Picking Up the Pieces: Rose Gardner Novella 5.5 (Volume 2) Read online

  I blew my nose into the tissue. “Well, work on it faster.”

  “Rose, what’s going on?”

  Tears filled my eyes again. “I don’t even know where to start.”

  He gave me a sympathetic smile. “It’s usually best if you start at the beginning.”

  “I’m a terrible person, Jonah. If you were a priest, I’d be making a long confession.”

  He chuckled. “You, a terrible person? Not likely. But tell me what you’ve done if it’ll make you feel better.”

  I took a deep breath. “You know that big bust at the barn outside of Pickle Junction city limits…?”

  His smile fell. “Yeah…”

  “Did you hear that all the money was returned to the businesses that had been robbed?”

  Now he looked downright scared. “Yeah…”

  I tucked my legs on the seat, under my skirt. “I might know what happened.”

  “And do I want to how you came to know it?”

  My eyes met his. “Are we protected by client-psychologist confidentiality?”

  His gaze leveled with mine. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing bad. Not really. I just kept Skeeter Malcolm from getting killed, and in return he helped me get my money back.”

  His eyes widened and his voice rose. “You’re the Lady in Black.”

  “Shh!” I leaned over the arm of my chair. “No one can know, Jonah!”

  “You really are?”

  I didn’t answer, which I knew would be confirmation enough.

  “Joe and Mason didn’t figure out it was you?”

  “No, thank God.”

  Jonah shook his head in disbelief. “I didn’t suspect, so I guess they wouldn’t either. How’d you get mixed up with Skeeter Malcolm anyway?”

  “It’s a long story.” I shifted in my seat.

  He sat back in his chair. “Good thing I don’t have another appointment for an hour and a half.”

  “How’d you know about The Lady in Black and Skeeter?” Neely Kate already knew, but she often knew things people never ever found out about. I’d been hoping this would be the same.

  “Everybody knows you were with Skeeter. Well, not you. The Lady in Black.”

  “Great,” I grumbled, sinking deeper into the chair. “I told him it was a stupid name.”

  “I’m waiting. How did it happen?”

  “After I figured out that the guys who robbed the bank were planning to bid for Daniel Crocker’s business, which Skeeter was the only real contender to win, I figure he might appreciate knowing about his competition.”

  Jonah scowled. “You were supposed to take that information to Mason, not Skeeter Malcolm.”

  I placed my hands on the arms of the chair. “You know I needed the money by today to save the business. If I’d told Mason, I wouldn’t have gotten it back in time. If at all.” I knew I sounded defensive. I supposed I was.

  He took a deep breath and released it. “I still don’t get how you ended up at the auction.”

  “When I went to Skeeter to see if he was interested in the exchange, I didn’t stop to think that he’d want to know how I knew.” I grimaced. “Skeeter got really ticked off, so Bruce Wayne panicked and told him about my visions.”

  “Wait.” Jonah sat up and leaned toward me. “How did Bruce Wayne get involved in this? I didn’t realize he knew about your visions.”

  “I never told him, Jonah.” I sighed. “He figured it out on his own. Go figure. And once I got it in my head to get Skeeter’s help, Bruce Wayne called Scooter to set up the meeting.”

  Jonah shook his head, frowning. “Rose, do you understand the seriousness of what you’ve done? If Bruce Wayne got caught up in any of that—”

  “I know, Jonah. I know. I told him I was going to do it without him, but he refused to help unless I let him come with me. He insisted the business was worth fighting for. So I made him a partner.”

  “A partner? In your business?”

  I nodded. “I’m going to split up the business and Bruce Wayne and I are going to be co-owners of the landscaping portion.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “It’s just as much his business as it is mine. I may be putting up the money, but I wouldn’t be this successful without him. Especially now.”

  He nodded. “Let’s jump forward. How did you end up at the auction?”

  “Once Skeeter realized I had the sight, he made me have a vision. I saw him get murdered at the auction.”

