Four hours later, Jordan was sitting on the floor in his living room with his back to the wall, admiring his work, when Casey called. Jordan answered and asked, “Hi honey, how was your flight?”
“It was fine. Got in about half an hour ago, and we’re now in Mom’s car headed to her place.”
“Great. Tell her I said ‘hello.’”
“Will do. Gotta go now. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Oh, and say hi to Molly for me.” But it was too late. Casey had already hung up.
Jordan picked up the plug lying next to him and plugged it in. The Christmas candles in the windows went on, along with some string lights that he had wrapped around the open wooden bannister that followed the steps all the way to the upstairs landing. He nodded, leaned his head back against the wall, closed his eyes, and smiled. Then his cell phone rang again.
“Casey?”
“No. It’s your bachelor buddy. Wanna grab some beers? Maybe catch a game down at Joey’s tonight?”
Joey’s was a sports bar downtown that was popular with off-duty cops. Tommy was pretty much a fixture there. Once in a while, Jordan would join him for a couple of beers.
Jordan said, “Tonight’s not gonna work for me, and neither will tomorrow. How about Saturday night? We can have dinner there, maybe about 6:30 and then catch the Hawks game. How’s that work?”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up around 6. Okay?”
“Yeah. That’s fine. See you then.”
With all the decorations in place, Jordan went to bed content that night. More than 900 miles away, so did Casey and Molly. That would happen only one more time.
Chapter 10
The man on TV pointed to a weather map and wrapped up his weather forecast by saying, “Get ready folks! We’re looking at twenty plus inches of snow, starting as early as five P.M. tomorrow.”
Casey turned off the television as Molly, sitting next to her asked, “Mom, what’s lake effect snow?”
“Well, honey, it only occurs three places in the world and, unfortunately, one of them is right here, which means we need to go home a little sooner than we had planned.”
“Why? This will be really cool!”
“Oh, no. Not cool, not in the least. You need to get back to school, and I have some things that need tending to, specifically, Christmas shopping.”
“So, when are we leaving?”
“Tomorrow, I hope. I’m gonna call the airline right now and see what I can do.”
“But that’s when Aunt Jenna was going to take me to lunch. And then we were gonna go Christmas shopping. It’s not fair.”
“Tell you what. If you stop your complaining, I’ll try and talk Jenna into visiting us as soon as she can, right after Christmas.”
And then Casey got another idea. She smiled at Molly and said, “And for an added bonus, when we get home, we’ll surprise your dad. We won’t tell him we’re coming home early!”
Molly smiled and asked, “Really? Okay, I’ll stop complaining”
Chapter 11
We don’t have any control over some of the biggest events in our lives. We can’t even see them coming. Afterward, I couldn’t see any colors. I felt like I had fallen into a deep hole and there was no one around to help me to find a way out. I try not to think about it anymore, other than to wonder how life would have been—if only.
Early the next morning, Casey’s mom drove Casey and Molly to the Syracuse Hancock International Airport and saw them off for their trip home. Back in Savannah, Jordan was also up bright and early. It was clean-up day. He started with his laundry and then turned to the task of straightening up the house. Later on, about the time that Casey and Molly started on the last leg of their return flight, Jordan showered, shaved, and dressed for his night out with Tommy. With about a half hour to spare before Tommy’s arrival, he reached under the bed and pulled out the gun case with the snub-nosed revolver inside. He set it on his nightstand, unlocked it, and took out the gun. He then dissembled it, cleaned it piece by piece, reassembled it, and finished by putting a light coat of gun oil inside the barrel.
Jordan was admiring his work when his cell phone rang. He set the gun down on the nightstand, pulled the phone out of his pocket, glanced at the screen, and answered, “Yeah, I’m just about ready.”
On the other end of the line, Tommy said, “Well, you better be, because I just turned down your street.”
Jordan immediately heard the deep rumble from the Camaro’s engine and asked, “What’s the damn hurry? We’ve got all night.”
“We need to get good seats at the bar. There’s a cute new bartender, and I think she likes me.”
