Come Rain or Shine: Rose Gardner Investigations #5 (Rose Gardner Investigatons)

by Denise Grover Swank

  He smiled at me as we came to a stop at the front door. “That’s right.”

  “What brought y’all to Henryetta?” I said, trying to sound light and breezy. “Most people move out not in.”

  He laughed. “I suspect it’s a case of the grass being greener someplace else. There’s a lot less overhead here in Henryetta. Plus many companies are moving out of the cities and into rural areas. Properties are cheaper, taxes are less, and there’s often an eager underemployed workforce.”

  “How many people do you think you’ll employ?” I asked. I wasn’t sure about the first two points on his list, but Fenton County surely fit the last one.

  “We’ll bring some of our employees with us, but we’ll need at least two or three.” His grin turned teasing. “You happen to be lookin’ for a side job, Rose? I know landscaping slows down in the winter.”

  “No, but I know plenty of people who are,” I fudged. “What kind of qualifications are you lookin’ for?”

  “We’ll need some office staff and probably a computer programmer. We’re not entirely sure yet. Know anyone who might be interested in either position?”

  “Perhaps for the office staff,” I said. “Even if we don’t get the landscaping job, I’d appreciate it if y’all would let me know when you’re hiring so I can tell my friend.”

  He leaned closer, his eyes lighting up. “Between you and me, you’ve got the job. The discussion is only a formality.”

  I beamed up at him. “Thanks for taking me into your confidence. I look forward to hearing from you.”

  On the way back to the office, I took a detour to the nursery Violet and I co-owned with Joe. Neely Kate was filling in for Violet since they were busy with all the fall plants sales and pumpkins, but I hoped Maeve, the nursery’s manager, would be able to give her an early lunch break.

  Neely Kate was outside stacking a pile of pumpkins when I pulled into the parking lot. She had on a pair of jeans with a pink sequined heart on the thigh and a pink button-down shirt that was only buttoned to the bottom of her cleavage, revealing a tight white T-shirt with a hint of the Gardner Sisters Nursery logo visible. Her long, wavy blonde hair was pulled back at the sides and the rest hung down her back. When she glanced up, she beamed at me and set the pumpkin in her hands onto the pile. She pulled me into a huge hug as soon as I reached her.

  “Rose. I’ve missed you!”

  “We saw each other three days ago,” I teased, but I’d missed her something fierce. Up until recently, we’d lived together and worked together at both the landscaping office and on our investigations. I was used to her being a daily presence in my life.

  “You know that’s too long.” She grabbed my shoulders and leaned back, turning serious as she studied my face. “Jed called me. Why’d you want Denny Carmichael’s number?”

  Somehow I’d momentarily forgotten about the mess I’d left at the office. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard by now. In fact, I’m surprised I haven’t heard anything by now.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked the screen. “Oops.”

  I had several missed calls and texts. One of them, from Joe, read: CALL ME.

  I knew why he was desperate to reach me, but I hadn’t decided yet if I was going to rat Denny out. Texting seemed safer.

  Don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m at the nursery dealing with something. I’ll explain everything later.

  “What happened?” Neely Kate asked.

  I glanced around to make sure we were alone, then leaned closer. “Denny Carmichael sent a friend to drop by the landscaping office.”

  Her eyes flew wide. “You’re kiddin’.”

  “I wish I were. He wanted to warn me to mind my Ps and Qs tomorrow when I testify before the grand jury.”

  She gave a quick shake of her head. “Wait. What? What grand jury?”

  Three days clearly had been too long. I told her about the Arkansas State Police officer showing up on my front porch that morning. “Joe had warned me from the very beginning that Mason was likely to call one, but so much time had passed, I’d started thinkin’ I might get out of it.”

  She frowned, her brows knitting together. “What are you gonna do?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m supposed to meet with Carter this afternoon. I’m waiting to hear when.”

  Worry filled her eyes. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to meet with Skeeter’s lawyer?”

  “He’s my attorney too,” I said. “And it’s not like we’re at cross-purposes here.”

  Her brow lifted as though to ask, Are you sure?

