ISOLATION: Child Support 911

by Tabitha White

  “Angie, oh my lord the judge can fine you for contempt of court?” Jaid asked.

  “I knew it! I knew it!” Angie said as her frustrations boiled over outside the courtroom. “I understand their complex arrangement. Craig is concealing something for Judge Hall. In return, Judge Hall does not make Craig accountable for inheritance funds! Talk about corruption, he’s a dirty judge and I’ll find out what he’s hiding and expose him!” Angie said.

  Walking back into the courtroom Jaid sensed the storm overhead and felt uneasy, questioning if Judge Hall felt the need to unleash his wrath.

  “Ms. Wood I suggest you learn to control your client. At that point, I’ll welcome you back to my courtroom. Court adjourned. Craig Freeman in my chambers now!” said the judge as his irritation with Craig brimmed over.

  Craig walked past the ominous desk and through a door behind the judge’s perch. Jaid remained in the courtroom to see if she could hear anything.

  “I don’t allow that behavior in my courtroom? I can’t keep riding the fine line with you in the courtroom. Find a way out of this or find a new business partner!” Judge Hall said.

  “Now judge I don’t believe you want to do that. Do you? I wonder how the election will turn out this year. I don’t think the fine voters of this district would want to know about the um…well you know.”

  “Do not threaten me!”

  With bold overtones Craig said, “No sir I would never do anything like that; just stating the facts as I see them.”

  Outside the courtroom turning at the hip Angie’s eyes fell upon Lance and the latent bull’s-eye across his chest. Thoughts pervaded her mind about taking the knife she had slashed Craig’s tires with and hacking away at his chest. Questions lingered about how he hid his salary from Governor’s Insurance and his inheritance. Topping the charts though, he connived with doctors to assert a disability that released him from paying child support for an indefinite amount of time. Angie needed to obtain knowledge about the arrangement between Judge Hall and Craig allowing him to call the shots in court or she’d never redeem the home within the ten-day period.

  Craig exited the judges’ chambers and made his way back out to his attorney. The judge followed him and resumed his perch.

  Words ripe with hostility exchanged inside the courtroom between the judge and Craig piqued Jaid’s curiosity. Outside the courtroom, words escaped Angie as the letters FOREVER appeared in her head while her thoughts focused on revenge. I will discover your plan and expose it! Angie’s thoughts rested on the paper she and Tammy found in her trunk. She felt threatened by the harsh exchange of words between Craig and Judge hall, yet at the same time grateful. Her thoughts became focused on what she knew she would have to do, and she didn’t like it.

  “Angie you and I will have to meet in my office later tonight. You don’t have much time left and we need to plan our next move.”

  “Jaid, Craig plans to bamboozle me somehow. My friend Tammy and I found records in the trunk of my car, which someone planted there, alluding to my guilt in their underhanded business practices. I’ve never had anything to do with Craig’s business. When we married, he said no wife of his would work. I never have.” Angie said.

  “Do you believe he intends to frame you? Perhaps he expected you discovering his plans. If you expose him, you expose yourself.” Jaid said.

  “I’m innocent.”

  “Innocent until proven guilty. Remember marriage often ties guilt between people, what one party stands accused of so does the other when it comes to a joint business.”

  “I’ve never had anything to do with his business!” Angie said.

  “It’s like a joint tax return. If he’s guilty of tax evasion, you’re just as guilty.” Jaid said.

  “We need to formulate a plan.”

  Chapter 10

  “Hi John.”

  “Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? Umm hmm! Now that’s what I’m talking about. Turn round Sugar! Let me get a good look at you! I knew you’d look my way one day. Lo and behold that day arrived.”

  “John I understand your feelings for me. Please understand I have feelings for you, however right now I’m in serious trouble. The bank foreclosed on our home. Now, I need $9,000 to redeem it. I’m focusing all my energy on collecting the child support arrears Craig owes me and I need your help. Once I secure Lance’s basic needs I will then address my feelings for you.”

  “Fine by me Sugar.”

  “Good, thank you for understanding.” Angie said.

