“No.” She gasped.
He laughed. “Actually, I’m going to give you a choice. I have a gun and I can use that. I can give you a shot like the ones I gave Brown and Walter, or Hazel has a full bottle of sleeping pills in the bathroom. You can swallow them on your own. How do you like all those options?”
“No, please.”
“Sorry, Nola Dean.” He sighed. “I had hoped to avoid this because I do like you. In fact, I had wanted to have an affair with you. You’d be a nice trophy on a man’s arm. If there had only been enough time to work it out.”
Her mind was racing. Finally she said, “What if you don’t find the numbers?”
“Oh, if they’re there, I’ll find them.” He smiled at her.
“But shouldn’t you get them first?”
“Why? If they’re there, and I truly believe they are, I can get them and then get on the first plane out of Myrtle Beach. I won’t have to worry about getting rid of you then because you’ll already be taken care of.” He looked at her. “And if they’re not there, I’ll call Rex and tell him I had to go to Raleigh before I went home, then I’ll head for Columbia. After all, nobody suspects I’m the one behind all the crime.”
Nola Dean was about to resign herself to her fate, then she remembered something. “What about Shane and Dolly. They may have seen me leaving with you this morning.”
He frowned and an angry look crossed his face. “I don’t think they saw us.”
“But you’re not sure.”
He thought a minute. “Rex will tell everyone I left for Columbia last night.”
“What if he calls Columbia and you’re not there?”
He stood. “Shut up, Nola Dean. I’ve got to think.”
She didn’t let him see the sigh of relief she felt. She knew it was temporary, but at least she had a short reprieve. Shorter than she realized.
He whirled around. “It doesn’t matter. I have enough money to get out of the country. I might as well do it now and get it over with. Forget about choices. I’ve chosen for you.”
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t answer. He walked over to her and reached out his hands. They fastened around her neck.
* * * *
Joe showed his badge at the gate and the watchman let him into the complex. He moved the car through the throngs of villas and then pulled up to the high rise that faced the ocean. “Nice place,” he said as he opened his door.
“You’d never be able to afford this on a cop’s salary,” Bett said.
“No way,” he mumbled.
The doorman told them the Collier condo was one of the two penthouses on the seventeenth floor. He had instructed them to go to the door on the left when they reached the top floor. He then added, “Or here comes Mr. Collier now. He can show you the way up.”
They turned and watched as Rex and Megan entered the building. “Detective, may I ask what you’re doing here?”
“I want to make sure your father is not here, Mr. Collier.”
Rex pressed the up button. “An hour ago I would have sworn he was in Columbia, but when I called they told me he was still here.”
“Is there any reason why he would say he was going home and not go?” Bett asked.
“He could have been waylaid by friends. Business could keep him here. He could even be sick. The list could go on and on. I want to be sure he isn’t hurt or sick.” Rex held the door as the foursome entered.
Bett smiled at Megan, but neither woman said anything.
When they reached the seventeenth floor, they got off the elevator and turned to the left. Rex reached to ring the bell, but Joe stopped him. “Do you have a key?”
“Of course.”
“Please use it.”
“Well, I only think of it as a courtesy to ring. I don’t want to find my father in an awkward situation.”
“And I like the element of surprise,” Joe said. “Use the key.”
“If you insist.” Rex sounded irritated.
Joe took out his gun. Bett followed suite.
“Is that necessary?” Megan said. “Mr. Collier isn’t a criminal.”
“Back away and keep quiet,” Bett said.
Joe and Bett went into the condo first. When Joe saw the bearded man hovering over Nola Dean, he shouted, “Back away from her and put your hands up.”
The bearded man let Nola Dean go and stepped back.
“Cover him,” Joe ordered and rushed to Nola Dean’s side.
She was gasping for breath.
“Come on, honey,” Joe said. “Breath. Breath, Nola Dean. You’ve got to be okay.”
Rex and Megan rushed into the room. “What’s going on here?” Rex asked. He looked at the man and asked, “Who are you? Where’s my father?”
Nola Dean was coming around. “Joe,” she whispered. “Thank God you’re here, darling.”
“I’m glad I made it.” He wiped his eyes quickly and began untying her hands. “Where’s Collier, honey?”
Nola Dean nodded toward the bearded man. “That’s him.”
After a minute of confusion, Bett took out her cuffs. “Grady Collier, you’re under arrest for the murders of Walter Overton, Arthur Brown, Denise Felton and the attempted murder of Nola Dean Buckingham. You have the right…”
Grady interrupted her. “Son, call my lawyer. Tell him to meet me at the police station.”
Chapter 34
The next evening Joe was sitting on Nola Dean’s living room sofa as she scurried about the kitchen. “Are you sure I can’t help you?” he asked for the third time. “You know I would take you out to dinner.”
“I know. I wanted to cook for you tonight. Maybe we’ll go out later this week.”
“I don’t want you to get overtired. I want to take care of you.”
“I’m fine, Joe. You had me checked out at the hospital, remember?”
“I remember, but you could…”
“No, I couldn’t,” she said coming into the living room with a plate of shrimp and dip. She sat it down beside the glass of wine she’d already served him. “Here, have a shrimp,” she said. “It will hold you until the roast is done.”
“I’ll have some if you’ll sit down and eat with me.”
“Let me get a glass of wine and I will.”
He took her arm. “You sit. I’ll get the wine.”
She smiled, but did as she was told.
He returned to the seat beside her and handed her the wine.
She sipped it and said, “Everything will be finished cooking shortly. Now eat shrimp.”
