Thirty-Six and a Half Motives
Page 67
“Like when Crocker came,” I said. “Mason and I hid in the barn, then went out the back door and escaped into the woods. But we didn’t go straight into the woods. We skirted the back property line before going in further south. To throw them off our trail.”
It was surreal that I was back in a similar situation. Just a different megalomaniac.
Neely Kate studied me with curiosity. I hadn’t shared much about our escape, and uncharacteristically, she hadn’t pried.
Skeeter flipped on his flashlight. “Smart move.”
As I turned on my own flashlight and moved toward the beat-up pickup I’d inherited with the barn, I considered confessing that it had been Mason’s idea, but Skeeter had already moved on.
“Tell me what you know about this barn. How old is it? What was it used for?”
I rubbed my temple. “I think it was built in the early 1900s. I know my grandparents kept horses. There are a few beat-up stalls over there.” I pointed to the left. “I think they sold the last of the horses about thirty years ago. I’m not sure what else they’ve used it for. I know this truck has been here for decades.” I patted the rusty side.
“And where have you searched?” he asked as he swung the flashlight into a corner by the front doors.
“I’ve only snooped around trying to find out more about my birthmother and my grandparents. Mason was the one who did a thorough search.”
Skeeter walked the length of the wall, shining his flashlight on the crack where it met the dirt floor. “And what did he find?”
“Absolutely nothing. He was out here for hours last week. The night I was released from jail. He’d hit another dead end and was frustrated. I think he was doin’ what we’re doing—searching to keep us busy because there’s nothing else we can do.”
“I can’t speak for the counselor’s intentions,” Skeeter said derisively. “But that’s not why I’m here.” He stopped and turned to look at me, his back stiffening. “If you thought the shorthand on the page said the information was in a shed, why would Deveraux spend so much time looking in the barn?” His voice was steady, but I heard an undercurrent of accusation.
“He was desperate. We had three weeks until the trial. I’d just told him about finding the journal under the baby bed. Maybe he thought he’d find something out here.”
“In the barn. Where’d you get the translation that told you it was a shed?” The accusation in his voice was clearer this time.
My blood turned to ice. “His mother.”
Without a word, he continued following the wall with his flashlight beam, but his shoulders had tensed.
I planted my hands on my hips. “Spit it out, James. You don’t think Mason has my best interests in mind.”
Skeeter stopped and slowly turned around. “I don’t know the man like you do, so you tell me—do you think he’s really so shiny and clean?”
“Joe thought he was using you,” Neely Kate said quietly. “Remember? To get even.”
Skeeter’s voice was deceptively calm. “To get even for what?”
Neely Kate turned to him. “Joe was certain Mason stole Rose from him in retaliation for Joe’s role in Savannah’s death.”
Anger burned in my gut. “First of all, no one stole me. I have something called free will, and Joe had already broken up with me. But more importantly, Mason would never do such a thing. He loves me. He’s proven that time and time again.”
“He left you when you needed him more than ever,” Skeeter said in a harsh tone. “He left you defenseless.”
“He didn’t leave me defenseless,” I said in exasperation. “He called you to make sure I was watched.”
He took a step toward me, his eyes glittering with menace. “Why would he call me—a man he’s sworn to put away—to watch after his own girlfriend?”
I pointed my finger at him. “You stop that right now, James Daniel Malcolm. You know darn good and well why he called you.” I snuck a glance at Neely Kate, hoping to find support there, but she was frowning. Trying to regroup, I returned my gaze to Skeeter and started over in a calmer voice. “You and I were the ones to instigate the plan to bring down J.R. Mason knew you had a vested interest in me as Lady. He knew you would protect me.”
He shook his head and took two steps closer. “No. He knows that Simmons wants us both, and how convenient—we’re here together. To prove my point, Deveraux knows how I feel about you, and he still asked me to keep an eye on you. What man would do that?”
I crossed my arms. “A man who loves unconditionally.”
“But he didn’t love you unconditionally,” Skeeter continued, taking another step. “He left you.”
I shook my head, getting angrier by the second. “What are you saying, James? I want to hear you say the words.”
“I think Deveraux’s been using you and is betraying you even as we speak.”
I dropped my hands to my sides and clenched my fists, livid. “Have you plum lost your mind?”
“What if he’s right?” Neely Kate asked. “What if he’s setting you up for J.R.?”
I spun to face her. “That’s crazy, Neely Kate! That man loves me. You saw how devastated he was when I was in jail.”
“What if it was an act?” Skeeter countered. “You insisted on reaching out to Deveraux before sending him that video of your supposed death. You said he’d be good at playing along. And he was.”
My eyebrows nearly shot to my hairline. “Are you saying he was in on that, too?”
The muscles on his jaw line tightened. “I think we should be suspicious of everyone and everything right now.”
I looked at Neely Kate.
She gave me a sympathetic grimace. “He has a point.”
“Neely Kate!”
She reached for me, but I took a step back. I could barely see her face through the pool of unshed tears in my eyes.
“Rose. I know you love him, but you have to put aside your feelings for him and look at the facts. I’ve had to do the same with Ronnie.”
I found myself in too much shock to do anything other than nod my head.
