Middle River Murders

by Ann Mullen

  “Okay, dear,” I said and then closed my eyes. “What ever you say. I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes and then I’ll be as good as new.” I fell fast asleep and slept like a log in a fireplace until I was startled awake by the ringing of the phone. By the time I had opened my eyes; Billy was up and had the phone in his hand.

  “Hello,” he whispered.

  I looked up and saw the sun shining through the partially closed curtains. I smiled and then looked over to check on Ethan, but he was gone.

  “Where’s Ethan?” I asked, groggily. “Where’s my baby?”

  Billy looked stunned that Ethan wasn’t in the room. I could see it on his face. He must’ve fallen asleep, too. He handed me the phone and said, “Here, it’s your mother. I’m going to find out where Ethan is.”

  I panicked. “Mom, I’ll have to call you back,” I said and hung up the phone without giving her a chance to say a word. I threw the covers back and slowly crawled out of bed. I grabbed my robe, put it on and then slid my feet into my bedroom slippers. Two seconds later I was ambling down the hallway heading to the nursery. As I rounded the corner I could hear Billy talking loudly to one of the nurses.

  “Where’s my baby,” I screamed as I sobbed. I grabbed Billy by the arm and cried, “Where’s Ethan? Where’s my baby?”

  “He’s fine, `ge ya,” Billy said trying to calm me down. “They had one last test to run and when the nurse came to get him, we were both asleep. The nurse explained that she didn’t want to wake us. They finished the test and she was on her way back, but we woke up before she got to us. We panicked, that’s all. Ethan’s okay. See for yourself.”

  The nurse pushed his cart out of the nursery and said, “I’m so sorry if I upset you, but I was sure it wouldn’t take but a second. Unfortunately, we’re running a little behind. We had three more babies come into the nursery in the last two hours. It’s been pretty hectic, but then again, it always is.” She smiled. “Here’s your son and his test is fine. He’s ready to go home. Your doctor will be in to see you soon.”

  I grabbed Ethan’s cart and walked away. My heart was beating so fast that I couldn’t speak. All I wanted to do was to take my baby home. The minute I realized Ethan wasn’t in the room, the first thing I thought of was that Daisy Clark had come in and had taken him. Visions of mushrooms danced in my head.

  “I want to go home,” I said as we headed back to my room.

  “You will as soon as the…”

  “No, I want to go home now! Go check on Jonathan and then we’re out of here.”

  I closed the door as soon as we got back to my room. I pushed Ethan’s cart up close to the wall and walked over to the closet.

  “I’m getting dressed and…”

  “Hold on, Jesse. You need to calm down.”

  Suddenly, my milk started flowing and Ethan started crying. I walked over, changed his diaper and then picked him up. I held him close to me and cried.

  “I guess you’re right,” I said. “Maybe I did get a little crazy, but I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to him. I love him so much.”

  “I know you do, `ge ya. I do, too. You just panicked, that’s all.”

  Billy rubbed my shoulders as I sat in a chair and fed our son.

  Sarah and Chief Sam walked into the room.

  I looked up and kept right on feeding Ethan. I was no longer shy about feeding my child in front of anyone. After giving birth in front of God, my husband, my mother, and all the doctors and nurses who came in and out of the room, my vanity went right out the front door.

  Billy walked over, hugged his mom, shook his dad’s hand and then asked, “How’s Jonathan? We’ve been worried.”

  “The pain medicine was wearing off, so the nurse came in and gave him a shot just as we were about to leave. He asked us to come get you. He wants to talk to you in private, as if he thinks we don’t know what’s happening. I told him we’d send you down, so you’d better hurry.” She turned and looked at me. “I hear they’re letting you out today, Jesse.”

  I looked at Billy and laughed.

  “After that little scene a few minutes ago, I bet they’re ready to be rid of me.”

  “What happened?” Sarah asked.

  As I told them about my little fit, Billy turned and left the room to go see Jonathan.

