Deadly Gratitude

by Lori Donnester

  Luke reached over to get a box of tissues by Lucy’s bed and froze. He stared at Lucy’s hand. What just happened? Did he just see that? Lucy’s fingers moved! He stood stock still as he watched her fingers curl around the little angel. Heart in his throat, he leaned over his daughter. “Wake up, Lucy,” he whispered. “It’s time to wake up.”

  Lucy opened one eye and then the other. “Hi, Daddy.” Sabrina squealed. Lucy looked at her mother. “Hi, Mommy.” Lucy frowned. “Mommy why is your face all wet?”

  Luke handed Sabrina the tissues and Sabrina laughed, “Sweetheart, you were asleep for a long time. I missed you! And now I’m so glad that you’re awake that my eyes just started watering again. I’m so happy I think my heart is going to just come busting right out of my chest!”

  Luke leaned over to give Lucy a hug and so did Sabrina. Lucy brought up the angel to show them. “This is from Uncle Don’s friend, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, honey,” Sabrina gasped. “How do you know?”

  “I could hear you sometimes.” Lucy looked around. “Am I in a hospital?” Her eyes fell upon the equipment surrounding her bed. “Oh look! Look at those machines! Aren’t they awesome?” She threw back the covers so she could scramble out of bed and touch everything.

  “Hold on, young lady, hold on,” Luke chuckled as he put a slight pressure on her shoulders to keep her in place. “We need to get some doctors in here before you start terrorizing the place!” His face was wet too.

  Sabrina pushed the nurse’s button and when Esther came in she grinned from ear to ear and pumped her fist over her head. “Yeah, Lucy! You decided to join us!” She walked over and shook Lucy’s hand. “Hi, I’m Esther. I’m one of your nurses. You’ve been asleep for a few days, missy. It’s nice to finally meet you.” She put her stethoscope in her ears to listen to Lucy’s heart and examined Lucy’s eyes. Then she called Lucy’s doctor.

  After a few minutes, several of the medical professionals that had been in and out during Lucy’s ordeal stood around near Lucy’s bed chatting with her and each other. Sabrina felt the tears welling up in her eyes once again. “I just want to thank each of you for all of your help!”

  Esther spoke up. “It was a great team effort. You stayed with her so she could hear you, but Lucy did a lot of the work too. Her little brain worked hard to get better, right?” She patted Lucy.

  Lucy raised her eyebrows. “I guess so. All I know is that right now I want to write a letter to Santa Claus.” She looked at Luke. “Daddy, can we write a letter to Santa today?” A little cheer sprang out of the mouths of everyone in the room, and Luke grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. As he walked back over to his daughter, he pointed up to the ceiling and smiled.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Near the dentist’s office, Don walked into a small coffee shop in a strip mall. A slender woman with short, brown hair wearing glasses and sensible clothing stood up. “Detective Layden?”

  He nodded and extended his hand. “You must be Teresa Williams.”

  Don got some coffee for both of them and sat down, pulling out his notebook. “Tell me about the last time you saw Gail.”

  “She was tired. She hadn’t slept well because of a weird incident with some guy at a Safeway near her house. She said she thought maybe he was following her around the store. Then he got way too close to her and tried to start a conversation with her when she was picking out some apples. And then after that he came right up to her in the parking lot. There was a distraction, and she jumped in her car quickly but he definitely scared her. I think she was afraid he was going to grab her and try to kidnap her or something. She even decided to switch grocery stores despite the fact that she really liked that Safeway because it was close enough to her house that she could walk there.”

  Don asked her a few more questions and then headed over to the Safeway. As he walked up to customer service, he glanced up at the ceiling and noticed the cameras. He waited in line and greeted the store’s associate. “Hi, I’m Detective Layden. I need to speak to your manager.” He flashed his badge and motioned towards the cameras. “I have to review some of your camera footage for a case that I’m working on.” The manager wasn’t there yet, so Don had to wait. He called Luke.

