Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
I intended to call my dad myself, but I needed to see to my mom first.
“Mom,” I said, bending down beside her, but she didn’t answer. My heart pounded in my chest, fearing she was hurt badly.
My cell rang and I answered not needing to see who called, I knew it was my dad.
“Pepper, what happened.”
“Mom is unconscious, Dad. Someone struck her hard. She’s bleeding from the side of her head. I can’t wake her,” I said, feeling fear and tears building.
“I’m on my way.”
I almost grabbed my mom and kissed her when I heard her moan.
“Mom,” I cried anxiously.
She moaned again and tried to turn.
“Stay as you are, Mom, someone hit you and your bleeding on the side of your head.”
“Help me up, I’m fine,” she said.
“Stay as you are, Mom. Dad is on his way,” I urged.
“Oh, goodness, he’s going to be upset. Help me up. I don’t want to be lying on the ground when he gets here,” she insisted.
As I helped her to sit, two police cars came barreling through the portcullis. My dad bolted out of his SUV, and Josh hurried out of his with a first aid kit in his hand. Ian emerged from my dad’s vehicle. By then my mom was resting in the crook of my arm.
“Sally,” my dad said with a look of relief and eased her out of my arms into his.
“I’m fine, Warren, don’t worry. It’s just a scratch.”
It was more than a scratch but none of us bothered to say that.
Josh had the first aid kit open and was tearing open gauze patches to press gently against our mom’s wound.
“So, what did Pepper get you into this time?” Josh asked teasingly.
Ian had reached my side, and his arm went around me, and I rested against him, still worried for my mom especially since I knew Josh teased me to see what response he could get out of my mom to ascertain what damage the wound may have caused.
I smiled along with Josh when my mom responded.
“No need to test me, Josh, I still have all my faculties about me. It is just a bump on the head.”
“We’ll let the doctor decide,” my dad said firmly and with a slight tremble to his words, no one would notice if they didn’t know him well.
Josh and I did, and we exchanged concerned looks, realizing how worried Dad was about Mom.
I noticed how my mom clung to my dad. The incident had left her with a fright, and I couldn’t blame her, but I did blame myself since I had a feeling this had something to do with the mausoleum break-in.
“Why are my pockets turned inside out?” my mom asked, glancing at the flowing, sleeveless vest she wore over her blouse and flowing skirt. She squeezed my dad’s arm. “Someone searched my pockets, Warren.”
That got my dad angry. “I’m going to find who did this, Sally, and he’s going to be sorry he ever set foot in Willow Lake.”
Ian and I stepped aside as the ambulance arrived and the medics quickly tended to my mom, my dad remaining by her side.
“You okay, Pep?” Ian asked.
“I got a good fright seeing my mom on the ground bleeding,” I admitted.
“What happened, Pep?” Ian asked, his arm remaining around my waist.
“I was just going to ask you that,” Josh said, a notepad ready in his hand. “But first the truth. Are you really okay? Because when I heard Mom was on the ground unconscious and bleeding, it scared the sh— you know what out of me.”
“It gave me the worst fright,” I admitted, “and I can’t tell you how relieved I was when she woke.”
“So, then you’re okay to tell me what happened?” Josh asked with serious concern.
“I’m good,” I assured him and began detailing what happened and what I could recall about the two men.
“So, you tried to get a picture of the one guy, but it was too late, then you turned to see another guy who snuck up behind you,” Josh said to clarify.
I nodded.
“Smart move with her purse. It’s always heavy. You might have done some damage to the guy. I’ll check out the hospitals and well-care places for head wounds. And the guy who ran, you say, wore biker boots?”
“Yup, and he ran fast and ducked out of sight before I could snap a picture like I told you. I don’t know why but I didn’t get the sense that the two guys were together. Maybe one followed the other here. Did Dad send someone to get a description of the two guys who came into Kate’s shop and bought the book on Willow Lake’s history?”
“I have yet to mention it to him, but now that you have,” my dad said joining us. “Josh, go talk to Kate and have her come in to see if she can describe the two men to the guy who does the computer sketches. Pepper, you and Ian find time to do the same and we’ll see what comes of it. And whatever info you have so far from Pepper, Josh, get right on it after you wrap things up here. This is now an official case, assault and possible attempted robbery since her pockets were turned inside out.”