Page 7 of Jason's Justice
Ilsa nodded and turned to Jason. “Decorating samples. Carpets, fabrics for curtains, or furniture, paint chips.”
“I think I understand,” he said with a laugh as he nodded when Ilsa offered him a cup of coffee that had just stopped brewing. “I call my decorator and tell him what I want.” At their expressions, he nodded. “Single, never married, unless youcount my work. Workaholic, almost a hundred hours a week, make boo coo bucks, but I work so much I have no time to spend it, so I hire others to do things for me.”
“I understand,” Kevin nodded and sipped his own coffee. “Anyway, I walked in, asked Karen what she was doing with all that crap, and she started spouting off that because she was her worthless brother’s next of kin, she hated him since the day he was born, and she’s several years older, maybe ten or twelve, but she hated him.”
“Yet she was already spending his death benefits?”
“Yes, then Ryan spoke from the doorway, he said,‘But, I’m not dead.’Before I left the station, I talked with my boss and asked him to notify patrol to have two cars here. They were parked on each end of the street. They knew Karen. Anyway, long story short, she started screaming and attacking him, physically. The police arrived, and put her in cuffs, when she was dragged out of here, she had her hands cuffed behind her back, a hood over her head, and when they got her into the squad car, they cuffed her ankles.”
“Why the hood?” Ilsa asked.
“Spitting.”
“Eew.”
“Yeah, anyway, once Caleb graduated from high school and started college, I started working overtime. I volunteered for any shift I could take in order to not come home to her. My time added up.”
“Why is she doing eighteen to twenty?” Jason asked in confusion. “I don’t know if I understand that.”
Kevin smirked and wiped his mouth. “It’s not a laughing matter, but in the long run, it is. Karma came for her.” He shook his head and looked off into the distance. Jason and Ilsa exchanged worried looks, but didn’t say anything.
“Ryan’s return was the beginning of her downfall. I had already gone to my lawyer to draw up divorce papers. Because this house was built by my family, I had a prenuptial agreement drawn up that she wasn’t allowed to touch the house if we ever divorced.”
“You had it before you married, so it wouldn’t have been part of the divorce settlement,” Ilsa said.
“I know that, but I needed to cover my bases. Anyway, because she was arrested late on a Friday afternoon, and it was a holiday weekend, she wasn’t taken before the judge until Tuesday.”
“Ooh, I bet she was pissed.”
“Oh, yeah, and I had her served the divorce papers on Sunday.”
“Double whammy.”
“Correct, then when they got to court, the judge called her last. Every time he called someone before her, she would mouth off, showing her entitlement. When she was before him, she started to berate him in her sharp tongue before he could even speak. He sat there for five minutes, I was in the stands, and then he lifted his gavel, barked out, ‘Contempt of court, thirty days,’ then he slammed the gavel down.” Kevin actually giggled at the next part. “That happened two more times.”
“No.”
“I kid you not. When she was brought before the judge the fourth time, she was finally released on bail. Once she was removed from my home, I packed up all her crap and stuffed it into her SUV. When she was out on bail, she came back here, Caleb was back at college, I was at work, and the neighbors called the cops because she was trying to break down the front door.”
“Arrested?” Jason asked with a smirk.
“Yes, but for some reason she was released on bail again. I think the only thing different was that she had a different lawyer. Oh, and the prosecutor was a young buck. The regular prosecutor was on vacation this time. In the past she was the one that denied Karen bail. Anyway, I don’t know, and frankly, I could care less, but Karen was arrested again for something, and the prosecutor tried to throw the book at her. Different judge, granted bail.”
“What happened?” Ilsa asked as she refilled their coffee mugs and started another pot.
“While out on bail this time, Karen stalked the female prosecutor for about a week. One day, it was late, and she attempted to run her over with her SUV. The prosecutor sustained a broken ankle when she dodged out of the way, but…” he sighed and shook her head. “Karen was so crazed that when she sped away, she wasn’t paying any attention and ended up t-boning a patrol car.”
“Oh shit,” Jason said in shock. “Did the officers get hurt?”
“The driver had a broken shoulder, and the passenger had a head injury. The impact threw her head into the side window. Karen was arrested, denied bail, and sat there for a year before going to trial. Three attempted murder charges. Eighteen to twenty years. Anyway, to answer your question, about why I have six months leave, I worked all that overtime and it added up. I just started my twenty-third year with the force, and I’m entitled to six weeks’ vacation. I’m here at your mercy to do any running around. I don’t want to sound paranoid, but because of Karen, the neighbors watch this house like a hawk.” He turned to Ilsa with a sad smile and a shake of his head.
“That’s why I won’t let you go out, and I had Jason park in the garage. I’m not saying Grayson/Babcock will find you here, but I can’t take that chance.”
“I understand.”
“Is there a safer place?” Jason asked. “Someplace that we can investigate without being under watchful eyes, but someplace that is also safe?”
“Yes, let me make a phone call.” He withdrew his phone and walked to the back of the house, and ended up in the enclosed garage.
