Murder and a Pinch of Rosemary

by Michelle Francik

  “What I mean, my dim bulb, is that the girl already shot your friend here. So, if I use her gun to shoot you, then her, it will look like a murder suicide and all be wrapped up in a nice, tidy bow for the cops. Nobody will ever know I was even here.” He laughed as he handed his gun to one of the goons. He pulled Mary’s gun out of his pocket and raised the pistol until it was pointed directly at Susan.

  “Oh really?” A female voice sounded from behind Bruno and his men. “You might want to rethink that plan.”

  As Maggie stepped out of the hallway, her rifle aimed at Bruno, the back door burst open and four police officers entered, their rifles pointed at his henchmen.

  “I suggest you drop those weapons and get on your knees,” Maggie said, her voice sweet as sugar.

  Bruno grunted at her. The three placed their weapons on the floor, dropped to their knees and raised their hands above their heads.

  Susan looked over at Mary. One of the police officers instructed her to stand up, slowly, and put her hands behind her back. The girl’s eyes were wild as she looked to Susan for help, but there was nothing she could do: the girl had made her own bed and would have to face the consequences.

  She smiled as the murderer who’d caused all the disruption in her life was led away in handcuffs, but she’d been running on adrenaline for too long. Now the ordeal was over, her knees buckled, and she went down.

  Reed faded in and out of consciousness. He was supposed to save Susan, but blood loss made him weak and shaky. Luckily, she’d done just fine on her own. He was so proud of her. He knew it was fear and anger that fueled her but whatever the source, her courage was impressive.

  For a few moments, when Bruno was holding the gun on Susan, Reed was afraid he’d never get to tell her how he really felt. When he heard Maggie’s voice, he nearly cheered; his partner was going to save them, and he could give in to the darkness threatening to envelope him.

  He looked up at Susan. She was facing the door, smiling grimly. He reached out to take her hand but suddenly, she lost all color and fell. He grabbed her arm as she collapsed, pulling her onto his lap. The movement depleted what little strength he had left, and as he blacked out, he was happy, knowing he held her in his arms.

  14

  Reed heard muffled voices. He tried to open his eyes, but they didn’t want to budge. His head was pounding, and his shoulder felt like it was on fire. It was too much, and he felt himself slipping away. Just before he lost consciousness, he heard Susan and Maggie arguing.

  “I’m not leaving until Reed’s awake and out of danger.”

  “I understand. I don’t want to leave him, either, but we need to get you to a safe house.”

  “No! I’m not leaving and that’s final.”

  He let go and slid into slumber knowing he could relax: his love was safe, and she was watching over him.

  Reed slowly regained consciousness. Loud beeping noises and the smell of antiseptic assaulted his senses. He opened his eyes, squinting at the bright light of a hospital room where a white board on the wall said, “Recovery Room Three.” Memories started to surface. Mary had shot him in the shoulder, he’d lost a lot of blood, Maggie had arrived in time, Susan had wound up in his arms.

  A soft snore interrupted his musings. Susan was there, sound asleep in a chair next to his bed. He smiled as he watched her sleep, marveling at how vulnerable she looked now, after being brave and strong all day.

  Susan snorted, shifted in her seat and woke herself up. She sat up and looked around, still groggy from sleep. Her eyes met his and held. Reed’s heart lifted at the love he saw shining in her eyes.

  Susan stood up and took his hand in hers. “Hello there Mr. U.S. Marshal, you had me worried.”

  Reed chuckled, then said in his best marshal voice, “Sorry ‘bout that, ma’am.” He sighed and shook his head, wincing at the pain. “To be honest, I don’t feel very ‘marshal-y’ right now. I’ve got a definite hitch in my giddy-up.” Susan giggled.

  “And sleeping beauty awakens.” They looked up to see Maggie standing in the doorway, a big grin on her face. She walked over to Reed and reached for his shoulder. Even though she didn’t touch him, Reed flinched, and Maggie laughed. “Gotcha! Sorry partner, I couldn’t resist.” She took a step back and looked him up and down. “I’ve never seen you in a hospital bed and I have to admit, it’s not a good look.”

