BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

  "And you... how did you feel about her?"

  Again Jake was hesitating.

  "It wasn't the same."

  "What wasn't the same?"

  "The way I felt... about her."

  "So you weren't in love with her?"

  "No. I cared about her. I mean, I couldn't help not caring about her. I've known the woman for six years."

  "So why were you in a relationship with her then?"

  Jake thought he would start crying again. He hated himself right then. At that moment, he wished she'd shot him instead of herself. Because now, he was left to explain to the police what a low down lousy piece of shit he was to her.

  "Answer the question McPherson!"

  "I was uh... in a relationship with her, because I hated her husband. To get back at him, I wrecked his marriage."

  "Six years is a long time to be stuck with someone you don't want... must have been hell keeping that going. You get tired of it McPherson? Get tired of her?"

  Jake glared at him through bloodshot watery eyes. "I didn't shoot her. I never even knew she had a gun."

  "Okay... what happened tonight McPherson? What made, her - pull out this gun you claim not to know of its existence?"

  "It was over."

  "What was over?"

  "Us... I was done. It was the last night that I could carry on with the relationship. She knew it. I said some things, that hurt her. Unable to face possible humiliation, she at first threatened me with the gun, holding it pointed at my chest."

  "What time did that happen?"

  "What time did what happen?"

  "Let's back up shall we? What time did you arrive at her home?"

  Jake was tired, he just wanted to collapse and not get up again.

  "What time?"

  "It was after 6... I was late after I told her I would be there at 6."

  "How late were you?"

  "I don't know, I guess I showed up around 6:30."

  "Did you argue then?"

  "No... she fixed me dinner, and I ate."

  "What'd you eat?"

  "Spaghetti."

  "What time was that?"

  "When I got there... fuckin' hell!"

  "Stick with answering the questions and we'll do fine McPherson. What time did you eat?"

  Jake took a long deep breath. "I guess it was maybe 6:40."

  "How long did it take you to eat it?"

  "It took a while, I had no appetite."

  "What time did you finish?"

  "7:15 maybe... something like that maybe."

  "Did you argue then?"

  "Not yet."

  "When?"

  "After we went to bed."

  "Was there an act of sexual intercourse?"

  "There was an attempt... I wasn't in the mood... I couldn't keep it up, lost my hard on with the second or third stroke." Jake answered growing angry.

  "Have you always had that problem?"

  "No!"

  "Why tonight?"

  "I didn't want to be there. I didn't want to be in bed... with her. That's when I knew it was over. That's when she came to realize it was over. I told her that our relationship was going no where. She grew upset. I told her to put some clothes on. She left to do so, I turned to pick my clothes up off the floor, looked up and there she was, with a gun pointing at me."

  "What time was that?"

  "I haven't a clue."

  "Try."

  "No... I haven't a clue... you fuckin' figure it out. I was scared, tried to calm her down, but she grew more and more hysterical, I thought I was gonna die tonight... and right now, I fuckin' wish I had. In the end, she turned the gun, put it in her mouth and pulled the fuckin' - tri - trigger... and I don't... know what time." Jake was breathing hard. He was done. He wasn't saying another word.

  Chapter 91

  Derrick couldn't believe what was happening. Before he left home, he called Shawn in L.A. asking him what time they would be landing in Chicago? After finding out, calmly he asked him could they take an immediate flight from there straight back to Madison?

  "Why? What's going on?" Shawn had asked.

  "Just do it if you can... please... I don't wish to tell you all now because I don't know all the details myself yet."

  "Well come on... tell me something? Is Sylvia okay? Has something happened with her?" Shawn asked with his heart speeding up in fear.

  "NO! Nothing to do with Sylvia... Sylvia is fine. It's Jake."

  "What? What about Jake?"

  Derrick hesitated. "Shawn... Doris killed herself tonight."

  "WHAT?! HOLY SHIT!!! YOU GOTTA BE FUCKIN' KIDDING ME!!" Shawn leaped from his bed shouting. Startling his mother and sister, who were immediately at his door, knocking on it to find out why he was shouting. He walked to the door and opened it to them.

