“Lady, because of you, I don’t even know what love is,” said Carnie in monotone.
Sylvia collapsed to the floor. “You can kill me, but you’ll never be free of your demons.” Even as she was dying, Sylvia found the strength for one last dirty, evil smile.
Carnie stood over her and looked down in disgust as she said her final goodbye. “You’re the Satan in my soul.”
She pulled the trigger without flinching.
Sylvia was gone, but her eyes stared at Carnie as though she could still see her.
Carnie stepped back and picked up the other gun. “Now, I’min charge.”
Chapter37
The wound was not as serious as he had first thought. The dizziness, he had decided, was caused by running like a maniac to get away from Carnie—not by the bullet that hit his left side. If her aim had been three or four inches to the right, Hadley might have already been dead. As it was, he had minor bleeding and a sharp pain in his ribs.
He was familiar with the sensation of a cracked rib. But this pain was worse—she must have taken a little chunk out with that bullet, he thought. Still, he knew he was very fortunate. He pulled off his shirt, rolled it up and tied it around his ribcage to slow the bleeding.
As he walked quickly and painfully toward the Buick, he remembered his cell phone was on the front seat. The Coreyville cops could be there in five minutes. And if he hadn’t thought he could handle the situation himself, he would have called them.
What would happen if the police came charging in? Carnie might start shooting everyone in sight. He couldn’t take that chance. The crazy woman thought he was dead. He would use thatto his advantage.
He quietly opened the trunk, took out his shotgun and loaded it. He hadn’t killed anybody since Korea, but he wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever it took to protect his family.
He crept up the stairs and into the house. Then he stopped to listen.
It was very faint, but he could hear a woman’s voice coming from downstairs.
He went down to the basement, and could hear the voice more clearly now. It was Carnie. Good, he thought. Right now she was too far away to see or hear him.
He peeked into the media room. It was dark. Then he determined Carnie’s location. Her door was closed, but he knew she was not in there. He cracked the door and confirmed his suspicion that the sub-basement had been breached.
He would have to call the police beforehe went down there—or not at all. His cell phone barely had a signal in the basement. It would be worthlessin the sub-basement.
**********
Now Carnie had two pistols—Elmo’s .22 and the .38 she snatched out of the car dealer’s dying hand. She set the small pistol on the table with the medical supplies while keeping the .38 pointed at her prisoners. “Well, I’m looking forward to calling in a ransom demand as soon as our Mrs. Cleggmore wakes up. But it looks like we’ve got some time to kill. Come here, Macy.”
Macy walked toward her slowly, not knowing what to expect.
“Untie your robe.”
“Why?”
Carnie glared at her and pointed the gun at her head.
Macy untied it.
“Good. Now, unbutton your gown.”
“Carnie, what are you doing?” said Elmo.
Carnie ignored him. “Now!” she said to Macy.
The buttons on Macy’s gown went from neck to waist. She struggled to unbutton them with shaky hands. Carnie didn’t seem to mind waiting—and watching.
“Now, come closer.”
When Macy was within two feet, Carnie stepped in and cupped her left hand around the back of Macy’s head, and began to kiss her on the lips.
Macy could feel the gun in Carnie’s right hand when she ran it up Macy’s left side and quickly found her nipple—the same nipple Elmo had lovingly caressed a couple of hours earlier.
She knew Carnie might push her away and shoot her at any second. The bullet would pierce her exposed chest, punching a hole through her heart. She would be dead almost immediately.
Just as Macy’s dreams were coming to life, they would die—as would she. Why had she waited so long to let Elmo know how she felt? Even that very night on the dance floor it had been an accident. She hadn’t told him how she felt. He had seen it in her eyes.
But if she had made a move on him when she first started to work there, she would have been fired. Elmo would not have felt comfortable dating a 22 year-old—not when he was 41. But how about when she was 30 and he was 49? He might have been okay with that.
