“So you lit the fire and left Finella to die.” I restated. “But what about Brad?”
“He stumbled across our secret cache the day before, and Wilbert shut him in the cave. Fate dropped a gift in our laps. He was the perfect suspect for the fire and the murder.”
A slight movement caught my attention, and I slanted my eyes in Dina’s direction. She wiggled her fingers behind her back, enough for me to see that she had freed herself from the bonds. Had Noah left the knot loose on purpose?
A light touch feathered across my wrists and I stilled. Audie’s fingers were working on the knot, but Wilbert had tied mine good and tight. Could Dina tell Audie had freed his hands? Did he know about her? We needed to coordinate our movements, but how? And what could we do? Dustin still held the gun to Gilda’s temple, and she wouldn’t hesitate to kill. I had no doubt of that. And what about Noah—was there a chance he was on our side?
“You can’t kill eight people and dump their bodies.” Noah reasoned with Dustin. “Tie ’em up until after you leave.”
Noah again. Dustin had greeted him like an ally, and he hadn’t hesitated to tie Dina’s hands. But loosely, so she could work her hands free. For a brief moment, I wished the powers of ESP were real, and I could communicate with Audie without opening my mouth.
There is someone you can talk to with your thoughts only. Of course. God. Not that I expected God to send an angel to the cave and rescue us, but He could rescue us one way or the other. Lord, You say You’re always with us. Well, You can see the pickle we’re in. If You could send help our way. . . or show us a way out of this mess. . . I’d appreciate it.
Instead of an idea, I got a pang. A spasm rippled across my abdomen and shot pain up my back. I waited for Junior to react, but he remained quiescent, not moving. Maybe he hadn’t felt the contraction safe in the cocoon of my womb. If the stress of this morning brought on fake contractions. . .A more serious thought struck. No, it couldn’t be. Junior isn’t due for another month.
But the spasm gave me an idea. I wasn’t, couldn’t be, in labor, but how was Dustin to know that? I struggled to remember those recordings we had seen of live childbirth. For once I wished I had Audie’s acting skills, because I needed to give the performance of a lifetime.
Audie rubbed my wrists to let me know he had finished untying them. I squeezed his fingers, hoping he would recognize the signal. Get ready. I clutched the ends of the rope in my hands so Dustin wouldn’t notice I had freed myself. By the time I had remembered all I could, a second spasm hit, and I didn’t have to pretend very hard.
“Ow!” I bent over where the spasm rippled across my abdomen, hoping they wouldn’t notice the loose rope. Pain riddled my face, some of it real. Audie stiffened.
Dustin glanced at me, and the gun dipped a fraction of an inch—away from Gilda’s neck and more toward her shoulder.
“Ooowww!” I repeated, although the contraction had passed. My cry filled the chamber, magnifying my distress.
“Shut up!” Dustin commanded.
Be ready to move, I urged Audie. “The baby. . .” I panted like we learned in our Lamaze class. “. . .is coming.” I moaned piteously.
“I said be quiet!” Dustin swung the hand holding the pistol away from Gilda—toward me.
Do it. I mouthed the words at Dina and pushed on Audie’s hands.
The cave exploded like a football field after the snap count. Bodies surged forward, smacked together. Both flashlights went out. A shot rang out. Someone cried—not me. Audie let me go and I sank to the floor, cuddling my baby as if I could protect him with my arms alone.
“I’ve got her!” Audie called triumphantly. “Take this.” He shoved something in my direction, and I reached around for it in the dark. The gun.
“Oh, no you don’t.” That was Cord. I heard the sounds of a scuffle, and then another person joined in. He must be tackling Wilbert, a challenge, considering the blacksmith’s strong arm muscles. Bone connected with bone, and a salty, smeary smell permeated the room, as if someone’s nose was bleeding.
“Tie him up.” This came from Frances.
I couldn’t see anything. We weren’t quite in the depths of the earth, but no sunlight had penetrated this cave for some time. Hadn’t I seen a candle and matches somewhere? Before I could look for them, another contraction hit. This time the noises around me muffled my cry.
