“I have not been strict with you young lady. You have had us wrapped around your finger and you know it.”
"Maybe a little bit. Is now the time to ask for my own car?”
“Don’t push it. You won’t be 16 for a month.”
A doctor entered the room with a nurse and asked Sam to go with the nurse so she could check the bandage on her wrist.
“I’m Dr. Folts and I am watching over you and Sam. Your surgeon says that you will have a full recovery, but this will make the arthritis in your shoulder worse over time. Now I understand that Sam is a foster child. Is that correct?”
“Yes, we just got her about eight weeks ago.”
“What do you know about her health?”
“Not much. CHFS had her checked out and we have her scheduled to see our doctor soon. Is something wrong?”
“The answer depends on what you think wrong turns out to be. Sam is pregnant and is about 1o weeks along.”
“What?”
“Yes, I am afraid it’s true. Do you know who the father is?”
“Not for sure, but I have a guess.”
The doctor looked at Grumpy and said, “I only know a little bit about this case, but I am also worried that she might be pregnant by the guy who attacked her.”
“Doctor, I am also scared that might be the case. Does she know?”
“Mr. Jones, I don’t think she does. She appears to be very intelligent, but backward in this type of matter. Y’all might want to consider an abortion. With this being child rape, it would be advised.”
“Dr. Folts, my wife and I don’t believe in abortion and have to contact CHFS to see what they do in a case like this.”
“Mr. Jones, I have already contacted them and filled them in on the medical part of the situation. Sam is in great health other than some bruises from the kidnapping. There is no reason that she can’t deliver a healthy baby.”
“Thanks.”
Sam came back into the room a few minutes later and said, “This being in a hospital is great. They gave me ice cream and a soda. The gowns suck, but the ice cream is good.”
Grumpy wanted to grab her and hold her, but resisted.
“How are you feeling?”
“I feel pretty good except for I threw up again this morning. They brought bacon and eggs for breakfast and the bacon turned my stomach. I love bacon so I don’t know what happened.”
“Don’t worry; you will be okay.”
No sooner had the doctor left than the county sheriff entered the room along with an investigator from the state police. They asked Sam to leave the room so they could talk with Grumpy by himself.
“Sam, here is some money. Go down to the cafeteria and get you and Sammy some lunch while we talk.”
“Okay dad, but I just had ice cream.”
Sam left the room holding Sammy.
“Mr. Jones, I thought that Sam was a foster child in your care. You two seem very close.”
“We weren’t at first, but this ordeal appears to have brought us much closer and has resulted in a big improvement in her behavior.”
“Tell us what you know about Jack Collins and what happened at the cabin.”
Grumpy filled them in on the lead up to the kidnapping through the explosion that leveled the cabin. They raised their eyes and appeared to be most interested when Grumpy told them that he found Sam by following Jack Collins, Sr. to the cabin.
“You probably don’t want to hear this, but Jack Collins Sr. is involved in this and I don’t mean just covering it up or trying to help his sick bastard of a son.”
“What makes you think that he is involved?”
“Someone has been helping him evade the police and he has been abducting girls for a long time. I think that his dad and others may be involved in this sex ring case.”
“I know you found several bodies around the cabin and I’ll bet as you keep digging, you will find that some of them have been buried since before Jack was a teenage punk.”
“We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation, but you are correct. There are numerous bodies buried at the cabin. That’s all I can say at this time.”
Sam came back to the room and told Grumpy that an investigator had questioned her over lunch.
“Sam, did you mention Jack Collins, Sr.?”
“Dad, I did, and that stirred them up. They acted like someone had kicked them in the balls.”
“Sam!”
“Well it’s true. When I told them that I’ll bet his dad is in on the abductions and killing of all those bodies around the cabin, they got agitated.”
“Sam, I need you to write very detail down that you know about Jack and his dad from the first time they came into your mom’s and your lives. I will do the same. Something smells and I see a whitewash coming.”
He got his cell phone and called a tow service to haul his truck back home. He then talked the doctor into letting him be taken to the hospital in his hometown for recovery. Grumpy didn’t tell the doctor that they would ride in a tow truck back to the hospital.
The tow truck let them off at the emergency entrance to the hospital and Sam made Grumpy sit down on a bench and hold Sammy while she went in and got an orderly with a wheelchair.
“Mr. Jones, we were expecting you to arrive in an ambulance. Williamson Hospital would have never released you had they known that you were riding in a tow truck. Did the ambulance break down?”
Grumpy started to cross his fingers and say yes. Instead, he said, “I might have misled them a bit.”
They took him to an examining room and checked him out. All was going well so they sent him to share Mary’s room. The orderly took them to the elevator and up to the fifth floor. The nurses swarmed over Grumpy and Sam when they arrived at the nurse’s station.
“Mr. Jones, you are a hero again. You found Sam, freed her from the kidnapper and killed the bad guy.”
Sam quickly replied, “I shot him. He was going to kill my Dad.”
The nurses all gave Sam a hug and a pat on the back.
One nurse said, “Then we have two heroes. Mr. Jones save you and you saved him. Sam, you are a strong young lady. We are so proud of you.”
