“I watched your wife for days,” Thorpe said. “She seemed happy when people were watching and sad when she thought she was alone. She was haunted. I did a little research, and that’s when I found out she was the clerk who killed Lance Pritchard.
“Now, I want to give you props for that, Mrs. Hardy,” he continued. “That man was a disgusting piece of filth and even I wouldn’t have represented him. You did this world a favor when you gutted him.”
“Thanks for your support,” Mandy said dryly.
“Even though Mrs. Hardy killed Pritchard in self-defense, I figured the easiest way to get her excused from her position for the duration of the case was a scandal,” Thorpe said. “I was hoping she was some sort of deviant … or perhaps having an affair … or skimming money from the office coffers.
“Sadly, she was pretty boring,” he said. “She did her job, had lunch with her fat friend, and returned to you every evening like clockwork. The two of you would watch movies – seriously, though, try something besides schlocky shark movies or something – and then you would retire and have sex.
“You have a lot of sex,” Thorpe said. “I know because I was watching and listening. I used a sound amplifier and you two are like rabbits with all the sex you have. I knew the affair option was out of the realm of possibility until I saw Madeline approach you at the benefit.”
“That figures,” James said. “You went to the charity event to feel everyone out and when you saw Madeline talking to us, you realized you could use her past against her. Did you force her to go after me, or did you just get lucky?”
“I wish I could take credit for that,” Thorpe said. “She did it all on her own, though. She was infatuated with you. I don’t think all that intensive therapy she had in the loony bin did her any good. She was convinced she was going to get you … right up until the end.”
James and Mandy exchanged a brief look and he pressed his hand to her hip to reassure her.
“You were watching our house the night Madeline was in our yard, weren’t you?” Mandy asked. “You saw her watching us … heck, you watched us, too … and then you approached her. You killed her and put her in my trunk. Did you do it in the driveway or wait until the next day to do it in the courthouse?”
“Madeline was upset when she saw the two of you fornicating,” Thorpe said. “Personally, I admired your stamina, Mr. Hardy. You seemed to have a good time and each time you finished I thought for sure you would finally turn and notice Madeline. Your attention is singular when your wife is around, though.”
“That’s because she’s always the most interesting person in the room,” James said.
“Perhaps,” Thorpe said. “Anyway, after your third go at it … the nozzle game was very illuminating, by the way … you retired to the guesthouse. I thought you would go upstairs, but instead you climbed on the couch and watched that weird shark program.
“Then you started going at it again,” he continued. “Madeline was close to pitching a fit at that point – and a large rock through your window – so I had to quiet her. At first I tried to appeal to her logical side. It didn’t take me long to realize she no longer had a logical side.
“Then I tried to get her to agree to join forces with me to take you down,” Thorpe said. “She thought that Mr. Hardy was putting on a performance for her benefit and that he wanted to make her jealous because he still wanted her. I made the mistake of pointing out how ludicrous that was and she smacked me across the face.
“Of course, I couldn’t stand for that so I smacked her back,” he said. “She was going to scream, and even though I knew you were rutting around like animals inside, there was no doubt you would’ve checked the noise if you heard it. I had to silence her.”
“You strangled her on the sidewalk in front of the guesthouse, didn’t you?” Mandy looked horrified.
“No.” Thorpe shook his head. “I wrapped my hand around her mouth and dragged her to that field on the other side of the guesthouse. I wanted her to work with me instead of against me so I needed to talk – and maybe slap – a little sense into her. She refused, so I had to silence her.
“I thought that was a mistake at first and I was about to call Keats so he could help with the body removal when I had an idea,” Thorpe said. “At first I was going to put Madeline in your trunk while you slept, but I had no idea if you put a briefcase or anything in your trunk before leaving for work. I could’ve kicked myself for not making note of that.
“Instead we had to move the body in the garage,” he continued. “I was worried about that until you picked the garage level without a camera. Opening your trunk was a breeze and we dumped Madeline in your car in less than three minutes.”
