“You know Stella ratted me out.”
Jed scrolled past several more photos, then stopped. “Not necessarily.”
There on the screen was a photo of Branson with Stella and her baby, Crystal, sitting in a fast-food restaurant. The baby’s face was filthy and the once-white T-shirt she was wearing was a dingy gray and covered in stains.
“Crystal,” I said, my distress evident. “Stella got her back.” Jed had called DFS on her after we’d dropped by to visit Stella and found the baby covered in dried food and poop. It had killed me to leave that sweet baby with her meth-addicted mother, especially after Stella had admitted she only wanted the baby to collect her welfare… and the fact Stella was trying to rope Branson in, as the baby was supposedly his.
Jed’s gaze lifted to mine, his eyes full of compassion. “We can’t think about the baby right now, NK. One problem at a time, okay?” he asked gently. “But I promise you, when this is all said and done, we’ll make sure she’s okay.”
His face was blurry through my tears as I nodded, and Joe was surprisingly quiet.
Jed scrolled through several more photos. “I’ve given Branson some thought since we left Ardmore… about whether he’d talk to anyone lookin’ into Manchester’s death.” He looked up at me. “I think he’s got too much to lose if he blabs.”
“You’re supposin’ no one knows about the contract,” Joe said. “Do you have a copy?”
Jed hesitated for a moment. “No. I searched the bag and the money, and there was nothing there. And it definitely wasn’t on his person.”
Joe turned to me. “Does Branson have it?”
“The last time I saw the contract was the day before I was supposed to hook up with the guy. Branson tried to get me to sign it, and I refused. I don’t know if the guy signed it, though. If it’s not signed, it’s not legal, right?”
“None of it would be legal,” Joe said. “But it could prove intent on Branson’s part as well as the pervert he sold you to. Depending on the wording in the contract, it could have shown you were in danger and acted in self-defense. We need to know if Branson talked, and if so, what he said and to who.”
“We need to go to this guy’s hotel room,” I said. “If he’s legit, wouldn’t he keep notes on a laptop or a tablet?”
“That’s presuming he’s legit,” Joe said. “And that he has a laptop or tablet and that we can get into it. That’s a lot of presumptions.”
“We still need to check,” Jed said. “If he has a laptop and it’s newer, it might take a fingerprint to unlock it.” His gaze lifted to Joe’s.
“Shit,” Joe groaned. “I might be stuck workin’ with you, but I draw the line at cutting off a damn finger.”
Chapter 11
Jed snorted. “No one said a damn thing about cutting off a finger. We’ll search the hotel room, and if we find a device, then we bring it here.”
“What if he was checking out today?” I asked. “Won’t they collect his things? When someone goes lookin’ for him, they’ll notice his computer or tablet is missing.”
Jed pressed his lips together. “Someone killed him, and Kate was part of it. It’s not outside the realm of possibility for them to take it.” He grimaced. “And for all we know, they did.”
“No,” Joe said, shaking his head. “They left his phone. I think they would have taken it too. In fact, we can’t take that phone from here. When we officially find him, his phone is gonna ping from his location.
Jed stared at me for a moment. “I have a laptop in the car. I’ll transfer the information with it.”
“Whoa.” Joe held up his hands. “No one’s transferring anything.”
“This phone’s at twenty-one percent,” Jed said, sounding exasperated. “And I really don’t want to risk charging it. All of this is risky enough. We need to get what we can now, and the best way to do that is to copy the information so we can access it later.”
I expected Joe to protest, but he let out a curse. “Go get your laptop. Neely Kate, you stay with me.”
Oh boy.
Jed gave me a questioning glance, but I nodded. I was gonna have to deal with Joe at some point. Might as well get it over with while we were standing over a dead body. Since Joe was wearing gloves too, Jed handed him the phone and strode out the door.
Joe waited while we heard Jed tromp up the stairs, then turned to me with a dark expression. “Jed Carlisle.”
