Thirty-Six and a Half Motives: Rose Gardner Mystery #9 (Rose Gardner Mystery Series) (14 page)

When we reached the car, Neely Kate set both cupcake boxes on the front passenger seat. My gaze shot to a darkened spot on the asphalt outside the hardware store, several parking spaces down. It was surrounded by yellow crime scene tape, but Merv’s car had already been towed away.

“You sure you want to do this, Rose?” Jed asked quietly, leaning into my ear.

I lifted my chin and turned to look him in the eye. “Yes.” I knew I should be nervous, but I was mostly pissed. “I have my reasons.”

He nodded with a grim expression. “I’ll walk you to the door, and then I’ll sit across the street in the car. Text me when you go out the back, and I’ll meet you around the corner on the side street. That way, if anyone’s watching the office from a lower vantage point, they won’t be able to see us.”

Jed stood close, trying to shield my back as we crossed the street, but I knew it wasn’t necessary. J.R. wanted me to be terrified when I was taken. A sunny February morning in southern Arkansas was anything but terrifying.

No, he’d wait until I let my guard down.

Neely Kate unlocked the door, and Jed practically shoved me inside.

“Keep the lights off,” he said, filling the open space with his body. “We can use the sunlight to our advantage. If it’s darker inside than out, no one will be able to see you two leave out the back unless they’re pressing their noses to the window.”

“You’re not comin’ in?”

Jed studied my face for a minute. “No,” he finally said, a slow smile stretching across his face. “You were right. You gallivantin’ all over town like nothing happened is gonna piss Simmons off more than you can possibly know. I say we do it.”

Neely Kate broke into a huge grin. “I’m in.”

“We’re all crazy,” I said, dabbing the corner of my eyes. “This is dangerous.”

“But exciting,” Neely Kate said. “Let’s do it.”

“Okay.”

Jed nodded, then waited until Neely Kate locked the door before he walked across the street and sat in his car.

Neely Kate gave me a long look. “Okay, it’s just you and me now. Why were you really so insistent about coming into the office? Shoot, I could have run in to get your purse.”

“I don’t know,” I said, walking past her desk and looking down at the space I’d crawled into to hide. “I needed to see it in the daylight. So I’m not afraid of it.” I paused. “Neely Kate, Sam Teagen stood in that window with a gun, the both of us staring at each other. He would have busted in and taken me if Merv hadn’t run him off.” I walked to the back room, and opened the door to the toilet. A blood-stained towel lay in the sink, and there was a spatter of blood on the wall. “Merv was shot in our office, protecting me.” I looked back at her. “He doesn’t even like me very much. That just doesn’t seem right.”

When she started to protest, I held up my hand. “That’s not why I’m here. He works for Skeeter, and I know he was doing his job. I may still feel guilty, but he knew the risk he was taking.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because those derelicts came into
my
business—
our
business. I’m not going to let them put their slimy stamp on it so that I’m scared to come into my own office. I’m not going to let them or J.R. Simmons—or anyone—make me cower in the dark. So I had to come here and face it, because I
am
scared. And I
am
intimidated. But I don’t want to let them have that power over me anymore. So I’m here, confronting it. This is me saying you can’t steal my life, J.R. Simmons, no matter how much you try.”

She watched me for a second. “You really have grown so much from the woman I met last July.”

“I have, haven’t I?” I asked, my eyes tearing up again. “But I’ve lost so much.”

“Nothin’ worth havin’ is easy. You know that,” she said quietly. “We both know that. And I understand needin’ to make a stand, no matter how foolish it might look. What do you think I’m doing with Ronnie?”

“I’m sorry I gave you a hard time about filing for divorce. I just want you to be happy, Neely Kate. You deserve it.”

“I don’t know that I want what I truly deserve, but I’m gonna take a stand anyway. So if you need to ride through town like Lady Godiva, I’ll be waitin’ with a robe for when you climb down.”

I pulled her into a hug. “You’re the best friend I could ever hope to have.”

“You too.” She gave me a squeeze, then leaned back to look into my face. “Now why else are we here?”

I laughed as I dropped my arms. “What makes you say that?”

“Because I know you. There’s something else.” Her grin spread. “You wanted to come here for another reason. What is it?”

“I want to go back up.”

“On the roof? Why?”

“I want to see if the duffel bag is still in the Dumpster.”

“But Skeeter says the alley is under surveillance. And I thought the shed blew a hole in the roof.”

