Mean Girls of Maplewood Ch. 23

Everybody thinks we're like Leslie, and Red. I got kept home from school today, so I made you some cookies."

"Thanks Betty Joe; gotta admit my dad ate half of them with all the beer he's been drinking lately. My mom is hiding a bottle by her bedside and neither one of them are going to work. I think my folks might be getting a divorce soon. All they do is fight and it's all my fault."

"Because the tape came out?"

"They already knew about it, that's why I was out of school for a while. Got sideswiped by a car out on the interstate near potter's field. It was uhm, after I spent a night out there with Leslie."

"What?"

"Bitch was trying to take me somewhere near there because she thought she was gonna do it again. Leslie fucking thought she was gonna assault me a third time; but I wasn't going there with her. I uhm, snatched her phone and tried to jump outta the car."

"Oh my god Humbert." Betty Joe could barely look him in the face noticing he was trembling a bit.

"I threw her goddamn phone out there in some bushes and she spazzed; tried to beat me up, but we ended up..."

"You had uh, sex with her?" Humbert scoffed at the question looking away from her bucktoothed countenance still haunted by that fateful night.

"Hell Betty Joe, we lost our first times to each other; I got everything she took physically back, but I hate myself for that. I can hardly look in the mirror and I was just trying to stay away from her before that shit happened. All that bitch wanted to do, was screw me with that fucking strap-on! I showed her, Leslie wanted to drive me home afterwards; can you believe that shit Betty Joe?"

She didn't answer sitting there beside him as her thoughts drifted to the moment she caught Leslie sexually dominating Red's father. He was a big, barrel chested man and the sheriff of Maplewood, but wholly submissive to an eighteen year old with the body of a woman. Betty Joe nearly retched remembering Leslie's exuberant behavior and absence of shame after being caught. She'd even tried to coerce Betty Joe into having sex with Sheriff Reed for a moment. Her own personal shame popped up as she recalled regretting her idol's offer later that night between the sheets. Betty Joe was ashamed for wanting to emulate Leslie Anne Kennedy.

"Betty Joe?"

"Sorry, I get lost up in my own head sometimes when I think too much Humbert. I didn't know Leslie did "that" to you two times, I'm sorry."

"Blackmailed me."

"How?"

"Said that Red was gonna tell her father I assaulted them if I didn't let her do it again. Betty Joe, she got into my house and had the nerve to come back later telling my folks we were friends. I hated her for that shit, actually got the best of her a couple of times before she forced me into her car. I didn't think she'd wanna see me after potter's field, Leslie's crazy. Sometimes it feels like I see her face everywhere I look, even when I sleep."

"Humbert?"

"Yeah?"

"Uhm, do you love her?"

His hands were covering his face balled into fists, but he dropped them to his knees staring across the street not really seeing anything. Betty Joe waited patiently for an answer she wasn't going to get as he stood with the bag fumbling in his pocket for some cash.

"Goodnight Betty Joe." He offered her a few twenties, but she didn't want it.

"Goodnight."

Humbert Jenkins noticed her ride approaching lingering on the sidewalk with a foot on the first step of his stoop. Betty Joe looked distraught but didn't glance back as she got inside the car next to her brother. The similarly bucktoothed guy stared at Humbert for a moment before pulling away.

He lingered outside feeling the approaching breeze watching the approaching dusk on the horizon of Maplewood before going inside. Harry Jenkins was passed out on the couch holding a bottle pressed against his rounded gut. Betty Joe's container of cookies were on the edge of the living room coffee table almost gone with a few on the rug. Humbert walked over to his parent's bedroom finding his mother curled up into a ball talking on their rotary phone to an aunt.

She didn't notice him, but his name fluttered throughout the conversation. Humbert took the stairs up to his room which was in a state of disarray. He'd had an explosive tantrum when he found out about the revenge porn. Guilt poured over him for his behavior, so he started picking up his room setting up a snack table kept in his room. He sat down to eat switching on his television getting the local news instead of the streaming service he usually watched.

"Goddammit."

Leslie's face appeared on his flat screen larger than life, but it was a still shot of her sitting in the back of a patrol car. Someone had snapped and sold it to the local news. He found himself staring intently at her distraught features and hating that she was still stunningly beautiful. He could see the tears streaming down her cheeks, the ruddiness of nose and this spot under her bottom lip.

