The Edge of Reality

By Tony Thompson

Living as a normal middle class family of four, this family learns to deal with the old phrase "I thought that only happened to other people" as one of them is framed for a murder. Framed so well the entire family is forced on the run from the law in order to keep them together. Uprooting their lives, and taking on new identities, their adventures take them through hiding out in big cities to living in the wilds in the Ozark mountains. Fighting against the elements of nature to protecting one another from wild animal attacks. Finding lots of adventure and meeting many new friends along the way, and finding out the hard way that blood is not always thicker than water. Coping with deaths of family and friends as they suffer the pain they must continue their journey of protecting themselves and each other as they are each subjected to possibilities of death on their travels to the unknown, driven by destiny surviving by wit and instinct. This family leaves a lifelong favorable impression on the lands they travel and the hearts they touch. That is until the long arm of the law reaches out and tears them from the new lives they had worked so hard to create effecting so many in a devastating manner, as the children are forced by law to live with the true murderer, as ruthless as he is, and made to survive in unspeakable circumstances' protecting each other along the way as Mom and Dad are thrown in jail for a murder they did not commit. Though as the law tightens its grip, unforeseen allies formed along their journey come to the rescue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645842903

Book preview

Book One

The Home Life

Hi, honey! I’m home! Honey, where you at?

I’m upstairs, Eric.

Good, I’ll be up in a minute, I’m gonna grab me a soda real quick.

I go in the kitchen, open the refrigerator, grab a soda, and head up the stairs. As I reach the top, I turn to go in our room. I see Rosa standing there with her waist-length jet-black hair, medium build, and nice figure at five foot four inches with a Hispanic descent, nicely tanned complexion, and big, beautiful brown eyes turning to greet me.

Hi, Eric, how did your day go?

Well, I said, looking at her with an expectant smile, it will be better after I get my hug.

Okay, let me hang these clothes up.

As we hug and I give her a light kiss, I look her in the eyes and say, Now I’ve had a great day. How was your day?

It went good. I got home about fifteen minutes ago. The kids left a note: they’re over at the park playing ball with their friends, said they’ll be home at six o’clock. So we still got about fifteen minutes of quiet time.

Well, I say we take advantage of that. How about we just sit up here, I’ll turn the radio on low, we’ll talk and share this soda, and you can tell me how your day went.

That sounds good to me. She says, I got to work this morning, the place was a mess, they showed a movie in the beach room last night, and I think they had popcorn—it was all over the floor. I got all that cleaned up. Then Mrs. Lou had a leak under her sink, so I went up and fixed that. Then you know what she told me? She said she was glad I worked there. She said when she was looking for a senior citizen home to live in, she was nervous, but she said there, everyone is like family. Then you know what she told me? She said I was the only lady she knows that can do anything a man can do. I said, ‘I like that.’ And she said, ‘Everyone down there likes me and is always saying good things about me. So that made me feel really good, so I had a good day. Now this quiet time spent with you made my day perfect.’

I only have one thing to say, honey. Mrs. Lou is right, you can do anything a man can do, but she only sees you at work in your work uniform and your hair is pinned back. One of these times when we’re going out somewhere, we’ll have to stop in and show them all you’re also the most beautiful lady in the world. After all, they’ve already seen your inner beauty.

Oh, you always say the nicest things, Eric.

Only the truth!

Okay, she says, now tell me how your day went.

Looking out the window, I said, Oh, it was average, I called all my customers this morning. One canceled, so that left me eleven calls, mostly washers and dryers, a few dishwashers, and one refrigerator. It was mostly basic, but I made the company a lot of money. I can’t wait till we can start a business of our own. We’ll work together. I’ll show you how to fix any household appliance there is—well, almost any.

It should be about time the kids are getting home. I said, What do you say we go start something for dinner? What do you want to have?

I don’t know. I was going to ask you.

All right, I got it, I said. We’ll have cheese burgers.

That sounds good, she says. You cook the meat, and I’ll slice the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.

Good, I’ll light some briquettes up and barbecue the meat.

Mom, Dad, we’re home! Our oldest, Julie, nine years old and a spitting image of her mother with long jet black hair, a dark tan complexion, with brown eyes, just over four feet tall and slender, is very much the modem young girl.

Hi kids, did you guys have fun today? I asked.

Yeah! But Albert’s been a pest. They were bugging me and my friends at the park!

Who are they?

Albert and his friends.

Albert, is that true?

Yeah Dad, but Julie started it; her and her friends kept getting in our way when we were playing ball.

Well, I got a good solution for all of this. You guys want cheeseburgers tonight?

Yeah!

Yeah!

