Secrets of Amelia

by Andrea Anderson

  One Saturday night when Kelly Sue was out of town visiting her father, there was a knock at the door late in the evening, it was Juzette.

  “What are you doing here?” Asked Jerry in surprise.

  “My boyfriend and I had a fight and he threw my keys at me and cut my arm.” She pulled up her shirtsleeve to show him. It was a minor laceration, and only needed to be cleaned, and have something put on it, but she had a bottle of whiskey in the other hand, so he invited her in. She washed her arm off at the sink and Jerry went to the bathroom and got some first aid cream and a Band-Aid. “Why didn’t you go home and do that? “He asked.

  “Cuz my mother would get all upset and I knew you would help me. I also need a stiff drink.”

  “Juzette sat down at the table.

  “I’ll get some glasses,” Jerry said.

  They had more than one drink and soon were smashed. When Jerry got up on Sunday morning Juzette was in his bed. He didn’t remember everything though he knew he didn’t want Joey or Kelly Sue to find out. I guess it’s true, he thought, a stiff cock has no conscious. He snuck her out of the trailer through the back and never mentioned anything to Joey or Kelly Sue about his midnight visitor.

  It wasn’t that Jerry was afraid that Joey would get mad at him for doing his sister or Kelly Sue for that matter; it was that Jerry couldn’t stop thinking about all that money in the safe. He was haunted by the money and began daydreaming of that $20,000. Nothing was more important than the money, Joey was a means to an end and Kelly Sue a free meal ticket.

  As the weeks went by Jerry began to get restless. He was beginning to feel like a stud horse. Kelly Sue was making waves as if she wanted a permanent arrangement, and Juzette was making demands on him whenever Kelly Sue was not around. Joey had been able to track down two of the men they knew in the old days and had done criminal jobs with before. Big Ralph and Skeeter were still working together and at that very moment planning a job. Joey and Jerry were going to meet with them next weekend in New York City.

  Jerry and Joey really enjoyed themselves with Big Ralph and Skeeter. They were two seedy looking characters. Big Ralph was called Big Ralph because he weighed almost 400 pounds and was known to eat three large pizzas at a time. Skeeter had an acne filled face that was pointy, looked like a mosquito and was skinny as a pin. They knew some people in Harlem and fixed Joey and Jerry up with some pot and women. On Sunday afternoon, Big Ralph and Skeeter talked to Joey and Jerry about the job they were working on. They were planning to rob an armed car.

  “An armed fucking car, what the fuck, which idiot came up with that crazy idea?” said Jerry, “That’s federal stuff and it’s all so sophisticated now with computerized tracking and cameras and all that.”

  “Not if you have an inside man,” said Skeeter, “all we need now is to find a crooked computer geek and we’re all set. We could use a man or two for security if you guys want in. We want 10 Gs to help us cover expenses, but the take would be $500,000 large, each.”

  “How come it’s that big and how do you know that?” Asked Jerry.

  “It’s a onetime monthly drop picked up from a bunch of places, 2 smaller banks, one of the casinos in Atlantic city, two big hotels and three businesses all at the same time. They usually don’t do a pickup from so many places at once except this one, once a month. The day is randomly selected and the driver, route and his security protection are not given the drop date, until a few minutes before delivery. The delivery is made in an armored truck early in the AM. The tracking devise’s signal must be held and the call-in message too, hence, the reason for a computer hacker. To get the message and hold it for 15 minutes until we’re able to stop the armored car and get the money. Then send the message as if it were sent on time. Think about it, if you can come up with the money, we’ll be glad to count you in and tell you all the details.”

  On the way back to the trailer park, Joey said, “I sure would like to get my hands on that kind of money, but I have no clue where I could come up with 10 Gs.

  Jerry said, “Piss on 10 Gs, think of all the things you could buy with $500,000. You could move out of this crummy trailer park. In fact, we would have to be away from here for a long time.”

