rights.
“We have a right to confront the woman who attacked our son. We overheard the talk around town. Y’all are going to say she’s crazy and get her off.” He was pacing the whole time he was talking while his wife sat wringing her hands.
I stood up from behind my desk and leaned over with my fingertips on my desk. I was at least a foot taller. “Have a seat, sir,” I said and pushed the ash tray toward him so he could put his chewed up cigar in there.
He looked up at me and sat. “Now, Mr. Sikes, this is Dr. Judith McCain. She’s a psychologist from Houston and she consults with the FBI.
“Mr. Sikes,” She began but he interrupted her.
“Please call me Sunny and my wife is Cheryl. We’ll call you Judith. And what’s your name, sheriff?”
“I’m Sheriff Kola,” I said without smiling. His name was so incongruent with the way he came across that it was hard to keep a straight face.
“Mr. Sikes,” Judith repeated, “Sarah has a condition called…”
“Oh no, you don’t,” He said. “You’re going to say she’s crazy and try to get her off so she doesn’t have to go to jail.”
“She is not crazy, but she is sick. She needs long term therapy.”
“We want to see her. We want to see for ourselves.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, sir,” Judith said. “We need to get her more stabilized. She’s very confused. She doesn’t remember doing those things.”
He snorted, “If I did something that bad I would make sure I didn’t remember them either.”
Judith stood up so suddenly I jumped. She started out the door and paused and looked back over her shoulder. “I’m sorry sheriff, but I don’t have time for this. We’re wasting our time. They can come to the trial if they want but I will not approve a visit with Sarah.”
After Judith left I said to the Sikes’, “Why don’t you folks pick up your son and go back to Memphis and let us do our job. From what I understand, he’s being discharged today. And while you’re at it I would ask myself why he ran away to begin with.”
Mr. Sikes shoved the cigar, which was almost bitten through, into his mouth and grabbed his wife’s arm. She winced as she stood up but followed meekly in his wake.
I wished I had time to deal with them but I didn’t have time or energy to deal with the Sunnys and Cheryls of this world. It was all used up with Sarah. I didn’t know what would happen to her. Judith had indicated she had a long rough road ahead. She may be in a psychiatric ward for years but I would wait for her.
When I got to Sarah’s cell I found her curled up in Judith’s lap and Judith was singing to her. I noticed she had a good voice.
Sarah opened her eyes and said in a little girl’s voice, “Hello, are you the sheriff?” She pronounced it “sherith.” “I’m Beth. Doctor Judith said she was going to call my mommy but I told her no, don’t let her sherith.” I noticed the names Judith and Beth were easy for her to say because she tended to put extra th sounds in everything she said.
I sat down next to them on the cot and looked at Judith. She gave a slight nod of her head and I was afraid to ask any questions. I figured Judith would tell me what I needed to know.
“As soon as I asked Sarah where I could reach her mother or any relative, Beth came out. Do you know where she’s from?”
“She moved here about three years ago and bought the condo and the shop. She told me she was from Macon.”
“Do you have a key to the condo?”
“Sarah has the key,” Beth said.
“Do you know about Sarah?” Judith asked.
“Of course I do. I watch her sometimes and I play dress-up in her clothes when she’s not there. I don’t think she knows about me though.”
“Do you think Sarah would mind if we went to her condo and let ourselves in?”
She suddenly looked at me and said, “I remember you now. I tried to twoon with you once but Sarah kept getting in the way. I like you. I wanted to be your
“We have a right to confront the woman who attacked our son. We overheard the talk around town. Y’all are going to say she’s crazy and get her off.” He was pacing the whole time he was talking while his wife sat wringing her hands.
I stood up from behind my desk and leaned over with my fingertips on my desk. I was at least a foot taller. “Have a seat, sir,” I said and pushed the ash tray toward him so he could put his chewed up cigar in there.
He looked up at me and sat. “Now, Mr. Sikes, this is Dr. Judith McCain. She’s a psychologist from Houston and she consults with the FBI.
“Mr. Sikes,” She began but he interrupted her.
“Please call me Sunny and my wife is Cheryl. We’ll call you Judith. And what’s your name, sheriff?”
“I’m Sheriff Kola,” I said without smiling. His name was so incongruent with the way he came across that it was hard to keep a straight face.
“Mr. Sikes,” Judith repeated, “Sarah has a condition called…”
“Oh no, you don’t,” He said. “You’re going to say she’s crazy and try to get her off so she doesn’t have to go to jail.”
“She is not crazy, but she is sick. She needs long term therapy.”
“We want to see her. We want to see for ourselves.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, sir,” Judith said. “We need to get her more stabilized. She’s very confused. She doesn’t remember doing those things.”
He snorted, “If I did something that bad I would make sure I didn’t remember them either.”
Judith stood up so suddenly I jumped. She started out the door and paused and looked back over her shoulder. “I’m sorry sheriff, but I don’t have time for this. We’re wasting our time. They can come to the trial if they want but I will not approve a visit with Sarah.”
After Judith left I said to the Sikes’, “Why don’t you folks pick up your son and go back to Memphis and let us do our job. From what I understand, he’s being discharged today. And while you’re at it I would ask myself why he ran away to begin with.”
Mr. Sikes shoved the cigar, which was almost bitten through, into his mouth and grabbed his wife’s arm. She winced as she stood up but followed meekly in his wake.
I wished I had time to deal with them but I didn’t have time or energy to deal with the Sunnys and Cheryls of this world. It was all used up with Sarah. I didn’t know what would happen to her. Judith had indicated she had a long rough road ahead. She may be in a psychiatric ward for years but I would wait for her.
When I got to Sarah’s cell I found her curled up in Judith’s lap and Judith was singing to her. I noticed she had a good voice.
Sarah opened her eyes and said in a little girl’s voice, “Hello, are you the sheriff?” She pronounced it “sherith.” “I’m Beth. Doctor Judith said she was going to call my mommy but I told her no, don’t let her sherith.” I noticed the names Judith and Beth were easy for her to say because she tended to put extra th sounds in everything she said.
I sat down next to them on the cot and looked at Judith. She gave a slight nod of her head and I was afraid to ask any questions. I figured Judith would tell me what I needed to know.
“As soon as I asked Sarah where I could reach her mother or any relative, Beth came out. Do you know where she’s from?”
“She moved here about three years ago and bought the condo and the shop. She told me she was from Macon.”
“Do you have a key to the condo?”
“Sarah has the key,” Beth said.
“Do you know about Sarah?” Judith asked.
“Of course I do. I watch her sometimes and I play dress-up in her clothes when she’s not there. I don’t think she knows about me though.”
“Do you think Sarah would mind if we went to her condo and let ourselves in?”
She suddenly looked at me and said, “I remember you now. I tried to twoon with you once but Sarah kept getting in the way. I like you. I wanted to be your
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