Life Ain't Always Beautiful
Chapter Thirteen: Gone
About an hour earlier . . .
It was hard to say good-bye to them as they left down the driveway. Knowing that was the last time he'd ever see them, it was almost too much to bear. He would miss them, and he was sure they would miss him when they discovered what had happened. That horrendous woman was sleeping on the sofa, which made things seem a little easier. That way no one could interrupt him.
He had never attempted this before, and he wasn't too sure if he could go through with it. But he was hurting so bad on the inside that it didn't matter how it felt on the outside, how bad it would hurt. He knew he told Bo he wouldn't do this, but the truth was that he had decided to do this the instant he knew his life was over. Which was the moment when her life had ended.
Overdose seemed the easiest way to go after he decided he just couldn't make himself slice his wrists. He still had half a bottle of medicine left. That oughta do the trick. Oh, how it hurt to swallow all those little pills one after the other, knowing that it wouldn't be too long before he wouldn't feel anything at all. He tossed the bottle on the floor when it was empty, laid down on the bed and holding their wedding picture in his arms. It would be just like going to sleep . . .
Current Time . . .
I couldn't believe the story I heard when we all gathered together at the courthouse. Isabella killed Aunt Evie. She robbed the bank. She stole General Lee. She was the daughter of some loon that tried to fram Cousin Cooter so many years ago. What a messed up world we live in.
Enos arrested Isabella that day with charges of murder, robbery, grand theft auto, and conspiracy. Rachel gave Isabella a smug smile as she was led to the backseat of the police car. The money was returned to the bank an' the money she had stolen from Daddy an' I was given back to us as well. An' of course the General was returned to his home in the garage out back behind the house.
Bo and Chelsea had just finished parking the General in the garage. Bo had let Chelsea drive his car (she was scared to death!) so that he could drive the General. Boy, he missed the way that hot rod felt when he was at the wheel. Chelsea was going to put the tarp back on the racer but Bo told her it wouldn't hurt to let him air out for a while.
The house seemed so empty when they went inside. Bo half-expected to see Rosco sitting on the couch watchin' Wheel of Fortune or something. But he wasn't.
"Uncle Rosco, we're home!" Chelsea called out when she didn't see him. "Daddy, ya reckon we oughta tell 'im 'bout Isabella?"
"I don't know, sweetie. I don't know how he'd take it," Bo replied. "He might still be asleep anyways. I'll go check on him, you can grab that frozen pizza out of the freezer if ya want to."
Chelsea did as she was told while Bo went to go knock on the guest room door. "Rosco?" he asked in a voice loud enough for him to hear. "Rosco, ya been asleep there for a while. Time to wake up."
"He needs his medicine!" Chelsea called from the kitchen.
Bo turned the door handle and, just as he expected, there was ol' Rosco lying on the bed. Curled up facing away from the door in what looked like a comfortable enough position.
Bo was relieved that at least he was still around but that was when he noticed something. He wasn't moving. He couldn't even see him breathing. Worried now, Bo called his name out softly to see if he would wake up. When he didn't, Bo went over and shook him a little bit and when that didn't work, he checked his pulse.
There wasn't one.
Shocked, Bo stepped back. When he did, he stepped on something that cracked a little bit. He looked down and saw the empty medicine container. In dismay, he looked back at Rosco and noticed he was cradling his and Eve's wedding picture.
Suicide.
Tears springing to his eyes, he then caught the attention of an envelope sitting on the night stand. His curiosity getting the best of him, he picked it up and read what was written:
Dear Family,
If you're reading this, then I'm already gone. There was nothing you could have done to stop me, I had planned this days ago. I just couln't keep living like this. I miss her too much. She was what kept me going. She saved me numerous times from several destructive choices I had made in the past, and now that she's gone I have already gone and made another one.
In the enclosed envelope is a check that has all the money from the banking accounts. It is to be split up evenly between all the children and put into a college fund. Do whatever you will with the property we have in Tennessee, I won't be needing it. One of the dogs, Tasha, had pups last month; the kids can have one each if they'd like.
I've never been too good with good-byes, I always tend to well up and cry. So I'll just say a nice simple "Good-bye" to everybody, which is what that right there just was. No sense calling an ambulance. By the time you come home, it'll be too late.
Much Love, XOXO
Rosco P. Coltrane
Bo pulled out the check that had the seven-digit number written out across it. He couldn't believe this. He had never suspected Rosco would do a thing like this. For the past few days, it seemed as if he was getting over Eve's death, but apparently he hadn't. Not if he had gone and done something like this.
Perhaps he only acted as if he were getting over it so that they wouldn't suspect that he was actually very depressed on the inside. So he had indeed really planned on doing this for a while. And he would never get to know who was responsible for Eve's death.
"Daddy?" Chelsea asked as she started to walk in from the kitchen. "Is Uncle Rosco still sleep--"
She stopped dead in her tracks when she witnessed the scene before her. Her uncle lying on the bed motionless and her father standing over him holding a letter in his hand and tears in his eyes. That could only mean one thing. And then she screamed.