Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments: Rose Gardner Mystery #7 (22 page)

“Good morning, Rose,” Bruce Wayne said when he answered the phone.

“Good morning to you too. Do you have any big plans today?”

“Nothin’ I can’t set aside for you. What do you need?”

“Don’t sound too eager yet,” I cautioned. “Violet has asked if you can help her move bags of potting soil and fertilizer. She’s getting a shipment at ten and she needs someone to haul the bags behind the greenhouse.”

“Oh.”

“She’s got a new employee,” I said, trying to sound cheerful. “I haven’t met her yet, so you can get the scoop and report back to me.”

He chuckled. “That might work with Neely Kate, but not with me.”

“So you can’t do it?”

“I didn’t say that.” I heard the grin in his voice. “I just meant that gossip’s more a job for Neely Kate. If it helps the business, just tell me when to show up. I’ll be there.”

“She says to come around ten. And thank you.”

“No problem. I’ll talk to you later.”

Mason walked through the front door as I hung up. “Everything okay? You look worried.”

I waved him off. “It’s nothing. Bruce Wayne is going to the nursery today to help Violet with some heavy lifting.”

He paused. “I see the reason for your concern.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine…as long as Violet minds her manners.” I sent her a quick text to let her know to expect him and implored her to treat him kindly. She responded back saying she was insulted I would insinuate she’d treat him any differently.

Mason grabbed his bag out of his office. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah.” I put on my coat and left the house, Mason following behind me after he turned on the alarm. My gaze drifted to the vacant spot where Deputy Miller had parked his patrol car overnight.

Mason put his arm around my shoulders. “We only have protection at night. But it’s less likely for someone to attack in broad daylight.”

I cocked my head and looked up at him. “Someone tried to kill you in broad daylight just last month. And I’m still not convinced we know who did it. It could very well be the same person who’s trying now.”

“Sweetheart, my brake line was cut. Nothing like that is going to happen again. Deputy Miller kept an eye on our vehicles all night and no one’s brazen enough to attempt such a thing on the town square.”

I wasn’t so sure.

“Besides, there’s no direct threat. Only suspicions. Joe’s pulling strings to get Miller out here. I’m not going to ask him to jeopardize his job any more than he’s already done.”

I studied him. “You two are getting along a lot more.”

He dropped his arm and shrugged. “We’re not hanging out to watch Monday night football, but we’ve reached a place where we can discuss work matters civilly.”

I noticed he kept it to work matters, but that was good enough for now. At least it was a start.

Muffy hopped in the truck with me and we rode into town. I kept Mason in my rearview mirror for the entire drive. After we both pulled into parking spots at the town square, Mason walked us to the landscaping office so I could let Muffy in before heading over to Merilee’s. I noticed he seemed more on edge than usual.

“Maybe you should get an alarm system for the office,” he said as I locked up.

“I can’t afford an alarm system. I couldn’t afford the alarm system you put in the house.” I held up my hand. “And before you comment on the fact that the nursery has one, let me remind you we have thousands of dollars of inventory in there, not to mention a history of intruders. All we have here are several second-hand computers and some thrift store furnishings.”

“I’d want it to protect
you
, Rose. And I’d put it in myself, if nothing else than for my own peace of mind.”

I sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good.” He gave me a kiss goodbye at the courthouse entrance. “Joe texted while I took Muffy outside. I have a meeting with him in about a half hour, and then I have a few other things to work on. How about I meet you at my car at lunchtime so we can go to Bubba’s together?”

I’d almost forgotten about the Taser. “Okay. Meet you then.” I gave him a smile and waved as he walked up the stairs and headed inside.

He and Joe were having a meeting. They seemed to have a lot of those lately. I thought about what Mason had said about getting along with Joe, which was enough to send the memory of our misunderstanding the night before rushing back to me.

I pulled out my phone as I crossed the street toward the café. I had to apologize and set things right. “Joe?”

“Have you called to accuse me of kicking puppies too?” he asked, but his tone was defeated rather than angry.

“No,” I said softly, with a hint of teasing. “You would never kick a puppy. You’re too sweet to Muffy to do such a thing.”

“Then why are you calling?”

