Love's Harvest, page 22
part #1 of A Salmon Run Novel Series
Too late. Diego had already made his way through the flames. He knelt down to where Julia and Gayle lay—arm in arm, waiting for death to come. Quickly, Diego rolled each woman onto his wet blanket and with all his strength, he pulled his cargo toward safety.
When he was but a few feet from escaping the charred inferno, a burning timber fell from the ceiling and hit the floor on end. When Diego saw it was about to tip over and land on Julia, he threw his body over hers to protect both her and her sister-in-law.
He suddenly felt a crashing thud to the back of his head. In that moment he thought about how glad he’d chosen to sleep outdoors that night. Otherwise, who knew what would’ve happened to Julia and all those who lived and worked at the winery. A smile came to his lips, and then his world turned black.
~
Out of the corner of the sheriff’s eye, Barb saw the timber fall from the ceiling and knock Diego off his feet. She quickly ordered her two deputies, Stefano and Christos, to pull Diego and the two women to safety.
As soon as they’d all made it to safety, Sheriff Barb told her deputies to go down to the compound to see if any more help was needed. The emergency medical team arrived only minutes earlier to work on James’s hand, as well as some cuts and bruises on the children. However, as soon as the EMTs saw the three nearly lifeless bodies of Julia, Gayle, and Diego, they turned their attention toward them.
Julia was the first to come around. Miraculously, she had but a few surface burns and some mild symptoms of smoke inhalation. Gayle had fared much worse.
Quickly, an oxygen mask was secured to help her breathe, and a salve applied to an ugly burn on the inside of her left leg. James was holding her limp hand and weeping uncontrollably.
“I’m so sorry, Gayle,” he kept whispering. “This is all my fault! All of it!”
Finally, the medical team announced they were taking both Gayle and James to the hospital and asked if there was anyone who could look after the Reynolds children. Mariela immediately stepped forward.
“I take responsibility for these children. They’re friends of our family, and we love them as our own.” Mariela knew she had to be strong for the children. It wasn’t easy for it now became clear her brother was hurt as well.
The medical team at a second ambulance had in the meantime attended Diego, who, like Gayle, had still not come to. Julia assumed the deputies dragged her and Gayle out of the fire. So why was Diego there? And why was he receiving medical attention?
When she saw Diego being given CPR, she suddenly lost it.
“Diego! Oh my God, no!” She couldn’t lose another man she loved this soon after the first. With her heart shattered, Julia ran to Diego but was stopped mid-stride by Barb.
Hearing the anguish in Julia’s voice, Barb turned just in time to stop her friend by throwing her arms around her.
“It’s okay, Julia, they know what they’re doing!” Barb said while holding Julia in her arms.
“What happened? Why’s Diego lying there hurt?” Julia demanded while struggling in Barb’s grasp.
In all of the chaos, it didn’t dawn on the sheriff that Julia had no idea how she’d been saved from the fire. Only that she and the children were safe, and that James and Gayle were at this very moment being transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
“Julia, listen to me! Diego went in with James to rescue you, but James burnt his hand nearly off and was no longer of any help. Diego got him out of the building but went back in to rescue the children. Then ignoring our advice, ran back in to pull you and Gayle out as well. Except on the way out, he was struck somehow on the back of his head.”
Seeing the anguish on Julia’s face, Barb took her in her arms. “He’s strong, Julia, and a survivor. He’ll make it. I’m sure of it!”
Julia finally shook herself out of Sheriff Barbara’s embrace and fell at Diego’s side.
“Diego, listen to me.” Julia picked up his hand and brought it to her cheek. “You’re not allowed to die. Do you hear me? I’ve already lost too many people close to my heart, and I refuse to lose you as well. I love you, and I don’t care who knows it. I know you love me too, you stubborn, prideful man. Please, don’t leave me. You’re the only thing left that matters to me.”
“Julia,” interrupted Barb. “He’s got to get to the hospital. Do you want someone to take you there, or do you want to ride along with him in the ambulance?”
