by Gen Griffin
“I love you too, kid.” Addison smiled at her tiredly. “Do me a favor, go find me a couple more button down shirts like this one.” He picked at the fabric of the shirt he was wearing.
“You want another one?”
“I want a few shirts that I can put on without having to move my arm too much or pull anything over the bandage on my shoulder,” he explained.
“Okay,” Gracie said. “I'll grab a few shirts for David as well. I think the button downs will look good on him. What do you think, Trish?”
“Why don't we go look together?” Trish suggested. “I didn't see David's wardrobe before his house burned down, but I'm guessing it probably would have benefited from a woman's input.”
“Understatement of the year,” Gracie agreed. “We still have to find you a dress for tomorrow too, don't we?”
Trish nodded. “I was hoping you would help me pick it out?”
“Gladly,” Gracie replied. “Come on. Let's go find some clothes.”
“We're going to be here all damn night,” Addison grumbled from his spot on the scooter.
“At least they're getting along,” Cal replied as he gestured from Gracie to Trish and then back to Gracie. “It could be worse.”
“It could be much worse,” David agreed. “And lately I've been focusing on counting my blessings.”
“That girl is definitely one of your blessings,” Addison said as he gestured to Trish.
“I know it,” David replied. “God do I ever know it.”
Chapter 28
“You sure you're the legal owner of all this jewelry?” The woman behind the pawn shop's counter was wearing a red polo shirt with the name 'Shirley' stitched into the fabric. She had half an inch of gray roots showing against her otherwise dark brown hair and a mole on the side of her nose that looked like it needed to be removed.
“I inherited it from my mother. She died a few months ago and I don't have any use for it.” Kerry pushed the gold and silver across the counter towards the woman. It wasn't a total lie. He'd mixed some of his mother's necklaces and rings in with the stolen items. If the stolen jewelry was ever traced back to him, he planned on saying he'd found the entire lot of it in his mother's jewelry box. Not that he expected to have any problems. He'd chosen to pawn the stuff over a hundred miles away from Callahan County for a reason.
Heck, if Curtis's plan worked out, and David and Trish weren't even going to be alive long enough to file a police report on the missing items. Despite the revulsion he felt at the thought of committing murder, a brief thrill ran through him. A world without David Breedlove in it was a better world for everyone.
“Your girlfriend doesn't want it?” The woman held up a thick gold necklace with obvious skepticism.
“I don't have a girlfriend,” Kerry said.
“You might one day.” The woman picked up the next necklace and inspected it with equal curiosity. She was chewing her gum with her mouth open.
“Unlikely,” Kerry said.
“You gay?” The woman asked.
Kerry did a double take. “What?”
“It's okay honey. I have a cousin who swings your way. We'll give you a good price for all this girly stuff. Maybe you and your boyfriend can take a real nice vacation with the money.” The woman behind the pawnshop counter grinned toothily at Kerry.
He opened his mouth to correct her assumption and then decided there was no point. His sexual orientation was irrelevant in this deal. If the woman thought that being gay was a logical reason for unloading a lot of expensive women's jewelry then she probably wouldn't put much more thought into the transaction. Kerry wanted to be forgettable, so he launched into a painfully boring description of the cruise he hoped to take with his non-existent boyfriend. By the time the woman finished calculating up the value of the jewelry and printed out the paperwork for him to sign, she appeared to have lost all interest in the origins of the jewelry in favor of discussing whether it was better to tour the Caribbean or spend two weeks in the Bahamas.
Either option sounded good to Kerry. Anything would be better than living in Possum Creek.
Chapter 29
“When is your family coming back into town?” Gracie asked Trish as she flipped through a rack of discounted dresses.
“Mom texted me earlier. She and Perry are leaving out before sunrise tomorrow morning. Perry drives like a snail but she swears they will be here by seven o'clock in the morning at the latest. They're going to be here for the funeral and the graveside service. I don't know if they're going to stay overnight or head back to Brooksville after the service is over.”
