Dakota (Ch 11)

I reached for the knob. Sheriff Holt needed to return to his office. I hoped he could find Jason's killer, but I just didn't know if I had the confidence that he would. This was a small town. He wasn't used to this kind of investigation. I didn't know if he could handle it. I don't think he knew if he could handle it either. That worried me more. I'm sure that there was more that could have been done in order to find the killer that had taken my brother's life. I had no control though. There was nothing that I could do. Sadly, I had to learn to be alright with that. I had to come to terms with the fact that Jason's killer may never be caught due to the inept abilities of the police force in my backwoods town. It was the nature of living in South Dakota.

Janie came falling through the door as I pulled it open. Sheriff Holt caught her before she hit the floor. It was in that moment I realized that he was still unaware of her return, or her existence for that matter.

"Sheriff this is my little sister, Janie. I don't believe you've met."

I shrugged my shoulders and tried to mask my feelings of uneasiness.

"Miss, you alright?"

"Me, oh yeah mista, I'm just fine. How you doin'?"

She rubbed against him and snapped the hat off of Holt's head and danced around the room. Stumbling. Tripping. Falling. But his hat broke her fall. She erupted in laughter as she rolled on the rug, wedged between the coffee table and sofa.

"Miss have you been drinking?"

"Ah ha ha ha, hmmmm, huh!"

Well if the ridiculous behavior didn't give her away, the drunken hiccup was sure to. I wasn't interested in being her savior. She was a big girl. She had to be responsible for her own acts. I was more than agitated that she was drunk in the middle of the day. I was ashamed that Sheriff Holt was meeting her for the first time, like this. It was a reflection on me. Wasn't it? Either way. It just looked bad.

"I don't know what to tell you Holt."

I didn't want to be remind myself that he was the Sheriff. I played the friend card.

"Jake this is serious. She just drove in this state. She's very visibly intoxicated. I can't have people getting piss-ass drunk and driving around up here. It's bad enough with the danger Mother Nature throws at us with storms and wild animals. Drunk drivers I don't tolerate. I can't just look the other way."

My plan failed. Janie lay curled up in the fetal position opposite the fireplace, still giggling, but drifting to sleep.

"I understand your concern and I completely agree with you. I don't want to deal with this, be her guardian, but I don't really have a choice here, and neither does she. I'm all she's got. She's had a lot of problems in the past few years. She just came home and got hit with the news that nearly every piece of a family that she thought she had, was dead. She needs a break. Just one, Lyle. I haven't asked you for much. I've let you do your thing with this investigation. I haven't bothered you. I've been patient, waited. Waited for news, an arrest. I'm not blaming you for the progress in the case, or lack thereof. But I am asking you now, as a friend, to have some compassion. This girl needs it. This girl deserves that much. Look at her. She needs a break. Cut her some slack. If she messes up again, fine, throw the book at her. But right now that's not what she needs, it's not what she can handle. Give me a chance. Give her a chance. That's all I can ask."

I threw it all out there. Well, except the part about her still being underage. There was no holding back. I changed my mind. This was my sister. My only sister. My only family. I wasn't going to let her get hauled away for this. I didn't know all of what she had done in the past four years, but from what I already knew, I knew there had to be at least one demon in her closet. I wasn't going to let it be unveiled like this, no not like this. She needed a break. I was going to ensure she got it.

"Jacob Samuels you are asking for a hell of a lot. You might not think so but, dammit, you are. This ain't loitering. This is big shit. I've got a job to do, people to answer to. I've got to keep order. I won't stand for it."

"Lyle."

"I'm not your friend in this Jake. I'm not. Stop throwing first names around like it's gonna make a difference. I'm not stupid. I get it, I get what you're trying to do, alright. Yeah, she's your sister. She's been through a lot. I get it. But you know, we've all been through a lot. There comes a time when I have to hold people accountable. I'm the law in this town."

Perhaps I went too far. I couldn't let him take her in. I wouldn't.

"Sheriff."

I shifted back to the respect for authority approach.

"I understand your position. I don't want you to think that I am trying to take advantage of you, or our situation. I just need you to look the other way. Just this once. I know, I know it's wrong. But, please, Sheriff. Look at her."

I looked back to Janie, her body was splayed over the arm of the sofa, she had passed out. She was already drooling. She already smelled of vomit. She was a mess. I shook my head. I couldn't believe it and yet I wasn't surprised. What was she thinking? What was I thinking? What was I doing?

"Jake. Get that girl upstairs and keep a God damn short leash on her. I'll be watching out for her. If I see it again, I'll throw the book at her, don't you doubt it. I mean it Jacob Samuels. She's yours now. You own her behavior. You just became her daddy. I hope you're happy."

"Yessir Sheriff. It won't happen again. You have my word."

"Yeah well it better not. Dammit, I'm serious here."

Holt turned in defeat, trying to hold on to his stern declaration. I followed him back to the door. I shook his hand with another affirmation of my responisbility for Janie's well-being.

"What the hell is going on?"

We turned to look into the woods beyond the door.

"Is Jake okay?"

A young woman came running down the walk and into the room. She caught me in a wild embrace. I stood emotionless, pushing her away.

"Jake, who is this?"

She finally let go of me and stepped back into the room, facing the fireplace.

"Who am I? Who am I? Who the hell is she? What did you do to her Jake? What did you do?"

She collapsed at my feet in a torrent of tears. She beat at my legs with her fists.

"What did you do you sick freak!"

"Rebekah. Get off me. Get your hands off me. Why the hell are you here. Get out. I told you when I left Chicago. It's over. There's nothing else to say. Dammit, get out of my house!"

"Jake, I'm sorry but what's going on here?"

I had forgotten about the Sheriff for a moment.

"I'm sorry Sheriff. This is my ex. My crazy ex, Rebekah. She's delusional, as you can see."

"I'm not delusional you bastard."

"She took the break up a little rough. It's ironic though since she was the one sleeping with half of Chicago!"

"Oh really, come on Jake! You know that's not true. I made a mistake. Yes, I repeated that mistake, but it was still only one guy. I'm sorry. I realize what I lost. I miss you."

"Rebekah it's not going to happen. And you're not staying here. So, goodbye. You need to leave now."

"Jake, I drove here from Chicago. For you. Jake, please."

She had yet to regain any sense of composure. I guided her to the porch and stepped back inside, closing the door.

"Goodbye Rebekah."

I turned back to the Sheriff who was standing in a stupified state next to the stairs.

"I'm sorry Sheriff. This has been an eventful day. I'm sorry. I need to take care of Janie now."

"Jake. This place is a circus. Take the tent down, send the animals home and get it under control."

"Yeah, I got it Sheriff. I'm sorry. And if she's still out there, could you escort her off my property. I don't want to deal with her."

"Sure Jake. If that's what you want."

"Oh it's what I want."