Bloodstone: Written in Stone Page 5

  “This morning, in the basement.”

  “You’ve been home all day with a broken arm?”

  Ruby chuckled. “It’s a funny story. I was harvesting my mushrooms, and I slipped in a puddle. I landed on my hand and didn’t think much of it. But as the day went on, I noticed some swelling and discoloration, so I took a pain pill from the medicine cabinet.” Ruby waved her unhurt arm. “and in no time, I fell asleep in my chair.”

  “Why didn’t you call Mom? Or an ambulance?”

  “Well, I just woke up now when you stomped on the porch.” Ruby shrugged like a child who did something wrong. “Can you drive me to the ER?”

  “Of course. I need to run to Mom’s and let her know we won’t make it to dinner.”

  “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” Ruby laid her head back. Her face ashen and contorted. With her good hand, she stroked Rapscallion’s fur.

  Kevin ran next door. The last thing he wanted to do was take his time. He made a promise to Annie, if he messed up again tonight, he would lose her forever. Probably to Tony, the worthless jerk.

  He burst into the kitchen. “Mom, Mom.”

  “Laundry room, dear.”

  “Grandma fell. I need to take her to the hospital.”

  Mom looked up from folding a towel. “What happened?”

  “She slipped and fell. I think she broke her wrist.”

  Mom’s eyes flashed. “Why didn’t she call me? I could’ve helped her.”

  “She said she took a pain pill and fell asleep.”

  Mom grunted. “Find out what kind and let the attending physician know so they don’t give her anything that might interact. Also, let them know about her dementia medications too. Might want to take all her medication bottles, so you don’t have to write it all down.”

  “Okay, thanks, Mom.” Kevin was out the door and back to Grandma’s.

  Kevin snuck into her bathroom to collect medications. Inside the mirrored cabinet were many different bottles. He knew the three drugs she took for dementia. Unknown pills filled the other containers. He tossed them all into a bag, in case one of them was the pain pill. Kevin returned to the living room. “Can you stand?”

  “Rap, get down, please.” The white cat jumped off her lap and moved to the couch. Grandma held out her good hand. “It’ll be faster if you help.”

  Kevin pulled and was surprised by how little she weighed. He guided her out of the house and to the car. The drive to the hospital was quiet except for Grandma Ruby’s sudden inhale of breath whenever there was a bump in the road.

  A plump lady sat at the Emergency Room admitting desk. She set her magazine aside as they approached. Her stern stare settled on Ruby’s pain-contorted face. “What happened?”

  “Broke my arm,” Grandma said through clenched teeth. “And this idiot doesn’t know how to drive softly.” She struck Kevin with her good hand.

  “I said I was sorry.”

  “Name and birthdate.” The woman prompted. grandma rattled off the information the woman needed to check her in and start the paperwork. “Okay, please have a seat.”

  “You picked a good day to fall.” Kevin nodded to the mostly empty waiting room. An elderly gentleman and a small family with a sick baby were the only other patients. After thirty minutes of waiting, a nurse appeared and called “Ruby Arkis.” She and Kevin went from the waiting room to a patient room, where they continued to wait. Kevin sat in a hard plastic chair, and Grandma laid back in the bed and drowsed.

  A nurse in blue scrubs came in and took Grandma’s vitals. She looked at Kevin. “I’ll need to know the medications she’s currently taking.”

  Kevin produced the bag of medication. “I am positive she takes these three for her dementia.” He set three bottles on the small table next to the bed. “But she told me she took a pain pill, and I don’t know which one it is.” He dumped the rest of the bottles on the bed between Grandma’s feet.

  The nurse frowned. She looked at a few of the bottles and set them aside. “These are expired, and not just by months, by years. They should be destroyed.” She frowned at Kevin. “You need to figure out what she needs and get rid of the rest.” The nurse shook a bottle. “This pill interacts with her dementia medication. Who is responsible for her?”

  “I guess I am,” Kevin said, feeling overwhelmed.

  “You?” The nurse tilted her head and looked at him again. “How old are you?”

  “Eighteen.”