“She into middle-aged men with beer guts?”
“Whatever. But happy hour is already half over, and tonight’s game is gonna fill the place up!”
Jordan, glancing out the window as Tommy pulled to the curb, said, “Alright. I’m on my way.” He put his phone in his pocket and walked out of the room, forgetting about the gun sitting on the nightstand.
About the same time, Casey and Molly’s flight touched down at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Casey arranged for an Uber, and the driver dropped them off in front of their house at 7 P.M.
They got out of the car, and Casey reminded Molly, “Now be quiet; we want to surprise him.”
“Yup.”
They walked toward the front porch, wheeling their suitcases behind them. Molly pointed at the candles in the window and whispered, “Look, Mom, Dad must have decorated.”
Casey smiled and pointed at Jordan’s truck sitting in the driveway, holding her finger up to her mouth. They left their luggage at the base of the wooden steps and tiptoed up to the door. Casey carefully put her key in the door, threw it open, and they both yelled, “Surprise!”
They were greeted with silence.
Molly asked Casey, “Where is he? You said we could surprise him.”
“I don’t know, honey. His truck is outside, so I’m guessing that he went somewhere with Tommy.”
Casey glanced around the room at the decorations on the end tables and then at the string of lights wrapped carelessly around the bannister with the extension cord in plain sight.
“And look at the decorations, aren’t they, uh…”
Molly interrupted, “Yeah, I know. They’re not so hot.”
Casey laughed and said, “Tell you what, I’ll call him to find out where he is, but we have to pretend that we’re still up at Nana’s house. That way, when he gets home, we can still surprise him. Okay?”
“Yeah. This is gonna be fun. What should I say?”
“Tell him that it just started to snow, but we think we can still be home by tomorrow. Something like that.”
“Okay. Let’s do it.’’
“First, let’s get our luggage upstairs. If he comes home and sees it, it’ll be a dead giveaway.”
Tommy looked down the bar and caught the attention of a cute, young bartender wearing a low-cut referee’s shirt and a Santa hat with the name Tina glitter glued to it. When she looked over, he yelled out over the noise, “Hey, Tina, how about another round for me and my friend over here?”
Tina smiled and walked over, looking at Jordan for guidance. He was only on his second beer, while Tommy was already on his fifth. Jordan reluctantly nodded, so Tina took their glasses and filled them up at the nearby tap.
As Tina leaned over to set the glasses back down, Tommy glanced down at her cleavage before looking up and saying, “Well, thank you, Tina! You are quite the little Santa’s helper. You just let me know if there’s anything I can ever do for you.”
She smiled, rolled her eyes, and said, “I don’t think so…Tiny Tim.”
Everyone within earshot broke out laughing, leaving Tommy smiling and nodding at the joke made at his expense.
Jordan’s cell phone rang. He looked down to see Casey’s name and walked outside.
“Casey. Hi! How are things going up there?”
“Great, honey. But d
idn’t you see the weather forecast?”
“No, why?”
“It’s snowing like crazy. Let me hand the phone to Molly, and she’ll tell you all about it.”
Casey and Molly were sitting on the floor next to each other in the living room.
Molly tried not to laugh as Casey held out the phone to her.
“Hi, Dad. You should see it. It’s like…Yes, I did go outside. I just came in. I wish you were here.”
Molly quickly handed the phone back to Casey and then broke out laughing.
Casey held a finger up to her mouth to shush Molly and asked, “So, what are you up to?”
“I’m sitting next to Tommy at Joey’s. We’re watching a Hawks game.”
“Oh? Well, when do you think you’ll get here…I mean get home?”
“Probably in another couple of hours, but what about you? Are you gonna be able to get out of there tomorrow?”
“Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine. They know what to do with snow up here. You just, well you know. Don’t let Tommy keep you out all night.”
“I won’t. I promise. I’ll see you tomorrow. And, Case, I love you.”
“Love you too, honey. Good night.”
Jordan headed back inside the bar while Casey and Molly exchanged high fives and burst out laughing.
