by Jim Riley
"Come on. You have to see the connection between this and the case against Billy. The two have to be connected." Jimbo winced when he accidentally moved his arm.
"I'm not so sure. Is there something going on in your life that would offend someone else?"
Jimbo did not smile.
"If you're asking me if I'm screwing someone else's wife, I'm not. I am faithful to my wife and she is faithful to me. There is no jealous spouse out there gunning for me."
"I had to ask. I don't want to follow any little bunny trails only to end up where I started."
Niki sat her bag on the floor beside her chair.
"Are you willing to help me?" Jimbo asks with facial lines drawn. "I really need your help."
"Why didn’t you think of that when I tried to get you to help me? You were, shall we say, less than sincere in your answers to my questions."
"I'm sorry. I guess I never really believed Billy did all the stuff to those girls. That is so out of character of who he is. It would be impossible for him to take advantage of anyone, much less a female student."
Jimbo grunted again as pangs shot through his arm despite the strong pain medicine fed through the IV tubes.
"Do you know who is behind this charade?" Niki took no notes, but leaned forward on the edge of the chair, anticipating an immediate denial from the coach.
"Yes," he answered, surprising the investigator.
"You do?" Niki could not believe her ears.
"I'm ninety percent certain. It was dark in the locker room, but I'm almost positive I recognized the shooter."
Jimbo groaned out loud.
A nurse opened the door to the small room. She took one look at the equipment spitting out readings of the coach’s vital signs. She turned to Niki.
"You'll have to leave. The patient needs his rest."
"Can you give us just one minute? He is about to tell me some critical information," Niki protested.
The nurse ignored her requests, adjusting the amount of sedative being fed through the IV to Jimbo. After fiddling with the various adjustment needles, she smiled at the investigator.
"You may have thirty seconds before he is dead asleep, but I wouldn't trust anything he says in the state he is in." She walked out of the door, leaving a frustrated private investigator sitting on the edge of her uncomfortable chair.
She put her hand on Jimbo's good arm. "I’ll be here first thing in the morning. Don't forget you promised to tell me the whole truth."
Jimbo half nodded, his eyelids already beginning to insulate him from the outside world and the egregious events that resulted in his hospitalization.
Niki waited until he closed his eyes without trying to reopen them. A soft snore originated from within his chest. She considered staying in the room so she would be there whenever he awakened.
"The nurse said he'll be out for several hours," a soft feminine voice came from the doorway.
Niki looked up to see Pattie Grace Wax. Although they had never met, Niki has seen her at the ballgames and in Walmart.
Pattie Grace still looked like a teenager, a cute button nose highlighting a dark complected face. Her figure bordered on the lean side, no hint of any extra flab anywhere. The only things giving Niki a clue of her anxiety were the deep wrinkles in the corners of her eyes.
"Hey, Pattie Grace. I don't believe we've ever formally been introduced. I'm Niki Dupre."
The coach's wife tried to smile. "I know who you are. Everybody in Louisiana knows who you are."
Niki flushed. "I doubt that. People in my profession aren’t the topic around the water coolers and coffee pots."
"But you are. Ever since you solved that thing on Spirit Island, we all know you. I mean, we know who you are and what you look like."
"Can I buy you a cup of coffee? It's not that great, but at least it's hot."
Pattie Grace looked down at her husband lying in the hospital bed. A tear rolled down her face. "Who are these idiots around here who think football is more important than Jimbo's life?"
Niki was taken aback.
"Do you think this happened because Central lost the football game?"
"What else could it be?" The dam broke and tears cascaded down Pattie Grace's face.
"I think we need to talk," Niki said before rising to guide the stricken wife from the room. They found a visitor's room complete with vending machines and free coffee. The pot was empty, but as soon as Niki got Pattie Grace situated on a sofa, she found the coffee packets in a cabinet. Less than five minutes later, she had a fresh pot of community coffee ready to go.
"How do you take yours?" Niki asked Pattie Grace.
"Three sugars and three creams," Pattie Grace responded.
Niki shook her head at the unusual concoction, but put the condiments in the potent brew and carried it to Pattie Grace. Niki waited for Pattie Grace to take a couple of sips before trying to engage her in a conversation.
"You said you think someone tried to kill Jimbo because we lost the game?"
Pattie Grace nodded. "That has to be the reason. Everybody loves Jimbo. I don't know anyone who doesn't love him."
"Is there anyone that would have a reason to harm your husband? Jealousy? Envy? Anything?"
Pattie Grace coughed out a laugh. "We don't have anything for anyone to be jealous of or envious about. We’re just starting out."
"I know this is awkward, but are you seeing anyone outside of your marriage?"
The tears shut off as though someone suddenly turned the tap. Pattie Grace's eyes grew wide.
"Heavens, no. I've never even considered it. I'm so lucky to have Jimbo. I never considered jeopardizing our relationship." She paused. "You don't think she is seeing another woman, do you?"
Niki shook her head.
"I have no reason to believe so. In fact, I'm certain he is completely satisfied with his marriage to you."
