by Jude Pittman
“Okay, just so you understand, officially I’m not involved but I’ll be along to spend the evening with you as soon as I get your call.”
“Thanks, Jim. I know this is a long shot and my plan may not even work but it’s worth a try given this might be our only chance to pin this one down.”
“Just so you remember,” Jim said. “No heroics. The minute that call comes in, you grab your phone and get me on the line. I’ll stay loose all night and I won’t be more than fifteen minutes away no matter what time you call.”
Kelly hung up the phone and a couple minutes later Cam came back with two large Styrofoam cups. “I had to go down the block to the mini-mart,” he said. He set the cartons on the table and flopped down in the chair beside Kelly’s bed. “The stuff they call coffee here is too much like swamp water for my taste.”
“Thanks.” Kelly took one of the cups, got himself propped on the pillows and proceeded to give Cam a full rundown on the evening’s program.
Cam started shaking his head when Kelly got to the part about Jim hiding in the bathroom and when Kelly stopped talking, Cam let out an explosive breath. “Holy jumpin’ creepers,” he shouted. “I think you musta cracked your skull when you fell outta that shed. Either that, or you got permanent brain damage from suckin’ poison into your lungs.”
Kelly scowled. “Was I outta my head when I insisted on going down to Houston and searching Stella’s house last year? Seems to me, if I hadn’t played my hunch back then, you might not be sitting here telling me how I ought to run this investigation.”
Cam blushed. “I’m sorry, Kelly,” he said. “I know you know your business but I can’t even get my mind around all the things that could go wrong with this program you’re setting up. Like, for instance, what if she simply walks through the door, pulls out a pistol and puts a bullet in your head?”
“That’s a chance I’ve got to take. Besides, I don’t think it’s likely and Jim agrees with me. If we’re right and she’s the one who killed Alex, it’s a good bet she’ll stick with the same MO. Nurses’ uniforms are easy enough to get hold of and what I expect is she’ll try either a shot with something lethal, or maybe, if she thinks I’m still doped up enough, she’ll go for the old pillow over the face routine.”
“Well, it’s your play but I sure as hell don’t want to sit it out at the motel babysitting Stella while you’re over here putting your neck in a noose. Ain’t that bathroom big enough for two?”
Kelly shook his head. “It’s too risky, Cam. Even with Jim in there, we’re gambling nothing will have aroused her suspicions, so she won’t give the room more than a casual glance. That’s where your babysitting comes into play,” Kelly said softening his refusal with a grin. “Stella’s part in this is critical. Everything depends on the way she handles that call from Lorena. If she says one thing out of line and raises the least suspicion, the whole deal’s out the window.”
Cam stood up and looked at his watch. “In that case, I’d best be getting back to the motel. Stella was phoning Lorena when I left and that call you’re expecting could come in any time.”
Kelly pushed himself up in the bed and stuck out his hand. “Thanks, Cam.”
Cam grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard, then leaned over the bed to give Kelly a hug. “You take care, y’hear? I ain’t got no hankerin’ to attend a funeral.”
“I will,” Kelly said.
Shortly after Cam left, a nurse came in with a tray of meds.
“What’s that?” Kelly asked.
“Just tetracycline and something the doctor ordered to help you sleep.”
Kelly shook his head. “I’ll take the tetracycline but I’ve slept enough the past couple of days to last me all winter.”
The nurse smiled. “That’s fine, Mr. McWinter. You can buzz us later if you find you need something.”
“Thanks. By the way, did the doctor explain Captain Forbes from the Dallas PD would be spending the night here?”
“Oh, yes, that’s all cleared and the night nurse has been instructed not to interfere with any of your visitors.” She stood there for a minute with a puzzled frown on her face before she gave Kelly her professional smile and left the room.
Kelly glanced at his watch. They’d be around with the dinner trays soon. So why in hell hasn’t Chris called?
