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

by Denise Grover Swank

  “He’s not. You’re goin’ on your own. Merv will lock the door behind you. Tell him to give you a gun.”

  My heart slammed into my ribcage. “I can’t take his gun! I’ll just use my Taser.”

  “Your Taser isn’t gonna hold off Old Man Simmons. Take the gun.”

  “And leave him defenseless?”

  “He’s got two. Now do it. You’re wastin’ time.”

  “Joe’s right out front. Why don’t I run out there and tell him what’s goin’ on?”

  “Do you totally trust him?”

  “I don’t think he’ll hurt me . . .”

  “But he’s not tellin’ you everything, is he? Listen, Rose, I’m gonna shoot it to you straight. J.R.’s escapin’ police custody tonight, and he’s sent Teagen to snatch you again. Simmons intends to kill you himself, and he won’t be kind about it.” He paused. “Remember that I spent six years under this man’s tutelage. I know how he thinks, so I can outwit him before he makes his next move. His son might not condone the things he does, but he still sees him as his father.”

  My stomach spasmed. I believed every word Skeeter had said.

  “Now, it’s your choice,” Skeeter said, his voiced tight with anxiety. “Stick with me—or go out to Joe.”

  I peered around the desk again, trying to see what was going on outside. Joe and Detective Taylor had moved across the street. If I went to Joe, he’d lock me up somewhere, and considering my luck, Officer Sprout would stand guard again. I’d nearly been killed the last time I was in protective custody. J.R. was a lot craftier than Daniel Crocker. It was an easy decision.

  “You.”

  Chapter 9

  “That’s my girl. Now go to Merv. Tell him to give you his Glock.”

  “Okay.” I wanted to argue with him some more about the gun, but I knew he was right.

  “Can you get to the back without getting seen?”

  “Yeah, they’re all arguing across the street now.”

  “Then go.”

  “I have to get the key first.” I crawled over to my desk, slid open the drawer, and then reached up and pulled out the key. Then I grabbed my coat off the back of my chair and stuffed my Taser in the pocket. My earbuds were in there, so I tugged them out and plugged them into my phone. I turned on my microphone, inserted one of the buds into my left ear, letting the other dangle, and then shoved the phone into my jeans pocket. Finally, I crawled to the back, staying low until I reached the cracked bathroom door.

  My nerves were getting the better of me again. I suspected Merv wasn’t going to be as gung-ho about this plan as his boss seemed to be.

  I pushed the door open enough to see Merv sitting on toilet with a blood-soaked towel pressed to his leg. His phone was on the counter, its illuminated screen the only light in the small room.

  “Merv,” I said, stuffing my arm into my coat sleeve, “Skeeter wants you to give me your Glock.”

  “You’ll have to pry it out of my cold, dead fingers if I don’t hear it from the man himself.”

  A second later, the hold tone sounded in my ear and the phone on the counter began to bounce around.

  Merv scowled as he answered. He didn’t say anything, but I could hear Skeeter’s voice yelling in Merv’s ear.

  “Got it,” Merv said, then immediately hung up, smacking the phone on the counter. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at me.

  “Do you have it?” Skeeter asked in my ear as I slid my other arm into the coat.

  I stared down the barrel of Merv’s Glock, then lifted my gaze to meet his angry eyes. Surely he wouldn’t be stupid enough to shoot me while his boss was on the line, listening to his every move. I took a breath to steady my nerves and held out my hand.

  “Do you have the gun?” Skeeter repeated, sounding pissed. “Is Merv giving you trouble?”

  I reached up and switched off the microphone, keeping my thumb and finger on the switch. “Skeeter’s on my phone right now,” I said quietly. “And he’s asking if you’ve given me the gun. I’d like to keep this disagreement between us, but I’m going to turn the microphone back on now.”

  I slid the switch and extended my hand again. Merv’s grip tightened on the weapon, and his scowl deepened before he let out a grunt. He turned the gun around and handed it to me, with the barrel pointed toward the ground.

