Deadly Rivalry (Hardy Brothers Security Book 17) (11 page)

G
rady poked
his head inside the bedroom and frowned when he saw the bed was not only empty, but also made. Mandy wasn’t much of a housekeeper and he doubted she got up to make the bed the day after she was accused of murder.

For a moment, panic flooded Grady. He was terrified whatever hurtful words Mandy and James exchanged the night before were bad enough to cause her to run. Reality didn’t take long to set in, though. No matter how angry and upset Mandy was, she wouldn’t hurt James that way.

Grady padded into the room and glanced around. There was a chance she snuck out to the guesthouse and slept in the bedroom out there, although he had no idea how James would miss that from his spot on the couch.

As he passed the closet, Grady glanced inside out of habit and his heart flopped when he caught sight of Mandy. She was curled into a ball on the floor, her back pressed to the wall, and she had a flimsy blanket wrapped around her. One of the sharks James bought her at some event – or maybe even the one he won at the festival earlier in the week, Grady couldn’t be sure – was clutched in her hand.

Grady lifted his phone so he could take a photograph. He wanted to make sure his brother realized what he'd done. Mandy must’ve heard the quiet click of the camera because she bolted to a sitting position, her eyes wild with terror.

“James?” Her voice was low and raspy, her eyes swollen from crying. Grady shuffled toward her and raised his hands. It took Mandy a few seconds to focus on him. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m checking on you,” Grady answered, sympathy almost taking his knees out from under him as he settled on the floor next to Mandy and rested his shoulder against hers. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Mandy said. “I was just … putting some stuff away because I couldn’t sleep.”

“I saw you asleep on the floor,” Grady said, opting for honesty. “I know you and James had a big fight. I get it, but we need to talk.”

Mandy made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. “You probably don’t want to say that,” she said. “That’s exactly what I said to James before he called time on our marriage.”

“You two should be studied for a psych journal,” Grady grumbled. “You’re masters at hurting each other and yet you still love each other more than anything, so let’s not get overly dramatic and make this even more difficult than it already is.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Mandy said, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest. Grady could see the shark from her
Jaws
pajamas peeking out as she shifted her legs and he wanted to laugh. “James shouldn’t lose everything because I’m going to prison.”

“You’ve never been what I would consider a defeatist,” Grady said. “In fact, you’re almost always upbeat about the future. I understand that Madeline’s body showing up in your car trunk was … odd … but we know you’ve been framed and we’re working on rectifying it. Why are you giving up before you even begin fighting?”

“I’m not giving up,” Mandy said, averting her gaze. “I’m being pragmatic. James needs to protect himself. I know he doesn’t see it right now, but several years from now he’ll get tired of waiting for me and move on. I wasn’t trying to hurt him. I was trying to get ahead of him hurting me.”

“That’s exactly what you were trying to do,” Grady countered. “You wanted to hurt him. I want to know why.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Are you angry at him, Mandy?” Grady prodded. “Do you blame him for leaving you the day Pritchard grabbed you? I’ve been wondering if you have for a few weeks now. You would never admit it if you did blame him, but it’s a natural reaction.”

“I don’t blame him,” Mandy snapped. “Why would I blame him?”

“Because he made a big deal about telling you what to do and demanding you think before you acted because he needed to keep you safe … and then he didn’t keep you safe,” Grady supplied evenly. “It’s okay to be angry. That doesn’t mean you don’t love him.”

“I don’t blame James for what happened,” Mandy protested. “Only a crazy person would do that. He couldn’t possibly have known what Pritchard was going to do.”

“And yet if James had stayed home instead of going to Oakland County, or if Jake allowed you to go with him to bail James out that day, you wouldn’t have been here when Pritchard attacked,” Grady pointed out. “You wouldn’t have killed him.”

“I don’t blame James.”

“He blames himself.”

“Why?” Mandy bit her bottom lip and scratched her cheek.

