“Now that’s a name I’ve heard a great deal about since being here.They’re the ones that caught the teachers padding their want list when they asked for things to get them through the end of the year, right?”She said that was right and was happy to be related to them.“They must have a great deal of pull when it comes to the schools around here.That’s all the people around here can talk about is the great Erickson brothers and their wives.”
“They’re a good bunch of men.They’ve lived here for the last twelve or thirteen years now and have done wonders for not just the school but the town as well.It’s been great living in this little town, too.I hope you like it.”She said that she was sure that she would now that she had her money and a job.“I heard that you’re teaching one of the classes at the school.Congratulations on that.We’ve needed new teachers for over a month now, and I’m glad to know that you’re one of them.”
“I’d been in the service since I got out of college.I taught for a while, but then realized that I couldn’t make the kind of money that I would if I continued my education in the service.So I enlisted and got an education that was good, and learned a few things while I was in there.I’m just hoping that they don’t find anything in my background check that keeps me from working.”She said that she had it on good authority that she’d passed.“Good to know.I just signed a one-year lease with an apartment, and even with my money coming to me, I might have a hard time making my rent each month.”
“You’ll be fine.I know it.”As they finished their meals, they talked about the little town.She told her how she’d spent the night at an officer’s home last night, and she knew who it had been.“The Markuses have been around for a long time.They’re allowing Telly to work out his retirement even though he’s having trouble with his nerves.He’s the calmest man I’ve ever met, until something goes wrong, then he’s really bad.He gets the shakes and stammers, too.But he’s calm most of the time.”
They talked about the other teachers who weren’t coming back.Only four so far, but she had a feeling that they weren’t going to show up on Monday morning at all and quit without notice.She could see a bunch of people doing that too.Just to make the school short-staffed.
“They didn’t take too kindly to being laid off without pay.It was only for a month, but that could have been the difference between them having money for a mortgage payment or not.But they’re the ones that had done it, so they have no one to blame but themselves.”Elaine agreed with her and said that she could never do that.“I didn’t think you would.I actually didn’t think that a couple of the teachers would, but peer pressure can be a lot even when you’re an adult.”
By the time the sun was going down and the weather was getting colder, they parted ways.But not before a dinner invitation was given to her by Shipley.She said that she usually got together with her sisters-in-laws once a week and thought that she could use a couple of friends since she was new to the area.She didn’t know how much she’d have in common with the Erickson women, but she thought that she could use a couple of friends.So she agreed to have dinner with them on Thursday night.
On her way to her car, she noticed that the kids had all gone and the place was closing up.She’dheard that they would be closing for the winter months on Friday and was going to miss just being able to get a lunch or two there.
Driving home, she got to her place in less time than she remembered it took.Getting out of her car, she tried to judge the distance between her place and the school and realized that she could just walk to school when the weather permitted.She loved that idea and was going to do it when she started.There was no point in taking her car there if walking was just as easy.
Setting her alarm for seven since her check was supposed to be here from eight to night, she was excited to be able to know that the money was coming in.Looking on her laptop for the first time in several weeks, she was also excited to be able to have internet in her new place.Cable was also included, but since she didn’t have a television set, she was just going to be watching whatever she could on her computer for a while.
She did some online shopping while she was getting ready for bed.The first thing she was going to need was a bed so that she could get a good night’s sleep.The one night that she’d had at the Markus place had made her realize that she couldn’t sleep on the floor for very long.It was hard on her back and legs.Not to mention towels and other linens that would do her a world of good in her apartment.
There was a towel packed up in her things.She would sometimes use the truck stop’s showers when she needed to get a good washing.They had laundry mats as well, which she used and had done quite well for herself.The only thing that she didn’t have was cookware, and she’d been doing well without that.It wasn’t as if she was going to be cooking herself a five-course meal anytime soon.Just a plate and a few pieces of silverware, and she’d do fine.She put that on her list of things to get when she got her checks.
She was nearly too excited to go to bed that night.The sleeping bag was nice to rest on, but to sleep a good night’s sleep was something else.She’d have to get her a bed with a good mattress soon, or she’d be too uncomfortable to teach the children with her back aching all the time.That was going to be a priority for her to get, no matter what else was on her list.
Waking before the alarm went off, she took a shower and enjoyed the freedom of it being all hers.Once she had dried her hair and pulled it back in a ponytail, she got out the required paperwork for her to claim her checks.They said that they’d write her three of them because the taxes would have been horrific.That way, too, she could cash them easier than one lump sum.Giddy with the thought of having money again, she waited by the door, sitting on the floor until the doorbell rang.At eight o’clock right on the nose, the doorbell rang, and it was an army courier who had an envelope for her.As soon as she was able to verify that it was her, the man was on his way, and she was standing in the kitchen reading the note from the vice-president of the United States.
“My dear Elaine, I’m so sorry for the confusion about your money.It shouldn’t have been a problem for you, and I’m glad I was able to make it work out for you.There is a little extra in the form of a fourth check so that you can know that we here at the White House take getting paid for our servicemen and women very seriously.I’m again sorry that it took so long, and I was glad that Shipley was able to get through to me to get it done.I feel like a hero.”He signed it with his first name.
