“Yes.It was justified, and I’ll be all right.”He hoped so anyway.He didn’t know what to think about everything right now.As he was put in a cruiser, the other officers telling him how sorry they were, but he wanted this done by the book.And arresting him was what should be done.Even if he didn’t care for it.
Chapter 9
Not only had Penrod been justified in his shooting of her mother, but he’d been called a hero by everyone who had been there.Had he not pulled his gun and fired it at her mom, then there was no telling how many other people would have been shot and or killed.There were people at the jail all the time now wanting to get a piece of her mother right now.Not that she blamed them, she’d like to have a word with her herself.
“She had seventeen credit cards in my name.Most of them are for over ten grand and have been maxed out.I wonder what she was doing with all that money.”He said she’d been more than likely getting her nails done and eating out.“I can see her doing that, too.just spending my money like it didn’t matter to her.As it stands right now, I’m thirteen thousand dollars in credit card debt, and I don’t have anything to show for it.”
“Axel said he’d help you.”She told him what Axel had said.“Years to straighten out?I had no idea that it would take that long.I guess I didn’t think about it too much.”
“I’m thinking of canceling them all and then paying them off to get them off my record.It’ll be faster and easier to do, and I won’t have to worry about it anymore.”She wiped at the tears that had been falling down her face since she’d sat here taking care of them.“Why would she do this to me?I mean, I know she said that I owed her money, but I never dreamed that she’d be doing this to me.She must have really hated me.”
“She won’t be able to do it anymore, at least.”She told him there was that.“Think of it this way, at least you have the means to pay them off.Can you imagine what would have happened had you not won the lottery?You’d be in deep trouble.”
“I’m just glad she never knew.”He kissed her on the nose, and she asked him what that was for.“I loved it, but why not on my mouth like you usually do?”
“Because I love you and wanted to show you that.”He grinned.“I have to get to work.I have a ton of paperwork to fill out and file about the shooting and the arrest.Then I have to go before the board tomorrow to find out what they figured out about the shooting.I hope it goes as well as I hope, but who knows.I’ve had about enough of being a cop anyway.”
“Really?I thought you loved your job.”He said it made him realize how dangerous it was when he’d had to draw his gun.“It’s always been dangerous.You’ve been living in this town for too long.You’ve gotten lax in your duties.I bet that the next time you draw it, you’re going to be more than a little bit more careful.”
“And that’s dangerous too.I might hesitate too long.”She never wanted him to pull his gun ever again and thought that she’d made it clear yesterday.“I don’t want to be in the position, either, where I have to worry about you and my brothers getting shot.That’s all I could think about when I had to fire at her.”
“When she couldn’t get to me, she fired at the judge.I don’t have any idea what she’d been thinking when she’d done that.She had to know that she’d be in trouble for shooting a judge.Don’t you think?”He said he didn’t think she thought about anything but ending her.“I know.She told me that she hated me.I guess what she did proves the point better than anything.I can’t believe that she wanted me dead over money.Wouldn’t it be funny if I told her that what she did to me doesn’t matter, as I have more money than I can spend?”
They both laughed.“I would think on that.It might drive her over the edge, and she’ll have to stay in the jail system for a good deal longer.I’m all for that.I don’t know how much she’ll get, but she’ll be in prison until her trial can be set up.And I’d look for her to get at least twenty or more years by shooting a judge.Then there is the attempted murder of you.”
“I just want her to be out of my life.”She was depressed about the thought of her mother trying to kill her.“I’ve never done anything but try to help her out with money.And look how she’s treated me.Like I was nothing to her.Less than nothing.”
For the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, she worked on getting the credit cards canceled.A lot of places didn’t want to cancel them until she paid off the balance, so she kept track of those.One of them had even offered her more credit instead of canceling it.She just wanted them gone and paid off.And since she had a key to her mother’s place, she was able to go there and get the other credit card applications to shred.There had been ten of them, all filled out and ready to be mailed.She cried a little when she found them.It was so unfair that her mother was like this to her.
Looking around her mother’s place, she found two more credit cards.It was her pizza card, she’d called it, and had it hanging right over the phone where she could get to it.Taking it with the applications, she was ready to go home and cry herself to sleep when she realized that her mother wouldn’t be coming back to this place, not for a long while anyway.She would have to take on the responsibility of cleaning it out, too.
