Middle River Murders (8 page)

“A stray arrow from a hunter would be easier,” I suggested.

“We’d have to wait until bow season to get away with that,”
Jonathan added, sharing his knowledge of the sport. “At the rate she’s going
and by the time bow season rolls around, she could’ve killed a whole village.”

“A late night home invasion would work,” Billy announced.
“No, that could get too messy.”

“We could just terrorize her… make her go crazy,” I said,
agreeing. “Since she already knows Jonathan, we’d have to get Daniel to stalk
her. He could use one of the old battered trade-ins he gets on his car lot to
bump into her—literally. Or, he could follow her in a different car all the
time. She’d see the same face, only in a different car. She’d think she was losing
her mind. It would drive her insane.”

“I could kill wild foul and leave it on her doorstep,” Chief
Sam chimed in. “Or better yet, I could gut a deer and leave the intestines
hanging from the porch handrail.”

“Now that’s just plain gross,” Sarah said. “I’m glad the kids
can’t hear you. She glanced over at the play pen where Maisy was playing and
then to Ethan’s bassinet in the corner. “Thank goodness Ethan and Maisy are too
young to understand what you’re saying and Benny and Carrie are too engrossed
in the TV to pay attention to us.”

The chief looked at Sarah in a confused manner. “I don’t
understand,” he said. “It’s okay for everyone to come up with a means to make
this woman go crazy, but when I offer my ideas, you don’t like them. I just
don’t get you squaws.”

“We’re not squaws, Sam!”

The conversation was getting silly. None of us would do any
of the acts we suggested… I don’t think. Although, I must admit that if my
mother had died the other day, I would’ve blamed Daisy Clark and I would never
rest until I got revenge. That much I knew for sure. Now I could see how a
person could be driven to murder. Kill one of my own, and I’d kill you. God,
what an awful realization it is to discover that you’re capable of killing for
revenge. I made myself put those terrible thoughts out of my head.

A pound on the front door echoed down the hallway to the
family room.

All of us jumped as if we’d done something wrong. I guess
plotting to kill someone, even in jest, could make a person feel uneasy. I just
hoped that whoever was at the door, hadn’t heard our conversation.

If it was Sheriff Wake Hudson, he might get the wrong idea,
and if it was Cole, he’d probably turn us in for conspiracy to commit murder.
Then I berated myself for thinking such awful thoughts of Cole. He was a decent
man who had gotten on my bad side… and Billy’s… and Mom’s… and Claire’s. I
guess he didn’t have many friends in this house anymore.

Billy got up and said, “I’ll go answer it. Continue with your
plotting.”

The rest of us nervously laughed as we sat quietly on the
sofa. Guilt floated through the air like a heavy cloud. No one spoke.

We heard someone talking to Billy, their voices getting
louder as they came down the hall. Billy entered the room with Cole following
him.

Speak of the devil—and he shall appear. I heard that
somewhere.

“Cole’s here,” Billy said as he walked over and sat back
down. He motioned for Cole to have a seat.

Cole stood by the recliner at the other end of the sofa, but
didn’t sit. He looked around the room as if he was surveying to see who was
present. The minute he said hello to everyone, Claire got up and left the room.
She mumbled a respectable greeting before her exit.

Benny, who had been quietly watching TV with his sister, the
dogs and Spice Cat, got up from his little plastic blow-up chair, grabbed
Carrie by the hand and said, “Let’s go, Carrie. We don’t want to be around
Cole.”

His sister looked at him strangely, but obeyed his command.

Stunned, Cole said to the kids, “Are you guys mad at me?”

“We know what you did to our mom. We heard Grandma and Ant
Jess talking about it. You slapped our mom, and she doesn’t like you anymore.
We don’t like you either.”

Cole was so embarrassed, I almost felt sorry for him.
However, he managed to recover.

“That was a long time ago,” he said. “I apologized for my bad
behavior. Sometimes people make mistakes, Benny, and when they do, you need to
give them a second chance. I hope you’ll do that for me.”

