Middle River Murders (7 page)

“Sure,” I replied. I looked from one to the other as Mom
walked over to the counter and fixed my coffee. “Hey, where are the kids,
Claire?”

“As soon as they finished breakfast they ran to the back of
the house to the den so they could watch cartoons on that big television set of
yours. I’ll never be able to pry them away from it. Carrie wants to know why
ours is so small and Benny wants one just like yours. I guess I’ll have to let
them live here with you.”

“That’s fine with me,” I said.

Claire looked up at me in surprise. “I do believe you’re
serious. You sure have changed. I actually think you would let them live here.”

“I would,” I replied. “Why not? This house is now big enough
for the whole family.”

“I’m not going to live here all the time,” Mom said as she
handed me a cup of coffee. “I like my freedom too much.”

I looked at her and smiled. “Sure, sure,” I said as I rolled
my eyes. “Getting back to business—let’s have it.”

Claire continued with the details. “Daisy slammed into the
back of
Alice
’s car in a curve.
Alice
went over an embankment and down into the stream, but
not before she clipped a couple of trees first.
‘Get her, Billy. Stop her
before it’s too
late,’
she screamed to Billy before the line went
silent.”

“It’s already too late,” Mom shouted, stunning us all. She
stood and paced the floor. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s war now! We’re going
to put that woman behind bars! Alice Aikens was a decent, Christian woman. She
didn’t deserve this. She was trying to get to the truth.”

“Looks to me as if she did, Mom,” I said. “It’s a shame she
had to pay such a high price to find it.”

“I’m so angry I don’t know what to do with myself,” Mom
cried. “I don’t think I’ve been this mad in a long time.” She looked straight
at me. “I’m going to get that woman if it’s the last thing I ever do! How can a
person be so bad?”

I looked at Mom and could tell something was wrong. She
didn’t look right. Her face was red as a beet and the vein on her forehead was
bulging. The sight of her scared me.

“Hold on a minute,” I said, getting up from the table. “You
need to sit down, Mom. Your face is all red. Don’t let this get you flustered.
We’ll…”

Mom crossed her arms over her chest and then reached out to
grab the kitchen chair. She sat down and said, “I feel a little nauseated and I
have this awful pressure in my chest. Maybe, I should go lie down. All of a
sudden, I feel exhausted.”

I went to her and asked, “Can you breathe?”

“I’m having a hard…”

“Call an ambulance,” I screamed out. “Okay, Mom, just remain
calm. Everything’s going to be all right.” Tears ran down my face and landed on
her blouse.

The dogs started howling.

“Shut up!” I screamed at them. I glanced their way and saw
them retreat to their corner. “I’m sorry,” I cried. “I didn’t mean to yell at…”

“Don’t call an ambulance. It’s probably just a case of
heartburn. If I could lie down for…”

“We’re calling an ambulance, Minnie,” Sarah said coming over
to Mom. She placed her hand on her shoulder. “Just to be on the safe side.”

Claire came over and knelt down beside Mom. “The ambulance is
on the way. Just hang in there, Mom.”

“But I’m fine. I just need to lie down for a minute. I’ll be
…”

“You’re showing classic signs of a heart attack. We’re not
going to lose you just because you don’t want to go to the hospital. I know you
hate them, but we’re not taking any chances.”

Even though it had only been a few minutes before the ambulance
arrived, it felt like hours. The emergency crew rushed in and took over. We
stepped back out of their way, huddled together and prayed. Within minutes they
had Mom on oxygen and were out the door. Just before they left, I saw Mom close
her eyes. My heart skipped a beat.

The big, burley guy with a mustache came over and said, “I
think she’s going to be fine. You did the right thing by calling us. Sometimes
people wait too long. Most of the time they think it’s just a case of heartburn
or indigestion.”

“Do you think it’s a heart attack?” I asked the
EMT
.

“We won’t know anything until we get her to the hospital.”

I looked over at Sarah and Claire.

“I didn’t know what to do.”

Claire hugged me and said, “Yes, you did, Jesse. You
recognized there was something seriously wrong and you convinced Mom to go to
the hospital. I’d hate to think what would happen if she’d been alone. That’s
one of the reasons why I don’t like her living by herself. She should sell that
house in
Dogwood
Valley
and move in here permanently. She loves it here. I know she does.”

