Deadly Compromises by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview
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Chapter 27
Kelly woke up early and was in the mood for the inevitable showdown. She was on full alert as she went through her morning routine, heating her eggs and coffee and somehow managed not to drop them on the floor, as she distractedly paid them little attention. There would be plenty of time for many delectable breakfasts if she could handle one more onslaught. She angrily thought; “All this fucking shit because the stupid bastard I married couldn’t see the best deal of his life when it was right in front of his face. No wonder the asshole fucked up the businesses.” She took her light blue Mercedes to the police station at 9:45AM. It felt flaming red to her, as it pierced the dismal, overcast winter air. When she walked in, she saw that Mack and McKenna were already seated in the Sheriff’s office, with the door open. She thought; “Fucking McKenna. No surprise.” Without knocking she walked in, said a businesslike,
“Good morning,” aimed at Mack, not bothering to pay any respect to the tiny insurance dick. She sat as far from McKenna as she could. She didn’t want anything to rub off on her.
Sheriff Mack immediately noticed her mood and responded in kind, saying; “Thank you for coming. We don’t intend to go through the usual pleasantries today. We’d like to get right to the point and wrap this matter up once and for all. With that, I’d like to turn over the floor to Mr. McKenna.”
McKenna proudly said; “Your killer boyfriend has been detained in New Jersey. The Feds have the goods on him and he says you did it.”
Kelly was shocked, to say the least, at the abruptness and considered the possible truth of the statement. She tactically started crying, in an attempt to buy some time. A million thoughts flew through her head simultaneously. She had been screwed around by guys before, but never this badly and she had hoped and believed that Bobby was the exception. He had really seemed to love her. She played as if she had struggled to regain the composure she never lost and said; “What kind of goods?”
McKenna responded to her in a manner that had now become customary. He ignored her question and gruffly said; “We don’t intend to play your word games all day. If you don’t get truthful with us right now, you’re going to be charged with murder.”
Kelly looked at McKenna for the first time, disgustedly threw her arms out to the side and dismissively rattled off;
“I’ve been truthful all along.”
Unfazed McKenna continued to execute his plan and feigning boredom, said; “I told you that we don’t intend to play. Either you start telling us what you know, or your next problem will be bail.” He got up from his chair, picked up handcuffs from the Sheriff’s desk and turned to her.
Kelly quickly assessed the situation. “Maybe they really didn’t catch Bobby. Maybe they did. If they did catch him, I can’t believe he would implicate me. But I’ve been badly surprised before. I want to be with Bobby. The only way that’s possible is to trust him fully. If you can’t trust someone fully, the relationship isn’t worth having anyway. And if Bobby did, indeed turn on me, another shock to the old system. Fuck it, maybe I deserve it anyway. I am a murderess. Either way, I want to end this bland existence and bullshit with fanatical assholes.”
McKenna yelled; “Now, Kelly, or jail.”
Kelly decided she would bet everything on trusting Bobby.
She turned to Mack and resolutely said; “Sheriff, am I about to be arrested?”
Sheriff Mack played his part and responded; “Depends on what you say.”
Kelly shed angry tears, turned to McKenna and yelled; “Fuck you all. I don’t say anything one way or another.”
McKenna came toward her with the handcuffs in hand and said, “Last chance, you cold bitch.”
Kelly spit in his direction and it landed on one of his shoes. She defiantly held up her head, looked again straight at his tiny red face, snorted derisively and plainly said; “You have to blame the victim, don’t you, you miserable little bastard?” She extended her arms in front of her and sneered;
“Cuff me if you’ve got the balls, you little un-gunned wannabe dick.”
McKenna realized his shock tactic wasn’t working, so he decided to switch over to a softer approach. He cajoled; “This guy turned on you. We don’t want you. We want him. All you have to do is testify that he did it and you’re home free.
Look, we’re really on your side, whether you know it or not.
This guy has done many hits and we want him where he belongs.”
Kelly screamed; “I want him where he belongs, too, but I don't know him, jackass. Can’t you get that through your thick useless head?”
McKenna, in desperation, said; “People like you are not even human. Don’t you have any feelings or morality?”
Sensing his back-off and feeling triumphant, she again extended her arms and said; “Cuff me, faggot ass!”
McKenna raised his right arm and faked striking her.
Sheriff Mack saw that this was becoming unproductive and likely illegal. He stood up and interrupted the interchange, by forcefully saying; “That’s enough, McKenna. You’re getting ridiculous now. In fact, you’re the one that’s breaking the moral law, if not the written one and I’m a witness to that.
This interview is over and, McKenna, get the hell out of here right now.” He walked briskly over to McKenna and yanked the handcuffs out of his hands. He said; “Don’t come back here without a court order, you pathetic old fart.”
Both Kelly and McKenna started to leave. The Sheriff grabbed her hand and, asked Kelly to “Please stay.” Not wanting to be near her nemesis she found it convenient to do as requested. They both watched McKenna walk out in a huff.
Mack turned to her and kindly said; “I’m sorry, Kelly, please believe that. I never should have let him act that way.
He must have some kind of problem. No one has been detained in New Jersey or any other place. You’re free to go any time you
like. Would you like to stay a few minutes until you can get composed?”
“Yes,” she said, hoping that McKenna would use the time to clear out. She sat back down with her eyes on the floor.
Sheriff Mack left the office for about ten minutes, walking outside to smoke a cigarette. He was feeling guilty about allowing McKenna to do what he did. He probably wouldn’t have if he were not running for re-election soon, but he didn’t consider that a valid excuse. When he came back in he went to the file cabinets and retrieved the Simburg folder. By the time he returned to his office, Kelly was standing ready to leave.
Mack touched her forearm and said; “Sorry I let it get out of hand. Some people seem to think that the unconventional don’t have rights. Nothing like that will ever happen again.”
He put the folder down on his desk where she could clearly see it, picked up a rubber stamp, dipped it in ink and put it to the cover of the file five times. It said “CASE CLOSED, CASE
CLOSED, CASE CLOSED, CASE CLOSED and CASE CLOSED”.
Kelly drove home. The morning had turned sunny and it looked to her like the temperature could reach 60 degrees. She didn’t think about celebrating with George, however. She was glad that the worst was probably over and that she was
victorious, but she had some unsettled feelings she couldn’t quite explain, probably a wad of eternal unanswerable questions.
She was mentally exhausted and collapsed in a heap on the couch, in front of a television chirping cheery rhetoric about some new exercise machine, now particularly, completely devoid of relevance.
Her thoughts became more precise as she started to forget the boring details of her extravaganza and substituted a vague reverie of success. Words disappeared and were replaced by colors; yellows, reds, greens, blues, maybe a rainbow. She contentedly drowsed about an hour.
When she returned to full consciousness, she thought that she had held up her end well and was proud of herself. The television was now blaring “The Price is Right,” and she laughed out loud. She was unable to stop and she was unable to reason why.