The Dying Room: A Faces of Evil Novel

by Webb, Debra

  Jess placed her weapon on the table. “Can we see the senator and Mr. Taylor now?”

  “That’s why we’re all here.” He motioned for Jess and Sylvia to precede him.

  Jess hoped Lori had gotten a peek in one of the windows or had simply decided something was off and called for backup. All the times Dan had told her she needed to be especially careful echoed through Jess. Fear trickled through her veins. Whatever happened next, she had to protect their baby.

  At the door to the senator’s study, Jess got a glimpse of the senator as well as Taylor secured to chairs before Sylvia hurried around her to get into the room.

  “Daddy!” Sylvia rushed to her father. His head hung forward.

  Taylor looked up and immediately started apologizing. Both men were restrained in the same manner as Kinslow’s other victims. The newspaper clippings and photos had already been arranged on the wall.

  Kinslow ushered Jess inside and then took a position next to his intended victims.

  Sylvia glared at him. “What did you do to my father?”

  “We were just getting started,” Kinslow said with a smirk. “Step away,” he ordered. When Sylvia held her ground, he repeated, “Move over next to your pregnant friend or else.”

  Sylvia looked to Jess, her lips quivering. Jess nodded, and the terrified ME did as Kinslow instructed.

  “Before I finish this,” Kinslow said, “I want you to hear from their own mouths what these two did. I realized after I ended Baker’s sorry existence that I’d only made those men martyrs. What I should have done was made them admit what they’d done on a video before I killed them.” He shrugged. “Maybe we’ll just tell their stories as well to the two of you. Since Congressman Moore ran like the coward he is, I mailed a letter to that reporter Gina Coleman about him. She’ll get it in tomorrow’s mail. He won’t escape his fate.”

  “I think that’s a very good idea,” Jess offered. “Would you like me to take notes?”

  Kinslow thought about her question for a moment. “No.” He looked at Sylvia. “I’m pretty sure she won’t forget.” He nodded to Jess’s bag. “Put your purses on the floor and push them away with your foot.”

  They both did as he asked. Another pain stabbed Jess in the lower back and she almost flinched. She didn’t need this man seeing any sign of weakness. What she needed was a plan.

  When he would have spoken again, she cut him off, “We interviewed Mr. Hilliard.”

  Kinslow schooled his face but not before Jess saw a glimpse of emotion. “Mr. Hilliard was a great man.”

  Jess smiled. “That’s exactly what he said about you, Bernie.” She touched a hand to her mouth. “Is it all right if I call you Bernie? Mr. Hilliard spoke so fondly of you I feel as if I know you already. He said you were a fine, loyal assistant.”

  Confusion cluttered his face. “When did you speak with him?”

  “Just before we came here,” Jess explained. “We were at his house looking for you.” She sighed. “Bless his heart. We called an ambulance for him. The paramedics took him to the hospital. He’s doing well considering what he’s been through.”

  Kinslow’s head started to shake before Jess stopped talking. “Mr. Hilliard is dead.”

  “Oh no,” Jess assured him, “he’s going to be fine.”

  “They’ve already pumped the oxy out of his stomach,” Sylvia put in, seeming to understand where Jess was going.

  “An oncologist will be taking him to surgery soon. They’re going to cut out the cancer. The doctor called me on the way here. He says the prognosis is surprisingly good.”

  “You’re lying!” Kinslow shouted. “He’s dead!”

  Think, Jess! “If you don’t believe me, you could speak to him yourself.” Jess hoped Sylvia wasn’t staring at her as if she’d lost her mind.

  Kinslow seemed to stall on the suggestion.

  Thankfully the senator, who had regained consciousness, and Taylor were keeping quiet. All Jess needed was to buy enough time for Lori to get help in here.

  “If you’re lying to me,” Kinslow said in a quiet roar, “I will—”

  “I’m not,” Jess lied. “All I have to do is call my detective and have a Skype call set up. That way you can not only speak to Mr. Hilliard, you can see him.” Jess had learned all about Skyping last summer.

  Anticipation replaced the confusion on his face. “Do it. Quickly.”

  “Should I use the house phone?” Jess gestured to the senator’s desk.

