For the moment, I had to concentrate all my efforts on getting myself out of here. When Josie arrived at the funeral home, she would have immediately sensed something was wrong and alerted the police. Would they know to look for me in a graveyard?
I felt inside my jean pockets. My cell phone was gone, as I'd suspected. The pictures I'd taken of the divorce document were on it, but Linda and Arthur had probably already disposed of them. The vehicle was moving more slowly, and I tried to prepare myself. It would stop soon, and then they would be coming for me. If only there was some way that I could defend myself. I felt around in the darkness but knew there was nothing inside the coffin except for me. There might be something in the back of the hearse I could use as a weapon, but it would be too risky to climb out and look.
I ran my hands over my shirt and jeans and connected with something in the pocket. Confused, I pulled it out. My fingers wrapped around a plastic object and a soft piece of cloth. My heart instantly melted. Cookie's new rattle.
The vehicle stopped, and a car door slammed. My heart thumped loudly against the wall of my chest. This was it. They were coming.
"Get your lazy behind out here and help me," Arthur yelled.
"Forget it," Linda shouted back. "You can lift her by yourself. The grave's already dug. It's for the Morgan funeral tomorrow. I'll send the guys a text later to dig a fresh one—say that I forgot about a body or something."
Arthur muttered, "I hate that you've gotten me into this. We need to move fast."
"They can't prove anything." Linda sounded bored, like she had better things to do. "No body, no evidence. That's the way it works, brother dear. I hope she can hear me if she didn't already die of fright. Betty Crocker deserves it for all her snooping. She should have minded her own business."
"You're one crazy broad." Arthur said something else in an undertone, but I couldn't make it out. "How the hell am I going to lift her all by myself?"
"Eddie said you once bench-pressed 250 pounds," Linda yelled. "She can't weigh that much."
There was a thud, which must have been the back door of the hearse opening. Suddenly, the coffin and me were sliding across the back of the vehicle.
Arthur muttered something about "heavier than she looks." The coffin crashed to the ground and wobbled for a few seconds. He yelled again for Linda. "Get over here now and help me. I can't move this thing alone!"
It was the split second I was waiting for. I threw open the lid, pressed the button on Cookie's rattle, and shone the light into Arthur's surprised face.
He blinked and shielded his eyes while I jumped out of the coffin. My foot connected with the wood, and I stumbled to the ground. I was surprised at how weak I felt, but I had more important things to think about—my life, for one. I started to scream for help at the top of my lungs as I ran down a neat row of cemetery plots and one freshly dug grave. Was that the one meant for me?
"Get back here!" Arthur shouted and then proceeded to call me every vile name he could think of.
Footsteps pounded the ground behind me. Darkness had started to descend, and I glanced around the cemetery, unsure of which way to go. There wasn't a living soul in sight. Okay, people didn't often visit cemeteries at night, but I could have used any help I could come by. I ran on, still unsure of where I was headed.
We were in Colwestern's cemetery, but I wasn't very familiar with the place. My grandfather was buried here, but I hadn't been out to visit him for a couple of years. Grandma Rosa came faithfully once a week. How I wished I'd come last month when she'd asked me, but it had been after one of Cookie's sleepless nights. Now I was paying the price for being an awful granddaughter.
Thankfully, there was a full moon, which helped to guide me. A bout of nausea almost brought me to my knees, but I forced myself to go on. I had no idea where this would lead, and tried to keep my eyes peeled for a wrought iron gate that meant I was at the cemetery's entrance. My vision blurred from dizziness, causing me to stumble, and I almost ran straight into a tree.
The blessed sound of a siren wailed in the distance. It grew closer, but I couldn't stop yet. Was someone coming for me? I couldn't stop to find out. My lungs were ready to burst. At that moment, the front gate came into view. I ran toward it as a yell sounded from behind. Arthur tackled me to the ground like a football player.
