Murderous Intent and Deadly Desires

by Angela C. Blackmoore

  Bakes stopped nuzzling Wallace’s arm and stepped towards her with a mask of rage, grabbing Abby by her hoodie. “What? What did you say?” Bakes shrieked loudly.

  Abby reeled back, turning her face away from the shrieking woman. The sound beat against her headache, and Bakes’ breath was unbearable, smelling like spoiled meat and cigarettes. Abby didn’t dare repeat what she said, fearing the woman might actually bite her.

  Wallace had looked up from where he was slumped over the table, his stare hard. Even as Bakes was practically crawling on Abby’s lap, she was more chilled at the cold, deadly glare that Wallace leveled at her. He pushed himself up and walked over next to Bakes, shaking his head.

  “You know, you just signed your death warrant,” Wallace said casually.

  “But why did you do it?” Abby said, once again cursing her voice. She was beyond terrified, but her curiosity turned over and over in her head, pulling the questions out of her. She knew she was dead now, so why not at least satisfy what she suspected?

  Wallace grunted before standing up tall, looking down at her. His face became enshrouded in the shadows even as the grime encrusted windows struggled to light the room. “You’re going to die anyway, so no harm in telling you. We were supposed to kill the fat council member after the vote was called. The, uh, boss wanted it to look like someone in the town had killed him after the vote was called, so everyone would fight even more.

  “Yeah, but then everyone started to leave!” Bakes screamed, then turned toward Wallace, clutching at his jacket. “I’m so sorry, Wally! I didn’t know! It looked like everything was done, and then there was the fat pig, walking by himself. I thought it was perfect!”

  “Yeah, but it wasn’t,” Wallace said, glancing at Bakes. “And I haven’t been able to get a hold of him for a month. He was pissed. We ruined his stupid plan, and now he’s angry.” He looked back at Abby and smiled grimly. “But you might be our ticket back into his good graces. If you disappear, it should rattle the old lady and then she’ll be easy pickings for…”

  Abby watched him pause, but finished the sentence for him. “Senator Clark,” Abby said grimly.

  Wallace didn’t answer, just shaking his head as he walked back toward the middle of the room and picked up the knife that Bakes had dropped earlier. “All right, Bakes, you got your wish. Have fun.”

  Bakes grabbed the knife swiftly, clutching it to herself like a baby for a moment before turning her head slightly toward Abby. “Oh, I plan on it,” Bakes said. Abby couldn’t take her eyes off the woman as she began to move toward her, but something caught her gaze.

  The door was slowly opening, and she could see the black barrel of a gun poking through just before Bakes obscured her gaze.

  Chapter 26

  Bakes stood right in front of Abby and reached for her hand with a feral grin. Abby began to whimper and tried to move her hand away, but the cord that bound her arm to the chair wouldn’t let her move far. Still, she struggled until finally Bakes lost her temper and grabbed a finger, wrenching it painfully.

  Abby screamed, feeling her finger bend too far in one direction and give a sickening pop. It hurt horribly, almost making Abby black out from the pain.

  “Look what you made me do!” Bakes screamed back, her voice hysterical. “It was supposed to feel like a finger nail! Now it will hurt when I cut it off!” She let Abby’s finger drop and drew her free hand back, slapping Abby hard across the face.

  The pain from the slap made Abby reel, combining with her already intense headache and her dislocated finger to send her into a panic. She could hear herself starting to blubber and cry, shaking uncontrollably as she lost composure. She could hear herself start to beg Bakes to let her live, over and over again.

  Then, there was a loud noise followed by a heavy weight falling roughly onto her. She didn’t know what it was at first until Bakes grabbed her arms, looking up at her with a confused expression on her face. She started to say something, but then her eyes rolled and she finished her slump to the floor. Abby could only stare, watching the woman’s body lie there motionless.

  “Hello, Wallace,” came a deep voice from the doorway. Abby looked up, watching as Detectives Mike and Ed walked into the room. Mike’s gun was smoking and his eyes looked like a serpent’s as he stared at the biker.

