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Contagious Love

By Ann Bell

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Chapter 1


Hello, crisis center. May I help you?”
“I hope so,” a frightened voice whispered. “I can’t talk long. My husband is going to be back in a few minutes. He’s been beating me. My eye is swelling so badly that I can hardly see.”
Edith Dutton took a deep breath and whispered a quick prayer for wisdom. This was her first call at the crisis center after returning from her honeymoon, and in spite of her sixty-seven years, the potential for serious consequences sent chills down her spine. “What do you think will happen when he gets back?”
“He left to buy more beer, so it’ll probably only get worse. I’m really scared. He told me that if I didn’t have this house spotless by the time he got back, he’d beat me bloody. I’ve really tried, but I’ve been sick lately. I’m always nauseated and can hardly keep any food down.”
“We’ll have to get you out of there right away. Do you have any friends or relatives where you’d be safe?”
“No. My mother died when I was twelve, and my dad and stepmother live in Iowa, but they wouldn’t be able to help. I’ve been so busy with the baby that I haven’t had time to make friends of my own.”
“There are several local agencies that can help. In fact, we have a spouse abuse shelter here in Rocky Bluff. Hurry and pack a few things for you and your baby, and I’ll have the director of the shelter come and get you right away. Of course, the police will have to be notified.”
“Do they have to be?” Terror vibrated through her words. “He’ll really be mad then. I know they’ll put him in jail because he’s already on probation.”
“Right now your safety and the safety of your baby is what’s important. What’s your name and where are you?”
“My name is Libby . . . Libby Reynolds. My baby’s name is Vanessa. I’m at 2519 Frontage Road. Please hurry. I’m expecting him back any time and I haven’t gotten everything done he told me to do.”
“I’ll call the police and they’ll be there in just a few minutes,” Edith assured her. “Now what’s the name of your husband and what kind of car is he driving?”
Libby hesitated. What will he do to me if I tell? If only I’d been a better wife, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. The silence became penetrating. Finally, she whispered. “He’s driving a red Ford Maverick. His name is Larry Reynolds.”
Edith’s face whitened, her hands turned clammy. Her mind flashed back nearly three years. She again felt the terror of staring into the muzzle of a .38 Police Special in the hands of Larry Reynolds with her prin-cipal, Grady Walker, lying wounded at her feet. She had not seen Larry since that time, and she had desperately tried to block those memories out of her mind.
Edith took a deep breath. I have to keep my com-posure. This girl’s life is in danger.
“Libby, my name is Edith Dutton,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “My husband and I will be there with the director of the spouse abuse center in fifteen minutes. Be waiting for us at the door.”
Edith hurriedly hung up the phone, thankful that she had an extension of the crisis center line in her own home. “Roy,” she shouted as she rushed to the coat closet beside the front door. “Get your coat. There’s a young woman in serious danger.”
Roy laid his newspaper on the end table and helped Edith with her coat before reaching for his own. As the director of the crisis center, he was used to handling problems over the phone, but never had he seen his best counselor so intent to personally intervene in a case. “What’s happened?” he queried, fearing for the health of his beloved bride.
“We’ve got to get Larry Reynolds’s wife to the spouse abuse shelter. He’s been beating on her and then left to get more beer. She’s scared to death and so am I. We can call Teresa from the car phone and tell her we’ll stop by her house on our way to get Libby.”
“I was afraid that boy would end up a menace to society,” Roy said
as they raced to the car. “A lot of people have tried to help him, but
he refused to listen to anyone. I bet he’s going to be spending time in the state penitentiary in Deer Lodge before his life is over. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but with Larry I question if there is much hope for him.”
Roy opened the left door of their Chrysler LeBaron for Edith and then hurried around the car and slid be-hind the wheel. “I’m sure glad we have such a flexible spouse abuse director as Teresa. She’s done so much for this community.”
Edith picked up the car phone, dialed, and waited. What if she’s not home? She worried with each passing ring. Suddenly the ringing stopped.
“Hello.”
Edith breathed a sigh of relief. “Teresa, thank goodness you’re home. Roy and I are on our way over to get you. Larry Reynolds’s wife just called the crisis center and he’s been beating her. After my dreadful experience with him, I’m afraid for her life. I told her we’d take her and the baby directly to the spouse abuse shelter.”
“I’ll get my coat and be watching for you,” Teresa assured her. “Sonya, one of our best volunteers, is staying at the shelter tonight, so she’ll have an extra bed and crib waiting for her. Have you called the police yet?”
“That’s my next call.”
Roy looked over at his trembling wife. The street-lights magnified the tension in her face. Those same wrinkles that he had watched gradually fade after Edith’s near-fatal heart attack were now spreading across her face. The same young man who had caused enough fear in the calm home economics teacher of Rocky Bluff High School to raise her blood pressure to dangerous heights was again threatening Edith’s se-renity and the life of his own wife and child.
Edith quickly dialed 9-1-1.
