Billy’s breathing had returned to normal. He recognized the next street and made a right turn, which would take him back to the main drag. He was closer to the building site than he thought. His battle plan in place, Billy took the final turn that would take him to his destination. Time to put on the mask and act as if nothing was wrong. He parked beside Marian’s car. She was sitting in the driver’s seat with a petulant look on her face. They climbed out of the vehicles simultaneously and walked toward the foundation.
“You’re late,” Marian said as she studied Billy’s face.
“I’m sorry, there was a big party ahead of us.”
“How’s Roni?” she asked.
“She’s doing well. She’s really getting excited about being a grandmother.”
“I’ll bet,” she said. “Why was she so anxious to see you?”
“Oh, I think she just missed seeing me. It’s been awhile.”
“I had the impression it was something specific,” Marian said.
“I don’t know where you got that impression. We were just catching up.”
“Maybe I could come next time,” she said. “If you’re just catching up.”
“Sure, that would be fine. Have you checked out the foundation?”
“Yes, I walked it when I first got here,” she said. “I think it looks OK but I’m not a construction expert.”
“Well, let’s check it out. I’m glad we did the deep pour. I realize we’re not going to finish the basement, but it will help with resale.”
“Good grief,” she said as they began to walk around the poured foundation. “Are you already thinking about resale?”
“I’m not a young man, Marian. We have to consider that aspect. They’ve back filled around the foundation since we were here last.”
“Is that the wood for the floor over there?” Marian asked as she pointed to the floor joist and sub floor tied in bundles lying nearby.
“Yeah, they should be starting that next week.”
“Why do they wait so long?” Marian asked as they continued to walk around the edge of the steepest part of the foundation. She had moved to Billy’s side when he stopped to look at the stacks of lumber.
“They told me it has something to do with the concrete…. Oh shit,” Billy said as he tumbled over the edge.
Intense pain accompanied his sudden landing. Unable to move, Billy stared up at the cloudless sky, trying to figure out how he could possibly have fallen. In addition to the pain, he felt intense regret that Roni would never know how right she was.
Chapter Sixty-Six
EMT Sam Kelly had just taken his first sip of the chicken noodle soup that had been simmering for the last four hours when the warning bell signaled an emergency call. He looked longingly at the bowl, grabbed a piece of bread for energy, and ran to his rig. Buff, with a blond buzz cut, Sam looked exactly like the ex-marine most people suspected he was.
His supervisor, Jake Perry, met him in the hallway. Jake had wavy black hair with impressive blue eyes, and he was hoping for a career change. That he had recently cut a country western album with a major recording studio would probably surprise his co-workers. It would remain his secret for the time being. No use risking the constant razzing. Jake still lived paycheck to paycheck but hoped his new album would mean a new career path. Jake explained the nature of the call as they suited up.
“Some guy fell into a new foundation on the bluffs,” Jake said.
“So, is the pumper coming too, in case we need a ladder?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, that’s the plan,” Sam said as he jumped in the driver’s side, fired up the engine, turned on the flashers, and pulled out of Firehouse Number Five.
“The address is 25 Alton Heights Road,” Jake said from the passenger seat. “Do you know where that is?”
“Yeah, I’ve been up there before,” Sam said as he headed north.
“I’ll verify on the GPS,” Jake said as he entered the address.
“Does that look right?” Jake asked.
“Yeah, we’re on the same page,” Sam said as he continued to the site. He turned left on Alton Heights Road, and headed up the gradual incline that would take them to the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River.
“Wow, it’s a nice view from up here,” Jake said as they reached the top and continued down the road.
“Yeah, I went to a party up here,” Sam said. “There’s a great view of the river. I think it’s coming up here on the right.”
“That’s it, that’s it,” Jake said as Sam braked and pulled onto the gravel road with the pumper not far behind.
They spotted two cars that were parked side by side as they pulled alongside. An older woman appeared, waving her arms to get their attention. As they climbed out of the cab, she approached Jake and fell into his arms. He helped her to the ground as she struggled for breath.
“We were just walking around the perimeter,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “I turned around and he was just gone. I looked down there, and tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. He’s not moving.”
“We’ll check it out, Ma’am,” Jake said as he nodded at Sam, who grabbed his bag and moved toward the edge of the precipice. He was joined by one of the firefighters.
“I’ll get a ladder,” the firefighter said.
“I’m afraid he’s dead,” the woman said as she continued clawing Jake. “I just know he’s dead. Oh my God.”
“What’s your name, Ma’am?” Jake asked as he assessed her condition.
“Marian Diamond,” she said. “That’s my husband, Billy, down there. I don’t think he could survive a fall like that.”
“We won’t know until we get down there,” Jake said.
“He’s not moving,” she said as her tone took on a wailing quality. “I didn’t think he was breathing either. Oh my God, I can’t believe it. Billy is gone.”
Sam and the fireman lowered the ladder into the foundation. With the fireman holding the ladder, Sam began his descent into the hole.
“I can’t believe Billy’s gone,” Marian said. “We’ve only been married a few months. This can’t be happening.”
“Marian, you need to calm down,” Jake said as he checked her pulse. “Sam is going down there. Let’s wait and see, OK?”
