Free Blue Justice by Anthony Thomas

up.  We decided to go check on Chad.  I wanted to thank him for what he did.
    The hospital parking lot was full to capacity.  We went through the ambulance entrance.  The security guard pointed us to Triage 3, where chad was being patched up. 
    “How you doing, fella?” I asked. 
    “Ah, hell,” Chad said. “I’m fine.  Did we get everybody?”
    I nodded.
    “Oh yeah,” said Capt. Davis.  “We got them all.”
    He looked at me and grunted in pain as he shifted his body to sit up on the gurney.  “So why was Burncutt after you?”
    “Old wounds. He blamed me for his family circumstances and then became what the hated the most.”
    “What’s that?”
    “He became a police officer.  You see, I caused a great disruption in his life when I arrested his father and sent him away for many years. His father died an unexplainable death in prison.”
    “Well that clears up everything except one thing in my mind,” said Capt. Davis.
    “What’s that?” I asked.  Chad and I both were looking at him.
    “Why did Melanie change her gender to a boy?”
    “Well,” I began the twisted story. “I had Charlotte do some background checking before she had was abducted. What she found was that Melanie was still alive.” 
    “Okay, but still—why a boy?” Asked Chad.
    “I’ve learned a few things in the psychology classes I have been taking online and one thing I learned was about the Psychoanalytic Theory.”  They both squinted their eyes at me, in different ways. 
    I smiled.  “That theory is, and I’m quoting here, “If the mother feeds, the infant develops an attachment to her based on her repeated satisfaction of his hunger and thirst--unquote.”
    “So what you are saying is, the dad fed her and sorta mothered her?  To the point where she became attached to him and identified with him—wanted to be him?” asked Chad.
    “That is correct. Or then again it could be one other thing?”
    “All right,” said Capt. Davis.  And what is that one thing?”
    “Well she could have suffered from penis envy.” 
    We all burst out laughing. 
    “I’m serious, look it up if you don’t believe me.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 12
    Summertime was near. It was already hot in Alabama. 
    It had been three months since my dealings with The Reaper, aka Carl Minton, aka Melanie Dancy; Burncutt, and Judge Middlebrooks.  The Reaper is expected to get the needle in November, but some prominent people in town are pushing for an earlier date.  So far it looks to be in their favor. 
    Burncutt went to prison. He had a change of heart, they say—spends a lot of time in the library and goes to all the self-help group meetings. He’s expecting to get an early release. He’s been a model prisoner and we may actually be able to stand each other when he gets out.
    Now those bloody murders, the kidnapping, even the sex change—all are distant memories.
    Once the news media broadcast the scandal with Chief Pate and Judge Middlebrooks’ wife, he withdrew himself from the running for Sheriff.  The Mayor fired him.  Capt. Davis is now Chief Davis. 
    Charlotte and I have been married three months now.  We had our honeymoon in the Virgin Islands.  She has gotten a little bigger—no, a whole lot bigger.  We are expecting a girl.  Charlotte still felt she needed to stay close to her parents even though her mom had been given a clean bill of health.  I gave up my apartment and we moved in with Momma and Papa Reed.  Occasionally, we would hear Momma and Papa Reed laughing about something that’s funny to them or they might wink at each other.  Charlotte still gives them the shame sign. 
    Today was different. Not a cloud in the sky. No giggling, but smiles all around .   Just plain beautiful; peaceful, and relaxed. 
    I laid my head in Charlotte’s lap.  “I love you,” she said, running her smooth silky hands on my face.  I reached up and kissed her softly on her lips and said.  “I love you