“Your Mom doesn't seem to want to stay in Possum Creek for long.”
“Her whole life is in Brooksville.” Trish idly fingered the hem on a pretty white lace dress.
“And yours is here?” Gracie made her words into a question rather than a statement.
Trish nodded. “Mine is here. Mom's already started the process of putting Grover's house into my name. She dropped the signed deed and a copy of the will off at the Callahan County Courthouse when she was on her way out of town yesterday. She tells me house will legally be mine within four to six weeks.”
“Cool.” Gracie held up a baggy black dress with a big floppy red flower that was fastened to the sash that went around the waist. “Think this one could work?”
“It looks like a funeral dress.” Trish wrinkled her nose at the dress. “Would it be trashy if I said I want to look...not sexy exactly. Like, pretty? Pretty and maybe a little sexy?”
“Um, what it says to me is that you really need to get out more. Remind me to tell Breedlove that he needs to take you out for a nice dinner and a night on the town.” Gracie grinned teasingly.
“No. Well, maybe. I don't know.” Trish picked up a stretchy red dress with a plunging neckline and the thinnest straps that she had ever seen. There were sequins sewn into the hem of the skirt. “If I tell you something personal, can you keep it a secret?”
“Sure.” Gracie looked at Trish curiously.
“Promise me you won't say a word to David. Or Cal. Or your brother.” Trish held the sexy red dress up against her body and looked in the mirror. She'd look like a funeral hooker.
Gracie made a crossing gesture over her heart. “I promise. What's up?”
“My step-sister might be coming to the funeral tomorrow,” Trish said. “I really don't want her to.”
“Y'all don't get along?” Gracie looked curious now.
“Nellie and I used to be really close but we got into a big fight last year. It wasn't the kind of fight a girl is going to kiss and make up after. I don't know why she's coming to the funeral. Especially not after I specifically asked mom to try to keep her from coming. I'm guessing Mom took that as an invite to make sure that Nellie did show up at the funeral because she said that Nellie will be here tomorrow.”
“What was the fight over?” Gracie took the hooker dress away from Trish and replaced it with a slinky black number.
Trish flinched and bit her lip. “I'd rather not say.”
“How am I supposed to help you deal with her if you don't tell me why you're pissed?” Gracie looked the black dress up and down and then shook her head in disapproval. “And what does attending your grandfather's funeral dressed like a hooker have to do with your step-sister?”
“Do you remember when I told you that Curtis cheated on me the night before our wedding?” Trish set the black dress back on the rack and walked over to a sequined purple number that looked like it would be perfect for dancing at a trendy nightclub.
Gracie nodded. “You said you wanted to cancel the wedding but you didn't because all the guests were already there.”
“And I would have had to explain to everyone that Nellie was the girl he cheated on me with,” Trish added.
“What?” Gracie nearly dropped the dress she was holding. “Your step-sister slept with Curtis the homicidal maniac on the night before you married him?”
“We didn't know h
e was a homicidal maniac.” Trish knew she sounded a little defensive. “But yes. Nellie got drunk and slept with Curtis on the night before the wedding. I caught them together. She was so plastered she couldn't stand up straight. She was my maid of honor.”
“You were too embarrassed to cancel the wedding,” Gracie guessed.
“You're right. I was too embarrassed to cancel the wedding.” Trish set the purple dress down. “I cut Nellie out of my life after the wedding but Mom's been trying to reunite us ever since.”
“Which explains why your mom's got her coming to Grover's funeral.” Gracie picked up a green dress with a simple chevron striped pattern. “And you're worried because-?”
“Nellie's always had her mental image of her dream guy. She's not shy about sharing the details. She wants him tall, dark and tattooed.”
“David.” Gracie bit her lower lip as she realized the problem.
“David. To a tee. Nellie prefers blue collar guys to doctors and lawyers. He's got pretty eyes and a wicked reputation for being a bad boy. She's going to go for him the minute she sees him. She's not going to care if he's with me.”
