South River Incident

by Ann Mullen

“Just answer the door,” I said, planting a kiss on his cheek.

  My smile faded and my mouth dropped when Billy opened the door. Cole stood at the entrance.

  There could have been no doubt about what was going on in this house. Billy and I were too cozy-looking to be anything but intimate. I had a ring on my finger, my arms around my man, and a rapturous look on my face. I was guilty as sin. It was time to ‘fess up.

  Before Cole could speak, I stepped in front of Billy.

  “Why don’t you come in, Cole?” I ushered him inside. “You’re the first to be able to congratulate us,” I said in the most goading voice I could find. “Billy has asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”

  What happened next was not what I had expected. Cole’s eyes bulged and he sailed at Billy, knocking him to the floor from the intense force of his body. Fists flew, and before I knew what happened, they were tearing the place apart. A lamp was knocked over, and the dream catcher was swept off the table. It was all I could do to intercede when they got close to the computer.

  “Stop it! That’s enough!” I yelled. “You’re acting like a couple of overgrown little boys!”

  Well, that sure did get their attention. Instantly, they stopped fighting and tried to regain their dignity. Billy massaged his jaw while Cole wiped the blood from his own lip.

  I felt like a jerk.

  “This is entirely my fault,” I said. “I should have never told you about Billy and me like I did.” I walked over to Cole. “I wanted to hurt you. I’m sorry. You’re a decent man and you don’t deserve this. Please forgive me.” I turned to Billy and then walked over to his side. “The truth is, I’m in love with Billy. I think I have been since the day we met. It just took a little while for me to see it. I hope you won’t hate us.”

  Cole took a deep breath, tilted his head, and reigned in his anger. “If that’s the way you want it,” he said. His demeanor changed. He became professional. “I came here to tell you that someone broke into your mom’s house. She’s in the hospital.”

  “What?” I cried. “Is she all right?” I ran to him and grabbed him by his jacket. “What happened?”

  Cole reached out and put his hands on my shoulders. “Calm down, Jesse, she’s fine. She’s in the hospital for observation. It seems she got knocked unconscious from the shotgun blast.”

  “Has she been shot?” I screamed.

  “No, she hasn’t been shot. The force from the blast knocked her up against the wall when she shot at the intruder, and then she passed out. But she’s going to be fine. I came here to take you to see her.” He glanced over at Billy and then back to me. “However, I can see you don’t need me.”

  Billy stepped forward and said, “I’ll take Jesse to see her mom. What hospital is she in?”

  “She’s at UVA. You can follow me. I have to get a statement from her.”

  I was sitting inside my Jeep with the motor running and honking the horn, when Billy finally made it to the car.

  “I’m sorry it took me so long, but I had to take care of the dogs and lock up the house,” he said, slamming the car door. “Jesse, you’re upset. Don’t you want me to drive? You’re in no condition...”

  “I’m fine,” I said. I jammed my foot on the gas pedal and fishtailed down the driveway.

  “What about Cole? Aren’t you going to follow him?” Billy asked, looking back in Cole’s direction.

  “I don’t need him to find my mama. I don’t need him for anything.”

  “That was a harsh statement, girl. What gives? Are you having second thoughts about how you really feel about Cole? Am I in trouble here?”

  I relaxed some of the tension in my arms, let out a breath, and slowed the Jeep down. “You don’t have a thing to worry about.” I looked over and smiled.

  “Ah, that’s what she says, but how does she really feel?” His face was fraught with concern. “You look a little rattled. I guess you realize that Cole does care about you.”

  “It’s too little... too late, Billy.” I put on the blinker and turned onto the main road. “It looks like VDOT got the road cleared just in time for the next storm. I guess we’re in for a full-blown mountain blizzard.”

  Chapter 13

  I cried as I burst into the hospital room. “Oh, Mom, what happened? Are you hurt? Who did this to you?”

  Mom was dressed in a flowered-print hospital gown. She held the back closed with one hand while she took her clothes out of a closet with the other. She walked over to the bed and laid the clothes on it.