Light. Someone else had lit the candle. No, it came from the entrance to the cave, outlining shadowy forms. “What do we have here?” The light touched on my face. “You again.”
I never thought I would be so happy to hear Chief Reiner’s voice.
Someone found Frances’s flashlight and turned it on. I blinked and my eyes adjusted enough to make out our rescuers. Three armed men crowded the entrance, and more huddled behind. I recognized the Chief and a patrol officer. Next to Reiner stood a tall man with an angular face, his Cherokee blood stamped on his features. He carried himself with the unmistakable air of an officer of the law.
“Brodie. I told you to wait.”
Noah took the handcuffs the stranger offered and cuffed Wilbert and Dustin together. “The hostages were in danger, Brown..”
The man scoffed. “So you decided to become one of them? Sounds like something foolhardy you would do.”
Noah lifted an eyebrow at that. “We managed to overpower them..”
“In the dark? Anything could have happened.”
Noah shook his head. “I couldn’t take the chance of someone being hurt.” He took off his sunglasses to reveal crystal clear eyes, with no trace of redness or drug use. He slung his arm around the officer. “Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to my college roommate, Tom Brown of the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation.”
Noah was working with the OBI?
“When Chief Reiner contacted us about the increase in drugs in Grace Gulch, I asked Noah to nose around. He’s been a great help to us.” Brown slapped Noah on the back.
Dina stepped forward and threw her arms around Noah. “I knew you couldn’t be one of them.” He returned her embrace, kissing her with pent up passion that made his feelings for her clear.
“Can we leave?” This came from Jenna.
“As long as you wait once you get outside. We’ll need statements from all of you.”
“Cici first.” Audie helped me to my feet and to the tunnel.
I reached the end of the tunnel when pain struck again. I panted until the spasm passed. “Sorry officers, I can’t give you my statement just now. Junior has decided to come early.”
29
People have continued to find a home in Grace Gulch over the years, until today the population exceeds 3,000. In addition to farmers and oil workers, professionals such as doctors, college professors and lawyers began settling in the town during the 1960s. Today those professions are represented by family physician Dr. Jack Johnson, county coroner Dr. 3More recently, The Grace Gulch Center for the Arts has brought in national talents, such Audwin Howe and Brad Merriman.
An average of thirty children a year are born in Grace Gulch. The future looks promising to those who wish to make their homes in this historic community.
From A History of Grace Gulch
Tuesday, September 26
The OBI agent excused us, not that Audie gave him any choice. He insisted on holding my arm every step of the way. His “help” made going harder, at least when I crossed the stream.
“Are you sure? You weren’t acting?” Audie repeated for what felt like the tenth time.
“Of course she’s sure.” Gilda made a t’sking sound. With my slow progress, she could keep up. My earlier objections to her presence in the delivery room had faded away.
When the next contraction hit, I clung to my husband’s arm. He checked his watch for the time between contractions. “They’re coming too fast.” His normally controlled voice cracked.
“Stop manhandling her,” Gilda told my husband. “We’re almost there, and she can get there on her own
.”
Amen. Preach it. We reached the lightning tree and the sanctuary of the Jeep. Audie called Dr. Johnson from the car. “He says he’ll meet us at the hospital.”
I shook my head. I was pre-registered at the Stroud Regional Medical Center, forty-five minutes away from the center of Grace Gulch, but I wasn’t sure I could get there in time.
“Doc, her contractions are three minutes apart. Is there any place closer?” Audie’s voice rose to high tenor, as if he were envisioning helping me give birth at the roadside.
“I know it’s her first child. . .you wouldn’t believe the day we’ve had. . .Okay.” He turned to me. “He said to bring you to the clinic. He’ll check you out there.”
Audie broke every speed limit into town, but with all the police force out at the cave, no one stopped us. The doctor got out of his car as we pulled in. A contraction came, and he looked a question. “Two and a half minutes.” Gilda answered quietly.
Dr. Johnson took a closer look at me and frowned. I suppose I did look horrid, covered as I was with branches and brambles and mud.
