by Renee George
I found out that Sabrina Miller worked at Babcock Jewelry in Osage Beach. It was a good forty-minute highway drive from Peculiar. I imagined there were more than a few locals who found work in the neighboring human towns, even a place as small as Peculiar could only sustain so many employment opportunities. I called Brady to see if he wanted to take a ride with me.
He said, “Yes,” and I did a happy dance. Yay! I got to do the two things in the world I liked the most. Investigate and hang with Brady. Also, I called Ruth to let her know where I was going. I felt bad about not inviting her along, but she let me off the hook by saying she and Ed had three cars in the shop today, but she’d see me for dinner this afternoon. I’d never had a friend like Ruth. Her strength resonated with me. Frankly, Ruth Thompson was the toughest and strongest person, man or woman, I’d ever met. I needed her in my life almost as much as I needed Brady.
I drove out to Brady’s house to pick him up. I let him drive my pickup, not because he was “the man” but because I want to touch him, and I found it difficult to grope and steer at the same time. In other news, Brady sometimes found it difficult to be groped and keep the car on the road.
By the time the GPS got us to the jewelry store, Brady had a rock-hard bulge in his britches and opted to stay in the truck. I didn’t think it would be possible for him to walk with that thing at full mast anyway.
An alarm ding-donged when I opened the door. A man in a dark suit was arranging gold chains inside a glass case. Sabrina Miller, who hadn’t looked up, was spraying another case with glass cleaner. She had the bottle in one hand and a paper towel in the other. When the man saw me, his face brightened.
“Good morning,” he said. “How can I help you? Are you looking for a gift? Something for yourself?”
“Actually, I’m here to see Sabrina.”
That got her attention. She snapped her gaze to me, a curious expression on her face. “Oh, hello. You’re Ruth’s friend, right?” She frowned. Why do you need to see me?”
I forgot the only context she knew me in was as Ruth’s friend and a patient of Doctor Smith’s. Did I clue her in about my purpose or take advantage of her ignorance? Duh. Advantage, Willy Boden.
“I came into town today with my boyfriend, and I remember you told me you worked here.”
“I don’t remember telling you where I--” She shook her head. “Never mind, I probably did. I was half out of my mind that day.”
“I bet. A sick child is the worst.” I imagined, anyhow. “How’s Josh doing?”
“He’s still having headaches, but he’s much better.”
“Did you find out what made him sick?”
She shrugged. “He’s sixteen. He eats enough junk to keep Hostess in business.”
“Mrs. Miller, your friend will either have to buy something or visit you another time,” her boss said. His face was all pinched like he smelled something bad. I bet he was a real joy to work with day in and day out.
I pulled out my wallet and gestured to Brady sitting in the truck out front. “I think I want to buy my beau something purty.”
Her boss looked annoyed, but he backed off. I stared at him until he decided to go in the back and do something else.
“So,” I said to Sabrina, “I saw Josh yesterday over on Holden. I think he was with that Roger Parks, the one dating Michele Thompson. He looked much better.” At least he wasn’t so sick he couldn’t outrun me. Talk about embarrassing. Though, if he hadn’t thrown the bag over the fence, I would have totally caught him. As Brady learned last night, I am long on stamina.
Sabrina stepped back and turned to another jewelry case. “Are you looking for anything specific? A tie bar? Cufflinks? A ring?”
“Not a ring,” I said too quickly. “I mean, we aren’t even close to exchanging rings. Still in the early stages.”
“Don’t let the good times, fool you, honey. Men are pricks. Clay was big fun, but small on responsibility.”
“Brady’s not Clay.”
She shrugged. “I’m just being honest.” I could see the barest hint of a smile grace her lips. Sabrina had enjoyed that moment of superiority. Maybe she and Evelyn had more in common than I originally supposed.
Advantage over. I opened my wallet and flashed my official Tri-State Council badge. In a barely audible whisper, I asked, “Do you know what this means?”
She nodded, fear replacing smugness in her eyes.
“Why was your son carrying a bag full of spooled chains?”
