[Ramesh_Rocky]

“For what, Debbie? There’s no indication the trial is coming here. I got word, strictly unofficial word, that there are people in Mexico who don’t want it to come here, but there’s been nothing solid until today. Do I tell you there’s a possible threat against you and the kids so you spend every day worrying every time you can’t reach the kids on their cells, or when they go off with friends and forget to tell you? Do you want to live like that? Could you live like that?

“Suppose you decide to move away, get away from me and Jacksonville? Where are you going to move that they couldn’t find you? How am I supposed to provide protection, or even know you’re in danger, if you’re in another city or state?”
She stared at me and whispered, “Why the hell did you join the State Attorney’s Office Bill? You could have been making big money in private practice and we’d still be together and not looking over our shoulders for someone coming to kill us?”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time. For what it’s worth, there have been plenty of times over the last six months that I wished the same thing.”
This time she hugged me. Even after Aline and Heather and Meagan and Jane, she felt good. Finally she pushed me away.
“BJ and Kelly should be here before too long. What do we do now?”
“You stay put, Debbie. It’s easier to protect you in one place. I’d suggest your parents come here for the weekend too. If you don’t mind, and it wouldn’t be too weird, I’ll stay here too. The cops will be trying to find out what the two thugs were up to and we’ll contact the feds to see if they can come up with anything. We need to know exactly what these assholes were doing, and if there’s a real threat or they were just trying to throw a scare into me.”
“But – if they were here to scare us, who cut that guy’s head off. And why?”
I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t tell anyone, but I had an idea. Unfortunately, the only cell phone I had that I could use to contact the Old Man was in a drawer in my office and I was going to make damned sure that Debbie, Kelly and BJ were safe and surrounded by as many uniforms and weapons as I could bring to bear before I drove back to the office. I’d also need protection myself, just in case.

“You got coffee?” “Some.”

“Any made up?” “No.”

“You were the coffee drinker. The only coffee I drink is at Starbucks.”

We just looked at each other for a moment and she said, “I still have some. I could brew up a pot.”

“Was Doug a coffee drinker?”

“No, you bastard. Can’t we call a truce, even now? If you have to know, Clint was a coffee guy just like you, any time of the day or night. You going to be pissed off about him, too.”
“No, Debbie, and I’m sorry for the crack about Doug. Old habits die hard.
Old feelings too, but a pot of coffee would be good.”
The cell rang then and when I punched it I heard Myra’s voice. Debbie could hear it too.
“Bill, please tell me the traffic is terrible and that’s why you’re not standing outside my door.”
“I wish I could, Myra but...something’s come up.”
In the long silence I could hear her breathing. I could feel Debbie’s glare and then felt it soften. When I looked up at her I didn’t see the anger I’d been used to. There was something else there, something I couldn’t put a name to.
“I’ll get that pot of coffee going, Bill,” she said, and turned and walked toward the kitchen.

“Was that her?” “Yes.”

Frost carried through the telephone lines.

“You’re at her house, when we were supposed to be going out tonight?” “Yes.”

There was a click.

I punched her number in. It rang until the message clicked in.

“Myra, please answer my phone or call me back, or I’ll call for the rest of the night and when I get a chance I’ll be over at your door to explain. Please let me. There’s an emergency, a REAL emergency. I never would have bailed on you otherwise. Call me back.”
I stood there for two minutes, two minutes that seemed a lot longer. The call finally came.
“I’m sorry, Bill. I’m acting like a crazy jealous girlfriend before we’ve had our first date, but when you said you were over there - it’s just that she’s like the monster in one of those movies that will never die or go away.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay, but things have been crazy and I didn’t have a second to call you. Here’s what happened...” and I told her.
“Oh, God, Bill, I had no.....no idea. You say BJ and Kelly are safe and on their way, back to your old place?”
“Yeah, but we still have no idea exactly what’s going on, so I’m going to stay here with Debbie and the kids for the foreseeable future. I think they’re safer here than trying to run them to some safe house and I can’t....leave them alone. I’m going to sleep on a couch, but-“

“No, you don’t need to explain. They’re your kids. She was your wife. You’re going to stay there to protect them. I understand that. We’ll.................................................................................... get together

later. It’s okay. We’ll have another chance, and someday we’ll laugh about this.” “I don’t see it Myra but I hope. I shot your Friday all to hell and I’m sorry.” “Not as sorry as I am. I’ll grab a bite or see a movie. You pay attention to

taking care of business. I’ll talk to you later, Bill. Bye.”

I walked into the kitchen where Debbie had the coffee maker perking and was taking some milk out of the fridge. I liked flavored creamers, but apparently Clint had been a black coffee guy. I’d have to tough it out.
She got a coffee cup out of the cupboard and without looking at me, said, “I...I hate to keep saying I’m sorry. I...don’t know why I react that way. We’re divorced and you know I’ve been with two other guys and there’s no reason in the world why I should be upset that you’re with other women, except that that cow Myra is an insult to the laws of nature. No. No. I’m just jealous of her and you together. I know how you are about boobs, or at least the way you were until Aline, and I figure if you get with Myra you’ll never be able to wean yourself.”
She looked up from the coffee maker and stared at me.
“Why are we so crazy, Bill? Other divorced couples are able to be civilized, able to walk away. Why are we this way?”
“I don’t know Debbie, except that I still have feelings for you and it doesn’t matter how much I try to pretend I don’t, I do. I don’t think you’d have been such a bitch toward me if you didn’t still have some kind of feelings for me.
She held her hands out open palmed in a questioning gesture. “So what do we do?”
One step would have taken me to her. A second step would have her in my arms, those fat, heavy, soft tits rubbing up against me, my hard cock rubbing against that pussy that had been my playground for so many years. We had cops all around and our kids and her parents would be bursting in the doors at any minute. So I couldn’t possibly bend her over the kitchen table where Doug probably had taken her and have her the way I wanted to this instant, but I wanted to, yet couldn’t.
There was too much swirling around in my head. Doug and that night at UNF, Aline on the Bonne Chance, Heather bent over the desk in the empty office and Paula staring at me with those knowing eyes.

“Nothing.”

I answered her question and then walked away from her into the safety of the den. Ten minutes later she brought me a cup and I drank it standing up and moving around, taking calls from Martin, Sheriff Knight, the Big Man and a half dozen others. A few minutes later Kelly came in with Roy and Cathy.