“Surprised to see me?” Rainey asked.
He glared back at her, nostrils flaring, dark bruises under each eye from the beating he had taken. His right eye was swollen shut, but it was still twitching.
“You’re little plan to kill me didn’t work, as you can see. By the way, we found a phone at Chelsea’s house, yesterday. She kept every text message you ever sent. We have you on conspiracy to commit murder that resulted in several deaths. If you don’t get the needle for killing that little girl, and I can’t imagine a jury not sentencing you to death for that piece of work, you’ll definitely get what’s coming to you on this one. You’ll be on death row, pretty soon. Since your co-conspirators are dead, you’re the only person left to exact revenge upon.”
“They won’t give me the death penalty for killing two dykes,” Dalton snarled.
Rainey laughed. “You just keep telling yourself that.”
Dalton flushed with anger and shouted, “There will be more. You’ll never be able to rest. They’ll find you and that whore you live with. I’ll haunt you till the day you die, Rainey Bell. You’ll never forget about me.”
Danny remained quiet and let Rainey do all the talking. Rainey figured he just came with her to make sure she didn’t do anything to disgrace the badge she was still carrying. She continued to smile at the creature in the bed. He was not a man, but an abomination in the truest sense of the word.
She leaned in a bit closer. “Dalton, I may not forget you, but I will not live in fear of you. You, on the contrary, will think about me every moment for the rest of your miserable life. I’m going to testify against you at your trials. The penalty phase will be the most fun. You wouldn’t believe the testimony they’ll let in during that part. When I’m done, there won’t be any doubt about the punishment you deserve. Trust me, you will draw your last breath soon enough.”
“I might be on death row, but I’ll live another ten or fifteen years on appeals. All that time you will be looking over your shoulder and even after I’m gone, they’ll keep coming.”
“No, they won’t,” Rainey answered, quickly. “They’ll know what happened to the last ones you sent and I assure you the same fate waits for the rest of them. Keep dreaming, Dalton. It’s all you have left to do. I, however, will be living my life, free of you.”
Rainey turned to go. Dalton strained against his chains. The guard holding the little black box flinched. Rainey raised her hand to stop him from pushing the button.
“Wait,” she said. “Let him speak.”
Dalton glanced at the guard and then turned back to Rainey. “God will exact his punishment on the wicked. Your lying with a woman is against God’s law. You’ll join me in hell fire after death. I’ll wait for you, Rainey, and we will be together forever.”
Rainey met Dalton’s glare with another smile. “If loving Katie is what I’m called to answer for at the end of my life, then I have no fear. You may have read the bible cover to cover, but you’re no Christian, Dalton. People like you give religion a bad name. You twist things around to make them say what you want them to say. I don’t believe you’re a truly religious man, but I do believe you understand the concept of retribution. You chose the path you’re on and now you shall reap the seeds you sowed. Burn in hell, Dalton Chambers.” She leaned in and whispered, “You’re going to get there, sooner than you think.”
#
Rainey walked with Danny out of the prison. On the way, she bumped into Bobo, wearing his State red hoodie again, heading for the visitors’ lounge. She nodded at him as they passed.
Danny asked, “Who’s that?”
“An informant I’ve used from time to time. He helped me catch the guy whose nephew shot me.”
“Did I hear right, when you were on the phone with the DA this morning? Are you asking them to drop the charges against that kid?”
“Chauncey said he’d plead guilty to the enterprise charges and save them a trial, if the DA dropped the charges against his nephew. They asked me what I thought.”
Danny started shaking his head back and forth. Rainey cut him off before he could voice his displeasure.
“Look, he’s just fourteen. I said yes, under some conditions. I pay for military school after he attends disciplinary boot camp this summer. If he doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain, he goes back to court to face the charges.”
Danny asked. “What does Katie say about it?”
Rainey smiled. “She says we’re saving the world, one child at a time. She is, however, a little upset about the picture of me and the redhead they keep showing on the news.”
“Just keep showing her the clip where she belts Cookie. She’ll forget about the redhead.”
Rainey laughed. “I bet you won’t forget that redhead anytime soon.”
Danny flushed red and changed the subject. “Is Ernie okay? It’s not everyday that you shoot someone.”
“You’re assuming that’s the first person she ever shot.” Rainey grinned.
Danny was taken aback, before Rainey let him off the hook.
“I was just kidding. Yes, she’s going to be fine. She actually argued with me over who shot first. She isn’t happy about having to kill someone, but Ernie is damn sure I would never have survived if she hadn’t shown up.”
“So…” Danny hesitated and then rushed the question, “Are you going to stay in the bond business or are you coming back where you belong?”
Rainey reached in her coat pocket and pulled out her credentials. She handed them to Danny. “I belong here, with Katie. I’ll change the way I do business to make her feel more comfortable, but I have a life with her now and the BAU just doesn’t fit in that future.”
“But, Rainey…” Danny started to say and then smiled. “I guess you know what you want and I am happy for you. I hope I can find that kind of love one day.”
“You will, Danny.”
“So, you’re really going to do this family thing. I just never pictured you changing diapers.”
Rainey grinned. “I never imagined my life would be like this, but you know, I’m really looking forward to it. Besides, I heard godfathers change diapers, too.”
