Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Nicole had never come to visit him in prison. Not once. Many nights he would lie awake in his cell, picture her face, and wonder if she still loved him. He supposed not; not after all he had done and put her through. They were divorced not long after the trial, and after Tim was sent away to prison. Tim was surprised how quickly a divorce could be filed when one member of the party was incarcerated. There was no lawyer, no court date, and no settling or arguing. The warden had called him into his office one sunny, June afternoon and handed him a stack of papers held within a flimsy manila file folder.
"You can read them if you want to Tim, but it won't make any difference if you disagree." The warden said, almost with a tone of sorrow in his voice. "I've seen a lot of these come across my desk and I can tell you that the judge will overrule any objections you may have and grant the divorce to your wife."
Tim opened the file folder and flipped through the first few pages. "But, I haven't even talked to her. Not since the trial, Warden."
The warden leaned back in his leather desk chair, cupped his hands as if he were in prayer and rested them under his chin. He looked up, in thought, then let out a sigh.
"Listen, Tim. You're in prison for life. You murdered six people. Your wife probably doesn't love you anymore, and as a matter of fact she likely hates you. There is a clause in the paperwork that gives her back her maiden name, as well, which should tell you she is done with you."
Tim was surprised, even though he knew he shouldn't have been. He was a murderer. Did he really expect Nicole to stick around a love him still? Part of him in fact did. Reluctantly, after sitting in silence in the Warden's office for a few more minutes, he signed the papers. The warden instructed the guard to give Tim 30-minutes alone in the yard, outside, to gather his thoughts before going back to his cell.
The only person who had visited him during the five years he spent in prison, was his brother Gregg. Gregg was three years older, but at the current age of 37 his brother looked much younger than Tim. Often times people would think Gregg was younger then he looked, about 32, and that Tim was much older than he looked and guessed he was closer to 40. Tim supposed it was because of his poor eating habits, not to mention his poor life choices, such as murder.
Believe it or not, murder takes a toll on a person's physical and mental health.
So do the ghosts.
Gregg didn't condone any of Tim's past actions, nor did he share the same thoughts on murder that Tim did, but since he was the only family he had left, Gregg felt it was his duty to visit him. Most of the visits were spent reminiscing about their childhood and growing up in Colorado. To most people's shock and dismay, Tim and Gregg had a very happy, enriched, and loving childhood. Their parents never hit or beat them, and very rarely even raised a voice to either of them, which is what baffled most psychiatrists who studied Tim's mental well-being. As most studies show, broken and dysfunctional homes are much more likely found in those who commit murder.
Gregg and Tim also talked about each of their wives.
Tragically, Gregg's wife had died several years ago, before Tim was sent to prison. Gregg and Hope were the picture of happiness and the envy of their friends and family, including Tim and Nicole. Gregg and Hope were never able to have children, so this required them to focus more on their marriage, and themselves, and it made their relationship even that much stronger. They lived a very happy and fulfilling life; vacationing often and hosting dinner parties they were the couple all their friends were envious about.
That is, until Tim discovered Hope was having an affair. He found out by chance after walking into a Barnes & Noble bookstore one day, after a meeting with a client, to pick up the latest Stephen King novel. He saw her sitting at a small round table in the Starbucks coffee shop near the back of the bookstore, across for a man that Tim did not recognize. They were laughing, blushing, and occasionally touching each other's hands, which were rested on top of the table. Tim stood at the end of a row of books, near the self-help section, and watched for some time; likely 15 or 20 minutes. It was when he saw them both get up from the table, and saw them kiss, passionately, that he knew his brother's wife was an unfaithful bitch and undeserving of him.
Tim had actually killed seven people in his life, even though he was only tried for the murders of six people. His brother's wife's murder was not very tragic; not in Tim's mind. She had it coming.
She was unfaithful.
Tim had made it look like she had run away and she had left Gregg.
He never told Gregg he killed his wife and never had any intentions of telling him, but he saw something in Gregg's eyes, every now and then when they talked about Hope, that made Tim wonder if he knew. Tim was always warm and endearing in his comments about Hope and how blissful their marriage had been, and how Hope had made Gregg a better person. Gregg believed that, and needed to hear those things, so Tim gave that to him. For Tim to tell his brother she was a cheating whore would have only spiraled Gregg into depression.
Tim asked the same question every time Gregg would come to see him, which was if he had seen or talked with Nicole. Gregg's response was always the same; He would lower his head, sitting at the metal table, which had been bolted to the concrete floor inside the prison visiting room, and shake it slowly from side to side.
A couple of months previous during one of their visits, before Tim escaped from prison, Gregg responded to Tim's question and finally closed the chapter of Tim & Nicole's life together, once and for all.
"Sorry brother, but she got remarried."
"What? When, Gregg? Did you know!?"
"I wanted to tell you, Timmy, but I didn't know how you would take it."
Gregg had always called his brother Timmy.
"When was the wedding, Gregg?"
"Last month; just after I came to see you the last time. I should have told you then, Timmy, but it's not easy for me, you have to understand that. You are in love with a woman who has long-since forgotten about you. You have to move on, Timmy."
"I can't, Gregg. She's the love of my life. I'm the same person now that I was then. I know you know that. I was the same person before the murders as I was after. At least the way I loved her never changed."
"I know that, Timmy. But you DID change, and that's what changed for her."
There was a long silence. Finally, after a few more minutes Tim stood up from the table.
"I'll see you next month, Gregg. I've got something I need to talk with you about next time you come around."
"Why not now, Timmy? We still have visitation time."
"I need to think, and clear my head, brother."
With that, Tim walked to the reinforced metal door, at the opposite end off the room, and knocked on it. A moment later a guard came and signaled at the camera for the door to open. After the door slowly opened Tim slid past the guard and disappeared into the prison.
Suddenly, Gregg wasn't looking forward to his next month's visit.
(all rights reserved. Published 12/12/19 by Aaron Clayton)