The Family Man

Chapter 06

There were only a few cars in the Main Street Church's parking lot. I drove through quickly and decided that Jake would easily recognize my car with so little cover. I pulled in across the street in a strip mall parking lot, in amongst many vehicles. A light buffer of bushes helped obscure my car, giving my the anonymity I needed.

The AA meeting was scheduled for seven, so I turned on the radio and waited the thirty minutes. It was the only AA meeting in town or at least the only one I could locate. If Jake was attending, this is where he would be.

I felt a little weird when customers returned to their cars and found me sitting alone, watching the lot across the street. I would smile if they caught my eye, letting them know I was exactly where I wanted to be and not having any problems. Most ignored me, cars pulling in and out. Next stakeout, I would have to pick a spot where the employees parked to lessen my exposure.

At fifteen to the hour, cars started pulling in across the street. There were women and men, some wearing suits, others casually dressed. It was an eclectic cross-section of humanity. One man looked more like a boy as he headed into the church's back entrance. At least Jake wouldn't be recovering alone if he was indeed honest in his attempt.

Jake's past lies began to surface the closer the time approached seven. Times where he had promised he would change only to relapse a day later, drunk and slapping me around. The memories stoked my anger. I opened the glove compartment and verified that the Ruger was still there. The presence of the gun increased my confidence and allowed me the boldness I needed to do what was necessary. It masked the fear, making a task such as a stakeout easier to fathom.

At five minutes till seven, a beater blue Ford pickup pulled into the lot. When Jake stepped out of the driver seat, my eyes widened. What happened to his new car? Jake had always considered his car to be an extension of himself. Well, more of an extension of the dream of who he wished to be. Jake lowered the tailgate and sat down, obviously waiting for someone.

It took me a moment to associate his missing car and the check I received. That must have been how he came up with the money. I looked at him sitting on the tailgate. There was something missing in his posture. The pride was missing. He used to have a way of sitting that announced he was the most valuable person in the world. It wasn't just a straight back or the way he'd cross his ankle confidently on his knee. It was the way he would scan the area as if nothing escaped his notice, yet found everything beneath him.

Jake's legs hung loosely over the tailgate, swinging slightly to some tune in his head. He was absently examining his fingernail and pursing his lips. It was a relaxed look, almost as if the actions of the rest of the world were unimportant. He looked comfortable. I hadn't seen him comfortable in years. I began to remember why I loved him once. They were pleasant thoughts, though I knew they could never return with the frenzy they once had.

Jake smiled and hopped off the tailgate when a black Mercedes pulled into the spot next to his truck. The driver exited and immediately shook Jake's hand firmly. They moved around the cars and for a brief moment, were facing toward me. My breath caught. The other man was Eric Papirius.

I watched them walk, Eric's hand finding Jake's far shoulder as they moved to the back door. As I had guessed, Eric was shorter than Jake though it looked like Jake ignored the fact, acting almost subordinate. They disappeared into the meeting as I sat and contemplated what I had just seen.

Eric was Jake's friend. Maybe they were both boozers cleaning up together. That might explain why Eric gave me the cold shoulder. Friends share stories, and I was probably the evil witch in Jake's tales. I was sure they both found reasons for their drinking, picking out the people who drove them to alcoholism. I didn't like the idea of Eric thinking of me as the cause of Jake's issues.