Chapter 12: Slumming

I borrowed Mom’s SUV the afternoon Sarah Lynn and I moved home. Jas and Charmaine met us at Sarah Lynn’s house and we went in to pack her things and move them. Her mom stood in the kitchen with her arms folded glaring at us.

“Your phone doesn’t work.”

“It was confiscated by some police officers. They probably shot it,” Sarah Lynn said.

“Showing a pornographic film at commencement doesn’t prove anything against the police,” Mrs. Jamison said. “They came here looking for you and I didn’t know where you were. What kind of mother does that make me look like?”

“The kind who doesn’t know much about her daughter,” Sarah Lynn sighed. “I didn’t come to argue, Mother. I just want to pack my things and leave. You can reach me at Jett’s house until we find a place to live.”

“One boyfriend dead and you are already shacking up with another. The devil has his claws in you. Get your things and leave.”

The four of us went to Sarah Lynn’s bedroom and followed her in. She crumpled to the floor. Jas and Charmaine jumped to kneel beside her and support her. I pulled out my phone and started snapping pictures. The room was a mess. Her dresser was empty with drawers pulled out. The clothes from her closet were tossed on the floor and boxes were lying open. All her makeup cases, nail polish, and creams were open and dried out. The bed was stripped and the mattress shoved to one side. It looked like one of those movie sets where the mob comes in and ransacks a room looking for the missing diamond.

Sarah Lynn wailed.

She shook Jas and Charmaine from her and shoved me out of the way as she barged out the door and back to her mother.

“What did you do?” she cried. “Why did you destroy my room?” I reached her in time to hold her back from assaulting her mom.

“I didn’t do anything. Those nice policemen asked if they could search your room. They said they suspected you were in collusion with that nasty boy and were probably dealing in drugs or pornography. I let them in to search. They took your computer with them, so you’ll probably be arrested as soon as they get here. I already called.”

“Did you get names? Badge numbers? Were they in uniform? Did they have a warrant?” Sarah Lynn demanded.

“They were police and are friends of your father. They had every right to search.”

“You are so stupid, Mother. They had no right to even enter the house without your invitation. You’re despicable. I hope they do come to arrest me. I’ll make sure you and your mothering are on trial,” Sarah Lynn spat. She turned in my arms and pushed me away as she marched back to her room.

As Jas, Charmaine, and Sarah Lynn started cramming stuff in boxes we’d picked up from the grocery store, I called Granddad. I figured he’d know what to do if the police showed up. I knew I couldn’t interrupt my dad because he’d have some patient with jaws locked open and a dental dam in place. I learned early in life that I couldn’t just interrupt a dentist.

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. Just refuse to answer any questions until you have a lawyer present. Unfortunately, we can’t plead that you are all minors any longer. But I don’t think you will have difficulty. The four officers who were involved in the shooting have all been suspended for investigation. The department will be pretty cautious about approaching Sarah Lynn. Don’t get in the way.” I breathed easier when Granddad hung up and I knelt to help the girls.

“Jett, why don’t you go entertain yourself by sorting and packing my underwear,” Sarah Lynn sniffed. She was obviously trying to make a joke and I kissed her cheek. Then I did as she said and started putting her underwear in a peach crate we’d picked up at the grocery store.

“This is all a mess,” Jas said. “What do you want us to do with the boxes of stuff from your closet?”

“Just pack the clothes. I’m going to quickly sort through the open boxes and grab the few things from my life that I want to remember. The rest I’ll just leave here for her to clean up.”

Granddad was waiting next to the SUV when I carried the first couple of boxes out. He stayed outside by the car and didn’t try to come in. When it came down to it, Sarah Lynn didn’t have that much to pack. It was mostly clothes and shoes. She had a few books, like her entire collection of Harry Potter books that were hidden in the closet because her mother believed witchcraft was evil and the books were tools of the devil. That just made them more precious to Sarah Lynn.

She also took a painting of mine off the wall. I didn’t even know she had one of my paintings and it took a minute before I recognized it as something I’d done as a freshman.

“When did I give you this?” I asked.

“You gave it to Lisa Nolan.”

“And she gave it to you?” I asked.

“Well ... sort of. Jett, this is embarrassing. I had a really bad crush on you as a freshman. I guess I never completely got over it. After all, I’m loving fucking you. But I couldn’t let you know, so I convinced Lisa to get you to give her a painting and give it to me. It was never for her in the first place,” Sarah Lynn said.

“You are devious,” Jas said. “Just about as bad as the rest of us.”

“Well, I never masturbated on Skype,” Sarah Lynn laughed. It was good to see her recovering from the shock. “I did take a picture of my breasts and sent it to Jett after Kelly did. I never signed it and it didn’t show anything but my breasts. I don’t think you knew my phone number back then,” she giggled. “I felt so wicked! Lonnie teased me for days, the jerk.”

