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

by Ann Mullen

  “I never thought of that. She jumped me the minute I saw her. She was all over me, and I couldn’t say no to her. She’s so beautiful… and sexy. No man would turn her down.”

  “I doubt that,” I said. “Is she still married?”

  “No, she’s separated.” he replied.

  “At least you won’t have to deal with an irate husband. What did she say after you two did the dirty deed? Did she want to get back together?”

  “No. It was business as usual. We went back to the task at hand.”

  “So… it was just sex?”

  “That’s all it was. Afterwards, I didn’t feel any differently. I still love Lu Ann. Those feelings will never change.”

  “Are you going to see Deanna again?”

  “No way. I don’t love her anymore.”

  “Then don’t tell Lu Ann,” I demanded. “It’ll only hurt her and ruin any chances the two of you have of ever being happy together. Bury it. Forget it ever happened.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “Oh, yes, I am. If Billy had a fling just before we got married, I would’ve never married him. If he told me about it now, after all this time, I’d forgive him.”

  Billy and Jonathan stared at each other.

  The look on their faces made my heart sink. I glared at Billy and ranted, “Say it isn’t so. Please tell me you didn’t sleep with someone while you were with me.”

  Their silence lasted way too long. I turned, ready to storm out of the room when Billy said, “Wait, `ge ya.”

  “Don’t `ge ya me, you cheating scumbag!”

  Billy grabbed me by the arm and said, “I’ve never been with another woman and don’t want to be with another woman. I love you. You just caught me by surprise when you said you’d forgive me if I had. Most women aren’t so understanding.”

  I grabbed Billy’s ponytail and yanked it. “That’s for making me crazy.”

  Jonathan backed up.

  “Oh, don’t worry, Jonathan. Your pain is yet to come if you tell Lu Ann about your meaningless sex romp with Deanna.”

  “I don’t know if I can live with myself if I don’t. I have to tell her. It’s the right thing to do.”

  “If you think it’s going to clean your slate by telling her, you’re wrong. It’ll drive her away, and then you’ll hate yourself for ever saying a word. You’ll lose her over a woman you don’t care about. You made a mistake. Drop it, and don’t ever let it happen again.”

  Jonathan looked at Billy.

  “I agree with Jesse. If you tell her, you’ll lose her. Is it worth it?”

  “Okay. I’ll keep it to myself. Can I blame you if Lu Ann finds out?”

  “Not in this lifetime.”

  “Let’s have a drink,” Jonathan said, relieved. “I need to drown my sorrows.” He reached for the bottle, but Billy grabbed it.

  “No, you don’t. Jesse and I have a job to do, and we might need your help. No more drinks for you.”

  “I think he’s helped enough,” I added. “He cheated on his fiancé, and he got you to lie to me.”

  “I didn’t lie,” Billy said. “I covered for him, and I didn’t realize I was even doing it.”

  “Well… I’m still mad about that.”

  “No, you’re not,” Jonathan said as he reached over and hugged me. “You love us too much to ever stay mad at us for long. Drop it, and get over it.” He mocked my own words in a gentle way. “We love you, too.”

  I pushed him away. “I’m still mad at you, too.”

  Billy intervened. “Tell me more about the gun. Are there other crimes connected to it?”

  “Just one more,” Jonathan said. “A year ago, Donald Rhodes’ mother was killed in a home invasion by someone who used that same gun. Deanna ran it through the national database and the bullet she test-fired matched up to the bullet that killed Francine Michaels and the bullet that killed Donald’s mother, Betsy. The police never recovered a gun in either case.”

  “Somebody’s been a busy bee,” Billy stated.

  “You have some hot evidence here, brother. That gun’s been around.”

  “Maybe Wynona and her brother are working together—a brother and sister killing team,” I suggested.

  “Nothing would surprise me,” Jonathan said.

  “Donald said he bought the gun for Wynona,” I added. “She probably gave it to Bruno so he could kill his wife, after she used it to kill Donald’s mother. They wanted to eliminate anyone who had a stake in the money. It’s all about the money. It always is.”