She could have grabbed him and kissed him. Or tried to seduce him. But she knew nothing about seduction—except what she had read in hundreds of romance novels. On second thought, maybe she knew a lot about seduction. But reading it and doing it are not the same thing.
She should have at least tried, though. If she had, maybe Elmo wouldn’t have been available for Carsie’s scam. Maybe he would have already been married to Macy. Then, she thought, none of these lives would be in peril right now.
Macy was relieved when Carnie stopped kissing her. But then Carnie moved her mouth down to Macy’s breast. Macy cringed at the realization that her body was responding to Carnie’s touch. And now her nipple was getting even harder as Carnie encircled it with her warm, slippery tongue. Macy was not gay. It was just a natural reaction to the stimulation. And in fact, after what she had seen and heard tonight, she figured Carnie was probably not gay either.
Not that any of it matters now, she thought. They were all about to die—unless somebody made a courageous sacrifice for the sake of the others. Could she wrestle the gun away from Carnie? And even if she did—what about the other gunon the table?
Carnie pushed Macy back forcefully, nearly knocking her down. “We could have been great together, Honey.” She studied the faces across from her. “Now, who do I want to mess with next?”
“Hold it right there, Carnie.” The voice boomed from the long corridor.
Carnie’s mind had been so preoccupied with Macy’s shapely body that she hadn’t noticed when the lights in the corridor went out. She recognized the voice as Hadley’s, but couldn’t see him. “You’re supposed to be dead.”
“I was supposedto be dead in 1952. Now, put your gun down on the floor and kick it toward me.”
“You’re good, Hadley. I’ll say that.” Carnie squatted and appeared to be following Hadley’s instructions. Then she rolled to the floor and started shooting blindly into the dark corridor. She fired all six rounds. Hadley did not return fire.
The room was silent, except for the diminishing echoes of the gunshots.
“You missed,” said Hadley. As he had figured, she had assumed he was standing, not lying down. “Now, just stay right there on the floor.”
But she didn’t. She scrambled to the table, picked up the .22 and fired into the corridor, emptying the gun.
“Are you done?” said Hadley.
“I knowI shot you in the front yard.”
Hadley stepped into the light of the hospital ward, holding his shotgun. The rolled-up shirt he had tied around himself was bloody in one spot. “Yes, you did. But it’s not the first time I’ve ever been shot.”
Carnie stood up.
“Just stay right there,” said Hadley.
She reached behind her back and pulled out the knife.
“Don’t make me do it,” said Hadley.
She looked directly at Elmo and raised the knife above her head. “Everybody say ‘goodbye’ to Elmo.”
She pulled her arm back, ready to throw the knife, but before she could release it, Hadley fired the shotgun.
The knife few against the wall, along with two of Carnie’s fingers. The rest of her bloody hand was scattered across the table and on the floor. She lay on the floor, screaming in agony. Her former prisoners looked on in horror.
“Somebody go upstairs and call 911,” said Hadley.
But nobody reacted. All eyes were on Carnie.
She felt across the floor with he
r left hand and found the knife.
“No—put it down,” said Hadley.
“I’m sorry for the horrible things I’ve done,” she said, holding the blade at her throat.
Hadley was surprised by the look in her eyes—her remorse seemed real.
“But I’m not going to prison.” And with a quick jerk of the knife the blood began to gush from her neck.
Hadley knew there was nothing he could do to save her. He knelt and watched her sad eyes quickly fade.
After a few moment of complete silence, Cynthia said, “Could somebody please get these handcuffs off of us?”
Hadley found the key on the table and took it to Cynthia. She took off her cuffs and Beverly’s, and gave the key back to Hadley, who went to the next bed.
Cynthia prayed that the drug Carnie had given her mom and the other women had not done any permanent damage. But they were lucky to have slept through most of the ordeal.
Greg was still carrying around the bedrail he was handcuffed to. He put his arm around Cynthia. “Sweetie, are you okay?”
“Yes. I just hope Mom’s going to be alright.
Even before Elmo’s handcuffs had been removed, Macy ran to him and hugged him.