Julia gazed up at Barbara with her smoky, tear-stained face. “I want to stay with Diego.”
“Okay. I understand. I’m going to stick around here until the fire’s completely put out. Then I’m going to find temporary housing for your workers since everything is gone. I also want to do some investigating because if I’m not mistaken, something about this fire seems fishy to me.”
“I understand.” Julia hadn’t even thought about the winery, she’d been that concerned about Gayle and the children. And now all her energy was focused on Diego.
“Julia, we were lucky. My deputies tell me all your employees, their families, and pets made it out alive. We must be thankful for that.”
“Of course, you’re right. Thank God!” Julia worked at appearing stronger than she felt on the inside. “We’ll make it through this. Somehow, someway.”
As the EMT’s hoisted their patient into the back of the ambulance, Julia took her place by Diego’s side, repeating her mantra of I love you all the way to the hospital. Not until the surgeon and doctors took Diego into the operating room did she let go of his hand.
~
The chaos in the compound was as thick as the fog of smoke emanating from the fire. Rafael and Joaquin had done their best to get the families out of their units but had less luck putting out the fire.
The production barn was gone, as were the barracks. Julia’s home and the winery proper were gutted, and the vineyard was all but a few acres destroyed. Once the two men were sure everyone was safe, they decided to poke around and see if they could determine exactly how and where the fire started.
They surmised it must’ve originated in the barn, and from there spread to the units and the vineyard beyond. The problem with that theory though was the question of why the main building and Julia’s home had likewise been devastated by the blaze.
The only answer which made any sense was that both the barn and Julia’s house had been targeted by an arsonist, and that the fields and the rest of the compound had fallen victim to these two fires. Because the barn was the most destroyed, it served to reason the first fire started there, the home and adjacent winery second.
The two men searched through the wet debris of what’d once been their place of work. Rafael searched through the production barn’s destroyed contents while Joaquin investigated the perimeter. It didn’t take long before Joaquin noticed something sticking out above ground.
“Take a look at this Rafa,” called Joaquin.
Rafael moved carefully toward his friend. “What is it? Did you find something?”
“I think so, yes. What does that look like to you?” Joaquin asked pointing his finger at what looked like a melted reddish orange container. “I’ve never seen anything like that either near or inside the barn before, have you?”
Joaquin went to turn the object over, but Rafa stopped him in time. “Don’t touch anything, Joaquin. If this fire started how I believe it did, the fire department investigator needs to look at everything first before we mess with it.”
Joaquin kept his distance but nonetheless crouched down to get a better look. “If I’m not mistaken, it looks a great deal to me like one of those plastic gas cans. What do you think?”
Rafael lifted his friend up from the elbow. “I think we need to get one of the deputies over here to look at it and then to secure the premises. This is a crime scene now. No doubt about it.”
Both men approached Deputy Sotiropoulos and showed him their discovery. Immediately, Christos radioed the sheriff.
Barb’s cell phone rang. After listening to her deputy’s update, she turned her attention away from the ambulances and back to the fire.
“Please tell Mr. Lopez and Mr. Pasqual I’ll be down shortly. In the meantime, see if you and Stefano can get everyone together. People from both Riverside Lutheran and Our Lady of the River are coming to pick up the families and take them someplace where they can clean up and sleep, if possible.”
Barbara had from the start been concerned as to where the workers could to be housed once the fire was out. “If we need more room, the Superintendent of the schools said we could use the high school gym if need be.”
“Got it, Barb,” answered Christos. “I’ll call my family too and see if there’s room for anyone at Saint Sofia in Bellingham. I doubt if anyone there speaks Spanish since the congregation’s Greek Orthodox, but they’re family-oriented people and will help in any way they can. I’m sure of it.”
Barb let out a sigh. “Thanks so much, Chris. Getting all these people housed is going to take the efforts of the entire county to make sure the workers and their families have places to stay.” Barb wasn’t sure what Julia’s plans were for the future of the Nooksack Valley Winery and Vineyard, but whatever they were, they’d take some time to manifest.
