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

by Denise Grover Swank

  We all stood in stunned silence until Neely Kate muttered under her breath, “Oh, my stars and garters. What have I done?”

  “You know Miss Mildred,” I said. “She’s not happy unless she’s fighting some kind of evil. But usually the evil is me.”

  “I’ll call Dena and warn her,” Neely Kate said, digging in her purse for her phone.

  “Good idea,” I said, grabbing Jonah’s arm and dragging him aside. “Jonah, I’m really worried about Hilary.”

  He looked surprised—not that I blamed him. Practically everyone in Henryetta knew about our rocky history.

  “She and Neely Kate were having a good conversation. Then the topic turned to Joe’s old housekeeper, Roberta.” I told him what little Joe had told me about her, then added in Hilary’s reaction. “We both know that’s not normal. Even if we take her pregnancy into account.”

  “Why the interest in Joe’s old housekeeper?”

  I considered fibbing my way through it, or more like fibbing by omission, but I wanted Jonah’s help. “Anna, Violet’s new employee at the nursery, is Roberta’s granddaughter.”

  “Oh.” He looked as stunned as I had felt when I came to the realization.

  “We didn’t know. She didn’t tell us, but it’s pretty odd that she came to town around the same time Kate did. Plus, we found out some suspicious information about Kate. Then Anna and Bruce Wayne disappeared from behind the nursery this morning.”

  “What?”

  “We think they were kidnapped by J.R. Simmons’s guys.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re not sure. Maybe the kidnappers think she knows something. Or maybe they were trying to keep me from figuring out why she’s here.”

  Jonah studied me for a moment, then said, “You’re forgetting a possibility.”

  “What?”

  “That she’s the one who kidnapped him.”

  I gasped and took a step back. “Oh, my word.”

  He looked grim. “Maybe she was sent to spy on you. You have to consider it.”

  That actually relieved some of my anxiety. “She likes Bruce Wayne. If that’s true, surely she won’t hurt him.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. What does Joe think?”

  “Oh, you know Joe,” I hedged. “He’s not very forthcoming with information.” Time to change the subject. “But that brings us back to Hilary. Can you help?”

  His eyes were guarded. “Let me guess. You want me to go find out more information from her.”

  “Believe it or not, I mostly just want you to go make sure she’s okay. She really has no one to turn to here. I think she needs someone. The fact that she picked this church means she’s open to lettin’ you help her.”

  A grin tugged at his lips. “Or that she wanted to join your church to spy on you.” He laughed. “Don’t look so surprised. I work with criminals. I know how devious minds work. But don’t worry, I’ll still go check on her. I believe that everyone has the ability to change and seek forgiveness.”

  He paused. “And speakin’ of forgiveness. What’s really goin’ on with you and Mason?”

  My stomach cramped. I might as well tell him the truth. “I broke up with him.”

  His eyes widened. “Rose.”

  “I knew I was only goin’ to hurt him,” I said. “Workin’ with Skeeter is the only way I can bring J.R. down, I’m sure of it, but it was making Mason uncomfortable to work outside of the law. I hated putting him in that position, so I told him it was over. That way I don’t feel obligated to tell him what I’m doin’, and I don’t feel guilty about hiding it from him. It’s better this way.”

  “How did he take it?”

  “Not well.” I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, even though my heart ached. “Who knows? Maybe when this is all settled, we can get back together and lead normal, boring lives. So boring that there won’t be a single thing I would even consider hiding from him.”

  “You really believe that?” he asked, sounding dubious.

  “I’d like to.”

  He gave me a kind smile. “Rose, I suspect chaos will find you wherever you go—and unfortunately for you, that chaos tends to be criminal in nature.” He paused. “Would you like my two cents?”

  “Always.”

  “You and Neely Kate always seem to find yourselves in these crazy situations, and I have no reason to believe that will change. Not everything you’ve been through the last year has been related to J.R. Simmons. If anything, most of it hasn’t been. So while you may hope your life will calm down after Simmons is caught, it might not be what fate has in store for you. What good is a relationship you’re tip-toeing through? Hidin’ parts of your life? I worry that you’ll feel caught in the middle.”