“I know he’s dead,” Marian said as she seemed to get more hysterical by the minute. “You can’t survive a fall like that when you’re 85. What am I going to do?”
“Marian, would you like me to give you something to relax a little?” Jake asked.
“What are you talking about?” Marian demanded. “I don’t want a damn sedative. Are you kidding me? My husband’s dead and you want to give me a shot. Listen, I’m going to tell you, if Billy’s dead, I want him taken to the Burger Funeral Home. Do you understand?”
“Let’s wait and see,” Jake said, somewhat taken aback my Marian’s statements.
Sam Kelly couldn’t make out the exact words spoken by the old woman as he climbed down the ladder, but the overall tone seemed to be one of hysteria. He would much rather be assessing the victim than coping with someone’s emotional baggage.
It was that part of the job, coupled with the bad hours and compensation, that had fueled his decision to go back to college for a degree in computer science. Web design was his future, as far away from death and drama as he could get. He repeated ABC several times as he reached the bottom, so he would remember to assess airway, breathing, and circulation, the cardinal tenets of every EMT.
Sam approached Billy, who was lying on his back and knelt down beside him. He completed his initial assessment and touched the radio on his shoulder.
“Jake, are you there?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, Sam, what have you got?” Jake asked as he stared at Marian.
“His pulse is weak and his blood pressure is low,” Sam said. “We need to get him to the hospital STAT.”
Before Jake could respond Marian began wailing. “Oh, my God, you mean he’s still alive?”
Chapter Sixty-Seven
The saga in the hole continued, as Sam began cataloging other observations. Billy was unconscious, and his pupils were unequal, but reactive, to the small flashlight Sam flashed in his eyes. Sam was about to continue when he had another thought.
“Jake,” he said as he tapped his radio again.
“Yeah, Sam,” Jake responded.
“Jake, I think we should call for the chopper and send him SLUH,” Sam said.
“That’s probably a good idea,” Jake said. “I’ll call dispatch.”
“What’s going on?” Marian demanded. “What are you talking about?”
“We’re going to take Billy to St. Louis University Hospital,” Jake said. “It’s the closest Level 1 Trauma Center. It’s Billy’s best chance of survival.”
“You mean he’d go to St. Louis?” Marian asked. “I’m not sure I want that. I get to decide, right?”
“Marian, you want Billy to get the best care, right?” Jake asked.
“Well, sure. I’m just not sure I want to go there,” Marian said.
“If that was my relative, that’s where I would go,” Jake said.
“Well, I don’t want that,” Marian said.
“Ma’am, it’s my opinion that’s the best course of action, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
Jake contacted his base, and did his best to deal with a very anxious Marian, who asked every few minutes if Billy was still alive. Meanwhile, Sam ignored most of Jack’s requests for information because all he could hear was Marian’s incessant questions delivered in a singularly whiny voice. He decided Billy Diamond probably jumped in the hole just to escape.
Sam started an IV, gingerly placed a collar around Billy’s neck, and placed an air cast on Billy’s compound right femur fracture. A fireman brought down a stretcher and helped Sam transfer Billy onto it. With the help of the hoist from the fire truck, Billy’s stretcher was lifted to the surface. Marian managed to get up from the ground and run to Billy’s side, peppering Sam with questions as he climbed up the ladder and continued to minister to Billy.
“Has he been conscious at all?” Marian asked. “Has he said anything?”
“No, he’s been unconscious the whole time,” Sam said.
“Is he going to make it?” she asked anxiously.
“I don’t know,” Sam said. “I think he might have a head injury, and I know his leg’s broken. It’s also possible he might have internal injuries.”
“Is there someone I can call for you?” Jake asked.
“I’ll call my son, Murray,” Marian said, as they heard the ARCH helicopter approach.
“You’ll have to stay over there,” Jake told Marian, as he moved her back, much to Sam’s relief.
The blue helicopter landed in the field behind the foundation and the door opened. The flight nurse, helmet fastened in place, jumped out and met Sam and Jake, who were approaching with Billy’s stretcher. Sam gave the nurse a detailed report and then backed off. After Billy was loaded in the bay, the chopper lifted off. Sam and Jake reluctantly joined Marian.
An Alton police officer, Frank Tolle, climbed out of his patrol car and approached the group. Tolle looked to be mid-60s with a buzz cut Sam hadn’t seen on anyone in 30 years. Tolle’s uniform shirt looked as if the buttons were going to pop off with his next exhalation; his gut was that enormous.
“What happened up here?” Tolle asked.
“It was an accident,” Marian said. “My husband and I were just checking the foundation. Somehow, Billy lost his balance and fell in the foundation.”
“Were you the only ones here?” Tolle asked.
“Well, yes,” Marian said. “I’m telling you, it was just an accident. There’s nothing to investigate here.”
“What’s your name, Ma’am?” Tolle asked.
“I’m Marian Diamond,” she said. “My husband’s name is Billy. Look, I can’t answer any more of your asinine questions. I’ve got to get to the hospital.”
“I’m going to need some more information,” Tolle said.