Good, we’re going to barbecue them. Your mother’s making all the fixings, and I’m going to barbecue the burgers. You kids go wash up, and you can help me get the barbecue ready!

Okay, but I just want meat on mine, Dad, no cheese.

Albert, a year younger than his sister, had always been small for his age, slender with black hair, a little longer than mine, brown eyes, with a dark tan complexion, is also a very modern young boy.

I know, son. I didn’t like cheese when I was your age either. Then remembering something, I turned to Rosa. Oh, honey, I talked to Mom earlier today, and she invited us out for a barbecue tomorrow. I told her as far as I knew, we had no plans. I said I would talk to you and call her tonight and let her know.

Yes, that sounds good, Eric. I don’t have any plans.

Good, I’ll get the briquettes started and give Mom a call.

Hey! You guys going to help me with this?

Yeah, Dad, we’re coming.

Okay, Albert, you get the briquettes, and, Julie, you get the fire starter. You kids want to go to Grandma’s tomorrow?

Yeah, I want to play on the trampoline, Julie says.

Me too, Albert says. Is Paul going to be there?

I don’t know. They might be, I said. All right, son, let’s put about half of the bag in there.

Okay, I can do it myself, Dad!

Good, I said. And, sweetie, when he gets the briquettes in there, you squirt some fluid on them and Dad will light it. You kids stand back now. I’ll just strike this match, and yeah! Now that’s a fire. Now we’ll let the fire burn down, and I’ll call your grandma. You kids can go see if your mom needs any help.

Mom, do you need any help?

Yeah, if you kids want to help, we can work together.

Yeah, we want to help!

Okay then, Julie, you can slice the tomatoes, and, Albert, you can get the ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard out of the refrigerator. I already sliced some cheese and put some French fries in the oven.

We’re having fries too? Julie asked.

Yeah, babe, I thought I would surprise you guys.

Oh good, Julie says, but Dad Don’t know, so he’ll still be surprised.

Hello!

Hi, Mom.

Oh, hi, honey, I was just thinking about you!

Good, I hope?

Of course.

I was calling to let you know we’ll be out there tomorrow. What time do you want us there?

Oh, I don’t know—about ten o’clock or so.

Okay, who all’s going to be there?

As far as I know, you kids are the only ones coming out. Greg’s got to work, Robert’s going fishing, and Jessica’s going to Bridget’s. You might want to see if Rene wants to come out with you!

Okay, I’ll call her later. Albert asked me if Paul was going to be there. I told him I would ask you.

Well, he might be. He called earlier and wanted to spend the night. I told him it depended on how I felt, and I feel pretty good tonight, so I think I’ll call Robert and tell him he can bring him out.

Good him and the kids can play, I said, while we visit.

Where are Rosa and the kids?

Oh, there in the kitchen. We’re going to barbecue some burgers, so they’re getting the fixings all together, and I’m going to cook the meat. The kids helped me start the briquettes. Now they’re in there, helping Rosa.

Do you need us to bring anything out tomorrow?

No, just yourselves!

We’ll just stop and get some sodas for the kids then.

That’s a good idea!

Terrific, Mom. We’ll see you about ten in the morning and I’ll call Rene and see if she wants to come!

Thanks, son. I love you. See you in the morning.

Okay. Love you too, Mom. Good night.

All right, guys. All is set for tomorrow, and Paul will be there for you kids to play with, and Mom wants me to call Rene and see if she wants to go. I’ll call her after dinner. Right now, I better go get those burgers on! Oh, I see you got some mushrooms out too!

Yes, I’m going to slice some up for ours, Rosa says.

Yeah, that sounds good. These burgers shouldn’t take too long to cook.

Hey, Mom, I got an idea, Julie says, Dad and Albert can do the dishes tonight, and we’ll do them tomorrow!

I don’t think so, Julie! Albert says. We’re eating at Grandma’s tomorrow!

Yeah, that’s the idea, Albert, and then me and Mom will have the day off.

Good try, sweetie, I said, but that’s actually a good idea. Me and Albert will do them tonight and you and Mom can do them tomorrow at Grandma’s, and we’ll give Grandma the day off. And me and Grandpa will do the barbecuing.

Yeah, Julie! Albert says. And me and Paul will play on the trampoline.

Shut up, Albert. That was supposed to get me and Mom out of doing dishes.

That’s okay, Julie, Rosa says. We’ll do them tomorrow, then we’ll tell Grandma that Dad and Albert are lazy!

Yeah, Mom, Julie says, and she’ll believe us because she’s always on our side.

