Homeless – CHAPTER 13

His voice was low, but threatening both in his tone and his words. “You managed to elude me for the past five years, but I’ll find you and get you as soon as I’m out. That’s a guarantee.”

He was about to continue his walk up the aisle when I interrupted him. “Wanna bet,” I whispered with a sly grin on my face. “You don’t know me, but I’m Jessie’s husband. You won’t get within five hundred miles of her unless you’re dead.” He looked me up and down before smirking and walking away. He was joined by his attorneys on the other side of the railing. Ten minutes later we rose to the entrance of the judge, the Honorable Edwin Pepper.

After some preliminary statements from the attorneys, Judge Pepper told the accused to stand. “Your attorney has requested leniency because of your years of dedicated public service. Apparently, I have a higher view of elected office than either of you do. Elected office is a sacred trust between the elected official and the public. You violated that trust not by accident, but repeatedly through a concerted effort by using your employees as workers for your campaign and extorting them into contributing to insuring your reelection through your ongoing threats. Even worse, you extorted a bribe from someone captured in a drug raid. Unfortunately for you he turned out to be an undercover operative for the state police. There is and can be no excuse for your conduct as an official of this county.

“You have reached a plea bargain with the district attorney in which you are pleading to a single charge of bribery of a public official, a violation of Section 201 (1) (b) (2) of the State Penal Code. Violation of this section of the penal code carries a maximum penalty of fifteen years and that is my sentence. I only wish I could add “at hard labor” for your traitorous and criminal behavior.” He banged the gavel and strode from the room as those present reacted to the sentence. Many, including Jennie and me, applauded loudly. Jonathan Harper scowled and screamed at his attorney. Jennie’s mother only cried.

We waited for the court room to clear so Jennie could confront her mother. Lady and I were standing in the aisle when she approached. “Oh, Jessica, thank God you’re back.”

“You’ve got to be kidding, Mother—me ever come back here? Not a chance. I came back so I could finally get one over on that asshole you married and I did. Did you hear our wild applause at the sentence? I would have whistled, but I doubted it would be acceptable in the court.

“This is my husband, Doug. Unlike you, he really does care about my welfare. This is our dog, Lady. She’s a service dog as you can see, but she’s also a guard dog. She’ll rip anyone who attacks us into shreds. She did it once when we were in New York, breaking a man’s arm with her bite.

“Not only am I married to a successful and wealthy man, Mother, but I am also expecting. You’ll be a grandmother before the end of the year, not that you’ll ever see your grandchild. I’d never expose any child of mine to someone like you—someone who would allow her own daughter to be raped repeatedly by her husband. I can’t prove anything now, but I also can’t forgive or forget. Goodbye. With luck I’ll next see you at shithead’s funeral.” I took Jennie’s hand and we walked out the door, down the steps, and into our future.

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