The blow stunned me and had affected Arthur as well. He was breathing heavily as he landed on top of me. I managed to roll to my side and lifted my leg, which connected with his stomach. He staggered for a second then came at me again, this time smacking me hard across the face. He pinned one of my arms with his hand while I struggled.
"Let go of me!" I screamed.
"You're not going to ruin everything!" Arthur shrieked. The moon reflected off his face. His hair was disheveled, streaks of dirt ran down his cheeks, and spit had collected at the corners of his mouth. He reached for my neck, as if to trying to force me into unconsciousness again, but I grabbed his hand and bit it as hard as I could. He let out a bloodcurdling scream. There was a shovel lying a few feet away. My fingers connected with the handle as Arthur clamped a hand over my mouth and nose. I struggled under the pressure but managed to lift the shovel and brought it down on the side of his head. For a few seconds, Arthur remained motionless above me, staring into my eyes. Then he fell forward, collapsing onto my chest.
Breathing heavily, I managed to roll Arthur off me and stagger to my feet, but my victory was short lived. Someone pushed me from behind, and I fell to the ground. Linda stood over me, her evil smile in place once again. I raised an arm above my head in a vain attempt to protect myself.
Linda laughed as she picked up the shovel. "Say good night, Sally."
"Hold it right there!" Brian called. We turned our heads, and I could see the shadows of two figures nearby. Both came into closer view. Adam was with him, and they both had their guns trained on Linda. She clutched the shovel between her hands, stared at them and then back at me.
Brian clicked the safety on his gun. "I wouldn't if I were you."
Linda let the shovel slide to the ground, inches away from my head. Adam sprang forward and drew a pair of handcuffs from his belt, placing them around Linda's wrists. "Linda Phibbins, you're under arrest for the murder of Eddie Phibbins and the kidnapping of Sally Donovan. You have the right to remain silent…"
Linda started sobbing as Adam led her away to the squad car. Another siren screamed in the distance as Brian rushed forward and helped me to my feet. Another officer appeared and, after conferring with Brian, placed handcuffs on Arthur, still motionless on the ground.
I leaned against Brian for support. "Thanks for getting here in the nick of time."
He shot me a worried glance. "You look terrible and definitely in need of medical attention. There's a huge lump on your head."
"Nothing new, right?"
Brian almost smiled as he put a hand on my elbow and led me to an EMT vehicle that had just pulled up. His expression was grim. "Did they have you tied up in the hearse?"
"No." My voice cracked. "I was in a coffin. They were going to bury me alive."
Brian sucked in some air. "Sally, it may be time to hang up your sleuthing apron. I thought having a gun to your head was the worst thing that could happen to you, but apparently I was wrong."
The EMT led me to the back of the vehicle, where he examined my head.
"I thought so too, but I'm here to tell the tale, and Eddie's gotten justice. Maybe something good will come out of this."
"Like what?" Brian asked.
Josie's minivan screeched to a stop next to the cruiser. As she ran over to us, I gave Brian a weak smile. "No idea. It's just a feeling I have."
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
After I'd been checked over, Brian insisted on driving me to the hospital for further tests. Josie followed us in her van and then sat with me in one of the curtained-off areas of the emergency room after I'd been examined.
"There's no need for you to stay," I assured her
. "Rob's waiting for you, and Mike's on his way." Josie had called him since my phone was nowhere to be found, but that was the least of my worries.
She waved a hand. "It's not a big deal."
"But we've got all those orders for tomorrow," I protested. "It's the day before Easter, and we've got our work cut out for us. You said you'd be at the bakery at five o'clock, so go home and get some sleep."
Josie checked her watch and blew out a sigh. "Sal, I couldn't care less about that. This is all my fault. I should have realized how dire the situation was. If I'd gotten to the funeral parlor sooner, none of this would have happened."
"It's not your fault. You called Brian and alerted him where to look for me."
She clenched her fists at her sides. "When I saw your car at Starbucks and that the lights were off in Phibbins, I knew something was wrong. I probably just missed Arthur and Linda taking off with you. I noticed the hearse was missing and thought the worst. I ran back to Starbucks and searched every inch of the place. You have no idea how freaked out I was. I should never have let you go alone."
