When Julian made it back to his home in Stephens City, it was about 11:30 PM. He had stopped at a service station in Winchester and changed back into his hiking gear. Then he stomped out into the woods next to the highway and muddied up his boots. He wanted an airtight alibi. Now he found that such precautions had not been necessary, because Dana Feminita was sound asleep in their bed. He went quietly back down the stairs, padding in his socks and put on some sneakers. He went out to the car and retrieved his \u2018professor costume,\u2019 and hung it carefully back up in a closet on the first floor. Now, except for the odometer reading, the whole thing had never happened. He poured himself a drink. He sat down on the couch and stared into space. He thought of Lana and Scott. He thought of Dana. He sighed. When he had drained his glass, he went upstairs and climbed in with her and was soon fast asleep. He slept the sleep of the man who had done what is right.<\/p>\n
The next day, he went with Dana shopping up in Winchester. He was full of talk about how to fix his novel. Dana was glad to have him back in fine form. For the first time in a while, Julian seemed eager to seduce her stone cold sober in broad daylight. She let him do it. He took her hand in the mall. He kissed her in the car. He rubbed her neck in the hallway, and her grabbed her ass on the stairs. She was a little pissed off that he came so soon, but she figured, \u2018what the hell, at least he\u2019s into me.\u2019<\/p>\n
While Julian and Dana slept, having turned in early, Lana, having shut down \u201cAmy Tells All,\u201d was on the phone with Christine.
\n\t\u201cHey, Christine.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWe\u2019re so worried about you the way you took off. Are you OK?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI shut down the blog.\u201d
\n\t\u201cGood girl, I guess.\u201d
\n\t\u201cIt had to be done. Man, I\u2019ve never heard Scott yell like that. I\u2019ve heard him be an SOB, for sure, but that was a new level of nasty. I\u2019m glad he\u2019s in California, you know.\u201d
\n\t\u201cHow long is he supposed to stay?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI don\u2019t know. He was going to try to get back for New Year\u2019s Eve. He doesn\u2019t tell me of his plans as a rule, and when he left he was pissed off that wouldn\u2019t go with him.\u201d
\n\t\u201cThe last thing you posted on the blog suggested you were through with him, and that you were planning to have an affair.\u201d
\n\t\u201cOh, I was so pissed off when I wrote that.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWell, did you?\u201d
\n\t\u201cOh\u2026\u201d
\n\t\u201cSpill it.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYou remember the professor.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYes, I remember the professor.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWell, I met him in Salem last night.\u201d
\n\t\u201cChrist.\u201d
\n\t\u201cNo. He was cool. I was so hot for him, I was just\u2026\u201d
\n\t\u201cC\u2019mon. Don\u2019t withhold now.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI was pretty aggressive. I got us into a shitball motel. We, I mean, I tried my damndest to seduce him.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYou mean, you failed?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI failed. He was turned on, I can tell you that. But he\u2026 He\u2019s a good man. He has a sense of ethics. He wouldn\u2019t\u2026 couldn\u2019t do it.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWow. A one in a million sort of man.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYes. I am so infatuated with that man.\u201d
\n\t\u201cDid you tell him that?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI told him that I loved him. I was serious.\u201d
\n\t\u201cJeez, girl. You\u2019re in it deep.\u201d
\n\t\u201cOh, Chrissy! We\u2019ve known each other for ever. You know me well. You know I\u2019m passionate, emotional, that I lead with my heart. You know that I\u2019m not going to make it with Scott. We\u2019re done. And as for the professor, I can\u2019t let myself pine too much. He\u2019s not going to cheat on his wife. So. I\u2019m just a wreck.\u201d
\n\t\u201cBaby, you want me to come over?\u201d
\n\t\u201cNah. I\u2019m a wreck. I\u2019ll just draw a bath and try to drink myself to sleep.\u201d
\n\t\u201cOK, suit yourself. But if you change your mind, give me a holler. I\u2019m here.\u201d
\n\t\u201cThanks Christine. You are my best.\u201d
\n\t\u201cBuh-bye, BFF.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott was at the ticketing window, booking the next flight for PKB from OAK, with connectors at DNV and CLV, one-way. It was expensive. He was in the air by 5:45 in the morning and on the ground in Parkersburg at 9:45. The slightly under 24 hours since he\u2019d been shocked into fury regarding the behavior and words of his wife had done nothing to reduce his boil to a simmer. He had not slept at all while waiting for the flight. En route, next to some outrageously fat woman and her pudgy daughter he had been terse to the point of incivility. He rehearsed in his mind the vitriol he would pour on Lana. That she remained unavailable by phone did not bode well. He assumed that he might have to go searching for her, or maybe break into his own house. 24 hours was plenty of time to change the locks. That might be what he would have done, and this was the way he thought. Not empathically, but sympathetically to his own way of thinking.
