Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans

by Denise Grover Swank

  “Everybody knows that one.” But even though everyone knew the spot, most people didn’t pay much attention to it now. It had been closed for years.

  “Then you won’t have any trouble finding it. See you in thirty minutes.” Of course, he hung up before I had the chance to respond.

  I figured it would take me fifteen minutes to get there, and I was still a good five minutes from home. Stupid Skeeter. I considered not going. What was the worst that could happen if I didn’t show?

  I wasn’t sure I was willing to risk it.

  Thirty-three minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot. A black sedan with tinted windows was already idling behind the run-down station. The car Skeeter and I had taken to the auction.

  The driver’s door opened, and Jed got out. The move would have been more effective if he’d been wearing a chauffeur’s suit instead of jeans and a light brown canvas work jacket.

  I reluctantly climbed out of the truck. “Good morning, Jed.”

  He grinned. “Lady.”

  I gritted my teeth. I hated that name. “I thought I was meeting Skeeter.”

  He opened the back door without saying a word. When Skeeter didn’t emerge, I realized he wanted me to climb inside.

  Skeeter sat in the back wearing a black thermal shirt, jeans, and a shit-eating grin. “Lady.”

  I slid in next to him. “Make this quick, Skeeter. I have things I need to do.”

  “It’s only ten-thirty. You can’t be rushing home to cook one of your dinners.” His eyes lit up in amusement.

  I grimaced. “Very funny. What do you want?”

  His smile faded. “I’ve got competition.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I won the auction fair and square, but the way it ended left a bad taste in some people’s mouths.”

  “You mean the bust?”

  He shifted in his seat. “The fact that we won the bid and then the sheriff showed up immediately afterward—not to mention we got away . . . Well, some people think I set up it all up.”

  I shook my head in confusion. “Why would you do that?”

  “Although the auction itself wasn’t illegal—they had no proof of what was being auctioned—some of the people in that barn had outstanding warrants. It would be a great way for me to get rid of some of my enemies.”

  “Did you set it up?”

  He laughed. “What do you think?”

  I studied him for a moment while thinking about what Mason had told me about Skeeter. “No. I think you’re smarter than that.”

  He chuckled, crossing his arms as he eyed me. “Really? Why’s that?”

  “You could have challenged Daniel Crocker long before he died—”

  “Before you killed him,” he added, putting his hand on my knee.

  He was right. Before I killed him. A fact I was trying my best to forget, despite Jonah and Mason’s insistence that I had to deal with it. I hadn’t wanted to kill Daniel Crocker, but he’d certainly deserved it.

  “That’s right. And don’t forget it.” I gave his hand a hard shove.

  Skeeter laughed. “Go on. What makes you think I’m smarter than my enemies realize?”

  “You waited, bided your time until you could get Crocker’s business peacefully—well, as peacefully as is possible for you people. You won—fair and square, as you said—so why would you want anyone else to get arrested? It would only cause bad blood.”

  “Aw . . .” he said, with a knowing tone. “And who would benefit from bad blood?”

  I rubbed my forehead. “Is that why I’m here? To help you strategize? Do you really think that’s wise? After all, I’m going home to cook one of my dinners for the man who’s vowed to bring you down.” I gasped as I realized what I’d just admitted.

  He laughed. Skeeter Malcolm was awfully jovial for a guy with so many people out to get him. “You haven’t told me anything I didn’t already know. Deveraux’s been after me for months.”

  “Then why are you talking to me?” I asked in disbelief. “How do you know I’m not going to run to his office and tell him everything?”

  A menacing gleam filled his eyes, making him look even more predatory than usual. His hand reached for my throat, and he rested it there, his thumb putting light pressure on my carotid artery. “Because I trust you, Lady.”

  “What you’re doing now doesn’t suggest you find me trustworthy.”

  “Habit,” he uttered in a low growl, but his hand stayed where it was.

