November 24, Thanksgiving. It wasn't much of a meal, though the crew did try to put some special touches. The turkey was dry, the stuffing bland and mushy, cranberry sauce may as well been called cranberry juice for the way it bled all over his plate. The choices of beverage were hot coffee, sparkling white grape juice or egg nog. Dirk chose the egg nog and wished he hadn't; it had the consistency of small curd cottage cheese.
But, all in all, Dirk wasn't completely unsatisfied. His belly was full and he was warm and dry. After the meal had been served and eaten, it was back to his cell. All in all, just a typical day with a couple of extras included for the holiday. In an hour the guards would come to get him. Floors needed to be mopped, trash taken out. Every inmate had their job to do and Dirk's was mopping and trash collecting. It wasn't bad; he got to see the inside of offices and catch a glimpse of the outside world where normalcy still prevailed.
So when the guards came not five minutes later, there was a rush of excitement and more than a little curiosity. Amare wasn't due to visit that day, so when the guard announced he had a visitor, it made him wonder what his lawyer wanted on Thanksgiving. He was escorted to the family visiting area and waited for his lawyer to be brought in.
He no longer required a handcuff to the table nor a shackle on his ankle to the ground. Dirk had been behaving; keeping his head down and to himself to avoid conflict, drama and any derogatory remarks in his criminal record folder. It wasn't as if he hadn't been tempted to let his hair trigger temper get the better of him. But he'd made a promise to Amare's mother, and he was doing his best to turn himself around.
A folder slapped the table in front of him, knocking him from his thoughts about Amare, his mother and their quest to save her from the pit of hell. The folder had his name on it and when he looked up, there was the sharply dressed attorney that Amare had paid for once Levi took his leave. Dirk smiled with a crooked grin and sat back in a sprawl in his chair.
"Nice to see you too, counselor. Odd day to come, it's a holiday. Most people don't work on holidays." He canted his head and considered her for a moment. Nice Louboutin shoes, he could see a peek of the red sole, shapely legs that were covered with dark hose, a pencil skirt with a matching jacket and a white blouse completed her ensemble. She wore little make up on a face that wasn't exactly beautiful, but not ugly either. Her chestnut hair was drawn back in a tight French roll at the back of her head. Her green eyes crinkled at the corner as she sat down with a smile. "I've got good news. The parole board has agreed to allow you a hearing. It'll be on Monday. So we need to go over a few things before then."
Dirk blinked rapidly, surprised by the news. He sat up and folded his hands on top of the table and leaned forward on his elbows. "You're not fucking with me? You're serious?" God help the woman if she came just to play games. Dirk wasn't in the mood to play games much anymore.
"I'm serious. You've been behaving yourself and it's been more than six months. Most people are out in three with what you're charged with. I don't know why your previous lawy..."
He cut her off with a shake of his head and a wave of his hand. It didn't matter what Levi did or didn't do. He didn't want to know because the more he knew about Levi the more he wanted the man dead. Killing a man upon the release from prison would be horrible for the probation and not very good for this road that he'd promised Amare's mother he'd be on. It was lose lose. Best not to know. "Just go on. Why now?"
"Oh. Well." she picked up the folder and opened it up. It was remarkably thin and the page she wanted was right on top. "See, no violations, no incidents, the AA and NA meetings, plus your work assignments have been the worst in prison but you've never complained. I argued that you're ready to be relased; that you're no harm to yourself or society."
Dirk wanted to snort. She was talking to a werewolf! No harm to society? Still, she had a point. He had been behaving himself, but not for the reason that his attorney in her expensive heels and cheap suit may think. "Ok. So what do I do on Monday?"
Seeing that Dirk was finally on board and believing her, she began to explain what would happen in the courtroom. A judge would not be present, but the Commissioner of Parole and his assistant would be. His lawyer, the lawyer for the shop owner and the shop owner himself would all be there. She ended with, "You can request someone for support come. Is there anyone you want me to call?"
Dirk took in the information with a few nods of his head and soft murmurings of understanding. They'd been over the case before, and whether or not he regretted breaking into the adult book store and the pizza parlor. In all honesty that was a difficult question to answer. On one hand, he hadn't wanted to do harm to anyone or anything that night. On the other hand, it had been a hell of a lot of fun. And really, had anyone been harmed? All of the "stolen" items had been recovered and it only took about an hour's time to clean up the pizza parlor. Still, for in the interest of the court, he'd put his hand on a stack of Bibles and swear that he'd felt remorse for what he'd done.
"No, don't bother Amare with this," he shook his head, and sat back in his chair. One arm hooked the back so that he was sitting sideways. "It won't come to anything and he'll only get pissed off." Dirk wanted Amare there, badly. Any reason to see him, to touch him and be reminded of what was out there, waiting for him. But he knew Amare's temper, probably better than any other person alive. "I'll let him know once it's over, if there's good news."