As soon as Christos hung up, he called his Uncle Fotis. When he heard the news, Fotis got busy and notified everyone he could think of. Chris then turned to speak to Joaquin and Rafael, to tell them Sheriff van Persie would be down shortly. The two men, however, were gone, already making their way up the hill to what’d once been Julia’s house and main office of the winery.
~
The main building still smoldered, preventing the men from entering its skeletal remains. That didn’t stop Joaquin and Rafa however from carefully circling the ruins, looking for whatever smacked of criminal intent. As they made their way toward what’d once been the basement store room, they were surprised to see what looked like a man’s body folded in the corner next to the refrigeration unit.
“Do you see what I see, Rafa?” asked Joaquin as he approached the hunched over form.
“Yes, but be careful. I don’t recognize who it is. Do you?”
Suddenly a moan emanated from where the body lay and Joaquin motioned for Rafael to come closer and take a look.
“Mother of God, is that who I think it is?” Rafael asked as soon as he saw more of what the man was wearing. Both men quietly nodded at each other.
“Umberto? Is it you?” asked Joaquin.
“Help me! Ayuadame!” the charred carcass rasped.
Rafael wasted no time running up the hill. Luckily he sighted Sheriff Barbara as she made her way toward what was once the production barn.
“Sheriff! Over here! Someone’s hurt and very possibly has a few things to say to you. That is, if I’m not mistaken as to why he’s here.”
Barbara ran up the incline with Rafael to see what he was talking about. “Who is it? Do you know?” she panted.
“Sí, Sheriff. It’s Umberto Colon, the man who was fired from here a few days ago.”
Quickly, Barbara called in for another emergency vehicle to tend to the injured man. That done, she crawled into the space where the indisposed man lay in the arms of Joaquin.
“Sheriff van Persie, this man is Umberto Colon,” reiterated Joaquin. “He has something to tell you, but you’ll have to lean in close to hear. The smoke and fire have all but destroyed his ability to speak.”
When Barb saw the mangled and badly burnt body of the victim, it was everything she could do to not vomit. The man’s face was blistered. The flesh on his body adhered to his bones merely by the forced enclosure of his clothing.
“Señor Colon,” Barb addressed the man, “the ambulance is on its way. Don’t talk if it is too difficult. Save your energy. You’ll need it soon enough.”
“No, Sheriff, I want to talk. I set the fire, but I got caught in my own trap. I was angry, sí, but it was Señor D’Angelo who paid me to do this. No one else. Only me and the Señor.”
“Duncan D’Angelo?” The sheriff couldn’t believe her ears, and then things began to make sense. She’d always wondered why the most unsavory of situations led back to Mr. D’Angelo, but this one took the cake.
“He’s not responding, Sheriff Barbara,” noted Joaquin.
“I’ve got this. You and Rafael go help your families and coworkers get on the buses waiting for them up on the road. Several churches have found places for you all to stay temporarily. That is, until we figure out the next move. I’ll stay with Mr. Colon until the ambulance gets here.”
“Are you sure, Señora?” asked Rafael.
“Yes,” she answered. “Just go. Go!”
Barbara watched as both men did exactly as she asked. While waiting for the EMT’s to arrive, she thought about the events of the past few days with both astonishment and horror. Never had anything like this ever happened before in Whatcom County, at least not since she’d been elected Sheriff. She hoped and prayed nothing even remotely like this’d ever happen again, especially not on her watch.
~
The sheriff and her two deputies followed the last ambulance out of what’d once been a thriving business and home to so many. On the way she caught her deputies up on her conversation with Umberto Colon and was in the process of initiating a warrant for the arrest of not only Colon, but Duncan D’Angelo as well. Even though she had no proof as of yet, she wondered how James was connected to all of this, if indeed he was.
