Carson poked his head in the room. “Everything okay up here?”
“Rockford thought he was being followed and that someone was trying to kill him. He heard a gunshot before his tire blew out,” I said, glancing over at Carson. “He also had three sons, not just two, and Sylvia was about to tell me the other kid’s name.”
Sylvia’s gaze went from Carson’s to mine and back. There was a hesitancy and almost dreadful feeling in the air. She was scared to tell us the name. I could read it in her eyes.
“No one has to know it was you who told us,” I reassured her.
“It’s not that.” She swallowed hard and rose from her spot on the bed. “Detective Carson Anderson.”
“Yes?” he answered.
My brows dipped as the woman stared him in the eyes. “That’s the name of the other child.”
15
“You’re lying,” Carson growled and took a step in Sylvia’s direction, making her take an unconscious step closer to me.
I stepped in his way and rested my hand on his heart until he turned his gaze to mine. “Carson, don’t say something you’re going to regret. Sylvia is just trying to help us.”
Carson spun on his heel and stomped toward the door.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“To talk to my mother,” he growled.
My eyes widened, and I hurried behind him. “Carson, you need to calm down.”
“The hell I do,” he said, jogging down the stairs and out the front door. “She’s lying, and when I prove it, I’m arresting her for obstruction of justice.”
I hurried to get in his way from opening the driver side door. “You’re too upset to drive.”
His brows dipped in anger, and his nostrils flared. “I’m fine.”
“You’re anything but fine,” I said, holding out my hand. “Hand over your keys. I refuse to be a statistic, and I don’t need any earth-shattering revelations from a car accident.”
“I wouldn’t have gotten us into an accident,” he said, pulling his keys from his pocket. He dropped them into my palm and headed for the passenger side.
I started the SUV, pulled out of the drive, and turned on the road before I glanced at him and raised my brow. “It’s worse.”
“What’s worse than my mother lying to me all these years?”
I shrugged. “Not only is Rockford your potential daddy, but your half-brother is the Canapoly Falls car burglar.”
Carson laid his head against the seat rest and let out an aggravated sigh. “I refuse to believe it.”
“Oh, he is,” I said reassuringly. “I saw Alma’s cane in the kid’s room.”
He didn’t even lift his head. As though he had no energy, he just turned it in my direction to stare daggers at me. “I’m not related to that kid.”
I hadn’t the heart to tell him that he probably was. I didn’t detect any sense of deception coming from Sylvia. She truly believed everything she’d told us.
“Three checks, three kids. It’s kind of hard to fathom that he’s your daddy.”
He shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “That man wasn’t my father.”
“I hope for your sake you’re right. Otherwise, your mom just made our suspect list.”
Carson’s face turned red until he realized I’d passed the road to his mother’s house and kept heading out of town. “You missed the road.”
“I thought we’d save her until after the private investigator.”
“What is Finn Marshall going to tell us that we don’t already know?”
I shrugged. If I knew that answer, we could have skipped him. “No reason to go yell at the woman who gave you life before having all the answers. Better to be thorough, especially considering your mom may be involved.”
The drive across town wouldn’t have concerned me if Rockford hadn’t appeared in the backseat, scaring the bejeezus out of me when I glanced in the rearview mirror. His glare was no longer filled with anger but something else, something more calming, more peaceful.
“He’s here, isn’t he?” Carson asked.
“How can you tell?”
“It’s colder than it was, and judging by the way you’re looking in the rearview mirror, I’m guessing he’s in the back seat.”
“He’s sitting behind me,” I answered.
Carson slowly turned around. His voice was calm and collected. “Try anything funny like at the dinner party, and I’ll make it my mission to banish you from this town once and for all.”
“Probably good thing he’s already dead,” I said, turning into the warehouse district where several shops were located.
“Why is that?” he asked.
“I don’t date criminals. Well…not anymore,” I said, pulling into a parking lot next to the private investigation sign.
“So we’re dating?” He asked.
I rolled my eyes. I hadn’t decided if I was keeping him around. I stepped out of the SUV as he did, but before shutting the door, I grabbed my purse and sprayed some of the truth serum on me. If there was ever a time we would need answers, it was now. I had to prove that even if his mom did have an affair that she wasn’t a killer. We needed answers, and no way was I letting this guy clam up. Not today.
“You coming?” Carson asked, holding the warehouse door open for me.
“Yeah,” I said, locking the SUV door and shutting it before following him inside.
The fluorescent lighting kept everything in shadows. Carson took my hand and moved me behind him as we made our way farther into the darkness. The only light up ahead was shining from behind closed blinds and beneath a shut door.
“This place could use better lighting,” I whispered.
“I think Finn likes it better this way,” Carson answered before lifting his hand to knock.
The door flew open, and a tall, unassuming guy that looked as though he could be my accountant was on the other side. Behind him were computer screens with video feeds playing.
“What do you want?” he barked, pulling the doors semi-closed behind him.
“Answers.” Carson flashed his badge.
“You’ve got five minutes, and then I’ve got somewhere to be.”