Ha! Ha! Very funny, girls! I said. Now let’s all finish up so Albert and I can do the dishes. There’s a good movie on at eight, and I want us all to be able to watch it.

Remember, Dad, tonight’s Friday, so me and Albert get to stay up.

I know. I think Mom and I are going to bed after the movie at ten, so you kids keep the noise down and you can stay up. Just remember, we’re supposed to be at Grandma’s at ten in the morning, so we got to get up early.

We know!

All right, son. I’ll wash and you can rinse. Just be sure to get all the soap off.

Okay, Dad!

When we get done, I’ll call your Aunt Rene.

Hello.

Hi sis, (Rene Steed, forty-one years old, a true beauty with blond hair and brown eyes, dealt a bad hand in the card game of life. She was born a blue baby, attributed to a heart disease; the doctors said she would not live past the age of six. He was wrong; she did, though she could not have children, and she loved kids. She went through two marriages with rotten luck; both guys turned out to be losers. After that, it seemed all she could hook up with was losers. That is, until she met Larry. He was a mix of Kenny Rogers and Rodney Dangerfield—go figure that one. He treated her like royalty. They planned to get married, and all was going well. For once in her life, she was truly happy. They were going to buy a motor home and travel. Though as fate would have it, dear Rene woke up one night shortly before their wedding, only to find good old Larry had passed on in his sleep. Once again, Rene was alone.)

Hi, Eric, how are you?

I’m fine. What’s going on with you?

Oh, I’m just sitting here playing a game of solitaire.

That sounds good. Who’s winning?

Well, right now, these silly cards are.

Maybe your luck will change after this! I’m calling to see if you wanted to go to Mom’s tomorrow for a barbecue?

Yeah, that sounds good. Who’s going to be there?

Just us and you.

Okay, what time do you want me to be ready?

We’ll pick you up at nine-thirty. I told Mom we’d be at her place at ten in the morning.

Do I need to bring anything?

Just you.

Then I’ll be ready.

Great, we’ll see you in the morning.

Thanks for calling, brother, and have a good night.

Okay. You too, sis.

Honey, that was a good dinner! I said.

Yes, it was, and the movie was good too, Rosa says. I was laughing so hard.

I know. Me too. But you know what the best part is?

What?

Well, the kids are downstairs, watching TV. The lights are out, and I got the most beautiful lady lying next to me, so…

Now Julie and Albert may argue a lot amongst each other as typical brother and sister do, but when it comes down to it, their heart is in the right place.

Albert, Albert, wake up!

What is it, Julie?

Mom and Dad are still sleeping, so let’s surprise them and make coffee and serve them a cup in bed

Okay, Albert says while blinking his eyes, trying to wake up.

Eric, Eric, wake up!

Oh, good morning, honey, I say after rolling over and facing Rosa, who was now sitting next to me half-covered and looking like she was not quite awake yet herself.

It’s time to wake up, she says. The kids are already awake. I heard them downstairs.

Well, give me a minute to wake up and I’ll go make my beautiful queen some coffee, then I’ll serve her a cup in bed.

Oh, Eric, you’re so wonderful!

Albert, they’re coming downstairs. We got to stop them! Julie says as she takes off at a run for the foot of the stairs. Dad, don’t come down here right now.

Why, what are you kids up to? I asked with a smile.

Just go back upstairs. We got a surprise for you and Mom.

Well, honey, I got sent back upstairs by the kids. Julie come running out of the kitchen, Albert right behind her, and they caught me before I could make it down the stairs and said we are to stay up here in bed and they have a surprise for us. And I think I smelled fresh coffee, so I say we lie here and wait for our surprise.

Rosa smiles and says, It could be a trap.

Right then, the kids walked in, each holding a cup of coffee. Albert says with a proud smile lighting up his face, Okay, Mom, Dad, here’s your surprise—a cup of coffee for you, Mom, and a cup of coffee for you, Dad. He hands me a cup, and Julie hands Rosa a cup.

Feeling overjoyed with our kids, Rosa says, You kids, that was a very nice thing to do.

It sure was, I said. Do we have the best kids in the world or what?

Okay, Mom, Dad, me and Julie are going down stairs so you can enjoy your coffee in peace.

As the kids went downstairs, I said, Did you see how cute they looked, honey, standing there in their pajamas, smiling so proud?

Yes, I did, Rosa says. I remember the first time they were going to surprise us with coffee. They filled the coffee maker with a pot of water, then they filled the pot with water again and put it in place, then the coffee started coming down, the pot overfilled and went everywhere.

Oh yeah, I said. Looking back, it’s pretty funny, and they did give us a surprise!

