All About the Money (A Jesse Watson Mystery Series Book 7) (21 page)

“Thank you,” Billy replied. “Getting the DOJ involved is the
last thing we want. We will comply with your demands.”

“But we just want you to know one thing,” I said defiantly.
“Don’t come to us for help.”

“It’s a deal,” Sheriff Hudson said, offering his hand.

We shook his hand, turned, and then vacated the premises.
Billy held my hand the whole time. He knew I was unsettled by what had just
gone down, and he probably was afraid I’d go off before he could get me to the
truck. But… I maintained my cool… until we pulled out of the parking lot on our
way back to
Charlottesville
.

“Where’re we going?”

“We’re not going to interrogate Bruno, that’s for sure. What
would be the point? He’s innocent. We might actually make it home in time for
dinner.”

I cut loose on the sheriff. “Sheriff Hudson’s a fool if he
thinks he can coerce us. He thinks he’s such a big shot, but he’s nothing more
than a blackmailer. He’s the one who belongs in jail. It’s too bad Deanna
didn’t get her due, but I’m glad Jonathan’s in the clear.”

“Oh, he’s not in the clear. Deanna isn’t finished with him
yet. She got us, and now she’s going after him. I have a feeling there will be
one less bride and groom at the wedding.”

I kept going back to the sheriff. “Can you believe that man?
He’s full of it. That piece of paper is worthless. He can just kiss…”

“No, he can’t, Jesse. We have to abide by the agreement we
just signed. We gave him our word. A Blackhawk never goes back on a promise,
and that was a promise.”

“You’re serious.”

“I most certainly am. I made a promise, and so did you. We’re
going to live up to that commitment. We’ll just be more careful in the future.”

“I thought we were careful.”

“We are, but we’re going to have to be more careful than
ever… make better choices... watch our backs. We can work it out.”

“We always do.”

Billy pulled out his cell phone and said, “I have to warn
Jonathan about Deanna.”

Once he got Jonathan on the phone, he proceeded to tell his
brother what had happened—leaving out nothing. Unfortunately, we weren’t the
only ones who weren’t going to survive the day unscathed. Jonathan was about to
get his share of grief.

Billy ended his call to Jonathan, and then called
Savannah
. He was going to tell her the good
news about Kaleb. She could pick up her son anytime. She was going to be so
happy. She told him that she had already made arrangements with Jonathan to fly
her down to Fancy Gap if everything worked out the way she had hoped.

“How did you know it was going to work out?” I said into the
speakerphone. “We just got word a little while ago.”

“I was praying it would,” she replied. “Oh, Jesse. I’m so
happy… and I could use a little happiness in my life right about now. Thank you
so much.”

“I didn’t do anything, but pray. Billy did the rest.”

“I pray, too,” Billy added.

“Thanks to you both. You’ve made me a very happy person.”

Two important calls down, and one left to go. I had to call
my mother and tell her everything, before IGA found out, and told her first. I
pulled out my new Blackberry whatever, and hit M for Mom. When she answered, I
started talking and didn’t stop until I had exhausted every bit of information
I had to give. I waited for her response, while Billy chuckled at my fast
mouth.

“I already knew,” Mom said. “But I didn’t know about the
license suspension. What did Billy have to say about it? I bet he’s not happy.”

“No, he’s not, but he says we have to honor our word.”

“He’s a good man, Jesse. You’ve a very lucky woman. Listen to
him.”

“I always do. I have to go. You have all the news that is the
news.”

“Give Billy a hug for me, and tell him I’ll do his snooping
for him.” She giggled.

A light gesture made in haste. She was joking. Moms say the
weirdest things, but after we ended our chat, an idea came to me. Why not? Mom
and Eddie would make a great cover for Billy and me. They could do light
surveillance and take pictures for us. Easy work. No guns allowed. I mentioned
it to Billy.

“I need a drink.”

Billy pulled into the driveway and parked the truck. The
long, summer night would soon be upon us. We had survived another day.

“I’m serious. If we can’t work, we have to find someone to
replace us. We want to keep the business going.”

