Anger Management Blues

Once the window was fixed, Daphne and Peter went back to stay in their own home. Oscar wasn't crazy about the idea but went along with it. The cops could never pinpoint who the perpetrator was that had thrown the brick. Danny had an alibi though no one bought it.

Oscar, on more than one occasion, caught both Danny and his own shitty neighbor Evan having drinks out on Evan's front porch looking at him. He did his best to ignore them, and since no one was messing with Daphne, he could let it go. If either of them approached him, they could be in as much trouble as if he went near them. While the cops had moved on, Oscar was not about to let his guard down.

Two days after Daphne was back in her house, Oscar brought over a wireless camera system. He installed it in an hour and then had dinner with her and Peter. Oscar suspected that might be why the two men were now focused on him rather than her. He didn't have a camera system for a reason yet. It would have tickled him pink to find either of them sneaking into his house.

The fear Oscar had about Daphne going back home and them seeing less of each other seemed for naught. Peter was still hanging out at Oscar's to play pinball and even brought a few of his friends after school began again. Daphne either stopped by on her way to work or on the way home. They both had keys now too, so Oscar really didn't feel alone anymore.

His niece Natalie became close friends with Daphne too. They apparently knew several of the same people but had not actually met until Oscar had saved Daphne. The little piece of him missing since his nephew Tom moving away just over a year ago was being filled again. It was different, but life was beginning to be fun for the old man.

"So a little birdie told me your playing matchmaker," Natalie said between sips of her hot green tea. Blowing on it, she tried to hide her sarcastic smirk from Oscar.

"You know this might be the first time I am not sure about my girlfriend and you being buddies," Oscar joked as he joined her at the kitchen table. He had his own coffee in hand.

Natalie had come by to visit and bring him doughnuts from his local favorite place. It had been a few weeks, and they always tried to get together at least once a week. They had planned this visit the other night when Daphne has been on the phone with her.

"Oh, relax, Unc," she assured him. Her hand moved to his, and she squeezed it. "I think it's about time Renee had a decent boyfriend. She gets a bit too wrapped up in school for her own good."

Oscar shrugged, "I saw the way they looked at each other, and it just took putting them in the same room together. Puppy love is pretty easy."

"I bet setting Peter up made getting Daph alone easier," Nat joked.

"No comment," He replied hastily.

Natalie laughed and then took a sip of her tea. The face she made told Oscar that it was still too hot. "I also got news you're going to chaperone a homecoming dance," she told him once her face stopped cringing.

"Daphne asked since she wanted to keep an eye on Peter because of Danny," Oscar explained after testing his own coffee. "While trouble seems to have died down, she isn't ready to take it easy yet. When Peter said he and Renee were going to the dance, her look at me spoke volumes."

"I don't blame her," Natalie agreed. "Knowing Evan had something to do with this shit means the shoe has not dropped yet. They both seem like two guys with a screw loose."

"Yeah," Oscar nodded. "She is going with me, and I figured I might get at least a dance or two out of her before the night is over."

Holding a free hand in front of her mouth, Natalie remarked, "Bet you get more than that."

"What does that mean?" He asked with a smirk of his own.

"You know exactly what that means," she told him more poignantly. "I have never seen you so smitten, and I know you two have been knocking boots like crazy. You are both like a couple of horny teenagers. Just don't go breaking a hip."

Barking out the hardest laugh he had done in a while, Oscar was doubled over in his chair. It took a few moments for him to compose himself, then he said, "You're probably right. I am smitten with her."

"Oh, I know I am right," Nat admitted. "She is crazy about you too."

The idea that Daphne clearly felt the same way about him tickled Oscar to his very core. Not since his late wife, Wanda, had he been so in love. It was a little crazy considering the age difference, but crazy wasn't always bad. He wouldn't live forever, so he should enjoy every minute he got with her.

"Good to know," he said bashfully.

"Have you talked to Tom?" Nat asked.

"Not in a few weeks," Oscar explained. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Nat said to him as she stirred her tea slowly. "I am just not used to him being so far away."

"Me either," Oscar agreed. "I miss him and the peanut, but Gwen works in Boston. She is kinda the breadwinner."

"True," Nat nodded. "I never understood why he became a teacher."

