"Medium Security" V - Ch. 3
A quiet domestic scene.
By Gaedhal
Chapter 3
"Was he there?" asked Jennifer, meeting Justin and
Ron at the door of the condo.
Justin shook his head dismally. "He didn't show! After
Father Bob told us that he would be there! I don't
understand it."
Justin took off his coat, threw it over the back of the
sofa, and slumped down on the soft cushions.
"Maybe something happened at the prison?" Jennifer
offered. "Maybe they couldn't get there in time?"
"Possibly," said Ron. He leaned over and kissed Jennifer
as she took his cashmere coat and hung it in the closet.
"I'll call Stanton tomorrow and see if I can talk to Horvath
and get the true story. But the real problem is Brian
himself." Ron paused and looked at Justin, who glared
back at his mother's boyfriend.
"Brian doesn't have a problem, Ron! He thinks he's doing
all of this stuff for our own good -- but it's bullshit!"
Justin snapped.
"Justin, please!" begged Jennifer. "Your language!"
"I'm sorry, Mom, if my language wouldn't be acceptable
at the country club," Justin huffed. "But the country club
is bullshit, too! Fuck the country club and all the people
in it! I only want to see Brian!"
Justin jumped up from the sofa and stormed off to his
bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
Justin's adjustment to life outside of prison had been
turbulent, to say the least. His moods swung from elation
at his new-found freedom to fear of being out in public
to depression over his separation from Brian. Justin wrote
to his former cellmate almost every day, but, almost two
months after his release, he had yet to receive a reply.
Justin and Ron had also gone to Stanton for Visiting Day
in December, but Brian had refused to come down to
the Gallery to see them.
Justin had been certain that Brian would make an appearance
at his father's funeral. He had even called Father Bob McHale,
the prison chaplain, who assured Justin that Warden Horvath
would give his permission for Brian to attend and arrange
for his transportation to the church and the cemetery. But
both Justin and Ron waited in vain to see him.
"He's very upset, Jen," said Ron. "Justin was devastated
when Brian didn't come to the funeral." Ron neglected to
add that he had been devastated, too, only Ron had learned
to hide his emotions better than the boy was able to.
"Were there a lot of people at the service?" asked Jennifer.
She was very curious about the background of Brian Kinney,
the shadowy figure who loomed so large in her life.
"Not really," said Ron, sitting in the easy chair and picking
up the evening newspaper. "The Kinneys aren't exactly
social butterflies. It looked liked a few family members
and some older women, probably friends of Brian's mother.
And a couple of priests. That was it. There was only one
other floral arrangement besides the one I sent."
"That's so sad!" sighed Jennifer.
Jennifer had dinner almost ready, but before she served
it she needed to talk to Ron about another matter. This was
something that Ron wasn't going to want to hear about, but
what was Jennifer supposed to do? She felt caught in the
middle. "Honey, I hate to bring this up now, but Jane
called while you and Justin were out."
"Shit!" said Ron, throwing down his newspaper. "What
the hell does she want now?"
"She wouldn't tell me. She barely speaks to me, you know
that," Jennifer reminded him. "But she said it was important.
Extremely important."
"That's what she always says!" Ron complained. "The last
time she called was to bitch at me about a stupid $20 credit
card charge. She'll do anything to harass me!"
"It's because she's angry, Ron," said Jennifer. "The same
way Craig was angry at me."
"Jane is being unreasonable -- as usual!" Ron replied.
Even though she had been the one to initiate it, Jane wasn't
taking their impeding divorce at all well. But Ron wasn't
too surprised. After all, the woman had stuck with him
for all of the years Ron had been in prison and now she
was feeling more than slightly betrayed.
But Jane needed to face facts -- things hadn't been working
out between them. And as much as Ron hated the hassle of
going through a divorce, he had to admit that lately Jane
was hindering him much more than she was helping him.
If that was going to be the case, then Jane was a liability
and their separation was a necessary evil.
Max and Hannah were both in college, so it wasn't as if he
and Jane were breaking up a happy family. Ron hadn't
exactly been a full-time father the entire time he was in
prison, so the kids weren't suffering. No, Jane only became
upset when Ron's relationship with Jennifer was brought
out into the open in the aftermath of Justin's release from
Stanton. Jane had felt publicly humiliated by that revelation.
Well, there wasn't anything Ron could do about Jane's hurt
feelings. It was too late to put that cat back in the bag. She
would just have to deal with it.
"Justin! Sweetheart!" called Jennifer. "Dinner's ready!"
Justin came out of his room and sat sullenly at the dinner
table. It was set for only three because Molly was at Craig's
for the weekend. Jennifer served dinner and then sat down
at the table with Justin and Ron. But while Ron described
Jack Kinney's funeral, Justin only picked at his food.
