Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2)

by Johnson, Sherri Wilson

  "What do you want to know?"

  She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, securing it with a brown hairband she'd had on her wrist. "What do they look like? How dangerous are they really? How do I get away from them permanently and not have to worry about joining you in the Witness Protection Program?"

  Phil chuckled. "They can both be dangerous, but not in a deadly kind of way. They're the ones who know how to break a leg or cut off a thumb. They do the ground-level dirty work."

  "Oh, that's comforting." Kathryn widened her eyes and shook her head at Phil. “You may be wrong about them though because remember they were arrested in Perkins County after the shootings along with your uncle? At least one of them has to be the shooter. That doesn’t sound too harmless to me.”

  "True. I’m sure if Louie asked them to do it, they would have. They’ll do anything to remain on the payroll. Now you see why I had to get out?”

  She nodded.

  “As far as the Witness Protection Program goes, I wouldn't mind going into it if you could be by my side."

  Kathryn nudged him with her elbow. "How sweet."

  "Seriously. I could think of worse things than having to start over with a new name and occupation with someone like you beside me. If nothing else, it’s better than going it alone."

  Kathryn peered at him out of the corner of her eye, heat crawling up her spine. The tight cockpit of the SUV made it impossible for her to resist Phil's charm. What was happening to her tough shell? "You're slick."

  "Slick? I'm being serious, Kathryn. I like you."

  She faced him. Boy, he was close. "I—I like you too.”

  “I mean I really like you. As in I think it would be incredible to get to know you better.”

  “Well, I kinda think it would be amazing to get to know you better too, although it seems weird to say that to someone I didn’t know three days ago. You think it has anything to do with the fact that it's virtually impossible for us to be anything more than acquaintances?"

  "It's not impossible for us to be more than acquaintances, and if it were, that wouldn’t be why I like you. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I don’t need to be rebellious and throw my efforts into something or someone that’s taboo. I like you because you're intriguing, sweet, funny, and…and quite lovely." Phil drummed his knees with his fingers.

  "Okay, well, I don’t have anything to prove to anyone either when it comes to my dating life. If I did, I would have already either made a move on you to prove that I could have any kind of guy I wanted, or I would have run away from you in an effort to impress whoever it is I was trying to impress."

  “Because I’m that bad?”

  “No, you goof. Because if I was trying to impress someone, you’d be at the bottom of the list of eligible candidates given our current situation.”

  “True. So why do you hang around with me?”

  “Let’s see.” Her face and neck burned, and it wasn't from sitting in the car with the sun beating down on the windshield. She counted off the reasons on her fingers. "Although it seems like the two of us together breeds trouble, I’m apparently safer with you than without you.”

  “And?”

  “You wrangle sharks.”

  He rolled his eyes. “And?”

  “You’ve got a boat.”

  He laughed. “And?”

  She smiled. “You’re kind and interesting and…I think you’re easy on the eyes. But you are a little irritating because you didn't tell me what your cousins look like. I think one of them came up to the car right before you got here."

  Phil jumped in his seat and grabbed the steering wheel. "What? What did he look like?"

  Kathryn shivered at the memory. "A scraggly-looking man with a beard. Piercing blue eyes. Drove a wrecker. Wore overalls."

  Phil slung his head back onto the headrest and erupted with laughter. "You obviously know nothing about Italians. Especially ones born and bred in New York."

  She punched him in the arm. "You're laughing at me. Again!"

  "Sorry." He laughed into his hands.

  "So what you're saying is they don't look like country folks from Georgia? They look more like the mafia guys in movies?"

  "Something like that. Maybe not quite so stereotypical. But close." Phil scratched the back of his neck. "You would've known if one of them had approached you."

  “How?”

  “Because we probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now.” He pointed beyond the windshield. "There's Elmer now."

  "That—that's Elmer?" Kathryn giggled and covered her face with her hands. "That's who I thought was your cousin."

  "Nope. He's my buddy. He usually goes fishing with me. I figured that's who you were talking about when you described the man who approached you." Phil opened the car door and joined Elmer as he stepped down out of the wrecker, reaching his hand out to Phil.

