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I am Fred Thomas, I am a self-employed locksmith. My specialty is known as a safecracker, and I do a lot of work for the local banks. I’m 30 years old and have been married to Mary for 7 years. Mary is 26, (I am a cradle robber, so sue me). We have two boys Terry, age six (my wife’s idea) and Danny (ditto) age four. I am very successful, so of course, we live in a house that Mary says denotes our ‘status’. Some of the stories I have read call them McMansions

I was sitting in my living room worried about where my family was at 11:30 on a Thursday night. My wife had a Women’s Charity Association meeting that was supposed to be over at 8:00. My kids normally stay with my folks or her folks on the meeting nights. I had already spoken to my Dad and he said the kids had not been there tonight. I was just about to call my least favorite person, my Mother-In-Law, to see if my wife and kids were there. As I was getting up to grab my phone from the kitchen table when the landline rang.

The number on the caller ID screen was blocked. When I answered “Hello” The person calling asked, “Is this the Thomas residence?”

“I will answer that question when you identify yourself”

“This is the Dunnfield County Sheriff’s dispatcher. Is this the Thomas residence?”

“Yes. And thank you for not going off on me; I am worried about my family.”

The dispatcher then said the words that changed my life forever; “Your wife and children were involved in a hit and run car accident in Oak Township. The children are in our office on Lacket Road, but your wife has been med-evac to Bower Regional Medical Center. I do not know her condition and could not give that information over the phone. I’m sorry I can’t be more of a help. I have to go now; I must inform the other person’s next of kin.”

I thanked her and hung the phone up. I was in almost a catatonic state for a couple of minutes.

Then the questions started. What was she doing on the other side of the county almost 45 miles from her mother’s house if that’s where the kids were? Who was she with, ‘next of kin’?

After I realized that only Mary could answer those questions, I called my Dad and asked him to go get the kids because his house is much closer to the Sheriff’s office then I was. I called that office and identified myself and explained that my father would be there pick them up. I gave them a brief description and his name. I then made the dreaded call to the ‘Wicked Witch of the South’, my Mother-in-Law, Louise. I told her to not say anything until I gave her the information I had.

Of course, she couldn’t be that sensible and before I even finished she screeched out, “OK you asshole, what kind of fuck-up did you do now?!!”

I told her to shut up and if she needed to know what this call is about to call me on my cell phone as I was leaving. I slammed the phone back in the cradle and grabbed my coat, and drove to the hospital.

About 10 minutes after I left home I arrived at the hospital. An officious prick of a ‘rent a cop’ stated; “visiting hours are over. You can’t come in.”

I was pissed off already, so rather than explaining that I was here to see my wife in the emergency room, I said “Listen; you little ignorant piece of crap, if your closed, how did my wife get into the emergency room, and are you going to turn that ambulance that I hear coming away? Huh? Answer that prick?”

The guard at first seemed to get his back up, but my explanation must have sunk in, as he said “I’m really sorry, but I thought that as you came to the main entrance, that you were here for some routine visits. The ER entrance is just around the side of that door over there. Again, I am really sorry, and I hope everything turns out ok.”

I mumble a half-assed apology and ran down to the ER and asked what room Mary Thomas was in.

“We do not have anyone by that name here. May I ask what her arrival was about? We have a woman who was airlifted here, but she did not have any ID. Perhaps she is your wife.”

I just lost it. I screamed in the lady’s face; “She was flown into this hospital because she was in a car accident, now may I see her?”

She flinched and apologized; “I’m sorry for my seeming lack of feeling, but we have been having problems with some of the local gangs and trouble makers, I will buzz you through, and have someone escort you to her treatment room. I know you probably want to know her condition, but I just don’t have that info here.”

When I got to the treatment room, the desk nurse said that the patient was in the x-ray department and should be returning from there shortly. She told me that I could go into the room and sit until she returned.

I got into the treatment room and all I found was Mary’s bent glasses (she can’t wear contacts) and the remains of her dress. I also found a Deputy Sheriff standing against the wall. “who are you,” he asked politely.

I explained everything that had happened so far. I also asked him to check with his dispatcher to see if my kids were picked up yet.

He said he would, as soon as my wife returned. He also said that my wife was unconscious when she was brought in and had not awoken when they took her to x-ray.

While I was waiting for her to return from x-ray, I pondered some of the things I was told and what I had observed. Who was the other person in the car? Why was there no underwear or pantyhose with the torn dress? Where was her purse? Where was her car?

My contemplations were interrupted by one of the staff asking the usual question about the patient, and who was going to be ‘responsible for the medical expenses’. By then I was wearier then angry, and so I politely gave the man the information that I had.

About 10 minutes later, they wheeled her back to the treatment room, and a doctor came in and asked me to step outside of the curtain with him.

The doctor told me that Mary was extremely lucky to only received a concussion and a broken arm as the police said that she was not wearing a seat belt. He did say that her not waking up was a concern, but her MRI and CAT scans show no swelling of the brain, and her EEG showed normal activity. The doctor asked me if I had any ideas about what she may have on her mind that might cause her to subconsciously wish to remain asleep.

I told him not that I knew. I asked if they were going to admit her and if I could go in and sit with her.

The doctor said “Go sit with her, it can’t hurt, and if you were to talk to her she might even wake up. We are going to admit her and continue monitoring her until she wakes, or we find she won’t wake and send her to the long-term wing. With head injuries, it could go either way.”

I sat in the treatment room telling her all about my mundane day at work. I was thinking about my questions again and must have mumbled something about who was in the car with her when alarms started going off, and I was pushed out of the room.

