“Do you know who bought it?”
“Perhaps.” He sounded amused, and I realized that as much as he hoped to appear practical, he was really all about the drama—from setting the stage to his cloak-and-dagger performance. “I thought we could work out a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“I want to know what Mason Deveraux is doin’ back in Fenton County.”
“And what makes you think I know?”
“You used to live in sin with the man. That’s why you really helped Malcolm last winter—to save him. I can’t figure out your motivation now.”
“I already told you. To protect the county as best I can. I saw firsthand the terror Daniel Crocker unleashed. He killed my own mother. I won’t let that happen to any other innocents. Not if I can help it.”
“So you propose to stop people from being murdered?” he asked, sounding amused.
“If I can, yeah. And for the record, Mason and I are not back together. He’s here on official attorney general business. You’ll have to find another source for that because he and I are no longer speaking.”
Gerard stood. “I abhor liars, Lady.”
His cold tone sent a wave of fear through my veins. “Well, good for you. You can join that datin’ app with Carey over there and put it in your profile.”
“I will not tolerate lies from you.”
I stood too, because if I had to sit while he sat, then that meant I could stand when he did . . . and I could also reach my gun faster this way. “And how did I lie to you?”
“You know why Deveraux’s here, yet you refuse to tell me.”
“Let me make this perfectly clear, Mr. Gerard. Just because you ask me a question, doesn’t mean I owe you an answer. In fact, I don’t owe you a doggone thing.”
He was standing in front of me, and I could feel the tension radiating from him as easily as I could smell the scent of wood chips and bacon in his clothes. He was trying to intimidate me, but I had to stand my ground, no matter how much I wanted to turn around and run out the front door.
“I invited you here,” he said. “You came.”
“You must be an alternate-facts kind of guy because we both know that’s not how this played out. I didn’t just hop in Brox’s car and eagerly come to meet you. He showed me his gun. He refused to let me into my truck. You used force and intimidation to get me here, so don’t try to paint this as if I’m breaching some nonexistent agreed-upon contract.”
He held his ground, and I started debating whether to go for my gun or my keys—the keys would be easier to reach standing this close to him, but I knew they had guns.
“She’s right, Gerard,” Brox said. “She didn’t agree to nothin’ except discussing the file.”
“Fine,” Gerard spat out as he backed up. “But I’m not just gonna give the information to you. You have to earn it.”
I didn’t like the term earn. “You said you wanted information, but unfortunately, I’m unable to answer the question you asked me. If there’s something else you’d like to ask, and I feel that I can answer it, I will. Otherwise, you’ll have to come up with something else.”
“I’m the one callin’ the shots here, Lady.”
“Actually, Gerard, you’re not. We’re workin’ out a deal, and if we don’t reach an agreement, then we’ll go our separate ways. Now if you have something specific to ask me, feel free, otherwise I’ll have Brox take me back to my truck. I’m supposed to meet with Skeeter Malcolm, Tim Dermot, and Kip Wagner in a few hours, and they won’t appreciate it if I keep them waiting.”
“Not Carmichael?” he asked as though he knew something I didn’t.
“Did Denny Carmichael buy the file?” It had been my best guess all along, but would Gerard really have thrown his name out there if he was the buyer?
“That’ll cost you.”
“Name your price.”
But the more I studied Gerard, the more I suspected I wouldn’t be willing to give him anything. What role did he and his group of younger friends have to do with the crime world, anyway?
“I wanna know what Deveraux’s doin’ back in Fenton County,” he repeated.
I put a hand on my hip. “And as I mentioned before, that is off the table.”
He stared me down, and I finally said, “Okay. We’re done. Brox, let’s go.”
“You’re not going to leave,” Gerard said. “You want that buyer’s name too much.”
“Your price is too steep. If you think of something else, give me a call. No offense, but I’m not finding your cabin getaway very hospitable.” I flicked my gaze to the tall man behind me. “Brox.”
Brox moved next to me and waited.
After several seconds, Gerard waved toward the door. “Fine. Go.”
“Gerard!” Carey protested.
“It’s within her right to walk away,” Gerard said, although he didn’t sound happy about it. “I brought her here to negotiate, and she’s not willing to work out a deal. She’ll be sorry tonight.”
I hadn’t heard from Wagner since he’d shown up at my house two nights ago. He’d been at the sheriff’s office last night. Did Gerard have inside information that Wagner was planning to return tonight? Then I realized I’d name-dropped Wagner with the others. It was just as likely he didn’t know anything.
Gerard waved to the door again. “Go.”
We’d made it onto the front porch when I saw Tony running toward us from the trees. “We’ve got company!”
Gerard was instantly behind me, staring down Brox. “Were you followed?”
“No.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes! I’m sure of it.”
Tony reached the porch steps. “There’s a car comin’.”
A dark sedan rounded the curve in the road up ahead, and I recognized the car . . . and the driver.
“Carey,” Gerard barked into the cabin. “Get the rifles.” He reached for my arm, but I scampered back several feet, pulling out my own gun and pointing it at his chest in one fell swoop.