He dipped a shrimp in cocktail sauce. “They look fresh.”
“They should. I went to Little River and met the shrimp boats this morning.”
He stared at her. “Were you able to get out that early?”
She laughed. “Joe, I’m not some fragile china doll. I felt good this morning and I wanted everything nice for you. You’re my hero, you know.”
“I love being your hero and I know you’re a strong woman, but you’ll never know how frightened I was when I saw Grady choking you. I felt my whole world crumbling.”
She shuttered. “It was scary, but you got there in time to save me.”
“I’m glad I got there too, honey. I don’t know what I’d have done if I’d been too late. I don’t think I’ve ever been as scared as I was when I saw him choking the life out of you.”
“You weren’t late, so let’s not think about that.” She smiled at him and reached for a shrimp. “Let’s talk about last night. You promised to tell me what happened when Bett took Grady in for questioning.”
He picked up his glass of wine. “He didn’t say much until his lawyer arrived. Rex was there, but he waited outside. I think the poor fellow was still in shock after learning his father was a murderer.”
“I’m glad Rex wasn’t involved in the murders. Where is he now?”
“Went back to Columbia to break the news to his mother. He said if she lived through the shock he was going
to send her to their house in St. Croix for the winter. He promised to let me know in case we need to talk with her.”
“Will Mrs. Collier stand by her husband?”
“Rex said she’d be too embarrassed. He also said he and Ms. Eller would be working together to put the company back on its feet. He figured they’d have to pay off the other partners, but then they’d own the company outright.”
Nola Dean nodded. “When will Grady’s trial start?”
“No trial. Just a hearing. Collier is pleading guilty. I guess he figures it’s the only way to avoid the death penalty. For three counts of murder and one attempted murder, he’ll be in prison for the rest of his life.”
“I feel sorry for Rex. I think he really looked up to his father.”
“I’m sure he’ll be okay. Megan is standing by him. I think there’s a future for those two.”
“But Rex is married.”
“Not very happily, from what I gathered.” He smiled at her. “Now, Nola Dean, we’ve talked about last night, let’s talk about tomorrow.”
“What’s happening tomorrow?”
“Actually, I told Bett to take tomorrow off. She’s been a big help in this case and she deserves some time to get her condo situated.”
“You know she has a crush on you, don’t you, Joe?”
“No she doesn’t. We talked about that last night, too. She said she was lonely and it had made me look good to her. She also said she was glad I was falling for you, because she never wanted to get hooked up with another cop”
“Are you putting me on?”
“No, ma’am. I’m telling you the gospel truth. She doesn’t want me and I want you.”
“I like that you want me.” She snuggled close to him. “Now, if she’s not coming in and you have to work, what did you mean by let’s talk about tomorrow?”
“I meant future tomorrows.” He put his arm around her. “Now that this is over, what are your plans? Are you going back to Greenville?”
“I guess. But I’m not going back there to stay forever.”
“For how long then?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve been thinking about taking in a partner in the real estate business or even selling it. I think Danny, my manager, might be interested in buying a controlling interest in it.”
“If you decided to sell your business, what would you do then?”
“I don’t know. I’d probably spend a lot of time at Myrtle Beach hanging around with a police detective I know.”
“I’d like that.”
“Would you, Joe?”
“Yes I would. I knew I wanted to hang around with you the day I got off that elevator and saw you in those cut off shorts with your hair in disarray struggling with the lock on your front door. I tried to deny it, but it didn’t work. Even Bett knew I wanted you then.” He cleared his throat. “I also want to get to know that daughter of yours. If she’s anything like her mother, I’ll like her.”
Nola Dean smiled. “She wants to meet you, too.”
“Have you told her about me?” He looked surprised.
“Of course. I wouldn’t keep someone as nice as you a secret from her.” She held him a little tighter. “She said she’d like to spend Thanksgiving at the beach. It’ll be her first time home from college.”
“I know this place where they serve a great Thanksgiving buffet. I’d love to take the two of you.”
“Maybe,” she said.
“Maybe?” He looked at her.
“I kind of like the cooking and baking that goes with the holiday. You know it’s a…well it’s …”
“Are you trying to say it’s a family time?”
She nodded.
“And the three of us could possibly one day be…?
“Maybe,” she said again.
“And if things go well, and I think it will, we might even add to the family. Wonder how Emily would like being a big sister?” His eyes twinkled as he looked at her.
“She’s my daughter. She can handle things. It might be a shock at first, but she’d cope.”
“How about her mom? Could she cope and does she like the idea?”
“Maybe,” she said for the third time.
“Yes, maybe.” He looked into her blue eyes and saw the sparkle there. He folded her closer to him. “Maybe indeed,” he whispered as he kissed her.
A ding went off in the kitchen.
“The roast is ready,” she mumbled.
He pressed his lips on hers and whispered, “Let’s let it cook a little longer. I like my roast extra well done.”
“Me too,” she whispered back as she folded herself closer against him.
The End
About the Author
Agnes Alexander writes in more than one genre. Her published works are in Western Historical Romance, Mystery and Romantic Suspense. Murder in Georgia, a mystery with some romance is her ninth book for Whiskey Creek Press.
A life-long resident of North Carolina, she counts traveling as one of her passions. She has visited 48 of the 50 States and says Alaska and Hawaii are on her bucket list. Of course, she loves to read, but tries to limit herself to one or two books a week. Besides traveling and reading, Agnes enjoys jewelry making, watching old movies and spending time with her family, especially her two grandchildren.
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