Chapter 40: The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth

The officer led Erin out to their car and carefully placed her in the back of the squad car. As I followed them out, I was on the cell phone, calling Lynn.

“Hi Lover!”

“Hi Lynn, I need you to call our lawyer and for you and him to meet me downtown at the police station.”

“What? Did Erin shoot him?”

“No, but she beat the hell out of him. I’ll talk to you when you meet us. Hurry, please.”

“We’ll be there. Bye.”

“Bye.”

The squad car started and pulled out while I went to the SUV and drove downtown, arriving after them. I parked and fed the meter before walking into the front door and went to the main desk.

“Hello, the police just brought my wife in. I don’t know what to do from here.” I said the officer who looked less than enthusiastic.

“Her name?”

“Erin O’Dell.” I answered as the officer typed on his keyboard.

“I don’t show any reference to that name. She may not be in the system yet. Please have a seat and I’ll call you.”

I sat in a chair in the area and waited. About twenty minutes later, Lynn and our lawyer John Smith walked in the door. I stood and greeted my wife with a hug and shook John’s hand.

“When I got here, I check at the desk and they said that Erin wasn’t in the system yet and that they would call me.” I told John.

“I’ll check it out.” John said and walked to the desk.

“Paul, what happened?” Lynn asked.

“I don’t really know, Lover. I was sitting in the waiting room when the doctor came out and yelled for help. I went into the office to find Erin just beating the shit out of James. She said that he told her she was a slut and that maybe her son wasn’t his. She says that she just lost it.”

“Oh my God. I’ll bet she did. And she was wearing those pointy toed cowboy boots, too.” Lynn said as she put both hands over her mouth as John returned to us.

“Paul, how long have you been here?”

“It must be about a half an hour now. Why?”

“They still don’t have her in the system.”

“What? How is that possible?” I thought for a second. “Wait! The officer called her Mrs. Hogan. Check and see if they have an Erin Hogan.”

John spun around and quickly moved back to the desk and after a few minutes he returned.

“Bingo. They have her as Hogan. They have her checked in and she will see the judge in about two hours.”

“Can we see her?” I asked.

“That is a problem. According to the law, you have no legal standing to see her.”

“I’m her husband!”

“No, you’re her partner. James is her husband.” John said.

“Oh shit.” I said softly.

“Yup. If it was just a matter of your partnership, it would be fine. I can see her and will do so in about ten minutes. Tell me what happened.”

I explained to John what Erin had told me and that was all I knew.

“Ok, I’ll call the doctor and see if I can get his story before I see Erin. FYI, I’m going to say somethings to the judge that you might not agree with, but trust me, ok?”

“Yeah, ok. Do you have copies of our civil union with you?” I asked John.

“I do.”

“John, bail is no problem. Keep it as low as possible, but the amount is really irrelevant.” Lynn instructed.

“Good to know. While I’m at it, I’ll also see if I can find out James status.” John said.

“John, I’ll...”

“Don’t say anything, Lynn. I’m an officer of the court and if you threaten him, I’ll have to report it.” John said.

“Yeah. I understand. Why don’t you go see Erin while I talk to my husband.” Lynn smiled at our good friend before he turned to walk back to the desk.

“I’m going to kill him. I’m going to end his sorry life.” Lynn whispered to me.

“No Lynn, you aren’t. The only thing is, that he told Erin he was going to file for divorce on grounds of adultery. He said he was going to go after everything Erin owns.” I must have sounded worried.

“He’s going after all of that, huh. Well, we’ll worry about that if and when it happens.” Lynn sounded strangely calm about the threat.

We sat in the waiting area until John returned. He walked to us and we stood to greet him.

“What’s the news?” I asked.

“Well, first, she is ok. She is calm and doesn’t seem stressed. She says to tell you both that she loves you and she is fine. She is going to be arraigned in about an hour. That is when the charges will be read, and bail will be set. I’ll ask for no bail because she won’t run away from her family and she has no history of violence. If all goes according to plan, she should be able to go home with you in about three hours.”

“Thanks John.” Lynn said with a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey, that’s why you pay me the mediocre bucks!”

“Mediocre? Really?”

They laughed like they were sharing a joke between them.

