Thirty-One and a Half Regrets (Rose Gardner Mystery #4)

by Grover Swank, Denise

  I closed my eyes and tried to keep from crying. Could I blame him for what he’d done? We were over and he was lonely. But Hilary? I took a step back. “No. I could forgive you for anyone else, but not her. Not after my vision, and not after what happened to Savannah. How could you, Joe? Hilary’s partially responsible for her death.”

  His hands clenched at his sides. “Go ahead and finish it. Who else is responsible?”

  “You,” I choked out. “You. And I could forgive you for that too, even though you destroyed Mason in the process—” I shook my head. “But I can’t forgive this.”

  “So that’s it? We’re just over?”

  “We were already over. You told me that we were over when you walked out my door. Has anything changed? Has your father taken back his threat?”

  He closed his eyes and turned away. “No.”

  “There’s nothing to discuss. We’re done.”

  He turned back to me, his eyes pleading. “How can you say that? I gave up everything including you to save you!”

  I fought to catch my breath. “I know. And I’ll always be grateful for that. But why are you set on destroying your entire life? I can’t accept responsibility for that. You have to.” I looked up at the ceiling, trying not to cry. “I have to go.”

  “Don’t leave me, Rose. I’m begging you.”

  “I can’t do this, Joe. I can’t. I can’t be with you after you’ve been with her. Can’t you see? I would never be able to trust you. I’d always be waiting for you to go back to her.” I turned around and walked toward the door.

  “What about Daniel Crocker?”

  I stopped but didn’t face him. “What about him?”

  “He’s going to be out for revenge. I want to protect you.”

  I slowly spun around. “The state police think he’s in Shreveport.”

  “But they don’t know that for sure, do they?”

  “No.”

  “You’re unprotected.” He took several breaths and I could see he was trying to work out a plan.

  “No. I’m not.”

  His jaw clenched.

  “I have Mason. Just like I did a month ago when he stopped Jonah’s mother from shooting me. And last July when he scared away Jimmy DeWade after he attacked me in my house. Mason’s there for me now, just like he’s always been.”

  Before Joe could answer, I unlocked the door and opened it, a dozen pairs of prying eyes focused on me.

  Hilary stood two feet on the other side of the curtain and if looks could kill, I’d have a dozen knives in my back. I offered her a grim smile. “He’s all yours. I wish you a very happy life together, but somehow I find that unlikely.”

  Her mouth dropped open, then she recovered and disappeared into the back.

  Violet held Muffy, smiling sweetly and talking to a cameraman, but her smile faded as her gaze turned to me. I could see she was dying to ask what happened, but there was only one person I wanted to see right now. He was standing in the back corner where I’d left him. I moved through the crowd and slipped my hand into his.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Eight

  “What about Muffy?” Mason asked as he led me to his car.

  “I told my niece Muffy could have a sleepover with her tonight. I was supposed to leave her with Violet anyway.”

  He nodded as he opened the passenger door and shut the door behind me before getting in and starting the car. He stayed silent until he’d pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. “Are you okay?”

  “Surprisingly better than expected.” I couldn’t believe it was true. I felt badly for Joe, but I had realized something in that back room. He had spent his life making messes and then scrambling to clean them up. While he’d told me that very thing, seeing firsthand proof of it was eye-opening and freeing.

  “Do you still want to go to Magnolia?”

  I grabbed his hand and twined his fingers with mine. Part of me wanted to go home and cry, but most of me was done mourning the life I’d never have with Joe. I’d squandered twenty-four years before Joe, and there was no reason to squander another day now that I had a chance at a life with the man next to me. “You have no idea how much I want to go to Magnolia with you.”

  He shot me a surprised look before returning his attention to the street. “Is there any particular movie you want to see?”

  I stared at him, amazed that I was here with him now. Part of me screamed that this was too much, too soon, but the rest of me was tired of waiting.

  Mason swung another glance at me, waiting for my answer.

  “I don’t even know what’s playing.”

  He rattled off several movies and I picked a romantic comedy. He kept shooting me curious glances, probably expecting me to fall to pieces after my encounter with Joe. But instead I felt more empowered. Joe was supposed to be the strong one, but he was the one who’d fallen apart. Maybe I was stronger than I thought I was.

  I turned in my seat to face him. “How did you get the afternoon off?”

  “I already told you.”

  “Mason, you’re the assistant DA and you canceled court to take me to Magnolia for the afternoon. Given the fact I’m not one of Judge McClary’s favorite people, I doubt he’d give you permission for that. What’s really going on?”

  His free hand tightened on the steering wheel. “I didn’t want to worry you, especially since you had enough to worry about with seeing Joe.”

  “I’m not some fragile flower, so don’t treat me like one.”

  He nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”

  “You are the very last person I would ever accuse of insulting me. Just tell me the truth.”

  He took a breath. “The police and the FBI think they have Crocker cornered in a four-block area in Shreveport.”

  “But?”

  He shot a grim smile at me. “But I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I think he’s still around. I have no evidence to back it up, just a gut feeling.”

  “So why are we going to Magnolia?”

  “Because if Crocker’s still around Henryetta, I doubt he’d look for you in Magnolia.”

