“Wow,” Neely Kate said, “You’re awfully tuned in to Fenton County gossip for a newcomer. Who’s your source?”
Kate wagged her finger tsking. “A lady never talks.”
“True,” Neely Kate drawled. “So why aren’t you talkin’?”
Kate burst out laughing. “You two have a lot of piss water and vinegar for two girls on the defensive.”
“Well,” I said, giving her a cold stare, “let’s get a few things straight. First, we’re women, not girls. And second, we are not on the defensive.” The moment the last sentence left my mouth, a shiver ran down my back. Shoot. I’d just played a hand I hadn’t meant to reveal. We needed to let J.R. think we were walking into his trap. But we’d probably played our hand anyway—the very fact that we were here questioning Kate was an admission that we weren’t taking this lying down. “Let’s cut the bull, Kate. I know you have a more-than-healthy interest in Mason Deveraux.”
“You’re barking up the wrong tree, sweetie pie.”
“What’s that mean?” Neely Kate asked.
She shrugged. “Figure it out for yourself.”
The waitress brought our drinks and asked if we wanted to order any food, but we told her we were good.
As soon as she walked away, Neely Kate asked, “So you’re denying you’re interested in Mason?”
Kate laughed. “I wasn’t, but maybe I’ll take a stab at him now that he’s unshackled.” Her eyes lit up as a wicked grin spread across her face. “The straight-laced ones tend to be a bit dark and wild in the bedroom. Did you find that to be true, Rose Petal?”
My face burned.
She leaned forward. “I had the perfect view of him in his office. I thought about dropping in on him and paying him a visit . . .” Her eyes danced. “Kind of like you used to do, but it looked pretty vanilla. I’d show him what it’s like with a real woman.”
I gasped, but Neely Kate jumped in. “What’s your father’s end goal?”
“Seriously?” Kate shook her head. “Have you suffered a traumatic brain injury recently? Any fool can figure out what he wants. Freedom. Revenge. The usual.”
“Who did you fall in love with?” I asked.
Both women looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“We’re back to that?” Kate asked in disbelief, but the look in her eyes confirmed I was on the right track.
“Come on, it’s girl talk. I share, you share. Isn’t that how it works?” I asked.
Kate chuckled. “You’re really going to share your sexy times with me? You?”
I hoped to God I didn’t regret this. “How about we take turns asking questions? But we have to answer truthfully.”
Kate rested her forearms on the table, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s like our own truth or dare, only just the truth. Too bad we don’t have any tequila.”
I didn’t share that sentiment. I suspected I’d never drink tequila again after my experience with Daniel Crocker eight months ago. But the memory only confirmed that I wasn’t the same blushing virgin who’d feared her own shadow. I could do this. I would do this if it helped us survive. After all, talking about intimate matters with Kate paled in comparison to the other challenges I’d faced.
I leaned forward and asked again, “How many times have you been in love?”
She gave me a haughty grin. “Once. Now my turn.” Her grin turned wicked. “What’s Mason’s favorite position?”
“You don’t want to ask me how many times I’ve been in love?” I countered, trying to stall.
She snorted. “Hell, no. Why would I ask you a question that I could answer myself?”
“Do you think I was in love with Joe?”
She lifted her finger and wagged it at me. “It’s not your turn. You answer my question now.” She grinned. “Mason’s favorite position.”
I took a breath. “I don’t know that he has one.” I felt my face getting hot. “We often switch.”
“Do tell.” She grinned. “What are they?”
I fought to hold her gaze. “Me on top and missionary.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “What about a reverse cowgirl?”
I was going to die of embarrassment. “No.”
She shook her head, tsking. “Note to self: Show Mason Deveraux a reverse cowgirl and ride him hard.”
Jealously struck fast and furious, but Neely Kate put her hand on my knee and squeezed hard.
I had to phrase my next question carefully, because it didn’t take a genius to see that the closer I got to her secret, the more she would try to shake me up with humiliating questions. “Why did you break up with the man you loved?”
