LIFE AFTER JACK
Chapter Eleven
Immediately after Paula left with
the gendarmes, Jack and Rose got ready and went down to the station. When they
got there, the guards at the gate asked why they were there. Jack and Rose told
them that their friend was being brought to the station for questioning. The
guards told Jack and Rose to go on in.
Jack and Rose walked into the
station, and the man at the window asked them who they were there to see. Rose
replied by saying, in French, "We are here to see our friend, Paula
Wilson."
"Go on through," the
man said.
"Jack, what if they have
imprisoned her?" Rose asked Jack.
"I don't think that they
have had time to do that," Jack replied.
Jack and Rose walked through
until they saw one of the gendarmes who was at the apartment that morning.
"Where is Paula?" asked
Jack.
"She is in cell number
three," the gendarme said.
"What do you mean,
cell?" Rose asked.
"Your friend Paula has been
imprisoned," the gendarme replied.
"Arrested for what?"
Rose asked.
"We think that she may have
killed Monsieur Caledon Hockley," the gendarme said.
Jack and Rose just stared at the
gendarme for a moment. Rose finally said, "Jack, we have to do
something."
"When will she be
released?" Jack asked.
"The bail is ten thousand
francs," the gendarme said.
"Ten thousand francs? We
don't have that kind of money!" Rose cried.
"I guess she is not coming
with you," the gendarme said.
Jack and Rose went home and
thought about how they could get Paula out. They talked about blowing through
the wall, but knew that would be too dangerous. They eventually decided they
would wait until the gendarmes and guards were changing shifts to go in. When
they got in, they would steal the keys off the rack and get Paula out. No one
would know until the shift started.
*****
That night, in cell number three,
Paula and Nicolette got to talking. Paula asked how long she was going to be in
jail, and Nicolette said another three years. Paula asked which bunk she could
have, and Nicolette told her the one on the left side of the cell.
"When I shot my husband and
saw his dead body lying on the floor, I could not understand why I had shot
him. Over the past few years, I have realized there was no way I could stand to
be with him anymore. It was either I died or he died," Nicolette explained
to Paula.
"Why did one of you have to
die?" Paula asked.
"I could not live in the
same world with that man any longer. I tried moving away, but he kept finding
me. Finally, I shot him," Nicolette said. "Why did you kill a
man?"
Paula explained about Cal and
Rose and how Cal treated women. Nicolette understood. Later, when they were
lying in bed, Paula asked how bad it was staying in prison for many years.
Nicolette explained by saying,
"You just get used to it."