Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments Bonus Chapters: Rose Gardner Mystery (5 page)

I
usually spent
Friday nights out in public view in the pool hall and the strip club. It was good to make a statement that these were my establishments, especially since there was so much unrest in the underworld.

But on this Friday night, I was holed up in my pool hall office. I’d been on edge since my phone call with Rose earlier in the evening. Now that I’d finally admitted to myself that J.R. was moving against me, I needed to come up with a plan. Or at least beef up the one I’d already set in motion.

Even after receiving Deveraux’s warning, I had been in partial denial. J.R. Simmons had treated me like a son for years, and the task he’d assigned to me was so vile there was no way he could have expected me to carry it out. He knew I had a soft spot for kids. Still, I didn’t get where I was today by sitting on my ass, waiting for things to come to me. I had given Jed a special assignment in case Deveraux’s tip held weight. Now it was time to take the offensive.

My office door opened and I jerked up my gaze to see Jed enter the room. His arm was in a sling, his mouth taut from pain. He’d been shot earlier that afternoon while serving as Rose’s backup. I’d watched him endure more pain than most men could handle while the nurse I had on call for these kinds of injuries dug the bullet out of his bicep with only lidocaine as an anesthetic. I’d told him to go home, but he’d ignored the suggestion. Not that I was surprised.

“Any news?” I asked, swinging my legs off my desk and onto the floor.

He shook his head with a grim smile. “No. Our source in the sheriff’s department doesn’t know shit about the murders. The higher-ups are being more tight-lipped than usual. They could be coming to arrest you or they could be looking into Gentry.”

Gentry was J.R.’s puppet, so I doubted he’d be hung out to dry for this. The fact that a sheriff’s deputy hadn’t come calling to ask for my alibi was troubling. Especially since my alibi was Rose herself, which I obviously couldn’t use. I suspected they were building a case against me and planned to ask their questions after my arrest.

I pushed out a breath. “They’re coming for me. I can feel it. Gentry’s behind it all.” And behind him, J.R. Simmons. I slammed a fist on the desk. “
Goddammit
.”

“They’re bound to have plenty of suspects. Scott Humphrey made more enemies than friends. We don’t know for sure that they’re gunning for you.”

But I did. This had the stench of J.R. Simmons’ manipulation all over it.

I jumped out of my chair and began to pace. “How’s that extracurricular project coming along?”

“You mean looking for that guy in Pine Bluff?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He gave me a hard stare. “He has something to do with J.R. Simmons, doesn’t he?”

I clenched my jaw. “The less you know, the better.”

“That’s a bullshit answer if I ever heard one.” He released a loud groan. “Why would Simmons be interested in you? And if he is, why are you wasting your time having me hunt down this guy?”

“I have my reasons.” Even more so now that I knew he was gunning for Rose too. “What have you found?”

He ran a hand over the top of his head in frustration. “Pete Mooney is a hard man to find. It would be easier if you let me send one of the other boys to check into it. With all this nonsense involving Gentry and Lady . . . I haven’t had much spare time to run off to Pine Bluff and dig around in person.”

I scratched my chin, then shook my head. “No. Discretion is of the utmost importance. You didn’t find anything?”

“I have a lead that he might still be alive, but no location.”

I nodded and pushed out a loud breath in frustration.

“Why’s the guy so important?”

“
He just is!
”

Jed moved closer and lowered his voice. “Skeeter. What’s goin’ on? I have a right to know.”

I gave him a deadly glare.

“Does Mooney have anything to do with all those times you used to disappear for days?”

I pinned him with a dark gaze. “Maybe you should go home and rest, Jed. Merv can take care of anything that pops up.”

He shot me a scowl. “You damn well know I’m not going anywhere.” While it was obvious he was in pain, I knew his pride had been hurt more. It would take some time before he got over being bested in a shootout with the daughter of the local bakery owner.

I was about to suggest he take more pain medication when my phone rang. I considered letting it go to voice mail, but there was too much shit going on to let something slide. I was glad of my decision when I saw Merv’s name on the screen.

“What’s up?”

Merv’s voice was tight. “Something’s goin’ down, Skeeter.”

Goddammit. “What?” I barked.

