by Gen Griffin
“Jane May is thirty five,” Tommy said.
“No, she's not.”
“She can't be-.”
“Shut up for a minute, will you?” Addison was still holding the thick notebook in his hand as he walked over to Katie. He pressed it into her palm and then knelt down in front of Tommy. “Can you see me?”
“It's dark and you're kind of blurry,” Tommy said reluctantly. “My glasses are inside.”
Addison sighed. He grabbed Tommy by the sleeve and hoisted the other man up to his feet as he stood. He pushed him back up the porch steps until they were both standing under the light. “See me now?”
Tommy wiped his hand across his face and then stared, open-mouthed, at Addison.
Katie didn't have to wonder what Tommy was seeing. She'd long ago memorized those wide-set eyes that were the color of pure turquoise, beautiful sensuous lips, high cheekbones and the square jaw that was strictly a characteristic from Jane May's side of the family. Addison and Gracie were both the spitting images of their mother.
“Jesus,” Tommy whispered. “She said she had a brother.”
“Mom's brother is Frank Chasson,” Addison said. “He's the sheriff of Callahan County. You can google him, if you're feeling nosy. The family resemblance is undeniable.”
“You can't be Jane May's son,” Tommy said. “You just can't. She's thirty five. If you're twenty eight then she would have had to have you when she was seven. That's impossible.”
“I already told you, Mom's forty six. She lied to you about her age.”
“She can't be forty six,” Tommy said. “She's pregnant. We're having a little girl. I didn't think women could still get pregnant in their forties.”
“It's rare but it can happen.” Katie almost felt sorry for Tommy. His nose was already swelling and he had two black eyes from where Addison had smacked him the face with his own gun.
“I just don't understand...” Tommy whispered.
“Let me spell it out for you,” Addison's tone was cold, but he also sounded tired. “I am exactly who the fuck I say I am. My name is Addison Malone. I'm the Game Warden for Callahan County and I do double duty as an officer of the sheriff's department. My uncle, your girlfriend's brother, is the sheriff. I have keys to Mom's van because it's my mom's fucking van and she's had it since I was in high school. I'm here tonight because-,” Addison paused and looked over at Katie. “Help me. I can't figure out how to explain this without sounding like a lunatic.”
Katie forced herself to smile gently at Tommy. “Addy and I are here tonight because we're looking for Jane May. She hasn't been home in a couple of days.”
“Home?” Tommy shook his head at them. “Jane May lives here. With me.”
Katie and Addison exchanged a look. “How long did your Dad say it had been since she'd been home?” Katie asked him.
“He said it was a couple of days, but it's Dad. He could easily be lying to save face.” Addison didn't look particularly surprised.
“Wait, when you say your Dad, are you saying Jane May is married?” Tommy's hands were shaking and he had to lean on the porch railing for support.
“Tommy honey, come back to bed. It's just those darn teenagers again-.” Jane May suddenly appeared in the front doorway of the house. She was wearing a simple silk spaghetti strap maternity nightgown. Her eyes went wide as she took in the blood on Tommy's face and shirt. She immediately turned on her son. “Oh God, Addison. What did you do?”
“You know him?” Tommy demanded, his eyes fixed on Jane May. “He says he's-.”
“My son,” Jane May said without enthusiasm. “That's Addison Mitchell. The girl by his side is-,” she squinted through the darkness, “Gracie? No. Too short. Too plain. Katherine Cluster. They all call her Katie. Don't listen to anything she says. She's in love with Addison and will do anything he asks her to.”
“Gee, thanks.” Katie felt a furious blush start on her cheeks. Addison shot Katie a quick, curious look.
“He's your son?” Tommy had completely ignored what Jane May had said about Katie.
“He is,” Jane May looked fairly calm, all things considered. She wasn't even frowning.
“He's older than I am,” Tommy spluttered.
“Yes. He is. Only by two years, but still, I'm sorry about that. I'm afraid I might be a hair older than I originally told you I was.”
