A silhouette, formed by a glowing flashlight, stopped where Rainey thought Jared had fallen. The beam examined something on the ground and then began searching the water.
A familiar voice called out to her, “Rainey, where are you?”
More flashlights searched the surface of the lake. Rainey tried to stand, her frigid muscles unable to push her out of the water. She clawed at the surface for balance and managed to stumble forward a few steps.
She called out weakly, “I’m here, Danny. I’m here.”
Several beams of light lit up the water around her. She heard splashes and then Danny’s strong arms lifted her to her feet. He cradled her against him, bringing her to the shore.
Through chattering teeth, Rainey asked, “Wh… Where is he?”
Danny sat her on the ground, took off his jacket, and draped it over Rainey’s shoulders. He stood up, shouting at someone. “Get those EMT’s down here. Tell them to bring warming blankets.”
Rainey asked, again, “Wh…wh…where is he?”
Danny looked down at her. “He’s dead, Rainey. Looks like he shot himself in the head. It’s over.”
#
Rainey stared at the clock, as the minutes passed by. She was on a bed, in the distant corner of the emergency room of Wake Memorial, wearing a hospital gown. She could hear activity all around her, but because the nurse had pulled the privacy curtain closed, Rainey was isolated and beginning to wonder if they forgot about her. She had been deposited in the corner bed, after x-rays showed no broken ribs, just deep bruising. Warm blankets and a saline drip took care of her hypothermia. Playing with the bed’s remote control, trying to find a comfortable angle to accommodate the pain in her ribs, had grown futile. She settled on forty-five degrees and tossed the control on the table. Rainey wanted to go home, but there was no one there to take her. Her clothes were soaked and stuffed in a plastic bag on the chair against the wall. Her cellphone was in her pants pocket, probably forever ruined. It was six a.m. and she was contemplating how to get to a phone without exposing her ass to everyone in the hall.
Danny’s voice called to her from the other side of the curtain. “Hey, you decent?”
“As decent as I can be in a hospital gown. Who designed these things, a voyeur?”
Danny parted the curtain and stepped inside Rainey’s “room.”
Her spirits brightened. “God, I’m glad to see you. I thought everyone forgot where I was. Can you get me out of here?”
Danny looked at her closely. “Well, your lips aren’t blue anymore. Guess you’ll live.”
“I’ll be fine. The doctor said it’s just bruised ribs and I didn’t go too far into hypothermia. He was going to release me, but that was an hour ago.”
Danny took the bag of clothes from the chair and sat down. He looked tired and worried. Rainey saw that look many times when she was in this very emergency room almost two years ago. It was one of the few memories she had of that night.
“Really, Danny, I’m all right. Like you said, it’s over.”
He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, hands clasped in front of him. “That’s the thing, Rainey, it isn’t over.”
Rainey sat up too quickly. Pain radiated out from her bruised ribcage. Wincing, she wheezed out, “You said he was dead.”
“He is dead. Jared Howard was the man in the woods tonight and he died of a gunshot to the head, like I said.”
“Then why isn’t this over?” Rainey asked, holding her side and taking quick breaths.
Danny dodged the question with one of his own. “Did you see anyone else in the woods?”
Rainey squirmed around in the bed, until she could sit up straight without the searing pain. “No, I barely saw him.”
Danny rubbed his face in his hands, vacillating. Then he dropped his hands and turned to look at Rainey. “The M.E. says Howard was shot while lying on his back. The gun in his hand was placed there. The person who shot him was standing over him.”
Rainey’s jaw dropped open. She wasn’t sure how to respond. Rainey knew she didn’t shoot the guy in the head. The M.E. must have been wrong. At that moment, the curtain was thrown back and a very hung over Katie appeared. She had tried to clean herself up, but the alcohol had taken a toll only bed rest and hydration could cure. Crossing the few steps to the bedside slowly, Katie’s eyes moved over Rainey, checking her for signs of injury. Satisfied that Rainey would live, Katie let out the breath she seemed to have been holding.
