JAILS, INSTITUTIONS, AND DEATH
By: Kenneth Kirschnick
For Beth Ann Christensen:
The Absentee Landlord of My Heart
Rest in Peace 01-18-1980 to 06-03-2001
Chapter 1
The doors opened into the bright sunlight. It had been over fourteen months since Davis had seen the outside world. The six foot one inch shady brown hair, dark brown eyes, toned jail house body. His skin was pale white. The jail does not allow inmates to travel outside the cinder blocked walls. In that jail or tomb as it feels, Davis sat and fought for his life.
Now, he walked out with his head high. His first thought in that bright morning sun was of his wife. Beth should be waiting in the lot, or so he figured. She was there in court when the jury read his verdict. He could only assume that she would pull around to the jail and wait for his release. He started to walk down the jail steps looking up and down the parking lot for the old Lincoln Town car. There it was, heading towards him. The sun shone off the baby blue paint. The car looked good for being 13 years old and having over one hundred and eighty thousand miles. The car being his co-defendant in the case he had just beaten.
Of course, behind the wheel, there sat the beautiful Beth. Her short dyed strawberry blonde hair was still new to Davis’ eyes. But those big blue innocent looking eyes were not. Those eyes had carried him through his ordeal. They sat there every Sunday for the past fourteen months. They never judged, but always showed love. Those eyes were Davis’ lifeline to the world. Now, he could look into them and also hold the body that was one with them. He dreamed of this moment every night. He was even suicidal when he first got arrested, but she pulled him through with her undying, and unconditional love for him.
“Excuse me, do you have a cigarette?” Davis asked a large older woman sitting on a bench a few feet from him.
“Sure, if you don’t mind menthol!” she replied.
He shrugged his shoulders to show he had no preference at the moment. He reached down so the woman could give him a light. He offered his gratitude and stepped back to the curb as Beth finished pulling up. The window started to roll down and the look of disgust came over her face as she saw the cigarette.
“Oh, no, there has been no smoking in this car since I got it from the impound eleven months ago. And if you are going to finish that then you can forget about getting a kiss from me.” Beth put the disgust into words.
Immediately and without a second thought, Davis threw the mostly whole cigarette into the thoroughfare of the parking lot. Beth jumped out and ran the few steps into Davis’ arms. They embraced and kissed for an eternity. Tears ran down both their cheeks. There were no words for the thoughts they were both thinking. The entire embrace went on for over ten minutes, until Davis finally decided to set Beth back down on her own two feet, instead of flying on the wings of her heart.
“Now give me the keys, so we can get away from this devilish place.” Davis said as he held out his hand.
“You must be crazy!” She replied. Anger and despair were the feelings Davis could see in her eyes.
“What?” Davis questioned, as if he didn’t know why she would say such a thing.
“I am not losing you for another fourteen months, just because you want to drive again. It already caused one big problem as it is. Just because you won the case does not mean you should drive again. As a matter of fact, you will be chauffeured around from now on. I will not lose you again.” She finished with a lump in her throat.
‘Alright, so let’s just get out of here.” He replied.
Thoughts of her naked body on top of his raced through his mind like he was a teenager again. To him it did not matter who would drive as long as they were on the way home. His real home that is, not he temporary one he carved out in his 8 by 12 foot concrete closet complete with the toilet, sink, and bed. Those days of being a Viking in jail were over for good if he had any control. But that was the real issue at hand. Could he control his drinking? He kept telling himself, it will be one day at a time. Plus, he just wanted to get drunk off “Beth cocktails” for the duration of his cursed life.
Davis was twenty- seven years old. Beth was twenty-two. Their marriage was just a little older than his incarceration. They were married one month before his accident. Chicago was where they decided to have their honeymoon. They had been staying downtown at one of the swankiest hotels. The night he left to get some more champagne and White Castle hamburgers was the last time he saw Beth or his freedom. The concierge had told Davis where he could find an open liquor store and a White Castle on the way. Davis had learned about where to drive and where not to drive. He had been in town for a little over two weeks. Beth and he were supposed to fly home to Phoenix on Sunday afternoon. But that early Saturday morning Beth received the phone call that changed both their lives.
Davis was seriously injured and handcuffed to an emergency room bed. He was under arrest for a vehicular homicide, aggravated D.U.I., and of course disorderly conduct. Davis had hit a State Trooper who walked into his lane of traffic, trying to stop the oncoming traffic with his arm raised. By the time Davis saw the shape of the man in his headlights, the body was already crushing against the windshield and rolling back onto the pavement. As Davis put his foot to the brake, he could only watch in horror as the body moved further and further away. It happened so fast, yet the impact had slowed everything down, as if God had pressed the slow button on Earth’s V.C.R. Davis pulled over and jumped out of the car. He began to approach the body in the right lane, as his eye sight started to fade into black. Davis hit the pavement with a thump. His injuries took their toll.
“He killed a cop?” Beth asked in a scared high pitched voice.
“Yes, ma’am, if you could get down here to the hospital. We would like to ask you some questions.” The voice of the police officer replied on the other end.
Beth hung up the phone and called a cab. By the time she reached the hospital, most of Davis’ tests had been done, and he was unruly and disrespectful to everyone he had come into contact with at the hospital. She walked up to the bed and started to cry into her hands. She peeked through her fingers and looked at the broken and bruised body of here new husband.
Davis face was sliced from his left ear to his left eye. Butterfly stitches dept the wound tightly closed. His right eye was blood red. Obviously, a blood vessel, or two, had been punctured. It reminded her of a bad case of “pink eye.” Davis had numerous shaved patches of hair on his head which were covered in blood soaked gauze. His right arm was in a sling. He had broken his clavicle on impact. The steering wheel crushed the front part of the shoulder as the trooper hit the bumper. Alongside the bed, sat a tiny bucket filled with little pieces of broken glass. They had been removed from his eyes and mouth. Apparently this was from the shattered windshield. It was almost hard for Davis to believe he could not feel any of it when he jumped from the car. His left foot was dislocated and had to be put back together with some pins and a cast. Davis even felt worse than he looked. His head hurt, and the medical staff refused to give him anything for the pain. It was a sort of punishment for coming in drunk.
Beth was happy he was alive, but she was very worried about what was going happen. The officer investigating the accident came back into their temporary room in the emergency room.
“Excuse me, but the doctors want to take Mr. Stiles up to an admitting room. So I was hoping we could talk for a few minutes?” The cop asked politely.
“Fuck you!” Davis screamed at him. “Don’t you dare say anything to him?” He yelled at Beth.
“Calm down.” Beth said with the calm and rational voice she was known for. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“What?” Davis said. He could not grasp the situation with his pounding headache or his till drunken thinking.
“Doctor, could you please, um, you know.” The officer asked.
The doctor in charge sent two interns to remove Davis’ bed from the E.R. and rolled him away to a more secure part of the hospital.
“Wait, I need to…” as Davis’ voice trailed off sown the hallway. His hands were reaching out for Beth as they took him away.
“If you could follow me, we could talk in the waiting room. That is if you don’t mind?” The officer asked.
Beth followed the officer to the hospital’s waiting room. As they entered the large foyer, the people waiting to be called or notified whichever was there dismal reason for being in such a depressing place, looked up to see the officer and quickly glanced somewhere else to try and hide their interest. Beth felt uncomfortable, knowing that the thoughts dancing through their heads were not of good scenarios. She hates hospitals.
She had sat in a waiting room just like this one, day and night for two months holding her mother’s hand as her father fought stomach cancer and lost. Her mother ended up dead on the bathroom floor two weeks later. She overdosed on the valium given to her to cope with losing her life partner. Beth buried one parent and couldn’t even see past the next day, but having to bury both of them within two weeks of each other, probably would have killed her too. But Davis never let that happen. Beth would never ever have enough love for her husband. He saved her.