“Uh huh.” Addison had crossed his arms over his chest. He had blood on his knuckles. “I told you so,” he said to Tommy.
“Jesus H. Christ,” Tommy cursed. “He says you're married.”
Jane May took a deep breath and then sighed. “I've asked Dale for a divorce. He won't cooperate, but we're not involved in any kind of physical relationship and we haven't been in years.” She stalked across the porch so that she was nearly nose-to-nose with Addy. She poked one finger into his chest. “You can go. You've clearly done what you came here to do.”
“I haven't even gotten started with what I came here to do.” Addison let her keep poking at him. It probably didn't hurt, Katie mused.
“You haven't?” Jane May glared at him. “You drove to my new home, beat my boyfriend up and told him I was married. I think you've done as much damage as you can do.”
“I'm not here to beat your boyfriend up, even though I admit it was kind of satisfying. I'm here because you're trying to ruin Gracie's wedding and I've had enough of it.”
Jane May pursed her lips at her son with disgust. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Try a different lie. I already found the dresses you stole all cut up in your van.”
“You went through my van?” Jane May reared back and slapped Addison across the face. He didn't flinch.
“You stole Gracie's wedding dress out of Cal's parent's house. They're willing to press charges. You want to go to jail?”
“Wait. I'm lost. Who is Gracie?” Tommy looked shaken.
Neither Jane May or Addison paid him any mind.
“Gracie is my best friend,” Katie explained quietly as she watched Addison and his mother stare one another down. “She's also Addy's kid sister, which makes her-.”
“Jane May has a daughter, too?” Tommy bit his lip. He looked as if he were ready to cry.
“You got it,” Katie patted him gently on the shoulder. He looked over at her and grimaced.
“How old is her daughter?”
“Nineteen,” Katie said.
“This may be the worst night of my life,” Tommy groaned.
“It's probably on my top ten list of lousy,” Katie agreed.
“You wouldn't arrest your own mother,” Jane May didn't sound completely sure of herself.
“Try me. I love Gracie more than I love you.” Addison's expression was cold and impassive. It was a look he'd learned from the woman who was standing in front of him.
Jane May paled but she didn't back down. “You can't prove I took the dresses.”
“I'm pretty sure I can,” Addison disagreed.
“It'll be a huge scandal,” Jane May said. “You don't want to cause Gracie that kind of embarrassment, do you?”
“I don't want to, no. I don't want any of this. When were you going to tell us that you were having another kid?” Addison pointed down at her bulging belly. She was definitely in her third trimester of pregnancy.
“When were you going to notice?” Jane May rubbed her huge tummy.
“Katie noticed,” Addison said unexpectedly. “She asked me if you were pregnant after she saw you at the hospital. I was the one who didn't believe her. I guess I was in denial.”
“You thought I was too old?” Jane May smirked at him. “Guess what? So did I.”
“Well, seeing how little interest you had in raising your last set of kids, I just have a hard time picturing you starting over with a fresh family. You don't like kids.”
“No, I really don't.” Jane May surprised them all by agreeing with him.
Tommy choked on his own spittle. “You don't want our baby?”
Jane May turned to Tommy and sighed. Her beautiful turquoise eyes were tired. “I'm sorry, Thomas. Really, I am. I never dreamed that I could still get pregnant. I just thought we were having a little fun. I was stunned when I realized that the nausea and weight gain that I was experiencing weren't because of menopause.” She turned back to Addison. “By then it was too late to get a legal abortion, or believe me when I say I would have.”
Tommy made a gurgling noise from somewhere deep in his throat. Addison pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, filling the small porch with smoke. “Let me see if I can finish this little story for you. You didn't want Dad to find out because he would have told absolutely everyone that you were knocked up by a guy who is younger than one of your kids. You couldn't just leave him either. You've been going back and forth between both houses, haven't you?”
“That's not important.”
“You're right, it's not.” Addy looked quite pleased with himself.
“How can you say that?” Tommy demanded. “My whole life is falling apart.”