  “So he made you go to see if it would change?”

  “Yeah, but I insisted on wearing a disguise. I saved Skeeter but then the auction was busted. I panicked when I heard Joe’s voice shouting orders, but Skeeter and Jed got away through a trapdoor and took me with them.”

  Jonah was silent for several moments, making me uncomfortable. “So you got your money back and saved your business?”

  “I didn’t get my money back at the auction. I found it on my front porch last night.” I cringed. “And I didn’t use it to save my business because it had already been saved.”

  He shook his head in confusion. “Wait? Was it Mason? Did he find the money after all? But why did you go through with the auction then?”

  “It wasn’t Mason.” I paused. “It was Joe. He and Violet were in cahoots and Joe paid off my loan at the bank on Wednesday. That’s why they were spending so much time together. Planning it all, I guess.”

  He continued to watch me. “What did Mason say when you told him?”

  “He doesn’t know yet. I only found out right before I came to see you. Vi asked me to meet her at the nursery at eleven and Joe was there in his uniform.” I rubbed my forehead, fighting more tears. “Joe put a lot of work into getting the nursery ready this summer. He said he couldn’t let it die. So when Violet told him about our money troubles, he offered to help. He’s a partial owner now.”

  Jonah was still for several seconds. “How does one woman get herself into so many predicaments?”

  I grabbed another tissue off the desk and blew my nose. “I have no idea.”

  “You’ll need to verify this with Mason, but I doubt Joe can claim a stake in your business. Even if he did pay off the debt, he’s not a legal owner. It’s still yours.”

  I nodded, still unsure what to make of the whole mess. “There’s something else.”

  “There’s more?” He looked horrified. “Sorry.”

  I offered him a grim smile. “Hilary showed up at the nursery this morning, looking for Joe.” I paused, trying to push the words past the lump in my throat. “She’s pregnant.”

  Jonah’s face paled.

  “And I’m not. I took a test last night and went to the doctor this morning so he could confirm it.” I lifted my eyebrows. “And before you ask how I feel about that, I’m equally relieved and disappointed. Which confuses me.”

  “It’s understandable. You were preparing yourself for a baby and had probably convinced yourself it could be a good thing.”

  “Well, my vision about Hilary is coming true.” The night before Joe and I broke up, I’d had a vision of Joe winning an election with a very pregnant Hilary at his side.

  “No,” Jonah said. “Big elections are in November, and yesterday was Thanksgiving. Unless Hilary has become an elephant without us realizing it, the timing is off.”

  “Does it matter when she’s due, Jonah?” I asked. “Pregnant is pregnant.”

  “True, but you’re with Mason now, so why does it bother you so much?”

  My chin quivered. “I asked myself the same question. Part of it was that she told him in front of me and Violet, and Joe just looked so blindsided and devastated. I’ve never seen him that way. Not even when he broke up with me.”

  “And the other part?”

  “Joe and I are better off apart, but I care about him. I don’t like it that he’s hurting right now.”

  Jonah’s hand covered mine. “You are a remarkably good person, Rose Gardner. Most people wouldn’t feel that way about
their exes.”

  “Maybe it’s because it was a mutual split. We didn’t break up out of hatred or a lack of love; we did it to save each other.” I looked into Jonah’s eyes. “Will you talk to him?”

  “Joe?”

  I nodded. “He’s dealing with this whole issue with Hilary, and I think he’s finally accepted that I’m not going back to him. He needs to talk to someone, someone who’s not me.”

  “I’m not exactly Joe Simmons’ favorite person, but I’ll reach out to him and see if he’s receptive. It’s the best I can do, Rose.”

  I leaned over the arm of the chair and hugged him. “And it’s all I can ask. Thank you.”

  I started to get up but Jonah pulled me back down to the chair. “What are you going to tell Mason?”

  “I’ll tell him about Joe saving the business and get his take on that and on Hilary.”

