Chapter 7
August was waiting on his next client when his brother Demi—he was taking it pretty well in being called that and thought that he could get used to it, came into the office and had a seat. He looked perplexed.
“What’s happened?” He told him that he didn’t know. “Perhaps if you were to be a little more forthcoming, I’d be able to help you figure it out. Is it Carrie? Shipley said that she’s working on the computer system to set it up for her needs to be able to set up an online grocery ordering app. I had no idea that she’d have to take out the things that they’d—”
“I can’t date her.” He asked him why he couldn’t assuming that he meant Carrie? “I don’t know. I don’t think of her like that. She’s like…I don’t know, a sister to me. Much like the other women are in the family. The thought of having sex with her, even if that were to happen, gives me the willies.”
“Okay? I’m not sure what that means about her, but why were you thinking about her and sex?” He told him as he got up to pace. “So you were trying to think of her in a way that would tell you if she was going to be your wife. I guess I can understand that. Most of us were in love with our other half in about twenty minutes after we met them. And you’ve known her for how long? Long enough to be a good friend to her, right?”
August thought it was funny that his brother was thinking along those lines. He didn’t have to find Carrie as his wife, but still he was. Like it was a done deal to be having her as his wife. She also came with a great deal of baggage too. Like eight family members that had no business being out on the street much less related to the very kind and special person that Carrie seemed to be.
When he finally left, his next client was brought in. Almost as soon as he shook the man’s hand, he knew that he wasn’t going to be doing business with him. His hand was wet with sweat and he was covering up his body odor like he was bathing in some kind of too sweet cologne. August thought he could use a proper bath as well as clean clothing.
“What can I do for you, Mr.—” It made him want to run for cover when he realized he was more than likely talking to one of Carry’s brothers. “Mr. Wally Sharp.”
No wonder he felt like he was casing him. But he looked around the office to make sure that there was nothing that could have been broken that he’d be all that sorry for. Wally said that he had a check that he needed to cash.
“I’m sorry, I’m not a bank. I invest people’s money into projects of new businesses so that they get a bigger return on their money.” He wished at that moment that he was a vampire or something. He knew they had some kind of trick where they could talk to each other without actually speaking. “As for cashing your check, I don’t even have any money here.”
“I’m wanting to invest this check then and get more money than it’s worth. That’ll be a win-window for the two of us.” He told him that there might not be a return on his money for several weeks up to years. “Nah, I don’t have time for that. You take this here check—my mom signed it over to me so you don’t have to check on her—then when you make a reward on it, then you can give me that too. But I’m going to need that check back if you can’t cash it. Momma wanted me to have it for…she just wanted me to have it.”
“Yes, I see.” He handed the check back, suddenly afraid for Carrie and her mother. “When you have some cash, bring it around to make an investment for something that will pay you something in return. However, not right away.”
The man took the check and stood up. August started to let out a long breath when he sat back down in the chair. There was a gun pointed at him, and he didn’t want to die. Again, he wanted that vampire thing about immortality. While contemplating that hypothesis, he decided to ask Sharp about it as a distraction.
“Do you ever wish you could be a vampire? I mean, like the ones that you read in those books that have women crushed up against a man on the cover? I don’t read them myself, but I remember Mr. Grable reading them. She told us it was her guilty pleasure.” Wally asked him what he was going on about. “I don’t know. That thought sort of came to me when I saw that you had a gun pointed at me. The mortality of my life. I have a wife and three kids, too. Also, one coming along in a few months.”
“If I was going to shoot you, it would be for you having four kids. Christ, how do you even manage that?” He told him that he loved them and his wife. “Well, goody for you. I’d just as soon have my wiener attached to my head than to have even one kid.”
“I’m just saying I’d very much hate to die.” Wally told him that he’d better cooperate then. “Sure, sure. What is it you wanted to know? I’m usually not a man that warders around town so if you want information about that, I don’t have it.”
“You’re a nutball. That’s what you are. You are completely off your rocker. My mom is like that. Can’t have a conversation with her without her asking you a hundred times who you are. It’s annoying, too, when she stares at you like a halfwit.” Nodding again, he felt the collar of his shirt start to strangle him a little. “You seen my sister?”
