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

by Ann Mullen

  “Don’t say that!” I demanded. “She’ll be fine. We won’t let anything happen to her.”

  “How will you stop it?” Sarah added. “You can’t work, so you can’t go on a job with her. How will you protect her?”

  “She’ll have Eddie.”

  “But…”

  “Stop!” Billy said. “It was just a thought. Minnie made the suggestion, but I don’t think she was serious.”

  “Then you don’t know my mother very well. She said it in haste, but I bet she’s at home mulling it over right now as we speak.” I pointed to the wall, and added, “That phone’s going to ring any minute, and it’s going to be Mom.”

  My timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Everyone gasped when the house phone suddenly rang.

  Chapter 21

  Billy jumped up to answer the phone, but I waved him off. I liked the idea of having her work with us again, and if that was Mom on the phone, I knew she was serious. Besides… nothing bad was going to happen to her or Eddie, because we wouldn’t let it. I knew Billy wouldn’t send her on a job that was going to be dangerous. He’d give her the easy ones, the safe ones, and we’d take the more scary ones… under the radar.

  “Hello,” I said after picking up the receiver. I waited for a response.

  “Hi, honey,” Mom replied. “It’s me, your mom.”

  I laughed. “I know who you are, Mom.”

  “I was going to call and ask if we could come over, but Eddie’s still not feeling up to par, so I’m calling to tell you that we’d love to help you and Billy out until you get your licenses back. You do know that Eddie’s a retired cop, don’t you?”

  “No, I didn’t, Mom.” I emphasized her name when I spoke, for the benefit of those in the room. “You never talk about Eddie’s past. I thought maybe he was an ex-con,” I joked.

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “I’m just kidding, Mom,” I said, looking around the room at everyone. “So… you and Eddie want to be the new Jesse and Billy, huh?”

  “Hey, I like that,” she replied.

  “I just made it up a little while ago when I was talking about you.”

  “You were talking about me?”

  “Yes, I was. What you said to me earlier put a bug in my ear.”

  “I hope you get it out.” She laughed. “They’re nasty.”

  “I’m being serious, Mom. I’ve talked it over with Billy, and he agrees.” I looked over at Billy and winked. I knew he was going to give in—he always did when he liked the idea… and this was a good idea. “And now that we know Eddie is a retired cop, we won’t have to worry about your safety. He’ll look out for you.”

  “We’d make a good team. Eddie knows his stuff.”

  “What does he have to say about it? Is he interested, or are you coercing him into it because you want to play snoop? This is a serious business, Mom. Somebody could get hurt.”

  “You don’t have to tell me. I’ve seen the results. I know what can happen. And you sure don’t have to tell Eddie. You should hear some of the stuff he’s told me. People can be so bad.”

  “Boy… do I know it! I’ve met my share of bad people.”

  “Look,” Mom continued. “Talk it over with Billy for real this time, and then give me a call. Eddie and I would like to do this, but if you don’t want us to, then we’ll drop it. No hurt feelings.”

  “I love the idea, but I’ll check it out further with Billy.” I glanced over at Billy with a questioning look on my face and hesitated for a second, waiting for a nod one way or the other.

  Billy shook his head in agreement.

  “Okay. It’s a done deal.”

  “Wonderful! We’ll get together as soon as Eddie feels better. Give us another day, and then we’ll talk about how we’re going to do this. It’s going to be so much fun, Jesse. You wait and see!”

  “I’m looking forward to working with you and Eddie. You’ll have to wear a vest.”

  “Do we have to? You know how uncomfortable they are. You want your poor old mother to have to wear something so miserable?”

  “I want you to stay alive, so you have to wear one. Both of you.”

  “Then you have to buy them. If it’s going to be a job requirement…”

  “We’ll supply the vests, right, Billy?” I looked his way. He shook his head in agreement. “Billy says we’ll take care of you.”

  “And Eddie?”

  “Of course! We’re a team now!”

  “Until tomorrow.”

  “Wait! I have something to tell you.”