Mallie Mae smiled. “I refuse to let you two waste any more time. We need to start planning the wedding.”
Macy wrenched her head around in shock, popping her neck. “What?”
“I said we need to start planning your wedding,” said Mallie Mae.
“But…Elmo hasn’t proposed…”
Elmo dropped to one knee, his left hand still cuffed to the bed. “Macy Golong, will you marry me?”
Macy’s eyes erupted with tears. After waiting so many years, she had not expected it to happen all at once—in one day. “Oh, yes, Elmo. You know I will.”
But then she felt bad for Carsie. If things had gone as planned, Elmo and Carsie would have been on their honeymoon right now, she thought. And now poor Carsie was having to watch her fiancé propose to Macy. She looked to see how Carsie was handling it, but couldn’t find her. “Where’s Carsie?”
Mallie Mae said, “She’s right over—”
“—she’s gone,” said Elmo.
Hadley ran upstairs, shotgun in hand. On his way up to the kitchen, he heard the engine starting. By the time he made it through the foyer and out onto the porch, she was too far away. He would have only shot at her tires anyway. She hadn’t killed anybody—as far as he knew.
He ran to his car and jumped in. He would call the police on his cell phone and follow her until they took over. He reached for the ignition.
But his keys were gone.
Chapter38
“More popcorn, Beverly?” Greg held up the big plastic bowl.
“No, thanks—I’ve had enough,” said Beverly from the other end of the couch.
It had been less than a week since their underground nightmare. But now Greg was beyond just being grateful to be alive. It was Friday night, and the three of them were watching a movie in Cynthia’s living room. He and Cynthia should have been out on a date—not stuck here at home with her mother, he thought.
Cynthia wanted to pamper her mom for a while. She had been abducted at knifepoint, after all. And Greg was sympathetic to Cynthia’s feelings. But he hoped she understood hisfeelings. And right now what he was feeling was her warm leg against his. And her occasional hand on his knee.
It was weird and mildly unsettling—as though he existed in three distinct realms. Intellectually, he was dressed in a business suit, reading a magazine, waiting patiently for a scheduled appointment. Emotionally, he had reached the top of Mt. Everest and was admiring the magnificent view. Physically, he just wanted to pounce on her.
Greg really liked Beverly. He enjoyed being around her. But he needed more alone time with his girlfriend. He needed to hold her, kiss her, caress her back, legs, breasts—stop! It was not a good time to get turned on.
**********
“Good news, Sweetie. I just got a call—we’ve got the room we wanted at the Hyatt Regency,” said Elmo.
“Great. Come in.” Elmo walked into Macy’s bedroom and she shut the door. “I’m surprised you were able to get it, with just a week’s notice.”
Mallie Mae had lied when she told Sylvia the Mobleys were broke. It was true that Morford had given away most of their money to help AIDS victims. But he had never touched their Texaco stock. Macy wouldn’t have cared if they hadbeen broke. She just wanted to be with Elmo.
“Me too. I called the hotel this morning and the lady told me they were booked up. But I explained our situation, and that it would be for our honeymoon and asked her to put us on the waiting list.”
“And I suppose you knewsomebody there and they pulled some strings for you.”
“No. But I think Cupid might have had something to do with it.” He smiled. “Are you sure you don’t mind just doing a weekend honeymoon in Dallas?”
“No, of course not. It’ll be wonderful. And then we’ll do the cruise in a few weeks.”
“And you’re really okay with Mom going on the cruise?”
“Sure. She’ll have her own room.”
“But we’ll still see her a lot. So, if you don’t want her to go, just tell me. There’s still time to cancel her reservation. I know she’d understand.”
“No, really—it’s okay. I loveMallie Mae.”
“Okay, good. I think it will be great for her. It’ll give her a chance to meet some new people her age.”
“Baby, I’ve been wondering. Do think anybody will actually show up for our wedding?”
“Of course they will. What are you talking about?”
“Well, we’ve only given them a few days’ notice. And you just cancelled a wedding last week.”
