Ann: The Married Years Ch. 49

© 2022, All rights reserved -- mimaster

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neil was excited when he pulled into the driveway, and it wasn't just because it was Friday night and he was off work for the weekend. He could see a light was on through the window of the living room, and it wasn't the one above the stove. It was the one by the loveseat, which meant that Ann was still up.

Whenever he came home to that light being on, it usually meant that she was horny. It was one of their second shift things. It was much different than the one they engaged in when he was on third; her new penchant for making their Wednesday's special with her phone calls, pretending he was her lover and they were having an affair. She'd been worried about that role-playing scenario given his past, but he assured her that he was mature enough to see through the plot device and simply enjoy the fun she created for them.

This fun was more of the traditional kind. She was simply his horny wife, waiting up for her husband to get off work so he could come home and fuck her senseless. It was with that in mind that he bounced happily down the slight grade in the asphalt on his way to the garage. He hit the button on the wall, making sure the overhead door was all the way closed before he entered to the house. It was unlikely that Owen would be woken up from the sound. He never did. But Neil wasn't going to take that chance.

Stepping inside, he kicked off his shoes, his eyes darting to the loveseat where he expected Ann to be sitting. Not finding her there, he dropped his lunch bag off on the island, ready to head down the hall toward their bedroom. But he froze in his tracks, seeing his wife sitting on the floor, her back against the dishwasher; the house phone in her hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing that she'd been crying. She looked exhausted, like she'd been up for days. Her eyes were red and puffy; her breathing pattern erratic from what had obviously been a long sob session.

She looked up at him, a long sigh escaping her chest. "It's Valerie."

He knew immediately something serious had happened to her cousin in California. Dropping to the floor, he sat across from her, taking her hand in his.

"What happened?"

"Sh... she was... raped," she said tentatively, her lower lip trembling.

Neil felt the blood drain from his face almost instantly. The shock of what she'd said made him break out in a cold sweat; the hairs on his neck standing up.

"Raped? Please, tell me you're joking."

"No, baby," she replied softly, shaking her head. She felt herself welling up again, but nothing came out. She'd run out of tears hours before.

"My god. When?"

"Last weekend. She didn't know how to tell me, and her parents have been dealing with that and... well...."

"What about Dale. How's he handling this? He must be beside himself," She lowered her head, avoiding eye contact, almost as if she were scared. He could tell she was hesitating, like she was holding something back. "Ann, tell me what's going on."

"Neil... it was Dale."

"Wait... what?" he replied with a shake of his head, confusion setting in.

"Dale's the one who raped her."

"What are you talking about? Why would he rape her? They're married."

"That really doesn't factor into it. Rape is rape."

"Babe, I don't understand. Tell me what happened."

"He's gone back to his old ways. He started drinking again, and because of that he lost his job with the plumbing company he was working for because he called off too many days saying he was sick. Val said he's been working part-time for a different contractor, but because of that he's had a lot more idle time, which makes him drink even more. She said he spends most of his nights at a bar."

"Okay, that's not good. But how did that lead to him raping her? Was it really rape?"

"Val wouldn't lie to me, Neil. Call it what you want, he attacked her sexually. That's rape."

Trying to find a reason, he asked, "Are you sure they weren't role-playing, like we do when you're Anna Renee?"

"Neil, be serious. This isn't some bedroom game gone too far. This... it was real. He raped her."

"But why?"

"Because," she said with a heavy sigh. "She listened to your advice."

"My advice? What are you talking about? I haven't talked to Val in over a year. You're the one that talks to her."

"Do you remember what you told Val to do the first time you met them... if he didn't straighten up?"

The shiver that ran down his spine was frightening; the pit in his stomach so deep he felt himself becoming nauseous. "I told her to cut him off."

"And she did. She told him last Saturday that he wasn't getting any more sex until he stopped drinking and started acting like a real husband and father again. She said she'd done that a couple of times over the years whenever he seemed to drift a bit, and it always worked. But this time, he came home drunk and forced himself on her. He ripped off her dress, held her against the floor, and he... raped her."

