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

by Denise Grover Swank

  Big Mo had just enough sense to stay silent, but he looked downright pissed.

  Jed took a step back, but he kept the gun trained at Big Mo’s chest as he once again addressed John Paul. “What did Teagen say when he called you?”

  “That things were about to start happening,” John Paul said.

  “What things?” Jed asked.

  “The end of Malcolm’s reign.”

  “Did he ask you to do anything?”

  John Paul looked sheepish but didn’t answer.

  “John Paul,” I said. “Which bomb did you set off last night to create a diversion for J.R. Simmons’s escape?”

  His eyes widened. “How—”

  I rolled my eyes. “Please. Don’t insult me. Which one?”

  He lowered his gaze. “The one at the ice cream shop.”

  “Did you make it yourself?” Jed asked.

  “No, Teagen had ’em already made. We just had to pick them up.”

  “We? Who is we?” I asked.

  “Me and them two.” He motioned to Tiny and Big Mo.

  The two men’s faces turned red with anger.

  “How’d you get the bombs?” Jed asked.

  “He told us where to pick ’em up. He didn’t meet us. They were behind a Dumpster on the Moore For Less used car lot.”

  If Teagen had used these men last night, there was a chance he’d call them again. I held out my hand. “I’m gonna need your phones, boys.”

  Big Mo snorted. “There ain’t no way I’m gonna—”

  Jed shoved the gun in Big Mo’s face, but Big Mo was prepared. He lifted his hand to swat it away—a risky move, in my opinion—but Jed was prepared. He grabbed the back of Big Mo’s head and slammed it down against his own upright knee.

  Jed let go and stepped back while Big Mo wavered in his seat, blood gushing from his now busted nose.

  “Let’s make this perfectly clear,” Jed growled, his eyes hard with anger. “You are only still alive due to Rose’s interference on your behalf. One more attempt to disobey will be met with the gift of a few bullets. Got it?”

  John Paul and Tiny nodded, murmuring, “Got it,” but Big Mo looked too dazed to respond.

  “Now, Rose asked for your phones, so I suggest you get them out—slowly—or I won’t have any qualms with pulling them off your dead bodies.”

  John Paul handed over his phone with shaky fingers, but Tiny took his time, looking like he was hoping for an opportunity to get his revenge. At Jed’s demand, John Paul retrieved Big Mo’s phone from his pocket. As he handed it over, I had to wonder what Jed had planned. We couldn’t just leave them here. They could—and would—warn Teagen.

  Jed pulled his own phone out and pressed a button, then held it up to his ear. “Yeah, we’re ready.”

  Seconds later, the back door opened and two beefy men brandishing guns came through the opening. I didn’t recognize either of them.

  Jed gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. “I’ll let you boys take it from here.”

  He motioned for us to go out the back door, but Neely Kate ignored him and bustled up to Tiny.

  “Where’s my husband?”

  “Damned if I know,” he grunted.

  A fire lit up my best friend’s eyes, and she grabbed his earlobe and twisted. “Try again.”

  “I really don’t know, Neely Kate. Stop!”

  “Take a guess.”

  “He’s with Teagen.”

  “I already figured that part out. Why’s Ronnie with him and not with you imbeciles?”

  “Teagen took a special shine to him.”

  “Why?”

  Tiny cast a glance in my direction.

  Neely Kate twisted harder.

  “Oww!”

  “Because of her?” Neely Kate asked. “He wanted to use my friendship with Rose to get closer to her?”

  “I don’t know! I guess!”

  Neely Kate gave another tug before dropping her hold. “You come near my friend and I’ll kill you myself, got it?”

  “Yeah,” he muttered rubbing his ear. “I got it.”

  Neely Kate stomped toward the back door, and I followed, my head reeling. I knew Ronnie. Mason and I had gone out with him and Neely Kate multiple times. I’d seen the terror in his eyes in the hospital waiting room while we waited to hear the news about his babies and his wife. I had a hard time seeing our friend choosing to plot against us.

