The Liar

by Nora Roberts

  “Those are good odds,” Forrest said as he came out. “Just hold on a minute. Nobby, you think you could sit with that moron Arlo for a bit? I got him writing it all out.”

  “Sure can. He confess?”

  “And then some. Sheriff, I need to run this by you, and then we’re going to need a warrant. That’s going to be pretty sticky as we’re going to need it for Melody Bunker, for soliciting a crime, conspiracy to do bodily harm.”

  “Well, hell, Forrest.” On a long, windy sigh, Hardigan rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you damn sure on it?”

  “I’ll tell you how Arlo says it went.”

  “He wasn’t lying,” Griff put in. “He didn’t pull her name out of his ass. She gave him money for it, and he probably didn’t have a chance to spend it yet.”

  “We’ll be going out to his trailer,” Forrest began, then glanced around. “Where’s Shelby?”

  “She . . . she was right here. Oh hell. Oh hell no.”

  “Melody. My sister’s got a hell of a temper if you flip the right switch. Sheriff?” Forrest said as Griff was already bolting out the door.

  “Yeah, go on with him. Just what we need to tie a ribbon on this day. Your sister tossing Florence Piedmont’s granddaughter out some window.”

  • • •

  SHE DIDN’T PLAN on tossing Melody out a window, primarily because she hadn’t thought of it. She didn’t have a clear idea what she intended to do, but the one thing she was clear on, she didn’t intend to do nothing.

  Ignoring the bitch hadn’t worked, sarcasm hadn’t worked, straight talk hadn’t worked.

  So she’d find something that did, and finish this off once and for all.

  The Piedmont house sat on a long, sloping rise of lush green with terraced walls of white brick showing off a bounty of graceful trees, perfectly trimmed shrubs.

  From its vantage it could look down at the Ridge, out at the hills, down into folds of valleys. It stood elegantly, as it had since before the War Between the States, laced with verandas flowing out from the snow-white facade. Gardens swept along its feet in rivers of color.

  It was a house she’d always admired. Now she shot toward it like an arrow from a bow.

  She knew Melody lived in the carriage house, aimed for it once she’d crested the rise. Ears buzzing with temper, she slammed out of the van, strode past Melody’s car, and would have marched straight to the door if someone hadn’t hailed her.

  “Why, it’s Shelby Anne Pomeroy!”

  She recognized the housekeeper, a longtime member of the big house—and Maybeline’s sister—and struggled to rein in her fury enough to smile in return.

  “It’s wonderful to see you, Miz Pattie. How is everything for you?”

  “It’s just fine.” The woman, tall, thin, her salt-and-pepper hair in a tidy and tight cap of curls, walked over. She carried a basket half full of early roses. “Such a pretty spring we’re having this year, even if the heat’s already starting to rise. I’m so glad you’re back home to enjoy it. I am sorry about your husband.”

  “Thank you. Miz Pattie, I really need to speak to Melody.”

  “Why, she’s having breakfast on the back veranda with Mrs. Piedmont and Miz Jolene. I expect this has something to do with the trouble at Miz Vi’s. I got an earful on it from Maybeline, and Lorilee, too.”

  “Yes, it’s something like that.”

  “Then you go right around. I hope you girls can settle this.”

  “Settling it’s why I’m here. Thank you.”

  She let the fury come back, bubble up as she took the walkway, crossed the velvety green lawn, as she heard female voices and smelled those early roses.

  And there was Melody, sitting at a table draped with white, decked with pretty china and juices sparkling in glass pitchers.

  “I am not going to apologize, Grandmama, so there’s no point hounding me on it. I didn’t say a thing that wasn’t true, and I won’t lower myself to crawling to those people just so Jolene can have her trashy hairdresser back.”

  “Crystal isn’t trashy, Melody, and we shouldn’t have—”

  “You just stop it, Jolene, and stop that whining, too. I’m sick to death of it. If anything, that little slut and her interfering grandmother should—”

  She spotted Shelby, pushed to her feet as Shelby came up the slope like a highballing train. Melody’s eyes widened as she saw Forrest and Griff running full out behind her.

  “You get out of here. You’re not welcome here!”

  “I say who’s welcome here,” Florence said in a snap.

  “If she is, I’m not.”

  Melody started to turn away, but Shelby grabbed her arm, spun her around. “You paid him. You paid Arlo Kattery to try to hurt me.”

  “Get your hand off me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You’re a liar on top of it.” Before she knew it was her clear intention, Shelby bunched a hand into a fist, and used it.

  She heard shouting through the buzzing in her ears, saw through the red mist that blurred her vision Melody’s eyes go glassy.

