Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

NEELY KATE

O n Tuesday night, I told Jed I had an early client meeting the next morning and asked him to take Daisy to daycare. I also warned him I might have to work late. I felt guilty that he didn’t give a second thought to saying yes. He trusted me implicitly and I knew I was betraying that trust.

Tell him.

Part of me knew what I was about to do was wrong, but I also knew he’d never agree to let me try. I didn’t know why, but despite Carter’s insistence otherwise, I was sure Skeeter could do something, even if I had no idea what that something was.

So, I kissed my baby and my husband goodbye, then drove to meet Carter up in Magnolia. I’d insisted on meeting there, because the last thing I needed was someone finding my abandoned car and thinking something had happened to me.

As I drove to the rendezvous spot, I used my voice to text to tell Rose that I was taking a mental health day. I’d considered telling her that Daisy was sick, but since they went to the same daycare, she’d likely see her there. I only hoped she didn’t run into Jed.

Carter was waiting for me in the grocery store parking lot, standing next to his car with a phone pressed to his ear. He seemed in the middle of a tense conversation when I pulled in, but he hung up after I’d parked and started to get out of my car.

“Ms. Carlisle ,” he said with a tight grin.

“Cut the crap, Carter,” I said. “I’m nervous enough without you starting things.”

He chuckled. “If you’re so nervous, then I suggest we call this whole thing off.”

“No,” I said, harsher than I’d intended.

But he didn’t seem bothered by it, grinning ear to ear as he gestured to his car. “Then let’s get this party started.”

I climbed into the passenger seat, once again feeling like I was betraying Jed as I shut the door, but I wasn’t turning back now. I’d always followed the philosophy that it was better to ask forgiveness than permission. Even with my own husband.

Carter was silent for the first few minutes, the silence driving me crazy until he said, “So, what’s your game plan?”

“I don’t know yet.”

His brow shot up. “You’re going to all this trouble, and you don’t even have a plan?”

“I’ll figure it out as I go.” While that was true, I did have a plan. I just didn’t feel like sharing it with Carter. I suspected he wouldn’t approve, and I didn’t want him to have nearly four hours to try to talk me out of it. Or worse—turn around and drive back to Henryetta.

“How did you get away?” he asked.

I knew what he was asking. “Don’t you worry about that.”

“Do I have to worry about your muscular husband coming after me once we get home?”

“No. He has no idea I’m with you or what I’m doing. Which is why we met in Magnolia.” I narrowed my eyes. “But you knew that already, so what are you really gettin’ at?”

He paused for a moment. “Does Rose know what you’re doin’?”

I hesitated. “No.”

He nodded. “That’s probably for the best.”

“She’s moved on, Carter,” I said softly. “Skeeter made his choice a year ago when he drove her away, and she found someone who’s actually good for her. Nothin’ but heartbreak would have come to her if she’d stayed with Skeeter. The only way they would have worked is if they’d moved away, and then she would have had to give up everything she loved. Her business that she started with her now dead sister. Her niece and nephew. Maeve.” I paused. “Me.”

Carter gripped the wheel of his car, staring out the windshield. “You don’t think Skeeter knew that?”

I drew in a breath. “I know he was trying to protect her.”

“Not just from Hardshaw, Neely Kate,” he said in exasperation. “He was savin’ her from himself too. Especially once he found out she was pregnant. He didn’t want a kid saddled with his notoriety. He’d had a small taste of it with his own father, and his father was small potatoes compared to Skeeter.”

I gaped at him. “Skeeter told you that?”

He snorted. “He didn’t have to. I know the man well enough to read between the lines.”

“So, he martyred himself for Rose and Hope?”

He snorted even harder. “Skeeter Malcolm’s no martyr. He always has a reason for what he does.”

“You’re suggesting he purposely let himself renege on his deal with the government? That Kate didn’t put a kink in his plans?”

“Did he foresee Kate kidnapping Rose and her baby? No. But he was prepared for it if the plan with the alphabet agencies didn’t pan out.”

“Then what was his plan?” I asked.

He shook his head and said bitterly, “Wouldn’t I like to know.”

“He hasn’t told you?”

“Nope.”

I stared at him in shock. “But you’re his attorney.”

“He says to trust him, so that’s all I can do, because as much as I’ve tried to persuade him otherwise, he’s not confiding in me.”

We were silent for a bit while Carter drove, but he stopped in Little Rock to get more coffee, something I wasn’t going to turn down. After that, I asked him questions about being a defense attorney in Fenton County, and he told me about some of his more amusing cases. Turns out that most criminals are stupid.

