Half Past Dead

by Meryl Sawyer

  Justin manufactured a smile. “And if I don’t?”

  “You’re as good as dead.”

  Justin pulled a miniature tape recorder out of his pocket. He’d used it when he’d been on the force in New Orleans. “I’ve recorded every word you said. I’m meeting with David Noyes. I’m sure the Tribune will be interested to hear your threats. It’ll do wonders for your political career.”

  Color leached from Kincaid’s face, then it suddenly flushed plum-red. “You son of a bitch.”

  Justin jammed the recorder into his pocket, then leaned across the desk and grabbed the prick by his gray silk tie. “Anything happens to me—anything—the press gets this.”

  “I—I didn’t mean I was going to kill you—”

  “Save it. The recorder’s off. Just be sure you and Buck and all of your buddies stay away from me.” He released the tie and left, slamming the door behind him so hard that one of the pictures fell off the wall. He could hear the glass shattering on the gleaming oak floor.

  He was back in his car with Redd when his cell phone rang. It was Nora.

  “An agent from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation wants you to call him back on a secure line.”

  He wrote down the number and hung up. What in hell could the bureau want? Maybe they’d ID’d the murder victim, but he doubted it. That wouldn’t require a secure line.

  He stopped at the Shop ’N Go and took Redd with him while he used a pay phone. An agent answered on the second ring, and Justin identified himself.

  “The bureau is letting you know you’re getting a felon on a work furlough at the local newspaper.”

  “Okay,” Justin responded, not surprised. Work furloughs used to be rare, but now prisons were packed. With one in every one hundred and fifty people in the country behind bars, furloughs were becoming more common every day to make space. “What’s his name?”

  “Her. It’s Kaitlin Wells. She stole money from the Mercury National Bank.”

  He vaguely recalled his mother telling him about the case. “When’s she coming?”

  “She’s on the way. We’ve arranged for housing, a job, a car. She’ll report to us, of course, but keep an eye on her. If you spot anything strange, call me on a secure line.”

  THE BELL ON Crestwood Realty’s door jingled, and Tori Wells looked up to see a hunk with long, khaki-clad legs, shoulders like a college jock, and killer blue eyes walk into the office. At his side was a copper-colored dog. The animal’s coat appeared to have been shaved, making it look very funky. The guy seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him.

  “Hi.” Tori flashed her megawatt smile. “May I help you?”

  He held out his hand, and she reached for it. “Justin Radner.”

  Tori felt her eyes widen as he clasped her hand in a death grip. Not Justin Radner. He’d been the star of Harrington High’s football team, and he’d dated Verity Mason. Why would he be back here?

  “I remember you from high school,” she said smoothly, gesturing toward the chair in front of her desk for him to sit. “I’m Victoria Wells. My friends call me Tori. I’m sure you don’t remember me. I was two years younger.”

  Justin nodded, but Tori couldn’t tell if he was admitting he didn’t remember her or that he did. She’d expected him to say he knew her. Tori had always been beautiful, with the kind of body men didn’t ever forget.

  “What brings you back here?” she asked, sitting down.

  “I’ve been hired as sheriff.”

  Tori forced herself not to gasp. The judge would have a conniption. He and Buck Mason were tighter than ticks. Buck hated Justin with a passion Tori found bizarre.

  “I’d like to rent or lease a house—” he stroked the dog’s head “—with a yard.”

  “You’ve come to the right place,” Tori said in her cheeriest voice. “Crestwood Realty is Twin Oaks’ leading realty.” She didn’t add she was the top agent in town. Justin must have asked. That’s why he’d come here.

  “I’ll need at least two bedrooms.”

  Tori nodded, waiting for him to say more. She sneaked a quick glance at his left hand. No ring. That didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t married.

  When he didn’t add another request, she said, “I have several properties that would be perfect for you. Let’s do a virtual tour to eliminate some.”

  Usually she would take the time to show a hunk like this each property, but she was having dinner with the Kincaids tonight. She wanted to get home and have plenty of time to shower, change and do her hair before Clay picked her up. After years of being together, he’d promised to announce their engagement tonight.