Molly asked, “When’s he coming home?”
“Looks like it’s gonna be late, honey. I’m sorry. Guess our plan didn’t work out after all.”
Casey, seeing Molly’s disappointment, asked, “How about this? Put your jammies on and go to bed. I’ll wait up for your dad, and when I hear him, I’ll wake you up so we can still surprise him.”
“You promise you’ll wake me up? Please, you have to promise.”
“Yes, Molly. I promise”
“Okay, it’s a deal. I can’t wait.”
Molly gave Casey a hug and ran upstairs to put on her pajamas.
Back inside the bar, Jordan and Tommy watched the game, drank their beer, and innocently flirted with Tina. The game went into overtime and ended at about 10:30. Jordan wanted to get home, but Tommy talked him into having one more round.
About the same time, Casey walked up the steps and checked on Molly. She was sound asleep, so Casey walked down the hall to the master bedroom, kicked off her sneakers, and laid down for a quick nap.
Forty-five minutes later, she woke up to the sound of her guitar hitting the floor downstairs. She sat up and looked at the clock. It was 11:15.
He’s home. And he’s had a little too much to drink.
Casey shook out the cobwebs and walked down the hall toward Molly’s room. She was halfway there when the Christmas decorations went dark. She heard the plug on the extension cord hit the floor. She paused to listen. And then the table light went out.
Better hurry. He must be heading upstairs.
She reached the door to Molly’s room, pushed it open, and found Molly sound asleep. Casey was about to wake her, when a beam of light caught her eye. It was coming from downstairs, moving around the living room from place to place.
What the? That’s a flashlight!
Casey paused, watching the light being pointed in all directions until it disappeared into the kitchen.
Oh my God. What’s going on?
Casey ran back to her bedroom and looked out the window. There were a couple of cars parked out on the street, but none of them were Tommy’s. And she hadn’t heard it either.
Someone’s in the house!
Casey ran to the nightstand on her side of the bed and reached for her cell phone. All she found was the charger.
Shit, it’s downstairs!
The panic showed on Casey’s face. She hesitated, deciding whether or not to run down the hall for Molly. Then she saw the gun sitting on Jordan’s nightstand. She ran over to it, picked it up, and fumbled around, trying to open the cylinder.
Come on. You can do this.
The catch suddenly released, the cylinder fell open, and she saw that all six chambers were empty.
Shit, no bullets. Where are they? Where are the damn bullets?
Casey yanked open the nightstand drawer, and a small plastic box full of shells flew to the front of the drawer. She grabbed it and tried to pry it open. Then she heard a loud creak. It came from the first step, the one that Jordan was supposed to fix. She saw the light bouncing on the walls and ceiling of the upstairs hall.
Oh my God, he’s headed toward Molly’s room!
Now Casey ripped at the box. It flew open, and several shells fell out and hit the hardwood floor.
Crap.
Silence. Whoever it was had frozen in their tracks. Casey, her hands trembling, loaded the gun as she yelled out. “My husband’s a cop, and I’ve got a gun!”
More silence.
Casey slammed the cylinder shut and quietly walked down the hallway. She went past Molly’s room and stood at the top of the upstairs landing.
The gun shook in Casey’s hand as she pointed it toward the beam of light and said, “I’m warning you. I’ve got a gun!”
She moved slowly now, down the stairs, one step at a time, holding the gun out in front of her. Her voice quivered as she said, “Please, just leave, and I won’t shoot!”
The beam of light locked onto her face. And then the man behind the flashlight spoke.
“Put the gun down, lady. If you put it down, I won’t hurt you.”
Seconds later, BANG! A shot rang out, and Molly snapped upright in bed.
“Mom?”
She bolted out of her bedroom and down the hall toward Casey’s room. When she saw the empty bed, she called out again, her voice now trembling. “Mommy, where are you?”
