A Crying Shame: A Jesse Watson Mystery

by Ann Mullen

  “What life? That man took my life from me. He killed my Vicki.”

  “You still have Maisy,” I said.

  “She belongs to him.”

  “Don’t say that. That man is not her father. She’s a liability to him. The truth is she belongs to you. She’s Vicki’s daughter and you’re Vicki’s husband. That makes you Maisy’s father. You can’t turn your back on her now. She needs you.”

  “I won’t be much good to her in prison.”

  “We’re going to do our best to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Randy said. “I’ll be more than glad to help you out. I can handle your case.”

  Brian looked a little stunned at Randy’s offer. “I already have a lawyer,” he said.

  “He’s not here now and until we can reach him, you need someone to advise you right now.”

  “Okay,” Brian mumbled.

  “From this moment on, don’t say a word,” Randy demanded. He looked at Cole and said, “My client wishes to turn himself in to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.”

  We all turned our heads when we heard sirens in the background.

  CHAPTER 24

  Brian and Randy had their heads together as I went to the bedroom, opened the door, and stepped inside. I closed the door. I walked over to the crib where Maisy lay sleeping, and scooped her up in my arms. I looked around the room and said, “I’m taking Maisy to see her father.” I looked down at the kids for a second. I motioned with my head for the ladies to come closer. They gathered around me, shielding the young ones from hearing what I had to say. “Y’all need to stay in the room,” I whispered. “The police are going to take Brian in and I don’t think the kids should be around to witness it. I just wanted Brian to see his little girl before he goes to jail.”

  “What happened?” Mom asked.

  “I’m sorry, Mom, but we’re going to have to discuss it later. Right now I don’t have much time. I want Brian to see Maisy.”

  “That’s so sad,” Mom said. A tear slid down her cheeks. “That poor man has been through so much. I don’t know what this world is coming to.”

  Mom’s tears saddened my heart. I left the room with tears in my eyes, but really lost control when I saw the look on Brian’s face. He was a destroyed man. He was torn between his love for this child and his hate for the man who had ruined his life. His grief was devastating to watch.

  “Please take off the handcuffs,” I said. “He looks like a chained animal. How can he hold his baby when he’s chained to a table?”

  Cole and Frank fumbled for the keys to the handcuffs. Once they had released Brian, he stood and walked over to me. He took Maisy in his arms, held her to his chest, and cried.

  We all stood, watching in despair. It was the saddest moment in my life.

  Brian looked up at me and said, “I want these men to bear witness to what I have to say.” He looked around the room to Randy, Cole, Frank, and the chief.

  Randy held up his hand to silence him, but Brian shook his head.

  “This is about my child,” Brian said. “I want Billy and Jesse to take care of my daughter until I can come back for her.” He looked at me. “Will you take care of Maisy for me, Jesse? You’re a good person. Billy loves you so much. He told me so. He said that the two of you were going to have a baby and that you were going to be a great mother. He’s so proud of you. I just hope you have room in your heart for my little girl. I know she’ll have a good home here with you and Billy. She’ll be in good hands. Will you do that for me?” He cried as he placed Maisy in my arms. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead for the last time. “I’ll see you in heaven one day, little one,” he whispered. He turned around and walked back over to Frank and Cole.

  Brian’s declaration to his daughter disturbed me, but I brushed it aside. I knew he was a broken man. I just stood there, crying, as I watched the scene play out.

  Cole cuffed Brian’s hand in the front, which I thought was a little strange because cops normally did just the opposite, but I guess he felt there was no threat of escape since Brian had turned himself in… or maybe Cole wasn’t thinking straight. It was an emotional moment for us all. He then released Brian into the custody of the Charlottesville Police Department when they came through the front door. The officers gave Cole an odd look as they quietly led Brian out. Brian turned one last time and gave me a look of resignation.

  I faintly smiled back at him and shook my head in acknowledgement. I wanted him to know that Maisy would have a home with us for as long as she needed. Whatever the future held for Brian, his daughter would be here when he returned. It was a promise I would do my best to keep.

