False Hopes
Copyright© 2021 by Matt Moreau
Chapter 4
I wasn’t there of course, but I would soon learn that Horace had dealt with the D.A. and was able to get him to go for aggravated manslaughter, as opposed to murder-2 that the hard asses in the D.A.’s office were looking for; and that because of the bad guys records and the fact that there were three of them, and the cogent fact that I could have logically assumed that they were armed. The aggravated part came as a result of the truth that they were in fact not armed. Hence, instead of 5 to 10; I got 10 to 20; out in maybe a dozen years if I were very, very lucky. Shit!
Now I had to talk to Rod and Riley, in that order.
“Yes, she’ll be here tomorrow,” said my brother. “And that’s good because she hasn’t stopped crying since it all went down!” I nodded.
“I can imagine,” I said. “Rodney, take care of her, you gotta have her back until I get out. Please?”
“Of course,” he said. “I’ve got all of that covered. And when you get out; she’ll be there for you and you can both start over. I will see to that. Don’t worry.”
I was feeling a lot better, knowing the man had my back and my girl’s. We’d be okay. It was going to be a long time; and I knew I was likely going to be sent to Winslow prison up state. That’s what I was hearing. It was partly a matter of overcrowding in Phoenix. But we’d be able to see each other on occasion. It wouldn’t be as often as I’d hoped: but letters regularly, and the occasional visit or phone call; we’d get it done.
And then she was across from me staring at me. I was cuffed to the surface of the steel table, and shackled to a waist chain, but she was holding it together. That was good. I needed her to hear me out and remember what I had to say.
“Adam, I am so damn sorry,” she said, and now she sobbed. Okay, she wasn’t holding it together as well as I’d thought.
“Riley, you need to calm down and try getting hold of yourself. We haven’t got much time, and we need to settle some things. Okay?” I said, as calmly as I could.
“Okay,” she whispered.
“One, you need to never think of telling anyone about that day, not anyone for any reason. If I want them to know; I’ll be the one to tell them. I’ve earned that right by doing what I’m doing. Okay?”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“Two, we’ve talked about this; but I just have two requirements while I’m in prison: first that you be there for me when I get out. I could not deal with this without that to look forward to. Okay?”
“Of course, how could you, or I either, even imagine anything else. I swear to you. I will be here for you, and we will be the family we both want so badly,” she said. “Heck we already are a family: me, you, and Briana.”
“Yes, and finally, as for Briana. Figure out a way for her to know about me. Oh, and it’s okay if you tell her a few lies to make my situation a little more palatable,” I said.
“Yes, I will figure out some way,” she said.
And then she was gone and I was back in my cell.
“And then it was the end of August, the 31st, just two weeks after the bad day, and I was in a bus with some other prisoners on my way upstate.
“Horace said that he was transported up to Winslow this morning,” said Rodney. “He pled out, so he didn’t have to wait for a trial and all of that. It’s how Horace was able to get a reduced sentence; bad as it is; it is reduced.”
Riley was nodding, but looking down and shaking her head.
“Riley?” he said.
“I know. I know he was sent up to the prison. And I found out something else just yesterday,” she said. “I was trying to figure out a way to tell you, an easy way, but there is no easy way.”
“Okay?” he said.
“I’m pregnant. Talk about shitty timing,” she said.
“Oh my God! And obviously, our man doesn’t know.”
“No, and I’m a fraid to tell him,” she said. Rodney Barnes was nodding.
“Okay, that’s a fly in the ointment, but handleable. From now on you will be living here instead of the Condo. Sam will be driving you to work at Barnes LLC, Albert will train you. Well, until you feel you can’t do it anymore; I mean as you get bigger and such.
“When I talked to Adam he made it clear that he thought it would be best if you had something to keep your mind off of things. I agreed. Oh, and missus Cummings will still be doing the sitter thing.
“And as for telling Adam now, so soon after his being sent up; well, I agree, now would not be a good time. We’ll wait awhile and then talk about it some more and decide when would be the best time,” said Rodney.
“But ... stay here? In your house?” she said.
“Yes, you’ll be safer here, and I know my brother will approve of that. I will have Horace talk to him about it and get his okay.” She was nodding.
“Okay, I guess,” she said.
And time passed. And then it was April 11th, 1966; and Little James Jessup was born. The mom and the de facto uncle made the decision to hold off on telling daddy. They did not want to add to his pain. Horace, would need to be told, and would be sworn to secrecy.
He stroked the long brunette locks of this brother’s woman’s hair. Riley smiled holding the baby, little James, age seven hours. It was 8:00 a.m.
“He’s beautiful,” said Rodney. “I know his father will be thrilled once they meet.” Riley lost her smile.
“Yes, he is. Looks just like his daddy. I so wish he were here to greet his baby,” she said.
“Oh my, so do I,” said Rodney. “But I do think that telling him now would be more than problematical. But we will go with whatever you decide, Riley. He’s been inside for some eight months. He has many years to go. I just don’t know what else to do.”
“No, and neither do I. If I tell him, it will most certainly add yet another element of pain to the man’s already bad situation. If I don’t tell him, well ... When he finds out, and he will at some point, he’s going to be very upset, maybe even super angry. I just don’t know either,” said Riley.
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