Middle River Murders (30 page)

“What if she gets away?” Claire questioned. “She’s sneaky.
She could slip right through your fingers. Look how long she’s gotten away with
her crimes and avoided capture.”

“So far, we could only link her to the death of June
Robinson, the body found in the trunk of the stolen police cruiser,” Cole said.

“I bet someone’s going to be in the doghouse over having
their cop car stolen,” I joked. “How did she manage to pull that one off?”

“We don’t want to go there,” Cole replied and then went back
to what he was saying. “On the way over here I got a call from Sheriff Hudson
and he said they lifted a print from the steering wheel of Daisy Clark’s car
that belongs to the
Kent
woman. So now we can tie her to the
murder of Alice Aikens.”

“What about the other woman in the club, Harriett Shifflett?”
I asked.

“That’s a suspicious one,” Cole replied. “She was killed with
arsenic, yet we can’t find a drop of the poison at her house. Her husband
probably is innocent like he claims. We think now that maybe the
Kent
woman was involved in her death as well. All we need
is hard evidence. The sheriff is doing another search of Kansas Moon’s house.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Naomi Kent had been staying with
Kansas
. When Rupert Hawkins’ dog went
missing, he filed a complaint swearing he saw
Kansas
snatch up a dog one day. The dog wasn’t Rupert’s dog, but
the point is, if
Kansas
snagged someone else’s dog, he
probably snagged Rupert’s dog. That was his theory. He also said he saw a woman
in
Kansas
’ truck, and from the description he
gave us at the time, we now believe it was the
Kent
woman. We’ll have him look at her in a lineup as soon as she’s caught.”

“A thought just occurred to me,” Claire said. “Mom said that
Naomi Kent forced her into Mom’s van.”

“So…”

“Where’s Mom’s van now?”

“In the hospital parking lot,” Jonathan said, out of breath
as he came around the corner. “Daniel and Robert are searching the hospital.”
He looked over at Billy and said, “I tried to call you on your cell phone.”

“I turned it off,” Billy replied. “You know the hospital has
strict rules about that. Other than hospital personnel, only the cops are
allowed cell phone use in the hospital.”

Jonathan looked at Cole and said, “I called Sheriff Hudson.
He said he’d alert CPD. He also said to tell you that they found a bottle of
arsenic in the basement at Kansas Moon’s house.”

“That clinches it. We can tie Naomi Kent to Harriett
Shifflett’s murder. We have her now!”

“You might have enough evidence to convict her, but you still
don’t have her in custody,” I said. “I’ll bet that she’s in this hospital right
now… everyone else is. Mom, Daisy, and Gabe are all here.”

“Maybe she abandoned the van in the parking lot and…” Claire
started to say.

“No,” I said. “She was driving Mom’s van when she took her to
Kansas Moon’s house. That was only a few hours ago. She’s here.”

“She came here looking for someone,” Frank said. “I’m pretty
sure she knows the cops are onto her, but she hasn’t accomplished her original
goal. Right from the beginning her goal was to…”

“Eventually kill Daisy Clark,” I said, finishing his sentence.

We stared at each other.

“I’ll go check on Daisy,” Billy said.

“The sheriff said they admitted Gabe Clark, so I’ll find out
what room he’s in and go check on him,” Cole said. “This is an emergency. Turn
on your cell phone.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Sheriff Hudson said as he walked
up behind us. He had one of his deputies with him. “Naomi Kent has just been
arrested.”

“Thank God!” Claire said. “That woman needs to be in jail for
the rest of her life!”

“That’s a relief,” I added. “Where was she?”

“We caught her in Daisy Clark’s hospital room.”

Claire and I gasped.

“Actually, the Charlottesville Police Department deserves the
credit for her arrest. After the first attempt on Daisy Clark’s life, Captain
Waverly posted a guard outside her room. He was just about to call the guard
off when Gabe was admitted. So he posted an officer outside both of their
rooms. John just called to inform me that one of his officers caught the
Kent
woman trying to disguise herself as one of the nurses
so she could gain access to the room. She had a needle filled with enough
morphine to stop an elephant’s heart. Daisy would’ve died within minutes after
the injection.”

“She was determined to get revenge for her daughter’s death,”
Frank surmised.

“That was two years ago,” I said. “She sure has a lot of
patience and determination.”

“Revenge is best served cold,” Randy said.

“According to the police in
Michigan
, the
Clarks
moved away right after
Kansas
had his accident, and they didn’t
leave a forwarding address. Perhaps it took this long for Naomi Kent to catch
up with them.”

