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“Oh my God,” Shirley said. “What about the bank robbers?”
“He took down all three of them, but they’d killed Mr. Trotter before he got there. The perps were all still alive when we got to the bank, and in the process of being transported to ER. I’ve got to go.”
“I’m leaving now,” she said. “Thank you for calling me. He wasn’t going too, was he?”
Aaron chuckled. “What do you think?”
Shirley sighed. “Right. Does B.J. know?”
“Not yet, but I’m calling him next,” Aaron said, and disconnected.
At that point, Shirley dropped her phone in her pocket and took off through the house to Sean’s office while Aaron was calling their youngest brother. He was the head pastry chef at the restaurant in The Serenity Inn, and most likely elbow deep in sugar and flour, but he had to let him know.
As Aaron predicted, B.J. was in the hotel kitchen when his cell phone rang. He started to let it go to voicemail, and then noticed it was from Aaron, and stepped out into a hallway to answer.
“Hey, Aaron. What’s up?” he asked.
Aaron repeated everything he’d just told their mom.
B.J. was stunned. “He shot all three of them? Are they dead?”
“No. They were all still breathing when they transported them.”
“Is he conscious?” B.J. asked.
“Yes, and talking once he was able to breathe again.”
B.J.’s eyes welled. “All this shit was happening while I was baking bread.”
“And I was sitting in a police car on patrol. And Mom was mopping the floor, and Sean is likely in his office, and that’s how life works. Don’t go there. We live our lives by our choices until we’re done. Wiley is damn good at what he does. He saved a bunch of lives today, okay?”
B.J. took a breath. “Yes, okay. It’s just overwhelming tothink about. I’m not sure if I can get away. I’ll call Mom first and if he’s in trouble, I’ll be there. Thank you for letting me know.”
“Of course. Just take a breath for Wiley, and one for yourself. I’m sure he’s okay. I walked him out to the ambulance myself.”
“Right,” B.J. said, but the moment he disconnected, he called his mom.
Within minutes of receiving the message, Sean and Shirley were in the car and heading into Jubilee, with Sean behind the wheel, and Shirley riding shotgun. They’d barely left the driveway when her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, and then answered.
“Hello, honey.”
B.J. was shaking inside, but trying to hold it together. “Aaron just told me what happened. I’m not sure I can get away without bringing the whole pastry line to a halt. Will you tell Wiley I’m saying prayers, and let me know if he’s not okay?”
“Of course. Sean and I are already on the way into Jubilee. Wiley was wearing his bulletproof vest. He’ll be bruised and hurting, but I’m sure he’s going to be fine. I’ll keep you updated, okay?”
“Yes, okay. Love you,” B.J. said.
“We love you, too. Go back to work, and I’ll call you when I know details.”
“Thanks,” he said, then hung up and hurried back into the kitchen, waved at three of his sous chefs, and pointed at the timer. “Get the pans ready. The rye dough is on its last proofing. And this time, remember to braid the loaves before you set them to rise. The dough for the baguettes is also ready, and for the love of God, delicate cuts, delicate cuts, on the baguettes this time. Last time they looked like they’d been run through a guillotine. I want them as perfect as that diamond in your fiancée’s engagement ring, understand?”
“Yes, Chef!” they all echoed, and jumped to obey, while B.J. fretted that he was here, and not there with the rest of his family.
By the time the ER staff had Wiley’s upper body devoid of clothes, the contusion on his chest was turning a deep shade of purple, and they were moving in a portable x-ray to check for broken bones, followed by a CT scan to check for internal bleeding.
Blood tests on the wounded men revealed high contents of meth, which explained the manic behavior they’d exhibited. They were all still alive as they were being taken to surgery, and if they survived, they would be moved to a prison ward for recovery, then to court to face charges of attempted bank robbery, murder, and the attempted murder of a law officer. They were going nowhere fast, and the coroner was on his way to Jubilee,while outside the bank, officers were stringing crime scene tape across the sidewalk.
Sean and Shirley Pope walked into ER and straight to Wiley’s exam room. His chest was bare, revealing the dark purple contusion. They’d raised the head of the bed to make breathing easier, and police chief Sonny Warren was with him as they entered.
