by Deborah Camp
“Can you make sure he understands my feelings? My side of this?”
Trudy nodded, holding her gaze. “I can and I will. I promise you that, Sabra.”
Sabra stared hard at her as if looking for a weakness, a sliver of doubt. Finally, she let her breath out in a low hiss.
“I didn’t set out to kill my mother,” she said, her voice just above a whisper, and her tone oddly flat and unemotional. “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. She’d told me that stuff about Tyler and Jennifer and I told her to keep her mouth shut about my life! I wanted to live it without her interference. She said what she always said to me, ‘I have a gift, Sabra, and I must be true to it.’” Her shoulders moved ever so slightly under the oversized orange jumpsuit. “So I shoved her.” A single tear tracked down her cheek. “I turned and walked away. It was so weird! No one saw me do it. They just saw her fall. It was dark out, though, so it was hard to see. I didn’t think she’d die. I figured she’d break her leg or something like that. Maybe have a concussion.” Another tear glistened on her lashes. Absently, she rubbed the scars on her shackled wrist. “But she died. Right there on the sidewalk. I’d just read something in school about karma and it fit the whole situation perfectly. All the years of my mother telling me things that I didn’t want to hear, didn’t want to know. All the times she had embarrassed me by stopping strangers – waiters, bus drivers, clerks, teachers – and yammering about their lives and what she said had ‘come to her’ about them. God, I hated that!” She flung back her head to stare at the ceiling. “Mother refused to believe that most of those poor saps thought she was a banana short of a bunch.” She paused to gather in a breath before visibly relaxing. Snuffling, she ran her free wrist across her nose. “It all had finally come back at her and me like a divine boomerang and karma sent her down those stairs to her end.” When her gaze lowered to find Trudy’s, tears stood in her eyes, but satisfaction brimmed in her voice. “Karma. She’s such a beautiful bitch.”
Since it was nearly seven o’clock when Levi, Trudy, and Quintara finished dinner at a Little Rock restaurant, they checked into the Capital Hotel, the grande dame of hotels in the area. He booked a suite for him and Trudy and a spacious room across the hall for Quintara.
In their suite, they all three fell onto the sofa and into arm chairs as if they’d returned from an arduous trek, which in a way, they had. Albeit, an emotional one. Over dinner, Trudy had told them about how Sabra looked and acted and the deal she’d struck with her. They’d also related to Quintara their subsequent briefing with the officers. Now, in the quiet of the stately hotel suite, Levi poured them glasses of wine from the mini bar, passed them around, and resumed his seat beside Trudy on the comfortable cream and coffee-striped divan.
He reached for her hand, his fingers closing around hers in a perfect fit. “You’re wrung out.”
“In a way, but I also feel kind of wired.” She took a sip of the wine and made a face. “I wish I had a sophisticated palate, but I don’t. This tastes like cherry flavored turpentine.”
Chuckling, he took the glass from her hand. “There are Cokes and Sprites in the bar refrigerator. What’s your pleasure?”
“Given there is no Dr Pepper, Coke must suffice.”
“Here, here.” Quintara took one more drink of the wine before handing it off to Levi. “Thank you, dear heart.”
He went to the mini bar, filled two squat glasses with ice, grabbed a Coke out of the refrigerator, and set them up with their drinks of choice.
“What else did she say about Kathryn besides admitting to shoving her over into the trash receptacle?” he asked.
“She never got along with her. Kathryn saw right through her, it seems, and began warning Eudora to be careful around Sabra. That Sabra had some bad wiring.” She took a drink of the beverage, then another because it tasted so much better to her than wine. A lush, she’d never be. “A week before she killed Kathryn, Sabra had seen her trundling out to put her trash in the bin. Watching her struggle to lift the plastic bag into it, she envisioned how she’d kill her. I saw the excitement in her face that I’d felt in that dream I’d had. Or, at least, what I’d thought was a dream. She took great pleasure in devising her plan and then executing it. She said she stood in the cold for a good hour, watching Kathryn kick and yell and try to topple the bin so that she could get out of it. She didn’t leave until Kathryn was still and quiet.”
