Ellen's Tale Pt. 01

It was only as she was driving back down the long driveway to the highway that she finally spoke to Anna.

"I'm Gitti, a former detective. Can you tell me, Anna. Has he threatened you with violence?"

Anna looked away and Ellen turned in her seat to look at her.

"You should tell her, it's important."

"He um, he, yeah, he put a hole in the wall because," she trailed away.

"Why?" Gitti looked up in the rear view mirror.

"I um, I threatened to leave him and he got angry."

"Threatening to leave someone doesn't justify punching a hole in the wall," she reached the road and turned to look at her.

"Are you frightened to go back home afterwards?"

"I never used to be but after today, I um."

"Have you got somewhere else to stay?"

"I have a couple of girlfriends, why?"

"He's got a gun, hasn't he?"

"Yeah," she replied, "he's got a few in the bedroom. We've argued a few times but I've learned not to argue about it anymore."

"Uh huh," Gitti pursed her lips, "tell me, honestly. Has he ever pointed a gun at you, even in fun?"

Anna didn't reply straight away but she didn't have to, Ellen saw the shift in her eyes and heard the intake of breath and then she looked away suddenly and swallowed.

"We'll go down the road for some doughnuts," Gitti spoke again, "then we can talk some more but if he's pointed a gun at anyone, even as a joke it's still illegal. He could lose his guns and his licence to own a gun."

"He was joking," Anna finally spoke, "it happened the other day, it just freaked me out. That's what the argument was about this morning."

Ellen swallowed as Gitti spun the wheel and accelerated, recalling similar occasions when John had pointed guns, swords and knives at her. It was his way of letting her know that she was subservient to him.

"He's been more aggressive lately," Anna spoke again, "he's been having troubles at work the last two months, he's lost a lot of money for clients and he's under pressure to up his game but it's like he has this inbuilt self destruct switch."

"Uh huh," Gitti glanced up into the rear view mirror, "has been drinking heavily?"

"He loves to drink," she replied, "I just wish he wasn't so angry when he drank. Sometimes he's okay but other times he just goes off, that's why I decided to do this ceramics course, it means I can be out of the house for a few hours and just let him disappear to his man cave."

"Does he take anything else, like cocaine or ice?"

Anna didn't reply for a few seconds and then she nodded.

"He loved the powder but when we got together that was my condition, he had to give it up but just lately I've suspected that he might be back on it. I asked him about it the other day and that's when he pointed a shotgun at me and used his favourite Dirty Harry line."

"Which line was that?" Gitti flicked the indicator as they drew closer to the lay by.

"Do you feel lucky, punk."

"Wow," Gitti slowed and pulled into the lay by.

"It's all right," Tabitha reached over and grabbed her wrist, "auntie Gitti can help you, she helped my mum."

The lay by had several cars parked off to one side, a doughnut van and a hot dog van were parked on the other side. Gitti pulled up on the other side of the hot dog van and turned the engine off.

"You fancy a coffee, Anna?"

"Um, okay, sure," she reached down for her handbag.

"It's my shout," Gitti reassured her and nodded at her handbag, "do you want to take Tabitha and get me a coffee, some doughnuts, and whatever you and Tabitha want to drink. We need a little bit of privacy," she looked at Ellen.

"Sure thing," Ellen reached down and took the purse out of her handbag, she opened the purse and took out twenty dollars, "come on, sweetie."

"Is she going to be all right, mum?" Tabitha asked her a minute or so later as they approached the doughnut van.

"I think so," Ellen glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Anna getting into the front, "at least I hope so."

Nevertheless, Anna looked pensive when they returned to the car with doughnuts, coffees and a Coke for Tabitha. Gitti wound down the window and accepted the coffees wordlessly and Ellen held out the bag of hot doughnuts for them.

"Thanks," Anna mumbled as Ellen passed the bag across to her.

Ellen and Tabitha retreated to the front of the car and moved a little distance away to one of the bench seats some local charity had set up. Tabitha was too engrossed in the hot jam doughnut to pay much attention to her surroundings but Ellen was paying close attention. By the looks of things Gitti had hit a nerve because Anna was pinching her nose and looking down while Gitti talked.

Some ten minutes later her head hit the headrest and she said something that caused Gitti to reach for her phone. Anna got out of the car some thirty seconds later and turned her back to Ellen as she stared back along the highway in the direction of her home.