  Ed moved around Mike, ignoring Abby as he crouched down next to Bakes and felt her neck. A few moments later, he looked up and shook his head. “She’s gone,” Ed said without emotion. He glanced at Abby for a moment before standing.

  “What? Why the heck did you…Hey, hey, now!” Wallace said, holding his hands up and backing up when Mike raised his gun. “I don’t have a weapon on me, guys. Come on, now. I’ve been trying to get a hold of-“

  “Shut up!” Mike yelled, raising his gun. “You’ve made a hash of things already, Wallace. Don’t you dare say his name!” He grimaced and gritted his teeth as he took a step closer. He stole a quick glance at Abby before looking back at Wallace. “Just what the heck were you thinking of with this? In what universe was this a good idea?”

  Wallace was pale and sweating as he kept his hands up, almost stuttering as he looked down the barrel of Mike’s gun. “I…I didn’t know what to do! I kept trying to get a hold of… you know, but no one ever answered! Dammit!”

  “Just shut up and answer one question,” Mike snarled. “What did you say around the little princess? Did you say anything?”

  Wallace shook his head reverently. “No, no, God, listen I swear I didn’t say anything!”

  “That’s good, Wallace. Real good,” Mike almost purred. “Too bad you’re reaching for that gun under your jacket.”

  “What? No! I-“

  Bang.

  The sound was jarring and Abby looked away just in time. It wasn’t hard to miss what happened since her hair was hanging down and covering most of her face, but she turned her head away anyway, listening to the pained groan and heavy thud as Wallace hit the floor of the shed.

  For a long moment, everything was quiet except for Abby’s heavy sobs. She couldn’t stop crying, feeling every nerve in her body shaking and jerking from the terror of the past half-hour. She wanted to be quiet, to somehow crawl into a corner and not be seen, but it was impossible. She could see Mike and Ed’s shoes and pant legs, standing motionless near her.

  They were both facing Wallace’s body and once again, Ed was the one that reached down to touch Wallace’s neck. He was silent, but Abby could imagine his head shaking back and forth. “Jeez, Mike,” Ed half-whispered. “Did you have to do it like this? Abby is right here.”

  “She’s incoherent, Ed,” Mike said with a sneer in his voice. “She’s probably grateful for the reminder of her name right now.” He turned, taking a step toward her and over Bakes’ corpse. Suddenly, Abby felt rough hands on her face as it was pulled up, making her look into Mike’s rough visage. “Isn’t that right, sweets? You don’t know nuthin!”

  She could only stare in wide-eyed terror. She didn’t know what to do, but it didn’t feel like she’d been saved. Mike held her gaze for a moment longer before finally letting go of Abby’s jaw. Abby watched as he bent down, picking up the knife that was on the floor.

  “What are you going to do with that, Mike?” Ed asked carefully.

  Mike didn’t answer right away, staring at the knife instead before letting his beady eyes turn to Abby. “Just thinking. I can’t believe those two would say anything, but is it a good idea to take the chance?”

  “I don’t think we have a choice,” Ed said, turning toward the door. Abby could hear the sounds of people moving outside before Sheriff Pearson pushed his way into the room, followed by Deputies Sam and Josh.

  Abby was the only one that heard Detective Mike utter a curse under his breath, but she was very glad for the reason.

  The sheriff moved forward, eying the bodies on the floor, but it was plain he was also watching the detectives carefully. When he saw Abby alive and moving, he breathed out a huge sigh
and moved toward her, quickly untying her. Abby plummeted forward and into the man’s arms as her crying reached a crescendo.

  She was finally safe. After the nightmare she’d been living through, she was finally safe. The grizzled sheriff held her like a father and caressed her hair. “It’s okay, Abby,” he said. “We made it in time. Thank God.”

  She tried not to, but her eyes strayed to Mike as he watched her. He had a slight frown on his face, but otherwise his eyes were cold as he watched Abby. “They were about to kill her,” he said with a grunt. “Couldn’t take the chance they’d kill her, so we had to come in firing.”

  The sheriff nodded, only half listening. “I’ll read your report,” he said.

  Mike stared for a moment longer but finally, he grunted, gesturing for Ed to follow him as they left. Abby was never so happy to see two men go in her life.

