Flipped For Murder (24 page)

Chapter 37

Buck perched half his rear end on the far corner of my Emergency Department bed. Wearing a green print hospital johnny, scrub pants, and a pale blue sling, I sat propped up by the raised head of the bed and a bunch of pillows, with a couple of white blankets pulled up to my waist. I'd driven myself straight to the hospital in Bloomington, despite dispatch telling me to pull over and wait for an ambulance. I'd told them I'd get there faster on my own. And no way was I pulling over on South Lick Road, all by my lonesome. Once at the hospital, I'd tried to fight through the pain and convince the medical personnel not to cut off my expensive pink bike shirt. But when I came to, I saw it lying on a chair, the shoulder and sleeve slit open like the guts of a hog.

“Boy, howdy, I might oughta hire you,” Buck said. Hire came out sounding like “har.” “That was truly something—you disabling the suspect, like you did, and getting away alive.”

I laughed from the slightly distant place of the narcotically medicated. “Yeah, I'm joining the force, Buck. Not going to be able to flip many burgers like this.” I frowned. That was true—how was I going to cook on Tuesday?

“Anywho, just wanted to let you know Mr. Edward Kowalski is all locked up and he's going to stay there. You don't have nothing to worry about.”

“Good. Ed told me he killed Stella.”

“I know. He's been charged with murder, false testimony to an officer, and a lot more.” He grew somber. “We was on his trail. But it wadn't till Don come in today and confirmed your story, about Don seeing Ed driving up to Stella's right when Don was leaving on the day of the murder, that we put it all together.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Was it only last night I overheard Don and Ed?” I whistled.

“Time flies when you're having fun.” Buck smiled like he invented the phrase himself. “But I'll tell you, Ed wasn't having no fun when we hauled him in. He was squealing about how Stella was robbing him blind, threatening to tell the world that he mistreated his female employees if he didn't pay up. He was going on something fierce about how unfair it was and all.”

“He said the same thing to me. It's true, he was all over the women who worked for him. That was why Danna left his place and came to work with me.” I frowned. “I remembered what I wanted to tell you on Friday. Or one of those days. Ed told me about the pen being found. But you kept that secret, didn't you?”

“Yup. No way he'd know that unless he planted it there himself. Which I'm guessing he did. Too bad DNA takes so darn long to process or we'd knowed it by now.”

“Did Ed get far on my bike?” I had, of course, first told dispatch about Ed's attack and the approximate location.

Buck threw his head back and laughed. “You kidding me? That man was huffing and puffing. He's not one to get out and exercise much, in case you weren't aware.”

“I hope my cycle's okay. You have it, right?”

“All safe and sound at the station. I wanted to leave it outside your back door, but Wanda said not to. She said it was expensive and we needed to secure it for you.”

Wanda knows about bikes? Huh. Might have to explore that with her.
I gazed lazily around the bay, then it hit me.
This is the same hospital Roberto was brought to,
I thought as my eyelids drifted down.

“And we got a head start on Kowalski, even before you called the second time.”

Oh, right. Buck is still here.
I forced myself to open my eyes again.

“Wanda saw him tear out of town, so after she checked in at the station and got the okay, she followed him.” He rubbed the top of his head until his hair stood up. “One more thing you might want to know. After we took Roy for trespassing last night? He also confessed to shooting at you in the alleyway.”

“Why, though?” I shifted in bed. When I got a dull stab in my shoulder for my efforts, I truly regretted the move. At least the pain was a dull one.

“He's just not all right in the head.” He shook his head.

“I guess.” I grimaced. “What time is it, anyway?” The room held more electronic devices than a modern kitchen, and not a one included a digital clock. With the Percocet circulating in my bloodstream, I'd happily lost track of time. But my stomach was growling; and through my haze I remembered Abe was supposed to be picking me up for dinner.

Adele walked in and announced, “Time for you to go home. Doc out there says you're cleared for takeoff.”

I smiled and held out my good arm. “That's the best thing I've heard all day.”

She slid past Buck and hugged my unslinged side. “Sure glad you're alive and kicking, Roberta. So to speak.” She grinned.

“Our self-defense class came in handy,” I said.

“I heard. So proud of you.”

“Thanks. But, really, what time is it?”

Adele checked her phone. “Six-ten.”

“Oh, man.”

“What?”

“Can you find my phone? I left it in my shirt, but maybe they put it in that bag there.” I pointed to a white plastic bag hanging from a cabinet handle. “No, wait. I don't think I have his number.” I slumped, which made my shoulder hurt again.

“Whose number?” Buck asked. “Shermer's?”

“No, although I need to call him, too. Abe O'Neill's. I was supposed to go out to dinner with him tonight.” At the narrowed eyes on Buck's face, I added real quick, “As friends. Just dinner, Buck.”

He poked his own phone, then he extended it to me. “Want to talk to him?”

Adele shook her head. “No, she does not.” She looked at me and said, “This girl's going home. You tell Abe what happened and that he's welcome to call tomorrow to see how she is.”

Tears filled my eyes as I gazed at Adele. “Thank you.” Going home was going to be heaven.