“But he didn’t say the roof was under surveillance, and I can check out the Dumpster from the building next door.”

“But Skeeter is supposed to be checking out the Dumpster,” she protested.

“We’re already here, so why shouldn’t we look? Besides, I’m done taking orders from men.”

“So why not tell Jed?”

“He’d insist on coming, which would blow our cover,” I said.“They’d know we were up to something.”

“They?”

“You know someone’s watching us for J.R.”

“But won’t they see us up on the roof?” Neely Kate asked.

“Do you really think they’ll be looking?”

“What if the police are up there? If there are as many guns in that shed as you said, they’re sure to keep a close watch.”

“If they’re up there, we’ll leave. But J.R.’s escape is probably their top priority, so they must be stretched thin.”

Neely Kate nodded resolutely. “Well, there’s only one way to find out.”

As soon as I opened the unlocked door to the staircase, I was hit by a blast of cold air.

“I bet they didn’t close the trap door,” I said as I led the way up the two flights of spiral stairs.

I climbed the rungs in the wall and poked my head out of the hatch, which was indeed open. The shed had collapsed, and the roof was covered with black soot that surrounded the hole where the shed had stood. But while the entire area was cordoned off with police tape, no one was standing around. “It’s clear.”

We both climbed out and squatted next to the opening. “Unfortunately, I don’t think we can just walk right over,” I said with a grimace. “I think we’ll have to squat and crawl.”

She rolled her eyes. “I already figured that out.” But, rather than make her way to the next roof, she crawled over to the side of the building that faced the square. “You sure can see a lot up here.”

I nodded, taking in the view. If J.R. had someone watching the office, they weren’t out in the open. So where were they? “We need to find Teagen and Marshal. It’s not enough to just take J.R. down, especially if Kate’s involved. We need to figure the whole thing out and wrap it up in a nice tidy bow.”

We crawled over the multiple buildings separating us from the building that housed the antique store. The middle of the roof had completely collapsed, and the rest of the ceiling looked about ready to fall in, making it impossible to get closer. I squatted in the corner and scanned the alley. Both ends were blocked with crime scene tape, but I didn’t see any law enforcement officials. I also couldn’t get a good look inside the Dumpster.

“Can you see anything?” Neely Kate asked.

“No.” I had to get closer.

Taking a deep breath, I crawled onto the foot-wide ledge of the antique store building.

“Rose! What do you think you’re doin’?”

“We need that bag.” I didn’t crawl very far. I definitely didn’t have a death wish, but I was far enough that I could peer inside.

“Well?” she asked.

“I don’t see it.” Disappointment was heavy in my voice.

“Okay, don’t get upset yet,” Neely Kate said. “Maybe it sunk into the trash. I bet a bunch of water went inside the Dumpster and all those cardboard boxes and papers would have fallen apart.”

“But if it all flattened, wouldn’t the bag be on top?” I crawled backward, then lowered myself to the roof of the building next door. “I’m pretty sure the insurance office next door didn’t start throwing bags of shredded paper on top of it in the middle of a fire—oh crap! They know.” I dug out my phone and dialed Skeeter.

“Who knows what?” Neely Kate asked, looking worried.

“Everything okay?” Skeeter asked when he answered.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Have you talked to Anna?”

He was silent for a moment. “I can’t find her.”

I sucked in a breath, trying not to panic. “Did you go by the nursery?”

“Yeah. Deveraux’s mother is working. She said Anna was outside helpin’ your partner with some mulch. One minute Anna and your partner, Decker, were there, the next they were gone. She has no idea where they went.”

“Oh shit,” I said in panic. “They know we know.”

“Whoa. Slow down,” Skeeter said in a tight voice. “What are you talkin’ about?”

“James, think about it,” I said, ignoring Neely Kate’s startled look. “Teagen saw me jump off the side of the roof. He and Marshal left the shed unlocked before heading back to my building. Even if they didn’t know I was in the shed while they were, they might think I went in after them. The files were missing after they were in the shed the first time—after they saw me jump. And now I don’t see the bag in the Dumpster—”

“What do you mean you don’t see the bag in the Dumpster? Where the hell are you?”

“I stopped by my office, so I decided to check the trash bin from the roof. Now, before you say anything, I’m perfectly safe.”

He was quiet for a beat before he asked, “You’re sure the bag’s gone?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” I pushed out a breath of frustration. “What if Teagen saw me drop it? Roberta’s file was in there, James. If they found it, they know that
we
know there’s something goin’ on.”