“Then you called your buddy Mason to tell him what was up and he showed up at the garage to find the body and harass my wife,” James finished. “Very clever.”
“We thought so,” Mason said. “That was until your lawyer dug up a bunch of private information on me and made it public.”
“That’s what happens when you break the law,” Mandy said, wagging a finger.
Under different circumstances James would’ve laughed. The last thing he wanted her doing now was taunting two armed men. To be fair, he wasn’t sure if Thorpe was actually armed. He didn’t see a weapon. That didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous.
“You should’ve picked a different scapegoat and stayed away from my wife,” James said. “Finding your ties to Keats wasn’t difficult.”
“That’s because you had Peter Marconi helping you,” Mason spat.
“He’s still helping us,” James said. “In fact, we spent the better part of the day talking about things. We figured out why Thorpe wanted Mandy out of the picture. We called the judge earlier today and he’s removing the temporary clerk before the trial even starts.”
“Well, that’s just … dandy,” Thorpe spat.
“She’s being threatened with prosecution if she doesn’t sign an affidavit regarding your offer to her,” James said. “Marconi is also pulling your record to see what else he can find out about you, Mr. Thorpe. You’d better hope you don’t have any other skeletons in your closet.”
“Marconi cannot take information to the police,” Thorpe said. “It’s against the code.”
“Peter has his own code,” Mandy interjected. “He doesn’t live by anyone else’s rules. If you kill us, Peter will kill you. He’ll also make sure Keats is taken out.”
“You sound pretty convinced that you’re important to Peter Marconi,” Thorpe said. “He might have you snowed, but at his heart he’s still a mobster and mobsters only care about themselves.”
“He’s not that type of mobster,” James said. “It doesn’t matter, though. You’re not touching my wife. I’ll kill you myself if you try. Your best option is to turn and run. You still have a shot to get out of town. You’re running out of time, though.”
“Oh, really?” Thorpe didn’t look convinced. “How do you figure that?”
“Because when I noticed that the front lock had been jimmied I had my wife call Peter Marconi,” James answered. “He’s not happy.”
Thorpe’s bravado slipped as he exchanged a worried look with Mason. “You said he wouldn’t be able to make a call.”
“I thought he would walk through the front door and into our trap,” Mason shot back. “They were in such a hurry when they left this morning they forgot to set the alarm and I thought it was going to be a breeze. He didn’t do what he was supposed to do. Instead he stayed outside.”
“You watched from the second-floor window, didn’t you?” James asked. “I sensed you there. You had a gun.”
“I was going to shoot you if you tried to run,” Mason confirmed. “Then we were going to steal a few things and take off. It would’ve just been another robbery gone bad. Instead, you did the moronic thing and walked into the woods. Why would you do that?”
“Because I wasn’t in the mood to be shot in the back,” James answered. “You left the house t
hrough the door by the garage instead of the sliding glass door. Did you see us go into the woods?”
“We didn’t see you, but we knew that’s what you had to do because there was no other way for you to escape,” Mason said. “What was your plan? Did you think you were going to run to the road and flag someone down?”
James shook his head. “We thought it was best to head in the direction of Peter’s men so we could join forces to kill you.”
Mason’s mouth dropped open. He was either surprised by James’ honesty or convinced he was lying. Mandy couldn’t quite tell which. “Do you think that’s going to scare me off?” Mason asked, waving his gun around and making James uncomfortable. “I don’t believe you. You’re lying to save your own skin.”
“I’m not lying,” James said.
“Oh, yeah?” Mason lifted his head to the sky and barked like a dog. “Hey! If you’re out there, come and get me! I’m waiting for you!”
“Stop screeching like an imbecile,” Thorpe ordered. “Shoot these two and get it over with. I’m sick to death of hanging out in these woods and I want some hot tea and a scone before bed.”
