A Series of Unfortunate Events

Chapter 14

As she stared down the barrel of the Colt 45 Sharon's heartbeat was so loud it felt like she could actually hear it as well as feel it. She knew there was no way in her current state of health, that she could overpower Gary. Knowing that he wasn't too smart, would certainly help, but as she had told Rusty sometimes people who aren't very intelligent were cunning. "How... how did you find us?" Sharon asked conversationally.

The baby settled into her chest but seemed to sense her tension. Bella made whimpery baby noises, and Sharon shifted her in her arms, kissed her head and murmured to her, all while keeping one eye on Gary. She observed that Gary's eyes kept resting rather reluctantly on the baby. He was stone-faced but twitchy. Was he nervous? On drugs? On one hand, she hoped he was on drugs he might be a little bit more malleable, but on the other hand, if he was on drugs he could also be more unpredictable and dangerous.

"I happen to see Rusty's car near my parent's house earlier that day. When I left the house, I used the keys I found on the desk to get in my father's car. I also found something else that proved to be useful. I hid in my dad's car then watched and waited, sure enough, Rusty came back with the baby. When he was taken to the police station, I followed. Then I followed you all to Walmart," Gary boasted.

Sharon wondered if he was brave or really not too bright. "You were taking a chance. You could have been caught."

Gary laughed, "Are You kidding? The police here in this podunk town couldn't find a dog if it bit them in the ass."

"When did you have time to do that? Go through your father's desk I mean? I know you changed clothes from the description of the witnesses. You went in wearing a prison guard's uniform, you came out wearing camouflage gear. That took time and the witness said you came out dressed in camouflage gear fifteen minutes after the shots were fired." Sharon mused, pressing her lips together. Her back was starting to hurt from standing, but she pressed on trying to keep him talking.

Gary looked at Sharon, both surprised and impressed that she knew his movements. "Like I said I followed Rusty to the police station, then I followed you guys to Walmart. I taped a 'find me thing' in the wheel well, while you were in Walmart."

Sharon's eyebrows shot up, "Find me thing?"

He gave her a smug look. "You put it on a key ring to help find your keys, but I taped it in the wheel well of Rusty's car so I could track you. It didn't have a lot of range but as long as I kept within two or three car lengths behind I could hold onto the signal."

She nodded distractedly. Sharon knew what it was but she was trying to get him to underestimate her. It was important that he didn't consider her a threat. "Oh, wait you followed us to Walmart? In your father's car? How did you manage to keep away from the police?" Sharon asked, acting flustered. She was hoping that her stalling would give Andy time to move in and help her. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't need or wish for someone to rescue her, but her current health issues left her feeling weak, tired, achy and not at all confident in her physical strength. Mentally she knew she could run circles around Gary, but physically, not so much. Once she had realized Gary was there and realized she needed back up, she had surreptitiously activated her phone, so that Andy could hear what was happening.

Gary was so self-absorbed he took her at face value. He didn't seem to be aware of her physical limitations at all. For that she was grateful. He did seem to believe her flustered, slightly vague persona. From past experience with him, Sharon knew he was the type of guy that had a low opinion of women, and only really considered them good for one thing. So, she wasn't surprised when he bought her act, especially when she switched every so often to a starry-eyed admirer. Pretending to hang on to his every word and appear even to admire him. His ego was enormous. "There should have been a want out for your father's car." She said hoping that the statement wouldn't change his opinion of her. On one hand, she wanted him to completely underestimate her and on the other, she wanted to keep him off balance.

"Well, I may have switched license plates with a neighbor's car," he said slyly. "It's one of those black sedans. Must be thousands of those on the road."

Sharon nodded agreeing with him. "I have to ask Gary, no one even knew you were one of the escapees for hours, so I have to wonder why you would risk your newfound freedom by coming here and killing your parents? Why would you do that? Did you have a score to settle with them?"

Gary had never been bright, and in his entire criminal career, he'd never been up against anybody quite like Sharon Raydor. He liked that she seemed interested in his motivations. Most women would be afraid when staring down the barrel of a gun. They were either shaking in their boots, or trying to get away, but no, this lady was asking him questions and was calmly standing there holding his daughter having a conversation with him as if he really mattered. Sharon's questions gave him a chance to boast which he loved to do and for some reason, he couldn't figure out he felt like he needed to make her understand that he was justified in killing his parents. "First off, I need money and lots of it. I need to get out of the country and that takes money. My score to settle was that they had money and I needed money fast. My Dad has always been a penny pincher. We lived like we didn't have any money my whole life. Now he's inherited all this money from his father and I needed it!"

Horrified, Sharon couldn't help but ask, "You killed your parents, Gary, and the mother of your child for money? Sharon Beck didn't have any money."

"Oh, yeah she did!" His voice got louder and his face got red with anger as he said, "she had my money! My parents were giving her my money!"

"I can't imagine killing one's own parents just for money!" When she said that, she realized it could sound judgmental, so she qualified it by saying, "unless… unless they were bad parents. Were they bad parents, Gary?" She tried to sound sympathetic.

"Were they bad parents? You could say that. They were always bringing up my brother Donald to me. Why can't you be more like Donald? You're a no-account screw-up! Donald's an A student he's going to be a doctor blah blah blah! What parent says stuff like that to their kid when they are only in middle school? Huh?" He shook his head in disgust.

"So, if your parents were so mean to you, why aren't you far away from here?" Sharon repeated her earlier question.