  “Darling as a hot couple we will put Brad and Angie’s romance on ice. Should I change my name to Brad Sugar? Darling if you need help call on me, your sugar daddy. I know Craig and what makes him tick.”

  This freaking jackass makes my stomach turn, yet desperate times call for desperate measures. Grit your teeth and bear it.

  However, Angie’s mind drifted back to beginning years with Craig the alcoholic before he became a magnate. The memories reaffirmed a deep resentment toward John. John and Craig have known each other for years and remained friends. John never flinched while Craig carried on with drunken antics threatening Angie, the sole survivor of her families’ bloodline. John lacked qualities one would classify as chivalrous.

  Freaking pedophile! You make me sick!

  One incident in particular stood out in Angie’s mind. Craig’s niece and nephew spent the night with him and Angie when a problem surfaced. The adults, still acting as adolescent teens both wanted to go out. To solve the problem they drew straws and agreed that Craig would enjoy a night out on the town. Angelina fixed the straws so he won knowing his parenting skills lacked creditability. She did not want her niece and nephew made into statistics in the morning as Craig smoked and drank like a fish.

  Just as his boot-encased foot began to make its way out the doorway, he stopped dead in his tracks and slapped his hands, palm sides out, in the doorway. Accusations flew at Angelina as his pounding fists rattled more than just the walls. Craig believed a setup loomed on the horizon. In his imagination, Angie had a boyfriend and she needed him out of the house so they could meet. This prompted him to rant-and-rave like a lunatic scaring the tiny tots. When Angie attempted to push Craig out the door, trying to shelter the tots, the angrier he became over this imaginary boyfriend. John sat still as Craig unleashed his tyranny watching the drama as if he’d paid to see this feature-film.

  “Who did you make plans with, your boyfriend!” Craig said raising his hand rearing back as if to deliver a solid backhand across the plane of Angie’s cheek.

  “Screw you Craig! Don’t you dare raise your hand to me ever again! I don’t have a boyfriend beside you. You hear me. I’ll kill you if you ever hit me again. What crazy through crossed my mind believing trading a chance at the law and a 4.0 G.P.A. would fail in comparison to you. What a big mistake I made.” Angie said while grabbing a screwdriver and rearing back standing her ground to Craig. “Go ahead you idiot hit me I dare you. It would give me great pleasure to plunge this in your back!” Angie said.

  “Oh right you’re going to kill me; you and what army? Just shut the hell up. I’m going out tonight and if you don’t like it that’s tough.” Craig said. “Grab me another beer out of the fridge will you.”

  Grasping the screwdriver out of Angie’s hand Craig said, “Give me that! Knock it off already the tot’s look as if they will begin crying at any moment. Fine! You want to go out that bad tonight then go!” Craig said while resuming working on the Chevy.

  These two complex and mysterious people heard arguing above methodical reverberating sounds as a late summer breeze whisks through a wind chime outside their flat should have called it quits right then and there.

  “Craig I don’t have a boyfriend! You’re crazy!”

  “I want to know his name!”

  The two fought, waved fists at each other then took the fight to the yard attempting to shelter the tiny tot’s from their immaturity. On this occasion, the niece and nephew followed Angie and Craig i
nto the yard locking the door behind them so no burglar could enter.

  “Craig you’ve got to stop their terrified!”

  While swinging back and forth on a glider handheld video games now occupied the children’s attention from the circus in the backyard. At one point Angelina sought refuge in the Chevy Blazer. Craig called Angie’s bluff and believed she would leave. This prompted him to begin wailing on the trunk. Angie furious and upset, started the engine, revved it up, slammed it in drive and floored it toward Craig.

  “You’re going to run me over? We’ll see about that!” Craig said.

  He retaliated with a screwdriver as he stabbed at the tires on the Blazer like a serial killer. Enraged, Angelina slammed the sport utility vehicle in park, got out and grabbed a Louisville Slugger from the garage. She chased Craig around the yard until her comic muse commandeered the Blazer and enjoyed refugee status inside the confines of it. Revving the engine, he stared her square in the eye.

