“It’s evidently serious,” said Stacey. He smiled at her words.

“And you know this how?” he said.

“Jenna. Said she came over when she was there last week. They were very friendly. Jenna, is happy for him or so she told me,” said Stacey.

“Hmm, interesting, I guess. I mean I never expected that he would go forever without a woman. But that woman? Weird,” he said.

“No weirder than you and me,” said Stacey, “and in point of fact maybe not as weird.”

“I don’t know,” he said,” it’s just a very strange situation, coincidence.”

“Well, it is that,” she said. “I wonder if he intends to ever let us in on his little affair, if that’s what it is.”

“He’s probably filed it under ‘none of our business,’” he said.

“Yes, I see what you mean,” she said, laughing.

“Yeah, I don’t see him calling us and happily informing us of his good fortune. Especially since Madeleine used to be my good fortune,” he said.

“No, no, I wouldn’t think so either,” she said. Now they both laughed.

******

Well, I had me a woman, sort of. Would it last, our relationship? Well, one could hope. Three years plus without one but the dry spell seemed to be over. And, if it was over, I had a plan.

She was making coffee, and it smelled good. I came into the kitchen. I plopped down in one of the straight backed chairs that flanked her dinette table.

“That was a great night, girl,” I said. She snickered.

“I think that I can agree with your assessment pretty much unconditionally,” she said.

“Hmm, would it be too bold of me to ask you to move in with me?” he said.

She pulled two white coffee cups out from the cupboard above the sink and set them down on the sink. “Move in with you?” she said.

“Yes, I’d pay the rent and you’d be the boss,” I said, joking.

“Hmm, David, I don’t—oh what the hell, yes,” she said. My smile was a mile wide I was sure.

“Wonderful,” I said.

“Bear in mind, David, that I am looking for something permanent, as I indicated before. So . . .” she started.

“I get that, and we’ll be exploring that possibility in the living together,” I said. “I need something permanent too. Are you the one? Are we compatible, made for each other? I’m, well, I’m just not sure, Madeleine. And, that’s for sure no knock on you. But . . .

“I mean look at it. You were married to my brother, who cuckolded me and married my wife, and now I’m considering and you’re considering that we marry. Strange is not even the half of it. And, there are other things,” I said.

“I see, and I agree, as to what you mean, but other things?” she said.

“Yes, I have a daughter and she has become problematical. Could you deal with that? Can I in good conscience put that on you?” I said. “All I’m saying is that I want to go a little slow and do things right.”

“You make a good case, David. So, okay, let’s live together. We should know, before we get much older, what’s what. I agree,” she said.

She poured the coffees and brought them to the table. We sipped in thoughtful silence. We eyed each other like a very committed, well semi-committed, couple.

******

I moved in with Madeleine, and yes, I got out of my lease and moved into her place. It was larger, and as fate would dictate, it was closer to the cheaters’ place. Within walking distance as it happened, well, a long walk. And, the move facilitated three major happenings. One, Jenna was happier visiting me now that I had a woman. Two, I no longer had to deliver her back to the cheaters’ place: she had a car. Three, Madeleine and Jenna became actual friends. I was hoping this last would spell something good for me in the long run. One other thing, that may or may not have been related to the move, was that Jenna no longer referred to me as Uncle David. I had the feeling, though I had no conclusive evidence thereto, that that was the result of Stacey’s influence. She, they, the cheaters, had apparently, maybe, changed their minds about things; I’m not sure how I felt about that: the bitterness that had consumed me had dulled some with time, but dormant, it still roiled deep within me.

And such was the situation on the eve of Jenna’s eighteenth birthday. There was still a few months to go in that regard, but once achieved, Jenna and I would be having a sit down. Oh yeah!

“So did any of them come down to greet you?” I said. I was referring to the fact that Madeleine had just returned to dropping Jenna at the house, their house. Yes, Jenna had her license and her car, but it was in the shop for servicing. And, with us living so close, less than two miles, from the cheaters, it was a no brainer to drop her.

“No, but they were out and about. I saw them up by the house. Your ex did wave to me, but no, neither of them came down to say anything. I think their just hanging back wanting not to be seen as interfering with you and me or doing something wrong, something more wrong than they already have,” she said.

“Hmm, makes sense. I think you’re right. What did Jenna have to say when you asked her about those boys,” I said. I think I was smiling. My Jenna was a looker. I knew, if not exactly first hand, that the boys were sniffing around her; that was a given.

“Not a whole lot. She allowed that she was being hit on. Like that was news,” said Madeleine, laughing.

“Yes news, not,” I said.

“Well, I hope she will listen to you about them, the boys. I worry sometimes,” I said.

“It’s a daddy’s job to worry about his baby girls. But, she’ll be all right. She has a head on her shoulders,” said Madeleine.

“I have to wonder what the dynamic duo is doing or saying to her relative to the boys, and her friends in general if it comes to that,” I said.

“Who knows, but they are still her custodians for a few more months. I would think that they have talked to her. I mean they are playing the parts of parents. But, whatever, all we can do is what we can do. I’m not worried, and you should maybe not be quite so concerned as you have seemed to be lately,” she said.

“You’re probably right. Okay, I’ll lighten up on myself,” I said. “I just hope you’re right.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE 2004

I got the visit at11:00AM, she was right on time. Well, she should have been, she set it, the time and for that matter the visit. Madeleine was working. She knew about the meeting and had volunteered to be there when I got the visit from my ex. But, I’d waved her off. I wanted to talk to the woman. And, I wanted to hear what she had to say.

She knocked. I opened the door and waved her in. She followed me into the living room. It hit me that it was the first time she’d been to Madeleine’s place. I could see she was appraising our economic status and was not impressed. I decided to call her on it.

