Read Online South River Incident by Ann Mullen - Free Book Online Page B

his mind, but I
hoped my heart would recover from his lack of devotion. I wanted to cry, but my
pride wouldn’t let me.
    Billy slammed the truck in
reverse and took off flying down the road.
    “Sometimes I just want to
beat him to a pulp. After all these years he still hasn’t learned a thing. He
never knows when it’s time to give up or time to keep on plugging away.”
    “What are you talking
about?” I asked. “Would you please slow down? You’re going to kill us.”
    Billy let off the gas and
began to slow down.
    “I’m sorry, Jesse, but Cole
can be so stupid sometimes. He just sends me off the deep end. He doesn’t seem
to take loyalty very serious.”
    “You should be in my shoes.
Half the time I don’t know whether he loves me or just uses me for sex. Maybe
he keeps me around for when he gets lonely.  I can tell you one thing for
sure—his job is his life. He uses that as an excuse to keep me at arm’s length.
I’m lucky to be with him once or twice a week. I mean, how many times have you
had a relationship with a woman that you didn’t at least talk to her on the
phone once during the day, or go see her more than once a week? I feel like a
doll on a shelf. He takes me down ever so often and plays with me when he’s in
the mood, then he puts me back when he gets tired of me. I’m tired of it! I
want a real man in my life!”
    “You go girl!” Billy
laughed and slapped his leg. “I’m glad you’ve finally seen the light.”
    He drove back to my house
at a much slower pace, which made me feel a whole lot better considering I hate
riding with someone who drives fast. Actually, I’ve come to realize that I hate
riding with anybody. If I’m not driving, I feel like I’m going to have a panic
attack. I have to be in control. Perhaps I should pay a visit to a therapist
and discuss this with him.
    “I think we have trouble,”
Billy said, stopping the truck. 
    Through the trees and
around the curve I saw two Greene County police cruisers parked in Mom’s driveway. Billy put
the truck in reverse and slowly backed up until he reached a spot in the road
in which to turn around. He reached under his coat and pulled out his cell
phone, punched a couple of buttons and put the phone up to his ear.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Be quiet, I’m calling your
mom.” 
    “What’s taking so long?”
    Billy silenced me with a
wave of his hand.
    “This is Billy so don’t say
a word. If the police are looking for Jesse, just say ‘I’m not interested, but
thanks anyway.’   Then hang up the phone . ” He waited a few seconds
before he broke the connection.
    “They’re looking for me,
aren’t they? What for? I didn’t do anything! Billy, what’s happening here? I
know how the cops are...” I was quickly becoming hysterical. “The cops have my
watch that they found on or near the dead woman—which had absolutely nothing to
do with me except that it was mine. Yet, that one little piece of evidence
could send me to the gas chamber... or the electric chair... or...”
    “Get a grip!” Billy yelled
at me. “You’re losing it!” He grabbed me by the shoulders. “Chill out.
Everything will be all right. I’m sure of it.”
    I tried to calm down, but I
kept seeing visions of the time Billy and I were hauled downtown for
questioning concerning one of our cases. A woman told the police that she
killed her husband because Billy Blackhawk the private investigator she hired
told her to do it. She said Billy said her husband deserved to be shot so she
shot him. Later, she recanted, but not before Billy and I were put through the
wringer. I was freaked out over that incident. You can go to jail for telling
someone to kill another person. They call it conspiracy to commit. Memories
like those tend to stay with a person.
    “I was just thinking about
Rebecca Miller. Do you remember her?”
    “Of course I do. She was
that crazy woman who almost got my butt thrown in jail. She was a nut case.
What about