Thirty-Six and a Half Motives: Rose Gardner Mystery #9 (Rose Gardner Mystery Series) (5 page)

But despite how much I regretted this distance between us, I wasn’t sure I would have done anything differently if given the chance. My Lady in Black alter ego had not only saved our lives, it had also gotten J.R. arrested. How could I regret
that
?

Mason’s hand pressed against the small of my back, and I lifted my hand to his shoulder, waiting to see where this would go, not daring to hope that he’d changed his mind.

He lifted his hand to the back of my head, and his face lowered to mine. His mouth was soft and tender, and part of me wondered if it was a kiss goodbye.

“You asked me to not give up on you,” I whispered. “Are you giving up on me?”

He gave me another gentle kiss and then lifted his head. “No. I want this to work out, but I still need time. That’s not a line to placate you.”

I nodded, looking down. “I just want to be prepared.”

He was silent for several seconds, and then he lifted my chin and his eyes searched mine. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

My eyes widened. “Really?”

“We can talk things over.”

“Oh.” That sounded ominous.

“How to fix
us
.”

Hope blossomed in my chest. “Okay.”

“Can you do a late dinner? I’m pretty busy here.”

“Yeah,” I said, still looking into his eyes. “Do you want to come out to the farm?”

Indecision flickered in his eyes. “No. Let’s go out.” He glanced at his desk, then back to me. “How about we drive up to Magnolia and eat someplace there? Can you meet me here at the courthouse steps at 7:30?”

“Yeah.”

He leaned down and gave me another kiss, his thumb softly brushing my cheek. “I love you, Rose.”

“I love you, too.”

He dropped his hold on me, then reached around to open the door. Before I could slip through it, he leaned toward my ear and whispered, “Call Jed and tell him not to follow you when you’re with me. He can pick up tailing you when you get back.”

I glanced over my shoulder at him, taking in his grim expression.

“It’s all right,” he said. “Remember? I arranged it.”

I gave him a nod, then walked out, grateful that Kaylee was on the phone.

Mason had told me to call Jed, but that meant he still had his thumb in the underworld, which would only drive a wedge deeper between us. But I had no idea how to resolve it—or if it could be resolved.

C
louds had rolled
in while I was inside the courthouse, bringing a chilly wind. But I couldn’t have this conversation in my office with Neely Kate around, so I sat on a bench on the main square and pressed the speed dial button on my phone.

“Is everything okay?” Jed answered, sounding worried.

“You’re watching me right now, aren’t you?” I asked, sounding more accusatory than I’d meant to.

“Deveraux told you?”

“No,
Carter
did. And then Mason told me that he’d called Skeeter. Why is everyone still treating me like some fragile glass sculpture?”

“Deveraux asked Skeeter not to tell you, Rose. If you have a beef with anyone, it should be your boyfriend.”

I groaned. Jed was right, but I understood why Mason had done it. I would have refused Jed’s protection in an effort to prove that my days as the Lady were over. “Mason is taking me to dinner up in Magnolia tonight. I’m meeting him here at 7:30. He’s asked me to tell you that you don’t need to watch me while I’m with him.”

“Unfortunately for Deveraux,” Jed spat out, “I don’t take my orders from him.”

My mouth dropped open.

“Don’t look so shocked. He may have called Skeeter, but you
had
to know that Skeeter was already on it. He’s no fool. He knows you’re still a target.”

“You really don’t like Mason, do you?” I used the pause in our conversation to scan the square for him. It was like a real-life game of
Where’s Waldo
, except Jed’s outfit wasn’t nearly as obvious. I finally spotted him in the window of Merilee’s café, a coffee cup in his hand.

He lowered his cup when he realized he’d been spotted. “No, I don’t. Putting aside the fact that he and I are on different sides of the law, I don’t like how he’s treated you. He’s either with you, or he’s not. You deserve better than that.”

I looked away and nodded. While I understood why Mason needed time, I could see Jed’s point, too.

“So while Mr. High and Mighty thinks he can give me the night off, I don’t give a shit what he wants. I take my orders from one man.”

Which meant it was time for me to reach out to Skeeter. “Fine. Wait for a call from your boss,” I said as I stood and headed toward the landscaping office. “I’m about to get your orders changed.”

He was about to say something, but I hung up. A new wave of anger washed through me. Once again, the men in my life were orchestrating plans and schemes behind my back, keeping me on a shelf, acting as if I couldn’t handle the truth. I understood why Mason had kept this from me, but Skeeter had no excuse.

I stepped into the office and shut the door behind me. Neely Kate looked up from her screen, and Bruce Wayne—who had returned from dumping a load of mulch—took one look at me and then glanced back down at the paperwork on his desk.

“You were gone a long time,” Neely Kate said. “It’s nearly three o’clock.”

“I went to see Carter—and Mason, too.”

“Mason?”

I nodded. “We’re going out to dinner tonight in Magnolia.”