“Are you okay?” she asked, reaching for Rainey’s hand.
“Yeah, I’m good,” Rainey answered, just before Katie spontaneously bear hugged her. “Ouch! Except for the bruised ribs.”
Katie released her grip on Rainey. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”
“A little,” Rainey replied through gritted teeth, fighting off the stabbing pain.
Katie went back to just holding Rainey’s hand. “We’ll put ice on it and then climb in that big bed and sleep for days. I’m so tired, Rainey. Let’s go home.”
Rainey’s staccato reply was interspersed with quick intakes of breath. “If they… would… give me… release papers… I will… gladly go home with you.”
Danny interrupted the reunion, “Katie, I need to talk to Rainey. Could you wait outside?”
Katie glanced at Danny and then turned back to Rainey, a look of confusion on her face. Rainey squeezed Katie’s hand. She took a deeper breath so she could calm Katie’s fears.
“It’s okay. Go find someone to get me out of here.”
Katie’s color began to fade. “Rainey, is everything all right? He is dead, isn’t he?”
Danny answered, “Yes, Jared Howard is dead and he was the UNSUB we were looking for. There was enough evidence to convict him in his basement, alone.”
Rainey watched as Katie focused her blue eyes on Danny. She was a smart woman and she heard the “but” in Danny’s tone. “Then what do you need to talk to Rainey about? What are you not telling me?”
Danny’s eyes darted back and forth between Rainey and Katie. Rainey hoped the expression on her face said, “Yeah, answer her.”
He must have realized they were standing together on this one, because Danny didn’t ask Katie to leave, again. He replied, “There is some question as to the manner in which Howard died. I’m sorry, but Rainey is now a suspect in the investigation.”
Rainey fell back against the mattress, causing shards of pain to affect her exclamation of, “Are you… fuc… king…kidding… me?”
Katie took matters into hand. “As someone who could probably pass the bar exam, I am informing you that Rainey has been in a trauma. She will not be making any statements for forty-eight hours and then only with an attorney present. Unless you have reason to hold her, I am respectfully asking you to leave us alone. The FBI has gotten the last pound of flesh out of Rainey Bell.” Katie pulled on Rainey’s hand. “Come on, honey. We’re going home.”
Rainey gasped out, “I can’t.”
“Why not?” Katie asked. “He can’t make you stay here.”
“I know… but… I don’t… have any… pants.”
#
Katie managed to talk a nurse out of a pair of scrubs for Rainey. With Rainey in the passenger seat, she drove through the drive-up window at the pharmacy for Rainey’s pain meds, stopped for a biscuit and a drink so Rainey could take the meds, and then headed to the cottage. Rainey fell asleep on the way home, finally able to relax and let someone else be in control. Katie’s gasp brought her out of dreamland abruptly.
“Oh my, God! Look at your car.”
Rainey lifted her head to see her sleek, black Charger being loaded on the back of a flatbed. The driver’s side was smashed in, windows blown out, a dusty sooty remnant of her beloved Dodge Charger.
“Damn, I loved that car.”
Katie patted her hand. “I know you did, honey. We’ll get you a new one. Maybe a tank next time.”
They slowed passed the flatbed on the other side of the road
. An old farm truck was chained down on the bed, with pieces of the gate still embedded in its smashed grill.
“You’re lucky you survived the impact,” Katie was saying. “I still can’t believe it was Jared. I’ve seen him several times with Chelsea. I was shocked when they told me. You’re right, Rainey, I just don’t see the bad in people.”
Rainey adjusted in the seat, sitting up straighter. “It took a lot of trained professionals to pick him out.” She paused and then smiled over at Katie. “I’m glad you don’t see the bad in people. We make a good team.”
Katie smiled back and reached for Rainey’s hand. “Yes, we do make a good team.”
Rainey squeezed Katie’s hand. “I’m making some changes I hope you will approve of. I’m going to sell the property and move us closer to Chapel Hill. Would that make you happy?”