  “I’m fine, honey. I’m glad you’re here. You can help me get past those silly doctors. I’m not staying overnight. They’re crazy. I have things to do. We have a blizzard coming! I have to get home.”

  “Mom,” I said, trying to soothe her. “They know what’s best for you. If they say you should stay, then you should stay. Please get back in the bed.”

  “You don’t really believe that. You’re just saying that to keep me here. I’m leaving with or without your help.”

  She stepped over to Billy and asked, “Will you drive me home?”

  He was caught in the middle. He glanced at me and then back to Mom. “Jesse’s driving. I don’t have my truck. But I might be able to talk her into it if we’re sure you’re going to be fine. What did the doctor say?” He took her hand and led her back to the bed. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me everything.”

  She sat on the bed with her slipper-covered feet dangling over. “They said I have a bruised shoulder and a sprung elbow. Claire went to find my doctor. She doesn’t want me to leave either. The kids are with a nurse.”

  “Well, maybe you should listen...” Before I could finish my sentence, the door opened and a doctor walked in. Claire and Cole were right behind him.

  “What’s this I hear about you wanting to leave the hospital, Mrs. Watson?” he asked as he flipped through her chart. He turned to Billy and me. “Hello, you must be Mrs. Watson’s daughter, Jesse. I’m Dr. Bryant. You might remember me.” He held out his hand.

  “Yes,” I replied. I offered him mine. “You were the doctor on duty when my father died. I’ve been to the hospital a couple of times and you were the doctor on duty then, too. You remember Billy Blackhawk?” I asked. “He’s a friend of the family.”

  “Of course,” he replied. “Billy and I go way back. How’s it going, Billy? How’s your mom and dad?”

  “Just fine, John.” Billy shook his hand. “What’s the deal here?”

  “As you can see, we’re having a hard time keeping Mrs. Watson in bed. She has suffered a few minor injuries from her ordeal, and she needs bed rest. I’d like to keep her here for just a little while.”

  “Exactly what kind of injuries has she suffered, Dr. Bryant?” I asked.

  Mom sat up in bed and yelled across the room.

  “That’s nobody’s business but mine! I want to get out of here.”

  Dr. Bryant glanced at Mom then back to me.

  “I’m afraid I can’t divulge her condition without her consent. But I can assure you, she needs to be in a hospital. We need to keep her here for a couple of days and give her medication. After the danger has passed, we’ll give her a prescription to have filled, and then she will be released. She will need to be on this medication for a couple of weeks.”

  “What he’s trying to tell you is, Mom has a blood clot in her shoulder and if they don’t dissolve the clot, it could dislodge itself, go to her heart and kill her. But she’s too stubborn to listen to what the doctor has to say.” Claire glared at Mom. “If I hadn’t gone after the doctor when I did, she’d probably be out the front door, hailing a cab by now.”

  “You did the right thing.” I put my arm around her. “You know how she is when she sets her mind to something. She kind of reminds me of someone else I know.” I glanced over at Billy and smiled.

  “One day,” Mom announced. She crawled under the bed covers and crossed her arms on top of the blanket. “After that, I’m out of here.”

  Dr.
Bryant rolled his eyes. He was helpless when it came to getting Mom to follow his advice. He scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to Claire. “We gave her Heparin to start. Here’s a prescription for Coumadin—it’s an anticoagulant. See to it that you get it filled and make sure she takes it every day according to directions. I’m afraid if I give her the prescription, she won’t bother with it. Who knows, she might escape before I see her in the morning. Make sure she takes the medication when she gets home. My office will be in touch later.” He gave Mom one final warning. “Stay in bed, Mrs. Watson.”

  “You heard what the doctor said,” I walked over to Mom and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You need to rest.”

  “This is poppycock! I need to get home. I have a big hole in the wall, and a storm’s coming. It has to be fixed and I can’t do it sitting here.”

  “Don’t you worry, Minnie,” Billy approached. “I’ll go repair the wall as soon as we leave the hospital. Why don’t you tell us what happened?” He pulled up a chair close to her bed, and sat down.

