by Lauren Runow
I show him a few tips and pick up Mason’s acoustic guitar to play along with him. Our time together melts my heart as I think of my dreams and my parents saying I had a son. My eyes start to tear up as I put down the guitar and wrap my arms around Mason.
Walking out into their living room, I feel more prepared now to fill Jason and Jen in on what’s going on. I stop at their kitchen counter, placing my hands on their black granite countertops that look out to their living room where Jason is watching the USC game.
Jen walks over to me, placing her hands on mine, “So, what’s up Charlie?”
I take a deep breath as Jason mutes the game and turns his attention to me. “So, what’s the drama now?”
“Man, things couldn’t get more screwed up.”
“With Allison?” Jen asks.
“No, we had an amazing time in Paris.”
“Yeah, I bet you did,” Jason laughs and Jen gives him a funny look.
I smirk, “Yeah, it was good,” then raise my eyebrows to Jason. “But then I got a call from her mom.”
Jen interrupts, “Your madam right?”
“My old madam,” I correct her. “Turns out Jacquelyn, the woman that caused all the drama last time, is, I guess you can say, kind of dead.”
Jason questions, “How can you be ‘kind of dead?’”
“That’s the thing…” I take a long, deep breath, “She’s pregnant and on life support.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Jason yells standing up to join us at the kitchen counter.
Jen grabs her mouth in disbelief. “And it’s yours?”
“Yes, it’s mine. Diane, Allison’s mom, thinks she did it on purpose. I was always so careful about wearing condoms and disposing of them but after I tried to quit I ended up going back one last time and I was so fucked up over having to be there that I didn’t realize I wasn’t wearing a condom until it was too late.”
“Wait, you had sex with her, after you had sex with Allison?” Jen steps back, pissed.
“God Jen, don’t hate me, too. Believe me, I didn’t want to. When I found out Diane was Allison’s mom she threatened to tell Allison so I tried to end it with her. I was so confused and scared. You know I have nothing to fall back on. After that one time, though, I knew I couldn’t go back. I called her saying I wasn’t coming back, and that’s when she…”
“Kidnapped her…” Jen finishes my sentence, still in disbelief.
I look down, ashamed, “Yes.”
Jason speaks up, “Ok, so what does all of this mean? If she’s ‘kind of dead,’ how is she still pregnant?”
“That’s the thing. I guess she has no family so originally it was my decision to keep her on life support for the baby or pull the plug.”
“Oh my God,” Jen yells out.
I look at her, “I know, right. But now they’re saying there’s a chance this crazy woman could wake up after giving birth.”
“What?” Jason and Jen ask at the same time.
“I know. I can’t tell them to pull the plug now. That’s a little crazy. I can’t tell them ‘No, I want this crazy woman dead.’ When we spoke they assumed I would want to try to keep her alive. So now what do I do?”
“What do you want?” Jen asks.
“How should I know?”
“Well Charlie, how does this make you feel, the thought of being a dad? And possibly a dad with a crazy woman?” she asks.
My lips form a small smile, “I’ve always wanted to be a dad. I never thought it would happen though. Not with my lifestyle.” I drop my head, “At least not like this. After I met Allison though, I thought that it might actually be a possibility. Now this.” I drop my head back in frustration.
“What does she think?” Jen questions.
“She says it’s my decision, though, she doesn’t know that there’s a chance she could wake up, yet.”
“So, she would help you raise this baby?” Jen’s voice is not hiding her surprise.
“I don’t know. It’s all so new. She hasn’t said she would, but she also hasn’t said she wouldn’t. She keeps saying we’re ok and I’m trying hard to believe her but I just don’t know. But now this chance that she could wake up…”
“Man, Charlie… That’s a lot to ask of a girl, especially at her age. Especially asking her to share custody with someone who kidnapped her. Shit, I don’t know if I could even do that. Believe us though, it’s a lot to take on, having kids,” Jen admits.