"What's going on, mum?" Tabitha whispered.

"I don't know," Ellen murmured.

Anna turned around suddenly and stared at her, a moment or two later she stepped forward to join them and offered up a nervous smile.

"Well that's fucked, sorry, that's buggered it."

"It's okay, don't worry about the language, she's heard worse from me, trust me."

"I feel like such an idiot," Anna stared straight ahead, "I'm a dippy blonde."

"You are a blonde," Ellen replied, "but you're not dippy, it's hard to live in a situation like that, take it from me. You keep telling yourself that it's different, you can change him. He just needs time or maybe if you changed your attitude and didn't hassle him as much he might be better."

Anna inclined her head as Tabitha rocked back and forward.

"She's calling the police on him," she bit her lip, "and I'm worried."

"Tab," Ellen nudged her daughter, "go and get your phone, mummy wants to talk to Anna."

"Cool," Tabitha got up and as she passed Anna, she leaned over and put an arm around her, "it's gonna be okay, mummy and auntie Gitti are here."

"Thanks," Anna put an arm around her as well.

Gitti got out of the car as Tabitha walked to the car, she was on the phone to someone and Anna leaned back against the back of the bench seat.

"She's a good kid, very mature for her age."

"She had to be," Ellen commented, "she used to patch me up after her father bashed me, you talk about feeling dippy, here was me getting patched up by my five year old daughter after her father had bashed me and I kept hanging on for grim death. I kept telling myself I was in control, I was cool, it wouldn't last forever, I had a million excuses for staying but not one good reason."

"What did it for you?"

"Two broken ribs, a black eye, split lip and a fractured wrist. I looked like something out of one of those car crash videos but I hadn't been drinking and driving, I just asked him to put out the rubbish and he snapped."

"What happened to him?"

"He's six foot under," she replied, "he was caught up in a gangland war with some drug ring, I didn't go to the funeral because my presence wasn't welcome. Once you leave the club then you're persona non grata. If I hadn't been pulled out by the cops I would have been forced to go through their farewell party and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

"What happens at their farewell party?"

"If you're the wife or girlfriend of a club member then you get gang raped and have your club tattoo cut out with a razor blade, sometimes they'll bash you but only if you've complained. These guys are just animals, the lowest form of human life."

"Fucking hell," Anna exhaled, "how the fuck can people act like that?"

"I've been asking that question for years," she replied, "and I still don't have an answer."

"But at least you've come out of it," she glanced over at Gitti, "I've just dobbed in my husband for fuck's sake. Gitti has offered to put me up and I'm torn between relief and guilt. I mean, I've got the money to rent and I will pay her rent."

"So use it as a place to get your shit together," Ellen replied, "it's not like you'll be there forever and she would never have offered if she wasn't willing to help. She had no idea who you were until today but the moment I told her what you told me over the phone she was right there, Gitti has been a fucking life saver. She just put her hand out and helped me up, I rent the bungalow out the back of her house but half the time we eat in her joint."

She stopped talking as Gitti ended her call and walked over to them.

"Okay, here's the story," she sat down next to Anna, "the police will drop in and have a chat to him but judging by your description about the gun he pointed at you, I'd say he's going to lose his guns. His licence doesn't allow him to own a pump action shotgun and as for the pistol that he claimed was a replica, I'd doubt he has the right endorsement on his shooter's licence although they've got to ascertain it's a replica," she glanced over at Anna.

"But seeing as I picked up a nine millimetre cartridge case from his ute I'd say it's probably a real handgun, which is like a red rag to a bull to the police. Handgun owners face much stricter controls than other shooters. If he does have a real handgun then he'll be charged with firearms offences, if you're worried about your safety he'll be remanded in custody until he makes bail."

Anna nodded and looked away.

"How long," she licked her lips, "how long could he get?"

"Most likely five years maximum but they never serve that long unless there are other concerns, but no matter which way it goes down, you'll have time to decide what to do with the place."

"I understand," Anna nodded, "did you tell them about the shed?"

"I did," Gitti propped an elbow over the back of the bench, "and I also said you never go in there as well. Two more police will meet us here and have a chat, they'll take a statement, but as we talked about in the car, if they take him back to the station for questioning then you may have to go in as well for a formal interview."