  Randy walked up to me and said, “Tell my mother that I’m going to ride to the station with Brian. I’ll call here when I need a ride back.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll see that Abby gets the message.”

  “I’ll call,” he said as he walked out the door.

  “I’m going back to UVA,” Frank said, walking to the door. “Captain Waverly’s going to give me a lift. Tell Abby not to wait for me. I’ll get the chopper to come back for me. My captain won’t like it, but that’s too bad.”

  “I guess this is good-bye then, huh?”

  “Oh, I’m sure we’ll see each other from time to time,” he said. “We still have that little matter about Carl Benson to deal with, and since he’s part of your family, I guess that means that you and I will…”

  A gunshot rang out, echoing throughout the house.

  Fear rose in my throat. I looked at Frank with a sinking feeling in my soul.

  The bedroom door opened. Athena and Thor flew past me, their barking reverberating off the walls. Mom, Sarah, Abby, Isabel, Claire and the kids came out of the bedroom and stood beside me. A lull hung in the air as we clung to each other.

  The chief walked over and stood by his wife.

  “Stay right here,” Frank said as he turned and walked out the door.

  I tried to gather my wits, but I was too stunned to even move. I clutched Maisy in my arms and held her close to my chest. I had a bad feeling. I knew what had happened. Sadness filled my heart.

  Maisy woke up and started to cry.

  “Let me take her,” Claire said. “I don’t imagine that cast on your arm is very comfortable.”

  “Okay,” I said. I released my grip and handed Maisy to her.

  “You need to sit down, dear,” Abby said. “You don’t look well.”

  “I have to go see Brian.” I turned and walked toward the front door.

  Billy stepped in front of me, blocking my way. He put his arms around me and whispered, “Brian grabbed Captain Waverly’s gun, they wrestled and the gun went off. Brian has been shot in the chest, and it’s bad.”

  “No!” I yelled as I pulled away from him. “There has to be a mistake. Maisy needs her daddy. Oh, God, Billy, tell me he isn’t going to die!”

  “I don’t know, `ge ya.” Billy wrapped his arms around my shoulders and held onto me. “Captain Waverly and his men are working on him and the ambulance is on the way. All we can do is pray.”

  “Why did he grab the captain’s gun? Was he trying to escape?”

  Billy didn’t say anything.

  “Why would he try to escape? Doesn’t he know that he’d never get away from all those cops? What was he thinking?”

  “I don’t know,” Billy replied, shaking his head. “Maybe he wasn’t trying to escape.”

  “What do you mean? What was he trying to do?”

  Claire handed Maisy to Mom and then walked over to me. “Maybe he was trying to put an end to his problems, Jesse.” She took me by the arm and led me over to the sofa. She sat down and patted the seat. “Sit down, Jesse. We need to talk.”

  I sat down beside her as I looked around the room at everyone and knew from the look on their faces that they all thought the same thing that Claire did. They didn’t think Brian was trying to escape, they thought he was trying to kill himself.

  I shook my head and said,
“I don’t believe for one minute that Brian was trying to kill himself. He has a little girl who needs him.”

  Billy walked over to the sofa and bent down on one knee in front of me. “After all that’s happened, I don’t think he was rational. He probably saw his situation as hopeless and wanted to end his misery. I just don’t know what was going through his mind.”

  “All we can do is pray,” Mom said.

  I looked over at Maisy and then back to Billy. In between my tears I said, “We have to take care of her. I promised Brian. I told him she could stay with us until…”

  “Then she will stay with us,” Billy said, trying to comfort me. “We will keep the promise you made.”

  An ambulance arrived and within minutes the emergency personnel had Brian ready for transport. He was still alive; I saw his head rise up on the stretcher as Billy leaned over and talked to him. This gave me hope. We all stood at the door as the ambulance pulled off.

  A chill swept through the room.

