Vengeance Before Virtue

by Tyler Porter

  Matt estimated they had been driving for somewhere around fifteen miles when the car suddenly pulled to the side of the road and came to a stop. He looked around in all directions and saw nothing but flatland. The Sheriff picked up his cell phone and from the back seat, Matt could see that he appeared to be texting someone. After seemingly completing his message, the Sheriff got out of the driver seat and opened the door to help Matt out of the back. He leaned him against the cruiser with his back to it, hands still cuffed behind his back, and said nothing.

  “Alright, well it’s pretty obvious you aren’t going to tell me what’s going on, so I guess I’ll ask the question. What’s going on? Why are we stopped in the middle of bumfuck Egypt?” Matt received no reply, so he tried again. “Ah, is this the way it works out in Alta Vista? Some outsider shows up in town causing trouble, so you take him out into the country and pistol-whip the piss out of him before booking him in county?” Again, nothing.

  He stood looking at the Sheriff, waiting for some sort of answer or explanation, but none would come, so they both just stood there in silence. Some minutes later, he saw a second police cruiser coming down the road toward them. As it inched closer, however, he could see that there was one main difference about the approaching police vehicle. The side of it did not read Wabaunsee County like the one he’d ridden there in did. This one read Morris County, the county that contained Council Grove, and which was overseen by a different Sheriff. That Sheriff had been close with Matt’s father when Matt was growing up, and was one and the same who had arrested and prosecuted Matt for the murder of Michael Vincent. The man who got out of the Morris Country Sheriff vehicle was, indeed, Sheriff Nelson Demsey.

  Chapter 6: Voice of Reason

  “I appreciate the call, Steve,” Sheriff Demsey said as he exited his cruiser and walked toward them. “I’m familiar with this one. I can take it from here.”

  “Not a problem. Just do me a favor and make sure he doesn’t come back stirring up trouble in my county, alright? I got enough shit to deal with on this side of the line.”

  “Will do, buddy.”

  Demsey grabbed Matt by the arm and turned him so that the cuffs could be taken off, and then replaced them with a pair of his own. The two walked to the Morris County cruiser, and Matt was put in the back of it before they took off toward Council Grove. Neither said a word for a long while, which matched up nicely with their history. The last time they’d had a conversation was when Demsey was interrogating Matt during the Michael Vincent murder case. There weren’t many words spoken then, and there weren’t any now. Just like before, Demsey had to be the one to break the quiet.

  “Nothing? No ‘hello?’ ‘Good to see you?’ ‘Been a long time?’ ‘How’s the family?’ Nothing?” he asked.

  “What about my car?” Matt answered after a minute-long delay.

  “What about it?”

  “It’s parked back at the trailer park.” He could have cared less about the vehicle. He’d bought it just for this trip and didn’t have a care in the world if he ever saw it again. What he did care about was getting back to Mariah. God only knew what that scum was doing to her right now after the ordeal at the trailer.

  “Oh no, I don’t think so, O’Bannon. You may be too smart for your own good, but don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m stupid. You’re not going anywhere near Alta Vista as long as I have anything to say about it. You’re just lucky that Steve called me before booking you. I’ll have a deputy pick it up and bring it back to the station.”

  “How did he know to call you in the first place?”

  “Listen kid, a murder case in a small town? That news hits the ears of people for hundreds of miles. You’d be surprised to find out how many people know your name, and your story.”

  “I’m not a kid.”

  “Yeah? Well, you are to me, so deal with it. You’re still acting like one too. You’re back in town for what? Two days? And already causing trouble.”

  “She needs help, Demsey. She’s trapped in that shithole town with that fucking tweaker throwing his hands at her anytime she speaks out of turn.”

  “Look Matt, you’ve been gone a long time. Things have changed son. It’s not the old, happy place you grew up in. I know it can’t be easy to come home and realize that, but folks this way have had to accept that a long time ago.”

  “I should have been here. Everyone was too quick to accept it, including my father. He just loses his shit instead of protecting his family; now his wife is afraid to speak and his daughter is a drugged-up stripper.”

  Demsey slammed on the brakes, threw the car into park, and whipped around with anger flashing from his eyes.

  “Don’t you go talking about stuff that you know nothing about! And don’t you dare condemn your father! That man has dealt with more than you could ever imagine! You think it was hard for you? Walking around all these years with a little bit of guilt for killing someone who deserved it? Try being your father!”

  Sheriff Demsey was spitting he was so angry.

  “Son gets wrapped up in a murder investigation that he is guilty of, but found innocent, and then decides to leave never to be seen or heard from again. Daughter’s life is never the same after she’s raped by her school teacher that your father trusted, and then falls in with the wrong crowd. Ends up dating a tattooed, drug-slinging psycho, and shows her bare body for a living. Wife is looking at you to put the shattered puzzle back together, and she’s disappointed that you can’t. Your whole fucking family falls apart, and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.”

  Matt sat in the back of the car and didn’t speak for a long time. He thought; he was good at that—staying silent and thinking. Sheriff Demsey just glared at him, waiting for a response. Matt understood his reaction. Demsey and his father had been very close before everything happened. Demsey had even testified to Matt’s character at the trial, telling the jury what a good boy he had turned out to be, and that he could never imagine him doing something like that. They sat that way, stopped on the side of the road, for a long time.

