Burn This Whole Town Down Pt. 02

"Yeah, and every time I got pulled over for any minor infraction it would show I was once detained for kidnapping. I don't think their systems show that I might not have been tried or convicted. Sorry, I will not accommodate you on that one. Besides, if you withdraw the complaint, aren't you guilty of false reporting? That would look good on your record."

"They would never do that to me. Daddy wouldn't stand for it."

"Yeah, same old Rebecca. Daddy will fix it. I am entitled to do whatever I please, damned if it violates a law or my ex-husband's rights."

She dropped a bomb on me. "You are not my ex-husband, you and I are still married."

I shook my head. "Sorry, I have a set of papers that state we are divorced and I am no longer my children's father. That is why I refer to them as 'your' children."

"After the fire I had my attorney file to get the divorce set aside. As it had not been the full ninety days it had not been recorded as final. Judge Gavin was so angry at my dad for the loss of his car collection that he readily signed off. Daddy was very angry for some reason. What did you do to him to make him so pissed off?"

"I have no idea. I was happy. I had a loving wife, two great children, a good business, some standing in the community and suddenly I had absolutely nothing and faced a future of jail or prison the way you and your fucking family were setting me up. I had to leave just to make sure that there would be no trumped up charges laid on my doorstep."

She seemed surprised at my take on the whole thing. "No, that wasn't what we wanted at all."

"Really. Do you see the look on my face? I think it qualifies as incredulous. Why else did you force me to sign away my kids without warning or notice? Why else could I not get a local attorney or have time to find one elsewhere? Why did you take my company and demand I work for fucking minimum wage to keep it going? I think you and dear Daddy along with your fuck friend, Josh, wanted me to fuck up and end up in jail for some strange reason."

She was shaking her head in denial. Yeah, right, they only had my best interest in mind. I continued. "Then just to let me know who was in charge, was that last night when you fucked me until I couldn't see straight then called me names the next morning as you dropped your bombshell and left, taking my children away from me. You ripped my world apart and stomped on my heart as it lay beating on the floor. The final straw was when your fucking father tried to destroy my mother with those trumped up charges about not paying her property taxes. You bastards tried to put her on the street for no reason."

"No, Daddy would never do something so despicable. He wouldn't harm your family."

I had to laugh and it wasn't a humorous laugh. It sounded harsh and evil. "Then why did you do everything you could to destroy me? If you had come and told me that you had fallen for Josh again I would have given you a divorce. I would never try to hold someone who didn't love me anymore. No, you had to take everything and leave me with no options."

"Daddy said it would keep you close and that by signing away the kids you couldn't sue for custody but would still have to make sure we had the necessary income befitting a Mains."

"Oh, that worked so well. Your daddy put out the word. I couldn't buy groceries or even fill the company car with gas. I couldn't buy basic furniture. No one could even talk to me. Things had to appear as if by magic just so I could survive. You denied me everything and wanted me to pay out the nose. I no longer had anything but my mother and you even tried to destroy her. That was the last straw. I couldn't let you bastards hurt her."

Shit, I had just confessed. I hope she wasn't recording this. It would be the only thing Ronald would need to get me put away for years. I struggled to regain control of my anger. Rebecca was still trying to deny everything as I shut down the connection. Shit, I had to leave and leave right now. I was dead ass tired from the stress of the day but I got out and drove another couple hundred miles in the wrong direction before pulling off the quiet highway and behind a copse of tall, thickly spaced trees to sleep.

Well, that was the closest call I had on one of my clandestine visits with my kids. I continued my due diligence whenever I contacted Mom. I would use one of my various phones, occasionally using video to see the kids. They were growing so fast, I wished I could be there and see them every day but my paranoia would not allow that close proximity.

Finally I saved enough money to get an attorney. I paid her in cash to check into my marital and parentage status. Shit, Rebecca was not lying when she said we were still married. Since that was true I cancelled my child support withdrawal from my paycheck. The bitch didn't deserve any money directly from me. Instead I sent it to my mom with the specific direction it was to benefit Connie and Tad and not Rebecca. She could dole it out as she pleased. I know she probably just gave the whole amount to Rebecca but it made me feel more in control.