  Kinslow nodded. “And tell your cop friends if they come near this house we all die.”

  “I understand.” Jess went to the desk. The shutters on the massive windows behind it were closed tight. Lori wouldn’t be able to see them at all. Since she had no idea where Lori was, Jess couldn’t call her. She could be inside the house at this point.

  Her hand shaking just a little, Jess picked up the phone and called Sergeant Harper. He answered immediately. “Sergeant, I need you to prepare a Skype call for me.”

  “Put it on speaker,” Kinslow shouted.

  Jess pushed the speaker button and placed the receiver back in its cradle. “Can you hear me, Sergeant?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Jess moistened her lips and said a silent prayer as she instructed Harper. “Sergeant, I explained to Mr. Kinslow how the paramedics took Mr. Hilliard to the hospital for surgery. But Mr. Kinslow would like to speak to his friend personally. Would you call the oncologist, his name is Dr. Martin Leeds, and tell him that we need to set up a Skype call so that Mr. Kinslow can see Mr. Hilliard. He doesn’t believe that his friend is still alive.”

  “Absolutely, ma’am. I’ll make that call right now.”

  What else? What else? “I know this is a big request since they’re preparing Mr. Hilliard for surgery, so if Dr. Leeds gives you any trouble you call Chief of Police Burnett and tell him that we have a volatile situation here. If the doctor won’t cooperate this situation will blow up in all our faces.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m on it.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant.”

  The call ended and Jess took a deep breath before facing Kinslow once more.

  A grin split his face. “I like the way you let him know about the explosives.” The grin disappeared. “I hope that’s the only coded message you attempted to pass along. I’d hate to have to kill the senator’s daughter.”

  “Do what you came here to do, Kinslow,” the senator demanded. “No one else needs to be hurt. Send these women out of here. They’re innocent in this.”

  “Shut up!” Kinslow growled. “How long will this take?” he asked Jess.

  “It depends on whether or not they’ve already taken Mr. Hilliard into surgery.” She shrugged. “Fifteen or twenty minutes if he’s not in surgery.”

  “You’d better hope he’s not,” Kinslow threatened. “Until then, let’s play truth or dare.” He turned to Taylor. “You can go first, Your Honor.”

  Taylor screamed in agony as Kinslow alternately tasered him and demanded answers. The senator pleaded with Kinslow to leave Taylor be and to let him speak. Kinslow ignored him.

  Jess put a hand on Sylvia’s arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Cops would be everywhere outside. SWAT was no doubt getting into place. This would be over in no time. Meanwhile, Jess scanned the room looking for any sort of weapon. All she needed was the right opportunity...

  Please let my baby stay safe.

  By the time the telephone rang, Sylvia was trembling. Jess gave her arm another squeeze before turning her attention to Kinslow. “Would you like me to answer that?”

  He nodded.

  Jess moved around behind the desk again and answered the call, putting it on speaker. “Is that you, Sergeant?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Everything has been arranged. All you need to do is place the call from any handy computer.” He rattled off the contact information. Jess grabbed the nearest pen and wrote it down on the desk blotter.

  “Thank you, Sergeant. We’ll set it up now.”
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  The call ended and Jess looked to Sylvia. “Can you get me into your father’s computer?”

  What Jess wanted was Sylvia behind the desk with her. She didn’t trust her not to make any sudden moves.

  Sylvia turned on the computer and then stepped back while Jess brought up a screen and entered the necessary information. Within moments, Dr. Martin Leeds, Jefferson County’s Coroner, appeared on the screen. Behind him, Jess could see Wilson Hilliard in what appeared to be a hospital bed. An IV was in place, along with a heart monitor, clearly monitoring someone else’s heart. An oxygen mask had been placed over Hilliard’s mouth and his chest moved up and down as if he were breathing. Jess didn’t know how they’d managed considering the old goat was as dead as a doornail, but it looked real enough to her.

  “Dr. Leeds,” Jess said, “can you hear me okay?”

  “I hear you perfectly, Chief.”

  “Good. Good. Mr. Kinslow is here and he’d like to speak to Mr. Hilliard.”