  “Wait a minute, what does that mean?” Reed frowned, wondering if she was insulting him.

  “It means, you big goofball, that I want you back on your feet and out of here, pronto. Your niece needs an uncle who can babysit so her parents can have a much-needed date night,” Maggie told him.

  It took him a moment, but then it hit him. His eyes opened wide and he grinned. “You’re pregnant? That’s amazing!” He lifted his arms to hug her, but a burst of blinding pain stopped him. He groaned. “Sorry Maggie, I’ll hug you once I’ve healed.”

  Smiling, Maggie replied, “No worries, partner, we’ll celebrate when you’re better. Right now, you need to rest.”

  She looked over at Susan who had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. “Maggie, congratulations! That’s so exciting! You already know it’s a girl?”

  Nodding, she patted her belly. “I guess I’m further along than I thought.”

  The two women embraced. “I’m so happy for you! Can I throw you a baby shower?”

  Maggie’s glowing, happy expression disappeared as she stepped back into her U.S. Marshal role. “Your WITSEC identity was blown, Susan. We haven’t decided what to do about it, but you’ll probably be relocated. For the time being, we’re putting you in a safe house. You can’t go back to your home.”

  Susan’s face paled, and she nodded. “I know that. I guess I just got caught up in the moment.” Her voice trailed off and Reed felt his heart constrict. The fear of losing Susan hurt more than the pain in his shoulder. He swallowed hard and tried to blink away the sudden moisture that filled his eyes.

  “What’s happening with the case?” His deep voice with its pronounced drawl sounded strained and both women turned to look at him, concern on their faces.

  “Are you sure you’re up for this discussion?” Maggie looked at him quizzically.

  Reed swallowed and nodded, afraid to trust his voice. Maggie looked over at Susan, who bobbed her head.

  “Okay then,” Maggie blew out her breath. "We arrested Bruno for witness tampering here in Texas, so he’s going away for a long time, regardless of what happens at the trial in New York.”

  Reed grinned at his partner. “Perfect!” He glanced over at Susan, who looked puzzled, and explained. “In Texas, witness tampering is a third-degree felony. It gets the same sentence as the original charges, whether or not that case results in a guilty verdict. As U. S. Marshals we can charge them for federal crimes or turn them over to state authorities.”

  “That sounds like bad news for Bruno!” Susan grinned, but her face grew serious when she turned to Maggie. “What about Mary? I still don’t understand why she left the rosemary. Or was it from Bruno?”

  Maggie looked at her thoughtfully. “When you started working at Sweet Grove Middle School, you were given a list of your students, right?”

  Susan looked confused but nodded. “I was, yes.”

  “And the first day of school you took roll from that list.”

  “Yes, I did.” She paused, remembering. “When I was in school, I had teachers who’d call me Sue or Suzy and I hated it. I always corrected them and said I wanted to be called by my name, Susan. On the first day of class, I asked each student what they wanted to be called and updated the list so I’d remember."

  “Well, you might not recall this, but ‘Mary’ is not Mary’s actual name.” Maggie grinned and paused.

  Reed couldn’t stand it anymore. “Out with it, Maggie!”

  “Patience is a virtue, Reed,” she said sweetly, earning a glare from him. “Okay, okay, drum roll here. Her first name is actually—wait for it—Rosemary.”
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  Reed heard Susan’s gasp of surprise and turned to look at her. He could see her wheels turning as she tried to remember. “Oh, my goodness, that’s right. I’d totally forgotten. Her full name is Rosemary Garza.”

  “Mary felt lost after her mom died. She latched onto you and you became a substitute for her mom. A better, nicer version. According to Mary, she left the bundles of rosemary because it’s associated with remembrance and friendship. She wanted you to think of her first thing every morning. The rosemary wasn’t there to scare you. At least, not till Reed came along.”