  Chapter 27

  It was a week after the incident in the shed when Abby accompanied Gabe into Becky’s Cafe. She smiled when the door opened and saw so many of her friends, but the trauma of having been so close to death and watching two people die was still with her. She held onto Gabe’s hand with a vice grip and was happy he didn’t seem to mind.

  “Abby! Gabe!” Becky said, sweeping up to give them a hug and lead them toward a seat at the long table that was arrayed in the center of the room. Most of the smaller square tables that usually graced the dining room had been set end to end with a long tablecloth over them, and the round tables had been stacked up against the walls so they had plenty of room.

  At the head of the table sat the mayor who moved delicately, still swathed in casts and bandages as he sat in a wheelchair. Though the man was in better spirits, he still carried a haunted air about him that he couldn’t quite hide. The sheriff sat to his right, with Lanie, Reggie, Charlie Bennard, Gini Moore, and a few empty chairs that Abby and Gabe settled into.

  Lanie and Reggie both looked almost as bad as the Mayor with obvious bruising and bandages on their faces. A situation Abby could sympathize with since she also had the same level of injuries from the car crash and from her subsequent flight through the woods.

  On the other side of the table sat Earl and Janice Hugyens who were trading stories with Hazel, Joe Forsyth, and another woman that Abby didn’t know, but due to her closeness to Joe, she thought it might be his wife, Martha. Mr. Wilberson sat next to Hazel, but leaned back with his arms crossed and only volunteered the occasional grunt to the ongoing conversation.

  Everyone stopped what they were doing and greeted Abby and Gabe as they sat down. There were platters of fried chicken with other side dishes scattered throughout the table. Most everyone had already started eating since Abby and Gabe had been late, so they quickly dug in and put some of the food on their own plates.

  “How are you doing, dear?” Gini asked with a concerned expression, touching Abby’s arm lightly.

  Abby paused before answering, looking over at Driver and Putter, Gini’s two dogs, who were enthusiastically greeting Cheerio next to the table. “I’m doing okay,” Abby said at last, though even she could tell the lack of conviction in her own voice.

  Gini nodded and squeezed her arm. “I understand. Just let me know if you need anything or just need to talk. My door is always open.”

  Despite the injuries and reason for the party, everyone was pleasant and enjoyed themselves. Abby was delighted to learn that Joe Forsyth brought out a strange, dry sense of humor in Mr. Wilberson which translated into several stories of his youth. Even Abby found herself laughing at some of the hijinks that Hazel’s fiancée had experienced.

  An hour passed easily, then two as the group enjoyed each other’s company. Finally, after they’d all had their fill of good food and wine, Sheriff Pearson stood and meandered over to Abby’s seat.

  “Can I talk to you and Gabe for a bit?” the grizzled man said in his deep timbre, nodding with his head toward the door. “Outside?”

  Abby blinked, then looked at Gabe, exploring her feelings. She hadn’t spoken much about what had happened up at the shed. The sheriff had pressed, but she’d asked for some time to get over what she’d experienced. However, she knew she couldn’t take too long, and as she stared at the handsome face of Gabe, she realized she was okay enough to speak.

  Standing, she pulled Gabe up with her and began to follow the sheriff. The older man frowned a bit, but didn’t argue, instead gesturing for Lanie to follow. The petite deputy’s face grew grim as she nodded, then gave Reggie a wince-filled kiss before getting up to accompany the threesome outside.

  It was cold with the wind blowing, and Abby was glad Gabe had bought her a new winter coat a few days ago. He had told her as they tried it on that it wouldn’t be used nearly as often as she thought, but when she needed it, she would be thankful.

  Today was one of those days as the chill tried to seep into her bones. Sitting on the picnic table out on the front lawn was not easy either, but eventually all four of them were sitting and staring at each other across the green, heavily painted wood.

  “Abby, I know you’ve asked for some time, but I’m getting an unusual amount of pressure from the state office for what you have to say. So much so, that I wanted this conversation to be off the record. Something isn’t right, and I couldn’t help but notice how Mike and Ed were looking at you the day we rescued you.”