“Emergency services. May I help you?” a confident voice said.
“Hello, this is Edith Dutton. I’d like to report a case of domestic violence with the wife’s life in imminent danger. My husband and I, along with Teresa Lennon from the spouse abuse center, are on our way to get her, but he’s been drinking and we could run into problems. Could we have a police officer meet us there right away?”
“Don’t worry, they’ll be right there. Where are you going?”
“We’re on our way to 2519 Frontage Road to get Libby Reynolds,” Edith explained as she tried to keep her voice under control. “Her husband, Larry Reynolds, just left to get more beer and threatened to beat her more when he got home.”
“You said his name was Larry Reynolds.” The dispatcher’s tone indicated he was familiar with the name.
“Yes,” Edith gasped.
“Do you know what kind of a car he might be driv-ing? Maybe they will be able to stop him before he gets home.”
“Libby said he was driving a red Ford Maverick. She didn’t say what year.”
“That information is extremely helpful. I’ll have the police on their way. Now be careful,” the dispatcher warned. “If Larry is any place in the vicinity when you get there, don’t approach the house until the police arrive.”
Edith’s hand trembled as she hung up the car phone. She was torn by her desire to help Libby and her fear of having to face Larry Reynolds again. She visu-alized that same .38 police special pointed at a young, frightened woman and knew what she had to do.
Just then, Roy turned their Chrysler from Main onto Sixth Street. He immediately discerned a trim figure hurrying toward the curb. He steered to the edge of the street and stopped. Teresa wasted no time in opening the door and sliding into the back seat.
“Hi. Thanks for taking such a personal interest in this case. It could be very touchy. Were you able to get hold of the police?”
“Oh yes,” Edith replied. “I called them as soon as I hung up from talking with you. The dispatcher said she would send a squad car there immediately. It looks like Larry will be spending a lot more time behind bars.”
“I would think so,” Roy responded dryly. “The last time he pled temporary insanity and only spent six months in a mental hospital. He obviously didn’t learn anything from that. I’ve heard he’s been involved in all kinds of fights at the bars after he’s had a few drinks under his belt. I hope we don’t have to deal with that.”
“No,” Edith assured him. “The dispatcher advised us that if Larry is around, we are not to go near the house until the police arrive. They will handle the situ-ation.”
As Roy turned onto Frontage Road, a red Maverick sped around them and nearly hit a parked car. The trio gasped.
“Better hurry,” Edith directed. “I want to be waiting in the car in case Libby runs from the house with nowhere to go.”
As Roy increased the pressure on the accelerator, he spotted blue and red flashing lights three blocks behind them and gaining on them quickly. They all breathed a sigh of relief as Roy pulled to the right and the patrol car sped around them.
“Thank you, Lord,” Edith whispered as they fol-lowed the authorities to the Reynolds residence.
“Boy, am I glad to see them,” Teresa gasped. “I’ve been in tough predicaments before with domestic abuse, but never this bad.”
Sergeant Philip Mooney and Officer Scott Pack-wood stopped in front of 2519 Frontage Road and stepped from their patrol car. Having recognized the Dutton car as they had sped past them, they waited on the curb for the fast-approaching Chrysler.
In the glimmer of the streetlight, Edith recognized one of the officers. I’m sure glad Phil’s on duty now, she mused. He did such a good job handling Larry three years ago.
Roy pulled up behind the police car and the threesome hurried toward the waiting officers.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Sergeant Mooney greeted. “Depending on how much Larry’s been drinking, we could have a real problem on our hands. I don’t want to put his wife or child in danger. He’s on parole, so he’s not supposed to own a firearm, but we don’t want to take any chances. At this point, he could use anything as a weapon, even his fists. I’m hoping there’s some way we can talk the wife and baby out of the house before we have to confront Larry.”
“Since I was the one Libby spoke to, maybe if I went to the door alone as a friend I could get Libby and the baby outside without upsetting Larry any more than necessary.”
“Edith, I can’t ask you to do that,” Sergeant Mooney protested weakly. “We’re the ones who are paid to take the risks, not you.”
“Phil, I faced Larry once with a loaded gun and God gave me the strength. If He could protect me three years ago, He can do it tonight.”
“I’ll admit that method might be least likely to cause Larry to fly into a rage. Are you sure you’re up to it?”
Roy was filled with trepidation as he surveyed his wife’s strained face. His love and admiration for her escalated with each passing moment. He wondered how he had ever survived the long, lonely years of widowhood without her. And now the thought of her voluntarily putting her life on the line for someone she had never met was nearly overwhelming.
Edith looked at Roy for assurance. Their eyes met, but no words escaped their lips for several seconds. Finally, Roy nodded his head up and down.
“I have the best protection in the world,” Edith rep-lied bravely. “And with everyone here for backup, I’ll try my best.”
“Don’t forget, we’ll be hiding in the bushes with revolvers drawn if you have any problems,” Sergeant Mooney responded as he and Officer Packwood moved toward the shadows of the bushes surrounding the house.