“Deveraux’s been kicked out as ADA. He was fired in a secret meeting in the courthouse a couple of hours ago.”

An itch tickled the base of my neck. “On what grounds?”

“Dunno. Some special state prosecutor came down from Little Rock. They kept it all super secret. Word has it Deveraux took off home in a hurry. He didn’t even bother to clean out his office.”

Shit. I knew why he’d taken off in a hurry.

Rose.

My stomach clenched with anxiety. “Let me know if you hear anything more.”

“Will do.”

“And keep an eye on the sheriff’s office. If they’re coming to arrest me, they better not show up at my door unannounced.”

I hung up and immediately called Rose. I wasn’t surprised when she didn’t answer. She often waited until she could get somewhere private to call me back, but I had a bad feeling about this one.

“What’s goin’ on?” Jed asked.

“Deveraux just lost his job.”

Jed watched me for several seconds. “Why does that have you on edge? You yourself said he was an inconvenience because he can’t be bought. Is this because he’s Rose’s boyfriend?”

“I could give a fuck if her boyfriend lost his job!” I shouted. Everything was spinning out of control.

Although Jed knew Rose was interested in Simmons’ involvement in the factory fire twenty-five years ago, he had no idea the extent Rose was in J.R.’s scheming either. Now I was wondering if I should tell him everything.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a sharp rap landed on the door. I needed to pull myself together.

“This better be important,” I growled, jerking the door open.

One of my lower-ranking men cowered in front of me, looking like he was about to shit his pants.

“Sorry, Skeeter. I know you said not to disturb you, but there’s a woman who insists on seeing you. She says it’s important and that you better let her in.”

I was about to ask who she was, but there was no need. A woman with long blonde hair and pink and purple highlights turned the corner in the hall, one of my other men trailing helplessly behind her. He reached for her arm, but she maneuvered out of his grasp and shot him an angry glare.

“Keep your hands off me! I’m not leaving until I see him myself.” Then she glanced up and caught my eye and anger washed over her face. “Skeeter Malcolm! You call off your goons. I need to talk to you.”

My chest tightened. Why was Rose’s best friend here to see me? It couldn’t be anything good.

“Let her be.”

The eyes of the man trailing her widened with fear. “She snuck past me—”

“I don’t care!” I shouted. “Leave her here and get the fuck out front. And if one more person gets back here, don’t even bother coming in with them to try and explain.
Now go
.”

Both men tucked tail and ran off. I held the door open wider for Rose’s friend. “If what you have to tell me is so damn important, get your ass in here and say your piece.”

The fear in her eyes told me that my tone had been harsh. But my nerves were too strung out for me to care.

Jed walked up behind me. “Neely Kate, it’s okay. Come on in.”

Her eyes widened in alarm. “You know who I am?”

Jed chuckled, then stiffened, probably jarring his arm.

I didn’t have time for this. “Of course we know who you are. I make it my business to know who Rose is with and what she’s doin’. Besides, you were here just a couple of days ago, drunk as a skunk after your three-beer lunch. Now what’s got you so worked up to see me that you had to barge into my office?”

My words seemed to shake something loose in her. Her eyes filled with fire, and she shook a finger at me. “Don’t you take that tone with me, Skeeter Malcolm. Contrary to what Mason said, I suspect you’re partially to blame for this mess.”

“What mess? Deveraux losing his job?”

She stood on her tiptoes, trying to get into my face. “Did you have something to do with that too?”

“No!” I pointed to the now-closed door. “If that’s why you’re here, you can get the hell out.”

She poked her finger into my chest, pushing me back a step. “Don’t you even think about getting rid of me! You got her into this mess. Now you’re gonna get her out of it.”

My mouth dropped open. “I just told you I didn’t have a damn thing to do with Deveraux losing his job! What the hell do you expect me to do about it?”

Without any trace of fear left in her, she punched my arm. “I’m not talking about Mason’s job, you imbecile! I’m talking about Rose getting arrested!”

“
What?
”

She put her hands on her hips. “Don’t you play stupid with me, Skeeter Malcolm. You make it your business to know more about what’s going on in this county than I do. There’s no way in hell this could have slipped past you.”

Panic crept up my spine as I shot a look over my shoulder. “Jed.”

He was already digging his phone out of his pocket. “Already on it.”

