“Yeah, I know who you’re talking about,” Gunny said, looking over her shoulder at the dispersing crowd.
“See if he can retrieve my weapon from King,” Rainey directed, already moving toward Bobo, before turning back to Gunny. “Hey, can you put this in my trunk for me?” She dug around in her coat pocket for her keys. She handed them and the vest to Gunny. “Thanks, and make sure you lock it back. There’s stuff in that car we don’t want loose in this neighborhood.”
“No problem,” Gunny answered, leaving on her mission.
Rainey approached Bobo, who saw her and started to panic. The reporter turned to see what was causing Bobo’s eyes to bug out of his head. That was when Rainey recognized him. She could not remember his name, but she usually did not forget the faces of people she had held at gunpoint.
“Well, if it isn’t former FBI Special Agent Rainey Bell,” he said, smiling broadly. “I’ve been trying to talk to you since you nearly shot me, and here you are, walking right up to me.”
“I recognize the shirt. I remember you were wearing a blue oxford, when you sprang up behind my car while a serial killer was stalking me. Not your finest moment, as I recall.” She looked down at his khaki pants. “Guess you had to have those cleaned.”
The smile left his face, and he appeared to be searching her hands for a weapon. Bobo thought he saw a way out of facing Rainey’s wrath and took a step back, but she had her eye on him.
“Not so fast, Bobo. Stand right there. We need to have a chat.”
Bobo froze. He knew better than to run. Rainey would eventually find him. He decided to remain and take his tongue-lashing. When Rainey was sure Bobo would stay put, she refocused on the man wearing the blue oxford shirt under his wool pea coat.
“I’m sorry, I know you are a writer, but I can’t remember your name.”
“Martin Douglas Cross. I go by Marty.”
“Oh yes, I remember now. You were writing a book and wanted a comment.”
“Yes, I was writing a book about the Y-Man murders, but I’m on to something new now.”
“So, why do you still want to talk to me?” Rainey asked, anticipating that she would not like the answer.
“My new book is about you,” Marty said, beaming. “I’m talking to Bobo about his involvement in the Chauncey Barber fugitive recovery, and what he may know about Mr. Barber’s motivation for stabbing Dalton Chambers. Maybe you could clear up a few things for me, Ms. Bell.”
Bobo started stuttering. “Ra-Ra-Rainey, I told him I didn’t know nothin’ about that Chambers thing, just like I told them cops and that D.A.”
“Oh God,” Rainey thought, “I have to get this guy out of here.” She spoke to Bobo calmly, deciding this might not be the best time to tell him he was fired. “As long as you tell the truth, Bobo, you have nothing to worry about.”
Marty had done his homework on Dalton’s case. “The truth is Chauncey Barber’s nephew—the boy that shot you, former Agent Bell—is in his second year of attendance at an exclusive military school, on a scholarship funded by your wife’s foundation. You were instrumental in having the charges reduced and quite magnificently stepped in to change his life. That was nice of you, but it does give Chauncey a motive for taking out the serial killer who threatened you and your family.”
Rainey had heard it all before. Her answer was the same as it had always been. “You’ll have to ask Chauncey about his motive. If I remember correctly, he told the investigators Dalton pissed him off.” She chuckled a bit nervously, to her chagrin, before adding, “Having spent so much time with that psychopathic pretty-boy, I can certainly understand how that might have happened. Dalton Chambers was a real ass. Hey, you can use that for your quote.”
“Come on, Rainey. Dalton’s murder isn’t the only time you’ve been associated with the death of a prisoner. There was that question about whether you killed Jared Howard, after he was already down on the ground. And you probably let Katie take the fall for shooting the Y-Man. No one had the heart to charge her, even if he was already dying when she pulled the trigger.”
Katie’s had been a righteous kill and Rainey was not going to argue that with this jackass. She dismissed his comment about the Howard shooting. She was cleared of that charge and the real killer was discovered, but the ‘prisoner in custody’ comment got her attention. Despite her better judgment, Rainey took the bait.
“To what other prisoner in custody are you referring?”
