by Linda Ungar
Dismayed, she looked around the living room. A decrepit sofa, almost hidden under a pile of old magazines, and a mismatched chair sat against one wall, a card table topped with an ashtray overflowing with lipstick stained cigarette butts, and two folding chairs against the other. A bare bulb hanging from above was the only source of light. The walls were a vile shade of faded green. A permanently stained linoleum floor separated the kitchen from the living room. Jodi noticed Jenny staring curiously at a small mirror hanging on the kitchen cabinet next to the back door.
“That’s my security system. I can see if anyone’s coming in when my back’s to the front door.”
“Like robbers are really going to come here,” she thought sarcastically. She stopped herself, now ashamed. “What am I thinking? That’s not me. I came because I knew my sister was in trouble. Who knows why she ended up like this? Hank likes her, so does her cat. She can’t be all bad.” She spent a few silent moments trying to hide her disapproval and convincing herself not to just walk away forever.
Hoping her sister hadn’t noticed, Jodi grabbed an almost empty whiskey bottle next to the sink and shoved it into a cabinet. Then turning to the refrigerator, she opened the door to show Jenny it was almost empty, just a six pack of diet soda and leftover pizza.
“Sorry there’s nothing to eat. I wasn’t expecting company.” She smiled at her attempt at humor.
The rumbling and screeching of a passing freight train shook the house, making conversation impossible. Jenny waited impatiently until it finally passed.
“That’s fine.” It was more than fine. She couldn’t wait to leave. “I’ll take you out.”
Jodi was embarrassed by her sister’s obvious dislike of her house. At least the landlord had fixed the leaking faucet last week. No need for this elegant stranger, her sister, to see more evidence of her dismal life.
The closest restaurant was Cracker Barrel. Jodi had never been to a Cracker Barrel before. Neither had Jenny. They studied the menu, avoiding conversation. Jenny broke the silence with a nervous laugh. “We are a pair. We’re both scared, right?”
Jodi answered with a hesitant tight-lipped smile, self-conscious about her missing teeth. Away from the house, both sisters felt calmer. After ordering they made small talk. It was during dessert that Jenny first mentioned the nightmares that had started her search.
“Are you in trouble?”
“I was, but I think I’m ok now.”
“What happened?”
“You’re gonna have to stick around a while to hear about all that.”
“Ok. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Hey, that’s the story of my life!”
“We shouldn’t talk here.” Jenny knew she couldn’t concentrate if they went back to that house. “There’s a Hampton Inn right down the road, let’s go there. My treat.” Jenny worried if that was the right thing to say. Jodi understood Jenny’s dilemma, and though she made no comment, appreciated the kindness.
They talked all night. She wound up telling Jenny much more than she had intended. Maybe it was a mistake to trust this stranger and to believe she wanted to help her, but she was an old pro at making mistakes.
She never wanted to admit that it had been a terrible decision to marry Carl Fowler. She was sure that Jenny, who had love and security her whole life, wouldn’t understand why anyone would stay in an abusive relationship.
At first Jodi’s adoptive parents welcomed her as the child they had prayed for. She was a bright happy little girl who adjusted well to her new home. Then her father suddenly died. A seemingly healthy man, he collapsed and was dead before the ambulance arrived. Her mother never recovered from the shock of losing her husband and lost interest in her daughter as well as everything else in life. Jodi was sent away to live with different family members, never staying long with anyone. No one wanted another child to raise. Her only goal became to escape her unhappy situation. The job she took after high school paid just enough for her to get her own studio apartment. She dreamed of going to college…..someday.
He had come into the coffee shop on her first day. Since it was a popular hangout for cops, her friends teased her about working there just to meet men. They noticed each other as soon as he walked in. He looked in her direction and leaving the group he came in with, walked over and sat at the stool facing her. He was the only one not wearing a uniform. He was tall, good looking and approached her with the easy confidence of a man who was not unaware of his effect on women. Jodi, flustered, tried and failed to seem disinterested. Her hand shook as she handed him a menu and quickly turned away.
