Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans (28 page)

She was quiet throughout dinner, and when I pressed her to make sure she was okay, she said she had a migraine and was going to go to bed early. I’d been worried about concocting an explanation for my meeting with Jed, but while it was a blessing in disguise, I was still worried about her.

My next obstacle was getting past the deputy, which was actually easier than expected. An alley ran behind Maeve’s house, with the detached garage opening onto it. Deputy Miller seemed more worried about the cars turning into the alley than the ones leaving it. After I dressed, I carried my hat and shoes in one hand and tiptoed into the kitchen to snag Maeve’s car keys off the counter. In case she woke up, I left her a short note saying I couldn’t sleep but would be back soon. With any luck at all, she’d never read it and neither she nor Deputy Miller would be any the wiser about my evening with criminals.

At eight-thirty, I parked Maeve’s car behind the feed store, my stomach a bundle of nerves. This was equivalent to a suicide mission. I tried to assure myself that I was too valuable to Skeeter for him to let something happen to me, but I couldn’t be one hundred percent sure of that.

Jed was waiting in the sedan when I parked. I pinned my hat into place as he got out and opened my car door. He reached for my hand to help me out.

“Jed, you don’t have to do that.”

“When you’re dressed like this, you’re the Lady in Black, and in Skeeter’s eyes that’s the same as royalty.”

Now I was really worried about my personal safety. In revolutions, royalty was often the first to get beheaded.

Jed helped me into the back of the car and took off toward Henryetta. After he pulled onto the county road, he glanced in the rearview mirror. “No one would ever guess who you really are. That dress alone is completely different than anything you usually wear. If anything, the guys will all be staring at your chest.”

I instinctively reached for the base of my throat. He wasn’t wrong. The plunging neckline was lower than anything I’d ever worn before, and what little cleavage I had was in full view. I wasn’t wearing Neely Kate’s dress—the one I’d worn to the auction. I doubted most men would remember, but in case they did, I needed to portray a woman with class and money. And that meant I couldn’t be an outfit repeater. I’d bought this dress a week after Thanksgiving, telling myself I’d wear it for Mason on a date some night, but if I were honest with myself now, I wasn’t sure I could ever wear it in public and show my face.

Thinking of Mason made me anxious. What if this was all for nothing? My chest tightened, and I suddenly needed to hear his voice. I checked my phone one more time to see if I’d missed a text or call from his new number. Nothing.

I looked out the window at the trees lining the county road, surprised Jed hadn’t blindfolded me. “Do you know what I’ll being doing tonight?”

“When we get there, I’m supposed to drop you off at the front door. I’ll text Skeeter to let him know so he can meet you at the entrance. Skeeter wants you to say as little as possible. I’ll walk in and act like your bodyguard.”

“Who’s watching Skeeter?” I couldn’t imagine that he would leave himself unprotected.

“Merv and another guy. Cal.”

“Oh.” I paused. “I thought you were Skeeter’s right-hand man. Why’d he switch things up?”

“Skeeter usually has a list of priorities for each meeting or event he attends—the order in which we protect things in case something goes down. With our line of business, we need a contingency plan. At the auction it was him, his money, then you.”

I pursed my lips in irritation. It was nice to know his money ranked higher than I did, although not entirely surprising. “So what’s his priority list tonight?”

Jed paused and looked into the rearview mirror before answering. “You. Then Skeeter.”

I gasped. “
Me?
”

He nodded. “The men don’t understand it, and there were some protests earlier when Skeeter gave us our instructions.”

“Why would he put me first?”

Jed hesitated and swallowed. “Skeeter’s never been a here-and-now kind of guy. He’s a lot more far-sighted than most people realize. Skeeter waited a year for Daniel Crocker to self-destruct, and he was ready to make his move once it happened. He was the one who suggested that Bull hold an auction to sell the business. He also created issues that
may
have made Bull want to sell the business.”

None of that came as a surprise to me. “That still doesn’t explain why he’d put me as top priority tonight.”

“You’re an investment, Lady. Especially after the last few days, he sees the potential you have for him and his business. He’s going to protect that at all costs.”

While I should have been reassured, I didn’t like the implications. Any hope of ever cutting our ties to him had gone the way of the wooly mammoth.