  “Hey, Luke, found out anything else?”

  Luke stepped away from the celebration. “No, Cheeto, I’ve been too busy talking to my daughter. We just wrote a letter to Santa Claus.”

  Don let out a whoop and jumped in the air. Several people glanced at him, but he ignored them and pressed the phone close to his ear as his partner described how Lucy woke up.

  “Okay, that’s been my morning,” Luke concluded. “Now tell me about yours.”

  Don filled him in. “I’m at the Safeway right now. The manager should be here soon to let me look at the cameras.” Don glanced up. “As a matter of fact, I believe he just arrived. Talk to you later.” Don smiled. “And give Lucy a kiss for me.”

  Don and the manager reviewed the camera video and it wasn’t long before they found the sequence with Barry in the produce section. “I can see why that bothered her,” Don observed. “Can we back it up to see if he followed her in the store?” Sure enough, Barry was clearly stalking Gail. “How about the parking lot? Have cameras out there?”

  “Yes, detective. Absolutely.”

  After Don finished watching that scene, he thanked the manager, got a copy of the video, and dashed back to the car. He gave Luke a quick call. “Who needs Treavor? I’ve got probable cause now.” Luke agreed to put in motion a search warrant for Barry’s house and an APB for his arrest.

  Don made another call and listened to a voice mail greeting. He left a message. “Kate, I’ve got probable cause on Barry. He’s our guy. Stay away from your condo and your usual haunts. Just call me as soon as you listen to this.” Don paused. “Don’t mess around, Kate. This guy is very disturbed and extremely dangerous.” Don put down the phone and started the engine. “Come on, Kate Fitzgerald. Now is not the time to be stubborn.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Ignoring Don’s advice to have the condo complex’s guard accompany her to her unit, Kate rushed to change her clothes and get out. As she exited her condo, an elderly neighbor walked by with her little Pekingese and offered a greeting. “Hi, Kate. What are you doing today?”

  “Hi, Elaine. I’m bringing a load of toys from church over to Regis. I’m in charge of the toy drive this year.” Kate bent down to pat the small dog and its entire behind wagged in response.

  Elaine smiled and pointed a finger at Kate. “A toy drive. Now that’s what I call the Christmas spirit!”

  At St. James, Kate shut the back doors on the church van and brushed her gloved hands together to get rid of the dust. She looked at Vicki and Father Tim. “I think that’s it. Vicki and I can head on out to Regis University. Father Bill said he would meet us and open up the old chapel where they are going to store the toys.”

  Father Tim handed Kate the keys to the van. “Here you go. My thanks to both of you.”

  “You’re welcome, Father,” Vicki answered for both of them. She addressed Kate. “I’ll follow you in my car. I promised to meet my mom as soon as we’re done at Regis.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  West of town, Barry headed down I-70 on his way into Denver. Buddy was in his spot on the passenger seat. “All right Buddy, we need to find that girl who used to work for me. She thinks that she can just ignore me the same way Mom and Dad always ignored me. We never liked that did we, Buddy? Maybe she’s back in her condo now. Let’s go surprise her, shall we?” He patted the pocket containing the knife from Brazil as he continued on to Denver.

  Barry found a parking spot close to Kate’s condo, turned off the car and folded his arms. He stayed like that for a few minutes, watching the pedestrian traffic on the street and waiting until it cleared somewhat. He opened the trunk and
put the axe in the pouch in his coat, picked up the dog, and walked into the lobby. He kept his back to the security guard’s desk as he studied the names of the occupants of the building.

  It wasn’t long before a couple swiped their key to step into the elevator. Barry followed and listened to them chatter to each other as the elevator climbed. He got out on Kate’s floor and pounded hard on her door while keeping his finger over the peephole. No answer. He pounded again.

  A neighbor’s door opened and an elderly woman poked her head out. “May I help you with something?”

  Keeping his head down, Barry turned. “Hi, I’m looking for Kate Fitzgerald.” He held up the dog. “I brought her a little gift.”