“I don’t know…don’t you have like four sisters or something? That’s what I read in the County Flyer the other day. Something about you or one of your brothers are going to prison.” He might should have thought about what he was saying before he spoke and lost his head to the gun like Wally did. “I don’t get into town much, but I do remember something about that.”
He needed to keep his mouth shut. However, it was like his lips were flapping on their own, and he had no control over them. When the front office door opened, he’d have been thrilled if it was that he knew other than this man. Even his secretary had left for the day. Instead, it was Shipley.
August thought that things had gone from bad to worst. She was going to get him killed, and he knew it. When she leaned over him to get a hug from him, she dropped something into his lap. Out of instinct, he put his hands over it and was happy that it was a gun. At least now she wasn’t armed, and he might get out of this with an ass-whapping. Then she called him darling.
“I’m sorry, what?” She asked him if he was ready to go, and he nodded when she did. While he didn’t know what was going on, he did wrap the gun in his hand like he was going to use it. The only time that he’d shot a weapon was at the shooting range. And never at anyone that was tempting him to shoot them. How was he to shoot his way out of here while Shipley was at his side? He had a sudden thought in his mind about some Texas show that he’d watched.
“Me and him, we got some business. He’s going to tell me where my sister is.” Shipley told him that one of his sisters was hiding out from him, and two of them were out looking for him as he’d gotten their mother’s check. And what about the last one. Where’s she at?”
“I don’t know one from the other.” He nodded and told Shipley that there were a lot of the Sharps around. “It’s doubtful that any of you are sharp, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Nah, now, we all have the same last name. Well, Syble don’t. She was married for a time, but she’s been calling herself Sharp for a long time, and it stuck, you might say. Hey, did you know that he won’t cash a government check for you? If that don’t beat all, I don’t know what would. I just needed him to cash it, but he said he ain’t no bank, but he’ll take your money anyway to investigate for you. That don’t beat all.”
“Yes, it does.” She turned to look at him. “Are you finished up here, August? We have a dinner date with some friends of ours.” Christ, he nearly didn’t understand what she was talking about. She was trying to get him out of the building with Wally.
“I have to get going, Wally. When you find your sister, I hope you get what’s coming to you.” He said that he would, but he had one more question. “What’s that?”
“Your wife here didn’t mention Carrie. And that’s the one I’m looking for.” Apparently, he wasn’t as stupid as he thought that the man might be. “You see, she’s done quit her job, and she’s kidnapped my momma.”
“If Carrie is your sister, as you said, how is it that she was able to kidnap your mother? I mean, wouldn’t she be able to visit with her too? He shook his head, and that was supposed to be an answer. “I’m sorry, she’s not your sister, or is she? I believe that it will make a difference to the police if you were to go to them with this kid—”
“I don’t need the damn police, you idiot. They asked way too many questions. Just tell me where they are, and I’ll be on my way. Or we wait here until you got you a functioning mind so that you remember where they are.”
They both stood up, and August pointed his gun at Wally, smiling at him as he spoke. “You’re not going to shoot me. We both know that. Not only is your weapon on safety, but your fly is unzipped.” That’s all it took for Shipley to take Wally down to the floor.
He looked at his zipper first, though he didn’t know how with all his belly fat hanging over it, but he looked at the gun in his hand second. It took him a little bit longer to see his Glock, one that cannot have a safety unless you’re not holding it, but his zipper really had been down with his shirt tail hanging out of the zipper opening.
Shipley was still laughing when the police came in to help them out. She was going on about vampires and werewolves that he’d been talking about earlier. He didn’t see what the hell was that hilarious but she laughed all the more when Locke and Alex showed up as well.
“He wanted, get this, he wanted immortality from a vampire.” He said that he’d been distracting him. “From who? I was the only one in here and I just happened by. Or do you think your vampire thing sent me?”
August wanted to yell at her to stop, but frankly, he was terrified of her. Any day of the week, he thought that his brothers would take on six armed men at once than to piss off their wives, that included his.
