The Brass Statuettes Ch. 21

Brenda looked away in shame. "I'm sorry about this. Things got out of control. I never..."

"I'm going home," Trudy said, almost in a whisper.

"Please let me take you. You shouldn't have to go by yourself."

"Never mind, just let me go," Trudy answered. "I'll be alright."

"Frank's in Chicago. You have no one to go home to," Brenda said. "Let me..."

"Just leave me alone," Trudy repeated. "I can get home by myself."

Trudy trudged slowly out of the mini-gym, neither saying more nor looking back.

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

Brenda looked on as Trudy trod through the French doors that led from the veranda to the house. She had an urge to run after her. She imagined herself injured and alone, as she was sure Trudy was. She knew what Trudy would have done for her, had roles been reversed. But she'd offered and Trudy had turned her down—with good reason, by Brenda's honest estimation.

Brenda concluded that the roles would never have been reversed because she realized that Trudy would not have allowed herself to be guilty of what had been committed, or possibly omitted.

"I have my sins, hypocrisy isn't one of them," she told herself.

She watched Trudy leave, convinced that it was the only thing she could do. She turned her attention to Gloria, forcibly escorted upstairs by Juana and helped by Darlene and Ashley. Brenda could hear Gloria yelling something. She couldn't understand the words, and realized that they didn't matter.

When she arrived in Gloria's bedroom Juana and the two other women were still holding her down on the bed.

"You need to get some rest, Gloria," Brenda said. "You're under a lot of strain."

"Traitor!" Gloria spat out. She struggled again momentarily against her captors and then gave up.

"I'm going to call your doctor," Brenda told her.

"Don't you dare," Gloria hissed again, but Brenda ignored her.

"Will this take very long?" Darlene asked. "I'd really like to go."

"I don't know," Brenda answered. "Just stay where you are for right now." She took Juana's place holding Gloria down. "Go find the phone number for the Señora's doctor. Bring it to me and I'll call him."

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

When the doctor arrived Juana and Brenda stayed in the room while he examined Gloria. Brenda explained to him what happened, minus some unneeded details, and then joined Darlene and Ashley downstairs in the kitchen. Ashley had made some coffee and they sat at the table sipping it.

"I thought Gloria was joking. I never thought she intended it to go that far," Ashley said. "I thought it was a kind of an initiation—all in fun."

"Me, too," Darlene said. "It's like when I was supposed to tease the Mexican boys. I would never have..."

"I'm not fooling myself, and you two aren't fooling me either. Fool yourselves, if you like. We're all guilty." Brenda said the words to the two seated at the table, but she didn't care if they listened or not. She wanted to hear the words come from her own mouth.

"Nothing happened," Darlene said. "Maybe it almost did—but it didn't. After you ran out Ashley and I let go of her. We wanted Gloria to stop. If nothing happened, we can't be guilty."

"That's right," Ashley said. We went along because you did," she told Brenda. "We figured that if thought it was okay, then it was."

Brenda answered her with silence.

"Actually, I think it was the three of us who saved her," Ashley added.

"We're all guilty," Brenda said, looking away from them. "We're guilty of being cowards. We were afraid of Gloria; afraid not to go along; affair of being left out."

"But if the police ask us we can truly say that nothing happened," Ashley said.

"I guess everyone has their own truth," Brenda answered. "For me, I know I'm guilty. I don't know what to do about it, but I know that I am."

"We've just gotta make sure no one finds out," Darlene said. "Maybe we should go see Trudy..."

"And beg her to keep it secret?" Brenda asked. "Don't you think she hates us enough? She won't tell anyone. She'll keep it a secret to protect her husband. If he finds out, he'll do something about it and that might end his career. She'll keep it a secret, alright."

"It's more than I would do," Darlene answered.

"I wish that I could say that I would," Ashley admitted. Tears were welling in her eyes. "I just don't know..."

"It hasn't been one of our better days," Brenda said.

Gloria's doctor appeared in the kitchen, followed by Juana. "She's going to sleep for quite a while. I sedated her heavily. She won't wake until morning. Someone should bring her to my office tomorrow. I'll most likely make a referral after I give her a proper exam."

"I'll bring her," Brenda said.

"Where's her husband?"

"In Chicago—on business."

"He should get back here as soon as possible. He may have to sign some papers."

"I'll call him," Brenda promised. "I'll call the office and find out how to reach him, and then I'll tell him to come back home."

The doctor looked at Juana. "Can you stay in the house tonight? Look in on her every few hours. Call 911 if you need help."

After the doctor left, Ashley and Darlene made quick exits. Brenda stayed behind.

"Thank you, Juana. You and José saved Trudy."

"Where ees Señora Trudy?" the maid demanded.

"She's home. She wanted to go home."

"You must go be weet her," Juana said. "Chee ees alone an' hurt. Go help her. I weel take good care of dee Señora."

"I already offered. She wanted to go by herself."

"No, you must go," Juana insisted. "Chee nids someone weet her."

"She said 'no'. I asked her already. I think she blames me. Here's her number. You call her—she likes you. If you speak to her, tell her that I'm sorry."

***********

TO BE CONTINUED...