The Jade Emperor

by Suzanne Jenkins

  “What happened to Granny?” their oldest daughter asked.

  “I’ll tell you later. Eat up,” Sandy said, nodding to Augie toward the living room.

  “I’ll stay here with the kids,’ he said. “You go do what you need to do.”

  “We need to talk,” she said.

  He ignored her, turning his attention back to the children, who were telling him about their day.

  They ate, laughing and talking with their father. He remembered the rare times Steve paid attention to him as a child, and it was usually something critical, using mealtime to correct or admonish if Kelly wasn’t around. His guilt about leaving the family was overwhelming, but the pride Augie took in his children knowing he loved them far outweighed it. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes his parents made.

  Dinner over, it was movie time. The older children piled into the living room while Augie and Sandy put the littlest to bed.

  “I’m going to head out now,” he said.

  “Augie, I need to talk to you,” Sandy replied. “I don’t want to say it in front of your family tomorrow.”

  “Come in here,” he said, moving toward the kitchen.

  Shutting the door, he didn’t want to get into an argument with her. “Why are you dragging my family into this? It has nothing to do with them.”

  “It has everything to do with them, Augie! Your father is acting like an asshole, so it gives you and everyone else the right to do the same thing. Where did this come from? I knew you were seeing her, and I let it go. Why leave? I gave you the best of both worlds.”

  “Look, I’m not waiting until I’m sixty-five like my dad did,” he said. “If that hurts, I’m sorry. I can’t take it anymore. And I don’t want to do this every time I come to see the kids.”

  “Maybe we won’t be able to work out our own custody agreement, then,” she said. “I don’t want you thinking you can just pop over whenever it suits you. That won’t work for me.”

  “You just said I could stay and see another woman on the side! Why use the kids to get even because I won’t do what you want?”

  “I’m not using the kids,” she said, growing weary. “Just don’t think you can disrespect me.”

  “I won’t. But you never answered my question. Why are you dragging my family into this?”

  “I want them to know my side, that’s why. Liz and Terry are my best friends. Your leaving might impact that, and I want to know.”

  “Terry kicked Ken out, so I don’t think she’ll be a problem for you,” he said.

  “Oh, no, I wondered why I hadn’t heard from her,” Sandy said, looking at her phone in case she missed a message. “Unless you’re going to hang out with the kids, you’d better leave.”

  “I tried to and you said you wanted to talk! You’re schizophrenic, girl.”

  It came out of the blue, Sandy threw her phone at Augie, and it hit him in the temple. Within seconds, a broken vessel under his skin filled with blood.

  “What the hell!” he yelled, holding his face.

  “Shut up or you’ll upset the kids. You’d better go lie down before you get a black eye.”

  He started moving toward the living room. “Not here, asshole! Go to your girlfriend’s house.”

  “Jeesh, make up your mind,” he said, moaning.

  Running ahead of him, she quickly opened the door, the impulse to kick him in the thigh powerful, but she didn’t succumb.

  “Get out!” she hissed.

  “I’m going!” he cried, but she slammed the door on him, delighted to see it hit him in the rear end.

  She watched him stumble to the car and, the cycle complete, burst into tears.

  Chapter 22

  Sitting at their new Walmart table, Steve and Lee held hands, looking out over the soft, lighted paths through a wooded area and the darker, unlit woods beyond.

  “Homeless people probably live in back,” Lee said, reaching for her wineglass. “We keep the doors locked at night.”

  “I’ll get those lights we talked about,” Steve replied. “Then we can see if anyone’s hiding out there.”

  “I want to see Kelly Boyd,” Lee said, pushing her chair away from the table.

  “Ah, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” Steve said. “She was pretty clear the last time we were there on Tuesday night that we weren’t welcome. And I want to watch the game.”

  “I apologize, so everything okay with us. We go,” she said pointing to the door. “I want to see my son, too. You can watch the game there.”

  “Text Titan and let him know we’re coming,” Steve said. “Then if Kelly doesn’t want company, he can come outside.”

