Read Online Citizen Insane (A Barbara Marr Murder Mystery #2) by Karen Cantwell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Cantwell
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last night.”
He blinked once but he still didn’t speak.
Roz broke the silence.
“Colt said you were looking for me.”
Howard jumped at the chance to change the subject. “Can you go with Barb to the hospital? I have to stay here on the scene.”
“Sure. Let me run to the house, tell Peter and grab a couple of things.”
She scampered away, leaving Howard and I staring silently at each other. A police officer broke the tension when he tapped Howard on the shoulder and pulled him aside for a whispered discussion. Meanwhile the other ambulance screamed off with sirens blaring.
“What was that about?” I asked after the officer left.
“The victim.”
“Her name is Michelle Alexander.”
He seemed surprised. “You know her?”
“Of course,” I said. “She lives around the corner. Her kids go to Tulip Tree Elementary.”
“Really? Well, she’s alive.”
“Thank God.” I felt ready to cry again, but from relief this time.
“She’s barely hanging on though. They’re transporting her to Fairfax Hospital—they have a better trauma center than Rustic Woods. It wasn’t your impact that injured her, Barb. They figure you only tapped her at most.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Someone shot her. One bullet barely missed her heart as far as they can tell.”
“One bullet—how many times was she shot?”
“Three times. At close range.” He shook his head. “It’s a miracle she’s still alive.”
Chapter Seven
CHILLS RIPPLED DOWN MY SPINE while little hairs jumped to attention on the nape of my clammy neck. Suddenly, this had become a totally different game of ball. I didn’t waste Michelle like a pro-bowler taking down ten pins in a strike. Someone had been playing a deadly round of lead marbles with her long before Roz and I came along. Poor Michelle. Who would do such a thing? If we hadn’t been heading out to Bunny’s . . . uh oh. Bunny Bergen. Of course! And Roz said I was being silly about her threatening to kill Michelle.
“Barb? You okay?” Howard’s voice shocked me back to the present.
“Howard—it was Bunny.”
“What?”
“They had a fight—Bunny and Michelle—tonight after the PTA meeting. She even said she’d kill her. And that’s why Roz and I were going out so late. Bunny called me to come over. She probably shot her in some heated moment of passion and then regretted it. Or maybe she didn’t regret it. Maybe we were next. I knew she was insane. You need to send people over there right now!”
Howard shook his head. “It’s a police matter. The FBI isn’t involved.”
“But you can tell them about Bunny, right?”
“I . . .” he hesitated. “I can’t talk about this.”
“Why were you at her house this morning anyway? What’s going on with Bunny Bergen? You know something.”
“I told you I can’t talk about this.”
Roz popped up, holding up a pair of keys in her hand. “I’m ready. I thought it would be better if I followed in my own car. Then we have a way home if they release you. That okay with you?”
I didn’t want to let the topic go. “Howard?”
He wasn’t budging. “You need to go.”
Bewildered, Roz glanced between us. “Did anyone hear what I said?”
Fine. If Howard didn’t care that Bunny Bergen was running around assassinating the mothers of Rustic Woods, then neither did I. “Sure, Roz. That’s a good idea. Juan will keep me company, right Juan?”
Juan smiled while wrapping things up for our departure.
“I’ll call you to check in,” Howard said, putting his hand on mine.
“Sure. You go do your job.”
“Barb—I love you. We’ll talk about. . . that other thing later.”
“Bunny?”
“No. The OTHER, other thing.”
Juan, as wonderful as he was, interrupted Howard at the absolutely wrong moment. “Time to go.”
Howard stepped away, the doors swung closed, the siren whooped, and we were off.
True to her word, Roz followed right on our tail and walked alongside my gurney as the
He blinked once but he still didn’t speak.
Roz broke the silence.
“Colt said you were looking for me.”
Howard jumped at the chance to change the subject. “Can you go with Barb to the hospital? I have to stay here on the scene.”
“Sure. Let me run to the house, tell Peter and grab a couple of things.”
She scampered away, leaving Howard and I staring silently at each other. A police officer broke the tension when he tapped Howard on the shoulder and pulled him aside for a whispered discussion. Meanwhile the other ambulance screamed off with sirens blaring.
“What was that about?” I asked after the officer left.
“The victim.”
“Her name is Michelle Alexander.”
He seemed surprised. “You know her?”
“Of course,” I said. “She lives around the corner. Her kids go to Tulip Tree Elementary.”
“Really? Well, she’s alive.”
“Thank God.” I felt ready to cry again, but from relief this time.
“She’s barely hanging on though. They’re transporting her to Fairfax Hospital—they have a better trauma center than Rustic Woods. It wasn’t your impact that injured her, Barb. They figure you only tapped her at most.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Someone shot her. One bullet barely missed her heart as far as they can tell.”
“One bullet—how many times was she shot?”
“Three times. At close range.” He shook his head. “It’s a miracle she’s still alive.”
Chapter Seven
CHILLS RIPPLED DOWN MY SPINE while little hairs jumped to attention on the nape of my clammy neck. Suddenly, this had become a totally different game of ball. I didn’t waste Michelle like a pro-bowler taking down ten pins in a strike. Someone had been playing a deadly round of lead marbles with her long before Roz and I came along. Poor Michelle. Who would do such a thing? If we hadn’t been heading out to Bunny’s . . . uh oh. Bunny Bergen. Of course! And Roz said I was being silly about her threatening to kill Michelle.
“Barb? You okay?” Howard’s voice shocked me back to the present.
“Howard—it was Bunny.”
“What?”
“They had a fight—Bunny and Michelle—tonight after the PTA meeting. She even said she’d kill her. And that’s why Roz and I were going out so late. Bunny called me to come over. She probably shot her in some heated moment of passion and then regretted it. Or maybe she didn’t regret it. Maybe we were next. I knew she was insane. You need to send people over there right now!”
Howard shook his head. “It’s a police matter. The FBI isn’t involved.”
“But you can tell them about Bunny, right?”
“I . . .” he hesitated. “I can’t talk about this.”
“Why were you at her house this morning anyway? What’s going on with Bunny Bergen? You know something.”
“I told you I can’t talk about this.”
Roz popped up, holding up a pair of keys in her hand. “I’m ready. I thought it would be better if I followed in my own car. Then we have a way home if they release you. That okay with you?”
I didn’t want to let the topic go. “Howard?”
He wasn’t budging. “You need to go.”
Bewildered, Roz glanced between us. “Did anyone hear what I said?”
Fine. If Howard didn’t care that Bunny Bergen was running around assassinating the mothers of Rustic Woods, then neither did I. “Sure, Roz. That’s a good idea. Juan will keep me company, right Juan?”
Juan smiled while wrapping things up for our departure.
“I’ll call you to check in,” Howard said, putting his hand on mine.
“Sure. You go do your job.”
“Barb—I love you. We’ll talk about. . . that other thing later.”
“Bunny?”
“No. The OTHER, other thing.”
Juan, as wonderful as he was, interrupted Howard at the absolutely wrong moment. “Time to go.”
Howard stepped away, the doors swung closed, the siren whooped, and we were off.
True to her word, Roz followed right on our tail and walked alongside my gurney as the
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