Betrayal Ch. 04

After a deep breath, Tim began in a calm voice: "I'm sorry, Karen. I lost my temper. I promise I'll settle down now. What did you really want to talk about?"

"Oh, Tim, oh! I'm such an IDIOT! I'm so sorry!" Karen cried.

"I know, Karen, I know," Tim interrupted. Let's leave your self-recriminations for a while and talk about something else. Can you bring the boys to see me tomorrow? I'd love to see them."

"That's what I wanted to tell you, Honey. I want to, but I'm afraid. The men who shot you are still hunting for you, and I'm afraid the boys will get hurt! Can't you see that? I don't mean to keep them from you, but I'm afraid!"

"Why, Karen? How would you know that they continue hunting for me? Have you talked to them?" Tim asked. Karen remained silent just a little too long, so Tim continued: "If you have and don't report it, you are an accessory after the fact to attempted murder. That means you won't see your sons again until they are grown men, if they even want to see their convicted felon of a mother after 20 years. Think about that for a moment!

Now, have you been talking to them? No use lying; I'll get a court order for your parents' phone records before the next custody hearing, and I'll tell the Rangers if you have."

"Tim, I swear I haven't called them! Barry called me here at home the night after you were shot and told me they 'had taken care of my problem, permanently'. My parents were right beside me, so I tried to make it sound like a friendly chat. I told him that you had been shot three times and had to have multiple surgeries, but were expected to recover.

He cussed, and told me not to worry; they would come up with another plan. I told them in my most sincere voice that I love you and am praying that you fully recover, and that they should too. He laughed, repeated it out loud, and some others in the room with him laughed. He said, 'sure, Babe, we understand', and hung up.

Day before yesterday they called again and JW told me that Larry had someone in the hospital that would 'take care of your problem soon'. No one was around except the boys, who were playing in the other room. I told him that I did NOT EVER say I wanted you hurt, and that they should stop whatever they had planned immediately! He laughed, said if I had changed my mind they would call it off, told me he would see me soon, and hung up."

"And then, my loving wife, I assume you called the police and reported that another attempt would be made on my life by someone in the hospital, right?" Tim queried, knowing the answer but wanting it on tape.

"No! I told them to stop and they said they would!" she replied. "Didn't they?"

"Actually, your honest and forthright lovers did make another attempt on my life, last night, in spite of assuring you they wouldn't. A nurse Larry was having an affair with tried to knock me out with something in my water, and then kill me with an injection.

Has it possibly crossed your mind yet that they can't be trusted, my loving and caring wife? Perhaps it's time for you to call the police and come clean... or is there more?"

After a brief hesitation, Karen answered, "They called me again today to tell me the effort in the hospital failed, but they were going to keep trying. I was the only one here, and I screamed at them to stop, that I don't want you hurt. I told them again that I love you and I want us to remain married and grow old together, and I pleaded with them to leave you alone! They laughed at me, said they wouldn't stop until you're dead, and told me they would be by soon to get me. I told them I wouldn't go, and JW said 'oh yes you will, or he won't be the only one dead! Then he told me I would love Mexico. I cried and told him no, I won't go, but they hung up on me!"

"And then you called the police, right? You are concerned about the safety of our sons, so you called the police and informed them that you had been told of another plot to murder someone, and deadly threats were made against you and your family. Is that right?" Tim pushed her.

Karen started sobbing loudly; Tim let her cry for a couple of minutes, and then redirected. "So, did you call the police about this third threatening call?"

Sniffle, sniffle, "No, I'm afraid of them. If I tell the police they may kill me!"

"So, your lovers, for whom you betrayed your marriage vows and family, are now threatening to kill you and maybe our sons and your parents if you won't go to Mexico to live with them? Damn, Karen, you are one fine judge of character!

What the hell happened to the good Catholic girl I married? Did their dicks drive every bit of character, every bit of morality, right out of you? I don't understand!"

Karen's sobbing resumed; Tim listened for a few minutes before telling her, "I'm going to give you an hour to compose yourself and make the call. When I call back, I'd better be able to talk to a police officer or have already spoken to a police officer.

One more thing, Karen: if ANY harm comes to my sons, you and your fuckbuddies will be 'sleeping with the fishes', but not before unspeakable things happen to you! Do you understand me?"

