Well Read, Then Dead(102)

            I kept banging until I slid to the floor for what my hazy mind thought might be the final time. I felt a gust of clean air and opened one eye. A man was silhouetted by the sun going down on the Gulf. Cady was here in time to rescue me.

            “Oh my God, I smell gas. Lots of it. Let’s get out of here before there’s an explosion. C’mon, you have to help me. You have to stand up.”

            The voice wasn’t Cady’s, but I didn’t care. The nice man grabbed my arms, pulled me to a sitting position and dragged me to my feet. As soon as we were out of the shed, my legs gave way and I started to crumple to the ground, but he wasn’t having it.

            “No way, young lady. Keep standing. You have to walk. We have to get to the front of the house.”

            He flung my arm over his shoulder, and although you couldn’t quite describe my shuffling as walking, I managed to move even if I didn’t quite keep up.

            As soon as we got to the front lawn, the man let go of me and pulled out his cell phone. I dropped wearily to the grass and looked at my savior.

            Tighe Kostos was talking into his cell. “There’s been an accident and there may be a gas explosion imminent. Send everyone. Address? Wait. I have it somewhere.” He began patting his pockets. I croaked out Miss Delia’s address and curled up in the fetal position ready for a nice long nap.

            He punched off the phone and pulled me to a sitting position. “Damn, I told you I never wanted to see you again. Now stay awake. Help is coming.”

            And it was true. I could hear the sirens, but I also heard an imperious, “What on earth is going on here?”

            Rowena. Even in my stupor, I said a silent prayer. “Oh please Lord, not now.” But there she was.

            “Sassy, what on earth? Mr. Kostos, I am so sorry that you had to be subjected to these . . . shenanigans. I don’t know what else to call it.”

            She leaned over me ever so slightly, “You get up right now. You’re embarrassing yourself. No matter what you do, Mr. Kostos is going to complete his deal with the nephews and purchase Delia’s island. I’ll see to that.”

            My throat hurt and my voice was hoarse. “Rowena, you can negotiate with the nephews until dolphins dance with manatees in the middle of Times Square. Skully is Delia’s heir. He was her husband.”

            And, delighted with myself for bursting her bubble, I dropped back onto the grass and probably passed out, because I don’t remember anything more until, dressed in a hospital gown, I woke up in bed in the Medical Center. A handsome young doctor with a well-trimmed beard was asking my name repeatedly.





Chapter Thirty-three ||||||||||||||||||||


            “Mary Sassafras Cabot,” I answered as proudly as a first grader announcing she could spell C-A-T.

            “Sassafras?” He started to doubt that I was lucid.

            “Parents. Flower power.”

            Then he asked me to name the month and the year. Then I had to tell him what state we were in. I gave correct answers, but he continued with more questions. Finally, he asked where I lived.

            When I answered “the turret,” it threw him until I realized he wanted an actual address. He seemed satisfied when I gave him one.

            “Now Ms. Cabot—”

            “Please—Sassy. Everyone calls me Sassy.” I turned my head maybe an inch and moaned. I reached back but the doctor seized my hand.

            “We cleaned your wound, shaved your head and put on a sterile bandage. Please don’t touch.”

            I barely heard the “don’t touch” part; I was focused on “shaved your head.”