  Tears stung my eyes. “But you like Mason.”

  “I do. Very much. And I think he’s a much better match for you than Joe. But given the nature of Mason’s job, I fear you’ll always be forced to keep secrets from him. You see what happened when the Lady in Black blew up.”

  I pushed out a breath, trying not to panic. He was right.

  “I’m not telling you not to get back together with Mason, only that the possibility needs more examination. Otherwise, I worry you’ll be back in this same situation in the near future—Mason feeling hurt and betrayed by your secrets, and you resenting him for feeling that way.”

  “I don’t resent Mason for being hurt and angry.”

  He gave me a sad look. “Are you sure about that?”

  Neely Kate came bustling over, shaking her head. “Can you believe that Miss Mildred is in the process of getting a group of picketers to stand outside Dena’s Bakery and protest that it’s a health hazard?”

  I was still reeling from Jonah’s question. “Uh . . .no one will believe it. Even if they did, Dena’s cupcakes are like crack. They could be dropped in dog poo and people would still eat them.”

  “Fair enough.”

  I turned to Jonah and gave him a hug. “Thank you for your help, my friend.”

  “There’s no need for you to make any big decisions about your future right now, but I care about you, Rose. You’ve made great progress over the last year. I’d hate to see anything interfere with that.”

  I nodded, not sure if I could speak past the lump in my throat.

  “And I’ll let you know how it goes with Hilary,” he said. “I’ll share what I can without jeopardizing Hilary’s confidence.”

  “That’s all I would ever ask of you.”

  He nodded and headed back to his office as I made a beeline for the front door, Neely Kate trailing behind.

  “What was Jonah talking about?” Neely Kate asked.

  “A lot of things. But he said one thing that I want to run by Jed and Skeeter. What if Anna wasn’t kidnapped? What if she’s the one who snatched Bruce Wayne? She did move up here around the same time as Kate . . .”

  Neely Kate stopped on the stairs. “Oh, my stars and garters!”

  “Come on. Let’s go talk to Jed and Skeeter.”

  Jed looked relieved when we climbed into the car.

  “I need to call Skeeter,” I said, leaning over the front seat. “Jonah gave me something else to think on.”

  He nodded and pulled out his phone and placed the call.

  “I’m putting you on speaker,” he said as he pressed the button and held out the phone.

  Skeeter answered within seconds. “What’s the latest?”

  “James, it’s me,” I said. Jed’s eyes widened in shock, but I ignored him and continued. “I found several things I think you need to know about.

  “Okay.”

  “First, Neely Kate talked to Hilary. She looked really upset when Neely Kate brought up Roberta.”

  Neely Kate leaned forward, resting her hand on the seat. “If she was acting, then she should be in Hollywood. She was shaking like an unbalanced washing machine.”

  “Did she say anything we can use?”

  “She said Roberta protected her,” I said. “What does that me
an?”

  “Did she say who she protected her from?”

  “No, but it was related to what I . . .” Neely Kate paused, looking uncomfortable. I covered her hand with my own.

  “Neely Kate shared that her mother’s boyfriends showed more interest in her than she would have liked. Hilary alluded to having experienced the same thing.”

  Skeeter was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke, I could hear the fury in his voice. “The fucking bastard.”

  “What?” I asked.

  Neely Kate looked down, her face expressionless.

  “J.R. often had closed-door meetings,” Skeeter said. “I have no idea what went on behind those closed doors, but I could guess on some of them.”

  “Do you think he . . .” My voice trailed off.

  “After Roberta left? Yeah.”

  “So Hilary got upset because her protector left, making her fair game?” I asked.

  “Seems likely,” Skeeter said. “But that still doesn’t tell us why Roberta left. I suspect Hilary knows. And if Anna is in town, then she probably knows, too.”

