Motherhood Is Murder mim-2

by Diana Orgain

  More EMTs rushed in. Soon they had Evelyn on a stretcher and into an ambulance with Celia. Kenny and I were ushered to the other ambulance. When we made our way through the lobby of the center, I spotted my diaper bag strewn across the floor. I gathered up my items, including Laurie’s purple puppy, which had fallen out.

  I remembered that my cell phone was somewhere in the middle of the street. When I asked the EMT if I could go retrieve it, he gave me a look that would freeze over hell.

  We were silent on the ride to the hospital. I was examined by a middle-aged physician, who told me my ribs were bruised where Celia had repeatedly kicked me. He taped them up for me and then I was left to wait with Kenny for Inspector McNearny or Jones in the waiting room.

  Please, God, let then send Jones. Please send Jones!

  My understanding was that Celia was having her nose set, and given my accusations, she would be held in a separate waiting room.

  Suddenly my hand flew to Kenny’s knee. “The Opera! Oh my God! What time do you have to be there?”

  Kenny looked at the giant white clock on the wall and smiled. “Half an hour ago.”

  I grabbed his shoulders. “Kenny! I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Kate. Helping you catch a murderer is much more exciting than—”

  “Don’t say it. You should be at the Opera right now.

  I’m so sorry I dragged you into this.”

  He waved me off. “Nah. This is a much cooler story for my friends.”

  We waited in silence. Kenny pulled out his phone and started texting. “Are you already bragging?” I asked.

  He laughed.

  I thought about Evelyn. We hadn’t seen her since they’d rushed her out of the center. When I arrived at the hospital, I’d asked a nurse about her, but she’d been grim-faced and told me she didn’t know the status of the mother or child.

  I thought of Evelyn’s little son, “the biter.” Where was he tonight? Probably with his nanny. Poor little guy, he needed to have his mommy live.

  Please God, let them be okay.

  I dug into my diaper purse and pulled out Laurie’s puppy. Her toothless grin flashed in my mind. I pressed the puppy’s ear to hear her little coo.

  Instead of Laurie’s coo, my voice came out of the recorder:

  “The cops are on their way.”

  My jaw dropped and I glanced at Kenny.

  “Liar! You’re going to ruin everything! You should have stayed out of it.”

  Kenny squeezed my arm.

  “You killed that woman in Miami and took her baby. You sold her baby! You killed her and sold her baby!”

  “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

  “That’s how you got the money for this remodel!”

  “And I’m going to kill you! Just like I killed her!”

  Kenny jumped up. “You got her on tape! You got her on tape!”

  The door to the waiting room swung open slightly and I could see Jones’s cropped hair.

  Yea! It was Jones! No McNearny!

  Jones pushed the door open and walked into the room. The door swung closed behind him only to reopen as McNearny followed him into the room, a tired expression on his face. “Got who on tape?”

  My hands were shaking as I replayed the tape for Jones and McNearny.

  McNearny listened, a stoic expression on his face.

  They took statements from Kenny and me and confiscated Laurie’s little puppy. “Any word on Evelyn and her baby?” I asked.

  McNearny and Jones exchanged looks. Jones hung his head.

  McNearny’s lips formed a straight line. “They delivered the baby by cesarean. She’s going to be fine.”

  My heart stopped. “And Evelyn? What about Evelyn?”

  “They don’t know yet, Connolly,” McNearny said. “It’s not looking good.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Thanksgiving

  To Do:

  1. Cook!!!

  I awoke to the phone ringing. I was immediately annoyed. It was bad enough that I’d gotten to bed at midnight only to be woken up every few hours by Laurie’s hunger cries, but now that both of us were sound asleep, to have the shrill sound rupture my dreams was the limit!

  “Hello?”

  “Kid! You got a write-up in the paper!” Galigani said.

  Suddenly being woken up wasn’t so bad.

  “I did?”

  I swung my feet off the bed and stopped short. Every part of my body ached. There were bruises up and down my legs, and my ribs were stiff where the doctor had taped them.

  “Nice big spread, but it’s mostly about your client, The Grizzly,” Galigani said. “He does mention you, though. At the very end. Almost like small print.”

  Time to let go of any media darling dreams.

  “It’s a good thing I didn’t get involved for the glory,” I said.

  “Yeah, because they misspelled your name, too.” Galigani laughed.

  I snorted. “Geez. No good deed goes unpunished!”

  “What time is dinner?”