“Daisy said they moved here to be close to her daughter,” Mom
said as she was wheeled out of the x-ray room. “That was her explanation. Now
we know that was only part of the truth. She wanted to get her brother away
from all the gossip. She was trying to protect him and help salvage the rest of
his life. I don’t blame her. I would’ve done the same thing. I’m sure she
blames herself for what happened to her brother.”

“I’ll be right back,” the intern said to us. “Don’t let her
run off. She says she’s going home, but we need to run more tests. We’re going
to admit her.”

“What’s the matter?” I asked, walking over to him. “Did you
find something wrong?”

“No, everything checks out so far, but considering that your
mother recently suffered a heart attack, we want to keep a close eye on her.
She’s slightly dehydrated and that’s not good for a woman…”

“Don’t you dare make a remark about my age, young man,” Mom
said. “I’ll outlive everybody in this hallway. I’m as strong…”

“Give it up, Minnie,” Billy said. “You’re not leaving this
hospital until you get a clean bill of health.”

“A nurse will be along shortly to take you to have your ankle
set,” the intern told Mom. “Try to behave yourself or I’ll have to sic Dr.
Bryant on you.” He looked over, winked at the rest of us and then said, “Once
we get Mrs. Watson settled in her room, Dr. Bryant will be in to check on her
before he leaves the hospital.”

“Thanks,” I said to him as he turned and walked away.

A nurse walked up as soon as the intern left.

Frank’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as he walked up to
her. He acted like a teenager in love.

“Hello,” he gushed. “I was going to give you a call as soon
as we took care of this little situation.”

“Hello, Frank,” Nurse Alexandra said. She looked around
quickly and then gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re in town.
I’ve missed you. I get off in an hour.”

“I’ll wait for you,” Frank replied.

“Do that on your own time,” a familiar voice barked behind
him. “And stop slobbering all over her, Frank. It’s disgusting.”

“And a hello to you, Abigail,” Frank retorted. “Where’s your
broomstick?”

“Get out of my way, Frank,” Abigail hissed as she brushed
past him. “I came here to see my friend, Minnie.”

I smiled with delight when I saw Randy’s mother, Abigail
Morgan and her sister, Isabel walking toward us. I adored both women and was so
glad that Claire was going to marry into such a wonderful family. And I knew
that Abby’s snide remarks to Frank Trainum was her way of letting him know that
she was still the top dog. It was just her way.

“Please excuse us,” Sheriff Hudson said after smiling
politely and greeting Abby and Isabel. “I have to go talk with Captain
Waverly.”

I walked up to the sheriff and said, “I’d like to talk to you
before you leave the hospital if you can find time.”

He shook his head in agreement before he turned and walked
off with his deputy.

I walked back over to Abby and said, “I’m so glad to see you
again, Abby.” I gave her a hug and then hugged Isabel. “How did y’all get
here?”

“My limo driver brought us.”

“Where’s he now?”

“With the car, silly.”

I looked at Isabel and asked, “Has Abby been treating you
right?”

The first time I met Abigail Morgan, we took an instant
liking to each other and she told me to call her Abby. Claire said that as long
as she’s known the woman, Abigail never told her she could call her Abby.
Claire joked about being jealous, but to this day she still doesn’t call her
Abby.

“She’s still the same old, grouchy nag,” Isabel said. “Having
Claire’s young ones around has softened her somewhat.”

“Where
are
my children?” Claire asked as she hugged
both women.

“Carl came over and picked them up,” Abby said. “I hope
that’s okay. You said it was all right to call him if I couldn’t reach you.”

“That’s fine,” Claire said. “Carl will take care of them.”

Claire and her almost ex-husband have had their moments, but
after all was said and done, they reached an agreement concerning the welfare
of their two children. She would have the final say about everything and he
would abide by her decisions. That agreement was the outcome of a prior run-in
Carl had with the law… but that’s another tale.

“I came to check on Minnie,” Abigail said as she walked over
to Mom. “I couldn’t sleep knowing you were missing.” She leaned down and gave
Mom a hug. “I’m so glad you’re back with us. How are you doing, Minnie?”

“I’m doing great!” Mom said with a smile. “I was pulled back
from the depths of hell, and I’m raring to go. Can you get me out of here,
please? They won’t…”

“Now you know they won’t let me do that,” Abby said. “I’d
have your daughters all over me.”