"I understand," she nodded, "I still feel stupid."

"Don't say that," she nudged her gently, "shit happens but so does the good stuff."

Ellen stood up and walked to the car where Tabitha was sitting with the door open whilst she played with her phone, Ellen lifted the can of Coke from between her legs and nudged her gently.

"Shift yer bum, rascal before you spill Coke all over auntie Gitti's car."

Tabitha moved over to the centre of the seat and Ellen sat down and put the can into the drink holder. Mother and daughter looked at each other briefly and Ellen smiled.

"What's your score?"

"I can't get past level six, mum. I keep getting eaten by goblins."

"The dirty beasts," she smirked.

The police turned up some ten minutes later and Ellen sat with one foot in the car and the other one outside whilst a policewoman asked Anna questions. Gitti changed places and the male officer took her place, she walked over to the car and leaned on the back door.

"Sorry about this."

"For what?" Ellen looked past her, "how is she?"

"She's shaken up, it's a hard thing to do but I've seen a lot worse."

"I was a mess afterwards," Ellen replied, "but at the time I was pretty stable from what I recall."

"You were in survival mode," Gitti shrugged, "it's fairly normal when you have kids, she hasn't got kids so it's a little bit different."

Little more was said for the next fifteen minutes but then the male officer stepped away and spoke curtly into the radio. Gitti straightened up and a minute or so later she left the car and walked over to the bench. The cop stopped talking and returned to Anna and his colleague. Ellen knew then that the cops who'd been dispatched to the house must have found something because Anna sat bolt upright and put a hand to her mouth. A startled cry escaped her throat and the policewoman put a hand on her shoulder and said something.

Ellen got out of the car and leaned on the back door as the conversation continued and then Gitti turned and walked back to the car as Anna also rose and walked to the police car.

"Get her handbag," Gitti called out.

Ellen grabbed the bag and handed it over, Gitti hurried to Anna and handed her the bag and then came back to the car.

"All right, strap in, let's go."

"What's happening?" Ellen asked her a minute or so later.

"We're following them to the house," she nudged the accelerator, "after she speaks to the detective in charge I'll get you to help her pack some things but wait until I give the okay."

"Well don't keep me in suspense, did they find anything?"

"Yep, three handguns hidden in the shed inside a toolbox," she picked up speed.

"Well that's his shooter's licence gone," Ellen pulled a face.

"And the rest," Gitti replied.

"You mean there's more?"

"About ten grams of cocaine and some dope," she glanced up in the rear view mirror.

"And he isn't licensed to own a pump action shotgun, about all he can own are basic rim fire rifles, so he's going to lose his shooting licence and his freedom."

"No wonder she looked stressed out," Ellen mused.

***

It was like returning to the scene of the crime as Gitti pulled over onto the shoulder and came to a halt. The police car turned into the driveway and headed towards the house and then they saw a second police car waiting to come out and when it turned onto the highway two minutes later Ellen saw Ritchie sitting in the back looking straight ahead.

"Now we go," Gitti murmured.

"What's with the black four wheel drives?" Ellen asked her.

"They're the sons of god," Gitti murmured, "also known as Special Operations Group, they usually get called in whenever there's a situation but I think they may have been on their way back from another place. They'll be the back up, it's probably the easiest call of the day," she slowed to a halt and tooted the horn as a shortish man looked straight at her.

A moment later the man came around to her side of the car and she greeted him with a smile.

"What's a nice bloke like you doing in a place like this?"

"Just checking out the sights, Gitti. How's it going?"

"Yeah, just doing my civic duty, what'd they find?"

The man hesitated and she went on.

"It's fine, she rents my bungalow, Ellen, this is Stephen, the only man to beat me at poker."

"Nice to meet ya, Ellen," his eyes moved to the back, "and who's this little one?"

"Tabitha, say g'day to the nice man," Ellen glanced up in the rear view mirror.

"Hello, nice man," Tabitha waved.

"We're on our way back to the station," Stephen spoke a moment or two later, "it's a standard meal with extra toppings."

"I might see you back there soon, she'll be crashing at my joint for a few days. How long do you think Eddie will be?"

"Search me," he stepped back, "I think they're doing a walk through just to make sure he's got no hidey holes we've missed," he nodded and waved at Tabitha and then moved away.