“Don’t worry. Mom has put the word out. And believe me—her friends are spreading the news like wildfire. In fact, shethinks the church will be packed. It isa wonderful love story, you know—best friends finding love in each other’s arms after so many years.”
“It’s definitely myfavorite love story. And I can’t wait to be Mrs. Elmo Mobley—Macy Mobley.” She stepped in close and put her arms around him.
“It doeshave a nice ring to it. Speaking of which…” he dropped to one knee and looked up at her, holding her left hand. “It’s time to do it right.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small box and flipped the top open, revealing a dazzling diamond ring. “Macy Golong, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Her face beamed with delight. “Oh, Elmo, it’s so beautiful. Yes, I—“
“—to live with me forever in holy matrimony?”
Her smile broadened further. “Yes, Elmo, I—“
“—to love me with all your heart, as I love you?”
She giggled. “Yes, of course, Elmo, I will—“
“—to make love to me day and night as long as we both shall live?”
“Yes, my dear sex maniac. And I promise to do youin every way known to man.”
“Then it’s a deal.” He slid the ring onto her finger and stood up. “I love you, Macy.”
She pressed her body against his and began to kiss him as though it was already the wedding night.
He moved his hands down across her back and slid his fingertips under the waistband of her pants, and then for the first time, inside her panties. The feel of her firm, bare buns made him want to pull off those panties and everything else, and throw her on the bed.
There was a knock at the door.
Elmo’s hands were instantly out of her panties and down at his sides—fast enough to make a magician proud.
Macy tried to catch her breath and sound normal. “Yes?”
Mallie Mae cracked the door and stuck her head in. “I just got off the phone with my friend Rachel. She says everybody in Coreyville is thrilled that you two are getting married. First Baptist Church is going to be the place to be next Friday night.”
“That’s wonderful, Mallie Mae.”
“Yea
h. Thanks, Mom.”
“Oh, and one other thing,” said Mallie Mae. “Try to save something for the honeymoon.”
Macy and Elmo looked at each other, slightly embarrassed.
Mallie Mae grinned as she closed the door. “Goodnight.”
**********
Carsie knew the old couple who owned the cabin. They lived down the road from her grandmother’s house. She was sure they wouldn’t mind her living there for a couple of weeks. They hadn’t used it in over a year—since the husband’s stroke.
Sylvia had talked about how they should have sold the place to help pay the mounting medical bills. But the wife still clung to the hope that her husband would recover. Then they would spend nearly every weekend at the cabin like they used to.
Carsie figured the police would eventually question Sylvia’s neighbors, use a little common sense, and come to the cabin looking for her. She had been a fugitive for six days. But her time there would soon be over anyway.
It was 9:20 AM on Saturday, and many of the folks from neighboring cabins were out fishing. Some of them were probably hoping to hook the proverbial big one that always gets away. She had her own big fish to catch. She planned to throw it down and watch it flop around until it died. Oh, what revenge it would be. What sweet revenge.
The Mobleys knew nothing of her high school days, and her archery medals. She was a bit rusty, but after four days of non-stop practice, her accuracy was coming back. And her new Browning Mirage ZX compound bow was the best she’d ever used. It was 33 inches, axle to axle, and weighed less than four pounds.
She had pulled off many successful cons with her sister and grandmother, beginning at age 20. She would lure in some poor sap and make him fall in love with her. She had a talent for it. Then, after they got married, Carnie would seduce him. Soon, Carsie would divorce him for his infidelity and take him for as much money as possible. The three women had worked as full-time con artists for ten years. Now her partners and her family were dead.
But for once in her life, with Elmo Mobley, she had not been faking—except in the beginning. She had foolishly fallen in love with him. But why? Elmo was 26 years older than her. It didn’t make sense. Maybe it was becausehe was so much older. She had let her guard down because she felt safe. She could relax since there was no way she was going to fall in love with a guy old enough to be her father. But that was exactly what happened.
Hideaway Hospital Murders Page 20
