Unexpected Guest, Chapter 12
Midterm exams were scheduled for the second week of October. Dalton aced them in all of his classes. He was really pumped.
Shelby didn't have to take any tests in his graduate courses because having to write papers and doing analyses of articles instead, but did have to give tests to his high school students. That meant he had a lot of grading to do.
When he griped about the load, Dalton offered to help with scoring the parts which were multiple choice or short-answer. That left Shel free to assess the essay ones. As a result, things moved faster than usual.
Finding themselves completely free from intellectual pursuits, they opted for a weekend of physical activity to relieve the stress they'd been under. They resisted the lure of Wisconsin and biked on some of the local trails, cutting travel time as well as expenses.
The weather was on the crisp side and the autumn leaves were nearing the peak of their colorful display. With a bright blue sky overhead, the guys got a lot of good exercise leaving them feeling relaxed and refreshed.
School resumed on Monday and it was rainy and gloomy, but even that didn't dampen their spirits. Most of Shel's pupils were happy with the progress they'd made so far, as evidenced by their test scores, but a few realized they'd better buckle down if they were going to keep up their GPA.
Dr. Hornsby fulfilled one of his mandatory observations of Shelby's teaching on Tuesday afternoon. He praised Shelby's teaching performance as the two of them walked toward his office to continue their conversation.
There was no doubt in his mind that Shelby would be a fully tenured teacher by the end of the term. It was one more step in building his career.
The men had barely reached their destination when Dalton's mother stormed in, bent on causing a scene.
"Are you Douglas Hornsby, the administrator here?"
"I am. May I ask the nature of your visit?"
"I demand that you fire this pedophile!"
The principal's demeanor changed from polite to irritated, at Mary's impolite ultimatum.
"Who are you and what are you talking about, lady?"
"I'm the mother of a boy he's been molesting, and he's influenced my son to con my mother into cutting me out of her will and leaving everything to my homosexual brother and him!"
Shelby turned white with anger in response to being labeled a pedophile. He would have liked to have bodily thrown Mary out of the school for her baseless accusations, and he was also concerned about how this outburst might damage his job. Even the hint of wrong-doing could be harmful.
The only other witness to the accusation was Sue Bartlett, Hornsby's private secretary. He asked her to accompany them into the conference room so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard by anyone else.
"Okay, let's discuss this in an orderly fashion," the principal said looking at Mary, as they sat down. Ms. Bartlett will keep a record of what transpires here.
I will need your name and your reason for bursting into our school and disrupting my conference with Mr. Stein."
"I am Mary Davis."
"And your son that you say Mr. Stein is involved with is who?"
"Dalton."
"Is he a student here? I feel like I should know the name, but not in this context, and I pride myself on knowing all of our pupils."
"No, he isn't."
"Is he in high school somewhere else then?"
"No, I think he's taking classes at the community college."
"Does that mean that he's over 18 years of age?"
"Yes, but that's irrelevant!"
"How so?"
"Because he's been living with this man for several months already."
"Shelby, may I ask you a question? You may refuse to answer if you wish, but it might help to expedite this matter. Is the young man in question a resident of your home? Is that how I know him?"
"Yes, I introduced you to him when he was here helping with a bulletin board in my room."
"Ah, of course, sorry I had forgotten your friend's name. May I ask how long he has resided with you?"
"I took him into my home on March 20th of this year when his parents threw him out on the day he became an adult. He was a student at Marshall High and I provided a place for him to live so that he could finish his schooling uninterrupted. Now he's in the process of getting a college degree.
We have become boyfriends, but I had no intimate contact with him as a minor."
"That's probably more information than I needed, but it should clear this matter up.
Ms. Davis, I may not be a lawyer, but I certainly know how school law reads regarding student and teacher relationships. You may dislike Mr. Stein and you may disapprove of your son's relationship with him. That is, I suppose, your constitutional right. However, you are not free to spread malicious rumors without being subject to consequences. Coming here and making false accusations is tantamount to libel! If Mr. Stein wishes to take you to court, he has two witnesses to back him up."
