That’s when it hit Max. Julie had never married. He’d never even heard about her dating anyone. “Oh, Jules.” He reached across the table and patted her clasped hands. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”
The tears shining in her eyes finally broke free. “No one knew except Jimmy. He’d figured it out earlier that year. He said if I didn’t go along with his story about the letter, he’d tell my mom and dad about me.” She broke her hands apart to wipe her tears. “They were so against people like me, saying it was unnatural. If they found out I was in love with Sage, they would have disowned me. That seemed pointless to me. There was no reason to upset them. Sage was dead, I couldn’t be with her.”
It wouldn’t have been for no reason—it would have kept an innocent man out of prison. Stating that would only tell her what she already knew, however. At least she finally came forward with the truth and got him free.
“Can you ever forgive me, Max? I was just a kid, a freshman in high school. I was confused and thought I should be ashamed of who I was. No one else I knew was like me and I...” She broke off again, darting a glance at Calvin’s table.
The past couldn’t be changed. “I forgive you. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.”
“I really did think you were guilty,” she explained. “Jimmy made it sound so reasonable. I didn’t think it could be anyone but you. That’s why I went along with it for so long.”
Max was sure Jimmy had. “Has Jimmy been threatening to tell people about you, now that you stepped forward and defended me?” Maybe that was why she looked so tired.
To his surprise, she shrugged. “It’s getting to the point that I don’t really care if he does. My sister moved to California right after she graduated. She knows the truth. She’s always trying to set me up on dates. With my folks gone, no one else’s opinion matters. Not everyone hates like the people of this town can.”
It looked like Julie had gone from being a scared teenager into accepting who she was. At least that much had gone right in her life. “You should go stay with your sister. You might find the woman of your dreams in California.”
Julie finally smiled. “Maybe. I’ve been considering it. First, I want justice for Sage. She’s the only person I’ve ever been in love with. I want her killer behind bars.”
Max nodded, understanding completely. Their motives for wanting to find the killer might differ, but they were of one mind in doing it. Neither of them could move on with their lives until the truth came out.
“Be wary of Jimmy,” Max warned. “I think he had good motive.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why? Because he wanted Rose, even though he slept with my Sage?”
How that must have killed her inside, every time Sage slept with Jimmy and then told Julie about it. The whole situation was sadder than Max had even guessed, wrapped up in his own pain as he’d been.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “That’s the motive I was thinking about. Pinning the murder on me gave him free access to Rose.”
“Not that Rose dated him long.” Julie let out a little huff of breath. “She figured him out pretty quick, even if he did talk big about finally scoring with her to all the guys around town.”
Max’s stomach twisted painfully and a surge of jealousy burned down his chest. “Can we change the subject?”
“Sorry.” Julie picked up her shake, but didn’t drink it. “I was just agreeing about his motive. I think he’s the guilty party.”
“Problem is, how do we prove it?”
“He’s been bothering me a lot lately, but I might have an idea to convince him to confess.”
Chapter Nine
Rose watched Max and Julie leave together, still walking close and seeming to block out the world. He said they weren’t dating, but it sure looked cozy.
Kelsey walked in just as they were leaving, and her elegantly shaped eyebrows flew to her hairline. She quickly crossed the room to Rose’s side. “What’s that all about? Are you okay?”
It seemed their fight was over in Kelsey’s eyes.
“I don’t know, and I’m fine.” She smiled to let Kelsey know she wasn’t mad anymore either. The woman had been her truest friend for the past eight years. Rose was stubborn, but she knew Kelsey only wanted the best for her. “I’m sorry for flying off the handle and not talking to you after our fight. I know you just worry about me because you care.”
Kelsey threw her arms around Rose in a quick hug. “Oh, don’t worry about that. If everyone spent their days gossiping about me, I’d be a little touchy too.” Kelsey glanced at the crowded dining room. “It must be hard having all eyes on you.”
“Thanks for understanding.” Rose dug tickets out of her apron pocket. “Some of my tables are ready for their check. I’ll pass them out and then come to the break room to tell you what’s going on with the other tables.”
Kelsey nodded and disappeared to the back of the restaurant.
It felt good to no longer fight with her friend. Rose was sure lucky that a few people were willing to put up with her. She’d been too touchy for far too long. If people gossiped about her, so what? It didn’t affect her life. She needed to remember that. Sometimes, though, she wished she lived in a slightly larger town. If no one knew her, they wouldn’t want to talk about her or her screwed up life.
She smiled and made small talk as she passed out tickets to the customers, saving Cal’s table for last. She pulled out the chair across from his and sat, dropping the ticket in front of him. “I know you’ve been trying to look out for me, and that’s why you keep showing up on my doorstep. I shouldn’t be so ungrateful.”
Cal ran a hand across his shaved head. “Well, that’s a surprise. What changed your mind? Seeing Max on a date with Julie?”
She shrugged. “No. It was Kelsey forgiving me. We’re all just doing the best we can. I know you want to find out who left that threat on my doorstep as much as I do.”
He nodded.
“Max didn’t do it, but I’ll let you do whatever you feel is right to find out who did.”