  “I…I think I’m ready to answer your questions, Sheriff,” Abby said softly. “But before I do, I have some of my own. How is it that you found me? Or more importantly, how is it that Mike and Ed found me?”

  Sheriff Pearson shared an uneasy glance with Lanie before turning back to her and shrugging. “When you didn’t show up at the office, I panicked. Remember when I’d agreed to share information with them? When I got on the horn with the other deputies, Mike and Ed responded as well. I filled them in on what had happened, and since you were closer to Salem then Red Pine Falls, they got to the site more quickly. It wasn’t hard to find where the jeep had gone off the road.”

  “Why didn’t they wait for you?” Gabe interjected.

  “I didn’t think to even ask them to wait,” the sheriff said, picking at a paint fleck that was on the table. “Honestly, even now, I think I wouldn’t have anyway. They got to you in time. That’s what matters.” Sheriff Pearson paused and then looked up, his eyes intense. “Unless something else happened than the report that they filed. They said you were hysterical, as well. If you don’t remember, that’s a perfectly acceptable response.”

  Abby took a deep breath before frowning and shaking her head. “No, I was hysterical and I did have a concussion, but I do remember what happened, sheriff. I’ve been terrified to say it, because you’re right to be suspicious. Mike and Ed didn’t go there just to find me. They didn’t get involved in this investigation just to find out who had killed Don or stabbed the mayor.”

  “What happened up there, Abby?” Lanie said, reaching over and putting her hand on Abby’s arm.

  Abby blinked her eyes closed, squeezing them shot as the scenes flashed across her mind’s eye, but she steeled herself. “They did get there just in time. Bakes was just about to… just about to start cutting me. They broke the door down and shot her.” Abby shuddered, feeling once again as Bakes fell against her and then slid to the floor. She kept having nightmares about that. Sometimes Bakes would fall silently, sometimes she’d linger, looking at Abby with accusing eyes. It made Abby momentarily freeze.

  Gabe squeezed Abby’s hand when she paused. “Abby, are you sure you’re okay to talk about this?”

  Abby blinked again, looking up at Gabe and then around as if waking up from a dream before nodding. “I can do this. I have to do this,” she said, meeting the sheriff’s gaze. “Wallace didn’t have a gun, but he spoke to Mike and Ed as if he knew them. Mike asked him if he’d told me anything, but he said he didn’t. Then, Mike shot him.”

  “Wait, Abby?” Lanie said, her voice angry. “They said he was reaching behind his back for something right aft
er they’d kicked in the door. They were sure he had a gun. Are you saying they spoke with Wallace and then just gunned him down?”

  Abby nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what I am saying. I know it’s my word against theirs, but that’s what happened. They were there to kill Wallace and Bakes, and I believe it was because Wallace and Bakes were working for the senator. They screwed up killing Don Buckshire. Bakes thought the town hall had ended, and the vote had already been done. They were supposed to kill him afterwards to put suspicion on the mayor or his friends. Instead, they killed him before the vote.”

  “That rotten, no-good weasel!” Lanie cursed as she ground her teeth together. “Mike and Ed were sent as assassins to kill their own people! How did you find out? Are you just guessing, Abby?”

  “Calm down, Lanie,” the sheriff said, looking around. “We’re outside and no one’s within hearing distance, but I don’t want to draw too much attention. If they’re willing to do things like this, who’s to say what else they might do? It makes sense though. They wanted to find Wallace and Bakes so they couldn’t tell us what they know.”

  “Except they did,” Abby said softly, getting everyone’s undivided attention. “They did tell me what happened. They were going to kill me, so they told me everything which I just told you. They even told me they tried to kill the mayor. They thought it might get them back in the senator’s good graces.”

  “All of which is going to do us no good,” the sheriff said slowly.

  “What do you mean?!” Lanie said loudly, then forced herself to quiet down at the warning glance the sheriff gave her. She resumed talking but in a near whisper. “Those two rats told Abby everything! She can testify!”

  “But she was hysterical, and she had a concussion,” Gabe said, looking sadly at Abby. “They would eat her alive, especially considering the high-powered lawyers the senator could hire.”