Chapter 5

"Darryl went to jail?" asked Blondie-blond.

"And you were where?" she asked

"I was just sitting in the emergency room crying," I said.

"So what happened next?" she asked me.

"Betty had already fucked up," I started.

It had actually been Betty who called the police. Ed never would have called them, and none of this would have happened. Even in his bruised up state, Ed was smart enough to realize that he would end up with far more serious charges than Darryl would.

Donna later told me that her father nearly went catatonic, screaming "who called the fucking police, no police," which at the time she even thought was funny.

Donna was being the dutiful daughter, or so she thought. She stayed right by her father's side. She was also really pissed at Darryl, and I guess under the circumstances she should've been, because once again Ed had told the truth, but only the parts that suited him.

He told her that he had gone to the flower shop to tell me goodbye, because he was leaving town. He had seen me there, and we were talking, and Darryl came in, and in a jealous rage started beating him up. He also told her, that he thought Darryl was jealous, because we had the appearance, that maybe something might've been rekindled between us, because I'd been showing a lot of leg and cleavage.

So he led my daughter to believe, that her mom was on the verge of cheating on her soon to be fiancé, with her ex husband.

Donna just didn't want to talk to either of us, which made it hard for her because we didn't know it, but she had her own problems.

Betty had to gloat about getting Darryl sent to jail, so she called Pam. Pam called me and told me what was going on. I immediately called Ben.

Ben went to see Darryl in jail. It changed nothing at all, because Darryl was refusing to see anyone.

Ben came to see me in the emergency room, and finally made me go home. I was distraught, but I talked with him about what had happened. When I got home I didn't know what to do. I asked Ben to take me to see Darryl, and he told me that Darryl wouldn't see anyone. We went any way. Darryl hadn't currently been charged with anything.

We were asked to speak to the Police chief about the case. He took one look at my face and got a funny look. I think he was beginning to put 2 and 2 together.

Ben told me not to say a word until we had a chance to talk.

"How much money do I need to bail Darryl out?" I asked.

"He hasn't been charged with anything," said the chief, "but he's been told not to leave town."

"Then why are you holding him here?" I snapped, "he didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm gonna sue your whole God damned department," I said, "and I'm gonna go to the newspapersand TV."

"It's gonna look really great for you," I said, "I can see it now the headline will read "Rape victim's rescuer jailed while her attacker goes free."

"Calm down lady," said the chief who was now visibly nervous.

"I was trying to tell you, we told him not to leave town, we tried to release him this morning, but he wouldn't leave," he said.

"This whole case is funny," he said, "We had a nurse at the hospital who called us to report a crazed man attacking patients in her ward."

"She told us he had a weapon," he continued, "When we got there, the guy was calmly talking to the security guards, who were about to send him home."

"When we went back to the scene for further information," he added, "none of it added up."

"First the victim, who looked like he had been run over by a truck, changed his story twice," he told us.

"In the first version he said that your friend, and he, had a mild disagreement that had gotten out of hand," said the chief, "he didn't want to press charges."

"Later on he said that your friend..."

"Fiancé," I snapped

"Whatever," said the chief, "Later on he said that your fiancé, wasn't the guy who beat him up."

"Neither he or any of the other witnesses, saw a weapon," he added.

"Now, the only person who is making sense in all of this, is the guy downstairs," said the chief.

"He kept saying that he'd done it, and he needed to be put away," said the chief.

"The guy in the hospital, he's already lied to us at least twice, I have the feeling that he'll lie again," said the chief. "But I can't charge him with anything, except getting the shit beat out of him."

"The guy downstairs, I believe him, but I also think there's more going on here than I know, so will somebody tell me something!" he said.

Ben had the presence of mind to tell the chief that he needed to confer with both of his clients and that we would reconvene in about 2 hours.

I was walking around in a daze. First I couldn't believe that Darryl didn't want to see me. It just hurt me to think that yesterday, he loved me so much, that I could almost touch it, and today he wanted no part of me.

My face was really starting to hurt, so I went home. Ben said that he had some errands to run and he'd get back with me later. He asked me if anyone would be at the shop, and I told him Emily would, and probably a couple of other people as well.

As I walked up the stairs towards Darryl's and my bedroom, Donna came out of her room.

"Mom," she said running over to me.

