Murder at Castle Rock (25 page)

I let myself melt into him for several delicious minutes. "Wow," I breathed when he finally pulled away.

"Wow, yourself." Emmett's green eyes twinkled. "I've wanted to do that since I first stepped out of the tour bus and saw you standing there."

My heart melted like a pat of butter. "Even with that terrible Castle Rockettes shirt on?" I made a face.

His lips curled in a sly grin. "It definitely didn't hurt."

My face fell. Thinking of the sleazy baby tees reminded me of Parker. Tears stung my eyes as the weight of everything that had happened that week came crashing down like an anvil on my chest. I'd killed a man tonight. True, it was in self-defense, but I'd felt a sick satisfaction as he toppled over the tower balcony. He'd tried to kill Bronwyn and me, and I wanted him to die. I wondered if it was something that I would ever completely recover from.

Emmett seemed to know what I was thinking. He sat on the edge of the bed and slid an arm around me, pulling me into his embrace. He held me like that for several minutes while I cried.

"What happened to Stacy Jefferson?" I asked finally, dabbing at my eyes with my sleeve.

Emmett stroked my hair. "She's in police custody now after being checked out of the hospital. You crushed her larynx. The doctor isn't sure that her voice will ever fully recover."

Serves her right,
I thought bitterly. "She killed Laura Holly."

"Yeah, we know. She's not physically speaking, but we got a full written confession. Stacy met Tony through the business meetings between Shawn and her father. When they got together, Stacy decided to help take down Kat because she wanted to ruin you." His brows drew together. "What's the story there?"

I shrugged. "Some people are just plain evil."

According to Emmett, Stacy tagged along to the hospital with her cousin Emily and snuck to Laura's room. She smothered Laura with a pillow so she wouldn't turn her in when she regained consciousness. We also got her to ID members of the Stone family and her father as accomplices in the plot for taking over venues in the East to run an illegal gambling ring. Owen Jefferson's already in custody, but unfortunately," his grip on me tightened, "Shawn Stone got away."

I stiffened. That's what he'd meant when he told Dr. Stevenson that a suspect was still out there.
Would Shawn really come here and try to finish me off?
"H-How'd he get away?"

Emmett groaned. "Classic Glitter. We put Bobby in charge of keeping an eye on Shawn—he was the one who approached us about the Stone family's plan for the illegal casinos. Bobby hired Shawn on a recommendation from several friends in the biz, but he overheard a phone conversation between Stone and Owen Jefferson and realized his manager was still working for the mob. Bobby had his own little hiccup with the law a few months back, and he offered up the info and agreed to cooperate with our investigation in order to stay out of prison. He hand-selected Gavin and me for his band so we could keep an eye out on Stone during the tour."

"So, Bobby just let him get away?" My voice shook. "Is anyone looking out for Kat? I've got to warn her." I tried to swing my legs over the side of the bed, but the bulky bandages around my stab wound slowed my progress.

"Whoa, there." Emmett held me in place, his grip firm yet gentle. "You're gonna hurt yourself. There's no need to worry." He helped me move my bandaged leg back into a comfortable position. "Agent Addison is watching out for Kat tonight, but we think Stone already skipped town. Bobby found a coke dealer and had a one-man blow party in his hotel room, so Shawn walked out unnoticed before our backup feds got there."

I sighed. "Bobby is a hot mess."
I can't believe I used to write "Amelia Glitter" over and over in my Biology notebook in high school. Dodged a bullet there, didn't I?

"Yeah," Emmett agreed. "It's funny—I used to idolize the guy. He's one of the reasons I kept playing the bass after college. Part of me wanted to be a rock star just like Bobby one day." He shook his head. "And now, here I am, on tour with
the
Bobby Glitter—and I can barely stand to be in the same room as him. Be careful what you wish for, I guess."

I smiled up at him. "You know, you're kind of amazing too."

"You think so?" He cupped my chin and tilted my face up to his, lowering his lips over mine.

