Deadly Expectations (80 page)

It was too dark to see the keypad on the phone so I held it near the window and dialled Ray.
 
It seemed to ring forever before he answered.

“Hey Denis … what’s up?” he asked.

“Ray,” I sighed.
 
My stomach was cramping up again.
 
“It’s me.”

There was silence for a few seconds.
 
I was almost glad for it.
 
I took a few deep breaths as I waited for the cramping to pass.

“Anna … .what do you want?”

I took a couple more breaths as the discomfort went away.

“I want Paul,” I told him.
 
I put my hand on his ring through my shirt; still dangling on the gold necklace he had given me for my birthday.

“You have a poor way of showing it.
 
I can’t believe what you said to him … what you did.”

“You know why it has to be like this Ray.
 
At least the baby will have him … if he interferes she won’t have either of us.”

I heard him sigh.
 
“I don’t know Anna.”

“He has to want to be where he is now … he loves me so much.
 
I know I was in bad shape for a while … Andre told me what to do.
 
So he’d be out of danger.
 
I’m ashamed of myself for what I did … how I let Andre treat me … but I couldn’t see another way.”
 
I could feel my voice choking up so I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle the sobs that were starting.

“Anna?
 
Are you still there?”

“Yes.”
 
I took a deep breath.
 
I was getting confused.
 
Starting to forget why I was calling him.
 
“Something’s happened Ray.
 
I need Iverson … help.”
 
I knew what I said wasn’t making much sense.

“Let me talk to Denis.”

I looked at the plate on the table.
 
Cookies made by a dead old lady for the dead man in the basement.

“I think I pulled some muscles in my stomach in the fight Ray … I keep cramping up.”

“Anna … did you hurt Denis?”

“No.
 
He’s downstairs.
 
I’m so tired Ray, you know I wouldn’t hurt anyone.
 
Heartburn is so bad I have to try and sleep sitting up but then the back’s worse.
 
Where’s Paul?
 
I love him so much.”

“Anna!”
 
He shouted at me.
 
“Get Denis!”

“I can’t!” I shouted back … then quieter.
 
“I’m cramping up again.”
 
I took a few deep breaths.
 
“You haven’t seen me in a while … I think it’s almost over.”
 
I took a few more.
 
“I’m as big as house … lost a lot of time.
 
It’s been out of control.”

“How often?”
I knew I could count on Ray’s medical training to kick in.
 
He’d worry about how crazy I was later.

“I don’t know … I’ve just been sitting here in the dark.
 
I don’t know what to do.
 
Can you get Iverson?”

“Anna … why?”

“There are five dead men in the basement Ray … I don’t know what to do.
 
I got my bloody clothes off but my leg won’t stop oozing … I think I got the cut on my arm under control.”
 
I was just wore a t-shirt and underwear.
 
My thigh was wrapped up tightly with a torn up sheet but it wasn’t keeping the blood in.

“Jesus Anna.
 
Get Denis on the phone.”

I reached my hand out and held it over the plate.
 
I imagined I could feel their warmth rising up to my palm.
 
The hand next to my ear spoke.

“Anna?”
 
I jumped; I forgot I was holding the phone.

“Ray?”

“Yes Ray,” he said.
 
“Put Denis on.”

“He came down and got me this morning.
 
Mrs. Desmond died during the night.
 
Nothing we could do … so cool already.
 
They sent an ambulance to pick her up … I was on the phone all morning … he helped me keep the arrangements straight.”

“I’m so sorry,” Ray said.
 
“Have Denis bring you home, okay?
 
We’ll figure it out.”

“He can’t,” I said.
 
“I was in the spare room when I felt them in the kitchen … coming to the hall.
 
He must have seen them follow me in.
  
There was a lot of noise … he was shouting.
 
I grabbed Damian’s knife from my room but I’m so slow.
 
Denis had finished one by the time I got there but he was bleeding.
 
I got one quick but he was bleeding worse as he got another and we finished off the last one together but he fell on the floor.

“He didn’t make it Ray,” I sobbed, not doing a very good job of keeping it quiet.

“Oh damn it,” Ray said.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Please come back,” he begged.

“No Ray …”

“I have to make a few calls … stay by the phone, okay?
 
And watch the clock when you cramp up.
 
You shouldn’t be alone now if you’re in labour.”

