Thirty-Six and a Half Motives: Rose Gardner Mystery #9 (Rose Gardner Mystery Series) Read online

  “I miss them, too. I’m sorry I’ve been too busy to stop by. Are you going out this weekend? I could babysit.”

  She slowly shook her head. “No. Me and Brody are done.”

  “I won’t judge you, Violet.” Not after committing so many sins of my own. My sister had carried on an affair with the mayor of Henryetta for months before breaking up with my brother-in-law—only, she’d pretended the relationship had started after she and Mike split. Brody had gone back to his wife, but for a while, he and my sister had continued their affair, putting them both under fire from the citizens of Henryetta.

  “I appreciate that,” she said softly. “I do deserve better, I think . . . despite everything I’ve done.”

  “Me too. But maybe you just want to go out by yourself . . . or with your friends.”

  “Thanks, but I want to spend as much time with the kids as I can.” She gave me a quick smile, then turned her gaze back to the road.

  Violet had always been a doting mother, but something about the way she spoke about her children now set me on edge. It was clear she wanted to tell me something, and I was starting to dread the conversation. I looked at the road and realized that she was taking us to the Henryetta Park.

  Not long after, she pulled into a parking space in the nearly vacant parking lot, then turned off the car and got out, leaving me to follow. Once I joined her, she led the way toward the splash area.

  A lump filled my throat. Last June, I’d let go of my inhibitions by playing in the water with my then-four-year-old niece—and I’d dragged Violet in with me. That seemed like ages ago now. Far longer than eight months.

  She didn’t stop until we reached the benches on the opposite side, overlooking the play area. It looked sad and desolate with the dry spigots sticking out of the concrete and twisted metal poles.

  We sat down, and my heart beat like a scared rabbit’s while I waited for Violet to speak.

  She took a deep breath, then turned to me with a sad smile. “I’m sick.”

  Fear crept down my spine and spread through my limbs. “Okay,” I said, forcing a matter-of-fact tone. “Have you seen the doctor?”

  “Several.” She looked down for several seconds before glancing up and staring across the play area. “I have something called lymphoma, and the doctors say I need to go to Texas for treatment.”

  I struggled to keep my composure. I’d known about the doctor’s appointments, but I wasn’t prepared for this. “Why can’t you have your treatment done here? Or in Little Rock?”

  “They say it’s too advanced. That my best chance is at MD Anderson.” She clasped her hands together, squeezing so tightly I worried she would break her fingers. “But I need to ask a favor.”

  “Anything,” I said, choking a little on the lump in my throat. “Do you want me to come? Do you want me to take the kids? Just tell me.”

  She finally turned and looked at me, a soft smile on her face. “I love you, Rose. Even if you say no.”

  “Why would I say no?” I protested. “You haven’t even asked me yet.”

  She pushed out a sigh, then shifted her gaze back to the fountains. “Remember when we came here last summer? And you dragged me out to play in the water with you and the kids?” She paused. “I was so scared. Aunt Bessie had just told us that Momma wasn’t your mother, and I was sure I was going to lose you.”

  “I know we’ve had our differences, Vi. But we’re sisters.” My laugh sounded small and scared to my own ears. “We’re supposed to fight. We’re stuck with each other. That’s the beauty of family.”

  “But you found your own life after that, and I was so happy for you, even if I was jealous.” Her admission was no surprise. She’d confessed the same thing months ago.

  She shifted on the bench, turning to face me. “You were still a girl when Momma died, but you’ve grown into a beautiful woman, inside and out. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. Strong and independent. I hope Ashley grows up to be just like you. Will you make sure that happens?”

  The blood rushed from my head. “Violet, you’re scaring me. What did the doctors say?”

  “Lymphoma is cancer, Rose. And it’s bad. It’s in my bone marrow. I have to have chemo and a bone marrow transplant, and even then . . . well, it might not work out.”

  I stuffed down my rising hysteria. Violet needed me to be strong. “But there’s a chance, right? That’s why you’re going there?”