"Ms. Bartlett, have you been listening carefully to all of this?"
"Yes, I have."
"They had to have known each other before that if Dalton knew where to find him," Mary continued, ignoring the warning Dr. Hornsby was trying to make.
"That is conjecture on your part, and even if they were acquainted, that doesn't mean they had a relationship. Besides, the age of consent in this state is 16. I repeat, you are in jeopardy of having a suit filed against you, and I would encourage Mr. Stein to do just that. None of this has anything to do with your mother disinheriting you. Your behavior is reprehensible!
Ms. Bartlett, would you escort Ms. Davis to the front door? If she resists, call security."
Mary rose, as if to go willingly, but not before getting in a last word.
"You God-damned liberals are all alike! A parent has no chance of raising a decent child in the 21st century! I'll take care of this once and for all!"
As Mary shouted her message, she pulled a 38 automatic out of her purse, pointing it at Shelby. But before she could take the safety off, Ms. Bartlett kicked the weapon out of her hand and sent it skittering across the floor.
Seconds later, Mary was also on the floor where Shelby had unceremoniously deposited her. She screamed and cursed while he held her down as Dr. Hornsby called the campus security officer.
Sergeant Powers came running from the drive where he'd been supervising the loading of the special education buses, and promptly put Mary in cuffs. He then called for the city cops to arrest her and take her into custody.
Shelby, Sue, and Douglas, as they addressed each other in the privacy of the inner office felt shaky as the adrenalin began to wear off.
"Sue, you saved my life in there!" Shelby exclaimed as he hugged her.
"And mine too, most likely!" Douglas chimed in.
"If I did, it's my privilege to have done so. It was all instinct from my national guard training."
"Thank God for that!" Shelby cried. "I'll never complain about supporting the state militia again! Um, not that I ever really have."
"Sue, I'll have to admit that your military service did sway HR when we hired you. After word of your heroism gets out, I'll bet more soldiers will be sought for secretarial duties." Douglas said.
Shelby's friend, Officer Weld, was one of the persons who came to interview the three of them once Mary had been transported to the county jail.
He suggested that they keep tight-lipped about the substance of Mary's rant.
"I think we can release a general statement that says a seemingly deranged woman is being held for bringing a loaded gun onto school grounds and threatening to kill school personnel. That will help cast doubt on the credibility of anything she says. There's no point in mentioning her claim of sexual misconduct. That would only serve to sully Shelby's reputation and possibly put a black mark on the school district if some right-winger decided to make an issue of it. I hope we can all agree on that."
Three heads nodded in unison. Dr. Hornsby was as interested in damage control as anyone. Ms. Bartlett smiled and said that the shock of dealing with an armed and dangerous woman had blurred the details of the rant in her mind, but that Mary had accused Shelby of causing her to lose her inheritance. The whole thing hadn't made much sense.
Shel had texted Dalton that he would be home late, and not to wait dinner, but Dalton had delayed fixing it anyway. He wasn't starved, and he thought he'd do his homework in the meantime.
"Man, you look terrible! Did your observation go badly? I can't imagine that happening."
"Oh, I'd forgotten all about my observation. It was great! Hornsby says I'll be tenured by December."
"So, what's wrong?"
"Let's sit down and do justice to this lovely meal you've prepared and then we'll discuss the disruption of my day."
They ate in an unhurried fashion with Shelby prompting Dalton to talk about his day.
When they were finished, Shel started to clear the table while he related his story. Dalton listened with a disconsolate look on his face. Shelby had rescued him from his plight and had given him a home filled with love. Now, because of his kindness, his whole career might be in jeopardy.
"I'm so sorry! None of this would have happened if I hadn't come to you for help!"
"That's true. If you hadn't come to my house, I wouldn't have enjoyed the great meal you cooked tonight. I wouldn't be looking forward to cuddling with you in bed later. Bottom line, my life wouldn't be filled with joy!"
"You always put a positive spin on everything. To me it looks like the adage is true that no good deed ever goes unpunished!"
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Come here and let me hold you."
