A blur raced pass them with such speed that Sandra might not have known what it was if not for the galloping hoofbeats giving it away. Sandra looked up to see the back of a horse headed farther up Old Black Farm Road. Where did she think she was going? “She was going to burn us alive and then ride off like it never happened?” Sandra had underestimated this woman’s evil.
“Not us. You.” He threw her a glance. “Do you have a signal?” he asked again, sounding impatient.
She looked down. “I have one bar.”
“Good. Call the fire department. I will stop her.”
She was alone with her phone. She dialed 911 and gave them as much information as she could think to give, including the name of the arsonist she had just watched ride away on horseback. The woman sounded incredulous, but Sandra repeated the information and then hung up. She didn’t want to stand there beside a burning barn talking on the phone. She jumped into her minivan, backed away from the burning building, and followed after the horse. She was certain that she had never been so furious in her life. She could not wait to see Daphne Barney in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit. She suspected it was tough to keep those outfits wrinkle-free.
The road narrowed to nothing but a path, and Sandra started to fear that her van soon wouldn’t fit between the trees—but she persisted. The path appeared to abruptly end in front of her, and she slowed to a crawl. Then she saw that the road curved away from her, and she slowly stuck the nose of her minivan around the corner.
She exhaled in relief. The horse stood immediately in front of her, in the middle of the road, with Daphne perched on its back. She left the car running so the headlights would stay on. Also, she wanted to be able to make a quick getaway. She thought it possible that Daphne had a gun. Slowly, she opened her door and slid out of the van. But Daphne did not turn around to shoot her. In fact, Daphne did not even acknowledge her existence, so Sandra slowly walked up alongside the horse. Daphne looked down at her, her face as white as a ghost. Sandra didn’t know what to say. Why was Daphne the terrified one? Sandra decided on, “What are you doing?” This was a pretty pathetic getaway.
“There’s something in the path.” Daphne’s voice wavered.
Sandra looked ahead of the horse. “I don’t see anything.” She tried to keep the smirk out of her voice.
“I know, but the horse won’t move past it. He’s scared of something. There’s something there.” The horse whinnied as if in agreement.
“So, turn around and go the other way.” This didn’t make much sense, as Sandra’s minivan was now blocking the path.
“I tried that. The horse won’t move.” The woman was genuinely terrified. Served her right. She looked down at her again and started, as if just noticing she was there, or just realizing who she was. “How did you get out of the barn?”
Not going to answer that. “So, you’re just going to sit there on your horse after you tried to burn me alive?”
It was her turn not to answer.
“I’ve called the cops. They’re on their way, along with the fire department.”
This spurred Daphne into action, and she yanked her reins to the left, but her horse reared up and then came crashing back down, efficiently refusing to move, no matter how hard Daphne drove her heels into his sides.
Sandra stumbled backward to get out of the way and almost went down on her rump.
“What’s happening?” Daphne cried. “There’s something here!” In a panic, she jerked the reins to the right, but the horse just spun in a circle.
Sandra wondered if Bob had learned this trick from the angel who’d stopped Balaam’s donkey on the road to Balak. She wished Bob would make the horse talk to Daphne. She would’ve loved to hear what he had to say. This idea made Sandra laugh out loud.
Daphne looked down at her in horror. “What’s so funny?”
Sandra felt guilty. Nothing was funny. A man had been murdered. “Why did you kill Phoenix?”
“I don’t have to say anything to you,” Daphne spat.
Sandra folded her arms across her chest. “Fine. We can just sit here quietly, in this exact spot, waiting for the bright lights and sirens.”
“I’ll give you all the money I have,” Daphne hissed. “Just get me out of here.” She glanced at the idling minivan.
“Maybe. Tell me why you killed Phoenix.”
“Oh, what does it matter?” Daphne wailed in frustration.
“It matters to Phoenix’s loved ones.”
“That man didn’t have any loved ones!”