Neely Kate had to be mistaken. I forced myself to stay calm. I needed all the facts. “I just talked to her around five. When did this supposedly happen?”

She shook her head, some of her fire dying out of her. “There’s no supposedly about it. It happened at Rose’s farm right in front of Mason. He told me about it himself. And as to the when of it, I don’t know. Maybe an hour? As soon as Mason called me, I made a beeline for the sheriff’s office so I could give Joe Simmons a piece of my mind.”

“Simmons arrested her?” I found that hard to believe. She might be with Deveraux, but Simmons was still in love with her. Everyone knew it.

“It doesn’t matter if he did it himself or had someone do it for him. What matters is that he let it happen, and now he refuses to let her go.”

“What are the charges?”

“They’re accusing her of hiring Daniel Crocker to murder her mother.”

Son of a bitch
. J.R. Simmons had set things in motion, all right, and not just for me.

“What do you plan to do about this?” she demanded.

Rage filled my head and I fought to regain control.

Still on the phone, Jed took one look at my face and stepped between me and the pushy blonde. “Neely Kate, we’ll let you know as soon as we hear something.”

That only riled her up more. “If you think I’m leaving without any answers, you’ve got another think comin’!”

Jed held up his finger with a look of exasperation. “Uh-huh,” he muttered into the phone. “Has she been officially charged? . . . Okay. Keep me posted.” He disconnected the call and looked me in the eye. “It’s true.”

“
What the hell is going on in this county?
” I shouted, slamming my fist on the desk again, this time harder. “How did this get past us?”

Jed sucked in a breath, worry in his eyes. “They kept it top secret. Only three people knew about it before it happened. The DA; Judge Berger, who issued a search warrant allowing the deputies to look for her on the premises if she didn’t come to the door; and Joe Simmons.”

“That low-life weasel!” Neely Kate shouted. “I’m going to skin him alive!”

I took several breaths. “We have to think this through.”

“You have to get her out of there!” Neely Kate shouted, planting her hands on her hips again.

“What’s Deveraux doin’ about it?” Jed asked.

“He said he was goin’ to hire Carter Hale to defend her.”

Jed snorted. “Hale hates Deveraux. He’ll never do it.”

My chest grew tight and I grunted, “He’ll do it when I tell him to.”

Neely Kate gave me a look of disbelief.

“He’s on my damn retainer. He’ll do as I goddamn tell him.” I pulled out my phone and called him up.

“Skeeter,” he answered. “Why do I have a feeling shit’s about to start raining from the sky?”

“Because you’ve always been too perceptive by half. Rose Gardner is in the county jail awaiting arraignment. You’re gonna defend her.”

“Rose Gardner?” he asked in disbelief. “You realize she’s Mason Deveraux’s girlfriend, don’t you? Why would you want to help her? You thinking he’ll get his job back and then owe you one?”

“My reason for wanting you to defend her is my business and mine alone. In fact, you’re not to tell a damn soul that I asked you to do it. You hear me?”

He groaned. “Deveraux just showed up at my door askin’ me to represent her and I sent him packing out of the sheer principle of me hating the man. This means I have to eat a damn slice of humble pie. And I fucking hate pie. This will cost you extra.”

“I don’t give a shit if you have to eat every damn pie in Dena’s Bakery, you’re gonna represent her.
Have I made myself clear?
” My voice bounced off the walls and Neely Kate cringed.

“Calm down,” Carter grumbled. “I already said I was gonna do it.”

“Good. And when they announce bail, if she can’t pay it, I’ll take care of it.”

“That’s a matter of public record, Skeeter. Do you really want your name tied to her?”

“
I know that, goddammit!
” I took a deep breath. “This isn’t the first time I’ve posted bail! Use my Texarkana corporation to arrange it. No one knows it’s me. But let me make this clear—” I made sure my voice was harsh. “She’s not to spend a damn minute longer in jail than necessary, is that understood?”

“Perfectly.” He knew there was more to the story, but he also knew better than to ask. “You know she’s a sitting duck in there . . . the girlfriend of the guy who put some of them behind bars.”

Fuck. I hadn’t let my imagination go that far. My stomach cramped. “Get your ass to the courthouse and get her out tonight.”