The Dead Rogue

by L B Wyatt

  Everly raised an eyebrow. “She killed herself, Veronica. She and I had a deal and she didn’t hold up her end.”

  “She knew about the pregnancy, didn’t she?” Veronica assumed. Young girls can’t hold onto secrets that big. If Amelia hadn’t told her mother, she would have gone straight to her best friend.

  “It was in their text message conversations, so I paid her a visit,” Everly confessed. “Unlike Amelia, Poppy was pretty eager to take a payoff.”

  “You weren’t tempted to just make her disappear too?” Veronica growled.

  Everly’s eyes widened a trace. “Of course not! I’m not a monster!”

  Veronica almost laughed out loud. I’m not a monster, said the woman who murdered her own grandchild. Veronica’s thoughts were nothing less than vicious.

  “I promised I would take care of Amelia and the baby, and Poppy was supposed to keep her mouth shut.”

  Veronica narrowed her eyes. “She wasn’t concerned with how you were going to ‘take care of Amelia’?”

  Everly rolled her eyes. “Poppy was such an airhead, she didn’t even ask. I told her to tell anyone who came knocking that she didn’t know a thing. And she did well, until you showed up on her doorstep.” Everly continued to glare at Veronica. “I think you probably intimidated her,” Everly accused. “And you can take the blame for her death, by the way. She’d still be sucking on her Starbucks and scrolling on her phone if it wasn’t for you.”

  Veronica had decided rather quickly that Everly Ross was quite the vindictive bitch. She knew right where to hit Veronica and make it hurt.

  “So now that you know my situation, and I implore you once again, Veronica Covey, where is that ledger?”

  “Nothing you’ve said makes me want to tell you any more now than I did before.”

  Everly’s face softened into a smile and she shifted her legs in the seat, uncrossing one and re-crossing the other as she slid a little closer to the edge. “I’ve already had my men destroy your phone, so I know that piece is gone, but I need the hardcopy.”

  Veronica allowed her own face to curve into a small smile and she tilted her head. “I thought you said you were intelligent?” she reminded. “Surely you don’t think my phone and the hardcopy are all I have?”

  Everly’s face dropped slowly and she sat up a little straighter in her chair. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean,” Veronica knew she shouldn’t say anything, but she was desperate to wipe that smug smirk off this murderer’s face, “I have electronic copies set up to email out on a timer, I have photo copies stored in various places and the hardcopy—well, I guess you’ll have to go ahead and kill me now because there’s no way I’m giving that up.”

  Veronica’s trick worked. Everly’s smug smile did disappear and it was replaced with a homicidal glower that Veronica hadn’t seen before that moment, even when the woman confessed to killing an innocent, pregnant girl. They stared at one another in silence for a while. Long enough it was starting to get awkward. Veronica changed her expression from her bemused smile to a look of boredom just to irritate her captor.

  Everly stood up and walked closer to Veronica. She stopped just inches from Veronica’s knees and bent down so their faces were close.

  “Threatening to kill you won’t work because you don’t value your own life, Veronica. And why would you? You have nothing to lose, right? You have no one that loves you. No one that would miss you if you’re gone. Your actions tell me everything about how much you care about yourself. No one in their right mind would steal from the Barber, but you did and even if there was some miracle that occurred and you did survive this night, he won’t stop hunting you down. You place target after target on your own back with no regard to your own safety. It makes you a dangerous woman, yes. But it also makes your death easily staged. My goodness, the way you throw yourself into harm’s way.” Everly made a ‘tsk tsk’ noise and reached up, running her hand over Veronica’s cheek.

  Veronica wanted to spit on the woman, but she withheld. After all, nothing Everly said was news to her. Veronica was very self-aware, and Everly certainly wasn’t hurting her feelings by revealing any of it.

  “More character flaws,” Veronica said lightly.

  Everly straightened up and crossed her arms. “A flaw indeed,” she agreed. “But I can still find a way to get you to talk,” she said arrogantly.