  “Yeah, but I have to find a bone marrow match.”

  “Oh.” The realization of what she was about to ask hit me, followed closely by a new terror.

  “The chance of you being a match isn’t the greatest since Dora was your mother, but . . .”

  “Violet, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  She grabbed my hands. “Don’t tell me no yet. Please? I didn’t want to ask, but the chance of finding a match in the national donor list is so small.” For the first time, she started to cry. “Ashley and Mikey . . . they need their mother.”

  “Violet,” I choked out, tears stinging my eyes. “Stop. Of course I’ll be tested.” I squeezed her hand back as hard as I could. “But there’s something you need to know. Something I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet.”

  “Okay,” she said, nodding and looking so hopeful my heart hurt.

  “Over the last few weeks, I’ve done a lot of digging into Dora’s life.”

  “I know,” she said. “Mason told us. That’s why J.R. had you arrested. Because Dora had evidence you could use against him. A journal Joe took from you.”

  “But Mason didn’t tell you everything.” I took a deep breath. “Dora had an affair with Paul Buchanan, the son of the factory owner. He was married, but he planned to leave his wife and marry Dora.”

  “What?”

  “Paul was killed in a car accident. Only, it wasn’t an accident. His sister cut his brake lines. Just like what happened to Dora.”

  She sat back, her eyes wide. “What are you saying?”

  I held on tight to her hand. “Dora had an affair with Daddy, but then she had one with Paul. Somewhere in that time period, she got pregnant with me. Her best friend Hattie thinks Paul was my father, but it could also be Daddy. I think Beverly thought so, too, and she killed Dora to keep her quiet. Then Daddy and Momma ended up raising me, of course.”

  “Oh, my God.” Her face became so pale and her voice so quiet I worried she was about to pass out. “You’re not my real sister.”

  “Violet,” I said, trying to remain calm. “I still might be. Beverly and Hattie were sure I was Paul’s daughter, but why would I have the gift of sight if Daddy’s mother wasn’t my blood relative?”

  She shook her head, her eyes wide. “I have no one.”

  My back tensed, and I squeezed her hand tight. “You stop that right now, Violet Mae Beauregard,” I said in a firm tone. “After the whole Momma mess, I thought we’d already established that we were sisters even if we had different mothers. Family isn’t blood, Vi. Family is being there no matter what. And I’m your sister no matter what, even if I find out I was spawned in a cabbage patch. I’m here. I will do whatever you need.” I shook her hand. “You will fight this, and you will beat it—do you understand me?”

  She nodded, her eyes full of unshed tears.

  “How soon until you leave?”

  She sniffed. “They want me there in a couple of days. I leave the day after tomorrow.”

  That soon? My mind struggled to keep up. “Do you need me to watch the kids?”

  “No, Mike’s going to take them. His parents are going to help.”

  “Where do I need to go to be tested?”

  “Um . . .” She hiccupped, fighting tears. “The Henryetta Medical Clinic.” She tried to open her purse, but her hands were shaking too much to work the clasp.

  “Violet.” I grabbed her arms and pulled her into a hug, stroking the back of her head. “It’s going to be okay.”

  A dam of tears burst loose, and she cried again
st my shoulder, heavy sobs that shook her entire body, and I clung to her, trying to assure her that I was the one who would be her anchor in this storm. She’d carried me through more tribulations than I could count.

  I couldn’t help but think back to that summer afternoon, how we’d lain under the full trees on a blanket after splashing around in the water park. How Violet and I had held hands and cried over the revelation that we were half-sisters. And how Violet had confessed her fear of losing me.

  But now I was the one afraid of losing her.

  “I love you,” I said softly. “You’re my sister, and I will love you forever, no matter if we’re angry with each other or not. Don’t you ever forget it, okay?”

  She nodded and leaned back.“We need to talk about the nursery and the house.”

  I shook my head. “No, Violet. Not now.”