  The next thing she knew someone clamped her arms down from the back, lifted her off her feet. She kicked out, because she wasn’t done. She wasn’t nearly done, but the arms only tightened.

  “Stop it. Come on, Red, pull it in now. You gave her a good shot.”

  “It’s not enough. It’s not enough for what she did.”

  Melody sat on her ass, where she’d gone down on the graceful veranda. “She hit me! Y’all saw how she attacked me.” Sobbing, she held a hand to her jaw. “I want to press charges.”

  “Fine,” Forrest told her. “I think the ones against you are going to be a lot weightier.”

  “I didn’t do anything. I don’t know what she’s talking about. Grandmama, it hurts.”

  “Jolene, stop waving your hands around like you’re going to take flight and go get an ice pack.” Florence, who’d gotten to her feet, sat again, heavily. “I need an explanation. I need to know why this girl would come here, with these wild accusations, and strike my granddaughter.”

  “I’ll say it,” Shelby said before Forrest could. “Let me go, Griffin. I won’t do anything. I apologize to you, Mrs. Piedmont. Not to her, but to you, I apologize. This is your home, and I should never have come here this way. I was too mad to think straight.”

  “Grandmama, make her go away. She belongs in jail.”

  “Be quiet now, Melody. It’ll only hurt to talk. Why did you come here like this?”

  “Because she went a lot further than saying ugly things, or slashing tires or making up lies. This time, she paid Arlo Kattery a thousand dollars, and promised a thousand more, if he put a scare into me, if he taught me a lesson.”

  “I never did any such thing. Why, I wouldn’t lower myself to speak to Arlo Kattery or any of his kin. He’s a liar and so are you.”

  “I said be quiet, Melody Louisa! Why would you say Melody did this?”

  “Because Arlo ran Griffin off the road last night, wrecked his truck. Look at him, Mrs. Piedmont. He’s hurt because he made sure I got home safe, and because he did, Arlo couldn’t get to me and do what she’d paid him to do. He got to Griff instead. She went down to the holler, down to Arlo’s trailer, and paid him to do it.”

  “She’s crazy. A liar.”

  “Oh my God.” Jolene stood just outside the French doors, a blue ice pack in her hand. “Oh my God, Melody, I didn’t think you meant it. I never thought you meant it.”

  “You shut up, you hear! Don’t you dare say another word, Jolene, not one more word.”

  “I won’t shut up. I won’t. My God, Melody, this isn’t just playing, just gossip or poking some fun. I didn’t think she meant it, I swear to God, I never thought she meant it.”

  “You hold your tongue, Melody. Meant what, Jolene?” Florence demanded. “Stop blubbering now and say it straight-out.”

  “She said, after Miz Vi banned us, she said she knew how to get back at Shelby.
She knew how to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget, and how Arlo would likely do it for free, but she’d sweeten that pot.”

  “Liar!” Scrambling up, Melody launched herself at Jolene, fingers curled to scratch.

  She might’ve done considerable damage if Jolene, in shocked defense, hadn’t thrown the ice bag at her.

  The lucky shot knocked Melody back a step, and gave Forrest time to pull her back.

  “You’d best listen to your grandmama, and hold your tongue. Jolene, let’s hear the rest.”

  “What is wrong with you? What is the matter with you, Melody? I just don’t know.”

  “You’d better shut your mouth, Jolene, or you’ll be sorry.”

  “Jolene!” Florence’s voice cut through Jolene’s fresh weeping. “You tell Deputy Pomeroy the rest of what you know, and right now. If you don’t be quiet, Melody, I swear to God Almighty, I’ll slap you myself.”

  “Oh, Miz Florence. I told what she said, and I promise, I swear, I didn’t believe she meant to do anything. I was so upset, and crying, and I just said to stop it, stop it, Melody, and went on about who was going to do my hair for the wedding because Crystal, she knows just how I want it done, and it’s my wedding day, Miz Florence. I just was so upset, and Melody didn’t say any more. But she’d said what I told you. I didn’t think she could—”

  “You traitorous bitch. She was part of it.” Melody threw out a hand, pointed. “She was part of it.”

  “I wasn’t, but maybe you can’t believe that, Shelby, since I’ve been part of things. But never to really hurt somebody. I’m tired of it. I’m so tired of all of it.”

  She sat, began to weep into her hands.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Piedmont, but I’m going to have to take these ladies into the station house and sort this out.”

  Her back straight as a poker, Florence nodded. “Yes, I can see that. Jolene, you stop that crying now and go on with Deputy Pomeroy. Melody, go with the deputy.”

  “I don’t want to go with him. It’s all just some story that lowlife made up, and Jolene’s lying. She’s just lying.”