“Good luck on that one,” Sarah said. “Minnie’s not going to
give up her freedom. That house is the last home she shared with Mack. She’ll
never let go of that place.”

I was shaking all over when the
EMT
asked which one of us was going to the hospital with
Mom.

“I’ll go,” Claire said. “You need to stay here with your
newborn baby.” She looked at Sarah. “Will you stay and…”

“I’ll take care of the kids and Jesse,” Sarah said. “You go
ahead.”

Claire grabbed her purse and ran out the door behind the
EMT
.

“Hey,” I yelled. “Where are you taking my mother?”

“
UVA
Hospital
,”
the
EMT
yelled back.

Sarah and I stood in the middle of the room. I cried while
she tried to comfort me as we listened to the sirens blasting down the driveway.
Finally, they were gone and the silence in the air was like the quiet on a dark
night of a new moon. It was an eerie feeling… a feeling of doom.

It didn’t take long for my anger to get the best of me.

“I’m a good person. I wouldn’t hurt a soul, but I’m telling
you, Sarah, if anything happens to my mother because of that crazy woman, I’ll
kill her myself. I’m sorry for talking like that…”

“That’s okay, Jesse,” Sarah said, patting me on the back. “It
takes a lot to offend me. Remember, I have four grown sons and they are just
like their father! Thank goodness my two girls are the calm ones in the bunch.
They take after me.”

I smiled at the thought.

Mom’s purse was on the desk in the living room and we could
hear the musical chime her cell phone made when it rang.

“I’ll get it,” she said. “You need to sit and calm down. I’m
sure your mother won’t mind if I go into her purse.”

I walked over to the sofa and sat down. I felt numb and
disoriented as if I didn’t know what to do with myself. It seemed as if I was
in another world. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I had to go be
with my mother, but first, I had to get myself together. Normally, I would run
out of the house in a flash, but now, I had obligations. I had a newborn and a
toddler who was almost a year old. It wasn’t so easy anymore. I had things to
do. If I wanted to go somewhere, I had diaper bags to get ready.

Sarah punched a button, closed up the phone, and then walked
over and put it back in Mom’s purse.

“That was Daisy Clark. She wanted to talk to your mother, but
I told her she wasn’t here. I didn’t know what else to say. Also, I turned the
phone off.”

“That was a good idea. Thanks, Sarah. You did fine with
Daisy,” I assured her. “I’m glad it wasn’t me who answered the phone. I
probably would’ve gone off on her. I don’t want her anywhere near my mother. I
need to call Billy and tell him about Mom. I need to hear his voice.”

I grabbed the portable phone from the desk in the living room
and started to dial Billy’s cell number, but stopped when I realized that he
had probably turned it off. The hospital doesn’t allow cell phone usage. They
have signs posted everywhere saying so.

I punched in his number and when the recorded message came
on, I hit the off button and then punched in the stored number for UVA. If he
wasn’t there, then I’d try
Martha
Jefferson
Hospital
. He had to be at one of them. The
operator came on and I asked her to have Billy Blackhawk paged. A couple of
minutes later, Billy answered the phone.

“It’s me, Jesse,” I said to him. “Mom’s on her way to UVA. I
think she’s had a heart attack. The ambulance should be there soon. Don’t
leave. I’m on my way.”

“Ask my mother to stay and watch the kids. I’ll meet you at
the entrance to the parking garage. Calm down and drive the speed limit. I’ll
be here waiting for you. Try not to worry, Jesse. Your mom is a strong lady.”

“I know,” I replied. “Mom is pretty tough.”

“Are you going to be all right?”

“I’m fine; it’s Mom that I’m worried about. She was really
upset about Alice Aikens. She yelled, her face turned red, and then she almost
fell out. If Mom had a heart attack, it’s Daisy’s fault! Daisy caused it! I’m
going to kill that woman!”

“Take it easy, Jesse. Is everyone else okay?”

