Chapter 5

The sun was shining when Gary awakened. The clock by the bed read 8:15. He remembered it was Monday. He’d made provisions for being absent, but he didn’t know what Jessie’s plans were. Slipping on his shorts and T-shirt he went downstairs. The girls were in the kitchen, and they weren’t smiling.

He asked, “What’s wrong?”

Katy said, “Mom left.”

“What,” he said.

Dorothy said, “She didn’t say anything to any of us, she just left.”

“Was she angry,” he asked?

“She had to be,” Melanie said. “Last night. You and mom. Remember?”

He smiled, “Well yeah.”

Dorothy said, “Remember the brownies?”

Katy added, “And the cake?”

He said, “Yeah.”

Melanie added, “We put stuff in the muffins, lasagna, brownies, cookies, and cake. I ground up a couple pills and crumpled them in the stuff we gave you.”

It hit him! The night before; Jessie was high! “You mean last night wasn’t what I thought; it was drugs?”

Melanie added, “We thought it would bring you and mom back together.”

“Did you give her anything,” he asked?

“Not intentionally, maybe a little,” said Melanie.

Then Dorothy conjectured, “All these months the two of you have been so unhappy.”

Katy interrupted, “Mom’s been miserable. When she’s not crying she’s mad.”

“You should hear her dad,” added Melanie, “she loves you, she hates you, she loves you, it’s like she’s totally lost.”

Katy said, “So the party’s over. Tell us dad, what did you say? What did you do to her to make her so crazy?”

“Katy I’d rather not go into that,” then he paused, “Let’s back up a minute,” he scratched his chin. He eyed each girl, one at a time. “You drugged us? You drugged your parents?” He wasn’t sure if he should be angry or just laugh it off, “Whose idea was that?”

Dorothy and Katy both looked at Melanie.

Melanie shrugged, “It seemed like a good idea.”

Gary gave her the evil eye, something he knew seldom worked, “Would it be too much to ask what it was?”

Melanie lied, “I don’t remember.”

“Yes you do,” her father said.

“Well, it’s supposed to be harmless,” Melanie hedged, “It’s really old.”

Her dad was losing patience, “What’s it called?”

“Tell him Melanie,” Dorothy said.

Melanie rolled her eyes, “Luminal,” she put her hands together and got a little louder, “its real name is Phenobarbital. I hardly gave you any. Just one pill. Well maybe two.” She paused, “OK, three, but it was only supposed to make you calm, mellow you out.”

Dorothy tried to intervene, “It wasn’t Ecstasy or Molly or anything like that dad. Gee, we wouldn’t know where to get that stuff anyway. What you got is quite safe dad.”

“Well, where did you get it,” their dad asked?

Melanie answered, “I found some in Grandmom’s medicine cabinet.”

“You mean Mrs. Pearson’s medicine cabinet,” Gary asked?

Katy interrupted, “I told them not to do it.”

Melanie shot back, “That’s not true. You were in on it. You thought it was a great idea.”

“Jesus,” Gary commented, “My daughters are drug dealers.”

Katy and Melanie both said, “No dad, nothing like that.”

Dorothy very soberly replied, “Get real dad.”

Gary looked out the window, and to no one in particular said, “You drugged your dad so he’d be mellowed out, so he’d go to bed with your mother.”

Dorothy grinned and said, “It worked too.”

Gary looked over, “How would you know?”

She added, “I listened in.”

“You what,” he exploded!

Dorothy said, “Calm down dad. You were the one who put in the listening devices. Remember?”

“Yeah,” Melanie contributed, “Dorothy said you and mom were really going at it.”

Katy grumbled and pointed to Dorothy, “She wouldn’t let us listen, said we were too young. She said we weren’t eighteen.”

Dorothy tried to bring the discussion to a close, “It was like listening to a Hallmark movie dad. You two were really in love last night.”

Trying to reach finality Gary asked, “Are there any more of those pills around?”

“No,” said Melanie, “I flushed the other one down the toilet.”

Time to move on, he said, “So your mother left, and she was mad.”

“Yeah,” said Melanie, “you should’ve heard her. I was outside your door. She said, ‘I got him now.’”

Gary wondered what that might’ve meant, but he had to deal with the issue at hand, “So where does that leave us?”

Dorothy caught sight of the problem, “I think I know. Last year, especially after school started, she got so tied up in her career I think she started doing things. You know, trading favors at work, and you found out.”

