All About the Money (A Jesse Watson Mystery Series Book 7) (11 page)

“Our cells aren’t nasty,” Cole said, offended by her remarks.
“Our cleaning crew makes sure they are kept…”

Savannah
ignored Cole. She was so glad to be free that she walked away with Russell and
didn’t bother to look back.

“I guess she doesn’t need her makeup,” I snidely remarked,
looking at Billy. “Or us.”

“She’s probably relieved just to get out of jail,” Billy
replied. “Don’t hold that against her.”

“I’m stunned she’s being released so quickly,” Cole said.
“She never even made it to the regional jail in
Orange
. That’s where they usually go from here until the
magistrate…”

“I guess she wasn’t a flight risk after all,” I remarked,
cutting him off. “They set her free.”

“She’s been bailed out of jail,” Cole said. “She still has to
go to court and answer the charges against her.”

“Oh, it’s over,” I came back with. “I bet she never steps
foot in a court room. That’s just not going to happen. She’s a star. Stars
don’t go to court!”

“If I were a betting man, I’d take that wager,” Sheriff
Hudson said, coming around the corner of another hallway.

“I thought you said
Savannah
was a flight risk.”

“And I thought you were her friend,” the sheriff replied.
“You don’t seem to be too happy she’s been released.”

“I believe people should be treated equally, not given
preferential treatment. It’s not fair.”

“Sure, you do.” Sheriff Hudson chuckled. He looked at Cole
and said, “I can take this from here, Deputy James.”

Cole turned and left, dismissed like a child. At least he
wasn’t admonished for allowing us to see
Savannah
.

“Follow me,” Sheriff Hudson said. “I have a few questions for
you.”

He led us to his office and was about ready to show us in
when two deputies came down the hallway escorting a handcuffed and very
disruptive Wynona Rhodes. She was kicking and screaming, and cursing at
everyone in sight. Try as she might, she couldn’t dislodge herself from their
grip.

This is the sheriff’s office. These guys are tough.

It was almost
midnight
by the time the sheriff had finished with us. We had given our account of the
day’s events, the sheriff picking our brains until there was nothing left to
tell, except the part about the bug Billy had planted at the
Rhodes
’ residence. He had left that little tidbit out, so I
didn’t bring it up either. I know when to keep my mouth shut.

Flo got the credit for the two bullet holes in the floor. The
sheriff just about had a fit over her part in all this, but couldn’t do
anything about it unless Donald Rhodes wanted to press charges—which, at this
point—was highly unlikely.

Our job was done. Because of us, Flo Garner would be able to
sleep better at night, and hopefully, the killer red Dodge Charger wouldn’t be
after us anymore. Wynona Rhodes was in jail, and if Donald Rhodes recovered,
he’d face his share of charges. He might not be a killer, but he had other
crimes to answer for. They would both be off the streets for awhile. An added
bonus, the case of Hank Sharp’s murder could now be closed. His killer had been
arrested.

“Not a bad day after all,” I said as we climbed into the
Toyota
. “I bet Flo will freak when you tell
her what happened after they left.”

“She was right, you know,” Billy replied, starting the car.
“She swore that Donald burned down her office.”

“Yeah, but he wasn’t out to kill her.” I hesitated for a
moment. “Shouldn’t we call her?”

“It’s late. She’s…”

Billy’s cell phone hummed and then played a tune.

“Hello,” he answered, after pulling it from his pocket, and
then hitting the speaker button. “We were just talking about you.”

“I just got off the phone with the sheriff,” Flo said,
sounding a bit on edge. “He told me everything, and he wants to ask me some
questions. I have to be at his office at eight in the morning.”

Being the diplomat that he is, Billy said in a sincere tone,
“Then maybe you should get some sleep now that you can. You’re safe. That’s all
that matters. As far as Sheriff Hudson’s concerned, don’t worry about him. All
he wants to do is get a statement from you. It’s his job. You have nothing to
fear. Just tell the truth.”

“Thanks, Billy. I feel much better now.” She broke the
connection without further adieu.

“So much for conversation,” Billy said, looking at his phone.
He hit a button, and then put the phone back in his pocket. “Nothing left to do
but send her the bill.”

“My sentiments exactly,” I agreed. “We’ll have to make an
appearance in court when there’s a trial. That’ll be fun. I’d rather go to the
dentist.”

