Death By Derby 8 (Josiah Reynolds Mysteries) (10 page)

I pursed my lips.

“What? No catchy reply. What did Mr. No Nonsense do?” Franklin batted his eyes.

“I caught him in a lie.”

Franklin reared back in his chair. “Is that all? You lie all the time.”

“I most certainly do not,” I argued. After thinking for a moment, I retracted my statement. “If I do lie, it’s because I either don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or I’m in pursuit of information. Sometimes you have to fudge a little here and there to find out the greater truth.”

“Is that how you justify it?”

“We are talking about Charlie, not me.”

“No. You started talking about Detective Goetz, whom you are thinking of shelving for telling a fib.”

“This was something more serious. Deception on a grand scale. I caught him having a secret rendezvous with Minor.”

Franklin’s eyes widened. “Really? That does go from modest fibbing to fetching the knife out of the drawer to stab you in the back.”

“That’s a reassuring thing to say.”

Franklin grabbed the tab and reached for his wallet.

“I thought I was to get this,” I said.

“Thought I’d pay for your last meal.”

“Very cute.” Quick with the witty repartees, aren’t I?

“You’re seeing a man who was partner to a cop that tried to kill you several times and now you find out that he is having a secret tryst with Asa’s evil husband at his apartment. I would say that you are playing with fire there.”

Franklin threw some bills on the table and waved to the waitress. “And knowing you, this will be handled like a bull in a china shop.”

“What would you do?”

“Pack my bags and leave town.”

“I can’t do that with Asa involved somehow. I feel that Minor is trying to drag her into a new mess.”

“Pack her bag as well and leave town together.”

“What are you going to do, Franklin?”

“I am taking my own advice–leaving town.”

“Coward,” I accused.

“Just follow the money. This is not about sex or power. It’s about the green stuff that makes the world go round.”

“Why money?”

“Remember what the guy looks like? No woman would go gaga over him unless she was blind and stupid. As for power, he’s a two-bit developer with grand notions. If he wanted to puff himself up a bit here and there, no one cared because no one really took Charlie seriously.

“Whatever went down with Charlie Hoskins went down because of that horse. I’ll bet you a hundred to one.”

“Where shall I send your winnings?” I asked.

“To California. I’m going to see Matt. At least in California, the nuts are friendly.”

I really couldn’t blame him. The temptation to leave town was overwhelming.

Maybe I could talk Asa into joining me in Europe. I was just tired of all the drama.

A few days at the British Museum would set me straight.

“I
s something wrong with your meal?” asked Goetz.

“No, it’s fine,” I replied.

“You’re just picking at it.”

“I guess I’m not very hungry.”

“When have you ever turned down a free meal?”

I made a face. “I think I’ve cooked a lot of free meals for you.”

Goetz put down his fork. “Geez, don’t be so touchy. I was just kidding.” He leaned back in his chair and scrutinized me. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Look, I’m eating.” I took a bite of my lobster salad.

“You seem off tonight. Everything okay? You’re not out of money again, are you?”

“I harvested Locust honey this week and the Butterfly is raking in money from the receptions that Eunice is booking. Frankly, I’d be on welfare if it wasn’t for that woman taking over my finances.”

“That’s an odd thing to say. When have you ever given up control of anything in your life?”

“Maybe I’m tired of being what I’m not. I used to think I was hot stuff, one of the go-getters in this town, but I’m just a broken-down old has-been.”

“Oh, Lordy, let’s get out the violins. What happened to make you throw in the towel?”

I shrugged.

“I have never seen you so down and out.”

“Maybe something happened to make me lose my faith in my fellow man. Maybe someone close to me is a deceiver.”

“I told you Franklin would stab you in the back sooner or later. I never liked that guy.”

“You don’t like Franklin because he’s gay. He threatens you, but he’s not the one.”

“Why are you looking at me?”

“Really? You want to play this game?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” answered Goetz, raising his voice a little.

“What was Minor Reasor doing in your apartment?”

Goetz looked at me, stunned.