“We don’t have to do anything, except keep our noses clean.”
He got out of the truck. “Come on, my folks are here. Put on that happy face of
yours, and let’s go in and come out winners. We are a proud people.”

“Yeah, right. Whatever. What’s wrong with my idea?” I stopped
him when we got to the front porch. “Listen. We just lost our jobs, and unless
you have a lot more money than I think you do, we’d better come up with some
way to help keep me in the lap of luxury for which I’m accustomed.”

“Money is not a problem.”

“I’m glad to hear that, because being homeless is something I
don’t want to experience. Ever. Home is where the heart is, and that’s where I
want my butt to be. Safe and sound.”

“You will never be without a home.” He hesitated, and then
said, “I must think this over.”

“Good! I’ll call Mom while you’re thinking. Right after I say
hello to your folks, kiss the kids, and pet the dogs. Oh, and let’s not forget
Spice Cat. You know how he is when he doesn’t get enough attention.”

“He’s been a pretty good boy lately,” Billy joked. “He hasn’t
dragged up anything recently.” He put his arm around me, and then led me
inside. “Hello, everybody. We’re back!”

“And just in the nick of time,” Billy’s mother said, greeting
her son. “What’s this I hear about Jonathan?” She looked at me. “Is the wedding
off?”

“I’d say the signs aren’t in his favor,” I replied. “He’s
been a very bad boy, Sarah. Men are like that. They do things they regret, but
by then it’s too late.”

“He’s a man-pig,” Billy joked.

Helene just about fell over herself at Billy’s remark, but
Sarah didn’t crack a smile. She was not at all happy about Deanna coming back
into Jonathan’s life.

“I was afraid something like this would happen the minute I
heard he was meeting her. He can’t rid himself of his feelings for that
jezebel. She’ll be his downfall.”

“Sarah,” Chief Sam said, walking up to her, and then putting
his arm around her. “Don’t get yourself worked up. You can’t change the choices
your children make. He will take his medicine and learn from his mistakes.”

“The chief’s right,” I said as I walked over and patted him
on the back. “We can’t control anyone but ourselves, and sometimes that’s
pretty hard to do. Let’s sit down and eat. I’m starving.”

The meal was excellent as usual, and the conversation was
enlightening. Everyone at the table got an earful, even the kids—who could’ve
cared less.

“How will you provide for your family, son?” the chief asked.

“You can cool it right there, Chief,” I said. “I know Billy
has a lot of dough stashed, so you don’t have to downplay it on my behalf. I’m
his partner! We have plenty of money, and now that we’re unemployed and have
plenty of time on our hands, we can fly in that new helicopter of yours all the
time!”

“Don’t ask,” Billy mumbled to all. “She’s finally discovered
that she has a dollar in her pocket, and she’s incorrigible.”

“I may be, but on the good side, I’m very generous.”

“Yes, you are, but if you continue to spend money like
there’s no tomorrow, there won’t be. We could go broke! You’d have to get a paper
route.”

“I guess buying the new car for Lila is out.”

“Oh,” Sarah said. “You’re going to buy Lila a new car? That’s
great. The poor woman needs one. She has two kids you know, and that clunker of
hers is on its last leg.”

Billy just rolled his eyes.

“Don’t get cheap on me now,” I said to him. “You promised!”

“I said I’d think about it.”

“What will y’all do for the next six months?” Sarah asked.
She looked at Billy. “I can’t believe the sheriff took your license. Is that
legal?”

“We didn’t have to surrender them,” Billy said. “We agreed to
do it, because if we hadn’t, he was going to arrest us right on the spot, and
then file a formal complaint. I’ve never lost my license before, but I can tell
you this, he saved our butts. If the DOJ had gotten involved, we’d be out of
work a lot longer than six months.”

“Mom offered to take our place,” I said, smiling. “She can
get Eddie to work with her, and then they’ll be the new Jesse and Billy.”

Nobody made a comment, they just looked at each other.
Finally, Chief Sam spoke up and said, “That sounds like a good idea. Minnie has
a natural talent for getting to the bottom of things. She has worked with you
before, so she should know the dangers.”

“What dangers?” I joked. “There aren’t any dangers in being a
private investigator.”

