While She Slumbered: The Murder Blog Mysteries #5

by Pamela Frost Dennis

  No one has ever accused me of being smart, so I drove on, slowing to a crawl at each bend in the road in case they were right on the other side. If they saw me, they might call the cops. Then I remembered there was no cell service out there, which was hard to believe in this day and age. I can’t recall the last time I walked around holding my phone aloft, searching for bars, so maybe Michelle was wrong. I tugged my phone from my purse and checked the screen. No service. However, they could use the landline at the B & B office.

  The further we traveled, the more wooded the rolling hills of parched golden grass became. As I swung around the next curve, I caught of glimpse of their taillights in a shady grove. I reversed direction and backed away until I was out of sight, then parked under the sprawling branches of an oak tree.

  My raggedy, faded red baseball cap was on the backseat floor where I tossed it the last time I was “in disguise.” A sweatshirt draped around my shoulders (another backseat floor-find) and sunglasses completed my costume. In case I wanted to take some photos, I slipped my phone into my back pocket, got out and locked the door, then felt conflicted. I leaned against the car staring at the cloudless sky.

  What the hell am I doing here? What do I hope to accomplish? Obviously, they’re here to have the little romantic honeymoon that Michelle planned.

  “Time to go home.” I was unlocking the car door when I heard screams.

  I jogged along the side of a sandstone bank lining the dirt road until it sloped down to ground level, leaving me visible and vulnerable. From there, I sprinted to the closest tree and ducked behind it.

  The newlyweds were laughing and screaming boisterously while unloading the car.

  I was about to retrace my steps back to Veronica, when my intuition gave me a little nudge. Oh, hell. In for a penny, in for a pound, as Mom would say.

  I could make out the cottage deep in the shadows of the trees where they’d parked. It looked more like a long abandoned ramshackle old cabin built in the 1800s, than a charming honeymoon cottage.

  About twenty-five feet from the cabin, a cluster of giant granite boulders sat in the hip-deep grass. I scrambled to them and hunkered down waiting for my heart rate to slow. When the car was empty, Michelle grabbed the two carry-ons and rushed to the entrance. She set down the suitcases, unlocked the door, and then turned to wait.

  Donna closed the trunk, and glanced around for a long moment. Then she picked up the grocery bags and called out to her waiting bride, “Are you planning to carry me over the threshold, my love?”

  She left the cooler by the car and climbed the rickety steps to the porch where Michelle was blocking the entrance. Donna set down the bags and approached her with arms wide spread. Michelle started talking and waving her arms. She looked frantic, which made no sense to me. Suddenly, Donna shouted, “Get out of the way!”

  “Wait! You don’t understand!” Michelle followed her into the cabin and slammed the door. I bolted to the cabin’s log and chinked side, and squatted behind a scrubby Scotch broom bush growing in front of a window. I was afraid to peek in, but I could hear them arguing.

  “What have you done?” cried Donna. “Aunt Nina! Wake up!”

  I had to see what was going on. I spread the Scotch broom’s bushy branches apart for a look into the cabin. I could see someone under the covers in the brass bed, but the women’s bodies blocked my view of her face.

  “Nina can’t hear you,” said Michelle. “She’s dead to the world.”

  “You killed her?”

  “No! She’s asleep, that’s all.”

  “What did you give her?” asked Donna.

  Michelle picked up a bottle of liquid medicine from the small three-legged bedside table. “SleepWell and sleeping pills. I mix them into protein drinks so she’s getting proper nutrition, too. I got the idea from your first book.”

  “That was fiction! She’s old and fragile. You could’ve killed her.” Donna picked up a little prescription bottle on the nightstand and read the label. “This is your Ambien. I thought you quit taking this after you woke up naked one morning in the neighbor’s yard.”

  “I did. But I renewed the prescription at the Walmart in Santa Lucia. I only mixed enough of the Ambien and SleepWell to keep her soundly asleep. It’s not that much different from what you were doing at the house.”

  “She wasn’t feeling well, “ said Donna.

  “Right. The bronchial thing. You told me.”

