Cold Hearted (45 page)

Rick stopped as they reentered the chapel. “But what?”

“Mr. Wright’s casket is missing.”

“What do you mean it’s missing?”

“I mean it isn’t here,” Mr. Farmer said. “I’ve checked the hearse, too, and it’s not there. I have no idea where it is.”

“Shit!” He grabbed Farmer by his jacket lapels. “How many people have access to the funeral home after hours?”

“You don’t think one of my employees would—”

“Yeah, I think they would. For enough money.”

“What possible reason would anyone have to steal Mr. Wright’s casket? Who would do such a thing?”

“Someone who intends to put another body in the coffin.”

Robby Joe Wright’s bride.

Jordan looked from Darlene to Rene, keeping her wavering fake smile in place.

Holding Rene’s arm with her left hand and clutching the gun in her right hand, Darlene forced Rene into position behind Jordan.

“Button her dress, please, won’t you, Rene,” Darlene said. “It’s just one of those little things a maid of honor does for the bride.”

Do it, Rene, please do it. Don’t argue with her.

Rene struggled with the buttons and after several tries, she managed to accomplish the task.

“Good job,” Darlene said. “Now, turn around, dear, and let us see how beautiful you look.”

Jordan turned slowly. Her gaze locked with Rene’s for one long, mutually terrified moment.

“I know you wanted Devon to be your man of honor, but that was just foolishness on your part. It’s much more appropriate for Rene to be your maid of honor. After all, it’s what Robby Joe really wants, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Yes, you’re right,” Jordan said.

“You’re going to make my son such a wonderful wife. The two of you are so perfect together. I only wish I had realized sooner that this was the only way you could be truly happy.”

“You’ve always put me first, haven’t you, Darlene? You love me as if I were your daughter. You’ve been at my side all these years, taking care of me.”

Darlene smiled. “I knew you’d understand why I had to kill them.”

“I do understand. I really do. You were protecting me from them, weren’t you? Jane Anne and Dan and Boyd and—”

“And Donald Farris and Jay Reynolds,” Darlene added the final two names to the list. “I had planned to get rid of J.C., but he left before I was able to finalize a plan.”

“What about my father?” Jordan asked.

“Oh, my dear girl, I had nothing to do with Wayne’s death. Undoubtedly living with that trashy whore he married finally became too much and he just keeled over with a heart attack.”

“You — you’re going to kill us, too, aren’t you?” Rene’s voice quavered with fear.

“I’m so sorry that I had to involve you, Rene. I’ve always liked you. But I wasn’t sure Jordan would come with me without a little persuasion. I promise that I’ll make it quick and painless.”

“Darlene, please let Rene go. She doesn’t need to be a part of this. It should be just you and Robby Joe and me. We don’t need her for the wedding. I’m all ready. See?” Jordan pivoted around slowly as if showing off her bridal gown. “Robby Joe has been waiting twelve years. Let’s not keep him waiting any longer.”

Tears glistened in Darlene’s eyes. “Oh, my dear, dear Jordan. I knew you still loved my son.”

“Please, let Rene go.”

“All right. After the ceremony.”

“Let her go now.”

“Oh, I’m afraid I can’t do that. But once you become Robby Joe’s bride, Rene can leave.”

When Rick rounded the last bend in the country road leading to the cemetery, he looked up ahead and to the right, directly toward the graveyard. Beams of two bright headlights broke through the darkness surrounding Robby Joe’s burial site.

God in heaven!

He pulled the Jeep onto the shoulder of the road, turned off the lights, and killed the engine. His heartbeat drummed inside his head. His muscles tensed.

As he got out of the Jeep, he pulled his Smith & Wesson from his shoulder holster. Adrenaline rushed through his body as he quietly made his way down into the ditch, up the other side, and into the cemetery.

As he approached the parked SUV, he heard voices.

“Go to Robby Joe. He’s waiting for you,” Darlene Wright said. “Take your place at his side.”

“Please, Darlene, think about what you’re asking me to do.” Jordan’s voice was amazingly calm. “Robby Joe is dead. He’s not in that casket. He’s in heaven.”

“Yes, of course, my dear. I know that. But soon you will join him and the two of you will be together forever.”

“You don’t want to kill me. You love me. Remember?”

“Of course, I love you. That’s why I’m doing this. It’s the only way you’ll ever be truly happy.”