“We can explain.”
He shooed me inside where his nurse had arrived moments before, expecting a normal start to the day. Instead she helped me prepare for an examination. I insisted on cleaning up a little—I didn’t want to give birth covered in mud.
Gilda helped me change and held a cool cloth to my forehead. “It will be all right.” She smiled. “You have the doctor and the nurse and your husband and me. Most importantly, you have God!” Instead of irking me, her words reassured me—somehow I would never have believed possible only days before.
Never had the hospital johnny gown looked so welcoming when I slipped it on.. By now the contractions were coming every two minutes.
The doctor did his exam. His hands stilled “Six centimeters.” He raised his face high enough for me to see warm brown eyes. “Relax, Mrs. Howe. You’re having a baby.”
I wanted to make some snappy rejoinder about delivery dates and hospitals but I couldn’t. Pain took over my body, squeezing Junior into the world.
I lost track of time for the next little bit, wandering in a maze of contractions and shots and breathing. Audie held my hand. He had cleaned up a bit as well. I thought about our carefully prepared baby bag at home. No time for that now.
Gilda—the one person I thought I did not want at the birth—held my other hand and fed me ice chips.
“The baby’s crowning. . .”
Pain ripped through me and I pushed, hard. The pain ceased as suddenly as it had started. I heard a wavery cry, like all those you hear on TV shows when a baby enters the world.
“Congratulations! You have a son.” The doctor placed a blood-covered bundle in my arms. One tiny, miraculous hand curved across his forehead. Ten fingers. Ten toes.
Tears came into my eyes. “I told you he was a boy.”
The smile on Audie’s face let me know a boy suited him fine.
~
A week later, we took Ryan Michael (Michael was Audie’s middle name) to Gaynor Goodies for his first public appearance. My beautiful baby boy had dark blue eyes that Jenna predicted would turn hazel; and soft white hair that I hoped would remain blonde like his Daddy’s.
I had gone entirely too many days without my daily ration from Gaynor Goodies, although Gilda’s homemade pastries with family recipes ran a close second. For our first outing, Jessie had reserved a section for us. After all, half of Grace Gulch might stop by.
Jessie—dressed in baby blue stripes in honor of Ryan’s visit—cooed over our bundle of joy.
“How is Ham?” I asked after she had passed my son to the person behind us in line—my lawyer, Georgia Hafferty.
Jessie shrugged. She seemed at peace with what had happened. “Cursing everyone who comes close. I’ve turned him over to God. Should have done that a long time ago. Maybe he’ll finally hit bottom and go to the only place he can get the help he needs. I tried for years and failed. So did Finella, and a sweeter woman didn’t walk this earth.” A faraway look came into her eyes. “It was a terrible thing he did.”
“At least now his lawyer can bring up reasonable doubt.” After Dustin’s confession to the arson in front of eight witnesses, Frances didn’t have much trouble getting her to repeat it at the police station, in the presence of an attorney. The husband and wife tag team wasted no time ratting each other out, so neither would escape unscathed.
Jessie took our orders for a croissant-and-fruit breakfast with lattes for all, and Audie led me gently by the elbow. Jenna, Dina, Dad, and Gilda had put two tables together in the far corner. Brad and Noah would join us shortly for the public introduction of Grace Gulch’s newest citizen.
Jessie brought our food a few minutes later. In addition to the croissants, she added a plateful of frosted sugar cookies. “Since you won’t be buying any for the store today.” She winked at me. She had decorated them in pink and blue icing, with candy baby booties.
So many people stopped by to see Ryan—not to mention aunts and grandparents fighting over who would hold him next—that I might never have had him back in my arms except he decided he was hungry. Gilda helped me find some privacy in a back room.
She had been our mainstay for the last few days. I didn’t have to lift a finger. It was a pleasure to have three meals a day, all the laundry that Ryan seemed to multiply washed, and Audie’s nightly foot massage, without asking for anything. Something had happened between us in the birthing room, something I couldn’t quite identify.
“Do you mind if I join you?”