Gary thought, that was a nice way to put it. Then he said, “Did you know last year at that retirement event one of the lawyers did her on a table. She gave him her panties, I traded the wristwatch your mom bought me to get them, and when I confronted her, well you saw.”

Katy said, “The night you came home. When she called you all those names?”

An upset Melanie asked, “Why didn’t you try to talk to her?”

Then Katy asked, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

He shrugged, “You saw. I did try to talk. Why I didn’t tell you? Come on, she’s your mom.”

Dorothy commented with an entirely new set of problems, “Her office called. She hasn’t shown up for work this morning, and she has an important court date at ten.”

“She’s not at work,” Gary asked?

“No, and no one knows where she is,” Dorothy added.

“Did you check your G.P.S.?” When he got three blank confused looks he rashly jumped up, “Where’s my cell phone? We need to find her.” Then more thoughtfully he added, “She might be at her apartment.”

“Or grandmom and granddad’s,” Melanie said.

He went on, “She’s somewhere, and we should find her.” Gary was thinking about yesterday’s party. He hadn’t liked the way some of the lawyers and secretaries behaved; some acted like Jessie was in trouble, like they were afraid to talk to her. He also knew most of the lawyers hadn’t shown up. There had to be something going on at the firm.

He watched the girls, they knew their mother had a place near her work, but he’d never told them about all the drugs she kept, or in whose names some were in. It was worrisome; Jessie had gone through bouts of depression in the past, especially right after the birth of each of their daughters. After Melanie she’d stayed in bed for countless days. He didn’t know what she might do. He wasn’t thinking suicide, but with Jessie it was hard to tell. They needed to find her.

He handed Dorothy his cell phone, “Locate your mother’s car.” He looked at Melanie, “Give me yours,” He immediately used her phone to call Jessie’s firm. He got a secretary right away. “Hello,” he said, “This is Gary McGowan, Jessie McGowan’s husband. Has she come in yet?”

The secretary replied, “I don’t know. Please wait while I check.” He waited and she got back, “No, she’s not in. She’s due at court this morning at 10:00 a.m. If she comes in shall I have her call you?”

Polite, he thought, but he bet she knew they were separated. He said, “Yes please, and use this phone.”

Dorothy was waiting, “Mom’s car looks to be outside her apartment.”

Gary thought of his almost ex-wife’s huge stash of drugs, he replied, “Everybody grab your gear. We’ve got to get there right away.”

They looked confused, but instead of arguing they ran off to get dressed. He went out to his Jeep. He thought, if everyone hurried, and she hasn’t done anything stupid things might be all right.

The girls were out; they piled in, and drove off. He didn’t speed, but he did roll through a couple stop signs and an old yellow light. The girls looked scared. He was too. Then just a short distance from her apartment they got a call from her firm. She was at the courthouse. She’d apparently skipped the office and gone straight to court. With a sigh of relief Gary altered course. They got to the courthouse shortly after 10:00 a.m. He pulled over, got out, and handed Dorothy his keys, “Stay nearby in case I need you.” He moved rapidly to the courthouse.

Inside he checked around and found where she was supposed to be. He reached the door and slipped inside. Jessie was seated in front, sandwiched between two other lawyers. One glanced back, saw him, and whispered something to his wife.

Jessie looked back, and grabbed a pad and penned a short note. When she finished she handed it to her colleague who brought it back.

Gary opened her note. The damn thing was short and to the point. It read, “Get out of here! I’ll talk to you later, but not until I’m ready.” Then she’d added, “Worm!” And then, “Tell the girls; they’re in for it.”

He was in disbelief. Worm was he? She’d talk to him when she was ready! Not in this lifetime! He left the courtroom, and went back outside. The girls were across the street in the car.

He got in and Katy asked first, “Where’s mom? Is she OK?” The others watched.

“She’s in court right now. She gave me a note,” Katy was closest so he handed it to her. She read it, handed it to Melanie and started to laugh. Gary took her hand and squeezed it, “Cut it out, that’s not her and you know it.”

By then all three had read it. Dorothy asked, “She’s something. What are we going to do dad?”

He had it figured out. He smiled and said, “We’re not doing anything. Well not exactly. Here’s what we are going to do. We’re going to my house. I’m going to pack a couple suitcases so I’ll have enough of everything.” They were confused so he added, “I’m moving back in with all of you.”

