Murderous Lies (16 page)

The killer must have given up the idea of harassing Rose, at least for now. But that made sense, actually. Rose had little interest in searching for the true culprit. She just wanted to be with Max and live their life as happy as they could.

Julie was a woman with a mission, and that would have scared the shit out of the killer. She wouldn’t stop searching for the truth. Worse, Julie knew without a doubt that Max was innocent, so would never consider him like the other people in Clarkston. That couldn’t have made the killer happy.

“You’re thinking about Julie,” Rose said, startling him. “Are you okay?”

“Not a very romantic thing to do, huh?” he asked. “I should be thinking of us.”

She rubbed the hair at his temples and shook her head against his shoulder. “It’s okay. I understand. You never get over finding a body like that. Especially when it was someone you care about.”

Crap. He was too wrapped up in himself, and hadn’t been thinking about the fact that Rose found Sage. Of course she understood. And everything that happened today must have brought those memories right to the front of her mind. “Are
you
okay?”

“I’ve had a long time to get over the shock. The pain and fear and anguish do fade slightly over time, but the memories of what I saw are crystal clear. And I’ll never stop missing Sage.” She kissed his cheek. “It’s okay for you to be upset about Julie. In fact, if you weren’t, I’d think something was wrong with you.”

“I promise not to get obsessed or push you to the side,” he said, “but the killer really does need to be stopped. What if he comes after you next?”

She blew out a loud sigh, but nodded again. “I know why you want to find him. I’ll do my best to help you, but no crazy stuff, okay?”

“Crazy stuff?”

“Stake outs, stalking people, trying to bug phones.” He felt her cheek tighten against his shoulder, but couldn’t tell if she was grimacing or smiling. “I don’t know what all is going on in that head of yours, but obviously Julie’s plan of the camera got her killed. Let’s not draw any more attention to ourselves than we already have just by the fact that we are who we are.”

“I promise.”

“Good.” She rolled over and climbed out of bed, the perfect globes of her naked ass flexing as she stretched. “Now, I’m going to go make that sandwich we never got around to earlier.”

He watched as she walked from the room without bothering to put on any clothing. It was a good thing the shades were all drawn. He didn’t want anyone seeing that luscious body except him. “Come back and be with me,” he called after her. “I don’t need any food.”

“Oh yes you do,” she hollered from the kitchen. “You need to build up your strength for round two.”

Max crossed his arms behind his head and finally felt able to relax. Round two? Well, Rose certainly had great way to distract him from pursuit of the killer and his guilty thoughts about Julie’s death. Taking one day off wouldn’t hurt anything, but he also wouldn’t let Julie’s sacrifice be for nothing.

The killer better watch out. Max would never stop until finding the truth.

R
ose walked around the dining room, checking on the customers and humming to herself. This morning, after making sure Max could handle going over to pick up his car without her and before leaving for work, Rose gave him a house key. He was going to move his stuff in tonight while she worked at the gas station. When she got home, he’d be waiting for her.

The beaming smile that stretched across her face just wouldn’t quit. Even though people gave her odd looks, she decided not to care what they thought.

The front door opened and Calvin strolled inside, Veronica Pride hanging onto his arm.

Well, well, well. Looked like Calvin took her advice and asked out the pretty dispatcher. Rose hoped they hit it off. Even though Max seemed even more convinced Calvin was a murderer, Rose couldn’t believe that. She wanted him to find happiness, just like she had with Max.

She grabbed two menus and approached the couple. “You sitting in my section or Tammy’s?”

Veronica let out a soft chuckle, and stroked Calvin’s arm possessively. Apparently she’d heard about Calvin’s crush on Rose. “We’ll sit in your section, Rose, of course.”

At least she wasn’t going to be catty about things. Rose would hate to lose Calvin as her customer, because of the big tips he left, but she’d do whatever he needed her to in order to help along his future happiness.

She pasted on her professional smile and nodded to a booth. “Right this way, you two.”

Veronica chose the side facing the doorway, and Cal slid next to her.

His smiled never wavered, but when Veronica opened her menu, he tipped a wink at Rose and mouthed ‘thank you.’