"THAT FUCKING BASTARD!" Neil screamed out, the rage that came over him so intense that slammed the floor with his fist.

"Neil, Owen's sleeping," she reminded, putting her hand on his thigh, calming him. She knew he'd lash out, especially with the thought that his own words had been used to create the situation that triggered everything.

They both knew that didn't excuse what happened. But Neil never saw that consequence coming. It had been over five years, and by all accounts their marriage had been going well. Their daughter Christina was going to be starting school in the fall. From everything they'd heard they were a happy family.

"There's more," Ann said, knowing she needed to get it all out so Neil would be able to process everything better. "Sean got arrested."

"For what?" he asked, wondering what Valerie's brother would have done to warrant that outcome.

"He went looking for Dale the day after it happened. But Dale has been hanging out with a buddy that's a deputy. He goes on ride-alongs with him all the time. Dale caught wind that Sean was looking for him, and the next thing you know Sean's getting pulled over. According to Aunt Helen, he was booked on a couple of trumped-up charges, and he spent two days in jail. They had to post five thousand dollars in bail to get him out."

Neil closed his eyes, leaning back against the cabinet of the island. He let what Ann had told him sink in, recalling what he'd told Valerie that day he'd tried to help her. In many ways, it seemed like he had. But one never knows what truly happens with people and their actions. All he knew for sure was something his father had taught him when he was younger. It's when times are tough that one's true character shows up.

That thought hit Neil hard. He opened his eyes, and Ann saw the resolve in his expression. It wasn't anger, or hate. It was determination, but it still scared her. Taking the phone from her hand, he began scrolling through the phone book memory, looking for a number.

"What are you doing, baby?"

"I'm a Thomas, Ann. What do you think I'm doing?" he stated matter of factly.

She knew exactly what he meant. It was his family's mantra, instilled in Neil by his father. When people they loved we in trouble or in need, the Thomases sprung into action. And that wasn't just the men. Ann had seen firsthand her mother-in-law Betsy do the same thing. Being married into the Thomas clan meant not only learning about those words that were a literal call to action, they compelled you to do the same. After all, it was definitely a memorable statement. Ann often wondered if they were written on the Family Crest.

She'd never forget the first time she heard Darren say them early on in her marriage. It involved friend of his that was going through a rough patch. He'd lost his job through a set of unfortunate circumstances, not all of which were beyond his control. He made a couple of miscalculations, and put his trust where he shouldn't have.

He was married with three kids, and they were looking at losing everything. Darren had come home from work, and Betsy told him what had happened. She'd been on the phone with the wife. Her husband was distraught, but he had too much pride.

Ann recalled that conversation between her in-laws like it had just happened. Betsy looked at him, seeing the determination in his face.

"Malcolm's not looking for a handout, Darren. Hailey said he won't listen to you. He won't even get on the phone."

"He doesn't have a choice," he stated calmly as he turned around, picking his keys back up.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go see him and straighten his ass out. He's got four mouths to feed. Pride went out the window five minutes ago."

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do?"

"No. I'm making this up as I go. But I'll have it figured out by the time I get there."

"Are you sure?"

"Betsy, he's a friend. He's made a mistake. He trusted the wrong people. He didn't kill anyone. But now isn't the time for him to mope. I've got to set him straight, and then pick him up."

"I get that. But what are you going to do, sweetie?"

"I'm a Thomas. I'm going to step the fuck up. That's what we do."

He left, and Ann asked Betsy what he meant by that. She explained that family mantra... those words to abide by. She told her that he was likely going to read him the riot act for not reaching out to others, leaving that for Hailey to do. And then, he'd likely offer him a job, provided he met some behavioral criteria he'd be expected to live up to.

In the years since, Ann had heard Darren use that expression several more times. The same for Betsy. And on the rare occasion she'd done it herself, the saying rubbing off on her. Yet she never failed to get goose bumps when Neil would say it, mainly because it reminded her so much of Darren, whom she loved and admired.