  “I know everything there is to know. I shop at the IGA, remember?”

  I laughed. “So… you know it’s true about Savannah and Cole being involved, and that she’s going to adopt Kaleb… Jonathan and his ex-lover Deanna had one last fling, so Lu Ann probably won’t marry him now… McCoy’s death was most likely the result of a self-induced drug overdose, and that Cole really did act in self-defense when he killed him.”

  “Yep. Know all that.”

  “I guess that about covers it then. Oh, have you heard from Flo?”

  “Yes, Strange how that turned out.”

  “She’s okay. That’s what matters. Nobody’s after her anymore. As far as Wynona and Donald Rhodes are concerned, they’re someone else’s problem. I no longer care who killed whom. It was this case that got our license yanked. That—and bad judgment on our part.”

  “Don’t hold a grudge, Jesse. Next time, don’t get caught.”

  “We’ll talk later. Love you, Mom.”

  We ended our little tête-à-tête.

  “This is going to be a lot of fun,” Helene said, looking over at me as I hung up the phone. “I just wish I could be part of your team.”

  “You are,” I responded. “You’re a very important part of our team. You take care of us, and without you, Billy and I wouldn’t be able to leave the house.”

  “I’m talking about carrying a gun and going out on late night raids.”

  Billy laughed and said, “Trust me, Helene, you’d rather be right where you are, instead of out there.”

  Sarah and Chief Sam agreed.

  “Why don’t we retire to the den?” Billy suggested. “I’ll get us all a drink and we’ll watch the news to see if anyone we know is in it.”

  “That’s a pleasant thought,” I remarked in jest. “I sure hope not.”

  Life had been a little bit bumpy lately for some, but nothing compared to the events that were about to unfold in front of us. While Billy fixed drinks, the rest of us made ourselves comfortable in the den. The kids had an array of toys to play with, but occupied their time with the dogs. The cat had balled up off the side and would have nothing to do with anyone.

  Helene grabbed the remote, turned on the TV, and then went straight to the news station. What appeared on widescreen in full living HD color was so typical of news coverage. Footage on Channel 29 showed a house with a yard full of Greene County cops—their lights steadily flashing, while a stretcher carrying a sheet-covered body was being taken to a waiting ambulance. A man with his back to the camera was being handcuffed, and then taken into custody. The startling part was that the deadly scene being played out was at the Rhodes’ residence. Something awful had gone down.

  “Billy, come here quick!” I yelled to him. “You’re not going to believe this.”

  “What’s so urgent?” he asked as he walked over to the dry sink and sat down the tray of drinks. He started handing them out, but stopped when he turned around and looked up at the screen. His mouth dropped. “Turn it up, Helene.”

  “Look at the reporter,” Helene said, pointing to a man with a microphone in his hand. “That’s young Henry. I know his mother.” She chuckled. “I tell him he reminds me of Dick Clark, because he never seems to age. I don’t think he likes it when I say that, but he’s too much of a gentleman to say anything.”

  “Shh,” I whispered. “I can’t hear what he’s saying.”

  “A local Greene County man has
shot and killed his sister in a bizarre turn of events,” the reporter said. “Bruno Michaels killed Wynona Rhodes in this house after a violent argument over his late wife, Francine Michaels. According to Donald Rhodes, the victim’s husband, Bruno Michaels forced his way in, accused Wynona Rhodes of killing Francine Michaels, and then shot Mrs. Rhodes dead. Sources reveal that Mrs. Rhodes had just been released from the Orange County Regional Jail.”

  The reporter continued, but the rest of us had heard all we needed to hear. Wynona Rhodes was dead, and her brother was the one who had killed her.

  “Turn it down, Helene,” Billy said. “We’ve heard enough.”

  “I thought her bail had been denied,” I questioned, looking at Billy. “What was she doing out? Sheriff Hudson said…”

  “He was wrong. Things change.”

  “Her lawyer did something,” Helene offered as she turned down the sound on the television. “Only her lawyer could’ve gotten her released.”