  “Carter Hale helped me more than I expected when I was arrested for Momma’s murder.”

  “At Skeeter’s request.”

  “And James will want him to help me now.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “Carter’s gonna have Skeeter’s best interest in mind, not yours. Maybe it’s time to find a new lawyer.”

  She had a point, but the last time I saw James he’d admitted that he loved me, words that didn’t come lightly for him. He wouldn’t let Carter throw me to the wolves.

  “What are you goin’ to do tomorrow?” she asked. She and Jed were the only ones who knew the full story of what had happened to me that night. They knew the truth about James—that he’d financed the salaries of those Sugar Branch police officers and summoned Denny Carmichael to kill them rather than showing up himself.

  “I’m hopin’ Carter will advise me on that.”

  She scowled. “What did Joe say?”

  “To tell the truth,” I said. “If I don’t, I’ll be perjuring myself.”

  “Only if they find out you’re lyin’.”

  Neely Kate had a good point, but what were the chances all of this would be kept quiet? Not to mention just a year ago, Mason and I had the same goal—clean up the corruption in the county. When had my goal changed? Keeping all of this to myself might be in my own best interest, but was it in the best interest of the county?

  “There’s something we need to look into,” I said, hating the implications of what I was about to suggest. “Sonder Tech, the big landscaping job I just pitched—”

  “Oh my word!” she exclaimed. “I completely forgot that was today! How’d it go?”

  “Good. Great,” I said. “One of the guys walked me to the exit and told me he was sure we got the job. We’ll get the official word within the next couple of days.”

  “That’s amazin’!” Neely Kate said. Then her excitement faded. “Why do I feel like there’s a but in there?”

  Grimacing, I said, “It’s likely nothing.”

  “But it might be something,” she prodded.

  “I knew they had relocated here, but I didn’t know much else. My contact had only told me they were an internet company.”

  “Oh mercy,” she said with an ornery look. “They sell sex toys, don’t they? Did you get a catalogue? Miss Mildred will keel over.”

  “What? I’m not sure what they do…” But I had to admit that would explain the secrecy surrounding their business. I could only imagine how the Henryetta Baptist Church would react to having a company like that in town. I shook my head to clear the mental image of Miss Mildred with sex toys. “I still don’t know what they do, but I did find out that they’re moving here from Dallas.”

  Her face lost color, and she took a moment before she said, “Dallas is an awfully big city.”

  “True, but first Carly and now them? And around the same time too,” I said.

  “No,” Neely Kate said. “Sonder first started renovations on the property before Carly showed up, I think. Maybe a month or two earlier. I remember because Witt was still lookin’ for a job and wondered if it might lead to something. But for some reason he thought they’d moved here from Oklahoma.”

  “We need to talk to Witt.”

  Her mouth scrunched to the side. “And Jed.”

  I quirked an eyebrow and gave her a sly look. “How convenient that they happen to work at the same place.” I cast a glance a
t the pile of pumpkins. “Do you think you can get away to go ask them? I was plannin’ on askin’ you to lunch anyway.”

  “You don’t want to wait until tonight?” she asked. “Jed and I are comin’ for dinner.”

  “But Witt won’t be there since it’s a…” I saw the look on her face and realized he’d found out and invited himself. I laughed. “If there’s food involved, Witt always finds a way to get a place at the table.”

  “Do you think Violet will mind?” she asked, looking worried. “When she called, she didn’t make it sound like anything special. She said the kids like playin’ with me and Jed.”

  “Don’t be silly,” I said. “Witt’s family. And you know Vi loves him. He’s an incorrigible flirt and she eats it up.” I lowered my voice. “But I don’t want to ask them about it tonight. We still don’t know what the Hardshaw Group wants from you.” I shook my head. “I’d rather put my mind at ease now than later, not to mention it would be better to keep it out of Violet’s earshot.”

  “I’d rather deal with it now too,” she confessed. “I still can’t believe they sent goons to kidnap me and then nothing for nearly two months. The longer this goes on, the more nervous I get.”

  “Maybe that’s the plan,” I said. “Or maybe they’re tryin’ to make you complacent while they find another way to get to you.”

