Dempster Road

Chapter 17

Belinda sat on the ground stunned. The woman was leaning over with seemingly genuine concern, and she couldn't muster her voice to respond.

"I tried the door but it was locked so I just broke the window. I guess I'm in big trouble for that." Adelaine giggled softly.

Big trouble for a broken window? Belinda almost blurted out the fact that they were blaming her for at least three or four killings they knew of, but the change in her behaviour was so astonishing she wasn't sure what to do. Where was Barney?

"So what happened? Why are you out here alone?"

Belinda stared at her, framing her answer, but before she could, she saw the same transformation she'd seen in the hotel dining room. Adelaine's face grew taut and harsh, and she straightened up, looking all around the area. A tiny white light flickered in the blue eyes. Something was going on inside this weird woman, Belinda felt.

"I- we . . . we were looking for you and Stan. We thought your car might have broken down after all." Her voice trembled, and she could see Adelaine heard it.

"Oh yeah? What made you look here? And who is we?"

"The Sheriff, Stan's boss. He needed him back in- in Dempster - for something urgent."

Adelaine reached around into her waistband and pulled out the plastic bag containing the knife and Belinda shuddered a moan. "Sure it wasn't the station secretary calling again with something trivial?" She smiled smugly at Belinda. "You must think I'm totally stupid, Miss Talltree, but it's you that's stupid. You who gives yourself to those scum, letting them do whatever they want." Her eyes blazed. "Oh, and you were wrong about the Deputy. He was lousy for a short while. I had to do all the work by myself."

She reached down and grabbed Belinda's hair. "This should give your paper something to write about." Belinda's scream filled the night as the knife arced toward her then was drowned out by the thunder of a gunshot, and Adelaine flew sideways into the car and crashed to the ground.

Barney dashed up, kicking the knife away from Adelaine's outstretched hand and then helping Belinda to her feet.

"You okay? Did she hurt you?"

"Not really, thanks to you, Barney. God, I was terrified." She bent over to peer at Adelaine. "Is she dead?"

"No, but she's bleeding quite a bit. Get me the first aid kit out of the trunk."

"You're going to help her!"

"She's a prisoner, Belinda and despite all else she gets a fair trial and then a deserving sentence. I want her to know that what she did will cost her dearly."

****

Wiping moist eyes, Emily provided bowls of steaming homemade soup for both Barney and Belinda while they waited for Doc Ollcott to come all the way from Dempster for Stan's body. Belinda began crying again and asked if she could use their room since they hadn't really checked out; she needed to shower again and change before heading back home.

"She took that awfully hard."

"You sound surprised." Barney said. "Tough as she is on the job, Belinda is a softy inside . . . too soft sometimes. She sells herself short all the time pursuing her career."

"I didn't know. She seemed to be giving him a tough time more often than not."

"Just her way. Truth told I never really liked her all that much. Didn't like the way she used herself to get what she wanted. But there were a couple of moments tonight that let me see inside the room that really is Belinda Talltree."

"Changed your mind?"

"Some." He looked at his hostess with some concern. "How about you? Are you hangin' tough with all this business?"

"I'll be fine, but it'll be a while. I was getting to know these people a little, and they occupied my mind some. Your deputy kinda captured my fancy a little."

"That was Stan all right. Ever the charmer." His voice broke and he looked away. "I'll never understand what makes folks behave the way they do. This Curtis woman looks like your regular girl next door, and she turns out to be a monster."

"I shudder to think about it."

Barney finished his soup and thanked Emily, offering to pay or at least do dishes or something. She laughed and told him it was the least she could do to help the law. Besides, she added, there were other guests needed tending, and she didn't need amateurs in the kitchen.

He reminded her that she would be required to provide a statement, and that it would have to be in Dempster. Emily agreed and waved off any concern he might have.

"I can get away for a day; just let me know when." She took Barney's hand and squeezed it in silent commiseration.

Doc Ollcott arrived in the parking lot, surprisingly with Liam, and explained to Barney that after getting over his initial queasiness, Liam suddenly found the work in the morgue fascinating.

"I might have my own personal Igor here," Doc chortled.

"You might need him too. Stan's a mess. He's in the back of my car wrapped in the shock blanket from the aid kit. I just hope it kept the blood off the upholstery. Can't have the force down to one car."

"You okay, Barney? You're talkin' awful light about this."

Barney's face crumpled, and he rested it wearily in his hand. "No, I'm not, Doc. Two young men just doin' their job, suspecting nothing and then both wiped out in the most vicious way . . . I- no Doc, I'm not okay at all."

"I've got some brandy in the kit."

"Thanks anyway, I just had some comfort soup from Mrs. Rastonburgh. I needed it after dealin' with that Curtis woman."

"Where is she anyway?"

"Emily, she runs the place, she has a store room we stuck her in. I put a slug in her arm that you might want to check; can't have her miss out on getting' a death sentence from the courts."

"Show me. I'll do that before we get Stan."

The two men went through the kitchen to a hall at the back, and then down a few steps to a locked door near the end of the hall. Barney slipped the bolt and they went inside. Adelaine sat huddled on a kitchen chair against one wall holding the makeshift bandage over her arm.

"Doc's gonna look at that for you. Don't make no trouble ma'am or you'll get it back . . . in spades."

"Look at my top; you put a hole in my new top. I don't know why you did this to me. You actually shot me?"

Doc looked at Barney. "Pay no attention, Doc. She swings back and forth like this all the time. One minute she's Mary's little lamb, next she's Jane the Ripper."

"Let me look at that, Miss." Doc unwrapped the gauze Barney had placed on the wound and bent down to examine the damage. "Don't look too bad. I'll swab it out and put a fresh cover on."

"I'll wait right here while you do it, Doc."

"Yeah, you better, Sheriff," Adelaine snarled. "Wouldn't want your friend here to wind up wrapped in his own tape." She stared at Ollcott with a fierce grin. He stood back quickly, shocked at the sudden change in the woman.

"Told you. Just get her done, and we'll take her out to the car." Barney kept his eyes glued to Adelaine.