Butler, Vermont Series Boxed Set, Books 1-3

by Marie Force

  “Your wife missed her calling as a detective,” Larry said with a warm smile for Mia. “By the time we were brought in, she’d built one hell of a case against him. She made our jobs a thousand times easier than they would’ve been without her.”

  “And quadrupled the danger for herself,” Wade said, looking at her. “Was that the real reason he beat you up?”

  “No, he doesn’t know that I reported him or that I gathered evidence that will be used against him. But he does know that I could bury him with what I’ve seen and heard. He beat me up because I refused to marry him, just like I said.”

  Wade, who’d been holding Mia’s hand, released it and stood, needing to move, to do something to help him process this new information.

  Mia got up and came to him, resting her hand on his chest. “What’re you thinking?”

  “What’s going to happen when he finds out that you did this to him, Mia?”

  “He did this to himself,” she said. “And you heard what Larry said. He’s going to be in jail until the trial.”

  “What about his friends and the other people who were implicated? Are they all in jail, too?”

  “That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about today,” Larry said. “We’d like to put you, both of you, under police protection until after the trial.”

  Wade had an immediate, visceral, negative reaction to being watched by cops for as much as a year—maybe even longer. It hadn’t even happened, and he already chafed against it. The thought of being watched by strangers made him crazy.

  Mia looked to him. “Is that okay with you, Wade?”

  No, he wanted to say. None of this is okay with me, except for the part about wanting to keep you safe. “I don’t think it’s necessary. Correct me if I’m wrong, but he would have no way to know you’re here in Butler.”

  “He knows nothing about Wade,” Mia said to Larry. “I was very, very careful to never give anything away about my friendship with him.”

  “Can he track your phone?” Larry asked.

  “We have no cell service in Butler,” Wade said. “So even if he could, it won’t get him anywhere.”

  “I’d be more comfortable with police protection,” Larry said.

  Mia looked to Wade.

  “Could we reserve the right to request it should it become necessary?” Wade didn’t even want to think about the scenarios that could make it necessary.

  “Of course.”

  Wade took hold of Mia’s hand. “Then we decline for now.”

  “I don’t like it, but I’ll respect your wishes, but we will keep an officer in the area for the time being. That’s nonnegotiable.”

  They spent another hour with Larry, discussing the next steps in the criminal cases against Brody.

  “Mia needs to get into the house in Rutland to get her clothes and other belongings,” Wade said.

  “That won’t be possible,” Larry said, shaking his head. “I don’t want you anywhere near Rutland. I’ll ask a court-appointed officer to go in and pack up your things. If you make a list of what you want, we’ll have it delivered to you here as soon as tomorrow.”

  When Larry stood to leave, the day was already half over, and Wade’s nerves were shot. He now had a much better idea of the true nature of the case they were building against Brody and how essential Mia was to the prosecution, which filled him with fear. Larry shook both their hands and said he would be in touch with Mia. Since her cell phone was useless in Butler, they gave him Wade’s home and office numbers.

  “If you need anything at all,” he said, handing them each a business card, “don’t hesitate to call me. My cell number is on there. Don’t be afraid to use it.”

  Wade prayed they’d never need it.

  “Brody has been telling everyone you’d never testify against him—and that you’re going to marry him so you won’t have to,” Larry said. “It may be unprofessional for me to say this out loud, but I’m looking forward to letting his attorney know that you won’t be marrying Brody because you’re already married—and you will testify against him.”

  “Tell him I can’t wait to testify,” Mia said defiantly.

  “Is that a good idea?” Wade asked. “If we tell him Mia is off the market and planning to testify, won’t that put her in greater danger?”

  “I want him to know,” Mia said fiercely. “I want him to know that he might’ve beat me with his fists, but he didn’t defeat me. I want him to be scared of me for once.”

  Wade gazed at her, filled with pride—and fear for her safety. But he had to take his lead from her, and he was so damned proud of her show of strength. “Okay.”

  “I’ll pass it along,” Larry said. “And we’ll keep eyes on you around the clock. They won’t get near you.”

  Long after the door closed behind Larry, a sense of uneasiness hung over Wade. He had no idea what to say to her, which was a first. He’d never been at a loss for words with her. That had been one of the first indications he’d had that she would be special to him—he loved talking to her more than he’d ever loved talking to anyone else. And for the first time since he’d known her, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say now that they were alone again.

  Mia came over to him, seeming hesitant. “I’m sorry, Wade. I know you’re angry, and with good reason. I should’ve told you that I was the one who reported him and that I helped the police and prosecutors.”

  “Yes, you really should’ve told me that.”

  “I’ll understand if you…” She took a breath and looked up at him. “If you want me to leave, I will.”

  “I don’t want you to leave, but I don’t like feeling as if I’ve been played.”

  Her face fell, and he immediately regretted the words he’d used, even if they were accurate.

