Page 11 of The Book of Wrath

She was a slightly older Judge, her blonde hair lightly sprinkled with white around her hairline was pulled back in a clean low bun. She seemed like a kind woman, but I’ve got a feeling my judgement meter was way off. Garrity had me sit on the far side of the table placing him between me and Ryan’s lawyer. The dude walked in like he had something shoved in his ass and he was trying to hold it in.

“This is going to take a bit of time. I suggest you get comfortable,” Garrity leaned in and whispered to me. I’m not sure if I should be worried or concerned by him saying that, but he has never been wrong before in a court room.

Chapter 10

Max

Marge did indeed need help with her car, but according to Marge, Sandra wasn’t the one recommended that I be the one to help her out. One of the paramedics, Racheal Ortiz, was the one to tell Marge she should ask me for help if I was in. I had helped Racheal out over the winter when her car refused to turn over during the last snowstorm we had. Luckily for Marge, her problem was just her battery had died. Tony’s truck was closer to Marge’s car than my car was, so he was able to jump start it for her. She said her husband could get her a new battery once she got home. She tried to pay Tony for the jump, but he refused her money and told her to get home safely.

We got back inside and signed back in despite Ferguson hiding the clipboard. Dude could be a real dick when he wanted to be. We checked in with Rick and informed him that Marge did need help, but I told him who really recommended my help. Sandra was sent home for disobeying a direct order. I thanked Rick and left his office. Tony and I only had one call during our twelve-hour shift, poor elderly lady thought she had a ghost in her house because things kept moving around without her knowing. Come to find out it was only her aid who was cleaning around the house. The poor woman had dementia and forgot the aid was in the house. We felt bad for her, but at least it wasn’t anything bad. Paperwork was easier on cases like this. It was oddly calm today; this was never the type of day we would normally have. I’ll take it as a blessing though.

“Have you heard from her yet?” Tony inquired as I checked my phone for probably the fifteenth time since we got back to the station an hour ago. I had told him about Megan having her restraining order hearing this morning and how I was concerned about how it would go.

“Not yet,” I said glowering at my screen. I toss my phone onto the desk and finish up the last bit of paperwork for the day. I hate doing physical paperwork, but the computer system is down. The guys in IT need to hurry up and fix it, my handwriting is chicken scratch. I highly doubt anyone will be able to read this except maybe Tony.

“I’m sure she is just busy. Didn’t you say she had a friend of hers with her today. Maybe she is just busy with them,” Tony tried to reassure me. I appreciated it, but I also wanted to punch him for trying to act like he knew her. I should be pissed at myself as well. I act like I know her. Aside from the few days I spent in the hospital sitting with her, I don’t know much about her life.

“Yeah, she also doesn’t owe me a text. She doesn’t owe me anything,” I replied. I knew better than to show any true emotions of what I am feeling. Tony will use it against me at the bar later.

“I get that, but she texted you almost all-night last night. You said it yourself. She doesn’t owe you a text, but if she didn’t want to talk to you, she wouldn’t have texted you last night,” Tony said, annoyingly.

“Dude, drop it. If she gets back to me, I’ll let you know,” I said dryly. He really didn’t get the hint. I grabbed the paperwork and walked it off to Rick’s office, knocking on the door. “Here’s today’s paperwork. Computer system is still down. Do you need anything else from me?”

“Nah, go home. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning,” Rick replied. I nodded and headed out of the office and clocked out. I didn’t bother finding Tony or changing my clothes. I grabbed my duffle bag from my locker and headed out.

The drive home had me completely on edge and for no good reason. I meant what I said to Tony earlier. She didn’t owe me a single moment of her time and I knew this. So why the fuck am I on edge because I hadn’t heard from her yet? The closer I got to our neighborhood, the more on edge I became. I didn’t know why I felt this way or why I was ready to miss my turn completely and go straight to her house.