“There are three heroes. Sammy saved both of us by attacking the kidnapper.”
The nurses all wanted to hold Sammy and pet him. He loved every minute of it.
“Thanks for welcoming us and all of the praise, but we need to see Mary now.”
The orderly wheeled Grumpy into the room and Mary said, “Bill, are you okay? I thought that you said you only had a scratch.”
“Mary, I didn’t want you to worry. It was only a flesh wound. Jack got off a lucky shot before I pounded his head with a shovel.”
Bill took her hand and they both struggled to get close enough for a kiss, but were successful.
“Sam, how are you? I was scared to death when I woke up and remembered what had happened. I don’t want anyone hurt, but I am glad Jack has gone to meet God and not here to bother you anymore."
Sam bent over, gave Mary a hug and a kiss on the cheek and said, “Mom, I missed you and thought that Jack might have killed you. I hate him. He almost killed my whole family before we got started.”
“Sam, I think this shows you how strong prayers are. Bill and I have been praying for your safe return.”
Grumpy looked at Mary and said, “Sam, I think that God has been watching over you all along. I think that he gave you a pint seized angel to keep you safe and to keep harm from you.”
Sammy had jumped on the bed and had curled up against Mary. He had his head lying on his paws and watched them.
Sam looked puzzled and thought for a few minutes before asking, “So I think you are saying that Sammy has been sent by God to keep me out of trouble?”
“Sammy has saved you twice and me once. Without him, we would both be dead. While Sammy is fearless, he is only a 15-pound Shih Tzu. Not exactly a guard dog by any stretch of the imagination.”
“Bill, err Dad, I
’m still not buying the whole God thing. I am trying to understand and keep an open mind, but I just can’t see it.”
“You’ll get used to it and embrace it one of these days. Just give God a chance. Now here’s some money. Go down to the cafeteria and get us a couple of milkshakes.”
Sam pocketed the cash and left the room. Sammy stayed curled up against Mary.
When Grumpy was sure that Sam was out of range he said, “Mary, I have something to tell you about Sam and you are not going to like it.”
“Bill, I already know that she is pregnant. I’m guessing that the doctor’s examination proved it.”
“How did you know? I never thought for a minute that she was carrying a baby.”
“I’m not surprised. I was four months pregnant and showing when I told you the first time. Mom and I had a bet that you would notice about the time I delivered. You did notice that she was throwing up in the morning and gaining weight. Didn’t you?”
“Well, when you put it like that, I guess it was right out there in front of my face. How do we break it to her? I have no idea how she will handle this.”
“After we pray to God for help and guidance, I think we should call Greg at CHFS and see what advice they have for us. We should also go talk with our Pastor.
“Mary that is a good idea. Sorry, but I didn’t think about the pastor. We still need to attend the rest of the classes. What if she wants to abort the baby?”
“Oh my! That would be horrible! Bill, I couldn’t stand that.”
“Mary the doctor mentioned the possibility since Jack forced himself on her, she may not be able to handle having his baby around her day after day.”
“Bill, the baby doesn’t care who its father is and deserves to live. She should have the baby and then put it up for adoption if it reminds her of that bastard.”
“Mary, you just cussed.”
“No, I didn’t. That is a perfectly good description of that guy and I hope he burns in hell.”
“Now Mary, don’t hold back. Say what you think. I don’t want you getting ulcers holding all that anger in.”
“Bill I know that you are kidding, but you reminded me that I should be praying for the bastard’s soul and not wishing bad things to happen to him, but a pedophile is the lowest form of life on this planet.”
“Mary you are a good person and will always do what is right. If Sam hadn’t shot him saving me, I would have killed him the first chance I got. I don’t want this stigma on Sam; she is just a kid. I wish that I had killed him with the shovel."
✼ ✼ ✼
✼
Chapter 20
The local and national news organizations were desperately trying to get Sam, Sammy and Grumpy for interviews. Grumpy finally told the reporter from his favorite TV station that he would give them an exclusive interview from the hospital.
“Charley, we will answer any questions about the kidnapping and rescue, but the interview is over if you try to ask any questions about Sam before the kidnapping or about the abuse. We don’t want a stigma hanging over Sam for the rest of her life.”
“Bill, can we ask about how Collins was killed? After all, Sam saved your life. What about Sammy? Can we ask questions about where he came from and about his heroics?”
“Yes on all of those. The fact that Sam shot Collins is already out there. Just be gentle. I want to see every question that you are going to ask Sam before the interview. I’m fair game, but I must protect Sam.”
“That’s certainly understandable. I do need to tell you that the national anchors will ask most of the questions and may want you to go to New York to appear on their show.”
“Will they abide by these rules and pay for us to travel to New York? If so, I’ll have to check with CHFS first to get permission for Sam to be interviewed.”
“Sounds good. I’ll make sure that everyone is good with the rules on our side. Our company wants to protect Sam and wouldn't do anything that would hurt her.”
Grumpy checked with Greg at the CHFS, the rules were approved and Grumpy was given approval for the interview.