“Hey, I don’t bite,” he said, “just ask those guys,” pointing to the cops he came in with. “I’m a real pussycat.” They laughed in response and turned back to their conversation.
“Do you want coffee?”
“I usually have it with milk and sugar, but since you’re here I won’t be needing the sugar. Just stir it with your finger.”
His charming smile and friendliness disarmed her. She relaxed enjoying their flirty banter.
“I never noticed you here before, and believe me, I would have.”
“That’s because it’s my first day on the job.”
“Well guess what, I’ve just been promoted to detective and today is my first day too. It must be a sign. We have to get together tonight and celebrate. Don’t refuse or you’ll be in trouble with the law.”
She couldn’t believe her luck meeting such an attractive guy on her first day. He was interesting, funny, and paid more attention to her than anyone she’d ever known. For the first time in her life she felt someone wanted her. Within a few months he convinced her there was no reason to wait to get married.
He punched her the first night of the honeymoon. He came into the bathroom of the hotel just as she was finishing putting on her makeup.
“Look at all this crap you left out,” pointing to her cosmetics scattered on the counter top. “You never told me you were such a slob. Get this straight, you’re not doing this in my house! Who are you painting yourself up for anyway? You’re a married woman now, not some cheap slut.” He knocked everything to the floor, not caring about all the broken glass.
“Now clean it up!”
Jodi sobbed and backed away from this angry stranger, cringing against a wall.
“I said clean it up now!” he punched her in the stomach and strode out of the room.
The next day he brought flowers, promising he’d never hit her again. “I had too much champagne. I was nervous about getting married.” He was calmer for a while, but the pattern continued. He started accusing her of cheating on him, even claimed she was flirting with the mailman. “If I find out you’ve been with another man I’ll kill you. If I can’t have you nobody can.” She finally ran away when she learned she was pregnant. He tracked her down, and punching and kicking her in the stomach, screamed it wasn’t his child. She lost their baby. From then on she was afraid to trust again, vowing to rely only on herself.
The furious blows of an abusive husband couldn’t penetrate Jodi’s hardened exterior; it took the gentle touch of her sister’s hand. She had broken down and relived what she had spent years trying to forget.
When Jodi finished both of them were silent. Reluctantly Jenny told what life was like for her since they were separated, knowing this would bring more pain to Jodi. When there was nothing more to say the sisters stared at each other in horror. Both overcome with the realization of what their life could have been. Jenny cried from gratitude. Jodi cried from grief.
“I’ll come back for you. I promise. I have to work out the details with Mark, but I swear I’ll come back and take you with me.”
“No you won’t. Why would Mark let me in his home?”
“You don’t know him. He’s a very kind person. I know he’ll welcome you. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks to sort everything out. Can you give me a key to your house so I can get in to wait for you if
you’re not home?”
“Sure.”
The twins hugged. Jodi watched Jenny drive away in her expensive car, back to her perfect life. She was certain she’d never see her again.
Doubt, persistent as an unwanted suitor, tormented her all the way home. She always kept the promises she made, but was this asking too much of Mark and the boys to bring her troubled sister into their lives? Was she asking too much of herself? She pictured Jodi living in their well-ordered home. Jodi was messy, she smoked, which wasn’t allowed in their home. The liquor cabinet would have to be locked. Her mother would be heartbroken to see what had happened to the little girl she tried to adopt.
How would her friends react? Even Abby would be affected. The cats might not get along. Jodi told her she’d never move anywhere without taking her Abby. She knew she would never abandon her own cat yet she was wondering if she should abandon her sister. There was also the possible danger of exposing her family to Jodi’s ex-husband. Carl had always found out where she lived no matter how many times she had moved. The last time had been years ago, but could anyone be certain he wouldn’t suddenly reappear? Life without Jodi would be simpler and safer. She regretted her decision to delve into the past, but breaking her promise to come back would be heartless. She’d probably suffer from guilt the rest of her life. Taking her sister in was not going to be easy, nor even wise. In the past when faced with a difficult decision, she asked herself what would add the most value to her life. She often advised her readers to do the same thing. This time her emotions made it impossible to answer that question.