“Do you think it’s wise to put your mother out there like
that?” Helene asked. “You know firsthand how unsafe it is. She could get hurt,
or worse, she could…”

“Don’t say that!” I demanded. “She’ll be fine. We won’t let
anything happen to her.”

“How will you stop it?” Sarah added. “You can’t work, so you
can’t go on a job with her. How will you protect her?”

“She’ll have Eddie.”

“But…”

“Stop!” Billy said. “It was just a thought. Minnie made the
suggestion, but I don’t think she was serious.”

“Then you don’t know my mother very well. She said it in
haste, but I bet she’s at home mulling it over right now as we speak.” I
pointed to the wall, and added, “That phone’s going to ring any minute, and
it’s going to be Mom.”

My timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Everyone gasped
when the house phone suddenly rang.

Billy jumped up to answer the phone, but I waved him off. I
liked the idea of having her work with us again, and if that was Mom on the
phone, I knew she was serious. Besides… nothing bad was going to happen to her
or Eddie, because we wouldn’t let it. I knew Billy wouldn’t send her on a job
that was going to be dangerous. He’d give her the easy ones, the safe ones, and
we’d take the more scary ones… under the radar.

“Hello,” I said after picking up the receiver. I waited for a
response.

“Hi, honey,” Mom replied. “It’s me, your mom.”

I laughed. “I know who you are, Mom.”

“I was going to call and ask if we could come over, but
Eddie’s still not feeling up to par, so I’m calling to tell you that we’d love
to help you and Billy out until you get your licenses back. You do know that
Eddie’s a retired cop, don’t you?”

“No, I didn’t, Mom.” I emphasized her name when I spoke, for
the benefit of those in the room. “You never talk about Eddie’s past. I thought
maybe he was an ex-con,” I joked.

“No, you didn’t.”

“I’m just kidding, Mom,” I said, looking around the room at
everyone. “So… you and Eddie want to be the new Jesse and Billy, huh?”

“Hey, I like that,” she replied.

“I just made it up a little while ago when I was talking
about you.”

“You were talking about me?”

“Yes, I was. What you said to me earlier put a bug in my
ear.”

“I hope you get it out.” She laughed. “They’re nasty.”

“I’m being serious, Mom. I’ve talked it over with Billy, and he
agrees.” I looked over at Billy and winked. I knew he was going to give in—he
always did when he liked the idea… and this was a good idea. “And now that we
know Eddie is a retired cop, we won’t have to worry about your safety. He’ll
look out for you.”

“We’d make a good team. Eddie knows his stuff.”

“What does he have to say about it? Is he interested, or are
you coercing him into it because you want to play snoop? This is a serious
business, Mom. Somebody could get hurt.”

“You don’t have to tell me. I’ve seen the results. I know
what can happen. And you sure don’t have to tell Eddie. You should hear some of
the stuff he’s told me. People can be so bad.”

“Boy… do I know it! I’ve met my share of bad people.”

“Look,” Mom continued. “Talk it over with Billy for real this
time, and then give me a call. Eddie and I would like to do this, but if you
don’t want us to, then we’ll drop it. No hurt feelings.”

“I love the idea, but I’ll check it out further with Billy.”
I glanced over at Billy with a questioning look on my face and hesitated for a
second, waiting for a nod one way or the other.

Billy shook his head in agreement.

“Okay. It’s a done deal.”

“Wonderful! We’ll get together as soon as Eddie feels better.
Give us another day, and then we’ll talk about how we’re going to do this. It’s
going to be so much fun, Jesse. You wait and see!”

“I’m looking forward to working with you and Eddie. You’ll
have to wear a vest.”

“Do we have to? You know how uncomfortable they are. You want
your poor old mother to have to wear something so miserable?”

“I want you to stay alive, so you have to wear one. Both of
you.”

“Then you have to buy them. If it’s going to be a job
requirement…”

“We’ll supply the vests, right, Billy?” I looked his way. He
shook his head in agreement. “Billy says we’ll take care of you.”

“And Eddie?”

“Of course! We’re a team now!”

“Until tomorrow.”

“Wait! I have something to tell you.”

“I know everything there is to know. I shop at the IGA,
remember?”

