Secrets of Amelia

by Andrea Anderson

  “Yes, I work at the Royal as a hostess. It’s my night off, tonight.”

  Festus excused himself to go to the bathroom. Lynn turned to Jerry and said harshly, “How in the Hell did you find me?”

  “Don’t flatter yourself, I really wasn’t looking for you,” Jerry said, “I think the family sort of gave up on you.”

  “How’s your father? She asked.

  “Daddy’s dead,” He said.

  She looked shocked, “How? When?”

  “He had an accident and got chewed up by the woodchipper about three or four years ago now.”

  “Oh God,” she said, “How are the others?”

  “Roger is married, and he and Matt are still trying to make a go of the farm,” he said.

  “What about Amelia?”

  “I guess she’s still there, she was trying to go to college, but there was no money, so I don’t know. She was very friendly with the Brown’s and ran over there every chance she got when I was there.”

  “When were you there?”

  “About a year or so ago, I haven’t been back since, they didn’t treat me very nicely.”

  “Why was that?” she asked. Before he could answer, Festus came back to the table.

  “What’s say we go dancing Lynn?” Asked Festus.

  “Sure, OK, Jerry, why don’t you come by the Royal tomorrow evening and we could have dinner together?”

  “That sounds like a plan,” said Jerry.

  The next night Lynn and Jerry met, and he told her all about his visit to the farm, of course he told her the Jerry version not the truth. He said that Roger, Matt and Amelia didn’t treat him very well and kicked him out after a few weeks. Jerry never mentioned his so-called wife and kids. He said he had nowhere to go when they kicked him out so he went to stay with an old buddy he met in the service, they had a small business and sold it, and now he was taking a little vacation until he could re-start the business.

  “How long will you be here,” she asked.

  “I don’t really know, until the money runs out,” he said, and laughed.

  “What about you?”

  “I have a small apartment and I make a living. I work on the side as an escort for older gentlemen when I can.”

  “Let’s keep in touch,” he said, “maybe we will get lucky and strike it rich.”

  The next few times he saw her she was with a different man each time and most of the time she was drunk. He was in one of the casinos one evening when he saw her walking out with a man. They were both tipsy and were arguing. The man was about to get into a taxi, before he did, he turned around and slapped Lynn and she fell down. Jerry went over and helped her up. The taxi drove off.

  “What happened that he slapped you?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” Lynn said angrily, “don’t ask, I guess my plans are changed for this evening, I could use a drink.”

  “That guy was the manager of the restaurant I work at and he wanted me to go to his apartment and sleep with him. I guess I’m out of a job now.”

  They went into the bar and Jerry bought drinks. After a few hours, they were both drunk, Lynn could hardly walk. He called a cab and took her to her apartment. She passed out on her bed almost as soon as they got in the apartment and he slept on the sofa. They were hung-over the next day and had Blood Marys’ for breakfast eye openers and by noon were well on their way to being drunk again.

  Jerry fell asleep, got up later, went to the motel, and changed. In a few days, he called Lynn and they got together. Lynn told him that the rent on her apartment was due, so she had to find a job soon.

  “Don’t worry I have some money.”

  “That’s very generous of you,” she said.

  “Well you are my mother,” he replied.

  Jerry was not being as generous as Lynn thought he felt she would be a good cover if anybody were looking for him. They fell into a routine which ended up with both of them getting drunk every night. Jerry was getting unlucky at gambling and knew he would soon have to get into the funny money. One night when they were in their usual inebriated state, Jerry asked her if she knew anybody who laundered money.

  “Yeah, I know a few people, how much are you talking about.”

  “About 70 thousand,” he said, he didn’t tell her it was counterfeit.

  “You don’t get much on return,” she said, “maybe 30 for that.”

  “Let’s see how the cards go tomorrow and then I’ll decide.”

  Jerry paid the month’s rent on Lynn’s apartment and began staying there. It was more convenient because then he didn’t have to use his name, although he was using a phony name at the motel.

  One day Lynn was cleaning up when she moved Jerry’s gym bag and felt it was pretty heavy. She opened it out of curiosity and saw the money. When Jerry came home, he was in a very bad mood.

  “What’s the matter Jerry?” She asked.

  “I lost large,” he said, “I think the dealer was scamming me, the pit boss didn’t agree, I lost about 20 thousand. We’ll have to look up your laundry friend very soon now.”

  “OK, I’ll call him and see what he says.”

  They made the deal over the phone and before they were to make the exchange Jerry started packing all his belonging up.

  “What are you doing?” asked Lynn.

  “You should start packing too. I want you to come with me.”

  “Where do you want to go?”

  “We’ll go down to Mexico for a while and see if I can start my business back up, you don’t have any strong ties, here do you?”

  “No, I guess I can do that for a while I can’t seem to find a job so that will be OK.”

  The real reason Jerry wanted Lynn to go with him was because anyone who might be looking for him would think he was traveling alone not with his mother. Lynn already used an alias so they won’t be able to track him through her, if they ever began to question her, he knew she would break.