  “If she’d stayed in jail, she’d still be alive,” Sarah added. “It’s ironic.”

  “I say she got what she deserved,” I responded. “She was a bad, bad, bad person. She stabbed Hank Sharp to death, shot two people dead, and then tried to kill her husband with the same gun—the one he’d bought for her. She kills three people and gets away with it, so by now she’s acquired a real taste for blood. She wasn’t ever going to stop. Somewhere along the line, she would’ve killed again. If somebody got in her way, she’d just bump ‘em off. She was a serial killer, and this world is a better place without her in it. I’m just sorry Bruno’s going to prison because of her. At least, now we know he wasn’t the one who killed his wife.”

  “Can you imagine how betrayed he must’ve felt when he found out his sister killed his wife?” Chief Sam asked. “He must’ve been horrified.”

  “Yeah,” I replied. “Sucker blew a gasket.”

  Everyone looked at me.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so flippant. I liked the guy, except when he shot me. I didn’t like him then.” I looked over at Billy. “Where’s the bullet?”

  “In a drawer. I saved it.”

  “How did he find out that his sister killed his wife?” Helene asked.

  “Probably from Sheriff Hudson during interrogation,” Billy said. “Bruno turned himself in, so I’m sure the sheriff questioned him about his wife’s death, telling him that the bullet that killed her came from Wynona’s gun. He had the ballistics report and would soon have the gun to prove it. He probably accused him of using the same gun to kill his wife. You know how the cops are. They use every trick in the book to get a confession.”

  “Bruno found out Wynona killed Francine, and then when Wynona got released from jail, it gave him the perfect opportunity to go over to her house and confront her,” I added. “Then he killed her. The circle of life!”

  “Look!” Sarah interrupted, pointing to the television. “Isn’t that Savannah’s house on the news? What’s going on now?”

  All of us turned to see. Helene turned up the sound.

  A woman reporter was interviewing Savannah, asking her how she felt when she found out the autopsy showed that her husband had taken a massive overdose of pills the day he died, and did she know he was unstable. Was she surprised at her husband’s erratic behavior? Was his death the result of suicide by cop? How will this affect her career?

  “So,” I said. “The autopsy report is in, and they’re calling it ‘suicide by cop’. That lets Cole off the hook—if he ever was on it.”

  “Vultures!” Sarah exclaimed. “The press is hounding her again.”

  Helene chuckled and said, “Hey, at least she wasn’t with her lover when the reporter showed up. How do you think her readers would like it if they knew she was seeing the cop who killed her husband? I bet that wouldn’t go over too well.”

  “Oh, it’ll come out eventually,” I said. “It always does. Six months down the road, we’ll see something in the tabloids about it.”

  “There’s so much going on, I can hardly keep track of it all,” Sarah said, making a face and pretending to be confused. “What’s in store for us next?”

  “Has anyone heard from Jonathan?” Helene asked. “I was wondering how it was going. You know he’s going to tell Lu Ann about Deanna. He can’t keep it to himself.”

  “He’s not going to tell her,” I replied with a smile. “He’s already been punished.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sarah asked. “How?”

  “Jesse slapped him,” Billy answered.

  “You did what?” Helene asked, looking over at me.

  “He deserved punishment, so I gave it to him, and told him to drop it.”

  “My boys are honest,” Chief Sam added. “He will never keep this to himself. He will have to come clean. It’s our way.”

  “Sometimes, honesty isn’t the best policy,” I stated. “He made a mistake. He’s sorry. Time to move on. If he opens his mouth, he’s doomed.”

  “I’m surprised you feel that way,” Sarah said. “Wouldn’t you want to know if your man cheated on you, especially if you plan to marry him in two weeks?”

  A horn honked outside, and a few seconds later, Jonathan came running through the front door. He called our names out before realizing we were all in the den. He hustled down the hallway to where we were.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” he said with a big smile on his face. “I told Lu Ann, and she didn’t dump me. She still wants to marry me! I’m still in a state of shock.”