Chapter 38

I sat longwise on my couch the next day, with nothing to do but watch the sun play through the leaves and stroke a sleeping Birdy on my lap. I'd awoken from my own midmorning sleep a little while earlier, still propped up by pillows, since that was the only way I could get comfortable. Adele had taken superb care of me, bringing me water and food and the all-important pain pills. She'd reminded me to call Jim last night before she spent the night on this very couch, and this morning she set me up with a phone, a book, a TV clicker, and water before going off to do her chores. None of which I'd used, except the water.

Adele now bustled in, smelling of fresh air. “There,” she said. “Sheep are all tended to and Samuel said he'll take the end-of-day shift so I don't have to go back again. I'm good here until the morning.” She held up a plastic bag. “Found this outside the back door.”

I frowned. “Is it suspicious?”

“I very much doubt that. Here's the card that was on top.” She handed me a sealed greeting card, with
Robbie, Pancake Queen
written on the front.

After I ripped it open and read the message, I looked up with as much of a smile as I could muster. “Apparently, that's lunch. Abe made soup.” He'd also wished me speedy healing and said he was going to demand a rain check on dinner out.
A man who could make homemade soup? Nice.

Adele smiled. She took the bag into the kitchen.

I took a long sip from the bendy straw in the glass of ice water. “Hey, Adele?” I called.

After she popped her head back in, I said, “Can you get me my laptop? I'm so worried about Roberto. The last message I got from his daughter was that he was going into surgery for an amputation. It seems like a week ago, but I think it was yesterday. Or maybe Saturday?”

She came back in a minute with the computer. “Why don't you let me check for you? I have two hands.”

I gave her the password and watched as she scrolled through my messages. My heart was a piece of cold lead. What if he hadn't survived? Or if they'd found the infection was too widespread?

“Here's one.” Adele looked up. “Want I should open it?” At my nod she clicked, and then looked up with a big old grin. “Somebody named Graciela says he's recovering well. That he's going to be just fine.”

I slid my eyes shut, the hot moisture under my lids matching my thick throat. I heard her snap the laptop shut and felt her hand stroke my hair.

“I'll be in the kitchen, honey. And in a couple months, I'm thinking you might be going to Italy for Christmas. You keep that in mind, now.”

A tear slid onto my cheek, but I smiled. As I drifted into sleep, I pictured wandering around the Leaning Tower of Pisa with my dad.

I awoke with a start when Adele called out, “Company.” I wiped the corner of my mouth and said “Umph” as I pushed myself to sit up straighter, rubbing my tongue over fuzzy teeth.

Adele appeared a moment later, followed by Corrine and Danna. Danna carried a huge arrangement of fresh fruit. Slices of pineapple and melon cut into flower shapes stuck up on skewers, along with intact strawberries, grapes, and more—all of it arranged like flowers.

“Hope we're not bothering you,” Corrine said.

“Not at all. I'm dressed. Sort of, if sweats and a robe count.” I gestured to them with my good arm. As I moved to get a little more comfortable, I winced, and Adele pointed to the pill bottle on the table. Birdy leapt off my lap and streaked for the door.

“Time for another dose,” Adele said.

I complied by downing two more pills with the rest of the water. Meanwhile, Danna set the fruit on the coffee table. She high-fived my good hand, then she sank to sitting cross-legged on the floor in one fluid move.

“You showed Ed,” she said with a grin. “I am
so
glad that man isn't going to bother me anymore, or any other girls.”

Corrine slid into the rocker, crossing her legs. It was the first time I'd ever seen her wear pants, although she wasn't exactly slumming, since they were perfectly tailored, black, and likely silk. If the woman even owned a pair of jeans, you could bet they were a designer label.

“The man's a criminal, through and through.”

“Mom, you used to go shooting with him.” Danna frowned. “You had no idea?”

“No.” Corrine shook her head, then tossed back her hair. She picked an imaginary piece of lint off her slacks.

I laughed. “For awhile I wondered if you'd bumped off Stella yourself.”
Oops, that isn't very nice. Must be the drug talking.

“Oh, it surely crossed my mind once or twice, let me tell you.” Corrine laughed out loud. “People have been saying for years I killed Danna's father, too. It was an accident, pure and simple.”

“Roy told me Stella was blackmailing you about it,” I said.

“That pathetic man needs to have his mouth washed out with soap. Pure fabrication.”

“Roy may be pathetic, but I sure hope he gets some help.” I frowned again. “Danna, how am I going to manage in the restaurant with only one arm?”

She opened her mouth to speak, but Adele beat her to it. “Don't you worry about a thing, hon. Danna's got Samuel, Phil, and me, and we've all got your back. The show will go on until you're able to return to work.”

“Yeah,” Danna said, straightening her back. “You can sit on a raised platform and direct traffic. ‘Bacon here! Biscuit there!'” she mimicked with a smile.

Another knock sounded at the back. Adele left and returned carrying a huge flower arrangement. Mostly yellow-and-red alstroemeria, it also included sprigs of white daisies, along with the ubiquitous baby's breath and ferny greens. She plucked the little card out of its holder and handed it to me.

“From Jim,” I said after I read it. I didn't add that he'd signed it:
Love from the frigid north. Your far from frigid admirer.

“They're beautiful. Here?” Adele set them on the bookshelf across the room.

I smiled, nodding. Birdy moseyed back in, consented to a few strokes from Danna, then jumped back up on my lap. As I stroked his smooth, warm back and he chirped his satisfaction, my eyelids drifted shut. I thought it would be okay to rest for just a minute, now my world was set right again.

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