Johnny Gets His Wings

Chapter 11

Things went completely nuts. Darlene and Ken raced down the hallway in search of Bradley. And it wasn't long until they were both screaming their heads off.

He said, "Lieutenant Colonel! What have you done! What have you done!"

She said, "My baby! My love! How could you do this to me? I'm your wife for Christ's sake!"

Yet I didn't get out of my seat. The last thing I wanted to see was his brains all over the ceiling and the walls. Perhaps I was a pussy, but I simply couldn't handle such an ordeal. So I remained at the table and quickly ate my steak and potato.

I know what you're thinking. I must be some kind of psychopath. However, you have to understand my situation. Steak wasn't on the menu at my house. On the contrary. Most nights, I had to settle for bologna and cheese sandwiches. Yes, my friends. Beef was definitely a luxury article in my neck of the woods.

Darlene came back to the kitchen and hugged me tight. I was still in the chair, so my head was against her breasts.

She said, "How could he do this to me, Johnny? It ain't right. How could he do this to me?"

I looked up at her. "I don't know. Maybe he was depressed."

She gazed directly into my eyes. "You're right. The colonel was mentally ill. He'd never leave me all alone in this world. Not in a million years."

Ken returned with tears streaming down his cheeks. "He was the greatest man that I've ever known. If there's no hope for him, then what chance do the rest of us have?" Then he saw what was left of the steak on my plate. "You little motherfucker. How could you eat at a time like this?"

Darlene slapped him across the cheek. "You leave this boy alone. He didn't pull the trigger. It was the colonel who made that selfish decision."

An expression of intense anger passed over the policeman's face. But it soon gave way to grief. He started crying once again, and Darlene released me in order to give the guy a big hug.

She said, "It'll be OK, Ken. We'll get through this."

"How?"

"We'll figure it out."

Then he wiped his eyes and smiled. "Look at me. Blubbering like a big fucking baby. I've seen lots of dead people during the span of my career. But this one hits me right in the balls." He lit a cigarette and took a heavy toke. "I'll have to call in the cavalry so that Big Brother can file a report."

She gently placed her hand on his arm. "Do what you have to do, Ken. Me and Johnny are right here standing beside you. You aren't alone, Ken. Is he, Johnny."

"No, ma'am. It's like you said. We're standing right beside him."

I shoveled more food in my mouth as they were staring at each other in disbelief. The meal was fantastic. I wish I could have eaten that well every day of my life.

After fifteen minutes, a couple of plain-clothes cops showed up at the door. They asked all three of us a bunch of questions. For instance, had the colonel threatened suicide in the past? Was he currently taking medication? Had he been prone to self-harm in the days leading up to his death? Shit like that. But it was a pretty open-and-shut case. It's not like we were suspected of foul play.

Finally, the EMTs arrived with a gurney and an empty body bag. They immediately went to the colonel's room in order to tag him and bag him. After that, his body was placed in the back of an ambulance and his corpse was whisked away to the coroner's office.

It had definitely been a wild day.