“Michael Paul Perry. You remember him, don’t you?” Marty said, with a smirk of satisfaction.
Rainey knew the color drained from her face. She was caught unprepared and let her genuine reaction surface. Too late, she reapplied the mask of no concern. Marty saw it. It seemed to give him the nerve to goad her just a bit more.
“You must remember the eighteen-year-old-boy found hanging in his cell, shortly after speaking to you.”
She offered the standard answer, memorized from years in the bureau. “I can’t comment on that.”
Marty was smug now. Rainey probably should not have made the pants cleaning remark. He dug at her some more.
“That’s okay, plenty of people did want to talk about the sad case of young Mr. Perry. I also found some guards at Central prison willing to state they heard you threaten to kill Dalton Chambers, before the state would have a chance to accomplish that deed. But I think the best quote in my book will come from your old friend at the BAU, Danny McNally.”
Rainey was tired, stressed, and not thinking clearly. Katie and the kids had softened her. The thick skin she wore against intrusions like this had worn thin. She should have walked away, but she said instead, “Danny would never talk to you.”
Gunny stepped up just in time to hear Marty go for the kill shot.
“He may not talk to me, but shall I quote Agent McNally’s Grand Jury testimony? ‘You asked me if I thought Rainey Bell was capable of following through with her threat to kill Dalton Chambers. My answer is yes, under the right circumstances I think she would have.’ See Rainey, even your old partner thinks you did it.”
Bobo picked the most inopportune time to defend himself again. “I swear, I told him I don’t know nothin’. Your other friends might dis’ you, but not ol’ Bobo. I got your back, Rainey.”
Rainey, still staggered by Marty’s revelation, could only manage a terse, “Shut up, Bobo,” aimed in his direction.
Gunny chimed in. “Shit, under the right circumstances, I’d follow through on a few of the threats I’ve made to kill people. I guess it would depend on how motivated I was.”
Damn, none of these so-called allies of hers were helping in the least. Rainey needed to move Marty along, but first she had a question.
“How does a crime novelist get his hands on sealed Grand Jury testimony?”
Marty’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “Not everybody is a fan of the great Rainey Bell. Some people would like to see you get what’s coming to you.”
Before Rainey could say anything else, Gunny stepped up to Marty. “Mister, I don’t know who you are, but my name is Gunnery Sergeant Naomi Pierce, retired U. S. Marine Corps. Oorah! Now, I’m kindly asking you to move it along. We’ve all had a long night. I’m sure you understand.”
Marty hesitated. “This is a public street. You can’t make me leave.”
Gunny grinned. “Did you miss that part about me being a Marine? That ‘Oorah’ means I can kick your ass, and very publicly on this public street, if that’s what you’re into.”
Rainey chuckled. “I’ve sparred with her, Marty. I’d just leave, if I were you.”
Marty was the pale one now. His smug smile replaced by a grimace of fear. “You can’t be serious. There are cops everywhere.”
Gunny looked up at Rainey. “Did you hear him threaten me? I’m beginning to fear for my safety.”
Rainey nodded in agreement. “Yep, you may have to resort to physical violence in order to separate yourself from the threat.”
“Wow, you really are
nuts,” Marty said, backing away.
“You said it yourself,” Rainey called after him, “I’m capable of anything, under the right circumstances.”
Martin Douglas Cross walked away, but Rainey was sure she would see him again. She looked over at Bobo, who was still standing where she told him to stay. Reaching into her jacket pocket, Rainey pulled out her wallet. She called Bobo to her.
“I was going to fire you tonight, ban all my runners from ever taking another tip from you. We pay you well for good information and you led my guys into a shit-storm tonight.”
“I’m sorry, Rainey. They came in the back way. The neighbor said Maybelline had called the girls over there, after she got home. I didn’t know. I’m sorry, man.”
Rainey pulled a hundred dollars out of her wallet. She handed it to Bobo, saying, “Don’t talk to that guy anymore. He’ll get you in trouble. Take this and go home. Junior will find you later, after he calms down.”