Her eyes were guarded. “Difference of opinion.”
“Sorry,” Neely Kate said, “you’ll need to expand on who had the difference of opinion.”
Anger washed over Kate’s face before she finally spat out, “My father.”
I wasn’t sure why that caught me by surprise. Her father hadn’t approved of Joe’s previous girlfriends. It made sense he’d be just as critical of Kate’s choices. Especially if she’d found someone more fringe like her. He would have been an embarrassment.
“My turn,” she said, not trying to disguise her desire to hurt me. “How big is he?”
“Excuse me?” I choked out.
“How big is Mason. I suspect he’s got a python under those sexy pants.”
I shot a quick glance at Neely Kate. Her face said it all. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it. But it was. I suspected Kate’s involvement in this whole mess was tied up with her lost love. All I had to do was get through this answer, and then I could ask my final question, and we could start researching the rest without her.
I channeled some inner strength and gave her a sexy smile. “Oh, he’s big. Plenty big enough to get the job done over and over and over again.” When she started to protest, I added. “Let’s just say your reverse cowgirl would leave you sore—but satisfied—for days.”
A wicked grin spread across her face. “Something to look forward to.”
Not if I had anything to do with it.
I gave her a coy smile. “The man you were in love with—what was his name?”
She blinked, the only sign I’d gotten to her. “Why would you want to know his name?”
“I don’t know . . . Maybe so I’ll know what to call him when I start asking about his sexual preferences.”
She grinned, but her eyes were cold. “He liked it rough and kinky. If you’d like, I can demonstrate later. I have a pair of handcuffs and a dildo that survived the fire.”
I couldn’t hide my shock, but her belligerence only proved I was digging into something she didn’t want to share.
“While that sounds fun,” Neely Kate said in a dry voice, “you’ll have to pencil us in for later this week. We can’t be double-booked for tonight.”
She tapped her fingernail on the table. “What could be more pressing than learning kinky ways to be sexually satisfied?”
Was she serious? I forced myself to hold my gaze on her. Did she really not know about her father’s little get-together tonight? Had J.R. double-crossed her? Or was she just bluffing?
“You didn’t answer my question,” I said. “His name.”
She broke eye contact and glanced down at the table.
“His name,” Neely Kate barked.
Kate glanced up with a defiant look in her eyes. “I could lie.”
“But you won’t,” Neely Kate said in a low voice. “Rose was honest with her answers, and you will be, too. Otherwise, you’ll be walking away without those blue streaks in your hair, and I won’t use scissors to take ’em off.”
I expected Kate to get even angrier, but it was like all the fight oozed out of her, leaving her in a puddle of sadness. “Nick.”
“Nick what?” Neely Kate asked in a softer voice.
“Nick Thorn.”
“What happened?” Neely Kate asked. “What did your father do to him?”
Her gaze shot up. “Who sai
d my father did something to him?”
“It’s pretty obvious.”
Tears shimmered in Kate’s eyes. “He thought he could buy Nick off, that Nick would take money over me. Because my father only value things based on their monetary worth. Everything has a price tag for him. He couldn’t fathom that a man would pick me over a few hundred thousand dollars. So when Nick didn’t take the deal, it only confirmed to Daddy Dearest that he was unworthy of a Simmons.” She spat the name in disgust. “And things that are defective must be eliminated.” She turned her gaze to me. “Surely, you’ve figured that out by now.”
J.R. had killed Kate’s boyfriend. No wonder she’d taken off. No wonder she was bitter. But how could she be working for her father?
“So what did trying to get me and Joe back together have to do with it?”
Anger filled her eyes. “Because you were my one shot at getting even with the bastard. You were the only one with the guts to stand up to him and tell him to fuck off. But you wouldn’t leave that stuck-up prick in the courthouse. You just kept falling deeper and deeper into my father’s trap.”