  Now that she had a better look at the man, it was clear that Elmer was the same man from the pier who congratulated Phil on his big catch. Kathryn was a poor judge of character by nature and too often critical and judging of innocent people. Sometimes she even had them convicted in her mind before the evidence had been fully disclosed. To be fair to herself, this critical attitude came with the job. She needed to learn how to be more discerning in the future. At least Elmer was one more advocate in Cedar Key. Kathryn needed all of them she could get.

  She stepped down out of the SUV and introduced herself to Elmer. The sooner he could get her tires changed, the sooner she could see where the rest of this day would go.

  "If you don't mind, I'd like to take pictures of this evidence before you start working." Kathryn whipped her phone out of her pocket and pulled up the camera app.

  "Sure thing, ma'am." Elmer pulled his jack from the back of his wrecker.

  "And would you be able to keep the tires in your possession in case we need them for evidence later?"

  "Anything for a friend of Tag's."

  Tag? That was Phil's nickname? Not too shabby.

  #

  After Elmer changed Kathryn's tires and took her debit card information, he shook their hands, tipped his cap, and drove away.

  Kathryn swiveled toward Phil, her hands cupped in front of her. "Thanks again for coming to my rescue."

  He nodded. "My pleasure. Do you want to file a police report?"

  "Against a mystery man? No thanks. I don't need to draw more attention to myself than I already have."

  He shrugged. "If you're sure."

  "I'm sure. Would you want to go with me to follow up on this lead?" She raised her shoulders up to her ears and grinned like a child asking for one more hour of reading time before bed. Phil looked at his watch, and Kathryn's heart plummeted. He'd already helped her more than she could ever repay him. She shouldn't have asked him to go with her. He obviously had other things to do.

  "Where is it?"

  "Somewhere in Chiefland. Off Highway 19. I'm not staying long because of Sadie. But I called and asked if I could come interview this man."

  "You were going to go alone?"

  Kathryn twisted up her mouth and nodded. "I know, not the smartest thing I've done today."

  "You said it. Not me." Phil tossed his keys in the air. "I'll follow you."

  A light drizzle landed on Kathryn's windshield and thunder rumbled in the distance as she pulled back onto Highway 24. She looked around her visor at the darkening sky then switched on the wipers. "If ever I need it not to rain, it's now." Mr. Ballew was waiting on her, and she needed a clear path in front of her to find his place in Chiefland. "GPS don't fail me now."

  Kathryn turned on to County Road 345, and the GPS fired off directions to go six and a half miles and turn left onto Rocky Creek Road. Her destination would be on the left. She glanced back into her rearview mirror. Phil was right behind her. The lightning charge that had been running through her before Phil had come to her rescue was as dormant now as winter’s trees.

  She'd never been a part of a team, except a few
times in law school. Even her staff seemed to exclude her most of the time. But Phil was there to help her, and he didn't care if he benefited or was harmed. That made Kathryn want to laugh or dance or go bungee jumping. Somehow, some way she'd express her joy when this was all over.

  The rain disappeared as quickly as it had come. Within fifteen minutes, Kathryn pulled up to the old white farmhouse, rows of corn in the field to the left, pecan trees in the field to the right. Two brown-and-black mutts ran out from under the rusty old tractor beside the red barn, and chickens scattered across the lawn. Phil pulled in behind Kathryn.

  A sun-baked man in overalls and a soiled white T-shirt climbed out from underneath the tractor and called to the dogs. He removed a green can from his back pocket and loaded his jaw up with what looked like tobacco, then returned the can to the pocket with a shove. He hollered at the dogs, and they ran into the crawlspace underneath the house. Hopefully, this man would lead her right to the weapon.

  Kathryn straightened her sundress and slipped her sunglasses onto the top of her head. She reached her hand out to the grubby farmer, his brawny hand swallowing hers. "Mr. Ballew? I'm Kathryn Bellamy, Assistant District Attorney for Perkins County, Georgia. We spoke earlier on the phone."

  He eyed Phil and wiped his neck with a blue bandana. "Howdy. You didn't say nothin' on the phone about bringin' nobody out here with ya."