\nIn the morning, the morning of the 29th, Julian and Dana sat on the couches with their laptops and coffee. His first stop was to \u201cAmy Tells All.\u201d He got the error message.
\n\u2018Shit,\u2019 he thought, \u2018she cut me off!\u2019
\nHe didn\u2019t think she was that kind of person.
\nHe went to her Facebook message area.
\nHe typed:<\/p>\n
\u201cLana! I\u2019m cut off from \u2018Amy!\u2019 What\u2019s up? Are you pissed at me because I couldn\u2019t go through with it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He hit send. He sat and looked over at Dana. She was typing furiously. She laughed occasionally. He got up and got another cup of joe.<\/p>\n
In the middle of the afternoon, he saw the little red one pop up in his Facebook message area. He clicked. It was Lana. She had typed:<\/p>\n
\u201cJulian! I\u2019m so sorry to have had to do that. May I call you? I need to talk to you!\u201d<\/p>\n
He began to type, but in a moment they were messaging in chat:<\/p>\n
\u201cSure, call. I\u2019m here. Anytime.\u201d
\n\u201cOK. I am running scared. Scott discovered the blog.\u201d
\n\u201cShitballs, as you like to say.\u201d
\n\u201cHoly Mary, mother of god.\u201d
\n\u201cMaybe blasphemy is not such a good idea just now.\u201d
\n\u201cHa. I knew I could count on you to make me laugh.\u201d
\n\u201cGlad to still be of service.\u201d
\n\u201cOK, I\u2019m off chat, and dialing voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dumb phone rang. It was in the other room. He got up and went for it.
\n\t\u201cHello? Lana?\u201d
\n\t\u201cYes, Julian. It\u2019s me. Lana, formerly Amy.\u201d
\n\t\u201cOh don\u2019t say that! You\u2019ll get it back up soon enough.\u201d
\n\t\u201cMaybe. That man was one stung hornet.\u201d
\n\t\u201cHow\u2019d he find out?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI have no idea.\u201d
\n\t\u201cHe\u2019s still away, right?\u201d
\n\t\u201cRight.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWhat\u2019s his ETA?\u201d
\n\t\u201cWell, he\u2019s in California. It takes him a few days to get back by Cessna.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWell, that gives you a chance to think of a good defense.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI don\u2019t know if that\u2019s what I want to do.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI think I\u2019m going to ask him for a divorce.\u201d
\n\t\u201cAh. You\u2019ve really had enough.\u201d
\n\t\u201cToo much of that, and not nearly enough of you.\u201d
\n\t\u201cLana.\u201d
\n\t\u201cOK. Sorry.\u201d
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s OK. I guess I\u2019m flattered. But I don\u2019t want to keep fighting for that very difficult decision over and over. I\u2019ll be your admirer in chief. That\u2019s as good as I can get it.\u201d
\n\t\u201cThat\u2019s going to have to do me.\u201d
\n\t\u201cIs there any material way I can help you, Lana?\u201d
\n\t\u201cOh, thank you so much. You are such a perfect gentleman. But no, I think I need to work this out all on my ownsome.\u201d
\nHe put the phone down. It was always awkward, saying goodbye to Lana. The words poured out of them, even now that they had stepped back from the brink of carnal knowledge.