“It’s warm and comfortable,” I said. “Not as fancy as the mansion you live in, but we like it.”

“David, I didn’t, don’t . . .” she started and stopped.

“Yeah, right,” I said. “It doesn’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t mean a thing to me anymore, not about that.”

“Okay, but I’m sorry if I gave you the impression, well, that I was being snobbish. I hope I wasn’t. I certainly didn’t mean to be,” she said.

“Okay, okay, forget it. You said you were worried about Jenna,” I said. “I mean, she’s eighteen now. I know she’s still living with you and my ex-brother, but she is a technical adult.”

“David, Ronald is not your damn ex-brother. He’s your brother period. Get that! Please. Yes, he was an asshole doing what he did as was I. But, that’s old news. You’ve got a new woman, Madeleine, be happy. We want you to be happy. We don’t expect you to ever forgive us, and we don’t deserve to be forgiven, but frankly, we do expect you to get along with us. O-damn-kay!” she said. I stared at her and she stared back at me waiting.

A woman, any woman, who has won the heart of a man, owns that heart for life. She cannot divorce herself from that ownership, and, that responsibility, the law courts notwithstanding. Nor can a man escape her thrall; it’s the nature of the beast. And, yes, Stacey still had my heart that would never change; and, the reality of that is what my state of mind, my bitterness, was based on.

“Stacey . . .” I wanted to say things to her, but how. I didn’t know how.

“David, I know you need to talk to me, and I promise we will talk one day. But not today. Today has to be about Jenna. I’m concerned, as is Ronald and we need your support in this. Okay? Please?” she said.

“Okay. I guess. I understand. So Whaddya yuh got?” I said.

She began to lay out a lot of happenings that didn’t sound too good. Jenna was giving rides to a lot of individuals, some too old for her to be hanging with, and who might best be described as undesirable. Also, she wasn’t being communicative when asked about them. Also, she’d been acting lethargic and distant on way too many occasions. Something wasn’t right.

“Okay, but I don’t know what you want me to do. She’s only here once a month, and that’s if she actually shows up. And about that, she’s been missing in action a lot when it comes to my time. I guess now that she’s of age the old rules don’t apply; I mean I know the law. But, anyway, again, what do you think I should do?” I said.

“I know she plans on coming here next weekend. If you could talk to her, you know encourage her to open up to you. I don’t know what good it might do, but at least she’ll know that we all care and are concerned about her behavior. That’s the bottom line, that she understands all of her family are concerned about her. And if, you know . . .” she said.

“Me know? What?” I said.

“If you could maybe get her to tell you who these guys she’s hanging with are. Well, we could maybe check up on them,” said Stacey. I nodded.

“Okay, I guess I could try.

“But, Stacey, I have to say that this little visit of yours is a surprise. Ever since the divorce you’ve done your best, you and Ronald, to minimize my influence and daddyship with my daughter. And now you need me to run interference for you with Jenna. Why the sudden shift?” I said.

She sighed. “Ronald and I, and it was mostly me, wanted to make sure that he could have a real father daughter relationship with Jenna. Hence, my idea to have the two of you just switch roles. We had every intention of you being around a lot, maybe more than a lot, but well, if we went the two daddy route, well, the thought, my thinking, was that he would never really get to the place where Jenna saw him as she saw you,” she said.

“So I was going to be sacrificed so that you two cheaters could complete the rebuilding of your lives together,” I said. It was not a question.

“David, I just got done telling you that we wanted to maximize your presence in Jenna’s life; heck, in our lives too. But, well, I guess I do understand how you feel about things. None of us anticipated your reaction, the extremeness of it anyway,” she said.

“Yeah, and well that’s surprising as hell. You had to know I wasn’t going to go for some kind of uncle shit. I did not and do not deserve that kind of treatment.

“Anyway, okay, I will do my best with Jenna. Talk to her. See what I can find out if anything. I’m as concerned as you are,” I said.

“Okay, thank you. It’s appreciated,” she said. I looked down. She noticed.

“David?”

“It’s hard, Stacey. I won’t kid you. It’s hard dealing with you not being with me anymore. Maddie does her best and mostly she is successful in keeping me focused on her, but you were mine. Well, and then you weren’t. It’s hard,” I said.

“Davey, Davey. I’m sorry about everything. I know you have feelings for me still. And if it matters, I still have feelings for you too on some level. But it’s time for you to move on. For all of us to do so. Give it some thought. Okay?” she said. I nodded, and then she was gone.

******

Visitation was no longer a court requirement. Oddly, though, I was still getting visits from Jenna, usually on the third weekend of every month just as had been ordered by the courts so long ago, five years ago. Well, I was still getting visits on “my” weekend, but they had become more sporadic. She still missed some weekends: she was busy, she didn’t feel well, the list of excuses was long and not very imaginative. But, she was an adult now, technically. She did still shack up with my cuckolders. But, then I got the skinny, from Jenna. Her address was still their address, but anymore she was gone off with friends almost as much as she was at home, their home. I began to understand Stacey’s concern, and likely Ronald’s.

******

“You know, Jenna, your mom’s worried about you,” I said.

“Dad, she’s just a worrywart. My friends and I don’t do anything all that objectionable. I guess she’s worried that I’m gone a lot, or maybe having sex too much,” she said. “How hypocritical is that!”

I had to smile. She’d nailed that one. “Too much?” I said.

“Dad, I’m eighteen. No, I’m not a virgin anymore, not for a while,” she said.

“Anyone special?” I said.

“I don’t know, maybe,” she said.

“Hmm, does maybe have a name?” I said. I was doing my best not to appear judgmental or invasive. I wasn’t sure how successful I was being in achieving those goals.

“His name is Chester, dad. He’s a good guy, a fun guy. He makes me laugh,” she said.