They remained locked in a comfortable embrace for several minutes. When they stood back, both had smiles as well as tears on their faces. Rather than being an issue to drive a wedge between them, Mary's attack had drawn them even closer together.
For Shelby, the next couple of weeks were like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Neither the school system nor he had made any comments to the press about the incident, and that resulted in allowing the story to disappear off the radar. However, he still felt tense, knowing that someone might not let it rest.
Wally assured Shelby that he could thwart any legal action that might be planned against him. Since he had been involved from the time Dalton had come to live with Shelby, he knew all of the details. Nothing illegal had transpired, and any possible suit would be thrown out for having no merit.
Mary's bond had been set quite high because she had made a threat with a weapon. Dalton was surprised when he learned she had posted bail. He suspected she had dug deeply into savings or borrowed on the house. It didn't really matter as long as she stayed away from Shel and him.
She was under an order not to contact with either of them, and was not allowed on any school grounds in the city. Her gun had also been confiscated and her concealed carry permit suspended.
None of that was any assurance that she wouldn't attempt to do either of them harm.
When the guys talked to Wally about it, he said he was mystified that she had been let out on bond at all. The charges were, in his mind, far too serious not to keep her locked up until her trial. On top of that, having family in Canada could make her a flight risk.
It was now November, and nothing more had transpired. Mary's case hadn't gone to trial yet, and it wasn't likely to until early in the coming year. The longer it took, the more probable it would fade from public notice.
Their church was hosting a Thanksgiving meal for the less fortunate in the community, so Shelby and Dalton were going to help serve at noon.
When Wally called to invite them to dinner with Lew and him, he was disappointed that they were already committed.
"I have an idea," he said. "How about you guys come when you're through serving? What time are you out of there?"
"It will probably be 1:30, or more likely 2:00," Shel told him.
"That's fine. We'll plan to eat at 2:30. If you get here earlier, we can sip a little wine until everything's done."
"Okay, what may we bring?"
"If you're working, you won't have time to do anything else."
"We could make a pie or two the day before. What kind do you like?"
"Anything but pumpkin! Neither of us is fond of mincemeat either."
"Good! I'll discuss it with my partner, and we'll come up with something edible."
"Don't stress. It doesn't have to be pie for all of me. Just a little something sweet to make us feel stuffed!"
Fall break meant several days free at Thanksgiving time for both men since the community college ran on a trimester schedule like Shelby's school. They were looking forward to being able to kick back and rest up before going full bore again after the holiday.
The university was on a different timetable, so Shel would have to attend one evening seminar on Monday night, but he would have the rest of the week off. It would be his turn to present, and he'd feel totally free after that was out of the way.
Dalton heard noise outside of the garage around 8:00 and wondered if his boyfriend's class had let out early. He peeked out the bedroom window in time to see a figure running to a car and speeding away.
The whole scene disturbed him, so he threw on a pair of sweats over his underwear and grabbed his phone and his coat. What greeted his eyes upset him even more. Scrawled across the garage door in large red writing was, "FAGS!"
He called the non-emergency number at the police department to report the vandalism immediately. As he stood there photographing it, their neighbor, Wanda, from across the street came out of her house.
"I was out walking Mitzi when I saw something that looked suspicious. I took a short video with my iPhone, but it's not terribly clear. I'll be happy to share it with the authorities if you're having them come out."
"Thanks! I just called them. They promised someone would be here soon."
When the cruiser pulled up on the street, Officer Don Weld got out shaking his head.
"It seem like this is becoming a high crime area of late. Yours is the only house I've been called to in this neighborhood in the past three or four years."
"Thanks a lot for reminding me, Officer Weld," Dalton joked.
"Hey, I thought we were on a first name basis by now. Please call me Don. Where's your housemate?"
"He's in a night class at the U. I haven't bothered him because he has a presentation tonight."
"That's good thinking on your part. Let me see if I can find any evidence."
"I'm pretty sure the person dropped a spray can when I surprised her," Wanda offered.
"Are you sure it was a female? I would expect something like this from Dalton's father."
"Pretty sure. The person was slight of build, but had hips that were a bit too thick to be those of a boy. I took a video."