Surprise filled Gerard’s eyes, followed quickly by anger. I’d bet good money he was pissed he’d been hoodwinked by a woman.
Gerard reached for me again, but I fired the gun at the frame of the cabin door, sending wood fragments everywhere. A large splinter lodged in Gerard’s upper arm.
I leveled the gun at his chest. “The next bullet’s gonna be in your body, and since you seem to know so much about me, you must know I’ve shot and killed a few men before you.”
The car came to a halt and I heard James shout, “Let her go, Gerard. Whatever you think she’s done, she’s no part of this.”
Hate filled Gerard’s eyes. Still staring at me, he shouted, “Seems like it’s the other way around, Malcolm.”
I heard a gun cock and saw Carey and Brox holding semiautomatic rifles pointed in the direction of James’ car.
“Had I known you were gonna use those guns on me, I never would have sold them to you,” James said.
“I told you I was gonna use them to protect me and mine,” Gerard said. “So you shouldn’t be surprised to see them given you’ve driven up onto our land uninvited.”
“You have something that interests me,” James said, his voice tight. “So I came to fetch it.”
“Lady?” Gerard asked in disgust. “I can’t figure out why you’re all so enamored with her. She’s disposable.”
“Dermot disagrees.”
“And you,” Gerard said with a grin.
He was about to pull a stunt.
“Let me make this perfectly clear, boys,” I said, thankful my voice didn’t shake even though my heart was racing. “If you take so much as one shot at Mr. Malcolm, I will not hesitate to shoot Gerard.”
“Hold your fire!” Gerard shouted, losing his grin right quick. “She’ll do it.”
“Okay,” James said calmly. “I want you to send Lady over to me. Then we’ll be on our way.”
Gerard motioned behind him. “Brox, you got us
into this mess, you take care of it.”
Brox dropped his rifle to the porch floor and circled behind Gerard. “I’m gonna walk you to the car, Lady. You can point your gun at me if you like.”
I stared up at him like he’d lost his mind.
“I’m giving you thirty seconds to get out of here,” Gerard said. “And don’t you ever come back, Malcolm.”
“Don’t give me reason to.”
Brox backed up, motioning for me to follow. As soon as I moved past Gerard, he stepped between Carey and Tony. He motioned for me to go down the stairs, which I did backward, still keeping my gun trained on Gerard. He seemed the least disposable of the lot of them.
“Bring her to the back door,” James said as I continued to retreat.
Brox stepped in front of me so we were face-to-face as I backed up to the car, so close I no longer had Gerard in my sight.
When we were about six feet from the car, James swung the back door open, and Brox leaned closer. “It’s not Carmichael,” he whispered. “He was throwing you off. It was someone closer to the case you’ve been workin’ on.” Then we were next to the car, and he gave me a tiny shove toward the open door.
I scampered inside, and Brox shut the door, but James was still standing next to his open door, aiming his handgun toward the porch. “Our upcomin’ deal is off.”
“I already paid you a down payment of half,” Gerard shouted. “Two hundred weapons.”
“Then I’ll return it,” James said, beginning to sound angry.
“All because of her?” Gerard asked in disbelief.
“And because you used my own guns against me.”
“Because of her,” Gerard repeated.
“If you want to see it that way, go ahead. You had no reason to take her, other than to get to me. What’s your game, Gerard?”
“Why don’t you ask her why she was here? Now get out of here before I change my mind.”
James got into the car and shut the door, jerking the steering wheel to turn around and head out on the gravel road. “Keep your head down,” he barked.
I stayed down. He was so tense he looked ready to snap in two.
“What did he mean?” James demanded in a sharp tone. “Why did he bring you here?”
“He wanted to make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“He said he knew who bought Wagner’s file. He wanted to barter for the information.”
“What did he want you to tell him?”
“He seemed fixated on Mason being back. He asked me multiple times what Mason was up to. I told him I wasn’t going to tell him anything.”
His knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel so tight. “Did he touch you?”
“What? No. I made clear no one was to touch me, and for the most part they obeyed.”
“Gerard kidnapped you and let you dictate terms?” he asked, shooting a glance at me.
“I told you he wanted to work out a deal.”
“Does he know about your visions too?”
“No. I pinned him down on that one, and as far as I could tell, he doesn’t have a clue. If anything, he seems confused about your and Dermot’s interest in me.”
He was quiet for a moment. “The file was just a distraction to throw you off. You were right . . . he’s concerned about Deveraux.”
“Why?”
“Because Deveraux had Simmons building a case against Gerard, and last I heard, Simmons is still workin’ on it. It was heavy on suspicion and light on evidence. But Gerard must have screwed up somewhere down the line, and now he’s worried Deveraux’s back to indict him.” James looked concerned.
“What’s that mean for you?”
“I’ve done a few deals with him. It could blow back on me.”
My stomach seized. “Deals? Gun deals?”
He was silent.
“I already know you sold him those semiautomatic rifles. He said as much. You were in the process of sellin’ him more?” I asked in an accusatory tone.
“He’s a paranoid prepper, Rose. He’s preparing for end of days. He’s not out usin’ them for drive-by shootings or robbing banks. Easy money.”
