She reached in and pulled one out. She held it up to the light. On one side of the coin was an eagle. On the other, the Statue of Liberty.
“Those are mine!” Ethel screamed hysterically. “Give them to me now!”
Gloria gave her a quick look. “Hold your horses.”
Liz picked two up and handed one to Margaret. “You think these are worth some money?”
Gloria opened the bag and pulled two more out. “I’d bet they’re worth a pretty penny.”
She strolled over to Ethel and stood just out of reach. She thrust the satchel forward. “Five for you and five for us.”
The old woman leveled the shotgun at Gloria’s head. “Ten for me and ZERO for you. Those belong to me!”
To show the girls she was serious, Ethel aimed the barrel of the gun at Gloria’s feet and pulled the trigger. A shot rang out and a cloud of dirt filled the air. “I ain’t kiddin’. I told you to give me them coins,” she warned.
Gloria reluctantly dropped the coins in the bag. Margaret reached over and put hers in, too. Liz couldn’t bear the thought of handing them all over to Ethel. “Can’t we keep just one?” she pleaded.
Ethel glared at Liz and raised the gun to her head. Liz reluctantly dropped the final coin in the bag and took a step back.
Ethel backed all the way up the cement steps, her gun still trained on the girls. “Let’s go!”
Mally and the girls made their way up the steps. “We’re gonna go inside ‘til I figure out what to do with your bodies,” Ethel decided.
The three froze in their tracks. Gloria was certain she wasn’t making idle threats. The woman was definitely deranged enough to follow through.
She needed to buy them some time. They headed up the kitchen steps and settled in at the kitchen table. “We left word where we were going,” Gloria warned. “If we don’t come back, they’re going to come here looking for us.”
The old woman cackled in glee. “By then I’ll be long gone.” She glanced around the room. “You think I’m gonna stay in this dump now that I’m rich?”
She had a point. Yeah, she could quite possibly get away with murder…
“Let’s just pretend this never happened and go our separate ways,” Liz suggested.
“I don’t think that’s going to work,” Ethel argued. “After all, who’s to say you won’t decide to hire yourself some fancy lawyer and try to take my money?”
Hmm. She had a point. It seemed settled in Ethel’s mind she needed to get rid of the women.
Gloria glanced guiltily at her sister and Margaret. “I’m sorry I ever suggested coming back here…”
Liz reached over and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry about it, Gloria. I wanted to come, too,” she reminded her.
“Yeah, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Margaret chimed in nervously.
“Ooohh, how sweet!” Ethel observed sarcastically.
She was really starting to tick Gloria off. “Why don’t you put a lid on it, you old bat?”
Ethel’s mouth dropped open at the insult. “You can’t talk to me like that!” she said.
Gloria got to her feet and took a step towards the old hag. There were three of them and only one of her. Chance are one of them would get shot but the other two could overpower her in the meantime. And since Gloria felt solely responsible for the mess they were now in, she decided it was up to her to take the bullet.
She lunged for the gun. A panicked Ethel pulled the trigger and the gun went off. Gloria grabbed hold of the barrel and yanked hard but Ethel was stronger than Gloria realized as she desperately tried to keep a firm hold on the gun.
Seizing their opportunity, Liz and Margaret rushed to Gloria’s aid and began pulling on the old woman’s arms. The three of them were too much for her to fight off. They quickly wrestled the gun from her grip and backed her into the corner of the kitchen.
Gloria had never shot a gun before but Ethel didn’t know that. She took a step back and pointed the barrel at her. “Quick, look for some rope or cord. Anything you can find so we can tie her up!”
Liz pulled the nearest drawer open and began poking around inside. She moved on to the next where she found a ball of knitting yarn. “This might work!”
With great pleasure, she strolled over to Ethel who was still cowering in the corner. “Turn around and put your arms behind your back!” she demanded.
Ethel reluctantly did as she was told. Liz wrapped the yarn around her wrists several times before tying the ends into tight knots.
