Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies (3 page)

The judge looked me over, then said, “The prosecutor is concerned your client is a flight risk.”

“Ms. Gardner has friends and family. She’s a close friend of Jonah Pruitt, pastor of the New Living Hope Revival Church, and is in a relationship with Mason Deveraux, who was an assistant district attorney for the county until Friday evening. She has too much to lose if she flees.”

The judge turned to the DA. “While I understand your concern, I’m going to post bail at one million dollars.”

One million dollars?

I turned to Carter to protest. I didn’t have one million dollars.

But Carter shot me a quick, silencing glare before returning his attention to the judge. “Your Honor,” he said. “Ms. Gardner is woman of simple means. Posting one million will be prove difficult.”

“Not my problem,” he barked. “Now, on to the trial date. I’ve looked at the docket, and I’m setting the trial for three weeks from today.”

“Three weeks?” Carter asked, sounding dismayed. “Your honor. I humbly request—”

“Denied.” The judge banged his gavel. “Next case.”

I turned to Carter. “
Three weeks
.”

The worried look on his face added to my panic. “I’ll appeal. Right now I’m worried about bail.”

Deputy Miller came forward and grabbed my arm to lead me out, but Carter held up his hand and turned to face Mason.

“Can you come up with the money?”

Mason looked grim. “I’ll see what I can do. Don’t take her back to the county jail. Hold her in the pens, and I’ll try to get it together by the end of the day.”

Carter nodded.

Mason turned his attention to me. “I’ll come up with it, Rose.”

The judge was getting irritated by our delay. Carter lowered his face to mine. “Just sit tight. We’ll come up with the money.”

“
One million dollars?
”

“Just sit tight.” His answer was short. “I’ll get it.”

Carter Hale was going to get my bail money?

No. Skeeter.

Deputy Miller led me out the back entrance as another prisoner was brought into the courtroom—a man who looked like he’d done this a time or two. The deputy was quiet as he led me back to the elevator. We got off in the basement, and he guided me through a maze to a room that contained several jail cells.

Deputy Miller handed a paper to the guard on duty, and he looked it over, chuckling. “Whatcha doin’ bringin’ her here? She gonna come up with bail this high?”

Deputy Miller looked annoyed. “Her attorney says it’s comin’. You just hold her here until it’s posted.”

“I’ll give ’em until five o’clock, and if they ain’t bailed her out, I expect you back here to haul her ass back to jail.” He laughed. “Whadya do? Rob a bank?”

Deputy Miller glared at him. “Just do your job, Jim. Do you think you can handle that?”

Jim scowled, but he opened one of the empty pens and waved for me to enter. After I did, he shut the door behind me and grinned at Deputy Miller. “I would have thought she’d have cuffs with bail that high.”

“She’s not a threat to anyone. She couldn’t hurt a fly.”

If he weren’t six feet under, Daniel Crocker might’ve had a thing or two to say about that, but now didn’t seem like a good time to mention it.

Deputy Miller approached the bars. “It’s probably gonna take them a while to come up with the money.”

“Randy,” I said firmly, my voice low. “I don’t have that kind of money, and I know for a fact Mason doesn’t have it either.

“He can post the title to your farm and also use your businesses as collateral. But it’s gonna take him some time to pull it all together. He and I already discussed this possibility. Just sit tight.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

“Someone should be back to get you out by the end of the day. Don’t you worry.”

“Okay.” I looked up at the clock on the wall. 9:30 a.m.

It was gonna be a long wait.

B
y noon
I’d gained and lost two fellow inmates—both had been released within an hour of their internment. Jim had brought me a tray with a bologna sandwich, and I half expected Mason to walk in and tease me about getting arrested just so I could eat the sandwiches. Of course, it was likely to be hours before anyone came to get me.

Much to my surprise, a sheriff’s deputy walked in just as I put my tray on the floor. “Rose Gardner, your bail’s been posted. You’re free to go.”

“Really?”

