Arms encased around her, Blake edged them to the door just as the nurse entered. She went to scream but Blake shuffled behind her, clamped his forceps around her shoulders as he slammed his hand over her mouth. He drew her into his chest. “Not a peep, got it?”
The tray she carried hit the concrete floor with a clatter. Janie grabbed one of the syringes, jabbed it into the girl’s upper arm and pushed the plunger. The nurse let out a muffled scream then went limp. Then she did the same to Jeremy.
“Fast acting.”
Janie smirked. “Me or the drugs?”
“Both.” Blake flopped the woman face down on the bed, her legs dangling to the floor. Then he turned to Janie and held her shoulders. “You OK? Feel like getting out of here?”
“Absolutely. As long as I can lean on you.”
“Always, Janie. Always.”
FORTY
They hobbled together down the hall and found a door. Janie halted with her hand flat against his chest. “Let’s hope it doesn’t sound any alarms.”
Blake ran his fingers over the jamb. “Don’t feel any wires or connectors. Let’s try.” He turned the knob in small increments until it clicked and the seal popped. “Wait.”
They stood statue still. He pushed the door open and peeked. “It leads up a half flight of stairs to another door. Let’s go.”
The other one had a frosted glass pane, which let in some moonlight. “Look.” Janie pointed. “It must lead to the grounds outside.”
They crept up the steps. Blake propped Janie against the wall at the top of the stoop and went back down to close the other door. He ascended on tiptoe and again felt the framework.
“Rats. This one’s armed.”
“What do we do?”
He leaned toward her. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”
“Blake?”
“Shhh.” He slipped down the stairs and through the first door, leaving her alone in the small hallway.
She puffed a breath out from her cheeks and took several deeper ones. Suddenly, a blaring horn pierced the silence.
Blake ran back in and shoved the exit to the outside open. “Go. Go. Go.”
He grabbed Janie’s hand and pulled her out into the night. They sprinted toward some ligustrum bushes as light flooded the lawns.
Voices yelled.
Blake’s words blasted into her ear. “Keep going.”
Janie stumbled but held on. They traveled a few more yards.
“Here. Hide.” He dove into the hedges yanking her with him. Lying on their stomachs, they peered through the branches as people dashed back and forth like ants whose mound had been kicked. The shrill alarm kept ringing.
Janie felt a tap on her shoulder. She gasped and flipped around. Jenkins crouched next to them. “Ya’ll want a ride?”
Blake shook his hand as the junior detective lifted them to their feet. A few yards away, Edwards stood by an unmarked car, gun cocked in case anyone followed.
~*~
Everyone huddled around Melody as she answered her phone. Her shoulders melted with a sigh as she cupped her hand over it. “They’re OK. They’re safe and on their way to the hospital to be checked out, just in case.”
Cheers went up and group hugs began, along with tears of relief. The food, which had been sitting untouched on the dining room table, soon filled plates as laughter and chatter pursued.
A knock on the door halted the happy din of voices. Two officers stood on the stoop. “We just wanted to let you know they’ve been found.”
Ethel motioned them inside. “We just heard. Come in. There’s plenty of food and hot coffee.”
The two policemen eyed each other, shrugged, and entered.
“Come celebrate. Grab a plate,” Roseanne crowed.
Jamie snickered. “Mom, she rhymed.”
Melody hugged her son. “So she did.”
Joyous chuckles filled the room.
FORTY-ONE
Janie and Blake spent twenty-four hours across the hall from each other under observation at the county hospital. Melody wore herself out bopping between the two as she checked on them. Finally, Blake grabbed her arm. “Hon. Sit. Rest. We’re both fine, and Ethel is visiting your mom. I can hear her cackle from here.”
She edged back into the chair and drew up her knees. “You scared the daylights out of me, Blake Johnson. You know that?”
A penitent look clouded his expression. He protruded his lower lip.
She batted the air near his bed. “Stop that. You look as if you are coming out of the principal’s office with a semester of detention facing you.”
He shrunk a bit further under the covers. “Aren’t I? After all, I didn’t exactly follow protocol. And I endangered your mother, too. I imagine the mayor will visit soon enough.”
She squeezed his upper arm. “I know she authored this harebrained scheme. Why on earth did you go along with it?”
He sucked in a deep sigh and stared at the ceiling. “Pride. Stupid male pride.” He closed his eyes. “I wanted to show Robbins I could crack the case wide open. That I was more than a backwater sheriff.”
She thrust forward. “He never called you that, did he?”
Blake glanced at her then back at the light fixture over his head. “No. He’s too polished and professional. I felt it though. All my men practically genuflected when he entered the room in his designer suit and government issued sunglasses.”
