Read Online Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments Bonus Chapters: Rose Gardner Mystery by Denise Grover Swank - Free Book Online
Authors: Denise Grover Swank
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mistaken. I forced myself to stay calm. I needed all the facts. “I just talked to her around five. When did this supposedly happen?”
She shook her head, some of her fire dying out of her. “There’s no supposedly about it. It happened at Rose’s farm right in front of Mason. He told me about it himself. And as to the when of it, I don’t know. Maybe an hour? As soon as Mason called me, I made a beeline for the sheriff’s office so I could give Joe Simmons a piece of my mind.”
“Simmons arrested her?” I found that hard to believe. She might be with Deveraux, but Simmons was still in love with her. Everyone knew it.
“It doesn’t matter if he did it himself or had someone do it for him. What matters is that he let it happen, and now he refuses to let her go.”
“What are the charges?”
“They’re accusing her of hiring Daniel Crocker to murder her mother.”
Son of a bitch . J.R. Simmons had set things in motion, all right, and not just for me.
“What do you plan to do about this?” she demanded.
Rage filled my head and I fought to regain control.
Still on the phone, Jed took one look at my face and stepped between me and the pushy blonde. “Neely Kate, we’ll let you know as soon as we hear something.”
That only riled her up more. “If you think I’m leaving without any answers, you’ve got another think comin’!”
Jed held up his finger with a look of exasperation. “Uh-huh,” he muttered into the phone. “Has she been officially charged? . . . Okay. Keep me posted.” He disconnected the call and looked me in the eye. “It’s true.”
“ What the hell is going on in this county? ” I shouted, slamming my fist on the desk again, this time harder. “How did this get past us?”
Jed sucked in a breath, worry in his eyes. “They kept it top secret. Only three people knew about it before it happened. The DA; Judge Berger, who issued a search warrant allowing the deputies to look for her on the premises if she didn’t come to the door; and Joe Simmons.”
“That low-life weasel!” Neely Kate shouted. “I’m going to skin him alive!”
I took several breaths. “We have to think this through.”
“You have to get her out of there!” Neely Kate shouted, planting her hands on her hips again.
“What’s Deveraux doin’ about it?” Jed asked.
“He said he was goin’ to hire Carter Hale to defend her.”
Jed snorted. “Hale hates Deveraux. He’ll never do it.”
My chest grew tight and I grunted, “He’ll do it when I tell him to.”
Neely Kate gave me a look of disbelief.
“He’s on my damn retainer. He’ll do as I goddamn tell him.” I pulled out my phone and called him up.
“Skeeter,” he answered. “Why do I have a feeling shit’s about to start raining from the sky?”
“Because you’ve always been too perceptive by half. Rose Gardner is in the county jail awaiting arraignment. You’re gonna defend her.”
“Rose Gardner?” he asked in disbelief. “You realize she’s Mason Deveraux’s girlfriend, don’t you? Why would you want to help her? You thinking he’ll get his job back and then owe you one?”
“My reason for wanting you to defend her is my business and mine alone. In fact, you’re not to tell a damn soul that I asked you to do it. You hear me?”
He groaned. “Deveraux just showed up at my door askin’ me to represent her and I sent him packing out of the sheer principle of me hating the man. This means I have to eat a damn slice of humble pie. And I fucking hate pie. This will cost you extra.”
“I don’t give a shit if you have to eat every damn pie in Dena’s Bakery, you’re gonna represent her. Have I made myself clear? ” My voice bounced off the walls and Neely Kate cringed.
“Calm down,” Carter grumbled. “I already said I was gonna do it.”
“Good. And when they announce bail, if she can’t pay it, I’ll take care of it.”
“That’s a matter of public record, Skeeter. Do you really want your
She shook her head, some of her fire dying out of her. “There’s no supposedly about it. It happened at Rose’s farm right in front of Mason. He told me about it himself. And as to the when of it, I don’t know. Maybe an hour? As soon as Mason called me, I made a beeline for the sheriff’s office so I could give Joe Simmons a piece of my mind.”
“Simmons arrested her?” I found that hard to believe. She might be with Deveraux, but Simmons was still in love with her. Everyone knew it.
“It doesn’t matter if he did it himself or had someone do it for him. What matters is that he let it happen, and now he refuses to let her go.”
“What are the charges?”
“They’re accusing her of hiring Daniel Crocker to murder her mother.”
Son of a bitch . J.R. Simmons had set things in motion, all right, and not just for me.
“What do you plan to do about this?” she demanded.
Rage filled my head and I fought to regain control.
Still on the phone, Jed took one look at my face and stepped between me and the pushy blonde. “Neely Kate, we’ll let you know as soon as we hear something.”
That only riled her up more. “If you think I’m leaving without any answers, you’ve got another think comin’!”
Jed held up his finger with a look of exasperation. “Uh-huh,” he muttered into the phone. “Has she been officially charged? . . . Okay. Keep me posted.” He disconnected the call and looked me in the eye. “It’s true.”
“ What the hell is going on in this county? ” I shouted, slamming my fist on the desk again, this time harder. “How did this get past us?”
Jed sucked in a breath, worry in his eyes. “They kept it top secret. Only three people knew about it before it happened. The DA; Judge Berger, who issued a search warrant allowing the deputies to look for her on the premises if she didn’t come to the door; and Joe Simmons.”
“That low-life weasel!” Neely Kate shouted. “I’m going to skin him alive!”
I took several breaths. “We have to think this through.”
“You have to get her out of there!” Neely Kate shouted, planting her hands on her hips again.
“What’s Deveraux doin’ about it?” Jed asked.
“He said he was goin’ to hire Carter Hale to defend her.”
Jed snorted. “Hale hates Deveraux. He’ll never do it.”
My chest grew tight and I grunted, “He’ll do it when I tell him to.”
Neely Kate gave me a look of disbelief.
“He’s on my damn retainer. He’ll do as I goddamn tell him.” I pulled out my phone and called him up.
“Skeeter,” he answered. “Why do I have a feeling shit’s about to start raining from the sky?”
“Because you’ve always been too perceptive by half. Rose Gardner is in the county jail awaiting arraignment. You’re gonna defend her.”
“Rose Gardner?” he asked in disbelief. “You realize she’s Mason Deveraux’s girlfriend, don’t you? Why would you want to help her? You thinking he’ll get his job back and then owe you one?”
“My reason for wanting you to defend her is my business and mine alone. In fact, you’re not to tell a damn soul that I asked you to do it. You hear me?”
He groaned. “Deveraux just showed up at my door askin’ me to represent her and I sent him packing out of the sheer principle of me hating the man. This means I have to eat a damn slice of humble pie. And I fucking hate pie. This will cost you extra.”
“I don’t give a shit if you have to eat every damn pie in Dena’s Bakery, you’re gonna represent her. Have I made myself clear? ” My voice bounced off the walls and Neely Kate cringed.
“Calm down,” Carter grumbled. “I already said I was gonna do it.”
“Good. And when they announce bail, if she can’t pay it, I’ll take care of it.”
“That’s a matter of public record, Skeeter. Do you really want your
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