“Rose was your revenge,” Neely Kate said.
Kate shook her head. “You couldn’t just go along with it, could you?”
The hate in her voice was shocking.
“How close were you to Roberta?” Neely Kate asked out of the blue.
Kate’s head swung to face her. “Who?”
“Roberta. Your housekeeper.”
Her face scrunched in disgust. “Why in the hell are you asking about her?”
“Her granddaughter is working in Rose’s nursery. Why is she there?”
Her eyes widened in mock surprise. “Do I look like I’m in charge of the personnel at my brother’s pet business project? Ask him.”
“You didn’t answer the question,” Neely Kate said. “How close were you to Roberta?”
“She was a great nanny, but she had a soft spot for Hilary, which made me distrust her.”
“Why?” Neely Kate asked.
Kate’s eyes filled with rage. “Because I hated Hilary. She spent nearly as much time at our house as we did. She and Joe were allies, leaving me out of everything. Do you have any idea what it was like growing up in that house?”
“No,” Neely Kate said softly. “None at all.”
“I didn’t wish Roberta gone, but I wasn’t sorry to see her go either. Hilary was devastated, which made it all the sweeter.”
I stared at the woman in front of me in disbelief. How could someone carry so much hatred?
“But Hilmonster’s about to get what’s comin’ to her,” Kate said with a grin.“ And she’s going to be plenty surprised.” Kate stood. “I think we’re done here.” Then she walked out the door without a backward glance.
Chapter 27
We sat in silence for nearly half a minute. I was trying to process everything Kate had said, and I was sure Neely Kate was doing the same, only through a slightly different lens. She had to be thinking she’d dodged a bullet by not growing up in that house. I know I sure would have felt that way.
“I think she just threatened Hilary,” I finally said.
Neely Kate laughed. “That’s your takeaway from that conversation?”
“It seems the most pressing.”
“Your upcoming date with my daddy seems more pressing to me.”
Pain shot through my chest. How much more could Neely Kate take? “Oh, honey.”
Neely Kate waved me off. “I’m fine. Just a bad joke. But I still say tonight takes priority. We don’t have time to worry about Hilmonster.”
I turned in my seat. “Kate just admitted that she hates Hilary and that she’s about to get what’s coming to her.”
“She’s hated her for years and hasn’t done a thing. What’s one more day?”
Neely Kate had a point, but something still nagged at me. I just wasn’t sure what.
The waitress brought over the bill. “Your friend said to put it on your tab.”
“Of course she did,” Neely Kate grumbled. “I can’t believe I’m related to that psycho.”
“Maybe you’re not—” But the look on her face told me not to argue. And I could see her point. The evidence was pretty damning.
I grabbed some cash out of my wallet and tossed it on the table. “We need to get some paying jobs soon. Mason was the one paying the bills, and now I’m down to fifteen dollars.”
While we had jobs lined up, the deposits covered the expense of the plants. But the real profit didn’t come until we finished the job and collected the balance.
Neely Kate stood. “Maybe I can collect on back allowance. How much do you think the Simmons kids made?”
“Not enough,” I grumbled as I followed her out the door, surprised she could joke about it. Then again, what else was she going to do? I’d never seen anything really get her down with the exception of her miscarriage.
“I think we should stop by the courthouse first,” Neely Kate said as we started across the street. “None of my friends have gotten back to me yet, but if they’re busy, we can just look for information on Thaddeus Brooke ourselves.”
“And Nick Thorn?” I asked.
She frowned. “I suspect what we’re looking for isn’t in Fenton County. Good call goin’ down that rabbit hole, by the way.”
“It just made sense to follow my instinct.”
We hid our guns in the car, then went through the courthouse security. I couldn’t help wondering how smart it was to just waltz into the courthouse, but Neely Kate was right. J.R. wasn’t going to do a thing to us. Not until later tonight.