I nodded. “Well, okay. Any chance of me getting to meet mister good guy?” I said. I was smiling, trying to be disarming. She sighed.

“I guess, one of these days,” she said.

We talked for some time. It occurred to me that she wanted to talk, but at the same time was holding back to some degree fearing, I supposed, that I might be judging her. I wasn’t, but that didn’t alter the fact that she thought I might be.

I’d gotten up to get us something to eat from the frig. When I called her to come and eat, she came into the kitchen with the cell phone glued to her ear. She mouthed to me that it was Chester. I just smiled and set the food on the table.

We ate mostly in silence, well, we were both hungry and were concentrating on the activity at hand.

I wiped the detritus from my lips and leaned back in my chair. “So, you and Chester making plans for the day?” I said, chancing that that was the case.

“Yes, I’ll be picking him up a little later if that’s okay with you, dad,” she said. “We might be going to the movies.”

“You’re picking him up? Doesn’t he have a car?” I said.

“Yes, but he doesn’t have a caddy,” she said. It rankled that she was so condescending, as it seemed to me, about her relative affluence. I wonder how Chester felt about it.

******

Madeleine had been at work while Jenna was visiting with me. She came in through the kitchen entryway.

“Hi, Jenna here?” she said.

“No left a bit ago to pick up her boyfriend,” I said.

“Her boyfriend? Chester?” she said.

“Yeah, that’s the name,” I said.” They’re going to the movies.”

She smiled a knowing smile. “The movies?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Sounds like code for it’s ‘none of your business,’” she said.

“Really?” I said.

“Yes, really. Kids these days don’t do the things you and I did when we were their age,” she said.

“But . . .” I started.

“Can’t do weed in the theater. Probably some friend’s crib,” she said. I suddenly began to worry.

“Weed? You think she does drugs?” I said. I know my voice carried a whole lot of newly acquired angst.

“Nothing heavy, I don’t think, but I think it would be good to keep an eye out. Sometimes kids don’t think until it’s way beyond the point of no return. Just my thinking others may differ,” she said. I nodded my understanding and concern.

“I wouldn’t worry unduly. We’ve talked about this stuff,” she said. “Like we’ve both agreed, she does have a head on her shoulders. I think she’ll know where to draw the line. Still, keeping an eye out would not be a bad thing.

“Yes, yes, I agree. At least she’s talking to me about personal things even if some of it is not exactly meaningful,” I said.

“For sure. Keep her talking and let her know indirectly that you won’t be condemning her if she makes a mistake or two. But, at the same time, that you need her to act like an adult which she technically is,” said Madeleine.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” I said.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO 2005

They were making enough racket to disturb the dead.

“You boys need to calm down and get back to class,” said the para pro patrolling the grounds. The crowd of four boys hanging out in front of the boys’ room snickered and slowly meandered more or less in the direction of the classroom building across from them.

“What’s with Marco?” said Chester.

Derek Simmons laughed. “It’s his job, bro. The principal sends him on his little tour every day as you damn well know.”

“Yeah, yeah, and it suits him.

“Like I was saying before, you got any stuff to give me?” said Chester.

“Yeah, yeah, see me in the lot after school. Oh, and bring your honey with you. You might get extra if she’s around,” said Derek. “She gonna pick you up?”

“Yeah, yeah, just like every day this week and you damn well know that too,” said Chester.

“When you gonna get your car back from the shop?” said Derek.

“S’posed to be Monday if they can get the parts. What’s the matter? Don’t like my girl’s ride?” said Chester, he was smirking,

“That caddy stands out like too much. You need to not be noticed,” said Derek.

“Okay, okay. Can I help it if my true love is rich?” he said laughing. His buddy sneered.

“I wanna get to know her a little better,” said Derek. “Set it up.”

“Hey, Whaddya talkin’ about. She’s my girl, not yours,” sad Chester.

“Hey bro, we share. Know what I mean.” Derek’s look left no doubt what he meant.

Chester swallowed. “Okay, okay, I’ll ask. But, she won’t go for it.”

“Make her go for it. Hey, I’ll make it nice for her,” said Derek. “So, like I said, bro, make her go for it.” His tone was pure threat. His partner shivered.

******

“Are you kidding, Chester! I don’t even like the guy,” said Jenna.

“He’s an okay, guy, Jen. Besides, I’ve got a present for yuh,” he said. “Your favorite stuff. It’s from him.”

She looked around. “Smack?” she said.

“Yeah, just like last time,” he said. He watched as she licked her lips.

“It was good stuff. I mean before,” she said. “But, let me guess, to get it I have to do what you said, be with him.”

“Him and me. I’ll be there watching your back,” said Chester. “And the rest of you too for that matter.”

“You’ll be there? It’ll be the three of us?” she said. She was looking around trying not to make eye contact with her partner.

“Yes. It’ll be cool. No risk, only fun, and a little smack,” he said.

“When?” she said.

“Tonight. At Harry Sheldon’s crib,” he said.

“Harry’s! that old man. Is he going to be there too?” said Jenna.

“No, no, he’s outta town. Vacation in Mexico, I think, not sure,” said Chester. “It’ll be just the three of us, for real.” She nodded, but it was a nod filled with reluctance.

“Good,” he said.

******

“Jenna’s just busy David. She’s nineteen. She goes over to your place often enough,” said Stacey.

“Yeah, if you consider a few hours a month, usually a Saturday morning, enough,” he said. “Last time she had that kid with her, Chester.”

“Yes, Chester. He’s her boyfriend. She at that age, David. So, stop fretting. Heck, we don’t see that much of her either. She sleeps at the house, well . . . “

“Stacey?” I said.

“She sleeps over at her friends’ places sometimes. It does concern Ronald, and just like you, he’s overly concerned, makes too big a deal out of little or nothing,” she said.