He opened the door farther, and we followed him into the security room to find several cameras pointed at Main Street, including one aimed at the antique store. “You do know that it’s illegal to tap into other people’s security feeds.”
“Yeah, so?” His eyes widened, and he covered his mouth.
I grinned. “It’s a truth serum, so don’t fight it. It’s a waste of time.”
“Georgia…” Carson growled.
I shrugged. “We wanted answers, so we’re going to get them.”
“Answers to what?” Finn asked.
“Rockford Fillmore hired you to investigate something. What was it?”
Finn pressed his lips together. “That’s confidential.”
“The guy is dead. I’m pretty sure that confidentiality went out the window,” I announced.
“Crap. That explains why he’s not returning my calls.” Finn grabbed a file from the desk drawer and tossed it onto the wood surface. “Rockford hired me for two cases. One was to hack into the sperm database to see if anyone used his swimmers and find the name of the kid or kids. He wanted to be part of their lives…your life.” He gestured to Carson. “Judging by the fact you aren’t shocked, I’m going to assume that you already know that.”
“What was the other reason?” Carson asked.
“He called off the other case he put me on before his accident. Don’t get me wrong, he paid me for the surveillance, but he didn’t want to know the answers. It was strange. I asked him why he’d pay for services and not want the outcome, but he said he didn’t need to know, that the past was the past.”
“What surveillance did he have you doing?”
“He thought his wife was having an affair.”
“Was she?” Carson asked.
A smile split Finn’s lips
. “Oh yeah, and you’re never going to guess with who.”
I rubbed my hands together. “Do tell.”
“The butler,” Finn announced, pulling out another file and pulling out a picture of the widow and the servant through a window.
“Where was this taken?” I asked.
“In the servant’s quarters on Rockford’s property. Apparently the missus liked to go slumming.”
Carson and I exchanged a look. “Nothing is ever as it seems. One would never expect that in this sleepy little town everyone is cheating on everyone.”
Carson took the picture and the other file. “You didn’t tell him that she was?”
“He didn’t want to know. He said that even if she had been, it didn’t matter. He loved her, and that was all that counted.”
“That accident scrambled his brains,” I said.
16
“So where to next? The secretary, your mom, or Rockford’s wife?” I asked as Carson got into the SUV. He sighed as he turned the key in the engine before glancing in my direction.
“I need to talk to my mother.”
“You think that’s a good idea?” I asked, raising a brow. “She had motive, Carson, especially if she didn’t want you to find out. Your father had motive, too, if he knew the details about your parentage.”
Carson shook his head. “They aren’t killers.”
“What if Rockford demanded that he be part of your life or said he was going to tell you that you aren’t Frank’s kid? If your mother or Frank were desperate enough, they might have wanted Rockford silenced.”
Carson’s face turned to stone. “They aren’t killers, and I’ll prove it.”
Ten minutes later we were pulling up at Glenda and Frank’s house. Both cars were parked in the driveway. He got out of the SUV, and I remained seated. I knew what he was up to. He wanted to use the truth serum on his parents. Now I usually wouldn’t have an issue with using it on unsuspecting people, but I wasn’t convinced that Carson was ready to hear the truth. He hadn’t even processed that Frank wasn’t his daddy.
Carson was halfway up the yard when he realized I wasn’t behind him. He turned back around, aggravation on his face as he stomped through the grass back to my door and pulled it open. “I kind of need you on this.”
I shook my head. “If you want my help, I have to ask them alone. I can’t risk that you’re going to explode on either of them and jeopardize your relationship.”
“I have to know.” Carson visibly swallowed.
I believed him. He had to know, but I needed to warn them of what they were walking into.
“One condition,” I said, sliding out of the SUV.
“What’s that?” he asked, trying to temper the annoyance in his voice.
“We tell them we’re using the truth serum and, if they participate, it’s voluntary.”
“You didn’t warn the PI.” He growled.
“That was different, Carson. This is your family, and if you lose their confidence, it’s hard to gain it back. Trust me, I know.”
His gaze searched mine before he nodded and walked behind me up the lawn to the door. His mom was standing at the open door as we approached.
I gave her a small smile. “Mrs. Anderson.”
Her gaze went from mine to Carson’s, and her smile slowly fell away. “Carson, what’s wrong?”
Carson opened his mouth to say something, and I nudged his arm and shook my head.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Mrs. Anderson, but is Frank around?”
“Yes, he’s in his study.” She stepped out of the way and let us in.
“Mrs. Anderson, I need to tell you and Frank something before you ask any questions and before Carson does too.”
“It’s Glenda, dear,” she answered, leading us to the study.
Frank was behind his desk, and she moved to stand behind him, resting her hand on his shoulder.
“Back so soon, Georgia? I was certain we scared you away.”
“You wish.” I grinned before closing off the emotion from my face. “I’m sure you’re both aware by now that I’m a witch.”
Their brows dipped.
“Of course, dear,” Glenda said. “I am too.”