\nHe walked back into his living room and sat. He set the phone on the table.
\n\t\u201cWho was that,\u201d asked Dana.
\n\t\u201cIt was that whore in Parkersburg.\u201d He gave his wife a level gaze, suggesting to her that he was telling the truth and that she\u2019d better take it like a man.
\n\t\u201cHow\u2019s she doing?\u201d
\n\t\u201cShe got caught by her husband blogging. She had to take the blog down.\u201d
\nDana peered at him over her glasses.
\n\t\u201cCaught blogging? It\u2019s a free country. She should be able to blog if she wants.\u201d
\nThis was the first time in a while that Dana and Julian had talked about Lana. He was tempted to tell her the truth. She was his wife. He had always told her all. This was, in fact, his finest moment. Still, he had been tempted. Still, he did have a serious and abiding love for Lana. Dana knew her Kinsey. She should understand this as well as anyone on the planet. But for once, discretion stilled his voice, bucked up his super ego, fed his adult, and made him say less than he knew.
\n\t\u201cHer husband is possessive.\u201d
\n\t\u201cIf you have a possessive man, you have a problem.\u201d
\n\t\u201cShe has a problem.\u201d
\n\t\u201cA serious problem?\u201d
\n\t\u201cUnknown.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once in Parkersburg, Scott called Bruce. This was a tricky but necessary call.
\n\u201cBruce.\u201d
\n\u201cHey, Scott. How\u2019s Oakland?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m at KPKB.\u201d
\n\u201cWith the Cessna? What happened?\u201d
\n\u201cI had to leave the Cessna in Oakland.\u201d
\n\u201cYou what?\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s complicated. Can I ask a huge favor?\u201d
\n\u201cOK. Shoot.\u201d
\n\u201cCan you come over here and give me a ride home. I\u2019ll explain it on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott waited at the airport, calculating. He was going to get into the house one way or another. He was going to confront that wife of his and make her see the light somehow. She must not be writing that sort of shit on the Internet. Admirers were not going to be tolerated. Infidelity was out of the question, and she was to get right back to being a good wife. If not, there was going to be serious trouble between them. Then he raced to the fact of the matter: there already was serious trouble between them. If she\u2019d gone out and fucked some guy behind his back, she was in for it. He was not going to be a cuckold. The word made him furious. He also calculated that he had to cool it with Bruce. He had to get his red-faced fury under wraps. He knew Bruce was sympathetic to Lana, and that they\u2019d been friends a long time. Bruce, in all likelihood, knew all about the blog. He had figured it out that they all did, and that he was the only one who had been kept out of the loop. This too was a flash point. In any case, he needed Bruce to drop him off and then leave. So he had to come up with a story. <\/p>\n
Bruce Sibley put down the phone. As soon as he put it down, it rang again.
\n\t\u201cHello?\u201d
\n\t\u201cHi, Bruce. Christine Miller here. Is Annie home?\u201d
\n\t\u201cSure. Just a sec.\u201d
\n\t\u201cAnnie!\u201d
\n\t\u201cYes, dear?\u201d
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s Christine.\u201d He handed over the phone.
\n\t\u201cWhat\u2019s up Christine?\u201d
\nBruce now waited for his wife to finish so he could tell her where he was going. He listened in.
\n\t\u201cNo!\u201d
\n\t\u201cHow\u2019d he find out?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI\u2019ll bet he was. He\u2019s a maniac.\u201d
\n\t\u201cIs she OK?\u201d
\nShe covered the transmitter.
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s Lana. Scott found out about the blog!\u201d
\n\t\u201cShit. He just called from the airport. He flew back commercial. He wants me to take him home.\u201d
\n\t\u201cShit. I\u2019ll tell Christine and we\u2019ll warn Lana.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI don\u2019t want to be in the middle of a domestic dispute.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWell, Bruce, you\u2019re in the middle of one. I think you should not leave them alone once you get him home.\u201d
\n\t\u201cThat\u2019s not likely to work. Perhaps, though I can work out something.\u201d
\nShe went back to Christine.