  Tori clicked on her computer, then turned the monitor toward Justin. She let her long eyelashes flutter just slightly. The gesture always captivated men, but Justin didn’t seem to notice. She took him for a virtual tour of several homes. He watched but didn’t comment.

  Tori suddenly had one of her brilliant ideas. There was a home in the unincorporated area that she’d been trying to lease for an absentee owner for over two years. Locals knew better than to take it. The next-door neighbors were notorious for their domestic fights and loud parties. The judge would hoot with laughter if she could pawn off the place on Justin.

  “Here’s a furnished home that’s perfect for you.” She pulled up the listing. “The yard has nice shade trees for your dog.”

  “Hey, Redd. That looks like a good yard for you.” He leveled his striking blue eyes on her. “Let’s see the inside.”

  Tori raved about the three-bedroom ranch-style home and the tacky furniture. She had to admit it was a good deal. If it weren’t for the neighbors, it would have been snapped up long ago.

  Justin nodded approvingly. “Will the owner mind if I install a dog door?”

  “Not a problem,” she assured him. The owner would be overjoyed to get anything out of this. “He wants a year’s lease, first and last month’s rent, and a security deposit.” She pretended to think for a moment, making everything up as she went. “He may ask for a little extra in the security deposit because of the dog.”

  “Seems fair,” he replied. “Let’s go see it.”

  She grabbed her purse from the drawer, deliberately bending over so that he could catch a glimpse of her impressive cleavage. Just because she’d tricked Justin didn’t mean she couldn’t flirt with him. It would be fun, and it would make Clay jealous. He’d always hated Justin Radner. No telling what Clay would do.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  KAT GLANCED AROUND her new studio apartment over a beauty parlor. It was one large room with a kitchenette off to the side. Scuffed linoleum that might once have been yellow covered the floor. It was furnished with a small Formica kitchen table and two mismatched chairs. In a small alcove stood a faded green convertible sofa pocked with cigarette burns. A battered brown trunk served as a coffee table. The stale odor of cigarette smoke filled the small studio. It wasn’t much, but to her, it was heaven.

  She now had a home, a car and a job. It was clear Harlan Westcott had known she would agree to his proposition. They’d rented this place, bought a junker car, and arranged for a job, all of which had taken time and planning.

  She’d tried her best to pry the truth about her mission out of Special Agent Wilson, the man assigned to be her handler. He hadn’t told her any more than Harlan had. She was to call Wilson immediately if anyone contacted her about the funds missing from the bank. If she sensed imminent danger, she had the local number of some mysterious undercover agent who could immediately come to her aid. The presence of this undercover guy made her even more suspicious. What would someone be investigating in Twin Oaks that required deep cover?

  The only thing she could think of was the riverboat casino docked just outside of town. She had no idea how she fit into any of this, but not knowing gave her a deep sense of dread she couldn’t shake.

  She walked into the bathroom and gazed at her reflection in the medicine cabinet mirror. Tori stared back at her. Losing we
ight had changed her face. Now she had Tori’s green eyes and high cheekbones. Her hair was dishwater brown, though, while Tori’s must still be vibrant blond.

  In prison she’d noticed how her face had changed, but hadn’t thought about what it would mean when she came home. She didn’t want anyone—especially Tori and her mother—to think she was copying Tori. She wondered if the salon downstairs could help her. Special Agent Wilson had stopped in Jackson where she’d purchased clothes. He’d given her money to tide her over until her first paycheck. She hadn’t ventured out into the town yet.

  “Get over it,” she told her reflection. She grabbed her purse and headed downstairs.

  The wooden slats creaked beneath her feet. She stopped and lifted her face to the sun with a smile. She remembered how the world had shut down around her when she’d been sent to prison. The walls closed in and it hurt to breathe the tainted air. She was finally free to smell fresh air with a hint of honeysuckle and to enjoy sunshine on her face.

  She took the long way around the building to the salon. She walked slowly, admiring the dogwood trees lining the street. Their white blossoms swayed slightly in the breeze. After dark, she would pick a few to brighten up her place.