She gave her head a vigorous shake. Her boss returned to a nearby counter and moved us further across the store to stay out of earshot from her boss. “Not here,” she hissed. “Tonight. I’ll text you when I get off work. But if you want information from me, leave now. I need this job.”
For a split second, I felt shitty. This woman had very little, and I’m sure she thought I was about to leave her with even less. But right now, I needed her scared and cooperative. “If you don’t text me, I will hunt you and your son down, and we’ll spend quality time at the Sheriff’s office.” I tilted my head until she made eye contact me. “Understand?”
“Yes,” she said. Her expression was all fear. Good. I’d made my point.
“See you tonight.” I walked to the case displaying necklaces. There was a variety of gold and silver, various designs and lengths. I saw one that was mini hearts that were looped together to form a chain. It was delicate and pretty. “How much for this one?” I asked the jeweler.
“Ah, lovely little piece. It’s fourteen-karat gold with a ten-karat gold clasp. Seventy-five dollars and eighty-nine cents.”
“How does someone tell if it’s fourteen-karat gold?” I’d never been a big jewelry person, so I was curious.
“There is a stamp.” He pulled the chain out and took some kind of round magnifier from his pocket. He put his on the first heart in the chain. “Look here. You see the stamp?”
I saw the number .585. “I see it.”
“It means it is fifty-eight-point-five percent pure gold. In other words, fourteen-karat. Twenty-four-karat gold would have a one-point-zero-zero-zero mark on it, meaning it’s one-hundred percent pure. The closer to that number, the purer the gold, the further away from the less pure.”
“Cool. I learn something new every day.” He gave me an odd look. I shrugged. “It’s something my dad used to say all the time.” I handed him the necklace. “Wrap this up for me. Give Sabrina the commission. She was hugely helpful.” And I hoped she’d be even more helpful when we met later.
*****
Brady took me for brunch at the Sunrise Diner on the strip in Osage Beach. After, we drove down by the lake. I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the sheriff’s station. By now, all the deputies would know that the Council was deciding what to do about Sheriff Taylor. They would blame me. I mean, if I was them, I would totally blame me.
Eventually, though, the call came.
And that phone call, that shitty, shitty phone call, was the reason I had to return to Peculiar.
So I could ask Sid Taylor for his badge and gun.
Chapter Twenty
Present time…
In ancient times, there was a reason messengers were killed. If you can’t blame the one responsible, then blame the one you’re with—and gut ‘em with a sword.
And that’s how I felt. Gutted. I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, obviously, and I’d had to do my goddamned duty and remove a good man from his post. I was the messenger, and I would bear the brunt of the fallout in this town. And Stenson had left me out to dry. So much for relying on his conscience and doing the right thing. No wonder he and Evelyn connected; they were cut from the same cloth.
I didn’t want to move Sid’s gun or badge from the desk. Not now, not ever. But as long as I was an officer of the Council, I had to do as they told me. I waited until Nicole and Jean left the station with Sid.
As I reached for the items on Sid’s desk, Tyler Thompson put his badge right next to them. My heart dropped
. I looked at him. “Tyler…”
Ruth came up behind him and flicked him in the back of the head. “You better pick that back up, mister.”
“I’m not going to work for Willy after she got Sheriff Taylor in trouble,” he protested.
“She did not get Sid in trouble. He did that all to himself.” She looked at Connelly and Farraday, including them in on the conversation. “And if either of you even think about pulling the same stupid stunt, you can forget it. I love Sid as much as you do. I’ve spent my entire adult life with him as Sheriff, and I’ve known him since I was a child. If I’m not mad at Willy, then that should tell you something.”
“She fought with President Stenson,” Brady said. I gave him a you-weren’t-supposed-to-hear-that look. He shrugged. “You should’ve walked further away if you didn’t want me to listen in.”
I’d gotten the call when we’d walked down to the lake in Osage Beach. I thought I’d put enough distance between us so he couldn’t hear the conversation, but I guess coyotes had better hearing than bobcats.
Brady clenched his fist. “Stenson wanted to remove Sheriff Taylor permanently.” He let his revelation sink in for a minute. “Willy told them she would quit if they fired Sid. She’s the only reason he’s only suspended. So instead of blaming her for what’s happening, you should be kissing her ass and helping her solve this case so he can come back to a job he’s lucky to still have.”