The attorney also found that the adoption of my kids had been set aside. I guess Josh didn't want any more kids if he wasn't going to get the keys to the kingdom. I have no idea how he was going to divest himself of his previous wife and kids but I really didn't care. I suppose I should have gone after him but I felt that I had thwarted his plans enough.

After finding out I was still married I went ahead and filed for divorce. That meant that I had to return to my hometown for the hearings. Even though my attorney made sure there was no active investigation into the arson I was reluctant to openly return. Ronald's horns had been clipped but he was still a force to be reckoned with. I had no idea how he was going to fuck with me but I had to be alert at all times.

The day before the first hearing I slipped into town and settled in a small motel on the edge of the city. Of course I registered under the usual "John Smith" fake name. The owner of the motel knew me and silently agreed to keep my secret.

On the morning of the hearing I left my pistol in my car as the courthouse now had metal detectors. I was fully unarmed as I could not even have a pocket knife to protect myself in case Ronald tried something in the courtroom. When the hearing started Judge Gavin, yep the same judge who fucked me over before, immediately wanted to hear from Rebecca and her attorney. "What do you want from this hearing?"

Amazingly, she wanted counseling and my return as her husband. I wasn't allowed to speak but I sat there and shook my head. Of course, Rebecca tried to spin our married story as one of miscommunication and confusion as to her true feelings. Lord, what a load of crap. And, of course, the good judge seemed to buy her horse hockey.

After Rebecca's tale of woe and how I had abandoned the family my attorney got her chance for a response. I had given her everything, even my night of fire and retribution. Thankfully she glossed over that night. The good judge objected to her characterization of his actions from the bench but she pointed out how everything he did that fateful day of my first divorce proceeding was a matter of public record and couldn't be denied. He finally stopped slamming his gavel down as he looked at my face. Somehow I think he suddenly became worried about his new fledgling car collection.

I just nodded as he became aware of his potential new losses. He got a sickly cast to his face as he leaned back and became silent. My attorney continued with her recount of my history. When she got to the kidnapping episode the good Judge suddenly became engaged again and leaned forward. He wasn't looking at me but at Rebecca with a stern look. He put up his hand to silence my mouthpiece.

"Is this true? Did you actually file a complaint that Mr. Meheron had kidnapped the children and did you attempt to have him arrested even though the visitation granted by this court specifically stated he could visit the children at any time?"

Rebecca looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she looked to her attorney for help. He wasn't playing along. The judge became a little more vocal. "Why in God's name would Tim want to come back here and take up the marital harness with you again? I will grant that the whole divorce proceeding was rapid and there seemed to be just cause then, but this man was hounded and ostracized in his own home town. His mother was harassed. Again, why should he want to get back with you? Would it only be for the children's benefit or just your perceived benefit? What is he to do when you get antsy pants again? Is he supposed to go through the same horrendous treatment again?"

Rebecca didn't have a chance to answer before her attorney jumped up as though prodded by an electric shock and asked for a short recess and a chance to meet with the attorneys in private. My attorney gave only a shrug but didn't object. Judge Gavin dropped his gavel and left the bench. The two attorneys left with him and were only gone a few minutes before the hearing reconvened.

The judge looked angry on his return. Rebecca's attorney looked chastened and my attorney had a smile on her face. After reconvening Judge Gavin called a surprise witness. "Ronald Mains, please take the oath and take the witness stand."

I hadn't realized that my father-in-law had actually attended the hearing. I had no idea why he would except to support his daughter and I saw no reason for him to support her attempt to get me back. Ronald strode forward and gave me a nasty look as he came by the table. He took the oath and then sat down like a potentate on his throne.

The judge led the questioning. "Tell the court, Mr. Mains, exactly why you are here and what you have to contribute to the proceedings."

