“Behind you as fast as we could get there, but we were parked on the other side of the lot. Everything happened a little fast.”
“You weren’t actually drugged, then,” Leigh Ann said.
“Of course not. I knew what Seth had used on Danny and who knows how many women. My first plan was to switch drinks with him and get him to confess to me when he slipped into a relaxed, suggestible state. But the creep insisted on ordering for me. Of course, Plan B took that possibility into account. Gavin was watching from the bar so he could have the bartender fix him what I had, and I could make the switch with him. At least that part went well.”
“Monique isn’t pleased with you.”
“She’ll have to stand in line. Sam isn’t speaking to me.”
“You can’t tell it by reading the newspaper.”
“Furious but proud. It’s a confusing combination. He’ll be over in a few minutes, so he can not speak to me in person. Has Ben left? I was hoping to thank him one more time.”
Gavin nodded. “He took off from the church. It was hard enough for him to take as much time off as he did. It took some fast talking on my part to convince him to come in the first place.”
“You make for strange friends,” she observed.
“Yeah, I guess we do.” Gavin gave her a heartbreaker of a smile. So that’s what had captured Leigh Ann.
“How’s Candy?” he asked.
“Better. When Al didn’t come home the night of the reunion, she had her suspicions. By the third day, she’d figured it out. She just didn’t know what to do. She was terrified of Seth, and she had the children to think of. She knew he’d get around to her if she gave him the chance.”
“Have you heard from Sheena?” Leigh Ann asked.
“Mick’s keeping her busy, thank goodness.” Both for her sake and for Jennifer’s. “Can I get you two a soda or something?”
Leigh Ann shook her head. “We’ve got to be going.”
Of course. They needed some time alone together. She walked them to the door and opened it. Leigh Ann hugged her, and Gavin leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“I might just have to write a song about you,” he told her.
Now wouldn’t that be a kick.
Suddenly, Muffy vaulted past them and down the hall toward the elevator. Sam was just getting off.
“We better go,” Leigh Ann said, hugging Jennifer again, “so the two of you can not talk.”
Sam shook Gavin’s hand, hugged Leigh Ann, and walked right past Jennifer into her apartment as though he didn’t see her. She shut the door after him.
“You’re not supposed to associate with someone when you’re not speaking to them,” she told him. “You certainly shouldn’t come to their home and make yourself comfortable.”
His shoes were already off, along with his jacket. She watched as he pulled off his tie, rolled up his sleeves, and then propped his feet on the coffee table as he relaxed on the couch.
She sat down on the arm.
“Bring me a beer, woman.”
“It speaks, and what funny words it says. You need to go back to Mattel and get reprogrammed.”
He grabbed her and squeezed her to him.
“Watch the ribs,” she gasped out.
He loosened his grip but refused to let go. “Promise me you’ll never do anything that idiotic again.”
“I certainly will try. What’s the latest on Seth?”
“He’s trying to get the confession thrown out on the basis that it was illegally obtained by the police.”
“Is he nuts? I wasn’t working for the police.”
“Well, he’s saying you were. But don’t worry. I can’t imagine he could be successful. We still have the drug found on his person and the attempted murder charge. He’s claiming he was only trying to defend himself, that it was you who was trying to murder him. He won’t get away with it, but Candy was right to be afraid of him.”
“I should have shot that bastard again.”
“Don’t say that on the stand. It won’t go well for our side.”
“I have two witnesses,” she offered.
“A mentally ill druggie—”
“He wouldn’t dare.”
“—and a former suspect who has a personal interest in someone else being convicted of Jimmy Mitchell’s murder.”
“A young and highly decorated war hero. Surely there’s fiber evidence in Danny’s car if nothing else,” she insisted.
“Seth will say he was part of the investigating team. Unavoidable contamination.”
“Damn. He is good, isn’t he? How about the gun?”
“Not the same one that killed Al.”
“It has to be somewhere. So does the tarp he wrapped Al’s body with after he killed him.”
A knock sounded. She went to the door and peered through the peephole. Teague McAfee. He and Sam mixed like oil and water. She opened the door a crack.
“What’s up now?” she asked.
“There she is, our little hero. Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“Can’t do it. I’ve got someone with me.”
“Ah, yes, the lucky man in your life. Someday you’ll be sorry you treat me so shabbily, Marsh.”
“Right. I take it you went to the funeral.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it. That weasel Yarborough is trying to slip through the legal cracks.”
“So it would seem.”
“Not to worry. I’m about to seal them up. Too bad you don’t have time for me to tell you about it.”
“Spill it, Teague,” she warned.
“I just wanted to let you know, I’ll get the evidence you need.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“Creeps like Yarborough treat everybody like crap and think they can get away with it. I’ve got his two ex-wives and one soon-to-be who are all stepping up to the plate. I’ve never seen any three women more intent on screwing over one guy.
“The last wife supplied the locations of three safety deposit boxes. A bill for the most recent one, opened the Monday after the reunion, came to her house. The bank hadn’t put through a change of address yet, and she opened the envelope, yeah right, by mistake. Should be interesting to see what’s inside the boxes. The police are getting a warrant even as we speak. Catch my article in Wednesday’s paper.”
She pulled the door open, grabbed him and threw her arms around him. “Teague, sometimes I love you in spite of yourself.”
“Hey, Marsh, remind me to save your ass more often.”
She pulled back, remembering exactly who it was she was hugging.
Sam came up behind her at the door. “Have we got company?”
“Not really. Teague was on his way to write up his account of Jimmy’s funeral.”
“Right. Well, you kids have fun,” Teague told them as Jennifer shut the door.
Her mother was right. Seth Yarborough had gotten around to treating everybody in his life badly, and he was about to pay for it.
With that thought, maybe she could finally get some sleep for the first time in two weeks.
Epilogue
Jennifer stared at the white of the computer screen as black letters appeared almost as if by magic, her fingers flying across the keys.
These words stood by themselves, part of no book or short story. A promise, if only it were hers to make.
It’d been years since they’d seen each other. He was older, heavier, but somehow wiser as she searched his eyes. The passion was still there, the depth of feeling, the edge of uncertainty, but what most startled her was what wasn’t there: the depth of sadness that had enveloped his soul and left its mark on his every thought, word, and deed.
Was it finally time? Had he at last put to rest all the demons of his past? He seemed to think so. That’s why he’d called her, wasn’t it? And written her. And sent her two dozen red roses. He was back, and this time he wasn’t going anywhere.
She hugged him to her as if she’d never let him go. Nev
er again. They would face whatever life threw at them head on. Together.
Jennifer pressed the Save button. This one was for Leigh Ann.
If you enjoyed this book, Jennifer’s adventures continue in book five of the series, Dying to Be Murdered. Purchase it at
http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Murdererd-Jennifer-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B006FLO5Q8/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335802278&sr=1-5
For a complete list of Judy Fitzwater’s books, descriptions and links to Amazon for purchase
Visit her web site at:
www.judyfitzwater.com
Contact her at [email protected]
The Jennifer Marsh Mysteries:
Originally published by The Ballantine Publishing Group
Dying to Get Published
Dying to Get Even
Dying for a Clue
Dying to Remember
Dying to Be Murdered
Dying to Get her Man
Other Books by Judy Fitzwater:
CHECK OUT HER NEW, JUST RELEASED SUSPENSE NOVEL:
DROWNING IN AIR
http://www.amazon.com/Drowning-in-Air-ebook/dp/B007YS9CQO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335779319&sr=1-1
Also available through Amazon:
No Safe Place
A Silhouette Bombshell published by Silhouette Books,
New York, New York
Dying to Remember Page 18