“Is that a question?” I asked with my hand propped on my hip. “Or are you tellin’ me his name thinkin’ I don’t already know it?”
“Neely Kate.” The disappointment in his voice hurt.
“Don’t you use that tone with me, Joe. I could say Hilary Wilder or Dena Breene.”
“Neither one of them were known criminals.”
“Hilary kidnapped Rose and planned to kill her!”
“Then let me add that I didn’t know she was a criminal at the time. You walked into this relationship fully aware of what he is.”
“I told you that he’s not working for Skeeter anymore, Joe. He’s opening a business.”
“What kind of business?”
That question burned. “I don’t know.”
His brow rose. “You’re in a relationship with this man, and you don’t know.”
“He doesn’t know everything about my life.”
“But he sure knows about the important parts, huh?”
“Are you purposely tryin’ to hurt me, Joe?”
His expression softened. “No, Neely Kate. I’m worried. Jed Carlisle has done some very bad things. I’m sure he’s committed a few murders.”
“Maybe he has,” I said, “but as I pointed out earlier, so have I. So have you. I know him. He’s a good man. Do you have any idea how he ran the Bunny Ranch?”
“You know how he ran it?”
“Yeah, I do. I know he took care of those women.”
A snide look crossed his face. “I bet he did.”
“Not like that,” I said in disgust. “Most strip clubs make the dancer pay to work, but the Bunny Ranch didn’t. And they paid health benefits. Most of them are single mothers just tryin’ to provide for their kids since this stinkin’ county doesn’t have any jobs worth crap.”
“Didn’t?” Joe asked. “Past tense?”
“I hear the new manager is changin’ the rules.”
“And how do you know how they’re running things now if Jed supposedly left?”
I sighed. “It’s a long story that involves an etiquette class, but trust me on that one, and that’s not the point. When Jed managed it, the Bunny Ranch lost money, just to make sure those women could feed and clothe their babies. That sounds like a good man to me.”
Joe’s eyes narrowed. “Why would Skeeter Malcolm lose money?”
Oh crap. Jed said Skeeter didn’t want anyone to know that.
His head tilted to the side as he studied me. “Is Malcolm laundering money at his strip club?”
“What? How the heck would—”
“Don’t answer that,” Jed said in the doorway. While he’d been noisy going up the stairs, he’d been stealthy going down. Most likely for this very reason—to catch me ratting him out to Joe.
I turned to him with pleading eyes, but his gaze remained firmly on my brother. “I think we have more important things to deal with.” He had a laptop tucked under his arm, along with a cord in his hand. He plugged the cord into the phone, then set the laptop on the table. Once he opened it, he booted it up, then plugged the other end of the cord into his USB port. “I think it’s best to take it all, then sort through it later.”
“And what do you propose to do with the information after we sort through it?” Joe asked.
Jed slowly turned to face my brother with a deadly look in his eyes. “As I previously stated, Neely Kate’s safety comes first.” He gestured to the small drive inserted into the USB port on the other side of his laptop. “I’m transferring it to this flash drive, and after we examine it, we’ll decide what to
do with it—be it to keep it or destroy it.”
Joe’s face remained expressionless as he moved closer to the screen to see what Jed was transferring. After several seconds, Joe said, “His phone is surprisingly clean. Where are the game apps? Where’s his music?”
“I suspect this isn’t his personal phone,” Jed said. “It’s likely a work phone.”
I watched as Jed continued transferring files. “Then all the more reason to search that motel room before housekeeping realizes he’s gone.”
“That is if he planned to stay in his room last night,” Joe said. “He may have checked out already.”
Jed glanced up at him. “I doubt it. There were photos of Neely Kate here at the farm with Muffy last night. After I finish this transfer, I’m headin’ over there to see what I find.”
“I’m goin’ with you,” I said.
“No,” Joe said in an authoritative tone. “You’re not goin’ anywhere near that hotel, Neely Kate.”
“Let’s get something straight,” I said with plenty of attitude, pointing a finger in front of his face. “You had it right when you said this was about me. Which means I get a say in what I do, and I say I’m goin’.”
