Murder for a Rainy Day (Pecan Bayou Book 6) (20 page)
Read Murder for a Rainy Day (Pecan Bayou Book 6) Online
Authors: Teresa Trent
"Betsy! What the hell are you doing out here? You have to be the craziest woman on the planet, you know that?" he scolded. "Lonnie Carello…" As I started to explain, another contraction hit me. I stopped and bent over, his arms still holding me up. "That's right. Breathe, Betsy, breathe." As it passed, I took a deep breath and then tried to finish my story. "Lonnie Carello. He killed Connor Holman. We have to get out of here." One of the storm chasers came out of the van and around to my other side. "Leo, is she going into labor? Is she going to have the baby?" Just like watching a tornado, the guy was documenting my behavior. "I'm right here." "Oh. Nate Collins, this is my wife Betsy. Betsy, this is the guy I’ve been telling you about." "Nice to meet you," Nate said. "Wow! What an exciting day. First, we get a tornado on tape and now we're going to have a baby." Nate turned toward the van. "Hey guys, come out here a minute." A ragtag crew piled out of the back of the van. Three more men and one petite woman now stood around me. Nate put his hand on my shoulder as if showing his staff a weather pattern on a map. "Leo's wife, here is in labor. We have to get her to the hospital." As he spoke the wooden pig that hung in front of with Benny’s barbecue went flying past us. Why not? All the other fake animals were loose. "No way that’s going to happen. The road to the hospital washed out an hour ago. We barely made it into town. If the bridge to the middle school is still intact, we can make it over there," Nate said. I couldn't wait any longer. I placed my hand on Leo's arm to pull him out of the planning session. "We have to go." "Okay. There's not a lot of room in the van, but we can sit on each other's laps." Nate said. "We have to go," I said again as another contraction hit me. "Don't worry Bets, we’re going." "No. Lonnie Carello. If he finds me, he’ll kill me." "Why would Lonnie Carello kill you?" Leo asked. "Because I know about the money. He had money hidden in the cow." "Is this labor dementia?" One of the chasers from the back seat chimed in. "Dude. I saw this once on YouTube." Obviously, I was in a car full of bachelors. "Shut up. She’s saying something important," said the woman, who was now sitting on the lap of a man with a bushy beard and a t-shirt that read A set of car lights glared in the rear view mirror. "That's him," I said. "We have to get away." Nate squinted his eyes as he looked into the oncoming light. "Love to, but this idiot is right behind me, and we are in the middle of a high gust pattern." Nate swerved to the side of the road and stopped to avoid a flying trash can. It clanked down the street in front of us. "We have to..." Before I could finish my sentence another contraction hit. "Have you been timing these contractions?" Leo asked. "Sort of. I lost track when the whole The car behind us had stopped, and Lonnie Carello was now walking toward our vehicle. "Jesus, we’re in trouble," piped up one of the backseat passengers. "Shut up, you idiot," the woman whispered. "It’s Lonnie Carello," I said. "He killed Connor Holman." Carello tapped on the glass. "Everybody, just act like we’re in a hurry to get Betsy to the hospital. Stay calm." "Well, there you are Betsy," Carello said. "I was getting worried about you." "Yes. I told you my husband would be here." "You sure did. I guess I should've believed you. I think we still have some things we need to talk about, though. Why don't you just get on out of the car, and I won't be forced to do anything to anybody else. You get my drift?" "She's not getting out of the car," Leo said. Lonnie Carello pulled out a gun. "Yeah? I think you're wrong about that." "What are you going to do? Shoot all of us?" "If I have to. This isn't my first rodeo. Isn't that what you cowboys like to say?" Nate leaned over Leo. "Yeah. And you're not the first demon of a storm we've come up against in this car." He yanked the car into reverse, ramming the front of Lonnie Carello's car, and jumping the curb, sped forward, putting Carello behind us. "Oh my God. You got away." I was amazed how well Nate maneuvered the van. A bullet whizzed past the window and shattered the passenger side mirror. "Everybody get down," Nate yelled. As much as I wanted to comply, there was no way I could scrunch down. I saw the rough chain link fence from the police impound yard sail in front of us. A single headlight was now gaining behind us. Lonnie Carello intended to chase us down. It was insane, but then again so was he. As we approached the bridge, Carello started ramming the van. He was clearly trying to drive us off the road into the Bayou. If it looked like we were killed in the storm, his problems would be solved. "Hold on everybody," Nate said. All of the animals stored in the impound yard were now twisting around in the wind. Connor Holman’s menagerie was airborne. He would have been so inspired to see them all. As they started into a downward spiral, we dodged the flying chicken, and the cow from Cattleman’s Call clanked across the top of the van. As we made our way onto the bridge, the cow flew straight into Lonnie Carello's car. As he swerved to avoid it, his car flew over the bank and down into the waters of Pecan Bayou. |
"Should we go back and get him?"
"No," Leo said. "That’s what the police are for. We don't have time to be fishing some mobster out of the bayou. Did you forget we’re having a baby here?"
When we entered the shelter, we found most of the population of Pecan Bayou now huddled around camping lanterns and candles. The storm had finally taken the power out. Benny’s Barbecue and Birdie’s Diner had each set up tables, getting rid of food that would have spoiled if left unrefrigerated. Maggie, who was sitting next to Danny on a cot, rushed over and took me by the elbow.
"Lord a mighty, Betsy. You sure put me through it tonight. I can't believe you went out in that storm alone." I bent over for a contraction.
"Oh my land. She's having the baby." Maggie turned from us and shot her hand up in the air making a circular motion.