"It was his calling."

"Anyways, Unc," Nat said sadly. She stood and placed her empty cup in the sink. "I should go."

"Love you, sweetie," Oscar said as he stood to walk her out.

"Love you too," she said as they walked to the back door. "You watch yourself with Evan. Even Gary is weary that something bad is coming."

"I will," He said, and she kissed him on the cheek. Once she was gone, Oscar picked up their cups and tidied up the kitchen. There wasn't much to do. Daphne was here helping him almost every day.

It was almost noon when Oscar's phone buzzed with an indication he had a text message. Daphne was at work, so he half expected that she was just checking in. Instead, the message came from a number that he didn't know.

-You should really keep your shades shut.

Below the message was a short video, it was only thirty seconds long. It was from a few weeks ago when Oscar was having sex with Daphne in the kitchen. On repeat, it showed him bending Daphne over the kitchen table.

Oscar knew the one exact direction and window the footage had come from too. He crossed the living room, which had a full view of his kitchen and looked out the front window at Evan's house across the street. The shade in the front windows were the kind that ran halfway across the window and had a ruffle valance at the top of the window sill. Being as his house was a raised ranch, the only place that video could have been taken was Evan's second floor.

"That fucker," Oscar said as he gripped his hands angrily into fists. Looking out the window, Oscar saw no signs of a camera or anything. The footage was of high quality like it was taken with an expensive telephoto lens.

It took Oscar several moments with his breathing exercises to not march over to Evan's house and knock that jerk out again. That wouldn't accomplish anything, it was probably even that shithead's plan. He and Danny had obviously been watching Oscar for weeks now. They thought this might put him on edge, it did, but Oscar was too smart to fall for something so dumb.

Oscar thought long and hard on what to do next. After several moments of contemplation, he picked up his phone and called his cousin and lawyer Gary.

"Gary," Oscar said. "Do you have time to talk?"

After filling Gary in on what was going on with his apparent nemesis, Gary advised him to keep his distance. Oscar wasn't dumb, so that was already a given. Keeping away didn't mean he could devise a plan of his own.

As much as Oscar had to admit, calling the cops again would be a waste of time. They would talk to Evan about the video, several cops would have to watch it, and he didn't want to put Daphne through the whole ordeal. In the end, he knew Evan wouldn't have sent it if he didn't have his ass covered. The dickhead was too smart for that. Oscar suspected that Danny was just a pawn being used to mess with Oscar, and Danny was way too stupid to know.

After a trip to a few stores, Oscar was ready for anything the two idiots had planned for him. They would never even see it coming. He liked it that way too.

In the next few weeks, Oscar intentionally spent less time at home. It meant Evan and Danny couldn't just watch him around the house. Oscar wasn't going to change his curtains just to show them that they got to him.

Daphne didn't mind that Oscar spent more time at her house after knowing they were being watched. It creeped her the hell out, but she also agreed a call the cops would go nowhere. Daphne also didn't like the idea someone had kinda made a sex tape of them. Oscar laughed when she joked about them making a tape themselves but wasn't sure she was serious.

Peter didn't come over much for pinball either after Oscar told him about someone watching the house. He left out the details of the video, no need for him to know what had been going on in the kitchen.

The night of homecoming came, and Oscar made a considerable show of getting dressed around the house. He washed the GTO and even got it detailed for the evening. Since someone was watching, Oscar thought, letting them know what Oscar was doing and where gave them plenty of opportunities to do something stupid. It was a long shot, but he suspected it might pay off. His prior shopping trip after the video had given him knowledge even Evan wouldn't see coming.

Daphne looked out this world when Oscar showed up to take her to Peter's dance. It was a classy navy blue and white trim dress. The full coverage was a bit of a let down to Oscar, but he figured she didn't want to make Peter feel weird if his buddies were checking out his Mom. Her white high heels gave her a colossal lift, which made Oscar giving her a smooch before helping her into the car much more accessible.

"Peter has already left," Daphne explained as they backed out of her driveway. "He was so excited about taking Renee to the dance I had to tell him to calm down."

