Girl, Refurbished

Peter Argonis

A Clearwater Story

Copyright© 2013/2024 by Peter Argonis

Maryland parole agent Joe Dresdner is separated from his controlling wife and in a funk. When a new parolee is assigned to him, he is leery of her. Dolores Jorgensen is a model inmate with a good outlook, but also an ex-porn starlet with a homicidal streak. Not exactly a girl to fall in love with, right?

Chapter 1: Dolores

Chapter 2: Holidays

Chapter 3: Making an Effort

Chapter 4: Crushing Badly

Chapter 5: The Fat Lady Sings

Chapter 6: Conflict of Interest

Chapter 7: Site Visit

Chapter 8: A Room With A View

Chapter 9: A Bad Finger

Chapter 10: Clearwater

Chapter 11: Dark Secrets

Epilogue

Acknowledgements:

Chapter 1: Dolores

Joe:

Everywhere in the mall, the obnoxious canned Christmas music was playing. I was not in a festive mood at all, but I had to buy some household items for my new apartment. I did not want to think about Christmas, not with the prospect of spending the holidays alone in a furnished apartment. That was how it was, however. Three months ago, my wife had asked me for a divorce. She had been nice about it, had waited until I had fully recuperated from my gunshot wounds, but once I went back to work, she decided she could not take it anymore.

It, being my job. I am a Community Supervision Officer, a bullshit title for what was formerly called a Parole Agent, for the State of Maryland. Before that, I used to be a State Trooper, but when a colleague was shot on Highway 51 after stopping a speeding driver, I applied for a transfer to Community Supervision within the Dept. of Public Safety & Correctional Services (DPS&CS) to appease my wife.

Then, last January, I stepped out from my office and ran into one of my former parolees who held a grudge against me after being sent back into stir following a DUI. He pointed an old .38 sixshooter at me, and when it was empty, I had taken three hits: one in the chest, one in the shoulder, and one in the leg. Ironically, it was the leg wound that proved to be near fatal as it severed the femoral artery.

It took three operations, seven bags of donor blood and four months to get back on my feet. Judy pressed me to quit the job but I saw no sense in quitting and giving up my pension and benefits. I also liked my job. We argued for weeks, neither of us relented, and then she hit me with divorce papers. Hence the new apartment. At least, I was now living closer to work and to downtown Bethesda with its eateries.

After weeks of verbal sparring and cussing, with my sister Ruth moderating, we sat down and came up with some rules: Who got what, when I could have the children — Bethany, 12, and Michael, 8 — and the support payments I owed. Since Judy would get the house and was a well paid accountant, the home equity would pretty much get me off the hook financially. Judy did not take me to the cleaners, but it still hurt to pack my stuff and leave. One thing I insisted on was that I paid the kids' allowances. Every first weekend of the month would be spent with me. Payday, as we called it with a trace of rekindled humor.

Looking at my wristwatch, I realized I had to get back to my office. I had one late client marked for a 4 p.m. appointment. She was coming fresh from the joint and had only been released that morning.

She was a bit of a celebrity as celebrity status goes these days. Her nom de guerre had been Dolly Dickinson and yes, she was a porn actress, now a former porn actress. Her real name was more down to earth — Dolores Jorgensen. Three years ago, after being forcibly sodomized during the shooting of a BDSM scene, she'd gone Berserker. Once unshackled, she had taken a pool cue to the Director/Producer, first whacking him unconscious and then ramming the cue home, splintered end first, to give him a dose of the same medicine.

Unfortunately — or fittingly, depending on your view point — the Director/Producer suffered a torn colon and since he did not recover consciousness for more than two hours, the infection in his peritoneum was out of control before they could hook him up on antibiotics. He died of a septic shock within a day and Dolly Dickinson was sentenced to four years for assault and voluntary manslaughter. Ramming a billiard cue into somebody's behind is a felony after all, even if she herself had to undergo surgery for a torn sphincter. The DA agreed to mitigating circumstances in return for her testimony against the male performer who had sodomized her. That fellow won't be out for another four years, but under Maryland law, Dolores became eligible for a parole hearing after two years.

Reading her file, sent over from the Corrections Division of DPS&CS, I couldn't help but thinking that she was screwed over. Her Public Defender could have easily gone for temporary insanity. No jury with a single woman on it would have sent a girl to jail after she struck back at the man who'd had her ass raped. I looked at the name of the Public Defender. Levon Arbuckle. Yeah, I'd known quite a few parolees who had been represented by that clown. I doubt he has ever seen a court room from the inside. He always goes for a plea, the lazy bastard.