  “Yes, Rose. We do. We have to be practical about this. I could be gone for weeks or months. I have to make sure everything’s in place.”

  “Months?”

  She held my gaze. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. We have to plan for the worst.”

  The worst. I’d experienced too much of the worst in my life. I didn’t want to think that way now, not when my sister’s life hung in the balance. “Our daddy is my father. I’ll be a match.”

  She gave me a patient smile. “Even if he is, there’s only a slim chance you’ll be a match.”

  Part of me wanted to offer to have a vision, but I was terrified of what I’d see. I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing my sister’s death, let alone blurting out that the trip might be hopeless. Some things weren’t meant to be known. “Let me get tested. Then we’ll deal with the rest. You have to think positive, Violet.”

  She cracked a grin and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. But we still have to talk about the nursery.” She paused to make sure I was listening. “Anna is still so new, but she’s learned a lot. I think she can handle most of the day-to-day operations, and Maeve has agreed to help out.”

  “Maeve? She knows?”

  “She guessed something was up. And I’ve already told her and Anna that I’ll be gone for awhile. Just not the full details. I wanted to tell you first.”

  “What about Hilary’s baby nursery plans? I thought you were going to decorate her baby’s room.”

  “I gave her some ideas and left her to do the rest. I’ve been too tired.”

  “I’ve known you weren’t feeling well for weeks, but I was too self-absorbed—”

  “Rose, stop.” Pinching her lips, she shook her head. “This isn’t your fault. And if you’d asked, I would have lied and told you everything was fine. But now it’s time to come clean. I need you to help me.”

  I nodded, biting my lower lip to keep it from quivering. “Okay. If you think Anna’s capable, I’ll let her run the nursery. I can have Joe check in on her since she seems to hate me.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked in surprise. “Why would she hate you?”

  I shook my head, refusing to confess my paranoia. This wasn’t about me. “Never mind, just a weird feeling. But since Joe’s part owner, he’ll need to step up. Have you told him yet?”

  “No.” She swallowed. “Like I said, I wanted to tell you first.”

  I pushed out a breath. “Okay. Then tell him that I’ll only step in if he thinks I’m needed. Otherwise, I’ll leave it to Anna and Maeve.” It made me feel better to know Maeve would help oversee everything. But then a new thought struck me. “Oh, my word. You’re going there alone! I can come—”

  “No,” she said softly, “Aunt Bessie’s coming with me.” She grimaced. “I only told her before you because I asked for her help.”

  “Oh.” I searched her face. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come?”

  “For weeks?”She shook her head. “No. You have your own problems to sort out. I still can’t believe Mason left you like that. Especially right after you were kidnapped. What is that man thinking?”

  “You can’t blame him, Violet. I did something that hurt him terribly. He has every right to be upset with me.” I swallowed my tears. “I only hope he finds it in his heart to forgive me.”

  “What could you have possibly done?” Violet asked in disbelief.

  I shook my head. “This is about you, not me. Will you take me to get tested? I want to get it done right away.”

  “Of course. Thank you.”

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  She studied me for several seconds and then stood. “No, you’re already doing it.”

  I got to my feet and took her hand in mine. “Okay, but I want to come visit you in Texas, all right?”

  She squeezed back. “I’m counting on it.”

  Chapter 3

  Violet sat with me while I had my blood drawn in the clinic, then dropped me off in front of my office downtown. I gave her a long hug, pushing my worries aside as best as I could. When it came down to it, she had to be okay. I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

  I stood on the sidewalk, waving goodbye as she drove away. When I turned to go inside, I saw Neely Kate through the window, focused on her computer screen. Something made me stop before going in. I couldn’t do anything else to help Violet, but maybe I could still make things better for Neely Kate.

  It was time to pay Carter Hale a visit.

  Besides, I didn’t just want to grill him about what he was up to with my best friend. I wasn’t happy with the slow wheels of justice in J.R. Simmons’s case, and since Mason and I weren’t on speaking terms right now, and since Joe’s answers were always carefully worded to placate me, I needed to talk to someone else who might know something.