“Because he promised to keep you safe and failed,” Grady said. “That’s what’s going on here. He won’t fail you again. He’ll find a way to keep you safe if it kills him. You have to give him some room to breathe here. I know you’re hurting. I see it every time I look at you. He needs you as much as you need him, though. You have to give him a break.”

“What happens if I go to jail, Grady?”

“James will take you and run before that happens.”

“Are you okay with us taking off and leaving you?” Mandy asked. She was understandably dubious.

“We’ll join you once we get everything settled,” Grady said. “We can run the business from any location. James will have to remain wherever you land because of extradition problems, but we’ll be fine. Knowing James, he’ll pick a beach location.”

“I can’t let him give up everything he’s built.”

“And he can’t live without you,” Grady shot back. “You have to put him first, Mandy. He’s earned it. Don’t make him beg, and don’t cut him out of this.”

“Have you ever considered that I’m being punished?” Mandy’s eyes filled with tears.

Grady was confused. “For what?”

“I killed a man,” Mandy said. “I killed him and got away with it. Maybe this is the universe’s way of making things square.”

“You can’t possibly believe that,” Grady argued. “Lance Pritchard was a monster, Mandy. You saved Emma and Avery.”

“I can still feel the knife going into his body,” Mandy whispered, pressing her eyes shut as a fat tear slid down her cheek. “I can smell the blood. I can feel it on my hands. I’ll never be clean again. I am a murderer.”

Grady was dumbfounded and out of his depth. “You are not a murderer,” he said finally. “I’m starting to understand what James meant about you being a pod person, though. Snap out of it. We don’t have time for this melodrama and I cannot take another moment of this soap opera bullshit. You’re a Hardy. Start acting like one.”

“
S
O
,
did you and my current wife pick out my new wife while you were up there?” James asked his brother when Grady descended into the kitchen thirty minutes later. “I hope she’s pretty. No more blondes, though. They’re crazy and they bring nothing but heartbreak.”

“I’m glad to see your head is in a good place,” Grady said dully.

James narrowed his eyes as he focused on his brother. “What’s wrong?”

“Have you talked to Mandy – I mean really talked to her – since Pritchard died?”

“We’ve talked numerous times,” James said. “She’s better. This isn’t about Pritchard.”

“This is completely about Pritchard,” Grady countered. “First off, did you know she slept on the closet floor last night with her back pressed against the wall so no one could get her?” Grady held up his phone so James could see the photograph. “Second off, her head is a mess and Pritchard is at the center of that mess.”

“She’s going to be the death of me,” James said, his voice cracking as he studied the photo.

“We just had a long talk, and now you and I need to have a talk,” Grady said.

“You have no idea how much those words chill me,” James said.

“We talked about quite a few things, but she’s closed off and she’s adamant that she’s being punished for killing Pritchard,” Grady explained.

James stilled. “What?”

“She thinks she got away with killing Pritchard and because she was happy again the universe decided to smack her in the face and take everything away from her,” Grady said. “She thinks she deserves this and she’s desperately trying to find a way to save you as she goes down with the ship.”

“No, she can’t think that,” James argued. “That’s ludicrous. Pritchard was a monster. She saved Emma and Avery.”

“That’s not how she sees it,” Grady said. “She still feels the knife going into his body. She still smells the blood as it gushes out. She sees her dirty hands and thinks she’s tainted. I can’t fix what’s wrong with her.”

James lifted his eyes to the second floor. “I don’t know if I can either.”

“You have to try,” Grady said. “If you lose her, we’ll lose you. We can’t lose either of you. You’re her husband, so you have to talk to her and listen to what she says for a change. Don’t hear what you want to hear. Hear what she’s actually saying.”

J
AMES
walked
into the bedroom and immediately caught sight of Mandy as she sat in the middle of their floor. A memory box full of photos and trinkets from their time together was open in front of her, various things spread out on top of the rug as she looked them over.

“What are you doing?”

“Just looking,” Mandy answered. “We’ve done a lot of things in two years.”