While Neely Kate headed to the records room to look for her cohorts, I made my way to the deserted staircase and sat on a step. I needed to call Skeeter and fill him in on what we’d learned.
I told him everything with the exception of Neely Kate’s discovery, which seemed too personal to share with him. This needed to be strictly business, and Neely Kate’s parentage had nothing to do with this mess.
But after I mentioned Kate’s ominous threat, I said, “I’m worried about Hilary.”
I was dead wrong if I’d hoped to find a sympathetic ear.
“That bitch is like a cat,” Skeeter said. “She always lands on her feet and has nine lives. She’s fine.”
“But she’s pregnant. There’s a baby to think about.”
“Not my problem and not yours either. What are you two doin’ now?”
“We’re at the courthouse looking up information about Thaddeus Brooke and Nick Thorn.”
“By the time Kate left for California, I hadn’t worked for Simmons for years. I’ve never heard of Thorn. But I suspect you’ll be able to find something with an Internet search. We’ll do some diggin’ on our end, too. Keep in touch. Let me know if you find anything else.”
“Okay.” I hung up and closed my eyes, needing a moment to decompress after all the news I’d been bombarded with throughout the day. I needed to get my anxiety under control. I was so focused on the breathing exercises Jonah had taught me that I didn’t hear him approach.
“Rose,” Mason asked quietly. “Are you okay?”
My eyes flew open, and I saw him standing in from of me, worry on his face.
I hopped off the steps and threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck before I could remind myself I wasn’t supposed to do that anymore.
But Mason didn’t seem to remember either. “Sweetheart, what’s going on?” he asked, holding me against his chest. “What are you doing here?”
I blinked back tears. I couldn’t deny that Mason made me feel stronger, but was that a good thing? Shouldn’t I be able to stand on my own? But I didn’t have time to dwell on my weakness. I only knew that I needed him right now. Any lingering suspicions over his character flittered away. This man loved me, of that I was sure.
“Rose?”
I leaned back and looked up into his face, cupping his cheeks. “I’m fine now.”
He kissed me. His
lips were gentle but firm, giving me the courage I needed to stay focused on this crazy task. Giving me the hope that I’d find the happiness I so desperately craved at the end of the tunnel.
When he lifted his head, I looked into his eyes. “Promise me—no matter what,” I said, “that you’ll never let that witch Kate Simmons reverse cowgirl you.”
“What?” he asked in horror, jerking back.
But I held him in place. “Promise.”
A soft grin lit up his face. “That’s an easy promise to make.”
I pressed my flushed cheek to his chest, letting the sound of his heartbeat in my ear fill me with reassurance.
“Rose, what’s goin’ on?”
“I’m not sure what I can tell you.”
“Because of my job?”
I nodded.
He pulled loose and grabbed my hand, then led me to the stairs, where we sat side by side.
“It kills me that you’re doing this alone,” he said. “Tell me what’s going on, my job be damned.”
I sat up and shook my head. How on earth was I going to tell him there was a dead body in my barn? But I knew there was something I could tell him. The thing I couldn’t stop thinking about. I had no idea how Neely Kate was scouring files for information while I was sitting in a stairwell, still reeling in shock. I knew it wasn’t my secret to tell, but this was the man I’d planned to marry, my best friend other than Neely Kate. I needed to confide in someone, and I knew he’d give me the support I needed.
“We figured out who Neely Kate’s father is.”
Mason shook his head. “I had no idea she was even looking.”
“She wasn’t. It just fell into our laps.”
“Where? How?”
“I had the shorthand page transcribed. Your momma got part of it wrong. It wasn’t a shed. It was a barn.” I watched him closely to gauge his reaction.
“Your barn? You found something?” he asked in surprise.
I nodded.
“I searched that barn high and low last week and never found a thing.”
“We found another journal from Dora. Under the feed trough in a horse stall.”
Thirty-Six and a Half Motives: Rose Gardner Mystery #9 (Rose Gardner Mystery Series) Page 27