down the name of one of Linda's Athens drug suppliers, Major Fowler read out names of any possible suspects to Corbett, and we decided to seek out the one he reacted to - Ward Cooper, dishonourably discharged from the US military, and wanted on a string of charges in the States. Here, he's clean, but slippery and not easy to find - known to act as a guide as well as dealer. Used my Embassy contacts to get George Kerpantos to come over, and served him with a summons to appear at the trial as a witness. We both know that he was aware of Linda's drug use only through hearsay, but he might be a bargaining chip. For the moment, I asked if he could help me locate Ward Cooper, and was able to be on the man's trail by evening. Slick he was, and though I met him, and sought his services as a guide, he went away, then had me brought to a room by two thugs who searched me thoroughly. I asked him to testify that Linda was an addict, but he just laughed. Then I tried the ploy of banishing the outstanding charges against him in the US, so that he could go back safely. Though he said he wasn't interested, I got a call from him an hour later, and we agreed to meet in a park. Where I found him dead. Whatever was behind the killing, we are now nowhere. Katie rang in the middle of the night, and said that she had a tearful reunion with her mother. As soon as the women have finished going through the house, and each taking what they want, Alice is leaving for South America with her lover. I suppose, next to his wealth, Gerald's millions are chicken feed, and all Alice seemed concerned about was that Molly would not go astray - again.
Paul testifies himself about Linda Corbett's drug addiction and the assistance her husband provided to help Paul escape Albania, but prosecutor Rankin discredits the statements. Using his last hope, Paul tells the head of the Court Martial that he is going to call the agent George Kerpantos to testify about Linda Corbett's drug addiction - thus exposing a valuable US operative.				Athens, Wednesday, November 24 Without any other witnesses in Corbett's defence, I took the stand myself to corroborate the mitigating circumstances. But rather than showing Dave Corbett as a hero who helped me escape Albania, Rankin twisted my testimony to imply that I stated that Linda was an addict solely out of gratitude to Corbett. It had become necessary to play my last card, and I told Delany that I was going to call George Kerpantos to the stand - blowing the cover of a long-serving and valuable agent along the Greco-Albanian border. Delaney's first reaction was (cool) outrage, but I tried to make the move look like the American ideal of justice instead of treason, and ….. just maybe, he bought it. Long chat with Katie in the evening. Molly had come to her contrite, and acknowledged that their father was right. It had taken her too long to grow up, and she probably still wasn't there yet at 24. She admitted that, with the apartment she'd bought with part of the graduation money, she had more than enough to live on, and was extremely embarrassed by Alex's outburst at the reading. After what he'd said, Molly couldn't bear to even think of contesting The Will. I told Kate that she was right to assure Molly that she'd always be there for her sister, and that if the case is over tomorrow, I'm going to do a bit of “wandering” - suss out a few snow resorts where we can go in the New Year. Meanwhile, the three women will be going away for a week for Thanksgiving and after to try and repair any damage from The Will.
Paul's ploy works, and the charges against Corbett are reduced to the most minor one. Paul leaves for Switzerland.				Davos, Thursday, November 25 All charges but the blackmarketeering have been dropped, and Corbett received the lightest possible sentence. It was worth hanging on. Major Fowler is handling the follow up, and I wished Dave good luck. He hugged me, and said he'd never forget. I told him that I was sorry that it didn't work out for Linda, but he replied that he knew a long time ago that she'd gone beyond hope. Got an afternoon flight to Zurich, and then a train here. I'm going to post these pages to the Paris apartment, and get a good night's sleep.

26 November - 8 December 1965 ("The Day Time Stopped")