by Stacy Green
“One of the men had a brooch in his pocket.” Dani reached for the box of pictures and carefully retrieved the one of CaryAnne wearing the custom brooch.
The color drained from Lee’s face, and he sat back in his chair so hard the leather breathed a heavy sigh of protest. “The cameo was still in the house for them to steal?”
“It was special to her,” Dani said. “Special enough to hide it away and not keep it with her personal possessions. At least not the ones that were easily found.”
“You think these men found the room and stole the brooch?”
“It’s the best we’ve got right now, and it makes sense. I think the killer somehow happened upon them, or maybe he paid them to go in and see what they could find, and there was a disagreement. Either way, there has to be evidence in that room. It’s my best chance to clear Cage.”
“I’ve been all over that house a dozen times, Dani.” Lee didn’t sound as confident as he had a few minutes ago. He tapped his ring finger on the desk in quick cadence. “I’ve never seen anything that looked suspicious.”
“You didn’t notice the chair, either.”
Lee closed his eyes, nodding. He licked his lips, took a deep breath. Finally, he met her gaze. “But the blueprints show nothing?”
“No. And I’ll tell you something else.” Dani leaned forward, weighing his reaction. “I’m willing to bet the same key that opened up the passage to the winter kitchen opens up the secret room, wherever it is.”
He swallowed. “A skeleton key.”
“Or the master set of keys.” She asked the question that had been nagging her for the last few days. “You’re sure you don’t have them? You know as well as I do they would have historical value. I can’t believe the church was so careless with them.”
He pulled at his earlobe, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger until the skin grew red. “I’m sure. I’ve looked. And the keys are no good without the location of the room.”
“But if we find the keys, we might find the real killer–if he has the keys.”
“Why don’t you let the police handle this?” Lee burst out. His sharp tone startled Dani, and she leaned against the back of her seat. “They are qualified, believe it or not. And if any other keys for Ironwood were ever found, I would have seen them. They would be catalogued with the rest of the house’s artifacts. They aren’t.” He spit the last word out with a harsh accent, emphasizing the ‘t.’
Surprise and a smidgeon of doubt brought Dani to her feet. Telling Lee everything might have been a big mistake. “I should go.”
Her boss’s face had reddened, his eyes almost comically wide–except for the anger simmering in them. He took a deep breath. “Forgive my outburst.” Lee pressed two trembling fingers to his damp forehead. “I’m not feeling well today. And I don’t like the idea of you putting yourself in harm’s way.”
“I understand.” Dani gathered up the blueprints, waiting for Lee to ask her to leave them with the foundation. Instead he sat utterly still, watching.
“Get some rest.” She tried not to run for the door. “I’ll let you know if I find anything else out.”
“Please do.”
She left him sitting in silence, staring out the window.
Dani headed back out into the blasting heat, and for once she welcomed the discomfort. Lee’s intensity made her nervous, and she wasn’t sure she should have trusted him. After all, Cage said he was physically capable…but to kill two men?
Her head hurt. She dropped into her rental car and cranked up the air. Time to reassess. She’d learned two things this morning: the picture definitely wasn’t CaryAnne, and Lee Walker was a liar. He was hiding something, and Dani would bet her favorite set of tools Lee Walker knew damned well where those missing keys were.
29
Euphoric. That was the only way to describe the rush of adrenaline flowing through him since his and Dani’s kiss last night.
His sister always said everything happened for a reason, but Cage had never believed her. Until last night. The series of events that led Dani to Roselea–and to him–were a complicated mess of lies and murder; murders he was a suspect in. And yet he couldn’t remember the last time he felt this optimistic about his life.
“Did you get any sleep?” Cage glanced at Dani in the passenger seat. Her hair was pulled up as always, a few strands escaping in damp curls that clung to her neck. Struck by the urge to pull out the clip and see her hair cascade around her shoulders, he focused on the road.
“Not much. And when I did sleep, visions of house plans danced in my head.”