There was also a postscript that gave her his personal phone number in the event that he could do anything more for her.The fourth check was for the same amount as she’d had in the other three checks, and she was beyond happy about it.
While she was finishing up with her list, she got a call from Mr.Sheen about the job.She’d gotten the job as a kindergarten teacher and would start the following Monday morning.Dancing around her new place, she thought perhaps things were finally going her way.
~*~
Knox didn’t know what to make of Shipley telling him about the woman that she’d just met.He didn’t know if she was setting him up or just being polite.They’d been pushing him into having a wife for the past several weeks now, and he was getting aggravated about it.Not that he’d say he was pissed off to Shipley, but he’d grumble under his breath about it.He wasn’t that stupid as to tell her she was butting in where it was none of her business.But he did find that he wanted to meet the young woman whohad gotten such rave comments from the division that she was a part of in the service.
“I was wondering if you had about an hour that I could bounce things off with you?”He told his brother Zander that he was forever there for him.“I figured you’d say that.I have this case coming up with Carrie, and I was wondering if you could tell me if I’m pushing too hard in wanting to have Carrie there when the trial starts.She doesn’t want to go, but I think that it would go a long way with the judge if she were to show him how much they’d hurt her when they wanted the checks.”
“I’d say that you’d have to talk to her about it.I’d tell her what you just told me and see what she has to say about it.”He said he had, and she refused to go.“Then you have your answer.She’s not going to be bullied into anything that she doesn’t want to do.I understand that she should be there, if nothing else than to show support to you about the trial.But she’s been terrorized enough with them.Not to mention how many times they’ve beaten her up over the money.If she doesn’t want to go, then there isn’t anything you can say to make her go.”
“I figured you’d say that.Even Shipley said the same thing about bullying her into going.I can understand it, but they’ll be under guard with the police, not to mention I’ve requested that they be chained up as well.I don’t want to take any chances either.”He asked if she’d told her that part.“I only just requested it and was granted the way things would go today.I never thought of that making a difference.”
“It would to me.”He nodded and said that he’d have to tell her what he’d done.“Also, if I were you, I’d request more armed guards and police around the courthouse as well.Like you said, you don’t want to take any chances with them getting loose.And if they do, you know that they’ll kill Carrie, if for no other reason than they will blame her for being in jail.They won’t make it easy on her, either, given the chance to get at her.I’d tell her that part, and then if she still disagrees about going, then let it go.She has her own nightmares about them that we’ll never understand.Even though our father beat us, they were her siblings, and that has to hurt worse.Especially since she was helping with their mother.”
“All right.I don’t have to like it, but I’m going to do what you said, also, about the extra police around.I think it would maybe make them think twice—never mind.They’ll never think twice about anything if they can get away with it.Even when there isn’t any way for them to get by, they’ll do what they want and damn the consequences.”Knox agreed with his brother.“Did you know that the police are having a hard time with the group of them?They’re demanding that they have special treatment for no other reason than they want it.I’d have shot the lot of them if I had been in charge of them.”
“I suppose it’s a good thing we’re not in charge, I guess.”They both laughed and decided that if they were in charge of the family, they would have put them in prison without a trial and been done with them.See how long they lasted in the kind of environment, such as a prison.“Not long, I’m betting.They’d bully the wrong person, and that would be the end of them all.”
After making a couple of phone calls, not only did Zander have the extra hands on duty that might be needed, but there was also going to be police on the outside of the courthouse in the event that they tried to escape.He didn’t know how that was going to happen with them chained up, but he would not doubt anything coming from the group of them for any amount of money.They were terrible people, and the sooner they were in prison, the better off the little town would be.He’d even found other families that had been knocked around by them that were willing to testify against them, so long as they weren’t getting out to hurt them.People were terrified of them and with good reason.They were a group of people that you’d find one or two of in a family, but it was all of them, save Carrie.
He was headed home after talking with his brother when he saw a woman trying to get her furniture into an apartment.He’d heard that the place had been rented, as he owned the place, but he hadn’t any idea that she was already moving in.He made his way across the street to see if he could help her get things inside, as it was starting to rain.
“Thank you, that would be wonderful.”He didn’t have any trouble getting the mattress in, as she’d already gotten the bed in by herself.There were boxes everywhere.“I didn’t have to pay extra forthings to be delivered, but now that I’ve been working at this for the last hour, I wish I had.”
“We’ll get it.Let me help you get the bed set up.Do you have any tools?”She didn’t, and looked like she was ready to cry.“It’s been a long day, I’m betting, so let me go to my house and pick up my toolbox.I’ll be back soon.”
He knew who she was but didn’t bother with introductions.As soon as he was at his house, he picked up his toolbox and ordered dinner for the two of them too to be delivered.He had a feeling that she hadn’t eaten all day, which was why she looked so defeated.He would be too if he had to move into his place again without the help of his brothers.Just as he was pulling into the parking lot, it started to rain like the heavens had opened up.He rushed into the apartment and was already soaked.
