All About the Money (A Jesse Watson Mystery Series Book 7)

by Ann Mullen

  I didn’t know whether I should put the pictures back and just walk away, or hide them. Being the snoop that I am, it was my first instinct to cover everything up until I got the whole story. I stopped trying to decide, put the photos back into the packet, and then stuffed them down my pants. I grabbed Savannah’s purse and keys, turned and walked away.

  By the time I got back to the ambulance, Russell Shank had arrived. He was sitting in the ambulance next to Savannah, giving her advice. He smiled when I walked up.

  “Hello, Jesse,” he said. “You’re looking good.”

  “Oh, Russell, You’re such a liar! I’m tired, overwrought, and it’s dark as a dungeon out here, but I do appreciate the compliment.”

  “I’ll be following Savannah to the hospital,” he said. “Under the circumstances, she needs an attorney present.”

  I smiled and replied, “That’s good of you.” I looked at Savannah. “I’ll meet you at the hospital shortly.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Russell added. “Since I’m going to accompany her anyway, I might as well stay and give her a ride back… unless you just want to be there for her.”

  “Go home, Jesse,” Savannah said, thankfully relieving me of my obligation. “You’re tired, and so is Billy. Russell will take good care of me.”

  “If you’re sure.” I reached over and handed the keys to her. “I guess I won’t be needing these. Here you go.”

  Russell crawled out of the ambulance and went to his car.

  Rebecca, the EMT, closed the doors to the ambulance. The flashing lights came on, and the ambulance took off down the driveway with Russell following closely behind.

  The ambulance was just out of sight when the oversized, black SUV pulled into the driveway. The Medical Examiner had arrived. He got out, greeted Sheriff Hudson and Billy, and then the three of them entered the garage. I followed. I stared at the lifeless body of Andrea Holt. What did McCoy see in this woman? She was nothing like Savannah. Savannah was petite and very, very pretty, while this woman was probably overweight by twenty pounds, had a short, boyish haircut, and from the looks of it, had suffered from acne. I looked down at her left hand and wondered how she had lost part of her finger.

  “If there’s nothing else I can help you with,” Billy said to the sheriff, “we’ll be leaving. I’ll see to it that Savannah comes into the Sheriff’s Office tomorrow to give her statement. But for now, if we’re finished here, we’ll be on our way.”

  Sheriff Hudson looked up at me and said, “You sure have been awfully quiet, Jesse. That’s not like you. Do you know something I don’t?”

  “Not me. I’m just as shocked by this as anyone. I’m still trying to sort it all out. I have no idea what the story is here.”

  Billy shot me a glance as if he’d just realized that I was hiding something even he didn’t know about yet, and then he looked back at Sheriff Hudson. “Okay. We’re out of here.”

  The two of us turned and walked over to Billy’s truck. Once we were heading down South River Road and out of sight, I pulled out the packet of photos from my pants. “There’s more to this story than meets the eye,” I said, holding up the packet.

  “Oh, no. What’s that?” Billy asked as he let out the breath he’d been holding. “I had a sneaky feeling you were hiding something. I don’t know if I want to see it.”

  “Yes… I was hiding something, and yes… you do need to see this.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask. Is that evidence? Please tell me you didn’t run off with incriminating evidence.”

  “Most likely.”

  “Let me pull over,” Billy said as he searched for a spot where he could pull off the road. He parked and then turned on the interior light. “Let’s have a look.” He took the packet, scanned the photos, and then put them back inside. “Savannah left out this part.”

  “What else did she leave out?”

  Billy handed the photos back to me, turned off the interior light, and then pulled back onto the road. He pulled out his cell phone and said, “I’m going to call Russell. He needs to know about the photos, and our suspicions.”

  I listened while he explained everything. After a lengthy conversation, Billy closed up the phone and said, “We’ll get the truth from Savannah tomorrow. Tonight, I’m going home and try to sleep.”

  Something occurred to me. How did Andrea get to Savannah’s house? The only car in the garage was the Mustang. I brought this up to Billy.

  “Oh, she was smart. She parked her car behind the garage, out of sight, so no one would know she was here.”

  “Did they search the car?”

  “Yes, but they didn’t find anything important, at least that’s what they said. She didn’t even have a change of clothing… just her purse.”

  “That’s odd, considering the trip from Fancy Gap to here must be at least four or five hours. Why didn’t she bring something with her?”

  “It’s probably more than that. Fancy Gap’s at the far end of the state.”

  “Then why would a woman who had to drive that many hours just one way, not bring a stitch of clothing? That doesn’t make sense, unless she has a hotel room somewhere.”

  “Or… unless Savannah invited her.”

  “Then why would she hide her car behind the garage, and where’re her belongings?”

  “I don’t know, but I can assure you that we’re going to find out. Andrea might be smart, but she’s not as smart as me… or you.”

  Yes, Andrea was, indeed, smart. She had thought of everything… except the part about getting killed.

  “You know what really gets my goat?”

  “We have a goat?” Billy joked. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Don’t be silly. You know what I mean.”