The sobbing turned to wailing; Tim loudly proclaimed "ONE HOUR!" into the phone and hung up.

Jeanie calmly spoke to Tim, reminding him that his sons were under surveillance and anyone coming near them would be arrested, so they were safe. She also reminded him that the phones were tapped, so he needed to stay calm and not make threats. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and told her he would do better from now on.

Andy came into the room just as Tim hobbled back from the bathroom with his walker. Jeanie hugged him told him to take good care of 'her patient' while she went to the Haussmann's to clean up and change clothes. Tim told her to eat a good meal also, but she laughingly responded that she likes eating the hospital food because she was losing weight.

Tim noticeably eyed her up and down while she was standing in the doorway, and said "Well, don't lose any more; you are pretty much perfect just like this!" Jeanie rolled her eyes, gave him a dismissive hand gesture, and sashayed out the door and out of sight. The female officer assigned to protect her gave him a smirk, and then followed along.

Andy and Tim watched Jeanie walk away, her magnificent butt swaying, and Andy said, "She really is nearly perfect, isn't she? If she wasn't the sweetest person on earth and already stuck on one of my friends, I'd be lusting after her all day and night!"

Tim said, "Yes, she is the sweetest person on earth and she is married, but neither keeps me from lusting after that amazing body of hers!"

"Well, now that you've confessed, I might have been overstating the purity of my thoughts a bit," Andy admitted.

The friends laughed. Andy was closest when the phone rang, so he answered. He identified the caller to Tim as the police chief of Karen's hometown, and handed him the phone. "Hello, Chief," Tim answered.

"I just had a very interesting call from your father-in-law and wife. It was a call I was hoping to get, after the way you laid the law down when you called her, so I was very pleased. When she told me everything she told you, and a little more, I was even more pleased. We probably COULD charge her with impeding an investigation or something, but I'm planning to hold that card in case I need it later. You good with that?"

Tim answered, "Chief Lewis, I'm good with however you want to play this. I just want the SOBs caught, tried, and imprisoned. I've about had enough to hiding and watching; I'm ready to get this boil lanced and cleaned out!"

Chief Lewis replied, "That's a colorful way to describe your problem. You do realize it would be better if the surgeon were someone in law enforcement rather than a private citizen, right?" "Of course, Chief" Tim answered, paused, and continued. "That said, I'm tired of being hunted, shot at, and drugged. Like an old Grizzly, I'll only allow a certain amount of aggravation before I rear up and fight back. You understand that, right?"

"I do; just make sure you're cornered before that happens; when a Grizzly starts hunting it scares a lot of people. Now, you get some rest, and let me talk to that fancy attorney of yours for a minute, please." "Here he is Chief, and happy hunting!" Tim proclaimed.

"Mr. Robbins, I believe. We haven't met, but my colleagues in Austin and Williamson County think pretty highly of you, for a lawyer," the chief said with a chuckle.

"I'm honored to know that, Chief. How can I help you?" Andy inquired.

"Any chance you and his other two lawyers, and maybe his new 'best friend' can talk some sense into your client? I know him by reputation because I checked him out when he married the mayor's daughter. Everyone who knows him says he's a fine man, but, shall we say, a bit vengeful when he or his friends are wronged. He's got plenty of cause this time, and I was listening when he was giving his wife what for. I can tell he's about to go off the reservation and start mucking things up if we don't catch these guys pretty soon.

In fact, my guess is we'd be trying to find their killers instead of them if he hadn't gotten hurt. 'The best friend you can have, and the worst enemy', the Sheriff in his home county said with a bit of awe. Still, me, my guys, the Austin and Cedar Park police - hell, even the Texas Rangers - want to find and prosecute these SOBs nearly as bad as he does. What we don't want to do is prosecute your client because he ran out of patience with us and took things into his own hands."

"I hear you, Chief. We'll do our best, but like you said, patience is not one of his many virtues. The quicker they are behind bars, the safer they will be," Andy responded. The chief promised they were acting with maximum expediency, and hung up.

"Chief thinks you might be getting close to 'going off the reservation', as he put it. You aren't, are you? You've got to give them time to do their jobs," Andy pleaded.