Melody spurted a giggle. “Seriously? Oh, Blake. You do hate living in my dad’s shadow, don’t you?”
“It gets a bit old now and then.” He rolled to face her. “I’m not him. I never will be.”
She ran her hand down his forearm and found his hand to clutch. “Mother embellishes his greatness and people have come to believe her. Bottom line, Jack Manson lived the life of an overworked gumshoe just like you.” Melody leaned in to peck his neck. “And I am proud to be your wife.”
He grabbed her around the waist and half-lifted her onto the bed. “Show me how much when they let me out of here.”
She brushed his bristled chin with her wedding ring finger. “I plan to, mister.”
~*~
Janie extended her hands to either side, palms up. “How were we to know the woman knew Lacy Ellison? She had us pegged as soon as we dropped the name.” She pouted. “Should’ve gone with Bush.”
Ethel laughed. “You look nothing like the Silver Fox.”
“She’s a Pierce. She married a Bush.”
A tap sounded on the door, and in traipsed Betsy Ann, Mildred, and Babs with a huge bouquet of peppermint carnations in a red vase.
Janie clapped her palms together. “How lovely.”
“Aren’t they. We bought them in the gift shop downstairs for Rosemary. She’s one floor up recovering from hip surgery. We thought we’d drop by and see you on the way.”
Her heart sank to her waist. “I didn’t know. When did she fall?”
They plopped the flowers on her tray. “She didn’t, but you just did.”
Everyone started to chuckle. Janie opened her mouth and then shut it again. She frowned, and then sputtered a laugh. “OK, OK. You got me good.”
“So tell us all about it.” The women gathered around her bed.
Janie explained about Nanu and Raj, the modern day Romeo and Juliet. Betsy Ann clasped her hand to her heart and Babs sniffled. “That’s so romantic.”
Ethel tapped her toe. “My foot. They conned their friends into participating in an illegal activity. They’ll live the rest of their lives on the lam, with a baby to boot.”
“True.” Janie inched up toward her pillow. “And if Ra’naa’s with them, who’s to say they won’t set up shop in another place?”
Mildred reached in her wallet and pulled out her driver’s license. “Well, I for one am going to claim myself as a donor. I suggest we start a campaign for everybody we know in our village to become one. Maybe we can book a guest speaker.”
Janie laughed. “Well, it won’t be Mrs. Kingston of Hendel Mansion.
”
Everyone sniggered.
She shifted her gaze from one friend to the other. “I’ve been so wrapped up in this case. Has anything exciting happened at Sunset Acres?”
Babs stepped forward. “Well, the strangest thing. The Baileys were robbed two nights ago while they were at their great granddaughter’s junior high graduation.”
“Really?”
Mildred set her purse down and sat on the edge of Janie’s bed. “And the weird thing? They live at number 366, right? Well, yesterday afternoon while she attended the opening of her great-nephew’s summer baseball season, Joan Stephens in 633 had her big screen TV and video recorder snatched.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope, along with her diamond earrings and an opal brooch she inherited from her mother.”
The hairs on Janie’s arm tingled. “So much for the new security patrol Mrs. Jacobs hired. Odd that both street numbers had only threes and sixes. Can’t be a coincidence.”
Betsy Ann peered at Babs. “You had to go and tell her, didn’t you?”
She threw off her covers and padded barefoot to the door as she tucked her hospital gown around her backside. “I’ve gotta talk to Blake. They need to release us pronto.”
Ethel rubbed her hands and snickered. “Here we go again. I better dust off my spyglass.”
Mildred groaned.
Janie turned back to her friends and winked. “What are you waiting for? Come on. A new game’s afoot, Bunco Biddies.”
POST SCRIPT
I would be amiss if I didn’t thank my editor, Susan Baganz, and the editor-in-chief of Prism Book Group, Joan Bauer Alley, for contracting me to write the Bunco Biddies Mystery series. I also thank my sister Anne who bugged me for several years to switch from the suspense romance genre to cozy mysteries. I am honored that Lisa Lickel, Cynthia Hickey and Mary Daheim, some of my favorite cozy mystery writers, endorsed the first in this series, Dumpster Dicing, which encouraged me to continue. Plus, I am grateful to my readers and friends who enjoy my books and applauded me for undertaking this challenge. Mostly, I thank God for the ability to pursue my passion, and for fulfilling the desire of my heart.
