Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies (9 page)

“It’s over now, and that hateful woman who called herself your momma is gone.”

“But she’s not,” I said, casting a glance at my best friend. “She’s haunting me now from the grave, threatening to destroy everything I’ve been blessed with since she died.”

“You hush,” Neely Kate scoffed, curling her upper lip. “That hateful woman’s not stealin’ a thing. I made you a promise, and I mean to see it through. We’ll get this sorted out.”

Witt’s beat-up red pickup was parked behind the factory. I pulled up next to him, and he hopped out of his truck, a toolbox in hand and a lopsided grin on his face.

“Hey, Rose,” he said as we walked over to him. “How ya holdin’ up?”

I cocked my head. “I’ll be better if we find anything helpful in this safe.”

“Well, let’s get to it,” he said, taking off behind the building. “I’ve gotta get back to the garage.”

I gave Neely Kate a questioning look.

“Witt works with Ronnie at the mechanic’s shop.”

“How’s Ronnie feeling?” he asked, traipsing through weeds. “He must have some kind of flu to be gone this long.”

Neely Kate’s mouth parted. “What are you talking about?”

Witt glanced back at her. “He’s called in sick since last Friday.”

She slowly shook her head. “He’s not sick. He was taking time off to be with me.”

Witt cringed. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell our boss. Besides, he’d never suspect Ronnie of lying.”

“So he’s not there today?” she asked in dismay.

Witt looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “I think I need to stop talkin’ now.”

Worry furrowed Neely Kate’s brow, but she didn’t ask any more questions. We followed Witt until he stopped outside the window Mason and I had used to get in the day before. I helped Neely Kate through, worried about her overexerting herself after her surgery a few weeks earlier.

“This place is even creepier than when we were kids partying here,” she said.

Witt laughed. “We were young and stupid. It’s probably because of that Halloween party the Jorgensen twins hosted.”

She shook her head. “Yeah. Maybe.” Then she cast a glance at the bloodstained floor. “Or maybe it’s knowing that two people died here a few days ago.”

“Hey,” Witt said, sucking in a breath and glancing around the space. “Do you think their ghosts are still here?”

“No,” Neely Kate said matter-of-factly. “I’d know if they were.”

I’d forgotten, but Neely Kate had decided that communicating with ghosts was her newest paranormal gift. I sure hoped she was right, because I had no desire to see Beverly Buchanan again, especially as a ghost.

When we got into the office, Witt put Neely Kate and me to work. Neely Kate held up an industrial-size flashlight and shined the beam on the safe while Witt put me in charge of handing him tools.

“I’m using this saw first,” he said. “But I’m likely to go through a couple of blades and battery packs since this steel is pretty dang solid.”

“Okay.”

“Then I’ll use the crowbar to pry it open.”

“Sounds good.”

He didn’t waste any time getting to work. I could see where he’d tried to cut it open the night before. Several deep grooves were already gouged into the metal.

Witt seemed pleased to have made it through the partially cut side and a good ways into the next before the battery started slowing down. He pried off the battery pack and reached for another.

“This blade’s working three times as fast as the one I used last night. We’ll get it done in no time.”

He got back to work, and I studied my best friend. She was holding the flashlight steady with one hand, but she kept staring longingly at the phone in her other.

“Neely Kate, go ahead,” I said over the whine of the saw. “Go call him.”

She handed me the light, flashed me a worried smile, and left the office.

Witt glanced over his shoulder as she left, then returned to his task. This time he made it through one and a half more cuts before the saw began to slow. I was already reaching for a new battery by the time he turned it off.

“What do you really think’s goin’ on with Ronnie?” I asked, wondering if I was overstepping my bounds, but too worried about Neely Kate to care.

“You want my honest opinion?”

“Yeah.”

“Ronnie’s a great guy, but some of the guys in his poker group are trouble.”

“What does that mean?”