  “There has to be some explanation,” I said, hurrying to catch up to her as she walked around the side of the building, heading for the parking lot in the front. “Neely Kate!”

  But she didn’t stop until she opened the back door of Jed’s car and slid onto the seat. I slid in beside her, and Jed got into the driver’s seat and started the car.

  Silence hung between us for several moments, and I was the one to break it. “Neely Kate,” I said. “You know Ronnie—”

  She glared at me. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Okay.” I’d give her a little bit to cool down. I could only imagine how I’d feel if Mason had taken off with some guy who was out to kill her. I turned to Jed. “Thanks for coming inside when you did.”

  He grimaced. “Skeeter would probably be pissed that I didn’t get in there sooner.”

  “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” I held out all the cell phones I’d gathered. “Where do we want to keep these?”

  Jed took them and set them on the passenger seat. “This seems good for now. We’ll babysit them until one of them rings. Good call on grabbing them.”

  “If Teagen’s got those guys doin’ his dirty work, it makes sense he’ll call them again.”

  “It seems more likely that Simmons and the boss lady will want Teagen to be at the barn, where they asked you to meet them. It would make sense they’d want a whole lot of fire power—Teagen and a whole lot of other men.” I gave him a questioning look, and he added, “He knows that if you’re comin’, you won’t be alone. Simmons is counting on it.”

  “So other than wait for one or all of those phones to ring, what do we do now?” I asked. “Seems like we’ve hit a dead end.”

  “Not necessarily,” Neely Kate said, holding up her hand. “My friend texted while we were inside. I know who owned the antique store building twenty-five years ago.”

  “Who?”

  “The same couple who owns it now. Timothy and Sharon Pelgers.”

  “That makes sense,” I said. “They seem as old as time, and that store’s been there as long as I remember.”

  “So we go ask them questions,” Neely Kate said. “I think we need to split up.”

  “What are you talkin’ about?” I asked. “You’re not thinking about going after Ronnie on your own, are you?”

  “What if they’re tailing me, trying to get to you? That rat bastard Teagen targeted my husband because I’m friends with you. That’s why Ronnie kept telling me to stay away from you. He was trying to protect both of us.”

  More like protecting his wife . . . not that I could blame him. I suspected Ronnie had gotten caught up in something he wanted no part of—only, he’d gotten himself good and stuck. He’d done the only thing he knew to protect Neely Kate—try to keep her away from me. But he had to have known all along that his headstrong wife wasn’t the type to follow orders.

  What a mess.

  I turned to study my best friend. Neely Kate loved her husband, no matter what she claimed. Why had she been so quick to file for divorce? I couldn’t help wondering if she was hiding something. But why? Surely she would tell us everything she knew to help get us out of this predicament. But what if she was trying to save Ronnie, too?

  “Neely Kate,” I said softly, “I need to ask you some questions about Ronnie.”

  Her angry gaze lifted to mine. “I told you I don’t want to talk about it.”

  I couldn’t outright accuse her of hiding anything from me. That would tick her off. But there had to be a way around it. “Neely Kate, you know we need any information w
e can get. If Ronnie’s with Teagen, then maybe we should all go lookin’ for him.”

  I gasped. I suddenly realized why she’d filed for divorce so hastily.

  “You knew,” I said, making sure to keep any accusation out of my voice. “You knew Ronnie was with Teagen.”

  Jed stiffened in the seat in front of us.

  “That’s why you filed for divorce,” I continued. “You knew Carter would have to find him to have him served, and the person servin’ him would know his location. Then we’d be able to find Teagen.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t know it was Teagen. I swear. But I figured Ronnie was with the guys servin’ J.R. Simmons, and if I found him, then I’d find them, too.”

  “Neely Kate,” I sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “And admit to suspectin’ my husband is out to kill my best friend? Besides, that alone seems divorce-worthy to me.”

  “I personally have my doubts that your husband is out to kill me.”

  “The proof is in the pudding, Rose.”

  “I think he’s being coerced.” But Carter needed to know the real reason why Neely Kate had filed in such a hurry. It no longer seemed like such a great plan for his slowest man to be on the job.