Don’t be a fucking weirdo. Don’t show up uninvited. I could see from my turn that her outside light was on and there was another car in the driveway besides hers. Tony was probably right, and I am just being fucking paranoid. A car passed me on the opposite side of the road so I could turn into the neighborhood. My house was dark, I forgot to turn on a light inside this morning before I left. Good thing I can walk that house blind.

I pull into the driveway and notice a light blue prius parked across the street from my house. There was no driver in the car, but I had a feeling I knew who that car belonged to. Sandra better not fucking be here. She kept her key despite me telling her I wanted it back. I should’ve changed the fucking locks. I groaned and grabbed my bag from the backseat. I wasn’t in the mood for bullshit tonight. I got out of my car and slammed the door a little harder than I meant to. Maybe that would give her the hint that I pulled up and if she’s inside to get the fuck out.

I slide my key into the keyhole, but the door was already unlocked. I didn’t push open the door, instead I pulled my phone out and called Rick as I walked back to my car. “Didn’t I say go home and rest?” Rick clucked as he answered the phone.

“I am home, but I can’t go in and rest when Sandra is inside my fucking house,” I snap more than I mean to. There is a long pause on the other end and then a sigh.

“You have it in writing that she isn’t supposed to be there, right?” he asked. Of course I did. I even went through the courts to have her evicted from the house. She just refused to give back the key saying she made it with her own money and that I she wouldn’t ever use it. I sent a text to Ricks phone with the file of eviction. I keep everything saved on my phone for this exact reason.

“That’s all I needed. She’s not supposed to be there. I’ll send a unit over to remove her from the house,” Rick replied exhaustedly into the phone. “She’s going to end up getting suspended or fired if she doesn’t stop with this shit.”

“I haven’t entered the house, I’m back in my car. The house is dark, so I don’t know what the hell she is doing in there,” I stated. “You might want to tell whatever car you send out not to have the lights on.”

“Already ahead of you,” Rick was good at getting things done and making things easier for us all. I was grateful that he was my boss. I could think of a few things that could go wrong if he wasn’t. “You want to stay on the line with me until they get there? Unit 246 is about ten minutes out from your location.”

“Protocol says I have to stay on the line, but if you want to get heading out I’ll be okay,” I knew Rick was having a hard time and that he needs the rest more than I do. My restlessness has been self-induced. His wasn’t.

“I’ll stay on the line just in case she does come out of the house and tries to confront you. Better to have a recorded line open,” he stated, and his point was valid. I wasn’t even thinking that I called him on a recorded line. Usually, we call through dispatch and they have everything recorded, but I didn’t call dispatch this time. I went directly to my superior.

“Thanks Rick. I’m not trying to give you more paperwork,” I felt guilty now for calling him. I should’ve gone through the proper channels but given the situation this morning with Sandra and the report Rick made to HR on a few of our behalf, I felt he needed to be aware.

“You’re good. It just adds more to the file I have reported to HR. Has things been getting worse recently? Did something change that made her think advancing on you would be a good idea?” he rattled off the normal questions that we would ask victims of stalking cases.

“She gave me some shit at the hospital when she came to inform Megan Monroe about Mr. Paxley’s bail. She told me basically I needed to get over it and forgive her,” I replayed that scene in my mind for days. Sandra had been trying to get ahold of me every day since. I could hear Ricks fingers smashing away at the keys on his keyboard. I’m surprised the keyboard wanted to work under the aggression.

A patrol car stopped behind my driveway, my buddies Roark and Andy, got out from the car and walked up to mine. “Hey Rick, Andy and Roark just pulled up,” I said as I opened my car door and got out.

“Alright, hopefully she leaves peacefully,” Rick said, grumbling something under his breath. Probably bitching about the paperwork, he would have to fill out if she didn’t. He hung up before I could say anything else. Roark and Andy gave me the pity look. They knew the shit I was dealing with when it came to Sandra. I wish it wasn’t like this.

“Hey man. She’s at it again, huh?” Andy said, clasping my shoulders. They watched her torment me at work for the last few weeks. “Is the door locked or unlocked?”

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