  Greta, Carter’s receptionist, looked up from her desk when I walked through the door.

  “Hi, Rose. What are you doing here? Carter said your legal troubles were all cleared up.”

  “They are . . . kind of. I was wondering if he was in. I need to talk to him about some follow-up issues.”

  “Sure, just let me buzz him,” she said, picking up the phone. I half expected him to tell her no, but to my surprise, she gave me a warm smile. “He says to go on back.”

  His door was ajar when I got to the end of the short hall. I pushed it open and found him sitting at his desk, his feet kicked up, his grin stretching from ear to ear. “Why, Rose Gardner, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

  “I thought I’d stop by to chat,” I said, stepping through the doorway.

  His eyes lost some of his sparkle, but his grin remained in place. “I’m not able to discuss Ms. Colson’s case with you, no matter how close the two of you are. She’s asked me to keep it strictly confidential.”

  That would have surprised me if I hadn’t known Neely Kate’s cousins’ penchant for nosiness. I wouldn’t put it past them to needle Carter for information. But now I couldn’t very well ask him any questions about the divorce papers. I’d have to swing the conversation back later. “Well, I’m not here to ask about her, so I guess you’re in the clear.”

  He sat up, swinging his feet to the floor. “If that’s the case, then why don’t you close the door behind you and take a seat?” He motioned to the chairs in front of his desk.

  I shut the door and perched on the same chair I’d sat in a week ago, back when I was still facing murder charges. Which got me thinking—we still didn’t know a thing about the man who’d bailed me out of jail.“I wanted to see if you know what’s going on with J.R.’s case, and if you found out anything about Glenn Stout.”

  He laughed. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”

  “Did Glenn Stout pick up the million dollars he posted as my bail?”

  “Nope.”

  “So the money’s still sitting there?”

  “Yep.”

  “Who leaves one million dollars sitting around?” I asked in disbelief.

  He winked. “That is the million dollar question.”

  I shot him a glare. “Very funny.”

&n
bsp; He sat back in his chair. “In all seriousness, I suspect he’s waiting until things die down, hoping he can pick it up without someone noticing.”

  “Is that likely to happen?”

  “Not a snowball’s chance in hell. Although, frankly, other than your boyfriend, no one’s paying much attention.”

  I sat up. “Mason’s watching?”

  “Yeah, he’s given strict orders to the court clerks to call him the moment someone shows up to pick up the money.”

  I wasn’t prepared for the hope that warmed my chest. Mason still cared.

  “But we’re watching, too,” Carter said in a slow drawl.

  “And why do you care?” I asked.

  “Because it’s a true mystery, Lady. And any mystery man with that much cash is bound to be bad news.”

  “But why do you care? I’m not your client anymore.”

  “You really believe that?” He released a short chuckle. “I’m still very much your attorney.”

  “Why?”

  “More like who. Skeeter Malcolm doesn’t buy the story that J.R. Simmons orchestrated your kidnapping. He believed the bastard when he denied it. If that’s true, whoever did it is still on the loose. Not to mention that J.R. definitely has it out for you now, if he didn’t before.”

  “He’s worried about J.R. coming after him?”

  “No. More like he’s worried about J.R. coming after you.”

  “But J.R.’s in jail—or at least he’s about to be.” At least that’s what I told myself when I got worried. That J.R. was no threat to me now. Joe had told me that he was being transferred from the Henryetta Hospital to the Fenton County Jail that very day. The doctors had declared him ready to be moved out of the hospital even though he was still recovering from the gunshot wound to his thigh—courtesy of me.

  “We all know he hasn’t been neutered yet. J.R. Simmons’s reach hasn’t been eliminated just because he has a sheriff’s deputy watching him.”

  Was Mason worried about me, too? He hadn’t said, and Joe sure didn’t seem concerned. But I’d been the one to take down J.R. It made sense he’d seek some kind of retribution.