Roy squeezed Edith’s hand. She took a deep breath and walked slowly toward the front door. She could hear shouting within, but could not make out the words. Hesitantly she reached for the doorbell.
“Who’s there?” a gruff voice shouted.
“I’m a friend of Libby’s. I wanted to come by and say hello. I haven’t seen her for several weeks.”
“She’s busy now and doesn’t have time to see anyone.”
“I’ll only be a minute. Please tell her she has a friend.”
Edith could hear muffled sobs behind the closed doors. “No. . .wait a minute,” a female voice cried. “Please don’t go away. I need your help. You sound like the woman I talked with on the phone tonight.”
“What do you mean? Were you wasting your time talking on the phone tonight? You were supposed to be cleaning this pig sty while I was gone,” the male voice growled.
“I . . . I’m sorry. I was just lonely. Please let me talk to her for just one minute. I promise I’ll not call anyone again.”
“You don’t need to see anyone. Do I have to blacken your other eye to get you to understand that?”
Suddenly Baby Vanessa began to cry. The entire household was a mass of crying and shouting. Time was suspended as the male curses behind the thin walls increased. Slowly the door opened. A young emaciated woman with swollen eyes and bruises appeared in the doorway holding a screaming baby. Edith grabbed her arm and dragged her down the three steps with a husky male figure close behind.
“Get back here you worthless, no-good piece of . . . !” Larry shouted. His voice trailed off as a glimmer of recognition spread across his face. He grabbed the poker from beside the fireplace as he followed his wife through the open door. “What are you doing with my wife? You messed up my life once before while I was in high school. I won’t let you do that again.”
With revolvers drawn, Sergeant Mooney and Office Packwood came between the two women and their assailant. “Larry Reynolds, you’re under arrest for vi-olating probation and assault and battery.”
While the arresting officials were reading Larry his Miranda rights, Teresa led Libby and the crying baby to the Dutton vehicle. Although she had cared for many troubled families throughout the years, she always felt ill-prepared for the pain that they shared. She wrapped a blanket around the sobbing woman and put her arms around her. Not a word was spoken as the sobs sub-sided and Libby relaxed with her head on Teresa’s shoulder. All energy and emotion seemed to be drained from the frightened woman.
“Our first stop will be the emergency room,” Teresa explained gently. “We need to have your injuries checked.”
“I’ll be okay,” Libby sobbed. “Besides, I can’t go to the hospital. I don’t have any insurance.”
“Don’t let insurance stand in the way of your health,” Teresa replied. “I’ll be able to help you get financial assistance for medical care.”
“But what’ll I do after they’ve patched me up? If I come back here, he’ll only beat me again.”
“The police will have him busy in jail for a long time tonight. After Larry is gone, we’ll come back and get your things. Has the baby been hurt in any way?”
“Oh, no. She’s just scared.” Libby’s voice trembled. “She’s the apple of her daddy’s eye. He said if I ever left him, he’d get custody of Vanessa ’cause he could prove I was an unfit mother.”
The young woman watched as the officers hand-cuffed her husband and placed him in the back of the patrol car. “The only reason why I’ve stayed with him was because of Vanessa. I take really good care of her. Do you think he’d be able to take her away from me?”
“Of course not. He’s just using that to scare you. You won’t have to worry about him bothering you again,” Teresa assured her. “I think the officers have plans for him for a long time.”
“But I don’t want to be the one who caused him to go to jail. After all, it wasn’t all his fault. I should have had the house cleaned up when he got home today, but I’ve been so sick lately.”
“No one deserves to be treated the way you’ve been. Your immediate need is medical care, a good hot meal, and a warm bed. We’ll begin working on the rest of your life tomorrow.”
“It’s strange,” Libby sighed. “I know I can’t keep living with Larry like this. However, sometimes I still feel a spark of love, in spite of everything he’s done.”
“Libby, love is complex and multifaceted. Tomorrow will be soon enough to begin evaluating your feelings toward Larry. Right now it’s time to get you to the emergency room.”
While the police officers were leading Larry to the police car and Teresa was comforting Libby in the back seat of the car, Edith and Roy clung to each other under the reflection of the streetlight. Edith laid her head upon Roy’s chest. Her breathing was rapid and her heart raced. “Edith, you’re one brave lady. I’ve never seen anyone as self-sacrificing as you. But are you going to be okay?”
“A cup of hot tea and a good night’s sleep will go a long way.” Edith’s words sounded strong, but the quiver in her voice betrayed her weak heart.
“While Libby is being examined in the emergency room, I think we better have your blood pressure checked.”
“I hate to admit that I’m not as strong as I used to be, but I guess you’re right. I don’t want to go through heart surgery again. I have too much to live for now.” Her eyes twinkled as she lightly brushed her lips across his. “I have the best husband in the world,” she whis-pered as the pair walked to their car hand in hand.

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