“You don’t have to sell it. We can keep it, use it as a summer cottage or something.”
Rainey laughed. “I’m not the summer cottage kind of girl. We’re just moving to the other end of the lake.”
Katie turned into the driveway at the cottage. She shut off the engine and turned in her seat to face Rainey. “Whatever it takes to make this work, I’m willing to do. I’ll try not to worry so much and trust that you know what you’re doing. If it means waiting on the baby, then I’ll wait.”
“Keep your appointment, Katie.”
“What appointment?”
“Ernie let the cat out of the bag. I know you were scheduled for insemination this week. I’ll go with you. We might as well start this parenting thing together, don’t you think?”
Katie strained against her seatbelt to kiss Rainey. She put both hands on Rainey’s cheeks, pulling back and saying, “I love you. I don’t ever want to be apart from you again.”
Rainey chuckled. “Well, since I am selling my home and just liquidated most of my assets to buy you a house, you’re stuck with me.”
“I’ll pitch in my half,” Katie said, still holding Rainey’s face.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be pitching in. I hear kids cost a bundle.”
Katie let go of Rainey and released her seat belt, saying, “There you go with that plural kid thing again.”
Rainey unbuckled herself and opened her door. She turned back to Katie. “Honey, with my luck, you’ll have six the first go around.”
Chapter eighteen
Katie did as she promised. She and Rainey climbed the stairs and went straight to the bedroom. After Rainey was iced down, Katie curled up next to her, and they slept like the dead for hours. Rainey only roused for a moment, when Freddie jumped on the bed. He found his usual spot next to Katie and joined them in slumber. All was right with the world in the little cottage.
Rainey awoke to the smell of sautéing onions. Katie was home. The cottage once again breathed to life. She stumbled from the bed to the bathroom, holding her ribs. In her experience, the soreness would continue to multiply for at least three days. Rainey planned to spend those days as immobile as possible. Curled up in the bed with Katie sounded like a good way to pass the time.
She stripped off the scrubs and stepped into the shower. Rainey kept her injured side protected from the spray. Still sporting a tender shoulder, her left ribcage was just turning a light shade of purple, the bruise having not fully made it to the surface yet. The impact of the truck into the side of the car had jolted her entire body. The pain in her neck and back was competing with her ribs for top billing. Rainey was so close to the door when the truck hit, her side took the impact nearly full force. If she hadn’t sat up when she did, her neck would probably have been broken. For that reason alone, Rainey was thankful for the pain radiating down her spine. She was also very thankful when the naked blonde climbed in the shower with her. Too injured to do anything but hold Katie against her, it was enough.
#
They were eating the spaghetti Katie prepared when her phone rang. Katie looked at the caller ID.
“It’s Chelsea. I know she must be devastated.”
Rainey agreed. “Go on, answer it.”
Katie slid her finger across the screen of her phone and put it to her ear.
“Chelsea, are you all right?”
Rainey figured if anybody understood what Chelsea was going through, it was Katie. Rainey continued to eat while Katie talked to the distraught woman on the phone.
“You don’t need to apologize to me or Rainey. We certainly understand finding out someone you care about was not who you thought they were… Yes, Rainey’s fine. We’re back at the cottage. She just needs to rest for a few days… Are you alone? Where’s Dara… You shouldn’t be alone right now. When is Dara coming back?”
Rainey could see the wheels turning in that little blonde head.
Katie listened and responded, “Well, have you eaten? At least let me bring you some food… Yes, I know where that is. Ernie, Rainey’s office manager, lives on that road… Uh huh… Let me get Rainey settled back in and I’ll come over and bring you some spaghetti… Oh, it’s no trouble at all… No, she’ll be asleep anyway, after I give her some more pain medication… Okay, see you in a bit.”
“You’re going to leave me here, alone?” Rainey whined, when Katie hung up the phone.
“You won’t even know I’m gone.”
Rainey put her fork down. “Trust me, I will know.”