  “I’m not visiting my son in the freezing cold dark,” Lee said. “We go in the house. Remember, it your house, too, Stevie.”

  “Yes, well, not really,” he said, waiting for her to text Titan.

  Coasting along, nothing, not even the attack on Kelly, seemed to have much effect on Steve. He was annoyed that Lee was ministering to Kelly in the hospital; he couldn’t understand why she would stick her neck out to pamper someone who clearly had nothing but contempt for her.

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  Frowning, Lee hated that phrase. “If I don’t want you to ask me, you already ask,” she snapped. “What?”

  “Why’d you wash Kelly’s face in the hospital?”

  Lee spun around to look at him. “Why you ask?”

  “I want to know,” he said. “It bothered me, that’s all.”

  “You jealous?” she asked, looking at him carefully. “Jealous of what I do for her? Or jealous that you want to do it?”

  “I never took care of Kelly that way all the years we were together, and I have no desire to do it now. Why’d you do it? It was weird.”

  “No one else care about her,” Lee said, tossing her head. “She look awful with dried blood on her face and down her back. Her own daughters don’t care.”

  Her passion confused Steve. Kelly was the enemy; why would Lee care if no one cared about Kelly?

  “So what?” Steve replied. “Isn’t that what you want?”

  Stunned that he’d come to that conclusion about her, Lee didn’t know what to say at first.

  “No. I feel guilty about her after she take care of my son. Our son. It make me take a second look at Kelly Boyd. Maybe she not so bad after all. I can be a little nicer to her.”

  Looking down at her phone, she nodded toward the door. “Let’s go. Titan said Kelly Boyd is asleep. He’ll meet us at the door so the dog don’t bark.”

  Stony, the last thing Steve wanted to do was go to his old house. But part of turning over a new leaf was getting to know Titan. He’d go not just to keep the peace, but to try to connect with his son.

  Lee’s chatter comforted Steve on the way. Taking her hand while he drove, by the time they reached the house, he was smiling.

  Titan was standing on the other side of the storm door, waiting for them. As they approached the house, he opened up and stood aside for Lee to pass, but didn’t kiss her. It was one of the contrasts between this family and his original. Kelly was always kissing her children, and they in turn always kissed her, greeting or saying goodbye. Steve didn’t like it, but now, seeing how affectionate Titan and Lee were without laying a hand on each other, the other way really annoyed him. At the hospital, all the kissing and touching disgusted him. What were they trying to prove?

  Then, the dog flew out the door, yipping and whining, jumping up on Steve, and all of his resolve to stay unemotional and undemonstrative left in response to a dog’s love. Beaver was clearly ecstatic to see Steve again.

  “Good ol’ boy,” Steve said, scratching Beaver’s ears, biting back tears. “Good ol’ boy.”

  Nudging Beaver along, Steve passed by Titan and stuck out his hand to shake.

  “Hello,” Titan said. “Thanks for bringing my mother over.”

  Steve wasn’t sure if he was being sincere or speaking with the same sarcasm that he often di
shed out himself.

  “She wanted to visit,” he answered, shrugging his shoulders. “I want her to be happy.”

  “I’m happy, I’m happy. So Kelly Boyd asleep?” Lee whispered.

  “She’s fast asleep,” Titan said. “I guess you could say she had a rough day.”

  They talked about what had happened to Kelly. Then Lee switched the conversation to what Titan was going to do after he told them about flying into Chicago Monday morning.

  “Now that we have an apartment, you should stay with us,” Lee said.

  Put on the spot, Titan had no intentions of moving in with Steve and Lee, but he didn’t want to refuse and refocus the attention on Kelly.

  “That’s great you have your apartment. But I’m upstairs alone and have my own bathroom. I should stay here. It won’t be for long. As soon as I sell my place I’ll get something here in town.”

  “Stay here if you want,” Steve said, bent over, mindlessly petting the dog who had taken a permanent position at his feet. “My kids have already mentioned that it’s nice having you here.”

  “What your kids have to do with Titan?” Lee said.

  “He’s their half brother, Lee,” Steve replied. “They want to get to know him. We just had this conversation.”