  The woman smiled. “Oh, that is such a cute little doggie. How nice.” Her smile faded a bit. “I’m so sorry but I’m afraid Kate is over at Regis University right now helping to get their Christmas toy drive off the ground. Would you like me to give it to her for you or leave a message?”

  Barry held up his index finger. “Ah. The toy drive. Of course. I’ll just go find her over there. Thanks for your help.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Traveling to the north side of Denver, Kate found herself singing Christmas songs at the top of her lungs. As she made a left onto Regis Boulevard, her face broke into a smile. The statuesque brick buildings of the educational institution were nestled near tall, beautiful evergreens that were now draped with soft, white snow. It was such a picturesque scene she felt as though she had just jumped into a postcard. She pulled into a lane next to the soccer pitch and drove down to the Alumni Building. She checked her rearview mirror. Yup, Vicki was still right behind her. Just then her phone rang. It was Father Bill.

  “Hi, Kate. I hope you aren’t on your way to Regis yet. I have a conflict.”

  “What’s up?”

  “A parishioner is in the hospital and his family wants the last blessing – the last rites. I have to head over there right away.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry for the family. Of course.” Kate paused. “Are we still doing this toy thing today? The church van is loaded and Father Tim needs it tomorrow.”

  “Hmmm.” A pause. “That’s a tough one. I really need to stay with the family for a while. He’s been sick for a long time and they knew this was coming, but that doesn’t make it any less painful.” A cough. “How about if we touch base in a few hours?”

  “Sounds good. Tell the family I’ll say a prayer for them.”

  “Will do.”

  Kate got out of her car to give Vicki the update and Vicki tilted her head. “Sounds like you’ll just have to go Christmas shopping with my mom and me.”

  Kate grinned. “Fabulous! Let me give Father Tim a quick call so that he knows what’s going on.”

  Barry pulled into a parking lot at Regis and looked around. Pretty quiet. “Okay Buddy, where is she? I guess we should just walk around and see what we can figure out. No students here due to the semester break. That’s good.” He got out of the car and put the dog in his pocket.

  Before long he spied a van with lettering spelling out ‘St. James Catholic Church’ on the side. “She’s here, Buddy,” he whispered. Heart pounding, he got out of sight behind a building and waited.

  And waited. After about twenty minutes he was stiff and his toes were cold. “What’s going on, Buddy?” He walked back to his car and turned on the heat. “Let’s call St. James and see what they know.”

  The phone rang twice. He listened to a recording and punched a key. “St. James Catholic Church. May I help you?”

  “Yes, I was just wondering if I could still donate to the toy drive.”

  “No, the toys are over at Regis already.”

  “If I went over there, would someone be around so that I could drop them off there?”

  “Actually, not right now. More like late afternoon or evening.”

  “I see. Could I call you later and get an update? It would help me out.”

  “Absolutely. The more toys the merrier Christmas for these kids.”

  Barry ended the call. Looks like I have to wait.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  As she admired a skiing Santa Christmas ornament in a store, Kate placed a phone call. “Hi, Father Bill. Uh, not quite sure how to word this…”

  “I understand. He passed away about thirty minutes ago. The family is tying things up and then they want to go out to dinner and they want me to join them.” He paused. “I can refuse if you’d like me to.”

  “No, no. They need you right now. We ladies are thinking about going out to dinner downtown, so I’ll give you a call when we are done.”

  “That works.”

  Kate placed another call. “Hi, Father Tim. Looks like I’ll have the van back around ten or eleven. That’s the latest update.”

  “That’s fine. See you then.”

  As she put her phone back in her purse, she noticed the battery was low.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Barry killed time watching football in a sports bar near Regis. He placed a call to St. James and got the update. As he put the phone down, he breathed a sigh of relief. Good. This will work after all. The idea of a night kill is more appealing anyway.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Don was in his vest with his gun drawn. He, Belinda, and about ten other officers were ready to go into Barry’s house, one way or another. A group went around back and Don pounded on the front door. “Open up! This is the police!” No answer. Kicking in the door, Don burst through followed by five others. Guns drawn, they rushed through the house, room by room. All clear.

