Chapter 17

We arrived at the county courthouse at 8:40. Bobby, Eddy and Susan were there waiting for us outside. Our greetings and hugs exchanged, we walked into what felt like the lions den. I'll admit now that I was angry, angrier than I think I had ever been, and I wanted blood. I had never wanted blood as an adult, but before it was just Lana and I, and I really didn't have any enemies that I could think of. Now that someone wanted to rip us apart I was responsible for all the clan and the youngest one had put his freedom and his future in my hands.

It would have been easy, and it was tempting, to want to lash out. Instead I gritted my teeth and remembered the line from the movie Dune - "The slow blade penetrates the shield." I would penetrate their shield and take them down. That didn't make waiting on it any easier but the victory would be oh so much sweeter, especially if I could use my resources to their fullest advantage before anyone knew what I could bring to bear against them.

We found the room and settled in for the inquest. What followed was a description from the sheriff's reports, the coroner's report with his findings, and then they played the video. It didn't match with what we had seen, but we had thought that was going to be the case. The assistant district attorney made his summation then. "Given what we have heard and seen I am charging Harry Smith Greenland with second-degree murder." I looked at Pap and his hands were clenched into fists, the strain on his face obvious. The ADA was condescending enough to allow Harry to surrender later, not forcing him to be handcuffed and taken from the hearing in front of us all.

We left the hearing and went outside. "Why didn't you challenge what they said they found Bobby?" Betty Ann asked.

"The deck is stacked against us in there. I want them to have to turn over everything they have to us. It's a requirement now because he has been formally charged, it wasn't before."

"But he is being charged with second-degree murder, and it will be on his record forever."

"We will get that removed once this is all done. But now I want to get him processed and have his bail hearing." Pap, Cletus, and I went with Bobby and Harry to surrender. Harry was very composed as we walked down to the Sheriff's office in the courthouse. They would not let the three of us accompany him but Bobby stayed with him. He came out for a minute to tell us everything was nearly finished and the bail hearing was at 11:15 in Courtroom D. We went up and waited. Harry was led in and Bobby was at the defendant's desk with him. The ADA wanted him remanded but Bobby argued clean record, his youth, and the circumstances so the judge set the bail at $500,000, no doubt thinking that was a burden the family could not meet.

Bobby went and gave the clerk $500,000 in a certified check. It wasn't exactly the correct protocol, but it got the ball rolling. The ADA with the judge did a double-take when they saw them. No doubt Bobby had been busy, and I'd ask him about it later.

Once everything was accomplished in the prescribed manner orderly manner we left and had a late lunch. After we were seated Betty Ann went to ask a question. Bobby stopped her by putting a finger to his lips, he said, "This is neither the place nor the time to discuss anything. The walls may well have ears." So we ate in near silence and then headed back to the farm.

Bobby, Eddy, and Susan followed us back. Once were we inside Bobby spoke, "From this point on, we never speak of any of this in public." Everyone looked around and shook their heads in agreement.

"I'm sure you want to know why I had checks with me. I got the million in certified cashier checks Saturday. I wanted to be prepared so Harry would not be taken out of our sight for a long period of time. I knew it might raise some eyebrows, but I weighed that against his need not to spend any time in jail."

"That be a answerin' the question we likely had. Good thinkin' on your part Bobby," Pap said.

"Well, I would like to stay and chat, but I need to get to my office. There is a lot to work on now."

"Don't be a lettin' us keep you."

Bobby, Eddy and Susan took a few minutes to use the facilities and were gone. We came back in the house after seeing them off and all sat around the table. It's one thing to think something might happen, another to have it happen. We were a bit shell-shocked after this morning, but it was Harry that put it in perspective. "I don't know why they charged me, but I can only say how much I appreciate the work Pap, Steve and Bobby did, so I didn't have to stay in jail."

"That was just the opening salvo; Bobby just tweaked their nose with that check. Bobby is dead-on right about us all not sayin' a word about this outside our place or his office," Pap said, there were nods of agreement.

"You menfolk get outa my kitchen if you be a wantin' to be a eatin' dinner tonight." Mam glared at us. Everyone has their own way to deal with the stress and the need to be in your comfort zone. Mam's zone is the kitchen and with personal endorsement, I am very happy it is.

We menfolk made tracks to the porch with the ice tea we picked up along the way. It was an uneasy calm as we sat there. "What do we need to do today Cletus?" I asked.

"I think we should go and get changed before anything, we already had one decked out dude work with the horses, and I think that is enough for this year." Everyone laughed and we headed back to our rooms to get changed.