  Anger burned in my chest, overriding my fear. “Do you think threatening my life is goin’ to make me want to work with you, Skeeter Malcolm?” I shoved his hand down. “I thought we’d already established that wouldn’t work. I’m done here.” I reached for the door handle.

  He grabbed my upper arm. “We are far from done here.”

  And just like that the car faded, and I was in Skeeter’s office. I sat behind his desk, while Jed was sitting in the chair across from me.

  “It’s not looking good. Rogers is turning,” Jed said, looking grim.

  My fist slammed down on the desk. “Teach him a lesson.”

  The vision ended, and I was back in the car. “Rogers is turning, and you’re gonna teach him a lesson.”

  “What?” Skeeter’s grip on my wrist loosened, and his free hand turned my face to look at him. “Did you just have a vision?”

  Still dazed, I nodded.

  “What did you see?”

  I was getting my wits back, and I jerked my arm from his grip. “Get your hands off me, Skeeter!”

  “Tell me what you saw.”

  “What happens if I don’t? Are you going to threaten me again? That’s a terrible way to do business.”

  “I’m not messing around, Rose,” he spat through gritted teeth. “What did you see?”

  “We need some rules before I tell you one more cotton-picking thing.”

  He grabbed my arm again and pulled me closer. “Let’s not forget who has all the power here.”

  I stared into his eyes, getting angrier by the minute. “Yes, let’s not.”

  His grip tightened momentarily, then he released his hold and burst out laughing.

  I rubbed my arm. “You are in serious need of some mood-altering drugs, Skeeter.”

  He continued to laugh. “I like you, Rose.”

  I scowled. “Too bad the feeling’s not mutual.”

  He only laughed harder.

  “I don’t have time for this nonsense.” I reached for the door handle again.

  “Rose, wait.” His voice was softer, and his hand was gentler as he reached for me. “I keep forgetting that you’re not like everyone else I know.”

  I sat with my back to the seat, looking out the windshield, waiting.

  “You’re right. I’m used to getting what I want through fear and intimidation. It just doesn’t work with you.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “So what do you want?”

  I turned my head toward him, narrowing my eyes. “You’re serious.”

  “As a heart attack.”

  I shook my head. “You don’t have a stinkin’ thing that I want.”

  “Are you sure about that?” He watched me again, his eyes twinkling with the promise that he knew something I didn’t.

  I remembered our phone call the day before. “That’s the second time you’ve said that. What are you getting at?”

  “You want Deveraux’s safety.”

  My temper erupted. “You’re threatening him now? Will you never learn?”

  “Not me. Someone else.”

  My head felt fuzzy. “Who?” I managed to say.

  “I’m not sure yet. But I think his fate is tied to mine. So tell me your vision.”

  “Why do you think Mason’s safety has anything to do with you?”

  “Call it a hunch, but I got where I am by following hunches.”

  Mason was in danger. I tried to get myself under control so I could find out more. “Honestly, there’s not a lot I can tell you a
bout the vision. You and Jed were in your office. He said Rogers was turning, and you said he needed to be taught a lesson.”

  He stroked his chin with the tip of his finger. “Rogers, huh? That’s not a huge surprise. I knew he was on the fence.”

  “What’s that mean, anyway?”

  “He’s decided to side with someone else instead of giving his allegiance to me. The question is to who?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. It wasn’t in the vision.”

  “Then force one of me now. Focus on what you saw, and maybe you can find out more.”

  Groaning, I grabbed his hand and squeezed, focusing on my memory of the vision. The same images repeated themselves, and it ended exactly where it had ended before.

  “That’s it?” Skeeter asked, getting angry.

  “Don’t shoot the messenger, Skeeter,” I said, irritated.

  “Try something else.”

  Instead of focusing on the previous vision, I concentrated on Rogers and who he was siding with . . . and got the same exact vision I’d experienced the first two times.

  “Try it again,” he huffed out.

  “I’m not a Magic Eight-Ball. You can’t keep making me have visions until you get something you like.”

  “Then what am I supposed to do?”

