C-chan - Thanks for the beautiful serenade again. I'm flattered. I usually
listen to country but like all kinds of music except for heavy metal (I
have this thing where if you're going to have lyrics to a song I want to be
able to understand them). And in case you're wondering you get to find out
what was in the box in this chapter. Happy reading.
Helon- glad you are enjoying it and hope you keep enjoying the story.
"What was that?" an officer said looking over at Sheriff Barnes as they all heard a yell and a crash from upstairs.
Barnes stopped his conversation with the detective and sprinted up the stairs. He was followed by the detective and several of his officers. Upstairs, Mitch Barnes walked quickly down the hallway glancing into rooms as he walked by. He finally got to the room where Doug was.
"Are you okay?" Sheriff Barnes asked as he stepped into the room. He glanced from Doug to the broken lamp that now lay on the carpet next to the wall. It wasn't hard to figure out how it got there. He was aware of the others behind him but they stayed quiet.
"I'm fine, sir," Doug answered. "Sorry about the lamp. I was just so upset- I wasn't thinking."
"Did you find something," Barnes asked knowing that chewing his officer out about disturbing a crime scene wasn't exactly appropriate in this case nor was it the right place for such a lecture.
"The robbery story is a lie," Doug told him. "Right there is the stuff that was supposedly stolen," he added pointing to the box on the floor that he had pulled out.
At Doug's statement the detective pushed his way past Barnes and into the room.
"Did you touch the box at all?" the detective asked without looking at Doug.
"I pulled it out from under the bed but I had a glove on. There was only one corner of the box sticking out from under the bed."
"Good," the detective said concerned only with the case. He didn't know the Witter family and so his personal feelings weren't getting into the way. He just wanted this case wrapped up. "I'll get some people up here to collect the evidence. Nice find," he told Doug as he left the room and headed downstairs.
"Okay, I think you've done enough here," Mitch Barnes said after the detective had left. The other officers who had followed Barnes up looked at Doug with sympathy. Their image of their sheriff for the last ten years had just been completely shattered but they couldn't imagine what their co- worker was going through right now. "I think its time you go back home."
Doug thought about arguing with him but he didn't really have the energy. Besides he had found the answer to the question he had most wanted answered. He knew now that his Dad had been lying about the robbery. Exactly what had happened here last night he wasn't sure but he knew now that whatever it was his father was involved. With a nod Doug headed toward the doorway, his fellow officers stepping aside to let him pass.
"I want the two of you to go with him, and make sure he gets home okay," Mitch said quietly to the two officers as he started out of the room himself. "And keep the reporters away from him. He doesn't need them in his face right now," Barnes told them. After Doug's show of anger with throwing the lamp against the wall, he didn't want to take the chance of him taking a swing at one of the reporters if they started asking him questions.
The two officers nodded as they followed Barnes down the steps and outside. No one said anything as they all walked out to the cars.
"Doug," Sheriff Barnes said reaching out a hand to stop the young officer. Off to side some Capeside police officers were busy keeping the media at bay. The two officers that Barnes had assigned as Doug's escort got into their squad cars. "Get some rest," Mitch told him. "We can handle things out here. I'll get back to you about the trial date."
"I'm suppose to be on duty tonight," Doug said.
"We'll cover it," Mitch told him. "You need some rest. You getting into a car accident or making yourself sick isn't going to help anyone. I'll have officers outside your house to keep the media away."
"Thanks," Doug said. The exhaustion was starting to get to him. Plus, his sisters would probably be arriving sometime tonight and he had a funeral to arrange. Suddenly things were starting to seem overwhelming.
Doug got into the squad car, turned around and headed back in the direction he had come from. The other two squad cars were right behind him and behind them he could see one of the news vans. He was glad that Sheriff Barnes had thought of the escort. He had a feeling he was going to need their help.
