I wasn’t sure that was any better. If Bill had killed all those women, what was to stop him from killing one of the people in his office to keep them quiet? But I doubted that would happen. Bill knew Belinda had seen those files. He’d know it was her. Still, I’d initiated this call, and I had to tell Brady something.
“There were two files. One with Emily’s name. It was full of information about her, like her previous addresses and work and school history.”
“Like a background check?”
“Yeah.”
“Anything else?”
“I don’t know if there was anything else in that file, but there was another file.”
“Who was that one on?”
“Me,” I whispered. “And it was empty.”
“Where are you now?” he asked, his voice calm and direct like it had been when I’d called him the night of Lopez’s attack. This was Brady in his prime.
“I’m in Belinda’s fortress.”
He paused. “Can you stay there today? When is your brother coming back into town?”
“Uh . . .” I ran a hand over my head. “I don’t know.”
“You need to stay out of sight today. Somewhere James wouldn’t think to look for you. And if he knows about your brother’s animosity toward you, he’d never look for you there.”
He had a point. “I’ll talk to Belinda.”
“Let me know what she says. I’ll do more digging into Bill James.”
“Thank you, Brady.”
“Maggie, thanks for calling me. Even if we aren’t dating, I’m here for you.”
“Thanks.”
Since I’d showered the night before, I got dressed and went down to the kitchen, tracking the coffee smell like a bloodhound.
Belinda was sitting at the breakfast room table and glanced up from her planner. “Good morning, Magnolia. There’s coffee.”
I picked up the cup she’d left next to the coffee maker and used the creamer she’d left out too. After I poured my cup, I sat down across from her. “How are you feeling today?”
She grimaced. “Embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed? Why?”
She kept her gaze on her coffee cup. “I made a fool of myself last night.”
“Please,” I said, waving my hand. “That was nothing. Hell, I embarrassed myself in front of the entire world. I was the only one who saw you last night.”
Her eyes lifted to mine. “And that’s what makes it worse. Do you honestly care what all those strangers think of you? Or do you care more about what your momma thinks? Or me or Colt?”
She had a point. Still . . . “Belinda, everyone has to let loose sometimes. And you’ve kept everything bottled up inside for so long, you had to let some of it out. Otherwise, you’d burst. Do you know how honored I am that you felt safe enough to let loose with me? You trusted me to make sure you were safe.” I pressed my hand to my chest. “That’s a huge gift to me, Belinda. Especially after everything in my past.”
“But I didn’t drink to let loose,” she said, rising from her chair with her coffee cup. “I got drunk to find the courage to do what I needed to do. And I didn’t even do it.”
That got my attention. “You took me to the office and showed me the files.”
She refilled her coffee and kept her back to me.
“Belinda,” I said in a sterner voice than I’d intended. “What did you plan to do?”
She turned to face me. “I love you, Magnolia, and I will protect you. You can’t come to my shop today.”
I stood next to my chair. “Why not?”
She ignored my question. “See if Colt will come get you. You can stay until noon, when I expect Roy to come home. If he finds you here . . .”
“He won’t.” I was torn between being hurt that she still wouldn’t confide in me and grateful she was trying to protect me.
“Roy . . . He can’t know that I took you to the office. No one can.”
Oh, crap. I had to warn her. “Belinda.” My stomach cramped and I placed a hand on my abdomen to keep from hunching over. “I told Brady.”
The color drained from her face. “Told him what?”
I took several steps toward her, but she cringed away from me. “I told him about the files. But I didn’t tell him we went there last night. He thinks you told me about the files this morning. I told him what we found in Emily’s . . . and mine.”
“How could you?”
“Belinda, if Bill killed those women . . .”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she asked in the most hateful tone I’d ever heard from her.
If she’d slapped me in the face, it wouldn’t have surprised me more. “I tried to keep a man from killing more innocent people.”
“I trusted you,” she said bitterly. “I shouldn’t have told you, and now you’ve ruined everything.”
“What did I ruin?” I asked in a teary voice. Had she told me to keep it a secret? I’d shared so many secrets and half-truths I was struggling to keep up.
Belinda turned her back and headed for the stairs. “I’m going to get ready to leave. I trust that you’ll have someone pick you up within the hour.”
“Belinda!” I called after her. A huge weight pressed into my chest, and I gasped to catch my breath.
I picked up my phone and called the first person who came to mind.
“Momma?” I said when she answered. “I’m at Belinda’s. Can you come get me?”
“Magnolia? Are you crying?”
“What?” I wiped a tear from my cheek. “No. I’m fine. But I’m at Belinda’s, and I need someone to pick me up.”
“I can’t, Magnolia,” she said, sounding weak. “I’m not feeling well.”
Fear knifed into me. “I should come check on you.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Momma said. “I’m at Tilly’s and she’s taking good care of me.” She paused. “I can probably send her.”
“No, she needs to stay with you. I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”
I could call either Brady or Colt, but I was tired of relying on other people, particularly men. And while I knew I was in danger, Brady had said I should be safe if I stayed away from my usual places. That I could do.