  "What's happened? Why the shouting?" Gert asked.

  "Hang on Derrick." Shawn then said, "Mom... Doris killed herself tonight."

  Gert stood with her mouth opened stunned. She sat on the chair across from her son's bed, Shanna sat on the arm of it next to her mother with her hand to her heart.

  "Derrick... how's Jake? What's going on with him?"

  "I don't yet know all the details... Kathy Ann is with him and she's falling to pieces over it. They've taken him in she said for forensic testing. Look... I have to go. I just wanted to call and let you all know to get here straight away tomorrow."

  "Okay... thanks for letting us know... we'll be straight home." Shawn clicked the phone off.

  "How Shawn... did she kill herself?" Shanna asked.

  "I don't know. Derrick didn't say, but they've taken Jake in, I'm thinking probably to make sure he didn't kill her."

  "They took my son into a goddamn jail? My son's not a murderer!"

  "Mom... calm down. I'm certain once they're done investigating they'll find that he's innocent of it."

  "You damn right he is! She killed herself! Was Jake there when she killed herself?" Gert asked.

  "I don't know mom... I don't know... you heard... Derrick could tell me little or nothing. We need to get to bed so we can get up early and make our flight out."

  "No! We need to find a flight out now, so I can get back there and see about my son! SHE KILLED HERSELF!!!"

  "Momma don't get worked up, there's nothing we can do until we get back there and find out what's going on!" Shanna pleaded.

  "I don't need to be back there to know what's going on! He tried to dump her and she killed herself! I JUST KNOW IT!!!"

  "MOM! Calm down!"

  "NO! I need to get home to see about my Jake! Get on the phone, and find us a flight out of here - NOW!"

  "Momma don't be ridiculous... there's no way!" Shanna tried to reason with her but all Gert could think of was Jake...what he must be going through.

  "Shawn please... you gotta try... my son needs me and I know it! Please try!" Gert pleaded with him.

  Shawn got on the phone, calling every airline he could think of. He knew what she was asking was impossible. There was no way they would find a flight to get them out of there before the one that they were scheduled for tomorrow morning. After a half an hour of unsuccessful calling, he put the phone down and looked at his mother. She was not happy. She had a very angry look about her as she stared off past him, deep in thought.

  "Mom... we're not going to get out of here before tomorrow morning. I'm sorry... but we will get a connecting flight right into Madison, and I'll call now, and have Crystal or Mundo at the airport to get us." Shawn stated. Gert wasn't answering, she was staring off into space. As he dialled, she looked at him and then stood.

  "Let's go to bed Shanna. Okay son... first thing tomorrow." She said very calmly.

  He was busy dialling his house number, after three rings, Mundo answered.

  "Yo - whassup!?"

  "Mundo...its me again."

  "Oh... whassup? Everything okay?"

  "No it's not. I need you to get the SUV tomorrow from Crystal and head to Madison to pick u
s up from there, we're coming straight home."

  "Oh... okay... what's going on?" He asked curious.

  "Doris... the lady Jake has been with for the last so many years, killed herself tonight!"

  "OH SHIT! What the hell!? Where's Jake? Was he there?" Mundo couldn't believe it. Jake had just left there hours ago.

  "They've arrested him Mundo during the investigation to make sure he didn't do it."

  "Oh man... you got to be kiddin' me! He just left here man! Just earlier today! Ah shit! He should'dah stayed his ass here! I can't believe this shit!"

  "I know... just be ready to head there tomorrow. I'll call you when we land in Ohio... I was going to Chicago, but we can't now... we have to get straight back."

  "Well yeah... I'ah be waitin' for your call papah-Shawn... for real! I'll be there."

  "Okay... I have to call Sheila now and let her know why I won't be showing up there tomorrow."

  "Hey man... you want me to do that for you? It's cheaper to ring her from here than there!"

  "Would you do that for me? That would be great... apologize for me."

  "Hey man... shit... you ain't got to apologize for that! ah'ight... see you tomorrow."