Quintara shuddered, her body quaking from head to toe. “What an evil person! It’s so difficult for me to equate someone who would do such a thing with the Sabra I know. Of course, I was aware of her contentious relationship with Eudora, but it didn’t alarm me. Many mothers and daughters have difficulties that can sometimes blow up into unpleasant verbal brawls, hurt feelings, and bitter resentment. But murder?” She winced. “Beyond the pale!”
“Sabra had been in town visiting her dad. She and Alan had run into Kathryn. Sabra said that Kathryn had treated her like she was a leper since Eudora had died.”
“Kathryn probably sensed that Sabra had killed Eudora,” Levi said. “Kathryn couldn’t prove it, but she knew it, and it rankled. She and Eudora were friends. It would have gnawed at her that Sabra had gotten away with killing her.”
“Oh, yes,” Quintara agreed. “Eudora and Kathryn were fast friends. Eudora would have confided in Kathryn about her problems with Sabra. That wouldn’t have set well with Sabra, I’m sure.”
“Sabra said that Kathryn glared at her as if she’d grown horns and a tail,” Trudy said, picking up the narrative. “She’d spouted off something about how Sabra wasn’t cut out to be a teacher and shouldn’t be trusted around children. Alan blew it off, but Sabra was livid. That’s when she decided that Kathryn had to go.”
“And what did Glenn do to her, pray tell?” Quintara asked. “I can’t imagine Glenn hurting her delicate feelings. He went out of his way to be kind.”
“Her aura concerned him,” Trudy said.
“I knew it,” Levi murmured. He whirled the remains of his wine in the glass, staring at it as if it were a crystal ball. “Glenn knew she was twisted by her aura.”
“But he wouldn’t have said anything to Sabra about it,” Quintara insisted.
“No, he didn’t,” Trudy agreed. “But he said something to Alan and, unfortunately for Glenn, Sabra overheard him. Glenn didn’t know she was in the house when he told Alan that he was worried about Sabra because each time he saw her, her aura had become darker and more distorted. He suggested to Alan that Sabra see a professional because she was harboring unhappiness and discord.”
“Oh, dear,” Quintara whispered, her eyes widening.
“Yeah,” Trudy said with a grim nod. “So, later on, Alan asked Sabra if something was bothering her and if it would help if she saw a therapist. Sabra was ready with an answer and told him that she was in a slump with her job and was debating whether to begin working toward her master’s. Alan told her he’d give her some money if she wanted to enroll in post-graduate classes and that was that.”
“Except she’d decided that Glenn had to go next.” Levi drained his wine glass and set it on the coffee table. “Karma.”
“She read in the Eureka newspaper that Glenn was a speaker at an upcoming conference and she decided that would be her chance to cause a motoring accident.” Trudy closed her eyes as snippets of that nightmare clawed through her mind again. “She absolutely enjoyed killing them. It was a lark to her. Payback. Making them feel the pain for a change. That’s how she saw it and how she sees it all now.”
“She’s a victim,” Levi said.
“Yes! She thinks she’s a victim. If her mother had listened to her and stopped embarrassing her, stopped telling her things she didn’t want to know, then Sabra wouldn’t have developed a murdering streak.” She shifted so that she was facing Levi on the divan. “Would it have turned out that way?”
Levi glanced at her, realizing that she expected him to answer. He shrugged. “Anyone can be pushed to a breaking point. Sab
ra broke, and when she did, a whole other side of her spilled out. Once that evilness comes out, you can’t shove it back into the box. Especially when you enjoy it, as is the case with Sabra. She needed therapy, for sure. Probably since she was a preteen, but nobody recognized it.”
“She was a cutter. Self-mutilation.” Trudy sighed, not exactly feeling sorry for Sabra, but recognizing a teenager’s pain. “That’s a cry for help that went unanswered for Sabra.”