Carl planned his attack on Jodi well before he broke into her house. Once he found where she lived, he took his time learning all about her. He knew her routine. He knew that no one but Hank, undoubtedly her lover, came to the house. The noise of the regularly scheduled trains that ran behind her isolated house would cover any screams even if someone was passing by.
His car could be parked a couple of blocks away where it wouldn’t be noticed. She had no family who would miss her. When he did enter the house the first time, he even found an old trunk in the basement where he could put her body. This would be easy.
He waited until just before dawn to jimmy the lock on her front door. Since he had been in the house before he knew the narrow stairs led to the bedroom where she lay sleeping. He came to the side of the bed and pressed the hard barrel of the gun against her forehead. His gloved hand covered her mouth.
“Good morning bitch.”
Jodi’s eyes stayed closed, she moaned and rolled over, still asleep.
“GOOD MORNING BITCH.”
Jodi bolted awake, struggling to free herself and scream. But with Carl’s strong, gloved hand pushing hard against her mouth, freedom was impossible.
“If you want to live you better do exactly what I tell you. When I take my hand off your mouth if you scream you’re dead. No one can hear you anyway. You’re going to call Hank and tell him you’re sick. Tell him not to call or come over because you need to sleep. Tell him you’re turning your phone off. Got that?”
Jodi’s eyes flashed in panicked disbelief. How did he find her again after all this time? How did he know about Hank?
Jodi nodded.
Carl pressed the gun to the side of her head as he slowly took his hand from her mouth. She remained silent.
“Now that’s a good girl.” Carl stared at her. “You look like shit, nothing like the gorgeous girl I married. When I met you, you turned heads, now you turn stomachs. Why did you have to go and change? Why didn’t you listen to me and do what I told you to? It wouldn’t have to be like this if only you had. We had some good times in the beginning until you got all bitchy and disobedient.
“Why don’t we go down memory lane while we wait for Hank to get up? Do you remember that bitch lawyer you got to divorce me? That man hater thought she was so tough. I loved it when she got that piece of crap paper that said I had to stay away from you. Who the hell is she to tell ME what to do? You both are controlling bitches. That was such a joke. Remember I told you that when I came after you with a gun, you’ll see how much good that paper will do you. Do you still have it? Do you want to go get it now and scare me away? You can hold it up in front of you when I pull the trigger. Yeah, that’ll help,” he laughed.
He stopped talking and sat pointing the gun at her until the sun shone through the window and glared in her face. “Ok, show time. Make the call and I may let you live.”
Jodi ended the call and obediently turned off the phone and placed it in Carl’s outstretched hand.
“You did good. Now let’s go downstairs and I’ll tell you the plans I’ve made for you. But first why don’t you fix me something to eat? I’m having way too much fun to rush this.”
Carl, happiest when bullying and mocking, let the next couple of trains go past so he could enjoy Jodi’s terror while he ate breakfast. Thrusting his coffee cup in her face, Jodi rushed to fill it again. “I shouldn’t have to ask for more. I’ll bet old Hank never has to ask for seconds, you just give him all he wants, don’t you, slut?” Jodi, unable to control her shaking hands, spilled some hot coffee on Carl’s lap, triggering a fresh barrage of insults aimed at wounding her. Then he ordered her to clean everything up. “No one needs to know what a slob you are. It might ruin your spotless reputation.” The dishes rattled in Jodi’s hands as she trembled and put them back in the cabinet. He checked his watch and knew the next train would soon arrive.
“Now I’ll let you know my plans. There’s good news and bad news. First the good news, I’m gonna walk out of here and you’ll never see me again. That should bring a smile.”
Hope flashed across Jodi’s face. He couldn’t stop himself from laughing.
