Colt’s name was on the guest list, along with a table number, and while I expected to be seated at a table on the edge of the room, we were close to the dance floor. Two older couples who reeked of money were already seated, and a purse lay in front of another spot.
“This table had to cost a fortune,” I whispered. “How did you get the tickets?”
His answer was a grin.
We were forty minutes late by the time we got inside, and the event was already in full swing. An orchestra was playing a waltz. While I expected Colt to make fun of it, he surprised me by throwing his mask down on the table. “I’m not putting this on tonight, and you’re not putting yours on either. No more hiding. Not anymore.” He took the mask out of my hand and tossed it next to his. “Let’s dance.”
“You know how to waltz?”
“I’m a man of many talents,” he teased. “I’ll be happy to demonstrate them all, but the X-rated ones will have to wait until later.”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring the heat his words had spread through me. Before answering, I dug my phone out of the clutch Belinda had sent for me to use and checked to see if I had any messages. None.
The small gun made the purse look bulky, but it made me feel safer to have it.
I looked up at Colt, the gravity of the situation weighing on me. “How will we know when we’re supposed to meet whoever it is we’re supposed to meet?”
Colt took my phone and tucked it into his jacket pocket. “I’m the one in charge of communicating with criminals tonight.” Then he took my purse and dropped it on the floor under the table. “We don’t want anyone stumbling across that.”
No kidding. Especially since I didn’t have a concealed carry permit.
He put an arm around my back and ushered me onto the dance floor. Only a few other couples were dancing, but I could hardly focus on what was going on around us. Colt’s comment had struck a nerve. “What do you mean you’re the one communicating with criminals tonight?”
His eyes narrowed. “It means I’m checking the messages. I’m serious, Magnolia. I want you as far removed from this as possible.” His expression softened and his voice lowered, filling his words with plenty of playful innuendo. “Now let’s dance. I finally get to show you my moves.”
I found myself laughing despite the fact I was becoming more nervous by the minute.
He pulled me into his arms, and true to his word, not only could he waltz, but he was good. He whirled me around the dance floor, my skirt billowing around me.
“Breathe, Maggie,” he said softly, searching my eyes. “Just breathe. It’s going to be okay.”
“What are you going to do? What’s the plan?”
A grin lit up his face, but I could tell he was nervous too. “I thought you didn’t care about the gold.”
“I don’t . . . mostly. But I’m not too happy about turning it over to a blackmailer either.”
His jaw clenched. “Me neither.”
“So what’s the plan?” I repeated.
“The plan is for you to stick close to Belinda while I’m gone.”
“Why?” I asked, getting defensive.
He remained silent for a moment, but something seemed to click for him. Reaching up to tuck an errant strand of hair behind my ear, he said, “I think Roy’s going to make a move. We both know how much he hates you. He’ll think nothing of sacrificing you to get what he wants.”
“Sacrificing? What do you think is going to happen?”
He lowered his voice. “I think several people have somehow found out about the gold, and a lot of them will do anything to get their hands on that much money.”
“I don’t understand why you’re here,” I said, looking out at the people sitting at the tables. “You have the gold. The Colt I know wouldn’t have come to this thing, but here you are, about ready to potentially give up a lot of money in exchange for . . . me. It doesn’t make any sense.”
He laughed, but the sound was short and tight. “Are you saying you think I’d just let them kill you?”
“No,” I said, watching him closely. “I’m saying that one, you wouldn’t have come at all. And two, you would have tried to talk me out of coming.”
His brow lowered. “Are you saying I’m knowingly putting you in danger?”
“No, I’m saying you’re acting uncharacteristically.”
I thought he might be insulted, but instead he flashed me a cavalier smile. “For the record, I did try to talk you out of it after our scare at the industrial park—a couple of times if I recall—but despite the rumors, I’m not all beauty and no brains. You’re a stubborn woman, Magnolia Steele, and I’m smart enough to know there’s no talking you out of something you want to do.”
“You’re not stupid, Colt,” I whispered, searching his face. That was the second time he’d defended his intelligence. It occurred to me that he and I were a lot alike. How many people had assumed I was empty-headed because they thought I was beautiful?
His smile faded. “At this very moment, that could be debated.”
Something was wrong, but I knew he wasn’t going to come out and tell me. Whatever he was wrapped up in had him too spooked. I’d have to find another way.
“For the record,” he said, “you’re here so I can keep an eye on you.”
“You think I’ll do something stupid?” I asked without any heat.
“No. I’m terrified someone else will do something to you.” He searched my eyes. “No matter how this all goes down tonight, you need to know that you’re my biggest priority. It didn’t start out that way, but that’s how it ends.”
I shuddered. “Don’t say ends, Colt. You’re scaring me.”
The music stopped and he placed a soft kiss on my lips. “Let’s get a drink.”
He slipped an arm around my back, and we pushed through the crowd toward a bar—where we came face-to-face with Brady.
How had I forgotten he was going to be here?
