Getting up when Lori did, he took his shower and got dressed.He was going in his uniform today.Normally, he’d be dressed in a suit, but he wanted to show Lorena that he meant to keep things normal.Or as normal as he could make them.Putting his gun in the holster, he was ready to go when Lori was.She looked nervous, and he didn’t blame her.
“I’ve read over the contract that is for my mom.It’s perfect.I’m sure she’s going to find all kinds of fault with it, but at this point, I don’t care.She’ll take it or leave it, and I’m not going to lose any sleep over what she thinks I owe her.”He told her that he was proud of her.“Now, if I can keep from throwing up, I might look a little more professional when I’m there.”
He held her in his arms.“It’s going to be all right.Axel is going to take care of things, and that will be the end of her for a while.Did I tell you that I read the transcript of the phone call she had yesterday with you?She threatened you with finding a gun.I’m hoping that comes up in the courtroom today.”
“My luck it won’t.”She lifted her head to look at him.“I’m sorry this is going on right now.I had hoped that we could have some free time now that the house is finished.I guess we’ll have to take it when we can get it.”
He told her about the trip with Audon next time he has to go overseas.“That’s if you can get off work.”She said she’d quit before she let anyone take away her fun time.“You’ll have to get a passport, too.I have one already.Also, we’ll have to make sure that all your shots are up to date.I don’t want you getting sick while we’re out and about having fun.”
“Gladly.”They made their way to the car and got inside.It had been raining for the last couple of days, and he was glad to see that it had stopped today.The sun was shining, and because of the rain, it was no longer as humid as it had been.“Just keep your chin up.She can’t hurt you while I’m there.And if she tries to verbally attack you, the judge will put a stop to it.Just breathe, honey, and things will turn out well for us.”
Her mother didn’t have an attorney.She knew that waiting to depend on her to do something that she’d been told was going to be a bust.The judge told the bailiff to get someone from the hallways, and she was set to go.He had needed a few minutes to read over the contract before talking to her about it.
“After reading this over, I’m going to suggest highly that my client take the deal before her.I’m hoping that she’ll do it.It’s about the best contract that I’ve ever read, and she will be a fool not to take it.”Lorena told him that she wasn’t a fool.“Good.Then sign on the line there, and I can go back to my client.”
“I’m not signing anything.You tell me what it says, then I’ll decide.However, if it doesn’t have to do with me getting money when I want it, then the deal is off.I have to have her money before shespends it all.She’s too stupid to know how to have a good time.”He started explaining what it said, but was interrupted again by Lorena.“Just get to the part where I get her money.I’m sick of being on a budget all the time, and I need her to realize that.”
“It says that she’s going to pay your rent for the rest of your life.”She said she liked that.“And your utilities.You’ll have to maintain a job is the only stipulation.You’ll need to pay for your own groceries as well as any entertainment you might want to have.It says here that all your bills will be paid directly by a fund that you won’t be able to get to.”
“I don’t want to work.She’ll have to pay for everything.Though I don’t know why she’s bothering me with details like that.She and I will be living together for the rest of her life.”The attorney said that they wouldn’t be living together at all.“So says she.I know my rights.As her mother, she should have to take care of me.”
“I’ve been taking care of you all your life.It’s time I had a life.Sign the damned papers or not.I don’t care.But don’t come running to me when you don’t have any money for rent or your utilities.”Lori looked embarrassed by her outburst.“I’m sorry, your honor, but this was supposed to be easy for her.All she has to do is pay for her own entertainment and groceries.I’m footing the bill for everything else.Even when she gets to the point where she needs a nursing home, because there is no doubt to me that she will eventually, I was going to pay for everything to keep her comfortable.”
“I don’t know why I have to pay for my own food.And entertainment.I don’t even know what that would be.”The attorney who had been brought in for Lorena explained.“Oh, I need to have my nails and hair done at least twice a month.Yes, that’s good that she remembered that, but to pay for them is out of the question.I suppose I have to pay for my own car and insurance, too.”
“Just the car.The rest is covered.But only if you sign off on the paperwork.I’m not going to be held responsible for your debt anymore.”She asked her when that had happened.“I’m still paying off the credit card you took out in my name last year.”
