The Comforts of Home (39 page)

IN THE BASEMENT OF THE FUNERAL HOME

EVERYONE WAITED. With layers of thick wal s between them and the storm, the threat of a tornado seemed far away. The women talked in the comfortable break room while Calvin drank coffee and Dave slept. Martha Q, Beth the bookkeeper, and Kate were talking about redecorating as Autumn thumbed through a magazine.

They’d been settled in for a while when Autumn stood.

“Oh my God,” she said. “We forgot the dog. Little Lady must be frightened out of her mind.”

“I’l go get her,” Kate offered.

“No, I wil . I know al her hiding places around the kitchen. I’l be right back.”

She was gone before anyone could debate.

Autumn ran up the back steps to where a panel in the back of the entryway opened. Anyone visiting would never notice the entrance, but she’d explored the hidden passages that al owed those who worked there to move from one room to another without ever passing through the public areas.

She was halfway across the kitchen when she saw a shadow cross the bay window. A man was wearing black and trying to look in the window.

Autumn darted for the dog as the shadow moved to the kitchen window.

Little Lady barked. The stranger’s face pressed against the glass. Autumn backed away as she recognized Leland.

He was standing just beyond the glass glaring at her.

Before a scream could clear her throat, he shattered the glass by the lock and was inside.

She backed up, hitting her head on a hanging pot.

“Looks like I final y caught you here alone.” Leland smiled as he moved closer, like a cat cornering a mouse.

“You should have guessed I wouldn’t leave without taking you along.”

Her back hit the counter, knocking the receiver off the phone.

Little Lady barked again and raced toward Leland as if to defend the property.

In the moment Leland swatted at the dog, she punched 911 and shouted, “Don’t you dare hurt that dog!” Leland looked up, ignoring the animal. “I didn’t come to hurt no dog,” he said in almost a whisper. “But I can’t say the same about you. We weren’t finished talking and now everyone in town is busy, I figure we might have our own little storm.” He lifted his fist. “I’m going to rain down on you so hard there won’t be a man in this town who’l look at you after today.”

She moved around the center island, staying out of his reach. “Go away,” she managed. “Go away and leave me alone.”

“Not this time. I saw your boss run over to the fire station. I’ve been watching this place for two days. There ain’t nobody here who can stop me, and with al the racket outside no one wil hear your screams. Not even when you lose that bastard you’re carrying.” He laughed. “When we get through dancing, darling, I’l load you in the truck and take you home. I’d be wil ing to bet you don’t give another thought to leaving me after today.”

Autumn had to think. She couldn’t panic. “I’l go,” she said. “I’l go back home. Just let me get my things.” She took a step toward her room.

He smiled. “You’re not getting out of what is coming to you that easily, but if you want to pack up, I can wait. Take anything around here that looks like it’s valuable while you’re at it.”

He backhanded her as she ran toward her room.

Autumn tumbled backward like a rag dol , hitting the floor hard. She crawled to her knees and managed to avoid a kick.

He grabbed her by the hair and pul ed her to her feet. “I told you to go get your things. I don’t want you leaving nothing here. As far as everyone knows you just left, like you always leave.”

He was almost holding her off the ground. She grabbed at his hand, trying to make him let go of her hair.

He slapped her almost playful y as blood from her mouth splattered across the polished floor and counters.

The wind outside rattled the panes in the windows. He dropped her suddenly, and she crawled away as fast as she could.

“Hurry up!” he yel ed. “I want to get out of this place before it gets any worse.”

Autumn ran to her room, slammed the door, and threw the bolt. She knew it would never keep him out for long, but she only needed a moment.

Without looking back, she ran to the closet and closed herself in. Using her fingers to find the trap door, she opened the latch and slid down the old rope, pul ing the trap closed behind her.

Halfway down, the rope broke, sending her sprawling to the concrete floor.

“Help!” she cried once before col apsing into tears.

Kate reached her first. For a moment she thought the girl had been hurt in the fal . As Calvin lifted Autumn up to carry her into the light, Kate’s cel rang.

She answered it, knowing who it was. “Tyler!”

“Are you al in the basement?” he shouted.

“We are now. Autumn just came down.”

“Good, lock al the doors and stay there. From what I just heard, Leland is upstairs in the kitchen. From what I heard he was beating Autumn. I’m glad she got away. I’l send the police as soon as possible. Al hel has broken loose out near Lone Oak Road.”

The phone went dead before Kate could ask any questions.

She fol owed the others into the break area. Beth and Calvin were holding Autumn up at the sink. She was crying and blotting her bleeding mouth with a towel, but she didn’t look too badly hurt.

“Calvin,” Kate whispered. “Lock the doors.”

“They’re already locked, except for the one Autumn used, and it closes automatical y when someone goes through. No one upstairs wil find it unless he knows how to open it.”

“Good. We’re safe enough.” She left Autumn with Beth and crossed to the wide stairs leading to the hidden passage. From the bottom of the stairs she could see both the place where Autumn had landed from the trap door and the closed panel above. She’d know if anyone came down either way.

Martha Q joined her. “I never could tolerate a man who would hit a woman. That guy upstairs better pray he doesn’t find the way down or I’l teach him a lesson he’l never forget.”

Kate lifted the snow shovel. Preparing, like the soldier she was, for battle.

Al seemed silent for a while except the wind wheezing through the cracks. She thought she heard footsteps. One, maybe two sets.

Then, like a bel chiming once, Kate heard a shot ring out from above.

Then silence.