“Thank you, Rainey.” Bobo bowed and started backing away, smiling, calling to her, “I got your back, Rainey Bell. You know that.” He laughed and ran toward the corner.
Rainey looked down at Gunny. “You know, this evening started out so well.”
Gunny laughed. “When did it go bad, about the time that baby food got stuck in your hair?”
Rainey’s hand shot to her head. She could feel the dried peas still clinging to her thick chestnut curls. “Damn, I was going to wash this out when Katie distracted me and then Junior called.”
“I don’t think it will take away too much from your interview with that Kutter woman. They’ll probably remember you threatening to stick that microphone up her ass and not the green slime in your hair,” Gunny said, barely able to contain her amusement.
Rainey started laughing. “Well, it’ll give Cookie something to talk about. She’ll be asking viewers about the ‘strange substance’ in Rainey Bell’s hair.”
Gunny giggled, which was a strange sound coming from the hard-nosed sergeant. “Maybe I’ll call in and say I think you’re an alien.”
“She’d probably run with that,” Rainey said, and then remembered her Glock. “Did you find my weapon?”
“Captain Trainer said Detective King went to the hospital to get a statement from Mackie. He didn’t look to happy about it either.”
“Come on then,” Rainey said, starting toward the car. “We better get to the hospital, before Mackie ends up in cuffs. He can’t tolerate Rex anymore than I can.”
“This night just keeps going. Is it always like this when you’re involved?” Gunny asked, trying to conceal a grin. “Most of the time, we just scoop the fugitive up and go. With you, it’s news reporters, dick detectives, and asshole writers.”
Rainey sighed. “Welcome to Rainey’s world, where there is a storm around every corner.”
Gunny slapped her on the back. “Oorah.”
Rainey chuckled. “Oorah, Gunny.”
#
The emergency room doors had just swished shut behind them, when Rainey spotted Rex King coming straight for her. He started in on her before she could take a step further. Evidently, his conversation with Mackie did not go very well. Rex was flushed and looking for a fight.
“You people don’t think the law applies to you.”
Rainey was not in the mood for more of his accusations. “Just give me my weapon and give it a rest for one night, Rex.”
That only made him angrier, emboldening him to cross the line with Rainey. “The only thing that would make this night worse, after dealing with you two, is if your son-of-a-bitch father were still around.”
Rainey felt Gunny’s hand on her elbow, just as she was about to launch into Rex King once and for all. Gunny positioned herself between Rainey and Rex, and to Rainey’s surprise, was not the least bit confrontational. Her transformation from tough as nails to polite peacemaker startled Rainey out of wanting to throttle King Squared into King Cubed.
“Detective King, I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Naomi Pierce, retired,” she said, extending her hand in greeting. “I don’t think anyone will be served well by cursing the dead, do you? Now, why don’t you and I go collect Rainey’s weapon, while she sees to her friend, and if you want to talk later, I’m sure she has plenty to say to you.”
Gunny so shocked Rex, he lost the ability to speak, and before he knew what was happening, she had escorted him out the emergency room doors. Rainey was still standing there with her mouth open, when Junior slid to a stop next to her. He looked frightened, spoke breathlessly, and began dragging Rainey down the hall with him.
“Rainey, Mackie’s heart stopped. Come quick.”
Rainey felt her face go ashen. She started running beside Junior, toward the doors that barred the public from the exam rooms. A nurse saw them coming, recognized Junior, and hit a button behind the desk. They passed through the doors without breaking stride.
“I thought he was stable. What happened?”
Junior choked back tears with his answer. “I don’t know.”
When they rounded the corner, Rainey saw Thelma leaning against the wall, in tears. That’s when she heard the high-pitched whine of a defibrillator charging and the shout of, “Again!” coming from the trauma room. The flat-line alarm on the heart monitor droned in the background, eeeeeeeeee— Rainey passed Thelma and pushed her way into the trauma room, where her guardian angel lay dying.
“Zzzzchuunk!” The defibrillator sounded, as the doctor sent an electrical pulse into Mackie’s body, causing it to convulse, but the flat-line returned immediately on the heart monitor screen.