“Oh yeah.I forgot about that.You wouldn’t help me out with things.I think, as your mother and one who didn’t sell you off, I should be able to get some of the things that I deserve.You’re still alive, aren’t you?”Lori sat down and stared straight ahead.“Now she’s going to pout.It was just ten grand.I had a wonderful month with that money, and you should be happy that you didn’t have better credit.As it is right now, I have three applications in your name in my apartment.I won’t have you telling me no again.”The judge banged his gavel down, and Penrod wondered if he’d caught that admission of guilt.
“Did you just admit to mail fraud and identity theft?Please tell me I misunderstood you, Ms.Hamilton.”She asked him what he was talking about.“Taking out a credit card in someone else’s name is against the law.Not to mention you mailed it through the mail system to get it.Those are things that I’m going to add onto your jail time.”
“I do it all the time.She must have some kind of tracker on her social right now because it’s not coming through as quickly as it did before.”She pulled out her purse that had been brought in for her identification in signing off on the paperwork.She showed the judge all the credit cards she had with her name on them.“See?She should be a better daughter if she didn’t want me to ruin her credit score.It’s the least she can do for me when she puts me on a budget and tells me that I can’t gamble anymore.I have to gamble, sir.It’s what gives me joy.”
“I’ve heard enough.”The judge looked at him and Lori.“I’m sorry you had to go through all of this, young lady.I had no idea what we were going to run into when we came into this courtroom today.You have my condolences.”He looked at Lorena.“You are going to be sentenced to thirty months in federal prison.I’d like to give you more, but that’s the limit I can set for you.Two and a half years might get you in a better place to sign off on this deal that your daughter is giving you.”
“I’m not going to prison.”He banged his gavel down again, and the room started to disperse.“Come back here, all of you.I’m not going to go to prison because I have a daughter who won’t take care of me.”
The police headed toward Lorena, and he could see her shuffling around trying to evade them.Once one of them had her in his hands, he knew there was going to be trouble and shoved Lori behind him.That’s when the first shot was fired.Pushing her to the floor, he pulled his own gun to see if he could see who the shooter was.Lorena had the gun of one of the officers and was looking in the direction that Lori had been.
Firing three more times in the general direction of Lori and the judge, he fired once and hit her in the shoulder.He had been aiming for her chest, but when she moved, his bullet went wide.As soon as she was down, he watched as several more police officers took her down and held her in cuffs.It was over in a matter of seconds, but the damage it caused would be around for months.He made sure that Lori was all right.
“Did you kill her?”He said that he’d only wounded her.“Good.At least she’s not going to get away with trying to kill me now.Oh, Penrod, the judge has been shot.”
Going to see if he could do anything after making sure that Lori was with his brothers, he could see that the judge had been shot in the shoulder as well.He was calm about it, going so far as to request someone call his wife and tell her to meet him at the hospital.Then he asked if Lori was all right.
“She sure had it in her head to kill her daughter.Me too, I guess.She’ll be gone for a while now, if I don’t miss my bet.”Penrod said that he’d shot her.“I saw that.Good job for you.Never was I so glad to see you dressed in your uniform as I am right now.You did good.A couple more rounds and she might well have hurt other people in the room.”
“That’s what I was thinking.At least she’s going to be out of our hair for a while.”He was babbling, and it bothered him to be doing that.“I’m nervous.I’ve not had to draw my gun since…well, forever.I especially never had to shoot anyone before.”
“Well, I for one am glad that you didn’t freeze up when the time came.You did well, son.Thank you for taking her down.”He said he’d be on administrative leave for a while.“And you take it.Don’t you let anyone tell you that this wasn’t justified either.Had you not been here, well, I shudder to think what the death count would have been.Thank you for being here today.”
The judge was taken away by ambulance, and so was Lorena.They were both headed to the hospital, but Lorena had more officers around her than the judge did.They weren’t taking any chances with either one of them getting hurt again.He went to see Lori.
“Axel was saying that she’ll get a lot more time added onto her sentence.I hope she does.I’ve had about enough of her and her trying to ruin me.”She looked at the spilled purse with the credit cards lying about on the table.“It’s going to take me forever to get those sorted out, isn’t it?”
“Axel will help you.And I’m sure that the judge will as well.He seemed like he was just happy to be alive and walking around.”Lori said that she was as well.“I’m going to have to go with the police, honey.I’ve discharged my firearm in a federal building and will have to answer to that.”
“If they try and blame this on you I might have to go down there and bang some heads together myself.”While they were talking, Penrod was arrested.It was no less than he would have done in the same circumstances.“Are you going to be all right?”