"Why did you ask?"
"I had to see your reaction. Now that I've seen it, I don't need to go there again."
"This has to be about the football game? If you rule out everything else, there is nothing left except that stupid game. I hope Jimbo never coaches again." The tears returned.
"There are some other things going on that may have a hand in what happened tonight. I'm not certain how they fit in exactly, but he spoke to me for a second before the sedatives took effect."
"What did he say?" Pattie Grace's demeanor softened.
"I don't know how much you know about the allegations surrounding Coach Bailey."
"If you mean he diddled a cheerleader and killed another one, I know all about that. He should be ashamed of himself."
Pattie Grace made those observations without reservation..
"Okay." Niki did not want to anger the wife in this situation, but could not allow the accusations to go uncontested. "First, I don't believe Coach Bailey is guilty of the allegations. Second, I believe your husband has some information relevant to Billy's innocence."
"What do you mean? What information?" Pattie Grace asked.
"That is what I don't know yet. The sedatives hit him before he could tell me. I plan to be here first thing in the morning to find out."
"Are you saying that someone tried to kill Jimbo because he has some information?" Pattie Grace had difficulty absorbing the full meaning.
"Yes, I do. Tomorrow morning, I intend to find out what that information is."
Pattie Grace shook her head.
“But if that is the case. Then why is it information that will clear Coach Bailey? Could it be information that will confirm his guilt with those two girls?”
Niki had not even considered this possibility. She assumed, based on the holes in the evidence, Billy Bailey was innocent. But what if Pattie Grace was correct? What if Jimbo had information confirming Billy's guilt? Where was Billy after the football game? Niki hoped he was home with Sara Sue, but in the back of her mind, she had a sinking feeling.
Niki did not vocalize her doubts to Jimbo's wi
fe. "Billy has been more than forthcoming with all the information about himself and those girls. He has no reason to kill your husband."
"What would Jimbo know that could put him in danger then? He's already told me he didn't see Billy with any of the cheerleaders or anyone else."
The strawberry blonde had the same question. "Has he talked to anyone in the last couple of days about the case?"
"Of course. The whole school is talking about it. Heck, the whole town is talking about it. When I go to church and the grocery store, everybody asks me if I know anything. Everybody assumes that Jimbo knows something since he took over as head coach."
"Does he?" Niki asked.
"Not as far as I know. But Jimbo keeps a lot of things to himself, especially if it concerns one of the kids."
"I hope that doesn't kill him." Niki rose and left.
49
Lane Memorial Hospital
Zachary
"If you need anything else, Coach Wax, just punch that button, and we'll be right here." The nurse in the white uniform gave a final tuck on the covers and left the hospital room.
Jimbo tried to relax. The massive dose of pain killers through the IV tubes helped. The bullet to the upper arm struck no bones, but did damage to several veins extending from his neck.
A series of closures and rerouting would make him as good as new in a few months. At least that was the prognosis from the lead doctor. Flashes of pain shot through the full length of his arm, reminding the coach that the healing process would be no picnic.
Of more concern was the wound in the side of Jimbo’s head, much deeper than he first thought. The path of the projectile resulted in a minor fracture in his skull. The doctor expressed amazement he had not lost consciousness when the bullet plowed through thin skin and thick bone.
Pattie Grace, his wife, had briefly visited him after he checked in. When informed that neither injury was life-threatening, she left the room to meet with Niki. Jimbo did not want to meet with the investigator again. He wanted to make sure he had all his faculties in working order before talking to Niki. That was one reason he feigned going to sleep after the nurse came in to warn her.
Now he was awake again. His mind transferred into overdrive. Why did someone attempt to kill him? He was fairly certain it was because of the allegations against Billy Bailey. He was sure of it.
Jimbo had time to think after meeting with Flavia Foster when she had come to him about getting an abortion. However, things did not add up when he tried to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
That's when he approached Flavia Friday afternoon. He had told her they needed to talk. He did not believe her story and told her so. The look on the cheerleader’s face at that moment should have been a huge warning sign. He never dreamed the end result would be an attempt on his life.
He heard the door open, expecting to see the nice nurse coming in to check on him. His mouth dropped when Billy Bailey entered. The head coach looked worn and haggard, his appearance having aged at least ten years over the past five days.
"Hey, Billy," Jimbo managed, his voice weak.
"Jimbo, you're alive—I was so worried."
Wax flashed a hint of a smile. "They can't keep a good man down. Even if he blows a game he should have won."
Billy edged to the side of the bed. He placed a hand on Wax's good arm.
"Don't worry about the game. It's not important right now. We need you to get healthy again so you can take your place on the sidelines."
Another faint smile from the patient.
"My place is standing right next to you. I realize that now."
A huge sigh of relief escaped Bailey. "You can’t imagine how nice that is to hear. I was scared you would blame me for all this mess."
A slight shake of Jimbo’s head. "I know better now. In fact, I know you are entirely innocent. I figured it all out."
The jolt of surprise exploded throughout Billy's body. "What do you mean? What did you figure out?"