“Shush,” Addison told him. “I know you don't believe me right now, but I'm doing you a huge fucking favor.”
“You aren't taking me to jail,” Jane May said to Addison.
“Actually, that's going to depend on you. Your boss thinks you're experiencing some kind of psychotic break,” Addison said. “I want you to come with me and voluntarily allow me to check you into Baker County Memorial Hospital for a seventy two hour mental evaluation.”
“You think I'm losing my mind?” Jane May moved to slap Addison again, but he caught her wrist.
“You put alligator gar in the swimming pool at the Callahan County Country Club. You hacked Gracie's email and invited dozens of people she doesn't like to her wedding. You changed her catering order. You changed her flowers. You stole her wedding dress. In short, you've caused thousands of dollars in damage and traumatized your daughter in the process of doing it. If that's not insane, then what is?”
“I didn't put the gar in the pool,” Jane May said. “I don't touch fish. You know that.”
“Fine. Even if I give you the pass on the gar, what about the rest of it?”
“I don't approve of your sister's wedding.”
“Not approving of your kid's wedding and ruining it are two different things.”
Jane May's shoulders slumped slightly. She suddenly leaned back against the wall of the house as if life had just become too much for her. “Maybe Brianna is right,” she said softly. “I don't remember stealing Gracie's dress. Are you sure I took it?”
“I found her wedding dress and her bridesmaids dresses in your van cut to ribbons. Do you have another explanation for how they got there?”
Jane May's hands were shaking as she used the wall to steady herself. She closed her eyes. “I've been having blackouts. Sometimes I come around and find myself right in the middle of the day with no idea how I got to where I'm at or what I've been doing. I don't remember breaking into Loretta and Jerry's house, but I do have a vague memory of taking a pair of gardening shears to a wedding dress.”
“Your daughter's wedding dress,” Addison clarified. “Do you have any idea how upset she is?”
“Will someone please tell me I'm having a nightmare?” Tommy had buried his face in his hands.
Jane May was quiet for a long moment and then she looked back up at Addy. “I don't remember doing half the things you're claiming I've done, but I don't suppose you would be here in the middle of the night if you weren't certain. God knows you don't speak to me unless you absolutely have to.”
Addison shrugged but he didn't deny the truth in her words.
“My affair with a man younger than you are isn't going help me prove my sanity is intact either.”
“Nope. He's not helping your case at all.” Addison looked at Tommy with obvious disgust.
“The blackouts scare me. I'll let you take me in for a three day evaluation,” she said.
“Thank you,” Addison said.
“I'm not done.” Jane May ran her hands through her slept-on blonde hair. “I'll let you take me in for a three day mental evaluation if you take me to Silver City. I don't want to be in Baker County Memorial. I know too many of the nurses on staff and I won't have my reputation ruined.”
“Silver City is two and a half hours away,” Addison said. “It'll be eight o'clock in the morning before we get back to Possum Creek. Gracie's getting married at three.”
Jane May pursed her lips at him. “Do you want me to go or not?”
“Addy, we'll make it. We can take turns driving,” Katie said.
He looked over at her gratefully. “Thank you,” he said.
“Don't thank her. Thank me.” Jane May looked at Katie. “I don't feel well. Do you think you could pack my bag for me?”
“Of course.” Katie was amazed that Jane May was cooperating at all.
“Tommy, I'm sorry I haven't been more honest with you,” Jane May started towards her boyfriend, but he held up his arm so that she couldn't hug him.
“I'm coming with y'all,” he said.
“That won't be necessary,” Addison said.
“You just ruined my life,” Tommy told him. “You don't get a choice about this. She may be your...God so help me... she may be your mother but she's carrying my child. I'm going with you.”
“Addison, let him ride with you. It won't hurt you.”
“Fine.” Addison glared at Tommy. “Go change clothes. That's a brand new truck and I don't want you bleeding all over it.”