  “Somebody needs to go to the hospital and be there for him,” I said as Billy walked inside with Athena and Thor following him. He closed the front door.

  Athena and Thor meandered over to the fireplace and sat down on the bearskin rug next to Benny and Carrie who had remained quiet throughout this whole ordeal.

  “Randy rode with him,” Billy said. “He’s going to call as soon as Brian is out of danger.”

  I looked around the room. “Where are Frank and Cole?”

  “They both rode into Charlottesville with Captain Waverly. Cole had some answering to do about the way he handcuffed the prisoner. The captain was appalled at the fact that Brian’s hands weren’t cuffed behind his back. A few harsh words were exchanged between to two of them. I have a feeling Cole’s going to be in hot water over this.”

  “Oh, no!” I said. “I’m the one who told Cole to take off the cuffs so that Brian could hold Maisy.”

  “That wasn’t the problem, Jesse. When Cole went to cuff Brian, he cuffed his hands in the front. That was his mistake. Cole knows the procedure. He screwed up and probably cost Brian his life.”

  “I sure hope not,” I said. “I put him in that position by telling him he had Brian chained to a chair like an animal.”

  “Don’t blame yourself for Cole’s lapse in memory.”

  “You’re right, Billy. I can’t be responsible for everyone’s mistakes. I have to account for enough of my own. Frank and I never got to finish saying good-bye,” I said, changing the subject.

  “Frank said to tell everyone good-bye and he told me to give you a hug and a kiss.” Billy hugged and kissed me. “He said to tell you that you haven’t heard the last of him.” Billy smiled and then winked. “I think Frank has made a few new friends.”

  “Yeah, he’s not such a bad guy after all,” Abby said. “I guess I need to cut him some slack—as Jesse says.” She smiled at me. “It’s funny how after all these years I’ve finally come to like that old geezer, and I have you to thank for that.”

  “Frank reminds me of an old dog,” I said. “All he wants is love.”

  “How do you know that?” Isabel asked.

  “I could see it in his eyes, that is, after I got past his bad behavior. Once I had a chance to talk with him, I realized what a lonely man he is. He has sadness in his heart. He needed a friend, but he wouldn’t let anyone get close enough to him to be that friend. That’s when I decided that I would be his friend. He really is a kind-hearted guy. You just have to drag it out of him.”

  “I’m surprised at you, Jesse,” Claire said.

  “Why?”

  “You’re stubborn and once you make up your mind about someone, you usually don’t change your opinion. This is a new side to you, and I think I like it.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Claire,” I replied. “I’m not stubborn.”

  The chief coughed and I was certain I heard him utter, “Cow manure.”

  “Shame on you, Sam!” Sarah said.

  “Now that sounds like something I would do,” I said, looking over at the chief. “I’m surprised at you—talking about your daughter-in-law like that. May I mention the fact that I’m carrying your grandchild and you’d better be nice to me? If you’re not nice to me, I won’t name our young warrior after his grandfather. I was thinking about the name Ethan—isn’t that your name, Samuel Ethan? William Ethan Blackhawk—named after his daddy and his granddaddy. What do you think, Billy?”

  “I think that sounds fine to me.”

  “How did you find out?” the chief asked.

  “I did some research,” I replied. “I want my son to follow in the Cherokee footsteps, and the only way he can do that is to get started off right. He needs a name that will make him proud, and what better way to do that than to name him after someone he will grow up to love and adore? Who says he has to have a Jr. after his name? My boy will have his own identity. Indians have five or six names, don’t they?”

  “Yes, we do,” the chief replied. “We have our given name, and the name we earn as we master the art of survival and learn to care for our family. Actually, there are many reasons why we are given earned names. For example, if someone is born during a storm, they might be called, Thunder Cloud.” The chief looked over at Billy.

  Everyone looked around at Billy.