"Mom?" Justin said finally. "Remember that apartment I
told you about? The one in the building off Liberty Avenue
that Mrs. Novotny told me about?"
Jennifer grimaced. Liberty Avenue was where that motel
where she and Ron used to meet was located. It was a rundown
area with a sleazy reputation. "What about it, honey?"
"I want to move out of here," Justin stated bluntly. "I'm
sick of staying in this condo and that apartment is available.
I want to move in there."
"Oh, Justin!" Jennifer sighed. "Don't be silly!"
But Justin didn't waver. "I'm not being silly. Mom, your
divorce agreement says that Dad has to pay my tuition at
Carnegie Mellon, so I don't need to worry about that. And
if you can help me with the deposit and the rent on the
apartment, I think I can afford everything else. Mrs. Novotny
promised me that busboy job at the Liberty Diner and I can
eat most of my meals for free if I work there. If you let me
have some of the extra furniture from the house I'll have
enough to furnish the whole apartment. All that furniture
is only sitting in storage going to waste. Please, Mom? I
really want my own place."
Jennifer bit at her lip. "Justin, we've already been over
this! You're still very shaky when you go out alone. And...
and you need me to take care of you!"
"I can take care of myself, Mom!" Justin retorted. "I'm not
a child. I'm starting classes next week and... and I want to
make a fresh start. And that includes my own place to live.
No offense, Mom, but I don't want to live here with you and
Molly -- and Ron." Justin glanced at him, but Ron's face
didn't change. Justin was never certain what the man was
thinking -- if anything. "If I'm going to make any progress,
then I have to at least try to be independent. That's what my
therapist says."
"I know, Justin, but...." Jennifer looked over at Ron to back
her up.
Instead, to Jennifer's surprise, Ron nodded his head. "I agree
with Justin. He needs to learn to stand on his own two feet.
He's starting college and he doesn't want to live in the dorm
-- and after being in the Quad for almost a year, I don't blame
him. He's a young man and he wants some privacy and his own
space. I'll kick in for the deposit and the rent, Justin, as long
as you can handle the rest."
"I should be able to afford it," said Justin, watching Ron's face
closely. Ron must have his own reasons for wanting him out
of the condo. Ron never did anything without a reason that
benefitted himself. But Justin didn't care as long as Ron's
actions also benefitted Justin. Such as agreeing to pay
Justin's rent.
"But that's less than minimum wage, honey," Jennifer pointed
out.
"Don't worry, Mom. Mrs. Novotny says the tips at the Liberty
Diner are really good if you have a great ass!" Then Justin
blushed when he saw his mother's shocked face. "Um, I think
she was joking, Mom."
"I'm certain that she was," Ron added quickly. "You know
what an odd sense of humor Debbie Novotny has, Jen."
"I suppose so," said Jennifer. There was nothing she could
do if Ron was going to take Justin's side. Typical men!
Ron didn't think that working at that unsanitary dive with
Mikey Novotny's mother was the best job that Justin could
have, but it was a start. Having to deal with people every
day might give the boy some badly needed self-confidence.
Later he could move on to a better job. Perhaps next summer
he could work as an intern at the Prisoners' Legal Defense.
Ron would put him to work as Julie's go-fer. Yes, that
bastard Craig would hate that! He already hated Ron, so he
would detest seeing Ron and Justin working in the same
office.
And having the kid in a separate apartment would get him
out from underfoot. It was hard enough living in this cramped
condo without having both a hyperactive little girl and a
petulant, spoiled teenager sharing the space. With Justin
in his own apartment and attending classes at Carnegie Mellon,
he wouldn't be sitting around the condo all day brooding over
Brian. He'd make some friends and find out what life was like
beyond the Quad. And, with Ron paying his rent every month,
he would be in Ron's debt.
Ron finished up his Salisbury Steak. Jennifer was a pretty
good cook. Not too creative, but she could learn. Maybe he'd
suggest a cooking class she could take. And Ron still wasn't
tired of her in bed. No, not tired of her at all. As long as
Jennifer had to remain in Pittsburgh -- Craig had threatened
to sue for custody of Molly if she tried to move to Chicago --
it was convenient for Ron to live there while his divorce was
going through. Of course, Jennifer expected them to get
married once it was finalized, but they would cross that
bridge when they came to it.
The phone rang and Jennifer jumped up to answer it.
"Ron, honey! It's for you!" said Jennifer. "It's long distance.
Ron left the table and took the call.
"Mr. Rosenblum," said the remote voice. "This is Jones.
I'm in Tacoma. I made contact with our target and I gave
him the material."
Ron's heart almost stopped. "You don't think he's going
to bolt, do you?"
"No," said Jones. "He's against the wall. I don't think there's
anywhere else for him to run. I'm going to let him stew over
his literature for a little while -- and then...."
