Middle River Murders Read Free Page B

chasing
after a thief. You worked on several cases until you got too big.”
    “I think you should quit while you’re ahead, pal.”
    The nurse laughed and said, “Press the call button if you
need anything. But I don’t think you will. You and your son seem to be doing
fine.”
    “My wife’s a natural, isn’t she?”
    “Yes, she is, Mr. Blackhawk.” The nurse winked at him and
then left the room.
    “You need to burp him, don’t you?”
    “He’ll let me know when he’s ready,” I said. I looked up at
Billy and saw a tear in his eye. What a sensitive man! Life couldn’t get much
better.
    “Look at the size of my breasts, Billy. They’re so big.”
    Billy looked down and smiled. “They are rather large,” he
said. “It’s Mother Nature’s way of providing nourishment.”
    “Does that mean when I no longer nurse Ethan they’ll go back
to their regular size?”
    “I think so. I think I read that in one of those books your
mother gave you. It was mentioned in the chapter about after the baby comes
home and what to expect next.”
    “I don’t remember reading anything about that. I must have
missed that chapter. What a bummer! I was just getting used to the idea of
having big boobs. After all I went through, I think I should get to keep them.”
    Billy laughed and said, “I like you just the way you are.”
    “You’re just saying that to make me feel better. I know how
you ...”
    Cole walked into the room.
    I looked up, covered my exposed breast with Ethan’s blanket
and said, “Oops, I wasn’t expecting more company. I thought you left.”
    “I’m sorry to intrude like this, Jesse, but I was in the
parking lot and… Billy, you need to come with me. Something’s happened that
needs your immediate attention.”
    Billy looked into Cole’s eyes and the fear that reflected
back at him caught my attention.
    “Hey, what’s going on? What happened?” I asked.
    The atmosphere in the room no longer felt calm and serene,
nor did it have that pleasant feeling.
    “Billy can tell you later, but right now, we have to go.”
    Billy kissed me on the cheek, rubbed his hand over Ethan’s
small head and said, “I’ll be right back.”
    “Don’t stay too…”
    Billy and Cole turned and fled the room before I had a chance
to finish my sentence.
    I looked down at Ethan who was busy doing what babies do, and
I promised him that his daddy would be right back… or else.
    Two hours had passed and Billy still hadn’t returned. Ethan
was in the nursery, but it was almost time for another feeding.
    That’s one thing I found strange about breast feeing—babies
eat every two hours. Why? I thought you only had to feed babies about every
four hours like we did with Maisy, but the nurse said it was because breast
milk is thin, or something like that. Her explanation wasn’t important. It was
one of those questions you ask, but the answer doesn’t really matter. I was
busy admiring my son. I’d have plenty of time to ask questions later.
    I sat up in bed and reached for the phone two seconds before
Billy walked into the room. His face was pale and he had blood on the front of
his shirt. I felt sick at the sight.
    “Oh, no! What happened, Billy?” Tears began to flow down my
cheeks as all kinds of visions went through my mind. “Where did all that blood
come from? Did someone cut you? Say something fast before I freak out.”
    “Our family has suffered a terrible hurt.”
    “What do you mean? Come over here and let me look at you.”
    I felt as if I were going to choke. My stomach was doing a
flip and my heart starting beating a mile a minute.
    “It’s not my blood,” Billy said as he walked over and sat
down on the bed. “Jonathan was walking to his car when someone walked up to him
and shot him in the chest.”
    “Why would someone do that? Is he okay?” I asked slowly.
    “He makes many enemies in his line of work.”
    “Is he going to live?”
    “He’s been in surgery for almost two hours,”