“Hmm, maybe,” I said.

“She’s an adult, David. So is her boyfriend and the crowd she runs with,” she said.

“Aunt Delia and I talked about her always running off with those kids, and they are kids as far as I’m concerned. Being eighteen and nineteen may qualify them as technical adults, but not real ones, not to my mind,” I said.

“Oh pooh. She’s fine. Just lighten up a bit okay?” she said. I nodded, but it was not an affirmative nod, more a tentative one. What bothered me was that my ex and my ex-brother didn’t seem concerned. They’d come to me, well Stacey had, telling me that they were concerned, but apparently not anymore. I didn’t like it.

She and I had more or less gotten to a place where we could talk a bit when we ran into each other as we had today at the IHOP near my work. And, what we talked about was almost always Jenna.

We got along from my end because she and my ex-brother, and he was still that to me, had stopped trying to dilute my status as father of Jenna. Why she wanted to get along with me was still a mystery. Her stated reason was that she wanted me to be a part of the family, her family. I guess that might have been it. The underlying goal being her hope, wish, whatever that I would be willing to reconstruct my relationship with Ronald Carter; that, however, would never be happening. He stole the only thing, besides my daughter, that ever had any meaning for me in life, my wife. That was the ultimate kiss of death to him and me ever being brothers again. And yes I know how incongruous that must seem since I was willing to talk to her. Why? Because I still loved her more than my own life, more than anything.

I watched her through the window as she sashayed across the restaurant’s parking lot. God how I wanted my woman back. I think she knew it too, but I might have been imagining that.

******

Ronald Carter sat across from his daughter and stared. “Jenna, this is not good,” he said. “You say he was arrested?”

“Yes, Dad,” she said. “He had some marijuana and they arrested him for it.”

“Can we, Dad?” she begged.

“What about his parents?” he said,

“They’re poor. Mister Quigley was the one who came to me to ask,” she said.

“Jenna, I’m going to let you have the money to bail him out, but this is a one-time deal. And . . .” he said.

“Oh thank you, daddy!” she said, interrupting him.

“One more thing, Jenna,” he said.

“Okay?” she said.

“I’m not real comfortable with you paling around with people who use drugs, even marijuana,” he said.

“Dad, everybody smokes a little marijuana from time to time. It’s no big deal,” she said.

“It’s a big deal to me, Jenna. You need to widen your circle of friends. Okay?” he said.

Ronald Carter was worried. She, his daughter, had just all but told him that she’d been using marijuana too. He worried that he couldn’t cut her off from the man, this Chester Quigley. But, he would be doing his damnedest to steer her to other circles and hope it worked out. He would be talking to her mother and that sooner rather than later.

******

“Her dad bailed you out?” said Harry Sheldon.

“Yes, sir,” said Chester.

“So, her old man really does have the bucks?” said the older man.

“Yes, he’s a millionaire, I guess,” said Chester.

“Any chance he uses?” said Harry.

“No, pretty square according to her,” said Chester.

“Hmm, too bad. Well, at least she does. Has Derek talked to you?” said Harry.

“About the little party?” said Chester.

“Yes,” said Harry.

“Yes. She’ll be there. She’s pretty much got the need for the stuff,” he said. The older man smiled.

“They all do, eventually,” he said. The younger man nodded; he was smiling too.

“Glad you’re getting along with her. She could be a source for more sales down the line. Especially her being so pretty and all,” said Harry.

“Yes, sir,” said Chester, he was smiling broadly. She was going to be his ticket to getting ahead; and, she had friends, girlfriends.

“Anyway, so Chester, you’re graduating this next week. That so?” said Harry.

“Yes, sir,” said Chester.

“I think that an occasion as big as this one, you graduating, demands to be celebrated. Whaddya think,” said Harry.

“Well, I—sure, I guess,” said Chester.

“Invite some of your friends, especially your squeeze,” said Harry.

“Well, okay,” said Chester, smiling like he’d just won the lottery.

******

The party was in full swing, at least fifty attendees, mostly young, but a few of Harry’s associates.

She was on her back waiting for the next player to do her There’d been three already. She was feeling no pain, but she was not happy either. Chester had been the first, but then he’d let Derek and then Harry do her too. The smack had made her amenable. Another guy, a young guy came in.

“You waitin’ for me?” he said, smiling down at the helpless Jenna. She didn’t respond; she just looked at him and waited.

******

“Jenna didn’t get home till almost noon,” said Ronald.

“I know, and it is bothersome. Not that she got in late but that she didn’t call. And, she didn’t look good, but that might be because she was up all night,” said Stacey.

“Well, it was an all-night grad party,” said Ronald. “That part I understand.” She nodded.

“I guess. But she looked actually sick to me, not just tired,” said Stacey.

“Yeah, maybe,” he said. “I just hope she’s not doing what I think you think she’s doing.”

“You going to talk to her?” she said.

“Yes, I think I have to. She may be a technical adult, but she is not an independent adult. You should maybe give a heads up to your ex also,” said Ronald.

“Okay, I can do that.

And, you’re right. He does need to be kept in the loop,” she said.

******

“Yes, that is exactly right,” she said, “I need your help.”

“You say she may be using drugs, or you suspect it?” I said.

“I know it sounds crazy,” said Stacey, “but she’s been acting odd and keeping really weird hours and, well, not acting normal. Ronald said he thinks it’s marijuana. Said, she all but admitted as much to him.” I nodded my understanding and concern.

“Okay, I will do my best. I’m with you on this one. We are her parents. It’s our job to protect and guide her even if she is legally old enough to make some of her own decisions,” I said.

“Okay, then good,” she said. “She said she was coming over here to your place this weekend. And, it can’t be too soon. I mean to get ahead of this game and steer her down the right path.”