\n\t\u201cChris, he\u2019s at the airport. Bruce is going to take him home\u2026\u201d
\nBruce suited up and listened in.
\n\t\u201c\u2026we\u2019ve got to warn Lana. She\u2019s taking a bath? That\u2019s not good. She should get dressed. She should arm up for battle.\u201d
\nOn his way to the car, Bruce mused that everyone seemed to get that Scott was dangerous but Lana. Here she was taunting him in public with hints of infidelities planned and other insults and breaches of marital confidence. \u2018If Annie did that to me, I\u2019d even be mortified, and I\u2019m not the jealous type like Scott,\u2019 he thought. <\/p>\n
It took Bruce Sibley about twenty minutes to get to the airport. Scott was waiting at the curb. He got in.
\n\t\u201cThanks man. You\u2019re getting extra points for this one.\u201d
\n\t\u201cNo prob, dude. So why\u2019d you leave the Cessna in Oakland?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI needed to get back quick.\u201d
\n\t\u201cMay I ask why? It\u2019s going to cost us mucho hangar fees while it sits out there, and then you have to go get it.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI know. Couldn\u2019t be helped. I hit a snag with Lana.\u201d
\nBruce said nothing. This was the familiar familial territory that Scott was so testy about. He just waited. In the silence, Scott might realize that this was highly unusual and volunteer an explanation. It was one that he was likely to know was false.
\n\t\u201cShe got some sort of food poisoning. She sounded awful. I decided I\u2019d better get back and deal.\u201d
\nThe cheap shot lie.
\n\t\u201cGod. How awful.\u201d
\nBeyond this, Bruce said nothing. He now understood that he might need to be the lifeline for Lana. He drove calmly in silence. Scott did not volunteer a single other word.
\n\t\u201cOK, Scott. Here you go. You call us if you need assistance with this.\u201d
\n\t\u201cOK. Thanks again, buddy.\u201d
\nBruce did not wait for Scott to get inside, but drove off down the street, when around the block and parked opposite the Andrews\u2019 house. He could see them as shadows behind the curtains in the backlight of their living room.<\/p>\n
Lana had gotten a call from Anne Sibley, and got out of her bath to take it. She thought it might be Julian, changing her mind. Her heart beat fast in her chest. She grabbed a robe, and grabbed her phone.
\n\t\u201cLana?\u201d
\n\t\u201cOh hi, Annie.\u201d
\n\t\u201cLana he\u2019s back. Scott. Bruce went to KPKB to pick him up and they\u2019re on their way to you. I suggest you get ready. Christine called and said you were gonna take a bath. Towel off and get dressed. You don\u2019t have much time.\u201d
\n\t\u201cOh. God. Thanks!\u201d
\nShe did as instructed. But then, with a blast of genius instinct taking over, she locked the bathroom door and sat on the covered toilet. She was trembling from top to bottom in fear of her crazy husband. She understood all that his premature arrival implied. She was familiar enough with his Skyhawk that she knew he\u2019d flown back commercial. That meant he was insane. An insane Scott was not going to be a fun Scott. She looked around in the bathroom for anything that might serve as a defensive weapon. She grabbed a bottle of hairspray.<\/p>\n
She heard the door open and close.<\/p>\n
Scott saw the lights all on and the mud on the carpet. He saw no sign of Lana. He ran up the stairs to check their bedroom. The lights were all on in there, but the bathroom door was open and there was no Lana. That left the downstairs bathroom and the kitchen. From her perch in that first floor bath, she heard Scott not doing any sort of checklist, but just running around in silent search of her. It was just a matter of a few moments now.
\n\t\u201cLana! Where in hell are you!\u201d He yelled.
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m in here, Scott. I wasn\u2019t expecting you home so soon sweetie! Just give me a few minutes!\u201d
\nHe saw her phone, and picked it up. He went through menus and found the last call she\u2019d made. He didn\u2019t recognize the number or the area. He hit redial.<\/p>\n
Julian\u2019s dumb cellphone vibrated on the table where he\u2019d left it hours ago. His heart leapt, because upon picking it up, he could see that it was Lana\u2019s number. He was being granted audience twice in one day?\u201d
\n\t\u201cHello, babe,\u201d he said.