“Yes, they’re fine. Oh, Daisy Clark called Mom on her cell phone
right after they took Mom away. Your mother took the call and told her Mom
wasn’t here. I guess it took your mom by surprise, because she didn’t know what
to say. But she handled the situation well. I’m glad. We sure don’t want that
lunatic to come over here. I’m afraid I might choke that woman to death!”

“Get yourself together, `ge ya. You need to calm down before
you get into a car.”

“I will, Billy. Please check on Mom. I’ll be there in about
an hour.” I hung the phone up and turned to Sarah. “Would you stay with the
kids?”

“Go,” she said. “I’ve got everything under control. I’ll call
the chief and get him to come over and stay with us. Don’t worry; we’ll be
fine.”

I gave her a hug and said, “You’re so terrific. I’m glad
you’re part of my family.”

I grabbed my purse and headed to the hospital. I cursed under
my breath the whole way. I knew if anything happened to my mother, Daisy Clark
would be breathing her last breath. I would kill her sure as the day is long…
and the world would be less one evil person.

According to the doctor in the ER, Mom had suffered a mild
heart attack, but was going to be all right. After we explained the
circumstances of her attack and what had led up to it, he suggested she refrain
from any undue stress in the future. That statement, added to everything else
that was building up in me since Jonathan was shot, put my anger level at an
all-time high. Stress was a hard thing to control. I, of all people, knew that
firsthand. Anger, stress and ignorant people (who make stupid remarks) were
some things I had a hard time dealing with. I just let his comment roll off me.
I figured he meant well.

They inserted a stent to open one of Mom’s arteries, allowing
a better flow of blood to the heart. She was released from the hospital two
days later. She joked about the surgery when she got home, saying she was as
good as new. She had clear arteries now. I didn’t find it the least bit funny,
but I didn’t say a word, because I knew it was her way of dealing with what had
happened.

After a delicious Sunday dinner cooked by Claire and Billy,
we all sat around in the family room discussing what to do next.

Maisy was in the playpen, playing with her toys, while Ethan,
barely two weeks old, slept peacefully in the bassinet in one corner of the
room. Sarah, Chief Sam, and Jonathan had joined us for dinner. The rest of
Billy’s family had plans they couldn’t change since the invitation was such
short notice. And, of course, Claire, Benny and Carrie were still with us.

“We have to go home tomorrow,” Benny said. “We have school.”

“We’ll miss you,” I said. “This place won’t be the same
without you guys.” I bent down and gave him and his sister a kiss on the cheek.

Benny wiped the kiss away and said, “Ant Jess, I’m too big
for that stuff now.”

“I see,” I said and then looked at Carrie. “How about you,
sweetie? Are you too big, also?”

“Not me, Ant Jess!” She jumped up and hugged me. “I’ll never
be too big for that.”

I looked at Claire and said, “I thought you were going to
sell the house and move here.”

“I took the house off the market,” Claire said,
nonchalantly. “I’ve been thinking about remodeling the house and keeping it. I
went ahead and registered the kids for school. Carrie’s in kindergarten and
Benny’s in the first grade. It’s the first year for both of them.”

“And we’re happy,” Benny added. “I’m gonna like school.”

I smiled at Claire and whispered, “What about the wine
cellar?”

“I had a crew go in and clean up and paint.”

“That’s not what I mean. What about the… you know?”

Claire looked over at Benny and Carrie, who had turned their
attention back to the wide screen TV. “Having a dead body turn up in the wine
cellar was disturbing, but I’m over that now. This house is my children’s home,
and we’re going to stay.”

“Good for you,” Jonathan said. “Kids need structure.”

All of us looked at Jonathan and chuckled.

“How would you know that?” I asked.

“I just do. One day I might actually find a woman I can
settle down with and I want to be prepared. I’ve been watching people around me
for some time now, so I know a few things about kids.”

“I’m more interested in how you feel,” Mom said. “Being shot
must be terrible. Did it hurt really, really bad?”

“Actually, it wasn’t that bad. It was only a .22 caliber. I
knew a teenager who thought he got stuck by a thorn in his side under his arm
after scaling a fence and then falling into a rose bush. He and some of his
buddies had gotten into a fight with a bunch of guys, and one of those guys
pulled a gun and started shooting. The poor kid had no idea he’d been shot. He
went home and put a band-aid on his wound. Later that day after the wound
turned red and looked nasty, he told his parents. They took him to the
hospital. The hospital took x-rays and discovered he had a .22 lodged in his
side.”