“You’re a policeman,” Benny shot back. “You’re not supposed
to make mistakes. You’re supposed to obey the law.” He held onto Carrie’s hand
and walked out of the room.

Cole turned and looked at the rest of us.

Not a comment was made. What was there to say? What happened
between Cole and Claire was months ago, but still fresh in the memories of a
young child—and the rest of us.

Finally, Billy asked, “You said you have some news about
Alice Aikens. What is it?”

“I thought you’d like to know we have an eyewitness to Alice
Aiken’s car accident,” he said as he looked over at Mom. “I know she was your
friend. I’m very sorry.”

“It was no accident,” Mom snapped. She got up from the sofa
and walked over to the coffee pot to refill her cup. She hesitated for a
moment.

“If the sheriff had been doing his job, this wouldn’t have
happened. He should’ve paid more attention to
Alice
when she went to him with her suspicions. She knew what was
going on, but y’all wouldn’t listen. Maybe Daisy’s mushrooms didn’t kill Pat
Johnson, but that was her intention. Daisy planned it out, but her plot was
foiled by raw hamburger, or so they say. The point is that she intended to do
harm.”

“We can’t be certain of that,” Cole said. “It’s hearsay.”

“She most certainly did run
Alice
off the road, and now
Alice
is dead. I don’t understand any of this. All I know is that Daisy Clark got
away with murder. How many more people are going to die before you get it
through your head that Daisy Clark is a killer? What about Harriett Shifflett?
Do you still think her husband poisoned her? From what I hear, Harriett and Joe
were pillars of the community. They loved each other dearly. Oh, never mind;
don’t answer that.” Mom turned and walked out of the room.

I jumped up to follow her, but instead, I hesitated, looked
at Cole and then said, “I hope you’re satisfied. Why did you come here? Billy already
told you that he was talking on the phone with
Alice
when she was killed. What more do you need? What about this
new eyewitness? Who is it?”

“I…”

Ethan let out a tiny wail and distracted me. I looked back at
Cole, and for a minute, our eyes locked. There was a time when I had really
cared about this man and his feelings. Maybe it was time for me to let go of my
anger toward him. I had everything I wanted. I didn’t need the extra baggage.

“I need to tend to my son,” I said, recovering from an awkward
moment—a moment that changed my attitude. I decided it was time to forgive and
forget. I walked over to Ethan and picked up his tiny body. After adjusting his
blanket and putting his pacifier in his mouth, I took him over to Cole.

“Would you like to hold Ethan?”

“Sure,” Cole replied. “Let me sit down first. I’m a little
unsteady when it comes to holding babies.”

He was taken by surprise, but gladly took Ethan into his arms
after he sat down. “Gosh, he doesn’t weigh a dime. He’s so tiny.” Cole started
rocking Ethan as they sat in the recliner.

Ethan looked lost in Cole’s big arms.

Everyone was stunned by my actions, but I felt it was time to
get over all the hurtful things that had happened and give Cole another chance.
He needed his friends back, and I figured if he screwed up again, that would be
his last chance. Besides, I was tired of being mad at him.

“I guess it means that you get diaper duty,” Billy said to
Cole as he got up. “Let me just…”

“I don’t think so,” Cole replied. He stood and walked over to
Billy in the center of the room. “He’s your son. Diaper duty’s your job.”

They both smiled.

“I’ll do it,” I said. “He needs more than a diaper change. He
needs…” I took Ethan and talked to him in whispers as I left the room. “We’ll
be back.” As I walked down the hall, I turned and looked back.

Billy and Cole were still standing in the middle of the
floor. The chief and Jonathan had joined them. They had their heads together.

Sarah, holding Maisy, came up behind me and said, “I figured
it was time to leave the plotting to the men. I’m sure we can find a way to
entertain ourselves.”

“We definitely have our hands full.”

I had to feed Ethan, but as soon as I was finished, I was
going back to find out what I’d missed. I was not going to be left out of the
loop anymore.

We went to the nursery and changed the children’s diapers.
Sarah played with Maisy while I fed Ethan, and before long, Mom, Claire, Benny
and Carrie had come into the room and sat down. Athena and Thor lay on a rug
between the two cribs. Spice Cat was noticeably missing, as usual.