“We need to get that ankle set, Mrs. Watson,” Alexandra said.
“As soon as we’re finished with that and the other tests the doctor ordered,
you can see your family. We’re going to have to go now.” Alexandra looked at
the rest of us and said, “You can check at the nurse’s station to find out her
room number. They should have it ready by now. In the meantime, we need to get
moving.”

“I’m coming with you,” Abby said. “I don’t want her to be
alone.”

“That’s fine,” Alexandra said. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate
the company.”

Abby held onto Mom’s hand as the nurse pushed the stretcher
down the hall. She halted for a minute, turned around and called out, “Come on,
Izzy. We’re not going to wait all day.”

“She knows I hate it when she calls me that,” Isabel said as
she walked off. She caught up with Abby and the two of them started arguing.

“That’s my mother,” Randy said.

“She sure is a handful,” Frank replied. “That woman has
driven me crazy for so long, I don’t know what I’d do without her. She loves
me, you know.”

“I know,” I said, slapping him on the back. “She told me so.”

“She did not,” he argued.

I laughed and said, “She doesn’t have to, Frank. I can tell.
She sees you as a son.”

“Now I know you’re lying.”

Finally, Billy spoke up. “It’s been a long day.”

I looked at him and then at Jonathan and asked, “Where are
Athena and Thor?”

“I dropped Athena off at the clinic,” Billy said. “I didn’t
have time to go all the way home and I didn’t know what else to do. She’ll be
fine. I put her in a cage right next to a handsome German shepherd. She’s
probably having the time of her life.”

“Where’s Thor?” I looked at Jonathan.

“That’s funny,” Jonathan said. “I dropped Thor off at the
clinic, too, and when I saw Athena, I figured Billy had the same idea I did. So
I put them together in the same cage.”

“I’m so glad you put them together. Let’s hope the handsome
Shepard doesn’t get jealous.” I winked at Billy.

“Billy, you look tired,” Claire said. “Why don’t you and
Jesse go home? I’ll stay here with Mom.”

“I’ll stay, too,” Frank said.

“I’m staying,” Randy said.

“What about Mom’s van?” I asked, looking at Cole.

“It’s already been impounded,” Cole answered. “Once the crime
scene techs go over it, you can get it back.”

“I doubt very seriously that Mom will want it back.” I looked
at Billy. “You know what that means.”

“I guess I’ll have to give Daniel a call.”

“It’s time for me to leave,” Cole said. “I’ll check in on
your mother later.” He turned to leave, but hesitated as if he were waiting for
me to say something. He probably wanted a thank you from me.

“Thanks for all your help, Cole,” I said with earnest. “We
all really appreciate what you’ve done.”

“No thanks necessary, Jesse. Your mother is a friend.” He
turned and waved as he walked down the hall.

“Thanks,” Billy called to him. “We’ll talk soon.”

After a few seconds, I turned to the group and said, “So who
is going to stay with Mom?”

Claire and Randy looked at each other and then back to me.
“We’re staying,” Claire said.

“What about…”

“I learned from you, Jesse,” Claire said. “I have a duffle
bag in your 4Runner with an emergency change of clothing, and so does Randy and
Frank.”

“But I didn’t learn that from you, Jesse,” Frank said. “I
always keep clothes in my trunk.”

“I can tell,” I said, sniffing.

“That’s cold,” Frank said. His look became serious. “I don’t
smell bad, do I?” He sniffed himself.

“No, Frank,” I snickered. “You smell fine. Don’t worry.
Alexandra will like you even if you do smell bad, won’t she, guys?”

Everyone shook their head in agreement.

“See, Frank,” I needled him. “You can stink all you want.”

“Now you’re going to give me a complex.”

I hugged him as we all turned to walk away. “I’m sure Mom
won’t mind if you take a shower in her room. We don’t want you to smell bad for
your date with that pretty nurse.”

“Go home,” Frank muttered. “I can’t take much more of you.
One day and I’m already going nuts.”

“You love me, Frank,” I said. “I know you do.”

“Go away!” Frank hissed and then smiled. “You’re impossible,
woman. You have my cell number, just in case I don’t make it back to your house
tonight. Don’t call me unless it’s really important. I’m going to be busy.”

“Oh, Frank, you’re such a dog,” Billy said as he slapped him
on the back. “You really like this woman, don’t you?”

Frank reached into his pocket, pulled out a small, blue
velvet case and opened it for all of us to see. Inside was a beautiful diamond
ring the size of a marble.

“We’re going to get married as soon as I get up the nerve to
ask her,” he said. “I’m nervous about what to say.”