Because of these thoughts, she asked Chris and Stefano to stand sentry at the hospital doors of both James’s room as well as that of Umberto Colon. She’d take care of Duncan later. Now she could at last concentrate on her friends—Gayle and Julia, plus the hero of the hour, Diego Gonzales-Martinez.
When Barb arrived at the hospital, she checked in on Gayle first. Sitting up in bed and seemingly awake, Gayle was under an oxygen tent to help her breathe. James, with his hand already bandaged, sat at her side, the two of them talking to each another softly.
“How are my two patients doing?” asked Barb as cheerfully as she could manage given James was still on her to-be-investigated list.
Gayle smiled while James merely stared at his wife.
“We’re both doing fine,” said James. “Considering what we’ve both been through.”
“I don’t need to tell you that I need to speak with you later, James. Do you hear me?”
When he turned his face toward Barbara, she saw he hadn’t as yet stopped crying, his face red and swollen. “I understand,” he said.
“But I need you to know even though I badly wanted the land around the winery, never for a moment did I want anyone to get hurt or killed as a result, especially not my family. I know who’s behind all of this, but unfortunately I’ve no proof.”
Barbara put her hand on his good shoulder. “It’s all right James, because I do.”
She then lifted the curtain of the oxygen tent to speak briefly to Gayle. “Simply shake your head yes or no. Don’t talk. Okay?”
Gayle nodded yes.
“Are you doing okay?”
Gayle nodded yes again.
“And do you want James in the room with you?”
Gayle turned her gaze toward her husband’s face, smiled, and nodded once more.
“Then I’ll leave you two. I have to check up on a few people, including Julia, before I leave. I’ll say good night for now. Or should I say good morning?”
Sheriff Barbara turned to leave the room when she heard James say, “Thank you, Sheriff van Persie— Barb. Thank you for everything!”
~
By the time Barb reached the waiting room, the ER had cleared out, save for her friend Julia.
“How are you doing, kiddo?” she asked.
Julia still carried a few remaining smudges and cuts on her face, but other than that she appeared to be doing fine.
“I’m okay,” she answered, “but Diego’s still in surgery. God, Barb, I feel bad for him, so helpless.”
Barbara sat next to her friend and wrapped her big arms around her, allowing her head to rest on her shoulder.
Julia desperately needed more than anything else to be coddled and loved. “I told myself the last time I was here with Robert I would never spend another minute in this hospital again. Now, here I am, feeling as if all of this was somehow my fault. I’m the one who insisted on keeping the winery, me and no one else. I’m the one who put everyone who works there in jeopardy. I’m the one who told Diego to get lost, all because I was worried about what people thought of me. Of us. Oh, Barb, I feel sick.”
“I’m so sorry, Julia, but I refuse to be a part of this pity party. First of all, you’re not responsible for this fire. I already got a confession from the culprit. I plan to soon arrest a few others involved in this crime as well. Too bad, but you’re not on that list.”
She gave her friend a loving squeeze. “For your information, everyone in this valley who counts wants the winery to succeed, especially the people who work for you. They knew the risks of working there, but they chose to work for you. No questions asked.
“And as far as Diego is concerned, he chose to save your life. And the lives of Gayle and her children. If anyone’s at fault, it’s me. I told him not to go back in, but he went anyway. Truth is, I could’ve stopped him, but I didn’t.”
Julia sat up. “I’m scared, Barb. What’ll I do if Diego …”
“Then let’s pray and ask God to do what He does best.” Barb took Julia’s hands in her own and bowed her head. Silently the two women closed their eyes and prayed for nothing less than a miracle.
Chapter 16
It wasn’t until the surgeon entered the waiting room that Julia realized she’d fallen asleep in one of the overstuffed chairs. That sometime between two a.m. and now six, Barb had left the hospital to either go back to the station or home to bed.
“Julia Reynolds?” asked the doctor.
“Yes?” she answered sleepily.
In one move the surgeon pulled off his mask and scrub cap. “We got out of surgery only minutes ago. I’m sorry to have to inform you that Mr. Colon didn’t survive the night.”