  “What happened, Sheriff? What happened to my home? To my family? I mean, what the fuck happened? Everything is wrong. Everything. Mom and Dad should be enjoying the empty nest, traveling, having adventures. Mariah should be a singer or a teacher or a nurse. She isn’t supposed to be a stripper. She isn’t supposed to be trapped in that little yellow shithole with that scumbag. None of this was supposed to happen.”

  “A lot of things aren’t supposed to happen, Matt. War isn’t supposed to happen. Homelessness isn’t supposed to happen. Murder...” he paused, “no matter how much we think it’s justified, murder isn’t supposed to happen. None of those things are supposed to happen, but they do. That’s life. And what is important is how we deal with it. You dealt with it the first time in your own way. Sure, you ran off. You ran away. Whether you thought it was the right thing for the family or not, you took off. But, you also went and started a huge consulting company and created massive success for yourself.”

  Matt was stunned. He couldn’t believe Sheriff Demsey knew anything about his business. Even he hadn’t thought about it since their trip began. Of course, he didn’t have to much anymore. After everything happened with Claire, he’d decided to retire as acting President and CEO. He still served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and held complete ownership, but he’d handed the reigns over to Chelsea Schuteman, a bright, young executive who was previously overseeing his finance team. She sent him updates weekly, but otherwise, he had really turned all of his focus to Andi, Riley, and regaining the rest of his family. These facts just made it more unbelievable that anyone back at home knew anything about it.

  “What?” Demsey questioned. “Didn’t think anyone in little old Council Grove kept tabs on you? Your mom and dad know all about it, Matt. They are proud of you. Your dad might not have a great way of showing it these days, but those people think the world of what you’ve accomplished.”

  “Why didn�
��t they ever reach out? I just thought they tried to forget about me, like I tried to forget about my past.”

  “I’m not the person to answer that, son. Maybe they were thinking the same thing you were. Maybe they thought if they came running into your new life, somehow it would bring your past back to you. All I know is, they were always very proud of you.”

  “And my sister?” Matt asked.

  “Sorry to say, but I can’t answer for her. She ran off a few years ago and never looked back. She obviously isn’t in the public eye the way you’ve been. All anyone knows is that she works in a titty-joint and hangs around bikers and druggies.”

  Matt’s head whipped up and he pierced Sheriff Demsey with his eyes.

  “Sorry, strip-joint,” he rephrased.

  “I came all this way to get my family back, and it turns out there isn’t much of a family anymore. Everything is all fucked up. So, I’m gonna have to figure out how to put it all back together.”

  “I wish I could be more help to you. But that is truly all I know.”

  “Well, what happens now? Trespassing, breaking and entering, assault. With my history in this town, I don’t foresee a light punishment from a judge or jury.”

  “Look, Steve is a friend of mine. He called me up before he got to the trailer. We talked it all over, and there aren’t going to be any charges pressed against you.”

  “Steve says? And what if my sister’s drugnificant other presses the issue?”

  “That boy has a record longer than you could go through in a week. He isn’t going to push to spend any more time around the boys in blue. That being said, this is the last favor I am calling in for you, Matt. I knew you were guilty all those years ago, and I stuck my neck out for you anyways, because I understood why you did what you did, and I believed that animal deserved true justice for what he did to Mariah. I am helping you now, because I know the hell you and your family have been through, but I will not help you again. I have my own life and reputation to be concerned with. So do us both a favor and steer clear of the bullshit, because the next time I find you in the back seat of my cruiser, you’re done.”

  Without another word, or any chance for Matt to respond, Sheriff Demsey turned up the radio, put the cruiser into drive, and pulled back into the road. Neither said a word the rest of the trip back to Council Grove until they got to the hotel, and Demsey promised to have the Tahoe dropped off the following day. He opened the door and helped Matt out, uncuffed him, patted him on the shoulder, and went to drop back down into the driver seat. But before he could, Matt left him with one last thought.

  “Sheriff,” he said. Sheriff Demsey turned to face him. “You were honest with me, so I want to be honest with you. I came back to fix things. I appreciate everything you have done for me, and the last thing that I want is to cause problems for you. But my sister is in a bad place. She needs help. You should know, better than anyone, how far I am willing to go to protect her.”

  Chapter 7: A Knock at the Door

  Matt took his time entering the hotel. A lot had happened in a very short amount of time, and he was trying to put it all together in his head in a way that would make any sense in explaining it to Andi. Several physical altercations, a very uncomfortable conversation with his sister, a cut across his cheek, a ride in the back of a police car, and discovering a previously unknown history surrounding his family. He himself was still trying to convert all of the overwhelming data into helpful, logical information; so how was he to make another person understand.

  One thing he did know, however, was that he had left the two women in his life stranded at this hotel for two days with a lot of questions and no answers. He had some making up to do, and showing up empty-handed was not the best start. The hotel had a small shop in its lobby where guests could purchase any forgotten items they may have neglected to pack: toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, mouthwash, and the like. The shop also contained a small flower bouquet selection, along with a little assortment of stuffed animals. Matt stopped and purchased a bouquet of white and yellow flowers and a stuffed grey kitten.