“Now the bad news, you’re never gonna see anyone again.”
Grinning, he got up and aimed his gun.
“Time to move. You’re going in the basement. There’s an old moldy trunk down there that’s just your size. You’ll fit in it perfectly.”
“NO!” Jodi backed away, “I won’t move. Please let me go.” Almost blind with tears, she collapsed to her knees pleading for her life.
“Oh you’re going all right. Right now.”
The house shook as the approaching train came right on schedule.
“HELP ME! HELP ME!” she shrieked. But no one heard her cries or the shot that ended her life.
Carl and Jenny had planned to surprise Jodi on the same day. Timing it so she would arrive at the end of her shift, Jenny stopped at the diner eager to surprise her at work. Thinking it would be like a scene from that old movie ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’, where Richard Gere rescues Debra Winger from a dreary life and carries her away, but instead of a handsome man coming to the rescue it would be her. Hank told her Jodi called in sick and said she probably wouldn’t be in for a couple of days. She insisted that he not come to the house. All she needed was sleep. She also said don’t bother to call because she was shutting off her phone, but would be back in a couple of days.
“She really doesn’t want to be bothered.”
“That’s ok Hank. I’m going to take her home with me. I’ll take care of her. She’ll call you when she’s better.”
Carl dragged Jodi’s body down the basement stairs, angry that she forced him to shoot her in the kitchen. The dull thud of the corpse bumping down the stairs unnerved him. He was edgy. Now there was blood to wipe up. It took a few hours before he was satisfied that he’d removed all traces of the murder. He knew her body would be found in the trunk, he wanted Hank to know she was dead, but by that time he’d be out of the country. They’d never find him. He was too smart. He took some downers to quiet his nerves and lay down on the sofa to wait until dark to leave. He didn’t expect to fall asleep, but was just waking from a drugged stupor when he heard a car pull into the driveway.
Arriving at the dark house, Jenny knew her life was about to change forever. Once she walked in there was no going back. It would
be cruel to give false hope to a woman who fortune had frowned on. The twins were like two sides of a coin flipped by fate. Jenny had landed heads up. She got out her sister’s key, had some trouble with the lock, but finally it turned.
Carl lying on the sofa, heard the noise and thought he must still be dreaming, but he kept hearing noise even after he got up. Someone was trying to open the locked door.
“Who the fuck is that?” He stumbled into the kitchen when the front door opened, the dim light in the living room was switched on. He staggered towards the back door, opening it to get out, when he glanced in the mirror hanging on the kitchen cabinet. He stifled a scream. “I’m losing my mind.” It was Jodi restored to her former beauty.
“I’m back. I came to get you.”
“It’s a nightmare.” He knew Jodi was dead, her body face down locked in the trunk in the basement. But she kept shouting and coming into the house. Fleeing out the back door, unable to see in the dark, he fell down the stairs, and crashing into the rickety fence, toppled onto the tracks. A train whistle shrieked in the distance, piercing the silence of the night. Injured, unable to move, he panicked as it grew louder. The blinding headlights of the speeding train broke the blackness. Frantically he screamed. The train passed, the whistle faded. Once again all was quiet.
Jenny stopped calling when the noise of the train became too loud. She could see no one was downstairs, just Abby curled up asleep in front of the basement door.
Thinking Jodi must still be in bed, she climbed the steep stairs, calling “It’s me, I’m back.” At the top of the stairs she found the bedroom and bathroom both empty.
Strange, she thought. Where could she go, sick with no car? Hank’s her only friend and he thinks she’s here. Don’t tell me I have to call Mickey again? I’m not sure I should.
She entered the bedroom thinking Jodi might have left a note in case Hank came looking for her.
A few pieces of furniture filled the cramped space, making it difficult to walk around. Next to the unmade bed was a small night table that held a full ashtray, an empty liquor bottle and a few coins. Jenny turned to leave and bumped into the table. One of the coins fell to the floor. She bent over to pick it up. Jodi’s coin had landed face…..down.