The Luxury of Being Stubborn (The Stubborn Series Book 4)

by Jeanne Arnold

  “Did you ask him about Brigg Barrett?”

  “Yeah,” Gabe said in a hush.

  “You have to tell me,” I whispered.

  The grill opened behind us. Judson set a platter on the picnic table and started the gas. He caught my eye watching him but didn’t say anything. He lined up hotdogs and steak on the grill and then took a drink of his beer.

  I rubbed Gabe’s arm. A few minutes passed.

  “I was a nitwit punk,” Judson said.

  I swiveled on the step so I could see him clearly. “Back when the murder happened?”

  “My brother was the bomb. I was the troublemaker who followed him to Williston hoping to make a quick buck.”

  Gabe got up, ran his hands over the top of his jeans, and walked down the steps to the water.

  “I wanted to prove my worth to Oliver Remington,” said Judson.

  “Because you loved Gabe’s mother? What does this have to do with the murder?”

  Judson closed the barbeque, grabbed his beer, and walked over to a pair of rocking chairs near the stairs. He sat down. “Oliver’s partner had a gambling problem. He spent a lot of time at casinos. He up and disappeared one summer.”

  “Valentine? The silent partner?”

  “The one and only.” He rocked his chair back and stopped it. I was captivated by the shadow of a cowboy in the moonlight.

  “Did he get in a fight with Gabe’s grandfather over money?”

  He shook his head and then pushed his bangs out of his eyes. “Remington and Valentine were never at odds. Valentine kept his problems to himself. He’d disappear when things were bad and then returned bearing gifts. That guitar Gabe has—he bought that for Sara after one of his vanishing acts.”

  “That’s Eli’s guitar.”

  “Sara knew Valentine was digging his grave. He wasn’t paying debts. He was staying away longer.”

  “Did he ever steal from the oil company?” I asked. “Maybe Oliver Remington found out and had him killed.”

  “RemPro wasn’t faring well. There was no money to steal. Oil was dying. Valentine always used a loan shark.”

  “Oh,” I said while I silently reviewed the facts. “So Oliver Remington wasn’t suspected of killing his partner?”

  Judson kicked his chair back and set his boots on the porch railing. He crossed his ankles and lifted his hat off his head.

  “No, missy. He killed the loan shark.”

  I swallowed hard.

  “What does this have to do with you?”

  “Valentine was in a cash crunch the last time he went missing.”

  “The loan shark killed Valentine?”

  He pretended to slice his throat open with his finger. “Allegedly.”

  “I still don’t understand your involvement.”

  Judson set down his empty beer bottle. “I thought if I got in the good graces of Oliver Remington, he would look at me favorably for his daughter. Joel was the Remingtons’ golden boy. He was an ambitious, hotshot pilot with a future in business. He made all this fancy talk about building up their company. Pumping the oil out in different ways. They looked at him as the answer to everything. Only thing I didn’t know was that Sara was already pregnant with his first kid.”

  “You tried to do something to make her parents like you?”

  “I shot craps with the devil,” he drawled. “When the partner vanished, Sara was distraught. I was willing to do anything for her. I wanted her to choose me over Joel. I was a lot younger, but I was around. I wanted Oliver to trust me—so I brought him the next best thing.”

  I glanced at the lake as I heard something rustle. I returned my gaze to Judson’s shadow when I didn’t see Gabe.

  “You brought Oliver Remington the loan shark because you thought he killed Valentine.”

  He set his hat on his chest and rocked the chair back until it was on the tip of the rungs. “I know he did.”

  I tilted my head and stepped into the light. “How?”

  Gabe appeared at the top of the stairs looking all cowboy cool.

  “That hat,” Judson told me as he pointed to Gabe’s black cowboy hat. In the shade of the stairway he looked like he had wings on his head. “That’s Valentine’s hat. I found it on the loan shark.”

  Gabe didn’t take another step. I wasn’t sure if he heard the entire story. He set the hat on my head and eased his hand around my middle, more relaxed than when he left.

  “Proof enough,” said Judson.

  “How did you get shot? Was that related?”