  “I’m not worried about those parts. I’m talking about the Lady in Black.”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m not telling him. I helped Skeeter at the auction and I got my money. It’s done.”

  “What do you think Mason will say when he finds out you helped Skeeter Malcolm become the new crime boss of Fenton County? Mason can’t stand Skeeter; he’s vowed to bring him down.”

  I squared my shoulders. “Then I have all the more reason not to tell him.”

  “Rose.”

  “I have to go, Jonah.” I hopped out of the chair and took a step backward, out of his reach. “It’s done. Who cares about the Lady in Black? She made one appearance and now she’s gone forever.”

  “I think you’re being naïve.”

  I suspected Jonah was right, but Mason and I were still recovering from a few speed bumps. I didn’t want to add kindling to a smoldering fire. “I’ll wait until the time is right.”

  “The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be.”

  “I’ll think about it.” I bolted for the door and opened it as Jonah reached me.

  “You know I care about you, Rose,” Jonah said, wrapping me into a hug.

  “I care about you too, Jonah.” I pushed up on my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek, catching the livid stare of his secretary. “Are you really interested in Jessica?” I whispered in his ear.

  His ears flushed. “Well, yeah…”

  I broke from his embrace. “Jonah, what are you doing tonight?” I said loudly.

  “Well…I was going to go home and watch TV.”

  I turned to his secretary. “Jessica, Jonah would love to invite you to dinner, but he’s too shy to ask. Would you be interested in going out with him tonight?”

  Her cheeks turned pink and she scrunched her shoulders up to her ears. “Yes.”

  “Jonah, where would you like to go?”

  “Uh… Jasper’s…”

  I grinned. “Good choice.” Of course, it was really one of the only choices here in Henryetta. “Jessica, Jonah will pick you up at seven.”

  I walked out of the office, leaving two stunned people behind. Before I got into my truck, my phone dinged with a text.

  That was a Neely Kate move, Jonah sent.

  I laughed, then texted back, I’ll take that as a compliment.

  Thank you

  <3

  My smile quickly fell when I realized where I needed to go next.

  Mason’s office.

  Chapter Three

  Rose

  Mason’s office was bustling with activity when I walked in. His secretary glanced up at me with a flustered look. “He’s really busy, Rose.”

  “That’s okay,” I said leaning to the side to take a peek through his open door.

  Mason was sitting on the edge of his desk, his broken leg extended in front of him. An older man in a suit and two men in sheriff’s uniforms were in his office with him. I recognized two of the men and my heart leaped into my throat. One was the sheriff, Mervin Foster, and the other was Mason’s boss: George Hanover, Fenton County District Attorney. There was no sign of Joe, which was strange, since he was the sheriff’s second-in-command.

  The four of them were deep in conversation.

  Mason turned his head slightly and noticed me standing by his secretary’s desk. He held up a finger and said something to the other men before grabbing his cane and hobbling out to see me.

  “Mason, you didn’t have to come out here,” I whispered.

  He grabbed my arm and tugged me around a corner to a small break room. “I wanted to see you after you went to the doctor. Is he sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine. You didn’t need to worry.”

  “I love you, so that makes it my job to worry.”

  I smiled up at him.

  “I’m sorry, but it looks like I’ll have to be here all day. I’d much rather be with you and my mother, but we’re still dealing with the fallout from that bust yesterday.”

  My heart jolted. “Oh?”

  “We’re at a loss. We were hoping to arrest Skeeter Malcolm at that barn. We heard he was there, but we think he got away through a door that led to an underground tunnel.”

  I quirked an eyebrow, trying to look surprised. “Oh.”

  “But what’s really got us perplexed is this mystery woman who was with him.” He lowered his voice. “We’re trying to figure out who she is and where she came from.”

  “You don’t say.” I forced myself to stay calm. “What does it matter?”