“Ma’am, are you alright?” asked the officer.
“Um, yeah!” Replied Beth as she snapped out of her daydream. “What is your name by the way?”
“Trooper Daniels, State Police.”
“Okay, so why do you need to talk to me? And is a detective going to ask me more questions later?” Beth asked in her most disconcerting voice.
“Well, I’m sure there will be a follow-up on my report of the incident. Plus, due to the fatality of a fellow officer, I know my superiors will press for all the “i’s” to be dotted and T’s to be crossed. They are going to want to prosecute to fullest extent of their abilities. But I digress; I would just like to know how much your husband drank tonight, Mrs. Stiles?” Officer Daniels asked
“I don’t know.” Beth replied.
“You don’t know, or won’t tell me?” Officer Daniels questioned.
“It doesn’t matter does it?” Beth replied. “I am not a suspect in this case, and I don’t think it would be wise to continue this discussion without a lawyer’s consultation.”
“I see, but would I would like you to know that I would strongly recommend your assistance. It would only benefit your husband’s well-being.” The Officer replied, trying to persuade her into submission.
“Again, I need to speak with a lawyer. After that I would be happy to contact you. Do you have a business card with your phone #?” Beth asked as she put on her flirtatious charm.
The cop felt an urge to grab this woman, husband or single, it didn’t matter. When Officer Daniels first laid his eyes on Mrs. Stiles, something moved in him. His heart pattered and skipped a beat. Or so it felt like it. He didn’t like the attitude he was getting, but he expected nothing less. Her devotion to her husband was admirable.
“How long have you two been married?” Officer Daniels asked.
“How is that relevant?” Beth shot back her own question in answer to his. That question alone, told her, that she had him. A little school boy who need his books to cover the excitement in his pants. “Now for the brush-off” she thought. “I need to be with my husband. I think we are through.”
Beth blinked her eyes so her lashes were a come on. She knew he could not resist her. He had left his badge in the dark when he showed interest in her. A sexual interest, that is.
“Oh, yeah, I mean I understand. I expect nothing less. Here is my card. Call me after you have spoken with your attorney.” Officer Daniels replied. He handed her his card.
“Thanks, I will.” Beth shot a glance at the card and then back into a meaningless gaze into his eyes. She turned and began to head for the elevators. She quickly turned and asked Officer Daniels something of great importance. Or so she thought.
“What about the car? And what happens to Davis now?” She asked not knowing what to expect.
“The car is being investigated at the police impound. We will notify you as soon as that part of the investigation is completed. As for your husband, as soon as the doctors say he is healthy enough to be released, he will be transported to the county jail for bond court. That will probably be tomorrow or the next day. So I would enjoy the contact now, it might be all you get for awhile. No judge is going to want to give someone who killed a cop, their freedom.” The officer finished with a shitty grin, knowing, Mr. Davis Stiles, was F.U.B.A.R. It meant fucked up beyond all recognition.
Beth saw the little smirk the cop was giving and for the first time, since that phone call a few hours earlier, she feared what the future held for Mr. and Mrs. Davis Stiles.
Beth hurried to the elevators and had to find her husband. She needed his loving embrace and warm lips to kiss. Anything that would make that empty feeling in the pit of her stomach goes away. She opened the hospital room door, slid past the officer standing guard in the corner chair and ran up to the bed to reach over and show her love for her man. The future was uncertain; the past was dark and dismal. That left the present to be envied, the only high point is the now, or so they both thought, as they embraced and cried.
“Today’s forecast calls for rain. The clouds will be moving through the area this afternoon.” The voice said from the T.V. news.
“Okay, who’s working the dedication of the new water reclamation plant?” Burt Johnson asked. Burt was a short man, not more than five feet tall. Her hair was black as charcoal. It also was mixed with a little grey. Burt has been working for the local newspaper for a long time. Burt had been to three new buildings. All of which were built to expand the newspaper. It has been a long fifty-two years. He started at the newspaper at the young age of sixteen. Of course, then, he was just a paperboy. Now he was editor-in-chief. He controlled the newspaper, at least what was printed.
“I think little Danny Doderling. You said it could be his chance to prove himself.” Burt’s secretary, Angie replied.
“Oh yeah, I’m glad one of us is awake today.” Burt yelled back.
“Rough night again at home?” Angie asked.
“Yeah, Myrtle’s still sick. It’s tough on me and the boys. Nicky is taking it the hardest. It’s tough on a twelve year old who has watched his mother wither away from a beautiful forty-four year old woman to a skeleton with stretched skin.” Burt said without a hint of remorse.
Angie knew Burt loved his wife, but he had been taking care of her for over three years. His love was undying, but not his patience. Mrs. Johnson began to refuse her chemotherapy. There was too much physical pain. It was too much pain for her to bear mentally and physically. So instead of all the right reasons to stay alive without a life, she chose to live her life or what was left, and getting the most out of it, one day at a time. Now it was getting close to the end. Angie knew Burt had already put his mind to rest with the situation. Angie felt sorrier for Nicky and Bobby, Burt’s kids. They would both be the hardest hit.
“Okay, well make sure that Danny gets to the ribbon cutting on time. I promised the owner and mayor we would write a good P.R. story about the new reclamation facility. I mean the city took a lot of heat for the restructuring the budget to pay for it. Now that the construction is finished and it’s ready to open, the city wants only the best publicity. So be a doll and go with him.” Burt commanded.
“Uh, but, there’s so much to do here.” Angie tried to give the best excuse. But could only mutter what came to her mind first.
“Oh, it will be here when you get back.” Burt replied.
“Fine.” Angie said showing her disapproval with a sad look of disappointment.
Angie excused herself from Burt’s office to go find Danny and tell him the “wonderful” news. She hated to baby sit the new newsboys. Most were straight out of college, with little or no experience. Plus, they all thought she was a perk, a part of their new job. So she was constantly rejecting all the come-ons from the horny little bastards. She felt like a piece of eye candy. If she didn’t enjoy her job so much, she would have quit a long time ago. But this was her eighth year at the paper, and she really liked being an assistant editor. It kept her in the loop, about everything, local, domestic, or international. It didn’t matter; she knew it before it practically happened.
She headed downstairs to where the paper crammed all the new reporters together. She came to the double doors that separated her from her biggest fans. It was a room full of testosterone. One she avoided whenever possible. The doors opened, and out came a pimply nosed intern. One she had not met, yet. But when he looked up to see where his feet were taking him, he noticed the shoulder length brown hair, slightly feathered in the front. Just below her hair there shined two stars, ones that pierced through the young man’s soul. She had a set of hand sized breasts, nipples breaking through the bra and brown sweater that contained them. Her figure was full and firm. It was obvious; a gym was definitely in her daily routine. After he finished looking her up and down, he placed his sight back on her eyes. Now they were full of anger. He began to blush until his face was a fiery red. The embarrassment of his mind undressing her, showed right there on his forehead, in huge block print. He immediately turned his head and hurried past her.
Angie now more than enraged, looked through the open door, trying to catch a glimpse of where Danny might be. Oh how she prayed he was in the front somewhere. She scanned the room for the quick second the door was open. But there was no sign of him. It came down to her standing in the hallway all day and blowing her assignment, or just going in there, dealing with all the horn dogs’ eyes and finding Danny.
She reached for the handle, put the disgust way down deep and pulled it open. She stepped into the room piled with desks and cubicles, in no order. She walked up to the first desk closet to the door and immediately recognized the young reporter. She had been on an assignment three or four years ago with him. Right when she had been promoted to Editor’s first assistant.
“Hi George, how are you?” Angie asked.
George looked up from his desk, “Oh, hey Angie how’s it going?”
“I’m looking for Danny Doderling.” She replied without hesitation. The eyes in the room were on her now and she could feel every pair as they all looked up and down her body. The feeling she got was absolute rot gut.