The trays came. Kelly lifted the lid and sniffed. Meatloaf, creamed peas and mashed potatoes. He sighed, then picked up his fork and dug in. He’d need all his strength later tonight.
He’d finished the plate and settled back on the pillows when the phone rang. He grabbed it on the first ring. “Hello.”
“Kelly, Chris here.”
“Thank God. I was getting worried.”
“Sorry about that. I had a bit of luck but everything happened so fast I couldn’t take the time to call.”
“What happened?”
“Well, I’d just pulled in at the end of the block and was getting set to give you a call when the garage doors opened and a BMW backed out and came straight toward me. I got a good look at the driver and she fit your description of Lorena.”
Kelly breathed. “That was close.”
“I’ll say. I might’ve sat there all night with no way of knowing she’d already gone out.”
“Did you make contact?”
“I sure did and it worked like a charm. Celestina isn’t near as dumb as Mrs. Wyatt would like to think.”
“What about my speculations?”
“You were right on the money. It seems Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt were both dipping in the same pond, with neither one of them knowing anything about the other.”
“Damn, you’re good.” Kelly put a grin into his voice. “What did it cost you?”
“Nothing but a night at the local cantina and I won’t even be putting that on my account. Celestina’s a great gal and I’m expecting to have one helluva good time tonight. That is, if you don’t need me anymore.”
“Nope. You go right ahead. You’ve just moved the last piece into place and you’ve earned a night on the town. Toss back a couple for me too, will ya?”
“You bet. I’ll be catching a morning flight back to Nashville, unless I hear from you otherwise. You’ve got the cell number and I’ll keep it with me just in case I’m needed.”
“Good, Chris and thanks.”
“Well, that checks,” Kelly said, hanging up the phone and sliding his legs over the edge of the bed. “Now it all depends on Stella.”
Chapter Thirteen
Stella paced from the bed to the front door like the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof. At the table, Cam and Gillian played blackjack from a deck of cards Cam had picked up at the mini-mart.
“Why don’t you join us, Stella?” Gillian asked.
“I’m too het up to think,” Stella replied. She did pause for a moment at the table and looked over Cam’s shoulder into his hand.
“You’re gonna work yourself into a frazzle,” Cam said, looking up from his cards.
Stella clamped her hands on her hips and glared. “Haven’t you two got any nerves?”
Gillian looked up. “I always tell my newbies you can’t guide a horse once it gets the bit in its mouth,” she said.
“Oh! So now I’m a horse,” Stella snapped. Then she tossed back her head and laughed. “Will you listen to me? I’m more like a half-crazed heifer, if the truth was told. I’m sorry, guys. This waiting has me climbing the walls. I’m going outside for a walk.”
“Don’t go too far,” Cam called after her.
“Don’t you worry. When that phone rings, I’ll be through the door so fast you’ll get blown over in the backdraft.”
“I hope she’ll be okay,” he said to Gillian after the door closed behind Stella. “The way she’s carrying on now, I’m kind of afraid she’ll lose it on the phone and give the whole show away.”
Gillian shook her head. “Don’t worry. Stella’s the type that gets all her nerves out before and after the fact. In a crisis, she’s a rock. I’ve
seen her, remember?”
Cam smiled. “Of course. She’s a great gal. You know I haven’t been this way about a woman since high school.”
Gillian just started to reply when the phone rang. Instantly the door flew open and Stella raced across to the bed. Sitting down, she took a deep breath and, on the second ring, lifted the receiver. “Hello!” She paused. “Yes, this is Mrs. Davis.”
Cam and Gillian kept their eyes glued to her face.
“No,” Stella said and her voice was calm and steady. “The doctor said he should rest tonight, so I won’t go back until morning.” She held the phone, listening for a minute before she spoke again. “Of course. He’s in Arlington Memorial. It’s room 406. I’m sure he’ll be pleased.” Stella looked over and winked at Cam. “I’ll tell him and thank you for calling.”
“Yahoo!” she shouted after hanging up the phone. She danced around the room.