“Don’t you feel guilty getting people who’ve broken the law out of prison?” I asked.

He turned and gave me a snide look. “I’ve kept your husband out of prison a time or two, so maybe rethink that holier-than-thou position.”

He had a point.

Skeeter was being held in a federal prison in Forrest City, Arkansas, which was close to the Tennessee border. We arrived in town slightly after noon, and Carter suggested we stop and grab lunch before going to the prison, but I told him if I tried to eat, I’d likely vomit.

I hadn’t seen Skeeter since we’d all had our big showdown with Kate, and I wasn’t sure how he’d react to seeing me. Because, in the end, in her delusion, Kate had kidnapped Hope hoping to lure Rose to her death. Kate knew how devastated I was over my infertility and had worked out her weird plan to get me a baby. And since she saw Rose as competition for my affection, her plan took care of two problems at the same time.

Nevertheless, her plan hadn’t made sense, not that Kate was thinking sensibly at the end. If Rose had died, Hope would have gone to her father—Joe. But part of me would always wonder if somehow Kate had known the truth. And if she had known, I hoped to God she hadn’t told anyone else before she’d been killed.

Saving Hope and Rose had been the reason Skeeter was in prison, and the ultimate reason for it was because of me, even if I hadn’t been privy to or approved of Kate’s plan. But I couldn’t help wondering if Skeeter blamed me. Was that blame, along with Jed’s perceived betrayal, one of the reasons Jed was going to be questioned? Had Skeeter set it up to make us pay? If so, I was here to see if I could find a way to atone for our sins.

The dark clouds in the sky were heavy with rain, casting a gloomy mood as we walked across the parking lot to the entrance to the prison. I’d visited Witt a few times when he’d been incarcerated, so I was familiar with all the heavy security, but it didn’t make me any less anxious.

“Oh, by the way,” Carter said when we were several feet from the entrance. “You’re my assistant.”

I laughed. “How many assistants have you brought here?”

“You’re the first.”

He opened the door before I could question him. He told the guards he was James Malcolm’s attorney and that I was his assistant, and that he needed to speak to Skeeter about his case. The guard looked me up and down and I was sure he was going to tell me I wouldn’t be allowed in, but then Carter reached out his hand to shake with the guard, and I was pretty sure I saw a folded hundred-dollar bill in the guard’s hand when he pulled it away.

I hadn’t been prepared for that, but this wasn’t the first instance of Carter bribing law enforcement and people in authority. I knew he’d paid off some of the staff at the hospital when Kate had been incarcerated in a psych ward. I also knew Skeeter’d had a source in the Fenton County sheriff’s department, and I suspected he had contacts in other places of authority too.

So, why was he in prison? Were the FBI, DEA, and ATF outside of his sphere of influence? Maybe, but I couldn’t help thinking that being here was part of his plan. I just had no idea what that plan could be. Apparently—if Carter was telling the truth—neither did he. His frustration seemed too genuine to be faking it.

The guards patted us down and we checked in our phones and other personal effects, leaving Carter with a notepad and a pen before they led us down multiple dingy halls. The guard stopped outside a solid metal door, unlocked it, then pushed it open.

“Wait in here while they get him,” the guard said, then practically shoved us in before closing the door.

The room was small—about ten-foot square—with a narrow window high up on the wall that let in a sliver of natural light. Fluorescent lights hung from the ten-foot ceilings. A wooden table sat in the middle of the room, with a metal bar down the center of the table, presumably for handcuffs. Two metal chairs were on our side of the table and a single metal chair sat on the other. A door was in the middle of the wall opposite us. It was a depressing space with dingy gray walls, but then again, we were in a prison.

Carter gestured for me to sit, and I did because if I didn’t, I’d start to pace. I knew I needed to appear confident, but right now I was scared to death. I wasn’t sure what I was hoping for was even possible, and yet, I was pinning our entire future on it.

Carter sat beside me and put a hand lightly on my upper arm. “Hey,” he said, then waited for me to lift my gaze to his. “Just be yourself. He knows you, so don’t pretend to be anything else. Just plead your case.”

I nodded, feeling close to breaking down, so I took a deep breath and tried to settle my nerves. I needed to be myself, but I couldn’t fall apart, either. Skeeter Malcolm abhorred weakness.

Several minutes later, the door across the room opened and Skeeter, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, appeared in the doorway. His gaze landed on Carter then quickly shifted to me. A momentary look of surprise filled his eyes before it shifted to indifference. A guard stood behind him and he shut the door after Skeeter entered the room.