“You’re such a … douche,” Mason said, making a face. He glanced over his shoulder one more time and then shrugged. “I guess your help isn’t coming.” He lifted the gun and James stepped completely in front of Mandy to shield her. Mason didn’t get a chance to pull the trigger, though, because Rodrigo took him by surprise when he entered the area from the opposite side and grabbed the barrel of the gun and pointed it toward the stars before it could go off.
Mason’s eyes widened, fear flitting across his face, and then Rodrigo slammed his fist into the man’s mouth and watched impassively as he slid to the ground. “Speaking of douches,” Rodrigo said, turning to face Thorpe. “Who are you?”
“That’s Russ Thorpe,” Mandy supplied. “He’s Toby Keats’ lawyer and he killed Madeline Stokes.”
“You don’t look like much of a threat,” Rodrigo said, looking Thorpe up and down. “That probably means you’re a complete and total psycho and you’re going to stab me when I’m not looking. Take your clothes off.”
Thorpe’s mouth dropped open and James couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. He moved to check on Mason, intent on making sure he was really out and not faking it, but Rodrigo waved him off.
“I’m not alone,” Rodrigo said. “Sebastian! Come over here and collect the dirty cop. Try not to drop him thirty times between here and the car. The cops aren’t going to be happy if we bring him in broken.”
“We can make a deal,” Thorpe said, holding up his hands. “I’ll double whatever Marconi is giving you.”
“Some things aren’t about money,” Rodrigo said, winking at Mandy. “Now strip!”
“I will not!”
“Then I’ll strip you,” Rodrigo said, moving toward Thorpe with a clear purpose.
James grabbed Mandy and pressed her head to his chest so she wouldn’t see the forcible stripping and herded her back toward the house. They were almost out of the trees when the unmistakable sound of boy band music assailed James’ ears.
He increased his pace and exploded through the trees, fixing Grady with an incredulous look as his brother bopped up and down to the music.
“What in the hell are you doing?” James roared. “Are you trying to kill the neighbors with bad music?”
“I’m trying to distract the bad guys in the woods,” Grady replied. “I think it’s working.”
“It’s over with,” James shot back. “It’s done.”
“Good,” Grady said, the music still blaring. “Did we win?”
James shook his head but he couldn’t hide his chuckle as he turned to his wife and pulled her in for a bear hug. “I won the day I found you again.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
James lowered his mouth and kissed her, the exchange slow and sweet. When they finally separated, Mandy grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the guesthouse. “Come on! The sharks are waiting.”
James laughed. Even madmen in the woods – and possible stripping by mob thug – couldn’t bring her down tonight. He gladly followed her.
“You two are so sick,” Grady said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I guess I’m supposed to deal with the cops, huh?”
“That would be great,” James said. “Make sure they clear out before midnight. I’m going to need a few hours of sleep if I’m going to keep up with my wife. I’m going to burn this music, by the way. I have no idea where you found it. It’s going to kill the mood if I don’t get rid of it, though.”
“Sick!”
24
Twenty-Four
“I’m so glad everything is over and done with,” Ally said the next morning over a leisurely family breakfast. It was actually closer to noon than sunrise, but Mandy and James refused to get up early no matter how much Ally prodded them. “What’s going to happen to Mason and Thorpe?”
James shrugged as he poured a glass of juice for Mandy and offered her a sexy smile. “They’re facing numerous charges and Keats’ trial is on hold while quite a few more are added to his list.”
“Oh, you two are sick,” Grady said, shaking his head. “You’re sitting there and thinking about doing it again. I can see it on your faces and it’s disgusting.”
Sophie reached under the table and viciously pinched his thigh. “Leave them alone,” she said. “I’m pretty sure you were the one swearing up and down you would never give them a hard time about their sex life again if you could somehow make it to them in time to save them.”
“He made it to us in time to kill us with bad boy band music,” James said. “Where did you find that CD, by the way?”
Grady averted his eyes. “It was in Sophie’s car.”