Melanie interjected, “But her note says...”

He stopped her, “She doesn’t know what she’s doing. I do though. I didn’t clean the pool for nothing, and as far as the house goes I’ve got three girls’ bedrooms to paint and wallpaper this summer.”

They were still confused, “See here girls. Your mom is all alone. All she’s got is us and her stupid career. Right now she’s hiding behind her work. Oh I figured she’d make threats. When she sees me back home she’ll probably get a court order or two. So what. Besides you know what?”

They just sat there.

“I’m hiring a private detective. We’ll keep a watch on our Ms. Jessie. Better, what’s the secretary’s name whose been feeding you information Dorothy?”

“Gail Honeycutt,” she answered.

He said, “I’m calling Ms. Honeycutt. I intend to find out everything I can about her work.” Gary had told the girls about the punching bag, but he never told them whose face she’d put at the top. He never told them about the notes or the poetry either. He had a hunch one of the older lawyers had something on his wife. He bet it had something to do with Jeff Snyder too. He wanted to kick himself. He wished he’d held on to those panties. He should have gone after the whole fucking firm back in December.

Whoa! He’d been so busy thinking he’d missed half of what the girls were yammering about. He looked at Katy, “What did you say?”

“She’ll have you arrested dad.”

“No she won’t.”

Katy didn’t retreat, “Yes she will.”

He laughed, “No she won’t”

Then Melanie laughed, “You’re inimitable dad.”

“Peerless,” laughed Dorothy.

Melanie again, “One of a kind!”

Katy was confused, “Did I miss something?”

Melanie wrapped her arms around her younger sister, “Not a thing littlest munchkin.”

Dorothy brought it all back to earth, “I’m hungry. Let’s do Wild Wings?”

Gary said, “How about I-Hop?”

Katy clicked in, “Pancakes at I-Hop, but then I have to be back home. My boyfriend’s picking me up.

Melanie said, “I’ve got a date too, but I’m making him stay at our house so we can swim some more.”

Katy looked at Dorothy, “You should stay home too. Make your boyfriend stay with us.

Dorothy laughed, “You got it!”

Gary said, “OK, let’s go!” He started the car, but stopped, he put it park and turned, “Wait a minute!” He scanned his girls, “We’re all on the same page, right?”

A little scared they all three nodded.

“This is for your mother, right?”

They nodded again.

“We all love her, it’s not us and her, or us against her; it’s us for her. Do I make myself clear?” They all nodded yet again. And off they went.

~~~V~~~

After I-Hop they went home. The older girls called their boyfriends about the new plan. He thought; Cell phones and school. It was a Monday, all these kids were supposed to be in school. He guessed wrong, it was the last week; teachers were reviewing for or giving finals so the kids were skipping out. Katy called a few of her friends. They’d stopped on the way so he could buy some more sodas and some beer. He wasn’t a big beer drinker, but while in high school he’d found Rolling Rock quite tasty. He preferred the pony bottles. He couldn’t recall but in the past year Jessie had decided Rolling Rock, especially in the smaller bottles, were unmanly. Every time he’d bought some she’d scowl and criticize. Eventually he gave up and stopped drinking any beer. Not anymore, he thought, she needed to start seeing Rolling Rock in the refrigerator.

By 3:00 that afternoon the house was a busy place; kids everywhere, the girls seemed happy. Jessie didn’t come home that night.

Around 10:00 a.m. the following morning a registered letter came. Jessie knew Gary was back at their old home; he was supposed to be there only to work. She’d called her lawyer who’d wangled a special letter delivered. It was an order telling Gary to immediately leave the house and not come back. Gary read it and threw it out. He went back to work painting.

It was close to 6:00 that evening when Jessie pulled in the driveway. Gary was in the kitchen having a piece of pizza. The girls were all outside by the pool. Jessie came in, slamming doors, and went straight to the den. He was glad; all his stuff was upstairs in the old master bedroom. He heard her leave the den, storm through the dining room, and up the stairs. The master bedroom door slammed shut, it was quiet for a few minutes, then more slammed doors, and Jessie was downstairs in the kitchen. Arms akimbo she stood in the doorway and glared at her soon to be ex-husband. “I want you out of my house,” she yelled!

He was drinking a beer, a Rolling Rock, He smiled, “Hungry?” Pointing to a half empty box he added, “There’s some cold pizza, but I can heat it up for you.”

To his surprise she slumped in a chair. She dropped her head on the back of her wrist and muttered, “Yesterday and Sunday were mistakes. Please leave.”

Damn, he thought, the yelling had stopped, and he got a please. He said, “I thought Sunday’s party went pretty well. Dorothy changed her mind again. She didn’t like any of your lawyer friends and decided to major in English literature after all.”

Jessie looked tired, not work tired, life tired, in a low tone she said, “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know. The girls drugged us.”

She gazed out the window, then at her husband, her expression was hard to gauge, “If you won’t leave you could at least tidy the place up.”

Gary smiled, “Of course.”

Jessie got up, looked in the refrigerator, looked outside where the girls were still sunning themselves, then looking at nothing in particular she said, “I’m tired. I’m going to lie down,” surprisingly, she quietly took herself off to the den.

Gary put the beer bottle in the recyclable container and sat back down. What had he just seen? He wasn’t sure. Sunday had been strange, she had gone to court Monday, and apparently stayed at her apartment Monday night. She was so unpredictable; she might just be lying low, she might explode? Who knew? He cleaned up the kitchen, called out to the girls that their mom was home and resting in the den; he then retreated to the living room to read. He was determined to finish “Vanity Fair”.

The girls came in later, and drifted off to places where teenage girls usually go. He sat in the living room and read. Jessie came out around 10:00, took a shower and went back to the den. He turned out the lights and sat quietly in the dark. He heard her in the den, he went upstairs.