“You’re wrong.”
“Whatever. If he had just stayed out of our lives and minded his own business, he’d be still be alive.”
They heard the faint whine of distant sirens, and Daphne tried to get her horse going again, but it just whinnied and spun in place.
“So you killed a man just because he was related to your family?”
“I don’t care who is related to anybody. This is about money.” She glanced at the minivan again. “Something you could have plenty of if you would stop being such a fool. Think of your children. Think about what money could do for them. Private schools. College—”
“You killed Phoenix because he was going to steal part of your inheritance?”
“Not part of it. All of it!”
What? That didn’t make any sense. How was he going to do that? Something clicked in Sandra’s brain. She gasped. “Brendan isn’t Richard’s biological son?” No wonder he was so short!
She didn’t answer, but her silence was answer enough.
Sandra still didn’t understand. “Surely Richard would’ve split the inheritance, if he even included Phoenix at all.”
“Richard hates Brendan,” she hissed.
The sirens grew louder. Soon, Sandra wouldn’t be able to ask any more questions. “So you honestly think Richard would have left his money to a stranger, rather than the son he’s known his whole life?”
She glared down from her perch. “You don’t know these people. Richard would have been so thrilled to be able to do just that. He would have done it just to spite Brendan. Phoenix would have been the son Richard never had. And my girls would have been left with nothing.” The sirens were closing in.
“So you framed your father-in-law? That’s pretty diabolical.”
“That wasn’t the plan.” She looked around frantically, a rabbit caught in a trap.
“How did you even have that bat?”
She groaned. “Because none of those hillbillies pick up after themselves, and somehow that bat got left behind, so my stupid father-in-law picked it up and threw it in our vehicle. Look, I didn’t go there to kill that guy. I met him at the church to pay him off, but he wouldn’t listen to me ...” She started to cry. “He was crazy, just like you, said he didn’t care about money. If he’d just taken it, he wouldn’t be dead right now.”
The sirens grew louder. Sandra knew she only had seconds. “But why did you kill him?”
“I just got so angry. He wouldn’t listen. When he turned to walk away from me, I just ... I just ... I followed him into the woods. I was just so mad. I just wanted to get rid of him.” Her voice dropped an octave on the last four words, and Sandra’s arms broke out in goosebumps.
She didn’t believe her that it wasn’t planned. “You’re full of it. You were obviously wearing gloves, because they didn’t find your prints on the bat.” She was wearing gloves now, so this was a fair assumption. “And you snuck the bat back into the bat bag, with Richard’s prints and Phoenix’s blood still on it. Don’t tell me this all just happened.”
Daphne kicked the horse again.
Sandra felt horrible for the animal, but wasn’t sure how to rescue him. She didn’t think she could wrestle Daphne off a horse. I should try to distract her, keep her talking. What else could she ask? What did she need to know? “How long had you known Phoenix?”
“A few days. He came to the house once. I told him if I ever saw him again that I’d make sure he went to pri
son.” She laughed shrilly. “I told him I can get creative with my lies, and not to test me.”
“But he did test you, didn’t he? He came to the church softball game? And you called the cops?”
“Fat lot of good that did. Took them two hours to show up.”
This wasn’t difficult to believe. “And you just happened to have a burner phone in your purse?” Sandra was proud of herself for calling it a burner phone.
“You’d have a burner too if your husband was always snooping through your phone, reading your messages, seeing what websites you visit ...”
Good grief, this was one wacko family. “So Phoenix ran from the police, not because he was guilty of anything, but because you’d threatened to have him thrown into prison?”
“How should I know why he ran? Get out of the road!” she screamed into the darkness.
Sandra imagined that Bob was enjoying this. “And now you’re the one going to prison. Why’d you take his wallet?”
“Didn’t want anyone to know who he was.” Daphne looked down at her with disdain. “Are you really going to turn down all this money and let them catch me?”