"Get this, a number of residents chimed in anonymously of course from today's poll and you'd be surprised to learn that quite a few would change places with the young man in that unfortunate video." The shot cut back to Brett Sawyer sitting beside a visibly disturbed female news anchor.

"Geez Brett, did you really have to go there?"

"I don't make the news Connie; I report it."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it today?" She was not amused. Humbert experienced this sharp pain in his chest scrambling to change the channel getting static before his blue ray load screen popped up.

He sat there on the edge of his bed looking into the light blue glow emanating from the screen entranced, but his mind remained affixed to Leslie's countenance as she sat in the back of a patrol car unceremoniously photographed by some clout chaser. She'd finally been brought low and there was no doubt April was the culprit.

Humbert told himself those mean girls were two sides of the same coin, but still saw every detail in the theatre of his mind's eye. Humbert hadn't been in close proximity to her since the night she tried to jump April in the parking lot of Happy's. He'd shunned her unknowingly playing into some sick rivalry between two very deranged women. The look of hurt on her face remained spiking something deep inside.

"Oh no you don't bitch; I'm not going down that road again." He couldn't have that getting up locking his bedroom door before retrieving a DVD from a pilfered tote bag still hidden under his bed. The disk bore the eponymous title "BITCH FUCK".

Humbert slid it into his console before resuming his seat tearing open the bag of takeout.

*************

"My, would you look at that; I'd say you're a natural Treena." Elle commented, both women standing in the kitchen looking at a brisket fresh out of the oven. Both women were camped out in Deputy Jimmy's kitchen working jointly on a veritable feast.

"Thank Mrs. Mooney." Treena replied still monotone which betrayed her emotion.

"Call me Elle, you know that girl; we've hung a little before. Jimmy's eyes are gonna pop out of his head when he sees what you've done around here."

The women had taken the time between cooking to do a protracted deep clean of his house and Treena even managed to pick up the front yard a bit. Elle's toddler was currently in the living room in a portable playpen before the television watching kid's programming involving some puppets. It was a welcome change for the tall, lanky woman who discovered that she was in a rut besides the problems she was currently having with her boyfriend.

Elle encouraged her to get out of her hookup clothing settling for a loose fitting dress stuffed in one of the garbage bags in the bedroom she shared with Jimmy. Treena didn't have the heart to tell her benefactor that she believed the dress belonged to another woman. Elle brought up the rear while Treena removed and reapplied lighter makeup.

"You think he's gonna kick me to the curb even though I'm trying to do what he wants?"

"I think you two should have a nice dinner and just talk."

"Talk?"

"Yeah, that's how you work it out Treena; that's how I work it out with Jed. Sometimes he can be a big dummy with things around the house and I kinda remind him, because I love him."

Both women were wearing aprons with Treena's hands hidden in big, oversized oven mitts. She'd been coached into whipping up a decent meal for her estranged boyfriend worried the whole time.

"I don't know if this is gonna work; I done tossed his unmentionables in the parking lot down to the station. He's gonna be real terrible mad when he gets home from work Elle."

"Don't you worry about a thing girl; I'm gonna sit in the cat bird seat and referee this thing so it don't get outta hand."

"But, what if it does?" There was no denying the apprehensive look on Treena's face, but Elle gave her a reassuring hug lightly chortling.

"Don't you worry about it none; I got the message out to Jed and he's gonna hang out. Now all you gotta do is put some good food in his belly and do your business in that there bedroom."

"Are you sure about that?"

"As sure as my name Treena; just found out I'm married to the head lawman in this here town of Maplewood." Before they could talk further, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway alerted the women.

Despite all of the positive reinforcement, Treena started trembling visibly shaking enough that Elle decided to calm her nerves by picking her toddler up and giving him to the apprehensive woman to hold. This seemed to work as Elle helped Treena sit on the couch before walking over to the screen door peering out into the front yard. She chuckled walking out the door leaving Treena and her toddler alone.