  Judson dropped his boots to the floor and stood. He walked behind us and opened the grill and flipped the food. “I hunted for the swindler for two weeks, and when I found him at a casino in Montana, I dragged him back to Oliver to get information about the circumstances of his missing friend. The coward shot me in the back, then he lit out. He had a twenty-two hidden in his boot.”

  I covered my mouth and gaped into my hand.

  “A dead snake can still bite your ass. I learned fast,” he added. Then he shoveled hotdogs and steak onto a plate and set it on the table. “I didn’t know what happened after that till years later.”

  Gabe walked away. I took his hat off my head and held it to my side.

  “I found out that Oliver finished off the job. He tricked Barrett into helping him bury the dude in the middle of a field. Somehow he found out I brought the shark in. That’s how Oliver got him to help dispose of the body. Barrett was just as willing to shovel horse shit in order to get the girl as I was.”

  Gabe returned with a bag of chips in his teeth, a six-pack of Dr. Pepper under his arm, and a bag of hotdog buns swinging in his hand.

  “Your mother had all of these guys fighting for her affection. Trying to win her over,” I commented.

  Judson tipped his hat. “Sara was something special.”

  Gabe and I exchanged a look.

  “Av’ry wouldn’t know anything about that,” said Gabe. I sensed a hint of jealousy in his words as he dropped the items on the table. Then he turned to Judson. “Tell her how you found out Barrett did the digging.”

  “After Remington croaked, I got a call from Joel to meet him in Williston for the reading of the will. There were two envelopes for me. I couldn’t figure out what one meant. Only recently did it make sense. He wrote me a letter and claimed everything was taken care of.”

  “So when we found the skull in Gabe’s field, you figured out the guy got buried on the land.”

  “I was pretty sure when I got a call from Joel about the remains. Then the results came back. It wasn’t a match for Valentine.”

  “That’s the reason why you and Gabe didn’t make it to Tennessee?”

  “Right again,” Judson said. “I wanted to bring the boy here to meet Betsy before she came to town for the wedding. I was planning to introduce him to the business, show him the house. Then I made the connection between the skull and the letter. I needed to talk to Ingarson. He’s the one who took me to the hospital when I was unconscious. He’s the only witness that saw Barrett bury the evidence.”

  Gabe sat down at the table across from Judson. I remained standing. “Av’ry saw you shake hands with Barrett on Ingarson’s land. You were all part of a cover-up.”

  “That’s why Ingarson has that land,” he said as he tapped Gabe’s drink with his beer. “Your grandpa gave him the property to keep his trap shut. Oliver exploited all of us to do his dirty work.”

  “What was in the second envelope?” I asked.

  Judson took a bite of a hotdog. “You don’t miss a beat, do ya smarty pants?”

  “Tell her what he left you,” Gabe said as he cut into his steak and smeared it in a puddle of steak sauce.

  “Oliver Remington bestowed to me his late partner’s dying pipeline and storage company—Valentine Pipeline Enterprises.”

  My eyes grew wide.

  “You own a pipeline company? Like the ones that run underground and carry gas and oil. So that’s why you live in Oklahoma? That w
as the big reward?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I own a tank farm.”

  “He’s sittin’ pretty,” Gabe gestured and accidently knocked over his drink.

  “I do well,” Judson said. “We’re the leading pipeline corporation in the states. Ten thousand miles of pipeline. We transport a couple million barrels of crude and other products per day.”

  “Wow,” I said. “That’s quite a thank you gift for being his bounty…I mean, bail man.”

  “I got hooked on the chase. All I wanted to do was hunt down lawbreakers after that. I never let the oil business strap me to a desk like Joel—but I turned it around. I made myself a pretty penny.”

  “You brought it back to life. You have a helicopter,” I pointed out. “And all of this.”

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you’re warmin’ up to me, darling.”

  “I saw in the news that HalRem was partnering with a storage and pipeline company. Is that your company? Does that mean Joel knows about the murder and how you got the business?”