"There wasn't any way to know what would happen," I said. "Linda lied about being out of town, so I thought we'd be safe to snoop around. Please stop beating yourself up over this. Thanks to you, the police arrived in the nick of time. Now go home. You need your rest. Tomorrow's one of our busiest days of the year, and Dodie can't handle it alone."
She stared at me curiously. "You're not thinking about coming in tomorrow, are you?"
"If they let me go home and the doctor gives me a clean bill of health, I'll be there. But not at five o'clock," I teased.
Josie didn't laugh. "No, Sal. You should take it easy tomorrow. Stay home and rest. You've been through quite an ordeal."
"I'm here, and I'm alive. I've got a slightly bruised rib, but he's taped me up, and I'm okay. If possible, I'll be there. Now humor me, and go home. Please?"
Josie's eyes started to mist over and looking into those large blue pools that resembled the ocean made me want to weep as well. She leaned in and hugged me tightly. "Love you, partner. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."
"Same here," I said hoarsely.
Josie moved aside the curtain. "Text me when you're home, okay?" She waved, and then disappeared. I heard her speaking to someone on the other side, and a couple of seconds later Brian poked his head in.
"Okay to come in?"
"Of course." I smiled. "I thought maybe you'd left."
He shook his head. "Nope. I wanted to make sure you were okay before I went back to work. Josie said you had a slight concussion and a bruised rib. Is Mike on his way?"
"Yes, she called him for me. He was working out of town today but should be here soon."
He sat down next to me. "You're lucky the fright alone didn't kill you. Other people might not have fared as well, Sally. All these brushes with murder have made you tough."
"Let's not talk about it anymore," I suggested. "There's more pleasant things for me to think about, like my daughter."
"Sounds like a good plan," he agreed.
"What's going on with our friendly funeral owners? I was able to overhear enough of Linda and Arthur's conversation to know that they were both responsible for Eddie's death, although Linda was the one who actually poisoned him."
Brian's smile disappeared. "Those two are quite a pair. Adam said they kept shouting in the cruiser, saying that the other one was responsible for Eddie's death. Linda did make a full confession a short time ago. Then she told Adam that it was all Eddie's fault for changing the will without telling her." He shook his head in disbelief.
"Linda also made up the story about Eddie having a gambling problem in order to cover that she was the one with the addiction. I'm certain she was selling off the deceased's personal items, but don't know if she confessed to that. It's amazing how they were married for so long and that he never really knew her."
Brian twisted his gold wedding band around his finger. "I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, but we do have proof. Adam and I have been going around to pawnshops with her, Arthur's, and Charlene's pictures. One owner identified Linda earlier, saying that she came in with a diamond ring just yesterday. Turns out it belonged to Evelyn Peacock, whose service was at Phibbins the other day. The ring returned to her husband was a fake. Too bad for Linda that she didn't know when to quit."
"Gamblers are like that," I said. "As far as I'm concerned, Arthur is just as bad as his sister-in-law. He was planning to kill Eddie, but Linda went ahead without him. Neither one will make bail, will they?"
Brian shook his head. "He may not have been the one to actually poison Arthur, but he was an accomplice. Plus, he kidnapped you. No, I think it's safe to say they won't be bothering you for a long time."
I pressed my hands against my side which was throbbing a bit. "Linda used cyanide on him but I don't know how."
"She fixed him a cup of tea when they were alone in the funeral home. Eddie died within minutes. Apparently, Linda hadn't thought the scheme out all the way and was struggling to get him into the coffin when Arthur showed up. Eddie had called him earlier to come over, most likely to discuss the change in his will."
"It's so awful," I said sadly.
Brian's mouth formed a thin, hard line. "Linda had promised Arthur she'd sell him the funeral home cheap. But when they found out that Eddie had changed his will, Arthur wanted her to disappear forever, so he agreed to give her money if she left town. There was an airline ticket to Mexico in Linda's purse for a ten o'clock flight tonight."
