by Sandi Scott
“If you weren’t always in such a hurry, Georgie.” She looked behind her to see the long line of automobiles.
After twenty minutes of sitting in the heat with the engine running it looked as if there was some movement among the cars up ahead. Slowly but surely, inch by inch the cars started to move.
“Well, that wasn’t so bad. Besides, it’s early in the day.” She clicked her tongue. “I don’t know exactly what that means. Killers usually don’t carry out their acts in broad daylight.”
But didn’t Sean kill Maren in broad daylight?
“Come on, traffic. Put the pedal to the metal!”
Chapter 15
When Georgie finally got to the exit for Winnetka she loosened her grip on the steering wheel. Pablo was a good car but pushing him too far over the speed limit was not always the best way to get to a destination.
Maybe she isn’t even home. She tried to think comforting thoughts. Shopping, doctor’s appointment, anything could have gotten her out of the house bright and early this morning. There is no reason to think that Sean would do anything today. Why didn’t he do it yesterday? Maybe his plan is for tomorrow? Maybe, after he killed Maren by accident the murder bug worked its way out of him and he’s on his way to the police to turn himself in. It’s unlikely, but it could be possible.
In the final stretch of the journey up Beth’s long driveway, the car started to slow and Georgie smelled a hot metal odor coming from the engine. The car was overheating so she clutched the steering wheel tightly, “Come on Pablo. Just make it to the top and you can have a nice long rest.”
The car sputtered and lurched. Smoke was coming from behind her, where the engine was. Finally, she made it to the top of the hill. With three swift movements she shut off the engine, popped the back hatch and pulled up the emergency brake.
“You take a break, Pablo.” She patted the roof while she walked to the back. “Now, don’t be embarrassed. Every Volkswagen bug has its motor in the back. We need to let yours cool off. Your hood will be open for a just a little while.”
Letting out a sigh of relief because there wasn’t a lot of smoke and that she’d made it to Beth’s house Georgie felt everything was going to work out fine.
It didn’t take long for that feeling to drain away.
Before she could knock on Beth’s door she saw it was open. Not wide open but as if someone pushed it shut but the latch didn’t catch. Her instincts told her not to touch the doorknob. If there were fingerprints there she didn’t want to smudge them.
“Hello? Beth?” She pushed the door open with her knuckle. “It’s Georgie Kaye. Is it okay if I come in? Your door was left open.”
Nothing. The entire mansion was still.
“I’m coming in.” Georgie held her breath and listened. Something shifted in the kitchen. A single footstep? Maybe a towel fell to the floor. “Beth? I need to talk to you. Just something I was struck with. Hello?”
The foyer echoed her voice back to her so Georgie walked in and shut the door behind her. The snap of the door lock cracked like a whip in the eerie silence.
Without realizing it, Georgie tiptoed from the foyer down the hallway to the room where lunch had been served the other day. Her breathing slowed as she looked around the gigantic room. It was empty.
Then she heard an unmistakable sound in the kitchen. It sounded like someone was hurt.
“Beth? Are you all right?”
Georgie’s first thought was that Sean had successfully slipped belladonna into something Beth had eaten. She imagined Beth laying on the floor trying to breathe, her face crinkled in pain as the poison went through her body. Without hesitating, Georgie hurried through to the kitchen.
“Beth? Beth?” Georgie found her lying on the floor. “Oh, Beth! Hold on. I’m here. It’s me, Georgie Kaye. Beth, did you eat something? I think Sean poisoned Maren and now I think he’s done that to you. Hang on, Beth. Just hold my hand.”
But Beth’s hands were limp and her body shuddered.
“Where is the phone? Beth, where is your phone? I’ll call for help.” Georgie looked down and saw two small tears in Beth’s blouse. It didn’t register until it was too late. The prongs of a taser made those holes. She’d seen it on one of her favorite crime shows.
“Step away from her.” Sean said. He stepped out of the hallway where Georgie was sure the phone was. There was no getting to it without going through him. Georgie knew she was more agile than many women her age but that would be impossible. Especially when he was pointing a taser gun in his hand.
Georgie raised her hands but stayed kneeling by Beth.
“She needs help. I think she hit her head pretty hard after you sent all those volts through her body and she fell. Do you even know how to work that thing?” Georgie nodded at the taser gun. “She could die.”
Georgie didn’t know if her diagnosis was accurate, but it was the first thing to pop into her mind. If she could just get her hands on a pot or pan she’d feel a little better.
“That would save me a lot of trouble if she did.”
“Sean, you don’t want to do this. You and Beth were partners. You ran a successful business together. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“If you must know, Georgie Kaye Butt-inski, the business means everything to me. It’s mine and Beth wants to take over. She wants to phase me out. I brought her on. I hired her, she didn’t hire me.”
“You were partners. I understand how hard that can be. Why do you think the divorce rate is so high? Working with another person can be hard.” Georgie kept her voice low and sympathetic, watching the jumpy man carefully.
“Shut up. What do you know about it?”