  “The hospital called my next of kin when I got shot. I almost died. Our folks had passed by then. My sister was off at college. I confessed to Joel what I did. We decided not to go to the police, but Oliver shared with him about Barrett’s involvement and how Ingarson witnessed it. They had an agreement that Joel wouldn’t out Barrett for tampering with the body if Barrett kept quiet that I abducted the shark. Barrett tried to blackmail Ingarson a few times over the years, but Joel stepped in and shut him up. As far as the FBI investigation goes, a horse thief shot me.” He opened up a Dr. Pepper. “I had no clue Joel was protecting me until y’all found that skull.”

  “That’s what brothers are for,” I said.

  “Let’s not forget the hotshot was also looking out for himself. He didn’t want to jeopardize anything he had going with Sara. Turning Oliver in for murder would have helped his business venture, but it wasn’t the right thing to do. In the end, he protected me from being charged.”

  “I wonder where the rest of the body went,” I said.

  Judson grunted. “My brother dug it up before he involved the authorities.”

  I sat down at a chair at the end of the table so I could see both of them. “Was Meggie around when all of this happened?”

  “Nope. She came into the picture later.”

  “So what about the merger?” Gabe asked with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “I signed a twelve-foot-tall stack of papers for Betsy. We’re moving forward with the merger,” said Judson.

  “What does that mean?” asked Gabe.

  “It means your future’s bright, boy,” Judson replied and stared at his son with piercing, hazel eyes. “Uncle Dud’s not such a dud, huh?”

  “I’m never working for HalRem again. You’d have to hog-tie me,” Gabe exclaimed, then sat back and stretched his legs. I set my hand on his knee under the table.

  “That’s not what I said,” Judson responded with a sly grin. “You’re coming to work for me at VPE in the tower. Tomorrow morning we’ll go check out my Cushing offices.”

  Twelve

  “Happy birthday, Deliah,” I said. She walked by holding Elizabeth’s hand. As usual, she ignored me.

  “Hello, Avery. I’m getting a tour,” Elizabeth said as Deliah led her up the stairs to the second floor of Meggie’s farmhouse.

  “We’re having cake!” Brianna skipped across the living room and followed the woman’s heels.

  Pink and red streamers were strung from the corners of the room. Emmie was in Meggie’s arms, swatting at the ceiling, enamored by the colorful decorations. “I’m glad Deliah took to her so well, kiddo.”

  “We had dinner with them last night. It’s funny to watch Elizabeth with Gabe and Judson. She hasn’t gotten used to their similar looks.”

  Meggie laughed. “I was hoping Judson would get around to introducing her. It’s a shame she got sick and they didn’t make the wedding, but she’s lovely, isn’t she?”

  “I sort of had a different impression at first, but now I really like her.”

  “Is Gabe doing okay with all of these revelations about Judson and his past?”

  “He’s been extra quiet. He didn’t even talk on the flight back from Oklahoma.”

  “I hope he understands now why Joel’s always been strict with the boys.”

  I let her words float around in my head. “Do you think Joel’s like that because of Judson’s incident?”

  “You betcha. One reason among many.”

  “Gabe hasn’t been to Halden Tower or the pipeline offices yet. Judson isn’t giving up. I think when he sees his office with all of the bookshelves and the big desk and the view, he’ll change his mind.”

  “The corporate fast lane doesn’t impress those boys. But at some point a paycheck becomes necessary. Now what about you? Are you going to stay on as Lane’s aide?”

  I eyeballed my cowboy boots and let my hair fall around my face.

  “You don’t need to decide yet. No matter what anyone says, always follow your heart. That’s what I did. One semester at community college and I knew it wasn’t for me. I wanted to fly,” she said as she hoisted Emmie on her shoulder. “I was right about Judson. Trust me that I’m right about this too.”

  “You hit the nail on the head,” said Judson. We both turned around to find him standing behind us wearing his cowboy hat and a sneaky grin.

  “Lefty,” she said and grabbed his shoulder. “I’m glad we can all be together for Deliah’s fourteenth birthday.”

  “Since I managed to shake the feds—we’ve got a lot to celebrate.”

  “How’s the trailer working out?” she asked.