Cal looked around the room. “There are too many people here right now, but I might have something. Can I come by the store tonight and talk to you?”
That was odd. She hoped it was about Jimmy, not Max. “Sure. I’ll put on some fresh coffee around ten. It always slows down then.”
She made her way to the break room, finding Kelsey inside tying on an apron.
“You and Cal look comfortable,” Kelsey said, clipping back her long blond hair. “Did he finally admit his feelings for you?”
Rose couldn’t stop her mouth from dropping open. “You knew?”
Her friend snorted. “The whole town knows. I think you were the only person too clueless to pick up on it, but something seems different between you two this afternoon.”
“He told me last week, and I told him I’m still in love with Max. Today’s the first day I’ve seen him since, and he seems to be dealing with it fine.”
Kelsey’s eyelids shuttered halfway closed and she sighed. “I’m not going to say anything, since we’ve just now become friends again. Have a safe shift at the gas station and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Well, that was an improvement. Kelsey’s disapproval of Max was evident, but as long as she kept those opinions to herself, they could get along.
***
Max looked around Julie’s apartment. It was impeccably clean. None of the clutter that accumulated in other people’s homes was evident. Maybe that was how she dealt with her anxiety—cleaning it away.
She offered him a drink, but he declined. “You said you had an idea about proving Jimmy’s guilty? What is it?”
Julie sat on the couch and crossed her legs, tapping the foot on top so her sandal bounced up and down. “It could be risky for me, but I’m willing to try it.”
Max sat quietly, giving her time to sort through her thoughts. As much as he wished she’d get to the point, he was quickly coming to realize that Julie was much more
fragile than he’d guessed. She looked like a stiff breeze could shatter her, and Max didn’t want to push her over the invisible edge. She’d seemed much stronger during the trial as she told the judge her story.
“What’s happened to you in the past month?” The words blurted from his mouth before he knew he meant to say them.
Julie’s foot stilled and she frowned. “Jimmy happened.” She closed her eyes. “It’s why I’m sure he has to be the killer. He comes here nearly every day, subtle threats, warnings if I say anything to anyone about your innocence. It started as soon as I got home from testifying. He’s lurking everywhere I go.”
“That doesn’t sound good. We should have gone over to Serenity or something to meet,” he said. “Jimmy will find out we were together. Someone probably already told him.”
She nodded. “Small towns—that’s why California seems like such a good option. In a place with nine hundred people who all know each other, it’s way too hard to get privacy.”
Which made Max wonder all over again how one of them could be a killer without someone knowing who that was. If it was Jimmy, shouldn’t people have seen something to make them wonder? Why didn’t anyone ever have a suspicion about what was happening to the girls in the area?
“It doesn’t matter if Jimmy knows we were together, though,” she said. “It’s part of my plan.”
“Want to clue me in?”
She glanced up at the wall opposite her chair. “See that?”
Max craned his neck around. A watercolor of a black horse galloping in an open field hung on the wall. “The painting?”
“It has a nanny camera inside. Motion activated. I bought it last week in Portland.”
“Wow. I’d never guess.”
She smirked. “Jimmy’s been here every day since I hung it and hasn’t asked. I’d planned to take the tapes to the cops to show them how he’s been harassing me, but I have a better idea. When he comes by to yell at me for being with you, I’m going to get him to confess.”
A prickling of fear clenched Max’s stomach. “How are you going to do that?”
“Don’t look so scared. Jimmy’s decided to try and turn me lately. That’s part of what he’s been coming around here for. He wants to have sex with me and show me what a man’s like.” Her lip curled. “As if sleeping with him would change how I’m made.”
“And you want to...what? Invite him over for sex?” It was a horrible plan. What was she thinking? “Don’t put yourself in that position.” Max stood, crossing the space between them to crouch next to Julie’s chair. He peered up into her face. “Think about this longer. The killer raped all his victims. If Jimmy’s the killer, what do you think he’ll do to you when you refuse to go have sex with him after him thinking you will? Even if he doesn’t kill you...” Max shook his head. “No. You can’t put yourself at risk that way.”
“You think I don’t know the risks? If there’s another way to get him talking, tell me. For the last few weeks, I’ve been telling him I can’t move past Sage’s death until I know what happened. He keeps saying it was you, but I think I convinced him this morning that I’ll never believe that. It’s time to change tactics.” Julie looked down at her clenched hands, revealing she wasn’t as relaxed as she pretended to be.
Max settled back on his heels and looked across to the painting. “Don’t let him in your house again. If he knows you’ll never believe I did it, he might decide to do away with you. He can start killing again now that I’m free and pin the blame on me. I don’t want you to end up his next victim.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter if it gets us to the truth. Besides, he won’t kill me, at least not yet. You don’t know how he’s gotten over the years. Jimmy’s real big on conquests. Being able to tell his little man posse that he screwed me would be a big bonus for him. I’ll just tell him I can’t sleep with him until I know for sure what happened. I’ll get him to confess.”
Trying to reign in his anxiety, Max kept his voice low, “This is a horrible idea. What will you do to keep him from killing you even if he confesses? Actually sleep with him?” Max stood up and paced the room. “No, absolutely not.”
