Visions of Hope

by Candace Murrow

  The deputy turned back to Libby. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

  "My ex-husband."

  "He assaulted her, can't you see that?" Ellen said.

  "I need to hear it from you, ma'am."

  "He came for money. We argued. He hit me."

  "He threatened both of us," Ellen said.

  Ellen and the deputy helped Libby off the floor and walked her to the sofa. He spotted the gun on the coffee table. "Is that your gun?"

  "Yes."

  "It's not loaded," Ellen said.

  "Did he have this?"

  "I got it out of the drawer to scare him, and he took it away from me," Ellen said.

  "Did he threaten you with it?"

  "He knocked it out of my hand and took it away from me. He was going to beat her with it."

  The deputy focused on Libby. "You can press charges against him, ma'am. You have a good witness."

  "I don't want to. I know all about the hotline for battered women and the shelters. I've been through this before."

  "I'll arrange to have your injuries looked at."

  "That's not necessary. He only hit me once. There are no other injuries. I'm just shook up."

  "Libby..."

  "I think you should be checked out, ma'am."

  "I said no. I'm all right."

  After taking Dan's full name and description, the deputy stepped outside to make a call. Another vehicle came up the driveway.

  Ellen ran to the window. "Charlie's here. He's talking to the deputy." She opened the front door and waited until he came up the walkway and into the house. "Oh, Charlie, it was awful."

  Charlie moved directly to Libby's side. "That's going to be a nasty bruise. Why don't you let me take you into town and get it looked at? It will help with evidence against him. You can press charges."

  Libby held her palm to her face. Sitting here with a cop was like déjà vu. "I can't do that, Charlie. It will just make him angrier than he is now, and he'll want revenge. He's been in jail before, and it didn't do any good."

  "But he assaulted you. That's a crime, and he should be punished."

  "I won't press charges."

  "Libby, don't be stubborn about this."

  "I won't do it."

  "At least get a restraining order against him," Ellen said.

  "I've had those before. With him it doesn't help."

  Ellen went into the kitchen, returned with an ice bag, and handed it to Libby. "You've got to do something, Charlie."

  "She needs to press charges."

  "What if he comes back?" Ellen's face was panic-stricken, and she exchanged glances with Charlie.

  The thought of his return made Libby's throat tighten. They didn't know the seriousness of his visit, the threat of rape, and she kept it to herself. She could still smell his foul breath. She just wanted the nightmare to end.

  The deputy came to the door, and he and Charlie had a discussion. The deputy left. Charlie came into the house.

  "Should we call Kipp?" Ellen said.

  Libby removed the ice bag from her cheek. "Don't be ridiculous."

  "He might care what's happened to you."

  "He has enough to worry about right now. I'm not his concern."

  "I think you're mistaken."

  "I'm just shook up a little. I just want to lie down and rest." When she got up, her legs wobbled, and she reached out to Charlie for support.

  Ellen took her arm. "I'll walk her down to the bedroom and be back in a minute." Once they were in the bedroom, Ellen helped Libby lie down and draped an afghan over her. "I'm so sorry this happened. I feel like a fool, staying in my room like that."

  "Don't beat yourself up. You had no choice. I'm just sorry he said those mean things to you."

  "You know the old saying, sticks and stones..."

  "You're a good friend, Ellen. You called 9-1-1 and Charlie, didn't you? You did exactly what you should have done."

  "At least I did that. Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up." Ellen leaned over and lightly kissed Libby's forehead. She closed the bedroom door on the way out.

  * * *

  CHAPTER 31

  Ellen wiped the corners of her eyes as she walked down the hallway. What a cruel man Libby had married. Ellen recalled how infatuated Libby was before the marriage, and she wondered how Libby could have been so taken in, especially with her psychic nature. Love was definitely blind.

  In the heat of the moment, Ellen had used her cell phone to call Charlie, and now he was waiting for her in the living room. With Dan out of the picture and Libby in bed, Ellen and Charlie would be alone. She wished she had dressed in something other than shorts.

