Keeping the Tarnished (24 page)

Chapter Forty-Two

Preparation

Johnny

The bright blue sky was completely clear of clouds. Johnny imagined it was extremely hot as he gazed out the window from his bed while lying on his side. The night had gone by surprisingly uneventfully as everyone turned in early around nine o’clock. Brian decided to sleep on the couch downstairs rather than camp out in Johnny’s room, and had already left the Everett house early in the morning.

Although Johnny was absolutely devastated by the news of his mother and Jacob’s deaths, he was thankful he hadn’t been traumatized by the specific details, and part of him felt a sense of relief as he no longer had to worry of their well-being. What seemed to trouble Johnny most was the fact that they had been there at the residence the entire time and he had no idea.

He never thought to look in the deep freezer, and he wouldn’t have, even if it hadn’t been padlocked. In his mind, his brother had been growing up, and happy, and to suddenly find out that he would be forever two years old was sickening to Johnny. He hated his father, and part of him wished he would have killed him. The thought of waiting until the man was plastered drunk, and setting the house on fire had often crossed Johnny’s mind, had he known the man murdered his family he certainly would have followed through with it.

Johnny found himself plagued with the thoughts of Jacob’s last moments on earth; he must have been so scared. Johnny wondered how much the toddler suffered and if he died quickly, or if the little boy cried for him while he was being murdered. The thoughts of guilt circulated in Johnny’s head at an uncontrollable rate as the boy continued to stare blankly at the beautiful, clean, clear sky.

“Hey, dude. I know you probably aren’t too hungry, but I brought you up some biscuits and gravy,” Jared said as he quietly opened the cracked door and walked into Johnny’s room.

Johnny was actually glad that Jared had come up. He had been alone for hours and had been unable to sleep throughout the majority of the night because of his nerves.

“Thanks, man. I actually am kinda hungry,” Johnny replied as Jared handed him the plate and sat down on the floor. Johnny knew Jared had had a lengthy conversation with his parents about what had actually happened to Johnny’s family.

The landline phone rang from downstairs. Jared began to laugh. “Appears you have a new friend. I bet that’s Tyler again. That bitch has called twice apologizing and asking if you were all right,” Jared said as he smiled and shook his head.

“I guess everyone needs a few second chances,” Johnny replied, instantly catching Jared’s attention.

“I believe in Heaven,” Jared said, changing the subject. “When my grandpa died, I didn’t get out of my bed for an entire week, unless I needed to go to the bathroom. I didn’t eat, I hardly even drank anything, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Pops told me that I’d see him again someday, and that he wouldn’t want me to be all bummed out,” as Jared talked to Johnny he had a kind smile on his face, but Johnny didn’t necessarily want to hear about God at this point.

“If there is a God, I don’t think I’m ready to talk to ’em just yet.” Johnny’s words were monotone as he took a small bite of his breakfast. “Will you go with us tomorrow?” Johnny asked of Jared as he swallowed a bite and set his plate aside.

“Yea, man. For sure I’ll go. I’m sure Pops won’t care, but I gotta ask just to be sure.”

“I gotta meet Agent Boudreaux tomorrow, and some attorney in the afternoon, but after that your folks said we were gonna stay at this hotel that has a pool and a putt-putt golf course inside of it, so I’m kinda excited about that part.” Johnny smiled as he stared at the bedroom door.

“Well, I know Pops is wanting to leave at the ass-crack of dawn, so I better go ask. I’ll probably have a better shot if you ask with me, dude.” Johnny knew Jared was right, and he imagined Jackson and Graye would be open to Jared coming along for moral support.

“Well, man, let’s get down there and ask,” Johnny said as he picked up his barely touched plate of food and motioned to the door.

Jared was slow to rise as he used Johnny’s bed to assist him to his feet.

“Man, I’d be down to play some miniature golf with my homechicken,” Jared said, smiling, with a bizarre face and his eyes crossed.

“Homechicken? Who the hell says that?” Johnny asked as the boys made their way out the door and down the hall. Jared was a good distraction for Johnny, and Johnny realized that. The boy felt at ease around his friend because Jared had seen him at his worst, and had never once criticized or withdrew from him. Johnny genuinely wanted Jared to go with them, and was willing to beg. As the boys loudly walked down the stairs, Jackson appeared from the kitchen, holding at least three freshly pressed shirts on hangers.

“How you feeling today, bud?” the man asked as looked up at the boys. Johnny looked at Jared and knew by the look on his face and the way he had his head down, that he wasn’t going to ask.

“I’m okay,” the boy said quietly, “We actually had a question if you have a minute.”

“Yes,” Jackson said simply as he flashed a small smile. Jared instantly looked a bit taken aback as he looked at his father.

“Yes what, Pops?” the boy asked as looked down to his dad.

“Yes, you may go with us to Shreveport. Be sure to pack at least two dress shirts and your swimming trunks.” Jackson didn’t stick around to see the boy’s reaction, he merely retreated to his bedroom.

“That was easy,” Jared said.

Johnny felt a sense of relief come over him. “Dude, please tell me you gotta extra pair of trunks,” Johnny said as the two boys began walking back to their rooms.

“Oh hell yea, dude. I got you, homechicken.”

Chapter Forty-Three

Taste Of Closure

Graye

Graye watched the boys playing in the large indoor pool. She sat poolside with her husband on extremely comfortable chairs as they enjoyed cocktails. Although they both had their swimsuits on, neither of them wanted to get wet. She found the hotel was gorgeous, and the pool had an almost tropical theme to it. She and Jackson had decided it would be best if everyone stayed in the same room, so they reserved a large room with two queen-sized beds. The day had been long, Johnny had said he had had trouble sleeping the night before. The boy slept most of the drive, as did Jared whom Graye imagined to have slept through the night just fine. The group had left at six in the morning, dropping off little Bryce and her beloved Bethany at the sitter’s, and then leaving Lake Charles on a nonstop drive to Shreveport.