“I know I tried my best to work things out with my husband but he wanted something else. He broke our contract and I was left holding the pieces of our family business. It wasn’t fair. But I recovered. You can too.”
“You sound like an after school special. You can shut up now.”
“No, wait. Look. I know what happened with the berries and Maren.” Georgie realized right then that after all these years Aleta might have been right. She always said Georgie talked too much. It looked like she’d just said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
“You do, do you?”
Georgie swallowed.
“Then I’ll be getting rid of you, too.”
“Hold on. You don’t have to do that.”
“I do. You and Beth will just disappear. I’ll take over the business after the proper mourning period. Everything will be fine.”
Georgie realized Sean wasn’t really talking to her. He was trying to convince himself that his plan was going to work. That no one would ever search for or wonder about Beth and Georgie. It was the thinking of a madman. A desperate man. The worst kind.
“Stand up.” He said.
“Beth is hurt.” Georgie thought about Aleta. She would be frantic if Georgie didn’t come home. Georgie’s breast cancer scare nearly tore her to shreds. She was a basket case and had been with Georgie at every doctor’s visit since. What would she do without Georgie there? Poor Bodhi. The little pug would miss her and not understand why she’d left him. He’d just think she left and expect her return with every opening door. She felt her eyes filling with tears. This was a dumb one. Why didn’t she just call Stan?
That was the face she didn’t want to envision. What would Stan think for the rest of his life if she didn’t tell him how she really felt?
How do you really feel?
Her conscience picked a fine time to torment her with the truth.
“Stand up, Georgie Kaye. Face the window.”
Georgie didn’t know what else to do. She patted Beth gently. Her body was still warm. With a gulp and no spit left in her mouth Georgie raised her hands and stood up.
“Sean. I need to tell you one last thing.”
“What.”
“If you’re going to kill me I can’t stop you. But just know that I will return from the grave and haunt y
our every step until I drive you madder than you already are.”
Georgie wanted to turn around and see what his facial expression was. She preferred to think his eyes became wide and his mouth pulled down into a frown of fear. In reality he probably just rolled his eyes.
“You are just like Beth. You don’t know when to shut your stupid mouths.”
“FREEZE!”
Chapter 16
Georgie heard the voice but wasn’t sure if she was hallucinating or not. She’d read articles about people who, when under extreme duress, hallucinate their escape. But when she turned her head and saw Aleta with her back pressed against the wall she knew she wasn’t hallucinating.
Quickly, Georgie went to join Aleta.
“Don’t do it, Georgie!” Sean yelled. “You don’t think I’m not willing to waste you all? This is a small sacrifice.”
“Put the taser down, Sean.” Stan ordered. He’d come in with Aleta, who had obviously told him about the hallway leading from the bathroom to the kitchen. “Just put it down. We know you’ve got some things that are bothering you. We can talk. We can find a solution. But you have to put the taser down.”
“No I don’t.” Sean turned and raised the taser at Georgie. Before Georgie knew what was happening Aleta charged in, Stan pulled the trigger of his gun, and somehow Georgie landed on the floor.
She’d hit her head against the stove and momentarily saw stars. The room wavered in front of her as if she were looking through water. When her eyes finally focused she saw Aleta lying on the floor.
Aleta?” Shaking the confusion from her head Georgie crawled over to her. “Aleta?” Her eyes filled with tears. “What did you think you were doing?” She took her sister’s hand in hers and stroked it gently. “You are the sensible one, remember. I take care of you. I’m the oldest. Not the other way around. Aleta? Please answer me.” Georgie was trembling. “Stan!”
Nothing else that was happening around Georgie registered. She had no idea Stan had shot Sean in the arm intentionally to get him to drop the taser gun. He did. But not before Aleta got in the way. The wires attached to the prongs tangled her steps. She tripped and fell, knocking Georgie and herself to the ground.
Georgie was sure Sean had killed her. She took a bullet or ten thousand volts or whatever it was to save her. Now she was lying on the floor, slipping away? Dying? Bleeding internally?
“Stan!” Georgie wailed again.
Within seconds the paramedics were there, hoisting both Aleta and Georgie in separate gurneys into the back of the ambulance. Sean and Beth were taken separately since their wounds were more serious.
“Aleta?” Georgie said in the back of the ambulance. “Aleta, it’s time to wake up now. Would you wake up?”
“She’s going to be fine, Georgie. Right now I need you to relax.” the calm voice of the technician irritated Georgie and she ignored the request.
“Aleta, we’ve held hands since before we were born.” Georgie cried loudly. “Don’t let go now.”
“Georgie, I don’t want to have to restrain you but I will if I have to. You’ve hit your head. You need to lie still.” the ambulance attendant requested in a firm voice.
“Aleta? Do you hear how they are talking? I’m scared, Aleta. Please hold my hand.” Georgie cried outright. The tears flowed down her face in waves of grief and regret. What would she do without Aleta. They were part of each other. There was no other way to say it. Life would constantly feel like a huge part of it was missing. “Aleta? Please hold my hand. I’ll do anything. I promise. If you want me to make up with Stan I’ll do it. I’ll stop getting into trouble. I promise. Just don’t leave me all alone. Please. Aleta. Hold my hand.”