“No pulse,” a nurse said, as he prepared another shot of adrenaline and another resumed chest compressions.
Rainey wanted there to be no doubt about the man on the table. “Don’t give up on him,” she said from the doorway. “He walked out of a jungle with five bullets in him, carrying my father. Don’t you give up on him.”
A nurse turned toward her, to force her back out of the room. Rainey stepped back, but not before shouting, “Don’t you give up, Mackie! You fight, goddammit!”
“Again,” the doctor shouted. “Push the next epi.”
“Charging,” another voice said.
The defibrillator whine built to a crescendo for the next shock it was to deliver, when someone shouted, “Wait! He has a pulse.”
Rainey slid down the hallway wall to her knees and thanked God for another blessing in her life. When she finished, she had one more person to address. She whispered, “I promise to keep him safe, Dad. Thanks for knowing I needed him with me more than you do.”
She felt hands on her shoulders. A familiar voice whispered close to her ear, “Come on, let them do their work.”
Rainey looked up to see Ernie smiling down at her.
“You all know it’ll take more than a shot through a ballistics vest to stop that big man in there, don’t you? I’ve known him longer than any of you, and I know damn well he isn’t going to die today. So, let’s all go get some coffee and they’ll come get us when we can see him.”
A nurse came out of Mackie’s room, just as Ernie finished. “She’s right. His heart is beating normally again and we have him closely monitored. Y’all go on down to the waiting area. The doctor will come out to talk to you.”
“Thank you, we’ll do that,” Ernie said, acting as spokesperson for the group.
Rainey was happy to have someone else take charge for the moment. Ernie was never one to wallow in misery and she wouldn’t allow those around her to do so either. She held out her hand to help Rainey from the floor.
“I’m glad you’re here, Ernie,” Rainey said, standing up.
“Well, somebody had to come down here and straighten you all out. Nothing worse than a bunch of negative energy around sick people. A little positive attitude goes a long way.” She paused and tilted her head, a puzzled look crossing her face as she gazed at Rainey. “You know, when I saw you on TV, I was trying to figure out what
that was in your hair.”
Rainey’s hand went to the green slime embedded in her curls. “Weather likes to throw strained peas and anything else she can get her hands on.”
Ernie looped her arm through Rainey’s, as they started down the hall, following Thelma and Junior. “Well, I know she doesn’t have your DNA, but that child is the spittin’ image of your personality, and to that I say—you are in for a hell of a ride to adulthood.”
It crossed Rainey’s mind that maybe this was it, the other shoe dropping. If so, it was working out okay. Mackie might be down, but she felt sure he would pull through this. If he was going to die, she reasoned with herself, a few minutes ago would have been the time. She hung onto that hope, telling herself maybe this would inspire Mackie to get into better shape, start watching what he ate, and live to be one hundred. By then, maybe Rainey would be ready to let him go.
Deciding not to share her thoughts with Ernie, Rainey smiled down at the small gray-bunned woman on her arm, replying to the prediction of future parental woes with Weather, “Let’s just see if we can stop her from throwing food first. We’ll worry about the storms to come, after she’s out of diapers.”
“Oh, throwing food will be the least of your worries with that one.” Ernie said with a chuckle. “There will be rainy weather in your future, you can count on that.”
Rainey laughed. “Clever word play there. Probably should have given that weather theme a bit more thought when we named her.”
Rainey’s attention was unexpectedly drawn back to the trauma room, where Mackie’s heart was now beating again. The sudden sense of approaching doom returned in a rush. Immediately, her father’s voice was inside her head, whispering, “Watch your back, Rainey. There’s trouble.” She stopped walking and stared back at the door of the room.
Ernie stopped with her. She knew Rainey well enough to recognize when something wasn’t right. She also knew to respect Rainey’s intuition. “What is it, Rainey?”
“Dad,” she whispered. “He’s trying to tell me something.”
Rainey did not feel strange admitting to Ernie that she heard her father’s voice at times, and with good reason.
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