~~~V~~~

It was Friday, Flag Day; the day Jessie and Gary were supposed to meet with the lawyers and a representative from the court to sign the final papers. Gary didn’t know how it worked in other states, but where they lived the whole thing was pretty cut and dried. A few months back he would have sworn Jessie wouldn’t even be there, and though they were supposed to be officially apart they’d been living in the same house. It was all very disturbing.

A couple months back he was ready to end it all, but since Dorothy’s party and their odd cohabitation he wasn’t as sure. It had been their home, but she’d picked it and paid the mortgage so when the separation agreement was presented he’d moved out, but now he was back, and she’d become a phantom presence. He took care of the girls. He was repairing and repainting inside and cutting and cleaning everything outside. He did everything but pay the bills.

Meanwhile, Jessie’s home life was empty. She was visibly lonely; she avoided everyone. Every day it was the same thing; she got home, went to the den, rested, and then went upstairs where she showered. Later she might slip in the kitchen to grab a bite of what they’d already had, and then retreat back to the den while he sat in the living room and listen to her quietly sob. She never went out; he’d checked and seen she’d closed up her downtown apartment.

The apartment didn’t matter so much. When he went back that last time just before Memorial Day nothing much had changed. There had been some new drugs on the counter; some stuff called Serophone and Metformin, and a prescription for Folic Acid. He didn’t know what they were for, when he checked the quantities he saw she had been taking them, but he figured they probably weren’t addictive so he blew them off. When he talked to her mom and dad he found out she’d made no effort to contact them. This last, the parents’ thing was especially disquieting since the girls had started going back and forth between her parents and his mom regularly. Everybody was in the loop but Jessie.

He’d gone ahead and hired a private detective, and two things immediately came out. First, within days he got another registered letter from Jessie’s attorney informing him they knew he’d hired someone, and that he would be accused of stalking and be arrested if he didn’t immediately stop. He called the lawyer and told her secretary they should go ahead and arrest him. Nothing came of it. Second, his detective’s snooping didn’t reveal much except Jessie’s workload had been significantly lightened.

On the other hand Dorothy’s contact, Gail Honeycutt, produced what he thought was a trove of very unpleasant information. Jessie had been working extremely long and grueling hours dealing with several very complicated corporate undertakings. The more she did the more tumbled down on her from the oldest partners, one partner in particular. Sometime in late May she’d reached her breaking point; several deals overlapped, and fatigue and probably drug induced misjudgments, she’d confused crucial competing arrangements. Everything had blown up in her face; she’d cost the firm hundreds of thousands of dollars. The result was a no-brainer; no one said anything, all the senior partners had been sympathetic, but the vote of no confidence, though never spoken, was there. Soon all Jessie’s newer clients were second tier projects; her former competitors in the office, men she had long surpassed, saw her as failure, a comet, someone who briefly lit up the sky only to burn out. He thought that helped explain the dearth of lawyers at Dorothy’s party.