“I agree,” I said.

My talk with my ex was notable on several levels. One, she never batted an eyelash when I referred to me and her as Jenna’s parents. Two, my ex-brother’s name never even came up; I thought that significant. But, most importantly, her tone told me that she needed and trusted me to protect our baby, and more that she couldn’t handle the situation, it was clearly beyond her. I didn’t smile but I wanted to.

******

Her Caddy pulled into the lot. I saw her get out and grab her purse before closing it up and clicking the locking mechanism on her keyring. She looked sharp in her dress, heels, and designer sunglasses. I was hoping for a positive result from our, planned for by me, conversation.

“Hi dad,” she said. I was standing outside on the walkway in front of my door as she strode up.

“Hi to you too,” I said. “Good to see you. How have you been?”

“Good. Busy. You know, a lot of stuff going on,” she said.

I led the way inside. I headed for the kitchen. “Got the burgers about ready,” I said. “I put ‘em on after you called. We can eat and talk at the same time Okay?”

“Good, I’m hungry,” she said. “And, I do want to talk. I’ve got some stuff to tell you, dad. I need your advice. Okay?”

“Sure bet,” I said.

Done eating, I started collecting the dishes and cleaning up. She helped me which was something new. I had noticed, that in spite of her claim that she’d been hungry that she hadn’t actually eaten very much.

I don’t think I showed it, but I was very much interested in whatever it was that she had to tell me. She’d sounded, what, urgent I guess was the word.

I poured a couple of iced teas for us and set them on the table. “So,” I said.

“Dad, I’m in trouble,” she said without undue preamble. I could feel my brow knit.

“Okay, baby. Let’s have it. We’ll figure it out,” I said.

“Dad, I can’t talk to mom or daddy Ron about this. They just don’t know how to deal with stuff like you do, daddy,” said Jenna. She went silent. It was clear that she wanted to talk but was afraid to tell me whatever it was. For my part I was opting for patience and trying to appear as calm and collected as possible.

“Dad, I want to stop,” she said. “But, Chester and Harry won’t let me.”

“Stop? Stop what?” I said.

“Using, daddy. Using drugs, heroin,” she said. I absolutely know my face flushed and was showing, I was sure, my shock.

“Daddy, you’re the only one I can talk to,” she said. “I’m scared, daddy.” I leaned back in my seat.

“Baby you’ve done right to come to me. We will solve this little problem and those two men will be out of, no they are already out of, the picture. You will no longer have to deal with them ever again,” I said.

“But, daddy, there’s a problem.” I gave her a look. “I can’t seem to stop. I injected myself before I came over. I had to be coherent. I haven’t used a lot, so far. But, I can feel myself getting used to it, daddy, needing it,” she said. She removed her sunglasses. Her eyes were sunken with dark bags under them.

“Baby, you have to trust me. Okay?” I said. “I’m going to get you help and we are going to beat this thing together,” I said.

“Okay, daddy. Okay. Are you going to tell mom?” she said.

“Do you want me to?” I said.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I guess you have to.” I nodded.

“Okay, we’ll play that one by ear, but yes, at some point your mom will have to know. I know she’s concerned about you,” I said.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE 2005

“Remind me again why you left my brother and hooked up with me,” said Ronald Carter.

“I just did remind you,” said Stacey Carter.

The two of them lay naked and out of breath and panting on the carpet of the front room of their mansion.

“No, I just got done reminding you as to why I wanted you to be mine. I mean I did all of the work!” he said, trying to laugh but sputtering.

“Excuse me,” she said. “Who got you up for the second and third goes, especially the third go. You almost couldn’t be gotten up for that one. You must be aging.” Now she laughed and there was no trying about it.

“You did get me there. I have to give you that one, I guess,” he said. They rolled toward each other and lay wrapped in each other’s arms.

“We need to talk, but a little later,” she said.

“About you including David in the decision making process as regards Jenna?” he said.

“Exactly,” she said. “He was willing, but I’m not sure it was the best option.”

“Okay, we’ll talk a little later. I agree, we need to talk, but later. I love you Stacey, a lot,” he said. He licked his lips and, not so slowly, fell asleep.

“I love you too big guy,” she muttered to his all but unconscious form.

******

I had a ton to think about, and bars are wonderful places to do it. The Spur was my thinking place of choice.

Well, it was my thinking place of choice all right, but I was doing more reminiscing than thinking; they’re not the same things. I was reminiscing over my lost love and my hatred for my ex-brother for causing me to lose her, the love of my life, Stacey Carter. God how I still needed that woman. And now I needed to talk to her again, and that about intimate things, intimate things relating to our daughter, and Jenna was our daughter not my asshole ex-brother’s daughter, never his.

It gave me a good feeling that Jenna came to me instead of him, really either of them, for help. Yes, a very good feeling. I had to believe that the two of them had failed in their attempt to replace me as her daddy. They’d clearly failed in that. It was me my baby came to for help. I swore to myself that I would always be there for her, no matter what. But, now I had two things to take care of.

One, I had to talk to Stacey, preferably without the asshole present. She was her mother, not a very good one to my way of thinking, but she was her mother and she did need to know what was going on with Jenna. She, Stacey, was already aware of problems with our girl; she’d made that clear to me when we’d last talked. But, for some reason she’d not put two and two together and figured out just how bad the problem was. Well, I hadn’t either if it came to that. The difference was that I wasn’t around Jenna enough to know the skinny; the two of them were. The judge and the two of them had seen to that little ditty.

Two, I needed to take care of the two criminal filth bags who were trying to hook Jenna up with drugs. Hell, they weren’t trying anymore, they’d all but got her hooked permanently. I hoped against hope that Jenna was giving it to me straight about not having used very much of it so far. I had to believe that she’d told me the truth as she knew it.