  “I thought I heard voices,” Kelly said, walking into the room.

  “I’m sorry,” Titan said. “Go back to bed, and we’ll keep our voices low.”

  “No, no worries. I need tea. Would you like something to drink?” she asked Lee and Steve.

  “Kelly Boyd, you sit down,” Lee said, getting up from the couch. “Come, sit. I make tea.”

  “I’m not going to argue with that,” Kelly said, sitting on the opposite end of the couch from Steve.

  A week before, there would be no chance of letting Lee anywhere near her kitchen, but it seemed silly to deny Lee wanting to wait on her.

  “What’s with Beaver?” Kelly asked, surprised to see Steve petting the dog.

  “He’s finally paying attention to me,” Steve said, happy. “I miss my old companion.”

  “Now don’t think you can take him,” Kelly said, alarmed.

  “I won’t, I can’t have him in the apartment,” Steve said. “But maybe when I get a house, you’ll share custody.”

  “I’ll take it under consideration,” Kelly said. “Will Lee mind a dog?”

  “I take care of the dog for you, Kelly Boyd,” Lee said, bringing tea in and setting it on the table next to Kelly.

  “How do you feel?” Titan asked, trying to change the subject.

  “About like someone threw a rock at the back of my head,” she answered.

  “Is that what they think happened?” Steve asked.

  “They found a rock with blood on it in the area where I was attacked. They’re going to check it for fingerprints.”

  “If I promise to run faster, will you wait to go with me from now on?” Titan asked.

  “We’ll see,” Kelly answered, giggling. “It’s not much of a workout.”

  “His legs are so long, you should have to run after him just to keep up with his walking,” Steve said.

  “You’d think, right?” Kelly replied. “He’s too busy moaning and groaning trying to keep up with me.”

  “Did you work out in Chicago?” Steve asked.

  “Does it look like it?” Titan answered, holding his lean arms out. “I’m too lazy.”

  “I don’t think an orthopedic surgeon can ever be said to be too lazy,” Kelly said. “Maybe too busy?”

  “Nah, because Jean was a gym rat. Until she wasn’t able to exercise, she was in the gym almost every day.”

  Lee returned with a mug of tea for herself. “That’s true,” she said. “Jean was in good shape for her age.”

  “How old was she?” Steve asked. “If I’m not being too nosy.”

  “Her fifty-third birthday would have been next month,” Titan said, waiting for Lee to have a conniption, but she didn’t say a word, her jaw set. She noticed what he’d said, but couldn’t very well criticize him after confessing that she’d lied about Ted Baker. Everyone’s sins were catching up with them.

  “Tomorrow we have family council,” Kelly said. “You should come. It might get ugly because Augie’s wife is angry, and rightfully so.”

  “Why is she dragging us into it?” Steve asked, the whine in his voice unmistakable.

  “We come,” Lee said. “This is your family, Stevie. Kelly Boyd think we should be here, we come.”

  The phone rang and before Kelly could get up to get it, Titan brought it to her.

  “Mrs. Boyd, it’s Detective Sanders. I’m sorry I’m calling late but this is information you should have. The prints on the rock we believe was used to hit you belong to a David Marks of Dearborn Heights. Does that name ring a bell?”

  It took a moment, but when the realization hit her, it hit hard, and she started to shake.

  “He’s my daughter-in-law’s brother,” Kelly said, glancing at Steve.

  “What’s your relationship with him?” the detective asked.

  “I don’t have one,” she said. “I’m not sure I would recognize him on the street. Why would his prints be on the rock that may have been used to hurt me?”

  “What’s you relationship like with your daughter-in-law?”

  “It’s great! I mean I thought it was great. I’ve never had a negative word with her, ever. What are you trying to say?”

  “We’re picking him up tonight, so hopefully, I’ll have more information for you soon. In the meantime, do you have someone who can stay with you?”

  “Do I have to worry about my safety in my own house?”

  “As long as whoever attacked you is still out there, you shouldn’t be alone, that’s all. Is anyone there with you?”