“Fuck, Charlie, I can’t stress enough how hard it is,” Jason adamantly tries to make his point.
“It is the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,” Jen laughs. “Yes, the highs are great. When they give you that smile, or make your heart melt. But then there are the other times that you really just want to die.”
Jason jumps in, “That is no joke.”
I laugh, “Come on you guys, you sure aren’t good at trying to convince me everything will be ok.”
“No, don’t get me wrong,” Jen tries to set things straight. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, but no one really told us just how much work this was going to be. I just want to make sure you’re fully aware of what you’re getting into. Like I said, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. But wait, Charlie, you don’t have a job… Have you thought about what you will do now?”
I stop to think. “No, not really. Thankfully I was smart, at least when it came to money anyways. I knew I couldn’t keep up this lifestyle forever so I have a good amount of cash saved up. I’ll be good for a while so I have time to figure that part out. I’ve been poor and lived out of my car before; I knew I never wanted to be like that again. The only bills I have are my place, phone, cable and PG&E. Then, I can always sell my place to make it last longer, that will give me more money from the equity I have.”
“Wow, Charlie. I’m impressed,” Jen says and I can tell she’s proud of me. At least for this.
“Ugh, but what do I do? How do I end something that is a part of me? Though I don’t even think I have a choice now.”
“I really don’t know. I couldn’t do it. But I know people who have. Just know that it’s forever. People think only about a cute little baby, but that baby wakes up two to four times a night, then when you finally get sleep, you are chasing them all over the house to make sure they don’t kill themselves. Do you know what Leighton’s favorite term is now to yell at Mason?” she eyes Jason.
“Hey, come on,” Jason interrupts.
“When he’s frustrated with Mason, Leighton yells out ‘you fucking dumbass.’ Thankfully he can’t say the words clearly but that is what he’s trying to say.”
I laugh out loud, looking at Jason, “Really dude…?”
“Hey, sometimes they act like dumbasses. The other day Leighton kicked some kid in the ribs at his daycare for no reason. That’s a dumbass move,” he tries to defend himself, laughing.
“It’s not funny,” Jen yells. “But then there is potty training, and making dinner every night, homework and baseball practice or guitar lessons,” she looks to me giving me an evil eye when she says guitar lessons.
“Hey, look at how good he’s doing. I’m so proud of him.”
“Yes, we are, too. I’m glad he’s taking them. I’m just saying, it’s a lot when you put everything together. As a parent, you’re just tired. But then they do something, like play that song they have been practicing so hard, and it makes it all worth it.”
I sigh, “I just don’t know. I want kids with Allison. Not some random psycho that I barely know.”
“I don’t know Charlie. I know you, could you have really pulled the plug?”
“You really suck you know that? You tell me all of this on how it sucks to be a parent, yet know that I probably couldn’t have pulled the plug,” I tease Jen.
“No, that’s why you love me,” she smiles. “I’m real. No bullshit here. I just love you Charlie. You know whatever you decide we will be here to help. I’d love to have another baby around, one that I can give back when t
hey poop,” she laughs hitting my arm.
Looking to Jason I smirk, “How do you put up with her?”
“I ask myself that all the time,” he jokes. “But really Charlie, whatever you decide, we’ll be here for you.”
I’m sitting in my office, going over my notes for Jacquelyn’s case when Jack Sanders, Jacquelyn’s ex-husband walks in.
“I hear you wanted to see me?” Jack says as he enters.
I look up, “Ah, Jack Sanders I presume? Please, have a seat.”
“Yes, thank you. So what can I do for you?”
“So, you were married to Jacquelyn Sanders?”
“Yes, our divorce was final about a month ago.”
“I see,” I write that down on my note pad. “So, where were you on August 11th, when she was shot?”
Jack gets defensive, “Hey, I’m not a suspect am I?”
“Just answer the question please.”
“Look, this is all pretty stupid. The whole place is wired with security cameras. This should be an open-shut case.”