"And then," said Ron, lowering his voice. "Go in for the kill."
By Gaedhal
Chapter 3
"Was he there?" asked Jennifer, meeting Justin and
Ron at the door of the condo.
Justin shook his head dismally. "He didn't show! After
Father Bob told us that he would be there! I don't
understand it."
Justin took off his coat, threw it over the back of the
sofa, and slumped down on the soft cushions.
"Maybe something happened at the prison?" Jennifer
offered. "Maybe they couldn't get there in time?"
"Possibly," said Ron. He leaned over and kissed Jennifer
as she took his cashmere coat and hung it in the closet.
"I'll call Stanton tomorrow and see if I can talk to Horvath
and get the true story. But the real problem is Brian
himself." Ron paused and looked at Justin, who glared
back at his mother's boyfriend.
"Brian doesn't have a problem, Ron! He thinks he's doing
all of this stuff for our own good -- but it's bullshit!"
Justin snapped.
"Justin, please!" begged Jennifer. "Your language!"
"I'm sorry, Mom, if my language wouldn't be acceptable
at the country club," Justin huffed. "But the country club
is bullshit, too! Fuck the country club and all the people
in it! I only want to see Brian!"
Justin jumped up from the sofa and stormed off to his
bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
Justin's adjustment to life outside of prison had been
turbulent, to say the least. His moods swung from elation
at his new-found freedom to fear of being out in public
to depression over his separation from Brian. Justin wrote
to his former cellmate almost every day, but, almost two
months after his release, he had yet to receive a reply.
Justin and Ron had also gone to Stanton for Visiting Day
in December, but Brian had refused to come down to
the Gallery to see them.
Justin had been certain that Brian would make an appearance
at his father's funeral. He had even called Father Bob McHale,
the prison chaplain, who assured Justin that Warden Horvath
would give his permission for Brian to attend and arrange
for his transportation to the church and the cemetery. But
both Justin and Ron waited in vain to see him.
"He's very upset, Jen," said Ron. "Justin was devastated
when Brian didn't come to the funeral." Ron neglected to
add that he had been devastated, too, only Ron had learned
to hide his emotions better than the boy was able to.
"Were there a lot of people at the service?" asked Jennifer.
She was very curious about the background of Brian Kinney,
the shadowy figure who loomed so large in her life.
"Not really," said Ron, sitting in the easy chair and picking
up the evening newspaper. "The Kinneys aren't exactly
social butterflies. It looked liked a few family members
and some older women, probably friends of Brian's mother.
And a couple of priests. That was it. There was only one
other floral arrangement besides the one I sent."
"That's so sad!" sighed Jennifer.
Jennifer had dinner almost ready, but before she served
it she needed to talk to Ron about another matter. This was
something that Ron wasn't going to want to hear about, but
what was Jennifer supposed to do? She felt caught in the
middle. "Honey, I hate to bring this up now, but Jane
called while you and Justin were out."
"Shit!" said Ron, throwing down his newspaper. "What
the hell does she want now?"
"She wouldn't tell me. She barely speaks to me, you know
that," Jennifer reminded him. "But she said it was important.
Extremely important."
"That's what she always says!" Ron complained. "The last
time she called was to bitch at me about a stupid $20 credit
card charge. She'll do anything to harass me!"
"It's because she's angry, Ron," said Jennifer. "The same
way Craig was angry at me."
"Jane is being unreasonable -- as usual!" Ron replied.
Even though she had been the one to initiate it, Jane wasn't
taking their impeding divorce at all well. But Ron wasn't
too surprised. After all, the woman had stuck with him
for all of the years Ron had been in prison and now she
was feeling more than slightly betrayed.
But Jane needed to face facts -- things hadn't been working
out between them. And as much as Ron hated the hassle of
going through a divorce, he had to admit that lately Jane
was hindering him much more than she was helping him.
If that was going to be the case, then Jane was a liability
and their separation was a necessary evil.
Max and Hannah were both in college, so it wasn't as if he
and Jane were breaking up a happy family. Ron hadn't
exactly been a full-time father the entire time he was in
prison, so the kids weren't suffering. No, Jane only became
upset when Ron's relationship with Jennifer was brought
out into the open in the aftermath of Justin's release from
Stanton. Jane had felt publicly humiliated by that revelation.
Well, there wasn't anything Ron could do about Jane's hurt
feelings. It was too late to put that cat back in the bag. She
would just have to deal with it.
"Justin! Sweetheart!" called Jennifer. "Dinner's ready!"
Justin came out of his room and sat sullenly at the dinner
table. It was set for only three because Molly was at Craig's
for the weekend. Jennifer served dinner and then sat down
at the table with Justin and Ron. But while Ron described
Jack Kinney's funeral, Justin only picked at his food.