The police took the check and told him to shred it. Nope, he couldn’t do that. It was a government document, and he was going to be responsible for shredding someone’s pension check. After showing him where the little shredder was, the officer first on the scene did it. Apparently, it was a fake check to lure one of the family to the bank. He just happened to show up at his place instead.
So far, Shipley told him they had arrested three of the family members and gotten one of them to the hospital. Her name wasn’t told to him, but they said that Findley had beaten her up badly enough that she was going to require some extensive surgery on her face. Apparently, he’d hit her with a pair of brass knuckles and a bat.
On his way home, he called Jack as he was beginning to call her to see if she needed something from the grocery. It seemed like daily, they were stopping by and picking up things that they didn’t know that they needed or something that they’d just run out of. He smiled every time he was asked to stop for something, as it made him feel like a dad.
Not that he wasn’t, but since he was able to leave to go to work daily—it was too much at home for him to be able to get a good phone call in—he wasn’t there all the time where the noise and calamity was. But he thought that Jack was enjoying her time with the kids.
He was standing in line when Carrie called him. “I’m with your wife, but I was wondering if you could please pick me up my money. I left it with Mr. Thomas the other day.” He said he’d be happy to do that. “Thank you. He knows that you’re going to be there soon, so if he misses you, please let him know.”
“I can do that. Did Jack tell you about my interaction with Wally? He’s a danger to himself more than I think he is to other people. Idiot.” She laughed and asked him how long of a conversation did he have before he figured that out. “When he came into the office with his shirt tail hanging out of his pants. Probably couldn’t see it because of the rolls of fat on him. He’s fat and out of shape if you ask me.”
Mr. Thomas brought him the money, but he disguised it as a loaf of bread. Taking some of the bread slices out and putting the money inside. He told him when he got closer to him, he didn’t want anyone to see that he had that kind of cash on him. August thought the man was brilliant.
He rarely had any cash on him if he was honest with himself. When he did have cash, it was because he was headed to pay for something for someone or, in this case, to go by the store for his wife. Telling him thanks, he got into his car and backed out of the parking lot.
~*~
Jack was sitting on the floor with the two older kids when August came home. Not getting up, they were hot into a game called Colors. Their lack of education bothered her a bit but the teacher that she’d seen today about it said they were eagerly learning and catching up in no time. She hoped so.
Jack could beat Richard and Linda for how they treated them, or she supposed, mistreated their children. They were behind in the most general of things, like spelling their own name. The kids were catching on better than she thought that they would and having fun at the same time.
Sending them off to get cleaned up for dinner, she put the game away and talked to August. She realized that she needed to do that more and talk to adults before she started reverting back to her childhood. But not for a while yet. Jack was having fun just hanging around them when they had things to do.
“I went to see Carrie’s sister today. Her name is Susan, and she is badly beaten. Carrie and she cried the entire time we were there.” He asked her what Susan was like. “Much like Carrie. She’s a delicate little thing. I don’t mean in strength, but she talks like she’s very shy. I didn’t get that in what she was saying but in her voice. She has another surgery in the morning to do more repair work on her ears. It was so swollen, I guess, when they brought her in that they thought that she might lose it. They’re still worried about her hearing. I wonder if they’ve treated all their siblings the same way? I wouldn’t doubt it.”
“I spoke with Demi about Carrie. He said that he can’t imagine having sex with her. She was more like you are to him. Sisterly. Are you telling me that we’re going to have to help out another Sharp as a family?” She said that they didn’t have to, but she was going to do it anyway. “I’m not saying that. I just want to help her stay out of jail if she doesn’t belong there. Were you able to see what needs to be done with Ms. Sharp?”
“Yes, she’s deeper into her Alzheimer’s and dementia than Carrie thought. The doctor who is going to be treating her said that it’s because of her daughters helping her when she gets lost. I feel sorry for all of them. When she remembers who they are, I can tell that she was a loving mother to the sisters. Not so much to the others. Especially if they were forever knocking her around for her check each month. I know how it is to live paycheck to paycheck.” She stood up and put the throws they’d been playing on in the large basket by the fireplace. “The kids aren’t ready for school. I talked to one of the teachers and she gave me a list of things that they’re going to need. We need them to catch up on their shots as well as clothing for school. Locke said that he’d make sure that they got everything that they needed, like their testing and shots. He got an official-looking envelope today when I was there. Alex seems to think that it’s his State Board records.