The newly minted sheriff of Maplewood Jeb Mooney, sat behind the wheel of his patrol car slightly gassed after a full day of work. There was nothing more soothing visually speaking than the sight of his wife half running to the car to greet him. Her head came in through the driver's side window planting a wet kiss on his lips. They ended up making out for a few seconds.

"Were you even gonna tell me you're the sheriff now, Jeb?"

"Mamma, its been a long day; you gonna have to cut me some slack. It ain't all its cracked up to be and I'm still sort of out in the field, if you get my drift."

"I saw you on the news pappa; you looked so handsome on the television."

"So, that mean you gonna walk on my back tonight?"

"Only if you promise to bust my back out tonight." Both of them chuckled some more before he glanced over finding Treena in the screen door of his partner's track home. She was motioning towards his patrol car for their toddler.

"Looks like you gave old Treena a mommy makeover, huh?"

"Well, whatever works; she's been walking around on pins and needles all day thinking Jimmy's gonna kick her out the minute he comes home."

"Yeah I got some text messages from a whole buttload of my deputies showing pics of his dirty drawers all over the station parking lot. That don't look so good making an idiot out of a man in public. So, he didn't kick her out or nothing?"

"Hasn't been home; kinda thought he'd be here with you." Sheriff Mooney prickled up at his wife's words, brow furrowed.

"Well, we ended up with Reed's patrol car so Jimmy took it looking for a suspect. I've been busy about town, but I figured maybe that trail ran cold."

"Think he's somewhere cheating on Treena?" Elle asked looking back at the twentysomething still standing behind the screen door with their toddler.

"I don't exactly know; I'm gonna call him up right now."

Sheriff Mooney made a call while his wife watched finding that it immediately went to voicemail. He called a few more times. This weird feeling slowly engulfed him as he straightened up behind the wheel looking from the face of his phone to his wife.

"What is it Jeb?"

************

Uhm, excuse me I'm here to speak with my client." The deputy looked up from the concierge desk at the entrance finding a disheveled looking man in a cheap suit sporting a five o'clock shadow. This shady looking individual was chomping on a small burger wrapped in foil. He was a lawyer.

"Client?"

"Leslie Anne Kennedy; my name is Wilson Brown and I've been assigned to represent her for the time being." He was carrying a ratty satchel bag in his other hand. Mr. Brown slid a card in front of the deputy, but the officer left it there noticing grease stains on it.

"We know most of the lawyers around town, haven't seen you before."

"Oh yeah, I'm from a town over, Cobb county deputy."

"Yeah right, uhm, she's being processed right now and you can see her when its uh, done. Funny, the girl's a trust fund kid so I'm shocked she didn't have some fancy lawyer show up." The dig at Wilson's appearance didn't go unnoticed, but he took another bite out of his burger.

"Well if its any consolation, I'm a proxy for the big money. You'll get a show when she arrives, you can bet on that."

"Is that right?"

*************

"Turn to your left." She complied finding a gathering of other deputies gathered watching as the first photo was taken.

"Face forward." Leslie turned facing Deputy Linda getting the second photo taken.

She noticed but didn't register the extra people obviously finding her a curiosity because of her looks and the fact that her sex tape had been reviewed covertly throughout the working day. Most couldn't believe she was only eighteen years of age and that coupled with the growing knowledge of her relationship with the former sheriff Reed.

There was much gossip after her discovery centered around Reed's nearly incessant absences now coupled with the knowledge that he'd been hooking up with this knockout. Their eyes were intrusive, but she remained stoic. Normally she would've been disturbed by this, but her mind wandered hoping against all hope that her baby's father still lived.

"Right hand." Deputy Linda's voice was harsh as she was taken and fingerprinted. Leslie followed through knowing this woman was impassive, unmovable despite attempts including overt bribery to get the female deputy to pursue her former employer.

"Hey Linda, she's got a visitor waiting."

"Humbert?' Leslie blinked looking at her arresting officer finding a stone face. Deputy Linda pulled on her bicep visibly annoyed.

"Eh, let him wait an hour; Ms. Lady here is going behind bars for a little while before her money takes over." Deputy Linda couldn't get the memory of her emotionally gutting Reed out of her mind. She had no love loss for her former boss but found Leslie's treatment of him brutal.