Her file indicated that she had been pretty much a model inmate, except for a scuffle early in her incarceration. She had sent four fellow inmates who had tried to enforce some sort of initiation ritual (speak: lesbian gang rape) to the infirmary. It had been ruled as self defense by the warden. I revised my view of her a little. The girl seemed to have a temper and the skills to dole out some severe punishment.

She had taken home econ classes, bookkeeping, and of all things, cabinet making. She had also volunteered for regular sessions with the shrinks. They had all recommended a release on parole to ‘further Ms. Jorgensen's speedy reintegration into society’. Now I had her on my plate. Gee, thanks, folks!

I made it back to my office with a few minutes to spare and brewed a coffee. She was right on time knocking on my door and I yelled, ‘Come in!’'

In she came, and I was in for a surprise. I had done some ‘research’ over the internet. Her videos were still in circulation; even two fan sites were still up. She had been a bleach blonde ‘teeny’, mostly braiding her hair in pigtails and wearing ringlet socks, projecting the cliché of a ‘schoolgirl’ up for detention with some tattooed bruiser who was the ‘teacher’. The young woman who came in had dirty blonde hair, almost shoulder length and bound in a simple pony tail. Her face had lost the roundness, had more defined features, and it was dominated by her large blue eyes. Her body was slimmer too; no, the correct word was trim. I could see the play of muscles under the skin of her forearms when she shook my hand.

"Have a seat, Ms. Jorgensen," I told her. "Coffee?"

"That would be nice."

That voice! It had the timbre, the seductive quality I remembered from her videos. Well, not that there had been much dialogue in those clips but her voice had been memorable. I poured a cup for her and one for me before I sat in my chair opposite her.

"Been working out?" I asked trying to start on an easy note. She did not bite.

"It's easier to find sleep when you've worked yourself tired," she answered with a twinge of sadness.

"Ms. Jorgensen, have you been informed about the conditions under which you were paroled?"

"Yes, Mr. Dresdner. I was to report to you upon my release. I am to get a job you approve. I am not to associate myself with known felons or with anyone representing the adult entertainment industry. Neither am I to give interviews to news media or run a web blog in which I refer to my former occupation. I am not to leave the State of Maryland without your prior approval. I have to continue my therapy sessions with a DPS&CS approved therapist once a month. I am not to drink alcoholic beverages or to consume illicit drugs in any form. Any failure on my part to adhere to the conditions of my parole will result in my immediate re-admittance into the state correction system."

She listed the conditions by heart and in a monotonous voice but she swallowed briefly before citing the last sentence. I nodded.

"Ms. Jorgensen, the Corrections officials all concur in their assessment of your prognosis and believe that you will rehabilitate yourself. My job is to help you. I know that people see us as the evil guys who try to trip you, so we can send you back into the slammer. That is not the truth. I want you to succeed."

I pointed at the wall behind me. "All those people are former offenders. I was their parole agent. Their pictures come up on that wall when they make it through parole and then for two years without any misdemeanors or felonies. I am proud of these people. I would like nothing better than to add Ms. Dolores Jorgensen's picture to that wall in four years. You've got to help me though. Play honest with me. If you have committed a screwup, be open about it. There are a lot of things we can square if you stay on the level with me. Do you understand?"

"I guess, Mr. Dresdner. I need to get my possessions from New York. A friend has stored my clothes and personal items. I also have a savings account up there. How can I access my property without leaving Maryland?"

I sighed. "Don't you have any relatives?"

"I don't think they'll want to hear from me. I'm from Clearwater, Montana. Let's say it's a rural community. My father is a farmer, salt of the earth, and he must have gone through hell when I appeared in those videos. Worse still when I became a felon."

"Okay. I believe any savings bank can assist you in transferring your money from New York. If you need a sponsor to open a savings account, have them call me. How can I reach you?"

"I have a prepaid cell phone that I purchased with my reserve account funds," she answered and gave me a file card with the number and a Bethesda address.

"Your parole plan says you have a place to stay?"

"I'm staying with the mother of my cell mate Beverly Anson. Mrs. Anson lets me have Beverly's room. She's a cashier at Sutter Square Gourmet."

"What did Beverly do?"

"She let her boyfriend take her along in a stolen car and she was stoned. Second drug offense. She got ten months. She'll be up for parole in two. I should be able to find something before then."

"And her mother lets you stay, why?”

"I kinda looked after Bev in her first weeks. Her mother's grateful for that. The girl was really lost in there."

I thought. It was not against regulations. "Okay for now. Listen, go to the downtown Bethesda branch of Liberty Savings and ask for Mr. Prentice. He's helped us out before when my clients needed to establish a savings account. Then, tomorrow, you can hit the classifieds. Remember that I must approve whatever job you find." I opened a desk drawer and fished out a printout. "Unofficially, this is a list of employers in the area where parolees found jobs in the last years.

