Chapter 69
“Oh, Mary Murphy, you are so very wrong about whose business I’m here to conduct. You see, I am part of the family by way of being Brian’s partner.”
“You disgusting pig,” Mary shouted as she slapped Brian across his still bruised face. “How dare you bring your deviant lifestyle into my home and shove it in my face? I’m going to call the police and your dear mother is going to find herself out on her ear.”
Bear grabbed Mary’s arm before she could take another shot at Brian. He noticed she didn’t attempt to assault him. He heard the car door open and Junior stepped onto the curb with his cousin, Frankie.
“As far as calling the police is concerned, Ms. Murphy, isn’t it convenient I brought a county sheriff’s deputy along with me?
He has a warrant for your arrest for the misuse of government funds, income tax evasion, and a sordid assortment of other non-violent crimes. However, by assaulting your nephew, you just upped the ante, and you did it in front of three witnesses, one of which is an officer of the law. Now come with the officer quietly. His car is parked at the end of the cul-de sac. Brian and I will fetch his mother and after you come home from prison in about fifteen to twenty years, you might get to visit her. That is, if you are still alive. Prison is a little rough for nasty old bitches. The young ones generally make them their char women.”
While Bear enjoyed giving Mary Murphy her comeuppance, Brian went into the house to pack up his mother’s things. Bear lifted his head as he heard his boy scream, “Sir, Sir, please come right away, and bring the sheriff and that bitch with you.” Bear did not hesitate. He ran for the door, dragging Mary behind him.
Frankie and Junior followed them inside, Frankie drawing his weapon. They found Brian huddled behind a broken door, cradling a very frail woman in his arms.
“Someone, get me a knife,” he shouted. Brian held a woman, bound hands and feet with heavy-duty cord. There was no gag, but it seemed to be unnecessary since she could barely breathe, making speech beyond her capacity. Junior cut the ropes while Brian rubbed her hands and feet. In the room, there was a single bed, bare but for sheets and a thin blanket. Irene had been tied to the bed, with only enough play in the bindings to turn in her sleep.
“Whatever charges you and the District Attorney can dream up, I’ll be there to press against this woman,” Brian stated. “If you could arrange to have the DA show me a copy of her accounts, I can tell the court where a great deal of the money originated.
I’ve been sending my mother money to supplement her Social Security for some time now, at least sixty percent of my salary,” Brian reiterated.
“Brian was an intern at Drummond Realty before he became my personal assistant this past Friday. He has been making seventy thousand dollars for over a year now. My accountant found she had provided my assistant with duplicate and triplicate medical bills with the dates changed, none of which he was obligated to pay, because Drummond’s insurance picked up the tab and the co-pay was billed to Medicare. There were at least thirty-five thousand dollars in fraudulent medical bills submitted to Brian.
She additionally charged both Brian and the government for being a resident care provider for her sister-in-law…and this was the type of care she provided.”
“I only tied her up when Mrs. Daily down the road couldn’t sit with her,” Mary retorted. “I’m allowed some down time. The government worker said so.”
“According to my investigator, Mrs. Daily is an unrepentant drunk and rarely, if ever, took care of Mrs. Murphy. If she is sober enough to answer her door, Mrs. Murphy was forced to walk down the street with inadequate clothing for the weather and let herself into Mrs. Daily’s house. While she was there, she would be lucky if she would get a small amount of food and water, while Mary Murphy was on one of her very frequent bus trips to Atlantic City. I will have my investigator send you the files. Please take this piece of human refuse out of my sight while I see to my partner and his mother.”
After watching Mary’s performance, the officer, with backup, had no problem removing the hissing, scratching, and biting she-cat Brian had the misfortune to call aunt to the squad car. Frankie shot Bear a look saying he intended to thoroughly enjoy the trip.
He had explained to Bear and Junior earlier that if the bitch willingly confessed, neither Brian nor his mother would have to make a court appearance. Frankie was going to promise her the Martha Stewart jail, if she confessed. Of course, Martha Stewart jails didn’t exist in the New Jersey penal system.