  “The nurse should’ve told you that she was taking the baby even if she had to wake you up,” Sarah said. “I would’ve been livid! What’s wrong with these people? But... I guess they have their hands full around here. I bet you panicked.”

  “Oh, trust me, I did. I just about went off the cliff. I probably freaked out the entire staff. I’m surprised they didn’t throw me out of here.”

  “I’m sure they see their share of nervous new mothers,” the chief added. “You’re not the only one to act a little nutty.”

  Sarah and I sat and chatted as the chief held his grandson.

  “You’re such a good grandfather,” I said, looking over at him. “Ethan said he wants to be just like you.” I snickered. “Yep, he wants to grow up and be heap big medicine man like his grandpa!”

  “We can make that happen.”

  Thirty minutes later, Billy walked back into the room. He had a forlorn look on his face.

  “What is it?” I asked. “You looked so troubled.”

  “I am,” he said. “Daisy Clark is the one who shot Jonathan.”

  “Is that what Jonathan said?”

  “Yeah,” Billy replied. “Jonathan said she walked right up to him and stuck a gun in his chest. It happened so fast that he only got a quick glance at her, but he’s pretty sure it was Daisy.”

  “Pretty sure isn’t enough. He needs to be positive that it was Daisy.”

  “He’s almost positive,” Billy said. “He said she came around the car and was in his face in a split second. He did say that he thought she might be wearing a wig. Her hair looked weird as if it wasn’t on straight.”

  “What are we going to do?” I asked.

  “We’re going to get her,” Billy said. “We’re going to stop her before she has a chance to hurt anyone else.”

  “Where’s my nanny?” I asked, looking around the room. “I’m with you, pal! Let’s go find us a killer!”

  Chapter 5

  She looked up in the rearview mirror and thought she recognized the car behind her, but she didn’t recognize the driver. Obviously, she knew the car wasn’t her friend’s car, because her friend would never drive so recklessly.

  She couldn’t figure out why someone would follow so close to her bumper. Everyone who drives this road knows it’s too dangerous to drive so fast, especially when you come up on another car. Tailgating makes matters worse. What would happen if you had to stop quickly?

  Playing games wasn’t meant to be done on the road, and this road in particular was too curvy for anyone to be able to negotiate some of the turns at high speed.

  The driver continued to follow her, barely inches from her rear end. If she slowed down or sped up, the other driver did the same.

  At first, it seemed to be a silly game the other driver was playing, but it wasn’t funny anymore. It became obvious that whoever was driving that car was determined to instill fear in her.

  Panic set in as she tried to out-run her tormentor, wondering the whole time why anyone would be after her.

  What did this person want? Had she cut off the driver earlier?

  She dug in her purse for her cell phone, at the same time trying to keep her eyes on the road. After opening up the phone, she hesitated for a second and tried to remember what she did with the business card she had received from Billy Blackhawk, the private detective she had contacted about Pat’s death.

  Pat had been a good friend to her and she knew something was fishy about her untimely death, so she’d called another friend to get the name of a reputable P.I.

  Mr. Blackhawk had seemed like a nice man and he was interested in what she had to say. He didn’t think she was crazy. H
e treated her with the utmost respect and gave her suspicions the importance they deserved. He promised that he would help her. He said that he would dig around until he came up with an answer for her. He would not let the matter rest until she was satisfied.

  She suddenly remembered that she had stuck his card in between the pages of her small address book. She grabbed her purse and dumped the contents on the seat beside her and rummaged for the little black book.

  The driver rammed her car in the rear, causing her neck to snap backwards. A sharp pain shot down her spine. At the same time, some of the stuff on the seat fell to the floor board of the car.

  She glanced down and caught sight of the address book. It was lying on the floor!

  She gripped the steering wheel and tried to negotiate a curve. Once she rounded the curve, she bent down quickly and tried to snatch up the little book.

  It was useless. She couldn’t reach the book and drive the car at the same time.