  They made the deal quickly with the money-laundering guy, left immediately, and drove to a place just across the border in Mexico. There was no doubt that it wouldn’t take them long to discover the money was bogus. He left some real bills on top but he knew they would soon discover the loot was hot. They would be pissed and be looking for him to have his head. He had given them some money he won from the casino as a sample of what he wanted to deal with so they would have no suspicion at first. When they began looking for him, they would not really have anything to go on except that they knew Lynn, that’s why he had to get her out of there with him and try not to leave a trail. They would rent a small apartment in names, other than the ones they used in Vegas. He would try and keep her drinking under control because she could easily spill the beans. First, he had to make another trip to the farm to be certain Roberto didn’t bring any money there.

  [ Chapter 42 ]

  Amelia and Chad talked on the phone for a long time, she was telling him about her family. Deana had another baby, a boy this time, they named him Mark and they were both doing fine. Deana’s father passed away in his sleep and Deana’s youngest brother, who was the last one living on the farm didn’t think he could manage the farm on his own. He was going to join their older brother in the textile business and Mrs. Lane decided to sell the farm. She split the proceeds between the children and would live with Deana and Roger and take care of the kids.

  Deana had taken a keen interest in the animals especially the newborn calves and had raised a prized heifer that they sold for $7500. They used the money from the sale of the Lane farm and the heifer to make improvements to the house and the farm. They built an extension on the farmhouse to add rooms for the children and Mrs. Lane and remodeled the kitchen. Roger was doing a great job with the livestock and the crops. They now had two farm hands to help work the farm. The last crop they had was very plentiful because the weather ha
d been perfect, and Roger had rented out some of the construction equipment again.

  Amelia talked with Ida at least twice a week or emailed and she seemed to be doing well too. She started tutoring high school students several days a week and it kept her busy.

  Buzz gave Amelia more responsibility in the lab and she sometimes went with him out in the field to collect evidence on criminal cases.

  “I’m learning so much honey and it is so exciting to know that what we collect helps to solve cases, Buzz is such a good teacher.”

  “Mellie, I’m elated you’re doing well, and everything is fine. I’ll be coming home in two weeks for 7 days I can’t wait to see you.”

  Chad arrived and Amelia couldn’t wait to see him.

  “Babe I missed you so much,” he said, “we have a lot to talk about, first I want to catch up on your kisses and give you mine.”

  For the first two days they stayed close together and practically didn’t leave the apartment. One Wednesday Betty called and invited them to a barbeque at her mother’s house, Shelly and Wilson would be there too, she said.

  “Are they a couple again?” asked Amelia.

  “I think so,” said Betty, “when I finally got her, she said she was bringing Wilson.”

  “This will be so much fun,” said Amelia, “we haven’t been together in forever.”

  The barbeque was great fun, Darrell, Chad, and Wilson seemed to enjoy each other’s company. Darrell and Betty announced she was going to have a baby and they were going to build a new home.

  “How exciting,” Amelia cooed, and she, Shelly, and Betty hugged and danced around like teenagers.

  When they got back to the apartment Amelia and Chad said good night to Shelly and Wilson who were having a nightcap in the living room.

  “Honey, I have something to ask you.”

  “What is it Chad?”

  “I decided to get out of the army, if that’s OK with you.”

  “That is wonderful with me,” she said, “and then we can be together every day.”

  “I want to run the plan by you. My sergeant Herbie Grant, and I have been talking, and he knows how much I miss you. He says that’s the only thing that keeps him from trying to talk me out of not leaving the army. He has an uncle here in Philadelphia that owns 4 fitness centers. He wants to semi-retire and needs someone to manage the business. Herbie is not interested and doesn’t like business stuff, so he recommended me. It’s not a done deal yet, I sent him my resume and told him what I did as part of my master’s degree, I talked with him today and I’m going to interview with him tomorrow. If we hit it off, I’ll have a job waiting for me as soon as I get out.”

  “Oh Chad, you are so wonderful, he will love you at first sight. That is the news you wanted to tell me?”

  “Yes, I wanted to surprise you.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me when you first got here?”

  “It wasn’t set up totally until I talked to him today, I didn’t want to jump the gun and then disappoint you.”

  “You are the best husband in the world, so kind, so thoughtful, so sexy,” she said as she kissed him.

  Babe I don’t know what I would do without you, you are my world,” Chad whispered in her ear.

  “And your mine,” she said, breathlessly. She whispered back would you like to make love to your wife now?” as she touches the fronted of his pants,

  “You drive me out of my mind,” he said, “and in 6 months when I’m home all the time you might get sick of me always wanting you in my arms.”

  “Let’s try it and see I don’t think so; I think I grow to love you more each day and I love your emails and phone calls they keep me going.”

  “The guys in the squad all kid me about being on the computer so much. I don’t care I feel better after I read your sweet words and better still when I talk to you, although neither is ever as good as when we’re together.

  “Do you think when I come back for good and we get everything settled we should have a baby?”

  “Do you want to have a baby with me?”

