Free The Widow's Walk by Carole Ann Moleti

panic was over anger, disappointment, anguish oozed from her expression. Liz had to look away.
    Eddie reached for Liz, and she extended her arms.
    One EMT shook his head and helped her down. “Not now, ma’am. Please lay back while we check you out.”
    The other took her pulse and blood pressure, then shone a penlight in her eyes. “Does anything hurt?”
    Liz didn’t need to answer. When he moved her right leg she pushed him away.
    “Sorry.” He eased on a splint to hold it straight and put one on her ankle, too.
    “Can you tell us what happened, ma’am?” The other guy, with a clipboard, scratched away furiously.
    “I went up on the widow’s walk to check for a bird’s nest. There have been a lot of them flying into the windows upstairs.” Preposterous, but the best she could come up with.
    Mae rolled her eyes.
    “The wood gave way and I slid across the roof. Mae tried to help me down the ladder, but it fell.” 
    The guy looked at her sideways, then smirked at his partner before he went back to writing. “Did you hit your head. Lose consciousness?” Sarcasm dripped from his mouth.
    “The bush broke my fall.” And Edward.
    Mae interrupted. “I’d like to hit her in the head. Hush, Eddie, mommy is fine. Look at the red lights. Woo-wooo.”
    The whimpering, snotty nosed baby imitated Mae and laughed.
    The rescue workers weren’t amused. “I have a few questions for you, ma’am. Name?”
    “Elizabeth Keeny.”
    “Date of birth.”
    “July 21, 1964.”
    “Allergies or medical problems?”
    “None.”
    “Okay, we better get you to the hospital. Will you ride with us, Miss . . .”
    He turned to Mae.
    “Mrs. Fitzgerald. No, I’ve got to call her husband. The baby needs to go in his car seat.” Mae exhaled through closed lips.
    They covered her with a blanket and went back to the ambulance.
    Mae shivered, looking down on her.
    “Go get a coat.”
    “Don’t ask me to lie for ya, Lizzy.” She’d have her hands on her hips or be waving a finger if she wasn’t holding a squirming baby.
    “I’m not asking you to. But please, if this gets out . . .”
    “Which is why I went along with changing the dress. What were you doin’ up there?”
    “It was an accident.” Liz didn’t believe that and doubted anyone would.
    Her heart throbbed as much as her knee and ankle. Elisabeth had a history of poor judgment, and she hadn’t even had a chance to resist. How had the ghost taken over like that?
    “We’ll have a long talk later. I promise, Mae.”
    The men rolled a stretcher over. One grabbed her under the arms, the other slid his hands under her knees. Even though they were trying to be gentle, she landed like a sack of potatoes. Tears rolled down her face, from both mental and physical pain.
    “Sorry, Mrs. Keeny.” One tucked another blanket under the bad leg to brace it.
    They raised the stretcher and wheeled her down the drive. The bottom slammed into the bumper, retracted, and launched her inside. Mae trembled in the cold, holding Eddie, standing amidst the pile of rubble, staring at Liz like she’d murdered someone.
    One EMT jumped in next to her. The door slammed. The siren blared. Eddie waved to his mommy. Mae stood motionless, expressionless, as the ambulance turned out of the driveway.

Chapter 10
    Mike shoved his hand into his pocket and fingered the stones. They seemed to warm up when he touched them, which was probably just his imagination, but he couldn’t keep his hand out of his pants.
    Both syrups, Sandra’s and the one that tasted like turpentine and pine needles Mae had bought, suppressed the cough the entire time Mike and Kevin hauled up, emptied, and dropped the lobster pots back in. Ten big ones, and no traffic to the market in Wood’s Hole. It might all be coincidence, but maybe the crystals and potions were working.
    “Yer awful quiet, Mike.”
    “Cold is knocking me out. I’m exhausted, but can’t sleep.” He left out the separate bedroom part.
    “Everythin’