"Then she lied about going to live with her son?" I asked.
"Looks like," he answered. "Terry knew nothing about it. We have no reason to believe he was involved with the scheme to kill his father."
Jeez, had Linda told the truth about anything? "What's happening with Charlene?"
"She's been released," Brian said. "She said she wants to forget about this nightmare. Charlene doesn't care who ends up with the funeral parlor. There's no way she'll ever go back there."
"I can't say I blame her."
The blue curtain rustled, and Mike peered in. Our eyes met, and he was at my side in a second. Brian stood and stepped aside as Mike's arms went around me. He drew back and pushed my hair away from my face. "Princess, are you okay?"
"Yes, now that you're here." I leaned up to kiss him.
Mike cupped my face between his hands. "You gave me such a scare. You have to stop doing that."
"She's good at it," Brian agreed, then his face instantly reddened. "Um, I need to get back to work, so I'll leave you two alone."
Mike stretched out his hand to him. "Thanks so much for taking care of her. I appreciate it."
"No need to thank me." Brian looked amused. "She took care of this one by herself. She's pretty good with a shovel. Hey, Sally, if you ever want a job at the police department, I think we can hook you up."
I buried my face in Mike's neck. "I'll keep it in mind, thanks. Tell Ally I said hello."
"Will do, but she's not working tonight. She's at a bachelorette party for a friend who's getting married." He grinned at us. "I think we started something. We've got two weddings to attend next month and another one in June."
"Well, remember where to send them for cookies. Josie makes wedding cakes too." I couldn't resist going a little further. "And she's created some terrific cakes for baby showers."
Brian smiled. "We may be taking you up on that soon. Okay, you guys take care of yourselves and enjoy the holiday tomorrow. Until next time, Sally."
I shuddered. "I hope there isn't a next time."
"You and me both," he said. "But this is you we're talking about." He moved the curtain aside and disappeared.
Mike blew out a sigh. "I wish he hadn't said that. I always hope you're done finding dead bodies."
"I didn't find Eddie. My father did."
He ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Well, at least your morbid father is done with Phibbins forever."
I loved the
feel of his strong, protective arms around me. "I wonder what's going to happen to it now."
Before Mike could respond, a nurse came into the room. She smiled at Mike and then addressed me. "The doctor said you can go home, Mrs. Donovan. He has a few instructions for you to follow. I'll be back with them in a second."
"Thank you." I stood, and Mike handed me my purse. "I'm starved. I hope Grandma saved us some lasagna."
Mike pressed his lips into my hair. "Since we have to stop and pick up Cookie anyway, I'm sure your grandmother won't let us leave until we've been well fed." He paused. "Sal, I know you tried to stay out of this and am sorry for the way I acted."
I stared up into his handsome and concerned face. "After the fire at Nicoletta's house, it became obvious that my family might be in danger. I couldn't walk away then."
"I know that, princess." His eyes stared soberly into mine. "But I can't stop thinking about how terrified you must have felt in that coffin. I can't even begin to imagine what that was like for you, and I don't want to."
"Let's change the subject." For a brief moment, I let myself reflect on the other ordeals I'd been through, which consisted of being threatened with a gun, tied up and left to die in an apartment filled with natural gas, and locked in a freezer alongside a killer. They had all been horrible experiences, but each incident had made me stronger. Somehow, I would move on from this, go back to work tomorrow, and bask in the love of my husband, daughter, and family—until it happened again. Or would it? There was no way to know for certain.
Until then, all I could do was live my life with love, laughter, and happiness. With a little bit of luck, I'd persevere for a long time to come. My grandmother had once told me that I may have been put on this earth for the sole reason to help people. It was an awesome responsibility and a bit scary at times.
I snuggled closer to my husband. "As long as I have you and Cookie, I'll always be fine."
Icing on the Casket Page 18