  “Rose!” Skeeter barked.

  “I have it,” I said, taking the gun and pulling out the clip to look at the shells inside. After setting the clip back into place, I stuffed the weapon into my right coat pocket. “I’m ready.”

  I spun around and used to the key to open the padlock securing the door to the spiral staircase that led up to the roof. At the last minute I remembered that Bruce Wayne kept a flashlight by the fuse box, also hidden here, since the power had gone out so much during the first few weeks of our tenancy. I switched the flashlight on and shined it into the closet-sized room.

  “What the hell is goin’ on over there?” Skeeter demanded. “Give me an update.”

  “I found a flashlight,” I said, exasperated, but then a new terror hit me. “Oh, mercy. After Merv locks the door, I’m gonna be trapped up there.”

  More gunshots filled the square outside, followed by several shouts and screams.

  “I’ll come get you,” Skeeter barked. “Go. Now. Simmons is making his move. Tell Merv to be ready.”

  I started to say something, but Merv grunted, “Get goin’.”

  I stepped into the room, and Merv shut the door behind me. Fear almost crippled me as I heard the clink of the padlock locking into place. Memories of all the times my mother had locked me in a closet—a small, dark space like this one—as punishment for one of my visions came rushing back. I started breathing heavily as I stepped onto the first tread.

  “Rose, talk to me,” Skeeter said in a tight, low voice. “What’s goin’ on?”

  I could give into my fear—and let Sam Teagen or whoever was coming for me hear me hyperventilating in the staircase—or I could keep going. I was pretty sure the wooden door wouldn’t stop any bullets. Which meant I needed to get control of my nerves and get up on the roof. “I’m fine. I had to take a moment.”

  “You don’t have a moment, Lady. Go.”

  I knew he couldn’t see me, but I nodded anyway. “I’m goin’.”

  I hurried up the two flights of stairs, trying to tread lightly so no one could hear me.

  “I’m at the top,” I whispered, shining the flashlight at the flat door over my head. Holding the flashlight in place with my shoulder, I climbed up the metal rungs that had been set into the concrete wall until I reached the door. I struggled to get the key to turn in the padlock, not surprising since I was sure it hadn’t been opened in several years, but it finally turned with a rusty creak. I pulled off the lock and pushed up on the door, trying not to let it bang onto the roof as it dropped open.

  The cold night air struck me in the face as I climbed out of the stairway, making me grateful I’d thought to grab my coat. Staying in a crouch, I flipped the door back over, then cringed when I heard more gunshots.

  “Rose!” Skeeter shouted in my ear.

  “I’m here,” I said as I stuck the padlock into the pocket that held the Taser.

  “Did I hear more gunshots?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Can you see what’s going on?”

  “Let me get to the side of the roof.”

  “Keep your head down.”

  “I’m not stupid enough to let anyone see me,” I grumped as I crawled on hands and knees to the edge.

  “I’m more worried about stray bullets.”

  “Oh, yeah.” I realized with a jolt that Joe was down there in the melee. I had to make sure he wasn’t hurt. The ledge around the edge of the roof was less than three feet tall, so I stayed as flat to the ground as possible.

  “The Henryetta police are hiding behind their open car doors.” Officer Ernie’s arm jutted out over the door’s hinges, his gun pointed at the f
ront of my office.

  That was a bad sign.

  “And where are the sheriff’s deputies?” Skeeter asked.

  “I don’t see them.”

  “You mean they’re hiding so well that you can’t see them?”

  “No, most of the sheriff cars are gone. There’s no sign of Joe.”

  “He’s makin’ his move. Do you see anything else?”

  I peered around the square, my stomach in knots. “No. Nothing.”

  “Make your way to the back of the building and check out the alley. Stay down. Simmons Sr. is gonna be a lot more sly then all them boys on the ground put together.”

  That’s exactly what I was afraid of. I crawled across the roof, tiny scattered pebbles digging into my palms. When I got to the edge, I peered down into the alley. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Whatever he’s up to is goin’ to happen in that alley. Keep an eye out.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you have a coat?” he asked. “It’s cold tonight.”