After I finish this cup of coffee, Rosa says, I’ll have the kids shower and get ready, then I’ll shower and get ready, then I’ll make breakfast.

That sounds good, honey. I’ll take a shower after you, and after we eat, we’ll go pick Rene up.

Anyone who knows my mom, Jean Sloan, knows that when one of her kids are coming out for the day, she has her house ready and she herself is waiting in anticipation for their arrival. Honey, the kids are here!

Oh, good, I’ll be in, in just a minute. I’m cleaning the grill on the barbecue.

Hi, kids, Mom says, as she greets us at the door. Come in, come in.

Hi, Mom, I said while embracing her with a hug.

Is Paul here, Grandma? Albert asked.

Yes, honey, he’s in the house watching TV. He’s been waiting all morning for you kids to get here, but you give Grandma a hug before you run inside. They did, and off they went.

I’m glad to see you made it, Rene, Mom says as she gives Rene a hug then turns to hug Rosa.

Good morning, Mom, how are you? Rosa asked while getting her hug.

I’m feeling good this morning, Mom says, I’m glad you kids made it out.

Where’s Dad at, Mom? I asked.

He’s out back, cleaning the grill on the barbecue. I’m going to leave you girls to your talking and go see Dad.

As the three girls walk inside, Rosa says, Me and Eric had coffee in bed this morning, Mom.

You did?

Yes, the kids got up early, made coffee, and served us in bed.

Well, those little angels, Mom says.

Hi, Dad, need some help?

Oh, hi, Eric. No, I’m just about done here. I wanted to clean this grill off before we barbeque.

Eric, do you want a cup of coffee? Mom yells through the kitchen window.

Yeah, Mom. That sounds good, thanks.

As Mom pours me a cup of coffee, she says to Rosa and Rene, who already had a cup, Let’s go out back, girls. We’ll take a walk up to the fish pond, and you can see my new koi, their Japanese carp. They look like big goldfish.

Dad and I walked up the hill with the girls on a redwood walkway lined with outdoor lights that look beautiful when lit up at night, to see Mom’s koi. I remember when you built this pond, Eric. You worked so hard on it. You got your fingers to bleeding working the cement in between the Carmel stones.

I’m just glad I was able to do it for you, Mom. I amazed myself when Rosa and I built this redwood walkway. It turned out pretty good for someone who never built one before.

Well, the goldfish sure seem to like this pond. Sometimes your Dad and I come out and sit and just watch them swim around.

Where are you going, sis?

I’m going to check on the kids.

Wait up, we’ll come with you.

Hi, Grandma, we’re having lots of fun, Paul says as he’s going up and down on the trampoline.

That’s good, honey, Mom says. He could hardly wait for you guys to get here this morning so he could play with Albert and Julie.

Yeah, Grandma, we’re seeing who can jump the highest.

That’s good, Albert. You kids just be careful.

We will!

Hey Dad, I said, what time do you want to start the barbecue?

Oh, I thought we would start around one.

Rosa had stayed back as we started to walk toward the back of the house. Eric, come here. I want to talk to you.

Sure, hon. What’s up?

Can you take Mom and Dad in the back? I want to talk to Rene. She’s awfully quiet today and I want to see if she’s all right!

Sure, hon.

Hey, Mom, Dad, let’s go look at your chickens, I said, catching up to them. And Rene, Rosa wants to see you for a minute.

Rene, you’re awfully quiet today, Rosa says as Rene approaches. Is everything okay?

Yeah, I’m okay, I’m just missing Larry. Sometimes I go through days and it feels like my whole world has been turned upside down, and all of a sudden, I feel all alone, and there are other times when I just feel tired and I have no interest in trying to start over again. Sometimes, when I’m lying in bed, it’s like I can feel him lying next to me, then I’m forced to realize he’s gone for good. I think that’s when I feel the most alone, almost empty. It’s been almost six months now. I’m sure eventually I’ll get through it. It will just take some time. Then looking at Rosa, she says with a smile, I’m thankful for my family. Thanks for letting me vent.

Rosa gave her a hug as she says, Let’s go see some chickens.

The barbecue went well, and at the end of the day, we all got our hugs and said goodbye. Mom, Dad, that was a terrific barbecue. Thanks for having us out.

Oh, I’m just glad you were able to come, Mom says, and thanks for taking Paul home. Tell Robert and Rebeca they missed a good barbecue. And, Rene, thanks for coming out. We’ll have to get together and go to bingo soon. We’re about overdue.

Okay, Mom, that sounds good. Thanks for having us out. We love you, Rene says as she climbs in the truck.

Make him drive safe, Rosa.

I will, Mom, Rosa says with a smile.