I shook my head, and she took a seat next to me.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you all week, but there never seemed to be a good time. I know I’ve offended you.”
I remembered all my bad thoughts about Gilda and felt guilty. “It wasn’t you, it was me. I was too self-conscious. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I’m glad, truly glad, that you’re here. ”
Gilda smiled as if the sun had come out. “Good. I’m afraid I’ve never told you how much I admire you. You own your own business—you’ve solved several crimes—you stand by Audie in all his dreams. If I ever seemed like I was interfering, the truth is—” She coughed, a slight flush coloring her cheeks. “—I wanted to be like you.”
Gilda wanted to be like me? Did I hear her right?
“I am so proud and happy that my son found such a godly woman to be his helpmate. I only pray that Ryan find someone like you some day.”
At that, I started crying, which in turn upset Ryan. We laughed, we cried, and before long, we rejoined the others in the dining room.
By now Noah and Brad had joined the others at the table. Noah no longer wore sunglasses; he no longer needed camouflage to imply he used drugs. More customers came over to see Ryan.
The door opened, but I didn’t see who entered with the crush of people about me. A familiar voice repeated in clear tones: “The clue is: ‘Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.’ I’ll have some vegetable soup, please.”
I twisted in my seat in time to see Jessie smile in response to Enid Waldberg’s request. “And we have a winner!”
Dina jumped up from her chair and grabbed her ever-present camera. She captured the moment on film. Everyone in the bakery clapped.
Jenna hugged our pastor’s wife. “I’m so happy you figured it out. Come by my office on Monday for your lifetime membership papers.”
“I’m sure the mayor will want to be there.” Audie chuckled. “He never misses a photo op. Why don’t you join our celebration?”
“I’d be delighted.” Enid pulled up a chair.
After Ryan’s birth, the doctor insisted on sending us to the hospital for a thorough checkup. He confirmed that Ryan was full-term; we had miscalculated the due date. Enid came by with the pastor during our short time there.
The hospital felt like Wilde family Central for a day since the doctors insisted on keeping Brad and Dina overnight.
They replaced some of the fluids lost due to dehydration, and made sure all the sleeping drugs had left their systems. The four of us left the same day.
Enid sat next to Gilda. Of course she wanted to hold the baby.
For years I had felt like half an orphan, without a mother. Looking at the two woman, I realized God had filled that gap. Enid had been my mentor and good friend ever since the Waldbergs came to Word of Faith Fellowship. Over the last few weeks, my mother-in-law had become the mother-of-my-heart. I smiled.
“What are you grinning at?” Dina snapped a picture of the table. I could imagine the caption. Wilde family joins Enid Waldberg in celebrating her win. Or maybe Treasure hunt winner Enid Waldlberg joins the celebration of Grace Gulch’s newest citizen, Ryan Michael Howe.
“Enid, I’m glad you solved the clues to the treasure hunt. But everyone here knows the real treasure. We found it in the cave,” I said.
“Larry Grace’s Bible. The wisdom he found there.” Jenna nodded.
“‘By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.’” Audie looked at Dad for the reference.
“Proverbs 24:3-4.” He came through, as usual.
“In the King James it reads ‘Precious and pleasant riches’,” Audie said. “The verse that started us on the right track.”
“Jelly tarts and pie crusts.” Dina grinned at her original interpretation of the handwriting.
“None of us expected things to turn out the way they did. For one thing, Ryan was supposed to be an October baby. But I’m glad you made an early appearance, yes I am.” I cooed at my darling boy.
“But God led us every step of the way. God, and Brad, thanks to that marvelous mural he’s creating.” Jenna looked as goofy as only a woman in love could.
I hadn’t finished. “Then there’s my other treasure. My family.” My gaze wandered the table, fixing each one as I said their names.
“Dad. Our solid rock. You might be a Wilde, but you have always been the unshakeable foundation of our family.”
“Jenna.” Hurricane Jenna? Not lately. “I’m so glad you came back to Grace Gulch.”
Darlene Franklin - Dressed for Death 03 - Paint Me a Murder Page 19