As Doug approached his house he was even more certain that he would need his co-workers help. There were now several news vans and reporters out in front of his house. Doug pulled his squad car into the driveway with the other two right behind him. He waited for his co-workers to come up to his car before he got out.
As soon as the news reporters saw Doug get out of the car they headed toward him. With his co-workers on either side of him, Doug walked quickly to his front porch wanting desperately to just get inside away from everything. As Doug went inside, the other two officers stayed outside and pushed the media back away from the front porch.
"The reporters showed up not long after you left," Mitch Leery said walking out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, they're out at my parent's place too," Doug told him. He looked past Mitch to see all of Pacey's friends gathered in the kitchen.
"Pacey's asleep in the living room," Mitch told him following Doug's gaze. "I'll take the kids home now," he continued figuring that Doug didn't need a houseful of teenagers hanging around right now.
"Thanks," Doug told him relieved. He hadn't wanted to tell everyone to leave but he also didn't really want them around right now. He needed some time to himself.
"Doug, do you want me to arrange everything for the funeral."
"No, I don't want to trouble you..."
"Doug, you don't need to handle everything by yourself. It's okay to ask for help. There are people who want to help you. I want to help you," Mitch told him.
"Okay," Doug said relieved that he didn't have to make the arrangements. He hadn't been sure how he was ever going to get through making the arrangements on top of everything else. "Thank-you."
"If you need anything else just call," Mitch told Doug as the kids got into their jackets. "No matter what time it is," he added.
"I will," Doug told him.
Doug watched as Mitch and the kids went outside and with the help of the two officers made their way to Mr. Leery's and Andie's cars. Doug shut his front door and headed toward the living room. He took off his jacket and laid it across the back of the closest easy chair and then sat down. Pacey was still asleep and before long Doug had fallen asleep in the chair.
A knock at the door woke Doug up. With a groan he got up out of the chair and made his way to the front door. He pulled back the blind and looked out the window to see who was knocking at the door before he opened it. There on the porch was his older sisters Kerry and Amber and his younger sister Sarah. Doug let the blind go and opened the door and let his sisters in.
"Doug, what is going?" Kerry asked her brother as soon as she walked inside. "I heard that they've arrested Dad."
"Yeah its true," Doug told her as he shut the front door behind Sarah, a little peeved that her first concern was their father being arrested and not how Pacey was doing.
"What Pacey do go and tell people that Dad beat him up last night," Kerry continued. "You know he always has been trouble. Mom should've stopped with Sarah."
"Besides, Pacey's the one that spread that rumor about having sex with his English teacher. How can they even take him seriously," Amber said.
"I can't believe the two of you," Doug said. "After how Dad has treated all of us you want to defend him."
"When is the last time Dad ever hit you?" Kerry asked him.
"That's not the point," Doug said. His Dad hadn't hit him since he was nine years old and Doug knew why, because he had made the decision to do anything his father asked him too. Doug had given up his dreams and let his father control his life. It was a decision that had saved him from the yelling and the bruises but it had also cost him many things and a relationship with his younger brother was only one of those things.
"Then what is the point?" Amber asked him.
"The point is that Dad is the one who beat Pacey up like that last night," Doug told his sisters. He thought about telling them about his discovery earlier but then decided against it. Now wasn't the time to bring that up. "You guys haven't been around lately. You haven't seen the bruises on Pacey, the bruises that Mom has gotten lately. Pacey needs out support right now."
"I'm not getting involved Doug," Kerry told him simply. "I left so I wouldn't have to deal with this stuff and you're not dragging me back into it now. After Mom's funeral I'm out of here."
"I'm with her," Amber said.. "What happened to Mom is the only reason I'm even here," she told her brother starting to choke up on the words as she thought about he Mom no longer being around.
"I can't believe the two of you," Doug said angrily. "Don't you even care about Pacey. He is your brother too you know."
"He's trouble. He always has been," Kerry said.
"Why? Because he chose to stand up to Dad and none of us ever did. We turned our backs and tried to ignore what was going on. We turned our backs on him. On Mom. I'm not doing that this time."