Waiting for me outside was the deputy. He handed me a coffee and tried to hand me packets of powdered milk and sugar. I said thanks, but I drink it black. He also said that my dad had picked up the kids. I thanked him for the heads up.

We sat down, and I started asking questions. Most of them, the deputy could or would not answer, as he had been dispatched from his patrol area and not the accident scene.

Just about then I realized that there would not be a deputy on-site for a routine traffic accident. That raised more questions that definitely needed answers to. I asked the deputy if there was any information he could give me to understand what happened and where it happened.

The deputy said, “The only thing I was told was to get here and guard an accident victim who was coming in by chopper; Sorry I can’t help more.”

That was a dead-end, I realized because even if he knew more, he could not tell me. I thanked him and went in search of the doctor.

The staff had calmed Mary down, and so I went in again and sat by her. She must have sensed a presence because she squirmed enough to flip her blanket off her legs. I got up and started to cover her back up when I saw a definite hickey on the inside of her thigh and dried semen on the inside of the other leg. I suddenly felt light-headed and quickly sat down to calm myself.

After a couple of minutes, I walked out in search of the doctor. I found him at the nurse’s station. I asked if he had a room where we could talk.

He led me to a consultation room and asked if there was a problem.

I said; “There may be a very big problem, but you could help me solve it.” I asked him to do a rape kit; a pregnancy test and a DNA test as my wife had dried semen on her leg. I told him that if it was there before she got here then the problem was mine to deal with if it was not there when she arrived, then his hospital had a huge problem.

The doctor’s eyes got very big, and he stammered out, “Of course, and I will see that is given priority.”

I thanked him and he left to go order the test. I wandered out to the nurse’s station and asked if there were any of my wife’s personal possessions besides what was in the room. They said that her dress, glasses, and one shoe was all that came in with her. They asked why I was asking.

I told them that when she left the house to go to her meeting she had a purse big enough to be a man’s two suiter, and she always wore a bra, panties, and pantyhose.

They said they would check with the chopper crew, but that they are very good about personal effects.

Then they said that as soon as an orthopedic doctor arrived, they would clean her up and cast the broken arm.

I told them that I did not want her cleaned up yet, as the doctor is going to do a rape kit and a pregnancy test. I told them what I saw and explained that I have not had sex with my wife in more than a week. Needless to say that statement got a lot of raised eyebrows and a look over to the deputy who still standing vigil.

About that time two people came through the entrance and pulled out sheriff’s badges and asked if the med-evac patient was awake and able answer questions.

After they were told that she had become agitated she was sedated and would not be available for any conversation until late this afternoon. The deputies turned to leave, and I asked them to talk to me as I was Mary’s husband. They said they would tell me all that they could, but not in the hall. The head nurse said we could use the same room as that I used with the doctor.

Once in the room, the deputies asked for my ID and then identified themselves as Deputy John Rover, and Deputy Alice Kline. With those formalities out of the way, I asked them to tell me what they could about the accident.

Deputy Rover started; he said “It looks like about 9:45 PM a car traveling at a high rate of speed on Claiborne Rd. came up to and attempted to pass the car your family was in. That driver did not allow enough room and clipped the corner of the family’s car. Their car went into the ditch and flipped until it came to rest on its roof. No one in the front seat was belted in and the kids were in their proper belted in car seats. The driver of the other car did not even apply his or her brakes and fled the scene. About 10:30 a driver saw the taillights in the ditch and called 911. Because of the violent tossing and bouncing motion of the car before it came to rest, at this time we do not know which of the front seat occupants was driving. Your wife was unconscious and the other front seat occupant was dead.” He must have seen the confusion on my face and he asked; “Do you have any questions?”

“Yes, I have a lot of questions, but you probably can’t answer some of them. Can you give me the identity of the other occupant other than my family?”

“Not at thi...” Deputy Kline started to say.

Deputy Rover held up his hand and asked; “Do you know of a George Krause Jr. of Glenbrook Estates?”

“That is my wife’s boss’ name. Was he the other person in the car?”

“Yes, his family has or is currently being notified of his death. And that is the name that the wrecked car was registered to.”

“Ok, I only have one more question and I will let you go about your business. Did anyone pick up my wife’s purse?”

“Yes, we have the purse in our cruiser outside and I will see that you get it before we leave. I am, and I am sure Alice is willing to answer any other questions as soon as we are cleared to do that. We are sorry for the trouble this brings you, but your wife was very lucky not to have died also. We will say goodnight and get the purse.”

A couple of minutes later Deputy Kline handed me my wife’s purse. After she left I started looking through the purse and found the missing underwear, the panties were thong type that I had never seen before, the bra was a peek-a-boo type with nipple openings and the was no pantyhose, but stockings and a garter belt. I was almost crushed by that, but when I found that she had pictures in there, I lost it.

I went to the nurse’s station and told them that I was going home and that I would not be back to pick my wife up but would make arrangements to have it done.

By the time I got home, it was past 4 AM. I called my answering service and told them that I would not be responding to any calls and to send them to my backup. I then locked my wife’s purse in a safe I keep in the shop that I have above our garage. I then tried to sleep.

I slept a little and woke at 10:00 AM. I started making plans to handle the situation. I made a list of things that had to be done. I needed to protect my business, my money, and my kids. I called the bank that I use for my business and locked down all of my business accounts. I then called the bank where we have our personal accounts and did the same thing. I canceled all of our credit cards except the one that still had a small balance. I then called my dad and asked him if he would be willing to help me do something very unusual, take the kids and go to his cottage for a couple of weeks and not talk to anyone while he was there.

Of course, he asked why, and I told him what had happened and what I found. I also told him that my next call was to find a divorce shark.