As I was changing Lana came in to see me. "Is it going to feel like this all the time until it is over baby?"

"I don't know; I'm sure there will be ups and downs for all of us."

"I knew it was coming, and it still frightened me." I got my old tennis shoes on and came over to her. I just held her and kissed her for a few minutes.

"I love you and I love the others. I knew nothing of any of this life before, and now I want nothing but it. That said there is something very wrong here. I am going to make sure it stops with Harry. I don't want our babies growing up with something like this hanging over them."

"I love you." And we kissed for a while longer holding one another tightly.

After we broke, we headed to the kitchen. I watched her head off to the computer; I made a pit stop and then headed out to the porch. Pap was there and said that Cletus and Harry were in the barn getting the horses ready. We got there and they had the saddles on both. I managed to get myself in the saddle without much trouble and then we went off to look around the farm.

It all looked about the same to me but what do I know about farming. We got to the cattle and Pap told me they needed to be moved. We were riding around and he showed me how close the field was chewed down and how that showed it was grazed out. Pap reopened the gate, the rest of us were behind the cattle, Cletus on the left, Harry on the right and I in the middle, so we had a cattle drive. It wasn't much of a drive as there weren't over twenty head but we pushed them along. My horse did not act like Harry's or Cletus's which would challenge the cow or steer whatever it was called. But I just played cowboy and helped push them along.

We got them inside the new pasture and then went around to look at all the wire on the poles. It seemed tight to me but again what do I know about poles and wire and how it is supposed to look. Satisfied that everything was in good order, we left there and went to look around a while longer, my thoughts were that we were just keeping out of sight of Mam and Betty Ann.

Finally, we headed back to the barn. Harry and Cletus said they would take care of the horses so Pap and I went back to the porch. I managed not to step on any of the apples the horses left, and we were soon sitting in our usual chairs on the porch.

Tammy was on the porch waiting when we got there. "Pap, Steve come and look at how we have used the program to remodel the new place." We got up again and followed her inside. I was surprised that Pap came along, but then it was his children working on this project and he no doubt was curious.

Jana was the one who walked us through the rooms. There wasn't anything that looked to be missing but who knew what the architect might point out. "You have done a wonderful job my mates and mate to be." That got me kisses from each of them and a very hot one from Tammy.

"I'm bein' impressed ya'll doin' that. I can only think ya might be a wantin' some laundry upstairs. Be savin' ya havin' to take all the laundry up and down so much." Pap pointed out.

The women looked at one another, and they shooed us out to the porch as they went to work on rearranging their designs. So we're sitting drinking the new teas we came out with, and Cletus and Harry come up to join Pap and I. Connie comes out and brings each of them a glass and kisses Cletus. She takes a minute to sit in his lap and whisper something in his ear. I have to remember to play poker with Cletus because he has no ability to have a poker face.

We just sat back and enjoyed the end of the afternoon when the phone rang. It was for me, so I went inside to answer it. It was my Dad. He and I discussed what was happening for the next forty-five minutes. When I got to the events of today, he was impressed at the foresight of Bobby. That spoke volumes to me as Dad is not one to give compliments flippantly. He was intrigued by my plans for shock and awe with all the attorneys and investigators. He did mention that I should not cross the line about investigating everyone who was prosecuting the case beyond what was in the realm of public information, but walking on the edge of the knife in doing that was fine in his opinion.

He handed off the phone to Mom, and while she was concerned, she knew that Dad would tell her all he knew after they were done with the call. She asked me about my mating and how that went. I asked her if she needed details and I got the "Steven!" which is about as good as the look when you're on the phone. Of course she wanted to speak to Lana which meant that I was done with the call, so I told her I loved her and looked forward to seeing her soon.

Lana came over to talk to her and I went back out on the porch, stopping only to relieve and refill along the way. Cletus was gone and I got the distinct impression that he and Connie might have slipped away after seeing them earlier.

Harry was not there either so it was just Pap and I. "Pap how safe are we doing all of this?"

"That be a dependin' on a lot of things. Mostly how quiet and sneaky we a bein'."

"We didn't do too well protecting us last time. And if this goes to plan there are going to be a lot more people upset."

"Can't be a arguin' with that."

"What do you think we should do?"

"Cameras ain't gonna be enough. We likely be a needin' some people to look after protecting us."

"Think I can rent some Marines for the duration?"

"Don't be a knowin' if'n the govn'mnt does that."

"What if we got the government involved in the investigation? Then they would have to protect us."

"What you be a thinkin'."