“Oh, he left on some new assignment. Yeah, you missed him by a whole ten minutes or so.” George exclaimed, happy to be taken away from his work for a few minutes, especially because he was able to stare at Angie.
“Damn. Thanks.” Angie exclaimed. She turned and left with more speed than the space shuttle lift off. She hurried through the building to her car in the parking garage. Hopefully, she could catch up to Danny at the ribbon cutting ceremony. She still had an hour and that was more than enough time to prep him and make sure he knew what story to get. She just hoped she could get there before he decided to start interviewing anybody. Most politicians hate talking to reporters. Let alone one who has no idea how to give an interview. She approached her black S-10 Extreme pick-up. Luckily she always kept extra supplies in her truck. Like a spare tape recorder, tapes, notepads, maps, and a two way radio for contacting Mr. Johnson or vice versa. She jumped in and peeled out of her space. Here was a woman with a plan. One who knew what she wanted.
CHAPTER 2
Davis and Beth pulled up into the driveway. The house was a two story red brick with a smoking chimney. The second story was colored grey with aluminum siding. It was a quiet street. Beth had found it in the classifieds. She needs a place to live while Davis was in jail. The rent was $1300 a month. It was tough to handle, but she had managed.
The house was a beautiful sight to Davis. He had focused his attention on dreams and made up scenarios while he was in jail. The house fit nicely into what he wanted and imagined. He had carved goals out of rough rocks that lay in his head. He was tired and distraught and needed an escape. His dreams were it. Or so he thought, the way reality was, had started to turn him off from the everyday hustle and bustle called “That Life Thing.”
“The house looks great. I am so happy that I am out of jail. I plan to do right by you and allow us both to get our lives in order.” Davis said as he caressed Beth’s cheeks.
Beth smiled and gave Davis a kiss. They gathered up Davis’ belongings and headed into the house. They spent the next two days making love and lounging around the house. Davis got comfortable and started making plans to find a job.
Beth worked for an accounting firm. She was gone out of the house all day. This left a lot of time for Davis to go through the classifieds and start sending off his resumes. He knew he needed to find a job. He wasn’t the type of man that would or could allow his wife to pull the weight of the house. Being locked up was frustrating, but he had to jump into life with both feet. The world moved a lot faster than he had grown accustomed to in jail. Things were going to get better, he could feel it.
“Hey honey, what’s for dinner?” asked Beth as she came through the door.
“I made some steaks with grilled onions, steamed broccoli, and your favorite dessert, Chocolate Mousse.” Davis replied.
“Oh, it’s not my favorite anymore, but it’s the thought that counts. I quit eating sweets. I just can’t keep this great figure for you, eating all that heavy food.” Beth said with a smile.
Davis was a little taken aback from the statement. But he understood her point of view.
“Did you find everything okay?” Beth asked.
“I am getting used to it a little at a time.” Davis said.
The one thing Davis didn’t want to touch on was his time in jail. He just didn’t feel comfortable enough yet. It was weird for him, his mixed emotions and time spent thinking of Beth and what he was going to do when he got out. This was bothering him. He felt like he needed to run. He was full of resentments and he could feel his aggression rising slowly. What he needed was a night out on the town.
“Since you’re watching your weight what do you say we go out to the movies and have a nice time?” Davis asked.
“Yeah, that sounds nice. Let me go get ready.” Beth replied. She figured this to be a great idea.
While Beth was getting ready, she started to recollect all that happened while Davis was in jail. Officer Daniels had started calling her on a regular basis. At first it was just to see how she was doing. Then she could tell it was something more. After about three months of pussy footing around, he finally asked her out. They started going places together like the movies, out to lunch, and shopping. They had become friends. Beth always kept him at a distance. She would not get involved emotionally with another guy while her husband sat in jail. She yearned for a man’s touch physically, but she knew how to satisfy those feelings. The relationship with the officer went off into oblivion after about nine months. Beth realized she needed to nip it in the bud before something happened that she would regret. Officer Daniels didn’t like it, but accepted it. He kept in touch and called to see how she was getting along. Luckily for Beth, that job she was after had come through, and she dived into it full throttle. She met other ladies with her same interests. It got easier for her to let things go. At first, she had toyed with him, and then she used him for information about Davis’ case. Then the feelings came, and so she cut them short and severed all the ties.
Now, as she sat in front of her mirror, brushing her short hair, and getting ready to go out on a date with the man she pledged her love and her life to. She couldn’t help but think of Officer Daniels. He looked good in his uniform. And when he was casual, he looked even better. She could not help but think about how her physical yearning for him had been satisfied by Davis. Now she realized that was all that was left with Davis. Her feelings had faded over the fourteen months. She had dealt with losing her parents and was slowly realizing she did not love him with all her heart. She only loved him for being there when she needed someone. She decided sitting there in front of the mirror; she was going to have to talk to Davis.
“Hey Babe, are you ready to go? The movie is going to start in a half hour.” Davis said, as he walked into the bedroom.
“I am almost ready.” She said as she wondered how things had happened the way they did.
They got ready and headed out. They were both looking forward to a future with limitless possibilities. Also knowing those possibilities were building up to something that was about to explode.
“Get your ass up here!” yelled Burt.
“Okay, chief. I am on my way.” Danny explained as he hung up the phone.
Danny knew he was new, but he could read people very well. He knew the editor was a mad man. He used his anger to stress his points of view. Danny didn’t mind, he liked his job and the people that were involved in it. He had grown up in Phoenix, AZ. He loved the desert sun. The way that mountains surrounded the “Valley of the Sun,” always gave him those peaceful memories of home. His parents had both died a few years ago. But he didn’t feel any pain anymore from it. He went to school and did what was expected of him. After college, he got the intern job at the paper. While he spent his time chasing stories, he was getting to know people. He could communicate well with anyone, and he had street smarts. His charisma, and book smarts made all of his traits an explosive combination. No one could compete with him, when it came to finding the truth in every situation. This ability allowed him to be the best he could be as a journalist. Now he was picking up the pace in his profession. The future was wide open and he liked the way it was unfolding.
“Come in.” Burt yelled.
“Hey chief, what’s up?” Danny asked as he opened the door and peeked in.
“Have a seat. I got something for you that is hot, hot, hot.” Burt jubilantly explained.
Burt began explaining the situation to Danny. Telling him about the cop that was killed a year and a half ago. Danny remembered it well. It was big.
“So, the guy was found not guilty. My readers want to know what’s going on. I need you to run around, get the facts and enlighten us on the current situation with this guy.” Burt exclaimed.
“So, I should go talk to the prosecutor, the lawyer, the investigating cop, the family of cop that was killed, and even the guy involved.” Danny said, trying to cover all the bases.
“Yeah, boy, that’s what I’m talking about. I knew this was a break that you could really enjoy. This is your chance kid, which is going to make or break your career. That piece you did on the water reclamation plant did numbers on my readers. The phone is still ringing on people being interested in it. So, go do what you got to do. Make me proud and content that I hired the right guy.” Burt spoke to Danny with such conviction, that Danny felt like he really did belong here.
“I am on top of it, chief. I won’t let you be disappointed.” Danny explained.
Danny got up shook the Burt’s hand and flew out of the office. He loved this game. It was a chase, if he was given the story; he could almost guarantee the other rival papers had someone working the same angles.
The quicker he gathered up the phone numbers of those he needed to contact, the better the story was going to be. Danny knew if he could call these people and be the first to speak to them, before all the other vultures started circling, he would not have to worry about them being sick of being interviewed. Danny decided that the first person he needed to call was the investigating officer. That was where the rest of the information would fall into place.
“Come on, just one drink.” Davis explained.