“He’s been telling me for the past week that he thought he’d have them by now. I would imagine that he’s both happy and terrified about what he might have gotten. I think he could have taken them as soon as last year, but he also wanted to get his degree in Nursing as well. He has a Doctorate of Nursing now.” She asked him if he was proud of him. “Yes, and I’m also sad for him. He wanted for Martha to know, too, when he graduated at the top of his class. As he was studying for his doctorate, she would test him on some of the skills that he had to learn, too. I know it was her that pushed and encouraged him to do it. Locke will be a great doctor, too.”
Dinner was hamburgers and baked potatoes. The kids usually shared one, but tonight they were starving, they told him. After having veggie kabobs, his favorite as well as Richards, he was ready for a nap. Several of them, he thought. After dinner, it was his turn to do diaper duty. He told himself that it was kind of gross to enjoy diaper changing. But then, he’d always been an odd man out in his family.
He really didn’t mind that part. It wasn’t just diapers but bathing the kids and getting them into their pajamas. Making sure that Joey and the boys were ready for bed was a treat for him that he never thought that he would get to do with a wife.
They didn’t have to be in bed until nine o’clock. But between the excitement of going to the school and playing a game by a quarter after eight, they were all dozing off with him. His favorite time of the day was reading them a book until they were sound asleep. Going back down the stairs, he was on the couch when Jack brought them both a cup of decaf tea as well as some honey rolls that their cook had made. He could really get used to this married stuff, he thought with a laugh.
After the news was off, Jack watched Jeopardy because her grannie did when she’d been younger. It was fun for him to watch it, too, and between the two of them, they could get as many of them right as they did wrong. Jack told him not to quit his day job and they both got a laugh out of that.
They were making love every night now. He was determined to make love to her tonight as well. But as exhausted as they both were, he didn’t know which one of them was asleep first when their heads hit the pillow.
Waking up around three in the morning, he heard Jack talking on the phone. There was a child or two that needed a safe haven, apparently. He was pulling on his pants when a cruiser pulled up in front of their home with just their lights on and no noise. He was glad about that. He didn’t want the kids to be afraid.
There were three children needing help this time. Varying from about ten to the oldest, that looked to be about seventeen. He’d guess wrong on the last one when he was told that she was nineteen. The officer told him that because she was as old as she was, he didn’t have to take her in.
“Bob, do I look like I’d turn someone down? Nope, come on, kids, we’ll get you something to eat and then fresh clothing.” This was their second group of older kids, and he couldn’t have turned them over either. “My wife is upstairs getting your rooms ready, or do you all want to sleep in one room for comfort?”
After getting his answer, he told Jack, and they followed him in the kitchen. August was thrilled that May was ready for such things and had sandwiches in the refrigerator for young ones coming in the middle of the night like these kids were.
“We’re only going to be here until our mom gets out of the hospital.” the youngest said. Looking at the nineteen-year-old, she only shook her head. That could mean a great many things to this kid, so he wasn’t going to ask for clarification until they were in bed. There was always a file that came with them, and this time was no different. He didn’t bother with it until they were all settled.
After they ate like they were starved, he was going to have May order more chips and stuff that they liked. He took them up to the shower. The girl, Mandy, could of course, shower herself and did so. The two younger ones, Teddy and Martin, could bath themselves as well, so he gave them all towels to use.
Mandy got a brand-new pajama set from the things that they’d gotten, and the boys were stuck with a shirt of his that they swam in as well as new joggers. By the time they were shown to their rooms, they were about as exhausted as he was. But at least he’d been able to get a good five hours of sleep before they had been called.
August left a sticky note for May so she’d know that they had three older than they normally had for breakfast. Yawning again, he locked up the house and made his way to the stairs.