  “Yes, I do. It means that Savannah lied to us. She tried to con us.”

  “That’s correct. She flat-out lied to us. She didn’t trust us enough to tell us the truth. You’d think by now she’d know we’d stand behind her.”

  “Except when it comes to murder. She knows us better. Neither one of us would cover up a murder.”

  “That’s true. Friend or no friend, we wouldn’t hide something like that from the police.”

  “Don’t hold it against her, `ge ya. Remember, she’d just been chased around her house by a woman with a knife. She was frightened. She panicked.”

  “Speaking of which—where’s the knife? Savannah was cut, so what happened to the knife? The only weapon I saw was a shovel.”

  “I can’t answer that question.”

  “Savannah can, and you’d better believe I’m going to ask her about it. And I want to know the truth behind these pictures, although they do speak for themselves.”

  Billy agreed. “We will ask her many questions tomorrow.”

  “You can bet on it!”

  Forty minutes later, we walked into the house to see Mom and Helene sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee. They both jumped up and ran over to us.

  “Y’all are going to be up all night,” I said as I closed the front door. “All that caffeine isn’t good for you. It keeps you awake.”

  “What happened?” Mom demanded, ignoring my remark about her beloved coffee. “You didn’t call us. We’ve been worried sick. I started to call, but didn’t know the situation, so I didn’t.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom… Helene. It was a mess over there.”

  “How about some coffee?” Helene asked. She quickly turned and walked over to the kitchen counter to the coffee pot.

  “I’m going to take a quick shower and then hit the sack,” Billy said. He kissed me lightly on the lips, kissed Mom on the cheek, and then walked over and kissed Helene’s cheek. “Goodnight, ladies. Jesse will fill you in on everything. I can’t keep my eyes open.”

  “You go on, Billy,” Mom said, ushering him out of the room. She swiftly returned, and then led me over to the table. “Sit down, honey, and tell us all about it. Is Savannah all right?”

  I looked over at Helene
and said, “Forget the coffee. Bring that bottle of bourbon under the sink, and three glasses.”

  Mom started to object—she hasn’t had more than four or five drinks in her whole life—but instead, she nodded her head at Helene. “Yes, bring all of us a glass. I’m afraid I might need a drink after I hear what Jesse has to say.”

  Helene got the bottle and the glasses, walked over, and sat down. She poured each of us a small amount of liquor, and after two shots of bourbon, the story had been told. Mom sat there with her mouth hanging open, while Helene remained silent. They scrutinized Savannah’s photographs.

  “I’m stunned,” Mom said. “Poor Savannah. Her husband cheated on her, and then had a baby with another woman. Now she’s the one who’s going to jail. It isn’t right.”

  “Oh, I doubt that,” Helene retorted, finally speaking up. “You know I adore Savannah, but the truth is, rich and famous people don’t go to jail. They have too much money to let that happen. They can buy their way out of anything.”

  “Savannah doesn’t belong in jail!” Mom said, loudly.

  “Mom,” I whispered. “You might want to tone it down a bit.”

  “I’m sorry,” Mom said, lowering her voice. “But she’s innocent! I know she is. Savannah doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. If she killed that woman, she had a reason. Besides, it was self-defense! Isn’t that right, Jesse?”

  “Mom’s right,” I responded, looking over at Helene. “Evidence will prove that. Savannah has defensive wounds on her hands. Whatever went on at her house, one thing is for sure—she was fighting for her life.”

  “Didn’t you also say the woman chased her through the house?” Mom asked, not waiting for an answer. “That proves she was in danger.”

  “Eventually, the truth will come out,” Helene said. “You always hear more about what really happened in the days following something like this. The true story will be told.”

  “I’ve heard the true story,” Mom stated. “I don’t need to wait until later to find out what went on. Savannah is innocent.”

  “You’re probably right,” Helene replied, trying to ease the tension. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Minnie. I know how you feel about Savannah. You think she’s an angel.”

  “I’m not upset at you,” Mom said in a calmer manner this time. “I’m angry at that woman. When this gets out, it will ruin Savannah. You know how people are. One minute they love you, the next they don’t. That’s how it is when you’re famous.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about Savannah,” I said. “She has a way about her. People will love her no matter what. Her fans will never turn their backs on her.”

  “I agree,” Helene added. “No matter how bad famous people act, they still remain famous. Nothing’s going to change that.”

  “I hope y’all are right. I’d hate to see Savannah’s life ruined.”

  “We’re right, Mom,” I said, getting up. “I’m going to look in on my children, and then I’m going to bed.” I looked around the room. “Hey, where’re the dogs? They didn’t even bark.”

  “They’re getting old, too,” Helene said with a giggle.

  I looked down at the table.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Helene said as if to read my mind. “We’ll clean up. You go get your rest.”

  “Thanks. I’m going to bed.” I leaned over, kissed Mom and then Helene, and then headed down the hallway to the kid’s rooms. I left the packet of photos lying on the table. I knew Mom and Helene would probably sit up for awhile talking about Savannah. They would want to look at the photos over and over again, and then discuss them some more.

