Cold Hollow (Cold Hollow Mysteries Book 1) (13 page)

Her eyes welled up as she unfolded the letter. When she was done reading it, she clutched the letter to her chest and cried long and hard. Sophia had left the Jeep to her and wished her luck in life and love with Doctor Tom. She told her the family was leaving town, but held no grudges where they were concerned. She said she loved Myrna like the sister she never had. She asked Myrna to look inside the glove compartment, and wished her a Merry Christmas. Myrna leaned into the vehicle and popped open the compartment to find the title to the vehicle transferred to her name. It sat beside a neatly wrapped gift box. When she opened the box, she burst into tears again. Sophia had gotten her a ring box she had admired a long time ago when they had first met.

When Myrna calmed down, her expression was one of determination. She took the keys out of the Jeep and locked it up tight. After she slipped the keys, the good-bye letter, and gift inside her purse, she jumped in her old, beat-up pickup truck and drove to the Dumont home to pick up Liam.

She found him in their living room, giggling up a storm, and immediately smiled at the sound of it. Wally guided her through the kitchen and said, “My wife cannot stop playing games with the little fellow. She’s been in heaven all day just listening to his tiny voice. She’ll be happy for a week over this visit. I can’t thank you enough.”

Myrna hushed him. “It’s fine. There’s no need to thank me. As soon as all of this is over, you can see him all the time at our house.”

“We sure look forward to it, Myrna.”

When Liam saw Myrna standing there, he ran to her and babbled nonstop over all the games he’d played all day with Alice.

Myrna hugged him and asked if he’d had a good time, and he continued talking right through her question, which made them laugh. She helped Liam with his coat, and they left the warmth of the home. Liam waved good-bye to them several times amid laughter. When he got in the truck, he scooted down to the floorboard of the passenger seat and pulled a blanket over himself. He spoke from beneath the blanket all the way home as Myrna drove.

***

Artie Lavoie stood poised behind the police station with the locksmith beside him. The two town police officers were out on patrol, and time was of the essence—they would be back within the hour. Artie shuffled from foot to foot as the locksmith picked the lock. They slid through the door and headed straight for the gun cabinet. The locksmith went to work again, and in mere seconds the door was open. Artie turned to the locksmith. “Remember, if you think they’ve been discharged, don’t get your prints on them. We have to bag those. Doctor Tom said to look for a shotgun and one of the handguns.”

The locksmith nodded as they swiftly emptied the cabinet and checked each desk drawer for more handguns and bullets. When they had scoured the place, they slipped out the back again and loaded Artie’s truck with all of the confiscated weaponry and ammunition. One of the shotguns was bagged and tagged.

***

Alice Dumont stood at her ironing board, pressing two white lab coats. She was whistling as she did this task, and her husband sat at the kitchen table watching her. “We’re going to look mighty official, ain’t we, sugar pie?”

She giggled, and Wally watched her eyes light up. “We sure are! I can hardly wait!” She put the iron down and hung the lab coats on hangers. She turned to him and began talking about how much fun she’d had with little Liam Barner all day.

Her husband had enjoyed the boy’s company too. He felt sad for their predicament. They were never able to have children of their own, but loved them with such ferocity that long ago, they had kidnapped some. They never harmed a hair on any of their heads. They just wanted a family in the worst possible way. They had been desperate and paid for their mistakes. They would never do that again, and as long as they were able to visit with Liam weekly and see the Borges boys at the bakery, they would be just fine. Wally even wondered if Amanda Borges would need a babysitter now and then. He wouldn’t mind doing that at all and would look into it once things settled down.

CHAPTER 13

The following morning, Myrna gave Liam a bubble bath, fed him breakfast, and dressed him nice and warm. She heard Tom shuffling around upstairs and waited for him before leaving for the bakery. She crouched down before Liam and said, “Now, today you can come to the bakery with me, but you must stay hidden. It’s the last day we have to hide you. Did you pack some toys to bring with you?” He nodded and displayed the toys he had put in a small backpack she had gotten him. “Good, that’s perfect.” Tom came into the room and slipped her a small package.

He smiled and said, “Remember to mix it just right.”

She leaned in, kissed him good-bye, and told him they would see him later. She and Liam left the house and went to the truck.

Tom watched them with a smile on his face and wished them luck. Things were about to happen, and they were going to happen fast. The timing had to be perfect, and he prayed that no one screwed up.

He grabbed a muffin and a quick cup of coffee and left the house. He locked the door and went to his jeep.

***

Myrna pulled her pickup truck around the back of the bakery and unlocked the back door. She went back and picked up Liam, still bundled under a blanket. She could hear him giggling beneath it and started tickling him. His giggle grew fierce and she joined in. His giggles were positively contagious.

She brought him through the kitchen and to the small storage room in the back situated next to the bathroom. She had already checked it for bugs and cameras. It was clean. She made him comfortable and arranged his toys on the floor for him. She went to the front of the store and returned with a chair and small table for him to sit at. After relocking the back door to the establishment, she began baking.