  Veronica actually laughed a little with that statement. This woman really didn’t know who she was dealing with.

  “What? You don’t think I know how?” Everly’s eyes sparkled a little with the challenge. “I understand that I can’t torture the truth out of you, Veronica, I won’t even try. It’s too messy,” she stated with a shudder. “Besides, I just had these floors polished. No, I think I’ll take a different approach. You don’t hold your own life in any regard, but what about your partner? Merritt is a really nice guy, isn’t he?” She smiled wickedly. “Did you know he was married and has a child?”

  Veronica’s stomach started to burn. No, she didn’t know that. She was a lousy partner and had never thought to ask. Despite her churning emotions, Veronica kept her exterior like a statue.

  “It would be easy for a child to get hurt, you know? Accidents happen all the time,” Everly continued. “Or maybe Merritt gets gunned down in the middle of a robbery? I mean, that kind of thing is almost inevitable with police work, right?”

  Veronica was quiet. While she had not anticipated this turn of events, she wasn’t sure she could believe what Everly was saying. She might just be all talk and no bite, but there was simply no way of knowing for certain.

  “Oh, I know.” Every paused. She had walked away for a moment and turned back around as if she had the best idea yet occur to her. Her large eyes were dancing with joy. “What about Chief Morro? He’s like a father to you, isn’t he?”

  Veronica’s heart plummeted to her toes. How in the hell did this woman know all of this?

  “I have my resources, Veronica,” Everly answered as if Veronica had spoken the words. She supposed she had let her guard down for a moment and some of the shock bled through her reserve. Veronica recovered and continued to scowl.

  “How would you feel if Morro was killed or worse?” Everly’s eyes lit up even more. “What if he was dismembered? What if he was in an accident and he ended up being a paraplegic?”

  “You wouldn’t.” Veronica shook her head. The image of the strong-willed, proud, former Navy SEAL turned police chief reduced to a life in a wheelchair because of a mistake Veronica had made caused her guard to completely crumble. She hated herself for even speaking. Of course this woman would hurt Morro. She had murdered her own grandchild, was there anything she wasn’t capable of?

  “Yes, I would, Veronica. It would be a series of unfortunate events and it would all be set in motion by you.”

  Veronica wasn’t too concerned about this little adventure until now. Everly was clearly out of her mind and lacked any sign of having a conscience. She was even more dangerous than Veronica ever hoped to be.

  She watched as Everly’s eyes swept over the classic-styled dining area with a whimsical expression. She almost twirled around in joy knowing that she now had the upper hand now.

  “No one knows about this place. Not even Dwight. It’s still in my maiden name so we’re safe here. We can stay here for days if we need to. I can even turn on the news so you can see all the damage done to your friends because of your lack of cooperation.”

  Veronica was suddenly so angry she couldn’t think straight. But this time the anger didn’t demolish the fear she felt; it just expounded upon it. It was not a good feeling and she found herself wanting to explode. She wanted to scream and break free and pummel Everly’s face into a bloody pulp.

  She had to rope her emotions in, though. She couldn’t just try and bust loose when she knew there were still two armed men in the house just waiting for their boss’s signal.

  Veronica didn’t realize it, but her leg was bouncing
up and down in an anxious gesture; a small piece of her emotional discord escaping through her body.

  Everly noticed and she watched in anticipation. She was about to speak again when the sound of a phone ringing distracted her. Husky walked in a few seconds later with Everly’s clutch and she snatched it from him. She pulled the phone out and let out a heavy sigh. She looked at her guard then down at Veronica.

  “Tape her legs too, she’s getting a little restless,” Everly ordered. “You don’t want to end up like your friend in the stairwell do you?”

  Husky’s face turned a deep red as he glanced at Veronica.

  “No, ma’am. Billy was a good man. He didn’t deserve to die like that,” Husky muttered.

  Everly looked as though she could not possibly care any less. She rolled her eyes as she turned back to Veronica. “Sorry to interrupt, dear, but I have to take this,” Everly said then glanced once more toward her guard. “Maybe put a piece over her mouth for good measure until I’m done on the phone.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Husky said as he ripped a piece of tape off the roll he’d grabbed from the table.