“No, I can’t believe you even have the nerve to try and get me to let you. You put me through hell with the last time you got drunk. Now you want me to go with you and start this shit all over again.” Beth yelled in a hurt voice.
“You act like I have a problem or something.” Davis replied.
“Oh, don’t get me started. We are still recovering from the last ordeal. But if you want to go out and drink, I’ll drop you off and you could walk home.” Beth yelled.
“Watch out! You almost hit that parked car!” Davis screamed as he grabbed the wheel to correct the car.
“Oh, well, this is great, you about wrecked the car for the second time.” Beth said. She shot an evil glance at Davis, obviously upset to lash out at Davis like that.
“Stop the fucking car.” Davis yelled as he reached for the door handle.
“What?” Beth replied in disbelief.
“I am fucking walking.” Davis yelled.
“Great!” Beth said.
She pulled over and tried to apologize, but as soon as the car stopped, Davis jumped out and started walking to clear his head. He just couldn’t accept what was happening. Nor did he want too. He walked along just thinking, not even aware of where he was headed or when he was going to get there. A red flashing light in the window brought him out of his daze. The sign read, “Red Dog on Draft.” Davis reached in his pocket and pulled out his money roll. He started thinking of how many beers it was going to take him to forget his pains and leave his misery behind him. Being drunk was the answer, or so he thought. Davis was always thinking. That’s where most of his troubles began.
Beth drove the car home and found solitude in the silence. She had grown accustomed to it, while Davis was gone. She missed Officer Daniels. She knew Davis would be gone for awhile. She figured she could talk to him for a few minutes hoping her uncertainty would pass.
“Hello,” The voice sounded from the receiver.
“Hi, I know I haven’t called in awhile, but I need to talk. You got a few minutes?” Beth asked.
“You can call me for anything, anytime, like I told you before. I am glad you are okay. I have been thinking about you a lot lately.” Officer Daniels explained.
“Davis came home!” Beth said.
“I know.” Officer Daniels replied.
They talked for an hour or so and Beth gotten a little something back because of it. She really needed to keep her sanity. The future was unfolding really fast, and she was having a hard time staying in control.
“I need another one with a shot of J.D.” Davis yelled as he slammed the money on the bar.
“It’s coming up.” The bartender yelled from down the bar.
Davis had been drinking for hours. The minutes floated by on a cloud of euphoria. He was pissed and the fire grew in his belly. The only thing he could do to quench his thirst is drink more and more until the pain faded away. It had become so distant, that he started to get comfortable. He mingled and laughed. This is where he felt he belonged.
“Hey, can I buy you a beer?” Davis asked.
“Sure, honey, have a seat.” Shirley smacked her gums together so loudly, it would have sounded like a cow chewing cud, to the sober mind.
Davis and Shirley drank together into the wee hours of the night. By the time the bartender called out, “Last Call,” they were thoroughly shit-faced. Shirley had aroused Davis and his inhibitions were nil because of the alcohol.
Shirley was a beautifully sculpted woman, thin figure, brown eyes, and lightly shaded oak brown hair that hung just above her eyebrows. The hair extended down to the middle of her back. Her breasts were large, and firm. The two nipples protruded through her maroon sweater so vividly, you could almost make out her areolas. She had on black jeans which were tight to the skin. Davis was in such a flirtatious mood, the alcohol helping him forget his woes with Beth.
“So what do you say, we go back to my place. I live within walking distance. We could go finish what we started here.” Shirley said.
Her eyelashes fluttered, her voice was slurred but Davis understood perfectly. He was used to the language of drunken English. He had become a master at it. He stood up, stumbled and pulled her bar chair away from the bar. He didn’t need to say a word, as he picked her up from underneath her armpits and gently set her on her feet. They left the bar and were well on their way to feeling good at least for tonight.
The clock on the nightstand read 3:30 a.m. in big bright red numbers. Beth’s mind raced about Davis. “Where could he be?” She thought. The last thing she ever dreamed or imagined was fighting with him. He had only been home for a little less than a week. Now she was sleeping next to an empty shadow. She got out of bed and went to the kitchen to get some milk. She hoped it would help her sleep, so she could awake to him and apologize.
The refrigerator door opened and the light flicked on. It illuminated the kitchen. Shadows danced and flickered on the countertops. The moon’s white light caressed the kitchen table like it was a god send with care. She looked around at all the beauty that amazed her eyesight. She still felt lonely but the spirit of God had enveloped her and made her feel warm and cozy. Her worries were valid, but now they were becoming distant the more she tried to accept the fact that she played a part. After she finished her glass of milk, she stared out the window at the moon. The white light created images all over the neighbor’s house. The face on the moon, stared down with a smile. She began to realize what she must do. Her life had changed, and what she and Davis needed to do, was sit and chat. She still wanted to be with him, but she needed to grow to love him all over again.
When Davis decided to come home, Beth made a decision to deal with this instead of running from it. She felt a little guilty about talking to Mark. Mark Daniels, Officer Daniels, whatever he was known as, had a lot of good advice for her. She could not tell if it was from ulterior motives, or just being sincere. She was happy even if he had other reasons for caring. Sharing her feelings was very important. She never fought with Mark. She had real feelings for him, but out of consideration for Davis, she cut her contact. Thus, the focus she once had for Davis, had faded so much that she could only see one vision, a single life with only herself to rely on. She could remember a time when she had a loving family and caring friends. These kinds of friends constantly surrounded her. Life had definitely changed in the past few years. So much so, she doubted her own sanity.
“What else could possibly go wrong?” She whispered to herself.
She sat there for a few more moments collecting her thoughts. Then finally exhausted, she dragged herself up the stairs and fell into her bed. She looked like a swimmer doing a belly flop. Her eyelids closed, seconds after the soft feel of the cotton sheets brushed against her face.
The pounding in his head was extremely painful. It made his eyelids want to stay permanently closed. He sat up, and put his feet on the floor. He opened his eyes and tried to focus his vision. He thought the hangover was affecting his sight. The room was different. He finally realized after noticing the room was small and the bed was large. He looked behind him, expecting to see Beth. Instead, he saw a rather large woman. She had pimples that covered her shoulders. Davis was thankful that was the only skin showing. The shape of Shamu the Killer Whale came to mind from looking at the silhouette of the covers draping over her body. Davis had forgotten what beer goggles really were. The woman he tried to remember from last night looked nothing like the horror lying next to him.
Quickly and without much thought, he threw on his pants. He didn’t notice the blood that soaked his boxers. Crawling on all fours, he searched frantically for his shirt and shoes. He didn’t care about his socks. He chuckled when he thought about her finding them and having a little memoir to remember him by. A smelly pair of socks, that was probably still damp from the sweat that seeped from the pores on his feet.
He threw his shirt over his head, put on the one shoe that he could find. The other he chalked up the God of beer. He ran out of the small apartment with one bare foot, one shoe, bloody boxers, and a memory of a woman that will probably haunt his dreams for eternity.
He walked out into the bright sunshine. He felt, he needed something to take away this headache. He started walking along the sidewalk trying to figure out where he was. He couldn’t remember anything after leaving the bar. He had blackouts before, but never this severe. Davis looked up, as he neared the intersection at Milwaukee and Bryn Mawr. He figured out he was on the north side of Chicago. She said she lived right down the street, was all he could think about. Schaumburg and the North side were miles apart. It was actually about thirty miles to be exact.
“What a lying Bitch.” He mumbled. “No wonder she looks like a fucking rhino.”
“Hey buddy, you alright. Let me guess woman problems.” The man asked that was standing at the corner waiting for the light to change so he could cross the street.
“Yeah, I was wearing beer goggles last night and woke up next to a behemoth.” Davis replied.
“Well, it looks like you could use something for that hangover. My name is Ray. I would only be doing you a favor by buying you a Bloody Mary.” Ray said.