We took the last box out to the car and found Granddad talking to a guy who just had ‘police detective’ stenciled all over him.

“Jett, let me introduce you to Detective Lebowski,” Granddad said. “He’s the detective conducting an internal review of the four officers involved in Lonnie’s death. Sarah Lynn, you don’t need to say anything but you should know there is someone on the force who is taking this whole thing seriously.”

“More than one,” the detective said. “The whole force is pretty upset. Some on one side and some on the other. The important thing I want to tell you, though, is that we are investigating the officers, not you. You are neither accused nor suspected of any crime. That being said, it is only fair to tell you that the officers involved in the shooting have been cleared. The bodycam video corroborates the film you showed, but showed it from the perspective of the officers. They had been informed that a mentally unstable boy had made the kind of threats against the school that police all over the country have been accused of ignoring. They expected he might be armed and were ready when they broke down the door. The body cams show the blur of a man rushing the door as they entered and they responded with fire. The shots were all fired within three seconds of entry. While the response could be considered excessive, the officers had every reason to believe they were being attacked. On the other hand, releasing the video of Brennan and Richards shaking you down for your phone was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was obvious a cover-up was underway and it required the cooperation of both their immediate superior and medical forensics. Everyone involved has been suspended without pay pending investigation and charges of impeding justice at the very least. You can pick your phone up from the main station.”

“It’s a brick,” she said. “What about them ransacking my room?”

“Is this something new?”

“I just came here to pack up my belongings and leave only to find that my mother let two police officers in to ‘search’ for drugs and porn. They tore it to pieces and took my computer. My mother, of course, just let them and believed I was guilty of anything they said,” Sarah Lynn said. The detective sighed heavily.

“I guess I should go talk to your mother. Is there a number I can reach you at if we need to talk?”

Before Sarah Lynn could answer, Granddad broke in. “They’ve been staying out at my place since graduation. Here’s my card. Just give me a call and I’ll track them down.”

“Andy, I appreciate the contact. Sarah Lynn, did you happen to film the room before you began packing? Good. Are you still selling eggs out there, Andy?”

“No, I still have some chickens, but a few more Sunday dinners and they’ll all be gone.” They laughed and the detective went up to talk to Mrs. Jamison. We thanked Granddad and got out of Dodge.

The rest of the week went by in a blur. I had a new full-time job that started at six o’clock in the morning. Yuck! I was already reconsidering my choice of employment. Sarah Lynn worked at the same place, but our hours were completely different. I got off at three. She didn’t start until one and worked through dinner.

We barely had enough energy to crawl into bed at night, but we still managed to make love. Jasmine felt comfortable leaving Charmaine alone and spent Tuesday night with us. That was a real round robin as Jas and Sarah Lynn were into each other as much as either was into me. Thursday night, Kelly showed up. Sarah Lynn kissed her sweetly and then left, saying she was spending the night with Ariel.

Kelly. Sweet Mother of God! I’d been cutting chickens up all day and then had gone out with Jas to look at a house she found. I was exhausted but seeing the look of longing in Kelly’s eyes when Sarah Lynn left revived me instantly.

Mom and Dad had adopted the strategy of retiring to the family room after dinner each evening and intentionally not paying attention to who arrived or went up the stairs to my bedroom for the night. I found out later, though, that after Dad and I went to work in the morning, Mom often had long talks over breakfast with my girlfriends. Maybe my relationship with Mom would have been better if I’d been born a girl.

Kelly was carrying most of her clothes by the time we reached my bedroom and her panties hit the floor a second after I closed the door. I took the naked redhead into my arms and we kissed with such deep passion that I nearly passed out from lack of oxygen.

We managed to slow down enough for me to get undressed and I led Kelly to the shower where we lovingly washed each other. We did a lot of touching to make sure everything was clean, but we were both careful not to make the other come. Without saying much of anything, we let each other know that we wanted that saved for making love.

“Did I really shake so much when I signed your pussy?” I asked, looking at the signature I’d placed there with a Sharpie when we last made love.

“Um ... It was fading. I wasn’t with you and I sort of touched it up so I’d still have you on me,” she confessed. I shook my head.

“Little redhead, that is forgery.” I got a bottle of alcohol and a cotton swab and carefully wiped away the ink. “Now. After I’ve painted another masterpiece in your pussy, I’ll sign it again. Anytime you needed it signed, you’ll have to come to me for another painting.”

“How about now, Jett? Will you make love to me?”

“Would you mind terribly much if I made a little snack of this tender morsel before I filled it?”