  Maisy and Ethan have separate bedrooms now. They were no longer a toddler and an infant; they were getting almost close to kindergarten age. Maisy is three, and Ethan is two. They are the light of our lives, and I could go on forever about both of them.

  Athena was at the foot of Maisy’s bed as I had expected, and Thor was at the foot of Ethan’s. That meant only one thing—the cat was in my bed! I chuckled as I walked to my room. Sure enough, Spice Cat was nestled up close to Billy… all snug as a bug. I brushed my teeth before I stripped down out of my clothes. Bad breath is not very sexy. I jumped in between the sheets and cuddled up next to my man. I kissed his shoulder and rubbed his bare chest. I pressed my body close to his.

  He snored lightly.

  I smiled, closed my eyes, and fell into a blissful sleep. I was having a pleasant and erotic dream about my sexy and masculine husband… until Andrea’s face popped up out of the middle of nowhere. Billy was gone, and she was glaring down at me. Her menacing eyes made my skin crawl. The dream came to an abrupt halt when she pointed her nub of a finger in my face. It stared back at me as if it were alive. On the tip of the stump was the word… liar.

  I woke up in a cold sweat, sat up in bed, and looked around in the dark. Everyone was still asleep. The house was quiet. I lay back down and tried to go back to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come. I kept seeing that finger being jabbed at me. The word liar flashed in front of my eyes over and over. Something was wrong with Savannah’s story, and Helene was probably right about it. More would come out of this tale. I was sure of it. The minute I closed my eyes, I heard a beep. I recognized the sound. It was my cell phone. I had missed a call, or someone had left me a text message. Since I hadn’t heard the phone ring, it must have been a text. Who would send me a text message in the middle of the night? I tried to remember what I had done with my cell phone before I went to bed, and then it dawned on me. The phone was still in the pocket of my jeans. I leaned over the bed, hoping I wouldn’t fall out since I was quite naked, and grabbed my pants. I fumbled through the pockets until I found the cell phone. I pulled it out, flipped it open, and pressed view. Russell’s name appeared. I pressed read. The message was abbreviated so much, I could barely make it out. In essence, it said that Savannah had developed chest pains, and they were keeping her overnight. The doctor was going to run some tests. Russell would stay by her side.

  The first thing that came to mind was that there was no way Savannah could be having a heart attack. She was only in her thirties, so it must be an anxiety attack. Then another thought occurred to me. What if this was a ruse to buy time? Even good people are capable of doing bad things.

  “No!” I said out loud. “I have to stop thinking like that. I have to give Savannah a chance to come clean… to tell the truth. Maybe she has a good reason for lying to us.”

  But lying was lying, and you don’t lie to a friend, especially when you’re asking for their help. My faith in her had been tested, and at this point, she was losing. I was about to find out just how much I truly could trust her.

  Chapter 4

  At some point, I must’ve fallen back to sleep, because when I woke up, the smell of bacon permeated the air. Voices echoed from the kitchen. I crawled out of bed, went to the bathroom and washed my face. After getting dressed, I brushed my teeth and my hair, and then moseyed on into the kitchen.

  Mom, Helene and Billy were carrying on, laughing, as they fixed breakfast. The kids were seated at the table in their booster seats, waiting for their meal to be served. The small television setting in the corner on the kitchen counter broadcasted the news.

  Suddenly, all noise ceased. I heard the reporter on TV say Savannah’s name, and I knew the word was out. Greene County’s favorite author had been involved in the death of an unidentified woman.

  “Has anyone heard whether or not Savannah has been released from the hospital?” I asked as I walked into the kitchen and headed to the coffee pot. No one seemed to have much to say. They were too intent on hearing what was being said on the television. After fixing my coffee, I kissed my husband and the kids, and then petted the dogs. The cat was in hiding as usual. I sat down at the table, looked up and continued, “I got a text from Russell in the middle of the night.”

  “I received the same text,” Billy added. “I called him first thing this morning and asked him how she was doing, and he said she had an anx
iety attack. It wasn’t a heart attack.”

  “That’s kind of what I thought. I’m glad to hear it wasn’t anything real serious. Is she still in the hospital, or has she been released?”

  “She should be home by now. He said they were leaving when I called. That was an hour ago. I told him we’d be over in a couple of hours.”

  “I hope she told him the real story that led up to Andrea’s demise. She needs to get her facts straight and stop lying to us. It’s all going to come out anyway. Why not go on record with the truth? Her readers will stand by her as long as they think she’s being honest.”

  “What makes you think she’s lying?” Mom asked as she walked over and placed the children’s plate of food in front of them. “Savannah doesn’t tell lies. She’s a very honest person.”

  “She did this time,” I replied. “Too many of the facts don’t add up.” I hesitated for a second before saying, “I had a dream about Andrea last night. She kept pointing her finger at me, saying that Savannah was a liar.” I didn’t mention the fact that the finger was her stumpy one.

  “I just can’t believe that Savannah would lie,” Mom said as she continued to dish up food. “She’s always been so honest. She doesn’t have a deceitful bone in her body.”