Skeeter grunted. “What if J.R. and Kate started the file after they realized Anna was back in town—working for you, no less. Now they know you’re onto them, so they snatched her, and Decker tried to play hero, so they took him, too.”

I hated to admit it, but that was the likely scenario.

“I’m gonna swing back by the nursery to see if Deveraux’s mother has any leads on where to look for them.”

“Okay,” I said. “Sounds good.”

“Now get the hell off that roof,” he barked, and then the decibel level of his voice decreased significantly. “And get the journal page. My bookkeeper thinks she has someone to read it for us. Jed’ll know where to drop it off.”

I could ask Maeve, but she was at the shop. Besides, Bruce Wayne and Anna had been abducted out from under her nose, and I didn’t want to put her in any more danger. But I knew someone else who had a copy. If he left it for me somewhere, no one would be the wiser.

“I’ll get it.” I hung up, then stuffed my phone into my back pocket. “Come on,” I said, determination in my voice. I was getting Bruce Wayne back, and I was going to take that slimy bastard down for the count.

“Where are we goin’?” Neely Kate asked, following me as I strode upright across the rooftop—no reason to hide being up here now.

“To see Mason.”

“
W
hat do
you mean we’re going to see Mason? Why?”

I climbed over a ledge to the next roof top, moving in the direction of the landscaping office.

“
Rose!
Why?”

I stopped and ran a hand over my head. I needed to think this through. If I wanted to keep Mason safe, it would be better to call him and tell him what I needed than to show up at his office. I dug my phone back out.

“Anna and Bruce Wayne are missing,” I explained to Neely Kate, finding the speed dial for Mason’s number. “I think Teagen found the duffel bag. Which means he knows we saw the file on Roberta. They probably snatched Anna from behind the nursery to find out the reason she’s working for me.”

“But
we
don’t even know the reason.”

“Exactly, but they probably think we’re colluding, which is bad.” I sounded so matter-of-fact, as though I were discussing the weather, but I was trying my best not to panic. If Bruce Wayne had been kidnapped, I was partially responsible. I wasn’t sure I could live with that.

“Bruce Wayne was snatched, too?” Her voice rose in panic.

“We don’t know that for certain, but there’s a good chance.”

“So why do you need to see Mason?”

“Maeve’s working and Mason has a copy of the journal page in his office. I’m going to ask him for it.”

“And what makes you think he’ll just give it to you?”

“Because it’s
mine
.” I took a deep breath to quell my fear. “While I’m calling Mason, why don’t you try calling Bruce Wayne’s phone to see if he answers?”

Nodding, she dug her phone out of her purse. “Good idea.”

I began to pace while the phone rang. When Mason answered, he sounded worried. “Everything okay?”

“No, it’s not, but I’ll spare you the details and tell you that
I
am fine. But I need your copy of the journal page.”

“Why not get it from my mother?”

“Because she’s working for Violet, and honestly, trouble is following me like a black cloud, and I don’t want to lead it to her door.” Disappointment sank through my body like a rock. This meant I needed to stay away from Violet, too. But I didn’t have time to think about that right now. “I know you took a copy to the office. Can you put it somewhere for me to pick up so I’m not seen with you or in your office?”

“You’re not out in the open, are you?” he asked in a panic. “You really need to be hiding.”

“No questions, Mason. The less you know, the better. But we’re onto something big. I need that page.”

“So you found someone to translate?”

“No questions.”

“This concerns me, too, Rose.” He groaned. “I know all this secrecy was the agreement, but please let me help you. I’ll meet you somewhere, and we’ll work on this together.”

“Not this time, Mason. I have to do things the dirty way. It’s our only hope for getting through this, and you know it. You told me the same thing two months ago—only, I was too naïve to listen.” Would things be different now if I had? No use looking back. “Will you put a copy somewhere for me to find?”

“I’ll meet you somewhere.”

“No, I need you to leave it somewhere. I don’t want you tied to me in any way from here on out.”

“I don’t feel comfortable just leaving it somewhere, especially if we’re being watched. But I’m pretty sure there’s somewhere we won’t be seen. Meet me at my car in the parking garage.”

“Why?”

“I have something I need to give you, and I can’t do it in the courthouse. Can you get there without risking yourself too much? How close are you?”

I hesitated. “Close.”

“Give me ten minutes. And come alone. Be careful, sweetheart.” He hung up before I could answer, but then, what could I have said? Reminded him that we were broken up? I couldn’t deny that it felt good to know he cared.