Skeeter moved over to the table and pulled out the chair, the metal scraping against the concrete floor. When he took his seat, he leaned back and looked me up and down.

“When I heard Hale had a friend with him, I can’t say I expected it to be you.”

I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad one.

“How’re you doin’, Skeeter?” I asked, then immediately regretted it.

He held his hands out at his sides. “Oh, you know…” He glanced around the room.

“Sorry. Stupid question.”

“So, to what do I owe this visit?” he asked, but he seemed tense, casting a sidelong glance at Carter before returning it back to me.

I felt like an idiot for not realizing he’d jump to conclusions seeing me here. “This isn’t about Rose,” I said softly. “She’s okay.”

He gave a slight nod, then seemed to relax a little. “Then what are you doin’ here, because I can’t imagine you came all this way to shoot the shit.”

I swallowed hard, suddenly unsure about my plan, but Carter beat me to action.

“I told her the FBI was planning to interview Jed after the first of the year.”

Skeeter didn’t move or say anything, which made me more nervous.

“First,” I said, my voice breaking. I took a breath then started again. “First, I’m not sure I ever thanked you properly for all you did to help me find Ronnie.”

“Well, now,” he said, crossing his leg over his knee and resting his hands on top of his raised knee. “I didn’t exactly find him now, did I? Your crazy-ass sister did.”

It was true. While Skeeter and Carter had hired private investigators to search for my wayward husband so I could serve divorce papers, it was Kate who had found him and offered him to me as a gift.

“Still,” I said, “you and Carter went to a lot of effort to find him. I didn’t have the resources you did.”

“It wasn’t an entirely selfless motive,” Skeeter said. “I wanted to find him too, so don’t go canonizin’ me. Not for that.”

“I knew the whole time you wanted to find him too,” I said with a huff. “I’m not entirely stupid, so I’m grateful that you shared what you did with me. You could have kept all your information to yourself and told me to get lost.”

He barely nodded in acknowledgment. I’d known he wasn’t looking for Ronnie to just help me, but it wasn’t entirely selfish either. I was sure he’d also done it for Rose since I was her best friend. And likely for Jed, since Skeeter had to know he’d liked me. That was one of the reasons it was so shocking when Skeeter had turned his back on Jed for wanting to be with me.

“No matter the reasons,” I said, “I’m still grateful.” I shot a quick glance to Carter. “To both of you.”

Carter gave me a tight smile.

“So, while you already did me a favor which I haven’t repaid,” I said, “I’m here asking for another.”

Skeeter released a little chuckle. “In case the orange suit and the maximum security to get into the place didn’t clue you in, I’m in prison. I don’t know how helpful I’ll be in here.” His leg dropped to the floor, and he leaned forward. “I presume this has to do with Jed.”

I nodded, then swallowed again. I really should have drunk some water before I came in. “Yes. Carter was kind enough to warn me that it was likely to happen and told me to get Jed an attorney.”

Skeeter grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Then I still don’t know why you’re here, seeing how I’m not an attorney.”

I rolled my eyes, starting to feel more like myself. “No kiddin’? I want to know why you think they’re wantin’ to talk to him.”

“Hell if I know,” he said, sitting back again. “Could be they want to dig into our alleged criminal activities in Fenton County and they want to put him away too. Seems like a county sheriff’s job to me, but then again, we did deal with some underground arms trading—allegedly, of course—so maybe they caught wind of that? Then again, that would be the ATF, unless the FBI wrestled it away from ’em.”

“Do you think they’re lookin’ for information about you ?”

He remained silent.

I took that as encouragement to continue. “Last I heard, you’re here on some ridiculous charges that don’t amount to a hill of beans, yet they won’t let you post bail. Which tells me they’re still workin’ on what to charge you with, or —” I made sure I had his attention “—they’re pressuring you to give them something. Seeing as how you’re still here, if that’s the case, you apparently haven’t given it to them, so now they’re goin’ after people you care about.”

“Care about,” he scoffed. “Jed and I parted ways. I don’t give a shit about what he does or what happens to him.”

“You’re many things, Skeeter Malcolm,” I snapped, “but I never took you for a flat-out liar.”

His gaze darkened and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. He wasn’t restrained in any way and could easily reach across the table and grab my throat, but I knew he never would. It would kill Rose if she found out he hurt me, but more importantly, never in all the time I’d known him had I felt threatened by him. Sure, he had a scary reputation—and with just cause—but I knew he’d never hurt me, at least not physically.

He looked away but didn’t say a word.

“Have they asked you about your relationship with Jed?” I asked.

“They’ve asked me all sorts of things,” he grumbled, still not looking at me.