  “So that’s why Judge McClary agreed.”

  “Reluctantly, but yes.”

  I didn’t want to think about the possibility of Daniel Crocker lurking in Henryetta.

  “Don’t worry, Rose. They’ll find him.”

  I nodded. They had a better chance because the state police were involved.

  “Did I tell you that my mother is coming to visit in a couple of weeks?” Mason asked.

  “No.” I’d met his mother after Sunday service at Jonah’s church over a month ago and I’d loved her from the moment she uttered her first sweet word.

  “She asked if she could collect on that rain check for Sunday lunch.”

  I smiled, happiness filling my heart. “I’d love that.”

  We spent the rest of the forty-five-minute drive talking about Mason’s childhood and antics he and Savannah had gotten into as kids.

  “My dad was an attorney. He practiced estate law, but he encouraged Savannah and me to practice the art of persuasive arguing. I think he secretly wished he’d become a defense attorney.” He laughed. “My father would secretly give us a topic at breakfast, and we’d spend the day coming up with our arguments. Then we’d argue our points at dinner. We drove my mother insane. No one was surprised that we both went to law school.”

  “I can tell that you love what you do.”

  His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really, how can you?”

  “Because your eyes light up when you talk about it. Do you ever worry that you’re prosecuting an innocent person?”

  “Honestly, I never thought about it very much until Bruce Wayne’s trial. A lot of things changed for me after that case.”

  The smile he flashed me said his attitude wasn’t the only thing that had changed.

  We went to see the movie, but I couldn’t stop thinking abo
ut how I was safe and cozy in a movie theater in Magnolia while Bruce Wayne was God only knew where. He could be in serious trouble. Jonah was right. It was time to tell Mason.

  After the movie, we went to dinner at a local restaurant. To calm my nerves, I kept telling myself that our meal was just like our lunches at Merilee’s, but it wasn’t. At least not for me. The air was charged with anticipation, although I wasn’t sure of what. Mason had made little physical contact with me other than holding my hand. It was just as well since I was distracted enough just sitting next to him. I couldn’t imagine being able to concentrate if he had made any other kind of move, and I really needed to concentrate on something important. I took a deep breath after we ordered. “Mason, I have something to tell you.”

  The smile fell from his face. “Okay.”

  “It’s about Bruce Wayne.”

  His shoulders relaxed. “Okay.”

  “Wait. What did you think I was going to say?”

  “Never mind. Tell me about Bruce Wayne.”

  “He’s missing.”

  His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, missing?”

  “You know that he’s been calling in sick, but after I ate lunch with Neely Kate yesterday I took Bruce Wayne some chicken noodle soup and he wasn’t there. Not only that, but half his clothes were gone.”

  Mason looked worried. “Where did he go?”

  “That’s just it. I don’t know. David said that for the past several days, Bruce Wayne would call in sick to work and then leave early in the morning and come back late. The last time he saw Bruce Wayne was on Monday night. Then Scooter Malcolm told Jonah that he saw Bruce Wayne at Weston’s Garage on Friday and over the weekend.”

  “Do you think he had anything to do with Crocker’s prison break? We know he had some outside help.”

  “No. I just can’t see him agreeing to do that. He’s protective of me and he knows that Crocker is upset with me. But what if he refused to help and they hurt him?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “I didn’t want to get him into trouble. I was worried that he might have run away, and I figured you’d have to turn him into his parole officer if I told you.”

  “It sounds like he’s in trouble. I’ll notify the sheriff’s office and we’ll file a missing person report.”

  “What if he’s hiding from Crocker’s guys?”

  “We’ll take that into account. Rose, I know how hard Bruce Wayne has been working to straighten out his life and his parole officer is bound to have noticed too. Plus, I can put a good word in for him.”

  “You’d do that?”

  “Of course. Bruce Wayne has made remarkable progress since he’s begun working for you. Everyone can see that.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Next time, tell me, okay? We really are on the same side.”

  That was going to take some getting used to.

  An hour later, we arrived at the Fenton County sheriff’s office to file a missing person report on Bruce Wayne. Mason asked the receptionist if his friend Jeff was around and a few minutes later, a deputy wearing a warm smile walked out from the back. Mason took a step toward him. “Rose, I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Jeff Dimler. He’s the chief deputy sheriff and we’ve worked together quite a bit.”

  I shook his hand, thrown off by his friendliness. “Hi.”

  “So you’re the infamous Rose Gardner.”

  I cringed. “You know about me?”

  He laughed. “You have a better case record than the Henryetta Police Department. There’s a running bet here at the sheriff’s department that you’ll solve more crimes this year than they will.”

  I scowled. “Yeah, they’re not too fond of me over there.”

  “So we’ve heard. Not to worry, we’ll take you seriously here.”

  I couldn’t hide my surprise.

  “It’s hard to argue with a three for three record, Ms. Gardner.” He winked. “If you ever consider a career in law enforcement, keep the sheriff’s department in mind.”

  I laughed. “Thanks.”

