Meryl and Don: An Unforeseen Journey

Chapter 54

"Mrs. Gummer, I am going to record this for your statement." Officer Asher said holding a recorder.

Cindy Allen nodded. "I am just here for support and to explain some things."

"What about Don? Will he need to make a statement?" Meryl asked in tears.

Officer Asher nodded. "I have statements from him from the time he realized you were gone up until this morning. Once he wakes up I will get his statement regarding what happened with his parents, finding your son and then finding you and the shooting."

"Okay." Meryl said shakily as she reached out for her mother's hand. "I really wish he were here."

Mary nodded as she kissed Meryl's hand. "I'll try to be a good Don stand-in. How about that?"

"You're mom." Meryl gave her a smile. "I'm really glad you're here."

Cindy Allen jumped in. "Mrs. Gummer, all of this goes at your pace. We stop when you say stop. If you need something to drink you tell us."

"What if we get news about Don during this?" Meryl asked concerned that she hadn't heard anything yet.

Officer Asher nodded. "I'll stop the recording and we resume when you are able to."

"Okay." Meryl said taking a deep breath. "Where do you want me to start?"

Mary smiled at her daughter and repeated her son-in-law's words. "Start by starting, baby girl. Isn't that what Don would tell you?"

"Yeah, it is." Meryl said smiling when she thought about her husband and she could hear his voice saying those words to her.

Officer Asher nodded as he started recording. "Start from when he took you. What you were doing. Where you were. Then go from there."

"I had Don go get me a pretzel; something I am regularly craving in this pregnancy. I didn't necessarily want a pretzel but I wanted to get him out of the apartment for a little while. Don had wanted to do something, private with me, for a little while now." Meryl began.

Mary could sense her hesitation and could tell it was probably sexual. "Don't hold back, honey. I can deal."

"Okay." Meryl let out a small chuckle. "Right after we got married I let Don sketch me in an intimate way. Well, Mann destroyed that a few months ago and that devastated Don. He had it locked up so no one knew about it or could get to it, but he loved that drawing. He's an artist, if you didn't know that, a brilliant artist. Anyways, I decided to let him do it that day. He NEVER pressured me; he would NEVER do that, not ever. And I just felt that was the day to do it but I wanted to surprise him. So, soon as he left I changed in a robe and went up to his studio to get things ready. When I was up there I heard the door open and close. I thought it was Don, I mean, it wouldn't be anyone else. I yelled to who I thought was him to check on Henry who was napping in our bed and to meet me up in the studio."

Cindy nodded. "Only it wasn't your husband."

"No." Meryl swallowed. "Mann must have taken Henry down to the car. A little while later I heard him say I was waiting for him. It wasn't him who I wanted and was waiting for, it was DON. I struggled against him and he smacked me and I tumbled down the stairs. That's the blood that was in the studio and on the stairs. I must have been out of it because when I came around I was tied up in the car and Henry was in the backseat screaming. I wanted to hold him so badly but I couldn't. It felt like a nightmare."

Mary bent down to kiss Meryl's head. "You're doing so good, sweetheart."

"I thought he took us to Brooklyn but I don't know." Meryl whispered.