"Attention everybody! We have a baby coming. We need anybody who can help us to get over here right away."
"Do we have anyone with medical training? " Mayor Obermeyer shouted from his lawn chair. Baxter Digby was next to him, his eyes focused across the gym on Sasha Holman.
"Is Dr. Randall here?" Leo said.
"I’m here if you need me, Betsy." Ruby Green’s bracelets clanked in my ear.
"I’ve delivered a foal before if that’s any help," Libby Loper said as she got up and crossed the room. There was so much chatter going on I thought my head would split.
"Take my pillow Betsy. It has sweet dreams on it, "Danny said, handing me his treasured possession.
My eyes filled as I spoke. "Thank you, Danny. I’ll take good care of it."
"I know you will." He nodded and backed up.
"We're going to need something to give her some privacy," Libby said.
"We need to keep her in the gym. It's still the safest place in the school." Mayor Obermeyer said.
Phyllis Hamlin, head of the PTA stepped up. "We can drag some of our portable room dividers to the corner to give Betsy some privacy. That's the best we can do."
"Sounds good. Let's go people," Aunt Maggie said. "Can somebody round us up some sort of a bed or a couch?"
"There's one in the nurse's office. Tyler and I can get it." I had seen that thing once or twice. It was more of a vinyl table, but it was better than the floor.
"Good," Aunt Maggie said as she led me across the gym towards the corner to sit in a folding chair until the bed arrived.
"Do we have any doctors here? We’ll even take a veterinarian," Maggie said.
An attractive well-dressed woman walked over. She looked familiar to me, but I couldn't place her. I had seen her somewhere. She ran her finger behind her ear pushing back a straight piece of black hair.
"I'm a midwife. Does that count? I’ve never delivered a foal, but I do have some experience with people. It’s been years, but I think I can remember what to do."
I reached out and squeezed her hand. "It counts," I said through a cleansing breath. Leo leaned into the teeming group of women around me.
"What do we need to do?" he asked.
"Okay," the woman said, "you need some scissors, towels and disinfectant. We’ll need something to wrap the baby in once he arrives."
People ran off in all directions to their appointed tasks. The room dividers were brought in and put around us. They were still partially open for the people that would be bringing in necessary supplies.
The door of the gym clanged behind us. My father removed his Stetson, shaking off the water. Behind him was Elaina, in a bright yellow rain slicker. As soon as he saw the crowd gathered around me he whooped, "Are you having the baby?"
Before I could answer a hard contraction hit me. He ran to my side.
"I just got finished going up and down the roads making sure everybody was safe. I’m here now darlin’."
"You're going to have to go out again," I gasped.
"No, I'm not. Everyone’s here."
"Yes, you are. I know who murdered Connor Holman."
"Really? Now Betsy? I think you have a hell of a lot more important things to think about at this moment."
"No, it's Lonnie Carello… He's… in the bayou…"
"What is she talking about?" My father scanned the group that had gathered in the corner next to the room dividers.
"It’s true, dude," said the bearded storm chaser. "He followed us here and shot at us and everything."
"Is everybody okay? Was anyone hit? "
"No one was hit. The van took a couple of bullets. We left Carello in the Bayou," Nate said.
"Out there in the storm? I’ll be damned."
"He was shooting at us. When we found Betsy, she kept saying he was the killer. I know it all sounds crazy, but it has something to do with the cow," Leo said, shaking his head in confusion.
A look of recognition came across my father's face. "The cow at the station?"
"Yes," I answered, out of breath. "Carello might be dying. He swerved off into the bayou." My father put his hat put back on. "Sometimes I hate this job. I'll go get this fool, but I’m depending on everybody here to take good care of my daughter. My grandchild is coming into the world, and we need to do it right."
Elaina came back from the mobile station Mrs. Thatcher had set up in the corner. "I tried to get Orley. He’s out with the crew rescuing old man Jennings."
Drummond Struthers seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Judd, you can’t go out there alone. Let me go with you."
"I can’t ask you to do that. It could be dangerous."
"Not as dangerous as it would be if you were alone. I know you have your hands full with this storm, and I parked the tow truck outside in case we would need it later."
"You’re a good man, Drum. Normally, I wouldn’t let you come with me, but tonight I’d appreciate the help." Drummond Struthers stepped back, kissed his wife goodbye and followed my dad. Baxter Digby busied himself trying to open a water bottle.
Zach and Tyler rushed across the gym wobbling along with the nurse's office cot. Once they had it in place behind the dividers, Zach took the hand of a woman I vaguely recognized. "Mom, I brought Mrs. Powell. She’s our school nurse. She can deliver your baby."
"Oh my." She put her hand to her throat. "I put on Band-aids and check for fevers. When you told me you wanted me to meet your mother, I had no idea you needed me to deliver her baby."
"It’s okay. Really," I said between breaths.
"I’ll be glad to assist in any way I can, but you’re pretty far out of my league."
"Great," said the midwife, turning to Mrs. Powell. "I’ll deliver and you assist."
I looked at my rescuer. Why was she so familiar? Where had I seen her?
She noticed me staring at her. "Tell me what you’re feeling, Betsy."
"I’m sorry. Have we met before?"
"I don’t know. Have you ever bought a house from my husband?"
"Your husband?"
"Yes. He’s right over…" She paused as she searched the gym. Finally, she pointed to Baxter Digby who was having a heated conversation with Sasha Holman. My guess was that Sasha had finally told Digby about Rocky’s upcoming article covering their affair. "…there." She scowled.