Jimbo tried to shift in the bed, his bad arm firing streaks of pain because of the effort. He moaned. Billy’s focus changed to the health of his friend.
"Do you need me to call the doctor?"
Jimbo pointed at the panic button. Billy grabbed it and punched much harder than necessary.
"Yes, may I help you?" The voice came through the speaker at the head of the bed.
"This is room three twelve. Coach Wax is in a whole lot of pain," Billy replied.
"I'll send someone right down."
Less than one minute later, a uniformed nurse burst through the door. She took one distracted look at Billy, then went directly to Jimbo's side. She quickly checked the bandage on his head and then inspected the wrapping around his shoulder. The nurse bore a frown when she discovered the back of the bandage covered with blood.
She hit the panic button again. When a voice came over the speaker, she asked for immediate help. Two more nurses, one male and one female, flew into the room less than thirty seconds later. The original nurse yelled something at them that Billy did not understand.
The two new nurses repacked the whole bandage over Jimbo’s shoulder. They applied a thick gel under new sterile cloths. The first nurse took a vial out of the medicine cabinet and added it to the IV. After the entire amount dripped into the IV, the nurse turned to Billy.
"Are you family?" She asked.
"No, Ma'am. I coach on the same team as Jimbo. At least I used to." Bailey amended his answer.
"Then you're—You're Coach Bailey," she accused.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"What are you doing here? You're the last person in the world the patient needs to see right now." She stepped away from the bed.
"I just wanted to see him. We’re still friends, despite what has happened."
The nurse pointed a finger at Billy. "I don't know what happened, but I know what you did. You're not welcome in this hospital. We don't cater to the likes of you."
"I didn't—"
"Never mind. I'm not the judge or you would already be in jail. Now you're going to get out of here before I call the police." She pointed at the door.
Billy slunk out of the room, his confidence and his outlook shaken.
The nurse turned back to Jimbo. Between the efforts of all three, they blocked the flow of blood from the veins that had reopened. After inspecting their work, they left the assistant head coach asleep on the hospital bed. The large amount of sedatives finally took effect.
A few minutes later, the door opened again. A figure dressed in green hospital scrubs slid into the room. The figure withdrew a large needle from the front pocket and drove the point into the IV tube. The killer smiled at the coach lying beside him and patted Jimbo's arm. Wax flinched, but did not open his eyes. It was too late for him to do anything at this point.
50
Central
"Where is he?" Niki demanded of the startled Sara Sue.
Billy's wife dressed in a night robe, but it was obvious to the detective she had not been asleep when Niki banged on the door.
"He said he was going for a ride." Sara Sue knew Niki was asking about Billy. "He didn't tell me where he was going. He just left."
"Does he have a cell with him?"
Sara Sue nodded. "I think so. I begged him to stay here tonight. We don't need any more trouble, and it seems to come up when he goes out at night."
"No kidding," Niki picked up her phone and hit a couple of buttons.
"Where are you?" She yelled into the phone.
"I'm almost home," Billy answered.
"I'm here waiting for you." Niki disconnected.
Eight minutes later, Billy Bailey pulled into the driveway. Niki met him outside his home and approached him before he got out of the vehicle.
"Where have you been?"
"Can we go inside? I don't want to wake the whole neighborhood. We've already been enough of a distraction to them." Billy responded.
They trudged into the house.
&n
bsp; As soon as they got inside, Niki turned on the coach. "So where did you go?"
Billy groaned. "I went to see my friend. He’s still my friend no matter what."
Niki exhaled. "Please tell me you're kidding. Please tell me you did not go to the hospital."
Billy stiffened. "I did. Look, I appreciate everything you've done for me and everything you will do for me, but you're not my boss. You can't tell me where I can go and who I can see."
Niki erupted. "You don't get it. I'm trying real hard to keep your butt out of jail, and you're doing everything imaginable to get stuck back in there."
"I only went to visit Jimbo. I see no harm in doing that. He was about to tell me something, but he passed out before he had a chance."
Niki ran both hands through her long strawberry blonde hair.
"Billy, I'm trying to keep my patience, but you are making it difficult. Didn't we agree that you would stay home and leave the investigation to me?"
The coach slouched in his recliner. "That was before Jimbo was shot. I can't stand around playing house husband while somebody is trying to kill my friends. I'm not built that way."
Niki stared at him. She remained standing.
"Do you remember that first night in jail? Do you remember what you told me?"
The coach slowly nodded, but said nothing.
Niki continued. "Do you remember how scared you were about what might happen to you?"
Another slow nod. No words.
"Think about twenty or thirty years of that. Think about worrying every minute of every day and every second of every night who might pay a visit to your jail cell."
Billy issued a weak reply. "I just wanted to see Jimbo. Nothing happened."
"Did anyone see you there? Did anyone see you go into Jimbo's room?"
Billy could no longer look at Niki, the fight having left his body.
"The nurse. Actually, three nurses. They came into the room while I was there. Jimbo started bleeding again."
Niki squeezed her eyes tight. "So you were in the room alone with him when he had a setback and began to bleed."