\nThere was a pause on the other end. Into this pause, he said,
\n\t\u201cHello?\u201d
\n\t\u201cWrong number,\u201d came the gruff male voice on the other end. There was a click and the call was over.
\nWith the sudden impact of a tragic thought, Julian realized he had heard the voice of Agamemnon returned home from the wars. Agamemnon over there was not the equal of Achilles in battle, but surely, as commander-in-chief, he knew his way around the tools of the trade. Julian could suddenly imagine him with his sword, and therefore he could imagine him with his smart phone. Ah, the damage he can do when he finds Clytemnestra in imagined flagrante dilecto with some poet! One wouldn\u2019t want to be there on the other end of that wrong number. But then Julian remembered that Agamemnon was killed in his bath, perhaps musing that it is not, in fact, true that Trojans take the worry out of being close. He assumed that Clytemnestra would take care of herself. Even were that not true, Julian thought, with this stupid phone, I cannot even redial the last number that called me. The idea that he might try to do battle with the Agamemnon in his own mind, this over the top Scott Andrews, he didn\u2019t have the technology to do it with any speed. Away back in the posts, he had Lana\u2019s number on his Facebook message area. It would take time to find it. Could he honestly say I liked his women smart but his phones dumb? When his mistress’ husband was calling his number, he now wished for the ability to instantly check back with him. The dumb phone kept him unknown and unhappy, knowing whom his wife had been calling.<\/p>\n
From behind the door, Lana heard Scott say, \u2018wrong number.\u2019 She knew what that meant. She was ready now to act. She opened the door, aerosol can in one hand, fully dressed in jeans, sweatshirt and sneakers. Scott immediately brandished her phone at her.
\n\t\u201cJust what the fuck do you think you\u2019re doing!\u201d He yelled.
\n\t\u201cWhat the hell are you talking about?\u201d
\n\t\u201cThis! Who the fuck is this you\u2019re calling! Your goddamn admirer? Have you been fucking around behind my back?\u201d
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s over, Scott. Give me my phone.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYou\u2019re damn straight it\u2019s over!\u201d
\n\t\u201cGive me the phone.\u201d
\n\t\u201cMaybe when you start acting like my wife again, stop fucking around on me, stop dragging our life out into public on a fucking blog, and stop doing things behind my back in general!\u201d
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s over, Scott. I mean the marriage is over. I\u2019m going to sue you for divorce.\u201d She said this quietly but with some lawyerly venom. It sent a tongue of the flames of rage up into his mind and he took a quick step towards her and with the hand that wasn\u2019t holding her phone, that is, with his right hand, he hit her across her left cheek with his full force. The blow knocked her away from him, but like the cat that she was, she did not fall. She crouched into the stinging blow and rebounded. Scott was shocked by what he had done. It was almost as if it were not him. He was angry, yes, and hurt. She\u2019d cut him to the quick and all undeservedly. He had loved her, and always would. He had not meant to hurt her. So when she caught him in the face with the hairspray, and grabbed the phone from his hand, and walked out the front door, snatching her coat with keys in pocket, and got down the walk into her car and slammed and locked the doors, Scott was well behind the beat in this choreography. <\/p>\n
From his car across the street, Bruce had seen this drama play out as shadows behind a curtain. He had his phone in hand and was fingering his wife\u2019s speed dial button. He was also thinking of dialing 911. He saw Lana shoot out of the house and get in the car. Now he saw Scott a few moments behind her, pounding on the roof of Lana\u2019s Honda. He saw her behind the wheel crouched over something. \u2018Did she even manage to get her car keys?\u2019 Bruce wondered. He decided to dial 911. When the operator picked up, he said,
\n\t\u201cI wish to report a domestic disturbance at (and he gave the address).\u201d
\n\t\u201cWe\u2019ll be right out.\u201d
\nLana was also dialing 911. Her lip was bleeding from the blow, and she now tasted her own blood. Her cheek was scalding hot and stinging. A less lawyerly woman might have fled. But Lana wanted to wait until the police arrived and the incident was recorded. She wanted them to deal with her screaming, pounding husband. She started the car, though, because if he went berserk and broke a window with a rock or something, she wanted to be able to peel out. The 911 operator took her call after a moment. The operator said,
\n\t\u201cYes ma\u2019am, we\u2019ve already gotten a report. It seems to be a very popular disturbance.\u201d
\n\t\u201cMay I ask who called?\u201d
\n\t\u201cIt was a man named Bruce Sibley.\u201d
\n\t\u201cThanks.\u201d She looked around and between the flashes of Scott\u2019s gyrating and hopping figure she saw the Sibley\u2019s car across the street. She saw Bruce behind the wheel. She gave him the thumbs up. He repeated the gesture. Scott had been yelling obscenities, but now he was pleading.