  “I’m not lying!”

  And that started the two of them shouting at each other until Forrest broke in. “I’d advise the two of you to be quiet. Melody, you can come along on your own, or I’m going to haul you.”

  “You take your hands off me this minute!” The threat had her struggling against his hold. “I don’t go anywhere I don’t want to go.”

  And her grandmother surged to her feet.

  “Melody Louisa Bunker, if you don’t go along with Deputy Pomeroy and stop resisting, you have my oath I’ll do nothing to help you. I’ll make certain your mama doesn’t do a thing to help you.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  “By God, I do. You go with Forrest, and you go now, or I wash my hands of it, and you.”

  “I’ll go. But now I know you’re just as hateful as the rest.”

  “I’ll take Melody,” Forrest said to Griff. “Best if you take Shelby and Jolene. You’re still deputized.”

  “Hell. All right. Jolene?”

  “I’m coming. I won’t give you any trouble. Shelby, I’m so sorry about all this. I’m just—”

  “It’s probably best, too, if everybody stays quiet on the ride in,” Griff suggested, and got an easy smile from Forrest.

  “Like I said, you ever want a career change. Melody, you walk to my cruiser under your own power, or I’ll cuff you.”

  “Oh, I’m coming. You’ll be out of a job before this day’s over. I’m going to make sure of it.”

  Before he led Melody away, Forrest glanced at Florence. “I’m sorry about this, Mrs. Piedmont. I’m sorry for this trouble for you and your family.”

  “I know it.” When she looked at Griff there might have been a gleam of tears in her eyes, but her back remained poker straight. “I’m more sorry about this than I can say.”

  19

  Jolene wasn’t quiet on the ride in, but cried in wild, gulping sobs all the way. With ears ringing, Griff decided all he really wanted in the world at that moment was to get back to work and sanity.

  The only route he saw there was herding Shelby and Jolene into the station house.

  Sheriff Hardigan looked at Griff, at the two women—Shelby, eyes hot, Jolene, eyes spewing tears. Stepping forward, he dug a large white handkerchief out of his pocket, pushed it into Jolene’s hands.

  He said, in a tone that miraculously blended cheer and sympathy, “Well now, what’s all this?”

  “Forrest is right behind us,” Griff began.

  “I’m probably under arrest.” After slapping her hands on her hips, Shelby looked directly, defiantly into Hardigan’s eyes. “I punched Melody Bunker in the face.”

  “Hmm,” was Hardigan’s response before he focused on Jolene.

  “I didn’t know she meant to do it!” Hysteria bubbled up through the hitching sobs. “I swear, I didn’t. I thought she was just being mad and saying things. I didn’t think she meant to really get Arlo to scare Shelby or hurt her. I swear I’m that upset about all of it.”

  “I can see that. Why don’t you come on in and tell me about it. You got her?” he said to Griff, arched his eyebrows at Shelby.

  “I guess.”

  “Deputized?” Shelby gave him one hard look as Hardigan led Jolene into his office.

  “That’s just Forrest being Forrest.” But he was relieved when Forrest himself walked in with a cold-eyed Melody.

  “Jolene?”

  “Sheriff’s talking to her.”

  “Good enough. You got her?”

  At the repeated question, Griff winced. “Yeah, yeah.”

  Forrest escorted Melody into the back break room, walked out again. “Nobby, I need you to sit on her for a couple minutes while I sort some of this out.”

  “No problem there.”

  When Forrest turned to his sister, she held out her hands, wrists together.

  “Stop that shit.”

  “Maybe you want your deputy to do it.” When she turned with the same gesture to Griff, he just took her face in his hands.

  “Cut it out. Now.”

  She bristled a moment, but he didn’t let go, kept his eyes level on hers until she hissed out a breath. “I’m not mad at either of you—too much—and I’m sick about what happened to you, Griff. I’m just all-around mad. Am I under arrest?”

  “It’s not going to come to that,” Forrest said. “Even if she pushes it, she’s in a hell of a lot more trouble. She earned the punch.”

  “She surely did.”

  “Hell of a right cross you got there, Red.”

  “Thank you. Clay taught me, but it’s the first time I actually put it into practice. What do I do now?”

  “You leave this to me and the sheriff—like you should have before you stormed the damn castle. Not that I’m ever going to blame you for the punch—and go on to work, or home, or whatever business you got going.”

  “I can just go?”

  “That’s right. And if she pushes the assault charge, we’ll deal with it. But I believe she’s going to be persuaded to let that alone.”

  “All right.” She could hardly stay mad at her brother if he wasn’t going to arrest her. “I’m sorry for my part in this morning.”