Tim's angry voice answered, "I've been shot; Jeanie has been beat to hell; they tried to poison us both; and now they are threatening my sons, their mother, and her parents. Law enforcement can't find them, but they seem to know everything that goes on in this hospital and at Karen's parent's house.

How much longer do they want me to wait? Until they kill my sons and me? I don't fuckin' think so! When I get out of here, I'm going proactive. The wounded Grizzly has been cornered; it's time to turn and fight!"

Andy sighed, but he knew his client, and there would be no stopping him once he was able to become the hunter rather than the hunted. He considered asking the doctors to keep him a few extra days, but Tim was a bit of a sitting duck here; better that he is at the Haussmann's with his guns for his own protection, and for Jeanie's.

Just then, Chet arrived. He greeted Andy and Tim, they embraced, and he took the remaining chair after Tim returned to his bed.

The friends relaxed and caught up on things. Turns out Allen and Benton were busy proclaiming their innocence to the school board, until Andy played the recording from Tim's house. They then gave everyone a cussing, verbally resigned, and stormed out. Their resignations were accepted immediately after the board came back into open session, and notice of vacancy was posted.

Ward and Hughes were fired for cause; Rodgers and Slaughter were also terminated for cause, even though they had submitted letters of resignation right before the meeting. The resignations were unanimously rejected, the terminations unanimously approved, and their actions were reported to the Commissioner of Education. The educational careers of all four men were basically finished.

The executive session included discussion of the status of Karen Kelly, but the possibility that she had been forced into the situation kept them from moving to terminate her.

The assistant superintendent for finance was made acting superintendent, and Chet was reassigned from high school assistant principal to acting elementary principal. He said he loved his new job, and informed Tim that Karen had resigned effective the Friday after he was shot, "due to a family emergency". Her resignation had been accepted by the acting superintendent, and her position had been filled by a mid-term UT graduate. No action against her certificate was being considered.

Benton's wife filed for divorce under the terms of their pre-nup, asking for and 80-20 split due to his infidelity. Allen's wife didn't have a pre-nup, but she used the same attorney and same approach. Slaughter's wife resigned as a teacher, effective immediately, and hadn't been seen or heard from since.

Larry Barnes was suspended from his job with the City of Austin after a fugitive warrant was issued because he failed to appear at a legal hearing regarding the spousal abuse charges.

Jeanie had filed for divorce, but he hadn't been served because he couldn't be found.

Barnes, Slaughter, Rodgers, and Benton were wanted for questioning regarding Tim's attempted murder, but, despite the efforts of the combined law enforcement agencies involved, they had disappeared. The Haussmann's hired a private security service to patrol their home and grounds, and they wanted Tim to return to their home when he was released.

Tim was explaining to Andy why he thought he should go home rather than to Jimmie and Patti's house, but he lost his train of thought when a blonde vision appeared and stopped in his doorway. With a nervous smile that became a smirk when she saw the three men gawking with open mouths, she stood, hand on hip, balanced on her 4" white heels, and posed like a runway model. The bright blue halter dress hugged her body all the way to mid-thigh, where it abruptly ended. The halter top exposed her graceful neck, shoulders, and chest, and the swell of her bountiful breasts; the back was cut almost to her waist.

Chet and Andy jumped up, invited her in, and offered their chairs. She wiggled her way into the room on the high heels, gave Chet and Andy kisses on their cheeks, but declined 'their kind offers', saying she would just sit on the bed beside Tim, who remained silently stunned.

The vision approached his bed, leaned over, and gave him a kiss on the cheek; Andy and Chet were wide-eyed at the view offered when she leaned over.

"Cat got your tongue?" she asked with an innocent smile. After a short hesitation, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Okay, who are you?"

She pursed her red lips, gave him a fake pouty look, and asked "Whatever do you mean? I only left a few minutes ago, and you've already forgotten me?"

Tim slowly gave her a thorough examination from head to toe, and then replied, "The pretty blonde who left here a couple of hours ago wearing jeans and a sweatshirt is a friend. I've known her for two years but I've never seen her wear high heels or red lipstick, and I don't think she even owns a short, slinky blue dress like that. So, who are you?"