“We’re going to do a lot more,” James said. “We’ve barely scratched the surface of our time together.”

“I want to believe you so much it hurts,” Mandy said. “I can’t help but feel that losing you is inevitable, though. I’m pretty sure I don’t deserve you.”

A lone tear slipped down James’ cheek as he crossed the room and sat behind Mandy. He positioned himself so his legs were on either side of her and then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his chest against her back.

“Baby, I’m sorry this happened,” James said, choosing his words carefully. “Grady told me what you said about Pritchard, and I’m honestly not sure what we should do about it. Maybe you should find a counselor or someone to talk to, because I can’t fix this and I need you to move past it.

“I am not trying to minimize your feelings,” he continued. “I think I’ve been pretty good about letting you sort things out on your own, but you’re not a murderer. You are a hero. I will not let you punish yourself for something you didn’t do because you’ve jumbled something you did do in your head. I won’t risk our future because our present is muddled.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“I know you are,” James said. “I’m sorry I hurt you, too. I didn’t mean what I said and the fact that you slept in the closet because you didn’t feel safe alone tears me up inside.

“Mandy, you are the love of my life and that means there will never be another woman in my heart because you’ve already claimed my soul so it could join with your soul,” he continued. “I don’t know what you’re trying to justify in that pretty little head of yours, but you are literally it for me.

“Now, we’re going to figure out what happened to Madeline,” James said. “You didn’t kill her, and you’re not paying for it. The person who killed her needs to pay for it. The only thing you’re going to pay for is suggesting I get another wife, and the bill you’re going to foot for that one will involve nudity, not bars.”

Mandy snorted, the sound taking both of them by surprise.

“I want you to consider talking to someone about these feelings you have about Lance Pritchard’s death,” James said, lowering his voice. “I know I haven’t been helpful, but that’s because I would’ve killed him myself if the roles were reversed. What you did that day was not murder, but I’m not sure how to make you see that.”

“My head knows you’re right,” Mandy said. “My heart was starting to agree and then … .”

“You have an endless mountain of crap piled on you sometimes, and it’s not fair,” James said. “I tease you about being a trouble magnet, but you deserve five minutes of happiness. You are not going to prison no matter what. I won’t allow it. Our family will find another home before that happens. Do you want to know why?”

“Because I’m your home,” Mandy answered, causing James’ heart to swell. “You’re mine, too.”

“I know I am,” James said. “If you ever bring up another wife, though, we’re going to have big problems. I am sorry I left you alone, but I was really angry and I didn’t want to accidentally hurt you.”

“You would never hurt me, James. I know that.”

“I don’t know, baby. What you said to me last night cut deep and I was ready to lash out. I needed space.”

“I’m sorry for what I said.”

“I’m sorry that you’re involved in this situation when it’s my fault,” James countered. “Madeline wouldn’t have been anything other than a bother that first night if I hadn’t taken the job. I wanted a distraction, and now I’ve put you in danger … again. This is on me.”

“She would’ve found another way,” Mandy said. “She wanted you. She was going to keep trying until she got you.”

“Well, that never would’ve happened,” James said, smoothing Mandy’s hair. “I’m a one woman man, and you’re my woman.”

“Even if I’m a pain?”

“Even if you’re a pain,” James conceded. “I love you, my baby. We have to fight this one together, though. I need you to work with me instead of against me. Our whole future rides on this one.”

“I love you, too. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for having feelings and expressing them,” James said. “I want you to tell me what you’re feeling instead of bottling it up, though. Can you do that for me?”

Mandy nodded.

“Good,” James said, kissing her cheek. “Now get in the shower. I have some tension to relieve and then we have to be at Peter’s house in time for lunch. It’s time to figure out who hated Madeline more than we did and then we’re going to get our life back. No more talk about divorce, post-nuptial agreements, or prison. None of those things are going to happen. Period.”

“
C
ome
in and make yourselves comfortable.”