“Are they goin’ after Jed to find out what y’all did in the county or to see if he was involved with your agreement with Hardshaw?”

He shook his head, his focus on the wall. “Hell if I know. Maybe both.”

“Why not rat him out?” I asked, my heart pounding against my rib cage, terrified to hear the answer. “You could probably work out some kind of deal if you gave them info on him.”

He released a bitter laugh. “They’re not after him. He’s small potatoes. They’re after bigger things.”

“Like what?”

He turned to look at me, his eyes ice cold. “It’s none of your damn business.”

My back stiffened. “It is if it involves my husband.”

“Then why isn’t he here?” he snapped. “Why send his wife?”

“Because he doesn’t know I’m here!” I shouted. “He doesn’t know about any of this!”

He sat back in his chair, his eyes widening. “You don’t say.” He shifted his gaze to Carter.

“I thought it best to tell Neely Kate first,” Carter said.

Skeeter stared at Carter for a long moment, but to his credit, Carter didn’t so much as flinch, just waited him out.

When he realized he wasn’t going to get a reaction, Skeeter turned to me, looking exasperated. “What is it you want from me ?”

“I want you to get them to back off Jed.”

He laughed again, this time sounding more amused. “Don’t you think if I had that kind of power, I’d get myself out of here?”

“That’s just it,” I said. “I think you do have the power.” I decided to play the ace up my sleeve, prepared to face his wrath. “Skeeter—if they’re goin’ after people you care about, will they go after Rose next?”

He slammed his hand on the table so hard I flinched. His eyes blazed with anger, his jaw clenched so hard veins popped out on his forehead. “You leave her out of this!”

“I want to leave her out of this,” I said insistently. “Jed did his share of bad things, so ultimately, if push comes to shove, he’ll need to answer for them. But we both know Rose did everything she did to help others. Joe. Mason. You .”

Skeeter didn’t look any less angry, but I pushed on, figuring I had nothing to lose.

“What is it they want from you, Skeeter? Because I can’t help thinking if they were after Jed, they would have come askin’ questions months ago.”

He shook his head, his face still flushed.

“I’m scared for Rose,” I said, my voice breaking.

His fist clenched on the table.

“She’s already been through so much, and she’s finally happy. She doesn’t deserve to be dragged back into all of this.”

He pushed out a ragged sigh and a war seemed to wage on his face before he asked, “How is she?”

I’d just told him she was happy, so I knew he was looking for details. I was happy to oblige. “The landscape business is doin’ well, and so is the nursery. We’ve got so many new clients we can hardly keep up with designs. Maeve and Anna are running the nursery and doin’ a good job. Violet gave me partial ownership until Ashley and Mikey are old enough to take over, but Maeve’s got it under control, so I work mostly with Rose.” Then I added, “And all of my profit from the nursery either goes back into the business or into a bank account for when the kids are older.”

He didn’t look surprised, but the only person I’d told about the bank account was Jed. Even Rose didn’t know, because I knew she’d insist I keep part of the profits. But Jed and I had enough money, and we’d both agreed we wanted Violet’s kids to have it.

There was a hungry look in Skeeter’s eyes, and now that I’d given him a taste of Rose’s life, he was starving for more. I had no doubts that Carter kept him informed as best he could about her life, but I was her best friend. Other than Joe, I knew more about her than anyone else.

“She loves bein’ a mother,” I said softly, “and she’s darn good at it.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” he said with the hint of a smile.

“She works part time and tries to do some of her work at home so she can be with Hope and Ashley and Mikey, but once she’s there, she usually wants to be with them. She tried bringin’ Hope to the office, which worked when she was an infant, but when she got more mobile it was hard, so she’s in a daycare now.”

I saw the way his eyes lit up when I mentioned Hope, so I said, “Hope’s the spittin’ image of Rose. Dark hair, sweet, and smart as a whip, but a tiny bit ornery too. She must have a little of her dad in her because she head butted Santa a week ago and broke his nose. Apparently, it caused quite a scene.”

I wondered if I’d gone too far mentioning that, but I could have been talking about Joe. The pleased look in his eyes told me he knew I wasn’t.

“Joe’s good to her,” I said quietly. “He’s a good daddy too—to both Hope and Violet’s kids. He doesn’t take any of them for granted and he more than pulls his weight with housework and childcare.”

“I never would have done any of that shit,” he said in a low growl.

“I know,” I said. And I knew Rose did too, but I wasn’t about to say so.

“You said the business is doin’ well,” he said, staring at the wall again. “She doin’ okay with money?”

“She and Joe aren’t rich, by any means, but they’re doin’ okay.”