  The nurse looked surprised. “You’re taking care of her all by yourself? Have you finished high school?”

  Kevin shrugged. “I’m taking care of her, but I’m still in school. A senior, I’ll graduate this spring.” He swallowed hard then continued in a rush. “My parents live next door. So if there are problems, we can get help.”

  “I see.” She sighed. “Well, let’s get these meds sorted out now.” The nurse pulled up Grandma’s chart on the computer and cross-referenced her prescribed medication with the bottles on the bed. She made a pile of the ones that were not needed, expired, or interacted with her current prescriptions. “I’ll have the attending physician double-check.” The nurse turned to leave. “A technician will be in soon to take her to x-ray.”

  After nearly four hours in the ER, Grandma gained a bright pink cast and a prescription for painkillers. The doctor and nurse reduced the medication Kevin brought in to six bottles. The doctor wouldn’t discharge Ruby until she and Kevin told the doctor what her pills were for and what time she needed to take them.

  “I’m hungry,” Grandma complained when Kevin pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

  “Me too.” Kevin agreed. “What sounds good?”

  “Burgers.” She grinned. “Something better than a drive-through. I’m buying.”

  “Deal.” Kevin pulled into a nearby family restaurant called Sophie’s. The diner was a family favorite. When he was younger, Mom, Dad, and the girls would stop for pancakes after church. Sometimes friends from the congregation would join them. He helped Grandma ease into a booth then slid in across from her.

  When their burgers arrived, she pointed to her cast and pushed the plate toward Kevin. “Would you please cut up my sandwich?” As he cut, she dipped her fries in ketchup and slurped them from her fingers. “Would you cast a spell for me?”

  “Excuse me?” Kevin looked over his shoulder. If anyone he knew heard her, the news would get back to his mother.

  “Would you cast a spell of protection for me?” Grandma Ruby gestured to her broken arm with ketchup covered fingers. “So, I don’t get hurt again?” She looked at him sideways and then continued eating.

  “I don’t know anything about spells,” he said quietly, leaning close to the table. Kevin looked around for familiar faces as he tried to hide in his seat. His eyes caught on the nearest table. Did he know them? Did they know him?

  “Nonsense. You have all my spell books and my Grimoires.” Her voice raised. “My tarot cards too. You can make any spell you wish. And I need a protection spell.”

  Kevin wanted to hide under the table. “Grandma…Shhh,” he whined. “Okay, okay, I’ll do it.”

  “I told you to call me Ruby.”

  “Ruby, please can we talk about this at home?”

  “Talk about what?” Grandma ate more fries, one at a time. Her glazed eyes blinked at him.

  Kevin pulled the car into the driveway. He helped Grandma Ruby into the house and settled her in her favorite chair.

  Kevin pulled out his phone and dialed. “Hi, Mom.”

  “How’d it go? How’s Ruby?”

  “She broke her wrist and came home with a bright pink cast.”

  “Did you eat? I can bring something over.”

  “Thanks, Mom, but we ate on the way home. It’s late, and we’re exhausted.”

  “I understand. Thank you for calling and letting me know. Sleep tight.”

  “Night.” He turned off his phone and put it on the charger in the kitchen. Kevin walked into the living room to c
heck on his grandmother.

  “Kevin, I need help with a shower,” she said, half dozing in the chair.

  “You’re half asleep. Can’t that wait until morning?”

  “No, the doctor said I might need a shower right away if I feel itchy.”

  “And you feel itchy?”

  “Yup.” Grandma Ruby tilted her head back to look at Kevin. Her drug-addled eyes rolled in her head, comically.

  Kevin laughed. “Okay, I’ll help. Where are the cast bags?”

  “The box is in my purse.” She flung her unhurt arm to point at the front door.

  How can she remember the doctor’s orders and where the cast bags are, but not the fact that she offered to pay for dinner? Kevin pulled a sack and a rubber band from the box. “Let’s get this done.”

  Grandma Ruby attempted to stand but fell back into the chair. She grinned and held out her arm. Kevin helped her stand then guided her to the bathroom, where she swayed like a willow branch. “You’ll have to undress me.” Her eyes widened, and she snickered. “I can’t believe I said that.”