\n\t\u201cGoddamn it, I\u2019m sorry, Lana! I am such an ass! I didn\u2019t mean to hit you! Goddamn it! Open the fucking door! Let\u2019s talk about this!\u201d
\nBruce saw the car start and observed the exhaust gas in the cold air. He could plainly hear his partner yelling the most pitiful things at Lana. He could see Scott\u2019s body language, see that he had no coat on, and could see the exhalations of his breath as a counterpoint to the car exhaust in the street light. It was a surreal scene. He had great admiration and respect for Lana. She was handling this like the smart woman that she was. But now the flashing lights of the two patrol cars arrived, and he began to feel a little sorry for Scott. She could see him step away from the car when he saw the lights. He put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. The officers got out of their car, and approached him. One was a woman and the other a man. Their weapons were at the ready. It was a serious moment. Bruce cracked his window so he could catch the dialogue.
\n\t\u201cSir,\u201d said the woman. \u201cWe are acting on a report of domestic violence. Is that the victim in the car?\u201d
\n\t\u201cThat\u2019s my wife in the car!\u201d
\n\t\u201cHave you assaulted your wife, sir?\u201d
\nThis is where Lana might have advised Scott not to answer but to ask that his rights be read or that the officers allow him to reenter the house without interrogation. Scott was unsure about how to respond. The term \u201cassault\u201d did not feel very good to him. It undermined somewhat his self-image as a man in control. He was an aircraft pilot. Assault?
\n\t\u201cWe\u2019re in the middle of an argument. She\u2019s cheating on me.\u201d
\n\t\u201cDid you hit her, sir?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI hit her once. It was an accident.\u201d
\nNow the male cop spoke. He was gesturing for Lana to roll her window down. She did it.
\n\t\u201cMa\u2019am, are you ok?\u201d
\nPeering into the car, he could see the welt on her cheek and her bloodied lip. He nodded to his partner.
\n\t\u201cThis woman\u2019s been hit, certainly.\u201d
\nThis was very down home police work, very sloppy and haphazard. West Virginia law requires that officers take detailed information and report verbatim the victim\u2019s statement. West Virginia is a state where officers have much discretion in the matter of making an arrest in a domestic violence case. The officers \u201cmay\u201d arrest if there is clear evidence of battery. Lana is well aware of the law. Scott may have bruised her face and bloodied her lip, but here is the kickback where she ruins his life. You can\u2019t beat a woman. The male officer leaned back in,
\n\t\u201cIs this man your husband?\u201d
\nLana nodded.
\n\t\u201cI need to ask some questions, but I want to know if you need medical attention first.\u201d
\n\t\u201cNo, I don\u2019t need medical, and I will answer questions.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWhat is your name and address?\u201d
\nLana gave this information.