For the first time, Dolores Jorgensen looked straight at me.

"Thank you, Mr. Dresdner. I'll do my best to get back on my feet, and I appreciate your time and efforts."

"That's my job. Remember, I'm here to help. I'm not the enemy."

I held out my hand and she shook it after just a tiny hesitation. I showed her out then and watched her as she went downstairs. I shrugged. I'd learn soon enough whether she was being honest.

There was just one thing I thought I'd try. Starting with a search engine, I found the number of the Clearwater County Sheriff's Department with no trouble. The voice of the receptionist was pleasant.

"Sheriff's Department, how may I help you?"

"Hi, my name is Joe Dresdner. I am a parole agent with the Maryland Division of Community Supervision. May I speak with your Sheriff?"

"I'll put you through, Sir," she said and a second later, another female voice sounded.

"Sheriff Cramer, how can I help you?"

"Hi. I'm Joe Dresdner. I'm a parole agent with the Maryland DPS&CS division of Community Supervision."

"Let me guess: Dolores Jorgensen is out on parole?"

"Yes, indeed. How…"

"There's not many of our folks doing time in Maryland. What about her?"

"She was released on parole earlier today. Can you perhaps tell me a little bit about her, you know, background?"

"She was a good kid. She wasn't on the cheerleading squad or anything, but a good student. After graduation, she just left and next thing rumors started that she was doing porn. We didn't have broadband internet out here but some young folks who attended college brought back video clips. It was kinda hard for her parents. Worse even when she killed that porn producer. Real pity all that."

"Was she already into martial arts?"

"She did Jujutsu, no, Judo. I remember because she went to a state championship once, even placed as runner up in her weight class."

"Thanks, Sheriff. One last favor, can you give me the phone number of her parents?"

"Sure thing. They'll be happy to hear she was released. I take it she did well in prison?"

"Model inmate, warden's pet, shrink's delight," I gave back with a touch of cynicism. "I just spoke to her and even with her file in front of me I can hardly believe she rammed a pool cue up a guy's waste chute."

"Maybe the guy needed it?" Sheriff Cramer returned with just a touch of anger.

"I'll not argue with you on that. Point is, we'd rather deal with sleaze bags the official way here on the East Coast."

"Point taken. Let me give you Jorgensen's number."

She did and I thanked her.

"Just give the kid a chance," she said before the line went dead.

I was lucky. Bill Jorgensen answered the phone in person. I went through the whole introduction thing again and explained that I was in charge of his daughter.

"Why didn't she call?" was all he asked.

"She's afraid I guess and ashamed. She doesn't know I'm calling you. I just want you to know that she was released on parole. She'll be under my supervision for the next four years."

"Can you … how can we reach her?"

I went out on a limb and gave the man an address and her cell phone number. He thanked me time and again.

"We're not rich, but we'll try to help her," he said. "Please, Mr. Dresdner, give her a chance. She's a good girl and she never gave us any troubles. Those porn folks must've messed her up, and what she did to that man, he's plain lucky I didn't get to him first. She's not getting mixed up with those folks again?"

"No, the conditions of her parole forbid any contact with representatives from the adult entertainment industry. I'll approve her for a regular job in the next days."

"That's good. She should've found herself a good man or gone to college, not mess with those perverts."

"Well, Mr. Jorgensen, she's only twenty four. Nothing's really lost."

I ended the call then, satisfied that there might be some truth in what everybody saw in the young woman.

———

It was early in the next morning, and I'd not even had my first coffee of the day, when my phone rang. It was Dolores Jorgensen.

"Good morning, Mr. Dresdner. I think I may have found a job. It's as waitress in a diner, the Breakfast Club. I called them, and the owner said to show up as soon as possible. Somebody quit."

Mentally, I chalked up one for Dolores Jorgensen. She must have hit the list I gave her at six in the morning. The place was a breakfast and lunch restaurant on a strip mall close to a major thoroughfare. A bus stop was only a block away, and a Metro Station was also within reach. The problem was that one of my parolees who had worked there had quit without explanation. There was nothing for me to follow up, but I decided to scope out the place a little before I gave my approval.

"That sounds good, but I'll need to talk to the owner first. You can get there easily. It's close to Twinbrook on the Red Line, but this morning, you're in luck. I have to check on another of my flock close by anyway. Can you meet me at the corner of Old Georgetown and Del Ray in thirty minutes?"

She was there. Her hair was freshly washed and slightly damp, but she went without makeup. Her blue jeans must have been fancy three years ago, and they were a loose fit. She saw my look.

"They're the best I have until I can access my stored stuff," she defended herself as she sat in the passenger seat.

