Murderous Lies

by Rhondeau, Chantel

  He wanted them to move? How could they afford that right now when were supposed to be finding a new place for her mom? Now wasn’t the time to take on other expenses. A higher-quality mental facility had to be the focus.

  The buzzer attached to the door sounded, and Rose glanced up.

  Kelsey walked into the store, heading for the cooler in the back.

  “Max, I can see a lot of problems with moving, but we’ll have to talk about it later. Kelsey just walked in, and I haven’t talked to her for a couple days. Can we talk when I get home?”

  “Sure thing.” Max sounded disappointed and Rose felt bad, but she had to be realistic.

  “I’ll see in you in a couple hours,” she said. “Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Rose stuffed her phone into her pocket and walked around the edge of the counter. “Hey, Kelsey,” she called toward the back of the store. “I’m sorry for just dropping the kids off on your porch and not coming in to say hello. There was an emergency and I had to go.”

  “I heard,” Kelsey replied. “Poor Julie.” She grabbed a gallon of milk and shut the cooler door, turning around. She had a handkerchief over her hair and dark sunglasses hid most of her face.

  Rose narrowed her eyes. The sun was down. What was Kelsey doing wearing sunglasses? “Are you okay?”

  Kelsey brushed past her and set the milk on the counter. “Of course. We just ran out of milk and the market’s closed. The boys want chocolate milk and pancakes for breakfast, so here I am.”

  Reaching out to her, Rose grabbed Kelsey’s arm. “What’s with the glasses?”

  Sighing loudly, Kelsey turned to face Rose fully and pulled them off. The skin around her left eye was dark purple and swollen, and a long scratch marred her other cheek.

  “Did Bill...?” Kelsey had called in sick to the restaurant again this afternoon, but Rose assumed she was still taking care of Bill after his drunken episode.

  Rose felt a bit guilty. The truth was, she hadn’t worried at all when Kelsey called in. She was too busy worrying about Max.

  “This is none of your business,” Kelsey answered. “He loves me.”

  Rose raised her eyebrows. “Looks like it. So, what happened? You tripped and fell into his fist.”

  Kelsey blinked rapidly and then put the glasses back on. “When he gets drunk like that, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He didn’t mean to hurt me.”

  Rose felt like a shitty friend. She didn’t call Kelsey after dropping the boys unceremoniously on their doorstep, wrapped up like she was in her and Max’s love. Sure, she watched until the twins entered the house, but she didn’t take the time to check on Kelsey herself.

  “Do you and the boys need a place to stay?”

  Kelsey shook her head. “Get that horrified look off your face. I love Bill. He didn’t mean to hurt me. You should be more worried about yourself, having Max at your house all the time. I heard he killed Julie.”

  Rose opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again without saying anything. She’d never thought Kelsey was the type of woman to let herself get smacked around, but she didn’t really have a right to judge her. She also knew Kelsey was lashing out against Max because she didn’t want to face her own problems. Rose grabbed her in a hug.

  Her friend struggled for a second, trying to get away, then hugged her back. “I really am okay, Rose. You don’t need to worry. Bill’s doing better again, and he promises not to drink so much. He won’t hurt me.”

  Rose released her and stepped back. “What if it’s one of the boys next time?” she asked softly.

  Kelsey shook her head. “It won’t happen. I know it won’t. He’s a good man, he just has a problem once in a while.”

  Yeah, a good man. Right. He sat on his ass, drunk as a skunk all the time, while Kelsey worked herself to the bone to provide enough money for the family. But saying all that wouldn’t help Kelsey. It would only alienate her and make her never confide in Rose again.

  “Just know if you ever need anything, I’m here for you.”

  “Sure,” Kelsey said, a ghost of a smile crossing her face. “For now, could you sell me this milk and promise not to tell anyone about this?”

  Rose nodded. The last thing Kelsey needed was to hear whispers and snickers behind her back. No wonder she’d called in sick. “My lips are sealed.”

