Knock Knock
Chapter ThreeIn the last two days the gossipers have descended and I've had a myriad of phone calls expressing shock over photos of Joe and other women. Gossip is the foundation of Trenton and I am one of their favourite topics, even though it mostly, always, not my fault.
Yesterday I stopped at Tasty Pastry to grab some donuts to share with the girls. There in the window was a photo of Joe and Hilda Ortelo bumping uglies. Hilda had a quirk of changing hairstyles with each of her relationships. This wasn't the weirdest quirk around so it and she were fairly well accepted. The photo was placed in front of a poster so only the people going in the store or walking past could see it, which was probably why it hadn't been taken down yet. I was umming and ahhing over which assortment I wanted when Joe barged in and ripped the poster down.
"What the hell Stephanie. There are photos of me all over the place. Why are you doing this?" The shop went quiet.
Arms crossed and hip cocked I looked at Joe and in my best don't-mess-with-me voice said "The photos were stolen. I've asked my friends to track it down."
"And why would you do that?" he hissed at me.
Loud enough for the whole shop to hear I responded "These photos are humiliating for me. We were supposed to be in a relationship when you were cheating with these women. How do you think that feels?" This caused many gasps and murmurs. I'm pretty sure there were a few cell phones pointed our way too.
"Come on Cupcake. None of those women mattered. Just give up your job we can get married and have lots of babies." He said grabbing my elbow.
Wrenching myself away from him I said "Really Joe. You expect me to marry you when you've been cheating on me with numerous women over the past two years." Cue the gasps and murmurs. Yep, I can definitely see some cell phones.
His face was going red now. "None of this would have happened if you'd just quit your job, married me and had babies." he yelled at me.
"What? You wouldn't have cheated or you wouldn't have been found out? What are you really worried about here Joe?" He was so red he was going purple. Hehe this was fun.
Before he could yell at me again Big Dog and Carl walked in. "There a problem here?"
Carl picked up the picture from the floor and showed it to Big Dog. "Hey BD, check it out, its Joe and is that….oh shit." He dropped the picture but it was too late Big Dog had seen.
Big Dog was looking at the floor, hands on hips, his whole body taught and after taking a few deep breaths he said "Hilda was with me when she had that hairstyle." Big Dog said to Joe. More gasps and murmurs rang through the store and there were people looking in from the windows. "You know I wasn't sure the rumours were true but I thought you were a fool if they were. Then the photos started circulating and I thought you were an idiot. Now you cheated on Steph with a woman your co-worker was seeing. You are waste of man Morelli, just like your father." Joe didn't look the least bit sorry. He grunted and walked out of the shop, got in his car and drove off; but I saw the look on his face, this wasn't over, not by a long shot.
After giving my statement and trying to cheer Big Dog up with a hug, I dropped the donuts at the bonds office, picked up my files and headed to Bonnie Valczynski's place.
Bonnie had been picked up when she'd tried to steal a frozen chicken by hiding it under her sweater and claiming she was pregnant. It would have worked except she's as old as Grandma Mazur and Grandma's as old as dirt. Turns out Bonnie had purposefully missed her court date because she enjoyed being handcuffed. She came willingly once she was assured I would be cuffing her. On the way to the police station we had a one sided conversation where she talked about how she had decided to buy her own set of handcuffs so she could wear them any time she wanted. She just couldn't decide between the plain metal and the fluffy cuffs. If she got the fluffy cuffs what colour did she get? I drove in stunned silence.
The next day I dropped into the bond's office to give Connie the receipt, get my cheque and picked up another file. Barry Mosciatelli got drunk, whipped his Mr Happy out and watered the neighbour's pot plants. I'm pretty sure he is the brother to Harry who was one of Grandma Mazur's honey's. Deciding a trip to my parents place for information was in order and ducked home to get my laundry.
Grandma Mazur is magic, she always knows when someone is at the house and before the car is even parked she is waiting on the front porch. Grandma leads me into the house. "Where's mom?" I asked in a hushed tone.
"She stayed inside to make lunch. It's a nice change from all the ironing. She's been at it since you broke up with Officer Viagra and then the pictures of him and other women started popping up all over Trenton. The phone's been ringing off the hook. Say I wouldn't mind making a porno, do you think he'd give me pointers?" full body shudder.
"Hello dear. Set your washing over there and I'll get to it. I've got some leftover meatloaf from last night would you like it in a sandwich?" I had been expecting my mother's usual rant so to have her smiling and actually nice is a surprise. We sat down and had pleasant conversation over lunch and I was wondering if I'd entered the twilight zone when the front door opened and in walked Joe Morelli. My mother jumps up and made another sandwich for Joe who slithers like the snake he is into the seat beside me.
"Cupcake" he greets me and my jaw grinds.
"What are you doing here Morelli?" I growl at him
"I'm here to see you." He replies sweetly, so sweet I feel a tooth ache.
I snap at him "Well now you've seen me you can leave."
My mother gasps "Stephanie! Poor Joseph is here to take you back that it no way to talk to him."
Sigh here we go again "Ma! I won't be getting back with him in a million lifetimes. He's a cheater and I don't love him."
Waving a hand like it can wipe away everything I just said, my mother says "Don't be ridiculous. He's your last chance for a decent marriage and babies. You don't throw that away for silly rumours."
"The proof is plastered all over Trenton!" I exclaim flabbergasted.
Again she waves her hand and poof her denial is that easy "Nonsense. Now, the engagement party will be here and the…"
"Mother!" I cut her off "There will be no wedding. I will never marry him."
"Now listen here Cupcake." Joe hisses in my ear "You will listen to your mother."