I laughed. “So… you know it’s true about
Savannah
and Cole being involved, and that
she’s going to adopt Kaleb… Jonathan and his ex-lover Deanna had one last
fling, so Lu Ann probably won’t marry him now…  McCoy’s death was most likely
the result of a self-induced drug overdose, and that Cole really did act in self-defense
when he killed him.”

“Yep. Know all that.”

“I guess that about covers it then. Oh, have you heard from
Flo?”

“Yes, Strange how that turned out.”

“She’s okay. That’s what matters. Nobody’s after her anymore.
As far as Wynona and Donald Rhodes are concerned, they’re someone else’s
problem. I no longer care who killed whom. It was this case that got our
license yanked. That—and bad judgment on our part.”

“Don’t hold a grudge, Jesse. Next time, don’t get caught.”

“We’ll talk later. Love you, Mom.”

We ended our little tête-à-tête.

“This is going to be a lot of fun,” Helene said, looking over
at me as I hung up the phone. “I just wish I could be part of your team.”

“You are,” I responded. “You’re a very important part of our
team. You take care of us, and without you, Billy and I wouldn’t be able to
leave the house.”

“I’m talking about carrying a gun and going out on late night
raids.”

Billy laughed and said, “Trust me, Helene, you’d rather be
right where you are, instead of out there.”

Sarah and Chief Sam agreed.

“Why don’t we retire to the den?” Billy suggested. “I’ll get
us all a drink and we’ll watch the news to see if anyone we know is in it.”

“That’s a pleasant thought,” I remarked in jest. “I sure hope
not.”

Life had been a little bit bumpy lately for some, but nothing
compared to the events that were about to unfold in front of us. While Billy
fixed drinks, the rest of us made ourselves comfortable in the den. The kids
had an array of toys to play with, but occupied their time with the dogs. The cat
had balled up off the side and would have nothing to do with anyone.

Helene grabbed the remote, turned on the TV, and then went
straight to the news station. What appeared on widescreen in full living HD
color was so typical of news coverage. Footage on Channel 29 showed a house
with a yard full of
Greene
County
cops—their lights steadily flashing, while a stretcher carrying a sheet-covered
body was being taken to a waiting ambulance. A man with his back to the camera
was being handcuffed, and then taken into custody. The startling part was that
the deadly scene being played out was at the
Rhodes
’ residence. Something awful had gone down.

“Billy, come here quick!” I yelled to him. “You’re not going
to believe this.”

“What’s so urgent?” he asked as he walked over to the dry
sink and sat down the tray of drinks. He started handing them out, but stopped
when he turned around and looked up at the screen. His mouth dropped. “Turn it
up, Helene.”

“Look at the reporter,” Helene said, pointing to a man with a
microphone in his hand. “That’s young Henry. I know his mother.” She chuckled.
“I tell him he reminds me of Dick Clark, because he never seems to age. I don’t
think he likes it when I say that, but he’s too much of a gentleman to say
anything.”

“Shh,” I whispered. “I can’t hear what he’s saying.”

“A local
Greene
County
man has shot and killed his sister in a bizarre turn of events,” the reporter
said. “Bruno Michaels killed Wynona Rhodes in this house after a violent
argument over his late wife, Francine Michaels. According to Donald Rhodes, the
victim’s husband, Bruno Michaels forced his way in, accused Wynona Rhodes of
killing Francine Michaels, and then shot Mrs. Rhodes dead. Sources reveal that
Mrs. Rhodes had just been released from the Orange County Regional Jail.”

The reporter continued, but the rest of us had heard all we
needed to hear. Wynona Rhodes was dead, and her brother was the one who had
killed her.

“Turn it down, Helene,” Billy said. “We’ve heard enough.”

“I thought her bail had been denied,” I questioned, looking
at Billy. “What was she doing out? Sheriff Hudson said…”

“He was wrong. Things change.”

“Her lawyer did something,” Helene offered as she turned down
the sound on the television. “Only her lawyer could’ve gotten her released.”

“If she’d stayed in jail, she’d still be alive,” Sarah added.
“It’s ironic.”