  ***

  Max heard Rose’s truck pull into the driveway, and he popped the garlic bread into the oven and put the mixed vegetables into the microwave and turned it on. Maybe not a perfect dinner, but it was the first meal he’d ever really cooked. The chicken smelled great, and he thought he did a passable job.

  Now to talk Rose into moving to the Portland area with him. True, they had only been officially back together for a day, but this opportunity was too great to pass up.

  “Hey, baby,” he called when the front door opened. “You hungry?”

  “Hey,” she called. “Where’s Gizmo? He usually greets me.”

  Not a word about how good dinner smelled or anything. Max tried not to be jealous of the cat.

  “I fed him his dinner and then shut him into the bedroom. I didn’t want him underfoot while we eat.”

  Rose walked into the kitchen, eyes narrowed. “That’s not going to work for me. I always spend time with Gizmo when I first get home. I know you didn’t know, but that’s the way it is.”

  Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked to the bedroom door, opening it.

  Gizmo sprung out and leapt into her arms, and Rose snuggled him to her chin murmuring baby talk to him.

  She seemed upset, jittery. Rose usually wasn’t that short with him. Then again, he was sure today had been stressful for her. He wished she wouldn’t take it out on him, however.

  The timer went off and Max turned to get the garlic bread from the oven. It would do no good to argue with her about the cat or the way she snapped at him. He wanted to put her in a good, agreeable mood.

  Perhaps he and Gizmo would find a way to like each other eventually. He thought they had a moment tonight when Max gave him his dinner, but although Gizmo allowed Max to scratch behind his ears, the cat then snubbed him in favor of lying on the back of the couch.

  Rose walked into the kitchen, looking happier now that she had the cat in her arms. “Dinner smells great. I didn’t know you could cook.”

  So, he came second now. At least she seemed appreciative of the dinner now.

  “This is my first time cooking something more than in the microwave, but it wasn’t that hard to follow the recipe. I printed it out from the internet and followed the directions.” Max uncovered the pan of wild rice and scooped a large helping onto the two plates sitting on the counter, then opened the crock pot and placed a chicken breast across each pile. “The vegetables are in the microwave, and I just need to cut the bread up.”

  Rose finally put the cat down and walked to the microwave, pulling out the bowl of veggies. “Thanks. You went to a lot of trouble today. Sorry I’m kind of grouchy. It’s been a really rough day.”

  At least she recognized that she wasn’t acting exactly appreciative. Max stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a kiss against her ear. “Sorry about Jimmy. I didn’t really like the guy, but we’ve known him our whole lives.”

  Rose tipped her head back and leaned into him. “It’s not Jimmy. I mean, I’m sorry to hear he was killed, but mostly it’s been worrying about you. And also, things didn’t go so good with Kelsey tonight.”

  “Is she angry that I’m living here?”

  “Actually, I didn’t even tell her that it was official.” Rose stepped from his embrace and carried the vegetables to the small card table in the corner of the kitchen. “I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone what she said, but it’s really been bothering me since she left.”

  “Wouldn’t tell anyone what?” For some reason, the change in Rose’s voice put Max on edge. She was worried, but didn’t know if she could confide in him
.

  Rose sat down, chewing on her bottom lip.

  Max set the bread on the table and then carried over their plates, not pushing her. He hoped she’d decide to trust him, but he couldn’t force it.

  “How well do you know Bill Tanning?” she asked, surprising him.

  “Kelsey’s husband?”

  At Rose’s nod, Max tried to remember anything about the man.

  “Let’s see... He is two years older than us and knocked Kelsey up near the beginning of our senior year,” Max said slowly. “He always had a nasty temper and a drinking problem, but once he and Kelsey got together, he stopped going out as much. I figured he was settling down. Never really thought of him much to tell you the truth. Why do you ask?”

  “Do you think he’s capable of murder?” she practically whispered.