He laughed, and she flashed him a smile that sent a rush of blood sprinting through him. She reached over to brush his hair off his face, and the feel of her hands was like nothing he’d ever experienced. Beyond the pounding heart and the tightening of desire was a beautiful feeling of peace, of rightness. Of comfort.
He took her hand in his and rested it on his leg. “I tried to sleep this morning, but it was tough.”
“You think Jeb will give us any information? What if he’s turned against you too?”
“We’ll figure out plan B.”
“I think Lee knows where the missing keys are.”
“I can’t see him as a killer.”
She pulled her hand away, shoved the seatbelt beneath her arm, and twisted to face him. “I can’t either, but he’s definitely hiding something. He loves Ironwood. And he told me today he’s been through her a dozen times. You can’t tell me he hasn’t looked for that room on his own.”
“But killing two men–”
“It’s hard to imagine. But when he talked about the scavengers, his disgust was obvious. And he got so angry when I pressed him about the keys.”
A flare of anxiety swept over Cage. “Don’t go looking for those keys.”
“Why would you say that?”
They had entered Natchez, and her eyes drifted past him to stare at the homes. “Good Lord. I need to spend a few days here.”
“We will. When this is all settled, I will take you everywhere you want to go. And to answer your question, because you are a bullheaded Yankee.”
She stuck out her chin, crossing her arms over her chest, but her lips twitched, fighting a smile. “We like to call it being an independent woman.”
“I like bullheaded better. Suits you.” He swung into a parking spot in front of the county coroner’s office. Dani narrowed her eyes, and for a moment, he was afraid he’d gone too far. Until she leaned over and pressed her lips against his.
“You’re lucky I like you.”
He’d called ahead, and Jeb was waiting for him, tucked behind his small desk and a mound of files. Billy sat in his corner space, filling out reports and looking bored. He sat up straight when Cage came in, a look of nervous warning on his face. Cage nodded to let him know he wouldn’t sell Billy out.
Jeb rose to greet them. “Cage, Dani.” He shut the door and motioned for them to sit. “How can I help?”
Cage got right to the point. “I’m sure you know they found Dad’s dog tags on one of the bodies.”
“I do. And a bit convenient if you ask me.”
“Captain Barnes isn’t so sure, and Landers is ready to lock me up.”
“Never fly,” Jeb said. “And Barnes is a better cop than that. I’m sure she’s getting pressure to close, especially after what happened a few months ago, but good Lord. Surely they give you more credit than this. I’d like to think if you were the murderer, you’d be a mite smarter.”
“Well, luckily a fellow cop can back me up on losing them,” Cage said. “But I don’t know how long that’s going to hold.”
“The dog tags were clenched in the guy’s hand.” Billy had abandoned his reports. “I’d guess he yanked them off. Pretty sure you’d have noticed that and taken them away.”
“So what do you need from me?” Jeb asked.
Dani stepped forward. “I actually need to know about the bones Cage originally found.”
> “All right,” Jeb’s weathered face furrowed into confusion. “To be honest, I’d nearly forgotten them with all this mess.”
“Everyone has,” Dani spoke with contempt. “Do you know if there was a left femur discovered?”
Jeb looked at Billy. “Yes, I believe there was.” Billy nodded a confirmation.
“Do you remember if it had any sign of gunshot wounds?” Dani practically danced now, her words popping out like they always did when she was excited.
“I’d have to check with the medical examiner in Jackson,” Jeb said. “We didn’t look at the bones very closely–our job was to bag and ship to them. But I can put in a call to Erin, see what she says.”
“Thank you,” Dani said. “Let me know what she says as soon as you hear from her.”
Cage hated to put Jeb on the spot, but with Landers practically breathing down his neck, determined to pin these murders on him, there were no other options. “Jeb, I know I’m way out of bounds and breaking protocol, but can you tell me anything else about the bodies?”