  “Say, Mason.” Chief Deputy Dimler leaned his shoulder against the wall. “The guys were impressed with your three-point shot in the last seconds of the basketball game. They’re talking about making you a permanent member of the team even after Gonzales comes back after his dislocated shoulder. Interested?”

  Mason laughed. “The deputies are willing to have a lawyer on their team?”

  “As long as you help us beat those guys at Martin Heating and Cooling, you could be a three-eyed Martian as far as their concerned. What do you say?”

  He grinned. “Count me in.”

  “Great!” He looped his thumbs over his belt. “Exciting day in Henryetta today apart from the Crocker escape, huh? I heard that Joe Simmons even made a campaign stop in Henryetta.” The deputy turned to me. “At your nursery, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “He applied for a sheriff’s deputy position and we offered it to him, but he turned it down to run for the state senate. Turning out like his daddy, huh?”

  I shifted my weight, uncomfortable to be reminded of my past with Joe.

  “You have no idea,” Mason muttered, casting a glance at me. “But we’re here to talk about Bruce Wayne.”

  Chief Deputy Dimler gave Mason a puckered smile. “Fair enough.” He motioned to his office and we sat in front of his desk.

  “Bruce Wayne worked for Daniel Crocker before Bruce Wayne’s arrest last year, so we know he has ties to Crocker’s boys,” Mason began. “But he’s been working for Rose this past month and has shown a real aptitude for landscaping. He’s gone above and beyond as an employee. He seems to love his job, and I’m certain he wouldn’t throw all that hard work away on a whim. I’m worried his old ties have gotten him into trouble.” Mason and I filled Chief Deputy Dimler in on what we knew.

  The deputy looked up from his notes. “We’ve noticed a lot more activity at Weston’s Garage these last few weeks. We’ll see what we can do. It could be they were putting some pressure on Decker to come back to the fold, so to speak, and he’s lying low to avoid getting mixed back up in it. Hopefully we can get Decker’s roommate to cooperate.”

  I wasn’t sure they’d ever manage that.

  Chief Deputy Dimler’s cell phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”

  Mason stood. “I think we’re done here. Thanks for the assistance, Jeff.”

  We got up and walked out of the room as the deputy took the call.

  Mason put an arm around my back and leaned close to my ear. “Bruce Wayne’s not in any trouble and they’ll start looking for him soon. Feel better?”

  I was more than relieved. “Yes. Much. And the fact that Chief Deputy Dimler doesn’t hate me is reassuring.”

  “Rose, I was serious about moving out of the city limits. The sheriff’s deputies would be much more responsive when you need help. I know I’d feel better if I knew law enforcement was going to respond to your calls more quickly.”

  I scowled. “Why do you keep suggesting there will be a next time?” His eyebrows rose as he smirked. “I’ve been considering the idea since you mentioned it to me. But financially, it’s just not an option right now. Not unless I sell the farm and who knows how long it will take for that to happen.”

  “We can talk about it later. And if you’re serious about moving, we can figure out a way to make it happen.” He pushed the front door open. “Now let’s head home.”

  I grinned up at him. “What was Jeff talking about you making a three-point shot?”

  He shrugged. “Fenton County has a men’s rec basketball league. A lot of the businesses have teams, the sheriff’s department included. Deputy Gonzales dislocated his shoulder several weeks ago and when Jeff and I met for lunch a couple of days later, he asked me to help out. I’ve filled in three games.”

  “Sounds like you impressed them. I didn’t know you played basketball.”

/>   He shook his head. “I haven’t in years. But it’s been fun and I’ve started hanging out with some of the guys after the games.”

  Mason opened the car door for me to get in when Chief Deputy Dimler stood in the doorway and called out to us. “Hey, Mason. I think you’re gonna to want to hear this. The FBI just phoned and said they have Crocker cornered in a warehouse in Shreveport.”

  Mason released a long breath. “That’s great news.”

  “They’re in the middle of a stand-off, but they should have him apprehended within several hours.”

  “Thanks for the information. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know when he’s back in custody.”

  “Sure thing.”

  We got in the car and I called David, warning him that a sheriff’s deputy would be dropping by to ask questions about Bruce Wayne. I knew he’d freak out if law enforcement officers just showed up on his doorstep.

  When I hung up, Mason seemed unusually quiet and tense for several minutes. “Do you want to talk about anything that happened earlier this afternoon?”

  Part of me wanted to forget the afternoon altogether, but I knew Jonah would call that unhealthy. Plus I didn’t want to keep secrets from Mason. “Joe thought I was sleeping with Jonah.”

  The expression left his face. “Excuse me?”

  “His father had someone take photos of me with Jonah a couple of weeks after Joe broke up with me. He said they showed us hugging and sitting close to each other.”

  “How did he jump to that conclusion?”

  “Because the Joe and Hilary engagement isn’t so fake. Joe’s sleeping with Hilary.”

  He cringed. “Rose. I’m sorry.”

  “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. I just don’t understand. He says he can’t stand her, but he keeps going back to her time and time again.”

  “Some habits are hard to break. Even when they’re bad for us.”

  We drove in silence for several minutes until Mason pulled into my driveway and turned off the engine.

  I stared out the windshield at my front porch. “He told me he can’t live without me,” I blurted out.