"What's extra toppings?" Tabitha asked.

"It's um, police code," Gitti chuckled, "excuse me," she opened the door and got out.

Ellen reclined the seat a little and settled back to wait and was indeed a long wait, but about half an hour later Gitti finally stepped outside and signalled her.

She found Anna sitting on a long couch facing two sofa chairs, one of the chairs was occupied by a woman in plain clothes writing on a tablet whilst her male companion stood in front of the window with a phone to his ear. Anna looked as if she'd been crying and Ellen felt the lump in her throat and then she saw the hole in the wall opposite her. In an instant she recalled similar holes in walls, her ex husband seemed to think that walls were just punching bags.

"Hey," Ellen leaned against the back of the couch, "fancy seeing you here."

Anna straightened up and looked over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Ellen replied, "you didn't put a hole in the wall, my ex used to punch holes in walls all the time, when he wasn't punching me. One time he forgot that one wall was actually plasterboard nailed to a brick wall and broke two of his knuckles."

"Ouch," the detective opposite her looked up, "that had to hurt in the morning."

"Oh, he bitched about it for weeks but it was the last time he hit that wall," she nudged Anna on the shoulder, "come on, let's pack some clothes."

Anna rose and nodded at the detective, "thank you."

"Glad to be of service," she smiled, "we'll be in touch shortly."

"He's going to be charged with firearms offences and possession of cocaine," Anna told her a few minutes later as she took clothes out of her wardrobe.

"Is he going to make bail?"

"Maybe," she shrugged, "his parents took out a second mortgage to give him money to put towards the deposit for this joint, but it depends on the magistrate. If the bail is too high then he'll stay on remand until his trial."

"No brothers or sisters?"

"Huh?" Anna glanced over her shoulder.

"Has he got any brothers or sisters?"

"He's an only child, maybe that was another warning sign I should have heeded. He did like the powder but stopped when I threatened to end it with him. They found the drugs in his man shed out the back, along with three handguns and a samurai sword, he wasn't even supposed to own that shotgun he pointed at me.

"My ex had a samurai sword," she started putting the clothes into a suitcase, "along with several guns, only one was ever registered, the rest were all illegal," she hesitated.

"He used to enjoy pointing guns at me just for a laugh."

"So you understand," Anna dumped more clothes on the bed.

"Yeah, I understand," Ellen pulled her top up to expose a white scar on her belly, "he slashed me with a knife the second last time he assaulted me and when I threatened to report him he bashed me so badly I blacked out," she let go of the top.

"One of the club members actually drove me and Tab to the hospital and told me that if I wanted any chance at surviving then I should just not go back home."

"Fuck me, and I thought I had it bad, he hasn't even hit me, yet."

"The physical scars heal, eventually but the emotional and mental scars sometimes never heal," she put more clothes into the suitcase.

"He is bad for me. He comes across as a charmer and a bit of a larrikin but behind closed doors he's selfish and facetious. It doesn't matter what I've done he's done better and bigger. He's five years older than me and he uses that to stand over me," she took more clothes out.

"It's like living with a volcano," she went on, "he was all for this course until he learned how much I'd paid for it and then he tried to accuse me of wasting money that could have been used for bills and food. There's no logic for it, either, we're solvent, we can pay our bills and the mortgage, we can buy food but as soon as I spend money on myself them I'm being irresponsible."

"And yet he can spend money on guns."

"He told me that he didn't spend that much money on the guns."

"It's still several hundred dollars," she replied, "and I'm not even talking about the handguns, he's bought them on the black market and that's always a lot more expensive. My ex spent nearly two grand on a semi automatic pistol and the club used to spend thirty grand on an assault rifle, there's big money in guns and then there's the cocaine."

"Well that'd explain why almost all my wage has gone in bills and the mortgage," she dumped the last of the clothes on the bed.

"So, without thinking too far ahead," Ellen frowned, "where is this going? Are you going to leave him or is this just a hiccup?"

"Oh it's over for sure," she picked up a second suitcase, "I might be tired and emotional but my mind is made up, the moment he put his fist through the wall I knew that was the red line. I'll put up with smartarse comments, the put downs and all the rest but violence is the end. It starts with walls and plates of food but it always ends with bruises and broken bones."