\n\t\u201cHave either of you been drinking or using drugs.\u201d
\n\t\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\t\u201cAre there weapons in the house?\u201d
\n\t\u201cMy husband may own a gun. I am not sure.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWere weapons used in the assault?\u201d
\n\t\u201cHe hit me in the face. I sprayed him with hairspray to escape.\u201d
\n\t\u201cDo you wish to press charges? Shall I book your husband?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI do wish to press charges, and I would like you to arrest him.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, the female officer was preparing to ask the same questions of Scott. On the strength of her partner\u2019s assessment that the woman had been hit, and given the stance of the man upon their arrival at the scene, she had her cuffs at the ready. Scott could see all of this unfolding. He was standing still and shivering. He was beginning now to grasp what Lana had meant when she had said \u2018it was over.\u2019 He was defeated. The female officer waited for a nod from her partner. She then cuffed Scott Andrews and ducked him into the patrol car. Once in the car, at the start of her potential interrogation, she read Scott his Miranda rights. The familiar litany from every cop show he\u2019d ever seen was surreal now that it was happening to him. \u201cYou have the right to remain silent. Any thing you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can\u2019t afford one, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand your rights?
\n\t\u201cI do.\u201d
\n\t\u201cCan you tell me your name and address?\u201d
\nScott supplied this information.
\n\t\u201cIs that woman in the car over there your wife?\u201d
\n\t\u201cIt is.\u201d
\n\t\u201cAre there weapons in the house?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI own a gun. I have an FOID if you wish to see it.\u201d
\n\t\u201cNo thanks, perhaps we\u2019ll look at it later.\u201d
\n\t\u201cHave you been using drugs or alcohol?\u201d
\n\t\u201cNo. I may have had a beer hours ago.\u201d
\nFrom his car, Bruce now rolled up his window and called Anne.
\n\t\u201cAnnie, I\u2019m still over at the Andrews. Scott apparently hit Lana, and she\u2019s having him arrested on domestic violence charges.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWhoa. That\u2019s heavy.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYeah.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m waiting to see what\u2019s going to happen, but I think they\u2019re going to take Scott to the lockup and let Lana go pretty soon.\u201d
\n\t\u201cOK. Babe, this is kind of crazy.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYeah. My partner, the jail-bird.\u201d
\n\t\u201cCan you have a pilot\u2019s license with an arrest record?\u201d
\n\t\u201cGee, that\u2019s a good question.\u201d
\n\t\u201cHe\u2019ll lose his gun, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYeah. Wow. OK, well they\u2019re getting moving. I\u2019m going to go talk to Lana. She\u2019s still sitting in her car.\u201d
\nThe cops pulled out, taking Scott to the slammer. Bruce got out and walked over to Lana\u2019s window.
\n\t\u201cLana, my god. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYeah. Well. I gotta go close the front door and lock up. I\u2019d better make sure Mea and Tory haven\u2019t escaped.\u201d
\n\t\u201cYou need to do something about that lip.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI need to photograph it. I\u2019ve got a camera inside. Would you shoot me?\u201d
\n\t\u201cLana, that\u2019s not funny.\u201d
\n\t\u201cC\u2019mon Bruce. I\u2019m still me. I need my giggles.\u201d
\nLana got out and walked with Bruce to the front door. They went in and closed the door behind them. She went in to look for Mea and Tory. She found them upstairs, asleep on the bed. Cats. What can you do? In the light, her face had turned an ugly shade of purple in the shape of Scott\u2019s hand. She found the camera, and Bruce took photos.
\n\t\u201cBruce thanks for sticking around.\u201d
\n\t\u201cSure, Lana. I had to. I wasn\u2019t sure how this would go.\u201d
\n\t\u201cIt could have been worse.\u201d
\n\t\u201cIt could have been better.\u201d
\n\t\u201cWell, what\u2019s your pleasure, Lana?\u201d
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m going to use some antiseptic, and then I\u2019m going to ring up the Millers and see if I can stop by for a drink. You\u2019re welcome to come.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI might. I want to call Annie.\u201d
\n\t\u201cGood idea. And let\u2019s see what the Roiters are up to. It\u2019s time for a pre-New Year\u2019s Eve party.\u201d
\nBruce went and collected Annie. Lana contacted the Millers and they contacted the Roiters. Lana set off for the Millers, and when Jason opened the door for her, he cried out,
\n\u201cHoly shit! Lana! You have a perfect purple hand print on the side of your face. And a serious split lip! Scott did this?\u201d
\n\u201cHe did.\u201d
\n\u201cWell, we\u2019d better take you to emergency.\u201d
\n\u201cEmergency?\u201d
\n\u201cYou need to get this documented and in medical records. Trust me.\u201d
\n\u201cI took photos.\u201d
\n\u201cThat\u2019s good, but if you want your case to stick, we\u2019ve got to take a trip to Emergency.\u201d
\nLana ducked her head. (\u2018Oh sacred head, now wounded.\u2019)
\n\t\u201cOK. Let\u2019s take this party to Emergency.\u201d
\nThe little crowd of her closest friends sat together in the fluorescent glare of Emergency admissions. They were not very high up in triage. They had time to kill.