“But my boyfriend is the Fenton County Assistant DA. How can he trust me? How can
you
trust me? How do you know I won’t run off and tell him or Joe Simmons everything?”

“Skeeter can read people. It’s kind of a gift. He can usually tell who’s going be loyal or not, and he rarely gets it wrong. After the auction, he pegged you as loyal. Very loyal.” He paused. “Merv and I didn’t agree with him. Merv is still suspicious of you, but I’ve become a believer.”

I shook my head. “But Skeeter barely knows me.”

He grinned. “There are all kinds of gifts in this world, Lady. You can see the future. Skeeter can judge people. It shouldn’t be all that surprising, especially for you.”

I supposed he was right. “But sometimes he gets it wrong?”

“Just like you can change what you see in your visions, sometimes people change, although most people don’t ever
really
change, so it’s rarer. But the possibility’s there, so he’s always reevaluating everyone.” His eyes turned serious. “That is not public knowledge, so you can’t tell anyone, and I mean
anyone
. Not even your best friend, Neely Kate.”

A shiver ran down my spine. “How do you know about Neely Kate?”

“I told you that Merv and I didn’t agree with Skeeter’s evaluation of you at first. So I’ve watched you.”

I was starting to have second thoughts about Jed. “You’ve been
stalking
me?”

“I had to make sure you weren’t a threat,” he said unapologetically.

I crossed my arms, suddenly creeped out.

“My job is to protect Skeeter. At all costs. After the auction, I knew he’d call you again. It was only a matter of time. I had to check you out for myself to make sure you wouldn’t betray him.” He gave me a sheepish grin. “But if Skeeter ever found out . . .”

I shook my head, and against my better judgment I said, “He won’t hear it from me. But if you’re worried about him finding out, why are you telling me at all?”

“Because I can judge people too. Nothing like Skeeter, his is a true gift, but I know people. You have a good heart, Rose Gardner. You are loyal to your friends and the people who help you. If you give Skeeter a chance, he can help you far more than you know.”

I released a breath. “While I thank you for your compliment—really I do—I have no intention of getting mixed up in Skeeter’s underworld any more than I already am.” I lifted my chin. “And I’m not stupid. I know that any gift from Skeeter comes with a whole assortment of tangled strings. Not that he’d have anything I want.”

Jed’s face turned serious. “Don’t be so sure about that. He’s trying to save your boyfriend.”

“He’s trying to save himself. Saving Mason just happens to be part of the deal.”

Jed remained silent.

I shifted in my seat, my anxiety returning as we entered Henryetta. “So I’m still not sure what I’m doing tonight.”

“After you arrive, Skeeter will start his meeting. At some point he’ll have you read the men, one by one, but it won’t be until he gives you the go-ahead.”

“I’m supposed to walk around and have visions of everyone there? Because that won’t look suspicious . . .”

“Skeeter’s trying to set up a way that it will work. Which is why he’ll give you the signal when it’s time for you to start. The three guys he’s most worried about are Seth Moore, Bear Stevens, and Neil Winn.” He turned a corner to avoid driving downtown. “Moore runs a pawnshop up by Sweet Briar.”

I cringed. “Given who I know, do you really think I should be hearing this?” I could only imagine what illegal activities Seth Moore was up to with his pawnshop. “Maybe the less I know, the better.”

Jed’s mouth pursed. “This situation is far from ideal, but Skeeter’s determined to make it work. He only wants you to know the barest of facts, but hopefully it will be enough to help you find what you need. It won’t do anyone any good if you’re searching blind.”

I had to admit he had a point. “What do I need to know about the other two?”

“Stevens owns a marina on Fenton Lake, and Winn . . . we’ll file everything else about him in your ‘the less you know, the better’ folder.”

I decided to take him at his word. “Do you think the guy who’s trying to kill Mason will even be here?”

“There’s a really good chance,” Jed said, “at least if it’s the same guy who owns Gems. The bar may be owned by a small corporation, but the odds are five to one that the owner or one of his higher-ups will be in that meeting tonight.”

“And what happens if the guy figures out that I know what he’s doing?”

“We’ll deal with that possibility if it presents itself.” Jed looked in the mirror again. “Don’t forget you are priority number one tonight. Just trust Skeeter and follow his lead.”