  Veronica saw her opportunity and she quickly unfolded the small pocket knife still clutched tight in her palm. She tried to swing her head back and forth, but Husky still slapped the tape over her lips uneasily and she clenched her jaw in anger.

  “Hello, darling!” Everly’s voice carried into the room. “Oh no, I just had a horrible headache. I couldn’t stay…”

  Veronica couldn’t hear any more of the lies Everly was feeding to her husband. She must have walked into another room. It didn’t matter anyway. Veronica worked fast and she had her hands free about the time Husky bent down to tape her legs around the chair. She waited for a second before attacking. She wasn’t sure where Skinny had gone off to. She thought maybe he’d be showing up too and she could take care of both these goons with one bullet, but she realized it wasn’t going to be an option. Husky had halted in his efforts to tape her legs. The skirt she was wearing had ridden up quite a bit and it had grabbed the man’s attention. He was bent over in front of her and she watched as he turned his head to get a better look between her legs. Looking was fine, but Veronica drew the line when he reached up and pushed his portly hand between her thighs. She pulled her hands apart after sawing through the duct tape and rammed the blade of her pocket knife right through the back of Husky’s hand.

  He let out a wail of surprise and Veronica sprung from the chair. She pulled the tape off her mouth and the knife out of his flesh simultaneously. Blood gushed everywhere and she quickly wrapped her arm around his neck. She pressed the blood laden blade to his jugular and ordered him to get up. She was ready when Skinny came bounding through the dining room doorway with his weapon raised. He had traded his shotgun for a hand held pistol and his eyes widened at what he saw.

  “Put it down or I’ll slice his throat,” Veronica ordered.

  Skinny was clearly caught off guard. He was shaking and looking in between Veronica and his partner. He wasn’t sure what to do. Veronica repeated her command about the time Everly came into view. She stopped with her cell phone still in her hand and a shocked expression on her face.

  “Put it down!” Veronica ordered once more. She was barely able to keep her arm fully around Husky’s neck. If he still wasn’t halfway crouched down, she would have to climb on him like a kid going for a piggyback ride. She was sure Skinny would place his weapon on the floor, and just as her prediction started to come true, Everly made a disgruntled sound and grabbed the gun from him. Veronica had no time to react as she watched Everly point the pistol at Husky’s chest and pull the trigger. Veronica felt his body jerk when the bullet entered and then he was dead weight (quite literally).

  She released her grip so she wouldn’t tumble over him as he landed heavily on the floor. Blood pooled around his body as Everly took a step into the room with her weapon still raised. It was pointed directly at Veronica now and crazy wasn’t the right word for the expression on the woman’s face. It was a notch above that really.

  Veronica stood there like an idiot, holding a tiny pocket knife out and trying not to laugh hysterically at the absurdity of it all. Somehow she had managed to bring a knife to a gun fight. And she felt like the biggest idiot in the world right about now.

  “Sit back down,” Everly commanded.

  “I’d rather not,” Veronica argued.

  “There are ways to hurt you without killing you, Veronica. I’m sure you know how true that is.”

  And she did. Veronica had tortured her fair share of people. She wasn’t proud of all the times it was necessary, but she learned there were ways to hurt a person far worse than what the sting of death could offer. She wasn’t afraid of pain and she obviously wasn’t afraid of dying, but Veronica was still at a loss. She was sure Husky probably had a gun on him tucked somewhere. But she was also sure Everly could have her trigger pulled more than once before Veronica could roll his hefty body around and find it. There was no way she could lunge with her puny knife and make any headway. It was looking more and more like the thing to do, though. She would rather take her chances and get the upper hand than to give Everly the chance to follow through on her previous threats.

  She certainly had Veronica’s number.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Merritt turned down a narrow gravel drive and slowed to a stop. He glanced down at his phone, checking the red blinking dot on his GPS tracker next to the number on the mailbox. Unfortunately, the dark box didn’t even have a number on it. That was illegal, he knew, but the least of his worries at this point. He was probably out of a job after tonight and definitely out of his mind.