  The door swung open mere seconds after he knocked twice and Riley flung herself into his already open arms. He picked her up and hugged her tight as he saw Andi approaching from the hotel room, her face holding a mix of frustration and relief to see him. He set Riley down, and on one knee, revealed the stuffed kitten. He felt his heart swell as her eyes lit up in the same way they had when he’d first met her and presented her with her cherished stuffed dog.

  “I found this little guy on my way back, and he looked like he could use a real good home. I thought maybe your doggie would like to have a friend too. What do you think?” he said.

  Riley said nothing, only nodded her head until she turned and sprinted back into the hotel room to introduce the two new friends. Matt stood up and accepted Andi into his arms who had been patiently waiting and adoring the interaction between Matt and her daughter. Riley hadn’t even noticed the cut on his cheek, but Andi noticed immediately. She was surely about to ask, but he gave her a quick glance telling her with his eyes that it was alright and not worth getting into. She looked, at first, like she was going to ask anyways, but submitted to his wishes.

  “You spoil her, you know?” she said.

  “Mm hmm... just like I spoil her mother,” he said as he bent down and picked up the flowers that he had set down out of sight beside the doorway. “I’m sorry for the last couple of days. I have a lot to tell you.”

  “First tell me that you love me,” she said.

  “I love you, Andrea. I love you more than you’ll ever understand, and I will love you forever.”

  “That’s a pretty big statement.”

  “You’ve taught me how to figure out what I’m feeling and how to express it. I don’t want to hold back what I feel anymore. I want to tell you. I want you to know how I feel about you, how much I care for you.”

  “And you’re teaching me how to love again.”

  They finished the short conversation with a long, slow kiss and retreated into the hotel room to have a much longer conversation. He filled her in on everything that had happened. He tried to remember every possible detail. He went on for more than an hour about his sister and his father. He picked her brain as to what he should do or how he should go about trying to put all of the pieces of his family back together. No brilliant ideas came to either of them, so they turned the conversation to happier things.

  They ordered room service, and Matt played with Riley as they waited. After they ate, they put Riley to sleep in the biggest bedroom of the three within the suite. Once she was tucked in and dreaming, Andi and Matt retreated to the bedroom Andi had selected for them. Their relationship so far had been nothing if not passionate. They took more than their fair share of opportunities to be physical with each other, but so many nights they would just lay in bed, holding each other tight, sharing the quiet.

  They would just enjoy the scent of each other, the presence each had, and the emotions it stirred in the other. Tonight was one of those nights. Matt laid there, softly stroking Andi’s hair until she fell into a peaceful sleep on his chest. She almost always fell asleep first. It was as if unconsciously he was waiting for her to fall asleep before he would allow himself to. Like he was keeping guard so that she was able to slip into sweet dreams without any worries because he was there. Generally, once she was deep into slumber, he fell in right behind her, but not this night.

  This night his head was full. Hearing the story from the Sheriff and trying to hash it all out with Andi and have it make sense had done him no good. He still had so much going on inside. He thought through every piece of the situation, over and over, and eventually came to see the main point that was overwhelming his subconscious. The real issue that had him so worried.

  He truly felt that this had all happened because of him. Because he had made the wrong choice when he was just a child. If he had stayed in Council Grove, he could have helped make sure that Mari
ah grew up as normally as possible. He could have protected her. He could have kept the bad element away from her, and she would have never ended up with this scum who was controlling her life. If that had never happened, his father would not have lost his sense of reality, and his mother would still be the happy, bubbly, loving person he remembered.

  Matt had made the choice to leave, and the butterfly effect had taken place. Now he was concerned with fixing the consequences of his decision, but there was a bigger issue looming in his mind. He’d made so many mistakes in his life, and with so many of them, he had believed he was doing the right thing. He’d destroyed his first family with those mistakes, and now he’d found a second chance, a second opportunity to have love in his life. The real thing keeping him from sleep was fear: fear of doing the same thing again, fear that he would somehow ruin the amazing thing that had fallen into his life, fear that Andi would come to resent him and Riley would grow up unprotected because of his inability to make the right choices.

  He closed his eyes, and the next thing he knew, he had woken up, not in the hotel room, and Andi was not next to him. He sat up and looked around, but he didn’t recognize the room. Slowly, he got to his feet and approached a shelf on the wall next to the bed. In the middle, there was a photo of himself, Andi, and Riley, all smiling and standing in what looked to be an apple orchard. He opened the door and stepped into a long hallway, walking as quietly as he could. There were windows in the hallway, and as he walked, time seemed to fast forward. He could see the sun setting quickly as the day turned to night, and by the time he reached the end of the hall, it was pitch-black outside.

  The hallway flowed into the kitchen, where he found Andi. She was sitting at a table with an empty bottle of wine and another one halfway gone, her head resting against the back of the chair. As he watched, she brought the second bottle to her lips and tipped her head back, gulping down as much as she could before she was forced to stop for lack of air.