Authors: Ruth Ann Hixson
Frank removed the suction cup holding the cell phone to the dash and took the plug from his ear. "There's Mark now," he said to Sherry. "Go let him in while I call Scotty. Leave my jacket."
"I have groceries in the back."
"I'll fetch them." He already had the cell to his ear.
Sherry smiled to herself. Fetch was a rather quaint word but she noticed that Frank often used expressions that were old fashioned.
Her mother opened the kitchen door as she was unlocking the outside door. "I was worried about you. Why are you so late?"
"Elena flattened my tires."She opened the door for Mark.
As soon as he stepped across the threshold Mark seized her and folded his arms around her. "Thank God you're safe." He looked across her head to see the disapproving glare on Alison's face.
Frank came through the breezeway with both hands full of bulging plastic bags. Alison stepped back to allow him room to get through the door. "There are two more bags in the car. You can get them." She crossed the breezeway looking back at Mark and Sherry.
"Please, Mark. You're hurting me." Sherry tried to pull free of his arms and he let her go. "I must sit down. I'm tired, hungry and I hurt." She turned to the kitchen door and followed her mother inside.
Frank got the blue mug from the cupboard and poured himself a cup of coffee. "That's cold," Alison said.
He grinned. "It's coffee."
"Dad doesn't care about the temperature as long as it's coffee," Mark remarked.
Frank raised the mug in a kind of salute. "I don't have to wait for it to cool before I drink it." He took a big swallow.
Alison took a package of toilet paper from a bag and threw it at Mark. "Put that in the bathroom."
"Will you do something before you leave?" Sherry stepped into the dining room and switched on the light. "Please put these things under the daybed or over there in the corner so you can put the mattress here." She pointed to the corner on the opposite side of the wall from the kitchen table. "I worry that she may sneak up some night and shoot Mom through the window thinking it's me."
"The cops took her gun," Mark reminded her.
"Humph!" Alison scoffed. "Elena Bayshore has money and if she has money she can get a gun. There are probably more illegal guns out there than legal. If she comes around here with a gun she better make the first one count because she won't get a second."
She opened her overstuffed purse that sat on one end of the table and pulled out a revolver. "It's legal and I know how to use it."
"Mom put that gun away. You know I don't like guns."
Frank took the gun and looked at it. "Thirty-eight. Is it loaded?"
"It is so be careful. What good is a unloaded gun?"
"You only have six shots so make them count." He handed the gun back to her and she returned it to her purse.
"Mark, if you're coming with me, come on. I'm tired. I worked today."
"I'm thinking about staying here tonight. To protect Sherry."
"I'll protect Sherry," Alison declared
"I appreciate your coming to help me," Sherry said. "but I'm safe now so go home."
Alison followed them out. "Thank you for being there for her." She choked up. "I don't know what I'd do if I lose her. She's my baby." Tears came to her eyes. "I know she doesn't like it when I call her baby but she's all I have."
"She's a grown woman," Mark stated. "If she insists on going to work tomorrow, please take her. I'll pick her up after work. That way she won't need to drive."
Frank headed for the truck. "I'm driving."
"I got the key." Mark fished the key from his denim jacket pocket.
"Not the only one." Frank pulled a set of keys from his pocket.
Chapter 10
"Dang!" Mark let loose a few expletives as he mashed the accelerator to the floor sending the crimson vehicle rocketing along the drive. In front of the dollar store sat a police cruiser with lights flashing.
Inside, Sherry sat on a chair at the cash register with her right arm lying across the checkout counter while Scotty took pictures of it.
"What the heck's going on?" Mark demanded. As he got closer he saw long bloody streaks on Sherry's arm. "What happened?"
"Your ex seems to think she's a cat. She clawed Sherry with those long nails of hers."
"Chad told me they had her nails clipped when she went to jail," Mark said.
"Artificial ones." Scotty took another picture.
Mark walked over and took Sherry's left hand. "Now you know why I didn't want you to come to work." Mark turned his attention to Scotty. "Do you know there is a court order for Elena to stay away from Sherry?"