  “Beats the motel life.” He pretended to grab Emmie’s nose. She wiggled in Meggie’s arms.

  “Are you going to stay in Williston long enough to get a place?” Meggie asked.

  “We’re gonna lease an apartment in the tower when it’s finished. Your offer for the room back there is much appreciated, but Gabe’s giving us the trailer for the time being.”

  “Please tell me you have an opening in the coop. It wouldn’t happen to be the second room?” I asked Meggie curiously.

  She rolled her eyes. “Uff-da, kiddo. I had no idea who that man Douglas was when I rented him a room. He had a HalRem badge, for crying out loud. You kids did something to make him feel unwelcome. He took off this morning.”

  “I hope he’s gone for good,” I said.

  Meggie lowered Emmie into her playpen and walked toward the kitchen. “I almost forgot—I stuck a six-pack of Dr. Pepper in the basement for Gabe. Food will be here any minute. Your parents went to pick up the cake. Wait until you see it.”

  “Y’all better have stocked the bar. We billionaires need our libations,” Judson called over his shoulder and then winked at me. “Are we good, missy?”

  I nodded. “Yep.”

  “I need a favor. I’ll find you in an hour.”

  I looked out the front window as Erika Ingarson pulled into the driveway behind Gabe’s Mustang. Heavy clouds filled in and darkened the land. I went outside to meet her and to find out where Gabe went. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Erika since I abandoned her at Lane’s.

  “Can I help you carry anything? It looks like it’s going to rain,” I said as she opened the trunk and lifted out a huge white bakery box filled with rolls.

  “Sure. Grab those two trays and follow me to the kitchen.”

  “Is all of this from the diner?”

  “Mrs. Halden ordered it from Alberton’s deli. It’s my job to deliver and set up catering when we have a customer outside the city limits.”

  “I’m really sorry about the other night,” I told her as we climbed the back porch steps.

  “Avery, really, it’s fine.”

  Lane came to the door and stared at Erika as if he had seen something out of place on Meggie’s porch. “Howdy,” he said with a surprised voice and a lopsided grin. “Fancy seein’ you here.” He held the door as we
passed through in single file with armfuls of food.

  I stopped to say something. “Gabe told me he talked to you about Judson and everything.”

  Lane lifted his chin and helped me with the food I was carrying. “Good news—for once.”

  Elizabeth walked down the stairs holding Brianna’s hand.

  “I showed her everything,” said my sister proudly.

  “She showed her my underwear drawer. It was so embarrassing!” Deliah yelled down the stairs.

  “The tour was extensive,” Elizabeth told me and smiled. “Can I help you ladies fix plates?”

  Judson walked into the kitchen, stepped up to his wife, and kissed her cheek. “Y’all need to eat fast before it gets swampy out there. I’ve got a surprise.”

  “Lefty, I thought your Betsy was the surprise,” Meggie teased as she left the room to get Emmie.

  “What’s the surprise?” Brianna asked as she climbed on a chair and reached across the table for a pickle.

  “It’s a surprise. I’m not telling,” he said.

  She stood on the chair and waved her arms in the air. “I have a surprise. I’m getting a boy baby!”

  “How do you know that?” I asked her as I made her sit in her booster seat.

  Brianna wagged a finger. “I know everything. I’m smarter than you.”

  Judson laughed. “I need to hang out with this little hushpuppy more often.”

  “Gentlemen!” called Meggie out the front door. “The food is here.” She brought Emmie in and fastened the baby into her highchair.

  Deliah popped back into the kitchen.

  “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!” Brianna blurted.

  Emmie clapped her hands and giggled.

  “The cake isn’t here yet. We should wait for your mom and dad before we sing,” Meggie told Brianna. “They got held up and want us to go ahead with our meal.”

  I headed to the basement to get Gabe a drink. I stopped short before I reached the floor. Travis Ingarson was sitting on the infamous pool table alone in the shadows.

  “What are you doing down here?” I asked.

  He pulled his cap over his eyes. “I was waiting for you.”

  “Me?” I asked as I flicked on the light. “How did you know I would come down here?”