That feeling came over her again the second he'd said he was a Thomas. He found the number he'd been searching for, pressing the call button.

Still, she became nervous. "Baby?"

He gave her a calming nod as the phone rang on the other end. "That wasn't the only thing I said that night, Ann. I also made Dale a promise. And I owe it to Val and Christina to keep it. They're family. I don't have a choice. Like I said, I'm a Thomas. I'm stepping the fuck up."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Whatever you need, Neil... you know that."

"Are you sure, Todd? This is pretty out there, even for me."

"No it's not. She's family. If there's one thing Gracie and I have learned from you and Ann, it's the importance of family, whether you're actually related or not."

"Yeah, but this is big. At least I think it is."

"Not really. Not between us. Besides, I don't think I have a choice. Gracie would kick my ass if we didn't do everything we could to help you out," he laughed, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Well I wouldn't want that," he replied, tying to sound cheerful.

"Look buddy, it's going to be okay. I'll contact a few people I know and get things rolling. When do you need me to pick you all up?"

"I'll let you know. I have some more calls to make. But I don't want to rush this. Valerie and Christina are safe... they're staying at her parents right now. I have to do this right."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Not yet. You know me. I'm making it up as I go like I always do. Let me know what your guy finds out. That'll go a long way toward letting me know what my options are."

"Will do. I'll touch base next weekend. I should know something by then."

"I can't thank you enough, Todd. I'll repay you. I promise."

"That's crap. I'm not taking your money Neil."

"There has to be some way for us to make this up to you."

"What are you making up? I've told you many times before, what's the point of Gracie and I being in the position we're in if we can't use it for something good. Don't forget, we've met Val. And her daughter. I know she's older now, but she deserves a better future than this. They both do. If I can do anything to make that happen, don't you think I should?"

"I hear you," he replied, knowing Todd was only responding the same way he was. "Give our love to Gracie."

"Damn straight. You do the same to Ann... and Owen."

"I will. Thanks again Todd."

"You're more than welcome. We'll talk next weekend. Take care."

"You too," he replied before pressing the end call button.

He looked at Ann, who had been sitting there in stunned silence. But that ended once he hung up. "What are you doing, Neil?" she asked, not really sure she wanted to know the answer.

"I'm doing what I'm supposed to do, babe. I'm going to fix this."

"You can't. How can you possibly make this go away?"

"You're right. I can't do that. But I can come to her rescue."

"Baby, I love that you want to. I really do. But her emotions are a mess right now."

"I know. I truly do. That's why I'm not doing anything at the moment other than setting a few balls in motion. I can always decide not to do anything. But I think we both know there needs to be a response to this. And I'm the one that promised to do it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain later. Let's get some sleep. We'll both have clearer heads in the morning."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ann was still thinking of that night six weeks later as they waited at the small regional airport on the outskirts of their town. She recalled the horror of the phone call she got from Val. Then she contrasted that against how her husband held her all night, as if he were protecting her.

As promised, they both had more focus the next morning, even with what little sleep they'd gotten. They talked about what happened, and over the next few weeks, they were able to get more details... not just from Valerie and her family, but also from Todd.

When Neil called the Armstrong's, he'd done it out of instinct. They'd remained close to Todd and Gracie, thinking of them often. Ann talked to Grace every other week, and Todd and Neil exchanged emails often. There had even been a couple of times over the years when their friends had flown out to the East Coast for business, and they'd swung by in their private jet just to say hi. It was remarkable that their chance meeting at a Bed and Breakfast in Sacramento had turned into such a strong friendship, but it was most certainly real.

Neil calmly explained to Todd what had happened to Val, and how he felt responsible. Todd quickly shot that down, reminding him that Dale had made a choice to act the way he had. Several of them, to be more accurate; and none of them were excusable. Even more to the point, they weren't attributable to Neil telling Val that a proper response to bad behavior on the part of her husband would be to cut him off from sex.