She dug through her purse and retrieved the small package Tom had handed her. He had instructed her the night before on just how to blend it into food. There were two different drugs, and she had to be mindful to keep them separate. He didn’t want to tell her exactly what drugs were being used. That way, if things didn’t work out, she could never be blamed for a single thing.

It was too late to back out now. She had no choice but to go through with the plan. Things were set in motion, and there was no stopping it now. She just prayed each participant held up to his or her end of the bargain. Come noontime, the gears were going to start grinding, and the timing of each event was imperative.

She made the mixture perfectly and baked two separate batches of croissants. She added a different medicine to each batch. She paced in front of the ovens until the timer went off. When she pulled the delicacies from the oven, she found they had come out positively perfect. She slid the two pans onto a high shelf, out of the reach of Donnie and Daryl. She would tell them it was off limits when they came into work.

She checked on Liam in the storage room and brought him a muffin and a glass of milk. He was deep in concentration with an army of toy soldiers set to attack some futuristic beings on the floor. She didn’t interrupt him and shut the door behind her. She went to the front of the store and unlocked the door. Daryl and Donnie came inside and she immediately brought them to the kitchen. She pointed to the high shelf and said in her sternest of voices, “You are not to touch that. Do you understand me?”

Both boys crossed their hearts and hung up their coats on the rack. Donnie heard noise coming from the storage room, and she brought both of the boys back there. She opened the door to see Liam in full attack mode on the floor with his soldiers. She showed Donnie and Daryl, and kept her voice low and stern. “No one is to know he is back here. I mean no one!”

Donnie’s eyes bulged and he looked up at her as he pointed to Liam. “He lived? He made it.” Donnie and Daryl were smiling widely, and Myrna joined them.

“Yes, he made it, but they’re still looking for him and mustn’t find him. Do you understand?”

Donnie puffed his cheeks and blew out some wind. “I sure as heck do! Mama says bad things happen sometimes to good people, and we sure don’t want anything happening to Liam. Our mouths are shut!”

He elbowed his brother, who merely pretended to zip his lips shut. They inched out of the room and closed the door.

When the morning crowd showed up, it was the usual boisterous crowd; they were served on a timely basis and left within two hours. She watched as Donnie gathered little slips of paper from every customer and placed them in an empty mason jar. She didn’t know what he was up to, and didn’t have the time to ask. Her mind was currently elsewhere. Thankfully, Nazar didn’t show up, which was just as well.

Myrna began prepping for the lunch crowd and got it done in no time.

She then reached for the food on the top shelf, warmed it up, and prepared two trays of food and some coffee in disposable cups. She called Donnie into the kitchen. She leaned on the prep table in front of the two trays. She slid a piece of paper to him and said, “Take this first tray to Nazar. Tell him it’s a small gesture of thanks for everything he’s done for me. Tell him it’s also for how he tried to make the passing of the Barner family easier on the entire town.”

“What’s the paper for?”

“There’s a number on it that you should call the minute anything goes wrong. Tell Nazar you have to stay and watch him eat because I need the dishes back before the lunch crowd bombards us.”

“What’s the second tray for?”

“That’s for the police officers that are on duty today. Artie is going to deliver that when he gets here.”

He winked at her. “I love this!” He grabbed the covered serving tray and Myrna opened the front door of the bakery for him. She watched him trudge across the slushy street and into the town hall. She crossed her fingers and watched as Artie came sauntering in the bakery.

He went to the kitchen without a word, and left with the covered tray full of food and coffee for the police officers. Myrna smiled and shook her head. Artie could be so devious when he wanted to be.

***

Donnie entered the town hall and went down the hall and right up the stairs to Nazar’s office. May Belle hollered at him, and he yelled right back, “I can’t stop! I got a surprise for Nazar and it’s gonna get cold! You’re gonna just have to sit there and shake, Miss May Belle!”

When he reached Nazar’s office, he politely knocked as he held the tray high up on his shoulder. He heard Nazar say, “Come in,” so he entered the office with a big smile on his face.

“I have a nice surprise for you. Miss Myrna wanted to thank you for helping her so much and for how you made the passing of the Barner family much easier on the entire town. She was concerned about you missing breakfast, so she had me bring you this.” He placed the tray in front of Nazar with a grand gesture, twirled around, and sat in the chair opposite his desk.

Nazar took the lids off the dishes and Donnie watched as he smiled. He watched him smell the freshly baked croissants and delicately pick one up. Donnie stood and took the lid off his coffee for him, and then sat back down. Nazar devoured the first croissant in minutes. He sipped his coffee and sat back for a moment. “Why are you waiting? Don’t you have to get back to the bakery?”

Donnie shook his head. “It’s slow right now. It’s always slow before the lunch crowd. Miss Myrna is particular about her dishes and wanted me to wait and spare you the inconvenience of returning them yourself. She’s also pretty particular about her food and wanted me to make sure you liked it.”

Nazar picked up another croissant and stuffed half of it in his mouth. He pushed it to the side and said, “Tell her it is scrumptious.” He then downed some more coffee.