“Neely Kate,” Joe said. “It’s a bad idea. If you’re snooping around the Holiday Inn, and we find the body here, it’s gonna bite you in the ass.”
“No,” Jed said, still working on the transfer. “I think she should come, but she needs a disguise. And I know just the one.” He turned and gave me a wink.
“What disguise?” Joe asked, his voice as cold as an arctic wind.
I knew exactly what Jed was referring to. Back in February, he, Rose, and I had met a group of dangerous criminals while Rose was still incognito as the Lady in Black. The criminal world knew Jed was protecting her, but I could have clued them in to her identity, so I’d gone in disguise. “A black wig. It makes me look completely different. No one will ever know it’s me.”
“We’ll leave the questions about how you’ve previously used this wig for later.” Then he added, “Or maybe not at all.” After he shuddered, he said, “I still don’t like it. I’d go myself, but it’s too dangerous if someone catches me snoopin’ him out before we find him in your basement.”
“I can get in and out without getting caught,” Jed said. “And there’s no way in hell I’ll put Neely Kate at risk.” He glanced down at the computer. “This is almost done. Why don’t you start goin’ through the data and see if there’s anything else useful—like who this guy’s supposed to meet at noon—while Neely Kate and I go check the hotel room.”
Joe looked downright pissed. He dug out the key card and held it out but didn’t let go. “Against my better judgement, I’m trustin’ you with my sister’s life. She’s the only real family I’ve got now, so I’d appreciate it if you treat her with kid gloves.”
Jed held on to the other end of the card. “Always.”
Joe gave a short nod and let go. “The sooner you check it out, the better all the way around. If you leave soon, you can get there before eight and hopefully before housekeeping shows up.”
I moved closer to Joe and threw an arm around his neck. “Thank you, Joe.”
“Don’t thank me yet. We’re still in the thick of it, and Kate’s on the loose. I suspect she’s got someone watchin’ us now, so be careful.”
“I’ll watch for a tail,” Jed said. “And if I get one, I’ll lose ‘em.”
It sounded like a great plan, but I suspected we wouldn’t be losing Kate for long.
Thirty minutes later, we pulled into the Holiday Inn’s back parking lot.
I gave myself a final once-over in the visor mirror, resisting the urge to scratch under my bobbed, black wig. I was wearing jeans and a tank top along with a pair of sandals from Rose’s closet. I looked nothing like myself.
“Did you find out any more about Neil Franken?” Jed asked.
He’d had me do an internet search on the way to the hotel, and basically I’d found squat. “No Facebook account. No social media at all,” I said. “And he’s not pulling up as a PI. He’s not pulling up as anything. Are you sure that driver’s license is real?”
“We’ll find out soon enough. I plan on doin’ a more thorough investigation when we finish here.”
“Surely Joe’s lookin’ into him.”
“And I’ll be more than happy to hear what he finds, but I wouldn’t put it past him to withhold information from me.”
“Why would he do that?” I asked in confusion.
“Because he doesn’t trust me, and it’s stickin’ in his craw that not only are you datin’ me, but he’s stuck with me in this investigation.”
I was sure he was right about Joe not trusting him, but it worked both ways, not that I was surprised. “Are you mad at me?”
His mouth parted. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“Because Joe knows about us… and for draggin’ you into the whole thing.”
Jed turned to me. “Joe was gonna find out sooner or later. After discovering that psycho is loose, there was no way in hell I was not comin’ over to see you, and it was obvious Joe wasn’t leavin’. It couldn’t be helped.”
“But you could have let Joe handle this himself, Jed. You still can. I know you’re tryin’ to make a break from the criminal world and this could set you back.”
“Neely Kate,” he said, sounding exasperated. “I’m in this. I’m not leavin’.”
But was he in this to save his own booty or because he cared about me? I supposed at the moment it didn’t matter.
He opened the door and I followed as he walked across the parking lot to a back entrance.
