A Gift of Bones--A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery

by Carolyn Haines

  My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I knew it was Cece calling with the drop instructions, and I couldn’t answer as long as my hands were tied. But I could try. Using the heel of my boot, I kicked across my body at the pocket of my jacket where my cell phone was. If I could just turn it on. If I could somehow manage to answer the call before it stopped. With my last reserve, I wrenched my hip, knee, and ankle and slammed my heel into my pocket. “Help!” I said weakly.

  “Sarah Booth?” Cece’s voice was muffled and far away, distorted by the pocket of my coat.

  “Cece, I’m tied to a tree close to Bullwinkle’s in Fortis Landing. I know where Eve is, I think. Get Coleman and hurry. Things are way, way out of control.”

  “I have to make the drop.”

  “Don’t go alone, Cece. Don’t. It’s too dangerous. Come and get me. You can’t go alone.” I had so much to tell her. “I know who’s behind all of this. It’s Dara Peterson and her husband. Her husband is Mitch, Eve’s twin brother. There’s something wrong with Mitch’s and Dara’s baby. It may be genetic. Eve may be in real danger.” I remembered the ob-gyn’s question when I first asked about Dara. Is the baby still alive? “Whatever is wrong, they need Eve’s baby to fix it. It’s so much worse than we thought.”

  I’d rushed to get the information out so Cece could be prepared. “Cece? Did you hear me?”

  There was a garbled response and then I heard “… on the way.”

  I clung to those words as I collapsed against the tree. Was she on her way to me or to the drop? Cece was in a place without any good options.

  * * *

  Twenty minutes later, I freed myself of the rope. The hope of being rescued had given me the determination to save myself. That and the snow. My arms were tired and strained but I had no time to waste. I pushed up on my feet and staggered back toward the road and my car, all the while calling Cece back.

  When she answered, I wanted to weep with joy. “Where are you?”

  “I’m going to the drop, Sarah Booth. He gave me half an hour to get there and I didn’t have time to re-direct and stop by for you. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m fine. I got free. I’ll join you. Where is the drop? They changed the location, didn’t they?”

  Her hesitation told me everything.

  “Please, Cece. You need someone there to have your back. You heard what I said about Dara and Mitch Peterson. Eve and her child may be in real danger. This is all connected to Carla and Will’s illegitimate children.”

  “I’ve been giving that a lot of thought and so much makes sense now. Carla’s ruthless and relentless cruelty, her lack of joy, her anger that burned away even the tiniest pleasure for Will or Eve or even for herself. She punished everyone around her every minute of every day.”

  “Did you find anything about Eve’s brother?” I hadn’t had a chance. I’d been, literally, tied up. “Where does he live? What does he do? What’s wrong with his baby?”

  “I only have a minute, Sarah Booth. I’ll tell you what I know about Eve’s brother. You say his name is Mitch, well he was taken to the state orphanage, just like we supposed. I tracked down an employee of the orphanage who remembered a male infant that was brought to the state institution, but before his records were transferred, someone came to claim him. Somehow the paperwork with the infant was lost, and no one asked any questions anyway. The only thing she remembered was that the couple who came for him seemed to be nice.”

  “And?”

  “She said they were from Mississippi and talked about growing up on the river and what a good life he’d have.”

  “Oh, my.” Now I fully understood the role of Curtis and Matilda. “It was the Bromleys who adopted him?”

  “I don’t think so,” Cece said. “Dara is the Bromley’s daughter. And she’s Mitch’s wife. Mitch is their son-in-law.”

  “What do they intend to do with Eve?”

  “I don’t know. Not yet.”

  “I don’t think the Bromleys would harm her.” I had to believe that. Parents desperate to save their child or grandchild might do many things, but I couldn’t see Curtis and Matilda harming a pregnant woman. “There’s something else going on. Something dangerous. It’s more than just wanting money. I can’t put my finger on it, Cece, but this is directed at you and Eve. This smacks of something personal. This is about hurting you.”

  “Why?” Cece sounded anguished. “Who could hate me so much?”

  I knew the answer, but I couldn’t tell her without proof. “Tell me where you’re making the drop. I think they may have set a trap for you.”

