Deadly In Stilettos (30 page)

             
“If we can get the package by tomorrow, check on security for his room, and know when his nurses and doctors check on him, we can get in and out before sundown.”

             
Tabi was on it. She immediately went into her office to look up her contact information from the hospital. She knew quite a few of the nurses and doctors, since she had been at the hospital quite a bit with her father when he passed away a few years ago. She had made many friends, and she knew at least some of them would be willing to give her anything she needed, no questions asked. She would, of course, give them a little something for their troubles. The next morning, after they found out what they needed to know Demi and Tabi went to the bait shop. Within minutes they had everything they needed, along with the information required to handle such delicate but deadly creatures.

             
Leeches were a great choice. Tabitha told Demi when they returned to her house. No one checked for them unless they were directed to do so. Enry would get the life sucked right out of him, just as he had done to so many others.

             
Before they went to the hospital that evening, they went over the plan again, making sure both of them were comfortable with it. Tabitha assured Demi she was all in. Nothing would stop her from seeing the look on Enry’s face when he realized he was about to take his walk with death. They bought one-hundred leeches. They wanted to make sure there were more than enough to get the job done. Enry did not stand a chance. When they got to his room, they would place them on his back side and slip out the hospital. The leeches would do the rest. Enry wouldn’t know what hit him. Neither would anyone else until it was too late.

             
One of Tabitha’s contacts had also been deceived by Enry and delighted to help them. She even told them she would make sure he was sedated so that he would not be responsive when they entered his room. Of course, Tabitha did not tell the nurse the true reason for their visit. Instead, she informed her that he had attacked her friend and she wanted to see him before they went to court. The nurse asked no questions, knowingly. She wanted to help another woman who had been a victim of Enry Williams.

Chapter 19

             
GREG ARRIVED back in New York earlier than he’d expected. He just simply could not stay away from Demi for another day. His boss agreed to let him continue to work with the NYPD to build a case against Enry Williams on corruption and attempted murder. Enry Williams would never be a free man again, if Greg had his way. The things he had done to Demi could not go unpunished. Greg wanted to kill him, but thought better of it. He didn’t want to bring any unwanted attention to himself, especially with all he planned for him and Demi. Gathering the evidence against Enry gave Greg a reason to be in New York instead of Dallas. When Demi fully recovered, he planned on asking her to be his wife. She needed him to protect her. He loved her so much and would do anything to prove it. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. The voices told him differently. Other plans were definitely in store for Deminis Bradshaw.

             
Thoughts of the other woman he was involved with suddenly supplanted his thoughts of Demi. He had done a bad job telling her no. Breaking it off with her would be hard, but he would have to do it soon if he and Demi were to have a chance. Why had he allowed himself to get so wrapped up with this other woman? Why was Demi not enough at the moment? Greg pushed the thoughts from his mind. He would deal with that later. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to be with Demi. She was his main concern. Everything else would just have to wait.

             
The cab ride from the airport to Tabitha’s house was a long forty-five minutes. Traffic was unusually calm, but she lived on the Upper East Side, and traffic was always terrible in that part of the city. Demi was going to be totally surprised to see him standing there when she opened the door. Maybe he should have called first. Tabitha and Demi might have other plans that day or might not even be home. He could call, but he preferred to surprise her.

                                                  ~~~

As Tabi drove to the hospital, Demi thought of Greg. How she loved and cared for him so m
uch, how she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him? When Tabi looked over at her, she misinterpreted the expression on Demi’s face. “I can do it alone if you’re having mixed emotions,” Tabi said in a soft voice. “You did once love Enry.”

             
“Where did that come from?” Demi asked, scowling. “I despise Enry and you know it! I’ve just been thinking of Greg and our future together. That is, if we still have one after this takes place. What will he think of me if he knew what I was about to do? Tabi, he cannot ever find out about this!”

             
“He would probably be pissed we didn’t include him,” Tabi said, laughing. That put a smile on Demi’s face. She looked down at her shoes. The Steve Madden green suede five-inch platform Fiestaa stilettos greeted her. Her mood suddenly changed. The shoes were the perfect choice for Enry, because green was his favorite color, as well as one of her own. Demi only hoped he would be able to see them before his life ended. That way, when he was in hell making small talk with the devil, he would also be able to talk about her shoes with her father, Troy, Makei, Chauncey, Linda, Laurel, and, soon, Anya Bankston. Anya would be the next to join them. Each one could discuss and describe the pair of shoes they last saw when they died. Only then would they figure out she was the one who had put all of them in hell together. She would be talked about until the end of time and far beyond. Demi loved the idea of the people who hurt her fearing her even from their eternal damnation.

             
“You sure you’re okay, Demi?” Tabi asked. “I really can do this by myself. I know just what to do and just how you want it done, so don’t worry. Enry will never leave the hospital other than through the morgue.” Tabi’s mood went from calm to rage in a matter of seconds. Demi didn’t know this side of her friend, and feared something dark was just about to be unleashed. Tabitha’s cell rang. She picked up immediately. Looking troubled, she handed the phone to Demi

             
“Hello?” Demi said, wondering who was calling her on Tabi’s phone. When she heard the voice on the other end of the phone, she smiled the biggest smile she could smile. Tabitha smiled too. She was happy for her friend. She knew about Demi’s other failed relationship and hoped Greg was not like all the others. But was he too good to be true? Did he want something more from Demi than her love? Stopped in the gridlock traffic yet again, Tabitha wondered about Greg. Although she liked him, there was something mysterious about him. She could not quite put her finger on it, but it bothered her the way he looked at her and other women.