She might just hire someone to do it.She didn’t want to touch her mother’s things for any reason, and this would be the worst.Looking around for anything with her name on it, she didn’t find anything but a clean apartment.Her mother had always been neat as a pin about her things, and this was no different.However, she didn’t want to have anything to do with her things that might taint her in some way.She’d already hurt her enough, and she didn’t need any more pain.
After leaving her place, she made a couple of phone calls to get the place cleaned out.She didn’t know what to do with her stuff, but decided like her own things she’d donate them to the local giveaway place.Lori knew there were several around that she could use and didn’t have any problem getting the stuff taken care of.Her name was on the lease anyway, so it wouldn’t be considered stealing if she were to get rid of her things.
Then there was her mother’s car.She’d have to get rid of it, too.Wondering whose name it was in, she wasn’t the least bit surprised to find that the title had her name on it, too.Lori was going to give it away, too, before she had second thoughts and kept it for herself.She needed a car anyway.She did wonder if she owed anything on it and decided to check on that soon.
On her way home, she decided to stop and get herself some lunch.Picking up two subs, she decided to go to work and see Penrod.He told her that he’d be in the office for the next several days, and she wanted to see him.It had been difficult going through her mom’s things and finding more crap, and she just wanted to see her husband.What she really needed was a break, but she didn’t see that coming along anytime too soon.
He was happy to see her, and he’d just been about to get himself some lunch.The two of them sat at his desk and ate their meal, and talked about anything but her mom.She did tell him about the pizza card as well as the car, but he changed the subject for her, and she was grateful.
“I’m hoping I’ll be back on regular duty by the day after tomorrow.Everyone is saying how I was justified in pulling my gun and firing, so I’m not too worried about that.”She asked what would have happened if it hadn’t been justified.“Then I’d lose my job.Probably go to prison for a time, but I’d never be a cop again.That’s for sure.”
“Well, I’m hoping for the best.”He said he was as well.“I have some more work to do today.Nothing huge.Then I’m supposed to start my new job next week.I’m not looking forward to that as much as I thought that I would.”
“Then quit.It’s not like you need the money.You could go to school if you wanted to.Learn a new trade in something that you’re interested in.”She asked him what that would be.“I don’t know, honey.What is it that makes you think you’re going to be enjoying being a waitress again?It’s a lot of hard work, isnt it?”
“It’s very hard work.”She thought about how much work it was and thought that he was right.“But I will need to do something.I don’t have it in me to just sit around and be lazy.I know that I have the opportunity to do a lot of things, but to be honest with you, I just want this thing with my motherto be over with.”
It seemed like her mother was going to be a big part of her life even though she wasn’t around anymore.She’d heard from the jail once that her mother wanted to see her, but she told them to tell her she wasn’t coming to see her.She had better things to do.Even if she didn’t, she didn’t want to see her mom anymore.She’d broken something within her, and she didn’t know if she would ever get over the fact that she’d wanted her dead.
Going by the bank to see if there was a loan on the car, she was told that it had been paid for by credit card.Just one more thing that she’d have to pay off again for her mother.As she had the title in hand, she was able to not just sell the car at the next auction but was able to have the bank take care of her mother’s checking account.
There were only twelve dollars in it, thinking that she had paid for everything with credit cards, she was able to close her account and get on with something else that was finished up.Just one more thing to mark off her list of things to take care of.She decided that she didn’t want the car as it, like the things in her apartment, was tainted; she was glad to be able to click two more things off her list of things to do.
By the time she was home again, it was nearly six.Penrod had been home for about an hour, and dinner was ready.She was suddenly starving and needed to eat.As they were sitting down to dinner, he told her about his day and how he’d gotten his desk cleaned off.She’d told him what she’d been able to do and thought that they both had had a productive day.At least that’s what she was going to keep telling herself.She hated having to deal with her mother’s shit, but at least she was getting it done.
They retired to the living room, and she felt herself dozing off.It had been a long day, and she was glad that it was nearly over.After falling asleep for the third time, she told Penrod that she was headed to bed.He said that he’d join her, and they ended up making love again in a soft and gentle way.She loved this man so much.