Peter Marconi, Southeastern Michigan’s version of Tony Soprano – although with a much better set of ethics – ushered Sophie, Grady, James, and Mandy into his home shortly before noon. He greeted Sophie, his foster daughter, with a hug and kiss and then turned his attention to Mandy.

“How are you, my dear?”

“I’m fine,” Mandy said, forcing a bright smile. “Getting framed for murder can’t drag me down.”

“Uh-huh.” Peter slipped his finger under Mandy’s chin and lifted it. “You look tired.”

“She didn’t sleep well last night,” James supplied. “Neither one of us did. We’re going to fix that when we get home.”

“That’s good,” Peter said, leading everyone toward his arboretum. “You’re going to need your rest for the days ahead.”

James slipped one arm around Mandy’s waist as he pulled her in front of him and linked their left hands together as they walked down the marble hallway. Peter had sandwiches, soup, and drinks already waiting.

“I had the cook make up a nice chicken soup,” Peter said. “I was worried Mandy might be dealing with a sour stomach and I wanted to make sure she had something that would go down relatively easy.”

“You didn’t need to do that,” Mandy said, her cheeks burning. “I don’t need special treatment.”

“You need food, wife,” James said. “I saw that pizza I sent you upstairs with in the garbage in the bathroom. You haven’t eaten in almost twenty-four hours. You’re eating if I have to feed you myself.”

“Like a baby,” Grady said, purposely trying to get under Mandy’s skin.

“You bug me,” Mandy muttered.

“Yes, well … your husband owes me a raise for ending your fight so I can afford to bug you,” Grady said.

“Why were you fighting?” Sophie asked, arching an eyebrow. She was used to Mandy and James throwing down, but she expected them to pull together in a time of crisis. “Did James do something?”

“Hey! I’m the good one this time,” James said, feigning offense. “She’s the one who wanted me to pick out a new wife.”

Mandy scowled. “Do we have to talk about this?”

“I think we should,” Grady said. “I think this is my favorite freakout yet. This is even better than when you thought James didn’t love you after the accident. In this one, you already had yourself convicted, locked up, and divorced so James could have a better life and you haven’t even been arrested yet.”

“Leave her alone,” Sophie said, knitting her eyebrows together. “She’s upset. She has a right to be upset.”

“I didn’t say she didn’t have a right to be upset,” Grady protested. “When I got to their house this morning James was sleeping on the couch and steaming mad because she was picking out a new wife for him. She was sleeping in the closet and had been crying all night. I fixed them.”

“I’m going to fix you with a shoe in your behind if you don’t chill out,” Sophie warned. “Leave Mandy alone.”

“Don’t forget me,” James interjected.

“I have a feeling I should be mad at you on principle,” Sophie countered. “You were probably mean to Mandy and that’s why she slept in the closet.”

James brushed Mandy’s hair away from her face as he moved her toward a chair. “You can be mad at me,” he said. “I was wrong.”

Sophie stilled. “Oh, well, I can’t be mad at you when you’re being sweet and obviously worried,” she said. “I’ll save my ire for the next time you screw up … because there will be a next time.”

“There will,” James agreed, leaning over as he sat and brushing his lips against Mandy’s forehead. “You are eating, though. I will feed you and I’ll let Grady film it and put it on the Internet if you try to get out of feeding yourself.”

“I’ll eat,” Mandy said, rubbing her forehead as she chuckled. “I’m sorry this is such a mess and you guys have been pulled into it.”

“It’s not your fault, my dear,” Peter said. “Someone went after you with a purpose. I spoke to John this morning, and he says the case the sheriff’s department has is flimsy at best. He says this detective – who sounds like a real turd, mind you – is digging his heels in. We’re running a background check on him.”

James wrinkled his nose. “Do you think the detective has something to do with this?”

“He’s either involved or a rampant jackass,” Peter replied. “I can’t rule either option out. John said the sheriff seemed almost afraid of the detective. Why would the sheriff be afraid of one of his subordinates?”