Donnie waited; whatever was happening to Nazar was happening painfully slowly. His face started flushing, and he began to sweat. Donnie watched as he wiped down his face with a napkin, but said nothing. Nazar chewed and swallowed the last of the croissant and finished off his coffee. Donnie curiously watched as his face turned an awful shade of red and began to swell. His lips looked like inflated tube balloons from a circus. His features were contorting. Donnie watched him clutch his chest and reach for the phone with swollen, chubby hands. Donnie pulled the cord closer to himself and farther from Nazar’s grip. Nazar’s brown eyes were bulging as he managed to croak out, “Call an ambulance!”

He then fumbled for something in his top desk drawer. Donnie saw it was a loaded syringe and leaped to his feet. As Nazar raised it to plunge it into his thigh, Donnie raised his leg and kicked it out of his hand. He shouted, “That’s for our Sophia!”

That was when Nazar toppled out of his chair and landed in a heap on the carpeted floor. Donnie could hear his wheezing, raspy breathing and shrugged. He then picked up the syringe, capped it, and put it in his pocket.

Donnie turned the phone around and called the number Myrna had given him. Doctor Tom answered, and Donnie said, “Well, hello there. It seems we have a situation here at the town hall and we’re in mighty need of an ambulance.”

He replaced the receiver in its cradle and sat back watching Nazar take a few gasping breaths. The tray of empty dishes sat unattended, so Donnie stood and brushed his hands off on his pants. He grabbed the tray, turned abruptly, and went down the stairs to May Belle. He leaned into the window and said, “An ambulance is on the way. It seems Nazar took ill.” He went to leave, but turned back to shout at her, “I got a feeling your days are numbered, old lady. You’re hogging a job that my mama would be great at!”

When he exited the town hall, he saw the ambulance pull up. He noticed that Wally Dumont was the driver. His wife Alice was in the passenger’s seat. They wore professional lab coats and swiftly pulled a gurney out of the back of the vehicle. Donnie passed them and made his way across the street, whistling a sprightly tune.

When he entered the bakery, he found Liam in the kitchen with Daryl and Myrna, eating lunch. He placed the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on. He then slipped the loaded syringe into Myrna’s purse. He took up a stool and dove into the lunch she had left out for him. He eyed the kitchen before taking a bite and looked around for the tray Artie was supposed to deliver. It was gone.

He shoved the food to the side of his mouth and said, “Nazar liked his lunch. He liked it a lot.”

Myrna stifled a guffaw and asked, “Did you happen to see Wally and Alice Dumont?”

“I sure did.” He grinned at Myrna.

***

Artie let himself inside the police station and plopped the tray down on one of the officer’s desks. “That’s from Myrna. It’s a thank you for all you did for the Barners when they were in that horrific accident.”

It took about one minute for them to uncover all the food and start eating it. Artie sat there and waited to see if they liked it. He smiled as they gorged themselves and told him to thank Myrna for the nice surprise. One of them even asked Artie if he thought Myrna would go out on a date with him one night. It was Ranger Bullock’s brother, another rapist. He had gotten off on a technicality, but Artie knew he was guilty as sin.

Artie shrugged his shoulders and said, “She’s kind of smitten with Doctor Tom.”

The officer mumbled something about how his competition could disappear with ease. Artie frowned at the remark, and the officers thought it hilarious. They asked why he was hanging around, and he simply replied that Myrna needed the dishes back for the upcoming lunch crowd, but he told them not to hurry. He wanted them to enjoy their early lunch break.

They spoke back and forth, and Artie enjoyed their slurred speech. They were obviously dullards. They had not even noticed that their gun cabinet was empty. Artie stared at each of them and saw they each had their sidearms. He knew they would not have them for long. They began laughing at each other and slowly, oh so slowly, Artie watched them slump over atop their individual desks.

Artie stood, went to the front door, and motioned to someone waiting in the parking lot. Dom, the locksmith, entered the station and helped Artie handcuff each officer. They used pencils to pull their sidearms out of the holsters, bagged them, and placed them to one side. They locked each of the officers in an individual cell. The locksmith pocketed the cell keys and searched the desks for any copies. He found one and pocketed that as well, as Artie made a quick phone call to Myrna. They picked up the food tray and dishes and left the police station.

***

Doctor Tom Gillette stood over the gurney that held Nazar. He took out his stethoscope and found that the bastard still had a heartbeat and was breathing, though his respirations were raspy and wheezy. Tom was now in an examination room of the emergency department of the hospital and had called on two consultants. He sat in a chair beside the bed awaiting their arrival. He had already started a saline IV and had it running a steady drip. His fingers thrummed the bedside tray table as he waited. His doctor friend entered the room, accompanied by the pharmacist.

Tom smiled and said, “Well, it’s clear that he is going into anaphylactic shock. Did you bring the epinephrine, Jack?”

He addressed the short pharmacist, who was wearing a devilish grin. “I sure did.”

He handed Tom the syringe, and the other doctor just stood by watching. Tom went to the IV drug delivery port, stuck the syringe into the tiny rubber cap, and depressed the plunger. They watched as the drug dripped and mixed with the saline. The three men stood around Nazar’s bed and waited, their arms crossed over their chests.