  “Start from the beginning, and don’t skip anything.”

  “Claire had just left to go to the IGA. A storm was heading our way, and we wanted to be prepared. After she left, I was upstairs reading Benny a story. Carrie was taking her nap. All of a sudden I heard a noise downstairs. I thought Claire had forgotten something, and had to come back. I went to the stairs and called out. It got real quiet. I called out again, but nobody answered. That’s when I got scared. I went to Claire’s room and got the shotgun out of the closet, put two shells in it, and tiptoed down the stairs. Somebody came running out of my bedroom and headed for the back door. I yelled. She turned around and aimed a gun at me. That’s when I panicked and the shotgun went off. I don’t even remember pulling the trigger. Next thing I know, I’m in the hospital.”

  “It seems,” Claire stepped closer and said, “that my brave son saw that his grandma was hurt and dialed 911.”

  “He’s a smart kid,” Billy replied. He trained his attention on Mom. “Do you remember what the guy looked like… his hair color… height?”

  “I said it was a woman, not a man. I know the difference, silly.”

  Billy and I stared at each other. We were both thinking the same thing.

  “Are you sure about that, Mom?” I asked.

  “Yes, I’m sure. I’m old, not blind, at least not yet.” She let out a little chuckle. “She was wearing a scarf over her head, but I could see the blond hair hanging out. She had on a black stadium jacket and a pair of black jeans. Later, when I thought more about it, I found the whole idea of wearing black a little silly. It was broad daylight and everything was covered with snow. You’d think she’d be smart enough to wear white if she wanted to blend into the scenery. I guess she wasn’t as smart as she thought.”

  “Did you hit her?”

  “I’m not sure, but I sure did make a mess out of my pie safe, not to mention the wall. I’m surprised the house didn’t catch fire.”

  “Could you give us an estimate on her weight and height?” Cole spoke for the first time.

  “If I had to guess,” Mom thought for a second. “I’d say she was the same size as Jesse.”

  Everybody looked in my direction.

  “I’m 5’5", and a hundred and eight pounds.”

  “In your dreams,” Billy whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear and get a good laugh.

  “Well, maybe a hundred and fifteen... give or take a couple of pounds.”

  I couldn’t help but notice Cole avoided making eye contact with me. Was it my breath or something I said? Who was I trying to fool? He was obviously still reeling from the announcement of my engagement to Billy. He had his chance, but he let it slip by. It was his loss.

  The woman Mom described had a remarkable resemblance to the woman in the picture... the one who sent that evil message to me. Loose ends were beginning to come together.

  “Did she have any scars or maybe walked with a limp?” I directed my attention to Mom. “Could you recognize her if you saw her again?”

  “I might. I don’t know, Jesse, it all happened so fast.” Mom gasped and ordered everybody out of the room. “Please, I want you all to leave for a minute. I have to talk to Jesse.”

  Claire, Billy and Cole obeyed by leaving the room.

  “What is it, Mom?” I reached over and took her hand.

  “You tell me,” she insisted. “What’s this on your finger?”

  “Ah, that,” I smiled. “Billy and I...”

  “You’re getting married! I’m so glad. It’s about time.” She gave me a hug and yelled toward the door. “Come in here, Billy Blackhawk!”

  The door opened and Billy slowly walked in.

  “Is it safe?” he asked.

  “It sure is! I hear you’re going to marry my daughter. I don’t know how this came about, but I’m so happy I could cry.” She sniffled.

  Billy dug in his jacket for a handkerchief and handed it to her.

  “See, Jesse I told you he was a fine man. He even carries a handkerchief. It’s a sign of fine breeding.”

  “We’re only gotten to the point of the ring, Mom,” I spoke softly. “We haven’t made plans for a wedding, yet.”

  “We can do that as soon as I get out of here. How about Christmas?” she asked. “Christmas would be a fine time. It’s so romantic.”

  “Hold on,” I said. “Give me time to savor the moment before you go and make any arrangements. Billy and I need to talk.”