The old coroner shuffled his feet, running his hand through his white hair until it stood on end. “Billy, why don’t you give us a few minutes?”
“That way I don’t see you breaking the rules.” Billy winked at Jeb as he slipped out of the office, shutting the door behind him.
“You can’t let Captain Barnes know you’ve got this information this time. She chewed my ass the other day for telling you,” Jeb said. “I’m due to retire soon, and I could lose my pension.”
“It won’t leave this room, I swear.”
“Good.” Jeb rested against the corner of his desk. “This is turning into one hell of a confusing case. Every time a piece of evidence starts to make sense, something else blows the theory all to hell.”
“What do you mean?” Dani asked.
“Erin’s pretty sure the murders happened at the same time–the decomp matches that notion. Bodies in same state. No fly larvae to go on. They were sealed tight until the raccoon tore into them.”
“Ugh.” Dani shivered.
“But?” Cage’s palms were sweaty. He bounced on his feet and wondered if he looked as eager as Dani.
“It’s cause of death that’s the real issue,” Jeb said. “She thinks one may be asphyxiation, but she’s getting a second opinion before she finalizes and gives a more concrete time of death. Given the ligature marks around his hands, the theory is he was tied up and smothered with a pillow or blanket. They’re testing some fibers found on his face and in his mouth.”
“And the other?” Hope flickered inside Cage. This could be his ticket to redemption.
Again Jeb’s fingers went to his hair, twisting the section on the top of his head.
“Here’s the confusing part. Looks like he died of natural causes.”
* * *
“I don’t even know what to think.” Dani said as Cage turned onto Magnolia House’s drive and parked behind her rental. She’d spent the short drive back to Roselea ticking off everything they’d learned from Jeb and trying to force the pieces together. “Natural causes?”
“Let’s wait and see what the toxicology reports come back with,” Cage said. “Sometimes what initially looks like natural causes can be caused by drugs. Killer could have administered something.”
Still, if one of the men had died of natural causes, the case was even more complicated than he’d thought. Why had he been buried?
“So what now?” Dani rested her head against the back of her seat and then turned to face him. Her smoky, blue-gray eyes mirrored the building storm clouds. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and her cheekbones glowed with a spattering of pink.
Leaning across the console, he slipped his hand around the back of her neck. Her skin burned against his palm. She didn’t resist when he brought her face to his, her mouth moving eagerly against his own. Her hands snaked over his chest and then his shoulders before burying themselves in his hair, tugging just enough to make his body ache with need for her.
Unable to resist, he traced the smooth skin of her arms, trailing his fingers down her body until he reached her legs. Hand on her lower thigh, he cursed the console that dug into his stomach and prevented him from pulling her onto his lap.
Dani broke away for air, resting her forehead against his. “I want to go inside.”
A new kind of heat filled him. Embarrassed, he started to move away. “Sure. I should probably–”
She grabbed his shirt. “No. I want go inside…with you.”
The coil of need burst, turning every nerve in his body into fire. He tried to speak, but lightheadedness rendered him mute. He glanced at the house.
As if reading his mind, Dani’s lips touched his ear. “Jaymee is at work.”
That did it.
He half-staggered out of the car, adjusting his pants, grateful they were baggy. Blood pounding at his temples, he followed Dani up the expansive stairs of Magnolia House, eyes on the curve of her neck and his hands resting on her hips
The obnoxious squeal of tires shattered the blaze. An Adams County Sheriff’s cruiser slammed into the driveway, coming to a halt less than an inch from Cage’s vehicle. Landers was behind the wheel, and his hard smirk drained every ounce of desire from Cage.
“Dani. This isn’t good.”
Landers stepped out of the car, grinning so widely his face looked in danger of splitting open. His shirt once again looked a size too small. Twisted smile never leaving his face, he strode to the steps.
“Cage. I’ll be needing you to come with me.”
Dani clutched his arm, her fingernails digging into his skin. “Why?”
“New evidence. Need to discuss it with Cage.”