“How do you plan to find his room?” I asked.
“Good ole’ trial and error. We’ll hold up the card to every door until we find one that works.”
“That could take forever.”
He pulled out another key card. “Then it’s a good thing I took the other key card when I took out his phone.” He handed it to me. “You can start on the second floor.”
“Don’t we need gloves?” I asked, holding up my hand but not taking the card.
“We’re not leaving the key cards anywhere they can be found. Just don’t touch anything. If you find the room, push open the handle with a piece of clothing, then go inside. Then call me and wait for me to show up.”
I took the card from him. “Okay.”
“Use the stairwell and, if possible, don’t let anyone see what you’re up to.”
I shot him a wry grin. “I’m not a total amateur.”
He grew serious. “Be careful. We don’t want to make anyone suspicious.”
I searched his eyes. “Thanks for trustin’ me.”
“You’re good at this stuff, NK. Of course I trust you. We’re gonna protect you.”
I only wished I believed that.
Chapter 12
The second floor was empty when I emerged from the stairwell. Since it was at the end of the long hallway, it was easy to figure out where to start.
I held the card up toward the reader on the first door across from me and waited until the red light showed up, then moved on to the next. I was halfway down the hall when a door a couple of rooms down opened. A middle-aged man in a dress shirt and pants walked out, tugging his rolling carry-on bag behind him. He gave me a slight nod and headed toward the elevator.
I took my time strolling down the hall, pretending that my room was at the opposite end. When I reached the last room, he turned and glanced at me. I inwardly cringed when I saw the do not disturb sign hanging from the handle, but swiped the keycard over the reader. To my surprise, the light turned green.
Crazy enough, I’d found the right room.
The man got in the elevator as I used my forearm to push down the door handle lever. As soon as I walked in, I tugged my cell phone out of my pocket and texted Jed.
Room 241 Then I added, Do not disturb sign on handle. It’s already there.
As I stuffed my phone b
ack into my pocket, I took in the disheveled room. A closed laptop sat on the desk and a carry-on suitcase was on top of the dresser. A quick peek in the bathroom revealed a toiletry bag on the counter and a dirty towel on the floor.
A few seconds later, the room door opened. I jumped as I spun around to face Jed.
“Good work,” he said. “Did anyone see you?”
I made a face. “Yeah, but I think it was okay. A man came out of his room when I was about halfway down the hall, so I walked to the end of the hall. When he still hadn’t gotten on the elevator, I swiped the card and amazingly enough, I got in.”
He gave me a grim look. “You should be fine, and I doubt he could pick you out of a lineup if anyone questioned him.” Moving deeper into the room, he said, “From the look of the bed, I’d say Franken was snatched here. Maybe the culprits put the do not disturb sign on the door to buy Kate more time.”
“Why buy more time if she had the body planted in my basement?”
“It’s Kate. Your guess is as good as mine.” He walked over to the suitcase while he slipped on a pair of gloves, then lifted the lid. He began to carefully sift through the contents while I used the hem of my shirt to open the closet.
“There’s a suit and three dress shirts in here.”
“Hmm... a couple of days’ worth of clothes in here,” he said. “Jeans and T-shirts. Five clean pairs of underwear in the suitcase.”
“And a pair of dirty underwear on the closet floor along with a polo shirt,” I said. “And a duffel bag.”
He remained silent as he walked over and grabbed the bag, then delved through the contents. “More clothes. Why two sets?”
Something red on the floor caught my eye. “Maybe the struggle on the bed wasn’t the kind you were thinkin’ of,” I said, pointing to the floor. “Looks like he had a visitor.”
Jed moved next to me, his mouth twisting to one side. “A pair of panties…so it could have been a tussle in the sheets.”
“Looks like it. Maybe that’s why he put up the do not disturb sign,” I said. “There’s a dirty towel on the floor in the bathroom. Surely he’d want maid service.”
In High Cotton: Neely Kate Mystery #2 Page 11