My father-in-law, hopefully soon to be ex-father-in-law, gave the judge a nasty look, something like the one he gave me, and started to rant. "I don't know why my stupid daughter wants to take that sorry son of a bitch back. He caused us nothing but heartache and pain. I can't even tell you how much money that I and my bank lost because of his actions. I want the little asshole put in jail and hopefully have the key thrown away."

The judge slammed his gavel to stop the rant. "In chambers your daughter's lawyer hinted that you had something pertinent to state for the court. Please get to it." I was surprised that the good judge didn't censure Ronald about his profanity.

Ronald didn't look chastened. He actually looked out of control. "My daughter should have never agreed to marry this chicken shit. He is of no consequence from a no consequence family. When my daughter dragged him in I was appalled. But she had to have him. I put up with it until Joshua Webster came to me for a job. I made sure that Rebecca and he were together as much as possible and figured Joshua would seduce her. As they were high school lovers it shouldn't have been too hard. She resisted a little longer than I anticipated but fell under his spell at the end. It's just too bad he didn't get her pregnant while he was at it."

The judge asked, "What about the little fact that this Joshua Webster was already married and had children of his own?"

"The plan was that as soon as Rebecca was divorced he would quietly divorce his wife and give up rights to his kids and then be the father of Constance and Thaddeus that I wanted all along. Meheron should never be a father to any of my blood. It galled me to no end every time I had to put up with him sitting at my table for any reason."

The judge let him go on for a few minutes before asking another question. "Was it your intention to force Mr. Meheron out of town or into jail?"

"I didn't really care but jail was the preferred result. Then we would be able to show cause as to why he should never be allowed any contact with my daughter or her children."

"So, is it true you used your bank as a way to harass Mr. Meheron and set up the circumstances where he might break the law? Were the phone calls from Mrs. Meheron that violated the protection order your instigation?"

Ronald actually smiled, "Yes, Judge, that was my idea. I would ask Rebecca to call her ex-husband and then called the cops on him. I have no idea why he was never arrested and convicted for violating the order to stay away from Rebecca."

The judge nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Mains, that should be all. You may step down."

Ronald still had that nasty look on his face as he stepped down from the witness stand. It changed a little as the judge continued. "I am advising you to consult your attorney. I am providing the official court recordings and transcript to the district attorney for possible prosecution. You, Sir, abused your standing in the community to harass this man. Unfortunately it was with my assistance and that is something I am trying to correct before I take retirement."

Ronald got a sick look on his face. I guess his influence wasn't as prevalent as it used to be. He turned and stared at his once friend. The judge smiled at him. Ronald dropped his head a little and made his way out of the courtroom.

The judge turned back to Rebecca's attorney. "Do you have anything else before I pass judgment?"

Her attorney jumped up quickly. "Your Honor, my client had no idea of what her father and her lover had planned. She was an innocent victim just as Mr. Meheron was. That is why she is asking for counseling with the goal of reconciliation and a return to the happy marriage that they had before Mr. Webster moved back to town."

Judge Gavin looked over at me and my attorney. Both of us shook our heads. The judge spoke again. "I am sorry, Rebecca, but you may have been somewhat an innocent dupe in all this, it does not excuse the hell you put your husband through during the divorce hearing and then after that. You treated him abysmally and even attempted to have him arrested on false charges. I see no conceivable way that he would ever forgive you enough to let you that close to him again."

Rebecca jumped up and started to scream how she loved me and her children needed me to return. Her attorney got her settled down before the judge could cite her for contempt.

Judge Gavin continued, "If your husband had asked for sole custody of his children I would have even entertained that motion based on your treatment of him but he has proven to be the better person in this room. The terms of the proposal are generous, he isn't even asking for his business back. I find in the plaintiffs favor." With that he pounded his gavel again and got up and left the chambers.

I was now a truly free man. Rebecca sat and cried. Her attorney tried to comfort her. My attorney shook my hand and asked if I wanted to pursue civil charges against my ex-father-in-law. I shook my head. "My children need to have some kind of relationship with the asshole and his wife. I won't interfere with that."