"No sweat, they have uniforms for the staff. Buckle up, please!”

She did and I left the curb. I drove north on Old Georgetown Road. We hit a few congested spots, but it was not too bad.

"You do that all the time for your … clients?" she asked with a touch of suspicion.

"Nah, as I said, pure coincidence."

"I got a call yesterday evening. It was my father. He said you contacted him."

"I did. Parental support can make a hell of a difference. Your father sounded like an okay guy on the phone."

She swallowed hard. When she answered her voice cracked. "He is. He … he let me know they'll help any way they can."

"I also spoke with Sheriff Cramer. She still thinks you were a great kid."

"Jeez, you didn't miss anyone, did you?"

"Background check. I need to know who I'm dealing with. Why'd you leave Montana?"

"Are you kidding? Check Clearwater's website. 'All that you need, but not much of what you don't.' That's their motto. We have a population of 8,000, a one-room movie theater and a deli joint. School was okay, but to stay there for life?"

"Okay, I get it."

"My dad said they might come to visit. It's one hell of a drive but neither of them has ever seen an airplane from the inside."

"That's great," I said meaning it.

"Yeah, well, let's wait. That breakfast joint, is it chain or private?"

"Franchise operation of a small chain if I remember correctly. Chains are mostly set against hiring people with priors, but the indies are more flexible."

"That's what I figured. I'll never get a real job in my life. Work as a temp, marry a moron, or go back into the trade."

"Well, the latter won't work for the next years and then you'll stand no chance. You can only make it then if you do the things the young ones won't do."

"Yeah, I know. The pressure was already there. I couldn't do it anyway. I know if somebody touches my behind I go bonkers."

I had a thought then. "Listen, when you're a waitress some patrons can be real assholes. Do me a favor and don't whack them with a ketchup bottle if they pat your butt. Complain with the boss, he's named Sammy by the way, and don't go back to that table. If Sammy doesn't back you up, give me a call."

"Yeah, I'll remember. I've worked as a waitress once or twice."

The Breakfast Club drew the usual office customers from the buildings surrounding it. The female staff wore yellow blouses and red knee-length skirts. Sammy received us in person. Dolores Jorgensen had to fill out a temp staff hiring form, and she signed for two uniforms. When she headed for the staff locker room, I quizzed Sammy about the other parolee who had quit without warning. He claimed to know nothing. I bade my farewell then. I really had to visit another of my clients.

Rafael Montoya was working as a janitor in a nearby office building. His prior was for aggravated assault. He had severely beaten up another youth for insulting Rafe's girlfriend. In the pen, he had gotten his GED. He became an electrician in the pen’s training program and easily found a job in building maintenance. I chatted with his supervisor for ten minutes. Rafe was doing well but there was some concern since two office staffers were missing their purses. I asked for specifics, and when the building manager did not have all the answers, I found the two ladies who had complained. The result made me angry. They had found their damn purses two days ago but had not cared to inform the building manager, leaving Rafe under a cloud of suspicion. I made sure to give them a piece of my mind.

I went back to the building manager to tell him. I also told Rafe when he was on a break. It was only fair that he knew. He took it with a healthy dose of cynicism.

"I know those two," he said. "Airheads. The Boss should have told me though."

"He's caught in the middle. He's not exactly upper management himself," I said, and we left it at that.

I considered swinging by the breakfast place but let it be. When I returned to my office, I had three more files on my desk. So close to Christmas, the Parole Commission was caught with the Holiday spirit it seemed. I called the warden and made appointments for the parolees.

Later in the day I got a phone call from my older sister Ruth. "Hey, how's my little brother?"

"Okay, I guess. What's up?"

"Any plans for Christmas, yet?"

"I have to talk to Judy."

"No, you don't. You'll all come to my place for Christmas dinner. The kids need their father and you and Judy need to meet on neutral ground. I'll not have you see your children as a tolerated visitor in your own house."

"You talked to Judy?"

"Ahuh! When did she turn into such a boneheaded bitch?"

"That shooting scared her…" I began.

"Bullshit! You did all the being shot at. It's all about her need for security. Don't risk that, don't run, don't try anything. I pity the kids."

"Don't say that, Ruth! She's a good, caring mother. I'm sore at her, sure, but she treated me fairly."

There was a pause before Ruth answered, and she sounded hesitant. "All right, suit yourself. Are you on for Christmas?"

"Sure. Thanks for the invite. Anything I should contribute?"

"Can you bring the drinks? I can't tell one wine from the other and I don't care either. Mom and Dad are coming, so get some Scotch for Dad."

"I can do that. So, how's the business?"