“Most parents would think she’d grow out of her resentfulness and rebellion,” Quintara said. “And most teens do. They show out and make you want to skin them alive, but then they attain some maturity and everyone agrees to live and let live. Alan and Eudora probably assumed that would happen with Sabra.” She finished off her cola. “But with Sabra, instead of growing out of her bad patch, the patch got bigger and bigger until it swallowed her up.”
Trudy picked at a loose thread on the sofa, recalling the tears slipping down Sabra’s cheeks and her burning desire to be understood. “I pity her a little.” She heard Quintara’s quick intake of breath and hurried to explain. “I know how that sounds. She murdered several people and took pleasure in it. But she’s so full of anger about being made to feel insignificant and ordinary. She was surrounded by people who claimed to possess supernatural powers and that did a number on her. No one saw her pain. No one reached out to help her or try to understand her.”
“What did she have to say about that night at Longfeather’s?” Levi asked. “What did she think she’d accomplish? Was she out to get all three of us or had she just targeted you?”
“None of the above.” Trudy rested her head against the cushion and stared sightlessly at the ceiling. Her mind transported her back to that strange night of bones, charms, smoke, and fire. “She was curious about what we were doing. She thought we might be having another séance. She peeked at us through the back windows and heard us laughing and talking, having a fine, old time.”
“Wait,” Levi said, stopping her. “Was she jealous?”
Trudy smiled and nodded. “Bingo! She said that it got under her skin that we were enjoying ourselves while she was still an outsider looking in. She decided to ruin our little party.”
“Did she believe that we could feel her presence and that you entered into her mind?”
“No. Well, in a way, I think she does, but she won’t admit it. She is a woman of science, Levi, so believing in spiritual things is beyond her capabilities. She did say that it was the first time she was afraid she might be caught. She blamed it on her lack of careful planning.”
“Did she and Chason have a torrid affair?” Quintara’s eyes lit with interest. “Did she try to run him over with her car?”
“Ah, well, yes and no. They did have a fling. He spent a few days with her in St. Louis when he was there performing at a night spot. But she didn’t try to run him down. When he related that incident that she believes never happened, it pissed her off, and that’s why she decided to give him a taste of the real thing when he invited her to spend the weekend with him in Vegas. But then he hired security and it ruined her fun.”
“Good God, you covered all the bases, didn’t you?” Levi said.
“Not all. We touched on things, but there is a lot more there,” Trudy assured him. “I promised her that we’d schedule more meetings with her soon.”
“You got the confessions,” Quintara said. “That’s the main thing. The police were duly impressed, I hope.”
“They were appreciative,” Trudy said, hedging her words. “You know how it is, Quintara. They’re not going to give us too much credit and take away from their own achievements.”
“Well, I’m glad we’re able to put an end to this particular chase.” Levi stretched his long arms above his head and stifled a yawn. “It’s been hell keeping you women safe.”
That brought a howling laugh from both Trudy and Quintara. “Oh, you poor, chivalrous soul,” Trudy cooed at him. “Having to watch over us ninny-brained, helpless females!”
“All right, all right.” He held up his hands in surrender. “You know what I meant. I was worried about you and I was about as useful on this case as a condom with a hole in it.”
Trudy eyed him. “Thank you for that analogy.”
“What?” he asked, chuckling even as he tried to act innocent.
Quintara pushed up from the chair. “I’m going to my room and throwing myself on my bed. In other words, my dears, I’m all played out.”
Trudy stood and hugged her. “When you talk to Rhema and Alan again please let them know that Levi and I are so sorry about how this turned out. I don’t want them to think that we’re opportunists, taking advantage of Sabra’s predicament.”
“They don’t think that,” Quintara said, her tone gently scolding. “They’ve been in contact with the police and they know that Sabra requested a meeting with you. If anything, Alan is relieved because he knows you to be a friend now.” She rested her warm palm against Trudy’s cheek. “Don’t fret about that, dearest. It’s good that Sabra is cooperating.”
They walked with her to the door and said their good nights, then retired to their own bedroom.