Chapter 46
It was just shy of four o'clock in the morning before Sully was able to get the last of the crime scene technicians out the door of Kerry's mansion. He was beyond exhausted as he walked across the driveway and climbed into the driver's seat of his Jeep Wrangler. Kerry was asleep in the passenger's seat, handcuffed to one of the roll bars. He didn't wake up when Sully started the engine and pulled out of the driveway.
Sully didn't know what to make of this case. He mulled over the few facts he had as he drove down the foggy highway. The mysterious jewelry that Kerry wouldn't admit to knowing anything about was obviously the key to solving this case and putting an end to the murderous mayhem that was going on. He just didn't have the slightest idea how to earn Kerry's trust enough so that the other man would willingly confide in him.
“It's freezing,” Kerry mumbled as he sat up in the passenger's seat, eyes still groggy with sleep. “Why is it so cold?”
“I wasn't planning on being out all night,” Sully said. “I would have put the top back on the Jeep if I had.”
“Do you have a working heater?” Kerry asked.
Sully reached across the dash and flipped the knob to turn the heater on high. He saw a flash of lights flicker across the glass on his rear-view mirror as a car pulled out onto the highway several hundred feet behind them. He was surprised to see another car on the road at this early hour.
“Thanks,” Kerry said as warm air began to blow through the vents. “What time is it?”
“Normally, I'd be waking up and getting ready to go on my morning run right now.” Sully was only half paying attention to Kerry. The car behind them was rapidly closing the distance between the two vehicles.
Sully sped up, hoping that the other driver was just annoyed by his tendency to amble down the roads when he was feeling sleepy.
“I want to go home,” Kerry grumbled.
“Your house is a crime scene.”
“Again,” Kerry put extra emphasis on the word.
“Again,” Sully acknowledged. The car was still coming on strong. In fact, it was now almost right on his back bumper. The entire Jeep was being illuminated by it's headlights. Sully looked down at his speedometer and then waved for the other driver to go around him. He wasn't dumb enough to push his roll happy Jeep up over 60 on a foggy night in the swamp. It would be too easy for a deer or coyote to run out in front of him. He wasn't in the mood for being scraped off t
he side of the highway by the same crime scene team he'd just spent the last six hours with.
“That asshole behind us needs to pass us already,” Kerry griped.
“I already tried to wave him around,” Sully said. He hit his brakes, hoping that a good brake check would persuade the other driver that tailgating was a sport for assholes.
The other car didn't budge.
Sully slowed way down. The other car slowed way down too.
“I don't like this,” he muttered. He saw a dirt road two hundred yards ahead of him and decided to turn. The Jeep had already been slowed to a crawl.
“Sully, what are you doing?”
Sully turned the Jeep onto the dirt road without using his blinker or giving any other type of notice. The car that was following him turned with him. “Shit.”
“Are we being followed?” Kerry's eyes were wide as he glanced over his shoulder at the vehicle behind them.
“I think we might be,” Sully admitted. He slammed his foot hard onto the accelerator. The Jeep lurched once and then took off. Sully didn't dare look behind him as he shifted through the gears, pushing his elderly 4x4 far harder than he'd ever intended to. He didn't need to look back to know that his aging six cylinder engine wasn't putting up much of a challenge for the vehicle behind them. The other car was still right on his bumper.
“Oh god. Oh god. I'm scared.” Kerry looked like he was about to piss himself as the Jeep bounced and lurched across the clay road. He was clinging to the roll bars as if his life depended on them. “Shouldn't we just pull over?”
Sully pushed the Jeep even harder, urging it go faster. “Kerry, we're the cops. No one innocent chases cops.”
“Maybe they don't know we're the cops!”
“They know.” Sully took a turn in the road too fast and the Jeep skidded sideways. Kerry screamed as Sully regained control and kept going.
“How do you know they know?”
“Because they were waiting on us,” Sully explained, dimly recalling that he'd noticed the car on the side of the road when he'd passed it. He'd just assumed the vehicle was empty and broken down, waiting for a tow truck to get around to picking it up.