  “You know Joey, I’m getting a little tired of this trailer park. How about you?” Jerry asked, one night when they went out to shoot pool and drink beer.

  “Yeah it does get on your nerves from time to time,” said Joey, “I wonder if ma and Juzette could make it on her social security check and Juzette’s pay from the fast food mart.”

  “If you were gone maybe Juzette would find a better paying job and stop eating so much,” said Jerry, “or maybe she would get married and let some man keep her and your mother too.”

  “I’m thinking seriously about the deal Big Ralph and Skeeter are putting together, it would be a nice profit. I want in. Do you?”

  “I haven’t decided yet, I’ll let you know as soon as I do, I don’t know where I would get 10 Gs.”

  Jerry wasn’t going to talk over his idea about robbing the safe in Joey’s boss’s office with Joey until he was sure he was in on the big deal. If Joey didn’t go in on the deal, he’d have to do the job himself and split fast.

  A week later Joey got a postcard from Big Ralph and Skeeter.

  It said: Communications are improving quickly. You need to update the data input you sent us if you would like to join us.

  Signed, your pals from the north.”

  Joey showed the postcard to Jerry, now it was decision-making time for Joey. They went to a bar to play Keno and talk over the situation. Joey was in a terrible mood.

  “What’s eating you?” Asked Jerry, “you seem pissed about something.”

  “My mother finally spilled the beans. My sister is knocked up. Son of a bitch, I work hard to keep a roof over that bitch’s head, and she goes and gets laid and now wants the kid that pisses me off royally.”

  “What does that mean for you? You’re not the father.”

  “No, if I find him, I’ll bust him up pretty good,” Said Joey.

  “Maybe now is the right time to leave,” said Jerry, “your mother and sister could prove they have very little income and go on welfare. Then your sister would get money for the kid too, if the boyfriend won’t marry her.”

  Hearing Juzette was knocked up cinched it for Jerry, he had to make a move and fast he was worried it was his. He would contact Big Ralph and Skeeter and see if he could throw in with them and blow this hellhole. He had enough of Kelly Sue and Juzette, too. He didn’t think the kid was his because she was back with her boyfriend but kept coming around to see him too. Sometimes it was sloppy seconds when he banged her, but she gave a good blowjob and it was different from that cow Kelly Sue who was getting fatter by the day.

  The next day he put it to Joey.

  “Here’s the story,” Jerry said, “it’s time to shit or get off the pot. I’m going to tell Big Ralph and Skeeter I’m in. I’m pretty sure I know where I can get the money, there’s enough for you if you want in, and you have to tell me now or forget it.”

  “Count me in,” said, Joey, “I’m disgusted with the shit going down here.”

  “Here’s the plan, said Jerry, there’s enough money for both of us.”

  It was the Joey’s boss’s habit to leave the money in the safe at the office over the weekend. He figured it would be more secure in the safe at work than at his house, until first thing Monday morning when he took the cash to the bank.

  Joey and Jerry planned the hit on Friday, in the wee hours. They made a big thing of broadcasting that they were quitting their jobs and getting other jobs, all week, thinking it might throw suspicion off them, if they suddenly disappeared.

  On Saturday 2 AM they drove to the office and blew the hinges off the safe. The noise was loud. They brought several old mattresses to cover the safe before it blew. The first charge go
t only one hinge of the safe, they had to hammer the other one off with sledgehammers, a messy job. No matter they got the money, and how sweet it was all cash, got in Joey’s pickup and headed to New York City. They stopped at a roadside rest, parked in an area where there were no cars and counted the money. In all it was 22 large and some change, enough to get them in on the job and to live on until the robbery was over. They celebrated by buying a case of beer and rented a motel room. They talked about what they were going to do with all that money they would be coming into.

  [ Chapter 51 ]

  Amelia checked her phone messages after lunch and saw an unfamiliar number.

  She called Chad and told him she had a several calls from a strange number and asked him what he thought she should do.

