Chapter 104
Susan
Thursday
Like the worst nightmare, it unfolds in front of my eyes, so near but so far. I’m screaming, hobbling, running through pain. Venetia is demonic now, lit by a streetlight, a smile on her face, knife in both hands, high above Bella. Felipe is on the ground beside them, unconscious maybe.
If I can just…but I can’t, I’m too far and she’s lowering the knife now, and I can’t…
I can’t make it, I have to but I can’t and then oh my god, Felipe…
he’s there, still on the ground, but he’s shoved himself somehow, thrown himself on top of Bella, and I’m still running and the knife comes down and makes contact but…
but it’s in Felipe’s back, oh god, she’s stabbed Felipe, and he’s on Bella, lying across Bella, and I keep running.
Venetia is…she’s trying to pull the knife out of his back.
It’s not over. But I’m here now and I can help…
the tire iron, on the ground. I grab it and, with no warning, no mercy, no room for error, I smash it across the side of her head and she goes down sideways and she’s…
she’s not moving. Out cold, slumped on the ground.
I turn to Felipe, drop to my knees. He rolls to the side and shows me Bella, beneath him, not stabbed, not dead, alive. Dazed, silent, but alive. I pull her into my arms. I’m never letting her go. Beside me, Felipe lies on his side, pale and sweating.
“She’s OK,” he whispers.
I swallow, my throat tight, and nod. “She’s OK, she’s OK.
Oh my god. Felipe.” My whole body is shaking.
I hold Bella close, trying to stop the quiver, but I can’t.
“You saved Bella, but we…we need to get you to a hospital.” I look up.
People are coming, people are here. Neighbors running, phones out.
Already I can hear the distant sound of a siren.
I look back at Felipe, take his hand in mine, rubbing it, kneading it. “Help is coming, you’ll be OK.”
His eyes flicker closed. This is not good. I need to keep him awake, keep him talking.
“Stay with me, talk to me…tell me what happened…how did you know where Venetia would be?”
His eyes open again, and he smiles a faint smile, his face pale in the streetlight.
“I got it wrong first.” It comes in a whisper.
“Venetia, she was furious, in a rage…I thought she would come here, to your house, but…but no. I arrived and there was nobody here. Then I saw your text.” Two shallow exhales.
“And wondered if she’d…she’d gone to your sister Leesa’s house. The Instagram post.”
I nod, teeth chattering. People are here now, hunkered, blurred, but I focus only on Bella and Felipe. “Keep going. Tell me the rest.”
“Venetia wasn’t at Leesa’s either, so I came back here. I saw her driving, I saw someone running, I didn’t know for sure if it was you, but somehow I did. So I swerved to stop her…”
People are saying things. Help them. Don’t touch them. Take the baby. No, leave the baby. Wait for the ambulance. Pull out the knife. Don’t go near the knife. Anyone else hurt?
At that, I remember. Oh my god, Greta.
I have to get to Greta. I scan the faces around me, still holding Bella to my chest, still holding Felipe’s hand. I spot Juliette Sullivan.
“Juliette!” I scream. “Go to Greta, get to my house, she’s in the kitchen, unconscious or…or—” Or dead. A sob. What if it’s too late? Was it already too late when I left her? “Call another ambulance. Tell them it’s a heroin overdose.”
Juliette’s jaw drops, but to her eternal credit, she doesn’t ask questions. Her phone at her ear, she begins to run back toward my house.
Someone else, Juliette’s husband I think, puts a blanket over my shoulders, whispering that the ambulance is coming.
I turn back to Felipe. His eyes are closed again.
“You’re going to be OK. You saved Bella. You…you…” I’m sobbing. “You need to stay awake, stay with us.” Sobbing and laughing. “It’s a rule, I’m sure of it. If you save someone. You have to be, like, a life-long guardian.” Whispering now. “She needs you. I need you.”
“She’s going to be OK.” Staccato, hushed words. “She has a great mother…”
Blood soaks his T-shirt and voices around us grow louder, more anxious, as his eyelids flutter open and closed.
“Felipe! Stay with us. Please.” Sirens. “The ambulance. It’s nearly here.” I squeeze his hand. “Please stay with me.”
“Don’t let go,” he says softly, a whisper of fear. “I don’t want to…die on my own.”
“Felipe,” I whimper. “I won’t let go.”
Felipe closes his eyes and takes a final breath.