******

I’d made the call, and I was waiting. I looked to my left where Hammond was yakking with one of the barflies. I raised my mug in the universal signal for a refill. He saw me, nodded, and turned to get me my second draft.

“You look, what, intense, today,” said Hammond.

“Yeah, I’m waiting for my ex to show up. We’ve got some things to discuss about the kid,” I said. He nodded.

“Hope everything’s all right,” he said.

“Thanks,” I said, “I’m handling it. We’ll be making it all right.” My favorite barkeep waddled off down the bar in answer to another summons.

I looked up at the clock on the wall above the back bar. It read twenty minutes since my last refill. A flash of red off to my left caught my eye. Jesus, she was beautiful. God how I wanted this woman! I wondered if she had something going other than the meet up with me. I decided to say something about it.

I stood as she came up to the bar. “You look good, Stacey, real good,” I said. She smiled.

“Thank you, David, that’s very nice of you to say,” she said. She seemed surprised at my remarks.

“Shall we adjourn over there,” I said, indicating a table against the back wall. She nodded.

“Sure,” she said. I noted with satisfaction that she hadn’t brought him with her. It would more than have cramped my style to have had to deal with him especially as it would have anything to do with Jenna.

I took a seat with my back to the wall; she took the one to my right rather than across from me. I raised an eyebrow at that: it made her closer to me; I wondered at that.

I waved to Hammond for service. I saw him direct Gloria, his help on the floor, to handle our order.

“What can I get you folks,” said Gloria. We ordered two beers, my third.

“I take it this has something to do with what we talked about before,” she said.

“Yes. I talked to Jenna. You were right to be concerned. She’s been using hard drugs. She admitted it to me. And, for the record, she knows I would be talking to you about it,” I said.

“Oh,” she said.

“You had no clue?” I said.

“Not exactly. I have been concerned about her companions, the few I’ve known about. You know as we talked about before. But, not about any hard drug use,” she said. I nodded.

“Heroin,” I said.

“Oh my God!” she said. “We, I, thought maybe Marijuana, but you say Heroin! Oh my God!”

“Yeah, really. It doesn’t get much worse. She did say she’d not used it too much so far, but that she was feeling like it was getting harder and harder for her to not have it. She even told her boyfriend that she was quitting. She said he is trying to talk her out of it, quitting that is. But, evidently at least, she hadn’t gotten to the point where it was a train-wreck.”

“What are we going to do?” she said. I wanted to smile, but I didn’t. I mean here was the woman who wanted me to be a fucking uncle instead of a daddy, but was quite clearly, needing him, me, to take responsibility for the safety of our baby. One had to love it.

“I’ve told Jenna, and now I’m telling you, I will take care of the problems. And that’s problems plural: the who and the what of it all. I’ve already got the names and addresses of the baddies that are plying her with the stuff: her boyfriend and some older guy named Harry. They’re mine, Stacey, nobody threatens my baby and gets away with it,” I said. “And the what: that’s the junk, the heroin. She won’t be getting any more of it, not even.”

“David, anything you need. I mean, well, we’ve got money. Whatever it takes, I mean . . .” she said.

“Yeah, yeah I know. I’ll let you know if I need anything. Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’ve got this.”

******

I checked my phone, it was 10:00PM. The man was in there. He’d just gotten back from wherever. I made the decision. He was about to get a late night visitor, me.

I headed up to the second story apartment, the man’s. It had an outside entrance so no problem getting to his door. I knocked. I could hear him shuffling around. I stood close to the door so as to make it hard to see me from the adjacent window.

The door opened. He looked me up and down. I smiled. “Harry?” I said.

“Who are you?” he said. I unloaded on him with everything I had. He was taller and heavier than me, but totally out of shape. He went down with a thud.

“What the fuck!” he muttered rubbing his jaw.

“Jenna Carter is no longer on your list of customers. Got it?” I said. He muttered something that was incoherent. I turned and walked out.

******

“Her father?” said Chester Quigley.

“Yes, I’m sure of it,” said Harry Sheldon.

“But, which father?” said Chester. “How tall was the guy?”

“Short but stocky, maybe one-seventy,” said Harry. Chester nodded.

“Her real dad, not her bio dad, but the one who raised her, David Carter,” said Chester.

“Well, we’ll just wait and see which of us comes out on top in this is little competition,” said Harry. “Jenna gets all the free junk she wants. I want her hooked and in our pocket and sooner rather than later. Got it!” said Harry.

“Yeah, yeah I got it,” said Chester. “But, she may be a problem. She’s told me that she didn’t want any more of the stuff. Says it makes her nauseous when she comes down.”

“Just figure a way,” said Harry. “I want her, especially her, on our side if you get my drift. That father of hers has sealed it.”

******

I entertained no illusions that the asshole I’d laid out would voluntarily take the pressure off of my kid to use his junk. But, I was of the considered opinion that Jenna would undoubtedly hear about my escapades and think twice about using the asshole’s product knowing that I’d be around causing difficulties. A secondary problem, the way I saw things was the boyfriend.

Chester, that was the man’s name. He was young, I knew, eighteen or nineteen, but legally an adult. Yeah, he was young, but he was the henchman of the middle-aged piece of shit I’d gotten into it with. My goal was to separate him from Jenna. Breaking up young lovers, even in situations like this one, was always an iffy proposition. Young lovers, especially the young ones, were always more than defensive about their choices. I had to figure a way to get Jenna to stick with her stated goal of getting away from the drugs she’d been experimenting with.

******

“Honey, you’re going to like the guy,” said Chester.

