Death Bed Chats

Chapter 8 ~ One Step Ahead

And the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains
within the sound of silence~ Paul Simon

It got to be around one in the afternoon and Jeannie had not seen the police or Margo and she was starting to panic. She knew soon her family would be there and most likely her abuser too. Something must have happened to Margo and she feared Father Tom had something to do with it.

Jeannie decided to take matters in her own hands before anyone got into her room. She woke up when one of the nurses were in her room checking her vitals and the nurse was so happy she was awake she started to call out on the floor, but Jeannie quickly grabbed her arm asking her to call the police for her. Jeannie also told her she didn't want her Uncle allowed back into her room.

The nurse agreed, but told her she would have to call her doctor too. Jeannie was still a bit fuzzy, but she noticed there was a phone in her room and she placed one call to George. As she hung up with George she heard a ruckus outside her room and it was the nurse trying to keep Father Tom out of her room. He managed to get by the nurse and rushed to her bedside like a caring Uncle. Jeannie was yelling for him to get out and before he turned to leave he winked at her and said he would say hello to her friend Nurse Margo for her.

Bile rose up in her throat and she threw up all over the hospital bed. Father Tom had been led out by her nurse and he quickly left the hospital. So many emotions were hitting Jeannie all at once, the biggest being fear that he had done something to Margo. Jeannie was pleading with the nurse to check on Margo when her parents came in. They were thrilled that she was awake, but that was short-lived when they saw the state she was in.

Before anything was said, I entered Jeannie's hospital room and immediately her parents tried to bar me from seeing her. Her father said that he was calling the police and I told him they were on their way.

Jeannie spoke, "Dad, it wasn't George, it was Uncle Tom".

Jeannie's Dad whirled back to look at his daughter, not believing what he was hearing. Tom was not only his brother-in-law but his best friend, he simply wouldn't do something like that to his daughter.

"Honey, you're mistaken, you just have your mind all messed up at the moment".

"No, Dad I'm not, it's been happening for years I was just too afraid to say anything". At that moment, Jeannie's mom let out a loud gasp as tears sprang from her eyes.

"You know don't you Mom"? Jeannie was trying to sound more sympathic than accusatory.

After a few minutes, through her sobs Jeannie's Mom said, "I truly never thought he would try anything with you. I thought it ended with me".

The revelations were making everyone's head spin. It was clear from this day forward nothing was ever going to be the same.

When the police arrived Jeannie told them her story, but before she gave them the details she asked them to go check on Margo. The detectives sent a squad car over to Margo's and proceeded to take Jeannie's statement.

After she told her story the detectives started asking some very odd questions, such as what was going on in the family, had there been a fight with Father Tom, why would she want to ruin this man's reputation. It was clear they didn't believe her and as far as they were concerned Father Tom was a saint who had only ever done good things.

They left the hospital promising to file the report, but cases like this the one detective told her that it comes down to he said, she said and he had the Catholic Church behind him.

Jeannie felt so defeated and her family was a mess. George was by her side holding her hand and he whispered, "What do you want to do? They are going to try to sweep this under the rug". Jeannie answered him telling him the crusade had begun and if they couldn't get him to court may be the court of public opinion would do something.

Both of the detectives were reluctant to talk to Father Tom they were both members of his church, but when the squad car went to the Nurse Margo's house and found her dead body they had no choice. They made their way over to the rectory and the housekeeper led them into the Monseigneur's office. He didn't look like he was surprised to see them, in their official capacity.

When they asked to speak to Father Tom the Monseigneur told them that would be impossible because he was on a plane to Vietnam. Both Detectives looked at each other dumbfound and their belief that Father Tom was innocent had started to wain. When they asked the Monseigneur why did this happen all of a sudden. He calmly told him that it had been in the works for quite some time and the opportunity had come up and the need to have him there was immediate.

Reluctantly, the detectives explained their need to talk to Father Tom and the Monseigneur brushed it off as a poor young girl obviously confused by the events of the past few days. He added that he would talk to Father Tom when he had an opportunity, but told them that could be a very long time as his post was way in the mountains at a monastery which has no method of communication.

When the detectives returned the next day to Jeannie's hospital room she was sitting up out of bed and there were two church officials there. Jeannie was distraught and told them to take their dirty money and get out. Jeannie's father was trying to reason with her that she should take the money and she would be set for life. They were there to buy her silence and though her father hated him for what he had done to his daughter and his wife this money would make things easier for her.

Jeannie was done listening to the two Catholic lawyers and turned her attention to the detectives. "Did you find Margo," she asked.

The one detective nodded, "Miss Mitchell was found dead in her apartment".

Jeannie gasped and then pointed at the two lawyers, telling them to get out, but then she stopped them, "Wait, wait where is he? Where is he? Is he in custody", she shouted.

Both of the detectives hung their heads and said, no, explaining he had been transferred to Vietnam. She looked at the two lawyers and said, "You call yourselves men of God, you know nothing about God. Take this message back to your precious church, you harbored a rapist and when that came to light you don't help the victim you protect the rapist. I will not take your money now or ever and I will not be silenced".