Ellen McKenzie 04-Murder Half-Baked (21 page)

“Marilee’s going to take care of him.” Anne sounded as if she was out of patience, and if Leona didn’t back off, she’d give her the backside of her tongue.

Leona didn’t seem to notice. Nathan took her by the arm and moved her so that Marilee could stand by the table.

“Are you sure his cord’s all right? Does it look too red?”

“It looks fine. Here. Hold his legs up and put the diaper on like this. Good.”
Anne guided Marilee through her first lesson on diapering and helped her take off the hospital shirt and put on the new, pink nightgown. Leona never quit making comments or offering
—
demanding
—
to do it. You would have thought she was the doting grandmother. Or mother.

Nathan stood on the other end of the table, watching the whole procedure with a proud, nervous grin on his face. “You’re sure the cord’s all right? Why does his
—
you know
—
bowel stuff, look so black? Is he supposed to be so
—
sort of folded up looking?”

I kept thinking the wrong people were agonizing over this child.

Aunt Mary settled Marilee in one of the kitchen chairs
.
Anne draped the pink blanket over her shoulder and the baby quit screaming. I could hear sucking noises. Success. Only, there were
dark
circles under Marilee’s eyes and she kept yawning.
Poor kid. Giving birth was supposed to be joyful. Painful, exhausting, but also joyful. All she’d had a chance to feel so far was pain and exhaustion. And fear.

The doorbell rang. Now what? I glanced at Susannah and Neil, but they were as mesmerized by the baby as everyone else. Why, I didn’t know. All they could see was his feet. Gina glanced at me and started for the door. I waved her back and pushed open the swinging door into the dining room. The bell rang again. “I’m coming.” Whoever was sitting on my doorbell was getting my best imitation of Aunt Mary displeased.

Rose stood there.

“Is Gina here?” Her face was pasty white, her breath labored. I looked around but didn’t see a car.

“Yes,” I said. “How did you get here?”

“I walked. Sal didn’t want me to come. Is she all right?”

“She’s fine. But you don’t look as if you are. Come in.”
I took her by the hand and led her into the house. I really didn’t want one more person in my kitchen
—
it was more than
crowded—
but I could hardly send her out into the night in the condition she was in. Besides, I was curious. I could understand being concerned, but this seemed like too much emotion. Everything about tonight seemed like too much emotion.

“No, I don’t want to be a bother. I just wanted to know
…
I was so worried
…
that awful fire and no one could tell
me.
”

She started to back away. I grabbed her before she took one too many steps backward and fell off the porch.

“What bother? We’re all in the kitchen admiring the baby and all the stuff Anne and Nathan have collected. Gina will be delighted to see you.” I pulled her into the living room without much resistance. Once in, she trotted past me through the dining room and pushed aside the swinging door that led into the kitchen. I followed, wondering whom she’d called and how she knew to come here. Small town grapevines can come in handy, but there was just too much information making the rounds tonight.
I paused to glance out the living room window, reassuring myself that Gary, who had bolted the last of his food and fled when the baby started to cry, was once
again
sitting in his squad car keeping watch. I hoped he was. At least he was in the car. I followed Rose.

Anne knelt beside Marilee. The pink baby blanket was still draped over her from her shoulder into her lap. She had picked up one end and was staring at the baby underneath. The look of awe on her face made me smile for the first time in hours. She was finally getting some of the joy.

Rose sat at the kitchen table, which somehow
had been cleared
of dirty dinner dishes, talking earnestly to Gina. Aunt Mary and Leona were listening intently, Aunt Mary with an expression of extreme disapproval, Leona with avid curiosity. Susannah and Neil leaned, side by side, against the kitchen counter, Susannah with a damp dishtowel in her hands.

“So, I have the extra room.” Rose leaned across the table, trying to get closer to Gina, to make her point. “That way you wouldn’t wake anyone up. Five o’clock
…
not everyone wants to be up that early. And now that you are doing so much of the baking
…
anyway, I thought it would be a good idea.”

Gina had both of Rose’s hands in hers. “I can’t believe you came all the way over here, just to see if I was safe. Why didn’t you call?”

Rose’s eyes shifted. “I thought
…
it isn’t really that
far
…
and I wanted to make sure
…”

She wanted to make sure Sal didn’t overhear her making the offer, I suddenly realized. Gina seemed to have the same suspicion. “Does Sal know you want me to stay with you?”

“Once Sal thinks about it, he’ll be fine.”

“Oh, Rose.” Gina smiled at Rose and patted her hands but started to shake her head. “You are the sweetest thing in the world, but
…”

“Where’s your car, Rose?”

She looked up at me, as if she hadn’t noticed I’d come into the room, but now that she had, she wasn’t one bit pleased. Or maybe it was my question she didn’t like. “I told you. I walked.”