“What did she say?” Cam and Gillian asked in unison.
“She wanted to know if I was going back to the hospital tonight and when I said no, she asked if it’d be okay to send flowers. You heard me give her the address. Then she asked me to give Kelly her regards.”
“Do you want me to call Kelly?” Gillian asked hesitantly.
Stella flashed her a smile. “That’d be great,” she said and danced across the room and into Cam’s arms.
“You were terrific,” he said.
“Of course.” Stella’s face lit up in an impish grin.
“Show off,” he muttered and put his finger under her chin to lift her lips up to his. Gillian hung up the phone and smiled at the pair of them.
“Kelly says it’s all set. If you two don’t mind, I’m going to run into Fort Worth for a couple of hours. There won’t be anything happening until later tonight and I really need to check on the stables.”
“You go right ahead,” Cam said. “I’ll keep this spitfire occupied.” He tightened his hold on Stella and she snuggled her head against his shoulder.
“Do you need me to stop at the Hideaway or check on the dogs while I’m out there?”
“No, thanks. I called Bubba earlier tonight and he’s got everything under control. Marty’s running the bar and Bubba will give him a hand after he closes up for the night. The dogs are fine. Bubba’s got them over at the bait house and he’ll take them back to Stella’s for the night.”
“Okay. I’ll see you two later.”
“‘Bye,” they both said and Gillian smiled as she let herself out the door. It was a sure bet they weren’t going to miss her one bit.
* * *
“I ought to have my head examined,” Jim Forbes grumbled as he walked into Kelly’s room and stepped over to the bed.
Kelly grinned.
“Not to mention the official repercussions that could come of this hare-brained scheme of yours,” Jim continued. “There’s a distinct possibility the first sound I’ll hear from in there—” He gave a jerk of his thumb toward the bathroom. “Is the sound of a bullet splattering your brains against the wall.”
“Finished?” Kelly grinned again and motioned Jim to a chair. Jim sat and glowered.
“Seriously, Jim, I know you’re going out on a limb and I want you to know how much I appreciate the confidence.”
“Like I said,” Jim muttered.
“I know. You ought to have your head examined.”
Jim nodded and relented enough to give Kelly’s shoulder a light grip. “At least you’re looking more like your old self. The other day it looked like a sure bet I’d be dragging my dress blues out of mothballs.”
“The doc figures I’ll be out of here in a couple of days.” Kelly demonstrated his improved health by sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “I’ve been up and around most of the afternoon, trying to get as much strength back as possible in case I do get caught in a tight spot. I’m still a little wobbly but not so bad I can’t handle a small woman.”
“I’m going to want that bathroom door ajar.” Jim said.
Kelly nodded. “That’s a good idea. She’s a lot less likely to poke her nose in there with the door open and the layout inside is ideal for our purposes.”
“I’ll take a look.” Jim walked over to the bathroom.
“See if you can fit in that space between the shower and the wall,” Kelly called after him.
Opening the door and setting it at the halfway position, Jim slipped around the shower and passed out of sight.
“Perfect! I can’t even see a shadow. Now stay there a minute and let me check out what she’ll see when she comes into the room.”
Kelly stood up, held himself steady for a minute to clear the wooziness and crossed to the door leading out of the room. “Hold on,” he called and stepped outside. From the corridor, he pushed the door open, stepped back inside and scanned the room. “Lookin’ good,” he called to Jim and walked across to the windows, where he stopped and made another full scan of the room before returning to the bed. “As long as you don’t sneeze or fart while you’re in there, it looks like we’ve got her covered.”
“Get back in the bed while I check something out,” Jim said, coming out from beside the shower and walking over to the medicine cabinet. “I’ve got a wide angle of this mirror back there and if I leave the cabinet door open a few inches and keep the night light on, I just might be able to keep an eye on you while I’m in there.”
Kelly settled back in the bed and watched while Jim fooled with the mirror.
“What do you see?” Jim asked, after he’d set the mirror and stepped back around the shower.
