Thirty-Two and a Half Complications (21 page)

“You noticed?” I teased. “I thought you were completely focused on finding the restroom.”

“Very funny.” But she didn’t sound amused. “Yes, I noticed, which is why I did some digging. And I found out something else: the car belongs to a guy who worked at the Henryetta Bank.”

“
Mr. Sullivan
? But he wasn’t one of the bank robbers. I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t know. My cousin didn’t know his name. Mr. Sullivan would have been stupid to let them use his car if he was involved, but I doubt he drove that Charger around town. I never saw it in the bank parking lot before. Did you?”

“I can’t say I paid much attention.”

“Which is why I know so much more than you,” she gloated. “I bet no one even knew he owned it. My cousin said it was one of those collector cars, so he probably kept it tucked away in a garage. Maybe we should go snoop at his house.”

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

“Have you got a better one?” she asked.

“Don’t you think the police or sheriff’s deputies are all over his house, especially since they just found his body?”

“Oh, yeah,” she grumbled. “I suppose you’re right. But we have all kinds of questions we need answered. Why was Mr. Sullivan killed and who killed him? Why was his body dumped at the farm next to yours? Who were his accomplices?” She paused. “You didn’t have a chance to go through his pockets, did you?”

“No!” I practically shouted, but after a second I added, “A sheriff’s deputy showed up before I got the chance.”

“I wonder if we could sneak into the morgue.” She sighed. “Probably not, and I suspect the police have already confiscated all the good stuff anyway.”

We were silent for a few moments. “So does this mean Samantha Jo is innocent?” I pondered out loud.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a coincidence that she’s desperate for money and happened to be working at the bank three weeks before its first robbery in
fifty years
.”

Maybe, but I didn’t think so, and obviously Neely Kate didn’t either. Something stank worse than a three-day old herring.

“Since we can’t go through Mr. Sullivan’s house or things, I think we need to corner Samantha Jo,” Neely Kate said.

“And I suppose you already have a plan for that?”

“I do, but as much as I hate to admit it, it’s gonna have to wait until tomorrow. I promised Grandma I’d bring Ronnie over and spend the day with her and all my aunts and uncles and cousins.”

“Well, let’s hope it’s less eventful than your dinner last night,” I said dryly.

She laughed. “Oh, I don’t know. I kinda like the excitement you bring with you.”

“If I remember correctly, you brought some of your own excitement.”

“True…”

I heard yelling in the background.

“I’m comin’, Granny!” Neely Kate shouted. “I gotta go,” she said to me in a lower voice. “I’m supposed to help Granny make a batch of pickled pigs’ feet. My cousins are all taking bets on how long I’ll last without barfing.”

I cringed. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, I need it. I’ve placed my own bet for fifteen seconds.”

I heard more yelling on the other end of the phone.

“Oh, Lordy. I gotta go. My cousin Witt has Ronnie in a headlock. Can you get away tomorrow afternoon? I think I know where we can find Samantha Jo.”

I glanced back toward the bedroom. “Yeah, I don’t think it will be a problem.”

“Great. Let’s go after church.” Then her voice rose before she hung up. “Witt! You put my husband down, right now!”

When I went back downstairs, Mason was on his laptop in his office, so I went into the kitchen to figure out dinner. I started a pot of chili, then sat out on the front porch with a cup of tea while Muffy played in the front yard.

The front door opened after I’d been outside a bit. I glanced up to see Mason staring out into the yard. “Something smells good in the kitchen.”

“I’ve got a pot of chili cooking.”

Mason sat in the chair next to mine. “She seems happy romping around,” he said, gesturing to Muffy.

“I figured this was a good alternative since our walk got cut short.” I turned to him. “Did you get all your work done?”

He sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him. “No.” There was an awkward pause before he asked, “How’s Neely Kate?”

“Good…” I almost cringed, waiting for his interrogation.

“Does she think less of me after what happened last night?”

That wasn’t the question I’d expected. “No, Mason. I’m sure she thinks he deserved it. She’s been pretty aggravated with him herself. The only one feeling badly about you right now is you. Well…” I added with a little laugh. “And maybe Joe’s cheek bone.”

