I held Hercules with one arm and arranged the tablecloth over the two of us. I gripped the flour sack with my other arm. I let my legs hang over the edge of the table and I waited. I didn’t have to wait long.
I’d estimated that I had less than ten seconds for Kate to find the light switch. I hoped it was enough time.
She stepped into the kitchen and I swung the flour bag in a huge, satisfying arc, sending flour everywhere. It hung like a cloud of dust in the air. I jammed the scrap of foil on the jar and threw it toward the flour cloud with every ounce of strength I had.
Kate yelled something. The jar smashed on the floor. There was a second’s pause, maybe less than that, and the flour ignited and exploded.
I jumped from the table, sucking in a breath as my foot hit the floor. I pulled the linen cloth further over my head and ran through the sparks to the door. I dropped the tablecloth in the hall and kept moving. Pain shot up my leg with every step but I kept on going.
I ran headlong into Harry as I came around the last corner. He caught me by the shoulders. His ball cap was skewed sideways and I could see the concern etched in the lines on his face.
“We have to get out of here,” I said. For all I knew, Kate and her gun could be right behind me.
I took one limping step and Harry put his arm around my shoulders. I leaned against him and he half dragged me down the corridor and down the stairs.
“What happened?” he said.
Police cars with sirens screaming and lights flashing were pulling into the lot as we came out the door. We were safe.
“I made a bomb,” I said.
Marcus skidded to a stop right in front of us. I set Hercules on the hood of his SUV and leaned against the front bumper to catch my breath. Marcus got out of the car, leaving the driver’s door wide open.
“Are you all right?” he said.
I nodded. “Yes.”
Hercules meowed loudly.
“Him too,” I said.
Marcus shifted his gaze to Harry. “What about you?”
“I’m fine,” Harry said. His eyes flicked to me and his head bent slightly in my direction. “I think she may have hit her head. She said she made a bomb.”
“Kate killed Kassie,” I said. Hercules was leaning against me and I put my arm around him.
“I know,” Marcus said. He gestured to a couple of police officers and they made their way into the building. He put a hand on my shoulder. “Elias figured out that she had to have copied his key. He got here early this morning and she was in the kitchen. He called me. Then Maggie called and said you hadn’t shown up for tai chi. I listened to your message and I was worried. Right after that Abigail called to say you didn’t make it to the library, either. When she told me where you were I knew you were in trouble.”
I held up my free hand. “How did she know where I was?”
“She heard Russell Perry talking to you.”
He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “What happened?”
“Kate had a gun,” I said. “She tried to kill us but Hercules and I made a flour bomb.”
The cat meowed his acknowledgment.
Marcus frowned. “You know how to make a bomb?”
“I’m a librarian,” I said. “I know all sorts of things.”
chapter 20
Things were a blur after that. Kate was brought out in handcuffs. Even though she’d held me at gunpoint, all I felt was sad. She was lost and broken and part of that was because of Kassie.
“You need to be checked out by the paramedics,” Marcus said.
I waved away his words. “I’m fine.”
He looked down at my leg. The ankle was so swollen the top of my shoe was cutting into the skin of my foot. “Yeah, you look fine,” he said with an eye roll.
One of the paramedics was walking toward me.
“Hi, Ric,” I said.
He smiled. “Hi, Kathleen. You know, when I heard the words ‘flour bomb’ I had a feeling I might see you.” He caught sight of Hercules. “And you,” he said. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out half a piece of beef jerky.
The cat’s eyes lit up.
Ric gestured at Marcus’s SUV. “How about we put him in the car and then you can sit on the driver’s seat and I can get a look at that ankle?”
“That works for me,” I said. I picked up Hercules and hobbled around the car door, holding on with one hand while Marcus hovered. I set Hercules on the driver’s seat and he hopped over to the passenger side. Ric leaned around me and handed him the piece of beef jerky. He murped a thank-you and began happily chewing.
I dropped sideways onto the driver’s seat with my legs sticking out the open door. Ric crouched at my feet and began feeling my ankle with gentle pressure.
I looked at Marcus. “Go do police stuff. I’m fine,” I said.
Ric looked up at him. “Go ahead,” he said. “I’ve got this. She’s not going anywhere with that ankle.”
Marcus caught my hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll be back,” he said.
In the end, Ric decided my ankle was likely just badly sprained. “You really should have it x-rayed just to be safe,” he said.
I pulled a hand back through my hair and flakes of flour floated down around me. “Tomorrow, I promise,” I said. “I just want to go home and have a shower.”
“First thing tomorrow.” He pointed a finger at me for emphasis. “I know where the library is. I will come find you.”
I made an X on my chest. “First thing tomorrow I’ll go.”
Ric wrapped my ankle, then he checked my lungs and the small burn on the back of my hand. Marcus came back as he was finishing the dressing on my hand.
“She’s good to go,” Ric said. “She needs to get that ankle x-rayed in the morning.” He shot me a look. “First thing in the morning. And that dressing will need to be changed. Otherwise she’s fine.” He smiled at me. “Kathleen, as my grandmother would say, you’re as tough as a boiled owl. I’m glad you’re all right.”
Marcus helped me into the backseat since Hercules was settled on the passenger side and didn’t seem in any rush to move.
“Don’t you need to stay here?” I asked.
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I need to get you home,” he said. “Right now that’s the only thing that matters.”
Maggie pulled up in front of the house as we turned into the driveway. Rebecca was with her. Marcus helped me out of the SUV. Hercules got out on his own. “Are you all right?” Rebecca asked.
“I’m fine, really,” I said. “Ric checked me out. I have a little burn on my hand and I sprained my ankle. That’s all.”
“That’s enough,” Maggie said, leaning down to hug me.
“Thank you for calling Marcus.” I suddenly had a lump in my throat, thinking about what might have happened if she and Abigail hadn’t guessed that something was wrong.
“I knew something wasn’t right when you didn’t answer your phone.”
“Kate took my phone,” I said to Marcus.
“I’ll find it,” he said.
We made our way to the back door, Hercules leading the way, Marcus with one arm around me and the other holding my hand, and both Maggie and Rebecca close by. He eased me onto a kitchen chair. “I have to go back to the crime scene for a while,” he said, leaning over me. “But I will be back.” He kissed me. I put a hand on his chest for a moment before he straightened up.
He looked at Maggie and Rebecca. “Don’t let her do anything.”
Rebecca reached over and patted his arm. “Don’t worry, dear,” she said. “We’ve got this.”
And they did. They fed me tea and toast and Maggie got me in and out of the shower and somehow managed to wash my hair without flooding the bathroom. Once I had my pajamas on she helped me into the bedroom. Rebecca came in with another cup of tea for me, trailed by both cats. They smelled like fish. I decided to pretend I hadn’t noticed.