  A hummingbird caught her eye as it flitted from flower to flower in the clay pots outside Petrie’s Hardware. It stretched its tiny neck out, wings aflutter, and sipped nectar from each blossom. The bird was so beautiful and graceful that watching it warmed her heart. Nothing in over three years had soothed her like this.

  She thought about her mother. In a small town, news spread quickly. Soon Loretta Wells would know Kat was home. Would she come to see Kat? Would Tori?

  A permanent sorrow weighed her down when she thought about her family. They’d deserted her when she’d needed them the most. She gazed at the industrious hummingbird and reminded herself that she was free. Enjoy it.

  Kat entered All Washed Up just as a woman about her age was putting an elderly lady in perm rollers under the dryer. It took a second for Kat to recognize Lola Rae Phillips. They had gone to school together since kindergarten, but they’d never been friends. Lola Rae had entered beauty school in Natchez just about the time Kat had gone to work at the bank.

  Lola Rae walked away from the dryer, staring at Kat. She stopped, wiped her hands on her apron, saying, “Kat? Is that you?”

  “Yes. It’s me,” Kat replied, trying for a smile.

  With a wide, toothy grin, Lola Rae dashed across the room. She threw her arms around Kat and bear-hugged her. “Sweetie, it’s so good to see you. Know what I mean?”

  Kat had no idea what she meant, but she was more than a little touched by Lola Rae’s response, yet tried not to show it. Lola Rae had always been a warm, outgoing person. She wasn’t exactly pretty but her honey-brown eyes and ready smile had made her popular with other students. Lola Rae had been Kat’s exact opposite. Introverted and embarrassed by her weight, Kat barely spoke to anyone and had few friends.

  Lola Rae asked, “When did you get out?”

  “Yesterday. I’m on a work furlough program for good behavior. I’m renting the apartment above your shop.”

  “Awesome! Totally awesome.” She gave Kat a one-armed hug. “Come down for coffee in the morning. I’m here by seven. Hear what I’m sayin’?”

  “Thanks,” Kat replied, a note of wonder in her voice. She’d been lonely and cut off for so many years. She had no clue how to react to Lola Rae’s kindness. She needed to respond with more than a “thanks” but what in the world could she say?

  “Sugar, can I do something for you?”

  Kat lifted a strand of limp hair. “I need help.”

  Lola Rae inspected the hair that had been stripped nearly lifeless by the harsh prison shampoo. “Let’s get the dead ends off and style it. Color would help. Know what I mean?”

  “How much?” Kat asked. She had been given some money but it had to last her until payday.

  “Look, pay me when you get a job.” She gave her an affectionate pat on the shoulder. “It isn’t like I don’t know where to find you.”

  “I appreciate it, but I want to give you at least part of it today. I have a job at the newspaper, but I won’t get paid for a month.”

  “Good enough,” Lola Rae replied. “Let’s get started.”

  Lola Rae went into the back room and brought out a Hispanic woman with a slender build and large dark eyes. “This is Maria. She’s my assistant, and she will shampoo you. She doesn’t speak much English yet, but we’re working on it. Right, Maria?”

  “Right,” Maria said in a soft voice.

  “She cooks Mexican food to die for,” Lola Rae added. “I’ll have her make you a few tamales.”

  Kat stopped herself from saying she wasn’t eating anything fattening. She didn’t want to chance hurting Lola Rae’s feelings. Kat could never have predicted someone would be thrilled to see her. And she hadn’t realized how much she wanted a friend.

  “Okay, I’m going to show you a few pictures, then some color swatches,” said Lola Rae after Maria had shampooed her hair. “I think you’d be dynamite with lighter blond hair. I could weave several shades—”

  “I don’t want to look anything like Tori.”

  Lola Rae put her hand on Kat’s shoulder. “Of course. I didn’t think. Tori and your ma up and bailed on you when you were arrested.”

  Kat nodded, not trusting her voice. Those first days had been overwhelming, and to know her family didn’t care had been crushing.

  “Well, Tori doesn’t get her hair done in town. Since she’s made so much money in real estate, she’s too good for us. Know what I mean? ’Course she’s still chasing after Clay Kincaid.”