“Well?”

“Holy crap! You
were
listening at the door. I should have known–a busybody like you.” Goetz waved at the waitress and threw a large bill down on the table. “We’re done here,” he said as he grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the restaurant.

“You’re hurting me!” I complained.

“Shut up, Josiah. For once in your life, take some advice and keep your trap shut.”

“I can’t walk this fast. You’re hurting my bad leg.”

“I’m gonna wring your neck if you don’t get in the car.”

I glanced at Goetz’ face as he tugged me along. It was angry. Really angry.

I felt fear. The same kind of fear I’d felt with Fred O’nan.

Was Goetz going to hurt me?

I started pulling away when Goetz swept me up with one arm and unlocked the car door with the other. I couldn’t get away. His arm was like iron.

He pushed me into the car. “Now sit there and be quiet.”

While he went around to the other side of the car, I fumbled for my purse in the back seat and searched for my stun gun.

When Goetz got in the car, I brandished my stun gun and said, “Don’t you touch me again. I’m getting a cab home.”

Goetz grabbed my wrist and simply took the stun gun out of my hand. He threw it in the back seat. “Buckle up,” was all he said.

He drove out of the parking lot and onto the main artery, not stopping until we arrived at Goetz’ favorite burger joint.

Goetz pulled up to the outdoor speaker and lowered his window. “Hi. We’ll have six cheeseburgers, two large fries, and a sweet tea.” He looked at me. “Do you want a frosty malt?”

I nodded.

“And a frosty malt. Make sure there’s lots of ketchup. Thanks.”

He drove to the pay window and collected our food. From there we drove to a park where we ate in silence for the most part.

While sucking on my frosty malt, I remarked, “Well, it looks like you’re not going to kill me, so what’s the plan?”

“What I’m going to tell you is all confidential–strictly off the record. No blabbing to Asa or Shaneika.”

I hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“Then I’m not going to tell you a thing.”

“I promise.”

“Promise what? Sometimes dealing with you is like dealing with a kid.”

“I promise not to tell anyone what you are about to tell me in confidence–cross my heart and hope to die.”

Satisfied, Goetz settled back in his seat. “Minor and I go way back. I was an informer for the ATF and I reported to him.”

“Did your boss know about you?”

“No, that’s the point of being an informer–no one outside the loop knows.”

“What would you tell Minor?”

“All law enforcement agencies are territorial. They don’t like to share information. I would tell Minor about things I heard.”

“Like what?”

“Like a rumor that a sheriff in another county was taking bribes to look the other way on smuggling or money laundering through car dealerships or little country stores. Things like that.”

“Why did you do it?”

“I needed the money.”

“You got paid?”

“Of course. I was taking big risks. I wanted money for my trouble.”

“Asa has never mentioned that she knew you.”

“She didn’t. Minor would never have told her about me.”

“I still don’t understand. Minor was stationed in Washington, not here.”

“When I first started, he was in Kentucky. Once he was transferred to Washington, I told him that it was too risky to report to anyone else. I still report to Minor who passes the info on to agents who work this area. They didn’t know who I am. It keeps me safe.”

“You once told me that you knew Brannon. Was it because of Minor?”

“When Minor married Asa, I checked her out. I did a deep background check on you as well as Brannon.”

I felt a shiver go up my spine. Who was this man sitting next to me, munching so casually on French fries? “What did you find out about my family?”

“Asa was the real deal. She bled red, white, and blue. You were respectable–maybe a little too eccentric for this town.”

“What about Brannon? You said you didn’t like him.”

“You remember that?”

“Yeah.”

“He was condescending to his staff, rude to his students, and just a plain ass to everyone else. I know for a fact that his partners were glad to see the back of him.”

I was stunned. Was he describing the charming, intelligent man that I had known as my husband? Was he describing the real Brannon?

“You look like you don’t believe me. You were the only thing that gave Brannon class. He never would have made it big without you. Trust me on this.”

“You’re not describing the man I knew as my husband.”