  "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Ballew. I had some car trouble back there on 24, and my friend came to help. He followed me here to make sure I didn't have any more trouble."

  Mr. Ballew scratched his stubbly chin. "Mmhm, well, I don't 'xactly like the thought of talkin' in front of him."

  Kathryn held up her right hand. "I understand. He's okay though. You can trust him. This is—"

  Phil stepped forward, but Mr. Ballew retreated. "I know 'xactly who he is. And that's why I ain't comfortable talkin' with him around."

  Kathryn held her hand up to push Phil toward his SUV, but Phil stepped closer to Mr. Ballew. "Excuse me, sir. You know who I am?"

  The man nodded. "Yep, I do. You's one of those guys from New York."

  Phil locked his knees and shoved his hands into his pockets. A less forceful posture might work with this simple farmer. "Yes, I am from New York originally, but I live in Cedar Key now."

  "Yeah, I know you do. You belong to that family. I—I ain't gonna talk with him around, miss."

  Kathryn stepped closer to him and folded her hands in front of her. What did he know about Phil? If this man didn't trust him, should she? "Please, Mr. Ballew. I need to know what you know. I'll have him wait in the car." She glanced in Phil's direction and begged with her eyes.

  "No, if you're associated with him, I'm not gonna talk to you neither."

  Kathryn's heartbeat pounded in her head and threatened to explode out her ears. How had her budding trust in Phil turned into uncertainty in a matter of minutes? Trusting others had always proven to be a mistake. Was it going to happen this time too?

  Phil rocked on the balls of his feet. "Sir, what family are you talking about?"

  "The ones who keep murderin' people and breakin' arms and legs. No way I'm gettin' myself in the middle of things."

  So he did know the Ezzo family. "Mr. Ballew, I can subpoena you for court if I have to. I really don't think you want me to do that. Do you?"

  He swatted a fly and shook his head. "No, no, I don't. Listen, his family is bad news." He pointed at Phil.

  "But I'm not, sir. I'm a former attorney and a private investigator. I am here to help her put the bad guys in jail permanently."

  "Even if they's your family?"

  "Even if they are my family, yes."

  Mr. Ballew tightened his overall straps and scratched his chin again. "Two guys came down here with a gun that supposedly was used to kill a couple of people in Georgia. They hid it on the property of someone they know."

  "You don't know any names?" This case was like a mosquito bite that wouldn't stop itching. Kathryn wouldn't be satisfied until she solved it.

  "No, ma'am. That's all I know."

  "Okay, I see." She tapped her chin. "Would it change your story if I told you your name was in the file?"

  "Uh…"

  "You apparently talked with investigators when they came down here trying to locate the weapon. It's reported that you claimed the evidence was washed away. Now you're saying it was hidden on someone's property. Which is it, Mr. Ballew?"

  "Uh, well, I don't rightly know."

  "Where did you get your information? Did someone threaten you not to talk to the police?"

  He rubbed his chin again. "I heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend. Ya know? Like that old song from the 80s. It's just a rumor, I guess. Shoot, this town and Cedar Key are too friendly for something like that to go on." He kicked at the dirt with his right boot.

  He was going to try to change his story to get out of testifying against the Ezzo family. Understandable, but not acceptable. "Mr. Ballew, I beg you to tell me what you know. Please, just a hint. Today, someone slashed the tires on my car." She pointed behind her at her car. "I almost wrecked on the way here. I could've been killed. I've received threats ever since I've been here. This place isn't as nice as you'd like to think it is."

  "Well, I—"

  "You wouldn't want a little old thing like me to fall into any trouble, would you? I'm just as innocent as you are. And my friend here, he's innocent too." At least she hoped he was. "We want to put these guys away."

  Phil held his hands out to Mr. Ballew. "Sir, please tell her what you know."

  Mr. Ballew narrowed his eyes into slits and moved his gaze back and forth from Kathryn's face to Phil's face. He spit brown juice from his mouth onto the ground and wiped his chin with his bandana then scratched his balding head and whistled. "Lordy, Lordy, why does trouble always find its way to me? I try to work hard. I go to church almost every Sunday. And still, trouble always finds me."