  “It’s not far from where you are. If you go past the road to the boat landing and take the next right, I’m supposed to be one mile down that road by an abandoned boat on a trailer. There’s a loop of the river that cuts back that way to make a big lake. I’m already there.”

  “I’ll be there.” I hung up and called Coleman’s cell. My watch told me he was likely standing at the manger with his gift of myrrh or frankincense, but I didn’t care. I left a voice message. “Coleman, meet me on old Gunter road. One mile down it. Cece is making the drop for Eve and the baby at ten o’clock. I think whoever has Eve intends to hurt her and Cece. I think it’s Cece’s aunt, Carla Falcon. She hates Cece and Eve and possibly her husband. I haven’t figured out all the details, but I think I’ve hit on the truth. I know this isn’t your jurisdiction, but please, please come.”

  I didn’t have time to wait for him. I hobbled back through the woods until the feeling returned to my extremities. Then I trudged to my car, crippled by the cold and being tied up but determined. When I got in it, I didn’t drive to the money drop. Instead I drove to the Bromleys’ cabin. They weren’t home, which is exactly what I suspected. But I went to the woodshed in the back. Mariam had bluffed us good, and my cursory inspection of the shed was shameful. The exterior was a mess, but once I made my way around it, I saw that the interior had been carefully renovated. A gas fire burned brightly. There was heat and power—it was an underground gas line.

  When I went inside I found all the necessities for a pregnant woman, including some equipment I’d never seen. But there were no indications that Eve—if this was indeed where Eve had been staying—had been restrained or held there against her will. But I absolutely believed she’d been there. A quick check of the space showed the prescription for prenatal vitamins in Dara Peterson’s name, books on parenting, and also a book on blood clotting disorders and organ transplanting.

  What? The darkest, most awful thought hit me with the force of a train. Were they planning on harvesting Eve and/or her baby’s organs? That couldn’t be possible—except it could. And the specific amount of money demanded for the ransom was in the right range to buy a kidney or liver or heart on the black market.

  I thought back to my encounters with Carla and Will. She was pinched up like an old corpse, but I hadn’t detected bad color or anything that might indicate a medical condition that would require an organ. Will had looked unhealthy—and unhappy. And Eve was his blood. My god, was that at the root of this whole thing? If Cece didn’t come through with the money then Carla and Will would harvest an organ from Eve or the baby?

  And then an even more dire possibility came to me. Cece was an organ donor. It was listed on her driver’s license. Maybe this whole thing was just an opportunity to get her into a place where they could shoot her enough to make her brain dead but keep her alive long enough to be a donor.

  I dialed Coleman’s phone again. “Answer! You have to hurry. This is dangerous. They might shoot Cece and I know she’s an organ donor. Coleman, please stop everything and come!”

  He still didn’t answer so as I stumbled through the woods I called Cece, who also didn’t answer, and then Tinkie, who picked up. “Sarah Booth, you never showed up at the pageant. Coleman was looking for you. He’s not happy.”

  “This is bad, Tinkie. Call Cece. Keep calling until she answers. Stop her from making the drop if you can. Stop her with any means you ha
ve.”

  “I thought you were going to be with Cece.” Tinkie’s voice was tight with fear. “Where are you? Where is she?”

  I gave her directions to the drop point, and luckily, she was already driving in that direction to find me and was almost there. When I hadn’t answered her calls, she’d left the pageant and started toward the original drop point. “Take a gun, Tinkie. I think this has to do with someone needing an organ, and they intend to take it by force if they have to.”

  “Holy Christmas,” Tinkie said. “Call Coleman right now.”

  “I’ve already left messages. Call Oscar. We may need back up and Oscar is a good shot. If you can get him to answer, tell him to get Coleman to check his messages and hurry.”

  “They’re all in the middle of the Christmas pageant. I slipped out as soon as it started.”

  “I don’t care if he’s negotiating for his soul with St. Peter. We need him. Tell him to bring a gun.”

  “I’ll call Harold, too. Might as well get all the wise men there.”

