“It wasn’t about him?”
She nodded. “No, thank God.”
“Me neither. I had just that one about him sneaking into my room. I wonder if everyone who goes through stuff like this has these kinds of dreams.” He kissed her forehead. “Well, whether or no, I don’t think we’ll need to worry about him for real.”
He told her about his conversation with Head, and how the officer confirmed that he had seen Ruger take several hits.
“Most likely he’s dead out there in the fields, or at best made it across the road to the Passion Pit.”
Val’s eyes were hot but her voice arctic as he said, “I hope he fell over the edge of the pit all the way down into Dark Hollow and is lying down there in
The venom in her words did not shock Crow in the least; he couldn’t help but agree, but it was a conversation stopper and for a while they held each other and thought ugly thoughts of revenge as the bedside clock ticked closer to midnight. In half an hour it would be October 1. Maybe the season of bad luck would end with September and the Halloween winds would blow their usual good fortune into the town.
“I had a long talk with Saul,” Crow said at last. “He said that we could both get out of here tomorrow. Connie and Mark, too.”
Val nodded, said nothing. Crow could imagine how little she wanted to go back to that farmhouse now. The whole place would probably have the feel of violation and grief about it. While Val had slept Crow had called her farm foreman and instructed him to replace the front door — the one with the bullet holes was to be turned over to the cops if they wanted it or otherwise burned — and the living room put back to rights. Crow had been very clear when he said that there were to be no signs at all of the events of the night before, including the removal of all of the crime-scene tape and any mess left by the hordes of officers and lab technicians who had been swarming over the place all day. The foreman, a smart and capable fellow, had entirely agreed and said that he would see to everything.
Even so, Crow had no intention of taking Val there when they were released in the morning.
“I have a plan,” he said.
“Oh?”
“The cops say we can’t go back to the farm yet,” he lied. “So instead I’ve booked a room at the Harvestman for Mark and Connie. It’s where the cops are staying, so they’ll be safe, and it’ll be easier for them to come back here for treatment and, um…therapy.”
Val just nodded. Saul Weinstock had explained to her the kind of treatment Connie would need. Mark, too, in all probability.
“What about us?”
“We’ll be moving into the Pine Manor Inn for the next night or two.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Wow!”
“A little elegance won’t hurt us, baby. Sunken tub, Jacuzzi to massage away our aches and pains. Great food. A nice bottle of wine for you and an equally nice bottle of Pepsi for me.”
She closed her eyes and leaned against him. “God, it sounds wonderful, but—”
“No buts, sweetie. I ran it by Saul and he approved, so this is on the level of doctor’s orders.”
“But the Pine Manor costs an arm and a leg! That’s too much to—”
“Not at all, not at all,” he said smoothly. “Nothing’s too good for my fiancee.”
He felt her stiffen against his chest as she processed the words. Then she opened her eyes and raised her head, staring with puzzled uncertainly into his eyes. “What did you…?”
Then she saw what he had taken out of his bathrobe pocket while her eyes were closed. He held it flat in the palm of his hand. A square blue-velvet box.
Val’s eyes were as wide and huge as any painting by Keene, and her mouth formed a perfect O.
Since she had only one arm free, Crow opened the box for her and showed her the diamond ring.
“I wanted to do this over dinner at some fancy restaurant in New Hope, but things got a little crazy and… well…I want this whole thing to end on a happy note. For me it would be the happiest note of my life, Val, if you would agree to be my wife. I love you more than anything in the world and if you say yes I’ll be the happiest man who ever walked the planet.”
“Oh my God!” she said…and she said it several times.
“Can I take that as a yes?” He cleared his throat. “I…hope?”
Val’s eyes filled with tears and with her one good arm she clung to him with incredible strength, showering his battered faces with kisses by the dozen, saying, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” over and over again.
He steered through the deluge of kisses until he found her lips with his and then kissed her as deeply and as sweetly as he could, feeling his own tears flow and mingle with hers. He came up for air only long enough to slip the ring on her finger, and then pulled her close again.
“I love you!” they both said at the same time, speaking the words into each other’s panting mouth.
And at that moment all of the lights went out.
Chapter 26
“Crow! What’s happening?”
He pulled away from her, turning toward the open doorway, but all he could see through the darkness were vague forms hurrying about, sometimes colliding with one another.
“I don’t know,” he said, rising. “Power failure, maybe.” He moved to the window and parted the heavy curtains. “Lights are on in the parking lot.” He pulled the curtains back and faint light spilled into the room. “Must be a generator. The emergency lights should come on any second.”
A full minute passed and the backup lights did not so much as flicker.
“That’s weird,” Crow said. He was standing by the doorway looking at the confusion in the hall. He saw the police officer assigned to guard him standing by the nurses’ station and called out, “Norris! What’s happening?”
Norris Shanks turned around and shone a flashlight beam full in his eyes. “Crow? Go back into your room. We have a power outtage.”
“Really? Never would have guessed.” He went out into the hall.
“Hey, Shanks,” he said, batting the flashlight gently to one side. “You sure that’s all it is? I mean…aren’t the back-up lights on a different generator or something?”
He couldn’t read the cop’s face in the dark, but he saw Shanks stiffen for a second and then snatch the microphone from its clip on his shoulder.
“Base, this is Officer Shanks at Pinelands Hospital on guard duty with Crow and Val Guthrie.”
“What is it, Norris?” Ginny’s bored voice answered.
“We have a total lights-out here at the hospital. Mains and backup generator. Requesting backup.”
“All the lights?”
“Yes,” he snapped, and Crow could hear that Shanks was actually afraid. “This may not be a technical issue. Please roll all available units. Now.”
His tone was such that for once Ginny didn’t argue. “All units, this is Base. Officer needs assistance at Pinelands College Teaching Hospital. Hospital lights are out, repeat hospital lights — main and backup — are out. All units respond.”
There was a flurry of voices calling in to report their whereabouts and say they were on their way.
“That ought to do it,” Shanks said, sounding relieved.
“Yeah,” agreed Crow, but he didn’t relax. Patients were coming out of their rooms and demanding answers, nurses and orderlies were still colliding into one another, a few doctors were calling out orders that apparently no one was paying attention to.
Crow turned and called to Val’s room, “I’ll be right in, baby. We’re calling for backup.”
He started to turn back to Shanks and then paused, having not heard a reply. He took a step toward her