He nodded. “Everything else goin’ okay? She runnin’ into any problems with Mike and the kids?”

“Actually…”

He turned to look at me. His eyes were cold as ice, but I knew it wasn’t directed at me.

“Mike’s case still hasn’t gone to trial, and Rose is having to split custody with his parents. They’re being buttheads about the whole thing and makin’ everyone’s lives miserable, especially the kids. I think his parents see ’em as a trophy to show off to their friends, instead of wanting to be with them. Mikey was sick this weekend and his grandparents still made him go to church. Plus, they’re just not good with kids. They won’t let them make any noise or a mess. They’re just too militaristic. They’re the kind of people who are better having their grandkids for a few hours at a time, not days at a time. The whole thing has Rose pretty upset.”

“So why doesn’t Rose have custody?”

“Mike has to either sign it over to Rose or they have to wait until he’s convicted and then work it out, although a mediator told Rose they’ll likely keep the same arrangement.”

He tapped the table once with his index finger. “So, the ideal arrangement would be for Rose to have full custody and see Mike’s parents less often.”

“In a perfect world, yes. It’s what Violet wanted.”

The mention of Violet’s name seemed to stir something in him. He fisted his hand then said, “I’ll take care of it.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean you’ll take care of it?”

He looked into my eyes with a glare that brooked no argument. “Exactly what I said: I’ll take care of it.”

He tapped his finger again, glancing over at Carter for several seconds before turning back to me. He no longer looked angry, but he didn’t look jovial. “I’ll take care of the Jed situation too.”

“What?” Carter cried out, nearly jumping off his seat.

“How?” I asked at the same time.

“You don’t need to worry about the how,” Skeeter said, ignoring Carter. “But I’m asking for something in return.”

I wasn’t exactly surprised, but I was a little disappointed. I’d hoped he’d do it because Jed had been his friend since childhood, not to use his friend’s freedom as a bargaining tool. “What?”

He cocked a brow. “You’re askin’ what? You’re not just agreein’?”

“I’m not foolish enough to agree to just anything,” I sassed back. “I’ve heard the story about Rumpelstiltskin.”

He gave me a questioning look, then turned to Carter.

“Just go with it,” Carter said with a grin.

Skeeter gave me a hard stare. “What I’m about to ask stays between you, me, and Carter. You can’t tell Jed, and you definitely can’t tell Rose or Joe. If you do, the whole deal’s off.”

“I’m listening…” I said hesitantly. I wasn’t sure I could agree to keeping a secret from the people closest to me, but I was willing to hear him out.

“I’ll make Jed’s questioning go away, but in return, you’ll send a report with photos once a month.”

I gave him a leery glance. “What kind of report?”

“About Rose.” He paused. “And the baby. It has to be handwritten—no computer printout to leave a trace. It needs to be at least one page long, preferably more, with details about their lives.” His eyes narrowed. “And I’ll expect updates about the situation regarding her niece and nephew.”

Was I betraying Rose if I agreed to such a thing? It felt like I was, but at the same time, I understood why he was asking. He could ask Rose for the details, and she’d gladly give them, but he wouldn’t do that to her. He wanted her to be free. But I didn’t mind being tied to him by this thin chain. Not if it guaranteed that Jed—and likely Rose—would be safe.

“Okay,” I said softly. “I’ll be happy to do it. Do we have a deal?”

He stuck out his hand and when I reached mine out to his, he engulfed it in a strong, but not crushing shake.

When I pulled my hand away, I said, “I would have given you the letter for nothin’, you know. I know what you gave up to protect ’em. And not just from Kate.”

“Water under the bridge,” he grunted, then got to his feet.

I stood too. “Thank you, Skeeter.”

“Don’t be thankin’ me,” he said gruffly. “It’s a business deal, no more, no less.”

I nodded, because I had more mushy things to say, but I knew he wasn’t interested in hearing them.

“The letters will go to Carter,” he said. “Never, under any circumstances , will you send them to me or attach my name to them.”

I was caught by surprise, but it quickly faded. He was still protecting them. “Yeah, okay.”

He nodded, then moved to the door on his side and pounded. The door opened almost immediately, revealing the guard who’d been there before. I supposed he’d been there waiting.

Skeeter started to walk out, then stopped and turned his head halfway so I could only see his profile. “For what it’s worth,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “I knew you were right for him the first time I saw you givin’ him hell.”

Then he walked out the door and it closed behind him.

And that’s when I knew Skeeter’s betrayal hadn’t been a betrayal at all.

He’d pushed Jed away to save him.