Chapter 1 - LAST Installment

No sooner had they pulled away, Mr. Mapleton crossed her yard with Parker in tow.
"Parker why don’t you get cleaned up and I’ll talk to your mom about that Bar-B-Que."
Parker looked at his mom with concern and only moved when she smiled.
"Thank you for taking him to your house. I guess they were talking to everyone about Travis Myers." Deborah hoped she sounded as though she believed it was casual questioning.
"Yes, I heard about Travis. They talked to just about everyone in the neighborhood. What did they ask you?" Mr. Mapleton seemed suspicious of the police, not her.
"Routine questions, I guess. When did I last see Travis, did I have any visitors last night, and did I have a gun in the house."
"Wonder why they were questioning folks this far from the river?" His dark face seemed to get older with each word. "Odd, them just showing up at Mrs. Parson’s out of the blue this afternoon. Next thing ya know, they are asking everyone about a black truck, how often you have company, and did anyone see you leave in a black truck last night."
"What are you saying Zach?" Deborah became scared. She wanted to believe that she was asked the same questions as everyone else. Evidently, everyone else was asked about her. This meant the police knew something.
"I ain’t saying anything. But, I would like to know if you got all your burning done today."
"Yes. M-pa, what are you getting at?" Upon rare occasion, and only when in a very concerned or emotional state did she refer to him as M-pa. He was the closest thing she had to a father after hers left, and as far as she was concerned, Mr. Mapleton was the better of the two.
"I just wanted to make sure it was done, that’s all child. Now, how ‘bout you call Annie and we have some food. Been awhile since we had any of her potato salad." And with that he headed into her back yard.
Deborah stood frozen for a moment before she headed into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Her hands were shaking and her head was pounding. She tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Someone saw a black truck outside her house. But they never said they identified it as Travis’. She was very careful when talking to the detectives. If anyone saw her in Travis’ truck they would have flat out asked her if she saw or rode with Travis last night. Mr. Mapleton’s questions were probably a result of the police asking around.
She looked long and hard at herself in the mirror. "Stop over reacting. Start acting like an innocent woman. Start believing it. You can convince yourself of anything. Even this. Pull it together and move on."
She went into the kitchen and picked up the phone. Hitting Memory 1, she waited for Annie to answer.
"Hey Girly, I’m on my way." Annie must have used her caller I.D. before picking up.
"How did you know I was going to invite you over?"
"Mr. Mapleton called around 2 o’clock today. Said he thought it was about time for another Bar-B-Que. The potato salad is chilled and ready to go. Need anything else?"
"Uh, no. I have everything else. Guess I will see you in a few."
"Choi." Annie chirped and hung up.
Deborah was surprised at Mr. Mapleton’s forwardness. He usually let Deborah handle these things. She went into her normal routine and gathered the usual items for dinner. Hot dogs, corn on the cob (grown in Mr. Mapleton’s garden), beans, strawberries and watermelon (also grown in Mr. Mapleton’s garden) and buns. These little feasts were so common, they had perfected it. Once the weather was nice enough, they fired up the grill at least once a week.
Annie pulled into the driveway and let herself in.
"Howdy!" She sang as she walked to the back of the house to join Deborah in the kitchen. Her fiery red hair was highlighted with large chunks of blonde. She wore a bright pink tank top and jeans that bore a thousand or so sequins around the cuffs.
"Love the hair." Deborah smiled as she took the bowl of potato salad from her and handed her a plate of aluminum wrapped corn instead.
"Not too wild is it?" Annie modeled for inspection.
"Of course it is. Which is why you did it, and why I love it." Deborah picked up the plate of hot dogs, the pot of beans, and headed out back. Annie followed with the corn and a small brown paper bag.
Mr. Mapleton had the grill ready to go. Deborah placed the beans on the far corner of the grill and set the hot dogs down on the side table for Mr. Mapleton to handle.
Annie gave Mr. Mapleton a hug and handed him the corn. Then she turned to the yard and whistled at Parker.
"Hey cutie, I got something for you."
"Hey Annie! What is it?" He ran towards her with a large grin on his face.
"Well it’s candy of course. But you gotta give me some sweetness first!"
Parker rolled his big eyes and gave her a huge hug. Annie took a tight grip and began to tickle him. Parker squealed and wiggled away.
"Got a little girlfriend yet?" she teased as she handed him the bag of candy.
"Noooooooooo!" Parker looked at his mom as if to ask if he could eat the candy now and slumped his shoulders when she mouthed the word "no".
"Good, none of them are as cute or as fun as me anyway." Again Parker rolled his eyes and went back to chasing the ball around the yard.
"So, I tried to call you a zillion times today about Travis. Then I hear that the police were in the area asking questions about a truck and stuff. What the hell is going on?"
Mr. Mapleton shot a look at Deborah, then focused his attention on cooking dinner.
"I don’t know really. It’s all so scary. Finding out about Travis, then the police hounding everyone. It’s … surreal."
