The Monkey's Paw

This is not how the story is supposed to end. And suddenly he has started losing hair. The bald spot grows larger every day. Alopecia areata. AA. Yeah, he googled it. He's been under a lot of stress. He hasn't had sex since he saw his mother's naked body on Mrs. Plum's Facebook page. The desire and the need didn't actually go away. But the trauma is too strong and too deep to overcome, and every time he looked into Stephanie's eyes, his hard-on automatically melted away. Like the Snowman. Like garlic butter. Like candle wax. Frank Plum's hairy torso. Frank Plum's purple peni—

No.

No.

No.

Better not to think of that again. They both knew things would never be the same. They'd tried, tried, and tried again. Why should children be punished for the sins of their parents? Why should parents be punished for the sins of their children? Love is the only answer. Love is the light. Love is the path. He knew Stephanie couldn't stop thinking of his mother's sagging breas—

Joe Morelli slaps himself in the head. People turn to stare at him. He wishes he could say he doesn't care. He hasn't spoken to his mother. He just couldn't muster enough courage. His mother has been a widow for too many years. His father was not exactly an ideal husband. Grandma Bella knows nothing. Nothing at all. His sister burst into tears. His elder brother opened his mouth but had nothing to say. He himself drank another beer. A part of him wants to laugh it over with. A part of him wants to get laid. And now Stephanie is dying. So is her father. Helen has cancelled everything. There probably won't be a wedding. He and Stephanie have been keeping a polite distance between each other. They have stopped trying to talking about this. They have stopped having dinner at Pino's and watching hockey games together. It was simply awkward.

But somehow they are still engaged.

And he wasn't there when she needed him the most. He didn't even know she had been kidnapped. He didn't warn her about her job and all the crazy dangerous people. He's a cop, for Christ's sake. It's hard not to feel guilty. Should he be held responsible? He sits there, trying to pray, but just can't concentrate. He's afraid to ask any more questions. Why can't people stop staring? AND WHERE THE FUCKING HELL IS RANGER? He was supposed to always be there when Stephanie made yet another foolish careless mistake and catch her when she stumbled and fell. And when the two tall big men finally got out of their badass company SUV and jumped into the river, everything was too late. Too too late. How he wishes he could grab hold of Ranger's black shirt and punch him in the face. For that fucking Manoso is the one who keeps feeding Stephanie all the wrong kinds of ideas over the years. And everyone thinks that he, Joe Morelli, Trenton police detective, knows nothing about all the stolen kisses—

Frank Plum's purple penis. His mother's sagging breasts.

Joe Morelli snarls and smashes a fist against the waiting room wall. And thus breaks several bones in his hand. Life sucks? indeed.