Graye and Jackson were allowed to be present while Johnny answered questions. She felt that the interviews with the prosecutor and Agent Boudreaux were just about as painless as they possibly could be. Everyone involved seemed to handle Johnny with extreme sensitivity, and would instantly give him space if they noticed any tension at all. The assistant district attorney, Allison Cline, walked Johnny through the process of his testimony, but was most positive he wouldn’t be needed, as Doug Davenport was more than likely going to be pleading guilty to every single malicious charge he was accused of. The man had been on suicide watch for several days.

Regardless of whether he was needed or not, Agent Boudreaux highly suggested Johnny attend the trial as a means of closure. Graye felt that decision was one that could be made at a later time.

As the boys splashed around, acting like typical teenage guys in a pool, Johnny’s scars were highly visible through his wet white t-shirt. Although Johnny had to have noticed the transparency of his shirt, he didn’t seem to care, and if he did it wasn’t noticeable as the guys dunked each other’s heads under water and wrestled around. Occasionally the two would exit the pool to soak in the hot tub. There was no one else in the swimming area, which was within an attached pool house, so the guys were allowed to be as ridiculously loud as they wanted to be.

Graye knew when they returned home it would be the beginning of a long and painful process for Johnny and the rest of the family. There were several appointments already set up with Brian’s colleagues to evaluate the extent of psychosis that was at play. Brian had done a fine job detailing the processes and therapies associated with treating severe post-traumatic stress disorder, but was quick to assure the Everetts that no case was identical, and this was going to be taxing at best. Graye was certain both she and her husband were ready to devote whatever needed to be done to help Johnny.

“This makes it worth it. Knowing he just wants to be happy, he just needs a shot to be happy and have a normal life. Look at him, he’s smiling from ear to ear, laughing, and acting like a normal eighteen-year-old kid. He just needed out of that situation,” Jackson said as he sipped on his fourth martini.

Graye watched the boys as they relaxed at the side of the pool engaging in small talk.

“I couldn’t agree more, hon. When I look at him I only see a world of potential and one of the sweetest boys I’ve ever met. I couldn’t be happier with our family. I’m not sure what to expect tomorrow. The thought of actually seeing the house, I just don’t know what to expect or how I’m going to react,” Graye said as she continued to watch the guys relaxing. She grabbed her husband’s free hand and raised it to her mouth, kissing it.

“He needs this, he doesn’t have a single picture, and I felt like I got punched in the gut when he told me he felt like a bad son because he was forgetting his mother’s face. He needs to see that place one more time knowing that he can walk away from it,” Jackson said as he polished off his last drink.

“My husband. Always saying the right things regardless of how much he’s had to drink.” Graye sat up and kissed Jackson on the cheek.

“What time are we supposed to be at the funeral home? I’m not sure how long that’s going to take, but I’d like to be back home by sundown tomorrow if you think that’s possible,” Jackson said.

“They didn’t say, I’m assuming whenever we get there because he never once mentioned the need for an appointment. You have a hot date tomorrow night or what?”

“Well that depends on her I guess, but in other news Johnny is supposed to meet with Brian at nine on Wednesday morning, and I want him to be well rested.” Jackson smiled at his wife as a soaking-wet Jared came running happily to his parents, throwing water from his cupped hands on his father and laughing hysterically.

“You little shit,” Jackson said smiling as he sat his glass down and sprang from his seat in pursuit of his son.

Graye watched with an amused smile from her chair as Jackson tackled Jared into the water.

The guys both surfaced and everyone began laughing as Jackson made his way to the side of the pool.

Graye sat, watching the three guys conversing and playfully splashing each other in the water. She thought of how perfect the night was. She felt if Bryce were there with them, the family could happily stay at that point in time forever, with everyone happy, and smiling and joking around as if the night wasn’t stuck between two points of disparity and hardship. She understood that things would get worse before they got better, but she loved seeing Johnny smile, and it pained her to watch him suffer the mental downfalls that would undoubtedly come with having an abusive excuse for a human being for a father.

At that moment, at least for the next few minutes, everyone was safe and happy. She felt a deep gratitude for Johnny as she watched him with her husband and son. In just a short period of time the boy had come into her life and completely reorganized her priorities and thought processes. She had a deeper appreciation for the gifts she’d been given in life, and genuinely felt she would never take them for granted again. She hadn’t known this boy long, but she felt she had known him all his life, like he was supposed to be there with them. She felt this way now, just as she did then when she was washing his tattered and torn clothing. There was a natural fit that had occurred, and each day brought a stronger bond regardless of the trials that had come with taking the boy in. Graye was genuinely overwhelmed with love for this bus stop refugee that her softhearted husband had brought home on an average July night.

She understood that almost every woman has a naturally ingrained sense within her that drives her to protect her offspring at all cost. This sense is either naturally acquired during childbirth, or is gained through a bond that even nature can’t orchestrate. Graye knew that she would die before Johnny was ever hurt again. Perhaps some would argue there hadn’t been enough time to develop such devotion, but those people were not her family, so she was less than concerned with what they may or may not have to say regarding the fledgling the family had informally adopted. This young adult, who was wise beyond his years in some aspects, and awkwardly delayed in others, had finally found the mother’s love that every child needs to flourish; it had only taken him eighteen years.