“Yes, we’re aware of the cameras but it seems the perpetrator messed with the system and the tapes were removed.”
“Really?” Jack says, surprised, “How did they know where they were? They’re hidden in a wall… Jacquelyn had that system set up pretty tight. I always felt like I was living in Fort Knox.”
“Well,” he shrugs, “our guys say the tapes were removed.”
“Removed? Oh, wait, no, it streams live, to some cloud somewhere. Jacquelyn always said that the cloud portion couldn’t be turned off.”
I tilt my head, “Oh, really? And do you know how to access this cloud?”
“Yeah, it’s all written down at the house. Look, I have somewhere I have to be but I can go there right now and show you but then I have to go.”
“Well,” I stand up from my chair, “After you…”
We drive separately to Jacquelyn’s house. Once entering the house Jack stops, surprised to see the entry way still splattered with her blood. “Wow, this just got more real…”
I walk by, not affected at all by the scene, “Yeah, since no one lives here we decided to leave the crime scene up incase we needed to come back to it. So where’s this system?”
“It all happened right here?” his eyes are big in shock.
“Yup,” I say with no emotion. “So, again, where’s that alarm system you were going to show me?”
“Um, this way…”
We walk to the study and he presses on a hidden portion of the wall that opens up wide to display an entire closed circuit security system with twelve monitors displaying both portions of inside and outside the house.
“Wow, yeah, we didn’t know this system existed.”
“Yeah, she had the other system more as a decoy,” he pauses shaking his head. “I always thought it was crazy to need two but I guess in the end she was right.” He looks down to his watch, “Ok, sorry but I really have to go.”
He shows me how to work the system and leaves me alone to watch the tapes.
I press in the system the date of August 11th and start to play the recording. Unfortunately there’s no sound so I sit in silence watching for something.
I see Jacquelyn leave and watch more intently for any activity around her property until I see her car pull up again.
That’s when I start to watch everything unravel. Jacquelyn reaches in the back of her white Mercedes, pulling a woman out by her hair, yelling at her. I never get a look at her face but can tell she’s maybe early twenties, long darker hair that looks like it’s about to be ripped out of her head by Jacquelyn pulling so hard.
I sit up in my chair, surprised to see what’s going on.
I switch the big screen view to the entryway camera that shows the woman standing with her arms wrapped around herself but her back is to me so I still can’t see her face.
Jacquelyn comes back into view with a chair where she forces her to sit down and proceeds to tie her up. What the fuck? I watch intently.
I can tell the phone rings and watch as Jacquelyn talks on it, obviously changing her mood and forcing the phone up to the woman before ending the phone call and disappearing from any camera views.
I search all the other cameras but none show where Jacquelyn went. I watch as the woman sits, tied up, alone. Her back is still to the camera and I watch as her body noticeably trembles.
Nothing’s happening so I fast-forward the tape twenty minutes or so until I see Jacquelyn come back into view, then a blue older Mustang pulls up out front. A man jumps out of the car and I perk up again, writing down on my note pad the time stamp on the video for reference when someone else arrives.
I watch as Jacquelyn opens the door when he runs up. It’s obvious they have a confrontation as he tries to get to the woman. Jacquelyn flashes a gun around and I take more notes, specifically writing who had the gun first.
The man is trying to calm her down when I see another car pull up, a black Audi A6. A woman jumps out of the car, running in through the door. Once I get a good view I see it’s Diane Hayes, the woman I met in the hospital who said she found Jacquelyn shot. Ok, so finding her shot was obviously a lie. What else is she lying about?
It’s obvious that the woman tied up knows Diane because she tries harder to free herself from the ropes that hold her down as she bursts in.
Fuck, I wish there was sound.
I watch as they all talk until the man slowly starts to walk toward Jacquelyn. Something has happened and the mood between all of them has changed. The man approaches Jacquelyn and I jump when I see the man bring her head down to his knee.