  “Wynona could’ve killed Francine and Betsy all by herself,” Jonathan guessed. “Billy said she’d do anything for the money, so she had motive. Anyone who had a connection to Donald’s company and the money are dead—Hank Sharp, Francine Michaels, and Betsy Rhodes. Stella Sharp’s been paid off, so there’d be no reason to kill her.”

  “Wynona didn’t kill Hank for the money, but he’s still dead,” I added. “So… there’s no one left to come out of the woodwork?”

  “Nope. Donald was an only child. His father died years ago, long before Wynona came along. Everyone else is out of the picture, except him. He was her last obstacle. I can’t believe she tried to kill her own husband over his money.”

  “It happens all the time,” I said. “Money—some have it, and everybody else wants it.”

  “Wynona… hmmm,” Billy said. “I didn’t give her that much credit.”

  “You were too busy covering Jonathan’s butt,” I mumbled. “Men are such pigs.”

  Billy and Jonathan laughed at me.

  “What about fingerprints?” Billy asked, continuing with his questions. “Was Deanna able to lift any viable prints?”

  “Three,” Jonathan replied. “Wynona, Bruno, and Donald’s prints were on the gun. There was a partial print, but she couldn’t get a positive ID on it.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I’m done being mad. What’s next? Are we going to call Sheriff Hudson?”

  “Not just yet,” Billy answered. “Not until we put the gun back where we found it. After we do that, we’ll call the sheriff.”

  The dogs started barking, and then a horn blew.

  “Helene’s home,” I said, looking over at Jonathan. “Did you tell her?”

  “I didn’t have to. She guessed. You can’t keep anything from that woman. She always knows when someone’s trying to hide something.”

  “What did she say? I bet she raked you over the coals.”

  “She told me that I should be ashamed of myself.”

  “And… are you?”

  “Yes. I’m a pig.”

  “Come on,” Billy said to us. “Let’s go help Helene with the kids.”

  The three of us walked out onto the front porch, and then down the steps to the car. The loaf of French bread she went to buy had turned into three bags of groceries. We grabbed the kids and the groceries, and then went inside.

  “Did you stir the spaghetti sauce?” Helene asked Jonathan. “If you didn’t…”

  “I stirred it,” he replied. “Everything’s fine.”

  “Except your cheating ways,” she hissed.

  Helene’s comment was the last remark made about Jonathan’s fall from grace. We put the groceries away, held the kids for a moment, and then put our plan into action. Billy grabbed the gun off the counter, and we headed out to catch a criminal. Jonathan went home to mend his ways and to sulk in private… at least, that’s what he said.

  “Dinner will be ready around six,” Helene yelled to us as we were leaving. “Try not to be late. Your folks are coming over.”

  “No problem,” Billy yelled back. “This won’t take long.”

  “We’ll see about that,” she mumbled to no one in particular.

  We jumped into Billy’s truck and were on our way. Our first stop would be Donald Rhodes’ house to return the gun to its resting place in the woods, and then we were going to see Bruno Michaels. The next thing to do would be to alert the sheriff.

  By the t
ime we got to Rt. 29, Billy’s cell phone rang. It was Ollie Atwater. Savannah was going to get what she wanted. All she had to do was pick up the paperwork from his office and then go to Fancy Gap to pick up Kaleb. The matter had been settled without money changing hands, except the fee she would have to pay for his service. Jeanette would get nothing but the satisfaction of knowing that Kaleb was going to a good home.

  “I hope this is what she really wants, for the child’s sake,” I remarked. “Kaleb deserves to have someone love him. Savannah sure has enough money to provide for him, so that won’t be a problem, and she works at home, so she’ll have plenty of time to spend with him. It could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to her… and him. She can spend her days raising the child she always wanted.”

  “Your attitude has changed,” Billy said. “You’re not angry with Savannah anymore.”

