I am aware that Richie is a bit more verbal than toddler boys usually are. However, my nephew Eli was very verbal as a two and three-year-old, so I figure it's not too much of a stretch.
I know it's been way too long and this chapter isn't very long, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. My life is insane, so I thought I'd post something even if it's short.
Chapter 14: The Cradle Will Fall
*****The Beach House*****
Mary smiled down at her grandson, who signed to her, "Can I ring the doorbell?" She smiled and nodded her head. It was amazing how easily Richie adapted to her wordless presence and ASL. He was already better at signing than his mother. Trina had been worried that he'd talk less if he learned how to sign, but the opposite seemed to be true. It was like children of bilingual parents. They learned instinctively how to switch between languages. Richie spoke to his aunts and uncles with words. Only with Sara did he try to sign, and that wasn't surprising since she didn't speak at all yet. Veronica and Logan thought it was cute and encouraged it.
Richie eagerly ran ahead to ring the doorbell. No one came to the door. She signed for him to ring it again, which he was glad to do. When no one came to the door, Mary pulled out her phone and sent Lianne a text message. It was too early for her to be out shopping. It was just after nine.
There was no response, so she moved closer to Richie, reaching to try the doorknob. It was unlocked, so she pushed it open. Richie ran inside and then slid, falling hard on his bottom. He started to cry until he heard his normally soundless grandmother let out a piercing cry.
Shocked, he looked up at her, not seeing the prone and bloody form of Lianne Mars.
Mary realized that her grandson had slid in the blood that was pouring from Lianne. Desire to protect her grandson from the grisly sight and see if she could help Lianne battled within her. She could call 911, but they wouldn't register this address. Since she couldn't tell them the address, she didn't know what to do. It was just a split second, but indecision warred within her. Trina was in the air flying back. What should she do? She signed quickly for Richie to carefully go to the bathroom and get towels. Lianne was hurt.
Richie looked scared, but he was a brave boy and got up. She picked him up away from the pool of blood and set him on dry floor. Then she kneeled down and felt for Lianne's pulse. She couldn't find anything, so she put her hand in front of her nose to detect air. Her skin wasn't cold yet, so surely she was alive.
There it was—a bit of air. The pulse was there—barely. Relief filled her as she ripped open Lianne's shirt, looking for the wound. Puzzled when she didn't see anything, she lifted her left side up and saw the pull of blood. She was stabbed in the back.
Richie came running, thrusting the towels at her, avoiding the blood. "What happened to Lianne?" he signed, feeling scared. She didn't look right.
"Someone hurt her," Mary signed back as she pushed the towels underneath Lianne to stem the blood. Then it occurred to her: What if whoever hurt her was still around? Why hadn't she thought of that? Was Richie in danger? Her eyes fell onto a corner table. They had a landline! She pointed and signed for him to grab the phone. He wasn't quite three, but he was a bright child, eager to please. He ran to grab it, avoiding the wet floor.
"When I dial, you need to yell help into the phone really loudly. Tell them we need a doctor right away. Do you understand that?" she signed to him. It was the only thing she could think of. Big cities had ways for the deaf to call for help. She had a device set up at her house, but the Echolls' home had no need for deaf 911 system.
Richie nodded, excited he got to yell. His momma didn't like it when he yelled.
Mary called 911. She nodded at him. "Help! Help! We need a doctor!" Richie yelled.
"Where are you?" the operator asked.
"I'm at Uncle Logan's!" Richie said.
"We are sending an ambulance to your location," the woman said.
Richie smiled and signed to his grandma. "They're going to send a doctor," he told her.
She signed the address and told him to say it. She left the phone connected, but she put it down so that she could put pressure on Lianne.
It seemed like hours, but it was only five minutes before paramedics and the police arrived.
The police came in with the paramedics. When they saw the blood on the floor, their hands went to their guns.
Mary waved her hands, terrified. They saw a little boy covered in blood and jumped to the wrong conclusion.
"Step away from the woman and get down on the ground!" the cop shouted.
Mary could see the cops were angry and speaking to her, but she couldn't make out all the words. She got up to let the paramedics help Lianne and reached for Richie.
"Stop!" the cop ordered. One of them moved to grab Richie. The other grabbed her hand before she could attempt to sign.
"Grandma can't talk," Richie offered up.
"What do you mean?" the cop asked him as the paramedics were working on Lianne.
"She talks with her hands," Richie said as he showed them how to sign.
"The woman is deaf," the cop realized.
"Bring them to the station. We'll get a translator," the cop said.
This was why it took a few hours before Mary was able to share her horrific tale and get free to go to the hospital. Deputy Tom, the man Keith hired to replace the late Deputy Sacks, began his shift at eleven and realized that it was Keith's ex-wife who was hurt, so he called Keith. No answer. He left a message, but he didn't know what to do.