  “Give me the number honey and I’ll call Wilson and see if we can find out who it is. Don’t you try calling it because it might tip off whoever it is? Don’t be worried my sweet I’m going to pick you up at work this evening. I’ll come into the lab for you so don’t come out to the car.”

  “OK Babe I’ll see you then, love you.”

  “I love you to,” he said.

  Chad called Wilson and told him about Roger’s calling them to say that Lynn called the farm looking for help and told them that Jerry dumped her. Then Chad told him about the phone calls to Amelia’s phone that he suspected was Lynn also. Wilson took down the number and told Chad he would see what he could find out. He called Chad back in about an hour and told him that he took the number to the technical guys and they told me it was from a pre-paid phone and no way to find out who made the calls. So, I did the next best thing.

  “What’s that?” Said Chad.

  “I called the number and a female voice answered. I asked for Mary.” The person answering the phone said, “I’m not Mary.” I became insistent she finally got angry and said, “This is Lynn there’s no Mary here. I think you got trouble, Chad.”

  “I knew it wouldn’t be long before she would come out of the woodwork and try to contact Amelia, after that call she made to Roger,” Chad said. “The thing that upsets me is that usually Jerry is somewhere right behind her and will probably surface too no matter what Lynn said.”

  “This time we are not going to wait for him to try and harm Amelia, he has been lucky so far. I told you about that drug deal and how he escaped with the money and the junkie suddenly overdosed. I have become friendly with one of the FBI agents who was following the case. He told me that when they went to the farm looking for Jerry all they found was an abandoned house and nothing or no one around. That must have been after Amelia and the family went to the Lane’s and Jerry moved out. I know you said they waited several weeks before going back to be certain Jerry was not coming back.”

  “That’s right,” said Chad, “they weren’t taking any chances.”

  The agent told me they asked around town and a bartender at one of the local watering holes told him Jerry had been there several weeks back and he had not seen him for a while. The case went cold. They think Jerry left the country. He took a big chance coming back to the farm with Lynn he must be in serious need of money. Since I told the agent about Jerry showing up at the farm again, he has taken renewed interest in the case. He’s going to start looking for Jerry again and will give me a call when he knows something. Meantime stick to Amelia like glue, you never know what that ruthless bastard it up to. He’s not a nice fellow,” commented Wilson.

  “I heard you loud and clear man,” said Chad, “it’s easy to stick to my baby. I’m also going to talk to Buzz when I go to pick Amelia this evening and put him on alert to anything that seems unusual.”

  “Good idea, I’ll let you know as soon as I find out anything.”

  “Thanks Wilson, you’re a good guy I’m glad you’re on our side.”

  Chad went into the lab a bit early, he did that on purpose because he wanted to take Buzz aside and alert him to the situation.

  He knocked at the lab door and Amelia looked up, smiled, and came to the door.

  “Hi sweetie,” she said, lifting her face up for a quick kiss, “you’re a bit early. I’m not through. I have to finish this test I’m working on.”

  “I left and traffic was moving fast, no problem honey I’ll hang out and talk to Buzz until you’re ready.”

  Chad went and knocked on Buzz’s office door.

  “It’s open,” the voice said.

  “Hi Chad, good to see you, come on in.”

  “I came to pick up Amelia, but she not through with the test she was running. I wanted to talk with you for a few minutes.”

  “Sure, sit down, how have you been?”

  “Great, I love seeing Amelia every day, we didn’t have a lot of time together when I was in the Army. I wanted to ask you if you would do me a favor.”

  “Shoot,” replied Buzz.

  “I suspect that Amelia’s mother is trying to get back in touch with her again, and usually that means that Jerry may not be far behind. I’m going to ask you to be vigilant and if anything seems out of the ordinary please call Wilson or me.”

  “Chad, I will be happy to do that. Does Amelia know?”

  “I haven’t told her yet, I will tonight.”