"Thank you Deputy." Leslie unexpectedly thanked the officer catching her off guard.

"For what?"

"Arresting me."

There was no way she could know Leslie was puffing up inside hopeful that Humbert Jenkins had come down to the station. She was okay sitting there behind bars happy in the fact that he was unharmed. Leslie was placed inside a cell taking a seat close to the thick door. Deputy Linda found it unsettling staring at the beautiful girl sitting there on a wall bench complacently.

*************

"COME ON, OUT OF THE WAY!!!"

Sheriff Mooney pushed his car to the limit until it was almost vibrating apart, the overhead siren blasting out its warning to the cars ahead, many who barely had time to drift over to the side for a full stop. He was driving like a bat out of hell weaving lanes barely shifting out of the way of a big red semitruck soon followed by another patrol car as he sped down the interstate which led in and out of town, heart thumping wildly.

Dispatch tracked the GPS in his partner's patrol car finding it on the outskirts of town. The coordinates put it smack dab middle in some privatized farmland. Sheriff Mooney couldn't shake the queasy feeling in his gut already blaming himself for losing track of his best friend during the day.

He unknowingly mimicked Deputy Jimmy's earlier frenetic path swerving wildly off road albeit further away from the end point hitting the bluff downward into the wooded area. Mooney pushed forward riding along this overly high fortified white fence. The roar of the engine was deafening as his knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. His phone was blowing up with repeated calls from Elle, but he was intensely focused on reaching the end of this journey hoping to find something rational.

It was his first official day on the job as the acting Sheriff of Maplewood and it had been a shit show from one end to the other. Some large weeping willow trees appeared on the opposite side of the fence at his right side, their branches dipping low into the road hitting his windshield, but Mooney pushed onward into a clearing.

There were already two state police cars occupying the glen adjacent to the stream running through the clearing as he pulled a sharp turn slamming down on the breaks. He was so flustered that he didn't bother turning off his siren jumping out of the car as a few state troopers moved to intercept him. Sheriff Mooney couldn't see them though, only focused on the sight twenty feet in front of his eyes, Deputy Jimmy's patrol car. Two more officers were standing at the car with mag lights illuminating its interior as a familiar face and peer approached. He knew the state trooper in passing, one officer Hankinson.

"HEY MOONEY, YOU DON'T WANNA SEE THIS!!"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!" The two troopers made a play for his arms in a futile attempt to stop the man from pushing forward. Mooney jostled with them as Hankinson raised his hands trying to calm the fast panicking sheriff.

"HE'S GONE MOONEY; JUST LET US TAKE CARE OF IT!!"

"HE'S NOT GONE HANKINSON, LET ME GO!!" Sheriff Mooney was reluctantly released going into a muted sprint stopping short of the compromised patrol car when he observed the splatters of crimson on the half down window of the patrol car. One of the attending troopers unintentionally turned his flashlight on Mooney illuminating him.

"JIMMY!!!" Mooney shoved the trooper inside getting a direct look into the back of the vehicle. There was nothing they could do to stop him from looking down onto the backseat to discover the fate of one Jimmy Hennepecker, former deputy of the small town of Maplewood.

"OH MY GAAAWD JIMMY!!" The state troopers grabbed Mooney by both arms supporting his weight.

Everyone present was haunted by what they'd discovered on the backseat of that patrol car, but none more than Sheriff Jeb Mooney, the man's best friend. One of the troopers, an older lawman who thought he'd seen it all mumbled a prayer under his breath. He was holding a partially stained photograph in his hands of two women. One of them, the younger, looked decidedly sinister in the picture.

"Hail Mary full of grace, the lord is with thee, blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus." The words trailed off as Mooney looked up into the man's weathered face, something dead inside the newly minted sheriff of Maplewood.

"Jimmy."

...TO BE CONCLUDED IN TWO.

The Reign of Terror will soon conclude in Maplewood.

*************

Author's note:

It's almost over.

I'd like to thank everyone who has followed me and this story and apologize for the hiatus. The pandemic has taken a toll financially and otherwise on me. I was grateful to find a way to upload this chapter & some other content as well. Have started working on alternatives for this situation due to financial difficulty.

Thank all of you very much.