  “I guess so. He used to be quite violent before marrying Kelsey, getting into fights all the time. Is Kelsey okay?”

  Rose shook her head. “Not really. He beat her up pretty bad. Her face is all swollen, but she didn’t want me butting into her business. After she left the store, I got to thinking about it more though, and I wonder if he...”

  “What?” Max prompted when she didn’t continue.

  Rose looked up, her hazel eyes filled with confusion. “Bryant told me Bill came home early in the morning on Sunday. Kelsey had called me in a panic, telling me she had to get Bill cleaned up because he was too drunk and she was afraid she might have to take him to the hospital. I watched the boys until I heard about Julie.”

  Max twirled his hand around, hoping she’d get to the point soon. He didn’t see what her babysitting had to do with murder.

  “What if...what if Bill killed Julie, and that’s why he was gone from their house?”

  “Isn’t that kind of a stretch?” Max asked, surprised she’d made that connection. “Did he even know Julie?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know, but if he was the one who killed Sage, he would know Julie was searching for the real killer now. Officer Jet said Jimmy’s body was posed, just like Julie’s. Posed...it made me think that the killer is trying to convince everyone this is you doing this. What better targets to kill than Jimmy, who everyone knows you hate, and Julie, who would have stopped at nothing to find Sage’s killer?”

  She had put a lot of thought into it, and it made an odd sort of sense. “But he never leaves his house, pretty much. How would he have found out about Julie wanting to find the killer, or even Jimmy and me fighting for that matter?”

  “Kelsey. She loves him so much, even if I can’t figure out why. She would share town gossip with him, just to have something to talk about when he was halfway sober. She wouldn’t know she was giving him clues about who to kill.” Rose picked up a piece of bread and bit into it, chewing with a thoughtful look on her face. “The boys said he was leaving more often lately, and I didn’t think much of it. I figured he was just drinking more, or doing drugs, but maybe he isn’t content to sit back and be a house husband. Maybe Kelsey and the boys aren’t enough for him, and he has the urge to kill again.”

  It was as good a theory as any. “You should tell Calvin and Officer Jet,” Max said. “They can check it out discretely, and if you’re wrong, no harm will come of it.”

  “But I promised Kelsey I wouldn’t tell anyone about him hitting her.”

  Max stifled a sigh. “If he’s beating her, then it’s even more likely he beat all those other girls.”

  “That’s what I thought, too.” Rose reached across the table and grabbed his hand. “Thanks, Max. I knew I could count on you to help me.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Forever and ever, love. Now, let’s eat before it gets too cold.”

  A smile touched her lips and she nodded. “It really does smell delicious. A girl could get used to this.”

  Max laughed. “Better taste it before you get too carried away.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Dinner was wonderful, and then Max insisted she shower while he cleaned up the kitchen. As she was rinsing the conditioner from her hair, chilly air passed over her and she swiped water from her eyes.

  Max stood outside the shower with the curtain pulled open, showing his erection off with evident pride. “I thought you could use someone to soap up your back.” He stepped into the tub, running his hands down her slick chest and belly. “And maybe I can do something about this front.”

  He took her puckering nipple into his mouth and pressed her against the shower wall.

  “A girl could definitely get used to this,” she repeated when Max’s hand reached between her legs.

  ***

  Clean, satiated, and snuggled into Max’s arms, Rose felt more complete and whole than she had any right to when people where dying all around them and her best friend’s husband might be a killer. She didn’t want to think about all that. At least not for a while.

  “So, what’s this about a possible job in Beaverton?” she asked.

  “I got the feeling you weren’t interested in hearing about it.” He didn’t quite sound grumpy, but he also didn’t sound happy.

  “I am. It was just a surprise to hear you wanted me to move. I thought we were finding a better place for Mom to live.”

  He stood from the bed, flexing his arms in a strong man pose with a goofy grin on his face. “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m going to be your hero. Hang on.”

