She was on her knees.
Again.
This time she is sobbing. In fact, the last time was nothing like this time, except both times she was on her knees, that part is the same. Ok, both times she has been naked, too.
True, this time, Chad was making a whole set of different noises. He is soft; my one good shot to his gut had all my rage packed in it...and he is down on the floor, struggling to breathe, crawling away from me. I push the call button on the phone.
"911. What is your emergency? Do you need fire, medical or police services?"
"I need police! I'm at my home and some guy is trying to kill me! He has my shotgun! HELP! Send the cops now!"
I dropped her phone on the floor, you could hear the 911 dispatcher calling out to me from the phone's speaker.
I racked my 12 gauge, and yelled out, "OH GOD DON'T SHOOT ME!!"
Then I stomped my boot's heel down on the phone, hard. It went dark.
As I walked past her, she grabbed my leg. I dragged her along with me. She was sobbing, begging me through her tears, "Ppplllllessee, no no, oh god, please!"
Step, drag, step, drag, I started going around the bed. Step, drag, step, drag. I shook my leg, dislodging her. She slumped to the floor, defeated, her sobs broken by her moaning. She sounded like an old coon dog whose leg was caught in a trap.
I shoved my 12 gauge at him, I'm holding the barrel in my hand. I saw him realize hope. I smiled as he grabbed, desperately, at the shotgun. He grabbed the stock, his finger on the trigger, I pulled the gun toward me pushing the barrel to my left, pulling the gun in his hands, forcing his finger to pull the trigger. I felt the bite of a couple of pellets of shot grazing my upper left arm.
I feel and smell the barrel scalding my hands; I then used my favorite 12 gauge as a club, and went to town. After the third whack to his head, he was out. I kicked his legs apart and used my 12 gauge like a 3 wood.
I turn back towards her. She is breathing hard, her screams have stopped. Her eyes are large. She is in shock. Fear is etched on her face.
We look each other in the eyes. I toss the gun across the room as I hear my front door break open.
I hold up my right arm. My left sleeve is bloody.
"POLICE POLICE POLICE" they shout, as they enter the bedroom, guns drawn.
I shout out, "I called you! He tried to kill me!" I pointed to the unconscious Chad on the floor.
She didn't refute my statement.
He couldn't refute my statement.
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The EMTs were wrapping my arm with gauze and slathering ointment on my scalded hands. The cops were trying to piece it together. We are in my living room. I can see the media gathering on my front lawn.
It was question and answer time. I was in my house. It was my gun, in my bedroom. My story was holding up well. The physical evidence backs up my story of him finding my gun and him trying to kill me with it. Me charging and grabbing the barrel of my shot gun. The 911 operator's tape seems to back me up.
There really wasn't any reason for me to go to the hospital.
Chad was a different story; he did have reason to go to the hospital. She, they decided, didn't need a hospital visit. However, as an accomplice to attempted murder, she was going downtown. The cops took her in for booking.
"Ok, Mr. Smith, I think we have everything we need for tonight. You gave all your contact information to the officers?" asked the Detective, looking up from his notebook.
"Yes, sir," I said with a tired voice. The adrenaline rush was long gone and I was beat. It had been a tough night.
"We will be finished up soon. We need you to stay out of the bedroom tonight."
I shook my head, "That's not a problem; no way I am staying here. I guess I'll get a hotel room for the night."
"Ok, we will secure the house when we are done." He handed me his card.
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A while ago
I knew there was a problem. I didn't have a clue what the problem was. Shit just wasn't right. Nothing I could put my finger on, but...
So, my antennas were up. I just watched.
Little by little I was able to eliminate cause after possible cause, until I was left with an unmistakable sense my problem involved her. In fact, it was the little things she was doing that gave me clues. Her reactions were telling.
At least now I know where to turn my attentions.
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About a month ago
She was pretty good at leaving no trace. Nothing hidden. No odd calls. No texts to follow up on. However, when I started to really pay attention, a whole hell of a lot of things became plain as day. Her reactions were very enlightening.
She was spending more and more time with Samantha. Mutual friends had introduced us to Samantha and her husband, Maurice about a year or so ago.
Maurice was pretty quiet and somewhat effeminate. He did have a wicked sense of self-deprecating humor. So, at least when we got together, he kept me laughing. We weren't buds, but I could do dinner or a backyard barbecue with them.
Personally, I wasn't impressed by Samantha. She was bossy and dismissive to Maurice. But who am I to say anything about someone else's relationship? None of my business. Samantha also tended to talk down at me too. That I didn't like. I called her on it quite a few times; Samantha was stubborn, I'll give her that.
She and Samantha hit it off. Every time we got together the girls would go all Chatty Cathy on us. Eventually instead of couples getting together for dinner now and then, she and Samantha would do lunches or a girls' night out every week or so.
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Three weeks ago