Page 8 of Heart of the West

“Jeffries, grab the first aid kit,” I say, rushing to Bitsy’s side.

She’s covered in blood and screaming hysterically.

“You killed him! You killed him.”

“Bitsy, I need you to calm down so I can assess your injuries.”

She beats my hands away. Buck joins me a minute later.

“Let me try.” I nod, stand up and move out of the way.

I move out of her vision and start looking through the kit. I take out a couple clot packs. I hand them to Jeffries, who is bent down beside Buck. Sirens in the distance tell me the ambulance will arrive in about two minutes. I watch Buck and Jeffries patch up the worst of the stab wounds. There are too many for me to count amongst the blood.

She’s gone deathly pale by the time the ambulance arrives.

“Jeffries, escort the ambulance to the hospital. I’ll stay here for the coroner.”

The coroner's office will be here within the hour. Buck waits with me until everyone is gone.

“Effrem, you know the drill," he says when we’re alone.

I nod. “I do.” I hand him my service weapon. He bags it and slides it inside his coat to take to the lab.

“It shouldn't take long. The case is open and closed. He was in the process of stabbing his wife to death when you broke down the door.”

“He was. I told him to drop the knife. He moved to stab her again.”

“Shae is out of town until Thursday. I suspect she’ll have you cleared by Friday afternoon. Enjoy your time at the ranch.”

I snort. “You’ll have to ride Deputy Dipshit’s ass.”

He chuckles. “I can do that, and harder than you, since I’m just filling in. He can come whining to you when you get back.”

“Too bad he’s not related. He could use a good kick in the ass before he gets his ass kicked off the force.”

“I’ll feel bad for his Ma when he does.”

“Think it’s inevitable?”

“Don’t you?”

“Yeah, but like you, I hate it for his Ma Dingleman. Bad enough she had to live with that worthless piece of cow dung that gave her a last name before he ran off with the cocktail waitress. She’s done the best she can with the boy.”

“When the day comes, you’ve done your best. She’ll know that.”

The arrival of the coroner cuts off any further conversation.

“Effrem, what do we have?”

“Two gunshot wounds to the chest, Dave.”

I watch as Dave takes in the scene.

“I take it all this blood doesn’t belong to Heath?”

“Most of it is Bitsy’s.”

Dave swore. “Is she alive?”

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