Arnold (Margret Malone) by Nancy Cupp

Author:Nancy Cupp
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Cloverluck Press
Published: 2017-07-05T04:00:00+00:00

8

SENTENCE

ARNOLD INSISTED THAT HE STAYED in the room with the rest of the guys from football camp that night. He said he’d had too much to drink. He had passed out on the couch in the hotel room early in the evening when the party was going on. He didn’t remember meeting anyone named Susan at the party. He claimed the scratches on his arm were from football practice.

Damon was laying on his bed in the dorm room the two of them shared at camp. Arnold was still dressed in his football gear when he came in.

“What’s going on? Why’d they haul you in?”

“Some damn woman from the party says I roughed her up.”

“Did you?”

“Hell, I was sitting on the couch all night. You guys all saw me, I was passed out—drank too much I guess.”

Damon laughed, “I was kind of busy in the other room, most of the other guys was in and out of the bedrooms too.”

“But you saw me on the couch alone—right?”

“Yeah, I guess I saw you sittin’ there.”

“Maybe you could remind the other guys about that too, okay?”

“Sure. Hell, it could be any of us guys gets a girl that decides she didn’t want to. We gots to all stick together.”

…

Ed was furious when he got the call from Clara. He was in California and had several loads lined up that would take him the rest of the week to finish. He didn’t have time for this foolishness from Arnold.

“Can’t you take care of it?”

“I’m doing the best I can, Ed. She’s pressing assault charges, the preliminary hearing is next week.”

“Damn him. I’ll try to get home for the hearing, but in the meantime he’s done with football camp. How are you doing?”

“I feel like hell, this chemo has me wiped out. I don’t know if I’ve got the energy to deal with him. Maybe it’s better if he’s off at camp.”

“I’ll deal with him. He’s going to work all summer if they don’t lock him up.”

…

Arnold sat on the hard bench of the court room waiting for his turn, dressed in a suit coat. Clara sat next to him, looking frail and small. He hated being next to her, she did her best to keep the coughing at a minimum, but he was repulsed by her anyway. He figured it didn’t hurt to have his ailing mother at his side, so he feigned concern for her.

The Judge called his case and read the information presented. “Mr. Lade your statement says that you had too much to drink on the night in question and passed out on the couch. Is that correct?”

“Yes sir, my teammates can vouch for me.”

“I’ve already interviewed them. The charges say you assaulted Ms. Anderson in an ally about a block from the hotel. Did you leave the hotel room before you and your roommates checked out?”

“No sir, I was in the hotel all night.”

“Since you are underage for drinking, I would release you in your mother’s custody. But I understand your mother is ill, and your father is a truck driver?”

“Yes sir, she has cancer.

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