I playfully pushed him back. "Won't Candy get jealous?" I teased.

He rolled his eyes. "I told you she wasn't my girlfriend. She snuck on the tour bus a few states back—another hopeful Glitter Groupie. Instead, she took a liking to me. Gav thought it might be good to let her hang around, spice up my rock star cover a little." He shook his head. "Nothing physical ever happened between us, but the poor chick was usually too strung out to notice."

"Her loss." I grinned, grabbing the collar of his grey T-shirt and tugging his face closer to mine.

He laughed, a low, throaty sound that made me shiver. "You're much more my type, anyway. Smart, beautiful."

"And stubborn?" I kissed him.

He smiled against my lips. "Yes, and stubborn." We melted into each other for several moments before Emmett pulled away to catch his breath. "I really should let you get some sleep." He slid off of the bed and took up post in the uncomfortable plastic visitor's chair. "I'll be right here. Sweet dreams, Amelia."

I didn't argue. "Goodnight, Agent," I said, suddenly drowsy.

"Please, call me Emmett."

"Emmett." His name had barely left my lips before I was back in Dreamland.

*  *  *

When I awoke later Friday afternoon, Emmett Larson was gone. Instead I found Kat, Bron, and Reese huddled around my bed. "I don't know how to thank you, Ame," Reese said, wrapping his giant arms around me in a bear hug. "You caught Laura's killer. I'm a free man because of you."

"I couldn't have stopped Stacy without Bronwyn. We were done for until she charged Tony. That was the bravest thing I've ever seen."

Bronwyn's cheeks burned as Reese turned to embrace her next.

Kat stepped forward then and hugged me fiercely. "I owe you, too," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "You saved my life."

"There's something you guys should know," I said quietly. I told them what Laura had told me on the night that she'd been shot. They deserved to know the truth about what happened between Parker and her in his office.

A tear trickled down Reese's cheek. "I should have listened to her when she tried to explain."

Kat's expression was unreadable. "Can you two excuse us a moment?" she asked, looking back at Bronwyn and Reese.

The pair left my hospital room, promising to bring me back a Diet Coke and something salty from the lobby vending machine. When we were alone, Kat reached into her pocket and retrieved a folded sheet of white paper. "The police found this stuck in the back of Parker's desk drawer," she said, handing it to me. I unfolded the paper and read each line silently, my heart breaking more for her with each word.

Katy,

I hope I'm able to get this letter to you in time. I should have been honest with you from day one, but I thought it would protect you if you didn't know. Our week in Vegas was amazing, and I want you to know how much I really did—and still do—love you. I met Shawn and Joey Stone that last night at the casinos. When they found out I owned Castle Rock, they offered to buy the place from me outright. This place is all I've got left of my dad, so I told them no. Stone had his goons rough me up a bit to scare me into selling the place.

I couldn't let them take Castle Rock away from me—or from you, Amelia, and everyone else. I have a confession to make: I know you thought getting hitched in Vegas was just the result of a few too many yard-long margaritas, but the truth is—I meant for it to happen. I had to think fast, with Stone threatening to come to Atlanta to take the venue. They claim to have someone here that's watching me, so I couldn't change my will, either—if they did kill me, they'd just go after the next person to own the place. By marrying you and keeping it secret, you'll get Castle Rock if anything happens to me.

Which brings me to now. Bronwyn saw me bring Laura in here, and she's probably going to tell Reese, which means you'll probably hear all about it. I knew Stone was coming for me this afternoon, so I used Laura to throw him off. It was just a kiss—and it meant nothing—but I think he heard us. The kiss, the flirting with everyone, the slutty new uniforms—they were all part of my diversion to keep Stone from knowing that we're together. I couldn't risk him hurting you to get to me.