“I’m too pooped to pop. Or shower,” Trudy said, falling back onto the bed. She kicked off her low heels and closed her eyes. “What a day.” She felt the mattress sink as Levi stretched out beside her. He fumbled with the buttons on her blouse. “What are you doing?”
“Undressing you.”
“Levi, I’m exhausted.”
“That’s why I’m undressing you. No hanky or panky.” He kissed her temple. “Let me take care of you. I’ll undress you and tuck you into bed so that you can drift off to dreamland.”
“Okay.” She released a contented sigh and gave herself over to him.
She awoke with a man between her legs. Luckily, it was her husband.
Levi rained soft kisses on the inside of her thighs, working himself up to her feminine folds where he licked and sucked until she squirmed.
“Come here, you,” she murmured, sleepily. Combing her fingers through his tousled hair, she directed him up her body until they were face to face. “Good morning. What time is it?”
“Almost ten. Checkout is noon.”
“Will you call the hospital and ask about Billy? Maybe they’ll let us in to see him now that Sabra is behind bars?”
“Drive to Fayetteville before we fly home?” He didn’t sound as if he liked that idea.
Trudy ran her thumbs over his frown. “You just hate being in Arkansas, don’t you?”
“Not the whole state . . .” He paused, glanced up in thought, and then said, “Well, yeah, most of the state. The Ozarks, in particular.”
“I think this has been good for you. Being here. Confronting your conflicting feelings concerning your mother. It’s unsettling, I know, but you’ve come to understand more about her and your ways of coping with her abandonment.”
He traced the freckles on her nose with his index finger. “I suppose. But I’ll be very happy to be home.”
“We’ll have several more meetings with Sabra. That means we’ll be back here.”
“Yes, but we’ll fly in and fly out. Same day.”
“Okay.” She ran her hands down his sides. He was all warm skin and rippling muscle. “I have something to tell you.”
“Oh?” He kissed the tip of her nose and shifted so that his body covered hers more completely and to make her more aware of his readiness for her. “I have something for you, too.”
She laughed at his one-track mind. “You always do, Mr. Wolfe.” When he dipped his head to suck gently on the side of her neck, she hooked her hands over his shoulders and eased him away, making him look at her again. “Levi, I took the final pill in my birth control prescription last week.”
All sleepiness and playfulness bled from his expression. His throat flexed with a hard swallow.
“And I’m not going to renew the prescription.” She observed the serious set of his mouth and j
aw and the wariness entering his eyes.
“I see. And do I have anything to say about this?”
“I don’t know. Do you have anything to say about this?”
He swallowed again. “Ummm. Are you sure this is the right time?”
“Is there a right time?” She rubbed his back, feeling the tension building in him, and hoping to dispel it. “I just know that I want us to have a child and there isn’t any reason to put it off. We talked about this. We agreed on it.”
“Yes, we did.” He gathered in a deep breath. “It’s a big step. It will change our lives completely.”
“I’m ready and I’ll get you ready.” She pinched his side, making him smile. “If I don’t get pregnant, then we’ll look into adoption. That’s our plan.”
One corner of his mouth lifted to form the lop-sided smile she so loved. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
“Oh? You think your swimmers are up to the task, do you?”
“Absofuckinglutely. And I think you’re a Fertile Myrtle.” He tickled her ribs, laughing when she shrieked in protest.
“F-fertile who?” She wriggled beneath him, then melted under his heated kiss and stroking hands. When his mouth finally lifted from hers, she was simmering and could feel the persistent nudge of his member between her thighs. “We know we’re good at making whoopee,” she whispered, drowning in the dark blue pools of his eyes. “Guess we’ll see if we’re just as good at making babies.” She sensed his doubt and saw it in the flex of muscles in his jawline, but she also believed in him and knew with certainty that he’d put his whole heart and soul into a child of theirs.
“I have to tell you, Tru, it’s a little scary for me.”
Her throat tightened and sentimental tears stung her eyes. “I know. For me, too.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “It’s uncharted territory for us.”
