Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep: A Helen Bradley Mystery (Helen Bradley Mysteries Book 2) by Patricia H. Rushford

Author:Patricia H. Rushford [Rushford, Patricia H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Patricia H. Rushford
Published: 2014-08-26T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

A deadly calm followed the explosion. Splinters of glass began to drip from the ceiling, making an almost musical sound as they pinged against the glass-littered floor. For several eternal seconds, Helen lay on her stomach, too stunned to think. It was hot. The stench of burning rubber and fuel rolled in with clouds of black smoke and stung her nostrils.

The deli's piercing fire alarm shattered the stillness. Sprinkler heads in the ceiling spurted out cold water, then picked up momentum. Within seconds Helen was drenched and cold. From outside she could hear people shouting. A cacophony of frantic voices competed with the bleating fire alarm.

"My daughter is in there! I need to get her out!"

"Stay back, lady!"

"Someone call 9-1-1!"

"They're on the way."

A whimpering sound from behind the counter brought Helen's attention back inside. From another part of the store someone moaned. A child was crying. Helen got to her knees. Her arm hurt from the fall. Other than a burning pain on the back of her head, she was okay. She touched the throbbing area and winced when she felt shards of glass in her hair. A patch of hair on the back of her head was matted and damp. She glanced down at her blood-streaked palm.

Sammi moaned. "My face…"

Helen whipped around and knelt beside her friend. "It's okay, Sammi, I'm here." Sammi was sitting, back against the counter like a lifeless rag doll. A mixture of blood and water streamed from multiple cuts on her cheeks, nose, and forehead. Helen brushed Sammi's bangs aside to get a better view of the head wound and the chunk of glass still imbedded there.

She searched her scrambled brain for advice. Did she leave it in or pull it out? Removing it might create a bigger problem, as she had no idea how deep the piece was imbedded. She left it in. Reaching for a napkin dispenser that had fallen to the floor, Helen grabbed a handful and began dabbing at the blood on Sammi's face.

"How bad is it?" Sammi raised her hand to her left temple.

Helen stopped her. "Don't touch it. There's a piece of glass still in there. Are you hurt anywhere else?" Helen gently patted her arms and legs and did a quick check for other injuries.

"I… I don't think so. What about you?"

"I'm all right. Just lie still. I'll see to the others."

"No, I'm okay. Let me help triage." Glass crunched as Sammi struggled to her feet.

"Wh-what happened?" Wendy crept out from behind the counter, her hair a drenched mess clinging to the sides of her face. Aside from the look of sheer terror, Wendy appeared to have escaped the blast without a scrape. Others were not so lucky.

Helen scanned the room, not knowing who to assist first. One woman lay on her stomach, legs pinned by a toppled shelf. She started toward the woman when she spotted the boy with the orange hair. He had been sitting too close to the window. He now lay in a pool of blood under the table.

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