***
“Okay, we are going live in 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1.”
“Hello, this is Casey Evans and I would like to introduce the Jones family and their dog Sammy to you. As you know, they have had a very harrowing experience over the last three weeks.”
He went on to tell their story while Sammy was fidgeting in Sam’s lap. Every time they said his name, he looked straight into the camera and licked Sam’s face.
“It appears that Sammy is putting on a show for us today. Is he always this adorable?”
Sam jumped in with an answer, “He is cute, except when he’s biting creeps, then not so much.”
“Yes, this little guy actually attacked the perpetrator and stopped the first kidnapping attempt.”
Sam responded, “By perpetrator do you mean Jack Collins, Jr.? Then yes, Sammy attacked him several times. First, he bit Collins until he had to jump out of my window to get away. Then he bit Collins again when he was about to kill my Dad at the cabin.”
“Bill, you were able to find Sam when the police couldn’t and you saved Sam from the explosion at the cabin. You are a true hero. What gave you the strength to act when in so much danger?”
“I prayed to God for answers and he gave Mary, Sam, Sammy and me the strength to get through this. This ordeal has renewed my faith and belief in our God and the miracles that he performs. As far as finding Sam, I knew that someone had to be helping Jack Collins Jr. so on a hunch I followed his Dad, Jack Collins Sr. to the cabin and found Jr.”
This revelation startled the commentator and the panel of news people.
“Are you indicating that Jack Collins, Sr. is involved in the kidnapping and other murders? Collins Sr. is a pillar of Kentucky business and one of the largest donors to progressive groups.”
“I don’t know for sure, but any prosecutor that doesn’t follow up on this and check out all leads is either dishonest or incompetent. Jack Collins Jr. could not have killed all of those girls since some were killed when he was a small child. The fact is that I followed Collins Sr. to the cabin; he went in and came out a while later. When he left, I was attacked from behind and knocked out. How did he miss seeing Sam and why didn’t he report his son to the police?”
“Well, this certainly is a bombshell and Mr. Collins has some explaining to do.”
***
They were released from the hospital three days later and were very happy to head home. Mary’s sister had stayed at their house and watched over Sam and Sammy. Sam laid a guilt trip on Mary’s sister and her caseworker and stayed home from school that whole week.
Grumpy drove his truck home over the objections of the hospital staff. They had gotten to know him and surrendered after a brief discussion. They both had one of their arms in a sling and made jokes about being twins. They pulled into the driveway and saw a large banner saying “Welcome Home Heroes.” There were a houseful of people, food and drink for this homecoming celebration.
Pastor John said grace and they began the festivities. Sam’s best friend Kathy was there and they snuck out in the backyard so that Sam could fill her in on what had happened.
“Sam, I missed you so much. I would die if you had been killed by that creep.”
“I’m okay, just a bunch of bruises and scrapes. I really missed you.”
“Please tell Bill not to tell anyone who told him about Jack’s dad and the cabin. That man is just as evil as his son and many times more powerful.”
“Kathy, I didn’t know that and I know he hasn’t brought it up to the police or news.”
“What do you know about Jack’s dad that scares you so much? We can’t let him get away with covering up what Jack did and he probably was in on these crimes. Let’s start our own investigation and put the ass hole in jail.”
Kathy started crying and held on to Sam for a few minutes. "I don’t want to think about what happened. If it gets out
I’ll disappear into one of those shallow graves in the woods.”
“Let’s discuss this at lunch on Monday.”
“Okay”.
Sam pressed her to tell more, but Kathy wouldn’t discuss that topic anymore.
***
Sam gave Grumpy a kiss on the cheek and said, “Wish me well, you know how much I don’t like school.”
“That’s great. You used to hate school, so we are making progress.”
“The old Sam would have told you kiss something, but the new Sam just rolls her eyes like the rich girls in this school.”
Grumpy laughed and said, “Yeah, but the old Grumpy would have tanned your butt. Get on in to school. Sam, we love you. Keep your head up and all will be okay.”
“I love you too. It’s great to have a family that loves each other. I would have settled for a family that wasn’t on drugs and had food.”
She ran into school before Grumpy could make a wise crack.
***
Sam walked into her homeroom and saw a big banner stating, “WELCOME BACK SAM.” Her classmates swarmed over her cheering and welcoming her back.
Her homeroom teacher said, “Thanks for the warm welcome for Sam. She has been through an ordeal and needs your support. We need to give Sam some room and not pester her. She has been through a lot and may not want to talk about the experience.”
Sam spoke up and said, “I don’t mind talking about most of what happened, but some of it is a bit personal. Thanks for being so nice to me and I am glad to be back. I don’t know if I’ll like school any better. But I’d rather be here than kidnapped any day.”
The class broke out in laughter and then the bell rang to go to first period classes.
Grumpy picked Sam up after school as usual that afternoon. They were about half way home when a cat ran out in front of the truck and he had to swerve to miss the cat.
Grumpy said, “Damn cat almost got killed trying to kill us.”
Grumpy, Sam and Sammy: A Murder Mystery and Thriller Page 12
