Chapter 26
"Come on! I'm tired of being stuck in the house," Beathan complains. "I'll stay out of the way."
"Beathan, I'm not sure that it is a good idea," Marianne repeats. "You've only been out of the infirmary for less than a week."
"But this way Gran can help ye pack and get the job done quicker since she won't have to worry about looking after me," Beathan explains. "Cousin Alistair has the day off, so I can stay with him while ye're busy. It'll also make it easier for Da, too. He can pick me up there for therapy when he drops Bhaltair off after school instead of having to come the whole way back here. It's perfect!"
"Maybe," Marianne concedes reluctantly.
Marianne didn't know what it was but something felt off about today. She had the strangest feeling ever since she woke up but she knows for sure that it isn't moving jitters. It definitely makes making breakfast a bit hard when she keeps looking around for something that isn't there and Beathan's suggestion of coming with her to her old flat is only making the feeling grow stronger. She almost felt ready to call off the moving in an effort to quail the anxiety.
"If ye're not sure about moving in here then it's fine," Bog murmurs lowly as he hands her the bowls.
"It's not that," Marianne whispers back, filling the bowls with porridge. "I don't know what's wrong but something doesn't feel right about today."
"I was hoping that I was the only one that felt that way," Bog mutters.
The pair exchange worried looks before shaking it away to take the filled bowls back to the waiting teens. Marianne catches Griselda's own amber eyes and it's clear that the elderly woman has the same feeling coursing through her being. One look toward the starving teens, however, show their obliviousness to the matter and the adults silently agree to avoid bringing it up.
"I agree with Beathan, Marianne," Griselda comments. "If we come with ye then we can get everything at least packed up before lunch and maybe ye can take a small load in yer car back here before Jason arrives with his truck after lunch. It would make the moving go much faster and the sooner that it is done then the sooner we can all get back home."
Marianne groans as she seals another box and places it among the others waiting to be taken downstairs. She is definitely grateful for Griselda's help or she may not have gotten everything packed as quick. Though her anxiety hasn't lessened that much and she keeps checking for anything suspicious, she is sure that they will probably be nearly done by the time Bog drops Bhaltair off. First, though, they have to get all these boxes down two flights of stairs. The thought makes her groan again.
"How do I have this much stuff? I only have a studio flat," Marianne comments.
"Ye never realize how much stuff ye own until ye have to move it all," Griselda chuckles, sealing her own box. "Well, at least that is the last box. I say that we take an early lunch break with the lads and relax a bit before Jason arrives."
"Good idea," Marianne remarks. "I'll call Dad and see if he and Sunny want to join us for lunch. Maybe having more people around will make this feeling go away."
"One can hope, dear," Griselda murmurs. "I'm just glad the Alastair agreed to keep Beathan occupied in his flat. I don't want him to get worried about something we're not even sure about."
"One thing I am sure about it is that it has something to do with right here," Marianne mentions quietly.
Griselda gives her agreement as she follows Marianne down to her nephew's flat. She could only hope that they'll be prepared for whatever is bothering them. If only the town hall's roof didn't start leaking heavily last night then Bog would have been able to help them. At least the council was smart enough not to hire the same idiots who just installed the roof a month ago but it was definitely inconvenient timing when they called moments after everyone woke up. Her anxiety is chased away momentarily at the gleeful cackling emanating from behind Alastair's closed door. 'Alastair should have known better than to challenge Beathan to a game of Battleship,' she chuckles.
"Is this the last of it, Meri," Jason asks, packing the box he's carrying into his truck?
"Nope. Everything is mine except the fridge, cooking stove, and the microwave," Marianne informs.
"Everything? I thought ye rented yer flats mostly furnished, Alastair," Jason comments.
"I do but when Marianne got the cockatoos she was worried about the damages they would cause," Alastair explains, putting his own box into Marianne's car. "So, she went and bought her own furniture and had me remove the ones that I owned. It was good timing actually because I needed to replace the furniture in another flat and those ones were still in good condition."
"It'll save a lot of time if we bring the furniture down while you two drop the boxes off at the house," Sunny remarks.
"We," Marianne questions suspiciously?
"Don't worry, dear," Griselda chuckles, exiting the building with Beathan. "Donald and I will both be good elderly folk and not lift a thing. Bog should be here soon with Bhaltair. Jason arrived a little late, remember?"
"I had a bonnie date. No work and no kids is such bliss," Jason sighs dreamily. "Ye appreciate the quiet times after a few years of marriage, Meri."
"I'd appreciate the quiet times right now," Marianne mutters dryly. "You all know that Bog and I are not going to get serious for a few more months. Not until after every connection that Angelina has with him is completely finished and that won't be until after Beathan graduates secondary school."