But I had bigger things to deal with than my love life.

Neely Kate was shoving her phone into her pocket with a grim expression.

“No answer?” I asked.

“No.”

“Then we really need to talk to Hilary. I just hope she knows something.”

“And that she’ll share it with us.”

“That too.”

We made our way back to the office building and then headed downstairs. Jed was standing outside the picture window—exactly where I’d seen Sam Teagen the night before—his back to us as he scanned the street. He had either talked to Skeeter or seen us on the roof. Maybe both. He turned around and stared at me, and a look was all it took to know he wasn’t very happy with me. Not that I blamed him.

Neely Kate unlocked the door, and Jed came inside.

“What the hell did you two think you were doing?”

“Looking for the bag.”

“That wasn’t part of the plan.”

“I had a chance to look, so I took it. The bag was gone from the Dumpster. Which means Teagen and his buddy probably found it. So they know we know about the file on Roberta.”

He scowled. “Skeeter told me about the granddaughter and Bruce Wayne.”

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I wasn’t giving in to them. “We’re gonna find them. They’ll be just fine. We need to talk to Hilary pronto, but first I have to pick up a copy of the journal page from Mason.”

He stared at me without saying a word.

“No protest?” I asked.

Jed’s eyebrows rose. “Would it do any good?”

I snorted. “No.”

“Then why waste my breath? What’s the plan?”

“I’m meeting Mason in the parking garage. At his car. He has an assigned space, so I know where it is.”

“Okay, we can cover you while you meet him.”

“No, I’m going alone.”

“What? No way.”

I put my hands on my hips. “No? You don’t get to boss me around, Jed Carlisle.
Nobody
gets to boss me around.” I had to admit that I liked the freedom of not having to answer to anyone. There was no need to seek permission or approval. But the utter selfishness of the thought wasn’t lost on me. “I’m meeting Mason by his car—alone. I’m getting the photocopy—then we’re going to track down Hilary, and we’re going to bring the page from the journal to Skeeter’s bookkeeper. Now, you can come to the garage entrance, Jed, but that’s it.”

“It could be a trap,” Neely Kate said.

“With Mason?” I asked in disbelief.

She didn’t say anything.

“It’s Mason, Neely Kate.”

“I just think you shouldn’t trust anyone right now,” she said. “Except for us.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, grabbing my purse from my desk. “I’m goin’.” There was no way on God’s green Earth that Mason would hurt or betray me. I refused to entertain the idea. “Neely Kate, why don’t you track down Hilary so we can go see her when I’m done? If anyone can figure out where to find her, it’s you.”

The parking garage had been added to the square about five years ago. It was on the other side of the street from the courthouse, connected to it by an underground tunnel—the same one that led to the county jail. The small garage was reserved for courthouse employees, and Mason had finally gotten his own parking space a few months earlier. While it protected the vehicles from the elements, it was dark and creepy.

I walked down the street, not caring who saw me. Since the tunnel under the road opened up and then split to the jail and the parking garage, I decided to go in through the county jail entrance and backtrack to the garage.

Jed grudgingly admitted it was a good idea. “If Teagen’s watching, he might think you’re going to see Deputy Simmons. He’ll never suspect where you’re really going.”

Nevertheless, he decided to wait for me at the part of the tunnel that opened to the basement level of the garage. I had to admit that the lack of sunlight or sky made me slightly claustrophobic—but I pushed on anyway. My fears weren’t going to hold me back anymore.

Mason was standing next to his car, looking toward the entrance to the street. I stopped to take in the sight of him, noticing how anxious he looked. The heels of my boots made my approach surprisingly quiet. Mason didn’t hear me until I was a car’s length away. The look of relief that covered his face when he saw me stole my breath away. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close, resting his cheek on top of my head.

I clung to him, afraid to give into my feelings, but this was Mason. No matter what had transpired between us over the past week, I still wanted him to hold me close and tell me everything would be okay.

He tilted my head back so I was looking up at him and then searched my eyes. “What happened last night?” he asked.

I slowly shook my head. “Off limits.”

Despite his obvious frustration, he nodded. Then he lowered his mouth to mine, giving me a soft kiss. His hand sank into my hair, pulling me closer as his mouth became more demanding, but before the kiss could become too heated, he lifted his head.

“What you’re doing scares me to death,” he said in a ragged whisper. “But you’re right. You saved us both as the Lady in Black.
You
took down J.R. Simmons.”