"Or what Joe? What are you going to do huh?" my voice shaking from a combination of anger and a tiny bit of fear but I will totally deny the fear.
"Stephanie Michelle Plum that is no way…" "We will be married Cupcake. You're mine and…" they both started on their own rants.
"I'm leaving." They kept going so I got up and made to walk away.
This must be when they realised what I was said because my mother screeched "Why me?" and Joe grabbed my t-shirt preventing me from moving further away.
He jumps up and get hold of my arm before letting go of my t-shirt. I try to yank my arm away as he yells "You're not going anywhere." and jerks my arm towards him. He was stronger than me so I ended up stumbling back towards my chair and hitting my chin on the table and my ribs on the chair and landed on the floor. The pain made me dizzy and lightheaded. Fearing I would faint I pressed the panic button on my watch. For the next 5 minutes my mother repeats that it was my fault for being so clumsy. Joe rants that it wouldn't have happened if I'd just agreed to marry him and quit my job and Grandma Mazur sat suspiciously quiet playing on her phone.
My mother jumped up to answer the knock at the door. "Hello Edward. How are you?"
"Good thank you Mrs Plum. I'm sorry to disturb you but I need to speak with Stephanie right away." came Eddie's voice.
"What has she done now?" came my Mother's reply.
"I'm afraid I can't say Ma'am." was Eddies response.
"Stephanie and Joseph are busy planning their wedding. I'm sure this can wait." my mother replied.
"No ma'am its really quit urgent." came Carl's response. Joe tried tugging my arm to get me off the floor.
"Morelli. I suggest you let Steph go." came Big Dog's growl.
"I'm sure you know how clumsy Stephanie is. She had a fall and Joseph is just trying to help her up." My mother said.
"She wouldn't have fallen if he hadn't helped her." Came Grandma Mazur's rebuke.
"We had a slight misunderstanding." Joe said stiffly.
"Are you saying Morelli made Steph fall Mrs Mazur" Eddie asked ignoring Joe. I was still on the floor and Joe was standing next to me. So close that I felt him stiffen.
"Damn Skippy." She replied.
"Mother!" My mother exclaimed "I'm sorry officer my mother's getting on in years and her eye sight isn't so good anymore."
"I'm not so old. I know how to record videos on my phone. Comes in handy when my honeys and I make home movies." came Grandma's indignant response. I'm mentally scrubbing my imagination with steel wool. I do not want to picture that.
"Now Mrs Mazur you wouldn't misconstrue a little misunderstanding would you?" Joe had his placating voice on.
"Put a sock it in Officer Viagra. Here." She said handing the phone to Eddie. I heard Carl and Big Dog snigger as Joe hissed "It's detective."
"Mrs Mazur I'm going to have to keep this as evidence." Eddie said shaking the phone in his hand. Turning to Joe he said "Morelli you'll need to come to the station. Big Dog and Carl will escort you." Joe growled but nodded and left, following Carl and Big Dog.
"Is this really necessary Edward. This is just a disagreement between a couple caused by some terrible rumours." My mother said indignantly "What are you doing in my house. Get out!" she cried.
Arguments erupt in a mixture of English and Spanish and next I know Bobby, the Rangeman medic, is kneeling in front of me. "Hey Bomber. Tell me what hurts." A few minutes later he decided nothing was broken but put an icepack on my chin and ribs and gave me some pain killers.
Eddie took my statement and then Grandma's. She wasn't entirely happy to lose her phone but I promised to drop one off the next day. By the time we're done my mother is back to ironing and not too far out of her reach is some 'ice tea' that smells an awful lot like whiskey.
Bobby, Hector, Grandma Mazur, Eddie and I head out to the cars. While Eddie, Bobby and Hector confer Grandma pulls me aside. "Now you listen to me. You're not meant to be a housewife to Joe Morelli and I won't deny I would love some great-grandbabies from my favourite granddaughter but not when they would prevent you from flying. You were meant to fly my dear Stephanie. Don't let Helen or Officer Viagra take away your cape."
Hugging her tight I whisper "Thanks Grandma. I love you." We don't express happy feelings well in my family so this is a big deal for us.
She pats me on the butt before moving back and saying "Now on with you. I've got to rest because I'm going to Atlantic City tomorrow to blow a portion of my social security's cheque."
Just then I remembered the whole point of coming to my parents. "Oh before you go. What can you tell me about Barry Mosciatelli?"
It took me 20 minutes but I managed to talk Grandma out of postponing her trip so she could hunt down Barry with me.
Bobby drove Hector and I back at my apartment and then went back to finish his shift at Rangeman.
I made coffee, poured two cups and set them on the coffee table before sitting on the couch next to Hector who has his laptop out and was typing. "Why did you not get a restraining order? The police is dangerous to you." The stilted robotic voice of the came from the computer.
Taking the laptop from him I typed "He is a good cop for all that he is a cheater. A restraining order would affect his job."
He looks at me contemplatively "You are important too. Promise me that if he does one more thing and you will get the restraining order. If you do not I will arrange a Rangeman bodyguard to be with you at all times."
Frowning I type "I don't think he will do anything but yes, ok."
He slings an arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer to his side and kisses the top of my head. In heavily accented English he says "Thank you Estefanía."
Hi Everyone,
Thank you all so much for your reviews. They have been really encouraging and I've really needed that for this chapter. It's been a real struggle to get the chapter from my head and into words. I've got an idea of where the story is going. In my head I'm up to about Chapter 10 but I'm finding it difficult to come back earlier chapters and get the words out. Has anyone else experienced this? What do you do to combat it?
Wishing you all well,
Dani Xx