  “Which brings me to my next point,” I said. “What if Anna wasn’t snatched? What if she kidnapped Bruce Wayne?”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “I don’t know,” I said in exasperation. “Maybe he was askin’ questions and got too close to the truth.”

  “Maybe . . .” He didn’t sound convinced.

  “If Anna’s workin’ with Kate, it would explain why she doesn’t seem to like me.”

  Skeeter remained silent.

  Jed shook his head. “We don’t even know what part the housekeeper plays in all this.” His voice was heavy with irritation. “I think we should focus on finding Teagen and Marshal. They’ll lead us to Simmons, which is our ultimate goal. The housekeeper is a moot point as long as we get him.”

  “Not necessarily,” Neely Kate countered. “We can’t forget Kate in all of this.”

  “Well, Kate’s nowhere to be found,” Skeeter said. “I decided to pay her a visit, but her apartment is toast due to the fire, and no one knows where she is.”

  “Well, in all fairness,” Neely Kate said. “It’s not like she has a lot of friends in this town.”

  “So we focus on Simmons and hope his daughter is there when we catch him,” Skeeter said.

  It wasn’t ideal, but he and Jed had a point.

  “We spent more time than planned at the church,” I said. “We’re gonna miss lunchtime at the garage.”

  “What are you talkin’ about?” Skeeter asked.

  I cringed. I wasn’t sure what he’d think about this part. “I got a better description of the van that drove past the nursery. It had air intake pipes, so we’re going to stop by Ted’s Garage and see if anyone knows anything. We thought we’d butter ‘em up with some chicken wings from Big Bill’s.”

  “The shop where Neely Kate’s husband works?”

  Jed gave me a pointed look. “Don’t look so shocked that he knows,” he said. “You think Neely Kate would be here if we didn’t know all about her?”

  She lifted her chin in defiance. “Not all about me.”

  Jed held her gaze. “More than you probably think.”

  I glanced between the two of them. “What does that mean?”

  “It doesn’t mean shit,” Skeeter barked. “We need to stay on task. My bookkeeper is waiting for you. Just drop the photocopy off with Mellie before you head over to the shop.”

  “What are you doin’?” I asked.

  “I’m doin’ my own real damn job,” he snapped. “The whole damn county is fallin’ to shit.” Then he hung up.

  “Someone’s crabby,” Neely Kate grumbled.

  “He’s under a lot of stress.” Jed pocketed the phone and started the car. “He’s not only dealing with Simmons’s breakout, but with all the men who had sided with Mick Gentry. They’re crawling back like the cockroaches they are, begging for mercy.”

  My breath caught. This was the side of Skeeter I liked to pretend didn’t exist. “Will he give it to them?”

  “Skeeter’s in a tough spot. He hates to dole out harsh discipline, but if he lets them off scot-free, he’ll be seen as weak and some upstart will try to take over.”

  “So he needs a punishment harsh enough to discourage disloyalty,” I said. “But not harsh enough to make them hate him even more.”

  He looked at me in the mirror. “He was right to choose you.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I could take the intended meaning of his statement a half-dozen different ways, but I was pretty sure he was referring to Skeeter’s offer to make me a partner in his business.

  Neely Kate gave me a strange look but didn’t say a word.

  The bookkeeper’s office was on the west side of town, which happened to be in the area of Big Bill’s Barbeque. As with most businesses around town, Mellie’s Accounting was in a repurposed house off County Rd 24.

  Jed pulled into the gravel parking lot, which had replaced the front yard, and got out of the car. “You ladies go on in,” he said, pulling out his phone. “I’ll stay out here and place some calls.”

  Mellie was waiting for us when we walked through the door.

  “I’m Rose,” I said, clutching my purse to my side, adjusting to the weight of the weapon inside. I’d left it in the car for our visit to the church, so the sensation of carrying a gun was still totally new and foreign. “Skeeter said you might be able to help us.”

  “You’re the girl with the shorthand message that needs translating, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s like a treasure hunt,” she said, walking around her desk and moving toward us.

  “I guess,” I said, digging the paper out of my purse. “Do you think you can just read it to me?”