“That’s a good question,” James said.

“It might be a good lead,” Grady said. “Jake is delving into Madeline’s past and he already has some funky stuff.”

“Like what?” Mandy asked, lifting her head.

“James isn’t the only one she stalked,” Grady supplied. “She has a number of complaints from men littering her file. We’re going through the men to see if we can find any red flags to narrow the list.”

“How many men are we talking about here?” James asked.

“More than twenty.”

“Holy crap.”

“It seems you weren’t so special after all, big brother,” Grady teased.

“She still focused on him twice,” Mandy pointed out. “Your brother is always special. Don’t harass him.”

“Thank you, baby, but I can take care of myself,” James said, rubbing the back of her neck. She was doing her best to engage in the conversation but he was still worried. “So she dated twenty men. Did she stalk all of them?”

“We have complaints on file from at least ten of them,” Grady answered. “She had a definite pattern of behavior. I read a couple of the complaints, and it seems that she acted normal until about three months into each relationship and then fell off the rails.”

“Did she cook rabbits or something?” Sophie asked.

“No, sugar, she didn’t. She did demand wedding rings, follow guys when they went out on dates with other women after dumping her, and knife the occasional tire, though.”

“She sounds psycho,” Sophie said.

“She does indeed sound psycho,” Peter said. “Do we know where she was before she was killed?”

Grady and James exchanged a look.

“I’m not going to like this, am I?” Peter crossed his arms over his chest. “Lay it on me.”

“She texted the day before yesterday and wanted to set up a lunch,” James said. “I knew she was trying to get me alone to cause problems so I took Jake with me. When we got there we found she had a photographer. Essentially she was going to set up a cozy lunch and make sure Mandy saw the photos.”

“I see,” Peter said. “Then what happened?”

“She kind of melted down about Jake being there and then Mandy and Ally showed up because Jake called and tipped them off,” James answered. “Everyone said a few harsh things to one another, Mandy may have said something cute that spurred me to walk her back to the office so we could … bond … and that was it.”

“Bond?” Peter asked, rolling his eyes. “I’m old, son. I’m not stupid.”

“It was a very good afternoon,” James said, grinning as he squeezed Mandy’s shoulder.

She leaned into him and offered the first real smile she’d been able to muster since their extended shower. “It was a good afternoon.”

“It’s not going to be the last one, baby, so I need you to stop worrying about things like that,” James chided. “Come on. You promised you were going to buck up and help us. I need you to fight.”

“I am going to fight,” Mandy said. “I’m just kind of … weak. I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” James said. “You’ll feel better when you eat.”

“And take a nap,” Sophie said. “Those circles under your eyes are frightening.”

“Thank you, Sophie,” James said, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry. She doesn’t look like she’s slept in days.”

“I already told you we had a long night,” James said. “We’re going straight to bed when we get home.”

“To sleep, right?” Grady asked.

“Of course.”

“Yeah, well, I know what you did in the shower while I was downstairs making breakfast for you, so don’t act scandalized when I question your story.”

“Young people make me feel old sometimes,” Peter said, snickering. “Go back to Madeline. Did any of these men she stalked have wives they were trying to keep affairs from?”

“Three of them were married and we’re checking the dates to see what kind of overlap we’re dealing with,” Grady said. “My guess is her enemy list was long and varied.”

“That means the key is finding the overlap with you,” Peter said, turning to James. “Whoever did this knows that Madeline was fixated on you. They were either following her or paying someone else to do it.

“They knew about the argument in the restaurant, and I’m sure that’s going to come up when the detective questions Mandy again,” he continued. “John has been instructed to drop everything should you call. Mandy will be dragged in again for questioning. Don’t let her say a word. The sheriff’s department has nothing but a body and the tip itself is enough for reasonable doubt.”

“If they take me in for questioning, will they arrest me right away?” Mandy asked.

