The Girl Most Likely To ...
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Part IV - After the mall.

After the police left with Roger, Renée started crying. Sandi was the first one to notice this.

"What's wrong, sis?"

"Why does Roger have to be that way? I mean, do you think that maybe his mother and father told him it was all right to call people like me faggots?"

"I don't think so. I think he just said that to embarrass his mother in public. Listen sis, Roger has been like this for a long time. Maybe something happened to him when he was little. Anyway, there are a lot of boys like Roger, who like picking on people weaker than themselves. Nobody knows why, and I don't think guys like Roger know, either. It will be all right, sis. Roger won't bother you or anybody else, ever again."

"How do you know?"

"I don't know. I just have that feeling that the police are right. Roger won't be hitting anybody again."

"Honey, Sandi is right. Roger got himself in this trouble, and he used you as an excuse. Anyway, dear, I was thinking that maybe we could come back tomorrow, and do more shopping. Our day seemed to have been rudely interrupted."

"I guess that would be all right. I still want to go to the Gap and see what they have in skirts and tops."

"That's my girl."

Renée dried her eyes with a tissue she had in her pocket. "Sandi, do you think the judge will send him away?"

"With the report the security guys took and how he behaved with the police, you can bet that is exactly what the judge will do. Now I say we forget about Roger Watkins, for now, and go and hang with the group."

"I can't let them see me, with this eye."

"Girlfriend, you need to know that when the group sees your eye, they will be behind you one hundred per cent. Besides, we're all friends, and friends care about one another."

"Okay, I guess you're right."

"What I don't understand is," Amanda Peters, started, "is why the school let this bullying go on as long as it did."

"The could never catch him doing anything to me. I would tell one of the teachers or the principal, and they said they would be on the lookout. Then the principal sent a letter to all the teachers about Roger, and that is why Mr. Hastings caught him. He was actually looking to see if Roger was around, starting any trouble."

"Well, hopefully this won't go on with someone else."

"Mrs. Peters, nobody else in the school picks on me. Even Roger's two ... friends, won't be so brave without Roger there."

"I hope that you're right, dear."

"I tried standing up to him, but he seemed to just laugh it off. Like he knew I was bluffing and couldn't back up what I said in a fight with him."

"Honey, you're a girl, and girls don't have to fight with boys to prove a point. Does anybody remember where we parked?"

"Yes, Mrs. Richards. Your car is over there in lot C and half way down from the mall."

The all went to the car and got in. When everybody was buckled in, Gloria Richards started the car, and backed out of the parking space. She then headed home.

When they got home, Sandi and Renée went to Renée's room, while Mrs. Richards talked to her husband. Amanda Peters was also a part of that discussion, only as a witness to what Gloria told her husband.

After hearing what Gloria had to say, Carl Richards got that angry look on his face.

"That boy is lucky the police got to him, before I did. I would have given him such a wollop on his behind, he would soon not forget."

"Then you would be in trouble too, dear. No, I think the judge is going to give Roger a what for, I know he won't ever forget."

"Daddy," Renée said, coming in the kitchen with Sandi. "You can't beat up every bully in the world even though they may deserve it. Roger Watkins will get his whatever it is that is coming to him."

"I hope you're right, punkin. Come here and let me look at that eye. I see your mother covered it up as best as she could. How hard did this boy hit you?"

"Hard enough to knock me down."

"That's not hard to do, you only weigh less than a hundred and twenty pounds. Well, the police have him in the detention center, so I guess he won't be bothering us." Just then the doorbell rang, and kept ringing.

"Gloria, see who that is. They only need to ring the doorbell once."

Gloria went to see who was ringing their doorbell so frantically. When she opened the door, Ruth Watkins was leaning against the door frame, with blood around her mouth and from her nose.

"Carl! Come, quickly!"

Carl Richards ran to the door, and helped Ruth Watkins to their front room.

"Gloria, who is this lady?"

"She's Ruth Watkins, Roger's mother. Ruth can you tell us what happened?"

"I'm calling the police," Carl Richards added.

"I was telling my husband what Roger did at the mall, and he just dimissed it as though it was normal for Roger to openly attack someone. When he asked where Roger was, I told him, and he lost his temper. He was yelling at me that I should have stopped them from taking him to the detention center, but when I said that it wasn't up to me, he started hitting me, and kept hitting me, telling me I should have kept Roger with me. He also threw me against our living room wall, and I don't know what happened then, but when I was awake again, he wasn't in the house, so I ran and ran until I found myself in front of your house. I remembered your address, and when I saw the numbers, I just started ringing your doorbell. I'm scared he will find me."

"You're safe here, Ruth. We won't let anything happen to you. Come on, let's get you cleaned up. No, wait! I will take pictures for the police, then we will get you cleaned up." Gloria Richards went to get her camera and came back and took several pictures of Ruth's injuries. "Ruth, come in my bedroom, I want to get a real good look at you and see if there are any black and blue marks on your body."