  “I want to have several babies with you, and you know how much I enjoy trying to make babies with you, don’t you?”

  “Is all this talk because Betty and Darrell are going to have a baby?”

  “No all this talk is to let Mellie know I want us to have a family. I want us to have a solid base first so we can provide a good life for a child or children. That’s important to me.”

  “I agree, honey,” she said.”

  “I have a secret for you too,” she said, pretending to be secretive and looking around. The kissing monster has appeared, she said, “we should shut up and kiss and I think you know the love making monster can’t be too far behind.”

  “He never is, is he?”

  Shelly and Wilson sat on the sofa and had their nightcap.

  Wilson said to her, “I want to thank you for inviting me to the barbeque tonight I really enjoyed myself.”

  “Wilson, I have to be honest with you, I invited you because I didn’t want to show up by myself. I knew Darrel and Betty and Chad and Amelia would be there and I would be alone. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but we haven’t seen much of each other because our lives are so taken up with job responsibilities. It’s so hard for us to maintain a relationship that way.”

  Sort of ignoring what Shelly said, Wilson began talking, “I was overjoyed when you called me. I had a great time tonight. It is such a pleasure for me to see Amelia and Chad together and to know that Betty and Darrell are a real family now and getting along so well. I know it’s tough for us with your on-call stuff and my being called away all the time, I’d like to give our relationship a try if you are willing.”

  “I don’t know, the next year will be even more difficult than it is now,” Said Shelly. “I will be starting an internship and will have to be on call for many hours.”

  “I should tell you Shelly how much I admire what you do. I know it’s not easy, but you are trying to help people and that’s so great. I have never told this to anybody, but I came from an abusive home. My father used to come home and beat the crap out of my mother. Although he wasn’t an alcoholic. He would get drunk and angry and take it out on her and my brother and when I got big enough on me too.

  One night when things didn’t go well at the office he came home and started to pound on Mom. I was about 14 years old and tried to defend her. He beat the crap out of me too. She was pretty beat up and had a broken nose and arm and I had a broken jaw. Mom knew when she saw that he started on me that things would only get worse, now he had another person to take his uncontrollable rage out on. She got the courage and left him, and we lived in a rundown apartment building where she thought he wouldn’t find us. It worked out fine for about six months until dad found us again. I answered the door one night and he was standing there, he said, “Aren’t you going to let me in son.” I did and he seemed OK. Things were good for the next few months and then he came home one night and was waiting for mom to serve supper. She was preoccupied that day and burned the stew. When she served it, it was dry and almost in editable. My brother and I made light of it and teased my mother, not dad, he got very angry.

  During those six months, we lived without my father, my mother made me take self-defense classes. Although I wasn’t really strong, I now had the moves. Dad had been drinking and was not as steady on his feet as he could be. It all started when he slapped my mother in the face at the table for no reason. I couldn’t tolerate that, I jumped up, I got him in a chokehold, and we wrestled to the floor. I squeezed as hard as I could and soon felt my father relax his grip on me. When I crawled out from under him, he didn’t move. He had vomited and we were both covered with vile smelling stuff and all I wanted to do was to get cleaned up. I went to the bathroom to wash the crap off myself, when my mom knocked at the door, told me my father was not m
oving, and didn’t wake up. I dressed quickly and came out and he was there exactly as I left him on the kitchen floor. I went over to him and saw that he was not breathing. He had choked on the vomit and died. I told my mother to call the police.

  When they came and asked what happened we told them the truth. They took me to juvenile hall and charged me with murder. The detective that questioned me asked me to tell him what happened. He thought mom had killed him and I was covering up for her. I told him I did it and I didn’t mean to kill him, I tried to make him stop hurting my mom. Then it all came spilling out. How he had abused us over the last years and how I couldn’t help my mom. He believed me, took pity on me, and told me what to say to the counselors and the judge. I spent 4 months in a juvenile facility and then I was released to go home.

  That same detective followed up with me and mentored me to graduate high school, because I was a juvenile my criminal record was expunger and so I was able to join the police force. He’s why I became a police officer. I have never told that story to anybody before. I wanted to tell it to you because I think you have the capacity and ability to help people like that who are in trouble and don’t know where to turn. It’s OK Shelly if you don’t want to see me again. I only want to thank you for being a fine person and tell you I have enjoyed our relationship although it has been limited because of our jobs.”

  “Wilson, I never meant that I didn’t care for you, I mean I felt it was so unfair that I never have time to spend with you and you should find someone who could make you happy.”

  “You make me happy, Shelly. I admire you so much and think you are so kind and sweet. I love the relationships you have with your friends. I like them all very much, they are such good people. I know I might not have much to contribute, but I wanted you to know how much I think of you, you are such a caring person and Betty and Amelia love you for it. Who else would go out of their way to care for a friend’s baby the way you did?”

  “Wilson I’m so glad we were able to talk, and you told me about your life. It gives me a new picture of you, and if you are willing to sustain the punishment my job would put you through, I would like to see you as much as we both can manage.”