  Susan frowned, but Reed was getting the picture. “So, she shot her mom for not protecting her from her dad, then she told the police her dad killed her mom. She lost both parents in one fell swoop. Not only that, but she was the one who was responsible. Her mental health must have been very fragile at that point.” He paused and took a breath. “So, when she met Miss Sinclair, who was kind to her and gave her things she’d been missing in her life, like attention and encouragement, her fractured mind created a relationship that went beyond teacher/student. She left the bundles of rosemary to remind Susan of their bond?”

  Maggie sighed. “It’s hard for us to understand what she was thinking, but that’s the gist of what she told the psychiatrist, yes. And then you appeared, Reed. She saw you as a threat to the relationship she was building with Miss Sinclair and figured she’d have to get you out of the picture. She wanted to scare you away, but when that didn’t work, she planned to shoot you like she shot her mother.”

  They sat silently for a moment, thinking about what could have happened. Reed thanked the Lord that Bruno had appeared when he did. He was certain Mary would have completed her mission to get rid of him. He’d seen her social media and the obsession she had with Susan. Reasoning wouldn’t have changed anything. He hated to admit it, but Jenny was right: Mary was too far gone.

  Maggie’s phone dinged with a text and she looked at the message. “I’ve got to take this. Some of us have to work for a living, you know.”

  Once Maggie left, Susan looked at Reed. She had to tell him how she felt before they moved her, and she lost him forever. Her throat closed up and tears filled her eyes as the grief hit her.

  He got shot because of you and he’s in pain. Don’t you dare get all blubbery right now. You know how ugly you look when you cry! Susan rolled her eyes at her internal pep talk, but it worked. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, ready to tell him she loved him.

  Reed was watching her, and her heart raced at the look in his eyes. No matter what happened, she was glad she’d met Reed. It would hurt to lose him, but she’d never regret falling in love with him.

  She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. His eyes went wide, and his cheeks turned pink. “What’s that for?” he asked, his deep voice turning her insides to jelly.

  “Thank you for protecting me,” she whispered. “I’m sorry you got shot.”

  Reed shook his head. “You saved us all, Susan. You kept your head about you and even through your fear, you stood your ground. I just slumped over and bled a lot.” He gave her a big grin, and she had to laugh.

  “You did bleed a lot. I might never get the stains out of my chair.” She stopped talking as the realization hit her. It wasn’t her chair anymore. It wasn’t her house anymore. Her lower lip started to tremble. Time was running out. She had to tell him. “Reed, I need to tell you something.”

  A loud beeping filled the room startling them and making them both jump.

  “Looks like it’s time to replace your IV bag.” A cheerful, gray-haired nurse walked around Susan to check the monitors. “Let me turn off that annoying beeping and I’ll be right back with a new bag.” She pushed a button to stop the noise, turned and briskly walked out of the room.

  Susan looked at Reed who was grinning up at her. “I guess you’ll have to hold that thought a little longer.”

  Susan moved out of the way as the nurse returned to replace the IV fluids. “That seems to be the story of my life, lately.”

  Reed’s phone rang. “It’s time, Reed. I’ve sent Santiago and Jones to transport her to the safe house. They should be there any minute now.” Maggie’s voice sounded strained as she added, “keep it together, partner, I care about her, too.” The lump in his throat made it hard to speak, so he just nodded at the phone and disconnected the call.

  Susan looked frightened. “What’s wrong Reed? Are you okay?”

  “That was Maggie.” He tried his best to sound calm, but his voice came out shaky. He cleared his throat and tried again. “She’s sending two marshals to take you to the safe house until we decide our next move.”

  He watched the emotions play over her face—panic, anger, acceptance. His heart was in a vice and it took every ounce of willpower not to reach for her.

  Susan picked up her purse and held it against her chest as if it were a shield. “Okay, I understand.”

  Reed wanted to reassure her. He wanted to tell her he would never abandon her. But the decision was out of his hands and he never made promises he couldn’t keep. This was one of the hardest parts of the job. He understood now why they stressed, over and over in training, to remove emotion from the equation, or things could get messy.