We’ll see you later. Thanks again, Mom and Dad. We love you, I said through the open window as we start to drive off.

After a full day with the family, now lying in bed and ready to call it a night, I turn to Rosa and say, Honey, this was a great day. I sure did enjoy it, and I know the kids had a blast too. I think next week, I’ll go to the ranch. There’s a few things I need to take care of, like riding the four-wheelers around and catching up on my tan, maybe a nice bonfire.

Okay, Rosa says, I want to go see my mom and sister, so you take Albert with you to the ranch, and I’ll take Julie with me.

Okay, hon. Albert will like that. He likes riding those four wheelers as much as I do. First, we got to get through another work week. I got a busy day Monday, I got eleven calls to make. One’s a gear case on a washing machine.

My day is going to be easy, Rosa says. I just have some vacuuming to do, and I’m going to help Janice get the place ready for a potluck they’re having Monday night.

Then thinking of something I didn’t like thinking of, I asked, By the way, hon, I don’t want to ruin a perfect night, but has you-know-who called lately?

No, Eric, he hasn’t called since we had him over last week and tried to reason with him. Now he’s going to play his usual games!

Well, I think I’ll stop by and see our lawyer Monday and see if there’s not something we can do to get this done any faster. I know the kids will be as happy as we are when this is done. I think we’ll take a camping trip when this is all finalized to celebrate.

That sounds good, Eric. Maybe we can go to Yosemite?

Sounds good to me, I say as I reach over and turn off the lamp on the nightstand.

The following Monday, as I reach my last call of the day, I knock on the door, and I’m greeted by the lady of the house. Hi, Mrs. Santos, my name is Eric Sloan. I’m here to fix your dryer. Says on my work order it won’t heat up.

Oh yes, she says. It’s right back here in the laundry room. It was working just fine, and then it just quit getting hot.

Don’t worry, Mrs. Santos, I’ll have it fixed for you soon and you can get back to drying your clothes with a nice, hot dryer. Right then, my beeper went off; it was someone from home. Do you have a phone I can use, Mrs. Santos? I’m getting a beep from my house and I want to make sure everything’s okay.

Sure, there’s one here in the kitchen you can use. I thanked her and dialed the number to our house; Rosa answered it on the first ring.

Hi, honey, did you page me?

Yes, Eric, I did. He called, and he says he will meet with us. He sounds like he is ready to sign the adoption papers.

Oh, honey, that is great. This is my last call, so I should be home within the hour. Have you said anything to the kids yet?

No, not yet.

Good, let’s not say anything till we’re for sure. I’ll see you soon, hon. I love you.

I love you too, Eric.

I diagnosed and replaced the heating element on Mrs. Santos’s dryer. Okay, Mrs. Santos, your dryer is as good as new. Just sign right here, and thank you again for the use of your phone.

Driving home was a feeling of mixed emotions. I wanted to be happy. This is something Rosa, the kids, and I have wanted for so long, for me to be able to legally adopt both Julie and Albert as my own children and give them the Sloan name. Though as good as I wanted to feel about it, I was keeping my guard up, afraid it may be another one of Frank’s tricks. It seems he somehow gets his kicks from playing with our feelings and emotions. After Rosa and I got together, I became instantly attached to both children and them to me; Frank made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with either one of them. It was then I knew I wanted to adopt both children. Over the past six years, we have asked him to sign over the adoption rights, so far, to no avail. When Frank realized how much it meant to us, he used that to hold over our heads. Rosa and I married six months after we met, and Frank has been a thorn in our side ever since.

Now pulling into the driveway of our home, I put all these feelings in check; I didn’t want to alert the kids. Opening the door, I walked in the house with a smile. Hi, honey. Hi, kids. I’m home!

Hi, Dad, did you have a good day?

Yes, I did, kids. Thanks for asking.

Rosa comes out of the kitchen. Hi, Eric, I made us a cup of coffee.

Good, hon. Kids, Mom and I are going upstairs to talk, so you kids stay down here for a while, okay?

Okay, Dad.

Once we were inside our room, I closed the door. She sat on the edge of the bed, and I sat across from Rosa in a La-Z-Boy chair next to the window. Okay, honey, what did he have to say?

He said he didn’t like the idea of you adopting the kids, then he said he was tired of dealing with all of us, so he would talk to us about signing the adoption papers and be free of all of us. And when he said it, Eric, he had so much hate in his voice. He said he would meet with us tomorrow, but he picked a very strange place to meet.

Honey, I’ll never trust him, but I would meet him on the moon, I said, if it would get him to sign the adoption papers! So where is it he wants to meet?