  The smell of pumpkin pie filled the house. The wind whipped through our chimney as Jim was preparing a fire. He crumpled some newspaper and stacked the logs against each other in an upright triangle. I finished setting the table and lit the candles.

  Some heat started to kick out from the fireplace and the house was getting cozy. I played my new Ricky Martin CD, and Laurie snoozed in her bassinet. The doorbell sounded. It was Galigani and Mom standing on my front stoop. Galigani had brought the stuffing and Mom had made the potatoes.

  I helped Galigani take everything to the kitchen while Mom woke Laurie.

  We sat down at the table and said prayers. Mom was sitting across from me with Laurie in her lap. Jim was at the head of the table and Galigani sat opposite him.

  Jim carved the turkey and laid out a delectable platter, alternating the white and dark meat.

  He passed the platter to me. “I’m most thankful for my wife and daughter.”

  I selected a piece of dark meat and put it on my plate. “I’m most thankful for my lovely peanut, her father, my mother, and my boss.”

  I passed the platter to Galigani.

  “I’m most thankful to be with such wonderful company tonight and thankful a murderer is behind bars because of our efforts,” Galigani said. “Kid, I’m sure glad you insisted I sponsor you!”

  “Wait,” Mom said. “I insisted you sponsor Kate. I’m the insister!”

  “Yes, you are, Mom,” Jim said.

  “Here’s to justice!” Mom said, holding up her wineglass. Jim followed suit and we all drank to the toast.

  Galigani served himself some turkey and passed the tray to Mom.

  Mom said, “I’m most thankful that Jim got the turkey in the brine before the EMTs interrupted him with a call about Kate!

  Galigani laughed. I gagged on my wine.

  “God, Mom! Aren’t you thankful for Laurie?”

  “Of course I am! I’m thankful for all of you! And I’m especially thankful that my bunions aren’t bothering me tonight!”

  Jim snickered into his napkin.

  “And another thing I’m extremely thankful for is that Paula sent the pumpkin pie! It smells delicious!”

  I frowned. “How do you know she sent the pie?”

  Mom laughed. “Well, I know you didn’t make it and Jim doesn’t bake.”

  “Will you pass the potatoes, Vera?” Galigani asked.

  Mom handed him the potatoes, and after he served himself, the bowl made its way around the table.

  I served myself some stuffing, then shoveled a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto my plate. I poured gravy over the turkey and potatoes then reached for the cranberries. Canned.

  Who had time to make fresh with a newborn and a new career on their hands?

  I cut into my turkey and savored my first bite. It was deliciously moist.

  We made small talk during dinner. My thoughts kept drifting back to Evelyn. I was still waiting to hear from someone at the hospital. I’d been calling all day to check on her status, but no one had given me any information.

  I th
ought about the case against Celia. The Grizzly had told me that any criminal defense attorney worth his weight would get that recording disallowed, but he’d promised not to take the case.

  I’d spoken with Bruce in the morning. He’d been stunned by the news of the fake adoption but grateful for the update. Of course, with the cops arresting Celia, it meant he was off the hook. He could start rebuilding his life after losing Helene. He vowed that he would help the police build their case against her and wouldn’t rest until she was convicted.

  I’d also phoned Margaret, feeling like she was owed some closure. To my surprise she was up to speed having already spoken with Miss No-nonsense. It turned out Howard confessed his affair after receiving a call from McNearny. Margaret was distraught about Evelyn and promised to call me if she had any news before I did.

  We finished dinner, then Jim and I cleared the plates to ready the table for dessert. In the kitchen I turned on the coffeemaker.

  Jim leaned into me. “I love you, Kate. This is the best Thanksgiving ever because you’re my wife and we have Laurie.”

  Tears sprang to my eyes and I hugged him. “I’m so worried about Evelyn. That’s a family that might lose their mommy tonight.”

  Jim held me. “You can’t think that way, honey. They saved the baby. I’m sure they’re thankful about that. All we can do now is pray.”

  We held each other in silence. After a moment we heard Mom call from the dining room, “Where’s my pumpkin pie?”

  I brought out Paula’s magnificent pie and served it at the table with a generous scope of vanilla ice cream on the side. When it was ready, Jim poured coffee and splashed a little Irish Crčme into each cup.

  As I sat down to dig into my pie, the phone rang. Jim and I looked at each other expectantly.

  “Let it go,” Mom said. “Whoever it is can call back.”

  I jumped up. “I can’t. It might be—

  “Kate? It’s Evelyn. Thank you.”

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