Chapter 22

They’d come in Briana’s car and each sibling took a deep breath before venturing to enter the digs, the mansion, that they had both lived in for so long, though as for that James and well, LeeAnn still did. Briana was a Carton anymore and she and her husband had their own place.

The front entrance was wide open. Cassandra was putting something away when they entered. She, Cassandra, nodded toward the library. The siblings looked at each other, communally shrugged, and headed for the jury room.

The elders were seated at the same large table that the kids had grown up around doing their school work. No one said anything until the newcomers were seated.

“So,” said Rodney.

“We talked with him long. We had lunch. It was nice, I guess,” said Briana.

“It was,” said James.

“Nice!” said Riley. “Are you kidding us?”

“He didn’t get mad, Mom. He was, I don’t know, kinda resigned, I guess. So, what we had to say, or him either, was kinda predictable. He was most interested in what James had to say, and what he knew about it all,” said Briana.

“Yes, Mom, dad did ask me some questions, in fact...” said James.

“In fact?” said Rodney.

“He had just one that I would call an important question. He wanted to know how I would refer to you now that I knew the whole story,” he said.

“And,” said Rodney.

“I told him what we all agreed on. And, he believed me. He knew I wasn’t lying. I could see he believed me.”

“And the big thing?” said Riley.

“He said that forgiving, him having been kept in the dark for so long was a toughie, my words, his meaning. But he is thinking about it. But if nothing else happens to cause a problem, I think that he will be willing to talk to the both of you, and maybe agree to some kind of relationship. That’s the way I am interpreting what James and I heard,” said Briana.

“Me too, Mom,” said James. Riley was nodding.

“You two going to him so quickly kind of surprised your mom and me,” said Rodney. “I mean the two of you could have given us a heads up.”

“We did leave you the note,” said Briana.

“And that was damn nice of you,” he said, tendering his daughter a sour look.

“And if your father and I go to see him?” said their mother.

“He kind of half expects you to. In fact I know he expects you to,” said Briana.

“Yes, Briana is right about that. He said as much. Kinda like he thinks that there is no way he can escape you coming is the way it sounded to me. But ... he is not real positive about anything coming out of you going to see him. More like he is hoping that nothing negative comes out of it,” said James.

“Okay, okay,” said Rodney. “Obviously we will be going to see the man, your dad, James. And if there is a God, well...”

Willa Metzger was hurting, hurting bad. The monitors were evidence that she was still alive, but that was likely but a temporary thing. She rang for the nurse.

Nurse Anna entered and went to her. “You’re awake Willa, that’s very good news,” she said.

“How long?” she said.

“Just two days. The doctor will be in to see you shortly. I will be letting him know you’ve awakened,” said nurse Anna. Willa nodded.

She looked around at the walls of the single person room. She was thinking. Something had to change; it just did, and that immediately.

She remembered the man. He seemed an okay type, when she met him, on the street it was. His car was nice. She had gotten the man’s plate number. She always did that just in case; this was one of those times. She’d be giving it to the cops if they even bothered to ask: whores got short shrift from the cops. They’d arrest the john if he’d be stupid enough to open his mouth to them, answer questions; but usually they just wanted to get away from the scene; in which case the cops would invariably be too lazy to push it.

She wanted out of the room, out of the hospital. She had to make a living. She knew what she had to do; she’d considered it before, but the guy she had in mind was such a pussy. It likely wouldn’t work out, she knew; but she was gonna try, so maybe.

The doctor had come. And she was eventually let out of the hospital, still bruised and battered, but mostly the worst of it was coverable by her clothes.

She pulled her newly purchased used 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass into the lot of the oldish diner she’d frequented almost nightly for the past ten years. He’d be there; he was always there on Friday and Saturday nights; well, since 1984, after he got released from Winslow.

She knew the man’s story. She knew the story of a lot of guys who’d spent time inside, but Adam Barnes was different. Adam Barnes had no woman, hadn’t had one since he’d gotten out five years gone. He was employed, that ever since he’d gotten out, and that was the main kicker. Drove a truly ancient Buick that he kept in pristine condition. He was a nice guy, easy to talk to, but quiet mostly. Had family, so she’d heard, but so far she’d not seen any of them. Yes, Adam would be, might be, a good candidate for a fulltime live-in woman—like herself! She sure as shit needed somebody, some man; the years were catching up with her, and they were not being kind.

Entering Abby’s well peopled establishment for the first time since being raped and beaten to a pulp by the well-dressed asshole she’d agreed to entertain. She looked around assessing the situation. The man she was hoping to see wasn’t in evidence, but it was still early, barely 6:00 p.m. The man did work.

She sidled up to the bar and ordered a martini. She was doing the high class thing tonight; she knew that that was Adam Barnes drink of choice. Then she had a negative thought. What if her target gentleman wasn’t alone! He sometimes came in with his bud, uh, Leonard something. She crossed her fingers.

It was the crossing of the fingers that did it. The man was coming in, and so far he was alone. He took a booth. Agnes had duty tonight. She saw her go right up to him. He nodded. The usual she figured. She would wait till he got his drink; okay, she was nervous.