Ruth runs a second hand store for furniture and household items. She's partnered with a number of estate furniture dealers who give her all the stuff they can't move. She makes a decent living of it.

"Business is okay, but Brenda quit this week. She's moving to Baltimore with her husband. I need to find a replacement after Christmas."

Somehow, that little snippet of conversation made its way into my memory without me consciously knowing about it. This was a problem for Ruth, and Ruth was able to handle her problems just fine. We ended the call and I returned to the files on my desk.

———

It was five days later, a Tuesday, and I was busy writing reports. Suddenly, Janey Pollock, our receptionist, stuck her head into my door.

"Joe, there's a gentleman and his wife to see you. Mr. and Mrs. Jorgensen. I wouldn't have bothered you, but he said they came all the way from Montana."

Jesus! That was unexpected. "Well, they're here. Send them in, Janey."

Bill Jorgensen was a tall, broad shouldered man in his late forties. His lined, tanned face told a story of working outside all his life. His wife was rather petite and pretty in a farmer's wife way, her hair in a carefully tied bun and wearing a pearl necklace over her best dress. I stood to shake their hands and offered them seats.

"What can I do for you, Mr. and Mrs. Jorgensen?"

"Well, first, we wanted to thank you for calling us. We thought we'd come and bring Dolores home over Christmas, so she can be with her family."

I sighed. Time for a dose of reality. "Mr. Jorgensen, your daughter is on parole. She was just released from the correction facility. I have a good impression of her, but I would be neglecting my duty to let her leave the state so early in her parole."

Bill Jorgensen nodded to that. "Yes, I can see that. But what if she'd check in at the Sheriff's office once a day? I can promise you that she wouldn't get into mischief. We're a quiet community, and we'd all look after Dolores."

The two of them looked at me with all the naive trust honest people have in officers of the peace. I sighed involuntarily. What the hell? If she wanted to run, the Virginia state line was only a Metro ride away.

"No more than ten days, Mr. Jorgensen. I'm sorry, but I'm really out on a limb here. She has to check in at the Sheriff's office every second day."

He nodded in understanding. "It's a three day drive. She can stay six days and then take a plane to return. We really appreciate your understanding. Let me give you our address and…"

He reached for his back and I jumped involuntarily. He stopped, looking at me, and I blushed.

"Sorry. I was shot less than a year ago. I guess I'm still jumpy."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Dresdner," he said with honest sympathy. "Was it … was it somebody under your supervision?"

"Yes, I had sent him back to jail when he violated his terms. I guess he blamed me for it."

"My daughter won't violate her parole. That's not how we raised her," he said with conviction.

"I hope she won't. In four years I want her picture up there on the wall behind me as one of those who made it."

They studied the photographs.

"They all look so normal," Mrs. Jorgensen said, speaking for the first time. "You are doing a good deed to guide those people back into an honest life. As the New Testament says, there is more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety nine just people."

Not quite as I remembered the quote but what do I know?

"I can only help them. They must want to return to an honest life," I answered. "It's not easy for them. They must face prejudice and injustice and still stay committed."

Meanwhile, Bill Jorgensen produced several index cards with addresses in Clearwater, including the Sheriff's office and the Community Hospital.

"Sheriff Cramer sends greetings."

"Well, give her back my regards then. Okay. Your daughter must arrange for leave at her work, and you also have to ask her first if she wants to come along."

Their faces fell a little bit, probably realizing that their daughter may not want to spend Christmas with them. Before I could continue the phone rang. With an apologetic look at the Jorgensens I picked up the receiver.

"Dresdner?"

"Joe, it's Fran Reynolds." Fran is a State Trooper whom I know well. "We have a situation with one of your charges."

I sighed. "Who is it?"

"Dolores Jorgensen."

Chapter 2: Holidays

Joe

'Oh shit!' I thought. Loud, I said, "What did she do?"

"It's kinda complicated. Can you help us sort this out? We're at the Breakfast Club where she works."

"Okay, I'll be there. Twenty minutes?"

"No problem. They have donuts," Fran chuckled.

I ended the call and looked at my visitors. I did not want to scare them. "I'm sorry. Something came up and I must leave the office. Where can I reach you?"

They gave me the name of a cheap motel in Chevy Chase and I escorted them out. I made it in twenty-two minutes and my heart sank when I saw the owner of the diner, Sammy, sitting in a chair with a swollen nose and a huge shiner. Fran was there too, sitting between Sammy and a Dolores Jorgensen whose face showed resignation to a cruel fate.

"Hi, Joe! Come sit, so we can sort this out."