"I know it. I got on the horn to PSP as soon as I got the call. They're out looking for her. I'm not too worried about that right now. If she doesn't show for that hearing tomorrow, they'll go after her to bring her in. If she shows, she'll be arrested. What's wrong with her? What'd you do to her?"
"She broke up with me. I'm don't know what her problem is. Dad has a theory. He says Elena didn't like it that Sunday when Sherry held her own against her verbally. Last week, Sherry got in the last punch in that fight. Elena doesn't like to lose. He thinks she's out for revenge. Every time she tries to beat Sherry, she loses more and it's just snowballed to the point where she's obsessed with putting Sherry down."
"Interesting idea. I'm through with Sherry, Judy. I still think she should go to the ER."
"I got a tetanus shot Saturday and I'm on antibiotics," Sherry protested. "They wouldn't do anything more than Judy can."
Sherry winced at the sting of the hydrogen peroxide Judy used to clean the scratches. When the wounds were cleansed, Judy wrapped her arm in gauze. "Take her home, Mark. And get her there safely."
After she got her jacket and purse from the employees' room, Mark took Sherry's uninjured arm and led her out to his truck where he assisted her up to the passenger's seat. He started to pull the seat belt across her but she took it from his hand. "I'm injured not crippled," she snapped.
He went around and stepped up to sit behind the wheel. "Are you all right?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew he should have said "Okay."
"No. I'm half left," she retorted but there was no humor in her voice. She remained silent until they passed under the four lane. "Did you get a subpoena for Elena's hearing?"
"Yup. Do you want to ride down with me?"
"I'd appreciate it. I don't feel like driving that far and I don't want Mom there. She's unpredictable and could say something that will do more harm than good. I got quarters for her to take the clothes to the Laundromat. I know she'll spend money to dry them instead of bringing them home to hang out but that's the price I must pay for keeping her out of my affairs. She tries to 'help' too much."
"I'll be right there for you, Sherry. You know I love you."
"The less said about that the better. It could go against us in a trial."
"It could also go for us to prove motive. Though I have my doubts about that. I know she was cheating on me. I just don't understand what's gotten into her. Maybe Dad's right."
"She's insane. I saw it in her eyes. Close up. I just don't know how she hides it from everyone else."
"She didn't on Saturday when she took on two state troopers. Chad isn't someone to make mad at you. He's fit and capable; a formidable foe."
He turned in her driveway. "Do you want me to come along in?"
"No. I just want to eat something and go to bed. But Mom will be full of questions as to why I'm late the second night in a row, especially since I'm wearing a bandage on my arm. I am so tired of this whole thing. I wish it would just go away so I can get on with my life."
Mark wondered if she wished he would go away, too, but he didn't ask. He might not like the answer. He helped her down and walked her to the door. Again, he saw Alison looking out the window. "May I kiss you?"
She nodded. "I saw Mom, too."
He leaned to kiss her but she didn't allow him to linger. Alison was at the door. "I'll pick you up about a quarter past eight in the morning. I love you. Good night." He turned and went back to his truck.
Once inside the storm door, Sherry turned to watch him get in his truck. Her mother seemed impatient to get her inside so she could close the door. When they were in the kitchen with the doors locked and bolted, Sherry asked, "Will you help me out of my jacket?" She held out her left arm.
Alison pulled the sleeve away as Sherry bent her arm to free it. "I can get the other one." She gingerly tugged the denim sleeve from the bandaged arm.
"What happened?" Alison demanded.
"Elena clawed me. I reached out to give her change to her. She hissed, spit in my face and scratched me. Then she said she doesn't take money from impoverished bastards and walked out."
"Did you call the cops?"
"Judy did. Scotty took pictures and information. Mark almost had a fit when he showed up to bring me home."
"You told me there's nothing between you and Mark. So why do you let him kiss you?"
"He thinks he's in love with me. I think he's on one king-size guilt trip because of what his ex is doing to me. He wants to make up for it."
"Your courting trouble, girl. The last thing you want is a relationship with Mark Blakely."
"Why?"
"You really don't want to know."
Sherry sighed deeply as she sat down at the end of the table. "What's for supper? I'm famished."