Trust Skeeter
. There was an oxymoron if I’d ever heard one. But for some reason, I believed that I could. I supposed it helped that I didn’t have much of a choice.

We drove the rest of the way in silence, without even music from the radio. As we pulled into the parking lot, I looked around. We were in the lot of an old tire recycling plant. “This isn’t Skeeter’s pool hall.”

“He couldn’t have the meeting there around all of his customers, and it would have looked suspicious if he’d closed the place early. So he’s having it here.”

“But this place isn’t abandoned.”

“No. He owns it.”

Skeeter owned Robison Tire Recycling. That was news. It was common knowledge that it was owned by a corporation based in Texarkana. I suddenly wondered what other things I didn’t know about Skeeter.

“But that’s also on the do-not-share list,” Jed said with a grin.

“Maybe I should be taking notes,” I mumbled.

Jed texted Skeeter, then drove around to the back of the plant. Several cars were parked in the lot, and Jed pulled up next to the back entrance, parking parallel to the building. “Wait here.”

Within a few seconds, Skeeter emerged from the back entrance. He was dressed differently than he had been earlier. Tonight he had on a tight-fitting black T-shirt and dark jeans, along with a pair of boots. His dark beard was trimmed closely, so he only had a bit of scruff. He looked intimidating, which I supposed was his intention, but strangely enough, I found his appearance reassuring. Hopefully anyone inside that building would be worried about pissing off the man opening my car door.

“Lady,” Skeeter said formally as he helped me out of the car.

My stomach was a tangled mass of nerves. “Skeeter.”

“Everyone’s here. I want you come inside and sit next to me.”

“Okay.”

We walked down a long hallway, my four-inch heels clacking on the concrete floor.

He leaned in close to my ear. “You look stunning tonight.”

I waited for him to try to grope me, but he kept his hands to himself. “I’m still the outside business partner, Skeeter, not your current romantic entanglement. Don’t forget it.” I knew if he made any kind of advance on me in that room full of adversaries, I wouldn’t be able to smack his hand away. I had to set him straight before we went inside. “You’ll come off stronger if it doesn’t look like I’m only here because I’m sleeping with you.”

Stopping in front of a door, he grinned, his eyes lighting up with mischief. “And more’s the pity. But you’re right. Purely business it is.” His playfulness faded. “Are you ready?”

“I’m scared.” I wasn’t sure why I admitted it to him, but then again, I’d never applied for this position. I wasn’t trying to prove I was brave or worthy of it.

He took my hand and held tight, leaning closer to look through my veil. I could feel his breath on my face. “Nothing will happen to you tonight. Your safety and identity will be protected. I give you my word.” He paused. “And you know how I feel about giving my word.”

I took a deep breath and nodded, his sincerity sinking in. “Thank you.”

He tipped his head in acknowledgment and let go of my hand as Jed made his way down the hall toward us. “Showtime.”

He pushed the door open and entered the room, and I followed him inside. “Gentlemen, the Lady in Black has joined us.”

Over a dozen men sat in chairs around a large conference table. A dozen pairs of eyes landed on me, and my face grew hot under the scrutiny. Then I realized they were staring at my chest, and my cheeks got even hotter. I expected a few lewd comments—the men in this room didn’t look refined or gentlemanly—but they kept their thoughts to themselves.

“Lady, if you care to sit here,” Skeeter motioned to a chair by the head of the table.

Jed pulled it out, and after I sat, he scooted it in and took the empty seat on my left. Skeeter stood at the head of the table. The silence in the room was eerie.

“Gentlemen, now that Lady has arrived, we can begin our meeting.”

A guy with a bushy beard and beady eyes leaned his arm on the table and glared at Skeeter. “I still don’t get why she’s here.”

Skeeter returned his stare. “She’s here because I asked her to be here.”

“But what’s she do?” he pressed, leaning into the table more. “I’ve never seen or heard of her before the auction. What if she’s responsible for the bust?”

I felt Jed tense beside me, although his outward appearance was attentive but disinterested.

Skeeter planted his palms on the table, leaned over, and gave the man an intimidating glare. “Maybe we should look into the real cause of the bust. Where’s your paper with the code on it, Bear?”