Deception
Blame
A policeman stepped from the vehicle once it was parked and he walked briskly to where Cassie and Adrienne were standing, frozen with anxiety.
“Mrs. Armstrong?” He asked, looking from Cassie to Adie swiftly.
“That’s me.” Adrienne whispered again.
“Your husband has been in an accident. He’s at the hospital,” As he said the word ’accident’ Adrienne began screaming, then fainted.
The policeman caught her and carried her inside the house, placing her on a leather sofa in the front lounge room.
Once Adrienne was comfortable and semi-conscious, he began speaking again mostly to Cassie.
“He’s at the hospital,” He continued “I can’t comment on his condition but I’ll escort his wife to see him as soon as she is fit, unless someone else wishes to drive?”
Cassie nodded numbly “My boyfriend will drive.”
The policeman nodded slowly, studying Cassie’s face “And what is your relationship to the victim?”
Cassie gulped at his choice of words “I’m his friend. My boyfriend is the drummer in his band and also one of his best friends.”
Adrienne tried to sit up “I want to go see him now.”
Just then, both Jake and Joey came running down the stairs, gasping loudly when they saw the officer and their mother lying weakly on the couch.
“What’s going on?” Jake asked with a horrified expression on his angelic face.
“Yeah, what the fuck?” Joseph echoed.
“Boys, your dad is at the hospital, he’s fine but your mom just got a fright. We’re going to see him now.” Cassie explained, trying not to frighten them although they were both old enough to hear the truth.
“Oh, then we better get our shoes on.” Jake said, biting his nails.
“Maybe it would be better if the kids came later, when we know what we’re dealing with.” The officer mumbled to Cassie.
Mike came inside then, his head hanging down.
“Mike, how the fuck could you?” Adrienne said weakly.
“I’m so sorry. If I had have known what would happen- he was so close to home…” Mike trailed off, his voice was husky and deep as though he had been crying or was close to it.
“We should stay with the kids, Mike.” Cassie said.
“No, I want you to come with me,” Adrienne sat up this time and stared straight at Cassie. “Mike can stay with the boys if Brittney comes over.”
“I’ll call her and Tre.” Cassie pulled out her cell.
“I don’t want Tre anywhere near Billie.” Adrienne began trembling.
Cassie nodded solemnly as she got up off the sofa next to Adie and went out into the hallway to make her calls. She vaguely heard the officer asking Mike to get Adrienne a glass of water before they left. Mike was still apologising.
She called Britt first and explained in her edited way what had happened and Britt promised she would be there in ten minutes. Next, she called Tre who answered on the second ring.
She explained what had happened and Tre was silent for the longest time before she heard him inhale a ragged breath and sniff.
“Tre?” Cassie asked, feeling genuine concern for the man she couldn’t adore like she did his friend.
“Cassie, this is all my fault. Oh God…”
“This is not your fault, don’t blame yourself.” Cassie wanted to be there by his side to ease the agony she knew he was in.
“Yes, it is. Damn it!” She heard Tre thump something, she thought it must be the wall beside the phone “Should I come to the hospital?” His voice was urgent.
“Actually, Adrienne doesn’t think that’s a good idea at all.” Cassie said softly.
“She blames me.” It was a statement not a question.
“She’s in shock right now, get this, she wants me to go to the hospital with her; she hates me!" Cassie reasoned with her boyfriend.
“Who’s looking after Jake and Joey? Because I’ll take them while everyone’s at the hospital.” Tre sounded hopeless.
“Brittney and Mike are staying with them. It’s just Adrienne and me at the hospital for now. I won’t see Billie, I’ll just be in the waiting room.”
“See him for me, just so I know he’s okay.” Tre’s voice was higher pitched, like a child.
“Yeah, I’ll call you when I know more.” Cassie said her goodbyes and hung up her end of the receiver.
Brittney arrived then with Estelle by her side carrying Brixton and began speaking with the officer, trying to gleam any knowledge about her friend’s condition. She then went to Mike’s side, the kids following.
She began whispering comforting words into his ear while he kept his head down, obviously blaming himself for Billie’s accident.
“Are we going to the hospital now? I gather I am escorting after all?” The policeman asked, seeming impatient.
Adrienne, who was finishing her water, nodded and stood up, starting to the door.