Mason kept his gaze on Muffy. “Did my behavior last night influence your behavior with Joe this morning?”

“What?” I asked in shock. “No. I promise you it didn’t.”

“I love you, Rose, and I forgive you, but I keep seeing it in my head. It’s going to take a little while for it to go away.”

I closed my eyes to keep from crying. “I’m so sorry, Mason. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me and I hurt you.
I’m sorry
.”

I stood to go inside, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back. “Stay with me for a bit. It’s beautiful out here. And I miss you.”

“Okay.”

He stood, tugging me over to the edge of the porch and sat down, his leg extending over the steps. I sat next to him and he snaked an arm around my back. I snuggled into his side, grateful he was still with me. His cheek rested on the top of my head and we sat in silence for several minutes before he finally spoke.

“So what did Neely Kate call about?”

“She was irritated she had to hear from her second cousin that I found Mr. Sullivan’s body this morning.”

He chuckled, the sound warming my insides. “I can see how that would upset her.”

“She also said she found information indicating he owned a gold Charger.”

“She’s correct.”

I jerked my head up to look at him. “You knew? How?”

“I’m the ADA, Rose. There was a murder of a bank employee who owned a car similar to the getaway car. They’re going to tell me.”

“Why didn’t you tell
me
?” I asked in disbelief.

“You didn’t ask.”

“Mason!”

His hand on my waist tightened, tugging me against him again. “I just found out about forty-five minutes ago. Sullivan’s been missing since the morning of the robbery, which is highly suspicious. And seeing how there wasn’t much money taken, besides yours, of course, we were sure he wasn’t off sipping Mai Tais in the Cayman Islands. Other than his disappearance and his boss suggesting uncorroborated embezzling, finding out he owned the make and model of the getaway car has been our first strong lead.”

“So you really think he was in on it?” I still had a hard time believing it.

“Official opinion or personal?”

“Both.”

“Officially, we have nothing beyond circumstantial evidence to tie him to this crime. But your vision leads me to believe there was an inside man, and he fits the bill. But of course, there’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Are the Henryetta police doing anything?”

“Chasing their tails, like they usually do. But the fact that the body was found outside of city limits means the sheriff’s department can officially come on board. At least for the murder. And then with any luck at all, they’ll find evidence to tie it in to the robbery.”

“Do you still think I’m in danger?”

His arm tensed. “No. If the robbers were going to come after you, I think they would have done so already. And with your permission, I’d like to call the sheriff’s department and cancel their watch.”

I squeezed his waist. “Sounds good to me.”

“It sucks that Joe’s the chief deputy sheriff and has a whole department at his beck and call. But he’s an outsider brought in to replace a guy most of the deputies loved. They hate me for busting Chief Deputy Dimler, but they also resent Joe for taking his place. They may be accepting his arbitrary orders about you at the moment, but they’ll grow tired of it before too long.” He shifted his leg. “What were you and Neely Kate doing in the bar last night?”

“The truth?”

His grip tightened. “Always.”

“Neely Kate saw Toby Wheaton in the bar and decided we should go interrogate him.”

“Should his name be significant?”

“His ex-wife, Samantha Jo, was the bank teller during the robbery. We thought she might have been the robbers’ informant. Joe told me he’d questioned him earlier that day. I don’t suppose he told you.”

“No.” Mason’s hold loosened and he shifted to look at me. “But why would you think she might be an informant?”

I gaped at him. He really wanted my opinion. “Well, she was divorced from Toby. Neely Kate heard she was hurting for money after he racked up debt on all her credit cards before their divorce, and she’s only worked at the bank for a couple of weeks.”

“Huh,” he said. “Anything else?”

“Yeah.” I sat up straighter, starting to get excited. “Samantha Jo always wanted to go to Hollywood. She was in all the school plays, and she did some summer theater stuff after graduation. She thought she was destined for greatness. It occurred to me that she might have agreed to help them by playing the part of the frightened bank teller.”

Mason’s eyes bore into me, deep in concentration. “And how was her performance?”