"Did you get a hold of Keith?" Leo asked.
"No. I got his voicemail," Tom said.
"Veronica and Logan are on their way back—Eli gave me a heads up yesterday. I'm to call Veronica if a case comes up I need help with at J & E," Leo explained. "Jason isn't due back for a few days and Eli tomorrow night. Where's the baby? I'm pretty sure that Lianne was taking care of Sara, Veronica's baby."
Tom paled as he realized how bad the situation was.
"Whoever stabbed Lianne Mars kidnapped Sara Echolls!" he exclaimed, horrified. Guilt filled him. The deaf woman had tried to tell them. The little boy kept asking for Sara. Where was Sara?
Leo's eyes widened as he understood what Tom said. They had a kidnapping on their hands and had already lost hours. The trail would be cold as ice.
"Keith and Veronica are going to kill us," Leo said grimly. "Slowly."
"I'll issue an Amber Alert," Tom said. "I need a picture of the baby."
Leo pulled out his phone and went to his Facebook page, locating a good picture that Veronica posted. Then he sent a picture to Tom phone. "I'm going to call the only one in town he might care what's happening with Lianne Mars," Leo said.
"Who's that?"
"Jake Kane," Leo said.
*****Kane Residence*****
"Nathan!" Jake called out. "Get in here!"
Nathan, Jake's head of security and Wallace Fennell's father, opened his office door. "Yes?"
"A deputy called. One that's friends with Veronica Mars. He said that someone attacked Lianne at Veronica's house, stabbing her several times and kidnapped their baby," Jake said, standing.
"Oh God!" Nathan said, grimacing. "The family is all in Hawaii at Dick's wedding."
"Veronica, Logan, and Trina Echolls are on a plane that should be landing any time," Jake said. He started to walk to the door, Nathan following. "I'm going to the hospital. The deputy told me that Trina's deaf mother and Trina's small child found Lianne. She was barely alive."
"Is she still alive?" Nathan asked.
"I don't know. I'm going to the hospital now. She lost a lot of blood the deputy said," Jake said.
"I need you to start compiling a list of possible suspects. One that would be interested in hurting Veronica," Jake said.
"You think this was planned to hurt Veronica? Not Logan? Or what about Keith? That's his ex-wife and his grandson," Nathan pointed out. "Everyone knows he cares still for Lianne."
"Stabbing is a gruesome way to kill someone. Only Veronica Mars can incite that kind of rage," Jake said grimly. "I know from personal experience."
"You know she's my son's best friend, right?" Nathan reminded him.
"Well, she was my daughter's best friend, too," Jake said. "It didn't stop her from screwing with my life and my family's happiness. Trust me. This is about Veronica Mars."
Nathan watched Jake get into his car, his mind busy. It wasn't too long ago that Neptune's former Sheriff's crazy brother targeted both Veronica and Duncan, nearly killing Parker Kane. Nathan remembered Keith finding it strange that the murders were so different each time. It just wasn't the normal serial killer's M.O. When Nathan had suggested the possibility that Dan hadn't working alone, Keith had grimaced.
"It's a possibility, but we've got nothing solid indicating that," Keith had said. "I'll re-examine the evidence."
Keith never brought it up again, so Nathan figured nothing showed. Now, though, Nathan had to give it a serious look. If Dan had been working with a partner, then it's possible that Duncan was still a possible target.
"That means Lily!" he exclaimed. He pulled out his phone to call her nanny.
"Where's Lilly?" he asked when she answered.
"She's at her aunt's," the nanny said. "Lily's mom's sister, Liz."
"Can you call and have Liz confirm that she's okay? There's a possible threat on the family, and I'm just trying to be safe," Nathan said.
"No problem," the nanny said, disconnecting.
Nathan hoped he was wrong and the attack on Lianne Mars had nothing to do with the Kane family.
******San Diego Airport******
Because her husband was obscenely wealthy, they managed a direct flight to San Diego instead of LAX, which would allow them to get home to their daughter and Richie sooner. Veronica, Logan, and Trina were anxious to see their kids.
"When Sara's older, we'll have to take her and Richie to Hawaii. They'll love it," Veronica said as they stood at baggage claim.
"Don't you think it's not as fun for kids as Disney Land?" Trina said. "California has beaches and dolphins."
"Not whales and swimming with sharks," Logan countered.
"Like we'd let them swim with sharks," Trina said, snorting.
There cell phones made that annoying sound that only meant one thing.
"An Amber Alert," Veronica said as she pulled out her phone to see. When she saw the face of her own sweet baby staring up at her she gasped.
"What is it?" Logan asked, leaning to look at her phone.
Veronica held up the phone, a terrified look in her face. "Someone's taken our baby!"
Logan look at the photo in horror.
There had to be some mistake.
*****To Be Continued*****