  “Hey, here’s an idea: Find out from Rogers himself.”

  He considered this for a moment. “Yeah, you’re right.”

  “Now who’s threatening Mason?”

  “I told you I don’t know. But as soon as I find out, I’ll let you know.”

  “You mean like how you hustled to get my money back after I gave you information about the bank robbers?”

  “The deal was that I got your money back. I lived up to my end.”

  Maybe so, but he hadn’t exactly been in a hurry. I needed more reassurance than his vague response. What proof had he offered me that some unknown force was out to get Mason? How did I know I wasn’t being duped? “I want you to promise to leave Mason alone too.”

  “What?”

  “Stop messin’ with him.”

  He laughed. “That’s it?”

  “No, it’s just a start. You have to promise me you won’t hurt him.” Then I added while ticking off my demands with my fingers, “And you can’t get anyone else to do it either. And you have to look into who might be after Mason and take care of it.”

  “You’re serious.”

  I gave him a grim smile. “As a heart attack.”

  “That’s all you want?” he asked, shaking his head. “Don’t you want money?”

  “Mason is worth all the money in the world to me and more. I don’t want a dime. Only his guaranteed safety. You have to tell me the minute you know something about who’s after him.”

  “Hell, I already told you I would.” He waved his hand as though I’d asked him to do the simplest task. “Why are we going over this again?”

  “You have to promise.”

  His amusement fell away. “You know I’m not a man of my word, Lady.”

  My eyes bore into his. “But you are, Skeeter. You just haven’t admitted it to yourself yet.”

  Uncertainty flickered in his eyes. “I won’t touch a hair on his head.” When I started to protest, he added, sounding angry, “And I won’t let anyone else do it, including whoever is out to get him, too. You’re right. I’d rather this arrangement be based on mutual need. That way you’ll be more inclined to help and not withhold information from me.”

  “Fine.”

  I’d just made yet another deal with the devil.

  I reached for the door handle again. “I’ve gotta go.”

  He flicked his hand, still brooding. “Go.”

  When I climbed out, Jed was leaning against the hood of the car. He turned to me with raised eyebrows. “He might be a little cranky,” I volunteered.

  He nodded and moved for his car door while I crossed the lot to my truck. I left first, heading for the landscaping office while pondering what I’d done. Would Skeeter renege on our deal since I hadn’t been able to give him the information he wanted? For some bizarre reason, I trusted him. It wasn’t a safe bet. At all. Yet, like him, I’d learned to go with my gut.

  Bruce Wayne was bent over his computer when I walked into the office. He looked up with a grimace.

  I briefly considered telling him about my meeting with Skeeter, but decided the less he knew the better. “What’s givin’ you such a long face?”

  “I’ve been sitting here all morning, and I don’t think I’m smart enough to figure out this computer stuff.”

  “The landscaping program or the computer itself?”

  He threw up his hands. “Any of it.”

  I gnawed on my lip for a moment. “I’m not sure I’m the one to teach you. I barely know how to use one myself. We need someone to teach us.”

  The doorbell jingled, and Neely Kate walked in. I swung my gaze toward her, realizing she might be the answer to my prayers.

  “What?” she asked when she noticed the way I was looking at her.

  “Have you ever taught anyone how to use computers?” I knew she was good with them. She used them all the time to search the Internet for ideas about decorating her baby’s room and recipes . . . Maybe asking her for help wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  She shrugged. “I taught my eighty-six-year-old great-grandma how to shop on eBay.”

  I gave Bruce Wayne a conspiratorial look before turning back to face her. “How do you feel about tutoring me and Bruce Wayne?”

  She looked confused. “Sure, but not now, right? I want to run out to Tabitha’s before my lunch break is over.”

  I glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Neely Kate, it’s barely eleven-thirty. You yourself said your cousin’s best friend doesn’t get up until noon.”

  “I know. But it’s going to take us a bit to get where we’re going.”

  “And where’s that?”

  “Big Thief Hollow.”