“You’re so full of it,” I said. “I don’t believe…”

“It’s true,” Billy said. “I knew the kid, too. He wasn’t the
shiniest fruit in the bowl.”

Mom left the room, explaining that she was going to get
coffee and came back with a tray carrying a pot of coffee, cups and condiments.
She set the tray on the serving table close to the sofa and started pouring
coffee. After everyone was served, Mom sat down at the end of the sectional
sofa, put her cup down on the coffee table and said, “We need to discuss how
we’re going to proceed with this case.”

I was furious.

“I’m afraid that you’ve been fired, Mother,” I said. “The
doctor said you need to take it easy and that’s what you’re going to do!”

“Now hold on, Jesse,” Billy said. “I think that should be up
to your mother.”

“I agree,” Claire added. “Jesse, I know you’re freaked out
because Dad died of a heart attack and you’re worried that Mom will, too, but I
think it should be left up to her.”

I looked around the room and could tell from the look on
everyone’s face that I was out-voted. As much as I disliked it, Mom made her
own choices and I had nothing to say about it. I relented.

“Okay, if that’s the way it’s going to be then I’m going to
be beside you every step of the way, Minnie. I’ll have my eyes on you, girl.”

The room erupted in an uproar. Mom ranted, Claire shook her
head, and Billy said it was out of the question. Sarah, Jonathan, and the chief
even jumped in.

“Jesse, you just had a baby,” Sarah said. “You need to heal.”

“It’s too dangerous for someone in your condition,” Jonathan
added. “You need your rest.”

“Back in my day, a squaw’s… I mean, a woman’s place was with
her children. It was the man’s job to take care of everything else,” the chief
said. He looked at me. “Times have changed. The woman runs the family now.” He
looked at Sarah, smiled, and then looked back at me. “I say you must do what
you must do. If you want to go after that woman, then you should do it.”

“That’s crazy,” Claire said.

“Stop right there,” I commanded. “I feel fine. My body is
bouncing back, and I’m ready to work.”

“What about Ethan?” Claire asked.

“That’s what that breast pump is for,” I said. “And the times
I’ll be out of the house, I’m sure there’ll be someone to pitch in to help with
the kids. You and the kids will be leaving, so that’ll leave Ethan, Maisy, the
dogs and the cat. I’m sure it won’t be a problem. It’s not as if I’m never
going to be home. I’m just going to do a little work.”

“I offered my help as a babysitter,” Sarah said. “The offer’s
still good.”

“Then we’re covered. I won’t be gone all day long. I can do
research on the computer and go with Mom to her meetings.” I looked at Mom. “If
you’re going to go visit Crazy Daisy, then I’m coming, too!”

Calling her Crazy Daisy struck a cord with everyone. Laughter
filled the room.

“Who’s Crazy Daisy, Mama?” Benny asked his mother.

“She’s a sick lady who needs to be in the hospital, honey.”

“Or dead,” I mumbled under my breath.

Every adult in the room stared at me in disbelief. I guess my
attitude shocked them, because they were speechless.

I let my words linger and after a long chill in the air, I
cleared my throat and said, “The first thing we need to do is have Mom call
Daisy. Crazy Daisy called right after Mom was taken to the hospital. That was
what… three days ago?” I looked at Mom. “Are you up to it?”

“You can bet your sweet petunia, my dear!”

Billy walked over to Mom and said, “Are you sure that you’re
ready for this?”

“I’m fine! The doctor said so. Actually, I feel better than I
did when I was twenty.”

I looked over at her and rolled my eyes.

She, in turn, stared me down.

“Okay, then give her a call,” Billy said, ignoring our
behavior. “Feel her out, let her do the talking, and then suggest you bring
your daughter over to meet her. Tell her Jesse needs to get out of the house
for a little while and that you want the two of them to meet. We’ll go from
there.”

“Okay,” Mom said. She walked out of the room and then came
back with her cell phone.

“Mom, you can use our phone.”

“No, the number will show up on Caller ID.”