“Yeah, I could go for that. But I don’t take charity. I got my own money.” Davis replied. He looked this guy up and down; he didn’t get the feeling like Ray was a homo.
“Hey man, I love woman, so don’t flatter yourself. The bar’s across the street. You could tell me all about your nightmare on Bourbon Street.” Ray replied.
“What? I didn’t say you were…” Davis tried to reply. Ray put his hand up. Davis shut up, knowing he wasn’t on the right level to be trying to lie.
“Lead the way.” Davis said as he motioned for Ray to hit the crosswalk the sign still read “walk” in bright white letters.
Beth opened her eyes. The clock read 10:30 a.m. She looked over at the empty space. Her heart broke. She had so hoped he would be here when she woke up. Now, she knew she had no choice but to put their marriage on hold. The break they had for fourteen months had become unbearable. Now he was out of jail for less than a week, and not coming home or calling.
She knew she couldn’t worry about it anymore. She jumped back into her usual Saturday morning routine. The house cleaning, laundry, shower, and those things that everybody hated to do. The spirit of God had left her while she slept. The patience of her mind had subsided, now her anger had reached the boiling point. The volcano is starting to smoke. The phone ringing in the distance brought back memories of a time when everybody thought she was important.
“Hello.” Beth answered in her soft voice.
“Hey, baby girl. I called to sell you on how spectacular you are. I cannot esplain to you how so importance of you and me. Blease, pelieve me. I love you.” Davis screamed. Trying to show his love in the easiest way a drunk could.
“Where are you?” Beth asked, trying to stay calm.
“Um, HEY RAY, WHERE AM I? Ha, ha, ha.” Yelled Davis into the phone, thinking he was talking to Ray at the other end of the tavern.
Beth pulled the phone away from her ear and took three deep breaths. If she could find out where he was at, she would drive to him and kill him. At least that’s how she felt at this point.
“Honey, where are you?” Beth asked, more polite and soothing this time. She tried so hard to hide the anger she was feeling.
“Milwaukee!” Davis replied.
Wisconsin, oh no, I can’t deal with this right now. How the fuck did you end up in Wisconsin?” Beth finally lost it. She couldn’t hold the anger in any longer.
“Whoa, honey, baby, no, no, no…” Davis tried to explain.
“Shut up and listen. I didn’t wait for fourteen months, willing and open-minded, just so you can throw your life away all over again. I will not stand for it. Put the bartender on the phone.” Beth screamed.
“Quit bitching for a minute. What is it? That time of the month again.” Davis yelled.
“Oh! You! You! BARTENDER! PHONE! NOW!!!? Beth replied trying to hold onto the very little patience she had left.
“Fuck!” Davis screamed.
Beth heard the receiver slam into the wall. In the background she heard the few distant voices of the ghosts. Those broken down humans who had decided they thought they had found the serenity in the bottom of bottles. She knew all too well, how society washed away their problems on finely carved wooden bars. Her father was an alcoholic. She knew the drinking put him in the grave early, and her man was following down the same road.
“My fucking ball and chain wants a word with you. She’s fucking crazy.” Davis said to the bartender.
“This job has many requirements like listening to your sob stories, kicking your ass when needed, filling your empty dream catchers with alcohol, and taking your money with a smile. It doesn’t require me having to talk to any women who are not drinking at my bar. Understand.” Steve the bartender replied.
“I know, but she obviously doesn’t want to talk to me. So please give me a break.” Davis asked, trying to sound sincere.
“Oh, that’s touching, but FUCK OFF.” Steve said, trying to sound like an asshole, and a doing a good job at it.
Davis walked back to the payphone. He ran smack into the pool table. The impact threw him off balance and put his butt on the floor. Alcohol and balance rarely went hand in hand.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Davis yelled from the floor.
The laughter from the loyal army of alcoholics filled his head. He felt all the blood rush to his ears and cheeks. Rage filled his heart. He jumped up and grabbed the nearest guy. Davis pulled him from his stool with such force, that Davis lost his grip and the guy smashed his head against the floor. Davis jumped on top of him and threw fist after fist. After a few seconds, the rest of the patrons had tackled Davis and subdued him so he couldn’t do anymore damage. The guy that was attacked was helped to his feet. Ray gave him his handkerchief to stop the blood that was draining from his broken nose.
Steve, the bartender, picked up the phone behind the bar, and called the police. Ray made his way over to the payphone and picked it up to talk to Beth.
“Hello!” Ray spoke into the receiver.
“Who is this?” Beth asked. She didn’t like all the things she had heard while she sat there listening to everything that had happened.
“Ray Thorogood.” Ray said.
“I need to know, exactly where you are at, so I can come get my husband.” Beth exclaimed, sounding concerned.
“We are at Mil-Mawr tavern. It’s on the corner of Milwaukee and Bryn Mawr in Jefferson Park. We are just east of O’Hare.” Ray replied.
“Oh, I thought Davis was in Milwaukee. I guess I need to calm down a bit. Anyway, I am on my way. How do I get there from Hanover Park?” Beth asked. She was now feeling a little stupid, since she had started fighting with Davis over a misunderstanding.
“Well, He just got into a fight, and I am pretty sure that Steve the bartender is going to have the police take him away. But I’ll wait for you here no matter what happens. You can take route 53 north to I-90 east, get off at Nagle, make a left at the light, then a right at Bryn Mawr which is the next light. The bar is on the left on the corner at the second light which is Milwaukee Avenue.” Ray said.
“Well, if you could somehow keep him out of jail, I would really appreciate it.” Beth replied. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Ray replied.
“Thank you.” Beth said as she hung the phone up.
She hurried out the door with just the keys, her purse, and some of the sanity she was trying to maintain. The drive into the city was stressful. It didn’t matter. She could not stay calm, no matter what she did. Music usually calmed her emotions, but everything bothered her. From other drivers going to slow or not using their turn signals to change lanes. This was not the person that she looked at every morning in the mirror.
Following the directions that Ray had given her, she arrived in one piece physically. A few thousand pieces emotionally and mentally. She pulled into the little parking lot in front of the little strip mall that sat across from the bar on the corner of Milwaukee and Bryn Mawr. She walked across the street and held her breath while saying a prayer as she opened the door and walked into the dark tavern. She scanned the room, saw two gentleman drinking at the bar, being accompanied by a alcohol devil pretending to be human, standing on the liquor side of the bar. One of the men looked over and got up to approach her.
“You must be Davis’ wife, right.” Ray said as he put his hand out to her in a gentlemanly manner. Beth nodded.
“I’m sorry, I’m Beth.” Beth said, a little concerned since she didn’t see Davis anywhere.
“I see it in your eyes. What I mean is, they arrested him for battery. We should go to the police station. The victim, Larry, is there filling out the complaint. I’ll go with you and fill you in on what happened. It’s the least I could do.” Ray said, trying to be comforting. Ray always had trouble talking to women. Which was probably good indication on he was single most of the time.
When Beth and Ray made it to the 16th precinct, they sat outside while Ray filled her in as best as he could. He told her everything except the fact about Davis’ little rendezvous with Shamu from the night before. They went into the station and found out the rest of the details.
“Okay ma’am, your husband is charged with battery, as of right now.” The desk sergeant exclaimed.
“What do you mean, ‘right now’?” Beth asked.
“Well, I can’t disclose the particulars but we are investigating some other things that came to light after we transported your husband to the station.” The sergeant replied.
“Can I see him?” Beth asked.
“Let me check.” The sergeant replied as he picked up the phone to get the okay.
“Well, thank you so much, Ray.” Said Beth facing Ray and letting him go of any further obligations.
“Anytime, take care of him. He needs you.” Ray replied. Ray turned to leave and find his way to Pat’s Pub. Since it was only a block away, and he needed to finish what he started earlier this morning. The porcelain God would be mighty upset if Ray didn’t show up later to pray.