I sat and Fran pulled a pad from her pocket. "Okay, this is what we think happened. Around 10:30, Miss Jorgensen was filling a coffee jug when Mr. Daniels bumped into her, splattering her with coffee. She claims it was the second time in two days. He then procured a new uniform for her and she went into the employee's locker room to change. According to Miss Jorgensen, she had undressed to her underwear when she discovered a hole in the wall behind her, and she saw an eye behind the hole. She admits to hitting the wall with full force.

"A piece of the dry wall was dislocated and hit Mr. Daniels in the face. He then called us to report Miss Jorgensen for assault."

"He did, didn't he?" This was a joke, right? "Daniels, what the fuck were you doing with your face behind a hole in the wall?"

"I hafta watch 'em. They'd steal me blind if I di’n't," Sammy protested in a whine. "That bitch is crazy!"

"You were peeping, Daniels," I answered trying to remain serious. "It's called invasion of privacy and it's a misdemeanor. There's an even chance that the case will land in front of a female judge. Do you still want to press charges?"

"Damn right I will! She's one crazy bitch! She'd already slap' me yesterday."

"Why?"

"How would I know? I only shoved her a bit so she'd move faster."

I turned to Dolores Jorgensen. "How did he shove you?"

"With his hands on my behind. Where else? He didn't shove me either. He smacked my butt."

"I see," I temporized. Then, an idea hit me. "Say, Fran, you see any camera in his office?"

Her eyebrows shot up at the implication. It's one thing to peep through a hole, it's another thing to take a photograph of a person who is not aware of this. If that person has an expectation of privacy, like in a locker room, that makes it a sex offense.

Fran got up and walked over to the office while Sammy became silent and pale. There was nothing he could do. He had made the complaint against Dolores Jorgensen and his office was the ‘crime scene’, subject to investigation by the troopers. Fran returned a minute later with a digital compact camera in an evidence bag and a triumphant grin on her face.

"Mr. Daniels, you have the right to remain silent. If you give up this right, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, the state will provide you with a public defender. Please stand up."

The cuffs clicked and I saw Dolores Jorgensen flinch at the sound. I sighed once more. She would have to find another job to meet her parole conditions. Two other, rather pissed off employees began to usher the patrons out in preparation to close the place. I tipped Dolores Jorgensen's arm with my finger.

"Hey! Guess you better change. I'll get you your pay later when Sammy is out on bail. Don't worry about me peeking. I'm kinda fond of my face."

Fran was just leading Sammy out, but she turned. "You're just about the only one who is!"

I flipped her off. Dolores just sat there staring at me and shaking her head, looking dazed.

"I thought I'd done it," she said. "I was sure you'd deliver me back to the pen. Why'd you do that? Why'd you back me up?"

"Because you have rights, Ms. Jorgensen, and those rights were violated by Mr. Daniels. While the state wants you to show that you are ready to rejoin society, the state is also committed to protect your rights. I told you. I'm not your enemy."

"I begin to see that. Thank you."

"That's quite all right. Go change now. We have to fill out some paperwork in my office to close this."

She went, and while I sat there waiting, a sudden idea struck me. It was crazy. It was irregular. The more I thought about it, though, the better it looked. I pulled my cell phone and pressed speed dial three.

"Yesteryear's Fancy, Ruth Dresdner speaking."

"Hey, big sister! You got a minute?"

"Oh, it's you. What's up?"

"You still looking for help?"

"Yes, sure. Why? Don't tell me you want me to hire one of your cons."

"Well, I do and it's parolees. It's a she, and she knows cabinetmaking."

"What'd she do?"

"Killed a man who had her raped. She's an ex-porn actress and she was sodomized against her will on the set. She rammed a billiard cue up the guy's behind and it killed him."

"They convicted her for taking out the trash?" Ruth shot back.

"Traditionally, rapists receive that sort of treatment only after their trial and when they take their first shower in the pen. Seriously, they cut her some slack and she only did two years. Everybody says she will go clean. Will you at least see her?"

"It can't hurt I guess," she answered making a show of reluctance. I knew though that she would give it a try. My sister is big on women's rights, and a woman who struck back at a rapist had to have her unwavering sympathy.

"We'll be there in an hour," I said ending the call because Dolores Jorgensen emerged from the locker room.

“I may have another job for you. Let's go!"

Giving me a dubious look she joined me. "Another waitress thing?" she asked as we settled into the seats.

"No. It's with a lady who owns a second hand store. Furniture, deco, china. She needs a store helper."

"Old stuff?" Dolores asked showing a definitive interest.

"Mostly from estate sales. No real antiques, just old stuff that people like to buy for small money."

"I'd like that. My old apartment was furnished with stuff I bought at yard sales."