  I couldn’t help grinning. “Yeah. I’m wearing it. Don’t worry, I’ve survived worse. Sitting on top of a roof sure beats gettin’ chased by a maniac through the snow-covered woods for two days.”

  “Crocker?”

  “Yeah.” That had marked the beginning of my relationship with Mason. Funny how it had started out with us both being chased by a maniac and ended the same way.

  “You sure know how to find trouble,” Skeeter teased.

  I laughed, fighting tears. “So I’ve been told.”

  “You scared?” he asked softly.

  “Yeah, but nothing I can’t handle.” I looked over the ledge again, searching for any sign of movement. I realized I could see Kate’s fire escape from my vantage point. The one Neely Kate and I had used to make our escape after breaking into her apartment.

  “That’s what I like about you,” he said. “You take the punches, but you don’t back down.”

  “I was beaten down for too long,” I said. “I got tired of not living my life, so now I’m gonna take on anyone who gets in my way.”

  He laughed. “I can’t see you lettin’ anyone beat you down.”

  “Then you must not remember meeting me nearly a year ago.”

  He laughed again, softer this time. “Oh, I remember. The woman I met was naïve and unworldly, but not beaten down.”

  “I guess I’ve changed a lot since then.” Further proof I wasn’t the woman Mason first met either.

  I couldn’t let myself think about him right now. I needed to focus on surviving.

  I knelt on the roof, resting my hand on the ledge as I readjusted the earbud in my ear. Some movement to my left caught my eye, down below, close to the antiques store. It took a moment for me to register what I was seeing, but the shadows resolved into two men hurrying down the alley toward my shop. One looked like Teagen, and the other guy was dressed all in black. Both held high-powered rifles. Teagen wasn’t playing around this time.

  “Skeeter, they’re comin’.”

  “Tell me what you see.”

  By the time I’d described them, they were already underneath me, standing at the back door. “They’re at the door! What about Merv?”

  “Don’t you worry about Merv,” Skeeter chuckled. “He’s a tough old coot. Those boys’ll be sorry they messed with him.”

  The guy dressed all in black bent over the door knob.

  “I think they’re picking the lock.”

  “Merv’s waiting for ’em.”

  My heart was beating so hard against my ribcage I was sure it was gonna fly out and flop across the roof. “What if they get past him? Will they think to come up here?”

  “It depends on whether they’ve been watching both entrances. If not, for all they know, you might have left.”

  “That padlock won’t hold them, will it?”

  He hesitated. “No.”

  I took a deep breath and looked around. My office building was connected to several adjoining ones, including the one housing the antique store on the opposite end. I noticed a small storage shed on top of the antique store building.

  “I’m going to move,” I said.

  “Where do you think you can go?” Skeeter boomed out.

  “I’m not going to sit around waiting to serve them tea when they come callin’,” I said. “There’s a storage shed on top of the building with the antique store. I can try to hole up there.”

  “Just sit tight for now and tell me what you see.”

  When I leaned over, I saw that the guy who was dressed all in black had stood up and that he and Teagen were opening the door.

  Gunshots rang out, echoing off the brick buildings in the alley.

  “They’ve gone inside,” I whispered. I sat still, waiting for some sign, although I had no idea what. “The gunshots stopped. Do you think Merv’s okay?”

  Skeeter didn’t answer me for several seconds. “Can you get to that shed?”

  My pulse pounded in my head. “I think so. Is Merv okay?”

  “He’s not answering. Get going.”

  I tried not to think about the possibility of Merv getting killed. Because of me. “If I hadn’t taken his other gun . . .”

  “Merv was doin’ the job I told him to do. Don’t you even think about feeling guilty.”

  I started climbing over the ledge to the next building. Although the two buildings were attached, there was a two-foot drop between them. I landed with an oomph and stayed in a squat as I waddled to the next building. Sirens began to wail in the distance, from the area close to the county jail.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about Merv. “But if he hadn’t been—”

  “You stop right there. I need you to tell me what’s going on in the square.”

