~~~~Love Above All~~~~

Chapter 22


Nick showed the officer and the EMT the way into the living room. Elisha was sitting up now, but she still looked stunned. Her eyes were wide and darting around, she jumped when the officer cleared his throat. Nick heard the twins crying and excused himself to go get them. The EMT knelt down in front of Elisha and talked softly to her. She allowed him to check her over for injuries and her vital signs. When he was finished, the technican told the officer that the injuries were minor and appeared to be the result of a fight. "Nail scratches, a few bite marks. Her eye is going to be sore, looks like that chick gave her a good left to the head." "No way she could have faked any of this?" The technican shook his head. "It's possible, but from looking at the marks on the other lady, I would say they had a good old fashioned cat fight." The officer jotted the information down in his book. "How about the other lady, how is she?" "She took a bullet in the chest, lost a lot of blood, but she's hanging in there. She's out of it though, might be awhile before you can talk to her, IF she pulls through. I wouldn't hold out much hope for her."

Nick sat down beside Elisha on the sofa. She took Diana with her left arm and wrapped her right around Nick. "Nick, I'm so scared!" she whispered in his ear. "It's okay, hun, everything will be alright. I took care of the barn." Elisha stared at him in amazement. The officer cleared his throat again. "Mr. and Mrs. Carter?" Nick looked up. "Please sit down, Officer...?" "Oh sorry, Officer Holliday." He shook Nick's hand and nodded to Elisha. "Do you think I could ask you a few questions, Mrs. Carter?" Nick's hand tightened on her shoulder and she looked into his eyes. "Yes, I'm still a little shaky, but I think I can handle some questions." "Okay." Officer Holliday flipped open his book. "You've had a history of trouble with this Amanda Williford, correct?" Elisha recanted the same story that Nick had told him. "Did you know she was in Kentucky, Mrs. Carter?" Elisha hesitated. "No, no, I didn't know until I saw her this afternoon in the barn." "Okay." He nodded and jotted in the notebook again. "What happened when you saw her?" Elisha chewed on her lip for a moment, what she was about to say was almost an out and out lie. "She demanded to see Nick, demanded that I take her to him. I told her no and to leave the premises before I called the police. She attacked me and we fought in the yard. She punched me in the eye and starting running towards the house. I yelled out and when she turned, I shot her." Elisha had started crying softly and Nick rubbed her back. "First things first, Mrs. Carter. Why did you have a gun?" Nick had been wondering the same thing and looked at Elisha intently. "I bought it...God, I can't even remember...I think a day after the twins came home, when she had kidnapped them. I was so scared, I got it just for peace of mind...Nick didn't even know about it." More writing in the book. "She was shot in the chest, Mrs. Carter, at some distance, would you say that you shot her in self-defense?" Elisha sat straight up, furious. "I was keeping her from my children! From my husband! She's done so many horrible things to my family, I would have done anything to stop her from entering the house! Anything!" Officer Holliday nodded sympathetically. "I understand. Well, I think I have everything I need, they've finished outside. We'll be in touch." Nick stood and shook the officer's hand. "How is she, by the way? Mandy, I mean." "On deaths door, from what the EMT told me." Officer Holliday said goodbye and shut the door softly behind him.

Nick rejoined Elisha on the couch. "'Becca, honey, could you go to your room? I need to talk to mommy about some things okay?" Rebecca had likely not heard much of their conversation with the officer but Nick was taking no chances now. Once Rebecca had left the room he turned to face Elisha. "Okay, spill it! What's going on here?" Elisha looked shocked. "What? You heard what I said..." "Yes, I heard what you said and I know what I saw. Tell me what is happening here, because I think we're both in deep." Elisha buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry Nick, this has all turned out so horrible and wrong, I'm so sorry!" He took Diana from her and set her in the playpen in the corner of the room with Gene. "Elisha?" He hugged her tightly and lifted her head to look at him. "Talk to me, we're in this together now, whatever it is. Tell me." Elisha told him everything. About how she had bought the gun with the sole intent to shoot Mandy after the kidnapping, how she had hired the private dectective and bribed him to leave her alone with Mandy, how her plans had gone awry at the motel and how she had ended up bringing her back and tying her up in the barn. "I don't know what I was thinking Nick. Once she mentioned the twins, I lost it. I starting running on autopilot." Nick stood up and began pacing the room. "I took the ropes and tossed them back in the pile, the rag too. Did she struggle much when you tied her up? Something like that might show up on her skin." Elisha shrugged. "Okay, okay." Nick walked over to her and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. "I think we have everything covered, with the story you gave the cops, no jury would convict you. Let's just pray to God that private dick doesn't blab."

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