“Not at thing. You?”
“I’ve got a full view of your ugly carcass from nose to toes.” Jim came out of the bathroom.
“Good!” Kelly nodded his approval. “What time have you got?”
“Quarter past eight. If your calculations are right, we’ve got a little better than two hours before we can expect any activity. Is there anything else we need to cover?”
Kelly shook his head. “We’re as ready as we can be.”
“In that case, I’m going down for a smoke. When I get back I’ll get into position, just in case she comes in earlier than you expect.”
“Okay. It’s going to be a bit monotonous in there, I’m afraid.”
“I’m used to it. You get some rest and I’ll be back shortly.”
When Jim left, Kelly got out a tube of grayish paste that he had taken the precaution of asking Cam to pick up before he left. He covered his face with a thin film. As the paste dried, his skin took on a lifeless waxen hue—similar to the way he’d looked when they first brought him into the hospital. After checking himself in the mirror, he pushed the button to lower his bed and pulled the covers up to his shoulders. When he heard footsteps approaching from the corridor, he closed his eyes.
“Good God! What happened to you?” Jim asked rushing over to the bed.
Kelly laughed and sat up in the bed. “I guess that means this stuff works.” He held up the tube of paste. “It’s actually a type of face mask Gillian uses. I call it instant death.”
“You sure gave me one helluva start,” Jim said with a shake of his head. “Let’s hope it works as well on our killer.”
“I’ll get into position now. You sure you’ll be able to keep awake?”
“I’m sure. The thought of that young woman slipping up to my bed unnoticed is a damn good eye opener.”
“Okay. Let’s get set then.”
“If you’ll kill the overhead lights, I’ll switch the lamp to dim so she’ll have a good view of the target.”
With both men in position, time passed slowly and eventually the sounds of movement and voices in the corridor faded into indistinct rustlings and murmurs.
With frequent glances at the bedside clock, Kelly kept track of the hands moving slowly around the face. As they crept past nine, he set his mind to reviewing everything that had happened since Stella’s first call for help. He had reached the recollection of his first me
eting with Mark when the door swung open and a woman glided into the room.
Kelly gave her one brief glance, closed his eyes and relaxed all of his muscles. She was right on time. Kelly tuned his ears to her cautious footsteps. Lying there, eyes closed—facial muscles relaxed, Kelly heard the soft creak of her steps just before he felt the movement of a hand across his bed. Her fingers brushed his arm, moved across his chest, up and along his throat where she hesitated, pausing to feel for his pulse. Kelly measured his breath, keeping it slow and shallow. Her hand moved again, along his cheek and up to his eyes. He felt pressure on his eyelid as she lifted the lid and let it fall.
He felt breath on his face, then he heard the rustle of her skirt as she stepped away from the bed. Kelly tensed, listening. He heard the small click of her bag opening and the rustle of something being withdrawn.
Opening his eyes to slits, he got her in sight and watched her take a syringe out of the bag. He closed his eyes and waited. Once again, he felt the pressure of her hand. She moved her fingers along his arm, grasped his sleeve and started to slide it upward. In one swift motion, Kelly rose from the bed and grabbed her hands, flinging her downward on the bed and pinning her face against the mattress.
“Hello, Tanya,” he said in a voice loud enough to reach the bathroom and assure Jim he had everything under control.
She twisted her head on the bed and panted for air. “You could get off me,” she gasped.
Still gripping her hands with one of his, Kelly stooped and, with his free hand, picked up her bag.
“Do you want to chat or do you want me to call the cops?” He stepped back, letting her loose.
She stood up from the bed, smoothed her skirt down her legs and pushed her long blonde hair over her shoulders. “You can’t prove anything.”
“Oh, can’t I?” Kelly pushed another chair up to his bed, sat down and motioned Tanya to sit in front of him. “I bet Lorena will be very interested in knowing the name of her blackmailer.”
Tanya’s eyes flashed. “What do you want?”