My eyes followed the road. It finally dawned on me that we
weren’t headed in the right direction. This wasn’t the way to our house.
“Billy, where are we going?” I scanned the scenery. “If I didn’t know better,
I’d think you’d lost your mind. You’re going back to
Jack Rabbit Road
—the scene of the crime. What if the
cops are still there?”

“They’re gone. While you were talking, I was listening. Not
just to you, but to others. Sheriff Hudson’s guys left a long time ago.”

“I can only surmise that you have a good reason for such
lunacy.”

“Then you would be right, `ge ya. It’s too late for dinner
and too early for breakfast.”

“What… what does that mean?”

“I want to get back my bug. With this phone, that thing’s
outdated. Since I just bought it, I can return it.”

“Oh, so you can exchange it for something else. Perhaps
something better, more hi-tech. I hope that store appreciates how much money
you spend there.” I backpedaled. “Not that I care how much you spend. I love
your junk. It’s so cool. Spend all you want!”

Billy just smiled as he made a right turn off the main road
into the
Rhodes
’ driveway. Immediately, he turned
off the headlights, shoved the gearshift into neutral, and then turned off the
engine. We glided to a stop behind a cluster of baby white pines. He pointed to
a car that was partially hidden in a line of trees next to the garage.

It was the Lincoln Town Car.

After a summer storm, the air usually
becomes hot and muggy, but tonight was different. There was a
light breeze settling in, and the animal sounds in the woods were returning.
Crickets and frogs sang in the background. Now that the clouds were gone, the
moon had become visible, casting shadows on the lawn. The house was still fully
lit. Someone hadn’t bothered to turn them off before they left.

Billy insisted that we put our vests back on before we
confronted the driver of the
Lincoln
. I thought it was a waste of time,
but didn’t refuse. We grabbed our guns and then took off for the tree line. We
were going to hide behind a pine tree close to the
Lincoln
, and then jump out and surprise
whoever came out of the house.

However, it didn’t quite turn out that way.

When the front door opened, a man carrying something in his
hand came out. He tried to keep out of sight as he made his way back to his
car, but the light from the moon gave him away. It was Bruno, the man who had
helped us earlier.

“How do you like that?” I whispered to Billy. “What’s he
doing here, and how’s he connected to Donald and Wynona?”

“We’re about to find out.”

Bruno reached his car, put a hand on the door handle, and
opened the car door. He was about to get in when Billy and I stepped out from
behind the trees.

“Forget something, Bruno?” Billy asked.

Startled, Bruno turned and fired the gun he had been trying
to conceal. The minute the shot went off, Billy snatched it from his hand, and
then punched him in the face. The blow knocked him up against the car and then
to the ground. Bruno was down.

The bullet hit me square in the chest, the force of it
knocking me to the ground. I was completely caught off-guard. The pain was
insufferable. I lay there trying to catch my breath, while I clawed and pulled
at my vest, trying to get it off. I felt as if I had been hit with a
sledgehammer. I was suffocating. I couldn’t speak.

Billy was by my side in an instant. He helped me sit up and
then pointed to the spot on the vest where I had been hit. He kept telling me
that I was going to be all right. The vest had saved my life. All I could think
about was how sick I felt all of a sudden. I pushed at him, leaned over and
puked.

“It’s okay,” Billy said, soothing me with his voice.
“Sometimes, the impact brings out that kind of reaction. I know. I’ve been
there. Go with it. You’ll feel better.”

“I doubt that,” I managed to say.

“Here,” Billy said as he placed Bruno’s gun in my hand. “I
have to hurry. I need to get inside and get my bug before the police come back.
You know somebody heard that shot and reported it. I don’t want us to get
caught here again.”

“Go,” I mumbled. “Go… I’ll be all right.”

“If Bruno comes to…”

“Trust me,” I replied. “I know what to do.”

Billy took off running.

I sat in the wet grass waiting for Billy to return, keeping
my eyes on Bruno. When I heard him moan, I stiffened and pointed the gun at
him. I didn’t know what his reaction was going to be, but I was prepared. If he
tried anything, I was going to shoot him in the leg. Billy always said to shoot
‘em in the leg. It’ll stop them, but it won’t kill them… unless you hit an
artery. I wasn’t worried about hitting an artery. I wasn’t that good of a shot.