"So ye say but I'm wagering that ye'll be rid of the wench sooner," Jason comments, smirking as he hops into his truck. "I'll see ye at Bog's house."
Marianne resists the urge to throw a rock at the leaving vehicle. Jason knows something and instead of keeping his mouth shut, he keeps giving vague hints. He had avoided answering everyone's questions about Tavers' hearing that took place yesterday. In fact, he avoided answering any questions. 'Maybe I can corner him at the house,' she plots.
Catching sight of Bog's car pulling into the parking lot, Marianne pauses before getting in her own car. A few more minutes won't hurt. Especially when Bog gives her a kiss when he exits his vehicle after parking next to her. She ignores Sunny's snickering as he follows Alastair back into the building, already knowing that he'll probably take a detour back to Alastair's flat to tell her dad the juicy gossip. She also ignores the matchmaking trio's smug looks.
"Did you get everything done already," Bhaltair asks?
"Not yet. Jason arrived a little late and we were enjoying lunch too much to notice the time," Griselda explains. "All the boxes are done and ye get to help Sunny and Alastair bring down the furniture. Go ahead and change out of yer uniform then ye can get started."
"Don't worry. It's only a bed, a chest of drawers, an armoire, a recliner, and two tables. We emptied everything, so it won't be too heavy," Marianne reassures at the teenager's groan. "Just be careful when you're moving the bed frame. Puck has a tendency to chew one of its legs and I haven't replaced that leg just yet."
Marianne laughs at the twins' echoed comment of the dafty bird and turns her attention back to Bog but some movement from the corner of her eye catches her attention instead. That definitely explains her anxiety.
"Bhaltair, get Beathan inside," she orders quietly. "Now!"
Bog follows Marianne's line of sight and groans at the sight of a dark brown haired woman walking closer. It only takes a moment for him to lose his exasperation and realize that something is off about her stride. He quickly checks his sons' positions and silently curses at Beathan's distance from the building and his brother. Exchanging a quick glance with Marianne, Bog moves to intercept Angelina's path to the twins.
"What are ye doing here, Angelina," Bog questions calmly?
"What am I doing here? I knew you were a prat since I met you, so don't bother lying to me. You know what I'm doing here, Bogart," Angelina growls. "How dare you do this to me!"
"Do what? I honestly haven't a clue what ye're talking about," Bog remarks.
Ice flows through everyone's veins as Angelina draws a small handgun from her coat pocket and points it toward them. Her green eyes are too wide and show a hint of madness while her hand deftly holds the weapon toward each of their frozen forms.
Bhaltair stares in horror at his mother before trying to edge closer toward Beathan while her attention is on his dad. He didn't know what is going on but he knows he needs to follow Marianne's orders and get his brother inside.
Beathan carefully starts to wheel his chair backward but both boys freeze as Angelina catches his movements and points the gun directly toward him.
"Why didn't you die? You were supposed to die," Angelina insists, malice dripping with every word! "Everything would have been fine. It was all perfect until you ruined everything. You're completely useless!"
Molten heat of rage rushes through Marianne as tears flow from Beathan's liquid blue eyes and his form shakes with slight tremors. She hated this woman before but now she wants to strangle her and from Bog's thunderous expression, he shares her opinion. Marianne stares intently at Angelina in an effort to gauge an opening but her eyes widen as the finger on the gun's trigger starts to curl. 'Beathan,' she screams silently!
The deafening bang echoes off the nearby buildings and screams accompany the shot as approaching pedestrians run for cover with crying children. Bog can only watch as his youngest son's eyes fill with more tears while his eldest son's knees tremble with the effort to keep standing and Griselda covers her mouth in disbelief at the scene in front of her.
"Marianne," Beathan whimpers, holding a bloody hand against Marianne's shoulder.
"Bhaltair, get inside with Beathan," Marianne orders through gritted teeth.
Paying no attention to the onlookers, Marianne forces her pained body away from Beathan and charges the shocked Angelina with a roar. Odd that she could find a reason to laugh at a moment like this but she muses that she definitely deserves the police brutality this time as she grabs Angelina's right hand with one hand, forcing the gun to drop, and punches hard against her inner elbow with the other. Angelina's scream of pain from the resulting crack is cut short as Marianne slams her knee into the other woman's stomach.
Letting the now unconscious woman fall to the ground, Marianne scans the area as her adrenaline starts fading and takes note of the gathering crowd. The absence of the twins gives her relief despite the pain now flooding through her and she catches Bog's worried eyes. She gives him a smirk just before everything goes black.
"Marianne!"