Part III
Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.
~ Samuel Johnson
Chapter twenty
Monday, August 22, four months later.
“Come on, Rainey, it’s six o’clock already. I don’t want to be late,” Katie called from the other room.
Rainey sat on the couch in the den of their new gated community home, on the north side of Jordan Lake. She stared at the sonogram image in her hands. She worked all day at the new office on Franklin Street, in Chapel Hill. Ernie had her moving boxes and cleaning for hours. Katie met her at the door with the sonogram, all smiles and giddy. Rainey’s body was tired, but her mind was numb. She looked at the fuzzy image in her hands and tried to take it all in. All those years of trying to have a baby with her former husband had failed time after time, but with healthy sperm and hormones Katie got pregnant almost instantly. They were having a baby. Rainey knew that before today, but this news was still a bit shocking.
Rainey was supposed to be leaving in a few minutes to go to the old lake property. When the land sold right away, Rainey asked no questions. She took the money and put it down on the new house. It wasn’t until a month later that she realized Katie’s foundation had purchased the property. Katie hired Derrick and his mother to oversee the camp she put in place and helped Derrick, who turned out to be quite bright, get his GED. He and his mother moved into the cottage away from Derrick’s bad influences. He would start Junior College in the fall, studying to be a social worker.
The camp offered literacy courses at night and on the weekends. Katie also provided a safe haven for women, who had been victims of violent crimes, and their children to come enjoy the lake several weeks out of each month. Counseling was available, but it was mostly a place for them to relax and feel sa
fe. Rainey was tasked with providing security, which she did by hiring armed off-duty cops, who happened to all be women.
Tonight, they were supposed to attend a big party, where Katie was to dig up the first spade of dirt on the foundation of the new battered women’s safe house she was building beside the cottage. It would have the latest security measures, as prescribed by Rainey. The state finally agreed, with Katie’s father’s influence, to allow the road to be gated near the lake. A guard house would be built where the road disappeared into the woods. Katie now had something to keep her busy during Rainey’s work hours. She had a purpose, which kept her from concentrating on what Rainey was doing. Katie still worried, but seemed to have come to terms with her fears concerning Rainey’s chosen occupation. All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and their life together seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Rainey’s attention was torn from the sonogram by the mention of Dalton’s name from the blond newscaster on the television. Dalton’s trial for the murder of the young girl was scheduled to start next week. Rainey worked all summer with the prosecution team, preparing the case against him. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Dalton would get the death penalty. Still, Rainey had seen stronger cases than this one fall apart. A second trial for the deaths of the women in Durham was years down the road. Despite what she said the last time she saw him, as long as Dalton Chambers was alive, Rainey retained an acute awareness of the danger he represented.
Rainey focused on the woman with the perfect hair and makeup, trying to sound like a serious reporter, as she said, “In breaking news, there will be no need for the upcoming murder trial of convicted serial killer Dalton Chambers, who attended a pretrial hearing today in downtown Raleigh. While being transported back to Central Prison, Chambers was attacked and killed by another inmate, Chauncey Barber. Barber, who was taken to the courthouse today for arraignment on charges of murder, in connection with several gang style killings, is already serving thirty-five years to life on criminal enterprise charges. No word on what caused the attack.”
Rainey heard Katie beside her. She wasn’t sure how much Katie had heard until she saw the look in Katie’s eyes. For a moment, there was a question, unspoken, hanging in the air. Rainey wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Katie must have decided not to ask it. Her expression changed and she smiled sweetly.
As if she hadn’t heard a word, Katie said, “Honey, are you still in shock?”
Rainey didn’t know what to say.
Katie’s smile grew at Rainey’s helplessness. “I see you still have not regained your powers of speech.” She knelt down in front of Rainey and took the sonogram from her hands. “You know this is all your fault. You just kept insisting on children.”
Rainey looked into those sparkling crystal blue eyes and felt a wave of contentment wash over her. She could deal with anything life had to throw at her, as long as Katie was there, of that she was absolutely positive. She was about to tell Katie how much she loved her, when they were both drawn back to the blond on the TV screen.
“In other courthouse news, Cookie Kutter, a local news reporter was arrested last night for drunk driving, after police picked her up for leaving the scene of an accident in the parking lot of a well known lesbian bar in Raleigh.”
Katie started laughing and turned to Rainey. “Damn, you nailed that one. You said she was way too interested in your private life.”
Rainey chuckled at the picture of Cookie on the screen, being led away in handcuffs. “Yeah, I guess I did.” Standing, Rainey helped Katie up from the floor. She pulled her close and whispered in Katie’s ear, “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
Katie leaned back and smiled up at Rainey. “You just remember that when you’re changing three babies’ diapers at four in the morning.”
About the Author
This is best selling author R. E. “Decky” Bradshaw’s sixth book and the second in the Rainey Bell series. Her first Rainey book, RAINEY DAYS, won a Lesbian Fiction Reader’s Choice Award and was a Golden Crown Literary Finalist for Best Mystery in 2010.
Bradshaw, a native of North Carolina and a proud Tar Heel, now makes her home in Oklahoma with her wife of 24 years. Holding a Master of Performing Arts degree, Bradshaw worked in professional theatre and taught University and High School classes, until leaving both professions to write full time.
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