Chapter 41
Forty-One
Erin was glad to be out of the hospital.
It had taken longer to check out than she’d anticipated, but she had to see Pat.
She was so glad to find that she was doing better.
She’d been through a lot, but her daughter was with her, and Erin was confident she’d make a complete recovery.
She and Pat exchanged numbers and promised to stay in touch.
Now, Erin wanted nothing more than to try to get back to her normal life.
She was still uncomfortable, but thankfully, Kaely’s guest bed was soft.
Perfect for her bruised body. Erin was just grateful that hitting the cement floor while tied to that chair hadn’t caused serious damage.
Chester had gotten up on the bed so he could be near her.
He seemed to know something was wrong. He stayed as close as he could without actually touching her.
It was as if he knew it might hurt her. Every time she looked at him, she found him staring at her, his deep brown eyes peering into hers. She’d missed him so much.
Kaely had insisted that she go to bed as soon as she got home from the hospital. “The doctor said you need to rest. We’re doing what he says. No arguments.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said with a smile. She was happy to be ordered to bed.
She didn’t want to be a wimp, but after taking one of the pain pills the doctor had prescribed, she didn’t want to do anything but lie down and let the medicine do its work.
Thankfully, her voice was getting stronger.
She still sounded a little froggy, but it was much better than it had been in the hospital.
She’d just nodded off when she heard the bedroom door open.
She opened her eyes and saw Kaely holding a tray.
When she saw what was on the tray, she grinned.
“Hot chocolate and Mallomars? Now that’s what the doctor ordered.”
“I thought it might do the trick.”
While Erin gingerly pulled herself into a sitting position, Kaely put the tray over her lap.
“I know you ate something at the hospital, but I noticed you left most of it on the plate. Not that I blame you.”
“What is it about hospital food?” Erin said, unwrapping one of the Mallomars. “It’s like they all get together and try to figure out how to remove taste from everything they serve.”
Kaely grinned. “Actually, I think they’re trying to make sure they keep the food rather bland so as not to cause stomach upset or interfere with medications.”
“Well, that makes sense. And actually, there was a cinnamon roll this morning that was really, really good.”
“Did it taste like a Mallomar?”
Erin laughed. “No, but if it was in a restaurant, I’d order it. Started my day off right.”
“Well, you need to rest. Enjoy your Mallomars and hot chocolate,” Kaely said. “I’ll be back.”
Erin frowned at her. “Could you . . . just wait a bit? There’s something I want to tell you.”
“Sure,” Kaely said. She sat down on the chair near the door. “I’m happy to listen to you anytime, Erin.”
Erin took a deep breath and told Kaely about what she’d experienced after the attack. Kaely listened without interruption. When she finished, she waited for Kaely to say something. Did she think Erin was imagining what she’d seen?
At first Kaely didn’t say anything. Finally, she cleared her throat and met Erin’s eyes. “I had a similar experience,” she said. “Some people didn’t believe me when I told them, but I know what happened. God is so good. He wanted you to know that Courtney is okay. That she’s safe with Him.”
“It . . . It’s hard for me to understand how He could love someone like Courtney.
That He could allow her into heaven after she killed all those people.
That kind of love is beyond my comprehension.
But I’m so grateful. I . . .” Erin stopped when she heard a noise from downstairs.
“Is Noah home? I thought he was going to work?”
Kaely frowned. “He did. And Adrian’s not supposed to be here until dinner.”
Erin looked at the clock on the nightstand next to her. It was only a little after four. “That’s what I thought. I . . .”
A man stepped into the bedroom. He held a gun in his hand. Kaely stood up.
“Who are you, and what do you want?” she asked.
Erin saw her pat her right side. It was instinct, but of course Kaely wasn’t armed. There wasn’t anything she could do.
The man came closer, his gun still pointed at Kaely, who had stepped between the man and Erin.
She was clearly trying to shield her. Erin couldn’t let her risk her life like that.
Chester began to growl and tried to get off the bed.
She was certain he sensed danger and wanted to protect them.
She was afraid the man might shoot Chester, and she couldn’t let that happen.
She grabbed his collar and told him to stay.
Although he still continued to growl softly, he obeyed.
“If you don’t hold onto that mutt, I’ll kill him,” the man said.
“Who are you?” Kaely asked again.
“I’m Eddie Pilcher.” He glared at them. “Your friend Lee Johnson and his cousin promised me a big payday. I’m here to collect it.”
“He’s not my friend,” Erin said. “He’s yours.”
“Nah, he’s not,” Eddie snarled. “He ratted me out. I’ll take care of that weasel, trust me. I’ve got friends in prison. They don’t like snitches either.”
“But why are you here?” Kaely asked. “Your plan to get money from Erin’s publisher is dead. Surely you realize we don’t keep large amounts of cash in our house.”
“I bet your husband will pay a pretty penny if I offer to keep you both alive,” he said. “I need enough to get out of town. Start a new life.” He waved his gun around. “You call him. Tell him to empty out your bank account. Bring the cash here now.”
Eddie Pilcher was delusional. It was after four.
Most banks closed at four. Noah could get some money from an ATM, but not enough to give Pilcher the new life he wanted.
Erin prayed Kaely wouldn’t tell him that his plan wasn’t going to work.
That knowledge could push him over the edge.
He might shoot them both if he thought they were no longer any use to him.
“All right,” Kaely said. “I’ll call him. Just quit pointing that gun at me.”
“No way, lady,” Pilcher said. His mannerisms and the wild look in his eyes made Erin think he was on drugs. That would only make him more dangerous. He stepped closer to Kaely. “You dial the number. I’ll talk to him. I want him to know that I’m serious.”
Kaely nodded. “Okay, but my phone’s downstairs. If you let me go get it . . .”
“You must think I’m really stupid.” He pointed the gun at Erin. “Give her your phone. She can use it to call her husband.”
Her phone was on the nightstand next to the bed. And Erin’s gun was in the top drawer. She usually kept it unloaded, but with everything that had been going on before she was abducted by Courtney, she’d loaded it. She’d forgotten about it until that moment. If she could just open the drawer . . .
“You,” he said to Kaely, “get her phone. Now.”
Kaely walked over to the bed and picked up Erin’s phone.
Erin gazed down at the drawer for just a second, hoping Kaely would pick up what she was trying to tell her.
Her almost imperceptible nod told her she understood.
She turned around quickly, handing the phone to Eddie while blocking Erin from his line of sight.
Erin quickly pulled the drawer open and took out her gun, but before she could fire, she heard a shot and Kaely fell.
Before she could stop him, Chester leaped off the bed and grabbed Pilcher’s wrist. Erin aimed her gun at him and pressed the trigger.