He grimaced and cast a look at the open door as he changed the saw blade. “Other than your weekend in the Fenton County Jail, I know you’re pretty far removed from the crime world, breaking into safes aside.” He grinned and winked. “There’s big trouble on the horizon. Skeeter Malcolm’s in charge, but some of the guys think Skeeter’s a coward who ran off at the first sign of trouble. There’s another guy who’s telling everyone they need someone like him, someone who’s strong enough to stand up to trouble.”

My stomach cramped. “And what are the guys saying about that?”

“Skeeter’s still pretty new, but they’ve known him for years. Besides, he didn’t shake things up too much after taking over, and some of the Skeeter supporters think Gentry’s a hothead who would do the exact opposite.”

“Mick Gentry?” I asked, deciding that playing dumb would be the best way to get information. “He was a big animal vet before the police issued a warrant to arrest him for murdering the bank loan officer.”

“Yep, that’s him.”

“Well, he ran off right quick. How’s that any different from Skeeter running off because the sheriff wants to arrest him for the murders south of town?”

Witt narrowed his eyes.

I gave him a shrug. “I heard things in jail.”

He pursed his lips and nodded.

“So what does all of this have to do with Ronnie?”

“The garage owner … let’s say he’s been known to pull a fast one or two from time to time. But he’s a smart guy—he pledges his loyalty to the man in charge, who is currently Malcolm. But some of the guys from the shop—the ones in the poker game group—are siding with Gentry. I think Ronnie has gotten caught up in the middle of the mess.”

“But Ronnie, he’s not part of that world.”

He gave me a sad smile. “Rose, everybody working at Ted’s Garage in Pickle Junction is part of that world. Heck, it’s part of the job. We all do odd jobs now and then, if you know what I mean.”

Ronnie was mixed up in criminal activity? I felt like I was going to throw up. “Does Neely Kate know that?”

He caught his bottom lip between his teeth as he gave the drill more attention than necessary. “No. I don’t think so.”

“Witt, you have to tell her.”

He shook his head. “No way. I’m not getting involved.”

“She has a right to know.”

“Well, I ain’t gonna be the one to tell her. She’s my favorite cousin, and I’m not screwing that up.”

“Fine, I’ll tell her myself.”

He resumed his work and had made it to the fourth side of the safe before Neely Kate returned with red eyes. With any luck at all, Ronnie had confessed the truth of his situation, but I suspected it wouldn’t be that easy.

She took back the flashlight, and within a couple more minutes, Witt had made all of his cuts and turned off the saw.

“Crowbar,” he said, holding out his hand.

I took the saw and gave him the metal bar.

“It’s like opening a can of sardines,” Witt chuckled as he started to pry the safe open. “What are you hoping to find?”

“Papers about her birth father,” Neely Kate grumbled. “Not that it’s any of your damn business.”

“Hey,” Witt said, holding up his hands. “Don’t shoot the messenger, cuz.”

“It’s probably just papers,” I said, hoping to ease the tension between them. “But I’m hoping there’s more.”

Witt gave the crowbar a good yank, and a grin spread across his face as the metal curled back. “You said you were looking for more. You’re about to get your wish.”

“
W
ell
?” Neely Kate demanded. “What did you find?”

He reached into the safe and pulled out a handgun.

“Oh, my stars and garters,” Neely Kate gasped.

Witt handed it toward me, but I took a step back.

He tilted his head. “The way I hear it, you’re after the contents of this safe and this was in it.”

I hesitantly reached for it, surprised at how heavy it was. “What do I do with it?”

Neely Kate handed me the flashlight and carefully took it from me. She pressed a button and the clip popped out. “Yep. It’s loaded.”

I shivered.

Neely Kate looked up at me. “You should keep it, Rose. You need protection from everything that’s goin’ on.”

“I can’t right now. I have to think about it.”

She searched my face, and the hardness in her eyes softened. “Okay. I’ll hold onto it for now.” She opened the purse she had looped over her shoulder and put the gun inside.

