“You did what for us? Where’s
Beth?”
Connor’s eyes remained dark as a smile
danced from the corner of his mouth. Andy had never seen this look
in his son before and in an instant his brain summed up what had
most likely happened.
“ No!” Andy uttered, doubting the truth
ahead of him as he ran past the boy into the house. Connor listened
as his father searched frantically around the house. Staring dead
ahead he could hear all the sounds of his father’s vain rescue
attempt. Doors burst open, footsteps thunder; all the while Connor
sat still. The only stir in the boy’s emotions was the harrowing
voice of his father upon finding Beth’s body. Andy’s anguish was
felt by Connor but only very deep in his soul. Deep was the only
place Connor still existed in the form he once was in. With great
love for his father it pained him to hear him cry. Even though he
did not regret his crime, he definitely regretted his father having
to witness it. As Andy screamed loudly, the open front door carried
his voice all the way to Connor. Dusk was approaching but still
Connor sat amongst the scream. The scream that told him everything
was going to be ok from now on.
A shrill grinding noise repelled Andy; the
steel legged chair from the police interrogation room dragged the
floor like chalk on a blackboard.
“ What’s wrong with your
son Mr.
Williams? asked Sergeant Jacobs as he sat down in front of
him.
“ This isn’t the sort of thing
that just happens. There is always a back story.”
The sergeant’s suit was ruffled from
long hour days; he was above average height and doused in day-old
stubble. A quick shave in the staff bathroom was all the grooming
time his double shifts would allow him most of the time. None of
his peers cared however, the sergeant was committed to the job and
they all knew it.
With a hand in his hair, tired, traumatized
and worried to death about his son, Andy sat for a long moment
before answering.
“ I don’t know. Beth and I had
problems sure, but I never thought they extended to Connor. And in
a million lifetimes I never would have thought that Connor
would...
Unable to finish; Andy broke
down.
“ I mean what father
would ? What
kind of father would suspect his own son, or even consider their
child capable of...”
Jacobs was sympathetic but duty forbade him
to show it.
“ Look Mr. Williams, let me be
straight with you. Connor is a minor, which in almost all cases
exempts him from being tried as an adult. All except a case like
this I guess.”
Andy’s grief got the better of
him and he lost his temper, yelling “I know sergeant; I know. I know what he
did but he’s my son dammit, and he’s still a kid! My
kid…”
Jacobs allowed Andy his grief
but did not flinch. Sitting calmly in his chair, he apologized with his hands
before continuing.
“ The D.A will take into
consideration the age of your son and the nature of the crime. It
will affect where the place him but I’m afraid to say it will not
affect the sentence. He will almost certainly advise indefinite
care at Hallcombes psychiatric facility.”
“ Do you know that for
sure?”
“ Call it an educated
guess .”
With a sniff and a long breath Andy
asked.
“ What are the doctors like
there?”
“ They’re very good Mr. Williams,
they’ll take good care of your son.”
Jacobs was impressed by how fatherly Andy
was in spite of what happened. Andy took a minute before speaking,
allowing the information he had just received to process
fully.
“ I’d like to see him. I’d like to
see my son .”
It broke Andy’s heart to see his son like
this. Unresponsive, cold, mindless were only a few adjectives he
tried to push from his thoughts while looking at his only child. As
Connor perched himself on a chair in a solitary cell, with bland
walls and only a glass panel to peer through; Andy pushed other
thoughts from his mind, selfish ones.
“ What kind of a father must I
have been to allow this to happen?”
“
Beth?”
Connor’s eyes remained dark as a smile
danced from the corner of his mouth. Andy had never seen this look
in his son before and in an instant his brain summed up what had
most likely happened.
“ No!” Andy uttered, doubting the truth
ahead of him as he ran past the boy into the house. Connor listened
as his father searched frantically around the house. Staring dead
ahead he could hear all the sounds of his father’s vain rescue
attempt. Doors burst open, footsteps thunder; all the while Connor
sat still. The only stir in the boy’s emotions was the harrowing
voice of his father upon finding Beth’s body. Andy’s anguish was
felt by Connor but only very deep in his soul. Deep was the only
place Connor still existed in the form he once was in. With great
love for his father it pained him to hear him cry. Even though he
did not regret his crime, he definitely regretted his father having
to witness it. As Andy screamed loudly, the open front door carried
his voice all the way to Connor. Dusk was approaching but still
Connor sat amongst the scream. The scream that told him everything
was going to be ok from now on.
A shrill grinding noise repelled Andy; the
steel legged chair from the police interrogation room dragged the
floor like chalk on a blackboard.
“ What’s wrong with your
son Mr.
Williams? asked Sergeant Jacobs as he sat down in front of
him.
“ This isn’t the sort of thing
that just happens. There is always a back story.”
The sergeant’s suit was ruffled from
long hour days; he was above average height and doused in day-old
stubble. A quick shave in the staff bathroom was all the grooming
time his double shifts would allow him most of the time. None of
his peers cared however, the sergeant was committed to the job and
they all knew it.
With a hand in his hair, tired, traumatized
and worried to death about his son, Andy sat for a long moment
before answering.
“ I don’t know. Beth and I had
problems sure, but I never thought they extended to Connor. And in
a million lifetimes I never would have thought that Connor
would...
Unable to finish; Andy broke
down.
“ I mean what father
would ? What
kind of father would suspect his own son, or even consider their
child capable of...”
Jacobs was sympathetic but duty forbade him
to show it.
“ Look Mr. Williams, let me be
straight with you. Connor is a minor, which in almost all cases
exempts him from being tried as an adult. All except a case like
this I guess.”
Andy’s grief got the better of
him and he lost his temper, yelling “I know sergeant; I know. I know what he
did but he’s my son dammit, and he’s still a kid! My
kid…”
Jacobs allowed Andy his grief
but did not flinch. Sitting calmly in his chair, he apologized with his hands
before continuing.
“ The D.A will take into
consideration the age of your son and the nature of the crime. It
will affect where the place him but I’m afraid to say it will not
affect the sentence. He will almost certainly advise indefinite
care at Hallcombes psychiatric facility.”
“ Do you know that for
sure?”
“ Call it an educated
guess .”
With a sniff and a long breath Andy
asked.
“ What are the doctors like
there?”
“ They’re very good Mr. Williams,
they’ll take good care of your son.”
Jacobs was impressed by how fatherly Andy
was in spite of what happened. Andy took a minute before speaking,
allowing the information he had just received to process
fully.
“ I’d like to see him. I’d like to
see my son .”
It broke Andy’s heart to see his son like
this. Unresponsive, cold, mindless were only a few adjectives he
tried to push from his thoughts while looking at his only child. As
Connor perched himself on a chair in a solitary cell, with bland
walls and only a glass panel to peer through; Andy pushed other
thoughts from his mind, selfish ones.
“ What kind of a father must I
have been to allow this to happen?”
“
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