  Don walked through the kitchen and opened the door to the refrigerator. It was filled with perishable items. As he started towards the living room, he passed a block of knives. Using a handkerchief, he pulled one out. The blade was so polished, he could see himself. It was like a mirror. Spooky.

  Don walked through the living room and stopped at the display of weapons above the fireplace. “This guy is into weapons.” He glanced at an officer standing nearby.

  “This guy is nuts,” the officer responded.

  They walked into Barry’s office to find Belinda examining the corkboard. “Okay, we finally know who he is. How do you plan on catching him?”

  “We know what kind of car he drives. Let’s put an APB out for that. We’ll put unmarked cars on all streets coming into this area. His refrigerator is full. It doesn’t look as though he’s planning to leave anytime soon.”

  Belinda studied Don. “Is the axe in the house?”

  “I don’t know.” Don’s blood ran cold. “Let’s get everybody on that.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  After dinner Kate made another call to Father Tim. “Okay, I’m on my way back to Regis. Father Bill just called to tell me he’s there. We’ll load up his storage area and I’ll have the van back in two or three hours.”

  “See you then.”

  Kate followed Vicki to her car and noticed a slight stumble. “Hey, Vicki, I’ll drive.”

  “I’m all right.”

  “Let’s just be safe, shall we? I’m sure you’re fine, but you know how many cops are out this time of year.”

  Vicki’s mom piped up. “You and I did drink a lot of wine.”

  “Then it’s settled.” Kate slid behind the wheel and took off. After a couple of miles, she glanced over at her friend. Vicki was sound asleep.

  Kate pulled up to Vicki’s mom’s house. “How about if I drop Vicki here? I’ll lock her car at Regis and leave the keys on the front tire. Then you can give her a ride to her car tomorrow.”

  “That’s a good plan. Vicki is lucky to have such a great friend.” Five minutes later, Kate pulled into the Regis parking lot and went to find Father Bill.

  Trembling with excitement, time slowed down for Barry as he watched Kate walk up
to a door. A priest greeted her and gave her a battery-powered lantern. They went over to the van and started unloading the toys. “Buddy, I think we’re finally going to get our chance.” His heart glowed. “It was worth the wait, don’t you think?” He smirked and sat there until the van was halfway unloaded and then got out of his car, making no noise as he shut the door and crept up to the chapel.

  Kate and the priest came out the door, ready for the next load. Kate shivered and pointed up to the gargoyles. “Those things are spooky. I feel as though I’m being watched!”

  Father Bill chuckled. “Sounds like you have an overly active imagination to me.”

  Kate forced her attention away from the gargoyles. “The toys from St. James are organized, but it doesn’t look like the others are. We could do that tonight. It wouldn’t take long.”

  “That’d be terrific. You saw how many toys are in there already and I have others dropping off more loads tomorrow, so that would make it much easier. I guess I should have done that sooner.”

  “Not a problem. We’ll be done in no time.”

  Barry plastered himself against a wall and waited until they were back at the van. Then he slipped inside. There was a lantern on the floor and tables of toys of all kinds. Trucks, dolls, games, books. Images of children opening their presents with smiling parents by their side floated through his head. Don’t go there. Get those vile pictures out of your mind.

  He spied the oak doors leading to the chapel itself and went in. Positioning himself by the crack in the door, he peered out so that he could see what Kate and the priest were up to.

  “Okay, we’re getting closer to the finish line,” Kate said as she placed an armload of toys on a table. She looked up at the priest with a frown and rubbed her shoulders. “Boy, the temperature in here dropped all of a sudden. I wonder what changed. It wasn’t this cold five minutes ago.”

  The priest rubbed his hands together. “You’re right. Let’s move quickly and get this done.”