“There’s so much love in this house,” Claire said. “I can
feel it in the air.”

Civil conversation filled the hallway as Billy, Cole, Chief
Sam and Jonathan walked passed the nursery toward the front door.

“Ah, there’s a plan in the works,” I said, smiling.

“What happened after I left the room?” Mom asked.

I looked at Sarah and she looked at me.

“It’s time to put the past behind us and move on,” Sarah
replied. “Life has to be lived.”

After Cole left, we had a long discussion about Alice Aikens’ funeral, what our next move
would be, and our opinion of the so-called eyewitness who had come forth. All
the children were down for the night, except Ethan, who would sleep for the
next two hours and then be up again for more. The rest of us went back to our
powwow in the family room.

“Her name’s June Robinson,” Billy said. “Her husband’s
deceased, but he was a Marine and she knows a few things about covert
operations. That’s what she told the sheriff. She lives up on a hill across
from Daisy, so she has a great view of everything around her, especially since
she uses binoculars. She said her eyesight isn’t what it used to be, that’s why
she uses binoculars.” Billy smiled.

“She’s the one who saw me snooping around Daisy Clark’s
place,” Jonathan said. “She must’ve told Daisy. How else would the woman know
to come after me? Daisy obviously did some investigative work herself.”

“I bet June Robinson saw you and immediately called Daisy,” I
said. “She probably had to explain herself—binoculars and all—but thought Daisy
was in danger. What she didn’t know is how wrong she was. Daisy isn’t in
danger, yet.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying, Missy,” Mom snapped. “I
don’t want to hear another word about Daisy Clark and your plans for her.
Remember who you are.”

“I know who I am,” I replied.

“Sometimes I wonder.”

“I also know I won’t let this woman harm my family. She’s
scary and she’s dangerous. I wouldn’t eat a single morsel of food at her house
or in her company unless it was food I brought myself.” I looked over at
Jonathan and repeated one of his earlier phrases. “I have the taste of blood
and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m going to make this woman pay. She’s an
evil demon seed.”

“I’ve eaten her food,” Mom said. “She thinks we’re friends;
she’s not going to harm me, not until I get in her way.”

“Oh, that’s a pleasant thought for me to carry around. It’s
not bad enough that you’re close to this woman, I have to worry about what’s
going to happen when she turns on you… and she will. It’s just a matter of time
until she goes after another victim.”

The idea of my mother being harmed was too much. Anger reared
its ugly head again.

“I’m making my debut before dinner tomorrow. I’m going to the
funeral with you. I refuse to let you be alone with Crazy Daisy. What’s going
to happen when she puts two and two together and comes up with Jonathan
Blackhawk? Does she know my name is Blackhawk?”

“Don’t be silly, Jesse,” Mom said. “I knew right from the
beginning I couldn’t bring the Blackhawk name into this. Billy said not to, so
I went with Watson. Quite a few people know Billy Blackhawk Detective Agency.”

“And Daisy’s smart.”

“That’s right. It wouldn’t take much for her to put us all
together and then our cover would be blown. So I told her you kept your last
name after you got married. I said that you’re a modern woman, and we both had
a good laugh at how things have changed. I never did tell her your husband’s
last name. Surprisingly, she didn’t ask about it again, and I didn’t volunteer
any information.”

“I’m going to the funeral.”

No one argued with me. They probably figured there was no
use.

I looked around the room and asked, “What is our goal here?”

“We’re going to continue with our infiltration until we find
enough evidence to put her away,” Jonathan said in his military tone.

Jonathan, a private man, served in the armed services before
he became a bounty hunter. He doesn’t talk about his past, but we all know that
some of the things he did were covert and extremely dangerous. Eventually, I
found out that Jonathan is an Army Ranger. I say is, because once you are, you
always are.

A loud snore came from the end of the sofa.

“Wake up, Sam,” Sarah said. She looked around the room. “It’s
time for us to go.”

The chief mumbled his apologies and then got up to leave.

