Chapter 2
Brad arose from his chair and said, "Let's go."
He led Amy from the restaurant and headed towards his car. The rain had slowed down to light drizzle. As Brad and Amy got to his car she tensed up.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"You need a place to stay. I have a large house with just me in it. Now get in," Brad said as he held the passenger door open.
Amy look into his eyes if trying to ascertain if it was safe and then got into the car. Amy sat as close as she could to the door. She was silent for most of the ride to Brad's house. As he pulled into the driveway he pushed the button to open the garage door. This made Amy sit up in her seat. Apparently she realized that once inside the garage she would be trapped. Brad saw the fear in her face and stopped just outside the garage.
"Look Amy, I promise that I am only trying to help you. You have nothing to fear from me. If you do not feel comfortable going into my home I will understand."
Amy relaxed and said, "It's ok." Brad continued into the garage.
After closing the garage door and locking the Jaguar, Brad and Amy went into the house. The garage door to the house led into a mudroom off of the kitchen. Brad had made the mudroom large enough to also be used as the laundry room.
"Amy let me get something for you to wear and I'll throw your clothes in the washer and get you into something dry." Brad offered.
Amy didn't reply. She walked into the kitchen and smiled. "You have a beautiful place. Where is your wife?" Amy asked.
"She was killed by a drunk driver several years ago," Brad replied. "That's why I sold the business. It just wasn't the same without her. It didn't make sense to me to beat my brains out for only myself."
"I'm sorry I asked," she said.
"That's ok. Now I have to get you something dry to wear," Brad replied as he headed up the stairs to the bedroom.
Brad came back with a huge bathrobe in his arms and handed it to her.
"Why don't you go to the top of the stairs and find the bathroom, draw yourself a hot bath and a soak until you get all wrinkly. Amy smiled at this and started up the stairs. Brad called after her; "There's a pair of Vera's pajamas inside of the robe. I hope they fit you."
Brad heard the water run in the tub. Amy filled the tub with water as hot as she could stand it almost to the overflow. She stripped off her wet clothes and slipped into the pleasantly hot water.
Brad fixed himself a cup of tea and waited for Amy to come back downstairs. After about forty-five minutes she came into the kitchen. She was clutching the bathrobe tightly around her.
"That bath was great. I hope I didn't take too long." she said.
"No, you didn't take too long," Brad, replied. "I was just having a cup of tea. Would you like one."?
Amy shook her head no. She started grinning.
"What's wrong," Brad asked.
"Your wife wore sexy pajamas," she grinned. Brad's face got red.
He hadn't thought about that. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about that. If you're uncomfortable with them, I'll see if I can find you something else," Brad replied, his face getting redder.
"No, that's ok. They feel good," Amy mused. She came over to the breakfast bar and sat two seats away from Brad.
Brad looked at Amy and said, "I think that maybe you should tell me what happened tonight. Why were you running away from home?"
"I had a big fight with my father," Amy started. "I went out on a date a while ago and this boy and I started kissing and making out. He started to do things I didn't want to do. I tried to stop him, but he kept going. He forced me to have sex with him. It hurt real bad and I didn't like it. I don't know why people think sex is so good. It isn't good for a girl."
"Why would this cause a fight between you and your father," Brad asked.
Tears started rolling down Amy's face. "I told him about it because I'm pregnant," she cried. "He called me a whore and started beating me and then started beating my mother."
"How far along are you Amy?" Brad asked.
Amy broke down, "Three weeks."
"Amy you couldn't know if you were three weeks pregnant, Brad said.
"But I missed my last period," she exclaimed, "It was supposed to be last week."
Brad got up and walked over to Amy and put his arm around her shoulders. "Amy, there are any number if reasons why you're period could be late. I think that the fact that this boy forced you to have sex has got your thinking out of kilter," he said. "We can sort this out tomorrow. Now, why don't you put your clothes in the washer so you have clean dry clothes tomorrow," he asked.
Amy started the wash cycle and came back into the kitchen. "I have to go to the bathroom," she said as she headed for the stairs. Brad had looked up the phone number for Myron Walton while Amy was taking a bath. Amy's trip to the bathroom gave him an opportunity to call the Walton household and let them know that Amy was all right. He was hoping that Mrs. Walton and not Myron would answer. The phone rang once and was answered by a voice that was obviously younger than Myron Walton.
"Is Myron there," Brad asked.
"Who is calling please," the voice at the other end asked.
"This is Brad Pittson of Pittson Construction," Brad replied.
"This is Corporal Harrison of the State Police, Mr. Pittson. I worked for you several summers while I was in college, sir," Corporal Harrison said.
"Yeah, I remember you. You were an excellent worker," Brad said.
"You have business with Mr. Walton, sir?" Corporal Harrison asked.