Her eyes lit up. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I said, feeling more subdued than I would have liked. I hated that Jed’s comment had gotten to me. “He says he wants to talk about fixing us. But I have to run an errand.”

“Oh!” she said in excitement. “Are you dropping by Beulah’s Nip and Clip for a mani-pedi? I’m almost done with this proposal. I can come with you.”

“No. I have to go see . . . someone.”

The gravity in my voice wiped the smile off her face. “Who?” When I didn’t answer her, she asked. “Skeeter?
Why?
”

Bruce Wayne’s gaze jerked up, but he remained silent.

“Because it’s time. And Mason set something in motion that I need to address.”

“What?”

“I’ve been under twenty-four-hour surveillance, and no one bothered to tell me.”

Her eyes widened. “Joe set it up? I haven’t seen any sheriff’s deputies.”

“No. Skeeter. At Mason’s request.”

Bruce Wayne’s eyes widened.

“I understand why Mason kept it secret,” I said, my irritation growing. “He knew I’d try to refuse to prove myself to him. But I expected more from Skeeter. And I’m going to tell him so.”

Bruce Wayne finally spoke up. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

I put my hand on my hip. “I’m not afraid of Skeeter Malcolm.” No, I was more worried about hurting him, especially now that I knew he was probably in love with me.

Bruce Wayne grimaced. “I know you’re not afraid of him, and I’ve given up worrying that he’ll hurt you. But you know he’s under close watch now.”

“People know that he played a role in bringing down J.R. I can make it look like I’m just thanking him for saving me.”

That was the official story. Considering J.R. Simmons’s high profile, the whole country was watching, not just the state. There was no hiding that Skeeter and Jed had been part of his takedown. But Mason had put his own spin on it, saying that Jed had saved me after I was kidnapped (true) and taken me to Skeeter (also true), and that I had convinced him to let me use the Lady in Black persona to trick J.R. into confessing.

People bought it, if only because no one believed that the Lady in Black—a sophisticated businesswoman from Shreveport—could be little Rose Anne Gardner. While I was partially offended, I was also relieved. And now the public record stated that Skeeter Malcolm and his employee had saved my life. I was certain I could get by with seeing Skeeter at least once.

Neely Kate watched me for a few seconds, then nodded. “Do you want me to stay at Maeve’s tonight?”

I shook my head. “No. You can stay with me at the farmhouse, but I think I should have Jed or Merv watching the house while I’m gone.”

To my surprise, she didn’t protest.

My stomach was a jittery mess while I drove to the pool hall. Jed called me twice and sent three texts urging me to answer my phone, but I wasn’t about to be dissuaded.

My phone rang again as I pulled into the lot. Figuring it was Jed, I reached for it, about to turn the ringer off, but the number wasn’t one I recognized.

Worried it might be about Violet or my blood tests, I answered.

“What should I call you?”J.R. Simmons’s voice filled my ear. “Rose or Lady?”

I sank back in the driver’s seat, feeling like I’d just had the wind knocked out of me. But that had to be what J.R. was hoping for. After a second-long pause, I answered him, putting more force into my voice than I felt. “Rose will do.”

“You think you’re a sneaky bitch, don’t you?”

The venom in his tone made me cringe, but I forced myself to keep my voice light. “I don’t usually think of myself as a bitch.”

“I’m coming for you, Rose Gardner. And I’m coming for your boyfriend, too. I wanted you to hear it from me.”

“That’ll be a little hard to do behind bars, J.R., which is where I hear you’re headed this very afternoon.”

“This backward Podunk county can’t keep me locked up. I’ll get out—and when I do, you’re the first one I’m coming for. I think I’ll make your boyfriend watch.”

“Good luck getting Mason. He’s well-protected.” At least I hoped so.

J.R. laughed, a bitter sound that sent fear skating down my back. “Not the D.A.” He paused. “Malcolm. Although I’m going for Deveraux, too.”

I sucked in a breath. I considered denying that allegation, but I barely had enough energy left to finish the call. “I might be scared if I thought it was a possibility,” I lied, proud that my voice didn’t crack. “But if you come after me, I’ll shoot you in your non-existent heart this time.”

I waited for his response before realizing he’d hung up. Where had he called me from? The hospital? One of his henchmen’s phones? He still had his mysterious Twelve men out there, waiting to do his bidding. Was I a sitting duck?

Jed rapped on the driver’s window, making me jump and release a shriek. I pushed the door open, but he blocked my path.

“He doesn’t want to see you.”

“After the phone conversation I just had, I think he will.”

That stunned him long enough for me to slip past him. I made it through the front door of the pool hall before he caught up to me, grabbing my arm and pulling me to a halt.

“Rose. Stop. Who called you?”

I gave him an ornery smile. “I think I’ll keep that to myself for now.” Pulling my arm loose, I marched toward the back of the pool hall. The bartender, whom I recognized from the day Neely Kate and I had hustled Dirk Picklebee, watched slack-jawed as Jed tried to block my path.

“Rose, you don’t know what he’s like when he’s like this.”