“To apologize. I never should have insinuated something so terrible. I
do
know you better than that, but my temper got the better of me. I’m sorry.”

He was quiet for a moment before he answered. “Thank you.”

“But Joe, I’m scared for Mason. I know you had Deputy Miller guarding our house last night, but what about during the day?”

“Anyone going in and out of the courthouse has to go through security. He’s safe in there. Probably safer than at the farmhouse.”

“And what about when he’s not at the courthouse?”

He sighed. “Honestly, Rose. He shouldn’t leave the courthouse. Not unless a deputy is with him.”

“He’s planning on meeting me to run an errand later.”

“I’m heading into town for a meeting with him, so I’ll talk to him. But you and I both know how bullheaded he can be. I need you to encourage him to stay put in the courthouse. He might actually listen if the advice comes from you.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks for the apology, Rose.” He cleared his throat. “When I thought you believed I would—”

“I was angry that you wouldn’t check out the bar. I still am,” I said, adding some sternness to my voice. “But I know you would never knowingly let someone hurt Mason…or anyone else. You could never live with yourself if you did.” Savannah’s death was proof enough of that. I paused, then lowered my voice. “I’ve always told you that you’re a good person, Joe. You just need to believe it of yourself.”

“Thanks.” His voice sounded tight. “Listen, I have to go. Be careful. I’d put you under twenty-four-hour surveillance—and don’t think Mason hasn’t requested it—but I don’t have the manpower and I can’t justify it based on what few leads I have. But I think you’re relatively safe, especially if you’re not with Mason.” He sighed. “I’d suggest you stay away from him until this is resolved, but seeing how that’s not likely, just try to be careful.”

“You be careful too, Joe. I have a really bad feeling about Mick Gentry.”

“You and me both.”

I hung up as Neely Kate approached me on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, her face still pale and devoid of much makeup, her nails free from polish. She wore jeans and cowboy boots with the same canvas jacket from the day before. The only thing about her that looked like my friend was the pink and purple streaks in her long straight, blond hair, which was ironic since they were so new. I definitely wasn’t used to seeing her this way.

“How are you feeling today?” I asked. “You look tired.”

“I’m fine,” she said, forcing a tiny smile. “Let’s go get some information.”

We found Jessica and her mother sitting at a table for four. Just as Jessica had warned, her mother was a talker. She gushed nonstop about everything, including Neely Kate’s hair. Jessica had come to visit Neely Kate when she was in the hospital, so I held my breath as I waited for some comment about the miscarriages. But Jessica must not have told her motor-mouthed mother because she blew right onto discussing the service on Sunday at the Methodist church and how terribly off-key Tina Yonkers had been while singing the hymn “How Great Thou Art.”

We were halfway through eating our breakfast and we hadn’t even begun to discuss Atchison Manufacturing. “Miss Gloria,” I said, trying to be nonchalant as I cut off a piece of my fried egg. “Jessica tells me you used to work for Atchison Manufacturing and would be willing answer some questions for us.”

She put down her coffee cup. “She said you were interested in the fire. I haven’t thought of that place for years. I was a secretary there.”

“I just found out that a friend of my family might have worked there. Dora Middleton. Did you know her?” Only a handful of people knew that Momma wasn’t my birth mother and I wanted to keep it that way. If I told Jessica’s mother, it would spread over Fenton County like wildfire.

Her eyes widened. “Oh, I knew her.” The words were dripping in disdain.

Neely Kate flashed me a look of surprise, then turned back to the woman. “It sounds like you maybe you didn’t get along.”

She set down her fork, syrup smearing onto the table, and leaned forward, her nose scrunching with disgust. “That woman was a home-wrecker.”

My chest squeezed and my whole body went rigid. Jessica squirmed in her seat.

Neely Kate pressed on, feigning ignorance. “What makes you say that, Miss Gloria?”

“She and the owner, Henry Buchanan, had an affair. Right under our noses.” She shuddered. “
Shameless
.”

My mind was numb with shock at this revelation that my father might not have been the only married man with whom she’d formed a relationship. I hadn’t known Dora Middleton, so why did it bother me so much?