Sophie snorted. “We drove in your truck,” she reminded him. “You had it under your seat because you were hiding it from me. You knew I would never let you hear the end of it.”
“I like the boy bands,” Grady snapped, wiggling around in his chair. “My name is Grady Hardy and I like boy bands. Sue me!”
“I’m considering it,” James said, although his grin was too wide to suggest he planned on doing anything of the sort. “I’m surprised you guys showed up for breakfast. I thought for sure we wouldn’t see you until after the weekend.”
“He means he was hoping he wouldn’t see us until after the weekend,” Ally clarified, wrinkling her nose as she tried to entertain Avery. He rested in his mother’s arms, his face expressionless, and yet Ally was determined to be the first to make him smile. “He wanted to have another naked weekend before facing all of us.”
“And yet you’re still here,” James said, squeezing Mandy’s knee under the table.
“When are you going back to work, Mandy?” Sophie asked, turning the conversation to something more serious. “Can you go back right away?”
“I talked to the judge this morning and he wants me back whenever I’m ready,” Mandy answered. “I’m going back Monday, although I probably will have to sit out the Keats trial and do office work because I’ll be on his witness list when the charges are adjusted.”
“Ugh. That’s going to be quite the switch,” Sophie said. “Can Judge MacIntosh keep the case if you’re giving testimony?”
“I would like to see someone try and take it away from him,” Mandy said. “He is livid about what went down. He wants Mason’s case to be in front of him, too. I’m not sure that’s a good idea, but he’s out for blood. He says he knew Mason was dirty by the way he was going after me in the parking garage the day Madeline’s body was discovered.”
“I think we all figured Mason was dirty that day,” Grady said. “He wasn’t very bright, though. I can’t figure out why Morgan kept him on as long as he did given his personnel file and Morgan’s obvious suspicions.”
“Morgan is facing a lot of problems in his department,” Sophie explained. “There’s something of a mutiny afoot in a few of
the departments, including the detective bureau. Morgan won the special election to retain his seat, but it was only for a partial term and there’s a lot of chatter that one of his own deputies is going to run against him in the general election.”
“Do you know who?” James asked.
“Rumor has it that Mason was going to be one of the prospects,” Sophie replied. “If that’s the case, that might explain why Morgan kept him around. It’s always good to keep your enemies close so you know what they’re doing.”
“That makes sense,” James said. “Mason won’t be able to win the seat now. Does that mean they’ll run someone else?”
“That would be my guess,” Sophie said. “We’ll have to wait and see. For now, Morgan is happy with Mason’s takedown and he’s thrilled to be able to parade a litany of charges out against Thorpe. Absolutely no one likes him.”
“That’s because he’s a douche,” Mandy said, making a face.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Avery’s eyes shift and land on her. She turned and locked eyes with the baby, pressing her lips together and offering him a lame smile. “He’s very cute.”
“Thank you,” Emma said. “I understand why you don’t want to hold him and I’m not going to pressure you to do it. I want you to know that it’s okay. When you’re ready, he’ll be ready.”
“That’s great.”
James peered around Mandy’s shoulder and focused on his nephew. “I know I’m supposed to say he’s the cutest baby ever, but don’t you think he kind of looks like a really pale Yoda without the ears?”
“I will kill you if you ever say anything like that again,” Ally warned.
“I think all babies are weird looking,” James said, smiling so Avery wouldn’t take it personally. “I’m sure he’ll grow into a strapping boy and be handsome like the rest of us. I wouldn’t worry.”
“Will you stop that?” Mandy said, slapping James’ knee. “That’s your nephew. He’s cute.” Mandy turned back to the baby and smiled. “Don’t listen to your uncle. He’s obviously blind. You’re the cutest baby in the world.”
Emma beamed and Finn laughed and then … yup … Avery smiled. He focused on Mandy and legitimately smiled.
Deadly Rivalry (Hardy Brothers Security Book 17) Page 19