  “I haven’t played you, Wade,” she said softly. “I… I meant what I said about coming to the one person I had left who I could totally trust.”

  “I know you did. I want to feel that I can trust you as much as you trusted me by coming here the other night.”

  “You can trust me.”

  He wanted to. God, how he wanted to, but a seed of doubt had been planted. As much as he wanted to ignore it and go back to the way things had been only a few hours ago, the doubt took root, refusing to be ignored.

  Chapter 11

  “A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love.”

  —Pearl S. Buck

  She’d screwed up badly by not telling Wade that she’d been the one to report Brody to the police, and now she had to find a way to repair the damage.

  “I hurt you,” she said, “and that’s the last thing I ever want to do.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It wasn’t because I don’t trust you.”

  “Okay… So why, then?”

  “I thought you might find it strange that I stayed after I figured out what he was really doing.” She took a step closer to where he stood with his arms crossed and his body rigid. “I thought you might be disappointed that I didn’t leave him as soon as I could.” She took another step closer. “I thought you might be angry that I endangered myself to gather evidence against him.” Looking up at him, she said, “I screwed up by not telling you everything, and I apologize for that. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  A ticking muscle in his cheek was the only reaction he seemed to have to her apology. Maybe she ought to give him some space. He was used to having his home to himself.

  Mia took a step back, intending to find somewhere else to be for the time being.

  “Don’t go,” he said, reaching for her.

  When he put his arms around her, Mia released a sigh of relief. “I’m so sorry, Wade.”

  “I know, but I have a request.”

  “Anything.”

  “Is there anything else I should know—about you, your life, Brody, the case? I’m out on a limb with you, Mia. My family thinks I’m crazy
for marrying you the way I did, and I’m willing to defend our decision for the rest of my life, if that’s what it takes, but I don’t want to be blindsided again.”

  She looked up at him. “There’s nothing else. I swear.”

  “What about the first husband you mentioned yesterday?”

  “A boy I went to high school with. I freaked out when my mom got married and moved so far away. I married him when I never should’ve. It lasted six months and has been over for almost ten years.”

  “Okay, then.” He hugged her, seeming as relieved as she was to put the awkward episode behind them. “Will you tell me how you figured out what Brody was doing?”

  Mia nodded. She wished she never had to talk about Brody again, but she owed Wade the truth after everything he’d done for her.

  Wade put some logs in the woodstove and sat next to her on the sofa, pulling a blanket over them.

  Mia gathered her thoughts and let her mind wander back in time. “The first sign of trouble was the money. He was suddenly flush with it.”

  “How long ago was this?”

  “About a year. Shortly after the last time I saw you. We’d always been comfortable, but he started coming home with extravagant gifts for me that he said were the result of bonuses he got from his customers who were happy with his work. The sad thing is he’s a master carpenter and woodworker. He can build anything and makes gorgeous furniture that people came from all over to buy.

  “At first, I believed him when he said his customers were happy, but then he came home with a brand-new, fully tricked-out pickup truck. I looked it up online and saw that the model started at seventy thousand dollars. He made furniture and built bookshelves. Where would he get the money for something like that? I started paying closer attention to everything he said and did. I wrote things down—his comings and goings, who he was with, what I heard them say. One night, I followed him.”

  “Jesus, Mia.”

  “I had to know. It took about a month for me to realize he was selling heroin.”

  “Why didn’t you go right to the cops?”

  “Because I couldn’t prove it. Not yet anyway, and I didn’t want him to get away with it.”

  “Earlier, you said you were afraid to go to the cops in Rutland after he beat you up because Brody grew up there and was tight with many of them.”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “So how did you get around that when you reported him the first time?”

  “I went right to the state police with what I had. I saw a thing on the news about their drug task force, and when I was ready, I called them.”

  “But you didn’t feel that you could call them when he beat you?”

  “I had a two-hour window when he would be out of the house. It was more important to me to get out of there than it was to call the police on him. I knew if I didn’t leave then, I might not get another chance, because they had him on house arrest. He was home all the time and ranting about getting railroaded and how I’d better have his back. Then he said he was coming home with a JP and I’d better be ready to say ‘I do.’ I said I’d never agree to marry him, and that’s when he beat me up. He left me unconscious on the floor when he left for court, and I think he expected me to still be there when he returned.”

  “Going back to when you first became suspicious of him… I’m trying to understand why you would endanger yourself to do a job the cops could’ve done.”

  “Because,” she said fiercely. “He took everything from me—my friends, my life, my independence, my self-confidence. He tried to break me, Wade. This was my chance for justice. And…” Her voice broke, and she looked down, trying to regain her composure.

  “What, honey?”

  “I had a friend from high school… A sweet girl who’d had a rough life that got worse when she got hooked on heroin. She overdosed four years ago. I was thinking about her when I set out to stop him from selling that poison to people who can’t control their addictions.” Mia wiped away tears that fell every time she thought of Angie and what’d happened to her. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but I couldn’t leave until I knew he would pay for what he’s done.”