  As Ellen entered the room, Charlie stood and smiled awkwardly at her and sat after she made herself comfortable. "Can you tell me the details?"

  "It was awful, Charlie. After Kipp and Kelly left, I went into the bedroom to take a nap. I don't know how long I was in there because I fell asleep, but I woke up to voices, arguing. When I went to investigate, I saw him holding Libby's wrist and yelling at her. It was just awful."

  "Then what happened?"

  "When he saw me, he let her go, but he made these crude remarks. I ran to my room and called 9-1-1, then you. Then I got Libby's gun."

  "What the hell were you going to do with Libby's gun?"

  "What do you think I was going to do? He was threatening her."

  "Jeez, Ellen, you're the one who could have been booked in jail."

  "Well, I didn't get that chance because he knocked the gun out of my hand. Besides, it wasn't loaded."

  "Jesus." He threw up his hands.

  "Charlie, you weren't here. You have no idea what it felt like to be threatened by that maniac."

  "I'm sorry, Ellen. I just wish you two would learn how to use a gun."

  "Well, maybe if you'd teach me..."

  "Maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea."

  Ellen paused, wondering if Charlie was alluding to spending more time with her. "Anyway, he said all kinds of nasty things to me, and he grabbed Libby by the hair, so I charged him. I was going to beat him up really good."

  Charlie smirked, was having a hard time keeping a straight face, and Ellen glared. "Charlie." He cleared his throat and his expression changed back to concern.

  "He shoved me back with his boot and told me to stay in my room or he'd do something horrible to..." Libby's name caught in her throat. She sniffled, and Charlie offered her a hanky. "I feel so guilty because I just left her there with him. Lord knows what else he did to her."

  Charlie scooted over and put his arm around her. "Hey, you did what you had to. It's called survival, babe. Besides, if you had defied him, he might have done something terrible to you. What did he come here for, anyway? What were they arguing about?"

  "Money. He smelled like a booze hound. He probably needed money for alcohol."

  "I bet drugs. People don't do stupid things for alcohol. They do it for drugs."

  "He looked half-crazed. His eyes were on fire. I never saw anyone like that."

  "He was probably higher than a kite. When was the last time she saw him?"

  "I don't know. Maybe two, three years ago."

  "He must have been pretty desperate to seek her out after all that time. I'm going to make a call."

  Ellen held him back. "She doesn't want you to."

  "I need to call the sheriff's office and find out if they caught up with the guy." He patted her knee and left to use the phone in his car.

  From where Ellen was sitting, she had a good view of Charlie striding down the sidewalk. Dressed in dark slacks and a short-sleeved, white shirt, he looked distinguished, all business. He swaggered a little when he walked.

  With the crisis passed, her thoughts drifted to her relationship, or non-relationship, with Charlie. He had come to their rescue at a moment's notice, and that was sexy. The man was sexy.

  She weighed the shoulds in her life with the wants: she should go home and be a good wife, but she wanted
to be loved by someone who respected her and treated her like a queen, someone like Charlie.

  Charlie came into the house, carrying a duffel bag. "I made the call, and you're not going to believe this, but he's already been stopped."

  "What happened?"

  "He tore out of here like a wild man, and I guess he kept driving the same way when he got spotted."

  "Will he go to jail?"

  "He's in jail." Charlie dropped his bag in the foyer and sat with her. "Is the guy married?"

  "Yes, but no doubt she's a battered woman."

  "I'm worried about when he gets out," Charlie said. "He might turn his attention to Libby again."

  "Why so? Law enforcement was here. Why would he chance it?"

  "Who's the last person he was with before his life went in the toilet?"

  "That wasn't her fault."

  "The way a guy like that thinks is not rational. He'll blame her for his latest problems."

  "Why not his wife?"

  "In his mind Libby is still one of his possessions," Charlie said. "She always will be. Remember, it was the cancer that parted them. He'd probably still be here if it wasn't for that. Now that her health is better, I bet he's turned his sights on her again."