“Call me if you need a sitter,” she said, giving me a hug.
“I’d love to come over and stay with the babies.”

“Thanks,” I replied as we walked to the door. “I really
appreciate all you do for us. You’re always around for support.”

“Don’t make me cry,” Sarah said. “Call me if you need me. I
can be back in five minutes.”

“I’m leaving, too,” Jonathan said, following us. “I have to
get up early in the morning.”

“You’re not going back to work, are you?”

“Who’s going to round up the bad guys off the street if I
don’t, Jesse? You’d be surprised how many people jump bail, and then there’s
that matter of Crazy Daisy.”

I giggled at his remark about Daisy, but said nothing about
her. “You need to rest. You’ve been shot.”

“A minor technicality,” Jonathan replied with a smile.

“You Blackhawk men are so tough!”

“Yes, we are,” he replied. He leaned down, kissed my cheek
and then whispered in my ear, “Don’t kill anyone without me.”

“You’re nuts.” I ushered him out the door. “I’m going to
start calling you Crazy Jonathan, like our friend, Crazy Daisy.”

“What did I tell you about that, Jesse?” Mom fumed.

“Okay,” I said. “Okay… no more
Crazy Daisy
.”

I waved to Jonathan as he walked down the steps behind his
mother and father.

Thirty minutes later, the house was silent and everyone was
tucked in their beds.

Our bed felt cozy and warm as I lay in Billy’s arms. I
snuggled close to him and slid my arm around his waist. The sweet scent of Old
Spice filled the air.

“There was a moment when something passed between you and
Cole,” Billy whispered. “I felt it and so did everyone in the room. I took it
as a mending of the ways. We’ve both been angry with him for a while, but I was
hoping for a resolution to our bad feelings somewhere down the road. And now, thanks
to you, the time has come. If you can forgive and be friends with Cole after
all he’s put you through, then so can I. I want my friendship with Cole back.
I’ve been waiting until he got over whatever it was that was making him crazy.”

“It hit me like a ton of bricks, Billy. I looked him in the
eye and saw the Cole we all know and love, and then I realized I wasn’t the
only one who got hurt from the fallout of our relationship. I was crazy about
Cole, but when he acted like we were strangers in front of Sheriff Hudson that
day at Mom’s house, our love affair died… well, it did for me. When he got
shot, his whole personality changed. He became reckless, living every day as if
it were his last. When you and I hooked up, he started seeing Claire immediately.
He was on the rebound and I knew he would hurt her. I just didn’t know he’d
actually physically hurt her. He blamed his anger problem on his medication.
Drugs or no drugs, he alienated Mom when she saw him slap Claire. Everything
went downhill from there. That’s when he started going on and on about Ethan
being his child. Now that he knows the truth, he can move on with his life. We
all can. Forgiveness is a necessity, don’t you think?”

“You’ve blossomed right before my eyes, `ge ya. You went from
a skinny, confused thirty-year old to a mature woman, wonderful lover, and a
devoted mother.”

“There you go saying all the right things, again.” I kissed
him gently on the lips and then wrapped my arms around his neck.

He pulled me close and began kissing me passionately.

“I love you more than life itself,” he whispered in my ear.

I almost cried.

Billy has filled my life with more happiness than I could
have ever imagined. Sometimes I get scared at the thought of how happy I am and
what a wonderful man I’ve married. I count my blessings ever day.

I pushed him away and said, “Not just yet, lover boy. We
still have to wait a couple weeks. Doctor’s orders.”

“What does he know?”

“We have two kids in diapers,” I said as I scooted away from
him. “That’s enough for me for the time being.”

“But my clock is ticking.” He chuckled, sliding closer.

“That’s my line, Tonto.”

He smiled in the darkness, yet I could see his face from the
light of the moon shining across the room. Predominant are his Cherokee
features: the long, black shiny hair (slightly grayer since he met me) that
hangs down in a ponytail, and his dark, olive colored skin. His muscular build
is perfect for his 6’3" height and 180 pounds. This is his true physical
strength, but it’s what’s in his heart that is his real strong point. He’s
strong and could be tough when called for, yet a six-pound infant could bring
him to his knees. I love his strength and the fact that he has a soft side.
He’s everything a girl could possible ask for and he’s all mine. The fact that he’s
sixteen years older than I am just makes life more interesting.