Rose nodded, happy to see him smiling so broadly. “What can I get you guys to drink?”

“I’ll have water,” Calvin said, “but Veronica loves her Mountain Dew.”

Veronica grinned and rested her head on his shoulder. “You know me so well. What a gentleman.”

Rose walked away to get their drink order. It appeared Calvin would do just fine. He looked happier than she’d seen him in a long time. Perhaps hearing that Rose didn’t return his feelings was just the thing he needed to move on. Love was in the air for everyone, it seemed. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

Pausing just before putting a glass beneath the soda machine, Rose wanted to smack herself. How could she think that? One night of wild, wonderful sex, and she thought their problems were over? Julie was dead!

No wonder everyone gave her strange looks all day. What kind of bitch went around smiling the day after someone was murdered in such a close-knit community? Especially when the victim had been best friends with her little sister.

Feeling slightly shaky and ashamed, Rose managed to get the drinks and walked sedately back to the dining room. She placed the drinks in front of Calvin and Veronica, grabbing two straws from her apron pocket. “Are you ready to order?”

Calvin’s eyes narrowed. “You okay, Rosie?”

“Don’t worry,” she assured him. “I was just feeling so happy, and then thought about Julie.”

Veronica clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and shook her head. “That poor girl. Don’t you worry. Calvin’s going to catch her killer.”

Rose wanted to blurt that she was all for that idea, as long as he didn’t come after Max, but decided to keep her mouth shut. The investigation wasn’t any of her business.

The front door opened again, and Rose turned to greet the newcomer, grateful for the interruption.

Officer Jet from the state police department stepped inside and took his aviator sunglasses off, eyes searching the room. When he saw them, he headed straight for their table, looking at Calvin. “We have a problem,” he said softly. “Sorry to cut your lunch short, but I need you to come with me. Right now.”

Officer Jet hadn’t been in town for weeks. What was he doing here now? Rose’s arms and legs trembled with sudden fear and she gripped the back of the booth to keep from falling down. He must have terrible news. “What happened?” she asked, unable to stop herself.

Jet glared at her, but didn’t respond.

Calvin covered Veronica’s hand in his. “I’m on a date. Can’t this wait?”

“Oh, darlin’, it’s okay.” Veronica leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Duty calls. Maybe I can make you dinner tonight, to make up for it.”

Calvin’s brow wrinkled, appearing torn about what to do. “I’ve been looking forward to this for days,” he finally said. “Officer Towns is on duty today, Jet. Go find him.”

“You’ll want to handle this personally.” Jet leaned in closer. “It’s about Jimmy Durant. We found his body up near Serenity, and it isn’t pretty.”

Jimmy was dead? Rose’s anxiety deepened. Everyone would blame Max, but Max was with her all night. He couldn’t have done anything.

“Serenity?” Calvin shook his head. “But I have no jurisdiction there. Why are you bringing this to me?”

“My superior officer heard about the murder you had here yesterday.”

“What of it?” Calvin’s face reddened with apparent agitation, but both men kept their voices low.

“Durant was found in a similar position, but his body was left inside one of the fancy cottages on the lake. The people renting it were out for a few days, but when they came home today, they found him.”

Rose gasped, unable to believe it. What would he be doing there and who could have killed him? She glanced at Calvin, wondering if Max was right and it was the officer.

However, Calvin seemed to be having trouble believing it too. “But he’s my prime suspect for Julie. He can’t be dead.”

“It’s still early yet, but the medical examiner has determined the approximate time of death, if not the exact cause,” Jet replied. “Jimmy wasn’t your killer. He’s been dead since late Friday, before your vic was killed.”

With a sigh, Calvin slid from the bench and heaved himself to his feet, looking incredibly tired. He met Rose’s eyes. “Sorry, Rosie. I really hoped something different was going on, like Max claimed. I wanted to believe him, for your sake.”

Damn it. Cal leapt to the conclusion she was afraid he would, and now she couldn’t give Max an alibi because she never saw him Friday.

She grabbed Calvin’s arm, shaking her head, frantic to change his mind. “It wasn’t Max. He couldn’t have done it. I won’t let you railroad him again.”