“I’m so sorry,” Bruno said, getting to his knees. He scooted
over close to me. “Are you all right? Thank God, you were wearing that vest.”

“That’s what Billy said,” I groaned, the pain still radiating
through my chest. I looked down at my vest. “I just got this thing. I guess
I’ll have to buy a new one now thanks to you.”

“I’ll pay for it,” Bruno said. “It was my fault. You
shouldn’t jump out of the dark at someone. You scared me to death. I almost had
a heart attack.”

“I don’t want you to buy me a new vest,” I replied, snidely.
“I want to know what you were doing here. How do you know Donald?”

“Wynona’s my sister.”

“I feel sorry for you, pal. She’s a killer.”

“You don’t know the whole story.”

“I know enough. I heard her tell Donald that she hated him
and wanted to get rid of him ever since her lover died. How’s that for knowing
the story?”

“What? What are you saying? Things have been very bad between
her and Donald, but Wynona didn’t have a lover.”

“She was having an affair with her husband’s business
partner, Hank Sharp. When Hank tried to break it off, she killed him… and
Donald covered it up.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Suit yourself. We have her confession on tape. Want to hear
it? I’m sure Billy will be glad to play it for you when he gets back.”

“She called me earlier and said she was going to kill
Donald,” Bruno said in a defeated way. “She told me about the scene with Flo
Garner and about her shooting at Donald. Wynona then said she would shoot
Donald with the .38 he had bought her, and blame it on the bookkeeper.”

“When did you talk with her?”

“Right after Flo left. Wynona went to her bedroom to get her
gun and that’s when she called me. It was just before she shot him.”

“She called the police right after she shot Donald. She
didn’t even give you time to make it to her house before she called the cops.
Why would she do that?”

“Because I told her there was no way I was going to be a part
of it.”

“But here you are.”

“I didn’t really believe she’d do it. She’s threatened
before, but it was all talk. At the last minute, I decided I’d better come over
here and see what was going on. I can’t tell you how many times she’s said she
was going to make Donald pay for treating her so badly.”

“He’s paying now.”

Bruno and I were still sitting on the ground when Billy
returned. Billy twisted the cap off a bottle of water and handed it to me.
“Here, drink this,” he said. “It’ll make you feel better.” He looked at Bruno.
“I see you’ve come to. You’re lucky Jesse was wearing a vest, or you’d be dead
right now. What possessed you?”

“I told Jesse that I didn’t mean to shoot her. Y’all startled
me, and the gun went off. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.”

“Bruno is Wynona’s brother,” I offered, handing the gun to
Billy. “He came here to get this gun. It’s the one Wynona used to shoot her
husband. She called Bruno and told him she was going to kill Donald, but Bruno
didn’t take her seriously. Apparently, this isn’t the first time she threatened
to kill her husband.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” Billy responded. “So the
cops didn’t find the gun. She must’ve hidden it well. Where was it?”

“Wynona hid it in a loose board under her bed.”

Billy handed the gun to Bruno and said, “I suggest you go to
the Sheriff’s Office, give the gun to Sheriff Hudson, and tell him the truth
about why you have it. You don’t want to go to jail for withholding evidence or
being an accessory after the fact. You could do more time than Wynona.”

“They didn’t find the gun, so I’m sure they immediately
tested her for GSR,” I added. “They knew she shot Donald. If you try to hide
this gun, you’re going to get in trouble. Better to come clean now, instead of
waiting until they find out. You don’t want to go down that road.”

“I guess you’re right,” Bruno replied. “If what you say is
true, there’s no helping her now. I sure don’t want to go to jail. Is Donald
dead?”

“We don’t know.”

A siren wailed in the background.

“Let’s get out of here,” Billy said as he scooped me up in
his arms. “Just leave us out of it. If they ask you about the gunshot that was
reported, all you have to say is that the gun accidentally discharged. Good
luck.”

Billy ran to the 4Runner carrying me and limping part of the
way. Once he had put me in the car and got in himself, I asked, “How’s your
leg? You’re limping again.”

“My kneecap’s bruised a little and it hurts, but I’ll
survive. I’ve had worse... a lot worse.”