  Of course, Kat thought. Some things never change. Tori had been crazy about Clay since high school. She’d followed him to Ole Miss and worked part-time just to be near him.

  “Tori drives into Jackson for her hair and clothes, but I see her around. She’s wearing her hair past her shoulders, and it’s platinum-blond.”

  “Make mine shorter and darker.”

  “Know what I think would be great on you?” Lola Rae didn’t wait for an answer. “A light brown with reddish-gold highlights. We’ll cut it chin-length and flip it a little.”

  “Go for it.”

  “We’ll cut it first, then put on the color.” Lola Rae snipped quickly, letting hanks of Kat’s hair drop to the floor. “Can I ask you something?”

  Kat was pretty sure she knew what Lola Rae planned to ask. “Sure.”

  “What was it like in prison?”

  “Hell on earth. Don’t ever commit a crime.”

  A timer went off. “Oops! Mrs. Avery’s perm is done. Let me comb her out and style her. Just sit here and read a magazine.”

  “Do you happen to have a copy of the paper?”

  “You betcha. It’s behind the counter.”

  Kat walked over and found the paper. She was curious about how the Tribune looked these days. Special Agent Wilson had told her she would be working with the new managing editor, David Noyes. She took the paper and sat back down in the chair next to the older woman Lola Rae was working on.

  Mrs. Avery had been the local librarian and a Sunday-school teacher until she’d retired the last year Kat was in school. Their eyes met in the mirror, and Mrs. Avery scowled.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

  “Getting my hair cut and colored.”

  She whirled in her chair and faced Lola Rae. “You’re not doing her hair, are you?”

  Lola Rae beamed. “Yes, I am.”

  “She’s a criminal.”

  “Kat has served her time. Know what I mean? Everybody deserves a second chance. Isn’t that what God teaches us?”

  “Ha!” She faced the mirror, her back ramrod-straight.

  Kat concentrated on the newspaper. The headline screamed: BODY STILL UNIDENTIFIED. Wow. She could recall just one murder in all the years she’d lived here. A farmer had shot his partner over some dispute about ch
ickens or pigs or something.

  She read the account of the murdered woman carefully. Apparently she’d been dead for some time. Sheriff Radner refused to discuss what leads—if any—he had in the case.

  Justin Radner. Tall and lanky with jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes, Justin had been the star of the football team. He’d been four years older than Kat so she had never been in class with him, but she’d dreamed about him at night sometimes. So had every girl in school except Tori, who thought Clay Kincaid hung the moon.

  At one point Kat had a friend who lived in the Shady Acres trailer park near Justin. Kat’s mother was phobic about her girls associating with white trash and insisted Kat have nothing to do with her friend, but Kat would sneak over to Shady Acres to play. She often watched Justin from afar.

  She’d wondered what it would be like to go out on a date with him. How did Verity Mason feel when she was at his side, when he held her in his arms? Just thinking about it had made Kat all breathless and fluttery.

  Her thoughts shifted to her mother and sister. Loretta Wells had always adored Tori. Kat’s half sister was the product of her mother’s marriage to the love of her life. When he’d been killed in an auto accident, Loretta had remarried Kat’s father. From as far back as she could remember her mother had made it clear that Tori was her favorite.

  No wonder. Tori was stunningly beautiful. She’d never gone through that gawky phase like most teenagers. Of course, Kat hadn’t experienced that phase either. She’d been a plump child who became a fat teenager. The only thing Kat could say for herself was that she had brains.

  What shocked her was how much it hurt not to have been told about her mother’s cancer. How could they still have that power? Through the hell of prison, she’d told herself she didn’t care, but despite her best efforts something deep inside her ached.

  She forced herself to concentrate on the newspaper. She would deal with her mother and sister soon enough. The paper seemed to have more ads than she’d remembered. There were lots of articles about the local teams and reports of church services.

  It intimidated Kat a little to be going to work at a newspaper. She wished she had more education. Her father—bless him—had wanted her to go to college. He told her he’d set aside money for both Tori and Kat to go to a state school. They would have to work while they were there, but the money was in a special account for their education. It had mysteriously vanished after his death.