I had to fight back a choking sob. Emotions were tricky bitches. You could add overwhelmingly in love with the gorgeous man vigorously coming to my defense to the list of things I was feeling.
“Damn straight,” Ruth said. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and dared the room to say anything different.
Like a scolded child, Deputy Thompson picked up his badge. “Sorry, Willy. I sometimes jump to conclusions too quickly.” He glanced at Sunny.
She smirked. “Chavvah and I need to get back to the Outlook. Lunch crowd might have thinned, but the dinner crowd is going to be coming in soon. Kyle is a decent cook, but I’m not ready to hand the dinner prep over to him.”
I stopped Sunny before she could leave. “Can I talk to you real quick?”
“Sure,” she said. “But I can’t help you the way you think.”
“Why did you call everyone down here? What was it all for?”
My friend took my hand. “I called Babe, Chav, Billy Bob, Jean, and Nicole for Sheriff Taylor. He needed to know he had friends in the community who cared about him and had his back. I called Ruth down here for you because I didn’t see the Council, I saw you. And I wanted to make sure you had someone here who had your back.” She looked over my shoulder at Brady and smiled. “What I didn’t foresee was that you would bring along your own knight in slightly tarnished, but still shiny armor.” She let go of my hand. “I told you I was a bad psychic.”
“You’re pretty terrific in my book. Still no visions of whodunnit, though?”
“Nope, sorry. But I’ll call you if anything pops up.”
Babe, Chav, and Billy Bob all left after a few polite goodbyes, leaving me with my best friend, the man I adored, and three determined deputies.
“I don’t think they’ll give you any more grief,” Ruth said.
“Not if they don’t want you bringing the hammer down.” I winked. “You’re pretty bad ass, Ruth Thompson.”
“Takes one to know one.” She jerked her thumb toward the door. “I better get back to Doe Run. I wasn’t lying this morning about being swamped with jobs. It’s a good problem to have.”
“See you later.”
“Dinner,” she said.
“I’ll be there.”
“You, too, Brady. I know Ed would love to see you again.”
Brady gave her a crooked smile. “Sure.”
Almost as if it were an afterthought, she added, “And bring Jo Jo if he’s not busy.” While Ruth might stay out of her children’s love lives, I knew she wasn’t above giving them tiny pushes.
He nodded. “I’ll ask.”
“Great.” She gave me a quick hug and kissed Brady’s cheek. “See you both later.”
Unabashedly, I looped my hands behind Brady’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. “You are super awesome.”
He rested his forearms on my shoulders and kissed me again. “That’s how I roll.”
“I recall how you roll,” I told him. “I tend to remember things I’m interested in, and make no mistake, Brady Corman, I’m interested in you.”
Gazing up at his face, I felt the sudden need to sing Celine Dion ballads. Jesus H. Christ, no wonder greeting card companies made so much freaking money.
A clearing of throats reminded me we weren’t alone.
“Uh, hello,” I said to Connelly, Thompson, and Farraday.
“Awaiting our instructions,” Farraday said.
I balled my hands into fists and put his on my hips. “Okay, boys, Operation Find Evelyn’s Killer and Shut Down a Fraud Ring, aka Get Sid His Job Back shall now commence. You with me?”
They all spoke their agreement.
“Great.” I bared my teeth in a feral grin. Then let’s get crack-a-lackin’.”
“You’ve been dying to say that, haven’t you?” Brady asked.
“You betcha.”
I sent Farraday to run down Roger Parks and get his alibi for the hours of two to four p.m. If he couldn’t come up with a solid story, I told Eldin to bring him in. I didn’t send Tyler because of his sister’s relationship with the suspect. Instead, I asked Tyler to comb through the ledger with Connelly and see if the two of them could make heads or tails of the numbers. What I really needed was a forensic accountant, but hey, a tax law attorney might do.
“Would you stay here and look over the ledger with Connelly and Thompson? I know numbers are your past, but your expertise could really help my future.”
