JAKE'S PUNISHMENT

Chapter 28 - DONALD

His name was Donald.

Of course, to Jake he was just Sir, Jake had never even found out his real name, never even asked. To Chloe, Danny, and Alex he was Dad. To the people who worked for him in his company, he was Mr. Hawksworth. It was only really his wife, his close friends, and other family members who called him Donald, or sometimes Don.

Donald Hawksworth, a nice posh name.

Donald had a sense of humor even though he often seemed like he was very serious all the time. Of course, he had a sense of humor, that's why he wore that Donald Trump mask the first few times he talked to Jake in the basement, because his name was Donald he thought it would be rather funny to wear a Donald Trump mask too. Funny right?

Well, he thought it was funny. His sons Alex and Danny had rolled their eyes and told him it wasn't funny, not even a tiny bit funny. Oh well, you can't win em all.

Donald sat in his study doing some paperwork while he listened to classical music. Later he would have Whisky, straight and on the rocks. He lived a good life with his family he thought. A good balance between work, rest and play. It was a shame about Liam, he knew how much it had devastated Lorraine especially. Why did that stupid boy Jake have to be such a fool and wreck their lives and take away their youngest boy? Liam had always been their baby

Sometimes Donald felt like he just hated Jake so much, especially when he saw what losing Liam had done to his wife. Well, he knew Lorraine totally hated Jake anyway. As for Jake being kept, prisoner? It was an unfortunate situation of course but maybe if the courts had done their job and given him the proper punishment they wouldn't have had to do this.

Suddenly Donald was interrupted by his wife running into the room looking extremely agitated

''Don'' she exclaimed ''Jake's parents are here, they want to talk to us''

The two of them looked at each other in shock and horror for a moment. What could his parents possibly want to talk to them about? Did they know something?

They were sitting in the lounge looking as anxious and uncomfortable as Donald and Lorraine were. Two sets of parents meeting for the first time. Both had lost their sons but one of the sons had killed the other son and this knowledge made everyone in the room extremely nervous and uncomfortable
So uncomfortable that they all sat in silence for what felt like ages but must have only been a minute or so

''Can I offer you a drink?' Lorraine asked them eventually 'tea, coffee?''

''No thank you'' Jake's mother replied ''we don't want to take up too much of your time. I know this is hard for all of us''

''Yes indeed' Donald said ''I don't wish to seem rude but I'm not really sure what we have to say to each other''

''We're very sorry about what our son did'' Jake's mother said ''I know Jake is sorry he did it too''

''I'm sure he is yes'' Lorraine said coldly, trying to keep the anger and bitterness from her voice ''we were told at the time that Jake was sorry and it was an accident and all that crap, doesn't bring our boy home though does it''

Jake's mother bowed her head and started to feel the tears in her eyes, this was hard and she didn't know what else to say. Maybe they really shouldn't have come here

''The reason we are here is that our son is missing'' Jake's father said at last ''He has been missing for months now and there is no sign of him''

''How dreadful for you'' Donald said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice and appear genuinely sorry

''We came to ask you if you know anything about it''Jake's father continued

''Why would we know anything?''

''I don't know, it's just odd that our son went missing and we understand that you must have been very upset about what he did and maybe you didn't like the sentence he got, we did see you in court that day and we saw how upset you were when the judge sentenced him''

''Can you blame us?'' Lorraine asked them, really struggling to hold back her fury now ''he kills our son and the judge gives him a slap on the wrist and lets him skip out of court with a lousy fine and a few hours unpaid work''

Donald laid a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder ''Don't get upset love'' he told her

Donald looked at Jake's parents and forced a smile 'i'm really dreadfully sorry that your son is missing' he told them 'but we know absolutely nothing about it I assure you and we simply can't help you here, I am so sorry. I must please ask you to leave now because this is upsetting my wife'