“Just tell her how you feel,” Billy said. “That’s always
worked for me. Women like honest men.”

“I’m impressed, Frank, but what’s taking you so long?” I
asked. I sniffed the air. “Don’t forget the shower. You smell like a wet dog.”
I sniffed again. “Good Lord, we all do.”

Everyone broke out in laughter.

“Let’s go home,” I said to Billy. “Everything seems to be
under control here.”

I looked at our raggedy little group who had come together to
save Mom. It warmed my heart.

As we started to walk off, Billy turned and said, “Randy, be
sure to tell your mother we expect her to come stay with us. Tell her she can
even bring her driver. We have plenty of room. All of you can stay with us.”

“I’ll tell her, but I bet she’ll want to stay here.”

“The hospital won’t…” I started to say and then remembered
who I was dealing with. “Forget it, Randy. I know Abby always gets her way.”

I smiled, took Billy’s arm and the two of us walked down the
hall toward the hospital exit. As we got near the door, I saw Sheriff Hudson
talking to a group of fellow officers.

“Wait a minute, Billy. I want to talk to the sheriff. I owe
him a lot.”

Sensing that I might want a moment alone to thank the
sheriff, Billy kissed me on the cheek and said, “I’ll go get the truck.”

“Thanks,” I replied.

Billy walked out the door as I walked over to the sheriff.

Sheriff Hudson turned and smiled at me.

“You wanted to talk to me, didn’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, I do,” I said. “I’d like to thank you for saving my
mother. There’s no doubt in my mind that if it hadn’t been for you and Athena,
my mother wouldn’t be alive today.”

“The credit belongs to you and your dog,” he said.

“What makes you say that?”

“You were so sure that the murders were connected to Kansas
Moon. You said something at your mother’s house that piqued my interest, so I
followed a hunch. I’m so glad that you have such good instincts and that I paid
attention.”

“I’m glad you listened to me, but you’re the real hero in
this story… you and my dog.” I almost started to cry.

“I respect you, Jesse. You have a good head on your
shoulders. You should’ve been a cop. You have great deductive reasoning.”

“You must be joking!”

“Not at all,” he said. “You and Billy make a good team. You
just need to stay on the right side of the law and stop pressing your luck. I
could’ve arrested both of you more than once. You’ve crossed the line quite a
few times.”

“But you didn’t arrest us.”

“I didn’t because you two aren’t criminals. You’re just…”

“Can’t find the right words, huh?”

“You need to stop taking so many chances.”

“Thanks for your concern, but I’ll be fine. I have a smart
teacher.”

“Billy is an honest man and I respect him. Don’t make me have
to throw either one of you in jail. If you have a problem or need help, come to
me. That’s what I’m here for. When you sneak around and get into that gray
area, I’m the one who has to cover your butt. One day I might not be able to do
that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Remember the time you broke into the Westover’s house?”

“You know about that?”

“And more.”

“Wow, you’re like a… now I know why the medical examiner
called you Spider. You’re the long arm of the law, and you have so many of
them, nobody gets away from you.”

“That was a good guess. I always thought you were a smart
woman.”

“What about the M.E.? Why do you call him Snake?”

“You tell me.”

“In essence, a snake is a symbol of death because of its
poisonous venom.”

“See, I knew I was right about you. You have good instincts
and you have an uncanny knack at getting to the truth. You’re in the wrong
business. You should be one of us.”

“In a way, I am.”

“Now I have a question for you.”

“Go ahead.”

“What is it with you and your mother and this neck thing?
First, you shoot this guy in the neck, and then your mother stabs someone in
the neck. Now it’s my turn to be amazed.” He hesitated and then said, “That was
a joke.”

“I know,” I said. I had to laugh out loud. “It’s strange that
when we had to defend ourselves, we inflicted injuries to our attacker in the
same body location. No wonder it made an impression on you.”

“It’s not the deed I’m obsessed with; it’s a person’s ability
to muster up the gumption to save oneself by doing whatever it takes. That
takes a lot of nerve to do and then recover from without having nightmares the
rest of your life.”

“Who said that we’ve recovered?”

“You will, but your mother might need help.”

“I know my mother, and emotionally, she will never recover
from killing Kansas Moon. She took a life and that’s not something she takes
lightly. She’ll carry this burden to her grave.”

“I don’t want to see this destroy her. She’s a fine lady.”

“Indeed, she is. Thanks for your concern, Sheriff Hudson.
I’ll see to it that my mother gets the help she needs. Her family will be there
for her… always.”