Read Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments: Rose Gardner Mystery #7 Online

Authors: Denise Grover Swank

Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments: Rose Gardner Mystery #7 (42 page)

His eyes widened with terror. “You’re sure she said she’d talked to him?”

Oh, God. This was going from bad to worse. “Yes.”

“Did Joe take Beverly into custody?”

I hesitated. This next part was bound to upset him. “No. Joe shot her when she wouldn’t stop strangling me.”

He grabbed my arms. “
What?
”

“I’m fine. My neck is sore, but—”

“Rose.” He pulled me to his chest, his arms shaking. “Why didn’t you call me? Why am I just hearing about this
now?
”

“Joe begged me not to. He said it would distract you from your meeting. He told me he’d tell you. He really didn’t
say anything?
” Hysteria crept into my voice.

His arms stiffened. “No, he was too busy letting the investigator fry my ass.” He sucked in a deep breath. “
Shit!
” He dropped his hold and grabbed two suitcases out of the closet and tossed them on the bed. “Start packing.
Now
.”

“Why?”

“We have to leave; the sooner, the better.” He grabbed a handful of T-shirts from his drawer and tossed them into the bag.

I followed suit, snatching up clothes and toiletries and tossing them into a suitcase.

When we were completely packed, Mason picked up the bags and sent me downstairs. “Pack food for Muffy and anything else you need for her. I have no idea how long we’ll be gone.”

“Where are we goin’?”

His eyes filled with fury. “Somewhere J.R. Simmons can’t reach you until I can figure out how to take him down.”

I hurried to the kitchen and was almost finished when Mason walked in, his gun strapped to his holster again. He sought out my eyes when he noticed me staring at it. “Precaution.”

I tried to get control of my fear.

“Tomorrow I’ll clean out my bank account.” He took several deep breaths. “Maybe we’ll head down to Shreveport tonight.”

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

“Are you sure we need to run?” I asked, my stomach churning, as he led me to the front door where our bags waited.

He turned to me and put his hands on my shoulders, searching my face. “If I thought there was a better way, I’d go that route. But I’m not sure there is one right now. I’ve already started building a case against Simmons. I just need to keep going.” He offered me a tight smile. “Rose, this isn’t hopeless. Okay? We’re getting close, if he’s this desperate.”

I nodded. “I trust you, Mason.”

He gave me a kiss, but we both jumped when we heard a knock on the front door. He peered out the window. “Dammit.” He grabbed the bags and stuffed them into the hall closet.

“Who’s out there?”

He pushed me next to the closet. “It’s a sheriff’s deputy. Let me handle it.”

“Okay,” I said, numb with shock and fear.

Mason squared his shoulders and opened the door. “Hello, Deputy Abbie Lee Hoffstetter. What can I do for you?”

Crap. She hated my guts. This couldn’t be good.

“Good evening, Mr. Deveraux,” she said, acting all superior to him. “I’m here on official business.”

“Okay.”

“Is Rose Gardner here?”

“And why are you asking?”

“Like I said. Official business, sir.” I heard the gloating in her voice and knew I was in deep shit.

“And what exactly
is
that official business?”

“With all due respect,
sir
, I hear you’re no longer with the DA’s office. As you’re now merely a citizen of the county, this is none of your business.” Her voice turned harsh. “Now where’s Rose Gardner?”

He didn’t respond. He just hung onto the door with one hand, blocking the partially opened doorway with his body.

“Sir, if you could step aside so we can search the premises for Ms. Gardner.”

We?
Who was with her?

His back was ramrod stiff, his voice tight. “Deputy, I suggest you come back with a warrant if you want to check out my house.”

I heard the rustle of paper. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I have one.”

Oh crap. If they searched the house they’d probably find my Lady in Black hats.

I ducked under Mason’s arm—I couldn’t let him get into any more trouble on my account, and things would only be worse if they combed through our house. He tried to pull me away from the doorway, but Deputy Hoffstetter grinned ear to ear with a
gotcha
look.

“Rose Gardner, you’re under arrest for the murder of your mother, Agnes Gardner.” She grabbed my arm and dragged me onto the front porch.

The blood rushed from my head and I felt my knees weaken, making me stumble. I glanced back at Mason, who looked just as terrified as I felt.

“You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” Deputy Hoffstetter led me down the stairs. She couldn’t have sounded any happier if someone had told her she’d won the Powerball lottery.

I gave her my attention, then gasped when I saw Joe standing at the bottom of my porch steps with his arms crossed over his chest, flanked by two other deputies, one of them being Deputy Miller. The feeling of utter betrayal brought tears to my eyes.