I remembered something I had almost forgotten. "Damn! This completely slipped my mind with all the business with Daniels. Listen, we have to swing by Chevy Chase. Your parents are here, at a motel in Chevy Chase. They came by my office. They want to take you home over Christmas."

"I can't leave the state, can I?"

"Your father gave me his word that he'd keep you on a leash at all times," I answered with a weak attempt at humor. "I can give you ten days, but you have to check in at the Sheriff's office every other day."

"What about the job then?"

"Shouldn't be a problem. I know the lady. Just make up your mind. Also keep in mind that running won't be a good idea."

We made it to Chevy Chase in another twenty minutes. The crew cab truck with Montana plates parked in front of the motel unit was a dead giveaway.

"I'll give you fifteen minutes for now. Talk to your parents, then come back out."

To my shock, she pressed my arm before she opened the car door. Then she stood in front of the room, hesitated for a few seconds, stepped back, stepped up close again, and finally knocked. The door opened and somebody pulled her in with force before the door slammed shut.

I bided my time reading the Montgomery County edition of the Post. She emerged from the room with her parents exactly fifteen minutes later. Her eyes were puffy and red, and so were her mother's. When she opened the passenger side door, her father bent over to look into my face.

"Thank you, Mr. Dresdner. We really appreciate your help."

Dolores buckled up and her father closed the door from outside. I had backed out and was driving away before she talked.

"I'd like to go with them if that's all right."

"We'll get things organized tomorrow. Just don't make me rue this."

"I won't!" she almost shouted. "This is a chance for me. I'm not going to screw up."

Ten minutes later we stopped in front of Yesteryear's Fancy. We both went in and Dolores' eyes popped open when Ruth hugged me.

"Are you …?” she started.

"He's my kid brother," Ruth smiled. "And you are?"

"Dolores, Mrs… ?"

"Ruth. Well, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself while Joe goes next door for a coffee?"

I took the cue and left the two women to themselves. There is a coffee place two houses down the street where I sat and ordered a cappucino. It was on my second cup before they joined me at my table.

"I believe we have come to an agreement," Ruth stated after she had seated herself. "She can start as soon as she returns from Montana."

"How much will she make?"

"None of your business," Ruth shot back, but then she smiled sheepishly. "Well, I guess with her it's your business. We start at $8 per hour, eight hours a day, Monday to Friday. Saturday and overtime will get her $9 an hour."

"Sounds good so far. You know the rules?"

"What rules?"

"Conditions for her parole. She is not to have contact with known felons. That means your friend Layla is a nono. You know I like her, but she did time for distribution. No alcohol either, nor any drugs. Tell your friends to keep their grass to themselves in your shop. For them it's a minor thing, but Ms. Jorgensen will go to jail for another year minimum. She has to take random drug testing. It would be bad even if she only inhaled the stuff passively."

"Killjoy!" Ruth grumped. "Okay, I'll smoke my weed at home. Oh, I made a call to Beth. You remember Beth, don't you?"

Did I remember Beth? She had been Ruth's best friend in high school and she ruled supreme in my memory as the first girl I ever saw naked. After a sleepover with Ruth, she had sauntered by my room naked while coming from the bathroom. I didn't say anything, but Ruth grinned.

"I see that you do. Well, she lives in Brooklyn these days, but she's coming down here for Christmas. She'll swing by Dolores' friend and collect her possessions."

I nodded. One problem less. Then, I couldn't help myself.

"Will Beth drop by?"

"You bet. I have a plan."

"A plan?"

"Sure. Beth is still looking kinda hot, in a cougar-sorta-way. She'll do a full-out flirt with you. Let's see if that doesn't bring Judy to her senses."

Oh great! Just what I needed. "I don't know, Ruth."

"Oh, pooh! She volunteered. You want to brush her off?"

"Can I get out of this invitation?"

"No. It's either Judy comes around, or you'll get to fulfill your boyhood dream."

To my right, Dolores Jorgensen giggled. She looked at me smiling widely.

"I'll still respect you after Christmas," she said.

It was then that I realized the colossal mistake of bringing her together with my big sister.

"I guess I'll split then. Come to my office tomorrow morning with your parents. We'll arrange for everything and they can take you to lovely Montana."

I left them alone fleeing to the safety of my car. Jesus! Beth Lorimer! I wondered how she'd look like these days.

———

She looked great, like early thirties, and if anything, she was more sexy than as a teenager. The acronym MILF was a dead ringer. She gave me a big smile, too.

"Damn, if this isn't my girlhood dream boy all grown up!"

It was impossible not to smile back.

"Hey, Beth! You look great!"

"Don't I? When I heard I'd get to see you, I made extra sure I'd look good for you. Come! Ruth said we're table partners."