  She shook her head and looked away. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

  We were silent for a moment, and then I said, “I think we should stick together for now, and since we have no other leads to follow, we need to find the Pelgers and have a chat.”

  “My friend sent me their address,” Neely Kate said. “It’s only a couple of blocks from their store. So we have a starting place to look for them.”

  “Jed,” I sighed. “Those sleaze balls think I’m Lady. How long do you think that secret will be kept under wraps?”

  His gaze held mine. “We can make sure it stays a secret.”

  “And kill those men to do it? No,” I said, although I had to wonder how much longer Tiny and Big Mo had left on this earth considering their crappy attitudes and their association with Sam Teagen. “So I said I was working on Skeeter’s behalf, so what?”

  “It could mean trouble for your boyfriend. It could ruin his integrity.”

  “I think Mason would prefer for the truth to come out than to always be lookin’ over his shoulder, waiting for it to catch up to him. Even if it means losing me in the process.” But I couldn’t help thinking I should warn Mason.

  I gave Jed a weak smile. “If it gets out more widely, I’ll do whatever I can to make sure people know he had nothing to do with it.”

  “I’ll pay a visit to the Pelgers.” Jed announced, his tone suggesting it wasn’t up for debate. “I’m dropping you two off at the pool hall. All three of us ganging up on them might make them less chatty. Beside, Skeeter thinks you two should lie low for a bit and come up with a plan for where to go from here.” Jed glanced over his shoulder. “Neely Kate? You good with that?”

  “Yeah,” she said, sounding distracted as she watched the passing landscape. I could tell she was tangled up with her own demons.

  That was the thing about demons. They never wanted to let you go.

  Chapter 22

  I told Neely Kate to call Carter and fill him in on her reasons for filing for divorce so he’d know the entire story—without telling her about my chat with Carter. Then I sent Mason a text while she was tied up on the phone.

  Some of Gentry’s men are figuring out my connection to Lady. I wanted to give you a warning . . . in case you get caught in the backlash.

  He responded within a minute. Rose, it’s bound to come out. Do what you need to do and don’t worry about me. Be safe.

  Was it bound to come out? What would be the repercussions for Mason? I reminded myself that was part of the reason I’d broken up with him—so I didn’t have to worry about things like that. But I was fooling myself. There was no way I could stop worrying about him. Love wasn’t the kind of thing you could just turn off.

  Not surprisingly, the pool hall was fairly empty on a Thursday afternoon. Jed followed us inside, and I was shocked to find Skeeter at the bar, nursing a glass of clear liquid.

  Skeeter set down his glass and turned to Jed. “Feck and Hodges got the three turncoats under control, so I can spare one of them to meet you after your social call to the couple who owns the antique store. You sure you want to go out there afterward?”

  Jed nodded.

  What on earth was he talking about?

  Skeeter shook his head. “There’s little chance of finding anything. It’s probably been trampled or taken as evidence.”

  Jed’s jaw set and a fire filled his eyes. “I still want to look.”

  Skeeter gave him a quick nod.

  “Where’s he going?” I asked Skeeter, not bothering to keep the suspicion out of my voice.

  “The barn where Humphrey and Tilton were killed.”

  “Why?”

  Skeeter shrugged. “Beats the hell out of me. I think it’s a dead end, but Jed insists. It’s not like we have many other leads.”

  Jed took off without a backward glance.

  Skeeter chuckled. “You’ve had a busy morning and an even busier afternoon. I really should put you girls on the payroll.”

  I sat on the empty stool next to him. “Do you serve food here? Because I’m starving. We left all those good wings at the garage.”

  Neely Kate scowled. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  Skeeter waved a hand. “Live and learn, NK. Let it go.”

  I had to wonder how much he knew about what had just happened at Ted’s Garage. Probably all of it.

  “And yes,” he said with a grin. “We serve food.”

  “Good. I want a hamburger and fries.”

  He looked over at my friend. “NK?”

  She scowled. “The same.”