  She shrugged. “All I know is that I’m a nervous wreck, and Jed’s even worse. He’s gotten to the point that he’s scared to let me out of his sight. In fact”—she waved to the pumpkin stack—“if he knew I was out here workin’ alone, he’d throw an ever-lovin’ fit.”

  Jed had a point—it would be easy for someone to drive up and snatch her—and I felt guilty that it hadn’t occurred to me. “Then why are you out here?”

  “Because it needs to be done. Maeve’s workin’ on the books and Anna threw her back out a couple of days ago.” She paused, taking a deep breath, then said, “And because I don’t want to live my life in fear, worried that the worst is gonna happen at any minute. I love bein’ out in the sunshine and the warm weather and breathin’ in the clean air.”

  “You don’t like bein’ caged,” I said more to myself than her.

  “After Branson locked me up for months, keepin’ me on a short leash…” Her earnest eyes bored into mine. “I was rarely outside, Rose. I was in that godforsaken house or in his car goin’ back and forth to the strip club, but I was hardly ever in the fresh air, feeling the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair.” Her eyes glistened. “That was years ago, and I’d started to take my freedom for granted. But after I was almost kidnapped…” She paused, as though weighing her words. “I started appreciating what freedom means, and hiding in Jed’s house and inside the nursery is only slightly better than bein’ trapped in Branson’s prison.”

  While being trafficked by her supposed boyfriend was a far cry from her current situation, I understood what she meant. Freedom was freedom.

  “Then we need to try even harder to figure out what they want from you so you can stop lookin’ over your shoulder.”

  She studied me for a long second. “Rose, maybe you should tell the grand jury everything you know so you can stop lookin’ over your shoulder.”

  My mouth dropped open. “What?”

  “No more secrets, Rose. Haven’t you had enough of them? I’m sure weary of mine.”

  Out of the blue, I felt the tingling of a vision, and before I could process it, I was plunged into a field at night. Vision Neely Kate was face-to-face with Ronnie, whose expression was full of concern.

  “What were you thinkin’, Neely Kate?” he demanded.

  “I need to be free of you, Ronnie! I need to live my life without you!” she shouted.

  “If you keep this up, you won’t have a life to live,” he said, anger pinching the bridge of his nose. “You need to let this vendetta go.”

  “No!” I shouted, smacking his arm with my palm. “No! You did this, Ronnie Colson! You fix it!”

  “No, you did it, Neely Kate!” he wailed, giving me a hard shove backward. “Why couldn’t you just leave things alone?”

  I stumbled on something but righted myself. Glancing down at the ground, I saw the body of a man, his eyes wide in shock. A bullet hole pocked his forehead.

  The vision faded, and I was propelled back into my own body with a force more violent than usual.

  “Why couldn’t you leave things alone?” I whispered. Then my stomach heaved, and I leaned to the side, throwing up what little muffin I’d eaten.

  “Rose,” Neely Kate said in alarm. “Did you just have a vision?”

  Had Neely Kate killed another man? I stared into her worried face, wondering if I should tell her or just tell Jed. It would kill her.

  I spat to help clean the vomit out of my mouth. The bottle of water in my purse caught my eye, and I took a swig of it, swished out my mouth, then spat again. But when I stood, my head began to swim.

  “Rose,” Neely Kate said, grabbing my arm to keep me steady. “Maybe you should sit down.”

  Part of me wanted to protest, but she was right. I could feel a full-blown panic attack brewing in my chest, as though an elephant sat on my chest, sucking the air out of my lungs. I hadn’t had one for nearly a year, but it was a feeling I could never forget. I needed to sit down and get ahold of myself. I stumbled to a low block wall and blindly reached backward to sit down.

  Fear filled Neely Kate’s eyes. “Rose?”

  I sat, but I missed the wall, the blocks scraping my back as my butt landed on the concrete with a hard thud.

  “Rose!” I heard Maeve shout, but her voice was faint—she was far away, and so was I.

  I tried to lower my head between my legs, but then everything went black.

  CHAPTER 5

  “Rose, oh my God. Rose.”