"I told you, I came back because I needed money and my dad had lots of it. I found out recently, he's from a rich family and all these years we thought we were poor. His father died just last year and he inherited since he was the only kid they had. From what the lawyer told me it seems like my ole grand-dad was some big corporate lawyer dude, who disapproved of my father's choice to be in family law. He also disapproved of my mother, so we didn't see them, like ever, but he knew about us. My brother and I inherited a bit as well, though Donald probably got more than me. This lawyer, I mentioned comes to the jail and wants me to sign my inheritance away, cause I'm in jail and can't use it. I told him nah uh. It was mine and I wasn't giving it to anybody but me. So, he left, but then he came back and told me about my daughter how she was born early and my parents needed it to pay her medical bills. I signed the papers, but with the understanding that my dad would visit me and explain to me where this baby came from." Gary preened, as he said, "I figured it was Sharon Beck, but I wasn't sure, after all, I was quite the ladies man before I was put in jail by that bitch, but I wanted to hear it from him. I told that lawyer, to tell my father that if I ever got out of prison, on parole he'd give me what I needed to get back on my feet. 'Course, I wasn't telling him I was planning on escaping. Boy, was he surprised when I showed up on their doorstep two weeks later!" Gary laughed sardonically. Remembering the panicked look on his parent's face.

It took great of restraint on Sharon's part not to point out that it was Gary's choices that put him in jail. She schooled her features and put on a sympathetic face mixed with earnest concern. "What happened that night, Gary?"

He sneered at her. "What do you care? After all, you were one of those bitches that put me in jail!"

Sharon swallowed, maybe he was not as convinced as she thought he was of her act. "You'd be surprised to know, Gary that while most people who kill are inherently evil, some people that find themselves killing family members or anybody really, are just people who are pushed over the edge. Provoked beyond their ability to cope in any other way. Is that you Gary or are you evil? Tell me what happened, and I may be able to help you."

Seeming to accept her reply he explained. "Well, I came into the house and my dad was on the couch, my mom was coming in from the kitchen with their evening cocktails. Something they've been doing as long as I remember. After she put the tray down on the coffee table she looked up and saw me. Then it was… 'what are you doing here? Oh, Gary, you are such a disappointment! You can't do anything right to save your soul, can you? Honestly, boy I just knew you were trouble from the get-go. For one thing, I was in labor for three days! Then you show up and you're not even the girl I wanted, no you were a boy. What did I want with another boy? I already had a boy, Donald. I didn't need another boy, I wanted a girl and you weren't even one of them pretty boys either, no you were the ugliest baby I ever saw, now you're a damn criminal! What are my friends going to say? Huh? I can't believe you did this to me!'"

"So, I shot her! I couldn't help it, she just wouldn't shut up. Then I asked the old man where the money was. He told me it was still in probate court, and it would be another six months before it became available and when it did, my share would belong to my daughter because I was a criminal and deserved to rot in jail! How's that for loving parents, huh? Anyway, I shot him too and then Sharon Beck comes out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. The bitch who put me in jail and the whore that had a kid I didn't want and I never would have allowed her to have, sponging off my parents. She told me she called 911 and they were coming to take me back to prison! So, I shot her too. Right between the eyes just like I did Linda and Jim. The end!" He tone was flat with no emotion at all for his family.

Sharon fought valiantly to keep the disgust and rage she felt at Gary's words under wraps. She knew her life and Bella's depended on him believing she sympathized with him. "Yes, that certainly does sound like you were betrayed and mistreated by your parents and Sharon Beck. It would appear that you have a right to be angry. It's hard to believe any mother would say such cruel hurtful things to their child, but I guess it happens. I've heard of even worse things."

"You're damn right! I have a right to be angry!" He said, his eyes narrowing.

Seeing that his anger was threatening to boil over, she diffused it by diverting his attention. "So… um is that's what you want from me? Money, for the privilege of raising your daughter? Gladly! Let me get my checkbook! I'll write you a check." Sharon said in a matter-of-fact slightly sarcastic tone of voice. She started towards her purse that had her checkbook in it.

Gary blocked her. "You must really think I'm stupid Lady!" Gary said bitterly.

"No, why would I think you were stupid? After all, you got out of a medium security prison. That takes nerves and guts. Even more, it takes brains," Sharon said allowing a modicum amount of admiration into her voice. She didn't want to overdo it, after all, if it was too much even Gary would know she was faking it. She backed up until she was standing by the kitchen table where she had put Bella's diaper bag and started rummaging through it with one hand, all the while talking about money and checks with a distracted air about her. All through the exchange with Gary, she'd wondered where this act she was putting on was coming from. She then remembered how Brenda sometimes acted distracted and flustered, when she was dealing with certain suspects, so they would underestimate her. Sharon endeavored to continue to do the same since it was working with Gary, even though it was the exact opposite of her normal take charge attitude. Thank you, Brenda Leigh, she thought to herself.

To stall for a little more time she repeated, "No, I don't think you're stupid," (I know you are, was her fleeting thought.) "I just wanted to make sure I could give you enough money. I don't usually carry a whole lot of cash on me, however, it always helps to have a bit, but… if you're not going to let me write you a check, I'll have to find you some cash." She made sure to keep her hand movements subtle as she kept talking to distract him. "Seems to me I transferred my cash here to the diaper bag. When you have a kid, your baby's diaper bag holds a multitude of essentials. You know, now that I really think about it, I can understand perfectly why you wouldn't want a check. I mean they're so hard to cash these days," she added a nervous little laugh. "I know I have at least five-hundred here somewhere. You never know when you're going to need it."

Suddenly Sharon's hand closed on her service revolver and raised it. "Drop your weapon and put your hands up!" she said with a deadly tone to her voice.

TBC...

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