  Donna continued. “I also told you she didn’t do well with the daytime cold medicine. It made her agitated and she couldn’t sleep. That’s why I was giving her the nighttime stuff.”

  “Oh, please, sweetybabe. Be honest. If not with me, then at least with yourself. You were keeping her asleep, because you were worn out. Between the house remodel and your aunt’s constant needs—maybe at first it was for her bronchitis, but then—”

  Donna hung her head. “I admit that I continued to medicate her when she probably didn’t need it anymore. You know she told me several times she wanted me to leave, but how could I leave without finishing the remodel?” She lifted her head, looking coldly at Michelle. “But I was mixing it with vitamins and fruit juice, not sleeping pills, for God’s sake.” Donna threw the pill bottle against the wall. “Oh my God! It’s just hitting me now. You snuck into the house in the middle of the night and kidnapped her! And then you let me agonize over where my aunt was! I thought she was dead! How could you do that to her? To me?”

  “I did it for us. I felt terrible not telling you, but I had to wait for the right time. I’ve been taking good care of her. I’ve kept her hydrated and comfortable. I even put a diaper on her and changed it twice a day.”

  “What do you mean, you did it for us?” Donna shook her head, looking incredulous. “Those mysterious errands you’ve been running. You were coming out here. But why? Why did you do this?”

  “You know she’s not long for this world. Plus, she basically has no life. Her friends are all dead, except for that obnoxious busybody neighbor, and she lives with a cat—who ran away. Is that a life you’d wish on someone you love?”

  “No, of course not,” said Donna. “That’s why she was moving to that retirement community. And it’s my fault the cat is gone.”

  “Personally, I don’t think she would survive a big move. When she passes, everything goes to you. We can stay in the house and I can take care of you so you can focus on writing.”

  “But why bring her here? To this awful place? It makes no sense.” Donna shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t want to hear another word from you. I’m taking her to the hospital, and you’re helping me get her to the car.” She yanked the blankets off Nina. “Oh, my God! You have her tied to the bed like she’s a prisoner!”

  I need to call the police. I checked my phone, praying there’d be bars, but it still said “no service.”

  “I couldn’t risk her waking up and trying to leave, could I?” said Michelle. “She might have got lost. Or hurt.”

  “Oh, Aunt Nina! I swear, I had no idea.” Donna reached to untie her aunt’s wrists.

  “No! Don’t wake her.” Michelle elbowed in front of Donna, and threw the covers back over Nina. She set her hands on Donna’s shoulders, turning her away from the bed. “You have to hear me out! I planned this while I was staying at the hotel. I wanted everything to be perfect for Nina.”

  Donna backed away from her, looking frightened. “You call this perfect? Drugged and tied to a bed?”

  Michelle sighed, then smiled. “There’s an ancient oak with widespread branches up on the hill behind the cabin. I’ve sat for hours under that tree enjoying the magnificent view. You can see the ocean from up there. It’s perfect. You’re going to love it. I’ve already dug the grave. We’ll take Nina up there and give her a lethal dose at sunset. She will gently and painlessly drift away. I brought champagne to toast a happy ending for Nina, and a new beginning for us.”

  “No, Michelle. None of that is happening. You’re sick and need help.”
Donna straightened her shoulders, and stepped close to Nina. She laid back a corner of the blue plaid blanket and untied Nina’s left wrist. “We’re taking Nina to the hospital and then we are going to get you the help you need.”

  “Stop!” Michelle slipped her hand inside her crossbody bag.

  I’ll continue this tomorrow.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Friday • July 24

  Posted by Katy McKenna

  Friday, July 17

  Part Three

  I slammed through the cabin door. “Donna—I’ll help you take Nina to the hospital!”

  Michelle spun around, staring bug-eyed at me, her hand still inside her purse. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Katy! Oh thank God you’re here,” said Donna, as she feverishly worked to untie Nina’s other wrist. “I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my entire life! I’ll need help getting her to the car.”

  I approached the bed shoving Michelle aside, and gazed at my sleeping friend. She looked fragile in her lavender flannel nightgown. “Let me help you untie her.”