Ethel winced. “Ouch.”
“Oohh. I’m so not sorry about that,” Liz taunted.
Margaret led her over to a kitchen chair and pushed her down in it.
In all the excitement, Gloria lost sight of Mally. She glanced around the room. “Where’s Mally?”
She could hear faint whimpering coming from under the table. The gunshot must’ve scared her half to death. Gloria set the gun aside and dropped to her knees. It was then she saw the blood. Mally’s blood. Her dog had been shot.
The color drained from Gloria’s face as she shouted. “Mally’s been shot!”
Gloria coaxed her out from under the table. “C’mon, girl. Let me have a look.”
Mally painfully limped out from under the table, her front paw dangling in the air as she tried to keep it up. “I need to wrap the wound and get her to the hospital.”
“Ain’t no hospital or vet ‘round these parts,” Ethel muttered. “Serves you right if the dang dog dies!”
Blood rushed to Gloria’s head as she jumped to her feet and furiously stomped over to the old woman.
Liz recognized the look instantly. She reached out for her sister’s arm. “She’s not worth it Gloria.” She glanced down at Mally. “Besides, you need to get Mally help right away.”
Gloria remembered seeing a small hospital on the way through town. Hopefully, they would be willing to take a look at her poor Mally. She gently lifted the dog into her arms. Liz held the door as she stepped outside.
The car was parked too far away. Ethel’s beat up truck was nearby and the keys were in the ignition! Margaret carefully opened the passenger door while Gloria gingerly placed Mally on the seat. A pitiful whine escaped her lips as she looked at Gloria with pain-filled eyes.
Tears sprung up in Gloria’s own eyes at the thought of Mally in pain. She quickly shut the door and dashed over to the driver’s side. The truck fired on the first try. She drove as fast as she dared, knowing that each bump she hit would hurt Mally even more.
When they reached the main road, she stomped the gas pedal to the floor and didn’t let up until they reached the edge of town. She careened into the parking lot and came to a screeching halt in front of the ER doors. By now, Mally’s paw was soaked in blood along with the passenger seat. Gloria scrambled out of the truck and raced around to the passenger side. Mally whimpered painfully as Gloria tried to gingerly lift her from the seat.
The sliding glass doors silently opened and Gloria rushed over to the check in counter. A trail of blood followed them from the truck to the counter.
Gloria was near tears as she stood before the young woman behind the desk. “My dog,” she whispered hoarsely. “She’s been shot.”
The woman jumped from her chair and raced around to the lobby. “Let’s get her looked at right away.”
She turned on her heel and motioned Gloria to follow. Gloria prayed as she walked. “Thank you, Jesus. Please let someone here help Mally.”
Gloria and the young woman gently set her on an empty gurney just inside the door.
“I’ll be right back.” The young woman disappeared out the door. Gloria could hear her feet hit the cold tile floor as she raced to find help.
Gloria patted Mally’s head as she tried to comfort her. “It’s gonna be okay. We’ll get you fixed up like new,” she promised.
Mally let out a low moan as she stared at Gloria, her eyes filled with pain and pleading for help.
Seconds later, the young woman re
turned, a young man with a white doctor’s coat was right on her heels.
Gloria stepped back as the doctor moved to the side of the gurney. He patted Mally’s head gently and spoke to her in a soft, soothing voice. “I need to take a look at your paw,” he explained.
Mally let out a low whimper as he gently lifted her paw and examined both sides. He turned to Gloria. “Someone shot her?”
Gloria let out a heavy sigh. “It’s a long story but to answer your question, yes, someone shot her.”
He turned back to study Mally’s paw. “The bullets still in there. We need to get it out.”
Gloria could only nod as her throat closed shut and tears filled her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but no words would form. She swallowed hard before squeaking out, “Whatever you need to do.”
Gloria didn’t notice the nurse who suddenly materialized and was now standing beside the young doctor.
“We need a local anesthesia,” he told her quietly.