  “Be careful. See if you can Google Earth the area and make sure there are no other exit routes, especially via the river. This is something we’ve overlooked. The Bromleys know the waterways like the back of their hand. There was that creek that cut up by Dara Peterson’s house, and it was big enough for a small skiff. We’ve been on Eve’s trail the whole time, and we were pretty close. I believe she was in that old shed behind the Bromley’s cabin. I don’t know what Eve’s role is in this. She may be unwittingly assisting them and it could cost her her life if they intend to harvest her organs.” I knew I sounded crazy. This was like something in a thriller or a medical horror novel. This kind of thing didn’t happen to people I knew, yet it had. And at Christmas! With a pregnant woman! In the snow!

  I finally made it to my car and when I got inside, I put the heat on full blast and tore out toward the drop location. I wasn’t far. I wanted to beat Tinkie there so we could join up and go in together. More than anything, I wanted Coleman to check his phone and get there fast.

  As I tore through the night I wished Sweetie Pie and Pluto were with me, but another part of me was glad they wouldn’t be in danger. I worried that Cece would trust Eve too much. I had no clue what role Eve had played in all of this—victim or participant. If Cece viewed her as an innocent and took action on that belief, she might leave herself open to injury. So many things were up in the air—and I was driving into what could be an ambush or worse.

  I called Doc Sawyer and at last got to speak with someone. When I told him where I was and what I believed was happening, he didn’t bother hiding his worry. “I’ll head out that way.”

  “Get Coleman,” I begged him. “Please. Don’t come out without Coleman or one of the deputies.”

  “You have my word. We’ll be there as quickly as we can. Meanwhile, I’ll see what I can find out about bleeding disorders and pregnancies. I’ll give Dr. Milford Warren, that obstetrician, a call. He was Dara Peterson’s ob-gyn and he may speak with me about what’s going on medically. I need to be prepared.”

  “Thank you, Doc.” Before I finished, I’d have half of Zinnia out in the woods hunting for Eve and her baby.

  The icy white crystals continued to fall from the sky, and I worried that soon the roads would be slick and dangerous. This was Christmas Eve, a time for celebrating family and the birth of the baby Jesus, not out in the cold driving over slick roads into deadly situations. The need for speed only made it more treacherous. I took a breath and eased off the gas pedal. One of the old sayings Aunt Loulane had been so fond of—Arrive Alive—came back to me. If I wrecked, I’d be useless to Cece.

  At last I came to the turnoff that led to the money drop. I continued past it and pulled into a byway that led into a field. I went in deep enough to hide my car, then walked back to the road. I hoped I was ahead of Tinkie, but I didn’t know. When I called, her phone went to voice mail, which did not make me feel better.

  It was only a mile to the drop, and I started walking, picking my way down the road in the dark. I had gloves that I’d found in the trunk while I was looking for Tinkie’s gun, hoping she might have left it there on our last case. No gun, but I found an old blanket I kept there for pet emergencies. The good news was that tire tracks gave me a great idea where to walk. If the snow kept falling, the tracks would be covered up, but right now, they were my lifeline in the cold night.

  My aunt Loulane had once told me something that I’d reflected on many times through my life. When I’d been scared or upset about something I faced and I wanted my parents to be there for me, Aunt Loulane had pulled me aside and told me, “You’re a Delaney, Sarah Booth. You’ve had the advantage of being greatly loved. Your parents will always be on your side no matter what, but only you can face this challenge.”

  I thought of that wisdom now as I trudged into danger I couldn’t see. Aunt Loulane had also told me another bit of wisdom that I clung to. “Remember that there is no limit on miracles. They happen every day, and especially at Christmas.” She’d been a true believer in the season.

  Tonight, I needed a miracle to keep my friends safe. Holding tight to that hope, I pushed on through the snow.

  19

  I’d been walking about twenty minutes when I heard voices. I stopped, aware that the snow crunched beneath my boots, which might tip someone off. I couldn’t see because of the snow falling, but they were at the same disadvantage. I was afraid to step off the road—the land on either side was spongy and wet. I couldn’t be certain, but it felt as if I’d been headed downhill at a gentle angle. It was entirely possible a dangerous slough could be only feet from the road. Just because it was snowing didn’t mean alligators might not be active. Did they hibernate? I didn’t have a clue and didn’t want to personally find out.

  Somehow, I had to get close enough to figure out what was happening without giving my location away.