  “I’m afraid Mr. Hilliard is sedated right now. We’re about to take him into surgery.”

  “Let me see him,” Kinslow shouted as he stormed around the desk. “I want to see him breathing.”

  “Let me get out of your way.” Jess eased back just a little.

  She couldn’t help staring at his hand and the detonator he held. It was right there in front of her. Her heart skipped a beat. If he released the pressure on that button it was over. If she could just take it away from him without the loss of pressure on the button...

  Even as the thought formed in her mind, movement in the corner of her eye warned that Sylvia was about to make a move. Whatever she had in her hands she swung it hard against Kinslow’s head. Jess grabbed his hand in both hers and squeezed a thumb over his.

  He struggled.

  Jess held on.

  Sylvia hit him again.

  This time he went down, dragging Jess to her knees.

  “What part of we’ll all go boom did you not understand?” Jess demanded, her heart pounding.

  Sylvia dropped the statue she’d used to clobber Kinslow. “What can I do?”

  “I need the bomb squad in here now!” Jess shouted. “Call Lori.” Jess held as still as possible even as her arms started to tremble. She reminded herself to breathe, deep breaths.

  Sylvia rushed to her purse and dug out her cell to make the call.

  Jess held on tight and prayed the son of a bitch didn’t wake up and start struggling again. He was breathing. At the moment that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

  Sylvia rushed back over to her. “What now?”

  “Release your father and Mr. Taylor and get out of here.” Shit. Shit. Shit. This was a bad, bad situation. Sweat dampened her body and her back was hurting like hell. Calm down, Jess. Deep breaths.

  “Are you insane?” Sylvia straddled Kinslow and sat down on him, pinning his free arm beneath one knee just in case he moved, Jess supposed. “Let me have that.” She reached for the detonator.

  “Get out of here!” Jess ordered. “Now! There’s no way I’m letting go!”

  The senator and Taylor were shouting for someone to release them as they struggled to get free.

  “Very carefully I’ll put my hands where yours are,” Sylvia insisted, “and then you take that baby out of here.”

  Jess couldn’t do that. “I have to—”

  “Listen to me, Jess,” Sylvia said, tears spilling past her lashes. “You do not get to be the hero this time. Now go. The only thing that matters is that baby you’re carrying.”

  Her heart thundering, tears blurring her vision, Jess inched her fingers away from Kinslow’s as Sylvia inched hers over his. Sylvia pressed her thumb on top of Jess’s and she slowly, slowly tugged hers free.

  “Now, untie Daddy and Mr. Taylor and get out of here.”

  Jess scrambled to her feet. She grabbed a pair of scissors from the desk and rushed to the hostages.

  “Get out of here,” the senator roared.

  The sound of boots pounding in the entry hall warned that SWAT was in the house before Jess could get the senator free of his bindings. Dan rushed into the room, Buddy right behind him. What the hell?

  “What’re you--?”

  Dan pulled Jess into his arms before she could finish the question and hugged her. “Thank God,” he murmured.

  “We’ll take it from here, Chief,” the SWAT commander declared.

  Two techs were already on the floor next to Sylvia. Jess didn’t want to leave her but she knew she had to. Sylvia gave her a nod and Jess allowed Dan to pull her toward the door.

  “I want everyone out who doesn’t need to be here,” the SWAT commander ordered.

  Bodies started filing out—all but one. Buddy Corlew stood his ground. Jess could still hear him shouting at the SWAT commander when she and Dan exited the front door. He was not leaving Sylvia.

  “You okay?” Dan asked as he ushered Jess farther from the house.

  “I’m good. Sylvia scared the hell out of me but otherwise all went well.” She glanced over her shoulder. She hoped.

  By the time they reached the end of the driveway, Sylvia, the senator, Buddy, and Taylor were coming out of the house. Paramedics rushed forward to assist.

  Jess looked around. Half the department appeared to have descended on the scene.

  She didn’t breathe easy until she heard the announcement that all was clear. Then she wilted against Dan. She tried to breathe but couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

  Sylvia hurried over and hugged her. “You all right?”

  Jess opened her mouth to answer but a strange shift in her pelvis region had her gasping. Water gushed down her thighs.