  "Tomorrow!" Shawn hung up and still felt himself reeling from the shock of it. He couldn't help but think about Sylvia, and wondered if she would come home now in the face of this? But then again, why would she? The last person she could give a crap about was Jake and she hadn't known Doris that well either for that matter. Shawn laid back in bed, he wouldn't think about it now. For the moment, he had no control of his wife or what she did. His mind went from her to Jake. "Oooh little brother... we're coming man. We're coming."

  His thoughts were pretty much like his mother's and sister's thoughts as they lay in bed waiting for the morning to come. Just as they were thinking, so was Derrick and Kathy Ann, as well as Jake. None of them wanted Bart to know... not before Gert got home to him... he was going to have a fit over this ... and they all knew it.

  Wisconsin to Chicago...

  "Who the hell ringing at this time a night?!" Dennis asked as Sheila reached over to answer the phone.

  "Hello?"

  "Sheila? It's me, Mundo."

  "Mundo? What you want boy? Its after 10:00 at night... it better be important."

  "Look... papah-Shawn was supposed to be there tomorrow... he ain't gone make it. Guess what happen?"

  Sheila sat up in bed clicking on her lamp light.

  "Woman you better cut that light out! You know I got to be at working early in the morning!" Dennis fussed.

  "Hush man! What happen... it's too late to be guessin'... just tell me!"

  "You know Jake - Shawn's brother?"

  "Boy! Of course we know Jake! What's going on?" Sheila asked, then Dennis sat up and looked at her.

  "This woman name Doris... he must'ah been seein' her... cause all of a sudden... she snuffed her own shit - oops, sorry, I mean, she done checked out - she called it a day... t'night!"

  "What you mean she called it a day!?"

  "Lights out! Last rights! Six feet under! Gone! Goodnight - I can't take this mess no mo' - I'm gone!"

  "You mean she kill herself!? Suicide?"

  "Sho'did!"

  "Oh hell naaaw! What happened?"

  "They must'ah been fightin' or somethin'... I'on know what happened! All I know is Shawn won't be there tomorrow, they have to come straight back here to see what's going on with him."

  "Okay... thanks for callin' and lettin' me know...bye!" She clicked the phone off and went to get up.

  "What happened?!" Dennis asked.

  "Jake... must'ah been fightin' with the chick he was seein'... I think he was tryin' to split up with her ass, she probably flipped out and did herself in! 'Cause she dead!"

  "WHAT?!" Dennis asked.

  "Yep... so Shawn won't be here tomorrow." She answered wrapping her robe around herself.

  "Well where you goin' now?!" Dennis asked.

  "Uh...I got to use the toilet, I be back!"

  "Ah hell naaaw!!! What you need the phone for!? Woman get yo' ass back in this bed! Oh no you ain't... leave that shit alone!"

  "Come on now, I ain't gone be but a minute!" Sheila pleaded.

  "Did you hear what I said? Hang that phone up... and climb yo' ass back in this bed and quite yo' meddlin'!"

  "I ain't meddlin' in nothing... I just gotta make a quick call!"

  "To who?"

  "Who you think?" She asked.

  "I don't know... ain't no tellin' wit' yo' ass! Who you callin'?"

  "I got to tell Vivian!"

  "Hell no... no - no - no - no - no! Leave it alone! DAMN! Let them bury her ass good before yah'll start plottin' an' shit!"

  "I ain't plottin' nothing! I just wanna let her know what's going on!"

  "She don't need to know! She got problems of her own! Now put that phone down and climb yo' ass back in here... don't make me mad!"

  "Damn Dennis! Why you got to be like that!" Sheila complained walking back to the bedside table and placing the phone back on the jack.

  "Look... listen here... don't let me come home from work and find out you done called her and told her! Leave - it - alone! Understand? That man is probably going nuts right now, he don't need what you trying to do."

  "I ain't trying to do nothing but keep my girl informed."

  "If he want her to know anything about his goddamn business... let him call her hisself! Now that's the end of it... I ain't playing!"

  Sheila laid back down, got under the cover and knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep that night.

  Wednesday Wisconsin...