“Please, please…” Jordan’s voice grew panicky.

“If you don’t go over there and get in the casket with Robby Joe, I’ll be forced to kill Rene. You don’t want me to do that, do you?”

“No, don’t. Please. I’m going. I’ll do what you ask.”

“No, Jordan, don’t! My God, you can’t!” Rene cried out.

Rick crept closer, pausing directly beside the Navigator.

Darlene held a gun to Rene’s head, the muzzle pressed against her temple. Even if he could get a clear shot at Darlene, he couldn’t be a hundred percent certain her finger, which was a hairsbreadth from pressing the trigger, wouldn’t react involuntarily. But what choice did he have?

Jordan walked slowly toward the open casket.

Rick slipped around the Navigator.

Jordan looked down into the coffin.

Darlene shoved Rene ahead of her and came up behind Jordan. “Get in. Don’t keep Robby Joe waiting any longer.”

Jordan lifted one foot and stepped into the coffin.

“Now, lie down beside your groom,” Darlene said.

Jordan lay down inside the casket.

Holding the pistol with both hands, Rick took aim.

Darlene slammed the casket lid closed.

Rick fired.

Rene screamed.

Jordan shivered uncontrollably as she lay there in the darkness, her body resting on top of the recently autopsied corpse.

Not Robby Joe. Not Robby Joe
, her mind screamed.

She gasped for air. Oh, God! There was no air. She was going to suffocate. Lifting her hands, she pushed on the padded satin lid.

Suddenly, as if from far away, she heard a loud noise. A gunshot? And then someone screamed.

Oh, please, no, no. Darlene, you promised not to kill Rene. You promised.

Was she going to die, too? Was it too late for anyone to save her?

Where are you, Rick? Where are you? You won’t let me die. I know you won’t.

Rene stood there shaking and screaming, her hands over her ears, her eyes wild with fear. Not bothering to check Darlene’s body lying on the ground to see if she was dead, Rick shoved Rene aside, and grasped the edges of the coffin lid. As he tried to pry up the lid, he noticed half a foot of white satin covered with heavy beading hung out the edge of the casket, preventing it from sealing. He managed to get his fingers beneath the latch, then he shoved the lid up and open.

Jordan lay inside, her eyes wide, her mouth open. But she didn’t move. She can’t be dead. She can’t be! She’d been in the coffin for only a few minutes. But in those few minutes, she could have suffocated.

He reached inside and slid his arm beneath her. His hand grazed the corpse as he lifted Jordan up and into his arms. She was limp and seemingly lifeless as he carried her away from the gravesite.

He went down on his knees and placed her on the ground, then he tilted her head back and listened to see if she was breathing.

She wasn’t.

Damn it, you’re not going to die. I won’t let you!

He pinched her nose and then covered her mouth with his. After he blew into her mouth, he watched as her chest rose. He repeated the process.

Come on, honey. Breathe for me.

Just as he started to proceed to the next CPR step and begin chest compressions, Jordan gasped.

Rick felt as if he, too, had come back to life.

“That’s it, honey. Breathe!”

She coughed. Rick helped her into a sitting position as she continued coughing. “Rick… Rick…” She sucked in deep breaths as tears streamed down her cheeks.

He wiped flyaway strands of her hair from her face and kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her chin and finally her mouth. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around him.

“I knew you wouldn’t let me die.”

Holding her close, he buried his face against her neck.

Shivering and weeping, she clung to him.

“Rene? Darlene shot her. Is she—?”

“I’m all right,” Rene said, her voice a fractured whisper.

Jordan lifted her head and looked up, then cried out when she saw her friend. “Oh, thank God.”

“I shot Darlene,” Rick said as he slowly rose to his feet and helped Jordan to stand.

“Is she dead?” Jordan asked.

“Probably.” Rick glanced over at Darlene’s still body.

He had shot her in the back of the head. He had intended to kill her.

“Oh, Rick, she killed Dan,” Jordan said. “And Jane Anne and Boyd and Jay and Donald. She killed them all. And she believed she was killing them to protect me, to help me. Why didn’t I see it? Why couldn’t I—”

“It’s not your fault.” Rick clasped her face between his hands. “You had no way of knowing how mentally deranged she was and probably has been for a long time, maybe even before Robby Joe died.”

