The reveal

Two days later, Gains was in town to pick up some of his essentials. He picked up the Auto Trader, a community newspaper, some lactose-free milk, and WD-40. He was reading the Auto Trader in his car at the gas station later while his car filled up when an article headline from the Rushville Times, the local paper, caught his eye. “Former Rushville resident arrested for murder,” along with a glamour shot of Tina Stark. She looked much better in this photo than when Gains had met her.
“Columbus Police Department arrested Robert Ore, a former Rushville citizen, for the murder of former television star Tina Stark. He was held in Columbus County Jail when he was extradited to Fairfield County yesterday where the murder is believed to have been carried out. No details of the crime were given; the department will issue a statement on Thursday. Tina Stark was (continued on page 3)”
Gains sighed, put the newspaper down and took the gas nozzle out of the car. He drove home, put his milk away and his Auto Trader by the television and got back in the Rav-4. The Fairfield County jail was not far from his house. It was similar to jails in the Old West movies with cold, iron bars. Ore looked miserable.
“Gains?”
“Hey, Robert. How’s life?” Even though Gains thought Robert Ore was a waste of space, he didn’t like seeing him like this. He didn’t answer him, but Gains figured that Robert knew the magnitude of the situation by now. “I’m pretty set with most of the details, Robert, but how did she do it? How did Julie blame you?”
“She was restless, Darren. She needed hobbies or some activities for her to keep her busy. Maybe she should have gone back to school, I don’t know. She was falling apart,” Robert’s voice cracked. “They found a knife…” He trailed off.
Gains knew that if Robert Ore’s wife had needed some kind of therapy, Ore wouldn’t know how to deal with it. He would probably have ignored it. “What about the motel? She stayed here!”
“It’s under a different name, no one at the motel remembers her, she must have done something, maybe used Tina, I don’t know. She was so angry all the time, angry for things that aren’t worth being angry over. Some of it’s my fault, she was awful jealous.”
“Jealous of who?”
“Of Tina, falling all over me because I could offer her a job. I was tempted, but I knew I can’t pay alimony or anything like that, so I can’t screw it up!”
“Why did she pick my farm? Why there?”
“Geez, Gains, I hardly know. She went on about you for years after we moved to Columbus, going on about how you screwed up Johnny or something. After a while I think she forgot about you, but if she was angry at all of it. All of the past. If she had decided to come here, she probably would go back to Otterbein and just figured you’d never find Tina on your mangled wasteland. That’s what she always called it.”
Gains paused and thought about this. If he were an irrational person, that just about makes sense. “Good luck in court, Robert.”
* * *
Weeks went by and Gains heard nothing new about Tina Stark, Robert Ore, or Julie Ore. Gains was slightly irritated that he had no apology or any compensation for herds of people tramping around his property, but now life was back to normal. Gains was shaking fish flakes into Rita’s bowl as he got his coat on to go to the Red Mill for another night away from home. It was one of the few things he did anymore.
“I’ll be home late, Rita. Don’t wait up.”
The Red Mill was almost empty, as usual. Marty the bartender was filling a chilled mug before Gains even sat down on the soft green stool at the bar.
“Thanks Marty.”
“Hey, Darren. You hear about that guy they have down at the jail right now? Some kind of play producer?”
“Yeah, I knew him when he lived here. Robert Ore.”
“That’s what I was going to ask you. Robert Ore? Yeah, they mention him in this newspaper article right here.”
Marty the bartender pushed a Columbus Times toward Darren and he read about a car crash that had a tiny mug shot of Robert Ore in it. There was a six-car pile-up on the highway just outside of Columbus. None dead, three critically injured. Among them was Julie Ore, who may be paralyzed from the waist down. It went on to explain that Julie had currently been working with lawyers for her husband, who was in Fairfield County Jail for the murder of Tina Stark. Police were pursuing other leads they had in the case due to some more evidence that turned up, the article explained.
Gains laughed, finished his beer, and went home early to watch TV with Rita.