Eyes (31 page)

CHAPTER 39

Connie was coming! Jill could hear her crashing through the bushes, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. She was having another contraction and she couldn't let Connie hear her. Jill had found a woodpile by the edge of the driveway and she'd ducked down to hide behind it. She could see the beam of Connie's flashlight and all she could do was pray that Connie wouldn't see her.

The beam of light was coming closer and Jill swallowed hard. If Connie's light swept over the woodpile, would she see her hiding there? Jill pulled the hood of her dark sweatshirt up, over her face, and curled into a fetal position. Doug was on his way. Jill was sure of it. But until he got here, she had to save her baby from Connie.

A light rain was falling and Jill shivered from a combination of cold and fear. She'd been out here for what seemed like hours and she was drenched to the skin. She'd managed to elude Connie by hiding behind trees and shrubs, but Jill's goal was to get to the road and she knew she hadn't made much progress.

Connie was coming closer! Jill could hear her voice now, and the words Connie was shouting made Jill's face turn pale with fright.

“Talk to me Alan! A part of you is inside her and you know where she is! Please, Alan! You've got to help me find our baby!”

Jill shuddered. Alan Stanford had been dead for almost ten months, but Connie still thought he was alive. She was insane. That was very clear. And she was also a killer. If Connie found her, her knife would slash down and Jill's life would be borne away in a wash of her own blood. She'd suffer the same fate as Willy Rossini, Mark Turner, Reverend Woodard, and Neil.

The shouting stopped. The night was perfectly quiet and for one brief, hopeful moment, Jill thought that Connie had given up. But then she heard Connie shout again and Jill realized that she was only a few feet away.

“What was that, Alan? Our baby is close to me? But where? Tell me where, darling! You've got to tell me where!”

Jill's heart was pounding so loudly, she was afraid that Connie might hear. The beam of light swept closer and closer, and then it was directly in her face.

“I told you not to hide from me!” Connie's voice was a shriek of pure rage. “You tried to run away with my baby!”

Jill knew she couldn't fight Connie physically, not in her weakened condition. For the space of a heartbeat, she gave way to overwhelming panic. It was over. Connie had found her. And she was going to die.

But some instinct for survival lifted Jill out of her panic. It made her mind start to work again, searching for ways she could throw Connie off balance. Connie believed that Alan was still alive. And she believed that Jill's baby had been fathered by a part of Alan.

“Thank God you found me!” Jill managed a weak smile. “Alan told me you'd come. I'm in labor, Connie. I'm having your baby and you've got to help me!”

Connie stepped back, startled. For the first time since Jill had met her, she looked confused and unsure of herself. “Alan told you I'd find you?”

“Yes.” Jill nodded. “He was afraid I'd lose your baby, out here all alone in the woods. And I couldn't call out for you because I was having a contraction.”

Connie's knife lowered slightly and there was a puzzled expression on her face. “Alan really talked to you?”

“He's wonderful.” Jill nodded again. “I can see why you love him, Connie. He's very caring and he loves his baby. He told me he's inside me because he's a part of the baby.”

All the rage left Connie's face and she sat down on a log next to Jill. “What else did Alan say?”

“He told me to stay here and wait for you.” Jill managed to look perfectly sincere. “But I'm so cold and Alan said that's not good for the baby. What should we do, Connie?”

“We have to get you warm. Stand up, Jill. I'll help you back to the cabin.”

“No, Connie.” Jill shook her head and pretended to be listening to a voice deep within her. “Alan says I shouldn't move. Your baby's too close to being born and I might hurt him. I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt your baby, Connie.”

Connie reached out to stroke Jill's hair and Jill tried not to shudder. Her touch was gentle, but the knife was still in her hand.

“Alan says you have to build a fire, Connie. It's the only way to save your baby.” Jill pretended to listen again, and then she nodded. “He told me that if my body temperature drops too low, your baby could die of exposure.”

Connie began to frown. “But I can't start a fire. I don't have any matches.”

“Then go back to the cabin and get some. Bring some dry firewood, too. You have to keep your baby warm.”

Connie's eyes narrowed. “I'm not going to leave you, Jill, You'll try to run away with my baby again!”

“No, Connie.” Jill paused, and then she took a big chance. “Alan says . . . no, I can't tell you what he said.”

“Tell me! What did Alan say?”