“Do you want to see what else is in here?” Witt asked impatiently.

“Yeah.” But my mind was still reeling as to why Henry Buchanan had been hiding a loaded gun in his office. Then again, my mind didn’t have to search very hard for the reason.

Witt took the flashlight from me and shined it inside the opening before he reached inside and pulled out a stack of money.

“Oh, my word,” I said, looking over at Neely Kate. “I can’t keep that.”

“Of course you can.”

“No. I can’t! That money belongs to Henry Buchanan’s family.”

Her eyes widened. “Uh. Yeah. And Henry and Beverly were sure you were part of the Buchanan family.”

I handed it to Neely Kate. “I’ll sort this out later.”

“Okay.”

I steeled my back. “What else is in there?”

He pulled out a manila folder and handed it to me.

I opened the file, prepared to find just about anything. On top was a title to a 1980 Lincoln Continental. Underneath that was a copy of Henry’s life insurance policy for $750,000, which had been paid to his trust. I flipped to the next page and found the document Hattie had been looking for, naming Rose Anne Gardner as his third beneficiary.

That was low on my priority list.

There was one more paper, and I flipped the legal document over to get a look at it, hoping it was something helpful.

It was a photocopy of a page from the journal Joe had taken from me.

I closed my eyes and pushed out a breath of relief.

“Rose?” Neely Kate asked. “What did you find?”

I turned to face her. “What I was looking for.”

“Evidence to tie J.R. to something criminal?”

I nodded. “It’s a photocopy of a page from the journal.”

“Get out of town!” Her face bright with excitement, Neely Kate grabbed the edge of the folder and pulled it toward her, but her expression changed as she scanned the page. “It’s in jibberish.”

“It’s shorthand. And the journal is full of it.”

“So you have no idea what it says?”

“I just need to find someone who can read shorthand.” Neely Kate started to speak, but I held up a finger. “Someone who can keep a secret.”

Neely Kate rolled her eyes.

“I’m gonna give it to Mason when he gets back.”

“But he won’t be back for hours. And besides, why do you have to get his
permission?
Just get it translated on your own.”

I gasped. “Neely Kate, what in the world has gotten into you? I never said I was asking his permission. I’m waiting to ask
my boyfriend
—the former assistant district attorney—his
legal advice
on how to handle this.”

Tears filled her eyes. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

She was in worse shape than I’d thought. “This place is unnerving.” I reached for her hand and squeezed, then looked back at her cousin. “Is there anything else in there?”

“Just a key.” He pulled it out and placed it in my open palm.

I wasn’t all that surprised to see it was another house key. “Nothing else?” I asked. “Nothing to tell me what the key goes to?”

“Not unless it’s in that folder.”

“Not that I can see, but that’s okay. Thanks for helping, Witt.” I shifted my weight. “Do you want me to pay you?”

His eyes lit up, but Neely Kate shot him a glare.

He tried to hide a grin. “No, ma’am.”

“Do you need us to stick around and help you pack everything?” I asked.

“I’m good.” He looked at Neely Kate, then nodded. “It’s gonna be okay, NK.”

When she didn’t answer him, I put my arm around Neely Kate’s shoulders. “Then let’s get out of here.” I guided her out of the office, and we made our way out of the window and back to the truck.

The truck was cold, so I let the engine run for a minute while I pulled out my phone and texted Mason.

Any luck in LR?

He answered within seconds.
No

I grinned, knowing my news would cheer him up.
We got what we needed from the box. One page copy from the book. Need translation.

I sent the text, hoping he would understand my cryptic message.

Great! I’ll find a translator.

“Well, there you have it,” I said, backing out of the parking lot. “Mason said he’ll find someone to translate.”

Neely Kate made a face, then looked out the side window.

“Do you need to head home?” I asked as I pulled out of the parking lot.

She kept her eyes on the windshield. “No.”

“What did he say, Neely Kate?”

“He told me he’s at work.”