  I moved closer to the front of the building to take a gander and discovered that the police had moved out from behind their car doors. They were now spread out in the street. Detective Taylor had jogged to the end of my street and was heading around the corner. No doubt his destination was my alley.

  I relayed the information, then asked, “What will happen if they find Merv in my office?”

  “You’ll be in the clear, if you’re worried about that,” Skeeter said.

  “I’m more worried about Merv.”

  “That’s why I have Carter Hale on my retainer. To take care of these kinds of predicaments,” he teased, but I heard the strain in his voice. He’d likely never admit it, but he was worried about Merv, too. “Are you still making your way to that shed?”

  I started moving again, crawling on my hands and knees to move faster while remaining out of sight. “I have two more buildings to go,” I said, climbing a short wall to get to the top of the next roof top. “Those men came from the direction of the antique store.”

  A new thought struck me, and I moved to the back edge of the building to verify my hunch. Sure enough, Kate’s fire escape had been lowered.

  I told Skeeter what I saw. “I think they came from Kate’s apartment.”

  “You may very well be right. We’ll deal with that later. Just get your ass to that shed.”

  “Why do you sound so anxious?” I asked.

  “I still can’t get through to Merv.”

  “Is Jed with Neely Kate?” I asked, starting to panic. “If they think I’m not at the office, they might go lookin’ for me at the farm next.”

  “Already taken care of.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Jed took Neely Kate and your dog to a safe house. She’s fine. Now get your ass into that shed.”

  I climbed a one-foot incline to the final building, which was wider than the others and had a six-by-six structure in the middle. A small building in the back corner looked like it housed a staircase.

  When I reached the door, I wasn’t surprised to find the doorknob wouldn’t turn. “It’s locked.”

  Skeeter cursed. “What kind of lock? Deadbolt?”

  I bent over and turned on my flashlight for a quick momen
t before flicking it off. “No, just a keyed doorknob.”

  “Are you wearing any hairpins?”

  “What?” I asked, and then I realized what he wanted me to do. “I’ve never picked a lock before.”

  “No time like the present to learn. Do you have some?”

  I didn’t have any pins in my hair, but I felt three in my pocket. Thank goodness I tended to carry them in case I needed to go out and do an estimate on a windy day.“How many do I need?” I asked. “Two?”

  He chuckled, but there was an anxious edge to it. “You’ve been watching cop shows. That’s good. Yeah, bend one out flat. Keep the other like it is, but bend the hooked end at a forty-five degree angle. Tell me when you’re ready.”

  I did as he instructed, but I had to stop a couple of times to rub my numb fingers together so I could finish the task. “Done.”

  “Okay, now listen close—you don’t have much time. Turn the knob like you’re trying to open it. Then slide the bent end of the hair pin in until you meet resistance.”

  I followed his instructions. “Okay.”

  “Good. Now take the other pin and gently slide it in over the other, keeping the knob turned. Again, stop when you meet resistance.”

  As I performed the maneuver, I tried not to think about the fact that two men with guns might appear at any time. I hoped to God this would work. “Okay.”

  “Now push up gently, and you’ll feel it catch. Do you feel it?”

  I closed my eyes and felt the pop. “I think so.”

  “Good, now push it deeper until you meet resistance.”

  Keeping my eyes closed, I tried to feel for the resistance. “That sounds like a bad that’s what she said joke,” I murmured as I felt the pin give. I slowly pushed deeper.

  Skeeter chuckled. “Why, Rose Gardner, I expected you to be a blushing innocent.”

  “Haven’t you figured out by now that I’m far from innocent? The fact that I’m picking a lock is proof enough of that.” I felt another pin give, and then the knob turned and the door opened. “I did it!” I whisper-shouted in amazement. “It’s open.”

  “Good. Get inside and lock the door. You’re about to get company.”

  “How do you know?” I glanced over my shoulder as I opened the door wider.