Jordan glanced at the open casket and shuddered. “She made me… Oh, God, Rick, I was in that coffin with… with…” She sobbed.

Rick stroked her back tenderly. “That’s it, honey. Let it all out. Cry until you can’t cry anymore.”

In the distance, police and ambulance sirens wailed, piercing the natural quiet of the country night.

Rick had stayed close by at all times during the past week, there at her side whenever Jordan needed him. But often she wanted to be alone and he and the others who loved her, gave her the right to mourn in private. He had slept on the daybed in her dressing room, but in the morning before dawn every day, she had called to him and he’d gone to her, simply to hold and comfort her.

This morning, six weeks to the day of Senator Daniel Price’s funeral, Darlene Wright had been laid to rest in the plot next to her son at the Jernigan Crossroads Cemetery. The ceremony at the graveside had been brief. Reverend Crowell had read from the Holy Scriptures and said a prayer beseeching the Good Lord to give Darlene eternal peace.

Only Jordan’s nearest and dearest had attended the service and those same people were now sharing coffee and drinks at Price Manor. Everyone wanted to be there for Jordan, to offer her their support. Roselynne and Tammy. Devon and Rene. Claire and Ryan. Wesley and Kendra. Tobias and Vadonna.

Jordan came up to him there in the foyer where they’d first met. Had it really been only six weeks ago?

“We need to talk,” she told him.

“There’s no rush. It can wait.”

“No, we need to talk now.” She took his hand. “Let’s go to my study.”

He followed her to the back of the house and into her small, cozy hideaway. He closed the door behind them. He knew what was coming. It had been inevitable. And he’d told himself he was prepared, but he wasn’t.

“I think I’m in love with you,” she said.

“Jordan, I—”

She pressed her index finger over his lips. “If you love me, you’ll give me time. I can’t do this. Not now. I’m only half a person. I need to be whole before I can make any kind of emotional commitments.”

“How much time do you need?”

“I’m not sure. Weeks. Months. Maybe a year.”

“That’s a long time to make a guy wait.”

“I know I’m asking for a lot, but—”

He silenced her with a kiss.

She kissed him passionately, and then pulled out of his arms. “Will you give me some time? Will you wait?”

“Yeah, honey. I’ll wait. Take all the time you need. And when you’re ready, let me know.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Would you say it, just once.”

He looked at her, but didn’t touch her again. “I love you, Jordan.” Then he walked out of her study and out of Price Manor.

He got in his Jeep and drove down the drive, through the front gates and onto the highway, leaving behind the one thing in the world that meant the most to him.

Ten months later…

Rick rang the doorbell. Devon Markham opened the door and greeted him with a smile and cordial handshake.

“Come on in, Rick. I’m glad you could make it. Everyone is going to be happy to see you.”

By everyone he sure as hell hoped Devon meant Jordan. He hadn’t seen her or heard from her directly in ten months. The last time he’d seen her, the day of Darlene Wright’s funeral, she had told him she loved him and then she’d sent him packing. He had been waiting impatiently for her to send for him. He had just about given up hope when he received an invitation to Roselynne Harris’s wedding to Wallace McGee.

He had found out through Griff and Nic that the wedding would be a small, private ceremony, held at Price Manor, which Jordan had turned over to Ryan and Claire when she moved out six months ago.

“She’s living in Chattanooga. She has an apartment there and is taking classes at UTC,” Nic had told him. “Claire said that Jordan’s thinking about renewing her teaching certificate and getting a job teaching elementary school.”

As he entered the foyer, he straightened his tie and swallowed hard. Weddings weren’t his thing. Wearing a suit and tie wasn’t his thing. If he wasn’t halfway sure that he’d been invited to this shindig because Jordan was ready to see him again, he damn well wouldn’t be here.

“I’m the only groomsman,” Devon told him. “So, allow me to show you to your seat.”

The house was decked with flowers and ribbons and candles, all tastefully done. He definitely saw Jordan’s fine hand behind the decorations.

“I guess you heard that J.C. got in a bit of trouble a few months ago. I’m afraid he’s serving jail time out in California and can’t be here. Ryan’s going to give the bride away and Tammy and Jordan are bridesmaids. It’s a real family affair.” Devon led Rick into the front parlor which had been stripped of eighty percent of its furniture to make room for white folding chairs, set up in two sections with an aisle, strewn with rose petals, between the double rows.