  Reed was looking at Susan when Santiago entered the room and he saw the flash of panic on her face. She turned and looked at him, silently begging him to let her stay. Reed knew he couldn’t let her leave without reassuring her.

  “Hey guys, can you give us a minute?” Santiago and Jones looked at each other.

  “You’ve got two minutes, then we’re taking her to the safe house.” Santiago’s expression was solemn, and he looked Reed in the eye.

  Reed swallowed and nodded. “Two minutes.”

  Jones looked at Susan. “We’ll wait for you in the hallway, ma’am.”

  “Thank you.” Susan waited until they’d left the room before she turned to Reed. “I don’t understand why I can’t just stay here with you. They can post a marshal outside the door or something.”

  Reed shook his head. “It’s protocol, Susan. I promise, they’re good guys and you’ll be safe with them. Look, you’ve been through the wringer today and so have I. We both need food and rest. I’ll sleep easier knowing those two are watching over you.” Her defeated expression tore at his heart, so he added, “Don’t worry, this isn’t the last you’ll see of me.”

  Her eyes searched his, looking for the truth. After a long moment, she nodded. “I’d rather stay here with you, but if you promise I’ll get to see you before they move me, I’ll go with them and not make too much of a fuss.”

  “I promise,” he whispered. “Go get some rest. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  She smiled and stroked his face. “You need your rest more than I do.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “You got shot, you know.” He laughed, and she gave him an impish grin.

  Jones stuck his head into the room. Their two minutes were up. Susan walked out of the room with her head held high, but Reed’s heart was heavy.

  His mind was racing. He knew what he had to do, and he’d only have one shot at pitching it to his sergeant. He was so close to having everything he’d ever wanted. He couldn’t let her slip away.

  15

  Susan sat at the tiny table in the kitchen of the one-bedroom apartment they called a safe house. Across the room, one marshal was talking on the phone and the other was playing solitaire on the coffee table.

  She took a sip of coffee and made a face. She’d never really cared about coffee until she’d met Reed. In only a few days he’d spoiled her. Now she expected every cup to taste as wonderful as his.

  Her stomach growled. This morning Santiago brought her a breakfast sandwich from the fast food place down the block. The bun was stale, the egg was an unnatural fluorescent yellow and the cheese looked like plastic. It hadn’t made her mouth water like the muffins and the omelet Reed had cooked for her, so she’d left it laying in its sad paper wrapper.

&n
bsp; Susan examined the coffee mug in her hands. “Hang in There” was written in big red letters. She turned the mug around. On the other side was a picture of an orange kitten hanging from a rope. Normally that would make her smile, but today she couldn’t work up the energy.

  When they’d arrived at the safe house, she’d tried to get some sleep. She couldn’t get comfortable on the lumpy mattress and her mind insisted on playing the “if only” game. “If only” she’d remembered Mary’s name was Rosemary. “If only” she’d seen the girl was unstable. “If only” she’d noticed her taking pictures and stopped her from posting them. Even as she berated herself, she knew if she’d figured it out sooner, she might never have met Reed.

  It had been a rough week with her life being turned upside down again. She had every right to be depressed, but that’s not who she was. Sure, she’d been through a lot, but this was her life to live and she refused to play the victim. She was over feeling sorry for herself; she was ready to take action.

  She walked over to Santiago. “Have you heard any news? When are you shipping me out?”

  He glanced up at Susan, grunted, and looked down at the cards in front of him. He moved one row of cards onto another row. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot until he looked up at her and sighed, realizing she wasn’t going away without an answer.

  “Reed was released from the hospital this morning. He and Maggie are meeting with their sergeant. We should have more information soon.”

  Susan’s heart started racing and her mouth went dry. Something was going to happen soon, and she was scared. She wanted to see Reed and Maggie, but she didn’t want to leave. Feeling even more unsettled, she trudged back to the kitchen table and her now cold cup of coffee.