The deputy led me to a small changing room where I swapped out the orange jumpsuit for the clothes I’d been wearing when I was arrested, then on to a waiting room where I signed out and received my personal possessions. I looked around as I signed the form. “Where’s Mason?”

“Who’s that?” the receptionist asked.

“Mason Deveraux.”

She squinted at me like I’d lost my mind. “Why would the assistant district attorney be down here? Besides, I hear he lost his job.”

“Who posted my bail?”

“Darlin’, I don’t have that information, but your attorney should be able to find out for you.”

“Thank you.”

If Mason had posted my bail, then surely he’d be here waiting for me. Something told me it wasn’t him.

So Carter really had come through. But did Skeeter Malcolm even
have
a million dollars?

I left the courthouse, figuring I’d head to my office since my truck was at home, along with my cell phone and wallet and anything else that would be of use. I wasn’t prepared for the blast of cold air that hit me. The sheriff’s department had shown up at my front door and dragged me away Friday night, so I didn’t have a coat.

My landscaping office was across the street, but Carter Hale’s office was on the way, albeit on the opposite side of the square. I decided to stop by and demand some answers.

Carter’s receptionist looked up from her computer when I walked into the small waiting room. I’d been in this office only a few days ago, but at the time I’d been too preoccupied with watching Skeeter’s goon, who had been loitering outside my office, to notice the decor. But today I took in the dingy lighting, the plastic office chairs, and the stained commercial carpet. I could only hope Carter was more skilled with the law than he was at decorating.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked, then her eyes widened. “Oh! You’re her!”

I cringed. “You know me?”

“Of course. You and your friend sure stirred things up last week.”

“Sorry.”

“No! Don’t be. It’s usually dry as burnt toast around here. Carter was in a good mood for the rest of the day.”

“You don’t say?”

“But I also know who you are because Carter took your case.”

“Yeah … and speaking of my case, can I talk to him?”

“I’ll let him know you’re here.”

But just as she was getting out of her chair, a door at the end of a short hallway flung open and Carter came barreling down the hall.

“Greta! Did you get a call from the courthouse about—”

He took one look at me and stopped in his tracks. “You’re here. You really are out.”

“Yeah. I was hoping to talk to you about that.”

He glanced at Greta and motioned to his office. “I think it’s better if we have this discussion in private.”

I nodded and followed him. He shut the door behind us and gestured to a chair in front of his desk.

“I need to call Mason,” I said. “He said it was gonna take him all day to get the bail money, so I have a sneaking suspicion he didn’t post it.”

Carter sat in his office chair and leaned back. “He didn’t. That’s what I was on my way to see Greta about.”

“Did Skeeter post it?” I wasn’t sure being this direct was the best course of action, but I didn’t have time to beat around the bush.

“No,” he said with a frown. “Someone named Glenn Stout from Little Rock posted your bail. One million cash.”

My mouth dropped open. “Who’s Glenn Stout?”

“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”

“You’re sure it wasn’t Skeeter using some kind of alias?”

He shook his head, looking even unhappier. “I know all his business names, and Glenn Stout isn’t one of them.” He leaned forward and handed me his cell phone. “Call your boyfriend. He’s jumping through more hoops than you can imagine right now to get you loose. Tell him to come pick you up, and then you and I can have a discussion before he gets here.”

I took his phone and called Mason. He answered in his no-nonsense voice, “Mason Deveraux.”

“Mason, it’s me. I’m in Carter’s office.”

“They let you go?” he asked in disbelief.

“Someone posted bail.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know and neither does Carter. Can you come pick me up?”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

He hung up without saying goodbye, and I handed the phone back to Carter. “We have ten minutes, and I suspect we have a lot to talk about.”

His mouth twisted into a half-smile. “I take it there are things you’d prefer to keep within our circle of attorney-client privilege.”

“Yes. Like the fact that Skeeter Malcolm convinced you to take my case. How’d you explain it to Mason?”