"Everyone thinks he got caught with someone’s girl at the river and some guy did him in. Sounds about right to me. ‘Course, he left enough scorned women behind, it would be possible that some chick did it." Annie was just reacting the way most people would. But talking about it made Deborah very uncomfortable.
"I don’t know. I really don’t like talking about it in front of Parker though. Let’s change the subject ok?" Deborah went inside to get the place settings. Mr. Mapleton cleared his throat and Annie just shrugged.
After dinner and dishes, Mr. Mapleton told the girls he had baked a pie and left it cooling at his house. Seeing their eyes light up, he offered to run next door and retrieve it. He cut through the back yard and headed out the back gate. Parker had just run inside to get the plates and forks, when Mr. Mapleton hurried back through the gate and motioned for Deborah to come over. Annie sat and watched curiously.
"What is it Zach?" She could see the panic in his eyes.
"There are about five police cars pulling up to your house right now. I think I ought to take Parker next door again." Deborah nearly passed out. Mr. Mapleton held her up. "Hold it together Deborah. Ya hear me?" His voice was stern. He yelled across the yard to Annie. "Get Parker over hear now."
"What’s the matter?" Annie stood hastily.
"Just get him, now!" Mr. Mapleton demanded with urgency. Annie ran inside and grabbed Parker. "Now, you listen to me Little Miss, you remain calm, no matter what. And don’t you worry none about Parker. I’ll keep good care of him."
Deborah nodded and tried to get a grip on the reality unfolding.
"What’s going on?" Annie almost whispered as she joined them with Parker at her side.
Deborah bent down and took Parker by the shoulders. "Parker, Honey, I need you to stay with Mr. Mapleton for a while."
"Why Mom? What’s wrong?" She could tell he was scared. She wanted to take him and run. She wished she could swoop him up and disappear.
"Well sweetie, I am going to tell you something very grown up okay?"
"Uh huh." His brown eyes were filled with fear and expectation. Deborah could hear the doors on the police cars shutting.
"Remember today when you heard about the man who died?" She paused long enough for him to nod. "Well, he didn’t just die, someone killed him. And the police are here right now because they think I can tell them who did it."
"Can you?" he whimpered.
"No baby, I can’t. But they think I can, so they might get upset when I don’t. But don’t you worry okay? No matter what, you know that mommy loves you and I will come get you as soon as I can. Okay?"
"Mommy, I’m scared." Parker began to cry.
"Oh honey, don’t be scared. They are not going to hurt me. They just want to talk to me. Now you go with M-pa okay?"
Deborah heard the door bell ring and a multitude of voices travel from the front yard to the back.
"Ok Mommy. I love you." He said though gulps of tears.
"I love you too my love." Deborah held back her own tears and gave him a hug and a kiss. She didn’t want to let go, but the doorbell rang again and was followed by pounding.
She ran through the house and threw open the front door. She stood face to face with Moxy and Detective Miller. Over their shoulders she could see at least four other officers, all carrying bags and wearing gloves.
"Deborah DePianno, I have a warrant to search your home." Moxy stated firmly.
"On what grounds?" Deborah demanded.
"On the grounds that I hold a warrant for your arrest!" Miller shouted, proudly holding the warrant up for her to see.
"What?!" She was not faking the tears of shock this time. She looked back at Moxy. "Moxy, what’s going on?"
Miller slapped his meaty hand on her shoulder and spun her around.
"Deborah DePianno you are under the arrest for the murder of Travis Myers."
"This can’t be happening." Deborah shook her head as if trying to gain focus.
"Oh it’s happening alright missy. Now place your hands behind your back." Miller took tight grip of both hands and Deborah winced as the cold metal cuffs dug into her little wrists.
"Wait, please, let me talk to my son …"
"Where is the minor?" Miller snapped.
"He is in the back yard with Mr. Mapleton and Annie."
"We will notify Mapleton of the situation. Officer Phillips, I will walk her to your car, and then you can take her back to the holding cell. I will execute the search warrant and join you later for the booking."
"Can I at least take my purse, it has my attorney’s number in it." Deborah nodded towards the purse next to the door.
"Sorry, no personal contraband allowed …" Miller began to deny her request, but Moxy reached over to the small table and retrieved the handbag. Miller glared at him in disapproval.
"Everyone has the right to an attorney." Moxy said quietly.
Miller lead Deborah outside towards Moxy’s car. Everyone within three blocks of her home was stationed along the yellow tape that now decorated her front yard. Their eyes transfixed on her, their jaws ajar.
Biting her lower lip and letting her thick hair fall around her tear stained face, she tried to ignore Detective Miller’s grandiose production of arresting her. She took her seat in the back of the squad car and scanned her front yard and porch to make sure Parker did not see his mother leaving in such a humiliating and shameful fashion. To her relief, he was no where to be seen.
Deborah lowered her head as Moxy put the car in drive and used the siren to move people out of his way. She sat quietly on the way to the station, and began constructing "Plan B" in effort to change her reality so that her son could live in peace. She did it once eight years ago, and she would do it again.

END CHAPTER ONE


- posted by Cindy @ 9:06 PM (1) comments |