“Walked!” Aunt Mary sat up straight and glared at her. “You don’t walk enough every day? It’s a good two miles from your house to here. And how did you think you’d get Gina home with you? Both of you walking back? At this time of night?”

She had a point. The schoolhouse clock on my kitchen wall bonged out midnight.

“Well, decide something.” Anne stood up heavily, holding her back. “Marilee is going to sleep sitting up. She’s exhausted
,
and that’s not good for her or the baby. And I’m not far behind her.”

“It’s decided.” Aunt Mary’s lips were set in a straight line. Yep. It was decided. “Gina is coming home with me. I’m quite used to getting up early, so that’s not a problem.” She looked at the piles of donated things. “Gina, see if you can find something to wear tonight in that pile and let’s get going. We’re all tired.”

“We need to find something for Marilee to put on and get her into bed.” Anne walked over to Marilee’s chair and gently took her arm. “Come on, baby. We’re going upstairs. Where is she going to sleep?”

“In my room,” Susannah said. “I’m going over to Neil’s to spend the night. I’ll go up and throw stuff in my backpack. She can come now
;
this won’t take me long.”

Marilee fought a yawn. She tried to get up out of the chair, still holding the baby. He must have fallen asleep, because she was holding the whole package gingerly, as if
afraid that
mov
ing
her arms too much
would
wake
him
up. Or break
him
.

“I’ll take him.” Leona, arms out, was in front of Marilee almost before I realized she was
up from
her chair.

“I’ve got him.” Anne had the small bundle cradled in one arm and was helping Marilee to her feet with the other. “Leona, why don’t you see if you can find a nightgown in the pile for her, and one for you
,
too. There are hairbrushes, toothbrushes, and toothpaste in that small box. There are some other things as well. Just bring up the whole box.
Ellen, do you know where Leona is going to sleep?”

“The guest room, right next to Susannah’s. She’ll show you. There are fresh towels in the bathroom.” I crossed my fingers and hoped I was right.

Nathan had taken Marilee over from Anne. He had her by the arm, half holding her up, and was headed out of the kitchen.

“You don’t need to
—
” Anne said.

“Yes, I do.” He let his arm slide around Marilee’s waist. “Lean on me. That’s right.”

Anne watched for a second, sighed, and turned to Leona. “Let’s go.” She followed Nathan and Marilee through the swinging doors toward the living room and the stairs. Leona picked two nightgowns
from
the pile of clothes. Without looking at them she threw them over her shoulder and grabbed the box of other supplies. I doubted she cared one bit where she slept, or if she had a nightgown or anything else. She wanted her hands on that baby. I watched her push open the dining room door and hurry after Anne.

“That’s settled, then.” Aunt Mary walked over to the cupboard where I keep the plastic grocery sacks, took one out and shook it open. “Gina, put whatever you think you can use for tonight in here. Neil, you and Susannah drive Rose home. It’s hardly out of your way at all. I’ll take Gina.”

She held up her hand as I started to object. “It’s late. I’m not waiting for Dan to give me permission to do anything. Besides, Grady Wilcox doesn’t care a fig about me or Gina.”

There wasn’t much I could say. It was late, and she was right.
It was Marilee who Grady was after. “Call me when you get home.”

She smiled at me and nodded.

Gina went around the back of Rose’s chair and dropped her arms around Rose’s shoulders in a gentle hug. “You’re the sweetest, most thoughtful thing in the world.” She planted a kiss on her hair. “I can’t believe you walked all the way over here just to make sure I was safe. But I think this is best for right now.” She let Rose go and frowned. “Sal won’t give you a hard time when you get home, will he? Maybe you should stay at Mrs. McGill’s also.”

Aunt Mary looked as if she thought that was a good idea, but Rose sh
ook
her head vehemently. “No, he’ll be asleep when I get home. If he woke up in the morning and found me gone
…
I’ll be fine. Mary, are you really sure you don’t mind?”

She sounded almost relieved that Gina wasn’t coming with her, almost as relieved as when she found out she hadn’t been burned to a crisp. I wondered if she was thinking about Sal waking up to find Gina in the guest room. Might have gotten their morning off to a rocky start.

“Now, Mary
…
” little worry furrows deepened in Rose’s brow as she twisted around to look up at Gina, “you’ll take good care of her, won’t you?”

“I think I can promise you that.” Aunt Mary smiled at Rose, but the look she gave Gina was speculative.

The kitchen door swung open, and Anne and Nathan walked in. “The girls are settled. Marilee’s already asleep, and, luckily, so is the baby. Leona says she can’t go to sleep without a smoke first, but I assured her she’d sleep on the chaise outside if she lit up in this house.” Anne’s smile was tight.