He paused. “Like I said earlier, I’ve done a lot of soul-searching since yesterday afternoon, and I realized that I have to trust you to finish this. It’s important that you know that.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “Thank you,” I said.

“I’ve got a lot of things to figure out when this is all said and done, but you are not one of them,” he said. “You are the only thing I want. I’ll give up all the rest as long as I’m with you.”

I sighed. “Mason.”

“I know. You broke up with me, and I understand your reasoning, but I’m here, Rose. I’m here waiting for you. I need you to know that.”

“Thank you.” I pressed my cheek against his chest. He had always been the reward at the end of this craziness. What would it mean if that changed? Would it all have been for nothing?

I gave myself a good thirty seconds to enjoy the comfort of his arms around me before I pulled free. “Did you bring the page?”

“Yes, and like I said, I brought you something else, too.” He gestured toward the car. “But I need to give it to you inside the car.”

I hesitated for a second, wondering what it could be, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. I walked around to the passenger side and climbed in; Mason sat in the driver’s seat. I shut the door and gave him a strained smile. “You’re not going to drive off with me, are you?”

A smile tugged at his lips as he reached into his coat and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “If I thought I could get away with it, I might try. But I know that running isn’t the answer.”

I opened the page, confirming it was a copy of the page from Dora’s journal.

“You really think it might come into play?” he asked as I folded it back up and stowed it in my purse.

“It might. That’s all we really know just yet.”

He nodded. “J.R. is out for blood, Rose. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to be walking around as free as you please.”

“I know. But I’m also tired of someone dictating what I can and cannot do.”

“Is that how you see me?” he asked quietly. “As someone who dictates what you can and cannot do?”

“No, Mason. No.” I grabbed his hand and held it close. “I’ve always felt like an equal with you. You make me feel like I can do anything. But you love your job, and I’m not gonna compromise that anymore.”

“Rose, Mom called me. I’m guessing you might have heard this since she already talked to Skeeter, but Bruce Wayne’s missing. He was out back with Anna, and they both vanished into thin air. She called Joe, and he’s over there talking to her now. But we both know that could be you next.”

I shook my head. “No, Jed’s with me. He’s just inside the doorway behind us.”

“But what if he wasn’t? You need to be able to protect yourself.” He leaned over my legs and opened the glove compartment. I gasped when he pulled out a small handgun. “I bought this last week, but I’ve been waiting on the paperwork. It’s small enough for you to carry in your purse, but it’ll do the job if you need to use it.”

I looked up into his face in shock. “It looks just like the gun Jed gave me. I thought it was taken for evidence.”

“It was. Same make, different gun. I know Neely Kate showed you how to use that gun, and I figured it would be best for you to have a similar one.”

“Mason, I . . .”

“You still have your Taser?”

“Yeah . . .”

“Good, but it’s not enough. Not with J.R. I pulled some strings and got you a concealed carry permit.”

“Mason!”

He shook his head. “A Taser won’t stop him, Rose. If it comes to a confrontation, you’re going to have to shoot him.” He paused, searching my eyes. “Promise me that you’ll protect yourself if it comes down to it.”

He was asking me to promise to kill a man. While I’d killed a man in self-defense before, it was still a hard promise to make.

But I nodded. “I will.”

“Thank you.” He gave me a hard kiss, then pulled a box of ammunition out from his seat. He opened it, pulled out a clip, and handed it to me with the gun. “Go ahead and load it.”

I felt self-conscious doing it in front of him, but I pointed the gun toward the windshield and forced myself to slide the clip into place.

“You need to keep it loaded at all times. Keep the safety on, but if you think you’re in a dangerous situation, turn it off and be ready to use it.” Fear edged his words.

I made sure the safety was on and put the gun in my purse, along with the box of bullets and the permit.

“I’m gonna be fine, Mason.” I turned to him. “Thank you for this, but I hate that you broke the rules to do it.”

He grabbed my hand. “I should be helping you. I’m part of this, too. After what he did to my sister . . .”

I shook my head, tears in my eyes. “No. This county needs someone who’s honest and dedicated to making things right again. If you get caught up in this, you won’t be able to do what needs to be done later. So let me handle it.”

“It hardly seems right for you to take on all the responsibility.”

“And you think the Fenton County District Attorney can go gallivanting around chasing a jail escapee?” I gave him a sad smile. “You have your job, and I have mine. Remember when you gave me that money last month when I was broke? You said you were investing in me. Well, this is me investing in us. We’ll never be free of that man unless we put a stop to him.”