“I say she got what she deserved,” I responded. “She was a
bad, bad, bad person. She stabbed Hank Sharp to death, shot two people dead,
and then tried to kill her husband with the same gun—the one he’d bought for
her. She kills three people and gets away with it, so by now she’s acquired a
real taste for blood. She wasn’t ever going to stop. Somewhere along the line,
she would’ve killed again. If somebody got in her way, she’d just bump ‘em off.
She was a serial killer, and this world is a better place without her in it.
I’m just sorry Bruno’s going to prison because of her. At least, now we know he
wasn’t the one who killed his wife.”

“Can you imagine how betrayed he must’ve felt when he found
out his sister killed his wife?” Chief Sam asked. “He must’ve been horrified.”

“Yeah,” I replied. “Sucker blew a gasket.”

Everyone looked at me.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so flippant. I liked the
guy, except when he shot me. I didn’t like him then.” I looked over at Billy.
“Where’s the bullet?”

“In a drawer. I saved it.”

“How did he find out that his sister killed his wife?” Helene
asked.

“Probably from Sheriff Hudson during interrogation,” Billy
said. “Bruno turned himself in, so I’m sure the sheriff questioned him about
his wife’s death, telling him that the bullet that killed her came from
Wynona’s gun. He had the ballistics report and would soon have the gun to prove
it. He probably accused him of using the same gun to kill his wife. You know
how the cops are. They use every trick in the book to get a confession.”

“Bruno found out Wynona killed Francine, and then when Wynona
got released from jail, it gave him the perfect opportunity to go over to her
house and confront her,” I added. “Then he killed her. The circle of life!”

“Look!” Sarah interrupted, pointing to the television. “Isn’t
that
Savannah
’s house on the news? What’s going on
now?”

All of us turned to see. Helene turned up the sound.

A woman reporter was interviewing
Savannah
, asking her how she felt when she
found out the autopsy showed that her husband had taken a massive overdose of
pills the day he died, and did she know he was unstable. Was she surprised at
her husband’s erratic behavior? Was his death the result of suicide by cop? How
will this affect her career?

“So,” I said. “The autopsy report is in, and they’re calling
it ‘suicide by cop’. That lets Cole off the hook—if he ever was on it.”

“Vultures!” Sarah exclaimed. “The press is hounding her
again.”

Helene chuckled and said, “Hey, at least she wasn’t with her
lover when the reporter showed up. How do you think her readers would like it
if they knew she was seeing the cop who killed her husband? I bet that wouldn’t
go over too well.”

“Oh, it’ll come out eventually,” I said. “It always does. Six
months down the road, we’ll see something in the tabloids about it.”

“There’s so much going on, I can hardly keep track of it
all,” Sarah said, making a face and pretending to be confused. “What’s in store
for us next?”

“Has anyone heard from Jonathan?” Helene asked. “I was
wondering how it was going. You know he’s going to tell Lu Ann about Deanna. He
can’t keep it to himself.”

“He’s not going to tell her,” I replied with a smile. “He’s
already been punished.”

“What are you talking about?” Sarah asked. “How?”

“Jesse slapped him,” Billy answered.

“You did what?” Helene asked, looking over at me.

“He deserved punishment, so I gave it to him, and told him to
drop it.”

“My boys are honest,” Chief Sam added. “He will never keep
this to himself. He will have to come clean. It’s our way.”

“Sometimes, honesty isn’t the best policy,” I stated. “He
made a mistake. He’s sorry. Time to move on. If he opens his mouth, he’s
doomed.”

“I’m surprised you feel that way,” Sarah said. “Wouldn’t you
want to know if your man cheated on you, especially if you plan to marry him in
two weeks?”

A horn honked outside, and a few seconds later, Jonathan came
running through the front door. He called our names out before realizing we
were all in the den. He hustled down the hallway to where we were.

“You’re not going to believe this,” he said with a big smile
on his face. “I told Lu Ann, and she didn’t dump me. She still wants to marry
me! I’m still in a state of shock.”

“I’m so glad to hear it!” I exclaimed, and then ran over to
him. I gave him a big hug. “I don’t know what you said to her, but it must’ve
been pretty good.”