Calvin favored her with a glare. “Keep your voice down. And don’t tell me how to do my job. No one else has motive, and he’s the one who threatened Jimmy.” He looked back to Veronica. “Will you head to the station and get ready for a prisoner? I’ll bring him in.”

“No.” Rose put her hands on her hips, puffing herself up as much as she could. “You can’t take him in. Everyone will be against him if you do that.”

Despite her efforts to cow him, she did keep her voice down as Calvin suggested. She didn’t want everyone in town to know what they argued about. Already people watched them, trying to figure out what the state cop was doing in town, most likely.

“You just can’t, Calvin,” she pleaded. “You’re wrong about this. Pease don’t—”

Jet held up his hand, silencing Rose. “Before you arrest anyone, I think you should come look at the body, Black.”

“It hasn’t been moved yet?” Calvin asked.

Jet shook his head. “Probably by now, but they want you to come help us. We were taking pictures of the scene, and the ME was getting ready to move it when I got the order to get you.” He glanced around the full room then leaned closer to Calvin. “His pants were pulled down, but we don’t know yet if there was any forcible sex done to him. Interestingly, the ME said his body was posed exactly as Julie Barns’ had been. We need you to confirm.”

Rose was having a hard time catching her breath. “Posed? What does that mean? Do you think...” She stared at the wall behind Calvin’s shoulder and blinked back tears. From the vague description she’d heard about Julie, the two latest victims were left in almost the exact position Sage had been. “Is someone staging the crime scenes to make it look like Sage’s killer? To make Max look guilty?”

Jet put his finger against his lips. “I could lose my badge for letting you overhear this conversation, Miss Spelling. Don’t say anything to anyone. Especially Max Kensington. I’m sure Black will fill you in when we know anything.”

Rose nodded her assent, and the three of them walked from the diner without saying anything further.

Within seconds of them leaving, the other townspeople swarmed her, asking questions about what happened.

She gave them a tremulous smile. “Police business I guess,” she answered each one of them. “I don’t know what they’re doing. I’d love to let you all know, but they wouldn’t tell me.”

First things first, she needed to warn Max. As soon as she caught up her tables and everyone was happy, she’d sneak off to the back and call him.

Two murders in two days was too much. Especially if someone staged the scene to look like Sage’s murder. The killer was targeting Max. He had to be. Why was it so important for Max to go back to prison? That had to be the motive behind all this.

She didn’t want to be self-centered and conceited, but the only reason she could think someone would want Max back in prison was her. Calvin might be pretending to date Veronica, but what if that was an act to lull her into a sense of security. Once he’d killed enough people and planted enough evidence against Max, Max would go to prison for the rest of his life. Maybe even get the death penalty. Then, Cal could do what he said he’d planned to all along. Take his time making her fall in love with him.

She couldn’t let him get away with it.

***

M
ax folded the last t-shirt and placed it on top of the rest of his belongings in the small duffle bag. It was crazy; one small bag contained everything he owned. Not that he needed a lot of baggage to bring along to his and Rose’s new life, but it felt odd to have so little.

He secured the zipper, leaving the bag on the bed as he crossed the hall to knock on his mother’s door. When he’d come into the house after working at Frank’s garage, Sally high-tailed it for her room, slamming the door.

“Come on, Ma,” he called through the closed door. “I need to talk to you before I leave.”

After a few seconds, the door yanked open and Sally folded her arms together. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

Max did his best to soften his gaze. “I’m moving out. You and I need space apart, and I know you must want your life back without me here underfoot all the time.”

Her face reddened. “You’re my son. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to help out.”

Max squeezed her shoulder softly. “That’s just it, Ma. I don’t want you obligated into anything. You’ve been so angry with me after I got sent to prison, and you haven’t been able to have your own life. I’m going to be fine, and you deserve some happiness of your own.”

“Those are nice words, but it feels like after everything I’ve done for you, you’re abandoning me.”

He shook his head. “No way. We’ll get together for dinner every week and visit. We aren’t getting along right now, though, and I think it would be better if I moved out. I’m causing too much stress for you, and you can’t do the things you’d like to.”