She dragged me to the table where my parents were already sitting and where Judy had placed herself with the kids. Both kids jumped from their chairs to give me hugs. Bethany put her lips at my ear.

"Can't you come back? We all miss you."

"All?" I asked.

She nodded. "Mom sighs all the time. She says you can always come back to us if you give up that terrible job."

I took a deep breath feeling my anger welling up. Now she was using the children to make me cave in. Then I had a malicious idea.

"I can do that. What do you say, should I become a policeman again? Wouldn't that be cool?"

Bethany nodded excitedly. "Mikey, Dad will be a policeman and come back to live with us!"

Judy's face lost all color. "Bethy, Mikey, a policeman is even worse than what your Dad does now."

"No! A policeman is cool!" Mikey shouted. "Luke's father is a policeman, and he's great!"

"No! I won't sit at home worrying all the time! He can come home, but only if he finds a another job, one where nobody shoots at him!"

"Mom, that's so unfair!" Bethany said accusingly.

Judy took a deep breath, but before she could reply, I put a soothing hand on Bethany's arm.

"See, Princess, you and Mikey miss me, but your Mom misses somebody else, somebody I cannot be. That doesn't mean we don't want the best for you, okay? We'll take good care of you, and you can visit me every other weekend. We'll have Christmas together, and I'll come to your birthdays and school events. You and Mikey, you'll always be my kids. Okay?"

"It's not okay," Bethany said. She took a deep breath. "I guess it's the best you and Mom can do."

I looked at Judy. "We need to talk."

She was so angry that she trembled, but she got up to follow me into the kitchen. Before she could tear into me, I got going.

"This is really low, Judy! To blame me for your inability to deal with who I am. It's all my fault, huh? Damn it! You married me knowing I was a trooper. I loved my job. I gave it up for you when you said you couldn't deal with me being out at night. I got another job I like, and now you want me to quit again."

"You were shot! Have you conveniently forgotten that?"

"Judy, I am the only parole agent who was ever shot in Maryland. This was a wild coincidence, and the chances of something similar happening are minimal. If I had been shot in a 7/11, would you want me to quit grocery shopping?"

"That is such a stupid analogy! You are dealing with scum on a daily basis. When I tell my colleagues what you do …"

"Screw your colleagues! I am doing an important job. I help those worthy of it to go straight again, and I weed out those who belong behind bars. If your fellow bean counters take issue with that, tell them from me to get their noses out of their cubicles for once and have a good look at the world beyond their spreadsheets!"

"Look, Joe! All I'm asking is, get a normal job. Can't you see that you're throwing away your family over your job?"

"Frankly, Judy, no, I can't. You married a cop, remember? All I see is you breaking your marriage vows."

"I thought I could deal with it, Joe! I really thought I could. I can't stand the thought of answering the door and somebody telling me you've been killed."

"And if I'm killed after a divorce, will that make you feel any better?"

"At least you wouldn't be my husband then," she blurted, and I felt a coldness spread from my guts.

"You're not worried about me, you're worried about becoming a widow," I summed up. "Well, I suppose that dilemma can be solved. Have your lawyer draw up an agreement along the lines of what we talked about, and I won't contest the divorce."

"You're giving up?"

"No, I'm accepting that you stopped caring for me."

I turned. There was Ruth. She had entered the kitchen and was shaking her head sadly.

"Look, it seems the differences between Judy and me are, well, irreconcilable. She wants to divorce me, and I agree that it's the best. We'll both do our best to work together for Beth and Mikey."

"I don't want a divorce!" Judy stated.

"Judy, you filed for divorce," I reminded her with all the calmness I could muster.

"That was just to…" she caught herself.

"To force me to cave in," I completed, and I saw Ruth nod.

She spoke up. "You know, I'm just the outsider here, but you guys know that there are counselors for things like that?"

I shook my head. "It isn't like we haven't pinpointed the problem. It's clear. Judy is uncomfortable with what I do for a living, and it's not just about a risk I may be running. She wants me to quit my job. I on the other hand like my job, and I don't want to lose my pension claims. I liked my old job even better, and I gave it up for Judy. It all boils down to the fact that one of us has to give in. It just won't be me this time."

Judy stared at me in disbelief. "You'd rather sacrifice our marriage?"

"Oh, stop it, Judy!" Ruth snapped. "Didn't you hear him? He gave in once before, and now it's your turn. If you won't, you are sacrificing your marriage."

"You said yourself it's a shitty job!" Judy snapped.

"I've changed my mind," Ruth said calmly. "I met one of Joe's charges the other day, and what she told me made me think."

"A she? No wonder he doesn't want to quit," Judy cut in angrily.

That was a preview of Girl, Refurbished. To read the rest purchase the book.

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