  Should she dare pull over and stop the car?

  Then a miracle happened. She glanced over to the other seat and noticed the small business card lying amongst the few items that were still there.

  Luck was on her side!

  She reached over and grabbed the card, looked for the phone number and then punched the numbers into her phone.

  The phone rang several times before a man on the other end answered her call. His voice was familiar and she knew she had reached Mr. Blackhawk. He would save her!

  She quickly explained her situation and told him that she needed help. She said she was afraid the driver of the other car was going to kill her. She also told him that she couldn’t understand why anyone would be after her. She wouldn’t cause harm, nor would she deliberately hurt anyone.

  As she continued to drive, it didn’t take long for her to be convinced that the person trying to run her off the road had to be involved with the investigation she’d instigated. She conveyed her fears to the man on the end of the line.

  Mr. Blackhawk tried to calm her down by telling her that he would contact the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Someone would be along soon; just hang in there. He put her on hold so he could call the sheriff.

  She held the phone in her hand and waited for him to make the call.

  It seemed like hours before he returned to the line and told her that the police were on their way. He tried to reassure her that she would be all right. Someone would help her. He even suggested that she lay the phone down on the seat so that she could maintain better control of the car, but she refused.

  She was terrified and she needed to hear his voice. That was the only thing that was keeping her together. If she laid the phone down, she’d lose her sanity. She was shaking all over and her stomach was doing flips.

  Against his advice, she held onto the phone and continued to talk to him as she drove the car. Even though it was hard to drive and talk on the phone at the same time, she knew that it was this conversation that was keeping her alive. If she didn’t have a comforting voice to settle her nerves, she’d never be able to handle what was happening.

  There was a tricky curve up ahead, but she figured she could make it as long as the driver of the other car stayed off her rear end. If she got bumped going into the curve, she’d go off the road for sure.

  She pressed down on the gas pedal hoping to put plenty of space between her and her enemy.

  Soon it became a race for life… one she would not win.

  Excessive speed and being rammed by a maniac driver sent her over the edge and down an embankment. Her cell phone fell from her hand to the floorboard of the car as she breathed her last breath.

  Chapter 6

  The time had finally come for us to leave the hospital. I was glad to be out of there. Even though the staff was wonderful, I’d had enough. I wanted to be at home with my new son and my family.

  Billy and Mom came to the hospital to take us home. Everyone else had their own task at hand. Claire was watching all the kids, while Billy’s family was with Jonathan.

  We stopped by to see Jonathan for a minute before we left the hospital. Billy stood outside the room holding Ethan as Mom and I went in.

  “You look pretty good for someone who has just been shot,” I said as I leaned down and kissed his forehead.

  “And you look pretty good for someone who just had a baby,” he replied, slurring his words.

  “He’s a little doped up,” Sarah said as she got up from the chair and walked over to his bed. She straightened his covers. “He was cranky and determined to leave, so Dr. Staton gave him a shot to help change his mind. The doc says he can leave tomorrow if everything is okay. Gunshot wounds can be tricky.”

  We stayed just long enough for me to see for myself that Jonathan wasn’t going to die, so I could go home and not worry. I was still upset about the whole undercover operation that put him here and the fact that I was kept in the dark, but I wasn’t going to say anything else about it… for now. Once he recovered, I’d give him a lecture about not trusting little old ladies with guns. He’ll get a kick out of that.

  We rode in Mom’s minivan and I couldn’t have been happier to be heading home.

  “You need a new car, Mom,” I said. “This one’s old and outdated. Nobody drives a minivan anymore. You need a nice SUV like the one Billy bought for me. That way, if you wanted to go four-wheeling, you could.” I laughed.