“I don’t know,” Peter said. “We’ll have to keep our ears to the ground. I have … friends … in the sheriff’s department. If an arrest is forthcoming, we should hear about it in plenty of time to get you out of the area. James, I will have the paperwork you requested ready tomorrow morning for immediate departure should it become necessary.”

“Thank you,” James said. “I’m really hoping it doesn’t become necessary, but if it does I’m not risking Mandy being taken into custody. If that happens, I’m going to have to figure out a way to nab her between the jail and the courthouse and that’s going to get messy because I’m going to have to take out armed guards to get to her.”

Mandy’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

“That’s right, wife,” James said. “Even if you somehow think you’re doing the brave thing and let the police take you, I will find a way to get you and then I’m going to be a bigger fugitive than you are. No funny business.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I will do whatever it takes to keep you,” James shot back. “I’m not joking. You loved that house on the beach we stayed at during our honeymoon. I’ve already got feelers out for something similar should we have to run.”

“I’m ruining everyone’s lives,” Mandy said, her eyes clouding.

“You’ve made all of our lives better,” James said. “I won’t let anyone railroad you and while this is our home, we can make a new one if it comes down to it. I can’t get a new you.”

“Okay, you’re officially sweet again,” Sophie said, smiling as James hugged Mandy. “I’ve always thought it would be cool to live on an island. This could be fun.”

M
ANDY
found
James sitting on the couch in the living room shortly before ten. They’d napped most of the afternoon away and then ordered takeout. She hadn’t seen him in almost an hour when she went looking for him.

“What are you doing?”

“Finding a movie for us to watch,” James replied, patting his lap. “Grab the blanket from the end of the couch and come over here.”

Mandy did as instructed, sliding into the open spot next to James and yelping when he slipped his arm under her legs and tugged her onto his lap.

“I need to touch you,” James said. “Before your mind runs away with you, I don’t need to touch you because I think I’m going to run out of chances. I need to touch you to make up for last night – and I’m still sorry about what I said and did, so if you want a present now would be the time to put a request in for something big.”

“I just want you.”

“Oh, baby, you will always have me,” James said, snuggling Mandy close. They were almost settled when James pushed her up. “Take your shirt off.”

“Again?”

James chuckled. “No. I like to feel your skin against mine. You’re warm and snuggly and I prefer to feel your skin instead of a T-shirt.”

Mandy shrugged and did as she was told, settling back against James and resting her head on his chest as he tucked the blanket around them. “What are we watching?”

“
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
.”

“That’s a new viewing choice,” Mandy said. “I love that movie.”

“I thought it would be a nice change of pace,” James said, rubbing Mandy’s back. “How are you feeling? You ate three bowls of that soup Peter sent back with us and a lot of bread for dinner. I was worried you might get sick, but you seem okay.”

“I’m okay.”

“How are you really?”

“I had a voicemail message on my phone,” Mandy said, the words seemingly difficult for her to utter. “It was Judge MacIntosh. He said I can’t come back to work until I’ve been cleared. He tried to pretend it was a good thing, but I could tell he was upset.”

“Do you want to go back to work?”

“No. I don’t like the option being taken away from me, though.”

“I understand that,” James said. “I don’t blame you. We’re going to get through this. In a few days we’re going to have a naked Sunday, and in addition to all the sex you’ve gotten used to – and addicted to, I might add – we’re also going to paint your mural. The bad things will be behind us and you’ll be able to paint scenes of … well … a shark eating people, but that’s beside the point. We’re going to make an entire day of it.”

“We are?”

“We are,” James confirmed. “We have miles of memories ahead of us, baby. Please don’t let what’s happening get you down.”

“I’ll do my best,” Mandy said. “Now turn the movie on. If you’re lucky I’ll let you play with my coconuts once it’s over with.”

“That’s my baby,” James said, kissing her cheek. “If
you’re
good I’ll play a rabid bunny instead of shark tonight.”

“And people worry we’re not adventurous.”

“No one worries about that, baby,” James argued. “I’m a sex god.”

“Oh, good grief. Start the movie.”