  “Well, now we know!” I said. I looked over at the chief. “The one thing I couldn’t find out was Billy’s other name. Robert is Dark Cloud, Jonathan is Smiling Hunter—boy, I bet he really loves that one—and Daniel is Running Deer. But I couldn’t get them to tell me Billy’s name. Billy never said, and I was always afraid to ask. Since his brothers wouldn’t say, I thought it might be one of those private things between warriors. That’s so cool. He’s a thunder cloud all right!” I winked at Billy and blew him a kiss.

  “We can talk about this later,” he said as he gave me one of his looks.

  “Yes, dear,” I said, pretending to obey his command.

  “Are you sure that it’s going to be a boy?” Abby asked. “Are you far enough along to find that out, yet?”

  “I don’t need a doctor to tell me the sex of my child—I have Billy and his father, Chief Samuel Ethan Blackhawk…a.k.a: Chief Standing Deer, or just plain Chief Sam.”

  For just a minute, my thoughts of Brian had been replaced with a conversation about my own child. Sweet as the thoughts were, the sadness of Brian crept back. I couldn’t seem to let go. Did he try to kill himself? I hated the idea that he thought his life was worthless, or over, when he still had someone who loved and needed him. A tear came spilling down my cheek.

  “Don’t be sad, `ge ya,” Billy hugged me and said. “I know you can’t get your mind off Brian, but you have to. You have to think positive thoughts.”

  “He’s right,” Abby said. “Brian will pull through this and be reunited with his daughter.”

  “Is this one of your visions?” I asked. “Or is this what you’re hoping will happen? Because I need to tell you that, right now, I could use a little insight to ease my fears.”

  “Some people say my visions aren’t real. Most of the time I’m right, but not always. You have to decide for yourself as to what you believe.”

  “I believe you do have a gift,” I said. “Maybe this time you’re right.”

  “I have my gut instincts to go by, but I must warn you that my instincts have let me down more than once,” Abby said. “What do I know? People think I’m just a crazy old lady anyway.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second,” I said. “You’re not crazy.”

  “I’m just old, huh?”

  “How old are you, Abby?” I asked, inciting laughter from everyone.

  “She’s old, Jesse,” Isabel said. “Real old!”

  “Oh, don’t be such a…”

  The phone rang and silenced everyone. The eerie quietness in the room was like a prelude to death. It was felt by everyone. A shiver ran down my back.

  Billy got up from the sofa and walked over to the
computer desk. Slowly, he picked up the receiver and said hello. Minutes passed before he spoke. He replaced the receiver, turned to us and said, “Brian died on the way to the hospital.”

  I was the first one to break down and the rest followed suit. All the women huddled together, shedding tears for a man we hardly knew. Were our tears just for Brian, or were they also tears for a young one who was left in this world without a mother or a father? We cried until there was nothing left. Our tears finally dried up and we began the process of healing. We had to. What else could we do?

  “Someone will have to handle the funeral arrangements,” I said.

  “We’ll call his family and make sure everything is taken care of,” Sarah said as she motioned to the chief. “We’re going to go home, pray for Brian’s soul, and then make the call.”

  “I think we need to say a prayer for him right now,” I said. I looked over at Mom. “I want us to. You’re the one who always prays. Maybe you could say a few words for Brian, Vicki, and their little girl.”

  “We can pray, too, Ant Jess,” Benny said. He grabbed his sister’s hand and came over to sit by their mother. “We will pray for Maisy.”

  It was truly a sad sight to behold. As all the women and children continued to huddle together, Billy and the chief squatted down on one knee beside us. Mom held Maisy as she spoke her words. “Lord, please watch over this child and keep her safe until she is reunited with her mother and father in your heavenly kingdom. Bring peace and happiness to her as she grows into adulthood and never let her forget the love her parents have for her. Please find it in your heart to forgive their mistakes and let Brian and Vicki rest in peace. Condemn the person who brought destruction to this loving family and let him burn in hell for all eternity. In the Lord’s name we pray. Amen.”

  I opened my eyes and looked at Mom. I was shocked at her words. I’d never heard her ask God to let someone burn in hell for their actions, but this time, I think she was justified.