"Awesome! Please send it to this number," he requested as he gave it to her.
"Now let's look for the can you think she dropped. If you spot it, let me pick it up with latex gloves."
The three of them tried to find the can by shining light-beams across the driveway and street at a raking angle. With no luck, they were about to give up when Wanda shined her light into the storm sewer. There, just out of reach was the can.
"Don't fret," she said. "My late husband was a do-it-yourselfer and I know there's a grabber tool in the garage. Just give me a sec."
She soon returned with the tool and Don retrieved the can, carefully putting it into an evidence bag and sealing it immediately.
"I think that's about all I can do," he stated. "We have several pictures of the writing and the video of the crime being done. That, along with the spray can, could catch the perp. Do you have any idea who might have done it, or need I ask?"
"I think you suspect my mother just as I do," Dalton shook his head sadly.
"Your supposition is correct. I think I'll pay her a visit in case she has any paint spots on her clothing or person. I might just catch her `red-handed' if you'll pardon the pun."
"You might want to take a female office with you in case you need to search her. You know how she is. She'd like to be able to claim she was mistreated by the cops. If there IS any evidence, she'll try to get rid of it very soon."
"Yes, I was thinking that very thing."
"May I clean this off or should I leave it?" Dalton asked.
"We have the photos, so you may remove what you can, but save at least a couple of square inches for testing by our lab if it comes to that."
"I have a gallon of good solvent," Wanda offered. "Let me get some old towels and I'll help."
When she returned with the items, Wanda made a suggestion. Evidently, she was as practical as her husband had been.
"It's cold enough to have put a thin layer of frost on your metal door. I think our best bet is to try to wipe off most of it with dry towels first. Whatever doesn't come off, will have to be removed with solvent. Let's mask out a patch to preserve it for testing, like the officer said."
Wanda was correct. Dry wiping it removed enough so that it wasn't legible. In fact, it erased the majority. Using rubber gloves, that she provided, the two of them had the door almost back to its original color, except for the sample, when Shelby's car lights lit it up.
After Dalton thanked Wanda profusely, the guys went inside so he could tell Shel the whole story.
Dalton's phone rang about half an hour later and he answered immediately when he saw it was Don Weld's number.
"Hey Don, what's up?"
"We did catch your mother stuffing a bag with a track suit into the garbage. It's a good thing we went tonight because pick up is tomorrow morning at 7:00. There are red paint spatters on the clothing which I'm certain will be a perfect match with the spray can and the sample on the door.
She has been arrested on suspicion of a hate crime, and since she did this while out on bail, she will be the guest of the county for some time to come, probably until her other case comes up. This should revoke her bail."
"I hope so, that would give us peace of mind during the holiday season!"
"Is your partner home yet?"
"Yup, let me put him on.
Shelby and Don talked for another couple of minutes and then signed off.
"You've heard all about my excitement, now tell me about your evening," Dalton requested.
"It was fantastic! My presentation went off without a hitch and was well received by my peers and my professor. He gave me an A+ so that assures my grade for the term. The rest will consist of peer-critiquing other people's work. I'm relatively free until January!"
"Congratulations! We should celebrate."
"Do you have anything in mind that doesn't involved calories?"
"Actually, it does involve calories, but burning them instead of consuming them. There may be some protein ingested, but no sugars."
"Ah, but it will be sweet none-the-less!"
Author's notes: Sorry that this is a little off schedule, but I thought the Nifty editor might like to have less postings right at Christmas time.
Thanks to those who emailed since last posting: Walt S, Paul R, Geoff S, Tony W, Bob O, Tony F, Dick M, Richie W, Bill K, Tom A, Ashish, Harry T, Douglas and Lawrence, Jim W, Cole N, and Jim L. I appreciate hearing from all of you.
I'm thinking of Tom in Scotland and David in Texas who are my faithful editors. I appreciate them! I also appreciate Nifty for giving us this forum. It costs money to keep up this free site, so please donate if you can.
I guess this will be the last posting before the holiday, so I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and happiness during whatever holiday you observe.
David