You know those old work sheds out by the grape fields on Tyson Street? He says he’s supposed to pick up his neighbor that works out there at six in the afternoon tomorrow and says we can meet him there if we want to talk.

Yeah, leave it up to him to come up with a stupid idea like that, I said. He’s just trying to make it as hard on us as he possibly can!

I don’t know how anybody can be as coldhearted as he is, I said. He has no feelings for anyone and only thinks of himself. He never tries to see the kids. He doesn’t call them. I don’t think he even knows when their birthday is. The few times they have talked, they’ve had to call him, then he goes and promises he’ll come take them to a movie or for an ice cream then never shows up, doesn’t call to say why or nothing. Now the kids don’t want anything to do with him, and that seems to fit him just fine. I know it suits me just fine. I got tired of seeing them hurt by his cruelty.

I know, Eric. He doesn’t care about the kids—he just uses them to hurt me. He’s always been that way. I don’t know what I ever seen in him. I was young, and he put on a good act when we first met. I’m just glad that is all behind us now.

Me too, honey. I’ll just be so happy to have this done so we can lead a normal life and he will no longer be involved in it. I’ll tell you what, Rosa—let’s celebrate. We’ll order pizza. Let’s not say anything to the kids till we’re sure. I don’t want to get their hopes up.

The next day, we left the house at five-thirty in the afternoon, heading for the sheds on Tyson Street to finally try to bring this to an end once and for all.

Now when we get there, honey, I said, let me do most of the talking. The hardest part is going to be getting him down to the lawyer’s office to sign the papers.

Eric, there’s the place and he’s here. That’s his car parked on the side.

I parked the truck in the front of the building; we got out and walked to the front door. The place looked abandoned. I opened the door, and we walked in. There was no one to be seen, and it was dark inside. I called out, Anyone here? Then we heard it, a gunshot—the sound seemed to echo off the walls and pierced the quietness with a blast so loud and strong you could feel the vibration in the air. Rosa immediately grabbed hold of me. I took her in my arms and asked her if she was okay. She said she was and asked if I was okay. I said I was. We cautiously walked to the door leading to the room the gun shot came from.

Rosa gasped; we were both now looking at a man we had never seen before lying in a pool of his own blood. It was dim inside but light enough to see he had been shot through the heart. Other than the man who had been shot, the room appeared to be empty. There’s a gun lying on the floor next to him, Eric, Rosa says.

It was then, as I looked at the gun, I realized. I walked closer to get a better look, thinking to myself that it couldn’t be. In shock, I picked up the gun. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I looked at Rosa. Still holding the gun, I said in a shocked tone, Rosa, this is my gun!

You’re right, Eric, a voice shouted from the dark. It is your gun, and your prints are all over it. It was Frank; he was standing at the side door where he had his car parked. You killed my friend Eric. You went crazy. You’re mad. You came here to see if I would sign those adoption papers. When I told you no, you went crazy and pulled out a gun and started shooting. I threw myself to the floor, and Ron got shot. I barely made it out alive, and I went straight home and called the police.

After he said all of this, he ran for his car, which was already running, jumped in, and was gone before we had time to register what had just happened. I just stood there, bewildered, looking at the gun.

Eric, we got to get out of here now! I looked at her then back at the gun in my hands; I dropped it, grabbed her hand, and ran for the truck.

Once we were on the road again, I said as calm as I could, Okay, honey, first we’re going to call the kids. Then panic set in. Oh, man, what are we going to do? We got to think about this. We can’t go to the police. It’s my gun, and my prints are all over it, and Frank is going to swear I did it just like he said. How did he get my gun anyway?

I don’t know, Eric. Maybe he took it when we had him at the house last week, when we were trying to get him to sign the adoption papers.

That’s got to be it, I said as I started running the events of last week’s meeting with Frank through my mind. ‘The kids were at Mom’s house and we had just had new tile laid in the bathroom downstairs. Frank went upstairs to use the restroom. Damn him. He must have gone prowling around in our room and found my gun."

This scares me, Eric.

There’s a phone, I said. We’ll call the kids, then I’ll call my lawyer.

We pulled into the little market and parked by the phone booth; I dialed our number and Julie answered. I knew I had to keep my cool. Hi, sweetie, where’s Albert? I said this with a little more apprehensiveness in my voice than I intended.

He’s right here, Dad, but I got to tell you something! Two policemen come to the door looking for you.

What did they say?

They just asked if you were here and when I told them no, they said did I know where you were, I told them you and Mom went for a drive. Then they left, and that was just a few minutes ago. Is something wrong, Dad?