"I don't doubt it," Oscar told her as he checked his rearview mirror. They had someone following them, but Oscar wasn't ready to tell Daphne yet. No need to freak her out. This wasn't the first time in the past few weeks he suspected someone was following him. That video had made him extra paranoid. "I'd like to say he is there with the prettiest girl, but you and I know that I would be lying." He winked at her reassuringly as they drove along.

After a bit more flirting with Daphne, Oscar made a few drastic direction changes in the car. He confirmed that the white sedan a few cars back was indeed following them. They were so bad at tailing him, Oscar suspected it was Danny. That was okay, too, because he figured out their plan way before now or at least Evan's. Danny was too stupid to know what was really going on.

At the school, Oscar said hello to the few teachers still there from when Natalie and Tom were students. They were all surprised by who his date was, and he didn't blame them. One older teacher smacked him on the shoulder when Daphne was out eyesight and called him a lucky dog.

Oscar tried not to draw any attention to Peter and Renee as they danced on the gym floor. Peter had enough eyes on him already as he was there with a college girl. Daphne had informed him that she heard a few catty girls in the lady's room very upset their dates were distracted by Peter and his "Date." Let just say Mom kept quiet about that, but Oscar could hear in her voice she was proud of her son. He wasn't quite as shy as he had been a few months ago.

After a few dances with Daphne and catching a few minors trying to spike the punch, he excused himself to the restroom. Oscar just confiscated their tiny flask but didn't report them. He was their age once too.

Instead of going right to the bathroom, Oscar peeked out at the parking lot to see if his watcher was still there. He clearly was parked way in the back of the lot with eyes on Oscar's car. That was good, the moron would be watching the wrong vehicle.

Acting as if nothing was going on, Oscar returned to his duties as a chaperone. He did his best to have fun despite the situation. Daphne began to suspect something was going on when Oscar came back from his bathroom visit.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on or leave me in the dark all night?" She asked him as the slow danced.

"I am waiting for a signal," Oscar told her. "Do you trust me?"

"You know I do," she said, leaning in closer. "Are we in danger?"

Oscar laughed a small giggle and patted her back, "No, nothing like that."

When someone stepped outside, Oscar took note that it was very dark already. Any minute now, he thought as he held Daphne close.

"Good," she said and placed her face on his chest.

Just as the song began to end, the phone in Oscar's pocket buzzed. He pulled it out with a quick glance then dropped it back in his pocket. Daphne looked at him questioningly.

"I need to talk to Peter," he told her with a smile.

"Okay," she replied with her brows furrowed.

Oscar waved the boy over, and he and Renee crossed the almost vacant dance floor. The homecoming would be ending within the next hour or so, according to Oscar's time.

"Why don't you and Renee get a drink," Oscar said as Peter looked at him confused. The girls reluctantly walked away, but Oscar saw they were both trying to stay within earshot.

"What's going on?" Peter asked, concerned.

"I need a huge favor," Oscar said as he handed the boy his car keys. "I need your car, and you can have mine for the rest of the night."

"You are going to let me drive the GTO?" He barked with a look of shock.

"More than that, my boy," Oscar explained. "I am going to need you to drop your Mom at home once you guys leave. Also," he continued and pulled another small package from his pocket. "When you go to take Renee home, you might want to take the old trail road to her house. That envelope has a key to the gate on that road."

"You mean that makeout place you took Mom the night the window got busted," Peter said knowingly.

"Smart guy," Oscar said and slapped the boy on the shoulder. "Thought you and Renee might need some alone time."

"I'll take it," Peter said with a grin. "But what about you and Mom?"

"Don't sweat it," Oscar told him with another clap on the shoulder. "Tonight, I am solving all of our problems."

"How?" He asked.

"You will see," Oscar said, waving at their dates.

Renee gave both men a look, but Peter quickly passed Oscar his keys and slipped her back onto the dance floor. Daphne stood there, waiting for Oscar's explanation. She tapped her foot and sipped her punch.

"Relax," Oscar said, kissing her on the forehead. "In about an hour, we will be rid of all our problems."

"Really?" She asked, unsure about his enthusiasm.

"In twenty minutes you call the police station and ask to speak detective Randy Chesterfield," He directed her with a big smirk. "You tell him, Danny, is in a car on the lot and following you. Explained about your's and Peter's restraining order. Then tell him to send an officer to my house about a break-in and tell him I left urgently when my camera detected a break-in."