  He walked from the room but returned in a few seconds, carrying sheets of paper. After crawling back into bed, he circled his arm around her shoulder and handed her the papers.

  “I didn’t just research recipes today. Check this place out, Rose. They have some kind of counseling session every day, whether it be group counseling or one-on-one with a therapist. They have arts and crafts and tailor most of the program around helping patients regain their independence. They specialize in grief counseling, and the assisted living portion would be perfect for Ginger.”

  Rose flipped through the pages, browsing pictures of happy-looking people playing chess and checkers in a game room. Another group sat in a circle, apparently having group therapy. Then there was a page with pictures of the smiling nurses and doctor on staff.

  “Where is this place?” she asked.

  “It’s in Portland, so we’d be really close to Ginger and you could visit as much as you wanted.” He grabbed the top few pages from her hands, revealing what looked to be an apartment listing beneath it. “I have an appointment to look at this place tomorrow night, and the psych facility Wednesday morning. Think you can get off work?”

  Rose shook her head. She couldn’t even find someone to cover her shift for a few hours. No one was going to cover for two days. “Max, there’s no way I can get off from the gas station. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to afford a place like this for Mom, especially not when I’ll have to find another job if we move.”

  “That’s the beauty of it.” He kissed her cheek, his excitement obvious. “The job I’m looking at is three times the pay of what I’m making at Uncle Frank’s. They want me to start as soon as possible. I can afford the apartment and the place for your mom.”

  “It sounds too good to be true,” she said.

  Also, he wouldn’t be able to be quite as obsessed with the investigation here if they were three hours away. That had to be a good thing.

  Max flashed a smile. “It gets even better. You have time to check out the community college and enroll before fall semester. You can be a music teacher like you always wanted.”

  “What?” Rose’s mouth dropped open. “What are you talking about? I can’t go to college. There’s no money for that.”

  “There are all sorts of loans and programs, Rose. You can get scholarships too.” He stroked her shoulder. “Just think, once you’re a teacher, we’ll pay the loans back in no time, and you can live your dream. Everything can be what we always wanted, only this time, we’ll be together.”

  Rose felt like her head was literally spinning. Just a month ago, she’d hated
Max’s guts for ruining her life. It was too much to take in.

  “Come on, love,” he said, his tone wheedling. “Let’s get the life back we should have had. This job is too good for me to pass up. Come with me and let me be your sugar daddy for a while.”

  That finally provoked a laugh from her, quite surprising her. “You really think we can do this? Just pack up and start over?” It was what she wanted, but he had seemed so against that before.

  He nodded. “As long as that facility is as good as it looks for Ginger, it’s doable. The apartment isn’t the biggest or nicest place in the world, but it’s affordable. And if it’s worse than advertised, I looked up a couple other places to check into.”

  Hope filled her for the first time in a very long time. Was it actually possible they could get everything they wanted? No one in Beaverton would know about Max or his past history. He was exonerated, so it shouldn’t be a problem for him getting the job. He was a great mechanic, working in Frank’s shop since he was old enough to hold a wrench. The new company would be lucky to get him.

  “But what about Kelsey?” she asked, her happiness dampening some. “I can’t just leave here knowing she might be in danger. What if she and the boys need me?”

  “She’ll have your phone number, Rosemary. Just think, if she decides to leave Bill, it would be better for her to get far away. She could come to Beaverton and we could help her there.”

  “True,” she conceded. “Plus, if Bill is the killer and Calvin can prove it, Kelsey will be fine anyway.”

  Max’s face twisted in a grimace. “Maybe not fine...”

  He had a point. Kelsey obviously loved Bill a lot, even if Rose couldn’t see the allure.

  “But she won’t get beat anymore,” she pointed out.

  “And neither will any other girls in the area.”

  “Or guys,” Rose said, twisting the paper in her hands as anxiety flooded back. “I can’t get the time off work, Max, but I think you should go check everything out and decide if that place is good enough for Mom.”