Abby Ch. 26

Passion In James County XI

Abby

By D.C. Roi

Chapter twenty-six

"You found what?" Greg asked, going a bit pale. "Jesus H. Christ!"

Abby sat across the table, watching Greg take a phone call from the sheriff's department headquarters. It was the day after Ellen Coughlin's visit and she was just now beginning to feel like she might survive. She wondered what Greg had just learned that had obviously upset him.

The day before, a whole bunch of police officers had arrived shortly after Greg showed up and subdued Ellen, who was now locked safely in the county jail. The big detective who'd been shot was in the hospital, but was expected to survive. His partner had broken her ankle and would be laid up for a while, but she'd be OK, too. Abby was glad about that, at least. She wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she had been responsible for someone dying.

"Jesus..." Greg said, shaking his head, after he'd hung the phone up.

"Greg, what's the matter?" Abby asked.

"They...they found that woman's husband," he said, his voice quavering.

"Bill?" Abby asked. "Is...is he all right?"

Greg reached across the table and took her hand. "Abby, he...he's dead," he replied. "He..." He shuddered.

"Did...did Ellen shoot him?" Abby asked, feeling her eyes fill with tears. Maybe she had caused the death of another human being after all. "Like...like she was going to shoot me?"

Greg shook his head. "Maybe it...it would have been better if she had shot him," he said. He shuddered again. "The poor bastard. After we busted the woman yesterday, the detectives got a search warrant and broke into the house. They found her husband in the basement, handcuffed to some pipes." He stopped and took a deep breath. "His wife, she...she must have forced him down there at gunpoint, I guess," he said. "Then...then she...she...she cut...she cut his...his...his penis and testicles off. With...with a meat cleaver."

"Oh, God!" Abby said. She felt Greg squeezing her hand as tears began rolling down her cheeks.

"The...the Medical Examiner...he thinks the guy bled to death," Greg continued. He looked across the table at Abby. "That woman had to have been crazy before this happened," he said. "She had to have been."

"Oh, God!" Abby said. "It's...it's my fault. Bill's dead and it's my fault. If I had..."

"Abby, don't be silly, it isn't your fault!" Greg said, taking her other hand in his. "You were under a lot of emotional pressure and you made a mistake. One mistake, remember? Don't forget, the guy raped you."

"Greg, I..." Abby said. She began sobbing, unable to continue.

Greg got up, walked around to the side of the table where Abby sat, knelt down, and put his arms around her. She pressed her head against his shoulder and continued to sob.

When Abby finally calmed down, Greg let go of her and stood up. "Want some lunch?" he asked.

"I...I don't know," Abby said. "I...I'm not really that hungry."

"Well, I'm starved," he said. "I'm going to make something. I really do think it would be good if you ate something." He smiled. "Maybe I should make some chicken soup. Such a thing is good for you when you're verklempt," he said, affecting a really terrible Yiddish accent. "That's a subject you can discuss among yourself while I cook."

Greg's silliness was so unexpected Abby couldn't help herself, she giggled. "You're a nut, Greg Atkinson, do you know that?" she said.

"It comes from living way out in the woods and spending too much time alone," Greg said, getting out a pot.

"What's going to happen now?" Abby asked as Greg started putting lunch together. "With Ellen, I mean."

"Unless her lawyer's a total idiot," he said, "I figure he'll claim insanity. And, given what she did, I think it should work. My guess is she'll spend the rest of her life in the state mental hospital."

"You...you could have shot her and you didn't," Abby said. "I heard that Lieutenant telling you that was good. I...I think so, too."

Greg glanced over at her and smiled. "I was afraid if I missed I'd hit the TV set," he said. "It was right behind her. Even if I'd missed the TV, I'd have put a hole in the wall, and I'd have to repair that."

"You did put a hole in the ceiling, remember?" Abby pointed out. "When you grabbed the gun."

"Yeah, well..." Greg said, he felt his face getting hot.

"You didn't want to shoot her, did you?" Abby asked. "You...you really are a gentle person, aren't you?"

Greg was blushing furiously now. "Keep that quiet, will you?" he said, "If the bad guys around here find out, I'm going to be in big trouble next time I have to break up a bar fight." He finished mixing the ingredients in the pot and put it on the stove to warm.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked Abby.

"I...I haven't really thought much about that," Abby said, "I...I am going to get a divorce, that much I'm sure of. Other than that, I...I don't know."

Greg stirred the soup as it warmed. "You're a nurse, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" Abby asked.

"Well, there's a little hospital over in Victorville," he said.

"I know," Abby said, "We took Lee's son over there once when he fell and cut himself."

"I happen to know that they're going to have an opening for a nurse in the emergency department," he said. "One of the nurses who works in the E.R. is getting married and moving away. To Philadelphia, if you can believe that. If you're interested, I can put in a good word for you."

"Maybe I will do something like that," Abby said, "I mean, I suppose I could try to get alimony from Lee, but I'm not sure I want to, you know? Actually, I was thinking I'd be happy to settle for the cabin. It's the only thing we have I really care about."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Greg said, "I can't believe a city girl like you would actually want to live and work out here in the woods."

"Why not?" Abby said. "I love it here, and there's nothing left for me back in the city except awful memories."

"There could be some pretty awful memories after what happened here, too," Greg said. He got some soup bowls out of the cupboard and set them on the table.

"I know," Abby said, "but there are some wonderful memories here, too." She smiled at him. "And there could be more. Can I help you with anything?"

"Sure," Greg said, "You could get the glasses and silverware. I'll have diet cola."

Abby finished setting the table, then they ate. She was surprised to find that Greg really had made chicken soup, and that it was excellent.

"I can't believe you really made chicken soup," Abby said.

"Eat! It's good for what ails you," Greg grinned. "Would you be interested in taking a canoe ride after we eat?"

"A canoe ride?" Abby said. "I'd love it."

"Terrific," Greg said. "I'll take you over to the other side of the lake and show you the beaver lodge. Maybe the beavers will be out."

"I'd like that," Abby said.