He turned to Gloria. We won’t need to knock her out, just take the edge off the pain.
Gloria nodded again.
“You might want to wait outside, though,” he suggested.
Gloria was torn. On the one hand, she didn’t want to leave Mally’s side but on the other, the thought of watching them try to dig the shell from her paw would probably make her pass out. They needed to focus on fixing Mally, not dealing with an owner who was coming unglued.
She gave Mally a reassuring pat before stepping outside. The only thing she could think to do was call Paul.
Thankfully, he picked up right away. “I thought you forgot about me.”
Gloria burst into tears at the sound of his voice. “Mally’s been shot!” She quickly became hysterical as she babbled on.
“Gloria, you need to calm down,” he ordered. “Where’s Mally now?”
The sound of his firm voice calmed Gloria. She took a breath and hiccupped loudly. “The doctor is taking the bullet out of her paw now.”
Paul released the breath he’d been holding. At least Mally was going to be alright. But now he had another concern. How on earth did Mally get shot? “Is everyone safe?”
Gloria nodded. “Yes. Yes. We’re alright. I should go be heading home tomorrow.”
Paul let out a sigh of relief.
Gloria glanced back inside. The doctor was in the waiting room, walking around, as if searching for someone. He was looking for her.
“I have to go. The doctor’s looking for me.”
Before he had a chance to say good-bye, Gloria was gone.
Gloria rushed through the doors as she made her way over to the doctor. “How is she?”
He patted her arm. “She’s going to be just fine. The nurse has some pills to give to help with the pain. At least for the next few days, Mally’s paw is going to be pretty sore.”
Tears sprung up in her eyes again. This was all her fault! “Thank you so much. I-I just can’t tell you how grateful I am.” She glanced around at the people waiting to be looked at. “I’m sure you don’t get many animals come in here…” Her voice trailed off.
The young doctor laughed. “Actually, you’d be surprised.”
The nurse was wheeling Mally through the corridor doors and over to where they were waiting.
Gloria bent down to pat her head. Mally slurped halfhazardly at her face and ended up licking her hair.
The nurse laughed. “She’s probably going to feel a little loopy for a couple hours ‘til the anesthesia wears off.”
“If you want, I can help you get her into the car?” the young nurse offered.
Gloria was confused. “But what about paying?”
The doctor shook his head. “No charge for this one.” He pet Mally’s head one last time. “I had a Springer Spaniel when I was a boy. She reminds me a lot of my Sassy.”
The Lord sure was looking out for Gloria. She stood there in stunned silence as she stared at the two angels that saved her dog. “I-I don’t know what to say,” she stammered.
A nurse burst through the ER doors, rushed forward and grabbed the doctor’s arm. “We have a code red in room 4!”
With a quick wave of his hand, the doctor turned on his heel and bolted out of the waiting room, disappearing moments later behind the large metal doors.
Gloria led the nurse and Mally out the front doors to the side of the truck, still parked in the unloading area. She quickly unlocked the passenger door and grabbed a rag off the floor. She wiped the puddle of blood before she swung the door wide open. The nurse gently lifted Mally out of the wheel chair and carefully set her on the seat.
Gloria impulsively hugged the nurse as she straightened up. “Thank you so much!”
She smiled sheepishly. Gloria reminded her of her own grandmother. “You’re welcome.” She patted Mally and with a small wave, made her way back inside.
Gloria climbed into the driver’s seat and switched on the ignition. Her phone began ringing inside her purse. It was Liz. “You gotta get back here. We have a problem,” she blurted out.
Gloria pulled onto the road in the direction of Aunt Ethel’s. “I’m on my way. Why? What’s going on?”
It was too late. She was talking to herself. Liz had already hung up.
Chapter 7
Gloria drove as fast as she dared. She glanced over at her beloved dog. Mally didn’t seem to be in too much pain at the moment. She was sprawled out on the passenger side of the truck and her eyes were closed. Just once she let out a low moan as the truck jostled up the rutted path leading to the house.