  “What are you doing?” Officer Roma asked from the passenger’s side.

  “This is really out there, man,” Officer Huber agreed from the backseat of Merritt’s SUV.

  “Just give me a minute, okay?” Merritt didn’t want to get too testy with the guys. They were here as a favor more than anything else. They had all started off as rookies together and Roma and Huber were the only ones who acted like they would help out on this little adventure. It was certainly a leap of faith, he knew. Covey wasn’t well liked around the station and it was difficult to even convince the officers to ride along. Merritt wasn’t sure why he himself was even here. It wasn’t like Covey gave a damn about him either. She was probably holed up in the house ahead with Quinn Murphy, not that it was any of Merritt’s business. Not that he cared who Veronica slept with, but there was something off about that Murphy guy. Merritt felt it in his gut and that was a feeling he had never ignored before. It was part of the reason he was still alive today.

  Nevertheless, he turned his headlights off and eased up the drive. The GPS device he’d slipped into Veronica’s purse during their awkward hug at the party several hours ago said this was her location. Why he’d even done it was beyond him. He almost laughed as he recalled her expression to his gesture and then wondered if she had ever hugged another human being in her life. It was funny to catch her off guard like that because he knew it was a rare instance.

  Merritt had been trying to keep an eye on Veronica, but since she quit staying at her apartment she was impossible to keep up with. She bounced around from hotel to hotel, used a different alias each time and ran through cell phones like they were half-priced pancakes at IHOP. Putting a tracker on her seemed like the most logical, harmless thing he could do to keep up with her. He knew if she ever found out, she would most likely break his nose and kick him in the crotch, but he was willing to deal with the repercussions as long as he made sure she was okay. She had gotten in way over her head lately on this wild tangent to pin an alleged murder of a missing girl on the senator. Everyone seemed to be rooting against her, including the chief. Merritt felt his stomach flip into a knot at how much trouble he’d be in if Morro knew where he was. It didn’t matter, he kept telling himself.

  Still, Merritt struggled within. He knew sticking his neck out for someone like Veronic
a was probably going to backfire on him in the worst possible way and she wouldn’t even give a damn, but it was the principle of the matter, he told himself. That, and a conversation he and Brooke Ellis had had one day at the station after Covey left. Brooke was a psychic who worked for Legacy. Despite his doubts at first, Brooke had proven her ability to Merritt on more than one occasion. She was the real deal. A see-all, know-all psychic and she scared the shit out him.

  But she was also the kindest person he had ever met.

  He remembered the day she was standing there, nearly on the brink of tears at some derogatory remark Veronica had said about Brooke’s ability. It was no secret the two of them didn’t get along. Veronica was the world’s biggest cynic and Brooke’s biggest doubter and Veronica didn’t care how hurtful some of the statements she made were to the psychic.

  “Why do you let her talk to you like that?” Merritt had asked Brooke one day.

  He remembered her looking away to gather her strength and then shrugging nonchalantly before saying, “Covey has been through a lot. She’s dealing with demons from her past.”

  Merritt had shaken his head, standing up from his desk and walking around so he could face Brooke. “We all have demons. That doesn’t give her the right to be such a bitch.”

  Brooke had smiled then and he could recall how it lit up her face, making her more beautiful than she already was. He suspected Brooke’s beauty and talents were part of the reason Covey disliked her. A sort of spiteful girl quality, he assumed.

  “Veronica is a good person, Merritt. But she’s been so hurt in the past it makes how she sees the world now darker. She’s lucky to have you as a partner.”

  Merritt had snorted at that comment. “If you can really call me that.”

  “It’s your choice, Merritt,” Brooke had stated. “She’s been programmed to push people away. She won’t let you close because she’s lost people who mean a lot to her in the worst possible way. But you can choose to be her partner. To be there for her, even when she acts like it’s the last thing she wants. Just be patient.”