  Donna moved aside. “I’m so shaky I’m all thumbs.

  Suddenly, a searing pain stabbed my lower back. I collapsed to my knees and slammed hard on my side, writhing in muscle-ripping spasms that I thought would tear me in half. My brain felt like a marble rattling around inside my empty skull, while a million bees stung my flesh.

  After what felt like an eternity of mind-blowing pain, the spasm loosened its grip, leaving me drained and paralyzed.

  Michelle’s straddled my chest, pointing a pink stun gun at me. “Move and I’ll taser you again.”

  “Leave her alone!” cried Donna.

  “She’ll live.” Then to me, she said, “See what being a Nosy Nellie gets ya?”

  I whimpered, and she clamped a gold sandaled foot on my chest, grinding its kitten heel into my ribs. “Donna, get the rope out of the bureau. I put it in the bottom drawer. Then tie her up.”

  “Why? She can’t even move.”

  “Pretty soon she’ll be able to, and I’ll have to tase her again.” She bent close to my face. “Do you want me to do that?”

  I couldn’t answer, but the answer was NO!

  Michelle pressed her shoe deeper into my chest. “Don’t get any funny ideas.” She waved her taser. “Still got a lot of juice left. Probably can zap ya two, three more times.”

  Michelle glanced over her shoulder at Donna. “Hurry up.”

  In my peripheral vision, I watched Donna drag the rope out of the dresser near the rock fireplace.

  “Are you planning to murder her, too?” asked Donna.

  “Gently easing your poor old aunt to the pearly gates is hardly what I’d call murder. I hope someone will be as kind to me someday.”

  Still standing behind Michelle, Donna coiled a section of rope in a loose circle. “But what about Katy?”

  With her back to Donna, Michelle continued to stare down at me. “She’s an unfortunate complication. Her fault, not ours.” She glanced at the palm of the hand not holding the stun gun. “With these blisters I got from digging Nina’s grave, there’s no way I can dig another hole. So you’re going to have to do it, Donna. Or they can share the grave I dug.” She smiled sweetly at me. “But don’t you worry, Katy. You won’t suffer.” She slipped her blistered hand into her crossbody purse, withdrew another pill bottle and shook it. “I got lots of sleeping pills. Enough for you and Auntie Nina to go permanently night-night.”

  Donna stood frozen behind her, her lips clamped in a grim line, clutching the rope loop with both hands. She glanced at me, and I widened my eyes and sputtered, “Please.”

  Michelle sniggered. “Begging is so pathetic. This is what you get for not minding your own business.”

  In a flash, Donna raised her arms up and over her bride’s head, wrapping the rope around her neck. She snapped it tight, dragging her backward. Michelle’s foot slid off my chest, and I sucked in a gulp of revitalizing air.

  Michelle whipped around, fighting to loosen the tight coil from her neck with one hand. Her other hand, still clutching the taser, moved towards Donna’s abdomen. Donna jerked the rope violently and Michelle dropped the taser. The women lost their balance and landed hard on me.

  Screaming and pummeling each other, they slid off me onto the wood floor. Michelle had loosened Donna’s stranglehold on the rope. She rolled over onto Donna, planting her rear on her wife’s paunchy stomach, and ripped the rope from her neck. Her eyes swept the floor and fixed on the pink taser just inches from my hand. I had to get it before she did. I willed my body to wake up. My fingers twitched a stiff response.

  “Don’t even think about it,” she snarled as she reached for it.

  Donna’s hand shot out and clawed Michelle’s arm with her sharp purple nails, drawing blood.

  “You bitch!” She slapped Donna several times, forgetting about the stun gun.

  I couldn’t take hold of the taser, but I smacked it under the bed, then shimmied away from the women. I hauled myself to a sitting position, leaning against the brass bed frame. I felt a tickle on my head and shifted to meet Nina’s eyes. Her other hand pressed a finger over her mouth, warning me to keep quiet. She flicked her eyes at the glass kerosene hurricane lamp on the bedside table. I knew what she was thinking, but could I do it?

