Chapter 4

Ann found that Rosie was very easy to get along with. Rosie and Brenda became fast friends and Ann was starting to feel slighted because Rosie had Brenda's attention more than she did. Rosie would read the newspaper to Brenda every day and Brenda would listen and make comments just like she understood everything that Rosie read to her.

The only problems that Ann had with Rosie were about her medicines. Rosie just couldn't seem to remember taking her medicine and would insist that it was time for one medicine or the other. Ann began to keep a log of the medicines and the times that Rosie took the medicine. Ann made it a point to fill out the log in front of Rosie. After the first few days Rosie stopped questioning Ann about the medicines.

Sam had purchased a computer for Rosie so that she could send him e-mails and keep in touch everyday but Rosie seemed to freeze up every time she got on the computer. Ann began to help Rosie so that she could keep in touch with her son. Rosie would tell Ann what she wanted to say to Sam and Ann would type the e-mails for her. After Rosie proofread the e-mails Ann would send them to Sam.

After about two weeks Rosie called Ann into the living room while Brenda was taking a nap. She asked Ann to sit with her a while and talk to her.

"Ann I've noticed that you haven't talked to anyone from home since you've been here. I know that someone is worried about you. Don't you think that you should let someone know where you are?"

Ann looked down at her hands, "I'm so afraid that some of the people that are after my husband will find me that I've been afraid to call my parents."

Rosie patted her hand, "Ann, it isn't fair to the people that love you to just drop off the face of the earth. Please call your parents and let them know you're alive."

Ann nodded her head and Rosie reached over to the end table and picked up the cordless phone that she kept next to her chair. She handed the phone to Ann and smiled.

Ann dialed her mother's phone number and waited for an answer. The answering machine came on and Ann was about to hang up the phone when she heard her mother answer the phone.

"Mother, this is Ann. I'm in Alexandria, Virginia and I'm Ok."

Ann heard her mother gasp, "Oh thank God. We didn't know if you were dead or not. Ann, the police are looking for you. Detective Olsen is here right now asking questions to see if we had any idea where you were."

"Why are the police looking for me?" Ann asked.

Ann heard a noise in the phone. For a second there was no answer. Then a man's voice came on the line.

"Is this Ann Simmons?" the man said.

Ann hesitated before answering, not sure if the person on the phone was really a detective, "Yes this is Ann Simmons. Who is this?"

"This is Detective Olsen. Mrs. Simmons do you know what happened to you husband?"

Again Ann hesitated, "No, what trouble is he in now. I left him two weeks ago after he ran out and left me with two men that were after him."

The detective started to speak quietly, "Mrs. Simmons please sit down. I have some bad news."

Ann sat down knowing in her heart what the detective was going to tell her, "I'm sitting down, sir."

"Mrs. Simmons, your husband was murdered 8 days ago. He was beaten to death. There was a witness who got the license plate of the car the men were driving that did that to him, so we got them. The men have a lawyer and are not cooperating at all. We have no idea why they murdered your husband. Please tell me where you are so that we can talk to you."

Ann sat the phone down in her lap and stared straight ahead, oblivious to her surroundings. Rosie started calling her name and Ann didn't respond to her. Rosie reached over and retrieved the phone and asked who was on the line. After finding out that it was the detective, she began to explain why Ann wasn't talking to him. Rosie gave the detective her address and phone number and listened as the detective gave her instructions. After she was satisfied that she had the instructions right she said goodbye and hung up the phone.

Rosie patted her hand, "Are you Ok Ann?"

Ann looked at Rosie and wailed, "I didn't know. Honest, I didn't know. Why did they have to kill Ray?"

Rosie got up and went over to Ann and hugged her, "The detective said not to leave the house. He said that he would fly down tomorrow and question you. Why don't you go upstairs and lay down for awhile?"

Ann shook her head, "No, I have to think. What am I going to do about Ray? I have to contact someone about funeral arraignments."

"Ann, let's wait until the detective gets here tomorrow. He'll know what we have to do."

There was a knock on the door. Ann looked at Rosie and then got up and walked to the door. When she opened the door there was a uniformed policeman at the door.

"Are you Mrs. Ann Simmons?" the policeman asked.

"Yes sir, I am," she replied.

"Mrs. Simmons, we'd like to ask that you not leave the house until the detectives from New York question you tomorrow."

Ann assured him that she wouldn't leave the house and the policeman walked back to his car. Ann walked back into the house and sat down next to Rosie again. She looked out the window and saw that the patrol car was sitting in front of the house and the policeman was watching the house. She knew that she would be taken to the station if she attempted to leave the house.

The rest of the day went by like a blur. Rosie took care of Brenda and tried to console Ann. Rosie and Ann sat up most of the night talking quietly.

Rosie went to bed about midnight and Ann went to the couch and tried to sleep. About 4:00 o'clock in the morning she finally fell asleep. Brenda woke her up at 8:00 o'clock in the morning.

The morning dragged by slowly and Ann saw that the patrol car was still in front of the house although she could tell that it was not the same policeman that knocked on the door the day before.

A little after noon there was a knock on the door. When Ann answered the door a man about 55 years old was standing at the door. He introduced himself as Detective Olsen; showing Ann his New York policeman's badge. Ann invited him in and took him into the living room and introduced him to Rosie and Brenda.

After they were seated Detective Olsen started to speak, "Mrs. Simmons, I'm sorry that I had to let you know of Ray's death over the phone. We've been looking for you for a week and we thought that maybe you were dead. As I told you over the phone, we have no idea why those men killed your husband. Of course, they deny that they had anything to do with it."