“I’m sorry, Georgie, you are leaving me no choice.”
“No. Don’t.” Georgie scowled at the annoying EMT. “You keep your hands off me.”
“Georgie. I need...”
“Just keep your hands off me. I need to touch my sister.”
“You’ll be all right if you’d just calm down.”
As Georgie was getting ready to launch a tirade of insults and even obscenities at the poor technician who was trying to help, Aleta moved her hand. Like she were feeling for an alarm clock she stretched and reached until Georgie saw it.
“Don’t let go, Aleta.” Georgie stopped fussing, clutching Aleta’s hand tightly. “Don’t let go.” She sniffled and let the EMT do what she had to do. When they got to the hospital the staff kept the two women together as best they could in the emergency room. They waited for a while in a stall with the dividing curtain pulled out of the way. Georgie never let go of Aleta’s hand once during the ride to the hospital.
“You’re squeezing too tight.” Aleta muttered.
“What?”
“My hand. You are squeezing it like you fell out of a boat and there are sharks circling and my hand is your only hope.”
“Well, I’m sorry.” Georgie let go. “I thought you were dying.”
“I’m not dying. I really cracked my head though. I’ve got a headache. I don’t want to open my eyes.”
“Your head hurts?”
“Yes.”
“Your face is killing me.” Georgie giggled as tears of relief fell down her face.
“You are a real pip, Georgie.”
Georgie was already feeling better and scooting up in the gurney when the doctor came to look at Aleta.
Aleta explained her pain in a low voice and slowly blinked her eyes open. Georgie watched quietly then waved as the nurses wheeled her away to get a couple of x-rays taken.
“Stan.” Georgie wiped her eyes as she saw her ex-husband approaching. “Thank you.”
“Sorry I didn’t call first.”
“You mean right now? Call before you came to save my life? Are you being sarcastic?”
He started to chuckle as he strolled to her bedside.
“No, you stubborn old woman.” He smoothed her hair from her forehead. “The other night. All those other nights. But you know me, Georgie. You know I’ve never done what I’ve been told.”
“If that isn’t the truth. Did you kill Sean?”
“No. He’ll be fine just in time for trial.”
“Stan, what is it you miss about being married?”
Stan looked shocked at Georgie’s comment.
“Well, there are a lot of things. Mostly, I miss the talks we used to have. When we’d reminisce about the kids when they were babies or some of the cases I was working on.”
Georgie nodded earnestly.
“Why do you ask?”
“I liked those things, too. I just don’t need it every day.” She took his hand. “You don’t have to call first, Stan. You can just come by. But, I’m going to tell you that there might be times I have company. I can’t have you profiling every one of them. They are my friends.”
“Speaking of which.”
“Georgie Kaye? I’m looking for Georgie Kaye?”
“It’s Obby.” Stan said. “I called him.”
“How did you get his number?
“I’m a detective, Georgie.” Stan winked at her then turned and waved Obby over.
“Good heavens, what happened to you?” Obby came up to the other side of the gurney Georgie was laying on.
“You should see the other guy.” Georgie replied. “Aleta is getting some x-rays.”
“Will she be all right?”
“I think so.”
“What on earth were you doing?”
Georgie gave Obby the condensed version of the day’s events. He stared at her with his mouth open as if she had suddenly started speaking fluent Latin.
“Is this your idea of a good time? Because if it is, I’ve been going about winning your heart all wrong.”
Georgie blushed. When she looked around she didn’t see Stan and was thankful. She knew he understood what she meant. But she certainly didn’t want to rub his nose in her friendship with Obby, either.
“Well, I can’t promise you that I can stumble
on a murder for you. But, if excitement is what you are looking for, I might be able to accommodate.” Obby took Georgie’s hand gently in his own.
“That’s not it, Obby.”
“Is it Stan?” Obby asked seriously.
“No. I’m being honest with you when I tell you I just don’t want a serious relationship right now. I love my freedom. My house. My dog. My business. My sister living next door. She is the only person who I really want to see every day. Not because she’s better than you or Stan. But because she was with me when I was just a cell. Do you realize how long that is? We were together as tiny, miniscule cells.”
“I can’t really compete with that.” Obby smiled.
“It’s not a competition, Obby. She’s family. You are my friend and I hope that I am still yours.”
“Of course.” He took her hand and kissed it gently. “I guess I should stop with all the flowers and such. I still believe in those old-time traditions of courting and wooing. Flowers. Candy.”
“Oh, no. That’s not necessary. I like presents. In fact, the more candy the better. I’ve heard that friends who buy other friends candy and sweets are one-hundred percent more likely to remain friends than friends who don’t buy candy.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
THE END
Letter from the Author
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR purchasing this early-release book made available exclusively to my readers group, Sandi’s Sleuths, before the book was made available on any other retailers.
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Sandi