“Did he leave this morning at the same time?”

“I dunno. He stayed at his friend’s house last night.”

“Why?”

She glanced at me like I was a fool. “I told you that he forbade me to go the courthouse. It came with an ultimatum. If I left, he wouldn’t be there when I came home.”

“Oh, Neely Kate.”

She turned to look at me with hard eyes. “Don’t you be feeling guilty. This has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me!”

Her eyes narrowed. “I had no idea you were such a narcissist, Rose Gardner.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “First Carter Hale accuses me of having a huge ego, then you call me a narcissist. Maybe it’s time to reevaluate myself.”

“Rose,” she groaned, leaning her head against the back of the seat.

“Look, it’s not hard to figure out. I was arrested, Neely Kate. I spent the weekend in jail. And not only that, I’m constantly getting into trouble. I can understand why he’s worried.”

A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye.

“Neely Kate.” I tried to keep my voice strong. “I think you should go back home.”

She sat up so fast it was as if she’d been struck by lightning. “Are you trying to get rid of me, Rose?”

Without a word, I pulled the truck to the side of the road and threw the gear shift into park before I turned to her. “Let me make this perfectly clear: You are like a sister to me. I am here for you no matter what. I will never, ever try to get rid of you. Do I make myself clear?”

“You just said you wanted to take me back home.”

“Because I don’t want to ever get in the way of you and Ronnie.”

More tears fell down her cheeks. “I don’t know if there’s still a me and Ronnie.”

“Don’t be silly. We all say things in the heat of the moment that we don’t mean. You wouldn’t believe some of the arguments Mason and I have had.”

“This is different, Rose. Mason never left you.”

“Mason
almost
left me twice.”

Her mouth dropped. “What?”

“Once after Joe kissed me and another time too. Mason knew J.R. was gonna have me arrested sooner rather than later, and he couldn’t find anything big enough to stop him. He wanted to find dirt on Joe to use it as leverage—if J.R. used his fabricated evidence on me, Mason would release the information about Joe’s past, including his DUIs and assault charges.”

She turned to face me, a new look of purpose in her eyes. “So why doesn’t he release all that now?”

“Because I stopped him. I wouldn’t let him look. I said we’d be stooping to J.R.’s level if we did that.”

Her eyes widened in horror. “Are you crazy? They are nothing alike. Joe actually committed those crimes. Yours are all made up.”

I grabbed her hand, pleading with her. “But Joe was trying to change, and I just couldn’t do that to him.”

Fire seemed about ready to shoot out of her eyes. “Yeah, he’s changed all right. He used to be a snake in the grass, and now he’s slitherin’ out in the open.”

I sat back in the seat, feeling like a fool. “Was it all a lie, Neely Kate?” I asked, my voice softer. “Did he ever love me?”

“I don’t know. I thought he did, but maybe he was like a kindergartner who wanted the new, bright and shiny toy so bad he’d do anything to get it, especially if someone else wanted it. Then when he realized he wasn’t gonna get you back, he decided to go along with his father.”

I shook my head. “That just doesn’t sound like the man I know. He’d been changing. He was tryin’ so hard.”

“I don’t know. I wish I had answers for you, honey. I don’t even have ’em for myself.”

I laughed even though tears stung my eyes. “Well, we’re a fine lot, aren’t we?”

“We’re a mess.”

Now that I’d expressed my dismay over Joe, my long-suppressed fear rose up and burst lose. “I’m gonna lose Mason.”

“How can you say that? He was so upset this weekend, Rose. You have no idea. I made him take a short rest while I warmed up that casserole for him. He loves you so much.”

My chin quivered. “He’s puttin’ it all together. He knows I’m not tellin’ him everything. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep it from him.”

“The Lady in Black?”

I nodded.

“Can’t you just stop?”

“I can’t.” I wiped a tear off my cheek with the back of my hand. “J.R. Simmons is bent on ruining Mason and Skeeter through Mick Gentry, and I can’t let him do it. I have to stop them.”