\n\t\u201cSo, Lana. Here\u2019s some news you may have missed. \u2018Amy Tells All\u2019 made the Huffington Post.\u2019\u201d
\n\t\u201cSay wha? You\u2019re kidding me, Lisa.\u201d
\n\t\u201cNope. Serious. Here, let me conjure it up on my phone. OK\u2026
\n\t\u2018Popular Blog Goes Missing.\u2019 That\u2019s the headline. \u2018The many young and old folks addicted to the popular blog Amy Tells All were in for a shock today when they woke up to find the blog reverted to private status. A recap for those under-rock-dwellers who are unaware: this blog has been widely read since its inception several months ago. The posts are often witty, self-revelatory and poetic. The topics include sex, cats, and lately, \u2018truth cake.\u2019 What\u2019s not to like? OK. Another source of Amy\u2019s appeal is her refusal to step out from behind her anonymity. She gives us a general location, but no specifics that could allow us to know her identity. Her scenes are careful to allow identifiers, except when she writes up Parkersburg WV landmarks such as the Coyote hang she favors. So went she suddenly went private, there was much dark speculation. Her last post, the one on truth cake, left us with the impression that she was a), married and that b), her marriage was in trouble. Is there trouble in Amy city? Stay tuned.\u2019 That\u2019s what they published.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI\u2019m getting a sort of \u2018Amy\u2019 headache at this point,\u201d said Lana.
\n\t\u201cWell, you just got smacked upside the head for it,\u201d said Jason. \u201cThe headache is understandable.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI think he smacked me because he thought I was having an affair.\u201d
\n\t\u201cIs that not true? I only got one crack at that post before it disappeared, but it seemed to imply affair.\u201d
\n\t\u201cNo, no, Annie, I am blameless. Nothing happened.\u201d
\n\t\u201cUh huh,\u201d said Christine, who\u2019d heard the details.
\n\t\u201cOK, OK. I liked this guy a lot. But he sent me packing, no nookie.\u201d
\n\t\u201cI like this guy a lot too,\u201d said Bruce.
\n\t\u201cRestraint is so rare.\u201d
\n\t\u201cMs. Andrews, we\u2019ll examine you now.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Julian made it back to his home in Stephens City, it was about 11:30 PM. He had stopped at a service station in Winchester and changed back into his hiking gear. Then he stomped out into the woods next to the highway and muddied up his boots. He wanted an airtight alibi. Now he found that such precautions had not been necessary, because Dana Feminita was sound asleep in their bed. He went quietly back down the stairs, padding in his socks and put on some sneakers. He went out to the car and retrieved his \u2018professor costume,\u2019 and hung it carefully back up in a closet on the first floor. Now, except for the odometer reading, the whole thing had never happened. He poured himself a drink. He sat down on the couch and stared into space. He thought of Lana and Scott. He thought of Dana. He sighed. When he had drained his glass, he went upstairs and climbed in with her and was soon fast asleep. He slept the sleep of the man who had done what is right. The next day, he went with Dana shopping up in Winchester. He was full of talk about…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapters","comments-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ken-beck.com\/bloggers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ken-beck.com\/bloggers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ken-beck.com\/bloggers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ken-beck.com\/bloggers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ken-beck.com\/bloggers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ken-beck.com\/bloggers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ken-beck.com\/bloggers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ken-beck.com\/bloggers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ken-beck.com\/bloggers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}