We waited anxiously, but before Mom could call Daisy, her
cell phone rang.

Mom opened the phone and said hello.

“Oh, hello, Daisy,” Mom said. “I was just getting ready to
call you. I got a message that you called. You’re not going to believe this,
but I had a mild heart attack and was in the hospital for a couple of days. I
just got out, and believe it or not, I was just getting ready to give you a
call when the phone rang. How’re you doing?”

Mom held the phone for several minutes before speaking again.

“I’m doing fine. The doctor told me to…
What?
” She
looked at us and shook her head. “No, I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.
Alice
is… was a wonderful person. I really liked her.”

Mom started sniffling as if she was crying—some of it was for
Crazy Daisy’s benefit, and I think some of it was for real.

“I guess I missed the funeral. Oh, I see… Well, I’m glad to
hear that. I’ll be attending. Where’s the funeral home? All right… Yes, I’m
free… Sure, I’d love to go to dinner afterward. Where would you like to go?
Okay… I’ll ask her. I’m sure my daughter would love to join us; she mentioned a
few times that she’s dying to meet you. I talk about you all the time.” There
was a pause, and then Mom said, “Jesse’s here with me and I just got a nod from
her that she’d love to come. Okay, I’ll pick you up tomorrow around one-thirty
for the funeral. Oh… Okay. That’s fine with me. After the funeral, you can drop
me off at my house and then we’ll meet you later… Sure... The Madison Inn
Restaurant for dinner sounds good.”

Mom closed her cell phone and took a couple deep breaths.

All of us remained silent, waiting to hear all about the
conversation. I looked her up and down, checking for signs of stress. I was
afraid this was going to be too much for her. I got up from the sofa and walked
over to where she was standing.

“Are you all right?” I asked, touching her hand. “I think you
should sit down.”

“No, I’m fine. Actually, my anger isn’t as out of control as
I expected it to be. I’m mad at her, but I’m more interested in putting that
woman in jail than I am of letting her get my hackles up. I can handle this.
Everything came to a head when I heard about Alice, but you know me, Missy; I’m
normally a calm person, and I have patience. I know God will give me the
strength to accomplish my mission. I have faith in Him.”

“I have faith in you,” I said. “If your faith in Him keeps
you going, that’s good enough for me. So what about this dinner? Why are we
going all the way to
Madison
to eat?”

“Daisy wants to try out this new restaurant. Besides, I live
off
South River Road
in Stanardsville, and Daisy lives on
Middle River Road
.
Madison
is right next door almost.”

“I thought you lived here, Grandma,” Benny said as he looked
up from the TV.

“I might as well,” Mom said. “I’m here more than I am at my
house.”

“What about
Alice
’s funeral?” I asked. “You’re not
really going to it with Crazy Daisy, are you? I hope you’re driving.” I looked
over at Billy. “We’ll have a tail on her, won’t we, Billy?”

“We’ll be on your mom like a fly on a buffalo carcass,” he
said, looking over at Mom.

“I think that’s a fly on…”

“We know what he means,” Mom said, glaring at me. “I’m riding
to the funeral with Daisy and her husband, Gabe. I’ll be safe. She won’t do
anything with him around.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Claire said, joining the conversation.
“If Daisy did kill those three people, what’s to stop her from killing again?”

“Once they have a taste for blood…” Jonathan suggested.
“People like that don’t stop until they get caught.”

“I don’t want you to be Crazy Daisy’s next victim,” I said to
Mom.

“Stop calling her that, Jesse,” Mom demanded. “If you keep
referring to her as Crazy Daisy, you’re going to slip up and say it to her
face. How would you explain that, Missy?”

We all laughed.

“Listen to Jesse,” the chief said. He got up from the sofa
and walked to the middle of the room. He turned to face us. “This woman has
killed three people in a matter of a few months. From what I have heard of
Daisy Clark, I think the first kill was an accident. The others weren’t. Like
Jonathan said—she has the taste of blood and she likes it. He says she was the
one who shot him. I believe my son. She is dangerous. She must be stopped.”

“We could give her a taste of her own medicine. I hear
arsenic isn’t that hard to get,” Claire said, jokingly. “Then we wouldn’t have
to worry about Mom.”