"Darryl beat you up too?" she asked.

"That bastard deserves to be in jail," she said.

"Darryl didn't beat me up," I said.

"Mom you can't lie about this, Daddy already told me what happened," she said.

"He told me you'd probably try to cover it up," she said and she ran back upstairs.

Meanwhile Ben had gone over to the shop. He called me back a couple of hours later, and told me that he was coming to get me. We were going back to the police station to settle everything.

He asked me to call Ed at the hospital, to see if he could come as well.

When I called the hospital I got the nurse's station near his room, and was told by Betty of all people, that Ed had checked himself out of the hospital, against the doctor's recommendation, so they didn't know where he was.

"He's probably trying to hide from your homicidal boyfriend," she said.

"Betty," I said keeping my voice neutral "Were you the nurse who called the police the other night?"

"Yes," she said, "When your poor husband told us that your black friend was the one who beat him up, I had to do something."

"Maybe when this is all over with we can talk," she said.

I knew exactly how it would go. I'd be expected to kiss her ass, while she said, "I told you so."

I of course saw another scenario; mine involved me kicking her ass for contributing to all of this.

"Well Betty," I said softly, trying to hold in my anger, "You definitely did something."

"What you did, you stupid racist cunt, was to probably get yourself fired," I snapped.

"Darryl only beat Ed up, because Ed was trying to rape me," I yelled at her.

"Ed is the one who should be in jail, that's why he high-tailed it out of your fucking hospital," I shrieked.

"When your boss finds out what you did, by sticking your nose in this..." I didn't want to talk to her any more, so I just threw the phone down.

By that time Ben was back, and ready to go.

I went upstairs and got Donna. She was coming with us, whether she wanted to or not.

An hour later, we were all sitting in the Police Chief's office. Ben, the Chief, Donna, who didn't want to be there, the 2 officers who arrested Darryl, Darryl who wouldn't even look up, and me, were all present and ready to get to the bottom of the situation.

Darryl had taken one look at me when he came in, and tears just started running down his face.

"Now you regret what you did, don't you," snapped Donna

"How can any man do that to a woman," she continued.

"I don't know why she ever preferred you, to my Dad," she said.

"And I thought you were so nice," she sneered.

"Donna, shut up, before you make an even bigger fool of yourself," I said.

"Are we going to talk about this, finally," asked the Chief.

"I have a far better method than that," said Ben.

"But first, I asked to have Ed Sargent, brought here," Ben said.

"He's no longer at the hospital," said the chief, "And I thought that we should find out what's going on here, before we did anything."

Ben started out by telling everyone there, about how Ed's and my marriage ended, when he ran out on me with Stephanie. He told them briefly about my filing for divorce, and my debts, and my failing business. He told them what he knew about my first meeting with Darryl, and how our relationship had grown (luckily, he didn't know about the bushes).

He told them about how Darryl had changed my life, financially, physically, and emotionally. He described us as being deeply in love. Then he started talking about how Ed had come back into the picture. He talked about Ed's sniffing around trying to restart something, because he smelled money. He also talked about how he disappeared, as soon as he found out he wasn't getting any.

He looked directly at Donna, and asked her to remember how her dad had hid the truth from her, when he first told her about our divorce.

"What did he tell you?" he asked her.

"He told me that mom had moved in with some black guy," she said slowly.

"So, you didn't find out until later, that your dad had left your mom holding the bag, while he ran off to have fun?" he asked.

"No," she said slowly.

"Donna, he didn't lie to you," said Ben

"He framed the truth, so it made someone else look bad," Ben continued.

"Any way," continued Ben, "that's all in the past."

"Let's look at the events that brought us here today," he said.

I could see where Ben's smooth delivery would be great in a courtroom.

Rather than have anyone relate the incident from memory, which could be skewed by sentiment, or their opinion, let's watch the security footage from the flower shop.

We all watched a television screen light up. It showed me doing the orders.

Ben stopped the playback and pointed at the screen.

"Donna, look at your mom on the screen," said Ben.

"How does she look?" he asked her.

"She looks great," said Donna, "She looks happy."

Ben started the video again, and we watched as I looked at my watch, and then licked my lips. I felt embarrassed slightly, that they saw that.

"What just happened," Ben asked me.