Gloria shook her head in disgust. “Everyone knows she seduced that man with her wicked ways. She must have. He loved his wife until she threw herself at him.”

Neely Kate leaned forward. “Why do you think they were having an affair?”

The woman’s face reddened. “I caught them!”

“Naked?” Neely Kate asked.

I gasped at Neely Kate’s crassness and shot her a look of warning.

“Well, no,” Gloria said, taken aback. “But I saw them together when I was at the office one night. I had forgotten my new scarf at my desk, so I used my key to get back into the building. His office door was closed, which wasn’t unusual, but the door flung open while I was opening my desk drawer and that floozy walked out with Henry on her heels, pleading with her to come back like they’d had some lover’s spat.”

“Was she pulling on her clothes?” Neely Kate asked. “Were his pants at his knees?”

“Neely Kate!” I gasped.

Neely Kate shrugged, but Jessica’s eyes widened in horror.

Gloria’s face reddened with embarrassment. “She was tugging on her sweater and her shirt looked disheveled.”

“So how can you be so certain they were having an affair?”

“Why else would they have been in his office at nine o’clock on a Wednesday night? They shoulda been at church.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “In fact, it’s the perfect time to meet to have an affair. Half the town would be at church and the other half would be in the bars. No one would know.”

For once, Neely Kate seemed speechless.

“Did you only see them the one time?” I asked.

Gloria turned to me, her face softening. “I’m sorry. You said she was a family friend.”

“Distant,” I said. I wanted the truth more than I wanted my feelings spared. “Very distant, so don’t worry about insulting me. She was a friend of my mother’s cousin.”

She still looked uncertain, but her desire to gossip apparently overruled her concern about sparing my sensitivities. Jessica studied her plate, probably sorry she’d set up our breakfast meeting.

“Oh, there were other signs. There was only that one time after business hours, but the other girl in the office and I had both noticed them carrying on over the months. Dora’d slip into his office and shut the door. At first it didn’t seem all that unusual. She was the bookkeeper and he was the owner. We figured they were going over numbers. But the month before she quit she was going in there more and more and we’d see them whispering together.” She gave Neely Kate a smug look. “And then there was her pregnancy.”

Neely Kate ignored the dangled carrot. “Do you remember when you saw them in his office at night?”

Gloria looked disappointed. “About a week before Dora resigned. Melody and I figured she insisted he leave his wife because of the baby. When he didn’t, she quit and moved on to greener pastures.”

Could it be true? Had my birth mother carried on an affair with her boss while she was pregnant with me? Her journal entries never seemed to insinuate she was having an affair with Henry, but many of her entries were vague.

“Did Miss Ima Jean know about it?” Neely Kate asked.

Gloria pursed her lips. “No, not until Dora came back.”

“What does that mean?” I asked. “She came back to work for him?” I already suspected she was referring to Dora’s visit to see Henry the week before the fire, but Dora had obviously left important things out, like her possible affair with her boss. I had to be sure.

“Good heavens, no. She’d gotten another job and had her baby. She brought the baby in right after Thanksgiving—a cute little girl—and insisted on seeing Henry.”

“Why’d she want to see him?” Neely Kate asked, sounding worried.

“We could only speculate. I remember we’d gotten a light snowfall and her tiny baby was bundled up in a pink bunting outfit. I told Dora she couldn’t see Mr. Buchanan, but she raised a stink, shouting his name until he opened his door. I tell you, he looked pale as a ghost when his eyes landed on the baby. Then he took her into his office and shut the door. They were in there for a good ten minutes, and when the door opened, Dora was crying and saying, ‘What about our baby, Henry?’ She ran out with the infant and Mr. Buchanan told me to hold his calls. He sat in his office the rest of the afternoon with the door closed. Miss Ima Jean came in the next day, fit to be tied, and fired the girl who did the filing.”

“Why?” Neely Kate asked.

“Because she was young and pretty. Like Dora. We figured word got back to her that Mr. Buchanan had carried on an affair with his bookkeeper and fathered her baby.”

I felt like I was gonna be sick, but Neely Kate grabbed my hand under the table and held tight. Jessica noticed my reaction and looked like she wanted to bolt from the restaurant.