"Good God, Neil. There's no way anyone could rationalize this as being your fault," Todd said at the time.

"I know. But that doesn't make me feel any less responsible."

"That's because you have a good heart, my friend. The question is... how do we respond?"

Neil loved that Todd had immediately jumped on board, not only with his emotional support as a friend, but also with his considerable resources. Neil never looked at Todd and Gracie as rich. They were just the Armstrongs to them. But the fact Todd was CEO of his own successful corporation, and he and Gracie happened to be multi-millionaires wasn't something that could be ignored. And as Todd had pointed out to Neil dozens of times, what was the point of being friends with someone that had those kinds of resources if you wouldn't call when you absolutely needed help.

It was just like Neil to call for someone besides himself or Ann, though. Yes, Val was family, but Todd appreciated that. After all, Ann and Neil had gone out of the way to make him and Gracie feel a part of their extended family even though they weren't related. They found it incredible that they'd learned so much about the concept of friendship from a couple that was young enough to be their children. Yet time and again the Thomas' would do something that made them feel like just that... as family.

The response Neil and Todd discussed that day was calculated. Todd calmed Neil, telling him the damage that Dale had created with his heinous act was already done. It had been a week since it happened, and Valerie had already responded by pulling back, taking Christina and staying with her parents. They were in a safe place. Neil agreed, saying that while he didn't know what he was going to do, it was likely better if he thought things through before doing anything rash.

Todd suggested they gather more information. He said that at that point, while they believed Valerie's story to be true, all they had to go on was what she'd told Ann. There was obviously more going on that they didn't know. Things they needed to find out to make sure Valerie and Christina were protected. The insinuation that a law officer might be involved concerned Todd. So much so that he wanted to make sure Neil didn't do anything that would get him in trouble.

With Neil's blessing, Todd called up one of his contacts; a private investigator he'd used numerous times over the years. Todd asked him to find out more about Dale, and the alleged deputy he was hanging out with. He also asked him to tail Dale for a few days to determine what his habits were.

When Todd contacted Neil the following weekend, he had a report in his hands from the PI, and it confirmed most of what Valerie had told Ann. The only thing it obviously couldn't corroborate was the sexual attack he'd made on his wife. But with everything else being true, there was no reason to doubt it happened. If anything, it confirmed it.

Todd told Neil that Dale was working part-time. Charlie, the investigator, was able to establish he was averaging about twenty hours a week. In his spare time, he was frequenting a bar in a town about thirty miles away. He was there four of the five nights that he was being followed. On the fifth night, he rode along with a county deputy that worked the night shift.

"That's not good," Neil said, thinking that Dale had some local clout on his side that would make things difficult for Valerie... not to mention her brother Sean.

Todd didn't see it that way. "On the surface, I would agree. But this may not be as bad as you think. Charlie's convinced the Sheriff's Department doesn't know this deputy is letting Dale ride along with him. If it's unauthorized, we've got a huge leg up on swinging that in our favor. Especially for Sean."

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. I've already got Charlie working on a couple of angles. We'll see how that plays out. And believe it or not, I also feel good about the bar where Dale's been going. I'm telling you Neil, this is going to be interesting. I'm going to keep Charlie working on this off and on over the next two weeks. If the trends continue, I don't think you'll have to make things up as you go. I think things will become a lot clearer for us as to how to proceed."

It was after those two additional weeks that Neil made up his mind. Ann wasn't as sure, but she wasn't going to argue with him. After all, she wasn't the one that made the promise to Dale. It was her husband, and she understood, even if it was on principle. That didn't mean she didn't have concerns.

Holding Owen in her arms as they waited on the tarmac, she watched as the door to the Lear jet opened. Then the stairway was lowered by one of the pilots on board.

"Are we sure about this, baby," she asked, looking at Neil. "Valerie's doing a lot better now."

"I know it's been almost two months, Ann. But you know as well as I do that she's not over this. She might be handling it a bit better right now, but she needs some kind of closure. He's back to his old ways, and I'm calling him on it."