Kate looked at Martha Q, knowing the others would be little help.

“Do we go up?”

Kate nodded. “We do.”

Martha picked up a pipe.

THE OUTSIDE LINE RANG NEXT TO TYLER’S LEFT

HAND. He picked it up quickly. Al firemen were accounted for except Brandon Biggs. He hadn’t cal ed or radioed in since the first sightings of tornadoes touching down near Harmony.

“Hel o. What is your emergency?” Tyler asked.

“Sir Knight?” came Saralynn’s frightened voice. “Are you or my uncle Hank coming to get us?”

“We’re a little busy.” Tyler tried to sound calm, but a tornado had scraped along the cottonwoods fifteen minutes ago and damaged most of the trailer park just outside town.

Every fireman they could spare had been cal ed out except Brandon Biggs, and as soon as Tyler could contact Biggs, one more would be on his way.

The sheriff’s office was setting up roadblocks. Right now no one was getting down Lone Oak Road because of scattered debris on the road. “Are you with your mother, Saralynn? Are you safe?”

One emergency at a time, Tyler reminded himself.

“We are al safe, but it’s cold in the basement since the tree knocked down our door.”

The Matheson place was several miles from the trailer park, but close enough that it could have taken damage from the hundred-mile-an-hour winds. “I’l get your uncle Hank on the line. Give me a minute.”

Tyler stood and searched the bay area of the fire station. Hank had been loading up supplies five minutes ago, but now he was nowhere in sight.

“Saralynn, could I talk to your mother?”

“Okay,” she said. “But don’t forget to tel someone to come get us. I don’t like it down here.”

Tyler waited until Claire said hel o, then asked, “Is everyone al right? Are you in any danger?”

“No,” she said calmly. “Just frightened. The Trumans are here, and tel Alex her brother Noah is with us. We’re trapped but unharmed.”

“Good.” Tyler wasn’t sure what to say. “Hang in there.

The road is blocked out your direction, but we’l get to you as soon as we can. Looks like the worst of it is over. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re not seeing sunshine soon.”

“I hope so,” Claire answered. “Can you check on my sister and Gabe? I can’t get either of them on the phone.” Tyler grinned, already knowing that answer. “They drove in an hour ago to the hospital. I think Hank tried to reach them also. When he cal ed the hospital, a nurse told him cel phones were not al owed in the delivery rooms.”

“We should be there.”

The always-calm Claire sounded like she was beginning to shatter. Tyler wished he could help her, but there was nothing anyone in town could do.

Tyler could guess how it would feel being trapped.

“We’l get out to you as soon as we can,” he said again, hoping it would be sooner and not later. “Make sure everyone is warm.” It was a dumb thing to say, but Tyler felt he had to give some advice.

She thanked him and hung up.

Tyler sat back down at his desk and tried one more time to cal his funeral home. The line was stil busy. It had been for twenty minutes. The 911 cal had come in only a few minutes before everything happened. He’d picked it up, thought he heard someone scream and then nothing. A few minutes later he’d reached Kate, but in the storm he’d lost the connection.

Tyler answered two more cal s of people reporting damage before he had a few seconds to dial Kate’s number. No answer. She’d had her phone with her when she’d talked to him. She’d said they were al safe in the basement. No tornado had touched down inside the city limits. His home and business were safe . . . so where was everyone and who had cal ed 911?

He was not a man who panicked, but he could feel his insides winding up for an explosion.

Hank cal ed in to say they were transporting two people to the hospital from the trailer park. Another fireman reported that he was en route to the hospital with a man who might have suffered a heart attack.

Tyler took the cal s, and relayed them when needed, but al the time he was worried about his people at the funeral home. Calvin and Dave were older; Beth should have retired five years ago. Autumn was pregnant. He thought of a hundred things that might have happened since he’d talked to Kate. He kept tel ing himself that Kate was there, she could take care of any emergency. She would cal his cel if she needed him. They were safe in the basement where no one could get to them.

Five more minutes passed, then ten. The rain stopped pounding. Tyler glanced at the window. The sky was no longer black. People were stil cal ing in. Some to say their electricity was out. Some to report damage. He’d put Ronny to work taking down reports. The girl had proven to be a great help, as had Border Biggs. Though he frightened a few people off, he was more than wil ing to do al he could. When folks saw his grandmother pass by and pat him on the cheek, they lost most of their fear of the kid.

Tyler needed to leave. He only had to go a few blocks and check on his people, but right now he had a job to do and he couldn’t abandon his post until someone showed up to relieve him.

His cel final y rang. “Kate,” he said as he answered. “I’m so glad . . .”

Kate’s voice broke in. “We need an ambulance, Ty, as fast as possible.”

Tyler picked up the other line and punched speed dial.

“Who?” he said, mental y going through his list of employees who might be hurt.

“One man down. Gunshot wound. Life threatening.” Tyler’s training kicked in. He relayed the message as fast as possible before asking any of the questions firing through his brain.

“It’s on its way,” he said to Kate. “Fil me in.”

“Thank God.” She took a moment to breathe before she answered. “Its one of your firemen. I think his name is Biggs. Leland beat Autumn up and when she escaped, the fireman must have come through the back door and surprised Leland. The fireman took a bul et in his chest, but near as I can tel it missed his heart because his pulse is pounding hard. Good vital signs, but he keeps asking for someone named Reagan. From his breathing, I’d guess he has a lung col apsed and he’s lost a lot of blood.” Tyler gripped the phone so tightly he was surprised when it didn’t shatter in his hand. “You and the others?”