She nodded and we left the courtroom. Rebecca was trying to grab my coat sleeve and begging me to talk with her as we exited through the door. She was distracting me and I almost missed the movement from my right side.

Now I have to tell you something. I am not a fighting man. I have no history of being a Navy Seal or an Army Ranger or Marine Recon. I don't do MMA training to stay in shape. But one of my favorite movies is The Quiet Man with John Wayne. I love the part where his brother-in-law tries to sucker punch him in that open field in front of all the townspeople. I always kept that move of his in mind as a way to defend myself.

And Ronald threw a sucker punch at me as I came out the door. He was aiming at my head and I ducked a little and his fist came on by leaving him fully exposed. I threw that short left hook to the midsection, just as John Wayne did, and son-of-a-gun it worked. It had a lot of power. Ronald's breath left his open mouth in a whoosh and he started to bend over from the pain and need to try and catch his breath. I then slammed my right into the side of his face and he went clear down to the floor in a heap.

I stood there with my fists clenched and waited for him to get up. I had no intention of kicking him in the vulnerable parts right there in front of witnesses even though he deserved it. As it was the county bailiffs were right there and jumped in to arrest Ronald for assault. By the time his head was clearing and he could breathe again he was handcuffed and they were reading him his Miranda rights.

Of course he had to compound his problems by threatening me as he was assisted to his feet and then tried to head butt the bailiff. That added a felony charge as all the bailiffs in our county are deputies and striking a law enforcement official is always a felony.

Rebecca just stood there speechless. Neither she nor anyone else had ever seen me act this way. I nodded to her attorney and he nodded back. He then turned and tried to get Ronald to calm down before he added other felonies to his charges.

"Rebecca, listen to me. It is now over. Don't fuck up and deny me visitation with my kids. Your dad needs you now. Call your mom and try to get him some help before he totally loses."

She stared at me before it finally sank in. She had a sad, almost grieving look on her face as she nodded and turned to help her father regain what little dignity he had left.

Now the adrenaline was starting to wear off and my right hand was starting to hurt. I looked at it and for a second tried to figure out why a couple of my fingers seemed distorted. As the pain hit the extreme level I realized I must have broken my hand. My attorney saw the shocked look on my face and hurried me to her car and off to the hospital where x-rays confirmed the fact that Ronald's head was just as hard, if not harder, than my hand. Soon I had some pain pills and a cast. Bless her, my attorney stayed with me and drove me to my mother's house for convalescent care.

The only thing bad about my injury was the pain and the need for corrective surgery to make sure the fractures healed correctly. Otherwise I got to see my kids each day for the next week as I healed and get to know them better. I did put up with Rebecca coming over each evening to pick up the kids. She and my mom would take that opportunity to try and get me back into the marital fold. I would spend extra time with my kids or go for a long walk while she was there. A week later and I was headed back to my new home town and my job.

Fast forward a couple of years.

My kids are growing up. I have them for a couple of weeks at a time over the summer and some holidays. Mom sometimes drives them, other times they fly to me. Yes, everyone now knows where I live. Early on Rebecca even drove them up a couple of times but she decided to not make that long trip if she had to stay in a motel after bringing the kids to me. She finally realized there was no return to a close relationship with me. We remained civil because of the kids. I did forgive her enough to not call her a bitch anymore.

After many of my former clients sent letters and emails requesting that I come back and take back my business I convinced my company to buy out Rebecca and make my old company a district office. It was small but thriving and adding to the profit margin overall. It was my responsibility to make it profitable so I would fly in to the nearest regional airport monthly and then use a rental car to service accounts but we had good local people to handle most of the needs.

Rebecca went through a few different guys before finally starting a long term relationship with her former attorney. They were not going to have any more kids so they just lived in sin.

Ronald was convicted but only had to serve weekends for six months. It seemed kind of a light sentence but he also had to serve 200 hours of community service. The good judge told him to either clean the ditches around town or help cook and serve meals to the homeless. I guess Ronald became a pretty good cook. He actually continued to serve after his required time. He then had five years of probation.