His grin became more genuine. “You can thank your feisty friend for providing me with that plausible explanation. If Skeeter hadn’t asked me to take it on, Neely Kate would have convinced me anyway.”

I shot him a look of disbelief.

“God’s honest truth. I swear. Like I told you, she can be very persuasive.”

That part I knew to be true, but I didn’t appreciate the gleam in his eyes as he said it. “Did Skeeter tell you why he hired me?”

“No, but I’ve strung a few theories together.”

I had a pretty good idea of what he was getting at. Part of me wanted to put a pin in this, but I was protected by our attorney-client confidentiality. He couldn’t tell anyone without my permission, and he was never going to get that.

“A few?” I asked.

He shifted in his seat, skewering me with his gaze. “You could be his secret girlfriend, although that’s not likely. For one thing, Skeeter doesn’t do girlfriends, and even if he did—” he gestured to my jeans and green sweater “—you’re too prim and proper.”

“And your other theories?”

“You have something he wants. The question is what? Does it have to do with Deveraux? Is he using your association with him for something? But Deveraux’s out of a job, and everyone knows it.” He shook his head and leaned forward. “You know, I asked him about the Lady in Black before. About a month ago. I’m a curious guy, and it’s an intriguing mystery. But he refused to discuss it. In fact, he seemed flat-out irritated by my questions.”

I remained silent.

“So his connection to the Lady in Black is both business
and
personal, and his concern for your safety is intriguing …”

“Just spit it out, Carter,” I grumbled.

“The question is, how did Rose Gardner become the Lady in Black, and why would Skeeter use you? No one would ever suspect she was you, of course, your boyfriend included. He seems pretty intent on unmasking—or rather
unveiling
—her.”

“He
still
is?” He hadn’t mentioned it for weeks.

Carter grinned, waiting for me to continue.

I heaved out a sigh. “Surely you can figure out the why of it. Skeeter found out about my visions and decided to use them to his advantage.”

“So he blackmailed you?”

I sighed again. “Not exactly. I helped him with the auction as a barter of sorts. Then he told me that Mason’s life was in danger, so I joined forces with him to find out who was behind it.” I paused for a beat. “They saved Mason’s life. He was unconscious in Gems when the fire started, and Skeeter and Jed got him out of the place before it burned down.”

“Skeeter saved the pain in the ass ADA?” Then he seemed to remember my personal connection with Mason. “No offense.”

“I had to agree to continue to pose as the Lady in Black for six months. And I know what Mason does … or
did
. Helping Skeeter aside, I approve of Mason getting the horrible people who do horrible things off the street.”

“But isn’t that hypocritical? On the one hand, you support Deveraux’s work, but on the other, you’re helping the current king of the Fenton County underworld.”

And that was the crux of it. My guilt spelled out in a simple statement. “I’m not proud of what I’ve done.” I looked down at my lap, twisting my sweater between my finger and my thumb. Then I glanced up at him. “And I could have made a better choice when I first approached Skeeter in November, but I’m not sorry I made that agreement with him in the parking lot behind Gems. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. And the truth of the matter is, there are a lot worse things goin’ on in this county than Skeeter’s crime ring. J.R. Simmons is up to something bad, and by posing as the Lady in Black, I’ve been able to help ferret out who’s involved and what they’re doin’. I’m getting information Skeeter can’t get on his own. J.R. Simmons is out to get Skeeter—even if I have no idea why—and he wants to bring Mason down with him. I’ll do anything in my power to save Mason.”

He watched me for a moment. “Seems to me you should put more energy into saving yourself.”

“We’re all tangled up in the same ball of yarn, Carter Hale. I save one of us, I save us all.”

He laughed. “You really think you can save Skeeter Malcolm?”

“I already have, and I plan to again. I’m goin’ to save both of them.”