  “Yes,” she said shortly. “I won’t be alone.”

  They said goodbye and she ended the call. “What’s going on?” Steve asked, concerned.

  “They think the person who attacked me was Sandy’s brother. Dave Marks’s finger prints are on that rock they found. Why would he throw a rock at me?”

  “She mad because of Augie leaving her for another woman. I bet if you ask her, that what she say,” Lee said. “They blame all of us for that.”

  “Did you talk to her?” Steve asked Lee, confused.

  “No, I don’t talk to her! It common sense,” Lee answered. “I don’t know her. But mark my word. We will see her tomorrow at family council.”

  “Oh crap! Family council!”

  “You should call that cop back,” Steve said. “Tell him she’s going to be here tomorrow.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Kelly said. “Now I’m worried. What if she did put her brother up to it? Why would she?”

  “Ask her,” Titan said.

  “I agree,” Steve said. “Call her and tell her what the cop said. He didn’t say not to talk to her, did he?”

  “No, but he did say I shouldn’t be alone. That makes me nervous enough.”

  “You won’t be alone,” Steve said. “Call her while we’re here. Then, if she sends that goon over here, we can take him out.”

  Titan hit his hand on his knee and laughed. “I’m not much of a fighter, but I can throw chairs with the best of them.”

  It seemed Steve and Titan had finally found similar ground in their sarcasm, and Kelly relaxed and laughed. But Lee didn’t think it was amusing.

  “It not funny, Titan,” Lee said, indignant. “You too, Stevie.”

  “Ma, I know, but you’ve got to admit, Steve is pretty funny.”

  “Hysterical,” Kelly said, shaking her head.

  “You should call Sandy,” Lee said, ignoring Steve and Titan.

  “I think I will call her and be honest about what the detective told me in case the cops show up at her house,” Kelly said, dialing Sandy’s number.

  A hesitant Sandy answered when she saw caller ID.

  “How are you feeling? Liz told me what happened,” Sandy s
aid.

  “I’ll live. I wanted you to know the police detective just called me, and Dave Marks’s fingerprints are on the rock that was thrown at my head.”

  Silence rang out while Kelly waited. “My brother, Dave?” she asked, the tremor in her voice unmistakable.

  “Brother Dave,” Kelly said. “They’re going to pick him up tonight. They also asked if everything was okay between you and me. I said it was, because I always thought it was wonderful. You’re like my own daughter.”

  “And I tried to be just like you,” Sandy said, raising her voice. “I did everything exactly as you did so Augie would be happy. I turned a blind eye while he fell in love with another woman, just like you did.

  “But Augie still left me, because when you let Steve go, it opened the door of possibilities up for everyone! If he can do it, why not Augie? Why not drink yourself to death, like Ken? Or eat yourself into oblivion like Lisa?”

  “Sandy, I…”

  “Save it, Kelly! This is your fault,” she said, her voice shrill now. “You martyred yourself in front of your kids for the past forty years. What the hell did you expect would happen? And now that moron Lee and her son are going to hang around! Oh God, I can’t wait for Christmas. That should be a blast!”

  Kelly consciously tried deep breathing to prevent a meltdown, hoping Lee and Steve didn’t hear the remarks Sandy had made about them.

  When she could speak in a normal tone, Kelly asked the big question. “Did you have anything to do with Dave wanting to hurt me?”

  “No,” Sandy said. Kelly could tell she was crying. “He knew I was angry at you, and he might have tried to avenge Augie leaving me. Of course, Dave being Dave would go after the woman because he’s too much of a sissy to confront Augie. But I knew nothing of his plans. I’m shocked, actually. He’s on probation, and this will probably push him over the edge. My mother will be devastated.”

  “He could have killed me, Sandy,” Kelly said.

  “You are always so dramatic,” she shouted. “They didn’t even keep you overnight. It couldn’t have been that bad.”

  Kelly hung up on her; making any attempt at reasoning with Sandy in her state of mind would be fruitless.

  “Wow, that didn’t sound too promising,” Titan said.