"Okay, but will you be alright," Daphne asked, clearly worried. "Someone is in the house?

Oscar held up his phone, so she could see his screen. A night vision camera showed Evan sitting in Oscar's living room chair, he was clearly frustrated. A handgun sat on the armrest of the chair with his hand on it. He was waiting and looking at his phone in the other hand.

"Why not just call the cops?" Daphne asked, confused.

"Because I know the whole plan of these dipshits," Oscar told her with a pat on the head. "They are going to jail for a long time. I need to go, you call the cops in twenty minutes."

Daphne looked reluctantly as Oscar kissed her goodbye and rushed for one of the backdoors to the gym. It was out of sight of the parking lot, and Danny would never see him coming. Peter had parked his car nowhere near Oscar's car. When Oscar drove right past Danny in Peter's car, the guy looked right at Oscar but didn't realize it was Oscar. The GTO sitting in the lot made Oscar think a magician pulling a sleight of hand with a beautiful assistant. While Danny looked left, Oscar went right. In twenty to thirty minutes, he was in for a big surprise.

The ride back to his house was made in record time. Unlike the drive to the school, Oscar stayed on the most direct route. That took him ten to twelve minutes compared to the twentyish from earlier. Given what he knew about police response time, Oscar figured he had about fifteen to twenty more minutes. Daphne should be making her call now.

Leaving the car a few houses down the street, Oscar snuck his way around the back the best he could with his bad leg. All his parallel exercises with Daphne were indeed helping more than he expected. Being this stealthy a few months ago would not have been this easy.

Having planned for this, Oscar had left the basement door unlocked and slightly ajar. No popping of peasky locks would alert his planned intruder. The basement was where Oscar did woodworking and other hobbies. He reached under the nearby tool bench and pulled the shotgun he stowed there this morning. Lightly, he made sure the two rounds of birdshot were still loaded. His plan did not entail killing Evan, just maiming him if the need arises. Jail would be a much worse turn out for this asshole.

Oscar looked down at his phone and saw that Evan was still sitting there looking at his phone. He was oblivious to the hell about to come his way. The chair Evan was seated in was angled so that he could see Oscar coming from the front or kitchen entrance. Evan thought he still had the element of surprise on Oscar.

So he didn't make any unnecessary noise, Oscar leaned against the wall on the stairway rather than holding the banister. Using his good leg first, he gimped himself up one step at a time with his shotgun in hand. The stairs were carpeted here with bad seventies shag carpet, so that also helped. Oscar had always meant to change it, but today he was thrilled it was there.

At the top of the steps, Oscar took a deep breath. He had one hand on the doorknob, and the other was ready to aim the gun. In one practiced fluid motion that he had done a million times in training, the door swung open, and he leveled the gun in the direction he knew Evan was sitting. "Hands up!" He shouted as he entered the room.

"Fuck!" Evan screamed as he hesitated to do anything.

"I said hands up," Oscar repeated in a more direct tone. Evan couldn't see him but knew exactly who was standing behind him. "I have a double-barrel shotgun aimed at your fucking head. Hands up, or I will take it as hostility."

"Okay, okay," the balding man said, placing his hands in the air. "Don't shoot. I saw someone breaking in. I am just here to make sure you are okay."

Oscar round the chair to look Evan in the eyes. His false bravado was very apparent to Oscar. He knew Evan was trying to think of a million ways to worm out of this. Not going to happen, Oscar thought to himself.

"Not likely since I have you on camera," Oscar said with a head nod to the bookcase across from Evan. "They make these nifty nanny cams that look just like books and other stuff. I got you dead to rights."

The twinge of fear Oscar saw in the man's eyes could mean a few things, he hoped it didn't mean Evan would go for the gun. Oscar was fine with shooting Evan, the bird wouldn't kill him, but that was Oscar's favorite chair. He didn't want to pepper it with pellets.

"It's not what you think," Evan said with a tremble to his voice.

"No, it's not what Danny thinks it is," Oscar told him. "See you made one big mistake, Evan. I knew you were up to something, but that video you sent me told me you were watching. So I watched back just not with a camera."

"What? You don't have any cameras outside," he told Oscar, confused.