"Mom?" Justin said finally. "Remember that apartment I
told you about? The one in the building off Liberty Avenue
that Mrs. Novotny told me about?"
Jennifer grimaced. Liberty Avenue was where that motel
where she and Ron used to meet was located. It was a rundown
area with a sleazy reputation. "What about it, honey?"
"I want to move out of here," Justin stated bluntly. "I'm
sick of staying in this condo and that apartment is available.
I want to move in there."
"Oh, Justin!" Jennifer sighed. "Don't be silly!"
But Justin didn't waver. "I'm not being silly. Mom, your
divorce agreement says that Dad has to pay my tuition at
Carnegie Mellon, so I don't need to worry about that. And
if you can help me with the deposit and the rent on the
apartment, I think I can afford everything else. Mrs. Novotny
promised me that busboy job at the Liberty Diner and I can
eat most of my meals for free if I work there. If you let me
have some of the extra furniture from the house I'll have
enough to furnish the whole apartment. All that furniture
is only sitting in storage going to waste. Please, Mom? I
really want my own place."
Jennifer bit at her lip. "Justin, we've already been over
this! You're still very shaky when you go out alone. And...
and you need me to take care of you!"
"I can take care of myself, Mom!" Justin retorted. "I'm not
a child. I'm starting classes next week and... and I want to
make a fresh start. And that includes my own place to live.
No offense, Mom, but I don't want to live here with you and
Molly -- and Ron." Justin glanced at him, but Ron's face
didn't change. Justin was never certain what the man was
thinking -- if anything. "If I'm going to make any progress,
then I have to at least try to be independent. That's what my
therapist says."
"I know, Justin, but...." Jennifer looked over at Ron to back
her up.
Instead, to Jennifer's surprise, Ron nodded his head. "I agree
with Justin. He needs to learn to stand on his own two feet.
He's starting college and he doesn't want to live in the dorm
-- and after being in the Quad for almost a year, I don't blame
him. He's a young man and he wants some privacy and his own
space. I'll kick in for the deposit and the rent, Justin, as long
as you can handle the rest."
"I should be able to afford it," said Justin, watching Ron's face
closely. Ron must have his own reasons for wanting him out
of the condo. Ron never did anything without a reason that
benefitted himself. But Justin didn't care as long as Ron's
actions also benefitted Justin. Such as agreeing to pay
Justin's rent.
"But that's less than minimum wage, honey," Jennifer pointed
out.
"Don't worry, Mom. Mrs. Novotny says the tips at the Liberty
Diner are really good if you have a great ass!" Then Justin
blushed when he saw his mother's shocked face. "Um, I think
she was joking, Mom."
"I'm certain that she was," Ron added quickly. "You know
what an odd sense of humor Debbie Novotny has, Jen."
"I suppose so," said Jennifer. There was nothing she could
do if Ron was going to take Justin's side. Typical men!
Ron didn't think that working at that unsanitary dive with
Mikey Novotny's mother was the best job that Justin could
have, but it was a start. Having to deal with people every
day might give the boy some badly needed self-confidence.
Later he could move on to a better job. Perhaps next summer
he could work as an intern at the Prisoners' Legal Defense.
Ron would put him to work as Julie's go-fer. Yes, that
bastard Craig would hate that! He already hated Ron, so he
would detest seeing Ron and Justin working in the same
office.
And having the kid in a separate apartment would get him
out from underfoot. It was hard enough living in this cramped
condo without having both a hyperactive little girl and a
petulant, spoiled teenager sharing the space. With Justin
in his own apartment and attending classes at Carnegie Mellon,
he wouldn't be sitting around the condo all day brooding over
Brian. He'd make some friends and find out what life was like
beyond the Quad. And, with Ron paying his rent every month,
he would be in Ron's debt.
Ron finished up his Salisbury Steak. Jennifer was a pretty
good cook. Not too creative, but she could learn. Maybe he'd
suggest a cooking class she could take. And Ron still wasn't
tired of her in bed. No, not tired of her at all. As long as
Jennifer had to remain in Pittsburgh -- Craig had threatened
to sue for custody of Molly if she tried to move to Chicago --
it was convenient for Ron to live there while his divorce was
going through. Of course, Jennifer expected them to get
married once it was finalized, but they would cross that
bridge when they came to it.
The phone rang and Jennifer jumped up to answer it.
"Ron, honey! It's for you!" said Jennifer. "It's long distance.
Ron left the table and took the call.
"Mr. Rosenblum," said the remote voice. "This is Jones.
I'm in Tacoma. I made contact with our target and I gave
him the material."
Ron's heart almost stopped. "You don't think he's going
to bolt, do you?"
"No," said Jones. "He's against the wall. I don't think there's
anywhere else for him to run. I'm going to let him stew over
his literature for a little while -- and then...."
"And then," said Ron, lowering his voice. "Go in for the kill."