  Two months ago, I finally let go of my red Jeep. I loved that fancy SUV with all its bells and whistles, but I had come to the conclusion that it was just plain bad luck. I’d had several near death experiences in it and had lost my nerve to even drive it. So one day Billy came home with a brand new shiny, black Toyota 4Runner. I almost freaked out when he told me what it cost, but I let it slide. I figured if Billy wanted to buy me a nice automobile, then so be it. Then he told me he got it for next to nothing from Redman’s Auto, the car dealership his brother, Daniel, owns. It sure pays to have a family with such diverse careers.

  “We’re not going there,” Mom said. “Just because Billy went out and bought you a new car doesn’t mean I have to get a new one. I like my van, thank you very much. Besides, your father bought me this van.”

  That was enough for me. I knew the wheels would have to fall off before Mom would trade in that van and buy another means of transportation. As we pulled up in the front yard and got out of the van, I glanced back, looked at it for a second and saw my father’s face flash before me. I almost cried. I turned back around and looked up at our home.

  This is the house that Billy built many years ago. It’s a two-story mountain home with a large living room, kitchen, and dining room combined. There’s a utility room off the back of the kitchen. Our bedroom and private bathroom are on the right down the hall, and there’s a guest bathroom past the stairs across from our room. Upstairs there are two large bedrooms with a bathroom in between.

  Billy lived here for many years with his first wife, Ruth, but now I’m his wife and we’ve made a few changes to our home. Over the summer, Billy and his brothers added two guest bedrooms upstairs and a large bedroom downstairs for our babies. They also added a large family room downstairs at the back of the house big enough to throw a good-sized party. The room is a nice place to relax when the whole family comes over for Sunday dinner. I’m just glad Billy does most of the cooking.

  Once we were inside, the house came to life. Athena and Thor, our canine wonders, howled as loud as they could when they saw me. They jumped and pranced to their own tune until I reached down and patted their heads. After that, they went on about their business.

  Spice Cat was asleep on the hearth of the fireplace and never did give us a fleeting glance. He rolled over on his back and lay spread-eagle, oblivious to the commotion around him. He was too content to be bothered with such trivial stuff, or maybe he had just finished a meal. Who knows when it comes to cats?

  Carrie and Benny were ecstatic to have another cousin, while Maisy was too young to know she had a brother
. She was just glad to have her mommy back. She crawled all over me the minute I walked through the front door.

  By the time we got settled in, it was time to feed Ethan again.

  I sat down in the rocking chair and leaned my head back.

  “I love these moments,” I said. “But eventually I’m going to need a break. Where’s that electric breast pump I got at the shower?”

  When I reached my sixth month, Mom and Sarah put on a baby shower that defied all reasoning. It definitely wasn’t the traditional baby shower most people have. Men were there and we had family come all the way from North Carolina and Newport News.

  The party turned out to be a Blackhawk/Watson gathering. I met family that I didn’t know and got reacquainted with distant relatives. Not one of the guests stayed at a hotel. They were pretty much spread out. A few of them stayed with Sarah and the chief, while some stayed with Billy’s sisters and brothers. Aunt Edie and Uncle Bill stayed with Mom.

  I was most impressed when Abby and Isabel Morgan pulled up in the driveway that afternoon with our old buddy, Detective Frank Trainum chauffeuring the two in their limousine. He even had a smile on his face.

  “He’s just here for the free ride,” Abby said as she brushed passed him. “He’s still dating that woman at the hospital.”

  “Don’t listen to her,” Frank said as he handed me a small, nicely wrapped present. He hugged me and whispered in my ear, “I put a check in the box. You know me. I’m a cop. I don’t know anything about babies, but I had to bring a present that Abby could actually see. If she thought I hadn’t gone out and bought you something, she’d give me grief. You know what she’s like.”

  “Did you ask your friend, Alexandra, to join us?”

  “Alex has to work.”

  “Then I assume you’re going to see her after the shower.”

  “Actually, I thought I’d leave after a little while. Abby suggested I stay for at least an hour.”

  I slid my arm through his and said, “I think that’s a respectable amount of time. Let’s go join the others. We have so much to catch up on.”