"Yes I do. Is something wrong there?" Brad inquired.
"Sir, Mr. Walton beat his wife to death tonight. They just took him away. The neighbors called because of the screams coming from the house and we walked in as he was standing over her. She died minutes after we arrived," Corporal Harrison said.
"Oh my God," was all Brad could say. After a minute or two he told the Corporal that the Walton's daughter, Amy, was staying at his house. "I'll bring her down to the station in the morning. I'm sure you are going to want to talk to her," Brad said.
"That will be fine, sir. See you in the morning."
Brad sat down on the chair and stared at nothing. He heard Amy coming back down the stairs. As she came into the kitchen she could see that something had changed about Brad.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked. "Your face is as pale as a ghost."
"Amy, please sit down," Brad ordered.
Amy sat down with a worried look on her face. She was afraid that she had done something wrong and that Brad was mad.
"Amy, I have some bad news for you. I just called your house to let your parents know that you were ok. The police are there. I don't know how to sugar coat this. Your father beat your mother tonight. She died a few minutes after the police arrived at your house. They've taken your father to jail. I don't think they will let him out."
Amy looked at Brad for a minute as if to make certain that he was telling the truth. She stood up and her legs seem to turn to water and she fell into a heap on the kitchen floor. Brad rushed over to her and scooped her up in his arms and took her into the living room and laid her on the couch. Amy lay on the couch for several minutes just staring at the ceiling. Brad lifted her into his arms and sat on the couch. Amy started crying silently. Brad held her tightly in his arms. He felt more powerless than he had ever felt in his life. He wished that he could make this pain go away for this very vulnerable young woman.
After about an hour Amy stopped crying. The exhaustion caused by the day's events took over her body and she drifted into a fitful sleep. Brad held her for a while then lifted her into his arms and started up the stairs. Amy awoke with a start and started to struggle. Brad quieted her with his lips close to her ear.
"Quiet Amy, I'm just putting you in bed," Brad said.
She put her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly. She was still holding on to him when he laid her in his king-sized bed. When he pulled the covers around her she relaxed her grip on his neck. Brad sat on the edge of the bed for a while. Amy would start crying silently, stop for a while and start again. After about an hour Amy asked if she could be alone. Brad leaned over and kissed her on her forehead and went down stairs. He took her clothes from the washer and put them in the dryer.
Brad went into the sunroom off of the living room. This was a large room with a fireplace and windowwalls on three sides. Many a pleasant hour had been spent in this room with Vera. Brad went over to the fireplace and started a fire with several logs that were kept by the fireplace. In a short while the logs were burning and the room was pleasantly warm. Brad sat in the large Papasan chair that was his favorite. Every now and then he could hear Amy crying. Although Brad wanted to go to Amy and comfort her he knew that she needed this time alone to grieve. Brad sat quietly enjoying the warmth of the fire and trying to figure out what he would do with Amy in the morning. He got up and placed two more large pieces of wood on the fire. Brad closed the glass doors and choked down the vent at the bottom of the fireplace screen. This would allow the fire to burn through most of the night.
Brad sat back down in the large two-person Papasan chair and let his thoughts turn to Vera. He realized that Vera had been his biggest backer and that she would knew what to do about Amy.
"Vera, I need you," Brad said to the air in the room. "What should I do," he asked.
Thoughts raced through his mind. He knew that he would have to try to find some of Amy's relatives willing to take her in and provide for her care. Brad felt that he had an obligation to insure that she was taken care of. He was not sure where these feelings were coming from. He didn't even know this girl until a few hours ago. It struck Brad that maybe Vera was putting these thoughts into his head. When she was alive she was always watching out for people. The warmth of the fire and the exhaustion brought on by the events of this evening started to lull him to sleep. Brad pulled the throw from the back of the couch over him and drifted off to sleep. He had slept in this chair many times since Vera's death. For some reason it just did not feel right to sleep in the bed shared by him and Vera.
Brad awoke with a sense that something was not right. As sleep left his mind he looked around the room to figure out what had awakened him. As his gaze swept the room he saw Amy standing in the doorway to the living room. Tears were cascading down her cheeks. She was watching Brad with fearful, desperate eyes.
"What's wrong Amy," Brad asked.
"Can you hold me please? Amy asked quietly.
Brad stretched out his hand and Amy came to him. He pulled Amy onto
his lap and pulled the throw around the both of them. He hugged Amy and
she curled up in his arms like a little child. Amy lay in Brad's arm
quietly and slowly drifted off to a fitful sleep. After a long time Amy
breathed a large sigh and Brad knew that some of the fear and hurt had
been replaced by a deep restful sleep. Brad drifted off to sleep
worrying what tomorrow will bring.