Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
STALKED
By Lola Presents
Chapter 5
Winston locked the front door and initiated the alarm with a stoicism that put Lola on guard. Then, without turning, he asked his wife something no man should ever ask.
"So, why was he here?" Lola's husband inquired, putting heavy emphasis on the word "he."
"You mean, Lincoln?" asked Lola quietly.
At this point, Winston turned and faced her. "Oh, I don't know..." he said accusingly. "You tell me. Or were there other men here today as well?"
"Winston, don't be dumb," Lola pleaded. "It's not like that!"
"Dumb?" exclaimed the man. "Dumb?!" he said again. "You know what's dumb? Me, spending all my time working so you can have nice things and protect you from the outside world, all for you to go inviting people over!"
"HE'S MY BROTHER!" screeched Lola. "He can come over whenever he wishes!"
"Yeah?" spat Winston, grabbing his things and heading down the hall toward the restroom. "Well, not anymore."
"Wait," sighed Lola. "What are you doing?"
"If you must know, I'm going to clean up," he said with aggravation. "Since someone didn't fix dinner, I'm going out tonight."
"Oh!" exclaimed Lola. "I should get ready then, too."
"What?" laughed Winston. "I didn't say we were going out. Just me."
Lola watched as Winston closed the door and listened until he'd started the water, then slowly brought her hands together and held them near her chin. Soon, small trickles began to navigate their way down her cheeks. She knew something was happening to her husband but never thought he'd go so far as to separate her from the world, let alone her family.
The worst part about it was that Lola had no idea how to handle it. She couldn't exactly start a discussion without indirectly accusing him of something. Nor did she have any other friends who were able to assist her. The only person who seemed to know anything that was happening was the older man, and he'd promised not to contact her again.
Though, Lola began to wonder, maybe, if she could find him instead. How would one go about tracking down a homeless man whose identity is in question? However, Lola remembered the cops had taken some video footage, and they may have some leads. The problem, of course, would be convincing them to hand over any evidence.
A cursory drive around the neighborhood and town might generate something. If nothing else, it would get Lola out of the house for a while, which was something she desperately needed just then. That is if Winston doesn't do anything to restrict her from doing so. In part, she sympathized with him, though. He loved her too much to let anything happen to her. That's why he was going to all these precautions. Right?
Regardless, Lola dried her eyes and cleaned herself up before Winston completed his shower, then wandered into the living room, where she promptly sat on the couch. Then, she immersed herself in that past, reaching for her family album. The images in the tome filled her head with warmth, tenderness, and the love of family. Such things seemed a distant memory now and seemed to recede as time went forward.
Somewhere in her zeal to start her adult life, something got lost. Lola discarded part of herself when she quit pageantry and learned to settle. Later, she limited herself to dating only affluent people, which her family insisted she not do. They constantly waned her that such people rarely feel and might regret it later. The worst of them were her parents. It was almost as if they knew ahead of time what she might face.
Suddenly, Lola's face dropped, remembering something the mysterious man had said. "They wanted to keep it covered up, but they knew. Our parents knew, even when they agreed to the marriage!" Lola's eyes narrowed, and her fingers began tightening around each other. Then, Lola grabbed her keys, disabled the alarm, and stormed out of the house.
Infuriated beyond measure, Lola started the engine and began back out of the driveway, only to be blocked in by Winston's pickup truck. "Fuck," Lola spat, then put her car in gear and drove around the old Nissan truck. Her maneuver left the flower beds in tatters, but she didn't care. Lola would've gone through anything to find the truth. Safely out of the drive, she slammed the accelerator and sped off down the road.
When Lola pulled up to her parent's house, she found nowhere to park. Their dilapidated old van and Lily's Civic filled the drive, leaving only the curb open. Lola had miscalculated and hadn't time to slow down properly, ending up driving her car into the yard before parking it. Then, with one purpose in mind, she stormed up to the house and threw open the front door.