Jill winced, as if she didn't want to repeat it. But then she nodded. “All right, I'll tell you. But don't get mad at me.”

“I won't. What did he say, Jill?”

Jill took a deep breath and then she blurted it out. “Alan's disappointed because you don't trust him!”

“What do you mean?” Connie's mouth dropped open. “Of course I trust Alan! He's the father of my baby and I love him!”

“I know that. And you know that. But Alan's not convinced. He says he's a lot stronger now that the baby's getting ready to be born. You have to trust him to stay with me while you go after the matches.”

Connie nodded, but she still didn't look completely convinced. “I still think this could be a trick. How can I be sure that Alan's really talking to you?”

“Alan says he can prove it.” Jill thought fast. “He says he'll tell me something that only you would know.”

Connie nodded. “All right. What is it?”

“It's about the tapes.” Jill remembered what Doug had told her about the Turner case. “Alan says he helped you find your tapes and take them away from Mark Turner's apartment. He told you to leave the other tapes to confuse anyone who searched the place.”

Connie nodded. “That's true. Tell him I need more proof, Jill. I want to believe you, but I'm still not sure.”

“He's going to tell me about a lawyer.” Jill did her best to recall everything that Dave Kramer had told her about Connie's arraignment. “This lawyer helped you when you were in Judge Swensen's court. And his name was . . . Green. Harvey Green.”

“That's right!”

Connie was beginning to look convinced and Jill decided to force a decision. If she was wrong, it would be all over. But if she was right, Connie would leave her to go back to the cabin.

“Alan says to stop wasting time, Connie. You've got to get those matches right now. If your baby dies, you'll never see him again!”

“Noooo!” Connie looked absolutely horrified and she reached out to stroke Jill's stomach. “I'm sorry, Alan. I was a fool not to trust you. I'll hurry right back with the matches, darling. I promise!”

Jill managed to stay perfectly still as Connie jumped to her feet. A moment later, Connie was running through the woods, her knife in one hand and her flashlight in the other.

How much time would she have? Jill shivered and sat up. Ten minutes? Twenty minutes? She watched until the beam from Connie's flashlight had faded into the distance, and them she pushed herself awkwardly to her feet. Jill knew she had to start now and go as far and as fast as she could. She'd bought herself precious minutes, but her ruse wouldn't work a second time. She had to get out to the road and flag down a car before Connie came back and discovered she was gone.

Jill forced her shaking legs to move, one foot in front of the other. As she brushed past trees and made her way deeper into the woods, there was only one thought in her mind. Doug was coming. He was a good detective and he would put all the pieces together. He'd find the lake and the cabin, and he'd be here any minute. She just had to keep moving, no matter what, until she was safely back in Doug's arms.

* * *

The drive seemed to take forever, but it was actually only ten minutes by the clock on the dash. Doug took the turn-off to the lake and shouted out a question. “How much farther?”

“Two, three miles.” Red reached up to grab the roll bar in Doug's Explorer. “Careful, sonny . . . Some of these curves are steep. You're not going to do anybody any good if you wind up in the ditch.”

Doug took a deep breath and slowed down. Red was right. But his heart was in his throat as he drove around the curves.

“Okay, sonny. It's right up here on your left. Cut your lights. You don't want 'em to see us coming, and the moon's bright tonight.”

Doug didn't take time to consider whether Red was right or not. He flicked off his lights and blinked several times until he could see the faint outline of the driveway.

“It's straight for about thirty yards. Then there's a curve to the right. I'll tell you when we get to the curve. I've been down this driveway so many times, I could drive it in pitch black night.”

Doug kept the wheel straight and turned when Red told him to. They'd just come out of the curve when both of them heard a crashing in the bushes.

“Stop, sonny! Now!” Red's voice was hoarse with emotion, and Doug tromped on the brakes. A second later, a figure dressed in dark clothing broke from the bushes, running straight toward them.

“Jill!” Doug jumped out of the car and caught her. “Are you all right?!”

“Yes . . . I mean, no! She's after me, Doug. And she's got a knife!”

Before Doug could do anything but thrust Jill behind him, another figure hurtled out of the bushes. It was Connie, and her knife was raised high.

“I'll kill you!” Her scream was so loud, the words seemed to echo off the trees. “You can't take my baby away from me again!”