Yes, sweetie, there is. You and Albert put your jackets on and stay right there in the house. Mom’s going to come and get you right now, so just be ready, okay? And don’t answer the door unless it’s Mom.

Okay, Dad, we’ll get ready right now.

I hung up and turned to Rosa. Honey, the police have already been to the house looking for me. I’m going to try to call my lawyer. You go pick the kids up. We’ll stay in a motel tonight and try to figure out what to do. As Rosa drove off, I fumbled in my wallet, hoping I had my lawyer’s number. I did, and I called him right away.

Hello.

Don, hi, this is Eric. I’m sorry to call you at home, but I got trouble, big trouble!

What kind of trouble?

"Man, Don, it’s crazy! You know we were trying to get Frank to sign the adoption papers. We had him over to the house about a week ago trying to convince him to sign them. And unbeknown to us at the time, he had used that as an opportunity to steal my gun, then yesterday, he calls Rosa while I was at work and makes arrangements to meet with us at some shed out on Tyson Street, claiming he’s got to pick a neighbor up out there at six o’clock. So we go out there this afternoon, just the two of us. We seen his car parked at the side of one of the sheds, so we pull up in front and go inside, and that’s when we hear a gun go off. We look in the room where it comes from, only to see a guy neither one of us has ever seen before lying in a pool of his own blood. There’s a gun lying next to him, and as I’m looking at this gun, I realize it’s my gun. It all happened so fast, I wasn’t thinking, and I picked up the gun. That’s when Frank comes out of nowhere and accuses me of shooting this guy then runs to his car, saying he’s going to call the police. And I know it was stupid, but I dropped my gun, and we got out of there. We drove around for a few minutes trying to sort things out, then we stopped and called the kids. The first thing Julie says is the police were just there looking for me.

I don’t know what to do, Don. Rosa just went to pick the kids up at our house. That’s it, Don, everything, what do I do?

All I can tell you right now, Eric, is I’ll call the sheriff’s department—they’re probably handling it—and I’ll see what they have. For now, keep yourself and your vehicle out of sight and give me a call back in twenty minutes.

So does this mean you’re going to be my lawyer on this?

Call me back in twenty minutes, Eric. I’ll have something for you.

Okay, Don, twenty minutes.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, Rosa had just arrived at our house where the kids were anxiously waiting and ready. Albert was the first to speak. Mom, where’s Dad?

We’re going to pick him up right now. You kids go get in the truck, Rosa says while she quickly looks around for anything we may need. Not seeing anything, she hurries to join the kids in the truck.

As she nears the phone booth where she left me earlier, she says, I left him by that phone booth, but I don’t see him!

There’s Dad, Mom. He’s behind that bush, Julie says, Here he comes. I climbed in the truck, and we drove away.

Okay, honey, I got to call Don back in fifteen minutes. He’s going to call the sheriff’s department to see what he can find out. I asked him if he was going to be my lawyer. He just said to call him back in twenty minutes.

What’s the matter, Dad, what do you need a lawyer for?

It’s a long story, son. You kids try not to worry. Mom and I will take care of everything. Something pretty bad happened tonight, and they think Dad did it.

What do they think you did?

We’ll explain it to you guys later. We’re going to stay in a motel tonight, and we’ll tell you all about it then.

A motel? Julie says. That sounds like fun.

After driving around for a few minutes, we found an out-of-the-way spot to call Don. It was now dark, and we pulled into an empty lot next to a small country store with a phone booth at the corner of the lot. I dialed the number, and Don answered it on the first ring.

Hello.

Don, it’s me, Eric.

Okay, here’s what I got. The sheriff’s department is looking for you, when they showed up at your place the first time, they only wanted to question you. Now they say they have talked some more to the witness, and they got a felony warrant for your arrest with a witness that’s ready to testify and a murder weapon with your prints on it.

Oh man, Don, what do I do? I didn’t do it.

I believe you, Eric, but it doesn’t look good for you! You can let me take you in tonight and we can fight it, but I won’t be able to get you bail, and from what you told me, they’re going to have a strong case against you.

Well, for goodness’s sake, Don, help me. I don’t want to go to prison for the rest of my life for something I didn’t even do. Should I get out of here? Should I leave state? What should I do?

I’m your lawyer, Eric. I can’t tell you to leave state!

Listen, Don, this is my life we’re talking about! What would you do?

First off, you need to calm down. I could lose my license for what I’m about to say! So I never said it got me! It would be in your best interest to completely disappear for a while!

What do you mean, ‘for a while’?

I mean go somewhere till I find out just how strong their case is. I’ll have something for you tomorrow. Call me at one o clock. And don’t get caught, Eric. You don’t want to be taken in by the police. If it comes to that, we’ll walk in together. It will look better if you turn yourself in.