  "But he's married, and he came for money."

  "I'm not saying he didn't need the money," Charlie said, "but I bet that wasn't the only reason he came here. His present marriage has been a diversion, and now that it's a mess, which I bet it is, he needs Libby. She's made something of herself, she lives comfortably, and he can't stand the thought of her having any kind of success."

  "But it's been a long time. Why would he even think she'd put up with him?"

  "When was the last time she saw him?"

  "Like I said, two, three years ago."

  "And what happened then?"

  "He wanted money, same as this time."

  "And did she give it to him?"

  "Yes, but he didn't hurt her."

  "It makes sense that he would come back again if he knew he could still intimidate her. I just don't think he'd come back here if he didn't have an ulterior motive, like coming back into her life again."

  "You sound like one of those FBI profilers."

  "I've just been around it enough. These guys are real manipulators. They're not even human."

  Ellen nodded toward the duffel bag. "What's that for?"

  "The bag? I called in and took the last couple of hours off. I thought I might camp out here tonight. I've got stuff in there I might need in the morning."

  Ellen furrowed her brow. "Do you think he'll come back?"

  "Not tonight, but you two have been through a lot, and I don't want you to be here alone. I want you to feel safe. I'll camp out on the couch, if that's okay."

  She let out a relieved sigh. "You don't know how grateful I am, and I'm sure Libby will feel the same, but if you're staying, I'm going to make you dinner."

  "I could take you and Libby out."

  "Normally, we'd jump at the chance, but I don't think Libby will want to go out anywhere tonight, not after what happened." Ellen tapped the side of her face. "Swollen cheek?"

  "Jeez, that was insensitive of me," he said. "Of course, she wouldn't. Then let me help you with dinner."

  "That's a deal. Let's see what we can scrounge up."

  All the way to the kitchen, she sensed him following her with his eyes, which dredged up those nasty, self-conscious feelings about her weight. She shooed those feelings away and searched the pantry for dinner ideas, but when she turned around, he was staring at her.

  "I don't have time to thaw anything, but how about macaroni and cheese? I have a great recipe I got from my grandmother. It's a pretty beefed-up recipe."

  "Sounds fine to me."

  "Great." She rounded up noodles, cottage cheese, eggs, and cheddar.

  "What can I do?"

  She found a grater in one of the kitchen drawers. "You can grate the cheese." She gave him a plate and took a bowl from the shelf.

  After she put water on the stove for the macaroni, she sidled up to Charlie at one of the counters. He grated the cheddar while she mixed up the cottage cheese and eggs.

  "How am I doing?"

  She stole a glance and chuckled.

  "What's so funny?"

  "You have to ask how you're doing? You're only grating cheese."

  "Hey, I know how you women are."

  Ellen stopped what she was doing and placed a hand on her hip. "Oh, really. Tell me."

  The grimace on Charlie's face was a sure sign he knew he had stepped into a giant black hole. "I just meant," he stammered, "women like precision, and men can be slobs, you know."

  "I'll have to think about that." She ambled to the stove to check on the water and returned to the counter.

  "Have you given it some thought? Am I back in good graces?"

  "Mmm...I'll let you know."

  "Yeah, well, I'm real worried." He grinned.

  Ellen nudged him with her elbow. He nudged her back.

  She shifted her attention to the stove until the noodles were simmering. When she sauntered back to Charlie and discovered what he had done--grated a huge pile of cheese, way too much for the casserole--she started laughing.

  "What's so funny?"

  "Let's just say women like precision, but men like everything big. You know, like big guns, big trucks, enough cheese for an army."

  Charlie's face reddened. "What's the matter? You don't like my big mountain of cheese? I thought you women liked it big."

  Ellen thought she might have to pee, she cackled so hard. Charlie let go with a roar, and without missing a beat, he grasped her in a big bear hug. She howled, pounding his chest. They were so into each other, they didn't hear Libby enter the room.

  "Hello, you two."

  Ellen broke out of Charlie's arms.