“Well, you should both know that I have a truth serum. It’s more like a perfume, and I’m wearing it, so anything you say to Carson’s questions will be the truth, no matter if you’d wish otherwise. Knowing that, if you want us to leave, say something now before Carson asks you anything.”
“What’s this about?” Frank asked.
“The sperm donor,” I announced, earning a glare from Carson.
“You were supposed to let me ask,” he growled.
“Sorry.” Not really. I felt horrible that his parents were about to be interrogated by their child. The same child they’d given life to.
“You know?” Frank asked as Glenda covered her mouth with her hand.
“I can just go wait in the car,” I said with a thumb over my shoulder.
“Have a seat, Georgia. Carson must believe we were going to lie to him. Let’s give him peace of mind that all of our cards are on the table,” Frank said. The air in the room was filled with tension as Frank squeezed Glenda’s hand.
“I’m sterile,” Frank announced. “After years of your mother trying to get pregnant, I was tested. So our choices were limited. Either use a donor or adopt. Your mother and I were going to tell you, but the time never seemed right.”
I slid my fingers through Carson’s, holding his hand. If there was ever anytime this strong guy might need support, it was now.
“Rockford was the donor,” Carson said.
“We didn’t know it was him until right before he disappeared. He showed up with information that he somehow pulled from the sperm bank. He wanted to be part of your life, but we told him no,” Glenda said, her eyes pleading. “You have to believe us.”
“Carson knows you’re telling the truth because of the spray I’m wearing.”
“Right.” Glenda’s shoulders eased somewhat.
“He offered you money, didn’t he?” I asked.
“Yes, but we didn’t accept it,” Frank answered.
“Goddamn it. If you’d just told me the truth, I wouldn’t be here having to ask if one of you killed him,” Carson said, unable to hide the emotion in his voice. “You both had motive.”
I wrapped my other hand around Carson’s and squeezed until he looked down at me. “Carson, I think you’ve heard enough.”
“Did either one of you have anything to do with his death?”
“Carson…” Glenda’s gasp turned into sobs.
“Carson, maybe we should leave,” I said, trying to pull him to the door.
“Answer the question.” Carson slipped his hand free, his voice unwavering.
“Do you think us capable of killing?” Frank asked.
“Well, did you? Yes or no?”
“No,” Frank growled. “Now get the hell out.”
“Frank, please don’t….”
“Mom?” Carson asked.
“We fought. He grabbed my arm and demanded that I tell you he’s your father. I told him no and, that if he did, I’d kill him.”
“Glenda?” Frank said.
“Mom?”
“Mrs. Anderson, you should stop talking now,” I said, going to her side. “Please.”
17
She shook her head, and anger filled her gaze. “I threatened him and his grip tightened, so I hit him, and when he still wouldn’t release me, I was scared, so I kneed him in the groin to get him to let go of me before I hurried out of the country club.” Her gaze turned resolute. “And I’d do it again if he ever laid another hand on me.”
“Glenda, why didn’t you tell me?” Frank asked.
“Did you leave him for dead?” Carson asked.
“Don’t answer that.” I interrupted. The last thing I needed was Glenda going to prison because I’d worn stupid truth spray.
Her gaze went from mine to Car
son’s before she realized what she’d said. “No, I didn’t kill him. His butler was watching us. I left him on the ground moaning in pain, but if he were really injured, then the butler would have taken him to the hospital, right?”
“Gentry saw the whole thing?” I asked.
“Of course. I called Rockford’s secretary, and she told me that he was at the gun range at the country club, getting ready for his annual trip. I went there to give him back his check. Gentry was cleaning one of Rockford’s guns. Apparently, the whole family shoots, but his wife was out of town at some retreat or something.”
“Wasn’t it Gentry, the butler, who said that he drove Elaine and her sister to the retreat or spa or something?” I asked. “Let’s go use the truth spray on him.”
Carson rested his hands on the top of his head and paced in the room. “I need to call this in.” He slowly shook his head. “If the sheriff finds out that my family was involved, and I knew about it, I’ll be lucky if I’m not fired.”
“Carson.” I stepped in front of him and rested my hand over his heart. “Give it one more day. In the morning, you and I will go talk to the butler and figure out what really happened and why he isn’t telling us everything. I don’t want your mother to be put through rigorous questions and accusations because of my truth spray. She was protecting you, and to be honest, I would have done the same.”
“She’s right, Carson,” Frank said.
“The donor was always supposed to stay confidential.”
“Well, it didn’t. You and Frank should have told me the truth instead of lying to me my whole goddamn life.”
Frank wheeled his chair around the desk and over to where Carson stood. “Family is more than blood, Carson. I raised you to be a better man. If you don’t want to call me dad anymore, then fine, but you will not disrespect your mother while under my roof.”
Carson lifted his gaze to his mom’s. The tension in his shoulders eased. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“You’re right. I should have told you, just like I need to tell your sister.”
“Is she Rockford’s too?” I asked.
“He didn’t say one way or the other and that information is anonymous.”
Witchy Warning Page 7