"I'm going to go over to the inn to check in," Kerry told him as she opened the front door purposely trying to ignore what he had just said. Amber right behind her older sister. " I'll be in touch." Kerry said as she walked outside.
Doug just shook his head as the door shut behind Amber. He hadn't really expected anything more from them but he had hoped. Hoped that they would be willing to add their support to Pacey's story at the trial.
Doug turned around to find Sarah still standing in the hallway. In arguing with his two older sisters he had completely forgotten about his younger sister.
"How is Pacey?" Sarah asked him timidly, half expecting her older brother to go off on her. She hated it when everyone started yelling at each other.
"I'm going to be fine," came Pacey's voice from the doorway of the livingroom before Doug had a chance to answer. He was moving slowly and stiffly and Doug could see the pain in his brother's eyes. Doug didn't miss his sister's gasp when she saw the bruises on Pacey.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that Pace," Doug said apologizing for his sisters who was no longer there.
"What, its not like I've never heard what a loser people think I am before," Pacey said bitterly. "You know she's probably right. No one is going to believe a word I say and Dad is going to be more pissed off then he was before," he added. Doug could tell his brother was starting to reconsider standing up to their father. Thinking about backing out of testifying at the trial.
"Pace don't listen to her. You need to do this. We need to do this. This has gone on too long."
"But when the jury doesn't believe me then things are going to worse," Pacey said, scared at even the thought of ever having to be anywhere alone with his father ever again.
"That won't happen Pace," Doug told him taking the few steps that it took to close the distance between them and gently pulling his brother into a hug. "I won't let that happen."
"I'm scared Doug," Pacey admitted.
"I know Pace," Doug said softly. He was afraid too but he didn't have the luxury of being able to show that. He had to be strong for his younger sister and brother. "But you're not alone in this. You and I, we're in this together."
"I'm with you too Pace," Sarah said softly.
Doug held his arm out to his younger sister who walked over and let her brother pull her close. Sarah knew Doug was right. It was time for them to stand up to their father no matter how hard it was.
Helon- glad you are enjoying it and hope you keep enjoying the story.
"What was that?" an officer said looking over at Sheriff Barnes as they all heard a yell and a crash from upstairs.
Barnes stopped his conversation with the detective and sprinted up the stairs. He was followed by the detective and several of his officers. Upstairs, Mitch Barnes walked quickly down the hallway glancing into rooms as he walked by. He finally got to the room where Doug was.
"Are you okay?" Sheriff Barnes asked as he stepped into the room. He glanced from Doug to the broken lamp that now lay on the carpet next to the wall. It wasn't hard to figure out how it got there. He was aware of the others behind him but they stayed quiet.
"I'm fine, sir," Doug answered. "Sorry about the lamp. I was just so upset- I wasn't thinking."
"Did you find something," Barnes asked knowing that chewing his officer out about disturbing a crime scene wasn't exactly appropriate in this case nor was it the right place for such a lecture.
"The robbery story is a lie," Doug told him. "Right there is the stuff that was supposedly stolen," he added pointing to the box on the floor that he had pulled out.
At Doug's statement the detective pushed his way past Barnes and into the room.
"Did you touch the box at all?" the detective asked without looking at Doug.
"I pulled it out from under the bed but I had a glove on. There was only one corner of the box sticking out from under the bed."
"Good," the detective said concerned only with the case. He didn't know the Witter family and so his personal feelings weren't getting into the way. He just wanted this case wrapped up. "I'll get some people up here to collect the evidence. Nice find," he told Doug as he left the room and headed downstairs.
"Okay, I think you've done enough here," Mitch Barnes said after the detective had left. The other officers who had followed Barnes up looked at Doug with sympathy. Their image of their sheriff for the last ten years had just been completely shattered but they couldn't imagine what their co- worker was going through right now. "I think its time you go back home."
