She Wanted It All - Kathryn Casey [124]
One day she told Celeste, “Modesto needs another thousand.” Celeste sent Kristina to an ATM machine and handed the envelope full of cash to Donna, who had noticed that Celeste seemed increasingly on edge. She didn’t like the rumors circulating through Austin, gossip that speculated Tracey hadn’t acted alone.
On the morning of February 16, Bruce had to work. Donna drove him home and then went to her mother’s house, where Donna lived with her teenage son, Henry. Celeste called, frantic. “I heard they’re talking about me at Studio 29,” she squealed, a manic edge to her voice. “Kim’s telling people I put Tracey up to killing Steve, and that the twins’ father died mysteriously. I want you to go there with me.”
Donna drove to the house to pick her up. She didn’t notice Celeste slip a butcher knife into her purse as they walked through the kitchen to the car, to head for the salon.
As Celeste had ordered when she called her, Kristina and Justin were waiting when Donna pulled into the parking lot. They immediately spotted Kim, a blond nail technician, smoking a cigarette outside the back door. Before the Cadillac even stopped, Celeste jumped out, charging at her with the knife. Kim turned and ran, her ankles tottering in her high heels. The following minutes could only be described as bedlam. Kristina and Donna grabbed Celeste and pleaded with her to throw down the knife. Appearing to acquiesce, Celeste tucked the knife inside her shirt, then stormed inside the salon.
“I want an apology,” she demanded, pulling out the knife. “And I want it now.”
Kristina again struggled with her mother, but couldn’t wrestle the knife away.
“I want an apology!” Celeste shouted even louder.
By then Jennifer had arrived, after seeing Celeste’s and Kristina’s cars in the parking lot. She grabbed Celeste’s arm and tried to wrench the knife from her. They struggled and Celeste pulled away. In the confusion, the knife grazed Kristina’s knee, cutting her, and plunged into Celeste’s forearm once and her left thigh twice.
By the time police arrived, Kim had fled, and no one pressed charges. Donna wrapped Celeste’s leg and arm in bandages, and they left for North Austin Medical Center. Celeste looked up at Justin as he helped her into the car. “Did you see how frightened they were of me?” she asked with excitement.
At the hospital Celeste said, “This was an accident. I wasn’t trying to kill myself.”
The doctor sutured her leg wounds and dressed the cut in her arm. The six-inch knife blade had come close to a large artery in her inner thigh, so he ordered that she be kept overnight for observation.
The next morning, Celeste was released, and that afternoon she and Donna dressed and primped to go out. When Donna was ready, she searched the house for Celeste and found her in what had been Steve’s office. “Oh, I shouldn’t have called you,” Celeste said, hanging up the phone as Donna walked into the room. Donna assumed Celeste had been talking to Tracey when she said, “It hasn’t been taken care of.”
“Modesto needs more money,” Donna said. “Another thousand.”
Celeste didn’t argue. She picked up the telephone and called Kristina. “I need you to get some cash for me,” she said. When Kristina and Justin showed up with the money and handed it to Celeste, she gave it to Donna. They both watched, eyes wide, wondering what was happening.
Bruce saw it as well. He’d been suspicious of Donna’s relationship with Celeste, assuming that Donna had an angle. The following afternoon he locked himself and Celeste in the master bedroom and called out to Donna, demanding she leave. “Celeste and I are getting married,” he said “We don’t want you here.”
“I need my things,” Donna replied. “Then I’ll be gone.”
He opened the door, and Donna ran inside and jumped on the bed. Celeste laughed when she crossed her arms and refused to move. When Justin overheard what was going on, he convinced Bruce to talk to him in the hallway and minutes