  “What’s there to talk about? You’re going to get married so let’s make plans. Why mess around?”

  “What’s the big rush? We have plenty of time.”

  Mom looked at Billy, and then back at me. She had a funny look on her face for a second before she spoke.

  “Does Cole know about the two of you? I mean, I’m sure this was a shocker for him if he does. It’s none of my business, and who am I to butt into your life, but a couple of days ago you and Cole were an item. Now you and Billy are engaged. What happened?”

  “It was a revelation, Mom. One minute everything was going along okay, and then I realized I was on the wrong path. Cole’s a good man. He’s just not the one for me. We have too many differences. We don’t have the same goals in life. Cole can’t put in the time it takes to make a relationship work, and like you would say, I’m not getting any younger. Above it all, I think the most important thing is that I discovered I’m in love with Billy.”

  “Oh, `ge ya, you make me feel so good,” Billy said as he leaned over and kissed me. “I’m the happiest man in the world.”

  “You say that now, but have you sampled her cooking?” Mom asked.

  They stared at each other for a second, and then broke out in laughter. They almost fell all over themselves on that one.

  “If the two of you are finished making fun of my lack of culinary skills, it’s time to get serious. We need to get to the heart of our problem. Forget about the wedding for a second, Mom. Billy, show her the picture.”

  He pulled out the photo and held it up for her to see. “Do you see anyone that looks like the woman who broke into your house in this photo?” he asked. “Take your time and look at it carefully.”

  “She didn’t break in. The door wasn’t locked,” Mom replied. She studied the photo. “That’s her—that one right there!” She pointed to Laura Westover. “Yep, that’s the woman.”

  Billy and I glanced at each other. What were we to do? We couldn’t tell Cole about our finding because we had stolen the picture from a dead man’s house. Yet, could we ask Mom to keep quiet to cover for us until we got some answers? We had to come clean.

  “Cole!” I yelled. “Would you come in here, please?”

  Cole walked into the room and I showed him the picture.

  “This is the woman who broke into Mom’s house.”

  “Where did you get this picture?” he asked.

  “We found it.”

  “I don’t believe it!” Cole said. “
You stole this from a murder victim’s house. What are you two going to do next... rob a bank... steal a car?”

  “What...” Billy started to say.

  “Cole, you sound like a crazy person,” I jumped in and said. “Get over it. Don’t tell me that you’ve never picked up something here and there to help you on a case or never lifted a piece of evidence. If you tell me you haven’t, I’m going to have to call you a liar. You’re a cop, you don’t always play by the book.”

  “Excuse me, but you’re wrong,” Cole shot back. “I always play by the book. It’s the only way to stay alive in this game.”

  “Oh, bull,” Claire said as she walked into the room. “Cole, you’re full of crap if you think for one minute that we’re going to buy that line. Nobody’s perfect, not even you.”

  Cole gave her a stunned look, but didn’t challenge her statement. He turned to Billy with a sour look on his face. “I’m going to forget that you acquired that picture by questionable means. I’m even going to forget that you stole my girl. But I won’t forget that you’re very close to crossing over. If you don’t watch your step, you’re going to land in jail, and I’m going to be the one who put you there.”

  The room fell silent. The comment about stealing his girl took us all by surprise. I guess nobody expected Cole to show his jealous side in public. It was not something he would normally do.

  “I’m glad that we got that out in the open,” Mom said. She looked around the room. “Does anyone else have any other business before we continue? If you do, speak up or forever...”

  “I’d like to ask something,” Claire said, stepping forward. “What’s this about Billy stealing Cole’s girl? What’s going on, Jesse?”

  I stuck out my hand to show her my ring and said, “Billy and I are engaged. It just happened.”

  Claire was so shocked, she had to sit down. “Well, that was fast,” she said. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Congratulations would work for me,” I said. “How about you, Billy?”

  “Yeah, that works for me, too.”

  “Congratulations,” Claire said. Her voice was just a whisper. She glanced over at Cole. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed to him.