Gloria pulled the truck around the back side, as close to the house as possible. Thankfully, someone inside thought to turn the porch light on so Gloria could see in the dark.
She carefully lifted Mally from the passenger seat and gingerly walked around to the back porch door.
The girls must’ve been waiting for Gloria’s arrival. Margaret held the door open as Gloria and Mally squeezed through the doorway.
The first thing Gloria noticed was Liz sitting in a nearby chair. Her face as white as a ghost.
Margaret’s face was expressionless. She pulled out a kitchen chair for Gloria to set Mally down.
It was then Gloria noticed Aunt Ethel. She was in one of the kitchen chairs. Her body bent forward. Her face resting on the kitchen table. “Is she alright?”
Liz’s eyes were wide open. She shook her head violently. “No. She’s not alright. She’s dead!”
Gloria said the first thing that popped into her mind. “Did one of you murder her?”
“Of course not,” Margaret snapped. “She was sitting in the chair, fine and dandy. All of the sudden, she said her chest hurt. Next thing you know, her eyes rolled back in her head and she flopped over like you see her now.”
Gloria took a step towards Aunt Ethel. “You haven’t touched her?”
“I tried shaking her. She wasn’t moving or anything so I tried to take her pulse.” Liz shuddered. “I’ve never touched a real live dead person before.”
Gloria didn’t dare touch her. She took a step closer. Ethel’s right arm was hanging at her side and it was pale. Too pale. “What about 911? Did you call 911?”
Liz glanced uneasily over at Margaret who shook her head. “No. We wanted to wait until you got here to decide what to do.”
At first, Gloria was shocked that they didn’t call the police but the more she thought about it… After all, they did break into her house. How could they explain that? On the other hand, what if they could tell that Aunt Ethel had been dead awhile. They’d want to know why they didn’t call 911 right away…
The whole situation looked bad. Real bad… “We better call 911 now.”
The words were no more out of Gloria’s mouth when she heard a tap tap on the front door. Her eyes froze as she stared in the direction of the dark living room. Her feet froze, unable to move.
“Someone needs to answer that,” Liz whispered.
There was a second knock, this one a bit louder t
han the last. A muffled voice echoed through the crack in the door. The only word Gloria caught was “police.” The color drained from her face. She swallowed hard before plunging forward into the darkened living room.
A shadowy silhouette was standing outside, the outline illuminated by the front porch light. Gloria took a deep breath and yanked the door open. The first thing she noticed was the badge and then the gun, still in the holster attached to the officer’s hip.
“Evening ma’am.” The policeman tipped his hat. “Is Ethel here?”
“Uh, yes.”
“Can I talk to her for a minute?”
“Probably not,” Gloria answered truthfully.
“She called a few hours ago, said she thought someone had been in her house.” The cop sighed. “I was over in another county and couldn’t get here ‘til just now.”
Gloria opened the door wider to let him in, all the while her mind was spinning as she tried to find the right words to say before the officer saw Ethel for himself.
“She’s in the kitchen.” Gloria whirled on her heel and headed in that direction. Her mind was blank. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say that might help.
When they reached the kitchen, Gloria noticed that Margaret and Liz were now standing awkwardly off in the corner by the fridge.
“Evening ladies.” His eyes scanned the room, finally settling on Ethel still slumped over the table. “Is she okay?”
Gloria shook her head. “I don’t think so. I haven’t technically checked but there’s a good chance she’s dead,” she speculated.
The officer made his way over to Ethel. He bent down and put two fingers on her wrist. Gloria’s heart froze in her chest as she stared at the officer’s back.
“No pulse.” He let go of her wrist before straightening up. “How long has she been like this?”
The dreaded question. One Gloria was pretty sure would put them all in the worst possible light. She glanced nervously at Liz.
“A-about an hour and a half.” Liz swallowed the large lump in her throat. “Maybe two, tops.”
Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 03 - Smoky Mountain Mystery Page 10