As you may know, kidney harvesting is quite common in India and Nepal as well as in Mexico and Central America. It is quite feasible for someone to live a healthy life with only one kidney, so the poorest of the poor see it as a way to feed their families. The problem arises when organized crime becomes involved and people are duped into thinking they will receive funding. Often, they do not, and their loved ones, who were willing to sacrifice parts of their bodies for the welfare of their kin, are never heard from again.
The best way to thwart this is to become a registered organ donor. My late husband was, and when he passed, thirty-one different people benefited from the shell of his earthly body as surgeons gleaned skin, organs, and bone. He figured since he will receive a heavenly body, free of disease and pain, one day when the trumpets sound, someone else here on earth could use the one he left behind. One man in Pennsylvania, where my late husband’s clan first settled in America, received parts of his hand. My late husband always loved to work with his hands, so I saw that as God’s affirmation.
A cousin of mine donated a kidney for his brother who was born without any. It was a sacrifice of love and, almost twenty-five years later, both are doing well. The head of Texas Association of Authors, Alan, decide to donate one of his to an unknown recipient. It took him several weeks to recover from the operation but he stated that he felt it was something he needed to do. I greatly admire his courage, as I know did his recipient.
I realize organ donation is an individual choice. However, I urge each reader to research the topic and pray on it. If in your heart you feel like this is a worthy thing to do, be sure your loved ones know your wishes. Many states, like Texas, place donor statuses on their driver’s licenses.
If you want more information about kidney donations, please visit the Kidney Foundation’s website: https://www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingdonors.
Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed reading this Bunco Biddy Mystery. You can check out my other works, fiction and nonfiction, at www.juliebcosgrove.com. Watch for the third in the series, Threes and Sixes.
Blessings,
Julie B Cosgrove
Janie’s Lemon Bars
For the Base
2 cups sifted flour
1⁄2 cup powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
For top
4 large beaten eggs
2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon rind zest
Directions
For the base-
Mix the butter into the flour and sugar until it clings together.
Press evenly with your hands into an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan.
Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for at least an hour.
For the filling-
Beat together eggs, sugar and lemon juice.
Sift together flour and baking powder. Stir into egg mixture.
Pour over baked, cooled crust.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Cut into 1 inch square bars
Butterscotch Brownies with Crème Brûlée Frosting
Brownies.
18 1⁄4 ounces yellow cake mix
1⁄3 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup butterscotch chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix cake mix, butter and 1 egg at medium speed until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly in 13 x 9 pan.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with pecan and chips. Press slightly into cake mixture with a back of a wooden spoon.
Cool thoroughly. It is OK if some of the chips melt during cooling.
Crème Brûlée Frosting
Custard Frosting:
2 ounces cornstarch
10 egg yolks, at room temperature
6 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Brulee Sugar Mixture:
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups granulated sugar
For the custard frosting: Using an electric mixer with a whip attachment, whip the cornstarch and egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl until light and fluffy. Warm the whipping cream and confectioners' sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. When the cream mixture reaches about 100 degrees F, add about half of it to the egg yolks, whisking, and then transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. Continue cooking the yolk and cream mixture until it reaches a boil (about 180 degrees F). Remove from the heat immediately and pour into a clean stainless steel bowl. Whip in the butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy. (The mixture may be stored in an air-tight container up to 5 days.)
Spread over the cooled butterscotch brownies. Let set about an hour.
Cut into bars.
Read more at:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/creme-brulee-cupcake.html
BIOGRAPHY
Julie B. Cosgrove is a professional speaker and freelance Christian writer for seven devotional websites and publications as well as being an award-winning, multi-published novelist. Besides cozy mysteries, she writes contemporary women’s fiction with page-turning suspense, a delving into a social issue of the times, and a hint of romance. All contain a message of redemption and mercy because she believes God meets us in our messes so He can lead us out by grace through forgiveness.
She loves clean murder mysteries and have been reading them most of her life, as well as indulging in an occasional one on television, especially the British produced ones. Widowed be
fore the age of sixty, she lives in Fort Worth, Texas with two spoiled house cats she lovingly refers to as the “beastie boys.” Julie enjoys words puzzles and games, and is involved in the prayer team, women’s group, and mission ministries in her church.
When she is not leading workshops, women’s retreats or writing, she enjoys spending time at her family’s cabin on the river in the Texas Hill Country. Follow her blog—Where Did You Find God Today, and preview all her fiction and non-fiction works on her website, www.juliebcosgrove.com
Thank you
We appreciate you reading this Prism title. For other Christian fiction and clean-and-wholesome stories, please visit our on-line bookstore at www.prismbookgroup.com.
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May God’s glory shine through
this inspirational work of fiction.
AMDG
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