He turned grim after that. His phone rang, and he frowned as he picked it up. “Hold him off for a minute.” He hung up and sighed. “Your boyfriend’s already here and chomping at the bit to see you. Rest assured I’ll keep your involvement with Skeeter to myself. And I’ll let Jed know you’re out and safe for the time being. I suspect he’s goin’ to want to talk to you to get your side of what happened.” He winked. “Any favorable comments about my services would be greatly appreciated.”

“Why Jed?”

“Skeeter’s MIA.”

My stomach plummeted to my toes. “
What?
”

“Darn near the whole sheriff’s department showed up at his pool hall to arrest him for the murders of Scott Humphrey and Marcus Tilton, but Skeeter took off right before they got there.”

Skeeter had left me to deal with this mess?

The door opened and Mason burst into the room, Greta fast on his heels. She wore an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry, Carter. He refused to wait.”

Carter narrowed his eyes at my boyfriend. “And here I thought you were a rule-follower, Mason Deveraux.”

But Mason’s attention was focused on me. He was already pulling me to my feet and into a tight hug. “I’ve never been so happy to see someone in my entire life.”

I held him close. “I’m okay. Really. Just glad to be out.”

He released all but my hand, as if he couldn’t bear to stop touching me, and when he sat down in one of the chairs in front of Carter’s desk, I took a seat in the other. I distantly heard the door shut as Greta left the room.

“Who bailed her out?” Mason asked.

Carter made a face, picked up a paperclip off his desk, and leaned back in his chair. “
That
is the one million dollar question.” He winked as he started twisting the clip with his fingers. “Does the name Glenn Stout ring any bells?”

Mason’s hand tightened on mine. “Never heard of him.”

“He posted bail this morning around 11:30 via a courier.”

Mason shook his head. “Why would someone who doesn’t even know her get a bail bond? They’re going to lose one hundred thousand dollars.”

My mouth dropped open. “What?”

“That’s how this works,” Carter said. “If you don’t have enough cash, you gather up enough collateral to cover the bail should the defendant skip town and the trial. That’s what your boyfriend was doing, gathering up collateral. But the fee for doing that is ten percent. One hundred thousand dollars. That’s why the bail system is so effective. Most people don’t have a million dollars lying around, and who can afford to forfeit one hundred thousand? I’m sure the judge knew you and Deveraux were too cash poor to pony up.”

“Wait,” I said, turning to Mason. “You were going to give up one hundred thousand dollars to get me out of jail?”

His eyes hardened. “I couldn’t leave you in there.”

“It was only for three weeks, Mason.”

“Anything could have happened to you in three weeks. Carter wouldn’t have been able to get you solitary indefinitely.”

I shook my head. “Where were you getting the one hundred thousand cash?”

“My 401K.” He gave me a wry smile. “Good thing I didn’t cash it in to buy Joe out of the nursery, after all.”

I hadn’t even stopped to consider how all of this would affect the nursery I co-owed with my sister and Joe. I should have never offered him partnership after he sunk money into my business to save it. It was just one more hook he had in me.

“Isn’t that sweet?” Carter groaned out, sitting upright in his chair. “Can we get back to the business at hand?”

Mason shot him a glare.

“This wasn’t a bail bond. Glenn Stout posted one million cash.”

Mason’s hand tightened around mine again.

“And not only that,” Carter continued, “Mr. Stout had one million in cash ready and available a mere two hours after her arraignment, even though he is supposedly from Little Rock, which is roughly two hours away.”

Mason finally released his grip on me and leaned his forearms on the desk. “So this Mr. Stout was ready and waiting to post her bail.”

“It appears that way.”

“We need to find out anything and everything we can about this man,” Mason said, casting a glance first at me and then at Carter. “Someone who forked over that much money wants something from her.”

“Agreed. I plan to have Greta start looking into it as soon as we’re done here.”

“What’s your plan for her defense?” Mason asked, switching gears.

Carter shook his head. “You and I both know there is no defense that’s goin’ to work in this case.”

“That’s the best you’ve got?” Mason demanded, his eyes blazing. “You always pull out every trick in the book against me, and not to boast, but I’m a far better prosecutor than my boss.”