Molly timidly walked back down the hall to the landing and peered down the steps. She saw a beam of dim light reflecting off the floor from the flashlight, now laying abandoned by the front door. She followed it across the floor, through the bannister, and up the steps. That’s where she found her mother. Casey was sitting on the fourth step up from the landing, propped up against the wall. Blood had smeared the wall behind her, and more was coming from somewhere inside her chest as it filled the front of her blouse. Her head was tilted back and twisted up the steps at an odd angle, imposed through sheer will. Casey held her arm out toward Molly, smiled, and said, “Molly.” Then her arm fell to her side, her eyes glazed over, and all signs of life left her body.
Molly stood there, frozen on the landing.
“Mommy?” It was a question.
And then it was a command. “Mommy!”
Molly was halfway down the steps when she stopped in her tracks, startled by a shadow. It was the outline of a man moving toward Casey from across the living room. He reached the bannister, next to the step where Casey’s body still leaned against the wall. He looked up at Molly. For the briefest of seconds, their eyes met as he said, “I’m sorry, little girl. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
His hand darted through the balusters and grabbed the gun from Casey’s side. He turned and ran toward the door. When he got there, he paused and looked back as Molly ran down the remaining steps and wedged herself between her mother and the wall. She held Casey’s head on her lap and pleaded with her, “Mommy, wake up! Wake up! Please wake up.” Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks as the intruder turned and ran out the door.
Chapter 12
Tommy and Jordan were almost home when Jordan’s cell phone rang.
“Jordan. This is Frank. Somebody called in a disturbance at your house about fifteen minutes ago, and we just arrived at the scene. How soon can you get here?”
“I’ll be there in five minutes. But what are you talking about? Nobody’s home.”
“Just get here as soon as you can!” The phone went dead.
Tommy had heard everything and quickly accelerated to sixty miles an hour in the residential neighborhood. As they slid around the last corner and flew down the street, Jordan saw blue lights reflecting off the surrounding houses and trees before
he saw the five police cars and the coroner’s car out front. As he replayed his recent phone call with Casey in his head, he suddenly feared the worst.
Tommy’s car screeched to a halt, and Jordan leapt out of the car and ran up the driveway. He yelled, “What the hell is going on?”
A young officer stepped in front of him before he got to the porch, gently raising his hands and saying, “Sorry officer, you can’t …”. He never got to finish the sentence. Jordan, all adrenaline, tossed him aside without breaking stride.
“Casey? Molly?”
When Jordan got to the porch steps, he saw the police and forensics experts scurrying around his living room. Then he saw Sanders, and their eyes briefly locked. He noticed a man in a CSI jacket standing on the steps, taking pictures while a man in a Coroner’s jacket impatiently watched from the living room. His brain was still trying to process everything when the man on the steps turned away. And that’s when he saw her. Casey’s head and torso were now lying flat, her legs bent at the knees with her feet against the balusters. Everything but Casey turned to a blur. Jordan screamed out in pain, “Casey! Oh God, Casey. No, no, it can’t be!”
Jordan rushed the door as three officers tried to hold him back. It was like trying to hold back a tidal wave. The officers gladly took elbows in the face for their friend as he tried to reach his wife. Inside, Sanders could be heard screaming, “Do not let him in here!”
Jordan continued his push toward the front door as he yelled, “Oh God. Molly! Where’s Molly? Please, you have to let me in!”
Molly, sitting in the kitchen with a female police officer, heard her father’s screams. She threw off the blanket they had wrapped around her and she sprinted out the back door. She ran along the side of the house, and then around the corner to the front lawn where she stopped. That’s where she saw her father struggling with the officers on the front porch.
“Daddy?”
Her voice was soft and broken, but it pierced through the night air. Everyone heard it, and everyone froze. The struggle was over.
Jordan turned to see Molly standing on the lawn, her mother’s blood all over her pajamas. Jordan’s legs buckled as he stumbled down the porch steps and fell to his knees on the lawn. Molly ran to him as Jordan held out his arms. They embraced, both of them sobbing uncontrollably. The moment was so raw that the officers witnessing it bowed their heads and turned away. Tommy, watching from the street, looked gutted.
Side(H)arm Page 5