“He won't go for her.” Gracie held the green chevron striped dress out to Trish. “David isn't the kind of guy you have to worry about cheating on you. Ever. He won't do it.”
“Nellie's hot.”
“Won't do her any good,” Gracie replied. “Makinsley Madison has been after David for years. He won't touch her.”
“Blonde with a bad tan?” Trish's mind unexpectedly flashed back to the girl from the Shrimp Bar last night.
Gracie wrinkled her nose and pretended to gag. “You met her?”
“Briefly. David said that she and Addison were sleeping together.”
“They are,” Gracie said. “But she's tried to get David to sleep with her for years. I think she's looking for a cheap thrill and David has a reputation for being the baddest of bad boys.”
“He said he'd never touched her.”
“He hasn't,” Gracie confirmed. “But he's had plenty of opportunities. He won't go for your step-sister. Even if he weren't your boyfriend, he doesn't go for sluts.”
Trish held up the chevron striped dress in front of the mirror. “I love this dress but I'm not going to be able to compete with Nellie in it.”
“You won't have to. Trust me.” Gracie stopped Trish from putting the pretty green dress back on the rack. “Don't warn David about Nellie.”
“What?” Trish blinked in confusion.
“You know she's going to go for him but he has no clue, right?” Gracie was smiling.
“Right.”
“Let her try to get with him,” Gracie suggested.
“But-.”
“No buts. If you have any doubts at all about David's loyalty then let her hit on him. He's not going to give her the time of day.” Gracie picked up a thin knit shawl that was the exact same color green as the stripes on the dress. “Buy this to go with your dress. It'll help cover the cast.”
“You really don't think that I should warn David?” Trish took the shawl and draped it over the dress.
“Will you feel better after you see for yourself that he won't cheat?”
“Probably,” Trish admitted reluctantly. “But it seems a little wrong to set him up like that.”
“All's fair in love and war.” Gracie looped her arm through Trish's unbroken one. “Trust me when I say David can handle himself. The only thing you should be worrying about right now is what color shoes will go best with your dress.”
“You sure?” Trish still didn't feel any better about Nellie's impending arrival.
“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Gracie replied with a deceptively sweet smile.
Chapter 30
“I need you to do me a solid, sugarplum.” Curtis was getting barbecue sauce all over his tie as he chowed down on a thick plate of meaty southern style ribs.
“What's in it for me?” Nellie Cruz propped both her elbows on the table and bent over to give him full very of her nearly completely exposed breasts. Her dress was nothing more than a few carefully placed straps of stretchy spandex. She'd dusted herself with some kind of heavily scented glitter powder. She smelled like sex with a side of high end liquor.
Kerry really didn't see the appeal.
Curtis reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out the single large jewelry box he'd kept back when he'd had Kerry pawn the rest of the jewelry. “I brought you a present.”
“Oooh.” Nellie held out one long-fingered hand. Her fingernails were an inch long and had charms dangling from them. She popped the box open and pulled out the diamond necklace. She held it up in front of the light of the restaurant chandelier. “Its big. Is it real?”
“Very.” Curtis grinned at her. He had sauce dripping down his goatee, which he'd dyed dark brown along with his hair.
She started to set the box down but Curtis stopped her. “You aren't done with that box.”
“I'm not?” Nellie set the diamond necklace down on the same plate as her Cesar salad. She picked the jewelry box back up and lifted the piece of silk covered cardboard that the necklace had been sitting on top of. A thick wad of cash was sitting below the silk. “Oooh. My favorite.”
Curtis reached over and snapped the lid of the box closed. “Don't spend it all in one place.”
Nellie raised her eyebrows once and then quickly removed the jewelry box from the table. She tucked it down into her dainty clutch purse.
“If you gave Trish the same kind of gifts you give me, you might not be having so many marital problems.” Nellie's lips were painted a bright cherry red. She licked them every couple of minutes. One of her long legs was stretched across the space under the table so that her high heel was resting in Curtis's crotch.