I used my Uber app to call for a car. When it showed up ten minutes later, Belinda still hadn’t come down, but I’d found a piece of paper and left her a note next to the coffee maker.
Belinda,
I hate that I hurt you. You’re the sister I always wanted and I love you. I don’t want to lose you. Please tell me what to do to make this better.
Love,
Magnolia
I had the Uber take me to my car, which was still in the apartment complex parking lot. The driver gave me a sideways glance that suggested he considered this a drive of shame, but I didn’t care, even if the guy recognized me.
I needed to get a legal gun, but I had no idea where to get one. A quick search brought up several gun stores, but none of them opened until ten. It wasn’t even nine o’clock.
Unsure of what to do, I called the next person who came to mind.
“Maggie?” Colt asked, sounding groggy with sleep. “Are you okay?”
Someday people would stop answering the phone asking if I was okay. “No, not really, but before you freak out, it’s not what you think. It’s Belinda. She’s so angry with me.”
Colt groaned. “Maggie, I love you, but I’m not getting dragged into a girl fight.”
I tried to ignore the shock his words sent through me. He hadn’t meant it like that anyway; it was just something people said. So why had it sent a bolt of warmth through my chest?
Focus.
“It’s more than that, Colt. I have to talk to you. It’s important.”
“Give me half an hour. I’m not home.”
“That means nothing to me,” I said. “I don’t even know where you live.”
“Never you mind about that,” he said, sounding more alert. “Let’s meet for breakfast.
How about—”
“Not in Franklin. Let’s meet up in Nashville.”
“Okay.” That caught him by surprise. “Uh . . . How about the Frothy Monkey? I’ll meet you there in thirty minutes.” Then he hung up.
I considered calling Brady to tell him where I was going, but I knew he’d never approve of my outing. I considered asking him to not use the information I’d given him. But there was no way he could ignore it, and I didn’t even want him to. If he could stop Bill James from killing more people, it was worth losing Belinda, even if it ripped my heart to shreds.
I figured there was little chance I’d been followed. I’d stayed at Belinda’s, something totally out of character for me, and then taken an Uber to a place I would normally never leave my car. But I found myself glancing in the rearview mirror every few seconds for any suspicious cars.
Colt was waiting for me when I walked into the crowded restaurant. He was already at a table, his hand cradling a cup of coffee.
His eyes lit up when he saw me. “Maggie, it looks like you got some sleep last night. The bags under your eyes aren’t as big as they were yesterday.”
I gasped in horror and reached for the small mirror in my purse.
He laughed. “I’m teasing. Believe it or not, it’s good to know there’s still a little vanity left in there.”
I shoved the mirror back in my purse. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” he said, his voice smooth as silk and honey. “I’m just trying to take your mind off your troubles.”
“I think I’d need to be in a coma for that to happen.” I took the coffee mug from his hand and took a sip.
He laughed. “Yes, Magnolia, you can have a drink of my coffee.”
The waiter came over and Colt flagged him down. “We’re ready to order.”
“I haven’t looked at the menu yet,” I protested.
“Trust me,” Colt said, then ordered another cup of coffee and a water, a Farm Breakfast with bacon, and an omelet with ham, swiss cheese, avocado, and spinach.
When the waiter walked away, I asked, “Which one is for me?”
“The omelet, of course,” he said, snatching back his coffee. He turned sideways to look out the window. “But when it gets here, if you want mine, we can switch.”
“How did you know I’d order an omelet that way?”
He turned back to face me. “It’s what you always get. I probably know you better than you think.”
We locked gazes for several seconds, long enough for me to feel something shift between us.
It startled me when a cup of coffee entered my field of vision, breaking our stare. “Here you go,” the waiter said in a cheery voice as he set the cup and a coffee carafe on the table. “Your breakfast will be right out.”
Whatever magic had been going on between Colt and me was gone, yet I knew it was still simmering beneath the surface. I wasn’t sure what was developing between us, but my instinct told me to trust Colt. And not just with the gold.
Oh, crap. How could I have forgotten?
“I thought you were going to Chattanooga this morning,” I said.
He lifted his shoulder into a half-shrug. “Some things came up.”
What could be more important than the gold? Especially to Colt who wanted the gold before it became a matter of life or death for me. “Are you still going?”
“As soon as we finish breakfast.”
I leaned back in my seat, prepared for a fight. “I’m coming with you.”
His brow lifted. “I thought you were working at Alvin’s this afternoon.”
“I’m going to call in sick.”
His eyes narrowed. “You don’t trust me?”
“It has absolutely nothing to do with trusting you and everything to do with evading a serial killer.”
He bolted upright and leaned his forearm on the table. “What happened last night?”
“Nothing as exciting as you seem to be thinking.”
“What happened, Magnolia?”
I leaned closer and said in a quiet voice, “I think I know who the . . . is.” I grimaced, not wanting to use the word killer again in such a public place.
“Who?”
Should I just blurt it out? But it wasn’t like Bill was famous. No one would connect any dots. Still, I kept my voice low enough for only Colt to hear. “Bill James. Daddy’s partner.”