“Like what?”

He leaned closer, speaking loud enough for only me to hear. “He’s hurt, Rose, and just like a wounded animal, he’s lashing out at everyone and everything.”

Oh. “You’re afraid he’ll hurt me.”

“Not physically—he’d never touch a hair on your head—but he’s bound to rip you to shreds if you go back there.”

My eyebrows rose in a challenge. “I can give as good as I get, Jed.”

He moved aside, but he didn’t look very happy about it. I stalked toward Skeeter’s office, trying not to lose my nerve. What could Skeeter possibly say to hurt me?

Plenty.

But I also knew he’d want to know about J.R. He
deserved
to know.

I came to a stop outside his office, hesitating before I rapped on his door with more force than I would ordinarily use. But there could be no timid knocks for Skeeter Malcolm. He knew me as strong and brave.

Truth be told, he’d helped make me that way.

“Come in,” he grunted from behind the door.

I sucked in a deep breath and pushed open the door. He was sitting at his desk, reading something on his computer screen. He cast a cursory glance in my direction, then froze. His expression hardened, and he sat up straighter in his chair.

“Well, well, well. Look who’s decided to go slummin’.”

I shut the door behind me, my back prickling with irritation. “You stop that right now, Skeeter Malcolm. I never once thought of associating you with slummin’.”

He eyed me, his expression carefully guarded. “You don’t usually use the front door, now do you?”

“That was something we both agreed on in the very beginning, and you doggone know it.”

He circled his desk and came to a stop in front of me, looking down at me. I knew he was trying to intimidate me. It worked with everyone else—even Jed—but not with me. Not after the first time I’d come to him.

His eyes narrowed. As if reading my mind, he said, “You didn’t think much of me the first time we met.”

“The first time we met, you nearly choked me to death and then proceeded to blackmail me. You really need to work on your first impressions if you want to make more friends.”

The corners of his mouth twitched before he got them back under control. “What are you doin’ here?”

I decided to keep the call from J.R. for last. If I led with that, we likely wouldn’t talk about anything else. “I just saw Mason.”

“Yeah,” he said, sounding bored. “I know.”

Damn Jed. “He told me that he asked you to have someone watch over me.”

He sat on the edge of his desk, crossing his arms, and shrugged.

“Skeeter!”

He dropped his arms to his sides as he stood again, looking agitated. “What the hell do you want me to say?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Deveraux asked me not to.”

“Since when do you obey requests from members of the Fenton County legal system?”

His face reddened, and he balled his fists. “I don’t take orders from the damned district attorney.”

“Then why the big secret?”

“I was going to have you tailed anyway, so it didn’t matter to me if Deveraux asked me to do it or not.”

“So why keep it from me?” I shook my head, feeling like a fool. The answer had suddenly occurred to me as plain as day. It was the same reason Mason hadn’t told me. “You thought I’d pitch a fit and refuse.”

His eyes darkened. “What are you doin’ here, Rose?”

“Mason is taking me to Magnolia tonight for dinner. He wants Jed to stay here until we get back into town.” But I had to wonder how safe that was after J.R.’s threat.

A wicked grin lit up his face. “Does he now?”

“Skeeter. Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” His smile faded into a glare. “Seems like he took you out to dinner last week—with a sheriff’s deputy watching, no less—and you were snatched right out from under both their noses. If I didn’t have my man watching you, you’d be dead right now.”

“Like I said, that’s the reason I came, but right before I came in, I got—”

“No.”

My eyebrows shot up. “
No?
”

“
No.
I don’t trust Deveraux for shit.”

While I had been about to agree with him about keeping Jed around, he was ticking me off. “You don’t have any right to tell me what to do.”

“
I have every right after what happened in that restaurant!
” His voice boomed off the walls, and I fought the instinct to cringe.

I knew Skeeter held Mason responsible for my kidnapping. He also likely resented him for having suggested that Skeeter saw me as more than just an asset, that his feelings for me exceeded the bond of friendship. It was a subject we hadn’t broached. “We need to talk about what happened. What Mason suggested . . .”

Skeeter shook his head. “There’s nothing to discuss.”

He wouldn’t talk about his feelings for me, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to go there with him, so I decided to focus on something else that had me worried. Especially before I told him about my call. “There’s plenty to discuss, but right now I want to talk about J.R. I know you. There’s no way you’re content with letting J.R. sit behind bars. What are you planning?”

“What I’m planning is no damned business of yours.”

“You and I both know it’s very much my business.”

“
This is not your goddamned world!
” he shouted, his voice ringing in my ears. “Just because you put on a damned hat does
not
make you a part of it!”

I stomped toward him and jabbed his chest. “You’re my friend, and I care about you. I don’t want you to do anything stupid.”

Anger flashed in his eyes, but then a cold mask replaced it, his eyes looking deadly. “First of all, you and I are
not
friends. This was a business relationship, no more, no less. Do not for one second think you mean a
damn thing
to me.”