She was almost on top of them when a shot rang out, exploding the stillness of the night. Connie crumpled and the knife skittered across the gravel, coming to rest by Red's feet.

Red shrugged and put down his gun. “Hope you don't mind, sonny. I know you're the cop, but she almost got both of you.”

“No . . . I don't mind.” Doug sounded dazed. “Get in the car, Jill. Now.”

Red helped Jill into the backseat. Then he joined Doug who was kneeling at Connie's side. “Is she dead, sonny?”

“Yes.” Doug nodded. “I'd better call it in.”

“No need, sonny. I can hear 'em coming at the end of the driveway. You just get yourself over to the county hospital. It's on the main road, about twenty miles to the north. You can't miss it.”

“The hospital?” Doug gave his head a little shake to clear it. “But I told you before. She's dead.”

“Not for her. For that other little lady in the car. I've got seven of my own, and I can tell you, you don't have any time to waste.”

EPILOGUE

Jill had told him about the tape on the way to the hospital. One of the deputies had retrieved it. He'd brought it straight to the hospital, and Doug had played it while Jill was being examined by the doctor. There were still tears in Doug's eyes. She had been so courageous, yet so terribly frightened. Doug's tears had turned to happy tears when Jill had said that she loved him and she hoped it wasn't too late.

He had gone into action immediately, eliciting the aid of the whole sheriff's department. It had taken some frantic phone calls, but the sheriff had persuaded a friendly judge to cut through the red tape. Now Doug was grinning as he walked down the hospital corridor, carrying a big bouquet of flowers from the hospital gift shop. He was dressed in a tuxedo one of the deputies had borrowed from the local dry cleaner, the sleeves only an inch too short. The pants were short, too, but the sheriff's wife had come up with a pair of black socks and one of the doctors had contributed a white dress shirt.

“Doesn't she look beautiful?” The nurses were gathered around Jill's bed, and they were all smiling. One of them had rushed home to search through her closet, so Jill was wearing a white organdy blouse with delicate Irish lace at the collar and cuffs.

“Jill always looks beautiful.” Doug smiled at her. “And your hair, with all those flowers and ribbons. Jill, honey . . . you look like a princess!”

Jill laughed and pulled the blankets a little higher. “You wouldn't say that if you saw the rest of me. Doug? Are you really sure you want to do this right now?”

Doug nodded.

“If you're going to do it, you'd better do it now.” The head nurse gave Doug a gentle shove toward the bed. “We don't have much time. Her contractions are only three minutes apart.”

“Okay.” Doug took Jill's hand. “I'm ready if you are, Jill.”

Jill nodded. “I am.”

The sheriff motioned for the judge, who took his place at the foot of the bed. He opened a book and cleared his throat, and then he looked very serious.

“We don't have much time so we're going to skip part of this and get down to the basics. Douglas Edward Lake, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.” Doug smile at Jill.

“Jill Marie Bradley? Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I . . . do!” Jill let out a groan and grasped Doug's hand. “Are we married yet?”

The judge shook his head. “Not quite. By the power vested in me by the State of Minnesota, I hereby pronounce you man and wife. Doug? You may kiss your bride.”

“Thank you, Judge.” Doug leaned over and placed a kiss on Jill's forehead.

“You're legal now.” The judge closed his book and smiled at Doug. “And I suggest you get your wife straight to the delivery room. You're about to become a father.”

* * *

The baby was lovely, with sandy hair and every one of his fingers and toes. Jill held the bottle to his lips and smiled as he gulped it eagerly. “Look, Doug. He knows exactly what he wants.”

“I can see that.” Doug reached down to stroke the baby's head. “He's just like me, Jill.”

Jill laughed and then she was silent for a moment, watching their baby eat. When she looked up at Doug, she asked the question that had been on her mind ever since she'd arrived at the hospital. “Is she dead, Doug?”

“Yes.” He took her hand. “It's over, Jill. Everything's over, and we can start a new life.”

Jill looked up at him and blinked back a tear. “Thank God! I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Doug hugged her, but he didn't quite meet his new bride's eyes. It was true that Connie had died at the scene, but the paramedics had managed to restart her heart and hook her to life support for the trip to the hospital. Her brain waves were flat, but her body, still functioning with the aid of machines, awaited the arrival of a special team of doctors. There was only one reason the hospital was taking such heroic measures for a patient who was legally dead. Connie Wilson had filled out a donor card.