“You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford an attorney
, one will be appointed for you.”

“
Really, Joe?
” I demanded as I passed him. “You’re letting her do this?”

He turned his back on me and walked toward one of three sheriff’s cars. I’d wondered what it would be like if he ever really turned his back on me, but I’d never expected it to be this literal.

Mason caught up to us and grabbed my shoulders, spinning me around to face him. “Rose, don’t say anything. Do you hear me? Not one goddamn word until I get you an attorney.”

“But—”

He clapped his hand over my mouth. “Not one word.” Tears filled his eyes. “
Promise me
.”

I nodded, fighting my growing panic. I was even more scared now than I’d been when I was dragged away last June on suspicion of murdering my mother. This time they really might put me away for life.

Mason pulled his hand away and kissed me before Deputy Hoffstetter slapped a pair of handcuffs on my wrists, securing them behind my back, and jerked me across the yard.

Mason followed, getting angrier by the second as a deputy I didn’t recognize blocked his path.

Mason tried to get around him, pointing his finger at Deputy Hoffstetter. “If you’re not more careful,
Deputy
, I’ll have you brought up on abuse of power charges.”

She dropped her hold on me and hooked her thumbs into her belt, flashing him a big toothy grin. “That’s a mighty big threat for a mere citizen.” To prove her point, she grabbed my arm and jerked me harder, shoving me toward a sheriff’s car. Joe stood beside the open back door, his face rigid and emotionless.

“You condone this?” Mason shouted, getting around the deputy in his path. He rushed Joe and slammed him against the car. “
You’re doing his dirty work
now?
” He grabbed handfuls of Joe’s coat and shoved him again. Deputy Miller and the other deputy grabbed Mason’s arms and dragged him back, Mason fighting them with every step.

I started to sob. “Mason! Stop!” I couldn’t let him get hurt or arrested.

Deputy Hoffstetter put her hand on my head with more force than necessary to push me into the car. Once I was inside, she leaned into the opening and laughed. “Not so high and mighty now, are you?”

“
Simmons!
” Mason shouted in disbelief. “Are you really going stand back and let your deputies use excessive force on her?” He lunged for me, but the deputies held onto him with a tight grip.

Joe stepped away from the car, rolling back his shoulders, and his eyes narrowed with contempt. “Keep it up, Deveraux, and you’ll get your own cell in the county jail.” Then he walked over to shut my door, refusing to look at me.

Deputy Hoffstetter slipped in behind the steering wheel and looked at me in the rearview mirror, hate glittering in her eyes. “I’m gonna have a whole lotta
fun
with you.”

Things had just gotten a whole lot worse.

***Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies***

Coming November 2015

Acknowledgments

As always, this book wouldn’t be half as good as it is now if not for Angela Polidoro. She reads my first drafts and yet she still works with me. What more can I say? She’s helped me learn so much in the nearly two years and countless books, novellas, and stories we’ve worked on together. I’m grateful she’s still with me after dealing with my frantic and neurotic emails about plots, readers, and my protectiveness of my characters. I emailed her back in the summer of 2014—when I was working on
Picking up the Pieces
—and told her I was thinking about having Neely Kate miscarry. She understood my profound sadness over the decision and grieved for her too.

It’s a real bonus when the professional working on your books doesn’t just see them as a job, but loves them too. Then when you add a fantastic copy editor, it’s pure magic. I’m so grateful to have found Shannon Page.

My children have become accustomed to my crazy life and crazy schedule, yet sometimes I miss things in their lives when I travel. I’m sorry, my babies. I’m sorry for the sacrifices you sometimes make so Mommy can follow her dream. I hope you know how much I love you, even when I’m not always with you. I hope one day you follow your own dreams even when other people tell you how crazy they are. I promise not to be one of those people. I’ll be the one helping you figure out how to make it happen.

And finally, to my readers. You’re the reason there’s a seventh book in this series. A year and a half ago, I released the third book in this series with lackluster sales, and I stood at a crossroads. Did I continue or let the Rose Gardner books die? But you found Rose and you loved her nearly as much as I do, and together, we helped her live on. Thank you.

Other books by Denise Grover Swank

Rose Gardner Mysteries

(Humorous Southern mysteries)

TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES

TWENTY-NINE AND A HALF REASONS

THIRTY AND A HALF EXCUSES

FALLING TO PIECES
(novella)

THIRTY-ONE AND A HALF REGRETS

THIRTY-TWO AND A HALF COMPLICATIONS

PICKING UP THE PIECES
(novella)

THIRTY-THREE AND A HALF SHENANIGANS

RIPPLE OF SECRETS
(novella)