  “I’m so glad to hear it!” I exclaimed, and then ran over to him. I gave him a big hug. “I don’t know what you said to her, but it must’ve been pretty good.”

  Sarah and Helene hugged him. Billy and Chief Sam shook his hand.

  “I told her the truth, and she couldn’t resist my charm.”

  “Right,” I muttered.

  “How about a drink?” Billy asked him.

  “No, thanks,” Jonathan answered. “I’m going home and go to bed. It’s been a mighty long day.” He looked at the television, and then back to us. “So… y’all been watching the news?”

  “Every last, dirty bit,” I said.

  “If it hadn’t been for you, that gun might’ve never been found. If Bruno had gotten his hands on it again, it surely would’ve disappeared forever... never to be found.”

  “And he would never know that his sister killed his wife,” I added.

  “See… that’s what I’m talking about,” Jonathan went on. “At least the truth came out. Sorry about the fallout.”

  “Actually, as far as I know,” Billy said, “they haven’t proved Wynona was the shooter. It was her gun, but can they prove she fired the shots?”

  “What does it matter?” Jonathan asked. “The gun’s off the streets.”

  “And Wynona’s dead,” Sarah added. “If she didn’t kill those people, then who did?”

  “That’s for the cops to determine,” Billy said. “We’re out of it.”

  “But don’t you want to know?” she asked.

  “No, Mom,” Billy replied. “I don’t. I’ve had enough of Wynona and her little soap opera. I have a jobless future to plan.”

  “We’re not jobless,” I said, looking at Billy. “Now that we have Mom and Eddie on our team.” I looked at Jonathan. “We just hired my mother and Eddie to be us.”

  “This ought to be a treat,” Jonathan said with a surprised look on his face. “You never know. It might just work out.”

  “And we’ll probably need your help now more than ever,” Billy added.

  “As long as you can keep your hands off Deanna,” I said. “I can’t deal with all that drama again. Too much stress.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me ever again,” Jonathan replied. “I’ve learned my lesson.”

  “We’ll see,” Helene said under her breath. “I’ll be watching you, pretty boy, so you’d better behave yourself.”

  The conversation ended and Jonathan, Ch
ief Sam, and Sarah said their goodbyes, leaving for the evening. We would talk again tomorrow.

  “It’s time to put the little ones to bed,” Billy said as he walked over and picked them both up in his big, strong arms. “Give everyone a kiss.” He looked down at Athena and Thor as they jumped to attention and said, “Come on, rug rats. You must stand guard over our children.”

  After many hugs and kisses, the kids were tucked safely in bed, and then Helene retired for the night. Billy and I sat in the den having one last drink and talking about our plans before turning in.

  “This might not be so bad,” he said. “It sure will give us more time with the kids.”

  “I wouldn’t bet on it. We’ll probably spend most of our time at the office trying to keep the business going. We can’t do much else.”

  “Sure we can. There’s plenty we can do.”

  “Like what?”

  “Oversee your mother and Eddie. They’ll need our guidance. There’ll probably be a lot of on the job training… if you know what I mean.”

  “No, I don’t. What do you mean?”

  “We can’t send them out on a stakeout, or any job for that matter, without proper training. To train, we must supervise. It could take six months to get them in shape.”

  “What you’re saying is that we’re still going to work.”

  “As much as we can without getting caught. We’ll have to be wise in our decision making. I know I’ve slipped in that department here recently. I trusted the cops in that drug bust awhile back, and look where it got me. I listened to Jonathan’s heart and not my head, and look where that got me. I must make better choices. We’re going to change our strategy.”

  “I don’t know what you have in mind, but I’m with you, Tonto. This squaw will follow you anywhere… do anything. Tell me what you want.”

  “I want to go to bed and make love to my beautiful wife.” He leaned over and kissed me lightly on the lips. “What do you think?”

  “We could be adventurous and make love under the stars. It’s a lovely night outside.”

  “I’ve had enough adventure for awhile. Let’s just do what most people do, and use the bed.”

  “Party pooper.”