“There’s nowhere to go, Daphne. I can’t go back the way I came. The police are obviously on this road now, blocking our path. And even if I could get around your horse, the road is too narrow.”
“No!” she cried, as if she suddenly had hope of escape. “The road widens out just ahead and attaches to another real road, which my friend lives on. This is her horse!”
“You have a friend?”
Half of Daphne’s red lips curled up in a sneer. “Money can buy you lots of things. Let me show you.”
“Daphne, I wouldn’t take your money if it was the last money on earth.”
The blue lights came into view and the sirens stopped.
“Did you even ever have the videos?”
Sandra could feel her fury from where she stood. “How could I? Didn’t you delete them from the church computer?”
“Yes, but I thought you’d figured out a way to get them back. I’m no computer whiz.”
They heard men’s voices and car doors slamming behind the minivan, and Sandra smiled at Bob, even though she couldn’t see him.
Daphne looked down at her and asked, with a voice like ice, “You know what’s in the road, don’t you?”
Chapter 37
The blue lights were blinding, and Sandra could feel a headache starting. At least they’d turned the sirens off. She was grateful for that. She imagined the horse was too. It didn’t need to be further traumatized.
Sandra had been worried about the horse. It had been stolen and then confronted by an angel, but Slaughter seemed to speak horse, and was doing a great job of comforting the beautiful beast. She’d already made a call to someone who was coming to rescue the animal, make sure he was okay, and then bring him home. Sandra wished someone would do the same for her.
As Sandra had anticipated, it was wonderfully comforting to see Daphne in handcuffs. Sandra quietly watched as Chip pulled her off the horse, slapped the cuffs on her, and then led her toward a waiting police car.
At first, Chip ignored Sandra entirely, and only Dwight, her least favorite soccer ref, stopped to ask her questions. She answered them as vaguely as she could and counted the seconds until she could get out of there. But then Chip fit her into his schedule. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised!” he called out as he headed her way.
She didn’t respond. What was there to say?
“You want to tell me why Daphne Barney tried to burn down a barn with you in it?”
Sandra shrugged. “I guess she knew that I was onto her.”
“And you just followed her out here all by yourself in the middle of nowhere to meet up with her in an abandoned barn?”
Sandra bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Chip didn’t appear to be in the smiling mood. “Yes.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yes? That’s all you’re going to say?”
“What do you want me to say, Chip?”
“I want you to tell me how you knew she was the killer.”
“I didn’t know, exactly. I just knew it was one of them, and she’s the one who tried to burn down an old barn with me in it.”
“There are chains on the ground near the barn door. She didn’t try to trap you inside?”
Sandra didn’t know how to answer that. “I’m not sure what her plan was.”
“What I’m asking is, how did you get out of the barn?”
“I just walked out.”
He raised his voice, and several other police officers turned to stare at them. “She lured you into a barn and lit it on fire, but she didn’t think to shut the door and lock you inside?”
Sandra shrugged. “I’m not sure. You’ll need to ask her. I don’t think she’s a very talented criminal.”
Chip stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “The thing is, Sandra. I did ask her. She claims that she chained the barn door shut, and that you magically were able to escape. So, I want an explanation.”
She’d never been so tongue-tied. Why couldn’t Bob rescue her now?
“You’re not going to say anything?”
Her head was throbbing. “I’m sorry, Chip.” She sounded like a mouse. “I just don’t have any answers for you.”
He looked at the horse. “And then she tried to get away on horseback and you chased her down a skidder trail in a minivan? You can see how hard all this is for me to believe, right?”
“It’s got really good tires.”
Chip laughed, but he still managed to look angry. “Sandra, I am not a stupid man. I know there’s more you’re not telling me. You’re lucky I believe that you are one of the good guys. Otherwise, I’d be mighty suspicious of you. Last fall, someone tries to shoot you and just mysteriously has an arm seizure. Last winter, someone falls through the ice and you and your kid are mysteriously able to pull him out. And now, you are mysteriously able to escape from a burning barn with the door chained shut and then you mysteriously paralyzed a horse. I don’t believe in the paranormal, Sandra. So I need you to explain to me what’s happening here.”