But there he stood in a black tux, his face expressionless. “Magnolia,” he said, using his detective voice. “I thought you were with your dying mother.”
I supposed I deserved that.
“Sorry if I borrowed her for the night,” Colt said, but his hand remained in place on my hip. “But I invited her last week . . . before you become Bragnolia.”
I shot him an annoyed glance, then turned to Brady. “My mother made me come.”
“And did she make you kiss Colt on the dance floor?”
Shit. “No.”
He turned and walked away.
“Hey,” Colt said, tugging on my hip. “You okay?”
I glanced up into his worried face. “As much as I can be, although I think I might have to kill you for coining the term Bragnolia.”
“What?” he said, pulling me a couple of steps closer to the bar. “It’s a good one, although I’m much more partial to Molt.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “Molt? Isn’t that what lizards do when they shed their skin?”
He winked. “So maybe it needs more thought.”
“You’ve given us a couple name?” I asked, hating the question in my voice.
He turned serious. “I told you that you’re my number one priority.”
The couple in front of us moved out of the way, and—much to the confusion of the bartender—Colt ordered a club soda and coke and a glass of white wine. I gave him a questioning look when the bartender started filling his glass, but he gave me a tight smile. The club soda was to make it look like there was liquor in his drink, and the wine was probably to help take off my edge.
“When did you eat last?” he asked, steering me toward the buffet table. When I didn’t answer, he said, “That’s what I thought.”
I was too nervous to eat much, but I put a few of my favorites on my plate. I never could pass up Tilly’s bacon-wrapped shrimp.
Colt leaned into my ear. “You didn’t make those shrimp puffs, did you? I want to get one, but only if they’re safe.”
; I shoved my elbow into his side as I shot him a grin.
His eyes twinkled. “So that means they’re safe?”
We headed back to our table, and just as I was about to take my seat, I realized someone new was sitting at our table.
Ava Milton.
That explained how Colt got the tickets, and I had no doubt she wanted me here. Why?
“Magnolia,” Ava said with a regal air. “You look lovely tonight.” She was wearing a taupe brocade dress with long sleeves and a scooped neckline.
“Thank you,” I said, not wanting to play her game.
Colt sat down next to me and put a reassuring hand on my thigh under the table. I covered it with my own and then looked up and gave him a smile. Relief filled his eyes.
Ava had something on him. I was sure of it.
If Ava had picked up on Colt’s concern—and I didn’t doubt she had—she ignored it and turned to the couple to her left to strike up a conversation about the library bond. Colt and I ate our food, although I picked at mine.
Colt took advantage of her distraction and leaned into my ear. “The best way to get her goat is to pretend she’s not getting to you. I need you alert, and you can’t drink that wine on an empty stomach.”
He was right, of course.
I picked up one of Tilly’s shrimps and took a bite as I surveyed the room. I found Belinda at a table in the middle of the room. Her gaze caught mine, and a sweet smile spread across her face before she turned to the woman sitting to her left. She was in full-on social mode.
My brother sat to her right, and it was like looking at my father in the past, back when he’d attended functions like this one. Roy was a handsome man, but he had a rough edge I’d never noticed in my daddy. Or had it been there and I just hadn’t noticed?
The greasy bacon made my stomach churn.
I turned to Colt and whispered, “I have to go to the restroom.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“Don’t you think that will look odd?”
“Who’s going to know? We’ll make it look like we’re circulating the room. I don’t want you wandering around on your own.” He grinned, but it looked forced. “I want to make sure no other man tries to steal you away.”
We both knew that was a lie, or at best a partial truth.
I grabbed Colt’s glass and took a drink. “I’m okay. But let’s move around anyway.”
“Good idea.” Colt reached under the table, then handed me my purse.
I picked up my wine glass to bring as a prop, and then noticed Ava’s intense gaze.
“You’re supposed to be wearing a mask,” she said authoritatively.
“I don’t see you wearing one,” I said.
“I make the rules, my dear. I’m not obligated to follow them.”
I picked up my mask and then purposefully dropped it on the table. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing.”
Since I was feeling full of piss and vinegar, I headed toward my brother’s table.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Magnolia,” Colt said as he caught up with me. “You do not want to make an enemy of Ava Milton.”
I stopped and looked up at him. “Who said I was making enemies? I think it’s best if she and I both know where the other stands.”
Colt didn’t look so convinced, but I didn’t give him time to answer. I was bound and determined to talk to my brother.
Roy looked up at me, his mouth parting when he realized it was me.
“Roy, we need to talk.”
“I’m listening.”
“Privately.”
He glanced around the table at his supposed friends, then back at me with a sardonic smile. “I’m not going anywhere.” Belinda had gotten up from the table sometime between when I saw her and started my march.
The people at his table squirmed and glanced down at their plates or around the room, anywhere but at the two of us.
“Fine,” I said. “If that’s what you prefer . . . Momma has changed her mind and is now on IV antibiotics, so you can call off the lawyers who are trying to overrule her wishes.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “What . . . why did she change her mind?”