"Mom!" Lola shouted as the door banged against the wall beside it. "Dad!"
"Honey? What's the matter?" inquired Rita, filled with concern as she and Lynn rushed in from the kitchen.
Lola never realized how much time had passed since her youth until she saw her parents standing there, their faces etched with lines and their hair beginning to turn gray. Lola was taken off guard for a moment and stared at them. Had she and her siblings done this to them? Then, shaking the feeling off, she made her demands.
"Mom? Dad?" she began low and firm. "It's time you told me the truth."
"I'm sorry?" asked her father, still holding a half-empty coffee cup. "The truth about what?"
"Don't give me that!" belted Lola. "About Winston! About this man that's been following me around!"
Rita looked up at her husband nervously while he pressed his lips together. "Alright, honey," Lynn finally said, nodding and gesturing to the couch. "Please, have a seat."
Lola had prepared for heavier resistance, and it took a moment to process their acknowledgment. However, she did as requested and slid onto the sofa. "What happened?" she asked.
Rita sat uncomfortably in one of the recliners while Lynn paced a moment, then faced the bay window. "Lola, do you remember Kielle?"
"Uh, who?" sputtered Lola. "Sorry, no. I don't. Who's Kielle?"
"Around the time you were ten and were participating in the miss pre-teen bracket, there was this little brown-skinned girl named Kielle," Lynn explained, still not turning from the window. "Adorable and full of life. She was in the next set down, the little miss bracket."
Lola shook her head. "Okay..." she mumbled. "I sort of remember. But, what does this have to do with me?"
"Do you recall that one day she stopped coming?" her father asked her.
"Not really," Lola replied. "I always thought she just quit."
Lynn hung his head. "No, Lola. She was found, raped, and murdered."
"Oh, my, God!" exclaimed Lola. "That's horrible! Any idea who did it?"
"Well, they found the man you described standing over her body, honey," Rita interjected. "Of course, he was arrested and tried."
"What?" gasped Lola. "I don't get it. Why is he out of jail if he killed someone!"
"Baby," said Rita soothingly. "He was never convicted. There simply wasn't enough evidence to link him to the crime."
"Why is he after me?" Lola demanded to know. "I'm a grown woman! Not a little kid!"
"The thing is," continued Lynn. "During their investigation, they discovered some things. Oh, there were piles of love letters, written but never sent, and a creepy shrine, all for you, and only you."
"No wonder you kept encouraging me to resign," Lola offered, beginning to understand. "But, what you guys do then?"
"Well, a restraining order was issued, of course," sighed Lynn, finally facing his troubled daughter. "But, that can only do so much. We were going to take other measures, hire a private detective, and have him retried, but then, we got an interesting visit."
"What?" Lola stammered. "From who?"
"His parents," Rita said softly. "Mr. and Mrs. Chesterfield. The man's name is..."
"Winston?" inquired Lola, desperately hoping to be wrong.
Rita nodded. "I'm so sorry, honey," she said. "We wanted to tell you a long time ago, but then, you met his younger brother, and you liked him so much. We didn't want to keep you from happiness based on a few assumptions."
"Wait..." gasped Lola, waving her hands while processing everything. "So, what the old man told me was true? Are they both named Winston?"
"Sort of," Lynn answered. "That's part of why their parents came to see us. They wanted to distance themselves from Winston. Well, the older one. So, some lawyers got fat, and they got what they wanted. The case was closed and sealed, some documents got altered, and they legally changed Williams's name to Winston."
"Okay..." sighed Lola, beginning to cry over her false history. "But, why'd they tell you?"
"Because, honey," Rita offered in explanation. "We could identify Winston, the real Winston, should he come after, and they paid us a lot of money to stay quiet unless it actually happened. How do you think we've afforded all the repairs this place has seen over the years?"
Suddenly infuriated once more, Lola stood and balled her fists. "You sold me out for cash?!" she screamed.