“Mr. August?” He smiled at Mandy. “I’m not the little ones’ sister but her aunt. My sister was the one who was beaten to death. Also, I’ll pay you back for what you’ve given me. I have a job—not a good one, but a job all the same. Anyway, I’m twenty-five. I could use a few pounds but in this, it’s helped me be with the kids when they needed me.”
“You and your nephews, you’re not hurt, are you?” She nodded, then shook her head. “Someone else I know answers like that. I don’t know what that means.”
“I’m not hurt all that much, but Teddy is, not really. The man from the welfare department didn’t want to take him to the hospital because of…he did say he was missing a game of sorts. Bastard. Treated them and myself like shit when there was no reason for it. He didn’t even tell us kept going on about how he was missing his game or something.” He asked her if she got his name and if the injuries were bad enough to take them in tonight. She pulled up her sleeve. She told him that Teddy had some cigar burns, but he was going to be all right. “I can’t get this to stop bleeding, and he told me not to bleed all over his car. I should have spoken up but I was afraid he’d pressure me into telling him my real age.”
“I’m sorry about the way you were treated. Come on, honey, we’ll get going and be back hopefully in good time. There is no reason for you to lose too much sleep. That looks deep and there is no point in you suffering if you don’t need to.” He went up to his room to tell Jack what was going on, and she said that they should take all three of them in. “All right. I’ll get the car and tell Mandy to gather up her nephews. I’ll explain it all later.”
The emergency room wasn’t at all busy. They took one look at Mandy’s arm and took her to a trauma room. She asked him if Jack could go with her. The boys were being taken care of down the hall from their aunt.
“She isn’t our sister. She’s our aunt. But we didn’t tell that man that because he already looked pinched.” He just barely stifled a laugh. Just as a nurse told them that the doctor was here, he was never so happy to see his brother right then. Locke looked freshly showered, too. His mood was perfect for the little boys, and he was glad that someone had called him in.
“I’ve told them whenever one of my family comes in, they’re to let me know.” He winked a Teddy. “You know how brothers are, I bet, never telling you everything you might need to know.”
While he was looking them both over, Teddy was telling Locke about the pinched officer. He wasn’t lying, he told him, but they were mighty hungry and upset that their mom had gotten shot. Teddy was the most talkative of the two of them and he had a feeling that no one tried to get one over on him when he was talking. Martin was the thinker and when he had something to say, you’d better pay attention. He was a smart child.
By the time the sun was coming up, the three of them had been admitted. He wasn’t sure why the boys had been until he got into the room where Carrie was and saw them all in the bed together. They loved her, and he thought that it was the most wholesome thing that he’d ever seen. Carrie had needed fifty-four stitches in her arm, and that made him hate the boys’ father all the more.
They were released the next morning. But Locke said that he’d come by and check on them when he got up again. By the time they were leaving, he remembered to ask his brother about his board. The smile on his face was all the answer he needed. He was officially Doctor Locke Erickson. Hugging him tightly, he was never so proud of someone as he was of his brother in that moment. He deserved it, too. For all the hard work he’d done over the years.
“Believe it or not, I aced it.” He said that he hadn’t any doubt that he wouldn’t. “Thanks. But I did take your advice and told myself to not second guess myself. I didn’t even go back over the questions to make sure that they were right or not. Thanks for that advice.”
“I’d like to take credit for that, but that was what you used to tell me, too. Just do what you know and move on.” He thanked him for that. “I’m very proud of you, Locke. More than I think I could put into words. Thank you, too, for being the best big brother anyone could ask for.”
He nearly burst out laughing when Locke looked embarrassed. It was great to see that he was still humble in his work. But he’d never been so proud of him as he was at that moment. He’d seen what needed to be done and accomplished it. August thought that Martha would have been cheering him on, too. She’d been a great woman, and he missed her every day.
After they left the hospital, the kids were put to bed. They didn’t sleep in the same bed this time. They seemed to understand that their aunt needed her rest. But they still checked on her a great deal. She was all that they had left after their bastard of a father, and she was great with them. He wondered what would happen to them in the immediate future. He hoped they’d be a part of their growing family.