Okay, Don, thanks. I’ll call you tomorrow at one o clock.

I hung up the phone and turned to look at my family, my life. For the first time, it all hit me, and I was devastated at the thought of losing them, being separated from them for any length of time, let alone—the thought of them in a life without me. I’ve always wanted one thing in life: to give them security and a good future. Rosa pulled me out of my thoughts.

What did he say, Eric?

He says we got problems. The sheriff’s department has a felony warrant for my arrest, and they got a witness and a murder weapon that belongs to me, with my prints on it. And he said don’t get caught. He said if it comes to that point, it will look better for me if he and I both walk in together and I turn myself in. I think we should take the kids to Mom’s for the night.

How are you going to explain this to Mom and Dad, Eric?

I don’t know. I’ll just tell them everything from the start. I’ll call them now and tell them we’re coming out.

I made the phone call and made the conversation short. Mom could tell something was wrong. I asked if she could keep the kids for the night, and if anyone had been out there looking for us, she said no. I told her I would explain when we got there.

We arrived at Mom’s twenty minutes later, and as I would have guessed, Mom was standing in the doorway of the house when we pulled up. You guys come in, there’s something wrong, and I want you to tell me what it is.

We all went straight into their living room and sat down. Yeah, Mom, we got trouble! I ran the whole story down to Mom and Dad both. I figured the kids had to know what was going on, so I let them sit in on it also. Mom asked a few questions; I answered them as best as I could. Dad just took it all in, didn’t say much. They both took it as well as possible under the circumstances.

So anyway, Mom, Rosa and I are going to a motel tonight. Tomorrow I’ll call Don and see what’s going on. There was some small talk, and then it was time we left.

You kids be good for Grandma, okay!

We will, Dad. We all got hugs, then Rosa and I left.

We decided to drive to Watsonville, a small neighboring town, quiet and out of the way, and get a motel for the night. We went to a motel six. I had to use my license to get a room; that made me nervous. My nerves were already getting frayed. Once in the room, which consisted of one large bed, an open closet, a small bathroom, a nightstand on either side of the bed, and a small TV on a stand across from the bed, I suggested we go out for a cup of coffee to help settle our nerves.

We drove down the road and found a place called Raves Restaurant. Now sitting inside, as we both sip a cup of hot coffee, I look across at her and say, Well, honey, now it’s just us. Are you okay?

Yes, Eric, as long as we’re together, I’ll be fine!

That makes me feel good, honey, what would I do without you?

Reaching over and taking her by the hand, I say while looking her in the eyes, Have I told you today how much I love you?

Yes, you have, she says with a smile. I love you too, and we will make it through this together.

Honey, I said, diverting my attention to something that caught my eye, is it my imagination? Or is that guy over there watching us? Don’t look suspicious, but look at that guy behind you to the left. She cautiously turns her head and says as she turns back, Yes, Eric, I seen him looking over this way, and he looks like a cop too!

I don’t know if we’re making something out of nothing, I said, but let’s slide on out of here, we’ll have coffee at the motel.

We left enough on the table to cover the cost of the coffee and a tip and went to the motel where we had another cup of coffee and decided to call it an early night, though neither one of us got a decent night’s sleep.

The next morning, we woke up early and checked out of the room, both of us feeling a little more relaxed. It was as though it was all just a bad dream, that none of it had really happened, and we were ready to go about our normal daily lives. We pulled into Raves Restaurant and decided to call the kids before sitting down for breakfast; there was a pay phone just inside on the wall. I dialed Mom’s house, and Albert answered.

Good morning, son!

Hi, Dad, where are you and Mom at?

We’re taking care of some business—is everything okay there?

Yeah, Grandma made us breakfast. Now we’re watching TV.

Okay, that’s good, son. Now let me talk to Grandma.

Okay, Dad.

Hello.

Hi, Mom, everything okay there?

Yes, everything is fine here. Are you kids okay?

Yeah, we’re going to eat breakfast, have some well-needed coffee, then drive around for a while and call my lawyer at one o’clock. No one’s been out there or anything?

No, son, not a word from anyone!

Okay, Mom, tell the kids we’ll see them in a little while. And thanks, Mom, for everything.

When we hung up, I could tell Mom was quite worried, and I couldn’t blame her. I was starting to feel the anxiety creep back in myself. Rosa and I ate breakfast and tried to rationalize all this away. After all, this kind of stuff only happens to other people. Thus, for just a short time, we were able to stay in this world of normalism. Though unbeknown to us, we were just a short time away from getting hit with a strong dose