“Don't flatter yourself, Nellie. The gifts I've given Trish make yours look like prizes from a carnival game.” Curtis was rubbing Nellie's foot under the table. “She's just not grateful.”
“I would be grateful,” Nellie said.
“You've always been very appreciative of everything I've done for you,” Curtis said. “And I'm hoping you're feeling generous tonight. I need a favor.”
“You're already getting a favor from me,” Nellie said. “I wasn't planning on going to Trish's grandfather's funeral. I hate funerals and I never met Grover Shallowman. Nanette describes him as a misguided old bigot. She's normally pretty kind in her descriptions so I'm sure the man was absolutely awful.”
“He talked Trish into leaving me,” Curtis lied.
“Her loss.” Nellie picked the diamond necklace back up and began playing with the clasp. “My gain?”
“Yes and no. A divorce is going to make things very difficult for me at the law firm. Trish has made a lot of unfavorable accusations about me because she's hoping the judge will find in her favor if he feels sorry for her. She's claiming I'm dangerous.”
“You?” Nellie actually laughed. “I don't see it.”
“Me neither.” Curtis sounded fairly convincing for a murderer. “Officer Longwood here is helping me clear my name, but Trish is hurting my career. I really need her to admit she lied in the court papers and on the police reports she filed.”
“Trish filed police reports against you?” Nellie's jaw dropped slightly but she recovered from the surprise quickly.
“I'm telling you, she's acting like a really jealous bitch. She wants to ruin my career.”
“Between what you're telling me and what Nanette let slip when I was talking to her earlier, it sounds to me like she's trying to send you to prison. Are you sure you didn't do any of the things she's accusing you of?”
“She caught me cheating again, Nellie. She just wants to make me suffer. You know how she holds a grudge.”
“Trish does like to hold grudges,” Nellie mused. “Tell me what you need me to do.”
“I need you to get Trish to talk to me tomorrow after the funeral. I'm sure I can get her to see reason if I can just sit down and t
alk to her one-on-one.” Curtis smiled at Nellie with all the charm he could manage.
“Trish still hates me because I slept with you last year. She may not be willing to listen to me,” Nellie said.
“Don't give her a choice,” Curtis replied. “She's your sister and she won't cause a scene in public. Just get her to go somewhere alone with you and then bring her to me. You can do that much, right?”
“I can do that much. You better be glad I love you, Curtis.” Nellie smirked at him.
“You just love my money,” Curtis said.
“Guilty as charged.” Nellie draped the diamond necklace around her throat and then leaned towards Kerry. “Fasten this clasp for me, will you?”
Kerry, feeling like the scum of the earth and a shame to the entire law enforcement community, fastened the clasp of the stolen diamond necklace around the neck of the girl who had just agreed to hand her own sister over to a murderer.
“Who wants dessert?” Curtis asked.
“We don't have time for dessert.” Kerry stood up and pushed his chair back into the table. “We need to get back to Possum Creek. We have a lot we need to take care of before tomorrow morning if we're going to clear your name.”
Chapter 31
“Are you in labor?”
“No,” Katie let her annoyance show in her voice as another faux contraction made her grimace in pain. “At least, I don't think so. The doctor said yesterday that these were Braxton Hicks contractions. I don't know. They feel real enough. I hurt.” Her voice broke on the last words.
“Katie-.”
“Where are you, Ian?”
“I'm still on the houseboat.”
“You're still on the houseboat?” Katie demanded. “I've been calling you for nearly four hours. You promised me yesterday that you would come home tonight.”
“I needed to clear my head.” Ian's voice was faint through the crackling phone line.
“You've been clearing your head for days, Ian. I understand that you're under a lot of stress with the baby coming and Addison getting shot, but I'm under all the same stress. I'm scared and I'm always alone these days. You haven't spent a night at our house in a week.”