  “Grandma!” Kevin rubbed his face, feeling awkward. He took a deep breath, letting it out in a huff. “Let’s take this slowly. Where are you itchy?”

  “My arm.” She patted the cast.

  “The cast can’t get wet.”

  She looked at Kevin with puppy eyes and a trembling lip.

  He smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Kevin put a washcloth under warm running water, wrung it out, and wiped Grandma’s elbow and fingers. “There. All better.”

  She looked at Kevin with drugged adoration. “Thank you.”

  “Can you get to bed?”

  “Sure.” For the first time since Grandpa Joe’s death, Grandma slept in her bedroom, not the living room recliner. She flopped on the king-sized bed and snored.

  Kevin climbed the porch post’s metal filigree design and knocked on Annie’s dark window.

  She pushed aside the curtain and opened the glass.

  “I know it’s late. Sorry I didn’t call.”

  “Shut-up.” Annie attacked him, kissing him, hugging him, and pulling him into her bedroom. They made out on her bed. Her lips tasted of strawberries, and she smelled as sweet. Annie touched, kissed, and caressed him in all the right places. She pulled at Kevin’s clothing, tearing away his shirt.

  He was surprised; they had only been dating for a week, but he didn’t stop her from exploring his body.

  Stomping and voices on the stairs startled Kevin. He sat up, expecting Annie’s parents to open her door any second. He grabbed his shirt and bolted out the window. He slipped off the porch roof and took his time walking home.

  As he walked home, Kevin’s mind raced. He wondered if he really could cast a spell for Ruby. Would it keep her safe? Would he have more time with Annie?

  His one true love.

  Chapter 10

  M egan walked stealthily down the hallway, her Smith and Wesson SD 9mm pointed up. She checked her six, then advanced down the hall. The door to her left was open. She poked her head in the room and quickly withdrew. Three people. Two men were facing the television, and a woman stood in the kitchen.

  She shot the woman first, then the men in quick succession. Clean kills, headshots.

  Megan continued moving through the hallway. The door to her right was closed. She quietly tried the knob, but it was locked. She shot the door and jamb at an angle to shatter the wood and disable the lock. Megan threw her weight against the door and forced it open, falling into the room, landing on her side. She shot two men from her prone position.

  A buzzer sounded, and a red light flashed. Megan stood, released the magazine, and popped the chambered round. She glanced up at the room that overlooked the course. Nikolai nodded to her from his perch. Megan walked back down the hall and dismantled the Smith and Wesson on the table. She cleaned it and then stood, waiting for Nikolai’s assessment.

  “Very good,” Nikolai said when he entered the range. “You cleared one more room than you normally do” He looked at the pistol, reassembled it, and put it into the safe. “Your father will be pleased to hear this progress.”

  “Nikolai, what would you recommend I do to remove a threat from school?”

  “Threat?” His eyebrows furrowed.

  “Well, she isn’t a threat to me personally. But she hurt others in the past.”

  “I see.” Nikolai stroked his chin. “This is why you did so well today. You always do better when there is a bully at school. I noticed this when you were little. But you can’t rely on anger to focus your mind.”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “You should meditate before you practice again.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” Megan folded her arms.

  He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “If you take direct action, you could endanger your father and yourself.” Nikolai put his arm around her, directing her to the exit. “But you can do other things.”

  “Like?”

  “You can look into her past, and if she has some black mark on her record, you could bring it to the attention of the school.” Nikolai turned to face her. He smiled. “And if you are smart like I know you are. You’ll do it anonymously.”

  “But that only means she’d be removed from the school.” Megan patted the sides of his face. “She hurt my friend. I’d like her to suffer.”

  Nikolai shrugged. “Accidents happen every day.” He stared at her with narrowed eyes. “Accidents.”

  Megan looked down and nodded. “Thank you for setting me straight.”

  “I’d rather you do some digging instead of direct action. Mistakes can happen even if it’s an accident.” Nikolai kissed her on the forehead. “Now, hit the showers. I have another client coming in.”