“Okay, you can see him for ten minutes. Come on, and follow me.” The sergeant said as he directed her into a secure door. The room they entered was long; four large holding tanks lined the left wall. Visiting cubicles took up the space in the middle. A few cops were typing reports; a couple others were having conversations with a few other offenders.
Beth looked into one of the holding tanks and spotted Davis in a paper jumpsuit lying on a metal bench that hung from the wall. A tear formed in the corner of her left eye. She thought all this jail visiting had ended. Now here she was, getting emotional all over again.
“Stiles, get up, your wife’s here.” The sergeant yelled.
Davis sat up, while another officer put him in shackles and locked him up to an O-ring that was anchored to the wall.
“Okay ten minutes.” The sergeant said. He motioned her into the cell.
She sat down on the bench next to Davis. He grabbed her hand and caressed it as he tried to focus his drunken vision on her soft beautiful face.
“I’m sorry, baby.” Davis said.
“What’s going on?” Beth asked.
“Well, they think I hurt someone else besides the guy I beat up.” Davis replied.
“What are you talking about?” Beth asked.
“I had bloody boxers on when they stripped me.” Davis replied.
“What?” Beth asked. The expression on her face said it all.
“I…” Davis choked out as he looked to the floor, “went home with this lady Shirley last night. I think I slept with her, and I can’t remember. The cops think I did something else. They are checking out my story.”
“YOU MOTHER FUCKER!!!” Beth screamed as she began to smack him in the face with both hands. The tantrum was intense. She stopped suddenly and stood up to leave. He tried to speak, she just walked out. He looked up as she disappeared, the door slammed shut with the cop just shaking his head in disbelief or disgust. Davis couldn’t tell which it was, because he just felt like dying.
CHAPTER 3
“Hello” The raspy voice of an older lady came through the receiver.
“Hi, my name is Danny Doderling. I am a reporter for the Daily Sun.” replied Danny.
“I really don’t think…” The old lady tried to speak but was quickly cut off.
“Listen, ma’am, I am only calling to do a story on the injustice of Davis Stiles. I believe the state was wrong for trying to convict him of vehicular homicide.” Danny replied, trying to cover his true intentions.
“No comment.” The voice exclaimed.
The slamming of the receiver from the other end, made Danny remove the phone from his ear. He had been hung up on numerous times. Every time it happened, his enthusiasm grew stronger. He knew there was a story to uncover. If he kept digging, he was going to find his treasure.
So far, Danny had uncovered some promising leads. As a reporter, he knew the phone work was a boring part of the job. As he uncovered more and more leads, he could then hit the streets with a little ammunition.
“Come in.” Danny answered to the knock on the door.
Angie walked through the door, smiling. Her brown hair hanging down to her shoulders, shined under the office’s fluorescent lights. Danny looked her up and down. He loved being in Angie’s company. He always felt like he had something to offer her beyond the job. He was infatuated with her, so much so, that he often lost focus of what he was doing, whenever she blessed him with her presence.
“Here you go. I thought you might like a copy of the water plant story. You told me once about your scrapbook. I thought this would be good for you.” Angie said as she handed him a copy of his story.
“Thanks a lot.” Danny replied with a grateful smile.
Their hands brushed against each other as they exchanged the copy. Angie looked right into Danny’s eyes. She loved to do this, so the guys couldn’t focus on her body. She knew she looked good, but when working, she was all business. She held the gaze for a few seconds until Danny looked down at his desk. Angie then stole a few glances of her own.
Danny was a well built physical machine. His biceps were tight, and the black t-shirt he was wearing, rippled from his muscular torso. He was five foot seven inches, light blonde hair, and glistening green eyes. His nose was pointed and the cleft in his chin gave him the look of a man who displayed his machismo with pride. He was wearing black jeans that fell loose enough to practically cover his Giorgio Brutini dress shoes. His hands were soft and manicured. He had callous’ from pens. Definitely not a man who got his hands dirty, much. A few seconds passed, and Angie started to imagine those hands caressing her body.
“What else is going on?” Danny asked with an evil smirk.
Angie saw the smirk and knew she must have been staring. “Burt sent me down here to find out where you are at. Plus he wanted me to help you out if you need it.”
“Well, I talked to an Officer Daniels. He was the arresting officer in the case. He is going to meet me for dinner later for an interview. You can come with if you want?” finished Danny.
“Um, yeah, I can cancel the plans I got tonight. Burt wants this story bad. I know I can help you get it on the front page. Talk about a career maker.” Angie excitedly pumped up her intentions.
“Cool, then it’s a date. Here is a list of others that were involved in the case. I think I can use these if I get nowhere with the cop. But, you can take this to Burt and tell me what he thinks.” Danny said as he handed over the list to her.
Angie turned to leave, spun her head around, so her hair flew gently around, brushing her cheek like a fan blowing newspapers.
“Pick me up at my apartment around 6:30 p.m. I’ll make sure I am ready.” Angie said.
Danny wanted to keep the upper hand. He was supposed to meet the cop at 8 p.m. at the Blue Angel on Milwaukee and Central. Angie lived closer to Foster and Pulaski. Danny knew that the ride would only be ten minutes or so.
“Perfect, I think the cop is going to be there around 7 p.m. So, if you’re ready when I get there, I think we will be there on time.” Danny replied. He had ulterior motives, and he could carry them out with that extra hour. He would be able to work his own agenda and the newspaper’s, at the same time.
“Great. I’ll see you later.” Replied Angie as she glided out of the office on wings of delight.
“See ya later.” Danny exclaimed.
He sat back down at his desk. He couldn’t even focus on his job. He was more interested in what tonight was going to bring, such as firecrackers and balloons, otherwise known as the fourth of July. He thought to himself while grinning one of the grins that parents always knew, meant you were up to something mischievous.
Crack, crack, crack, was the sound of a foot stomping on the steel cell door. Davis had begun to sober up. His mind reeled around and around. The images of his recent afflictions spun around in his brain like goldfish in a plastic bag looking for oxygen. The movie in his brain played through with bits and pieces trying to fit together even though frames were missing.
Davis recalled fighting with Beth, then meeting Shirley. Finally, he could only remember meeting Ray with one shoe. He could feel the emotion of the moment, that uneasy feeling of not belonging when he walked into the bar with Ray. He tried so hard to avoid the stares. Knowing full well, the entire bar was looking at him with remembrance of those unfortunates, the ones who stood at busy intersections with half empty bottles of Windex and spit. Ready, willing, and unable to clean your windshield for whatever change your cup holder had collected. The one guy that stuck in his mind was the one he accosted. Davis felt no remorse. It was a feeling he had learned to deal with while he spent fourteen months in jail. He recalled the two times he had gotten into fights. Both situations probably could have been avoided. His own anger and frustration led him down a path with only one companion. He walked hand in hand with the Devil, himself. He recalled just how he had gotten from there to another jail cell; here.
“When are you gonna figure this shit out?” He asked himself.
Davis pulled himself up from the cement floor. The headache had slowed down to a slow beat in his right temple. He stepped over to the metal sink. Looking into the mirror, he focused his vision on his counter-part. He hated his reflection. Even in the morning, when he practiced his daily hygiene. He would brush his teeth away from the mirror. When he combed his hair, he would hurry up and do it. There could be no hesitation for a man who hated himself.
“Well, buddy, looks like you really done it this time.” He bowed his head, feeling the disappointment that his reflection was giving him.
His head hung there for what seemed like an eternity. He closed his eyes, sighed heavily, and then gripped the cold metal that his palms rested on.
“This fucking shit has got to stop.” He yelled at the top of his lungs. The echo was loud in his small cubicle called “home.”
“Knock, knock.” The sound of ringed fingers clanged against the steel door.