"No, no, no," exclaimed Lynn, grabbing Lola's shoulders comfortingly. "Honey, if he ever came for you, we were free to do whatever was needed to protect you. But, if you remember, they wanted him to disappear while we wished for further prosecution, even when there was no evidence to warrant it. We love you, baby, and there's no way we'd ever do anything to put you at risk."
"But, you did," Lola sobbed. "You let me marry Wins... uh, William, or whatever his name is. Mom," she cried, looking at her mother. "I don't even know who my husband is!"
"We tried, baby," Rita told her daughter through tears of her own. "We truly did. But you wouldn't listen. You never did. You didn't listen to any of us, and we tried to warn you multiple times. I'm so sorry," she added, bringing her daughter in for a long-overdue hug.
"Besides, if he ever did try anything, we'd then have the money to pay any court costs. Do you understand?" her father inquired, coming to tears himself.
Lold nodded in the crook of her mother's arms. "I do now," she whimpered. "And, thank you for never giving up on me. I know I used to be quite hard-headed."
"Now, that's an understatement," said Lily's voice, alerting them to her presence. "What are you going to do now?"
Sniffling her tears into submission, Lola stood firm and patted her clothing, then announced her intentions. "Well, I still have a few more questions, which I need answers. So, I'm off to get them. Thanks again for trying. I love you."
"Love you too," Mom, Dad, and Lily called as they waved Lola out the door.
Darkness was beginning to fall as Lola drove through the neighborhood, and she began to wonder if she was doing the right thing. On the one hand, she had to know the whole truth. On the other hand, there was a fair amount of risk involved. Still, it wasn't as if she was unarmed. Somewhere in her cluttered glovebox sat a fully charged stun gun, one she'd had since she was little. "Thanks, Mom," she laughed, now understanding why they insisted on giving it to her.
"Now, where would I go to spy on me if I were in love with me?" she asked herself out loud. Then, immediately following, "Geez, I sound like a nutcase!"
It was difficult to see, let alone make out faces. Yet, Lola drove on with determination, relying on the headlights to help her. Then, as she rounded another corner, someone appeared in her path, and she nearly ran into them. Lola swerved her car just in time, but not without clipping whoever they were. Quickly, she hit the brake and jumped out.
"Are you alright!" she called in desperation to the prone figure. "I didn't see you! Can I help?"
Then, Lola stopped cold as the man rolled over. "No, it's okay. I've been through worse," he said, resigning Lola of any consequence. Then, seeing who it was, he pulled himself up and began limply running off.
"Wait!" called Lola. "I need to speak with you!"
"No!" he called over his shoulder. "I made you a promise."
Then, without warning, the man stumbled and fell onto the grass beside the cement path. Lola rushed over and looked him over. Seeing a small pool of blood increasing slowly in size upon his raggedy shirt, Lola panicked. After fumbling in her pockets for a moment, she pulled out her phone and dialed 9-1-1.
"What are you doing?" the man asked.
"Calling for help," Lola said as someone answered. "Yes. I have an emergency. I've accidentally hit a man, and he's bleeding. Yes, we're both here. His name?" she told the woman on the other side of the line. "It's... Winston Chesterfield," Lola continued, glancing at the man. "We're at the intersection of Cherry and 5th."
"Why did you do that?" asked Winston, looking bewildered. "I mean, knowing what you do about me. It doesn't make sense."
"Never mind that," Lola spat, dabbing at the blood. "I need you alive."
"Why?" Winston asked, beginning to cough while clutching his side.
"Because I need to know everything," Lola said. "And, we don't have much time before the ambulance arrives. Please, tell me, did you kill that little girl?"
"K-Kielle?" Winston sputtered, appearing to totter on the edge of consciousness. "N-no. I never touched her."
"We're you in love with her, too?" Lola asked bluntly.