“John we can be back here in about fifteen minutes. Would you please call us when you want us here?”

“Of course.” John nodded and I shook his hand.

Lynn and I walked out of the station and I headed for the SUV.

“I’m going with you, Paul. John drove me over here.”

We arrived at the house to find a worried Blossom watching the girls play Scrabble.

“What’s going on? Where is Erin?”

“She is in jail, Baby. She beat up James. He looked to be in pretty bad shape when I pulled her off of him. His face was scratched and bloody and Erin was wearing her pointy-toed cowboy boots.”

“Shit! She kicked him in the nuts.” Blossom guessed.

“I’m thinking that if she had the chance she would have kept going until he was dead. She said that he called her a slut and that he was going to divorce her for adultery.”

“I guess legally that would be right.”

“Yeah, but he also accused her of murdering her son and said that he wasn’t sure that the boy was his in the first place.” I pulled the naked, and amazed, Blossom into my lap.

“Daddy? Where is mother?” Margaret asked.

“Margaret, the police are talking to her. She had a fight and hurt somebody.”

“A fight?” An astounded voice came from behind me.

“Yes Paula.”

“Is she ok, Daddy?” Penelope asked.

“Yes, darling. She is fine, she was just very angry and very upset. Lynn Mom and I have to go and bring her home in a few hours. Who is winning at Scrabble?”

“Margaret is. She is so smart.” Erin Lynn spoke up.

“Erin Lynn! You are smart too. Why don’t you beat her?” I asked.

“I would but she knows more words. I guess I need to read her books.” Erin Lynn made a wise observation.

“That is the best way. Always try to read things that are hard to read. The words might be bigger or maybe even new, but you will have to learn what they mean, just like you do with the small easy words.” Blossom said.

“I can do that, Blossom Mom.” Erin Lynn gave her mom a kiss on the cheek and went back to the game.

“Erin Lynn just said more words than I have ever heard her say at one time!” I said, amazed.

“I know. Genevieve is still a little hesitant to speak up, but I have a feeling that when she does she is gonna cut loose. She pays attention and doesn’t speak unless she knows what she is going to say.” Blossom bragged on the little redhead.

“So, she isn’t going to be a politician!” I joked.

Lynn walked into the family with her nursing sling and got William and Gwenyth in place. She handed Blossom’s sling to her and Blossom picked up Martha and Wanda and got them in her sling and latched on. They picked Amy, Clara and Beth out of the play pen and put them in their car seats and Margaret, Penelope and Paula fed them with bottles. Genevieve and Erin Lynn picked up books and snuggle to the two moms and read.

Lynn came in to let me know that John had called and that we should go back to the police station. We quickly told Blossom and the girls that we were going to get Erin and headed out in the SUV. It took us fifteen minutes to get downtown to the station, park and walk through the metal detectors and security. John was waiting for us.

“Hi guys. Erin is going to see the judge in about twenty minutes. I just got a report on James and he is in bad shape. Erin missed his testicles when she kicked him. Well she hit them, but not with the pointy toes. She landed on him with a knee and broke a couple of ribs and he has a fractured right eye socket and cheek, along with numerous bruises and lacerations. Her wedding ring must have cut him up pretty good.”

“That sounds bad, John.” Lynn said.

“It ain’t good. But the doctor told me what James said to Erin and has it on tape, since her records all of his sessions. We’ll see what the judge has to say. He will have read the arrest report before he hears the pleas.”

“John are you going to have her plead guilty or not guilty?” I asked.

“Not guilty.”

“Insanity?” I wondered.

“I don’t have to define the reasons. After the plea, the judge will either set bail or remand her back into custody. I think it will be bail, but be prepared for the worst.” John said with a very neutral look on his face.

We followed John into the courtroom. It was really small, but I guess that would be the case since there was no need for a jury or witness stand. What surprised me was that there was no judge. There was a big TV screen and a camera pointing at a booth that was placed in front of another door.

Lynn and I were directed to stand off to the side of the room by who I guessed was a bailiff. John walked over towards the table when the door opened, and Erin was led in. She looked tired but smiled when she saw Lynn and me. That was when I noticed the red swelling on the side of her face. She was led to the booth and stood there. John walked over to the booth and stood next to her.