Sandra was suddenly beyond uncomfortable. This was no longer funny. Chip knew too much. She wished she could become invisible and fly away like Bob. She tried to look respectful and servile. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be difficult. But I’ve been through a lot, and I’m really not feeling well. Do you think I could go home now?”
He stared at her long and hard before granting her permission. “We’re not done talking about this yet.”
She glanced back at her beloved minivan with the spectacular tires. “It seems I’m blocked in by about fourteen vehicles. Do you think one of your officers could give me a ride?”
He nodded, his jaw tight, and motioned Dwight over.
Sandra groaned. She’d rather walk home than hitch a ride with Dwight, but it was too late to specify which chauffeur she preferred, and she didn’t want to do anything to further perplex Chip. So, she would take a ride home from her least favorite soccer ref, and she would be grateful. It could be worse.
Chapter 38
Friday night brought a rematch at Grace Evangelical. But New Hope showed up with a very different team than they’d had the last time the two teams had gone head to head. Though Richard had been released from police custody with no charges, he had apparently lost his taste for softball. No one was surprised that Brendan Barney didn’t show up either.
Nate, Pastor, Boomer, and Loriana were there, along with five Bickfords. No one mentioned the ridiculous new “rules” forbidding the Bickfords from playing. Maybe Pastor had realized they’d never been a good idea.
For reasons Sandra didn’t understand, this time when Peter asked to play, he was told yes and sent to right field. He was elated. Ton Truck, apparently encouraged by Peter’s success, asked again to pitch and was promptly shut down.
Grace E’s pitcher was fast, but that didn’t bother the Bickfords. New
Hope’s leadoff batter easily reached first, as did his brother after that and their cousin after that. When Pastor Cliff stepped up to bat fourth, a cleanup position that could only have been assigned by the Pastor himself, there was a Bickford on every bag.
Pastor swung at the first pitch and missed. The pitcher threw a change-up, and Pastor swung and missed again. Now he looked nervous. He didn’t usually strike out, he wasn’t that bad, but they didn’t usually face such tricky pitching. He swung at the third pitch and just barely got a piece of it. It fell nearly right in front of him, and the catcher immediately scooped it up and tagged home plate. Sandra looked down at the book to record that out, so she didn’t see the rest of the play, but she heard it. Apparently, the catcher then wound the ball to the second baseman who then wound it to first for the first triple play Sandra had ever seen. Well, technically, she hadn’t seen this one either, but she was never going to admit that.
Grace E whooped and bounced their way off the field as Pastor trudged toward the dugout with his head down. When he came within three feet of Ton Truck, he glanced up and said, “You go ahead and pitch an inning.”
This cheered the Bickfords up a bit, and Ton Truck struck out Grace E’s first three batters, effectively taking the wind out of their sails. Sandra knew then that Grace E didn’t have a prayer. If their first three batters couldn’t hit off Ton Truck, none of them would be able to. Ton Truck collapsed onto the old wooden bench beside her, making the whole thing wobble beneath them.
“That’s some good pitching!”
“Thank ya.” He spit into the dirt, and she tried not to visibly cringe. “So, I hear you’re the one who caught that murderer.”
“Sort of.”
He winked at her. “Pretty impressive.”
“Thank ya.”
Nate joined them then, sitting on the other side of her and reaching out to tickle his youngest under the chin.
“That little guy’s gonna know a lot about ball, just sitting there watchin’ every game,” Ton Truck said. He cleared his throat loudly.
Sandra had her doubts that Sammy was actually watching, but she didn’t argue. It was soon Ton Truck’s turn to bat, and he left her husband and her alone in the dugout.
The Pinch Runner Page 14