“Okay, then ride with me. She’s at her father’s farmhouse, about a mile before you get to Ernie’s. You know the barn with the shiny red roof.”
“I didn’t know her father lived out this way,” Rainey said, standing slowly. “Thank you, for the food. I’ve been starving since you left.” She reached for her plate, to take it to the counter.
Katie took the plate. “I’ll get that.” She talked while she cleared the table. “I didn’t know Chelsea’s father lived out here, either. She said he’s gone fishing in the mountains and she’s been house sitting. Dara’s due back there before dark. I just want to check on her, make sure she’s all right. I know the questions she’s asking herself right now.”
“Ahhhh,” Rainey moaned, using the chair for support to push herself upright. It was painful, but rewarding when she completed the move and took the pressure off her ribs.
“You need another pill,” Katie said, heading for a bottle on the counter.
“No, just some ice, please. I’m going to go sit on the couch, if you don’t mind.”
Rainey hobbled into the front room. About halfway there, she realized the more she moved the better she felt. She walked to the big bay window, stretching her torso slightly as she went. It was a beautiful day. The rain left everything crisp and clean. Rainey panned from left to right, stopping on the Sheriff’s car parked where the road disappeared into the trees.
“Son of a bitch. He’s put a tail on me.”
“What, honey?” Katie appeared with a bag of frozen peas, handing it to Rainey, who pressed it to her side immediately. “What tail are you talking about?”
Rainey pointed out the window. “That one. It’s like they’re saying, ‘we’re watching you.’ Does Danny really think I’m going to run?”
Katie placed her fingers under Rainey’s chin and pulled her eyes into focus. She searched Rainey’s face for the truth. “I’m only going to ask you this once. I don’t care what the answer is. I just want to know the truth. Did you do what Danny thinks you did? Did you execute Jared Howard?”
“No. I shot him twice, but not in the head. I was never that close to him, ever, even after he was dead. I would have killed him if I could, but no, Katie, I did not cold-bloodedly stand over him and pull the trigger on a helpless man.”
With absolute honesty, Katie responded, “I did.”
Rainey let the confession of past sins go without comment, before she said, “The Medical Examiner is wrong. It was pouring down rain, he was covered in mud. Any number of things could have skewed his findings.”
“I don’t care what they say. I believe you. Maybe we should call a lawyer,
a real one.”
Rainey couldn’t believe she was in this situation, but she had to agree with Katie. She knew she hadn’t shot Howard while he was down, but if the medical examiner was willing to testify that someone had, Rainey would have a hard time convincing a jury that it wasn’t her. She’d shot her mouth off enough to bury herself in circumstantial evidence. Danny would be forced to reveal what he knew about her state of mind. Rainey tried to kill Howard and probably would have stood over him and pulled the trigger, but she didn’t. Would she be convicted for simply admitting the truth about what she might have done?
“You’re right,” Rainey said. “I’ll call Molly Kincaid in the morning. I’ve worked with her before on a few of her cases.”
Katie laughed. “I know her. I used to see her at charity events. You know she’s a lesbian, right?”
Rainey stared out the window. “I hadn’t really thought about it. Damn, that pisses me off.”
Rainey had switched gears too fast for Katie. She was still stuck on Molly Kincaid’s sexuality. “What, that Molly is a lesbian? Would that make a difference to you?”
“No, not Molly,” Rainey pointed at the car again, “the cop outside my house.”
Katie looked at the patrol car and started to giggle. “Hey, want to have some fun?”
#
Rainey left the cottage and walked down to the office. She waited inside and watched through the blinds, as Katie came down the steps carrying a box. She put the box in her car, got in, and backed out of the driveway. Rainey laughed when Katie pulled up next to the patrol car. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but she was sure Katie was charming and sweet, while she handed the officer a plate and a bottle of water she pulled from the box. Katie got back in the car and put it in reverse. She backed all the way to the office, stopped the car in front of the door, and came inside.
Rainey Nights Page 29