They struggle for the gun, and then everyone stops, the man moving back, holding up his arms as Jacquelyn falls to the ground.
Holy shit. I lean in closer to watch as the man runs to the woman, untying her, holding her to him. She’s had her back to me the entire time and now her face is tucked into him so I can’t get a great look at her, only from the side which does me no good.
It’s obvious this man has feelings for this chick. But who is she and who is he? What was Jacquelyn doing and how does Diane fit in all of this?
Diane checks for a pulse, her and the man yelling at each other before he leaves with the woman.
Diane makes a phone call and after she hangs up the phone, I watch her leave one view and pick her up near the sliding glass door in the back. I watch as she breaks the door, setting up the scene, knocking things over, and wiping everything down, including the car and the back seat.
Fuck me… no wonder we didn’t find any prints. Ok Diane, what are you hiding and who are these two other people? I shake my head, writing more notes.
When the police arrive on scene I know there’s nothing more to see so I start rewinding the footage, trying to get more information to see if either Diane, the woman or the man are at the house any other time.
I don’t have to go back far to see that the man was there the day before. At first I just watch him enter then leave around an hour later. Nothing else appears on any of the screens so I keep rewinding. Seeing him come and go a few more times is frustrating and I’m about to give up when I see them come into view through the backyard camera.
I watch as the man opens the sliding glass door, guiding Jacquelyn, who is naked and blindfolded, outside, proceeding to have sex with her while her arms are handcuffed above her head. My eyes get big as I watch the two of them.
Whoa. This shit is kinky.
Once the man and Jacquelyn go back inside I can’t see anything that happens so I hit rewind again to the day before where I see them having sex in the entryway.
Hello.
I rewind it to the beginning to watch their entire encounter. Taking notes on the fact that Jacquelyn ravages him at the front door.
I rewind it as far back as it can go but don’t see the man, the woman or Diane any other time. I look over my notes that read:
Jacquelyn brings woman to house and ties her up. Who is she? Why?
<
br /> Man arrives at 12:06. Who is he?
Diane Hayes arrives at 12:10
Woman tied up knows Diane Hayes and man
Mood changes, Jacquelyn puts the gun down
Man hits Jacquelyn in her nose, they fight over gun. Jacquelyn’s shot
Man unties woman and leaves with her
Diane calls 911
Diane damages door – faking break in. Why? What is she hiding?
Same man is at house multiple times prior to shooting
They have sex outside and in entryway
Man must be dad to baby
Alex and I are sitting in his hotel room looking over my photos from the fashion show. He’s quiet, looking at every photo and I’m sick to my stomach, so nervous for his critique.
“Wow, Allison,” he finally speaks. “I must say. I’m impressed, though I knew I would be,” he winks at me.
“Really, you like them?” I smile brightly.
“Yes, they’re wonderful. I know our client will be very happy. Job well done.”
“Thank you so much for this opportunity. I loved every second of it.”
“We should celebrate. Didn’t you say that Charlie had to fly home? Do you have any plans tonight?”
“He did. I don’t have any plans, I’d love to celebrate.”
Really I’d love anything right now that isn’t me sitting in my room, alone, crying my eyes out.
“Great. There’s a place I wanted to try before we head back to San Francisco. Say I’ll meet you at your room at seven?”
“Ok.” I grab my bag and head out of his room.
I pick up my phone to call Charlie to tell him about the photo critique.
“Hello my love,” Charlie answers as he’s stepping out of the shower, dripping wet.
“Hey sexy.”
“Yeah, you like that?” he smiles his cocky smile.
“Oh jeez,” I smirk. “Alex just went over all of my photos and loved them!”
“Of course he did baby. You’re amazing, I tell you that all the time and he knows it, too.”
“He wants to take me to dinner tonight to celebrate.”
“Whoa, whoa… Hold up now. He’s not trying to hit on you is he?”