Winston opened his eyes and stared at Lola. "No. She was Williams's girlfriend. I knew it was only a matter of time, but I hesitated. No. You're the only girl I've ever loved."
Then, with little warning, Winston's head lolled back into the crook of Lola's arms. "No!" she screamed. "Don't die!"
The sound of sirens and the glare of unusually bright headlights shone upon Lola as she sat there cradling the man. In mere seconds, the vehicle had come to a stop, two men exited, and Winston secured to a mobile gurney. Soon, they were then gone. The only people left were Lola and a couple of police officers, and the former had no idea whether Winston would live or die.
The officers took Lola's statement and ensured she would be alright before releasing her. Luckily, both were regulars in the neighborhood and remembered Lola from her earlier report of a stalker. "Miss Chesterfield?" the female officer said, gently resting her hand on Lola's shoulder. "Was that the man you described before?"
Now, Lola had a dilemma. If she revealed the truth, Winston might get arrested immediately following treatment. That is if he survived. However, her inquiry wasn't complete, and she wouldn't be able to talk to him in jail. Unsure of herself, Lola bit her lip and folded her arms, following the ambulance until it disappeared.
"Ma'am?" prodded the woman. "Was he?"
Lola hadn't been paying attention in the least and spun her head toward the officer. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Nevermind," the lady responded. "It looks like you've been through enough tonight. How about you go home and get some rest. We can talk about this more tomorrow."
"Yeah..." muttered Lola. "Rest..."
Lola had no intention of resting, however. After Winston's words, there was no way she would go home yet. Especially if William discovered she'd left in a hurry. He'd be furious, and Lola didn't know which was more frightening; Winston or William. Instead, she got back into her car and drove towards Don's with her phone in hand.
Twenty minutes later, Lindsey gasped as Lola got her up to date on everything that had happened over an evening cup of coffee and some glazed donuts.
"Damn, Lola," Lindsey sighed. "I don't know what to say. I mean, you're welcome to stay at my place if you want, though."
Lola laid a hand on her friends, shaking like a leaf in an august bluster. "Thank you. I really appreciate it. I'm just so shaken up and don't know what to do."
"Well, for one," barked Lindsey, "don't go home. At least, until this is all settled."
"Yeah, no shit," replied Lola, getting chilled and pulling her jacket around herself. "Listen, I have to ask you something."
"That's what I'm here for, Lola," Lindsey chirped, trying to lighten the mood.
"Do you remember a girl named Kielle? From a few years back?" inquired Lola. "She was in the bracket beneath us."
"You mean Winst... I mean... William's first girlfriend?" Lindsey asked while sipping her coffee. "Damn, I can't get used to that. Calling him something other than Winston just feels weird."
"Nevermind that," Lola said, dismissing the remark. "Do you know anything about her or what happened?"
"Nothing more than what you've told me," Lindsey said. "But..."
"But what?" gasped Lola.
"Thinking about them now, I do seem to recall them fighting a lot, right about the time she disappeared," Lola's friend told her. "Do you honestly think that Win... he could do something like that at such a young age?"
"I don't know, Lindsey," sighed Lola while consuming another donut. "But, I intend to find out."
Then, laughing at Lola's chubby, stuffed face, Lindsey had to say something. "Heh, Lola. You know, you should stop eating like that. You'll ruin your figure. Plus, it makes you look like a chipmunk."
Lola laughed for the first time in a while and nearly spat the half-chewed dough across the table. However, Lola managed to swallow it before responding. "Why?" she chuckled. "I mean, who do I have to look good for now? It's between a crazy old man and a possibly homicidal husband."
"Having fun tonight, ladies?" asked Claire as she sidled up to the table to rill their coffee. "Can I get you anything? More donuts, perhaps?"
"Yes, please!" laughed Lola.
"And, how many would you like, dearie?" asked Claire, whipping out her order book.
"All of them," chuckled Lola as she and Lindsey burst out laughing.