“I’m not gonna fuck any more of Harry’s friends, Chester. I’m not! What kind of boyfriend wants his intended to go to bed with strangers? You either love someone or you don’t, and if you do, you don’t bed other people. I can’t believe you don’t get that. And, I can’t believe you keep asking me to do this stuff. Enough is enough,” she said.

“Honey, honey, honey it’s only sex not love. I love you. You love me. But a little playing on the side is good for business. Harry asked me to ask you is all. Oh, and if you help us out here, you will never have to pay for smack ever again. He told me to give you whatever you wanted, no charge,” said Chester.

She sighed. “Well, who is it?” said Jenna.

“Carlton McCleod,” he said. “And . . .”

“Who?” she said.

“Just a friend of Harry’s. Nobody special really.” She snickered.

“Yeah, well none of Harry’s pals have been special so far,” she said, “so I can relate to what you’re saying.

“And you said ‘and’,” she said. “And what?”

“And maybe a couple of his friends too,” said Chester.

“Not a fucking chance, Chester. Don’t ask again or you’re history as far as I’m concerned.”

“Okay, okay,” he said. “Just Carlton. Okay?” She nodded.

“Okay, but no more after this one,” she said.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I’ll let Harry know. You’re mine after this one and mine alone.”

“Okay,” she said. “This one last time then.”

******

“She agreed then,” said Harry.

“Yeah, I had to do some fast talking, but she’s good to go,” he said.

“Good, good,” said Harry. “Did you give her the stuff?”

“Yeah, and she shot up almost immediately. I told her it was watered down some, so she wouldn’t be nauseous after she came down from the effects,” he said.

“Where is she now,” said Harry.

“At my place. She’s waiting on Carlton,” said Chester.

“Okay, good, we’ll both go back there and wait till she’s done with him. Then we’ll give her some more of the good stuff and seal the deal,” said Harry.

“Okay,” said Chester, but he was looking a little skittish. The older man picked up on it.

“And, you, young man, will be handsomely rewarded for your help in this little matter.” Chester nodded.



CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR 2007



She pulled up in front of the two story apartment complex and parked the caddy. She took a deep breath. She really didn’t want to be here, but the love of her life, Chester the jester, had communicated the urgency of the situation to her, well, maybe not urgency exactly, maybe a modified state of desperation on his part. His mentor, Harry, was pressuring him to get her to do things, things she did not want to be doing.

The men, there’d been several, and now this Carlton guy. She knew that Chester and Harry had gotten some of the men she’d been with hooked on the stuff. She felt no guilt being party to it, their business. She was doing it for her man and, maybe a little for the stuff they gave her for free. Well, but it wasn’t for free was it. She’d had to pay with her body. Chester had said that this Carlton guy was special, had a lot of money. She’d fuck him, but he’d be the last one.

She got out and headed up to apartment number 205. The plunging neckline of her short sundress was certain to turn the maggot on. She wanted that. If the asshole was hot to trot, he’d come in a hurry, and she’d be able to get outta there and away from him the sooner. That was the hope at any rate.

******

“Well, Chester said you were a cutie. He wasn’t lying,” said Carlton Hastings. He sure was fat, she thought and tall.

“Thanks,” she said unenthusiastically.

“Come here, little bunny,” he said. “Have a seat here on the bed beside me.” She did as he asked.

“My name’s Carlton. Yours?” he said.

“Jenna,” she said.

“Well, Jenna, what say we get right to it if that’s all right with you,” he said.

“Okay,” she said. Good she thought, this might be over quicker than she’d even dared to hope.

As she slowly disrobed, he watched for some two or three minutes, staring at her swaying tits and hips. Finally, naked, she stood looking at him. That she was

self-conscious with this fat slob was pretty obvious. But, she didn’t back away or try to hide any of her charms.

He’d been sitting on the bed’s edge. Now he stood and began taking his own clothes off. Soon, much sooner than was the case with her, he was naked. He came to her and wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her and nuzzling his face into her neck and between her breasts. He didn’t seem to be aware of how he made her skin crawl.

She gritted her teeth and tried to not appear too obviously disgusted with the man. She let herself be led to the bed. She lay with her legs but barely parted. She felt him insinuate a knee between her thighs and spread her wide. He took her. Yes, she was letting him. She’d agreed to let him do her, at Chester’s behest, but she hated it. Chester didn’t know it yet, but he was history. Her dads, both of them, would make sure that she was never treated like this again. And, then he was there; Chester was there.

The man on top of her, smiled at the intrusion.

“Hi, honey,” said Chester filling the doorway.

Another visitor, he’d come in behind Chester, smiled his approval. “Hello, girl,” said Harry.

“Chester! What?” she said.

“Just a party,” said Chester. “Everything’s gonna be fine, hon. Everything’s cool.”

“Indeed it is,” said Harry, “everything is indeed cool.”

The man on top of her resumed his but momentarily interrupted screwing of her. Then the other two men took her, Chester twice; well, he was younger.

It was some time before she awoke. Everyone was naked. She saw the hypodermic on the little end table near the bed. She’d shot up. Or she had been shot up, probably by Harry; she couldn’t remember for sure. She felt calm, but tired, very tired. The three men were asleep. She looked around. She slowly, very slowly slipped off of the bed and on to the floor. She began gathering her clothes which had somehow been kicked or tossed into the corner near the bathroom door.

In the bathroom, she vomited. While she’d been lying down, she’d felt good, but now the nausea had begun to take its toll. She was able to splash some cold water on her face. She went back into the room where the men were still sleeping. She donned her clothes and noticed something. Harry’s clothes were on the chair by the door. There was a holstered gun on top of them. She went to it. She picked up the thing and unholstered it. She was looking at it. Chester woke up.