He groaned and not in a fun way. “If they are open to my help, I’ll do it.”
Tyler said, “Yes, please. Math is not my friend.”
“Thompson, why do you come with me to the bank? You can back me up when I talk to Milo Greene again. Connelly, you assist Brady with the ledger.”
“Sounds like a plan, Willy,” Connelly said. He took the accounting book from Tyler’s desk and put it on his. He pulled a chair around next to his and invited Brady to sit down.
“You ready to go?” I asked Tyler.
“Yep. Let’s do this.”
Between Ruth and Brady, they’d turned the deputies around. I could see that all of them had renewed confidence and drive to get this case solved. I would do my damnedest to live up to their expectations.
All of them. Especially Ruth and Brady’s.
Chapter Twenty-one
Surprise, surprise, Milo Greene wasn’t in. According to Sally the receptionist, he’d taken a personal day for a family emergency, but she’d be happy to take a message for him. Fuck that, I thought. That bastard was going to have a real family emergency when I caught up with him.
We took one of the police SUVs. I thought it, along with a uniformed officer, would be enough to make Milo talk. That money might not belong to Evelyn, but it certainly belonged to someone, and the banker knew who. Richard Stenson wasn’t the only one who warmed Evelyn’s bed. That love bird on Greene’s desk matched hers. It was easy to imagine. Close neighbors, his wifey off with sick parents, he’s lonely, she’s lonely, one thing leads to another, yada, yada.
“Well, that was a colossal waste of time,” I told Tyler as he pulled out of the bank parking lot. “Head over to your mom’s house next.”
“Why?”
Why? Because I’d just remembered the backpack full of possible, albeit, confusing evidence. “I need to pick something up.”
When we got to Ruth’s, Roger’s muscle car was just driving off. Ugh. “Call Farraday and let him know which direction Park’s heading.”
“You got it.”
I left him in the vehicle while I ran in to get the bag. I ran into Michele
on the way up the stairs. She had one of those lazy, blissful smiles that people get when everything is suddenly right with their world. I hoped Roger had an alibi. He was a douche bag, but he was her douche bag. “What’s up, girl?” I said.
She had her thumb sliding along a gold necklace hanging around her neck. “Roger bought it for me. Isn’t it gorgeous? And it’s real gold! He must have paid a small fortune for it.”
“Guilt gift?” I asked because I couldn’t help myself.
“No,” she said defensively. She pressed the necklace against her chest. “We had a misunderstanding yesterday. He was making it up to me.”
“Uh huh.” Guilt gift. Definitely. “Can I look at it?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to take it off.” She peered at me through narrowed eyes. “I know what you think, but Roger didn’t steal it. I know he was into some bad stuff last year, but that’s over now.”
“He was? Like what?”
Tyler came up behind me. “He was part of thefts around the surrounding areas. Lake Ozarks. Camdenton. He and his buddy Kyle Avery.”
“They’re not friends anymore,” Michele said. “Besides, most of that had been Kyle’s idea.”
“So, Roger says,” Tyler snorted. “Jesus, Sis. You’re so gullible. Kyle is lucky he got away from Roger when he did. He’s finally doing some honest work for a change.”
“I don’t think Sunny would let Kyle work in her kitchen if she thought he wasn’t trustworthy,” I added.
“As in, Roger’s not?” Michele huffed. She took off her necklace and handed it to me. “Fine. Take it. It’ll only prove what I already know.”
That Roger Parks is a lying piece of shit. I took the jewelry from her. “I’m sure it will.” As I turned the chain in my hand, I saw a .999 on the clasp. That was a mark for twenty-four-karat gold, but the jeweler had said it was rare for fine jewelry to be made with pure gold. It was too soft and would be easily damaged. I put the end between my teeth.
“Hey!” Michele shouted. Tyler grabbed her hand before she could try and snatch the chain from me. “You’re going to ruin it.”
I bit down. It was hard as a rock. Twenty-four-karat gold would have dented from the force of my bite. “I hate to break it to you, but this isn’t real gold, not matter what the stamp says. Someone sold Roger a peach but gave him a lemon.”