His face remained expressionless. “Did you hear this from Bennett?”
“No. I was the one who told him about my suspicions.”
“How did you come by this information?” Then his eyes widened with understanding. “Ah . . . now I get why Belinda’s pissed at you.”
I looked down. “Yeah.”
Colt grabbed my hand and squeezed. “It will be okay. She’ll get over it.”
“You really think so?”
Indecision wavered in his eyes.
“She’s the only friend I have here,” I said, sounding like a pathetic high school girl.
He squeezed my hand again. “That’s not true. You have me, Mags,” he said softly, then shifted his hand around until his fingers laced with mine. “I’m here.”
I searched his eyes for a hint of teasing, preparing myself for him to say, “Ha! Fooled you!” but I only saw a man who looked like he was really seeing me for the first time. Or maybe felt comfortable showing me for the first time.
“I stayed with Belinda last night,” I said.
Relief filled his eyes, but he quickly covered it. “You said you were staying at your place, so I stopped by around ten last night to check on you. When you weren’t there . . .”
“You thought I stayed at Brady’s.”
He nodded.
“No. I’m not staying with Brady anymore. I broke up with him last night.” What would Colt think of that? I started to pull my hand away.
His grip tightened. “So? I’m sure he’ll still let you stay with him. Guys like Bennett have an inherent need to protect people. He’ll still protect you.”
“I can’t stay with him now.” I looked down at our still-joined hands. “It feels like leading him on. Before . . . I wasn’t sure what I wanted.” My gaze lifted to his face. “Now I am.”
Recognition flickered in his eyes, even though I hadn’t intended to give him the message I’d just conveyed. I suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable, more vulnerable than I could ever remember being with anyone, but equally exhilarating and horrifying was the realization that I’d opened myself up to Colt Austin.
He quickly shuttered his emotions and his eyes darkened. “This is about keeping you safe.”
If he was talking about my heart, he wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know, yet here I was, holding on to his hand for dear life, ready to jump headlong into danger.
“I’ve spent the last ten years trying to be safe, and all it ever brought me was loneliness.” It was true. Not only had I run away to save my life, I’d walled up my heart to avoid getting hurt. Only, I’d still been hurting all along. “Maybe it’s time to stop trying to be so safe.”
He shook his head, an internal war waging in his eyes. “Don’t be stupid, Maggie. The whole reason I’m going after the gold is to keep you safe.”
“Not the whole reason . . .” I said in a teasing tone.
When he didn’t answer, I knew I was making the right decision. He was fighting this just as much as I had been.
I clasped his hand with both of mine. “For the first time in a long time, I’m ready to live my life, Colt. We’re so much alike, you and I, and I think you’re ready to live your life too.”
His face was blank, but his eyes gave his indecision away. “You’ll regret it.”
“Like the woman who hurt you before?” I asked. “Maybe, but I’m willing to take the chance.”
“Maggie, you don’t—”
I leaned forward and kissed him, my lips soft and gentle. He’d been on the verge of saying something, so his mouth was still forming the word, but it
only took him a second to shift gears.
His free hand lifted to my face and he took over, deepening the kiss in a show of PDA I wouldn’t usually embrace.
But I didn’t care. I forgot where I was. I forgot that a killer had put me in his sights. I forgot that Belinda was mad at me and that Momma was dying and that my acting career was in the toilet. Right here, right now, there was only Colt. And this felt so, so right.
A throat cleared next to us, and our waiter laughed. “Here’s your breakfast.”
I sat back, slightly embarrassed, but more worried that I’d caught Colt by surprise and he would put his guard back up.
The waiter set our plates on the table as Colt watched me in wonderment, as though he couldn’t believe what had just happened.
A warm smile spread across my face, and he smiled back with twinkling eyes.
He looked . . . happy.
Even though my life was tangled up in horror and confusion, I felt good—elated even. It didn’t matter that it didn’t make any sense. I was tired of ignoring my emotions or forcing them to make sense. For the first time, I was going to just feel.
Colt picked up his fork, his gaze still on me, but it turned more serious. “Okay, so you know this means you’re coming with me to Chattanooga, right? I’m not leaving you by yourself with a serial killer on the loose.”
No matter what was happening between Colt and I, the outside world still needed to be dealt with, but staring at him now, I didn’t feel so alone. “Yeah. Is there a plan?”
“Not really. I found out the place belongs to Lopez’s secret boyfriend, and his boyfriend died a couple of months ago. The house is currently unoccupied and in probate, but rumor has it that Lopez still went there often.”
“Do you think Lopez killed him?”
“He had a heart attack playing tennis. But a logical leap.”
“We’re just dropping by the house in broad daylight?”
“Anthony—Lopez’s boyfriend—had a wife and kids before he came out as gay. There’s a dispute between Anthony’s kids over who gets the house. If someone sees us, we can play it a number of ways—but my favorite is that we’re appraisers from the bank. But I doubt anyone will care.”
Call Back: Magnolia Steel Mystery #3 (Magnolia Steele Mystery) Page 26