“Jenna! What are you doing with that!” he said. He rolled off the bed and came at her suddenly, too suddenly, reaching out to seize the gun in the process. She was afraid, afraid of Chester. The other two men stirred. The gun went off. Chester flew backwards a shocked look painting his features as he shrank to the floor. Harry came at her and she fired killing him instantly. Carlton was standing terrified beside the bed. He back-peddled away from her. He held his hands in front of him as if warding off some terrifying monster. She fired without realizing she’d fired. He sank to the floor lifeless.

The whole tableau had taken less than a full minute, but three men were dead, and she’d killed them.

She didn’t know how long she stood there, but it had to have been a good bit. She felt numb. She didn’t know what to do. Then, she did. She went to her purse which she had all but forgotten about. She pulled out her cellphone and dialed.

“Daddyyyy,” she wailed.

******

I didn’t know what had made her so desperate sounding on the phone, but I was betting that whatever it was involved that boyfriend of hers. Oh yes, Chester was the one. But first things first.

The drive to the Travelux motor hotel had taken me a good half hour, and that was with a heavy foot on the gas pedal.

I pulled into the lot. I recognized Jenna’s Caddy right away. Room number 205 she’d said. I headed for it.

The door was ajar. She was sitting on a rattan chair that flanked the small utility table to the left of the doorway. She’d been crying big time. Her eyes were all puffy and her dress was slightly torn, but still fulfilling its primary function of covering her nakedness.

“Jenna?” I said. Then I saw them. I hadn’t until then. The three men, the three dead men. I recognized two of them. I’d mixed it up with Harry of course. And, I knew Chester who I’d not long before, though briefly, met.

“Daddy, I shot them with his gun,” said Jenna, pointing to Harry’s now dead person. She burst into tears once again. This was bad.

“What happened,” I said. It took her half an hour to give me all the details and answer the questions I had.

This was bad. I looked at my daughter and I knew, I just knew. She couldn’t handle prison, and she was an adult. She could get life or even worse. Three dead men! The place looked like a slaughter house.

“Jenna this is how this is going to play out,” I said. And on the spot I came up with a plan that if things just broke a little our way would work.

“Daddy no! I did it not you!” she screamed. I calmed her down and laid it out for her. She’d get twenty to life if she were lucky. Me? I’d get manslaughter, well, that’s what I told her.

It took me quite a while and a whole lot of totally illogical arguing to get her to go along with the plan I had in mind.

The Plan: She’d called me in distress. I’d come and tried to get her away from the druggies. The middle aged man had taken exception to my efforts; he’d had a gun. We struggled; his friends joined in the fray. Somehow, I couldn’t remember how, I got the gun away from him and fired until they were all down.

I had one thing I had to do to convince the police, well, two things. Jenna had to get out of there and clean up and get rid of her clothes. I, on the other hand, had to fire the gun once and make sure nobody could hear the shot. Why? I had to have gun residue on my hands and clothes and she couldn’t or the jig would be up.

I was alone when the cops showed up. I told them the story. They went and brought Jenna back from the house, my house, to corroborate what I told them. She didn’t blow it. She did try to sell them on the idea that it was all her fault the sex the drugs the bad choices were all hers she said. The police empathized, but they cuffed and arrested me and hauled me off anyway.

The next day I got visits from Jenna, my ex-brother who I did see, and finally from Stacey. And all one at a time.

The visit from Jenna was all melancholy and sad and filled with guilt and pain on her part, but I finally got her to calm down and do what I told her which was to forget about it and to live her life and make me proud; well, I hoped I’d gotten her to do what I said.

She understood the sacrifice I was making, and I think she understood that I had to make it.

The visit from Stacey was another matter. She was not supportive. Oh, she did believe that I did what I did to bail out Jenna from a bad situation, but to kill three men! Well, for her that was beyond the pale. Of course in her defense she was certain that the cops had it right and that I had killed the assholes without remorse or any attempt to get away once I had the gun.

What saved me in the end was the true fact that the gun belonged to Harry. Had I brought the gun to the apartment, as my lawyer Nathan Ferguson informed me, I might have faced the death penalty. But, in the end, though the D.A. actually asked for second degree, he only got manslaughter; seven to ten years.

Then it was two weeks later, and I got another visit. “I’m sorry for you, David. My God how sorry I am. And just so you’ll know, Jenna cries for you every night. I expect she’ll come up to see you from time to time. If you will allow, I will as well,” she Stacey. I had to put the boff on those plans right away.

“No, no, I appreciate the offer, but no. Please no visitors. I couldn’t bear it,” I said. Of course the truth is I would have liked to have had visitors, but if Jenna came up even only rarely; I was afraid she’d crack and the whole thing would blow up in our faces. No, I had to go it alone. With luck I’d be out in the minimum. Time enough then to see them, well, at least Jenna.

A big bonus in my taking the fall for my daughter was the undeniable certainty that she would finally know who her real daddy was for fucking sure. I had to smile at the mental images of how that was going to play out at my ex-brother’s house over the next several years. Truth told, I was almost happy to be going inside if only for that reason.

******

“So you saw him today?” said Ronald.

“Yes, it’s very sad. He’s being transported up state to prison tomorrow,” said Stacey.

The man nodded. “I feel sorry for him too. He did let me see him; that kind of surprised me given all that’s gone down.”

“I know. But, things had been thawing a little between us all in recent times, so maybe it isn’t all that surprising that he would let you see him,” said Stacey. “His punishment seems awfully severe though.”

“Actually it’s not. He could’ve got have gotten twenty to life. But, on the one hand you are right, it is a stiff punishment anyway you look at it. Still, I have to tell you, Stacey, I don’t think he had to kill those men. When all is said and done, he deserves what he’s gotten even though the men he killed were bad guys,” said Ronald. If it hadn’t been for Nathan Ferguson’s connections and influence, I’m certain it would have been much worse for him.” She nodded.

“I guess,” she said.