"I took the opportunity to go to the store when I took you to work. I bought chicken and stuffing mix. I also got some salad. The only dressing you have is vinaigrette."
"I don't have a fridge, Mom. Just get me something to eat. Then I'm going to bed. Is there tea?"
"Cold or hot?"
"Hot."
"I'll heat the water. You should get a fridge."
"I don't have the money to get a fridge and buy heating oil. Do you want a fridge or a warm house?"
"I suppose heat is more important. When are you going to do this?"
"It's not that cold yet. At night you can snuggle down under your duvet to keep warm. Dress warm in the daytime. I'm doing the best I can with what I have."
"Okay. You don't need to bite my head off." Alison set a bowl of salad and the dressing on the table."
"I will be glad for this hearing to be over so I can sleep at night. I hope they put her in jail for a good long while. Mark says he thinks they should deny bail outright."
"For once Mark and I agree on something. They should lock her up and throw away the key," Allison said.
Sherry began eating her salad while her mother filled a plate with half of a chicken breast and stuffing with gravy. "Please get me some water so I can take a pain pill. My arm burns and hurts like crazy."
Sleep was a long time in coming for Sherry. Then it was a fitful, full of strange dreams that she only half remembered when she woke up. She went to the bathroom and then sat down at the kitchen table to try to remember but it was useless.
Her mother got up and shuffled by on her way to the bathroom. When she came back she sat down in the other chair. "What's wrong, baby?"
"I'm not a baby, Mom."
"You're my baby. You always will be even if I live to be ninety and you're seventy."
Sherry had to smile at her mother's reasoning. "I love you, Mom."
"And I love you."
"Mom, why didn't you marry Will? He told me he was going to ask you."
"So he told you in advance."
"He wanted to be sure I didn't mind. I was hoping you would marry him and I'd have a dad. I liked Will a lot."
Alison nodded. "Not marrying him was a mistake I'll always regret. By the time I realized it, he'd found someone else. He married her and they have three kids."
"I'm going back to bed. I have to get up by seven-thirty. Mark's stopping for me at eight-fifteen." She lay down on the daybed and allowed her mother to spread the comforter over her.
Sherry dragged herself out of bed when her alarm went off. She tried to turn it off before it woke her mother, but Alison heard it anyway.
"Do you want me to make breakfast?" Alison asked.
"Coffee." Sherry took her clothes to the bathroom. She unrolled the gauze from her arm and looked at the scratches. They had stopped bleeding so she didn't bandage it after she washed. She dressed in her pink knit top, black skirt with the pink roses and the hot pink belt. It was chilly in the house so she put on a white bulky knit sweater that was two sizes too big for her. "I wish I didn't have to do this," she said as she sat at the table sipping coffee.
"I think you should eat something," her mother advised.
"Not as bad as my nerves are. I'd get sick. I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well last night."
"You woke me up. What were you dreaming about?"
Sherry shook her head. "I don't remember but it wasn't good. The feeling of fear has stayed with me but I don't know what I'm afraid of. There's Mark." She downed the last of her coffee before she went out the door.
Except for "Good morning," Sherry said little.
Mark left her to herself until they were going down the four lane. "Penny for your thoughts."
She looked over at him. "My thoughts aren't for sale." She managed a weak smile. "I was just thinking about what I'll say. What if I'm found guilty and have to pay a fine?"
"I'll pay it for you." Mark knew she'd never accept that. "You can pay me back. I doubt you'll be found guilty after what you've been through."
Sherry was out of the truck before Mark could come around to open the door for her. They had only gone a few steps when a state police cruiser pulled in to park in a space reserved for police vehicles. Chad Wertman stepped out.
He waited until they came up to him. "All ready?"
"Yeah," Mark answered. "Sherry's worried she'll be found guilty."
"When hell freezes over," Chad rejoined. He spoke to Sherry, "From what I've been told your hearing is just a formality. The charge against you must be addressed so they have to hold a hearing unless Elena would drop the charge."
"Her father called me Friday and offered to drop the charge in exchange for me dropping the harassment charge against Elena. I told him where to go."