Bayou Judgment (15 page)

Felicia'd heard it before. Not when she talked to her before. Not here at the complex. Not at church. At work…

Winnie!

The last vestiges of confusion from the painkiller fled like a motorboat over water.

The woman laughed at Felicia as she lifted the phone and shoved it behind her on the chair. “I see you figured out who I am, princess.”

Winnie shoved the coffee table away from the couch. Her eyes darkened and narrowed. “You and me, we need to talk.”

T
hose chicken and dumplings smelled mighty good right now. Wet and cold, Spencer knew a bowl would warm him right up. But he wanted to share supper with Felicia. He glanced at his watch. For forty-five minutes, the firemen had worked. They'd put out the embers and now waited on whoever was bringing the saw. The constant rain didn't seem to help matters.

He let out a long-suffering sigh. It probably would've been much faster if they'd allowed him to assist and just move the encumbrance into the ditch. No such luck when he'd made the suggestion. Policies and procedures. He gave a snort and stared at his cell phone.

What if Felicia had awoken and wondered where he was? Maybe he should call her and let her know he'd be on his way shortly. But what if she was still asleep? He didn't want to wake her.

What should I do, God?

He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. What to do, what to do? He opened the phone and dialed Luc.

“Hello.”

“Hey, it's Spence.”

“You back at Felicia's?”

“Not yet. Lightning hit an electric pole and it went down over Highway 1. The firemen are clearing the road now.”

“Anybody hurt?”

“Nope. I was the only one on the road.”

“That's good.”

“Has Felicia phoned you?”

“Nope. I called her after I talked to you. She sounded pretty out of it and said she was going back to sleep. Those painkillers must be knocking her for a loop.”

How about a goodbye kiss?

Yeah, he'd say the medication wasn't allowing her to think clearly. “I was thinking maybe I should call and let her know I'm on my way.”

“Any idea how much longer you'll be stuck there?”

“Probably another twenty minutes or so.” If the other truck would ever show up with the saw.

“Then I wouldn't worry about it. She's probably still sleeping. She didn't even warm up to the suggestion of me and CoCo bringing her supper.”

“Well…”

Luc laughed. “You got her something, didn't you?”

Spencer's face heated. “I thought chicken and dumplings might make her feel better.”

Luc chuckled louder. “Man, you've got it bad.”

“What?” Spencer white-knuckled the steering wheel.

“You're over the moon for her, aren't you?”

He worked his throat, trying to dislodge the lump sitting sideways. “Um, um…”

“Hey, man, been there, done that. I know how you feel.”

“It's complicated.”

Luc roared with laughter. “Pastor, when women are involved, it's always complicated.” A rustling came over the line, followed immediately by an “ouch.”

Spencer laughed himself. “CoCo nailed you?”

“Did she ever. Woman has a mean right jab. Tyson ain't got nothing on her.” More rustling preceded another
ow!

Spencer chuckled. “I'll let you go work that out.” He struggled to see through the rain pelting the windshield. A second truck had appeared on the other side of the road, lights flashing. “I think they're about to be done here.”

He closed his cell phone and blew into his cupped hands. Even talking to Luc didn't seem to alleviate the ominous feeling overcoming him.

Call her!

He snatched the phone and dialed her number. It rang four times, then went to her voice mail. Spencer left a brief message before closing the phone. Maybe she was just sleeping. But he'd given her the phone to keep with her. Why wasn't she answering?

His gut twisted. He didn't feel good about this. Not at all.

He stared at the firemen about to saw away at the pole.

Hurry!

Winnie held the now-silent phone in her hand, staring at the caller ID. “Bertrand, Spencer. That's the preacher man, right?”

Felicia nodded, the movement causing her head to pound in synch with her heart.

How'd Winnie find out where she lived, anyway?

“Well, we don't want to be interrupted, now do we?” Winnie slipped open the back cover of the phone and removed the battery. She tossed the battery onto the chair behind her and laid the phone on the table.

“Look, I don't kn—”

“Shh.” Winnie smiled, revealing a row of perfectly straight and white teeth. She really was an attractive young girl. Except for her eyes. Dark rings of hatred surrounded her irises. “I don't want you to talk right now. You're gonna listen. That's what you do, right?”

Felicia bunched the edge of the quilt into a ball.
Lord, help me. This woman's crazy.
And with her bum leg, Felicia was helpless.

“You think you're so high and mighty, taking calls from people who have problems. You think you can solve everyone else's issues. Must be nice to be so perfect.”

“I'm not perfect.” Hardly. Especially now, when her body throbbed and fear seeped into every pore.

Winnie pointed and inched to the edge of the chair, leaning toward Felicia. “Uh-uh-uh…I told you not to talk. You're supposed to listen.”

Anger mixed with the fear strangling her throat. Felicia snapped her lips together tightly. Where was Spencer? He should be back by now.

“What gives you the right to tell people what to do? You just stick your nose in places it doesn't belong.”

As if she'd answer when Winnie'd told her twice to keep silent. Felicia stared at the young woman unraveling before her eyes.

“You aren't any smarter than the rest of us, except you have a big mansion, have a limo, and you think that makes you better than me? Smarter?”

Felicia licked her lips. Dare she try to explain? By the look in Winnie's eyes, she'd do better to remain quiet. Why had she told Luc not to come over?

“Well, I'm smarter than all of you. All the stupid people here in Lagniappe and that idiotic
Christian
call center.”

Biting the inside of her cheek, Felicia let her gaze leave Winnie while stiffening her back. She'd fought too hard to gain her independence. No knight in shining armor would be arriving to rescue her, so she'd better find something she could use to defend herself.