Skeeter moved up behind her.
“We knew that J.R. was the one who sent him here to Henryetta,” Neely Kate said.
It was surreal that I was back in a similar situation. Just a different megalomaniac.
Neely Kate studied me with curiosity. I hadn’t shared much about our escape, and uncharacteristically, she hadn’t pried.
Skeeter flipped on his flashlight. “Smart move.”
As I turned on my own flashlight and moved toward the beat-up pickup I’d inherited with the barn, I considered confessing that it had been Mason’s idea, but Skeeter had already moved on.
“Tell me what you know about this barn. How old is it? What was it used for?”
I rubbed my temple. “I think it was built in the early 1900s. I know my grandparents kept horses. There are a few beat-up stalls over there.” I pointed to the left. “I think they sold the last of the horses about thirty years ago. I’m not sure what else they’ve used it for. I know this truck has been here for decades.” I patted the rusty side.
“And where have you searched?” he asked as he swung the flashlight into a corner by the front doors.
“I’ve only snooped around trying to find out more about my birthmother and my grandparents. Mason was the one who did a thorough search.”
Skeeter walked the length of the wall, shining his flashlight on the crack where it met the dirt floor. “And what did he find?”
“Absolutely nothing. He was out here for hours last week. The night I was released from jail. He’d hit another dead end and was frustrated. I think he was doin’ what we’re doing—searching to keep us busy because there’s nothing else we can do.”
“I can’t speak for the counselor’s intentions,” Skeeter said derisively. “But that’s not why I’m here.” He stopped and turned to look at me, his back stiffening. “If you thought the shorthand on the page said the information was in a shed, why would Deveraux spend so much time looking in the barn?” His voice was steady, but I heard an undercurrent of accusation.
“He was desperate. We had three weeks until the trial. I’d just told him about finding the journal under the baby bed. Maybe he thought he’d find something out here.”
“In the barn. Where’d you get the translation that told you it was a shed?” The accusation in his voice was clearer this time.
My blood turned to ice. “His mother.”
Without a word, he continued following the wall with his flashlight beam, but his shoulders had tensed.
I planted my hands on my hips. “Spit it out, James. You don’t think Mason has my best interests in mind.”
Skeeter stopped and slowly turned around. “I don’t know the man like you do, so you tell me—do you think he’s really so shiny and clean?”
“Joe thought he was using you,” Neely Kate said quietly. “Remember? To get even.”
Skeeter’s voice was deceptively calm. “To get even for what?”
Neely Kate turned to him. “Joe was certain Mason stole Rose from him in retaliation for Joe’s role in Savannah’s death.”
Anger burned in my gut. “First of all, no one stole me. I have something called free will, and Joe had already broken up with me. But more importantly, Mason would never do such a thing. He loves me. He’s proven that time and time again.”
“He left you when you needed him more than ever,” Skeeter said in a harsh tone. “He left you defenseless.”
“He didn’t leave me defenseless,” I said in exasperation. “He called you to make sure I was watched.”
He took a step toward me, his eyes glittering with menace. “Why would he call me—a man he’s sworn to put away—to watch after his own girlfriend?”
I pointed my finger at him. “You stop that right now, James Daniel Malcolm. You know darn good and well why he called you.” I snuck a glance at Neely Kate, hoping to find support there, but she was frowning. Trying to regroup, I returned my gaze to Skeeter and started over in a calmer voice. “You and I were the ones to instigate the plan to bring down J.R. Mason knew you had a vested interest in me as Lady. He knew you would protect me.”
He shook his head and took two steps closer. “No. He knows that Simmons wants us both, and how convenient—we’re here together. To prove my point, Deveraux knows how I feel about you, and he still asked me to keep an eye on you. What man would do that?”
I crossed my arms. “A man who loves unconditionally.”
“But he didn’t love you unconditionally,” Skeeter continued, taking another step. “He left you.”
I shook my head, getting angrier by the second. “What are you saying, James? I want to hear you say the words.”
“I think Deveraux’s been using you and is betraying you even as we speak.”
I dropped my hands to my sides and clenched my fists, livid. “Have you plum lost your mind?”
“What if he’s right?” Neely Kate asked. “What if he’s setting you up for J.R.?”
I spun to face her. “That’s crazy, Neely Kate! That man loves me. You saw how devastated he was when I was in jail.”
“What if it was an act?” Skeeter countered. “You insisted on reaching out to Deveraux before sending him that video of your supposed death. You said he’d be good at playing along. And he was.”
My eyebrows nearly shot to my hairline. “Are you saying he was in on that, too?”
The muscles on his jaw line tightened. “I think we should be suspicious of everyone and everything right now.”
I looked at Neely Kate.
She gave me a sympathetic grimace. “He has a point.”
“Neely Kate!”
She reached for me, but I took a step back. I could barely see her face through the pool of unshed tears in my eyes.
“Rose. I know you love him, but you have to put aside your feelings for him and look at the facts. I’ve had to do the same with Ronnie.”
I found myself in too much shock to do anything other than nod my head.
Skeeter moved up behind her.
“We knew that J.R. was the one who sent him here to Henryetta,” Neely Kate said.