“I tried Ray … I couldn’t even drag Denis to the door.
 
I don’t know how I’m going to get him out of there.
 
Mmm,” I sighed as I started cramping up again.

“Anna, is it happening again?”

I kept breathing.
 
“What?”
 
I said between sighs.
 
I needed some sleep … I was losing track of things.

“Your stomach cramping.
 
Is it happening again?” he asked.

I started to panic.
 
“How do you know about that Ray?
 
Who’s watching me?”

“You told me,” he said.

I didn’t remember doing that.
 
“I didn’t …” I said and hung up on him.

After I made it back to Mrs. Desmond’s sofa the phone started ringing.
 
I listened to it as I fell asleep, nibbling at my ears again once or twice.

Didn’t they know what time it was?
 
The damn phone was ringing again.
 
And ringing.
 
Wasn’t the courtesy if you didn’t answer after four rings then you were sleeping or busy or something?
 
It just wouldn’t stop.
 
I pushed myself up off the sofa and felt my way to the kitchen.
 
The phone would probably go silent soon as got to it so I held my hand over it for a few more rings.
 
It didn’t stop.

“Yeah?”
I said sleepily when I picked it up.

“Where have you been?” the voice said.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?
 
People are sleeping.”

“Wait—,”

“Why don’t you dial more carefully … wrong number ringing all damn
night.
”

I hung up.
 
All I wanted to do was get back to sleep so I sat at the table and put my head down on my crossed arms but the phone started ringing again.

“Yeah?”
I said again.

“Anna
don’t
hang up,” Ray said quickly.

“Ray?
 
Where are you?” I went to the window and looked out to the street.
 
Everything looked okay but more men could be watching the house.
 
I thought I could feel someone outside … watching me.

“Are you okay?” Ray asked.

“I think someone is watching the house,” I whispered to him.
 
I was too tired to focus enough to be sure but my skin crawled when I tried.
 
“I don’t see anyone … but there could be more.”

“What about your leg?” he asked.
 
“And your
stomach … are
you still cramping up?”

“Not since I woke up,” I whispered.
 
“I can’t see my leg but the bandage I made is damp.
 
I have to keep the lights off.”

I looked down anyway.
 
Lights wouldn’t have made any difference.
 
It was so high my stomach hid it.

“The Colonel wants you to get out of there.
 
Take the car.
 
Leave then call the police.
 
He can’t do anything across the border other than make sure Denis goes home to his family.
 
Jump here … we’ll keep you safe.”

“I can’t go yet … I’m not finished here.”
 
My stomach was starting to hurt.
 
Not like the cramps earlier.
 
It was hard and tightening as the pain grew.
 
I started to try and breathe through it like Catherine remembered.
 
She’d seen babies come.
 
It seemed to help but Ray was talking again distracting me.

“Anna?
 
Your stomach?” he asked.

“Ray …” I couldn’t get a sentence out.
 
At least I could talk through them before.
 
After a dozen or so breaths the pain peaked and started to go away.

“I think that was the real thing,” I breathed as it passed.
 
“I’m running out of time.”

“Call an ambulance.
 
Please?”
 
He begged.
 
“If you won’t come here go to the hospital.”

“I’ll come home when it’s over … one way or another.
 
I have
work
to do.”

I could hear him sigh.
 
“Will you at least look at your leg for me?
 
Go in Bee’s room and pull the heavy curtains and close the door.
 
The light won’t get out.
 
Take the phone with you.”

“Okay,” I gave in and took the cordless with me and did what he said.
 
Then I took Damian’s knife and tore up her top sheet for more bandages.
 
I could see in the mirror that the old bandage was red and tacky blood stuck to my leg.

“Should I take the old bandage off?” I asked him.
 
“It might have stopped but I don’t want to make it start again.”

“Do it gently … I don’t like to but I need to know how bad it is.”

“
‘kay
,” I said and put the phone down.
 
I was able to pick apart the knot that held it tight and slowly
unwrapped
it.
 
I could see in the mirror over Bee’s dresser that it oozed a bit as my leg moved when the last of the bandage came off but was better than it was before.

“It’s about four inches long,” I told him.
 
“Most of it is closed but it’s torn and open at the bottom.
 
It’s not really bleeding now … well a bit if I move.
 
I can’t tell how deep it is.”

“Can you wrap it back up tight?
 
You need to get to a doctor.”