  Mundo was at the airport waiting for them when they landed. Spellbound by disbelief, they discussed the possibilities of what may have happened on the way back from Madison. Shawn called Derrick and told him where they were. They all agreed to meet at Shawn's instead of at the farm, no one ready yet to let Bart in on what was going on. By the time all was gathered together, they met in Sylvia's basement, set up with enough room for them all to discuss what was going on. Derrick and Kathy Ann had been by the police station where Jake was being held. They were told to come back the next day, sometime around the afternoon. By then they would know enough of whether to let Jake go or not.

  Kathy Ann told what she knew, which was that Doris had put a gun in her mouth and blown her brains out right in front of Jake.

  "Oh my god... did Jake say why she did it Kathy Ann?" Gert asked.

  "No... he didn't... he was too upset! He was really messed up last night. Then her brother and sisters showed up going crazy on him, they attacked him, he did nothing, he just let them go at him. But I got a few good hits in on the brother!"

  Shawn was leaning against the pool table trying to figure out what they were to do, when Kathy Ann's mobile phone rang. She was quick to pick it up.

  "Hello?"

  "Hey... can someone come and get me. They're releasing me now."

  "It's Jake! Yes... Shawn's home Jake, Derricks here, and so is mom."

  "Tell him we're on our way!" Shawn shouted getting his keys from Mundo to the SUV, Derrick was following as well as Mundo.

  "Jake... they're on their way to get you now!"

  "Okay... tell them hurry... tell'em hurry... I need to get out of here."

  "They're on their way now Jake... can you stay on here and talk to me? Where are you right now?"

  "I'm standing here in goddamn white overalls looking like some kind of moron up in the corridor of Vernon county courthouse on the pay phone."

  "Let me talk to him!" Gert asked holding her hand out to get the cell phone. Kathy Ann passed it to her, "Son... what's the number on the phone where you're standing?"

  "Hi mom... you hear what happened?" He felt choked up again.

  "Yes son I did... and we're here for you, you better believe we are, what's the number on the phone... so we can get off of Kathy Ann's cell phone." He gave it to her and hung up so she could ring him back on the regular phone. He
picked it up before the first ring stopped.

  "Yeah..." He answered.

  "What happened son... tell momma what happened?"

  Fighting with his emotions, he told her everything. That he'd known that they were over, and he tried to avoid it but it could no longer endure the relationship. He left out the bed part of it, and just told her that she went hysterical on him and at first pointed the gun at him, and finally, how it ended.

  "Son... I want you to listen to me... its not your fault. You understand me?"

  "It is mom... I might as well took the gun and shot her myself!"

  "You hush that nonsense! You hear me!? You're not the first man to grow tired of a woman Jake! Doris is not the first woman to have her heart broken! She was not a little girl! Not a teenager, but a grown woman! I'm sorry son... but I feel nothing but anger towards her! What she's done is unforgivable! It was a cruel, vicious act of revenge to hurt you the only way that would work! She sat out to destroy you Jake! And she didn't give a damn about anyone else in the process! To hell with her family, to hell with her own goddamn children - all that mattered was killing you by killing herself!"

  "Mom please... you're wrong! I humiliated her! She couldn't stand the thought of how she would look if I left her!" Jake tried to defend her.

  "Then she's a sorry ass coward as well as the rest! Jake she was 46 years old when you met her! She's 13 years older than you!!! She - knew - better!!! I feel no pity for her, none at all! Her problems are now over... she's resting in peace... but I hope its not - but in hell!"

  "Mom don't say that! She's dead for god's sake!"

  "Due to her own hand! No one took her life from her, she took it herself, and I have no patience for the likes of her! Why did she think she could do what she did to her husband and children and not have it come back on her?! When she walked out on them for you... her oldest was only 14 years old! The youngest 12! Sorry son, I will not shed tears for her! This day should be the last that you do as well!"

  "Mom...mom... doesn't matter what she did. Doesn't matter now... the fact still remains, I played a part in it. I helped her destroy her life. Just as I helped her kill herself. I love you mom... but ... I can't talk about it anymore. My head is killing me."