  “Oh my God.” She turned to Dan. “I think my water just broke.”

  Chapter 28

  St. Vincent’s East Hospital, Birmingham, 8:30 p.m.

  Sylvia had long ago removed her shoes. Her feet were killing her. “This is taking forever.” She turned and paced the length of the waiting room for the two hundredth time.

  “Now, now, Sylvia,” Katherine Burnett scolded, “these things take time. Why I was in labor for eighteen hours when I had Dan.”

  Sylvia clamped her mouth shut. Part of her wanted to tell Katherine she, too, knew a little something about having babies but this was not the time. This was Jess’s time. Sylvia blinked back the tears that gathered in her eyes. Jess had saved her father’s life today while she had almost gotten them all killed. What had she been thinking when she’d hit that fool over the head?

  Buddy touched Sylvia’s elbow. “Why don’t I get us all some coffee?”

  Sylvia took a breath. “Coffee would be nice.”

  Dan Senior stood. “Why don’t I give you a hand, Buddy?”

  “I could help,” Chet Harper rushed to say.

  Before Sylvia could blink Buddy, Dan Senior, Harper, Hayes and Chad had exited the waiting room. Sylvia turned to Lori. “Do you think they planned that?”

  Lori laughed. “I’m thinking that’s exactly what they did.”

  Katherine waved them off. “Men are not very good at this part. Come on over here and sit with me, sweetie.” Katherine urged Andrea Denton, Dan’s former stepdaughter with whom he remained close, into a chair. “You look exhausted.”

  “I had a huge exam,” Andrea explained. “And then I drove straight here from Tuscaloosa.”

  Andrea was a student at the University of Alabama. Dan was very proud of her. The young woman had grown close to Jess as well.

  “Any news?” Lily, Jess’s sister, her husband Blake and their little girl, Maddie, along with Jess and Lily’s Aunt Wanda, piled into the room. They had taken Maddie for ice cream in the cafeteria.

  “Not yet,” Lori said before Sylvia could.

  Blake took a seat and Maddie curled up in his arms. She looked ready for bed. Wanda sat down next to Katherine. Katherine had decided to take Wanda under her wing by inviting her into several of her ladies’ clubs and civic organizations.

 
Lily checked her watch. “We should be hearing something soon.”

  “I was just telling the girls,” Katherine said, “that I was in labor for eighteen hours with Dan.”

  “I had my kids fast,” Lily said. “Blake Junior came in less than four hours. We barely reached the hospital before Alice made her appearance.”

  Sylvia surrendered and dropped into a chair. “I’m exhausted.” She should check on her mother. Her flight back to Birmingham was supposed to have landed at seven. The paramedics had taken her father to UAB just to be sure he was okay. Once he was settled at Sylvia’s house, she’d come here. Her parents would stay with her for a few days since their house was a crime scene for now. Dan had assured her that nothing her father had done would incur criminal charges. For that she was immensely grateful. No matter, her father clearly felt a tremendous amount of guilt.

  At some point, she had to tell them about Addison. It wasn’t fair to keep her parents in the dark about their granddaughter. However things turned out with Addison, Sylvia intended to do all within her power to make this right.

  Plus, she had to tell her family about Buddy. Her father had shaken Buddy’s hand for staying at Sylvia’s side while the detonator and explosives were deactivated. There’d been no time for real introductions then. Sylvia’s heart fluttered with excitement. She wanted her family to know Buddy.

  The men returned with coffee all the way around. Sylvia was glad Buddy remembered that she liked hers with two creams.

  “Thank you.” She sipped the fragrant brew.

  He sat down beside her. “You doing okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m okay.” She turned to him, knowing full well his question was more about her daughter than today’s events. “I guess standing in Daddy’s study knowing that we could all die any second put things into perspective. I want to know her, Buddy. I do. But if she doesn’t want me in her life, I’ll understand.”

  Buddy gave here one of his classic lopsided grins and her heart did a little flip-flop. “She’s going to see exactly what I see.”

  “And just what is that, Mr. Corlew?” she asked quietly. With all the conversations going on in the room no one was paying attention to theirs.