  A light tap on the door and Amelia popped her head in, “I’m all done and ready to go honey.”

  “OK, nice talking to you Buzz, have a nice evening,” said Chad.

  “Same here,” he said, “see you tomorrow Amelia.”

  “Night Buzz.”

  “What do you want to do for dinner?” Amelia asked when they got in the car.

  “I’m going to cook for you tonight, Mrs. Brown, I’ll start dinner, and then we’ll take a shower.”

  “We’ll?”

  “Yes, we’ll.”

  “That sounds exciting,” she said, with a smile, “especially the shower part I mean, as she put her hand on his leg.”

  “I shouldn’t have mentioned it so soon, my pants suddenly got tighter,” he said with a grin, “when your hand touched my leg.”

  By the time they got to the apartment, neither of them could wait. They began undressing each other as soon as Chad locked the door.

  They took their shower and ate dinner late, both were ravenous, they relaxed on the sofa and then he told her.

  “Honey I don’t want you to get upset and we promised to tell each other everything, so I want you to know I called Wilson, as I told you and he found out the caller is Lynn.”

  “Lynn? Oh shit,” she said. “Why does that woman continued to torment me?”

  “I had a feeling it wasn’t good when the same number popped up several times.”

  “Are you worried, Chad?”

  “Not worried exactly, we have to be very cautious. It seems that when Lynn shows up Jerry is lurking close by. That’s why I wanted to talk to Buzz. I told him I wanted him to be watchful, if anything looked out of place, to call Wilson or me right away. I’m going to keep you very close to me for the next little while. I think you’ll be OK at work, but I will be dropping you off and walking you into the office and picking you up the same way, for the next few weeks, till we find out what’s going on.”

  “Honey, I don’t mind at all. I don’t ever want to be in a situation that we have to be away from each other again. Chad, I’m afraid for you where Jerry is concerned. Not that he could harm you in a fair fight, but if you killed him, I don’t want you to go to jail or anything like that.”

  “I’m not going to take any chances like that either. If I have to, I will defend you and myself even if it means killing Jerry.”

  “Does Wilson think I should answer the phone the next time she calls?” Asked Amelia.

  “I know this is not very pleasant for you Babe, Wilson suggested you talk to her and try and find out where she is. That might give us an idea where Jerry is these days.”

 
“OK I’ll do it then.”

  Lynn called Amelia again on Thursday afternoon. Amelia answered and Lynn told her who she was.

  “Where are you and what do you want from me?” Amelia said curtly.

  “I wanted to see if you were OK and what your husband said when you told him what we told you?”

  “Why? Do you have some other wonderful news you want to tell me, “Mommie dearest,” Amelia threw at her sarcastically?

  “No, I’m hitchhiking my way to Washington DC, they tell me the best shelters are there. Your brother Jerry dumped me, left me high and dry and took all my money, the car and all my jewelry. I only had one more night in the motel and then they were going to kick me out. I called Roger and he wouldn’t even talk to me. I can hear that you are annoyed I called. No matter what I did I’m still mother to all of you.”

  “Think about it “Lynn” it’s probably because you were so sweet to us, all of your life, hardworking, self-sacrificing all that. Don’t bother calling me again.”

  Amelia hated that she got so upset talking to her mother, but they were her true feelings. If Lynn had succeeded in separating Amelia and Chad, she would have never spoken to her again. She called Chad and told him about the call.

  “She told me she was headed to Washington DC because they have the best shelters and she has nowhere else to go.”

  “Are you OK honey you sound upset.”

  “I’m angry Chad, she has no idea what she is doing, she asked me what you said when I told you what Jerry said about our relationship. Does she think that was a lark or some kind of joke?”

  “Honey look at it this way, you said it she has no idea what she is doing. That doesn’t make it right, hopefully she is out of our lives now.”

  “I know it makes me think of things I would rather not think about,” said Amelia.

  “Babe, one thing, do you think she was telling you the truth about where she was going?”