Doug thought about arguing with him but he didn't really have the energy. Besides he had found the answer to the question he had most wanted answered. He knew now that his Dad had been lying about the robbery. Exactly what had happened here last night he wasn't sure but he knew now that whatever it was his father was involved. With a nod Doug headed toward the doorway, his fellow officers stepping aside to let him pass.
"I want the two of you to go with him, and make sure he gets home okay," Mitch said quietly to the two officers as he started out of the room himself. "And keep the reporters away from him. He doesn't need them in his face right now," Barnes told them. After Doug's show of anger with throwing the lamp against the wall, he didn't want to take the chance of him taking a swing at one of the reporters if they started asking him questions.
The two officers nodded as they followed Barnes down the steps and outside. No one said anything as they all walked out to the cars.
"Doug," Sheriff Barnes said reaching out a hand to stop the young officer. Off to side some Capeside police officers were busy keeping the media at bay. The two officers that Barnes had assigned as Doug's escort got into their squad cars. "Get some rest," Mitch told him. "We can handle things out here. I'll get back to you about the trial date."
"I'm suppose to be on duty tonight," Doug said.
"We'll cover it," Mitch told him. "You need some rest. You getting into a car accident or making yourself sick isn't going to help anyone. I'll have officers outside your house to keep the media away."
"Thanks," Doug said. The exhaustion was starting to get to him. Plus, his sisters would probably be arriving sometime tonight and he had a funeral to arrange. Suddenly things were starting to seem overwhelming.
Doug got into the squad car, turned around and headed back in the direction he had come from. The other two squad cars were right behind him and behind them he could see one of the news vans. He was glad that Sheriff Barnes had thought of the escort. He had a feeling he was going to need their help.
As Doug approached his house he was even more certain that he would need his co-workers help. There were now several news vans and reporters out in front of his house. Doug pulled his squad car into the driveway with the other two right behind him. He waited for his co-workers to come up to his car before he got out.
As soon as the news reporters saw Doug get out of the car they headed toward him. With his co-workers on either side of him, Doug walked quickly to his front porch wanting desperately to just get inside away from everything. As Doug went inside, the other two officers stayed outside and pushed the media back away from the front porch.
"The reporters showed up not long after you left," Mitch Leery said walking out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, they're out at my parent's place too," Doug told him. He looked past Mitch to see all of Pacey's friends gathered in the kitchen.
"Pacey's asleep in the living room," Mitch told him following Doug's gaze. "I'll take the kids home now," he continued figuring that Doug didn't need a houseful of teenagers hanging around right now.
"Thanks," Doug told him relieved. He hadn't wanted to tell everyone to leave but he also didn't really want them around right now. He needed some time to himself.
"Doug, do you want me to arrange everything for the funeral."
"No, I don't want to trouble you..."
"Doug, you don't need to handle everything by yourself. It's okay to ask for help. There are people who want to help you. I want to help you," Mitch told him.
"Okay," Doug said relieved that he didn't have to make the arrangements. He hadn't been sure how he was ever going to get through making the arrangements on top of everything else. "Thank-you."
"If you need anything else just call," Mitch told Doug as the kids got into their jackets. "No matter what time it is," he added.
"I will," Doug told him.
Doug watched as Mitch and the kids went outside and with the help of the two officers made their way to Mr. Leery's and Andie's cars. Doug shut his front door and headed toward the living room. He took off his jacket and laid it across the back of the closest easy chair and then sat down. Pacey was still asleep and before long Doug had fallen asleep in the chair.
A knock at the door woke Doug up. With a groan he got up out of the chair and made his way to the front door. He pulled back the blind and looked out the window to see who was knocking at the door before he opened it. There on the porch was his older sisters Kerry and Amber and his younger sister Sarah. Doug let the blind go and opened the door and let his sisters in.
"Doug, what is going?" Kerry asked her brother as soon as she walked inside. "I heard that they've arrested Dad."