  Megan rang the doorbell. Mrs. Schumacher opened the door and peered out. “Good evening, Megan.” She stepped aside for Megan to enter. Her blonde hair was up in a bun. She appeared to be Bonnie’s aged twin. “Bonnie said you were coming over for a study session.”

  Megan nodded. “English assignment.”

  “I don’t envy you girls. I never did well in English.” Mrs. Schumacher turned to face the stairs. “Bonnie, Megan is here,” she shouted.

  Bonnie bounded down the stairs. “Mom, can we get some snacks?”

  “In your room?” Mrs. Schumacher looked at Bonnie and Megan. She raised her eyebrows.

  “Yes. Please,” Bonnie begged.

  “Fine, fine, just remember to bring your garbage and plates to the kitchen.”

  “Thank you, Mom, you’re the best.” Bonnie hugged her.

  “Plates and garbage.” She reminded the girls.

  Bonnie ran into the kitchen and collected a few chip bags and two cola cans. “Come on. I want to show you something,” she said to Megan, then ran back up the stairs.

  Megan looked at Bonnie’s mother and shrugged, apologizing for her daughter. This behavior was another aspect of American life that was different from Megan’s. She would never presume it would be alright to eat, much less with a friend, in her bedroom. Her father would find that behavior rude.

  Megan strolled up the stairs. She had never been in Bonnie’s room before, but it was easy to find. It had posters of boy bands tacked to her wall, pop music playing, and smelled vaguely of perfume.

  Bonnie sat on her pink four-poster bed. “I thought you might change your mind and not come over at all.” She patted the bed beside her. “Come, sit.”

  Megan pulled out the English assignment and set it beside them.

  Bonnie smiled. “You thought we were going to do homework?”

  “We’re not?”

  “Well, it isn’t school assigned, exactly.” Bonnie shrugged. “But it’s still homework.” She went to her door and closed it, and then she turned up the music. “What are the plans to mess up Annie’s face?”

  “I didn’t give it much thought.”

  “Well, I have!” Bonnie paced. “After what she did to Chr
is and me. I’ve been shopping for a voodoo doll and brass knuckles.” She punched her right fist into her left hand.

  Megan assessed her friend. Bonnie was thin. In fact, fragile might describe her better. “Where have you been shopping? I’ve never seen a store like that in town.”

  Bonnie’s eyes lit up like she had a joke to tell. “I’ve heard rumors about a business in town that teaches assassins. How to blow stuff up and take people out.” Bonnie swiped her finger across her throat. “Maybe we can hire one of the students.” She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, my God. I’m kidding. You should see the look on your face. My dad told me when I asked him about brass knuckles. He knows I'm serious, and he says something stupid like that.”

  How would Bonnie’s dad know about Nikolai’s business? Megan forced herself to look at Bonnie and smile. “That does seem pretty far fetched. Maybe in a big city like Chicago, but here?”

  “Who are you kidding? You took that story, hook, line, and sinker.”

  “Yea, I suppose I did.” Megan shrugged. “If there were an assassin business, would you take some classes?”

  “Defending myself is one thing, but going out to hunt people, that’s completely different.” Bonnie shook her head. “I don’t think I could do that.”

  “All right, killing Annie is out of the question.” Megan winked at Bonnie. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “I think we need to find out what sucker she has on the line.” Bonnie scratched her head. “Which means finding out her schedule so that we can track her moves at school. I think I can do that. It’ll take a day or two.”

  “You know how to get her schedule?” Megan was surprised that someone might have a skill she could exploit. She was astonished that Bonnie was that someone.

  “Not exactly.” Bonnie smiled a devilish grin. “But, I do work in the office during study hall.” She wagged her eyebrows. “Mrs. Granger isn’t very attentive when I use the computer under her log in.”

  “Well, Mrs. Granger isn’t the brightest,” Megan agreed.

  “I plan to do what I normally do, file, proofread the newsletter, and see if I can find the schedules.” Bonnie shrugged. “It’s just a shot in the dark. But, if I do find it, I can’t print it.”