Davis lifted his head and shot a broken man’s glance. He saw the “turn key” standing on the other side of the door. Through the six by twelve inch window in the steel door, Davis walked over to the door.
“Are you done bein’ a fuckin’ whiner?” The Chicago cop asked.
“Yeah…” Davis replied, finally broken, like an egg that shatters on the pavement.
“Good. ‘Cause you can make your phone call.” The cop said.
Davis could tell the cop didn’t give a fuck. But he needed to call Beth. He needed to reach out and say he was sorry. He needed her to comfort him like she had done in the past with that love that covered his black heart. It was the kind of love that filled him with hopes and dreams. The kind that took away all the dark and hideous things Davis had concealed for so long.
“Hello.” Beth’s soft voice whispered into the telephone.
“Hey, Beth. It’s Mark. Are you busy?” Mark asked.
“Hi, no, I am just sitting here wallowing, if you know what I mean.” Replied Beth jokingly.
“Yeah, are you and Davis still having a thing? Did he ever come home the other night?” Mark asked with a sense of caring.
“No, I talked to him though. He is back in jail, but there is a hell of a lot more going on. I really don’t want to talk about it on the phone. I just feel real lousy right now.” Beth whispered.
Mark could tell she was upset. He did not want to push the issue. He tried that before, and it blew up in his face. She stopped calling him and became so distant, that he could not even tell someone else if she was alive or dead. He was not going to go through that again, no matter what.
“Well, I was calling to see what you were up to tonight. I have to do some public relations work, and I was hoping we could get together afterwards.” Mark explained his situation as best as he could. He knew full well, he had agreed to an interview about Davis. The last thing he needed was for Beth to find out about it.
“You know, I think I would like that. God knows, I need to go out and get out of my head. I am swimming in self-pity right now.” Beth replied.
“Great. I’ll stop by and pick you up about 10 p.m. We can go out dancing and take it from there.” Mark said excitedly. He felt like a school boy all over again. That feeling you get when you asked a girl out, and she says “yes.” The heart pumping a couple hundred times a minute. His face was flushed and his grin stretched from ear to ear.
“O.K., I’ll be ready. I’ll see ya later.” Beth replied.
The other line beeped in, before Mark had a chance to say his good-byes. Beth wanted to let Mark say good-bye before she interrupted him.
“Oh, I heard the pause, you must have another call. I’ll let you go and see you around 10.” Mark hurriedly rambled.
“O.K., bye. Oh and thanks Mark.” Beth said with a lot more enthusiasm than she had had when she first answered the phone.
“No problem, bye.” Mark relayed as quick as he could. He heard another click and pause. He hung up, never realizing what a small decision like a date was going to have on his life.
Beth clicked the flash button on her phone. She was in much better spirits now. Those black demons that gnawed at her heart were chained up for the moment.
“Hey, baby.” Davis talked so shallow Beth could barely hear him. He didn’t even let her say hello. As soon as he had heard the phone click over, he spoke.
“Hi!” Beth replied. She felt all those demons pull at her heart. It took a few minutes for one man to make her feel good, and only ten seconds for those evil feelings to emerge on the wings of those black demons that she tried so desperately to escape from.
“Look, I only have three minutes to talk. So I am going to explain everything first, then we can use what time we have left for whatever else. Okay.” Davis hurriedly spoke into the phone.
“Sure, whatever.” Now sounding very sarcastic, Beth could not help it.
“I am going to Cook County Jail for bond court in the morning. I will probably have a five hundred dollar bond. They talked to that lady, Shirley. My story checked out. Now I know this hurts but they thought I hurt her. She bled all over me while we had sex. I guess it was that time of the month. Anyway, I know I hurt you, but I need you right now.” Davis explained.
“One question, Did you wear a rubber?” Beth asked as she cut into his three minute speech. She didn’t want to hear about this right now.
“I can’t remember, but…” Davis’ sentence was cut-off by a receiver hanging up and then a dial tone followed.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” Davis screamed as he beat the black handled receiver against the payphone. The top of the receiver broke into three or four pieces. Wires of all different colors were the only things holding it together.
The two cops that worked in the detainment facility at the 16th precinct tackled Davis and fought with him until they were able to subdue him. They dragged him back to his cell. He was still cuffed, when they threw him onto the cold concrete floor. Davis’ hands were cuffed behind his back, leaving him with nothing to break his fall, but a cheekbone.
“Dirty drunk,” The one cop flared.
“Fuckers never learn. People including their own girlfriends can’t stand ‘em.” The cop exclaimed.
“Un-fucking believable.” Davis screamed obscenities at himself lying there on the floor. His face now throbbed along with his head. He wondered if things would ever go right in his life. He thought about what Beth was doing. He pictured her crying and being hurt. Anger would have been the easiest thing to deal with, if he really knew that she was getting modeled up for another man.
“I’m out front. Are you coming down?” Danny asked.
“Yeah, I have been waiting for you. I thought you were going to be here by 6:30. I mean its a few minutes past 7. Aren’t you afraid you are going to miss the cop?” Angie asked.
“Not if you hang up and get down here with a little less lip service.” Danny jokingly replied.
“Yada, yada, yada, good bye.” Angie replied.
She hung up the phone and ran out of the apartment. When she reached the front door of the building, she could see Danny waiting impatiently in his baby blue Mitsubishi 3000GT. He was double parked and motioning for her to come on.
Danny waved his hand from inside the car. He wanted to see her full figure in the black dress she was wearing. She flowed on currents as she walked. The sight of her body gave Danny a slight interest in his pants. He had to move in order to adjust himself accordingly. If Danny wasn’t working on this story, he would be committing all his energy to working on Angie.
Angie opened the car door and slid into the sports car. She pulled the dress down, this was a lady, a real lady, or so Danny thought. The smell of perfume drifted into his nostrils. He kicked the car into first gear and peeled out on the damp pavement. The night’s mist gave the city lights look like they were alive. Danny was feeling the adrenaline from a pretty girl who smelled great. Tonight was going to be a great night.
Mark Daniels sat in the booth eyeing his watch. Time always ticked by slowly when you watched it. Amazingly time is man made, yet we have no control over it anymore. Mark thought about how time has become its own god. Answering to no one and following a path that stops for nothing.
The coffee was hot and black. The way Mark liked it. He sat there staring out the window. Traffic rolled by the window facing Milwaukee Avenue. Mark thought about the future. The smoke from his non-filtered Camels swirled in front of the window. The shapes of the wisps created pictures of sunsets and sandy beaches. In the distance, the horizon was alive with steel soldiers marching on in search of adventure. He pictured himself and Beth walking hand in hand on bare feet. Sand crunched between the toes. Two black Labradors circled…
“Officer Daniels.” Danny interrupted.
Mark flipped his around quickly with a jerk. He focused on the present, grimacing with a fake smile, still wishing he was somewhere else, doing something else, with someone else. Thoughts of grandeur vanished, and it was back to business.
“Yes, you must be Danny Doderling. I am sorry; I see you are with company. I figured it wise to arrive early and go over the file. It’s not exactly a fresh case for me. I testified over four months ago. I turned it over to the prosecutor to ho his job. I guess we all did the best we could with what we had.” Mark finished explaining himself. He motioned for Danny and Angie to sit down across the table from him. Normally he would have stood up to greet them, but his thoughts trailed off to more personal things.
Angie and Danny both slid into the booth. Mark motioned for the waitress to make her way over to their table at her earliest convenience.
“Hi, I am Mark Daniels, trooper in the Illinois State Police.”
“You know who I am, and this is my editor’s assistant, Angie Starks.” Danny replied.
Mark reached across the table and shook both of their hands. Danny rushed to find his list of questions and tape recorder. He didn’t know Mark would be here early; waiting. Now, it was a matter of damage control. The story was important all of sudden. His lust for Angie had been thrust into the back seat because of someone else’s actions.