“How do you propose to do that?”

“I asked Jed to set up a meeting between Lady and Mick. And when I meet him, I’ll tell him I want to meet his big boss. If my theory is correct, J.R. will be tempted to take the meeting.”

“And what’s your theory?”

“That this is personal between Skeeter and J.R. Joe’s father wants to steal away everything that matters to Skeeter.”

“His business … and the Lady.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s plum crazy, Rose. He’s gonna kill you!”

“Not if I have help. Jed will go with me as protection.”

“And so will I.”

I sat up faster than a jack-in-the-box. “Now you’re the crazy one. You’re not goin’ into a meeting with criminals!”

“Why not? You are.”

I shook my head in frustration. “That’s different!”

“How is it different? If anything, I’m safer than you are. I’ll go as your assistant. Or your other bodyguard.”

“What if someone recognizes you?”

“Who’s gonna recognize me? I’ll wear a wig. I got a whole closet full of ’em. And I’ve got my own gun. With the gun from the safe, now I have two of them.”

“
Neely Kate
.”

“It’s not
that
crazy. Not any crazier than you askin’ Jed to set up the meeting. Besides, you’ll feel better havin’ extra protection, and you know it.”

“I can’t let you!”

She shuddered and jutted her head back. “You don’t have a say in this. I’m goin’.”

“What about Ronnie?”

“Ronnie can stick it up his backside.”

“Neely Kate.”

“Do you know when you’re meetin’ Mick?”

“No, but I told Jed the sooner the better. Tonight would be best because Mason won’t be back from Little Rock until late. I won’t have to explain my leaving. Just my comin’ back.”

She waved toward the road. “Well, then let’s get goin’. We have to run by my house to get your Lady in Black clothes, if nothing else.” She shot me a wicked grin, and she knew she had me. I needed my outfit to go to the meeting, but I still hoped to talk her out of coming.

Neely Kate was a bit bubblier during the drive, talking about what her persona should be. I kept quiet, foolishly thinking my silence would discourage her. She took my silence and ran with it.

My only hope was that the meeting would be set for another day. It didn’t seem terribly likely I’d be able to ditch her if it ended up being tonight.

Since Ronnie wasn’t at work, I wondered if he’d be home, and I spent a good portion of the drive planning what I’d say if I saw him. While I understood why he wanted to keep me away from his wife, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt. But the house was quiet and empty.

I followed Neely Kate toward her bedroom, but she stopped for a spell at the door to the second bedroom.

My stomach clenched as I realized what had caught her notice. “Oh, Neely Kate.”

The room had a white crib, dresser, and rocking chair. The walls were painted a cheery yellow, and the bedding was a pale green and yellow sherbet color. The last time I’d seen this room was a week before she lost the babies. Back then, it had still been a guest room.

“I didn’t think you’d decorated yet. I thought Ronnie was makin’ you wait.”

Her voice was tight. “He was. But I did it anyway.”

“I’m so sorry.” I wrapped an arm around her waist and buried my cheek into her shoulder.

“He’s not comin’ home tonight. I don’t think I can stay here alone.”

I spun her around to face me. “Then you won’t. Pack a bag for a couple of days until Ronnie Colson comes to his senses.” I pursed my lips and shook my head. “What in tarnation is goin’ on with the men in this county? First Joe. Then Ronnie. It’s like there’s something in the water.”

“If only that were the explanation.”

The look in her eyes was so pathetic that I pulled her away from the doorway and shut the door. “Come on. I have a craving for ice cream.”

“But it’s freezin’ outside.”

“So what? You know I never do things like everyone else. Let’s get you packed, grab my clothes, and get out of here. Deal?”

She threw her arms around my shoulders and pulled me close. “Deal.”

“I love you, Neely Kate. We’re gonna get through this. The both of us.”

She nodded, her tear-streaked cheek brushing against my neck. “Yeah.”