  “No, I’m not. So… she told a few white lies to save her image. I can understand that. She’s sincerely distraught over McCoy’s death, and she wants to do the right thing by Kaleb. I just feel bad for Russell. It’s going to break his heart when he finds out about Cole. He adores Savannah.”

  “He’ll survive. He’s a man-pig, too.”

  I had to laugh at Billy’s reference.

  “So… you no longer think she drugged him,” he said. “You think he tried to kill himself.”

  “I don’t have a clue as to what went down, but I can tell you this, somebody had better come clean before I lose my mind.”

  “What else is on the mind you still have?”

  “What makes you think I have something on my mind?”

  “I can tell,” Billy said, reaching over and putting his hand on my leg in a soothing way. “I know when something’s bothering you. Is it about the gun thing?”

  “I want you to know I understand about your lapse in judgment. You wanted information you wouldn’t be able to get from the police, so when Jonathan suggested you have Deanna run the ballistics for you first, it sounded like a good idea. There was plenty of time, because the gun wasn’t going anywhere. The mistake was getting Deanna involved. I’m sure there was someone else who could’ve helped us. You have to understand that when a man-pig’s lust takes over, nothing good ever comes out of it. Jonathan cheated on Lu Ann, and now he won’t be able to keep his sin to himself. He’ll tell her, and she’ll send him packing. I can see it coming.”

  “Yeah,” Billy admitted. “Things did get a little fouled up. We could’ve handled it better.”

  “On the plus side, we’re about to bring down a killer… or two.”

  “Yes, we are, aren’t we? I feel good about that. Next time, I won’t take such a roundabout way of doing the job.”

  “And you don’t think throwing the gun back into the woods is roundabout? Why don’t we just take it to the sheriff and tell him where we found it? The worst they can do is arrest us for trespassing. I got a bad feeling about this one, Billy. If something doesn’t stick to us, we’ll be mighty lucky. We’re not going to come out of this smelling like a rose, no matter how you look at it.”

  “Let me think about this for a minute,” Billy replied as he turned onto Rt. 33. “Your idea has merit. Why not end this right now? We’ll give the gun to the authorities and let them sort it out—like we should’ve done right from the start.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more. Too bad we’ll miss seeing the look on Bruno’s face after he’s confronted with the evidence. We won’t get to tell him that we know the truth about him and his rotten sister, and their killing spree.”

  “Who says we have to miss it?” Billy winked. “After we turn in the gun, we’ll go over to his house and tell him what we did. We’ll tell him that we know everything. We’ll accuse him of murder, and that way, we’ll get to see firsthand his reactions to the allegations. He won’t be able to hold back his emotions if we lay it on heavy enough.”

  “We can’t do that. It’ll give him a head’s-up, and then he might flee. How long do you think it’ll take the Greene County Sheriff’s Office to get the ballistics back on the gun, and then get a warrant? Huh? Too long, that’s how long. Bruno will be in another state by then.”

  “You’re getting very wise, `ge ya.”

  “I have you to thank for that, my hero.”

  Billy pulled out his cell phone and punched the speed dial key for Sheriff Hudson, and then hit the speakerphone key, so I could hear the conversation.

  “Hello, Mr. Blackhawk,” Sheriff Hudson said. “I was just getting ready to send a couple of my men out to bring you and your lovely wife in. I think you have something for me.”

  Billy quickly rebounded from the shock and replied, “Yes, we do, Sheriff Hudson. We’re on our way to turn in a gun we recovered, so please don’t shoot us when we walk in carrying it.”

  “We’ll be ready,” the sheriff replied, and then abruptly hung up.

  Billy and I looked at each other for a split second.

  “What do you make of that?” I asked. “How did he find out?”

  Billy shook his head and kept driving. A few minutes later, both of us glanced back at each other and said, “Deanna.”

  “She’s trying to get back at Jonathan,” I said, sizing up the situation. “He walked away, and maybe she didn’t want him to. This is her way of getting a little revenge. I wonder what else she’s got up her sleeve.”

