Forlot: Thunder Will Come Down - Book Twenty-Seven

Chapter Fifteen

Was it the infant's mother? Yes, it was. I recognized her voice. She was clutching her cellphone and had it on speaker, so it was easy to hear the mystery person who was on the other end. I lowered my phone and hung up on Kara without saying that I had to go or a goodbye. I leaned forward until the side of my face was pressed against the stall door and held my breath.

"Are you alone?" the mystery person questioned the woman.

"Of course I am. I am in the women's restroom and saw no witnesses going in here before me. This would be the perfect time to run the plan by me again."

I placed a hand over my mouth to keep from gasping or uttering a peep. She did not know that I was in there and eavesdropping on their conversation. She must have not seen me entering the bathroom. And as much as it was wrong of me to eavesdrop, if that mom was hiding something that was against the law, the first thing that I would do is rush to her baby and protect her.

I tilted my head to the floor and stared at my legs and feet. The stall doors do not go all the way down. The woman would notice me sooner or later and do something in order for me to stay silent, like murder me or hold me hostage. Speaking of murder...

Slowly and quietly, I lifted my legs to the toilet seat and wrapped my arms around them. I shut my eyes and listened intently, praying that the mom would not find me.

The mystery person uttered a sigh of annoyance. "I will explain the plan one more time. I swear that if you forget again, I will hire an expert that will hunt you down for sport and murder you."

"Is that not a bit extreme? The police and detectives will open an investigation and have no trouble tracing my murder to you and whoever else works with ya."

"Is English your first language? Did I say that I would hire an amateur?"

"Even you should know that experts can mess up."

"Not my experts, sugarplum. I have worked too much and have come too close to have my vision taken away from me. Now...before I go through the plan for the hundredth time, you told me that you abusing your baby came to the surface."

I knew it! Who called it? I did! I knew that she was abusing her child! The poor baby.

"Part of the truth. Not the whole truth, ma'am."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The woman swallowed hard. "I...I left my baby in the woods. She was in the middle of the woods, and I figured that she would die there. I figured that she would not be found."

"Are you trying to imply to me that she was found?"

"I am afraid so. That couple that I described to you earlier...they were the ones who found my baby by accident and took her."

"That is why I suggested for you to kill them. Kill them both."

"I have to disagree with you on that."

"Are you disobeying me?"

"Yes, but I am saving both of our bottoms. If I murder the baby, which is what I should have done in the first place, the young woman, the young man, the leaders and the mayor will become suspicious."

The unknown person on the other end of the call. Why was her voice so recognizable to me?

"I cannot believe that I am saying this, but you are right."

"I-I am?"

"Absolutely. Your murders should not be...well, murders. They should be staged like that the deaths were accidents. But not on the same day."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Hmm...are you by a computer?"

"I am sure that I can locate one in the hospital."

"Put me on hold until you are on a computer. You will search on the Internet for folks who live in Forlot. I need to know the names of the couple."

"...why?"

"If they are main characters, I want them to suffer for interference."

The next sounds that I heard were the footsteps belonging to the woman. She was exiting the restroom. The door that separated the room from the rest of the hospital opened, and the hinges squealed until the door was completely closed.

I stayed in the position that I was in and recollected my thoughts before deciding what to do next. I expected the mom to be the abuser. What I did not expect was for her to be a murderer working for another woman who was also a murderer. I could not allow this juicy information to slide and...

My fingertips brushed the handle of my gun. Gosh. My mind was so focused on the baby and Destiny and the baby's mother and eavesdropping that I forgot that I had my gun. I usually bring it with me whenever the family and I leave the house. I took out the gun and wrapped my thumbs and fingers around it. I knew what I had to do now. Locate the evil woman before it was too late. Before she put me, Caleb, and her baby to an end.

I pulled open the stall door and burst out of the bathroom. I glanced down in all directions - and spotted her. She was hurrying as fast as she could with her phone still in her clutches. Thankfully, I am an excellent shooter and aimed my gun at her. I prayed, and then pulled the trigger - and shot her. Not in the arm. Not in the leg where I was aiming for. The bullet buried itself into her back.

The woman shrieked and collapsed on her stomach. Her phone slid out of her hand and across the floor until it hit a wall.

The baby was safe.