  “C’mon you jackass I dare you. Try me Craig Freeman – go ahead try me! I’ll show you!”

  Just as he began to floor it, Angelina placed her left foot behind her, took one-step back and swung the wooden pseudo pipe into the windshield. Catching Craig off guard, this stopped him in his muddy tracks. Hands clutched tightly around the slugger, she attacked one headlight as she would a rapist, and then busted out the other without thinking twice. Furious at Craig’s immature behavior, she pounded on the hood with the slugger and then went back for more smashing the taillights.

  John, sitting in a chair flanking the rear wall of the flat, did not attempt to shelter the children from Craig’s maniacal rage nor did he try to save Angie from this lunatic.

  “C’mon you idiot I’ll show you who has a boyfriend. I have grown tired of you accusing me when I’ve done nothing wrong. You’re a jealous drunk!”

  Amid squelching tires, Craig’s rant had the Blazer careening half sideways down the driveway, where he then hightailed it down the curb and sped off into the distance. John got up and chased after Craig like a lost puppy.

  Approaching the children Angie said, “It's okay now Uncle Craig left. He won’t come back any time soon. Let’s go call your mom and dad and have them pick you up.”

  Finding the tots locked them out of the home her head hung low and rested in her palms.

  “It's okay Aunt Angie I’ll go through the window and let us in.”

  Angie viewed the tiny-tots as her savior’s in that singular moment. Spying an open first-floor window Angie removed a melodious wind chime that once swayed from the eves of her childhood home. Her nephew placed his foot in her clasped palms, Angie gave him a boost and in an instant, he disappeared. Moments later, he appeared at the side door of the home and let Aunt Angie in.

  Come morning time, Angie and Craig called the neighbors, a middle-aged couple working as nurses at the hospital, for first aid on cuts severe enough to require stitches. Fed up with the new imputed knowledge of their drunken antics by such neighbors, he asked Craig and Angie to leave. The police arrived with the landlord allowing them four hours to remove their belongings out of the flat. They landed themselves a spot on cardboard alley as they played out family cards one by one long ago.

  “Angie. Angie.” John said snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. “You looked lost there for a couple minutes. Sugar your mind couldn’t have looked farther away if you tried.”

  “Sorry, I’ve got ominous problems on my mind with the house foreclosed on. I have a ten-day time limit to redeem the home and I feel no closer to redeeming the home. You don’t have $9,000 do you?”

  “Now Sugar you know if I did I would give it to you without hesitation. Sorry, I don’t. Is there any other way I can help you out; do you need a place to stay tonight? John asked as his eyes fell into dangerous territory between the unbuttoned sides of Angie’s white chiffon blouse.

  “I need you to render Craig out of commission.”

  “Don’t you need more from me than that?” John asked.

  Angelina approached John and with the softest touch her hand could bring forth, she caressed John’s cheek. Continuing she whispered softly in John’s ear. “I need you to render Craig out of commission.” She said this while curving her upper torso half-sideways to expose her bare breasts beneath her blouse so John caught scent of her Noir perfume

  John’s heart rate accelerated from a strong desire to scratch his itch with Angelina. John, tormented by knowledge that his family fortune could never win him Angie, felt determined to change this forever. John lost focus as his genitalia, alert and vying for Angelina’s attention, focused on the rousing scent of her perfume. Her unbuttoned blouse allowed unfettered access to his version of a Monet masterpiece beneath her chiffon blouse.

  “What do you want me to do to render him out of commission?” John asked as his heart thudded in his chest and elsewhere in his body with increased amplification.

  “However you want to. Nevertheless, you’ll have to make it appear as if you and he left on a vacation. Not one living sole can know Craig disappeared; especially Martin. Once you have done that, I’m yours.”

  “John could no longer contain himself as he imagined the passionate romance unfold before his eyes precipitating him to excuse himself to the restroom to blot dry his budding romance that had blossomed over.