“Hey… I got shot in the chest!” I said, joking. Then the
reality of how it would affect my mother dawned on me. “Don’t dare tell Mom
what happened. If she knew about this, she’d really flip out.”

“I agree. This, we will keep to ourselves.”

Billy pulled the
Toyota
out onto the road, with Bruno not far behind. A minute later, we passed a
Greene
County
police cruiser with lights flashing and siren going strong.

“I guess Bruno decided not to wait and tell the cops what
happened,” Billy said. “For his sake, let’s hope he turns the gun in.”

“He could just dump it. I would if it was me.”

“Yeah,” Billy laughed. “Just like you did awhile back with
that bloody shirt of mine. I’m sure you’ll never forget that one.”

“I was trying to protect my man,” I replied, smiling at the
thought. “And I’d do it again. It worked. They never did find that shirt.”

“That’s because you burned it. What would you have done if it
turned out that you destroyed a crucial piece of evidence that could’ve proved
my innocence?”

“I was young and naïve then. I’m much smarter now.”

“But you’d still do the same thing all over again.”

“Yes. When has the presence of blood ever proved one’s
innocence?”

When we passed the Sheriff’s Office in Stanardsville, I
looked up in the rearview mirror to see if Bruno was going to turn in, but I
didn’t see him. He had already turned off. He was definitely not going to turn
over the gun.

“He’s going to regret it,” was all Billy said.

The ride home was uneventful. Nobody tried to run us off the
road, and nobody called to tell us to come over right away because of a dead
body hanging around. I was worn out by the time my head hit the pillow and fell
asleep before Billy even made it to bed. He was roaming the house for some
reason, but I was too exhausted to ask him why. I slept soundly, until I was
awakened by the ring of a telephone.

The phone rang... and rang... and rang.

“Would somebody please answer that?” I called out. “I’m
trying to sleep, and I can’t with that thing going off in my ears.”

The dogs started barking. I could hear them running back and
forth in the house, their nails scrapping the hardwood floor. Their barking
grew louder and angrier.

“What on earth?” I sat up in bed and yelled, “Be quiet! Will
ya? I’ve got a headache and I’m trying to sleep.” I looked over at the clock on
the nightstand, which showed that it was now
six o’clock
in the morning. “I didn’t go to bed until almost three.
Could you please keep it down? I’d like to sleep for at least another hour.”

Nobody answered. The phone had stopped ringing, but was soon
followed by someone knocking on the front door.

“Somebody get that,” I yelled out again. I lay back down and
tuned out the noise, until I heard someone scream, “Get out of here!”

“No, I’m not,” Bruno yelled, his voice resonating down the
hallway. “I’m not going to give the gun to the cops, and you can’t make me!”

A gunshot blasted and echoed throughout the house.

Instantly, I jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen, only
to find it empty. I looked down at the floor and saw blood everywhere. There
was even blood on the wall. It looked as if someone had just been brutally
murdered here. My heartbeat quickened and my pulse raced. Then, I saw that the
front door was standing wide open. The house was dead quiet.

“Where is everybody?” I cried out. “Hello! Answer me!”

There was no response. I looked around for a second, and then
ran to the door out onto the porch. I stood there in the early morning light
and looked around the yard. It was misty and overcast like it gets after a
heavy storm, but there was no denying what I saw next. A woman’s body was lying
on the ground, covered with blood. She was motionless, her body limp like wet
hair in the rain. I ran to her to see who she was, trying to maintain control
and not cry. The minute I bent down to check her out, someone came up behind me
and smashed me over the head. I blacked out.

“Wake up, Jesse,” Billy said, shaking me. “You were having a
bad dream.”

I woke up and discovered that it had only been a bad dream. I
was so relieved, until I realized that every time I had one of those dreams,
something bad has happened, or was going to happen. I rarely had nightmares,
but when I did… watch out… someone was going to get the bad end of a whipping
stick, or someone was going to die… or had just died. Was it a curse, or was it
just my imagination?

“There was a woman’s body in the front yard,” I cried, still
half-asleep. “Bruno shot her. There was blood everywhere. I thought it was my
mother or Helene, but... it was only a dream... a bad dream.”

Billy sat down on the bed next to me, took my hand in his,
and calmly said, “You need to take a shower and wake up. I have to talk to
you.”