  "Don't stop on my account," Libby said. "It's nice to hear laughter around here."

  "Oh, honey, we're sorry if we woke you."

  "Don't be. I'm getting hungry."

  Ellen put the finishing touches on the casserole and stuck it in the microwave. She threw a salad together while Libby and Charlie set the table. Soon they sat down to eat.

  Libby's bruised face was a reminder of their terrifying afternoon, and the conversation was more subdued than it would have been. When Ellen mentioned to Libby that Charlie would be staying the night, Libby looked at Ellen quizzically.

  "I'm sleeping on the couch," Charlie volunteered.

  "Oh, I don't mind if you two sleep together in Ellen's room," Libby said. "That won't bother me."

  Charlie and Ellen glanced at one another. "Honey, Charlie needs to sleep on the couch, just in case."

  "You don't think he'll come back, do you?"

  Charlie put his hand on Libby's. "He's in jail now, but after what you two have been through, I want you to feel safe."

  Libby's eyes softened. "You're such a good person, Charlie. Thank you. And thank you for coming this afternoon."

  "Oh my God, Charlie, I don't think I even thanked you for doing that," Ellen said.

  "I think you did," he said.

  "Well, this is an official thank you."

  "I feel like a real hero."

  "Yes, and you'd make someone a real catch."

  Ellen shot Libby an I-don't-want-you-to-say-another-word look before Libby excused herself. With Charlie's help, Ellen cleared the table and set the dishes in the sink.

  Libby held a bag filled with ice. "I'm going to take a bath and go to bed. I'm bushed."

  "And still strung out, I bet. Do you want me to run your water or wash your back?"

  "Thanks, but I don't need any help. I'll be fine. Can you and Charlie entertain yourselves?" She managed a smile.

  Charlie grinned. "That won't be a problem." And Ellen tweaked his cheek.

  "By the way," Libby said on her way out of the kitchen, "the sofa folds out into a queen-sized bed."

  Ellen wrinkled her nose at Libby. "Scoot."<
br />
  Though Charlie insisted he could sleep on the sofa cushions, Ellen helped him make up the bed.

  "Why don't you stay up and watch TV with me? I don't think I can get to sleep right away."

  "I don't think I can sleep either," Ellen said.

  She turned down the air conditioner, tossed him a pillow, and grabbed the remote. He patted the seat next to him. She leaned against the sofa back, alongside Charlie, and stretched out her legs. He aimed his arm around her to take the remote out of her hand and left his arm draped over her shoulders.

  She snuggled into him. "This feels good."

  "It feels right."

  "I'm beginning to think so."

  He gave her shoulder a squeeze, powered on the TV, and turned the volume low.

  "I'm worried about Libby. I wish we could let Kipp know what happened."

  "I can call him," he said.

  "She doesn't want him to know, but I think he cares about her."

  "He's head-over-hills."

  "Really?"

  "The timing's lousy with his ex there and his daughter needing all his attention."

  "Still. He should know."

  "What about your situation?"

  "I'm certainly not going to leave Libby here by herself."

  "Does that mean you're not going back to Mel?"

  "I didn't say that."

  Charlie leaned sideways, dragging his arm with him.

  "Hey." She pitched his arm back. "I didn't say I was. Maybe if you court me a little, I might be convinced to stay for good."

  Charlie kissed her forehead, then he switched the channel to the local news.

  * * *

  Ellen had forgotten to close the curtains, and the morning light streamed through the picture windows. Voices, chattering on the TV, were mixed with Charlie's snores. She and Charlie were lying on the sofa bed fully clothed, snuggled next to each other.

  Her mouth was dry, her tongue felt like sandpaper, and she suspected her breath could move an army; she longed for a glass of water.

  Before she could inch off the couch without disturbing him, he swung his arm over her and yawned. "What time is it?"

  "Six."

  "I guess we fell asleep."

  "Looks that way."

  He leaned in to kiss her and got a mouth full of hair. "What's wrong?"