"Yeah its true," Doug told her as he shut the front door behind Sarah, a little peeved that her first concern was their father being arrested and not how Pacey was doing.
"What Pacey do go and tell people that Dad beat him up last night," Kerry continued. "You know he always has been trouble. Mom should've stopped with Sarah."
"Besides, Pacey's the one that spread that rumor about having sex with his English teacher. How can they even take him seriously," Amber said.
"I can't believe the two of you," Doug said. "After how Dad has treated all of us you want to defend him."
"When is the last time Dad ever hit you?" Kerry asked him.
"That's not the point," Doug said. His Dad hadn't hit him since he was nine years old and Doug knew why, because he had made the decision to do anything his father asked him too. Doug had given up his dreams and let his father control his life. It was a decision that had saved him from the yelling and the bruises but it had also cost him many things and a relationship with his younger brother was only one of those things.
"Then what is the point?" Amber asked him.
"The point is that Dad is the one who beat Pacey up like that last night," Doug told his sisters. He thought about telling them about his discovery earlier but then decided against it. Now wasn't the time to bring that up. "You guys haven't been around lately. You haven't seen the bruises on Pacey, the bruises that Mom has gotten lately. Pacey needs out support right now."
"I'm not getting involved Doug," Kerry told him simply. "I left so I wouldn't have to deal with this stuff and you're not dragging me back into it now. After Mom's funeral I'm out of here."
"I'm with her," Amber said.. "What happened to Mom is the only reason I'm even here," she told her brother starting to choke up on the words as she thought about he Mom no longer being around.
"I can't believe the two of you," Doug said angrily. "Don't you even care about Pacey. He is your brother too you know."
"He's trouble. He always has been," Kerry said.
"Why? Because he chose to stand up to Dad and none of us ever did. We turned our backs and tried to ignore what was going on. We turned our backs on him. On Mom. I'm not doing that this time."
"I'm going to go over to the inn to check in," Kerry told him as she opened the front door purposely trying to ignore what he had just said. Amber right behind her older sister. " I'll be in touch." Kerry said as she walked outside.
Doug just shook his head as the door shut behind Amber. He hadn't really expected anything more from them but he had hoped. Hoped that they would be willing to add their support to Pacey's story at the trial.
Doug turned around to find Sarah still standing in the hallway. In arguing with his two older sisters he had completely forgotten about his younger sister.
"How is Pacey?" Sarah asked him timidly, half expecting her older brother to go off on her. She hated it when everyone started yelling at each other.
"I'm going to be fine," came Pacey's voice from the doorway of the livingroom before Doug had a chance to answer. He was moving slowly and stiffly and Doug could see the pain in his brother's eyes. Doug didn't miss his sister's gasp when she saw the bruises on Pacey.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that Pace," Doug said apologizing for his sisters who was no longer there.
"What, its not like I've never heard what a loser people think I am before," Pacey said bitterly. "You know she's probably right. No one is going to believe a word I say and Dad is going to be more pissed off then he was before," he added. Doug could tell his brother was starting to reconsider standing up to their father. Thinking about backing out of testifying at the trial.
"Pace don't listen to her. You need to do this. We need to do this. This has gone on too long."
"But when the jury doesn't believe me then things are going to worse," Pacey said, scared at even the thought of ever having to be anywhere alone with his father ever again.
"That won't happen Pace," Doug told him taking the few steps that it took to close the distance between them and gently pulling his brother into a hug. "I won't let that happen."
"I'm scared Doug," Pacey admitted.
"I know Pace," Doug said softly. He was afraid too but he didn't have the luxury of being able to show that. He had to be strong for his younger sister and brother. "But you're not alone in this. You and I, we're in this together."
"I'm with you too Pace," Sarah said softly.
Doug held his arm out to his younger sister who walked over and let her brother pull her close. Sarah knew Doug was right. It was time for them to stand up to their father no matter how hard it was.