Andy and Chet chimed in, with corny lines like "Are you a movie star?" and "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

Jeanie beamed with pride, but responded with forced indignation. "Can't a girl even wear a dress around you horn dogs without getting hit on with cheesy lines?

"Not when she looks like THAT!" Chet replied, and then lowered his voice, "Say, sweetie, I'm about to go eat at a steakhouse down the road, enjoy a few drinks, and then move to the night club next door to dance the night away. Wouldn't you like to get out of this boring hospital and join me for a night of culinary and dance delight?"

Jeanie turned her back to the bed, stepped on the stool, and lowered herself onto the bed beside Tim's good leg. She was at a 45 degree angle to Chet and Andy, and her dress had ridden up quite a ways as she sat down. That position exposed almost the full length of her shapely thighs, and they did not hide their appreciation.

She crossed her legs in a practiced and lady-like manner, which only raised her hemline more on the sides until they could see the edge of her white lace panties. She gave the boys a coquettish look before pulling the hem down a bit, and turned to Tim. "I have a very nice offer for my companionship tonight. Can you beat dinner, drinks, and dancing, or should I go out with Chet?"

Tim was leaning to his right, leering at her lovely legs, which he reached out and stroked. "I don't think they will let me out of here to take you dancing, but if you stay I'll certainly try to make it worth your while. And down the road a few days, your sacrifice tonight will be well worth the wait."

"So, I can take the offer of immediate pleasure that is on the table or a vague offer of fun things that MIGHT HAPPEN in the future? Can you be more specific?" Jeanie riposted.

"Lean over and let me whisper in your ear," Tim urged.

While he talked into her ear, Tim stroked her smooth, shapely thigh. Andy and Chet watched enviously as his playful fingers crept higher and higher up those lovely legs while his lips brushed her ear. They saw little goose bumps appear on those golden thighs, and saw Tim's other hand stroking the her bare upper back. He stopped whispering, swirled his tongue in her ear, and tugged on her earlobe with his teeth.

Jeanie looked amused as she turned back to Chet. "Would you give me a raincheck on that offer, Chet? I'd love to go out for dinner and dancing, but Tim reminded me that I promised I'd take care of him tonight. I never welch on my obligations, so I'll have to pass, but perhaps another time, when Tim doesn't need me."

Chet snorted, "He's fine, Jeanie. There are nurses and doctors all over the place, and he's practically well anyway; remember, they are releasing him soon." His words and voice were enticing, but the smile around his eyes said he was just teasing his friend.

Andy upped the ante: "How about the both of us take you out? Kind of a double-date, you know, to make sure you get to dance every dance. We can flip for which one gets to take you home afterward!"

"Or," Chet interjected, "maybe we could both take you home and get a good night kiss or two. Much better offer than a hospital room with a cripple who has a bad attitude, don't you think?"

Tim raised his hand behind Jeanie and gave them 'the bird', while not so quietly saying, "You know they are both practiced liars and seducers, don't you? You couldn't trust either of them alone in a car with you, much less both. And you noticed they said 'take you home', not take you to YOUR home. You can't trust them! Me, on the other hand, you know you CAN trust!"

Ignoring Tim, Jeanie sincerely replied, "As wonderful as your offers are, boys, I'm still recovering myself, and I think I'd do better to stay here and rest. Tim will probably be asleep soon, and then I can rest up too."

They both shook their heads and laughed as they got up and headed for the door; Chet stopped and stated, "Don't let him convince you his motives are any purer than ours. He's been sniffing around you at school for two years, and that was with you wearing coaching sweats or tailored pantsuits. I think you can imagine what his plans are for your little blue dress!"

Tim openly flipped them off this time, and they all laughed.

"Are they right, Tim? Are your intentions for me less than pure?" Jeanie asked mischievously, yet with a wide-eyed innocent look. Tim snuggled his body against hers, stroked her arm, and retorted, "Perhaps I should ask that question of you. Showing up here all tarted out, a fly babe in blue, showing all those gorgeous legs! What are your intentions, young lady?"

Jeanie giggled in response: "Patti predicted you'd be trying to look down my dress all night, but I told her you were a leg and butt man!" Looking down at the hem of her dress, she raised it back up to her panties, and asked with a lilt, "So, you think I have pretty nice legs?"