  Chapter 11

  Walking the bike path allowed Angie’s mind a respite along two miles of figure eight shaped amnesty. Soft grasses faded to pale ocher and lined a kidney shaped raised flowerbed beneath a hundred year old oak tree. Beneath it, billowy fronds of grasses whispered soothing sounds to Angie in the delicate breeze that morning. The enchanting landscape served as a well-needed respite as she immersed herself in her favorite inner city get-away.

  Angie meandered through tall pines and maples that had long since lost their autumn blankets. Her soul felt invigorated as the crisp air permeating her lungs held the scent of soft lavender and peppermint from the sage lining the walkway. She welcomed its interruption to her senses as she pondered the day’s discontent yet ahead.

  That voice sounds familiar.

  Drawing nearer to the voice Angie heard a familiar metallic tone. Angie’s eyes rested smack-dab upon Mika. Hesitating to take another step her curiosity got the best of her. An ornate wooden bench, no doubt dedicated in the memory of someone, sat on the left of the path. A massive maple offering shade seemed a logical place to confirm Craig’s presence while remaining inconspicuous.

  It lives, the horrible creature called father.

  Sitting on the bench with her back toward Craig her mind searched memories to put a face to a second voice, yet she failed. Entering a deeper recess of her mind Angie tried to match voice with subject matter, no match. After a few moments, Angie matched the voice with a name, Candy, Martin’s wife. Angie struggled to hear the conversation.

  “Craig if Martin finds out we’re both done for! You need to correct this problem! I refuse to be the fall guy for this business deal! Do you understand me? I’ve got the power here with the knife in your back; let it guide your actions as you did to me years ago! I knew I should have never gotten involved in your convoluted schemes! Find the jewel that will appease the judge. Boy, what a piece of work, he has you over a barrel! Judge Hall’s ranting and raving satire in court made the gossip column.”

  “How do you know that?” Craig asked.

  “I have connections at the courthouse. It sounds like his yarn has begun to unravel strand by strand! I mean it Craig I refuse to go down for anyone – you lose him and we lose everything! Fix this!” Candy said.

  “I have the judge under control! Now I suggest you learn the same control! Nothing has changed, assets remain hidden and secure as always. Anthony and Martin will never find out! Relax will you!” Craig said.

  “Don’t tell me to relax! Open your eyes! Years of financial wrongdoing are about to surface and jeopardize my financial freedom! If Martin learned what we did with my brother’s company, he’d t
ake matters into his own hands. I see Martin’s ruthlessness! If our Ponzi-scheme surfaces and Martin gains knowledge of our joint-financial-venture, he’ll block you from your inheritance. Remember genius, you surrendered total control to him in the company years ago to avoid garnishment for child support! In essence, you handed Martin the reins affording him total control of finances! Your cavalier attitude years ago suggested disaster; I should have listened to my gut!”

  “Shut the hell up! The ball remains in our court, view this minor setback as you want! Back off woman so I can think and devise our next move!” Craig said.

  Passersby in the park took notice of Angie’s open lockjaw expression that directly resulted from the cache of ammunition Craig and his female friend handed to Angie on a silver platter. Angie exited the park like a spy on a secret mission and made her way back to the Buick and the stranglehold it had on her.

  Thank you lord for allowing me presence at the right time in the right place!

  Angie approached her car with the same open lockjaw expression. The Buick sat violated, covered in yellow paint from hood to trunk. A note, pierced by the antenna flapped in the wind.

  “Fight on fairground you yellow-bellied coward. Time for the big guns! Tag you’re it Martin! War starts now!” Angie said.

  In true clandestine fashion, she started the engine and lowered the column shifter into the drive gear engaging the transmission. Depressing the accelerator with even pressure, she left the park a new and formidable opponent.

  Chapter 12

  “Tammy we now have another rabid dog to deal with; Martin. He covered my car in yellow paint today. It's gone, thanks to the carwash, however, that jackass has irked me! A few days ago, he rammed into the back of my car. You’ve heard the saying, in the right place at the right time. The stars shone upon me today. I decided to go to the park to clear my head and lo and behold I see Pete and repeat.”