"Well..." And we talked about it through two glasses of tea and a pressure break. Finally, it came down to having to discuss it with Bobby, who just after 5:30 called to tell us he had gotten the five firms to agree to help us with the case. And he had only needed to send out retainers of Seventy-five thousand each. We spoke about the need for some protection and then our idea about bringing the government in at some point. Susan had worked out the meeting with Hap and Rachel for Wednesday morning, so we agreed to discuss it afterwards.

I finished my discussion and Pap talked to him for a few minutes then.

Dinner was a flurry of discussions about the farm and all that was happening here. The Trips and Tammy were describing Pap's idea to the rest. "It seems like you ladies have most of the ideas worked out now," I said.

I got a number of head shakes that told me they did. "It might be a good time to find an architect then to start on the real plans that a contractor can work from." That of course got the table quiet, and it was Mam who spoke. "We have to work with Harry's trial; we don't have time to be doing anything else."

"Mam, we aren't going to be doing much of anything with Harry's trial. That is all up to Bobby and the five firms he hired today. What we need to do is live our lives and move ahead with our plans."

"But Harry is in jeopardy, and we can't ignore that or him."

"We have a plan and everything on that plan is being worked on; sitting around and holding hands won't make any difference. We are completing the land contract on Wednesday. Hap and Rachel will be coming back after the first of the year, and they will want their house completed."

"But they will understan..." Pap broke in. "Mam there ain't no buts about it. We ain't gonna sit here and worry each and every day. Steve promised them the house and you, Betty Ann and Connie are going to make Damn well sure enough they have a house." Harry held his hand out and Pap fished out a quarter and gave it to him.

"What was that?" Tammy asked.

"What was what?" I asked.

"Pap gave Harry a quarter, why did he do that?"

"It's a man thing." Harry said.

"I'll man thing you little brother."

"We're getting off subject here and dinner is getting cold." That got everyone back to eating. We finished and the three with Cletus went off to take care of the barn duties while Pap and I were escorted back to the computer. It all looked about the same as before, but they pointed out the new laundry rooms, one on each floor. Satisfied that we were satisfied we were sent to the porch while they went back to playing what if we did this or that.

So Pap and I are sitting out on the porch, him with his bowl going, when Mam and Betty Ann came out and sat with us. "You're absolutely positive my baby is not going to prison Steve." The words were pure emotion from Betty Ann and her body was tense.

"I am one hundred percent committed to making certain that does not happen. I meant it that I would use every last dollar I have to save him. I cannot do more than that nor will I do anything less. That said, nothing in this world is one hundred percent certain except death and taxes, both of which I hope to avoid as much as I can."

"That helps me a lot Steve. I'm scared is all and I can't help but be. He's my baby and I just can't think about him being locked up."

"I understand Betty Ann."

She got up as I did, and we shared a hug. "You are so much more than I ever though you would be. Thank you for being here." She almost squeezed the breath out of me she held on so hard. There were tears running down her cheeks when she and then Mam went back into the house.

"I think she likes me," I said to Pap.

"She be more than likein' you, she be a trustin' you to do right by her, Harry and everyone else. Likin' people in these parts is easy, getting them to be a trustin' you bein' a lot harder."

"Then I will take that as a very large compliment."

"That it is."

Then the door swung open, and it was Nurse Shana who had come to take this poor tired man away. She didn't even have to tell Pap what for, he just grinned as we walked into the house. I don't know what it was in the air that night but we didn't love on one another. It was wild raw lust driven sex for the sake of sex. I pounded into them and they lifted to meet me time and time again. No sooner was I out than someone was sucking me hard again. The sheets were drenched and we had to change them along with a shower for recovery. It was just Lana and I in the shower at the end when she bent forward and said, "Take my ass! I need you to, make me know I'm your Bitch again." She was panting and very vocal in the shower; of course we cooled off quickly once the hot water ran out. But she knew she was my bitch. I of course was sore but what a way to get there.

When I woke up all I saw looking down was the top of two heads. Given our late night I didn't need to use the facilities as bad as I normally did, so I just laid-back and enjoyed feeling the two of them next to me. I leaned down and kissed the top of a head. Shana looked up at me from the other side and then Jana. Feeling a bit raunchy I asked. "Bitches or babies?" It was babies from both of them. So the sheets would need to be aired out, but I was working on keeping my commitment to them.

We made it downstairs, all of us damp from the shower that we shared of course. I knew I was going to make sure the shower was much larger in the new house. Lana came over and gave me a kiss that would have gotten her taken back to bed at any other time. We finished eating and everyone went off to their normal places which was the women in the house and the men on the porch.