"Well I saw what time it was, and I knew Darryl was going to be there to pick me up soon," I said.

"So why were you licking your lips, and getting that look on your face," asked Ben.

I looked around the table and said "Everyone here is an adult, so let's get it out in the open."

"I fully intended to have sex with Darryl, on the new pull out bed in my office," I said.

There were smiles and exhalations around the table, as I looked from face to face.

"They do that a lot," said Donna.

"There's no law against it," I said.

Darryl seemed to be the only person there, who was embarrassed.

Ben advanced the tape again, and it showed me opening my blouse, and pulling up my skirt.

The two uniformed officers, both took sharp intakes of air, and I was sure that at least one of them had an erection.

Darryl did look up, but only to gage their reactions to my actions. I don't think he liked even the police officers looking at me that way.

"Why did you do that?" asked Ben.

"Well Darryl would have had a hard day at work," I started, "So I wanted to get his motor running."

Then he started the video again. It showed me leaning over the desk with my breasts nearly exposed, and Ed entering the room.

Donna's eyes got slightly narrower, and I could tell she was picking out the holes in her Dad's story.

The video showed me looking up and seeing Ed, and trying to cover myself up.

"What happened here?" asked Ben.

"When I noticed that it wasn't Darryl, I started trying to cover up," I said,

"I don't go around showing off my goodies, for just any one."

"I'm a one man woman," I said.

The video showed me backing away from Ed, and him trying to grab my breasts.

Donna got up and screamed "No, he lied!"

The video continued to run, showing my arms flailing away, and Ed grabbing my breast roughly. Darryl had stood up and was clearly angry all over again, because he hadn't seen this part. Everyone could see me trying to fight Ed off, and even me scratching his face, and then him punching me. Ben backed the video up and showed the punch again.

Then he showed Ed pushing me against the wall, and tearing my blouse off, and trying to get my skirt off, while I stood there dazed from his punch.

Donna was crying but she couldn't stop watching.

"Stop the video," shouted Darryl.

Ben stopped the tape.

"Why does Donna have to watch anymore of this," he asked, "Can we take a recess, and let her go sit the rest of this out?"

"I can handle it Darryl," said Donna, "I'm just so angry."

"I apologize for what I did; I was angry too," he said, "And I let it get the better of me."

Ben started the video again, everyone around the table was shaken, and the chief sent one of the officers from the room briefly to do something.

On the screen, Ed was still trying to get my skirt off, with me pinned against the wall, then Darryl ran into the room and knocked the shit out of him. If Ed's punch to me had been brutal, Darryl's was nearly lethal. The video showed Darryl kick Ed in the stomach, and then when Ed was on the ground kick him in the balls. Then Darryl picked me up and carried me out of the room.

Ed laid there on the floor for a while, then he got his cell phone and called Donna.

Donna had practically carried her Dad out of the shop.

"Donna, what did your Father tell you?" asked Ben.

"He just said that someone had beaten him up," she said.

"Any reason, for someone to beat him up?" asked Ben.

"Well he said that it was all a misunderstanding," she said.

"He made it seem like he and Mom, were getting back together, so maybe she'd pay his hospital bill," she said.

"Mom, that's why later when I saw you, I thought that Darryl had beaten you up too," I'm so sorry she said,

"I thought that he'd found out about you and Dad, and had just checked out mentally, because he loves you so much."

"What happened in the hospital room?" asked Ben

"I called Darryl, but only to get a message to Mom," said Donna

"But I didn't mention Mom to him, and at that time I didn't know that he was the one who beat up Dad," said Donna

"I wanted to get Mom to come and see Dad," she said, "Since they were getting back together."

"Dad told me he had no way to pay his hospital bills without mom, and maybe she could also give him some money to get out of town and start over with," said Donna.

"Donna, if your Mom and your Dad were getting back together, why, would he leave town?" asked Ben.

Donna had no answer, so Ben moved on.

"So Darryl came up to Ed's room?" asked Ben

"Yes he did," said Donna.

"He ran in threatening your Dad and he had a weapon, right?" asked Ben.

"No," said Donna, "He came in and he said he was sorry, that he had lost his temper."

"Can anyone in this room say that under the circumstances, they wouldn't have lost their temper?" asked Ben

No one said anything for a few minutes.