I, on the other hand, am 5’5" and weigh every bit of 125
lbs. (I’ve added a few pounds since giving birth to a watermelon). I have long
(dyed) red hair and soon that will probably change. I’m going back to being a
blond/brunette and a trim is definitely in order. Long hair just isn’t
practical with little ones and their tiny fingers.

I relented, snuggled back up to Billy and said, “It’s really
going to be quiet around here when Claire and the kids leave tomorrow, and then
after a funeral and a dinner with Crazy Daisy, Mom’s going home to stay for a
few days. I think she wants to see Eddie. She claims she’s going home because
we need some time to ourselves.
Bologna
!
She wants to be with her new boyfriend. She really likes him. I can tell. I’m
glad.”

I heard a light snore.

“Billy,” I whispered. “Are you asleep?”

There was no answer.

I rolled over on my back and closed my eyes. Smiling, I
drifted off into dreamland. It seemed as if I had hardly closed my eyes when I
heard Ethan cry out. Barely awake, I mechanically jumped out of bed and went to
his room. The night-light in the corner gave off a yellow glow that cast my
shadow on the walls as I moved from crib to crib. Maisy had been sleeping through
the night for some time, but it would be many moons before my little Cherokee
son would. I looked down at him as he squirmed and then whimpered. I grabbed a
diaper and a container of baby wipes and proceeded to change his diaper. He
didn’t even cry out. I picked him up, walked over to the rocking chair in the
corner and sat down. I put him to my breast and cried as he fed. It was one of
the most amazing feelings I’d ever felt. My mind drifted as I thought about how
wonderful my life has been since I’ve been with Billy. I’m so lucky.

Billy tiptoed into the nursery, leaned over and whispered,
“Are you okay, `ge ya?”

“I’m great,” I sobbed. “Things couldn’t be better.”

Billy chuckled and turned to walk away. “If you don’t need
me, I’ll go back to bed.”

That was another tender moment.

After a burp and a little extra holding, I laid Ethan down.
He was so tiny; he looked lost in his crib. I stood over him and just watched.
He looked so much like Billy; I just hoped he had his daddy’s disposition,
because mine is not the best. I quietly turned, walked out of the nursery, and
crawled back into my bed. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I awoke to the sound of a phone ringing. It rang again before
I heard Mom’s voice. She spoke softly, but I could hear everything she said.

“Yes, I’m going home after breakfast,” she said. “Why don’t
you and Gabe come by around
one
o’clock
? That’ll give
us a little time to talk.”

I got out of bed, dressed and walked across the hall to the
nursery. Both kids were still asleep. I walked over and put my hand on their
chest to make sure each one was still breathing. I looked at both of them and
smiled. Here I was doing the same thing I’d heard other women say they’ve
done—yet, I swore I’d never do it. Yeah, right. I eased out of the room and
headed to the kitchen.

Billy greeted me, kissed my forehead and then handed me a cup
of coffee. “Here, I’m sure you need this.”

“Actually, I’m fine. I only got up once in the middle of the
night to feed Ethan.”

Billy leaned down and whispered in my ear, “That’s because I
fed him a bottle of breast milk you had in the refrigerator.”

“Did you...”

“Yes, dear, I warmed it up first. I have two other sons; I’ve
done this many times.”

“How did you know what I was going to say?”

Billy, Mom and Claire got a good laugh. Their laughter got
the dogs riled, and then Benny and Carrie joined in. I’m sure the kids didn’t
know what everyone was laughing about, but it didn’t matter. They were part of
the group—that’s what counts.

I looked around at everyone and smiled. “I’m so happy. I
don’t care if y’all laugh at me all day long. Go ahead. Get it all out.”

I never should have said that, because the comment instigated
an outpouring of cackles. They were like chickens that had been shut up in a
coop too long. That laughed, snorkeled, and made outrageous little noises,
until; finally, I had to tell them to stop.