  Neely Kate stood behind me, uncharacteristically quiet.

  Mellie laughed. “Oh, honey, I don’t know diddly about shorthand. My friend Ruthie is coming over to take a gander at it.”

  She reached out her hand, but I didn’t let loose my grip.

  “I’m not sure what Skeeter told you, but if this got into the wrong hands—”

  She gave me a patronizing glare. “I know all about discretion, missy. My job depends on it. And Ruthie won’t be talkin’ about it either. You’re just insultin’ me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, surprised to hear the venom in her voice. “This is just really important, is all.”

  Her gaze softened. “I’m just gonna assume you’re used to working with amateurs and imbeciles. I can assure you that I wouldn’t be working with Mr. Malcolm if I were either of those things.”

  I supposed not, but I was still having a hard time letting it go. “Could I make a copy of it before I drop it off?” I asked. “It’s my only copy at the moment. And just in case . . .”

  “I lose it?” she asked in a dry tone, then burst out laughing. “I’m not gonna lose it, but it don’t hurt to have a Plan B.”

  She took the paper from me, unfolded it, and placed it on the scanner of her printer. “I appreciate having a Plan B.” Once the copy rolled out, she handed the original page back to me with a grin. “I should have a translation for you by the end of the day.”

  “Thank you, Mellie.”

  “Anything for Mr. Malcolm.”

  Jed was still on the side of the house, deep in conversation on his phone, when we left the office.

  “What do you think he’s talking about?” Neely Kate asked.

  “Good question. But it looks serious.”

  Jed nodded at us but stayed where he was while he finished his call.

  “How come I never noticed how built Jed is until Dena started drooling over him?” Neely Kate asked.

  His dark brown hair was cropped close, and he had a hit of stubble on his face, making it apparent he hadn’t shaved today. He was dressed in fitted jeans, a solid black T-shirt stretched tight over his muscles, and a black leather jacket.

  I shrugged. “Probably because he s
ticks to the background and lets Skeeter take the spotlight.”

  “Maybe.”

  Jed hung up and made a move toward us. His expression was grim. “We need to get goin’.”

  “What happened?” I asked. When Jed tried to move past me, I grabbed his arm and pulled him to a halt. “What happened?”

  He gave me a long look—a war waging in his eyes—before he said, “Skeeter just heard from Simmons.”

  A band squeezed around my chest, but I forced out, “Simmons Senior, I take it.”

  He nodded. “He gave Skeeter an ultimatum.”

  He reached out to open the car door, but I blocked him. “What’s the ultimatum, Jed?”

  His eyes hardened. “We need to focus on finding Teagen and Marshal.”

  “Don’t you dare do that. Don’t try to hide things from me. I expect more than that from you.”

  “Rose, let it go.”

  “I can find out on my own, you know,” I said. “I can force a vision.” But I didn’t want to. I was scared of what Jed knew and even warier of going into a vision blind.

  When he didn’t say anything, I asked, “Was Skeeter gonna tell me?”

  He paused, his shoulders tensing. “He’s thinking it over.”

  If neither Jed nor Skeeter wanted to tell me, it couldn’t be good. “Why? What did he say?”

  Jed pushed out a heavy sigh. “He wants you. He wants you delivered to the barn where the auction was held by ten tonight.”

  I shook my head, trying to hide my fear. “What was the threat?”

  “He didn’t specify.”

  “That’s malarkey if I’ve ever heard it. If someone gives you an ultimatum, it usually comes with a threat to force the person to comply. What’s the threat?”

  He studied my face, his eyes emotionless. “Someone you care about will pay the price.”

  I sucked in a breath. “Who?”

  “He didn’t say.”

  “Bruce Wayne,” Neely Kate said quietly. “Anna snatched him for J.R. Or J.R. snatched them both.”

  I put my hand to my forehead, suddenly feeling lightheaded. “Why didn’t J.R. call me? He obviously has my number. Why call Skeeter?”

  Jed hesitated. “I’m guessing it was a test,” he said. “To see if he’d tell you.”