             
If the traffic stayed like it was, they would have to complete their plan another day. There was no way they could make it to the hospital by the time they were supposed to if they didn’t start moving soon. Tabitha pounded the steering wheel. Demi must have thought the same thing, because she looked at Tabi with concern in her eyes. When she finally ended the call, her face was as pale as a ghost. “We have to cancel. Greg is at your house waiting for me. He said he’s back in town working on a case and will be here for a while.” Tabitha was irritated. Greg would just have to wait a little longer. When she continued toward the hospital rather than take the next exit off to turn around, Demi asked what she was doing.

             
“Call Greg back and tell him where to find the spare key. It’s in the planter around the back of the house, next to the rose bushes. Tell him we’re stuck in traffic and that we should be there as soon as we can. He is just going to have to wait.” Demi did just as Tabi directed with a huge grin on her face. If had begun to rain, and the wind blew a deadly chill along the avenue. Maybe they should have turned back, but it was too late now. Finally, traffic was flowing normally, and within minutes they were at the hospital. They knew Enry was no longer in the ICU, but in a private room on the fifth floor. All they had to do was take the service elevator, and no one would ask any questions. The floor was surprisingly busy, with people running around as if a disaster had just occurred. Demi and Tabi appreciated all the commotion as they slipped through the crowds undetected.

Enry lay in his bed. He looked completely out of it whe
n Demi walked over and looked down on him. She smirked
.
“Too easy.
”
  She leaned in closer. She wanted to get a few things off her chest while she had the chance. Whispering in Enry’s ear, she said all the things she should have said years ago.

             
“You will never hurt me again. I once was a fool for you, and this is how you treat me? What did I ever do to you to make you want to hurt me so bad? All I ever did was love you, all of you, when others found you appalling. I wanted to be your wife and mother of your children. You tried to kill me. I have spent weeks recovering from the things you did to me, and I am still not all better. Now, look at you! Here you are helpless. Here you are, lying in this hospital bed unable to move.” Demi leaned in closer. “Greg should have killed you. I wish that he had, and then I wouldn’t be here, looking at your sorry ass.” Demi laughed even as tears fell from her eyes.

             
She brushed the tears off her face. She did not want to give Enry the satisfaction of seeing her cry if he suddenly opened his eyes. As if on cue, he did open his eyes, staring straight into hers with loathing. He tried to move, but the sedative apparently was too strong. “You are a coward,” Demi said, “and cowards have no place in the world. You will regret the day you ever laid a hand on me, or anyone else for that matter. Before I leave you to your final resting place, just know that you had this coming.”

             
Demi nodded to Tabi, who moved to the other side of the bed. Enry looked between them, obviously trying to figure out what was happening. When he tried speaking, no words came. Clearing his throat, he tried again. In a whisper he said, “I will make sure that both of you bitches suffer for coming into my room. I will get both of you. Believe that!”

             
They smiled. The two women turned Enry over slowly due to Demi having a cast on one of her arms, the task was a bit of a challenge, yet they managed to get the job done. He tried to resist, but was helpless. Tabi put on rubber gloves, and then Demi got out the plastic container that held the leeches. Demi put a glove on her uninjured hand then took out the first one and put it on Enry’s back. The leech quickly latched on. Tabi and Demi smiled at each other, and then both women applied the leeches to Enry’s back until he was covered from his shoulders to his ankles. When they rolled him back over, none of the leeches were seen. When the nurses came in to check on him, they would not see them. There would be no need to think anything wrong until it was too late. The leeches would be free to drain his body of blood. Enry would die a slow and painful death, just as Demi wanted. No sympathy. He did not deserve any mercy. Before they left the room, Tabi had a few words for him.

             
“Enry, I loved you as a brother, and you disappointed me over and over. All the lives you damaged. All your lies and deceit hurt so many people, including me. It will never make up for what you did to Demi. She deserved so much more than you. I fault myself for bringing you into her life. I will forever be in debt to her, but you are about to make the lives of so many people happy when you are finally gone forever. Tell the devil I said hello
,
bitc
h
!” Tabi turned and left the room. Demi followed, but not before making sure Enry got a good look at her shoes. He did, and to Enry those shoes were his ultimate nightmare. He tried to scream but no words came out. Women who love shoes more than anything else were trouble, and now he knew just how much
.
‘I should have killed that bitch.’

             
His father tried to warn him about women and their love for shoes. Enry had once bought Demi beautiful designer shoes simply because he wanted to see her happy. Her expression when she saw then had sent a chill down his spine each time, but he quickly dismissed the look when she thanked him in more ways than one, wearing nothing with them. Now she wore the same look. It was as if the shoes knew he was about to die, and the more he looked at them, the more he was sure he saw the shoes smilin
g
. ‘I must be hallucinating,
’
he thought. Shoes did not smile. Suddenly, it occurred to him that someone had drugged him. Demi had more help than he’d realized. Did that many people truly hate him? Had he caused so much pain and grief that others were willing to help end his life? Enry suddenly felt regret. Regret for doing all the hurtful things to people who didn’t deserve such treatment. He thought about Laurel and how he wouldn’t get a chance to apologize to her.