“She admitted that our father preferred me over you, and that she in turn doted on you, making you spoiled and cruel. She decided she wanted more time to make up for it.”
The look on his face proved I’d caught him off guard. I felt the zing of victory, and I wasn’t even halfway through.
“Of course, Momma probably resented me a little, since apparently I was the reason our father stayed in their marriage after having an affair—and not with Shannon Morrissey, someone else entirely.”
Colt’s hand rested on my shoulder in warning.
“This was all new information for me,” I said. “So I thought you might want to know too.”
“This is not the time or place, Magnolia,” my brother spat through clenched teeth.
“Just remember that I preferred to have this conversation in private, but you insisted.”
I spun around, only to find myself looking directly into Colt’s stunned face. Grabbing his hand, I headed for the back of the room.
“Jesus,” Colt said. “You’re burning bridges right and left tonight.”
“I’m tired of being a pawn. Aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Anger hardened his eyes, and for a moment I thought he was pissed at my question. Then I realized his reaction was directed at someone else.
“I don’t need Ava,” I said. “I can find another place to live. And I sure as hell don’t need Roy. I’m tired of kissing people’s asses. I’m done. And you should be too.”
He grabbed my elbow and escorted me out of the room and into a hallway. “It’s not that easy, Maggie. Not for me, and definitely not for you. You can’t afford to set Roy off, especially not tonight, and Ava has her hands in everything in this town.”
“Why can’t I set Roy off especially tonight?”
Frustration and a hint of worry flashed on his face. “Because we have bigger things to worry about. We don’t need the distraction.”
“No. You know something. You said Roy would sacrifice me tonight and that I should stick to Belinda. What do you know?”
He swallowed but didn’t respond.
He knew more than he was telling me.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Shit.”
“What?”
He took my phone out and handed it to me. “Go back inside the room and wait for me there. You can hide in plain sight.”
“No. Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
He ran a hand over his head. “Magnolia. Please. I’ll tell you everything after this is done, but I need to make sure you’re safe.”
I had two choices: trust Colt to handle this or possibly risk both our lives. “Okay.”
He grabbed my arms and gave me a hard kiss on the lips. “Keep your purse and your gun with you. Keep your phone in your hand. I’ll let you know when it’s safe.”
“Colt. Be careful.”
“I will. Now go out back inside.” He guided me back to the opening to the room, and I let him push me inside.
My phone buzzed in my hand, and I looked down to see I’d gotten a text with a photo.
The photo showed my magnolia necklace in the foreground, and there in the background, sitting at a table here at the fundraiser, was me.
No words. The photo was enough.
The serial killer was here. I had to find Brady.
I scanned the room and spotted him sitting next to an older woman. But before I could push my way toward him, I came face-to-face with Belinda.
“Magnolia,” she said, her usually sweet countenance gone. “We need to talk. Now.”
Chapter 29
I let her lead me back into the hallway, and then we started up a set of back stairs to the second floor. “Belinda, the serial killer is here.”
“Not now, Magnolia.”
“But�
�”
“Not now.”
She was scaring me.
“Are we supposed to be up here?” I asked when we were halfway up the stairs.
“No one will stop us,” she said, but it sounded flat.
“Thank you for the dress,” I said nervously. “It’s beautiful, and I want you to know that I’m planning on returning it first thing tomorrow.”
“Shh,” she said as we reached the top. It was only then that I noticed the small gun in her hand.
“Belinda?” I asked, my voice tight with fear. “What are you doing?”
“I need you to hurry.”
She hurried down the hallway full of doors, half of which looked like offices. The floor was covered with carpet, muffling the sound of our heels. She stopped about halfway down the hall and opened a door with a key. “We’re going down here.”
“What?” I glanced through the door and realized the dark room was actually a four-by-four closet that contained a spiral staircase. “No.”
“Yes. Go.” She gave me a tiny shove.
I was determined not to lose it, yet hysteria was bubbling up inside me anyway. “Are you going to kill me?”
“No, of course not. But I need you to cooperate. You’ll understand when it’s done.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I asked. “Tell me now, goddammit.”
“I love you like a sister, Magnolia, but I’ve sacrificed the last two years for this moment, and I’ll be damned if I let you screw it up for me.”
“What is it? What are you going to do?”
“You’ll find out, but we need to go. Now.” She grabbed my wrist with her free hand and pulled me into the closet stairwell, shutting the door behind us and plunging us into darkness.
“I can’t, Belinda. I can’t. The killer . . . the basement . . .” I struggled to catch my breath.
“What?” Belinda asked, her voice softening. “What are you talking about?”
“The serial killer . . . ten years ago . . . I saw him kill someone. He knows who I am. He just sent me a photo.”
“Okay, slow down,” she said, cupping my cheek in the darkness and sounding much more like herself. “Are you saying you’ve seen the man who killed Emily and Amy?”
“And several other women,” I said, feeling a small sliver of control return.
Call Back: Magnolia Steel Mystery #3 (Magnolia Steele Mystery) Page 32