“Well, you know what I asked you here for. I am doing a story about Davis Stiles, and his case of vehicular homicide. I will be investigating both sides. So I can portray the full story. All I really need from you is what you saw and maybe explanations about how you saw the way things really were that night.” Danny explained.
“I guess I’ll start from the beginning.” Mark replied.
Danny clicked the tape recorder on, pulled out his questions and waited patiently for Mark’s story to build itself up to be a blockbuster. Mark drank cup after cup of coffee. They went back and forth with the story.
Beth sat in front of her mirror. She had come a long way emotionally and mentally. Her parents’ dying was hard to deal with at first, but things got easier with time. She realized she was alone, but it was going to be okay. God had blessed her life. This made her feel secure. She knew her parents were in a place of peace.
Davis had really gotten under her skin. But she made a promise to him. “IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, TIL DEATH DO US PART!” She tried day in and day out to keep her vows. It was very trying on her at times, but she managed as best she could. This recent event was unexpected. With Davis being in jail for fourteen months, she forgot about those little uncontrollable urges he had. They always drove him to drink. When he started, he just couldn’t stop. The only remedy after his first drink was sleep. Then when he woke up, the only thing that kept his mind from wandering that day was sex. Beth loved the way Davis made love to her. She felt closest to him at those times. She was soon realizing that sex might be all there was to the whole marriage.
She brushed her hair over and over. She was deep in thought, staring into an ocean of blue eyes. She imagined her life if she had only went left instead of right. With an instant of thought, the plan opened up like a picture book. No words were needed to see her final destination. She would go to court tomorrow, see her man and get him if she could. The best way for her to get over her anger and disappointment was to go ahead and get even. She planned it out and then did what she thought was right. “A tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye.”
“Did you believe some of the stuff he was saying? When I asked for the interview, I had no idea I was going to hit the jackpot.” Danny spoke loudly, so he could over-compensate for the background noise at the bar. Danny talked Angie into going out for a few drinks to celebrate.
“Burt is going to be so proud of you tomorrow. Plus, you know that story has to be written before the paper goes to press tonight. After we finish these drinks, I’ll help you get it down and out in time.” Angie replied.
“Great, we can go to the office and put it imprint.” Danny yelled.
“No, how about we go to my place and then upload it. It will give us more time to celebrate afterwards. And there will be fewer distractions.” Angie yelled back. She had finally come to terms with passion. The passion that she felt run through her body was like a river rushing through a canyon. It gains so much speed along its way, it crashes and swirls along a rough path. When it finally reaches its destination, its calm on top but churns underneath, it is the current of love.
Danny couldn’t believe it was going to be this easy. It was a whole different story to print, and a lovely woman to go with it. He was searching for a piece of gold, but struck oil instead. This story was slowly forming in his head. He didn’t want to forget about the form, so he paid the tab, grabbed Angie and flew out of the bar. They moved so fast, one other bar patron’s dress flew up behind her and gave all the horny drunks a free show. Danny and Angie laughed knowing she was probably going to give some guy more than a free show.
Beth answered the door, knowing full well, who would be standing on the other side. Mark stood there with a bouquet of flowers and a bag of trail mix.
“I would have brought you chocolate, but I knew you quit eating it. So here is something healthy for you.” Mark explained his motives.
“Well, aren’t you the thoughtful date.” Beth laughed.
Mark was a little taken a back. He assumed this was going to be a long process. Her saying the word “date” gave him high hopes and expectations that he had not had when he knocked on the door. He smiled and handed over his gifts.
“Thank you, come in, I am almost ready.” Replied Beth, as she stepped back and motioned him in, with a sweeping motion of her left arm.
Mark swept past her and made his way into the kitchen. He was familiar with the house on Cumberland. Of course, the first floor was as far as he had managed to conquer. He made himself comfortable at the kitchen table. No words needed to be exchanged. He knew the routine, she would go back upstairs, get ready, and be back down to leave in about fifteen minutes. He waited patiently, reading the daily paper.
“Can you believe it?” Danny asked.
“No, I am still stunned. Who would ever have thought that this was going to fall into your lap like this?” Angie replied.
She leaned over Danny, while he typed away at the keyboard. He was sort of distracted by her perfume. Her neck looked like a peach that Danny wanted to suck on until he reached the pit. He kept his concentration on his story long enough to get it done and out of the way. The story was good or so he thought. They uploaded the information to the printing department at the paper. Angie had already called Burt and filled him in on the details. Burt was ecstatic and gave the green light to run with it.
Danny pressed enter with the help of Angie’s finger pressing on top of his. He glanced over at Angie and caught her stare. She smiled at him with such happiness, that joy filled his heart. He put his arm over her shoulder and stood up. He pulled her closer, and kissed her. Not caring what her reaction would be. His intentions were met with open arms. She kissed him back and pushed him to the floor. They rolled around wrestling on the floor, giving and taking.
“I wanted this for so long.” Danny whispered in her ear.
“Shhh.” Angie replied with her finger pressing against his lips.
They pulled and ripped at each other’s clothing until they were both naked on the floor. Skin to skin filled their area with pleasures unimaginable to a virgin.
Beth and Mark danced the night away until two or three in the morning. Mark went to drive Beth home. He had no idea, what was on Beth’s mind. They didn’t talk much throughout the night. She was having fun, and that was all Mark could ask for. They arrived back at Beth’s house. She opened the door and got out without a word. Mark didn’t know how to react. He thought they had such a good time and here she was running into her house without even saying good-bye. He watched her disappear into the house. They hadn’t been drinking, so she wasn’t drunk.
He sat there for a minute not understanding the situation. He looked up at the front door realizing she had left it wide open. It took a second for it to register, then his eyes opened real wide and hurriedly grabbed for his car door handle. He jumped out and ran inside the house.
“Beth, Beth, Are you alright.” Yelled Mark from downstairs. Visions of suicide ran through his mind. He kept yelling and running upstairs. An area once forbidden out of respect for Beth and the things he thought he valued, friendship being the most important one.
“I’m in here.” Beth’s soft, seductive voice came from the bedroom.
“Oh man, you have no idea…” Mark tried to get out as he strolled into the bedroom. Relief from her voice turned into quick astonishment as his eyes focused on her naked body sprawled out on the bed. He was speechless. There Beth laid, fingers gliding up and down her body, stopping a few seconds at a time to rub and massage those “sweet spots.”
Beth looked at Mark and knew he was enjoying her little show. She anticipated his strong biceps rippling as he would grab and caress her. This was her payback. The revenge she thought was going to help her deal with Davis. Now they could be on the same level. She would be there to get him out of jail and then tell him all about her little moment of evil. The evil had been opened up from the depths of darkness, by Davis. She would close that door. Revenge would be so sweet. Or so she thought to herself. Mark pulled off his shirt to reveal the great physique of a cop. He slid into bed next to her naked, succulent body. This was his chance and he would put his all into it. He was going to make her his, now and forever to come.
The night was filled with screams. Five voices echoed all over Chicago. Four were screams of passion. The fifth was a scream of a different source; it was the screaming from a man who had over-drafted his account at the Spiritual Bank of God.
Davis cried himself to sleep. He needed help, and he finally knew it. Deep in his heart, an answer came to him. He had problems with alcohol, he made a promise to get help and make things right with Beth. Time went by, and Davis slowly drifted off to sleep, dreaming of better days.
“Wake up, you slimy dirty fucking drunk.” The cop yelled. He looked down at Davis on the floor. The cop was disgusted by the sight of a man lying there cuffed, dirty, and reeking of alcohol.
“It’s time for court.” The cop screamed, as he sent a steel toed boot into Davis’ ribcage.
“OW, YOU FUCK.” Davis screamed.