When they got in Carl and Gloria's bedroom, Gloria had Ruth remove her blouse, and Gloria saw a horrific site. Ruth Watkins was black and blue all over her front and her back, too. Gloria took pictures of these injuries, as well. Then she wanted to see Ruth's legs, and when she saw Ruth was having a hard time, Gloria helped her.

Ruth Watkins was black and blue from head to toe. With Ruth still wearing her panties, Gloria took pictures. Carl knocked on the door and told the ladies that the police were downstairs.

"We'll be right down," Gloria answered her husband. She helped Ruth get dressed, and they went down to talk to the police.

When Ruth and Gloria got downstairs and in the living room, they saw that it was the same two officers from the mall.

When the officer who pushed Roger in to the elevator saw Ruth, he just let out an involuntary expletive.

"Jesus H. Caaaaaaarist. Mrs. Watkins, who did this to you?"

"My husband." Then she repeated to the officers what her husband did after she told him Roger was in the detention center.

"Did your husband make any threats while he was hitting you?"

"Yes. He said he was going to kill me."

"Can you give us his name and a description of your husband?"

"He's thirty three years old, has a full head of light brown hair, blue eyes, he is five foot, eleven inches tall, stocky build, and his name is Scott Derrick Watkins.

The officer walked away from everybody and started talking in to his hand held.

"Squad forty seven, all points."

"All squads stand by. Squad forty seven, go ahead."

"Squad forty seven, all points BOLO for Scott Derrick Watkins, thirty three years old, brown and blue, five foot, eleven inches tall with a stocky build. Wanted for felony attempted murder.

"Squad forty seven, ten-four, all points BOLO for Scott Derrick Watkins. All squads please acknowledge.

"Mrs. Watkins, is there some place safe you can be, while we look for your husband."

"She can stay here, officer," Gloria told the officers.

"Why would you want me to stay here, when my son attacked your daughter?"

"Because we know you had nothing to do with his actions. You couldn't have stopped him, if you tried. Roger is stronger than you are, and you shouldn't have to be the one to correct his behavior. That is where his father failed. He allowed Roger to do whatever he wanted. Is it all right if I help her get cleaned up, officer?"

"Yes, go ahead. The pictures you took and what we saw, is enough evidence for a conviction. I also have a feeling that your husband will want to testify, and if he does that, he will definitely hang himself with the jury.

"Dispatch to squad forty seven."

"Squad forty seven, go ahead."

"Squad forty seven, there is a Mr. Watkins on the line asking to speak to the police officers who took his son to the detention center. Is there a message you want me to give him?"

"Yes, ask him where he is, and we will meet with him."

"Stand by, squad forty seven." After a couple of minutes, the dispatcher came back on the air. "Squad forty seven, he says he is at the fountain in McLaine Park, and he needs to speak with you."

"Squad forty seven, ten four. Tell him we will be there. I will want back up, and helio support."

"Ten four, squad forty seven."

"This is better than I thought."

"Please, don't hurt him. He's a sick man, and needs help."

"Does he own a gun?"

"No, he has a hunting knife, though."

"Okay. Squad forty seven."

"Squad forty seven, go ahead."

"Squad forty seven, advise all squads for back up that suspect is armed only with a hunting knife, but proceed with caution, just in case he found a gun somewhere."

"Ten four, squad forty seven."

"Well, we are on the way to meet your husband. Hopefully, for your sake, Mrs. Watkins, he doesn't try anything foolish."

As the officers left, Ruth Watkins was all of a sudden afraid for her husband.

"I hope they don't hurt the bastard. I want him to suffer in prison for the rest of his life."

"Ruth, I think these officers know how to handle your husband. He asked for helicopter support. I have seen it on Cops. The helicopter will shine its spotlight on your husband, distracting him, so the ground officers can move in and make an arrest."

"I hope you're right, Mr. Richards."

"Carl, please. Mr. Richards sounds so formal."

"Anyway, I think I should get dinner started," Gloria said, to lighten the mood. "Who wants to help me."

"I will," Ruth said, getting up.

"Are you sure you're able, Ruth?"

"Well, I hurt all ..." Ruth Devereaux Watkins didn't get to finish as she fell to the floor. Carl immediately felt her neck, and she had a pulse.

"Gloria, call 911."

When the ambulance got there, they saw Ruth on the floor unconscious. "How did this happen?" Asked the blonde paramedic with muscles from here to there. Carl Richards was on the phone telling the telecommunicator to notify squad forty seven that Ruth Watkins was on the way to Ste. Anne's Hospital.

"Well, she was beaten by her husband. The police just left here to go and meet him at McLaine Park."

"Thank you, ma'am."

As the paramedics left with Ruth, Gloria told Carl that somebody should be there with her, in case there were any questions that they could answer. Carl agreed, and Gloria got her coat and purse.

"Wait, Gloria," Amanda Peters, said. "I'm going with you."

"This may get very boring."

"Who cares. She was there for Renée, and she needs someone there for her. Besides, there is safety in numbers."

Gloria Richards smiled, and said let's go. They got out in the car and drove to Ste. Anne's Hospital, a mile away.