  I heard Neely Kate, but I felt like I was at the bottom of a well.

  I blinked my eyes open and saw her worried face hovering over mine.

  Relief filled her eyes and her shoulders sagged. “Oh, thank God.”

  “I’m okay,” I said, trying to sit up, but a hand pushed me back down.

  “Just lie still,” Maeve said from my side. “Just take a moment.”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The memory of what had gotten me into this predicament came rushing back, and my eyes flew open. “How long was I out?”

  “Not even a minute,” Maeve said, picking up my hand and cradling it in hers.

  I turned to look in her worried eyes. “Y’all didn’t call an ambulance, did you?”

  “Not yet,” Anna said from behind me. I tilted my head back to look at her. When I saw the phone in her grip, I pushed Maeve’s hand off my shoulder and sat up, although I couldn’t bring myself to release her other hand. “I’m fine. It was a panic attack, is all. I used to have them all the time before.”

  “Before what?” Anna asked.

  “Before my real life began.” Back when I was a meek, scared little girl in a woman’s body. It shook me that I’d had one after so long. What did it mean about all the progress I’d made in my life?

  I was sure Anna had questions, but Maeve spoke before she could ask any of them. “You’ve been burning the candles at both ends, Rose. You’re not eating. You’ve looked exhausted and worn out for over a month. You’re trying to run two businesses and take care of your sister at the same time. You’re not Superwoman and your body is telling you to slow down and take a break.”

  It was the vision that had pushed me to this, but I didn’t want to tell them what I’d seen. “I can’t take a break,” I said emphatically. “Too many people depend on me.”

  “And every single one of us is ready to pitch in.” She gave me a warm smile. “Why don’t you head up to Eldorado Springs tomorrow? Both you and Neely Kate. There’s a new spa there and you girls can make the day of it. Just the two of you havin’ a girls’ day out.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t. Violet’s too sick. I don’t dare leave for t
he entire day.”

  Maeve’s body tensed. “She’s gotten worse?”

  “She won’t let on to most people, but just this morning she couldn’t get out of bed on her own.” I took a breath to keep from crying. “I don’t know how much time she has left.”

  “I didn’t realize it had gotten that bad, although it stands to reason. She is dyin’.” Her chin trembled and she looked close to tears. “I haven’t seen her in nearly two weeks.”

  “Come to dinner tonight,” I said. “Violet invited a bunch of people over.”

  “I’d hate to impose,” Maeve said, her brow furrowing with a deep frown.

  “Don’t be silly,” I said. “I’m surprised she didn’t ask you already. You’re family.”

  Maeve threw her arms around me and held on tight. While she hugged me often, this one felt more intense. “I was so worried you’d hold it against me.”

  “Hold what against you?” I asked, squeezing her back.

  “Mason and his grand jury.”

  I tried to hide my surprise. “We all know that Mason’s here for a noble cause,” I said, truly believing what I said. He’d never wavered from seeking justice. I was the one who’d switched sides.

  What did that say about my character?

  If I were an outside observer, looking down on all of this, would I consider myself a hero or a villain?

  “But he’s hurting you in the process,” Maeve whispered in my ear, and once again, I wondered if she knew about my relationship with James Malcolm.

  I pulled back, looking deep into her eyes. “You’re the mother Vi and I always wished we had. Violet loves you, but she also recognizes that you’re Mason’s mother, and as far as she’s concerned, Mason is the enemy.”

  “She feels the way a good sister should,” Maeve said.

  “Yes,” I said, tears rolling down my cheeks. So few people understood my complex sister, but Maeve had a rare ability to see people for who they were at their core. She had looked beneath Violet’s bluster and had seen the sister I had always known—the woman who was desperate to be loved and needed. Her attempts to fulfill those needs were often suspect, but underneath it all, Violet was the same as me—one of two little girls huddling in the dark, clutching each other as their mother railed outside their door. And while I’d been the one to suffer most of the abuse, Violet had been powerless to stop it from happening. She could have turned her back on me—saved herself the heartache and the hopelessness—but she never once left my side. Never once left me alone.