I'm sorry I've deceived you all these months, and I'm sorry that we've had to be so secretive. You'll always be the only one for me, Katy. If I don't make it, show this letter to the police so they can get to Stone before he finds out about us and tries to come after you. All my love…

The letter ended with Parker's signature and was dated for Monday, the day Bobby and Shawn Stone had arrived at Castle Rock. If only the letter had been found in time, Shawn would be behind bars and Laura—and maybe even Parker—would still be alive. I sat up in my hospital bed and gave Kat another hug. "I'm so sorry, honey," I said sadly.

"So I guess I own Castle Rock now," she said, dazed. She took my hand and squeezed it. "
We
own Castle Rock. I want you to be my business partner. We'll run the venue together and keep every one of our staff, just like Parker would have wanted it."

I gaped at her. "Kat, Castle Rock is
yours.
Of course I want to stay on and help you run it, but Parker left the place to you. You don't have to do this."

"I know I don't have to, silly," she said, a smile stretching across her lips for the first time in days. "I want to. You're my best friend, and this is our dream. You've worked hard for this, and I can't imagine running the place without you as my co-owner. Plus this will save me from buying you birthday presents for the next, like, millennium. Just say yes already."

I smiled up at my best friend, excitement mounting in my chest. "Alright. Yes
I'm in!"

Reese and Bronwyn came back with refreshments, as promised, and Reese wheeled me out of the room in a wheelchair. Once I was checked out, he helped me into the front of Kat's Honda Civic before parting ways with us to give Bronwyn a ride home. "The sarge grounded me for life." She sighed. "Your Secret Agent boyfriend had to talk him into letting me come up to see you today. Now I've got to go home and convince him to still let me come to work once Castle Rock re-opens." With a wave goodbye, she trotted off after Reese to his car.

I bite back a sigh. I was secretly disappointed that Agent Adorable hadn't still been by my side when I woke up. "When will we be re-opening?" I asked Kat. "All this mess with cancelling Bobby's show is probably going to put us under.

"Actually," Kat grinned, "Bobby will be personally refunding all tickets for the third show—part of the deal he struck with the FBI to keep out of prison on drug charges after he got too wasted and let Stone get away last night. So, we're not losing any money after all."

"Are you serious?" I blinked at her. "What was the rest of the deal?"

"You're about to find out," Kat said, turning up the dial as Tim Scott began his broadcast.

"Good evening, guys and gals! Tim Scott, here, with a
Tune Talks
exclusive announcement from the Prince of Pop Rock, Bobby Glitter! Bobby joins me here in the studio just after cancelling his third and final show in Atlanta, which was recently rescheduled to take place at the Beat Barn after a string of incidents forced Castle Rock to close its doors temporarily." I heard a hint of resentment in Tim's tone as he glossed over the mention of our venue without rehashing the gory details of the murders that had taken place there. I smiled to myself. The Feds must've made him keep our names out of the news.

"…Bobby, everyone is dying to know, what is this big announcement?" Tim was saying.

There was silence over the air for a moment before Bobby cleared his throat uncomfortably. In a resigned voice, he said, "Tim, I've come here today to tell you that I will not be continuing my Rockin' Revival tour. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with my bloody alcohol and cocaine addiction, but I can no longer live a lifestyle of debauchery. At the end of this interview, I will be checking myself into a rehabilitation center. Since this is an attempt to restore my own personal health, I will be personally refunding all cancelled shows on the tour…"

My jaw dropped, and I gaped at the radio receiver. I knew that Emmett and the FBI were behind Bobby's sudden change of heart. It was also the perfect cover for the sudden cancellation of Bobby's tour, the real reason being that his mobster manager had flown the coop and his FBI band mates were in pursuit. Bobby had nothing left for him in the touring circuit, and by forcing him to get clean instead of going to prison, Emmett was giving the old rocker a second chance at life. "Way to go, Larson," I said softly.

"What's that?" Kat asked. I knew she'd heard me, so there was no need to repeat myself. When I didn't answer, she added, "He left a message for you, you know."