  Wade ran a finger over the bruises on her face.

  “What I went through with him was a small price to pay,” she said with defiance.

  “It wasn’t a small price.”

  “I’d do it again if it meant seeing him behind bars.”

  Wade put his arms around her. “It’s a good thing I didn’t know before now what kind of chances you were taking with your safety.”

  “What would you have done if you knew?”

  “I might’ve had to kidnap you and hide you away in my mountain lair, so you wouldn’t be able to do anything that could get you killed.”

  She laughed at the way he said that, with such fierce conviction. Looking up at him, she said, “Knowing you were out there somewhere… You gave me hope, Wade. The whole time, I just kept thinking if I could get rid of him, maybe I’d have a chance with you.”

  With his index finger on her chin, he held her in place for his kiss. “I want you to promise me something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’ll never again intentionally put yourself in danger. You have a husband now, and he needs you to be safe. Will you promise me?”

  “I promise. I’m out of the private-detective business.”

  “Good.”

  The phone rang, and Wade reached for the extension to take the call from his brother Will. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “I should be asking you that.”

  “Which means you already know what’s up with me, so what do you want?”

  Will laughed. “Glad to see that marriage hasn’t changed you. I’m calling because the lake is frozen and everyone is going skating. We wanted to see if you and your wife might want to join us.”

  “Let me ask her.” Holding the phone aside, Wade said, “You want to go ice skating with my family?”

  “I don’t have skates.”

  “We can scare some up for you. What size?”

  “I love to skate, and I’m a seven.”

  Wade added that info to the other things he’d learned about her in the last few days. “We’re in,” Wade said to Will. “Mia is a seven if someone can bring skates for her. What time?”

  “About an hour?” Will said. “And I’ll put out the word about extra skates.”

  “See you then.”

  “Hey, Wade?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Congrats, man. I’m happy for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  Mia rolled her bottom lip between her teeth as she wondered how long it would take the cops to get her stuff to her.

  “What’s this?” Wade asked, tapping on her lip.

  “I’m just thinking that I need clothes, and I hope they can get them to me soon.”

  “Let’s go to the store.”

  “Now?”

  “Why not? You need clothes. I co-own a store.”

  “Sure, I suppose that would be okay. As long as I can pay for whatever I get.”

  “Sweetheart, you’re an Abbott now. That means what’s mine is yours. You don’t have to pay in our store. Besides, I’d love to show it to you.”

  “If you’re sure…”

  He kissed her again. “I’m very, very sure.”

  Wade couldn’t stop thinking about the things she’d told him, the risks she’d taken and the danger she’d been in for months while he’d been completely oblivious to what she was going through. It truly made him crazy to think about how close she probably came to much worse than a beating.

  She’d been so courageous to gather the evidence needed to help the authorities build a compelling case against Brody, but now that she was married to him, Wade intended to hold her to the promise she’d made to never again risk her safety.

  They drove into town, and Wade became aware that they were being followed by a state police car. “Check it out,” he
said, gesturing to the rearview mirror.

  Mia spun around to look. “They’re following us?”

  “I like knowing they have eyes on you.”

  “It’s creepy.”

  “I don’t care, if it means keeping you safe.” He parked in the back and led her inside the store his great-grandparents had founded more than fifty years ago, which was bustling with customers and activity. A little snow didn’t keep Vermonters at home.

  “Oh, Wade!” Mia turned in a circle as she tried to take it all in. “This is incredible!”

  They’d stepped into the toy department, which was full of board games, toy soldiers, wooden pull toys, picture books and musical instruments.

  Wade nudged her forward, past cases of Vermont’s famous cheddar cheese. “My sister Hannah makes that jewelry,” he said, pointing to the display. “And my brothers Colton and Max oversee our family’s maple syrup operation.” Row upon row of maple syrup in every shade of amber lined another set of shelves. They walked past barrels of peanuts, coolers full of old-fashioned bottles of Coca-Cola and stopped at his dad’s prized Beatles memorabilia collection.

  Mia leaned in for a closer look. “Are those original lyrics?”

  “They are. My mom got them for my dad at an auction for their anniversary one year. That’s one of his most-prized possessions.”

  “I want to look at everything.”

  “You can come back anytime you want. But right now, we need clothes.” With his hands on her shoulders, he steered her to the women’s clothing department. “Get whatever you want. We just have to record what we take in the inventory system, or my sister Charley will have us killed.”

  Mia laughed.

  “No, really, she will kill us, and she’ll make it hurt, if we mess with her inventory.”

  “I see how it is.”

  “We’re all a little territorial about our parts of the business.”

  “Where’s your part?”

  “Pick out what you need, and then I’ll show you.”