The Bridge

by: Jim R Garrison

It was late and dark on the dirt road when two deputies approached the house just outside of Hagerstown, Maryland. The small wood framed house shared the road with several other similar houses. There weren’t any sounds coming from inside the open front door.

Deputy John Hendricks knocked on the door and announced himself. “Clarke County Sheriff’s Office. We’re coming in.”

There was no response.

The deputies drew their side-arms and entered. A man sat slouched on the couch, holding a bottle of whiskey. Blood stained his shirt and a gash ran across his forehead.

“Are you Samuel Reynolds?” John asked.

The man didn’t reply. John scanned the room. There were overturned chairs, and a floor lamp lay against the far wall, the light blinking. An iron skillet with blood on it lay on the floor.

His partner, Deputy Ryan Adams, inspected the room. “There’s blood over here “he said. “A lot of blood.”

            “Is there anyone else in the house?” John asked. “Where is your wife?”

Reynolds opened his eyes and just stared at the deputy.

“The caller said they heard screams and a baby crying. I’ll ask you again sir. Where are your wife and child?”

“I don’t know.” Reynolds took a long swallow Then leaned back and closed his eyes.

            John confronted Reynolds again. “What happened here? What did you do?”

            Reynolds swiped his forehead and looked at his hand. “The bitch hit me with that.” He pointed to the iron skillet on the floor. “The brat wouldn’t shut up. That kid cries all the damn time. I made it stop crying.”

Ryan knelt where he found the blood. “You better look at this, John.”

“Stay where you are.” John said, joining his partner. The unmistakable stench of fresh blood on the floor and wall hung in the air, and something or someone had hit the wall hard enough to make an impression in the drywall.

John confronted Reynolds again. “What happened here? What did you do?”

The man lifted the bottle for another swallow, but John slapped it from his hand.

            “Talk to me!”

“How should I know? The bitch knocked me out with that frying pan.”

A woman’s voice came from the open doorway. “I saw Nell walking down the road. She was  carrying something. I think it might be the baby.

“And you are?” John asked.

“Mary Gerard. I live next door. I’m the one who called.” She pointed. “That man there is no good. He’s drunk, and he beats Nell and God knows what else he does. I was afraid for the baby.”

John grabbed Reynolds by the arm yanking him to his feet. “What did you do?” he demanded.

“I didn’t do nothin’ they don’t deserve.”

“Cuff him, Ryan, and put him in the cruiser, then call for back-up and CSI. They need to process the scene.” He turned to Mary. “Where did you see her?”

“Nell was walking toward the old bridge that goes over the Shenandoah River. I think she was carrying Annie.”

“The baby?”

“Yes, that child is only four months old. I hear her crying a lot, and I hear him hollering at them and cursing and banging about.” She pointed at Reynolds. “He beats Nell: I’ve seen her bruises. And I worry for the baby.” She looked around the room and saw the blood on the wall. She put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, God! He did something to them, didn’t he?”

“Show us where you saw Nell.”

Mary pointed. The dirt road was dark and disappeared in that direction. “This road goes across the old river bridge just down the road. She was going that way.”

John backed out and sped down the road. Skidding to a stop on the loose gravel just before the bridge, they jumped out of the cruiser.

            The full moon cast a silvery light on the bridge and the solitary figure on it. Nell was on the outside of the railing close to the center, holding a bundle clutched to her chest.

The river was black, silent and waiting. Nell was still as if in a trance, holding the bundle close, she stared into the dark water below.

            “Stop” John called to her. “Don’t do it Nell.”

She didn’t respond.

As they approached, they heard her speak in a low strained voice. “ Please forgive me, Lord.”

Nell leaned out over the dark river with the tiny bundle.

“Nell—STOP,” John called to her. “We know what happened. Don’t do this.”

“I have to,” she said with a broken voice. “He killed her.” The detectives moved closer. “We know what he did, Nell. Let us help you.”

She shook her head. She was teetering on the wood planks of the bridge, the bundle held precariously in front of her. “It’s too late. I let it happen. It’s all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, Nell. Please don’t do this.” Ryan pleaded.

Nell stepped forward, but John caught her. She tried to shake him off, but he held tight.

“Let me go, let me go. I have to be with her.”

John held on. “ I can’t let you do this. You have to tell the authorities what he did.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. He killed Annie, and I let it happen.”

Ryan pried the bundle from Nell and John wrapped his arms around her. “It’s not your fault, Nell.”

“Your husband will answer for what he’s done.” John helped her off the bridge with Ryan following with the bloody bundle.

When Nell saw her husband in the back of the cruiser she froze. “What is he doing here?”

“He’s being arrested and going to jail. Is there someplace where you can stay?”

Mary arrived after a fast walk. She overheard John’s question and, breathing hard, she said, “Nell can stay at our house. She took Nell from John and wrapped her arms around her. “Where’s Annie, Nell?”

Nell looked back at Ryan who still held the bundle.

Mary let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”

Nell was shaking her head. “He killed her, Mary.”

Mary looked at the two deputies. They nodded. The bundle Ryan held was covered in blood.

Reynolds yelled from the back seat of the cruiser, “Tell them, Nell. “Tell them what you did.”

Nell stared at him. “What I did? You threw Annie against that wall.”

He shook his head wildly. “You bitch. You’re the one who did it. You killed our baby and then you tried to kill me with that frying pan.”

John said. “We’ll see what the district attorney has to say.”

Several minutes later, the CSI team, another sheriff’s cruiser, and EMS personnel arrived.

A uniformed man and woman exited the ambulance and carefully accepted the bundle from Ryan.

The deputy’s words caught in his throat as he explained. “The baby is dead. Her head was smashed.” John looked at Sam in the back of the cruiser and said under his breath to Ryan. “She should have hit that man harder.”

Mary told Nell, “Let’s go to my house and let these people do their job.”

“That’s a good idea,” John said. “The detectives will meet with you and Nell shortly.”

Nell shook her head. “No, I can’t leave Annie.”

Mary hugged her. “Annie’s gone to another dimension, Nell. She’s in Heaven with God and all the angels. Nothing can ever hurt  her again.”

When Nell’s tears finally came her body trembled with sobs that came from deep inside her. Her eyes flooded with tears that ran down her cheeks as she watched them carry the small bundle to the ambulance.