  Kathryn wiped the sweat from beneath her eyes. "How do you think I feel, Mr. Ballew?" She was no different from this man. Innocent, yet wrapped up in something ugly. Except she didn’t go to church. But neither one of them deserved this trouble.

  Phil reached his arm around Kathryn's shoulder and drew her close to him. "Please, sir."

  He threw his hands up in the air and turned a few circles before facing them again. "Okay, the man you need to talk to runs the grocery in Cedar Key."

  Kathryn laughed. "Already tried that. He won't talk to me."

  "Of course he won't. He knows what's good for him. But he knows the man that hid the gun. Now I ain't tellin' you no more."

  "Thank you, Mr. Ballew. You've been very helpful." Kathryn waved to him, and she and Phil returned to their cars.

  Phil widened his eyes. "Wow, that was intense."

  As Mr. Ballew slid back underneath his tractor and the dogs ran out from under the house to join him, Kathryn opened her car door. "I'm shaking."

  "I'll follow you back to the condo and help you get your things. I'm going to put you in one of my rental properties. You'll be safer there."

  Kathryn knotted her brow. "There's no need to do that, Phil. I'm sure I'll be safe."

  "Kathryn, I won't hear of it. Someone, probably my cousins, slashed your tires. In your driveway. I can’t believe they didn’t go flat sooner or even shred while you were driving.”

  “I think they only partially punctured them so I would have time to get further away and would be caught out alone and vulnerable.”

  “Exactly.” Phil emphasized his meaning with bulging eyes. “All the more reason you need to be somewhere else for the next few days. Or you need to return home."

  "We'll talk about it when we get there." Kathryn climbed into her car and followed Phil back to the condo. On the way, her heart squeezed with worry for Sadie. Was she safe? When she left earlier, she had no way of knowing her tires had been slashed and no need to fear for Sadie's safety. The thirty-minute ride back to the condo felt like the road trip from h
ome to Cedar Key. She couldn’t get there fast enough.

  Kathryn closed her eyes for a brief moment. "Please keep Sadie safe."

  Who was she talking to? God? She'd never cried out to him before, that she remembered. Would He watch over Sadie until she returned? He'd watched over her so far. Kathryn turned up the radio and let the soothing inspirational tunes ease her concern.

  Chapter Twelve

  Phil pulled in behind Kathryn and hopped out of his SUV before she could get out of her car. He pushed his shoulders back and scanned the property with eyes that normally portrayed joy. Kathryn smiled at the protectiveness that oozed from him. He'd proven his trustworthiness to her. Enough so that she could give up her quest for justice and let the Ezzo case solve itself. That's how much she wanted to spend the next few days getting to know Phil better.

  Phil returned from around the back of the condo, pushing his way through the palm trees that lined the side of the building, and gave her the okay sign. Kathryn shut her car door and together they went inside, where Sadie greeted them by jumping in the air and licking their hands.

  "You're safe!" Kathryn bent to receive love from her baby.

  Phil walked down the hall to the bedrooms and returned with a nod. "I'm glad Sadie is safe. Looks like everything's in order here. I feared my cousins would've ransacked the place while you were gone."

  "Me too. That's why I brought everything that was important with me—everything but Sadie." She held up her laptop bag. "See, everything's safe, and I'm safe here."

  Phil shook his head and turned up the left corner of his mouth. "Let's examine the evidence, counselor. Exhibit one: a threatening note. Exhibit two: a threatening phone call. Exhibit three: your tires were slashed while your car sat out in the drive. You're not safe here. I'm going to have to take you into protective custody."

  The tone in his voice sent shivers of delight down her spine. She could get used to having Phil as her security guard. "Oh, you are, are you?"

  "Yep." Phil took Kathryn's laptop bag from her hands and put it on the sofa. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist. She draped her arms around his neck. Her legs trembled, and she had to pull all her strength together to remain standing. Phil captured her into a hug, tucked his chin, and placed his cheek against hers. "I want to keep you safe, and I haven't felt this way about anyone in...well, ever."