Cassie followed and the officer left the house too.
“Mrs. Armstrong?” He asked, looking from Cassie to Adie swiftly.
“That’s me.” Adrienne whispered again.
“Your husband has been in an accident. He’s at the hospital,” As he said the word ’accident’ Adrienne began screaming, then fainted.
The policeman caught her and carried her inside the house, placing her on a leather sofa in the front lounge room.
Once Adrienne was comfortable and semi-conscious, he began speaking again mostly to Cassie.
“He’s at the hospital,” He continued “I can’t comment on his condition but I’ll escort his wife to see him as soon as she is fit, unless someone else wishes to drive?”
Cassie nodded numbly “My boyfriend will drive.”
The policeman nodded slowly, studying Cassie’s face “And what is your relationship to the victim?”
Cassie gulped at his choice of words “I’m his friend. My boyfriend is the drummer in his band and also one of his best friends.”
Adrienne tried to sit up “I want to go see him now.”
Just then, both Jake and Joey came running down the stairs, gasping loudly when they saw the officer and their mother lying weakly on the couch.
“What’s going on?” Jake asked with a horrified expression on his angelic face.
“Yeah, what the fuck?” Joseph echoed.
“Boys, your dad is at the hospital, he’s fine but your mom just got a fright. We’re going to see him now.” Cassie explained, trying not to frighten them although they were both old enough to hear the truth.
“Oh, then we better get our shoes on.” Jake said, biting his nails.
“Maybe it would be better if the kids came later, when we know what we’re dealing with.” The officer mumbled to Cassie.
Mike came inside then, his head hanging down.
“Mike, how the fuck could you?” Adrienne said weakly.
“I’m so sorry. If I had have known what would happen- he was so close to home…” Mike trailed off, his voice was husky and deep as though he had been crying or was close to it.
“We should stay with the kids, Mike.” Cassie said.
“No, I want you to come with me,” Adrienne sat up this time and stared straight at Cassie. “Mike can stay with the boys if Brittney comes over.”
“I’ll call her and Tre.” Cassie pulled out her cell.
“I don’t want Tre anywhere near Billie.” Adrienne began trembling.
Cassie nodded solemnly as she got up off the sofa next to Adie and went out into the hallway to make her calls. She vaguely heard the officer asking Mike to get Adrienne a glass of water before they left. Mike was still apologising.
She called Britt first and explained in her edited way what had happened and Britt promised she would be there in ten minutes. Next, she called Tre who answered on the second ring.
She explained what had happened and Tre was silent for the longest time before she heard him inhale a ragged breath and sniff.
“Tre?” Cassie asked, feeling genuine concern for the man she couldn’t adore like she did his friend.
“Cassie, this is all my fault. Oh God…”
“This is not your fault, don’t blame yourself.” Cassie wanted to be there by his side to ease the agony she knew he was in.
“Yes, it is. Damn it!” She heard Tre thump something, she thought it must be the wall beside the phone “Should I come to the hospital?” His voice was urgent.
“Actually, Adrienne doesn’t think that’s a good idea at all.” Cassie said softly.
“She blames me.” It was a statement not a question.
“She’s in shock right now, get this, she wants me to go to the hospital with her; she hates me!" Cassie reasoned with her boyfriend.
“Who’s looking after Jake and Joey? Because I’ll take them while everyone’s at the hospital.” Tre sounded hopeless.
“Brittney and Mike are staying with them. It’s just Adrienne and me at the hospital for now. I won’t see Billie, I’ll just be in the waiting room.”
“See him for me, just so I know he’s okay.” Tre’s voice was higher pitched, like a child.
“Yeah, I’ll call you when I know more.” Cassie said her goodbyes and hung up her end of the receiver.
Brittney arrived then with Estelle by her side carrying Brixton and began speaking with the officer, trying to gleam any knowledge about her friend’s condition. She then went to Mike’s side, the kids following.
She began whispering comforting words into his ear while he kept his head down, obviously blaming himself for Billie’s accident.
“Are we going to the hospital now? I gather I am escorting after all?” The policeman asked, seeming impatient.
Adrienne, who was finishing her water, nodded and stood up, starting to the door.
Cassie followed and the officer left the house too.