“Then you’re going to have to come to the hospital,” Marian said as she stomped away, climbed in her car, and sped away.
“Wow, she’s a peach,” Tolle said sarcastically.
“That’s not the word I would use,” Jake said.
“I’ll give my opinion,” Sam said. “That poor bastard jumped just to get away from her.”
“Do you think it was an accident?” Tolle asked.
“I don’t know,” Jake said. “Something about her is just off. I mean, who tells you what funeral home to take their loved one to before they even know whether the person is dead or not?”
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Roni wanted to finish her shopping and get home before the severe thunderstorms forecast for later materialized. The lack of a killing frost had stalled autumn, the trees responding by retaining most of their leaves. For the most part, the sky was a gorgeous shade of wall to wall blue but in the distance to the west, angry banks of clouds gathered.
Roni thought the clouds mirrored her thoughts. Billy’s response to the information she provided seemed inscrutable, which made Roni wonder if he didn’t believe her or didn’t care. As she grabbed a loaf of whole-wheat bread, she could only hope he just needed time to process everything and wouldn’t angrily reject her.
If Billy knew about all the dead husbands, Roni wondered why he hadn’t said something. He had just sat there in a kind of stunned silence, taking it all in without comment. Maybe that was the logical reaction, if he didn’t know about Marian’s other marriages. Roni tried to imagine how she would feel if the roles were reversed but came up empty. Lost in thought, she realized she forgot hamburger buns and went back to the bread aisle. She was about to head for the checkout when her cell phone chirped.
“Hello,” she said as she tried to balance the phone with pushing the cart.
“Hey, Roni,” Harley said. “Where are you?”
“I’m at Dierbergs,” Roni said. “I’m almost done, so I shouldn’t be too much longer. What’s up?”
“How did it go with Billy?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” Roni said. “He didn’t get mad. In fact, he really didn’t say much of anything. I think he needs some time to process everything and what it means.”
“Look, I just got a call from Theresa Langone.”
“I haven’t talked to her since high school,” she said. “What did she want?”
“She’s the manager of the emergency department at St. Louis University Hospital. She wanted you to know that Billy was just airlifted there from Alton.”
“Oh, my God, what happened?” she asked.
“She didn’t know all the details, but apparently, Marian said that Billy accidently fell into the foundation of the new house. Theresa said they were still evaluating his condition.”
“Accidently, my ass,” Roni said.
“I’m leaving now. I’ll pick you up and we’ll go up there together. I don’t want you driving.”
“OK, I’ll call Dave while I’m waiting,” she said. “I want this so-called accident investigated from the get-go.”
Forty minutes later, Roni and Harley walked through the sliding doors into St. Louis University Hospital, the best level 1 trauma center in the area. Roni asked to see her high school friend, Theresa Langone. A tall, thin, gray-haired woman approached the desk and smiled at Roni.
“Hey, Roni,” Theresa said as she came around the desk and hugged Roni.
“It’s been a long time,” Roni said.
“Hi, Harley,” Theresa said. “You haven’t aged a bit. No cracks about my prematurely gray hair. Look, Billy’s in surgery. He presented with a TBI and internal bleeding, probably spleen, but we weren’t really sure. He’s critical.”
“What did the head CT show?” Roni asked.
“No evidence of a subdural but there is some bleeding,” Theresa said. “They may have to release some of the pressure if they can stop the i
nternal bleeding. I wish I had better news.”
“Has he been awake at all?” Roni asked.
“No, he’s been unconscious the whole time,” Theresa said.
“Is Marian here?” Harley asked.
“Yeah, that’s not your mom, right?” Theresa asked. “I mean, I remember your mom from high school.”
“No, that’s Billy’s second wife,” Roni said. “Did she say anything?”
“About what exactly?” Theresa asked.
“About what happened?” Roni asked.
“She just keeps saying it was an accident,” Theresa said.
“I’m sure I’m going to sound paranoid,” Roni said. “Here’s the deal. I don’t think this was an accident. I think she pushed him so I don’t want her to be alone with him, OK?”
“OK,” Theresa said tentatively, as a nurse at the desk waved at her.
“Phone call, Theresa,” the nurse said. “It’s the OR about Mr. Diamond.”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Dave Meyer pulled onto Alton Heights Road and just kept going until he saw the police cars, always the easy way to find the crime scene. As part of the major case squad, he was never the first one at the scene. A lot of times, it was days or even weeks before the request was made for the squad’s involvement.
This time would be different, Dave thought as he parked his unmarked car behind the Alton P.D. cruiser. He had called a contact, John Wood, a detective with the Alton P.D. and requested John meet him at the scene. As Dave climbed out of his car, John Wood pulled up in his unmarked. They stepped in front of both cars and shook hands.
“Thanks for meeting me, John,” Dave said.
“You sounded kind of mysterious on the phone,” John said. “What’s this about?”
“I know this probably looks like an accident,” Dave said. “And, honestly, it might have been, but I’ve been helping my sister’s friend look at the victim’s wife for possible involvement in her previous husbands’ deaths.”
“How many are we talking about?” John asked.
“Billy is her sixth husband,” Dave said. “Only one other guy survived.”
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