“You can do it right here.”
The investigator’s cold eyes honed in on Cage. “Afraid we can’t. You can come willingly, or I can cuff you. Your choice.”
He knew his rights. Going with Landers didn’t mean he needed to say a word until the public defender showed up. But silence would make him look guiltier. Then again, Landers already had him convicted.
“I’ll go with you.” Cage handed Dani his keys. “I’ll call you when I’m done.”
She held firm to his arm. “You can’t go with him. They’re going to railroad you.”
“I don’t have a choice.” He turned his back to Landers. “You need to find that room. Make Lee talk.”
“Foster, we need to go.”
“I’m coming.” He kissed Dani hard, gathering as much courage as he could muster. “And tell Jaymee to call Nick. He’s looking into Ben. We need that information.”
Tears brimmed in her eyes. “This isn’t fair.” She sidestepped him and pointed at Landers. “You’ve been focused on Cage as a suspect the entire time. You haven’t bothered to look any further. Someone snuck around Ironwood looking for treasure and got killed for it. Someone who’s got the missing keys. Not Cage. If you bothered to do your job–”
“I’d stop right there.” Landers ground the words out. “You’re not a cop, and looks to me like you’re a little biased.”
“It’s called common sense.”
“Yeah? Well new evidence trumps your deluded version of common sense.”
Cold fear rippled down Cage’s spine. He kissed the top of Dani’s head. “Remember what I said. I’ll call you when I need a ride.”
“If he’s not locked in a cell.”
He didn’t respond to Landers. Defeat circled, leaving him hollow. He gave her one final glance before getting into the back of the patrol car.
Landers slammed the door and then got behind the wheel with a grunt. “It’s time to end this mess, Foster.”
Again, he said nothing, keeping his attention on the woman standing on Magnolia House’s front porch, arms wrapped around herself and shivering despite the heat. The sky had turned a darker gray, and lightening flashed through the gathering clouds.
He watched Dani until the cruiser drove out of sight. Only then did he turn back to
the man driving the car.
“So let’s hear about this evidence.”
30
Rising panic sent Dani to the diner. By the time she parked the car and rushed the two blocks to the entrance, her wild thoughts had jammed her heart into her throat. She burst into the diner, scanning the room for Jaymee. An elderly couple stared as Dani rushed to the counter where Jaymee was refilling the jars of creamer.
“What’s wrong?” Jaymee sat the glass jar down and grabbed Dani’s fidgeting hands.
Dani wiped the moisture off her upper lip. “It’s Cage. I think they’re going to try to arrest him.”
Jaymee glanced at the plump, older woman working at the end of the counter. “Sallie, you mind if I take a quick break?”
“Go ahead.”
Dani followed Jaymee through a set of swinging doors to reveal a small but efficient kitchen. A man Sallie’s age stood behind the grill and gave them a friendly wave.
“Am I supposed to be back here?”
“Small town perks.” Jaymee walked past a large freezer to a cluttered office. “Come in and tell me what the hell’s going on.”
She shut the door behind Dani, who fell into the nearest chair. Her legs were suddenly weak, head spinning and chest heavy. Her breath came in short huffs.
“I think I need a glass of water.”
“Did you run down here from the house?” Jaymee grabbed a paper cup and filled it with water from the cooler in the corner. “You’re sweating and red as the burning end of a cigarette.”
“Just the last couple of blocks. Couldn’t find a parking spot.” Dani greedily gulped the water, willing her pulse to slow down.
“Not smart in this heat. Why do you think they’re going to arrest Cage?”
“Landers showed up looking cockier than the Cheshire Cat.” Dani told Jaymee everything, including what she and Cage had found out from Jeb and Landers’s arrival.
“Did he say what the evidence was?”
“No.”
Jaymee paced the small room, her shoes clacking against the tile floor. “Well, we both know Cage didn’t do this, so it can’t be anything that will stick.” She spoke as though she were trying to convince herself.