R. E. Bradshaw - Rainey Nights (37 page)

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.”

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.

“He’s headfirst in that plate by now. Go on, get moving,” Katie said, to the smiling Rainey.

“You and your sisters played hell with your parents, didn’t you?” Rainey asked.

“It’s the art of misdirection. Now, go.”

Rainey went out the backdoor and around the side of the office building. She hunched over to avoid being seen, slipping into the back seat of Katie’s car undetected. Rainey was having so much fun the pain was worth it. Katie came out the front door of the office, making a show of saying goodbye.

“I’ll be back in a little while, Rainey. Bye.”

Rainey sprawled across the backseat, trying desperately not to laugh, because it hurt so much. Katie got in the car and they drove right by the cop.

Katie waved at him and said to Rainey, conspiratorially, “He’s got spaghetti hanging out of his mouth. He never saw a thing.”

From the back seat, Rainey replied, “I’ll remind you of these evasive maneuvers you’re so good at, when our son or daughter slips away from you.”

“Won’t happen. If my sisters and I haven’t done it, then it probably hasn’t been done, yet. I’m prepared for the worst.”

Rainey held her sides, fighting off a chuckle. “Oh, this is going to be fun, watching you wrangle a kid just like you.”

“That’s the same thing my father said,” Katie replied.

Rainey lost control of her laughter and gave into the pain, looking forward to laughing through the hurts with Katie, for the rest of her life.

#

Katie pulled her car to a stop in the shade of an enormous pecan tree and rolled all the windows down.

She told Rainey, “Now, you just sit here and relax. Here, take my phone.” She dug inside her purse, producing headphones. “You can listen to music while I’m in there. I’ll tell her you’re waiting, so I can get out of there fast.”

Katie had stopped to let Rainey get in the front seat, after they were clear of the cop. She took the phone from Katie, but left it on the seat beside her. Rainey just wanted to listen to the quiet. Her eyelids were heavy and she thought she would just nap while Katie visited with her friend. Rainey wasn’t being antisocial. She wouldn’t be good company in her current state. The sneaking around had drained her energy. Katie grabbed the box from the back seat.

“I’ll be right back. I can’t wait to see that guy’s face when we drive back up with you sitting in the front seat.”

Rainey smiled. “You’re really enjoying this.”

Katie stuck her head in Rainey’s window. “Yes, I like sneaking around with you.” She kissed Rainey on the cheek. “I’ll hurry, I promise.”

“No rush. I’m going to close my eyes for a minute. Take your time.”

Katie bounded off toward the front door of the old two-story farmhouse. The yard was swept clean of leaves and the buildings looked well kept. The big barn at the back of the property appeared freshly painted. Rainey noticed a newer model pickup truck with the logo for a lighting company on the door. It was probably a truck Dara used for her business. A silver sedan was parked next to it. A breeze drifted through the car. Rainey laid her head back on the rest and closed her eyes.