  He flagged down the bartender and gave him our orders, and then he said to me, “I heard you outed yourself.”

  I picked up the glass of water the bartender had just set in front of me. “I never admitted to anything, but they made suppositions.”

  “And how do you feel about that?”

  I shrugged. “What’s done is done.” I took a sip and set down my glass. “Am I sorry we questioned those guys? Not one iota.”

  Looking down at his drink, he grinned.

  “But we’re not too much closer to finding Teagen,” I said. “Tonight—”

  “You will not be going to that barn tonight,” Skeeter said in a tight voice.

  “I don’t want to. But I might not have a choice. What if they hurt Bruce Wayne?”

  He turned and looked into my face with darkened eyes. “I can assure you that you won’t have a choice in goin’. I’ll lock you up if I have to.”

  “James,” I groaned. “Don’t pull that chauvinistic crap on me.”

  “I assure you it has nothing to do with you being a woman and everything to do with you being hunted by a psychopath. If the bastard wanted Jed, I’d lock him up to keep him from goin’, too.”

  “You expect me to let them hurt or kill Bruce Wayne?”

  “You don’t even know if he has Bruce Wayne. He only said he’d hurt someone you care about,” Skeeter countered. “He never said who.”

  “And you didn’t think to ask him?”

  Skeeter’s eyes narrowed. “It wasn’t exactly a chatty conversation.”

  Irritation burned in my chest. “What kind of conversation was it?”

  “It was a performance, Lady. And a weapon.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Did you stop to think about why he called me?”

  “Yeah,” I said offhandedly. “As a test to see if you’d tell me.”

  “And also as a wedge. He hates that we’re working together. He wants to sow the seeds of distrust between us. Which is why he was purposely vague. So you’d think I was hiding the truth from you.”

  His explanation made sense. “So what did he say?”

  “He called a
nd said he hoped I was enjoying the chase.”

  I nodded. J.R. got off on the game.

  “He told me that I’d brought this on myself. Then he made his ultimatum.”

  “And what did you say?”

  He held my gaze. “I said there was no way in hell I was letting you walk into that barn with an army, let alone by yourself. Then he said he was counting on it and hung up.”

  I watched him for several seconds. “What does that mean? That he didn’t expect you to tell me?”

  “It’s J.R. Simmons. Who can tell?”

  “Were you going to tell me?”

  He scowled. “I called you, didn’t I?”

  “Because you knew Jed would end up telling me,” I said. The defiance in his eyes confirmed my statement. “So why did you call me?”

  He hesitated. “Because you deserve to be able to make your own decisions. I’d kill anyone who made mine for me.” His expression softened, and a teasing glint filled his eyes. “Besides, on more than one occasion you’ve hinted at what you’d do to the family jewels if I crossed you.” He winked. “If you’re ever in the vicinity, I’d prefer for you to be there for other reasons.” Then he laughed and took a drink.

  Neely Kate choked on her drink, and I spun around to pat her back. She rounded her shoulders and said, “Maybe she should go. Maybe we can figure out a way to work it in our favor.”

  “No.” Skeeter set down his glass with a thud, his good mood gone. “Playin’ into J.R. Simmons’s hands has never once worked for anyone. Hell is littered with the fools who have tried to best him.”

  I pushed out an exasperated sigh. “So what am I supposed to do?”

  “Nothing,” he said. “You wait.”

  “I can’t just sit back and let something happen to Bruce Wayne.”

  “Maybe Jed will get a lead from the owners of that building.”

  “Maybe.” But it seemed like we were all looking for needles in a haystack. What if they didn’t remember who’d rented the shack twenty-five years ago? What if Jed didn’t even find them?

  We spent the next hour at the pool hall. Jed had called and said the Pelgers weren’t home, but he was going to try again after he visited the barn. After we ate, Neely Kate became more like her usual bubbly self, although I was starting to wonder if that was just a persona she used to hide all the pain beneath the surface. She challenged Skeeter to a game of pool, and they went several rounds before Neely Kate squeaked by with the most wins.