“He must be doin’ something wrong if Joe and Mason were building a case on him.”
James remained silent.
“You’re not gonna tell me?” I asked, getting pissed.
“You already know too damn much!” he shouted. “You’re already at risk.”
That stopped me in my tracks. “What does that mean?”
“It means if Gerard gets arrested, he’s gonna bring me down with him, and you’re a potential witness.”
I shook my head. “What?”
“It’s gonna be his word against mine, and there’s no electronic trail for these deals. We only deal in cash, so it could all hinge on witnesses.”
I sank back into the seat as horror made me dizzy. “Mason’s not leavin’.”
“What?”
I felt nauseous. “He’s movin’ back to rip the county apart. He’s goin’ after corruption in the local government. He’s goin’ after crime.” I paused and found his gaze in the mirror. “And he’s specifically goin’ after you.”
He was silent for a moment, his face giving nothing away. “He told you this?”
“He never admitted that he’s goin’ after you, but it was strongly implied after he confessed the other parts.” My voice broke. “He’s out for revenge, James. For breakin’ us apart.”
“He’s got nothin’. I’m careful, and I’ve also got Carter Hale. Don’t worry about me.”
“But you just said he’s goin’ after Gerard and they can make me testify what I just heard.”
He shook his head. “We’re borrowing trouble,” he said, then waited a beat before he asked, “I take it you didn’t find out who bought the file?”
“No . . . I refused to tell him what he wanted. He got really pissed, but Brox intervened.”
“What do you mean he intervened?”
“He reminded Gerard that he’d pretty much dragged me there—an unwilling participant in brokering a deal. Then he backed off.”
“Gerard has a bizarre sense of honor and truthfulness. Brox must have appealed to that. What’s surprising is that Brox intervened at all. He’s the least likely of all of them to cross his father.”
“His father? They all treated him like he was their boss.” But it made sense. The ages lined up. “Maybe he felt guilty because he was the one who essentially kidnapped me.”
“He doesn’t usually bring people to his land. One more reason to believe he’s spooked.”
And from the look on James’ face, he was spooked too.
“When Brox walked me to the car, he told me that Carmichael didn’t buy the file. He said it was someone closer to my case.”
His gaze lifted to mine in the mirror. “Patsy was found dead this afternoon.”
I gasped. “What? When? How?”
“She was strangled. A farmer found her in her car in his field south of town.”
“Does Neely Kate know?”
“Jed told her. He’s the one who told me.” He pushed out a breath. “How did Gerard know about the file? Or you for that matter? He keeps to his land, preparing to fight back when the government marches in to take his property. He stays out of county affairs.”
“He knew an awful lot about what was goin’ on for someone who remains aloof. Maybe one of his sons convinced him to diversify.”
“Maybe.”
“We need to find that file. Did Jed talk to Charlene?”
“He found her.”
“What does that mean?”
“She was dead. Her trailer burned down around one. They’re sayin’ her mother’s oxygen tank exploded.”
My mouth dropped open, but I recovered enough to ask, “Did Jed or you have any part of this explosion?”
“No,” he barked. “I told you I wouldn’t kill her.” Then he added. “And I didn’t approve or condone anyone el
se doin’ it either.”
“Then who burned down her trailer and murdered her? The person who bought the file? And if so, does that mean they were watching Charlene or watching me and Neely Kate?”
Who would be that desperate for whatever was in that file? Who had enough money and yet was the least threatening potential buyer?
Then it hit me like a lightning bolt. How could I be so stupid? I knew exactly where I needed to go next.
Chapter 27
“Take me back to my truck. I think I know who bought the file.”
His voice turned into a growl. “If you think I’m dropping you off at your truck to confront a cold-blooded murderer, you’re crazy.”
“How’d you know Gerard had me snatched?”
“I had you followed by one of my men. He called me straightaway. When he described the red Mustang and its driver, I knew exactly who took you, although I couldn’t figure out the why of it.”
“If your man was followin’ me, then why didn’t he intervene? It wasn’t a quick snatch and grab. When I refused to get in his car at gunpoint, he up and called his daddy.”
“You refused to get in?”
“If he had a mind to use that gun, I figured my chances were better in the parking lot than some abandoned place.”
“What convinced you to go?”
“I snatched the phone from him and gave Gerard a piece of my mind. He dangled the information about the file, so I agreed to go with Brox willingly as long as they promised not to hurt me.”
“And you trusted him?”
I gave a noncommittal shrug. “For your information, I had it covered. I said no deal and insisted Brox take me back to my truck, which he was in the process of doin’ until you showed up.”
He was silent for a minute. “Nevertheless, I’m goin’ with you to confront your suspected killer. Who is it?”
“Calvin Clydehopper.”
* * *
We decided to stop by Calvin’s office first. The plan was for me to leave James waiting in the parking lot behind the building. I’d call him on my phone and then carry it inside so he could keep tabs on what was going on, only we were nearly to Henryetta when I realized my phone was still in my truck down in Pickle Junction.
Hell in a Handbasket: Rose Gardner Investigations #3 Page 30