Thirty-Six

“I’m dying,” she whispered.

She reached a hand up to me. “I want to meet my granddaughter. Please don’t deny me that. It’s my dying wish. Please!”

I didn’t know how safe any of us were. She’d managed a pretty strong grip on the judge. I glanced over at him. He looked like he might keel over. I hoped he wouldn’t have a heart attack. “Sit down in one of the golf carts,” I said.

He nodded and climbed in. Undoubtedly hoping for a ride, all the dogs except for Fagan piled in with him.

I took out my phone and called 911 again. The dispatcher said someone was on the way. I told her we would need an ambulance, too.

Then I phoned Dr. Engelknecht. I had no idea what to do for Dovie. I suspected that taking the syringe out of her leg might be appropriate, but I had no intention of getting that close to her.

Fagan trotted to me, carrying a black bag. Leaves and twigs stuck to it. I assumed it belonged to Dovie.

She screamed. “The plunger went all the way down. You miserable curs! You’ve killed me! Holly, do something! Don’t just stand there. Help me!”

For all I knew, she had another syringe in her pocket. I wasn’t taking any chances.

Lights appeared on the road and came toward us. Golf carts loaded with residents of Wagtail pulled into the parking lot. Shadow stepped out of one, along with Holmes and Addi.

Holmes ran to me and grabbed me in a hug. “Thank heaven you’re all right.”

“How about you and Addi?” I asked.

“Dovie was lurking in the house. She jumped at me and whacked me with a steel pipe. Addi almost got her, but Dovie was like a madwoman and wielded that pipe like a saber. Have you called an ambulance? She knocked Addi out cold.”

“They’re on the way. Did she use wolfsbane on you?” I asked.

“Dovie tied us up and threatened to inject us with wolfsbane, but she never did.”

Dovie’s eyes seemed to glow. Her expression was positively wicked. “I would have liked to. But I was reserving my last two syringes for Rose and our own nosy parker, Holly Miller.”

Shadow shined his flashlight on Dovie. “Maybe we should remove the syringe?”

“Don’t go any closer to her. She has another one in her pocket,” I warned.

“Why did she come after you?” I asked Holmes.

“I think it was a mistake,” he whispered. “She thought the house was empty and that she could hide there until dark. If Addi hadn’t told her about Joanne, she might not have come here.”

Dr. Engelknecht walked up and assessed the situation. “Shadow, do you think you could approach Dovie from behind and grip her arms?”

“Sure.” Shadow walked behind Dovie.

At the same time, two men grabbed her hands. She was effectively incapacitated.

Dr. Engelknecht felt the pockets of her garment and pulled out another syringe. “Oh, Dovie,” he sighed.

Lights flashed as an ambulance arrived.

“Wait, please. Won’t you let me see my granddaughter? I’m going to die. Won’t you please let me see her?”

Joanne stepped out of the crowd. “I’m Joanne Williams. And I think I’m Bobbie’s daughter, Joy Marie.”

Tears sprang to Dovie’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “You’re so beautiful,” she whispered. “Just like my Bobbie.”

“Can we test your DNA to know for sure?” asked Joanne.

“You may if you like, but I know in my heart that you’re mine.” Her eyes closed, and she lay back.

She didn’t regain consciousness while they loaded her into the ambulance.