“I’ll have to be clever and trick him into telling me the truth. But if I could get his confession on tape—”
“It wouldn’t be worth your life! Give me time to come up with something else.”
Her lips pressed firmly together and she wrinkled her nose, but she finally sighed. “Fine, I’ll let you try before I invite him over or let him inside if he shows up. Just don’t take too long. I’m tired of living this way.”
***
Max drove around town, searching for Jimmy’s car. He wasn’t at his house, which meant he was probably out with his ‘man posse’ as Julie called it. Driving past the diner, he found them.
Great. This would be as public as possible. He counted on that keeping Jimmy from killing Julie. Hard to get away with something, if everyone in town tried to catch him doing it.
Upon entering the diner, Rose’s blonde friend greeted him coldly. “You’ve already been here once today. Can’t get enough of our food?” The sneer on her face fit the anger in her voice. She certainly didn’t like him.
“Kelsey, right?” He stuck out his hand, but she sniffed and looked away. Max sighed—he should have expected that. “Don’t worry about my eating habits. I’m not here for food.”
Loud, boisterous laughter filled the dining area, and Max looked toward the back corner. Jimmy and his friends had pushed two tables together and sat around them talking. Max would have expected the posse to hang out at the one bar in town, but maybe they’d been banned from there.
Max recognized most of the guys with Jimmy. They were the kids who’d been punks in high school, getting into trouble with the law more weekends than not. It figured Jimmy would hang out with a crowd like that.
“Excuse me, Kelsey. I have some business to take care of.” He stepped around her and headed for Jimmy, although he was aware she trailed behind him.
The table noticed Max before he reached them.
Jimmy’s upper lip curled and he punched his right hand into his left as Max crossed the last few steps to reach them. “What the hell are you doing here, Kensington? You aren’t welcome.”
Max let out a bark of laughter. “Not welcome? Surprise, surprise. Get your panties out of your ass, Durant. I’m not staying long.” Max straightened his full height and slightly flexed his muscles. One good thing prison taught him—how to intimidate others so he didn’t get his ass kicked. “I came by to give you a message.”
Jimmy leaned back, attempting to look relaxed, but Max could see the hint of fear in his eyes. “What do you want, douche bag?”
Some of the guys around him laughed. Apparently that was a clever insult.
“Nothing big.” Max shrugged as if there were no problem between them. “Just came to tell you to leave Julie Barns alone. If I find out you’ve been harassing her again, you’ll have me to answer to.” He deliberately made a fist, then relaxed it.
That should at least buy some time while Max figured out what to do. The poor girl needed a break from Jimmy.
“Don’t tell me what to do.” Jimmy stood, though he kept his back to the corner of the room, not rounding the table. “Besides, what would I want with that stupid dike? Unless she’s ready for my big cock.” He snickered and grabbed his crotch. “Did she tell you how bad she wants it?”
His friends all laughed again and punched each others’ shoulders. “Go give it to her, Big Jim,” one of them said.
Jimmy must have already told his buddies that Julie was a lesbian. She wasn’t kidding about him wanting her for a conquest.
“I have solid evidence you’ve been bothering her,” Max lied. It didn’t matter. He could easily get it from Julie if needed. “If you so much as go near her house again, I’ll turn my evidence over to the cops. Stalking someone is illegal, especially when they are looking to reopen the case on Sage and find the real k
iller.”
Jimmy paled slightly and stumbled back into the wall. “They won’t reopen the case. Everyone knows you’re guilty.”
“Worried are you?” Max gave a smirk of his own. “I’m going to go talk to my good friend, Super Cop Cal, and tell him to keep an eye on Jules. If you see her on the street, you’d damn well better cross to the other side, or you’ll have me to answer to. Leave her alone.”
While Jimmy sputtered for a response, Max turned on his heel and strolled casually to the door. He never looked back, pretending he had no fear the men might try to jump him. In prison, a show of strength was as good as the real thing. Even though Max waited for a shove to come, it never did, and he reached the door without incident.
“Max, wait.”
He turned to see Kelsey had followed him again. “What is it?”
She bit her lip and stared out the glass door past him. “Is that why you were with Julie today? Jimmy’s been threatening her?”
“What do you care?” His voice sounded snarly, but considering Kelsey had already called the cops on him a few times, Max didn’t feel like being friends.
“Is she truly a lesbian? I never guessed.”
Shaking his head, Max opened the door and stepped into the warm night. “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t participate in Jimmy’s hateful gossip.”
“Is that a threat?”
He looked over his shoulder and met her fear-filled eyes. “Nope. Advice. No one likes an asshole. See you around.”
Without waiting for a further response, Max hopped into his car and pulled out of the lot. He wasn’t sure if that conversation would do enough to scare Jimmy away from Julie, but it couldn’t hurt. The whole town would soon know that Max threatened him to stay away from her. Unfortunately, they’d also probably hear about Julie’s lifestyle, but she said that didn’t really matter anymore.
Max hoped she went to California soon. He didn’t like her being in this town. Something felt off. Ever since she admitted how Jimmy had been treating her, Max had a bad feeling. It was time to find a police officer and make good on his threat.
Murderous Lies Page 7