  “Big Thief Hollow,” Bruce Wayne said, narrowing his eyes. “Ain’t that where—”

  Neely Kate grabbed my arm and started to drag me toward the door. “Good thing you haven’t even taken your coat off yet. We need to get going.” She opened the door and kept tugging. “See you later, Bruce Wayne.”

  As she continued to drag me down the sidewalk, I wondered if I would have been better off hanging out with Skeeter.

  Chapter Ten

  “What’s going on, Neely Kate?” I asked as I climbed in the truck.

  “Nothing. I just want to get goin’ is all. On account of it will take a good thirty minutes to get there, and I need to get back before my boss figures out I took an extra-long lunch.”

  I put the keys in the ignition and turned over the engine. “Try again. Why did Bruce Wayne act like that when you said the name Big Thief Hollow?”

  She shrugged. “There’s a bunch of meth- and pot-heads down there.”

  “So why did you drag me away when he started to say something?”

  “Because Joe did a big bust of Big Thief Hollow last week. He ain’t wastin’ any time lettin’ people know he’s in charge.”

  I shook my head in confusion. “I thought the sheriff was in charge.”

  “Not really. Not since the whole department got cleaned out. The sheriff has kind of lost his umph, so he’s been lettin’ Joe call all the shots. At least for the time being.”

  “So what’s the big secret?” I asked as I drove out of the square. “Why try to keep that from me?”

  “Because Joe’s got guys still watching the place from time to time. I wasn’t sure you’d still go if you knew that.”

  I thought about it for a moment, trying to decide if it was a reason for us to stay away. “We’re not doing anything illegal. We’re just asking Dolly Parton’s best friend if she knows anything, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  I sat up straighter as I headed down Highway 82. “And besides, your aunt filed a missing persons report, an
d if the sheriff won’t do anything about it, how can anyone in the department fault us for doing the job they refuse to do?”

  Neely Kate looked indignant. “Yeah, that’s right.”

  I just as quickly lost my bravado. “Now tell me why it’s a bad idea to go there.”

  “There’s no reason,” she insisted, turning to me to plead her case. “We’re not buying meth or pot, although I have to wonder how much there’s even left to buy after the sheriff’s department burned their pot fields.”

  “I thought Daniel Crocker was the big pot dealer in Fenton County.”

  “He was until he got arrested. Then his business took a tumble, so other people filled the gaps.”

  “Huh.” I couldn’t help but wonder if the person in charge of Big Thief Hollow was the person Skeeter’s guy was supporting.

  Neely Kate studied me with her microscope lens vision. When she studied something that closely, she was practically a mind reader. This time was no exception. “What does huh mean?”

  I kept my eyes on the road, trying to play it cool. “It’s just that I’ve learned so much since Momma was killed last May. Who knew this whole criminal underworld mess existed right under my nose?”

  “Speaking of the criminal underworld . . .”

  I tried to suppress a groan. How was I going to keep my morning with Skeeter from her? I knew she wouldn’t approve, and I didn’t want to lie to her. Instead, the heaven above was looking out for me, and Neely Kate’s phone started to play “Wildflower.”

  She released a frustrated grunt and answered, “What’s goin’ on?” Her face puckered in disapproval. “Granny, I told you not to raise a ruckus last night.”

  I cast an inquisitive look at her. I’d only met her grandma once—at Neely Kate’s wedding—and she was quite a handful.

  “Well, you can’t blame him for wanting you to pay for the damage to the doggone raccoon, Granny. It’s been hanging in that lodge for twenty years.” She paused and rolled her eyes. “No! Do not have Reggie go shoot a raccoon to replace it! Let me talk to him, and I’ll see what I can do.” She paused. “No, I’m not bringing you Big Bill’s hot wings tonight. I don’t have time to sit in the Fenton County General Hospital for hours after you claim the indigestion has given you a heart attack. One of these days you’re really gonna have one, and the ambulance drivers are gonna be sorry that they stop for ice cream at the Burger Shack every time they answer one of your calls.”