  “Because we think Malcolm has taken over Crocker’s empire. Crocker was trying to expand his business when he was arrested. If Malcolm has outside influence, it could mean big trouble in Fenton County.”

  “Oh.”

  He gave me a strange look. “Are you okay?”

  I took a breath to calm down. “I have some things to tell you, but not now. You need to get back to your meeting.”

  He cast an anxious look down the hall. “I’m sorry, Rose.”

  I gave him a quick kiss. “It’s your job and it’s an important one to boot. We’ll talk tonight. And then we can spend the day with your mom tomorrow.”

  He cringed. “Sweetheart, I probably won’t be able to go now.”

  I tried to hide my disappointment. “Oh. It’s okay.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I know. Like I said, your job is important. I’ll see you tonight.”

  I gave him a hug and started to break away, but he tugged me back and cupped my face in his hands. “Rose, I really am sorry. I wanted to spend the day with you.”

  “I know, but I have to leave now anyway. I need to check on Bruce Wayne.”

  “I didn’t think you had a job today.”

  I sighed. “We don’t, but we need to talk about…things.”

  “Did you make your payment to the bank? That’s another component we’re working on. All the missing money just turning up. We haven’t even caught the guys who did this.”

  I wished I could tell him everything now, but he had more important things to do. Like tracking down the Lady in Black and bringing me in for questioning. “I’ll tell you all about it when we have some time to talk. Come on.” I tugged on his hand. “Let’s get you back to that room full of very important Fenton County officials.”

  I dropped my hold when we neared his office door and he caught me by surprise, wrapping an arm around my back and pulling me close. His mouth lowered to mine and he kissed me until my knees were weak. When he lifted his head, his eyes pleaded with mine. “Don’t give up on me, Rose.”

  “I should be the one saying that,” I said, my guilt getting the better of me.

  He lowered his mouth to my ear. “I’m very nearly over what happened between you and Joe last week. Stop worrying.”

  At the moment, my kiss with Joe seemed like the least of my worries. I forced a smile. “Get back to work before someone sees us, Mr. Prosecutor.”

  “I’ll call you later.”

  “I love you, Mason.”

  “I love you too.”

  I went down to the first floor and found Neely Kate
at her desk looking peaked.

  “Neely Kate, you really need to get to the doctor,” I said, leaning against the counter.

  She looked up from her papers and grinned. “I have an appointment this afternoon, thank you very much.” She got up and walked over to the counter. “How’d it go with Violet and Joe?”

  “This is a conversation that will take some time. Have you been to lunch?”

  “No, I was going to skip it because of my appointment, but I can go now.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Please,” she said, walking over to her desk and opening a drawer to get her purse. “You know I try to get away from this place any chance I can get. Besides, Rachel is in the back.” Neely Kate leaned to the side and yelled to the back area crowded with file cabinets and shelves, “Rachel, I’m going to lunch!”

  “Okay,” her coworker grumbled.

  Neely Kate seemed to be the only Fenton County employee who didn’t walk around with a permanent bad attitude. Well, except for Mason, whose disposition had improved greatly after we started spending time together as friends in September.

  “Merilee’s?” she asked as she slipped her arms into her coat.

  “Are you sure you’re up to it?”

  “Pfft.” She waved her hand as though I was talking nonsense. “Let’s go.”

  We walked across the street through the snowflakes that were blowing around again.

  “I didn’t realize snow was in the forecast,” Neely Kate murmured.

  “Maybe it will help sell all those live Christmas trees on our lot.”

  She opened the door to the restaurant and turned back to look at me. “How’d you pay for those trees? Did Skeeter give you a loan?”

  “Let’s get inside and I’ll tell you.”

  After we sat down and ordered, I told Neely Kate about Joe’s financial commitment to the nursery. I knew she was dying to know about what had happened at the auction, but neither one of us would dream of talking about it here. It was where everyone in the courthouse went to eat, so it was about as far from private as we could get.