I hung up the phone with Reba and called the local police department where Willy lived. By chance, the sergeant answered the phone — the same sergeant with whom I had been communicating all along. I explained to him the details of that morning’s phone call and the predictable reaction of the family members upon hearing this terrible pronouncement. The sergeant’s response startled me.

“I’m not going to send anyone up there,” his gruff voice sounding like an impersonation of a gangster from a 1940’s movie. “You’re not?” I responded. “No,” he said slowly. “I’m gonna go up there myself.” He verbally underlined myself for emphasis. “I didn’t like that guy before this all happened” he added.

The sergeant had several Police Officers in cruisers arrive at about the same time that he did for back-up — I suppose it was a show of force to overwhelm any thought of resistance. Reba showed up a few minutes after the Police officers had arrived. She was initially kept away from the house until she could convince them that she was Willy’s sister and Mom’s daughter. She was allowed through, but it was too late – Mom had already been taken to an Emergency Room as a precaution.

Willy had handed mom over to the Police officer without any struggle before Reba ever got there. Thankfully, Willy was smart enough to know that the game was over. The actual exchange and departure happened very quickly. The police were on the scene for several hours.

Reba saw Willy briefly and exchanged some choice words (of the type I don’t write in my blogs) with him. The reunion of Reba and Louann with their mother was sweet, to be sure. Mom was somewhat aware that Willy was doing something that he shouldn’t do, but she didn’t clearly understand. It was as if she thought of Willy as her young son who was probably playing a prank that he shouldn’t play. She was not really aware of the danger that was in front of her.

*The names and addresses in this story are fictionalized in order to protect the real life characters (and some of them were real characters) herein.