"Alright. Good. I'll see you on Monday, then." She stood up and took the folder with her, hugged to her bosom. "You'll be fine, Dirk. Get some rest and by Christmas you'll be a free man, once again."
"Hope so," he smiled a bit ruefully.
But, all in all, Dirk wasn't completely unsatisfied. His belly was full and he was warm and dry. After the meal had been served and eaten, it was back to his cell. All in all, just a typical day with a couple of extras included for the holiday. In an hour the guards would come to get him. Floors needed to be mopped, trash taken out. Every inmate had their job to do and Dirk's was mopping and trash collecting. It wasn't bad; he got to see the inside of offices and catch a glimpse of the outside world where normalcy still prevailed.
So when the guards came not five minutes later, there was a rush of excitement and more than a little curiosity. Amare wasn't due to visit that day, so when the guard announced he had a visitor, it made him wonder what his lawyer wanted on Thanksgiving. He was escorted to the family visiting area and waited for his lawyer to be brought in.
He no longer required a handcuff to the table nor a shackle on his ankle to the ground. Dirk had been behaving; keeping his head down and to himself to avoid conflict, drama and any derogatory remarks in his criminal record folder. It wasn't as if he hadn't been tempted to let his hair trigger temper get the better of him. But he'd made a promise to Amare's mother, and he was doing his best to turn himself around.
A folder slapped the table in front of him, knocking him from his thoughts about Amare, his mother and their quest to save her from the pit of hell. The folder had his name on it and when he looked up, there was the sharply dressed attorney that Amare had paid for once Levi took his leave. Dirk smiled with a crooked grin and sat back in a sprawl in his chair.
"Nice to see you too, counselor. Odd day to come, it's a holiday. Most people don't work on holidays." He canted his head and considered her for a moment. Nice Louboutin shoes, he could see a peek of the red sole, shapely legs that were covered with dark hose, a pencil skirt with a matching jacket and a white blouse completed her ensemble. She wore little make up on a face that wasn't exactly beautiful, but not ugly either. Her chestnut hair was drawn back in a tight French roll at the back of her head. Her green eyes crinkled at the corner as she sat down with a smile. "I've got good news. The parole board has agreed to allow you a hearing. It'll be on Monday. So we need to go over a few things before then."
Dirk blinked rapidly, surprised by the news. He sat up and folded his hands on top of the table and leaned forward on his elbows. "You're not fucking with me? You're serious?" God help the woman if she came just to play games. Dirk wasn't in the mood to play games much anymore.
"I'm serious. You've been behaving yourself and it's been more than six months. Most people are out in three with what you're charged with. I don't know why your previous lawy..."
He cut her off with a shake of his head and a wave of his hand. It didn't matter what Levi did or didn't do. He didn't want to know because the more he knew about Levi the more he wanted the man dead. Killing a man upon the release from prison would be horrible for the probation and not very good for this road that he'd promised Amare's mother he'd be on. It was lose lose. Best not to know. "Just go on. Why now?"
"Oh. Well." she picked up the folder and opened it up. It was remarkably thin and the page she wanted was right on top. "See, no violations, no incidents, the AA and NA meetings, plus your work assignments have been the worst in prison but you've never complained. I argued that you're ready to be relased; that you're no harm to yourself or society."
Dirk wanted to snort. She was talking to a werewolf! No harm to society? Still, she had a point. He had been behaving himself, but not for the reason that his attorney in her expensive heels and cheap suit may think. "Ok. So what do I do on Monday?"
Seeing that Dirk was finally on board and believing her, she began to explain what would happen in the courtroom. A judge would not be present, but the Commissioner of Parole and his assistant would be. His lawyer, the lawyer for the shop owner and the shop owner himself would all be there. She ended with, "You can request someone for support come. Is there anyone you want me to call?"
Dirk took in the information with a few nods of his head and soft murmurings of understanding. They'd been over the case before, and whether or not he regretted breaking into the adult book store and the pizza parlor. In all honesty that was a difficult question to answer. On one hand, he hadn't wanted to do harm to anyone or anything that night. On the other hand, it had been a hell of a lot of fun. And really, had anyone been harmed? All of the "stolen" items had been recovered and it only took about an hour's time to clean up the pizza parlor. Still, for in the interest of the court, he'd put his hand on a stack of Bibles and swear that he'd felt remorse for what he'd done.
"No, don't bother Amare with this," he shook his head, and sat back in his chair. One arm hooked the back so that he was sitting sideways. "It won't come to anything and he'll only get pissed off." Dirk wanted Amare there, badly. Any reason to see him, to touch him and be reminded of what was out there, waiting for him. But he knew Amare's temper, probably better than any other person alive. "I'll let him know once it's over, if there's good news."
"Alright. Good. I'll see you on Monday, then." She stood up and took the folder with her, hugged to her bosom. "You'll be fine, Dirk. Get some rest and by Christmas you'll be a free man, once again."
"Hope so," he smiled a bit ruefully.