“What is it with y'all and God? He's a crutch. Something stupid people cling to instead of working out their problems.”

Felicia refrained from reminding Winnie that she'd called a Christian crisis hotline for help.

The pillar candle? Would that work? Nah, it'd probably just break.

“I've got news for you, sistah, God isn't real. He's a figment of the imagination.”

“No, He isn't.” The words escaped before Felicia could stop them.

Winnie narrowed her eyes. “I thought I told you to shut up. You don't pay attention very well, do you?”

Winnie shot out of the chair, towering over Felicia as she slapped her across the face.

Felicia laid a hand against her stinging cheek. Her skin was hot to the touch. Indignant tears burned her eyes.

Lord, please help me.

“Oh, you're gonna cry now?” Winnie laughed. “How priceless.”

Blinking back the tears, Felicia refused to play into the woman's plan. She jerked her hand down and slipped it under the quilt. She wouldn't give in now. No way, no how.

Winnie cackled more. “Don't you get it, princess? You're at
my
mercy now.”

Felicia wanted to ask how Winnie had ever been at her mercy, but with the heat still searing her cheek, she bit her lip. Her injured muscles tensed but she refused to flinch.

“That's right. You and me, we're gonna get some things straight. Like how you kept telling me I didn't want to really hurt anyone.” Winnie snorted and stood. She paced, her words enunciating each step. “How do you know? Maybe I did want to hurt someone. Like my ex's new girlfriend. That hussy.”

She turned and stared at Felicia, smiling like a gator about to snap a bird in its massive jaws. “She got what she deserved.”

The sick feeling returned. Felicia had an idea it had nothing to do with the pain medicine, but more with the realization that she sat in a locked apartment with a deranged person.

Who seemed bent on making Felicia pay for whatever perceived wrong danced in Winnie's head.

Wrinkling her nose, Winnie continued pacing. “She came across as cute and bubbly. Sweet. Trying to be something she wasn't.” Winnie grunted and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Saccharine sweet, if you ask me.”

Where was a good baseball bat when you needed it?

“And his dumb self fell for it—hook, line and sinker. Such a man. Waltz a short skirt in front of them with a little giggle, and they'll roll over for you.”

Wasn't there an extra curtain rod under the couch? Could Felicia grab it without Winnie noticing? Wait, it wasn't there anymore. They'd used it to replace the one broken in the last break-in.

“And, boy, did he roll over. Followed her as if he were some little schoolboy with a crush.” She gave a humorless laugh.

“Yeah, he's a rat, all right.”

What about her cane? Felicia let her gaze fall to the areas beside the couch. Her cane was never out of arm's reach. Oh. Right. She was still a little fuzzy on details, but she remembered Spence had gone to get her cane from Mark's. Why wasn't he back yet? Surely enough time had passed.

“He just threw me away like a sucked-out crawfish head. After I'd already started filling my hope chest with linens and stuff for the day we'd be married.” Pain edged into Winnie's words.

Maybe Felicia could use that pain. There sure wasn't anything she could use as a weapon of sorts. Except her intelligence. Hadn't she been able to talk Kipp down and get him away from her? She took a deep breath. “I know how you feel,” she ventured.

Winnie jerked her stare from the window and glared. “What do you know about it?”

“I've lost a guy I dated before.”

“He left you for someone else?”

Good, Winnie was talking. Now to just keep her communicating. Just like she had with Kipp.

“That wasn't the reason he gave, but he did eventually find someone else.” Felicia backtracked through her memories to high school. “You see, I was in a wheelchair, and that was hard for most guys to deal with.” It hadn't been for Frank.

Apparently not for Spence, either. He'd never treated her any differently before her surgeries.

“What happened?” Animosity momentarily forgotten, Winnie dropped to the chair. The way her mood seemed to flip back and forth so quickly…what was up with her?

“He stood me up for prom. I guess having a date who couldn't dance and was on wheels didn't sound appealing to him.”

“How rude.”

Felicia gave a slight smile. “I found out later his friends had dared him to ask me to prom. He'd never really wanted to go with me, anyway.” All these years later, the truth still hurt.

“What'd you do?”

“Do? Nothing.” Felicia gave a dry laugh. “You can't make someone like you if they don't.” The rest of the memory filled her mind, and she laughed. “However, my big brother bloodied his nose.”

Winnie laughed, too, then frowned. “At least you have someone to take up for you. I have to take up for myself.”

“Actually, I was mad at my brother for doing that.”

“Why? The dude deserved it.”

Felicia shook her head. “I don't know why it happened, but I know it happened for a reason. Everything happens for a reason.”

Winnie crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. “You're saying God had that guy stand you up and humiliate you as part of some big plan?”

Oh, Lord, give me the words.

“I believe so.” Felicia tucked her hair behind her ear. “Maybe so I'd know what it felt like, to teach me compassion. Maybe so I'd recognize real love when I felt it.” Like she had with Frank.

Like with Spence. Her heart twisted. Where was he? Had he been in an accident?

As if on cue, the phone in the bedroom rang. Winnie didn't seem to hear it. “Give me a break. That's all a load of baloney.” Winnie popped back to her feet, looking angry again.

“It's true.”

Winnie towered over Felicia, holding her by the shoulders and shaking her until Felicia thought her teeth would rattle out of her head. “Shut up, shut up, shut up!”

It had to be a combination of an empty stomach, the pain medication and the jarring movement. Felicia leaned over and threw up.

All over Winnie's shoes.