  Nina slid to the far side of the bed, flattening herself against the log wall. Keeping an eye on the wrestling women, I scooted towards the table and reached up for the lamp. My hand grasped at the round bottom glass base. It was too heavy for a one-handed hold. Using the spindle-legged wood nightstand for leverage, I tried to push myself to my feet. The little table wobbled and the lamp shattered on the wood floor, oozing kerosene. I lost my balance, landing flat on my chest. My cheek slammed into the broken glass and the kerosene puddle.

  Michelle thrust herself away from Donna, scrambled to her feet, and started towards me. I heard Nina whisper, “Taser.”

  Michelle kicked me hard in the side. I slithered under the tall-framed bed—away from the next blow. That brought me within reach of the taser. I seized it with my left hand, then swapped it under my chest to my right hand.

  I could see my adversary’s gold sandaled feet. “Come out from under there!” she barked.

  “No!”

  Several feet away, Donna lay on the floor motionless.

  “Fine. Stay under there as long as you want while I tie up Donna and Nina. I think a nice spritz of pepper spray ought to keep you in check until I can properly deal with you.”

  Before she turned away, I jammed the taser into the top of her foot, and she fell like a ton of bricks. I slid out from under the bed, threw a quick glance at Nina, and received a shaky thumbs-up.

  “Donna! Wake up!” I searched for a pulse on her neck.

  She swatted my hand away. “I’m okay. You need to tie that crazy bitch up before she can move again.”

  I dangled the rope over Michelle’s face. “Lookee what I got.” She glared frozen daggers at me. I was still moving slow, but managed to bind her wrists together, then trailed the rope to her feet and wrapped her ankles. I still had several feet left, so I knotted it around a bed frame leg at the foot of the bed. She’d have to be Houdini to get out of the tangled mess I’d made.

  After that exertion, I collapsed on the wooden rocker in the corner to catch my breath.

  “Katy dear?” said Nina in a tremulous voice. “Are you okay? Your face is bleeding.”

  I touched my cheek and saw blood on my fingers.

  Donna struggled to her feet and sat on the edge of the bed. “I am so, so sorry, Auntie Nina. I swear I knew nothing about any of this. You’ve got to believe me.”

  Nina patted her niece’s hand. “I know. But why didn’t you tell me about that woman?”

  She shook her head, looking battered and beat—both physically and emotionally. “I didn’t think you would understand.”

  “Donna, I may be old, but I haven’t been living under a ro
ck all these years. If you’d told me, I would’ve understood.”

  “Maybe, if I had,” Donna’s voice choked on a sob, “none of this would’ve happened.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Friday • July 24

  Posted by Katy McKenna

  Friday, July 17

  Part Four

  I sat on the bed next to Donna. “I think you both should rest while I go call the police and an ambulance.”

  Nina nodded. Her skin had a sickly gray pallor, which I feared meant she wasn’t getting sufficient oxygen.

  Michelle chortled from the floor. “Good luck calling the cops. There’s no cell service anywhere out here. I made sure of that.”

  Donna said, “There’s a main house with a landline. Michelle, where is it?”

  She sniggered. “Haven’t you figured out by now, this is not a B and B? It’s an old cabin that no one has used in years. Supposedly a rancher who died in the twenties haunts it. Amazing what you can find on the internet.”

  Donna shook her head, gazing at her clenched hands in her lap. “I hate you. I really hate you.”

  “You don’t mean that, sweetybabe.”

  “Never call me that again!”

  “What’s it going to take to make you realize I did this for us?” said Michelle.

  “My God! I thought I knew you. My soulmate. Ha!” Donna wiped her tears on her sleeve. “All these years, I never knew you at all.” She sat up straighter, shaking her head. “No more tears for you. You don’t deserve them.”

  I nodded in Michelle’s direction. “Really don’t want to leave you two with her.”

  Michelle wiggled her trussed feet. “It’s not like I can do anything.” She whimpered in a baby voice, “Sweetybabe, I love you with all my heart and you’re treating me like some kind of dangerous criminal. I’m your best friend and bride! Till death do us part.”