  Billy just shook his head again, and I knew right then and there, this wasn’t going to end well for us.

  A woman scorned… is a bad thing.

  Chapter 20

  The sheriff wasn’t kidding when he said they’d be waiting for us. Four of Greene County’s finest, with guns drawn, surrounded the truck when we pulled in the parking lot. Billy wasn’t fazed by their actions, but I almost wet my pants. He shut off the truck, and then both of us raised our hands. We didn’t make another move, until a deputy told us to get out of the car.

  “Don’t you think this is a little overkill?” Billy asked, with his hands still raised. “It’s not as if we’re criminals. We’re just here to turn in evidence.”

  Sheriff Hudson walked out the front door and motioned to his men, saying, “Take them inside and show them to my office.” He pointed to one of the other deputies and said, “Find the weapon.”

  “It’s on the front seat,” Billy said. “Sheriff, we came here on our own accord. You don’t have to treat us this way.”

  The sheriff didn’t respond, instead, he followed behind his men as they ushered us inside. The deputies holstered their weapons once we were seated in the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Hudson walked in the room and closed the door. He wasn’t smiling.

  “What’s going on here?” I whispered to Billy.

  “It’s obviously a mistake,” he replied. “They’re just trying to rattle us with their scare tactics. That’s the way they operate.”

  “It’s working,” I said. “My hands are trembling and my stomach is in knots.”

  “Oh, there’s been no mistake made,” Sheriff Hudson announced as he walked over behind his desk and sat down. He shook his head as if to emphasize his annoyance with us, and then started his monologue. “You two have been flying under the radar for way too long, but this time you’re off the charts. You’ve really gone and done it, and I can’t let you slide on this one. I’m charging you both with obstruction of justice and withholding evidence to start with, and I’m sure a few more charges will be added before this interview is over. Just because you have a license to snoop around, you can’t go around taking the law into your own hands. This has to stop, so I’m putting an end to it right now. Your days of running wild are over.”

  A thought occurred to me, so I spoke up. “Why didn’t your men pat us down? If we’re so dangerous, why didn’t they check us for weapons?”

  The sheriff almost laughed when he looked at me and replied, “I can tell you’re not holding. You’re wearing shorts and T-shirts, and we’ve already searched your truck and your purse. You know, you should
never leave your purse in the car, even if it’s locked. There’re so many thieves out there.”

  “You searched my purse?”

  “It was in plain sight.”

  “That’s not right.”

  “Just to make sure we’re on the same page, Mrs. Blackhawk. You don’t have any weapons on you, do you?”

  “You never know,” I snidely remark. “I could have a knife hidden in my bra.”

  “Do you want me to get one of my female deputies to take you to another room and strip search you?” he asked in a very serious manner. “Because I will if you imply you’re armed.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary. I’m not armed.” I shut up.

  “This isn’t the time to make jokes,” Sheriff Hudson replied. “You have serious charges against you. You’re both going to jail. As I said, I can’t just let this go. I have a job to do.”

  My stomach did a flip flop as my worst fears were quickly becoming a reality. Billy and I had stepped in it this time, and we were going to pay for it dearly. Sheriff Hudson was going to throw the book at us.

  “Look, Sheriff,” Billy started. “You know what we do, and how we do it. Sometimes we cross over into a gray area, but we never break the law.”

  “You did this time, pal, and you’re going to pay for it. I’m tired of trying to rationalize your actions. You seriously hindered our investigation. I have people I have to answer to.”

  “We were a little slow in turning in the gun we found,” I said in a low voice. “But we’re here now. I don’t understand why you’re so mad.”

  “I’ll tell you why I’m so mad, Mrs. Blackhawk. You might be private investigators, but that doesn’t give you the right to act like cops. You don’t have that authority. I don’t see a badge pinned to either one of your chests.”

  “We were just doing our job,” Billy said. “We were on a case.”

  “And what case would that be?”

  “You know what case,” Billy replied. “You were there.”

  “You’re talking about the night Wynona Rhodes shot her husband.”