  “Eve, get up. You can make it to my car. It’s just over there about twenty yards. You’re in labor and you don’t have time to waste.”

  That was Tinkie talking. She’d disregarded my warnings and driven right into danger.

  “Keep your mouth shut. Make a move, Eve, and see what happens.”

  And that was Carla, which was more terrifying than if I’d been incorrect in my assumptions. The only thing that could bring Carla out in the snow was money or something even more valuable. A human organ.

  I crept closer. Who else was there? Had Cece made it? A tap on my shoulder made me nearly jump out of my skin.

  “Take it easy, Sarah Booth,” Cece whispered in my ear. “I stopped to get something we’ll need.” She pressed a shotgun into my hand. She also had one. “I know you have a pistol but the scatter range on the shotgun gives us an advantage.”

  She was wrong about the pistol because Curtis had taken it, but she was right about the shotgun being a better weapon for this job. Close only counted in horseshoes and with a shotgun. We didn’t have to be perfect shots. We just had to be close enough. “Tinkie’s in there and Eve’s alive, but she’s in labor. Carla is there, too.”

  “And Will?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know who else. Listen a few minutes.”

  “I don’t have time.” She strode past me, raising her voice. “Carla, I’m armed and I intend to blow your guts all over the woods. Consider yourself warned.”

  I tried to grab her and pull her back but she was gone.

  The shotgun discharged, a sudden, harsh sound that made me cringe. I had no clue what she was shooting at, and she couldn’t see any better than I could. Damn! I didn’t have a choice—I went right after her.

  “Hey, hold up there,” Curtis Bromley called out. I recognized his voice. “You’re gonna hit someone you don’t mean to hurt.”

  “I’m going to kill that bitch Carla.” Cece was taking no prisoners. She pumped in another round and fired again. I was close enough to see the flare from the barrel. I didn’t call out, though, because while they knew Cece and
Tinkie were there, they had no clue I was. Moving to the left of Cece, I intended to flank where I thought Carla’s voice had come from.

  “Cece, Carla is here, and the Bromleys, and Eve and her brother Mitch. Eve is in labor. We have to go to the hospital.” Tinkie wanted to be sure Cece knew her location and she was singing out.

  “I’ve got you located,” Cece said. “Where is that bitch Carla? Is Will here?”

  “Don’t hurt Will!” The voice was that of a young woman in great distress. “Please don’t hurt him,” Eve said. “He’s my father.”

  “Bully for him.” Cece pumped another round in the chamber. She’d found a gun that held a number of shells. I didn’t even know she knew how to operate a shotgun. I should have, though. Dove hunting was the great sport of the landed gentry, and Cece had once belonged in that elite crowd.

  “We need Will,” Tinkie said. “Remember all the blood in the kitchen in that house. It wasn’t Dara’s blood. It was her son’s. The little boy is Eve’s nephew. He’s really sick. Mitch’s little boy needs a liver transplant. Will is a perfect match. You can’t kill him. We need his liver.”

  “So what are we doing out here in the woods?” Cece asked.

  “Carla was extorting Eve and Mitch to get the transplant. And she was going to sell part of Will’s liver for a profit.” Tinkie coated her words in contempt.

  “I see,” Cece said. “I’m going to remedy this problem right now. Carla, how much is your pathetic life worth? Who would pay to save you? When I find you, I’m going to find out.”

  Cece was mad enough to take the action she threatened. And she would do it even knowing she’d sit in prison. I so regretted that I hadn’t brought Coleman into this days ago. If Coleman was here, he’d defuse this whole situation and get Eve to the hospital. I would regret my lack of action for the rest of my life.

  Something moved ahead of me and I crouched behind a tree trunk, hoping it wasn’t an alligator or wild boar or some other natural predator. I stared into the falling snow, brushing it out of my eyelashes. The figure moving slowly in my direction was slender. Scrawny even. And certainly nothing I was afraid of. I launched myself at Carla and brought her down in a flying tackle. I hit her so hard I heard the breath leave her lungs. When I rolled off her she was still wallowing on the ground gasping for air. No sympathy was forthcoming from me. From my pocket I pulled the bonds Curtis Bromley had used to tie me, flipped her on her stomach, and secured her hands behind her.