“I only caught a glimpse of her. When I looked up at the counter, she did look genuinely scared. Her face was red and blotchy.”

“And what did you find out from her ex-husband?”

I shook my head. “You
really
want to know?”

“Of course I do. Look at all the people you’ve helped apprehend.”

I scrunched my nose. “I’m not sure those count. A lot of it was accidental.”

“Accidental or not, you’ve played a major role in the apprehension of multiple criminals. I’d be a fool not to listen to you.”

I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips.

A slow grin lit up his face, although I sensed he was still holding part of himself back with me. “What was that for?”

“For believing in me.”

His mouth parted as though he was about to say something, but then he stopped himself. “What did you find out?” he said instead.

“Toby says she’s not smart enough to plan a bank robbery, but in his opinion she’d be willing to play a part in it for money.”

“So we need to talk to Samantha Jo and find out if she knows anything.”

I snorted.

He looked confused. “What was that for?”

“You really think Samantha Jo is going to talk to the Henryetta police or the sheriff’s department?”

He looked taken aback. “If it’s handled properly.”

I laughed. “You obviously don’t know Samantha Jo.”

“And you do?”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Not personally, but I know enough to know she won’t talk to the police or the sheriff. She was in my grade at school. Samantha Jo lived in the trailer park outside of town. Her brother Dickie was a year older than her, and he sold pot and moonshine to the kids in high school. He got busted plenty of times as a minor. But then they busted him the day after his eighteenth birthday. Rumor had it that the sheriff’s department set up a sting especially for Dickie. They knew he was heading out hunting, and they arranged for a kid to meet him on a country road to buy some pot and alcohol. Dickie got busted and of course they found loaded weapons in his truck.”

“Damn.” Mason looked disgusted. “And they threw the book at him.”

“Yeah. He’d been selling to help support the family. Their daddy had run off and their momma had health problems. He got fifteen years. Samantha Jo’s momma died soon after. Some of the women at church said she died of a broken heart because her son had brought her so much shame. The kids at school said it was because she couldn’t afford her medication. Samantha Jo moved in with her aunt and uncle after her momma’s passing, and she started showing up at school with bruises. Needless to say, Samantha Jo hates the sheriff and the police. She blames them for taking away her family and ruining her life.”

Mason ran a hand over his head, looking like he was about to be sick. “Yeah, I can see why she wouldn’t talk to any law enforcement officials.” He lowered his hand slowly. “So will you tell me what she says after you talk to her?”

My eyes flew open so wide they felt like they were going to pop out. “What?”

“I know you’re going to talk to her, and I’m giving you my blessing. Find out if she was in on it or if she knows anything.”

I shook my head, sure I’d heard him wrong. “Are you
serious
?”

“Yes, totally. If she’s involved, she probably played a minor role. Does she seem dangerous to you?”

“Samantha Jo? No.”

“Then there’s little risk of you getting hurt, though if you feel threatened in any way, I want you to get out of there right away. Of course, none of the information you get will be admissible, but it might give us a few leads.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re encouraging this. Joe would just as soon lock me in the bathroom.” I instantly regretted bringing up his name.

Mason’s eyes darkened. “Unlike Joe, I consider you to be an intelligent woman. Besides, something tells me that Samantha Jo needs a friend…and who better than you?”

“Me?”

“People down on their luck are drawn to you, Rose. Bruce Wayne, Jonah.” He squeezed my hand and gave me a soft smile. “And me. I was in a bad place when I first came to Henryetta and you were like a ray of sunshine. I tried to tell you that once in the courthouse elevator last July, with disastrous results, but it’s as true now as it was then.”

I gave him a kiss. “That’s one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me.”

“I’m only speaking the truth.” He sat back. “Now when do you plan on talking to Samantha Jo?”

“Neely Kate and I are going to see her after church tomorrow.”

He smiled. “Great. Now tell me what caused all that commotion at the bar?”

I grimaced. “I don’t think you really want to know.”

He pierced me with his penetrating gaze. “Try me.”

I scrunched my face to the side. “Well…Toby was drunk and his bad breath was more than Neely Kate could take. She ended up barfing all down his back and on the woman next to him.”