“Oh yeah? Look how he treated you when he didn’t want you anymore.”

Tears flooded my eyes. “Stop it!”

“You know I’m telling the truth. You just don’t want to admit that you picked the wrong man–that your marriage was a fraud. Brannon was a user and he used you.”

“Are you using me?”

Goetz handed me some paper napkins. “I’m trying to steer you away from danger.”

I dried my eyes. “I don’t think we should see each other anymore. I don’t feel that I can trust you. Everything is topsy-turvy.”

Goetz grabbed my hand in his big paw. “Don’t leave, Josiah. I need something shiny in my life. Too many things have been tarnished for me.”

I shook my head. “I think we need to take a break. I need to wrap my head around this.”

“Would you trust me if I told you something that you could hold over me?”

“What would that be?” I scoffed.

“I killed O’nan for you.”

W
hat do you say when a person confesses that he killed for you?

Gee, thanks for telling me and making me an accessory after the fact.

Thank you for saving my life and the life of my friend.

What do you want?

Are you going to kill me now that I know?

Stay away!

All of the above ran through my mind, but I said nothing.

Goetz took me home.

I belted back a few drinks and went to bed. The next morning I did what I always do when feeling discombobulated–I went to see my honeybees.

I sat in my golf cart, watching them fly in and out of their hives, buzzing to the spring flowers in the pastures.

When European settlers first came to Kentucky, they were surprised to find European honeybees making nests in trees. This was unusual as Apis mellifera was not native to the New World.

Native Americans called the bees, “flies with the fiery tails.”

It turned out that the honeybees in Kentucky were descendants of the first honeybees brought to Virginia by European settlers, having expanded their territory by swarming.

The establishment of honeybees in an area was a warning to Native Americans that Europeans were not far behind.

Unfortunately for me, there had been no warning. I never had considered that Goetz had killed O’nan. I had always thought that Asa had one of her minions do the deed. But thinking about it, it made perfect sense.

Goetz told me how O’nan had threatened his grandchildren if he didn’t help take me down. Believing his family was in danger, Goetz killed O’nan with a sniper shot, using me as bait.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want O’nan dead. I never believed I was capable of hating someone as much as I hated Fred O’nan.

But if O’nan really threatened Goetz’ family, why didn’t Goetz have him arrested?

Did he think another judge might be as lenient with O’nan as the first judge had been?

Did Goetz worry that O’nan might hire someone to act for him as he rotted in jail?

It seemed like a piece of the story was missing.

And why did I feel so conflicted?

Was it because Goetz had the guts to do what I should have done, but didn’t because I lacked the courage?

And do I tell Matt? Oh, poor Matt. He got caught in the crossfire.

I felt so bad about that.

I sat for an hour or so, watching the bees fly past me, some lighting on me so they could scrape the pollen off their bodies into the pollen baskets on the back of their legs. If they landed on my arms, I’d coaxed them onto my hands so I could check them for mites or misshapen wings.

Bees can be handled. Like anything, you have to know how.

And like anything, you have to pick your battles carefully. Sometimes bees don’t want to play. Sometimes it’s dangerous to go near them.

I think that was the same with Goetz. I didn’t think he was going to harm me. At least, not for a while.

Shaneika had called in the morning. It seems like the ATF were bent on making her life miserable. They had a search warrant for her office and home.

She wanted me to pick Linc up at school and bring him to the Butterfly where his grandmother, Eunice, and he would stay until Shaneika could clean up the mess the ATF left.

My path was clear. I needed to do more snooping.

I
stopped off at the Big House with Linc in tow. Going through the kitchen, I left Linc happily ensconced at a table with Charles, who set a roast beef sandwich and a big piece of chess pie in front of him. As I left the room, Charles told me that I could find Lady Elsmere having tea in the library.

I knocked on the library door and then opened it to find Liam also having tea with her Ladyship.

Upon seeing me, Liam rose to leave.

“No, stay, Liam. I might have use for you.”

June ordered Liam to pour a cup of tea for me. “Some cakes?” she asked, looking amused.