Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

J ed hurried over to me in the parking lot as I grabbed the door handle of my car.

"What happened?" he asked, his face pinched with worry. His phone was in his hand, and he was wearing one ear bud. I suspected he was still listening to Neely Kate through their call.

Liam had fallen asleep, and I held him tighter. "I just realized I shouldn't have dragged Liam into this." Tears stung my eyes. "What am I doin' , Jed? What kind of mother does that?"

He shoved his phone into his front jeans pocket and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Rose. I should have had you leave Liam with me."

"If Joe finds out that I brought him here…" I choked back a sob.

"For what it's worth, I don't think meeting Darlene here was wrong. The chances of someone following her were slim, and she didn't seem dangerous. But I understand why you freaked out when she asked for Liam's name." He opened the back door and reached for my sleeping son. "Let's get him in his car seat."

I reluctantly handed him over and took a step back, trying to compose myself.

Liam stayed asleep while Jed placed him in his seat and got him strapped in. Jed shut the door and turned to face me.

"Are you gonna tell Joe about this?"

I pressed my lips together as I stared at my sleeping son through the car window. "No, because I told Darlene that I wouldn't, but it's just one more secret to add to a growing list." I hated it, but I didn't feel like I had a choice.

"I could hear most of the conversation. She gave us some decent information," Jed said. "I plan on checking some of it out after Neely Kate finishes. Dermot will look into things too."

"I'm worried that someone is movin' into the county." I looked up into his face. "Am I just being paranoid?"

He looked grim. "No. I'm worried about the same thing. I have a feeling Dermot is too."

My stomach churned. "Do you think these new people are interested in Lady? They were asking about her in my vision with Austin."

"I don't know, but I plan to find out."

"I need to tell Joe something, but what do I tell him without breaking Austin's and Darlene's confidence?"

"Gettin' these people to trust you is no small thing, Rose," he said. "Darlene wouldn't have told me or Dermot any of what she told you and Neely Kate. She sure as hell wouldn't have told Joe."

I rested my butt against the car and wrapped my arms over my chest. "I'm not scared for me, Jed. I'm scared for my kids. If someone hurt them…"

"No one's gonna hurt ‘em, Rose," he said reassuringly. "I promise. Dermot and I are gonna find out who murdered those men…if Joe doesn't get to them first. We'll stop the woman in your vision from being murdered."

"They found a third victim by Shute Creek early this morning," I said.

He nodded, not looking surprised. Of course he knew.

How had I gotten sucked back into all of this?

Panic bubbled deep inside me, and all I could think about was hugging my kids.

"I'm gonna go get my kids at Piney Rest and head home," I said. "I'll just take off early tomorrow and grocery shop before I get the kids from daycare."

"That sounds like a good idea. If you're okay with it, I'm gonna have Neely Kate pick up Daisy and hang out with y'all at the farmhouse." He paused, then looked at Liam in the car before he turned back to me. "In fact, why don't you switch cars with her? She can drive Liam to pick up Daisy, and then you won't have to worry about waking him up when you pick up the kids. You can use Daisy's car seat for Hope, and there's a booster in the trunk that Neely Kate uses for Mikey when she has him."

Part of me wanted to say no. I didn't want to let Liam out of my sight right now, but my best friend would never let anything happen to him. I dug in my purse while Jed reached into his pocket, and we exchanged key fobs.

Jed offered me a reassuring smile. "We're gonna get to the bottom of this. I promise."

"I sure hope so." I walked over to Neely Kate's car and drove over to the nursing home, thankful I didn't have to wake up Liam to go inside. But I wasn't going to relax until I had all my kids locked inside our house.

When I walked into the nursing home, the kids weren't in the living room area where I'd dropped them off. My panic rose again, but I beat it back as I approached the reception desk. Voices and music floated from farther down the hall.

The woman sitting behind the desk greeted me with a smile. "Are you here to visit a Piney Rest resident, or are you with the church group?"

"The church group."

"They're down the hall." She laughed. "But the way you're already headed in that direction tells me you knew that."

I didn't run, but I wasn't strolling either as I headed toward the ruckus.

I stopped in the dining hall and saw quite a few Piney Rest residents sitting at tables, some in wheelchairs, each with a cupcake and small bowls of icing in front of them. It looked like the women's group was leading a cupcake-decorating class. One of the women from the lady's group at church stood at the back of the hall, giving directions, while other women were milling around, giving the residents assistance.

I started to freak out when I didn't see my kids, but then Hope called out, "That's so pwetty, Miss Midwed. Good job!"

I walked deeper into the room and saw Miss Mildred sitting at a round table in the back corner, surrounded by my children. Ashley sat on her right side with Mikey next to her, but my heart stopped at the sight of Hope sitting to Miss Mildred's left.

A new wave of panic set in. Miss Mildred had a vicious tongue, and Hope's feelings were easily hurt. I rarely questioned Maeve's judgment, but what had she been thinking by letting my baby sit next to Miss Mildred? Especially since she'd turned even meaner since moving here.

But as I hurried toward the table, I was shocked to see that Miss Mildred was smiling at my daughter with bright eyes, shining with happiness. She wasn't staring at Ashley or Mikey. She was grinning from ear to ear at Hope.

"Your cupcake is looking mighty fine too, Hope," Miss Mildred said encouragingly.

"What about mine, Miss Mildred?" Mikey asked, lifting his gaze to her. He gave her a big, toothy grin.

The elderly woman turned her attention to my nephew. "Why, it reminds me of dragon's nest of eggs."

"That's what I was tryin' to make!" Mikey exclaimed with excitement.

Miss Mildred actually winked at him. "Then good job."

I stepped behind a pole, then peeked around it, gawking in amazement. My ex-neighbor was acting like an entirely different person.

"I want to be an artist when I grow up," Mikey said, concentrating on his cupcake while he added what looked like sprinkles. "Aunt Rose says she's gonna get me art classes."

I cringed, prepared for her to slander me, but to my amazement, Miss Mildred said, "Of course she is. She knows talent when she sees it."

I had never heard the woman say a nice thing about me in my life, and while it wasn't entirely a compliment, I was still shocked.

"Rose!" Maeve said in surprise behind me. "I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"It's a long story," I said, making sure the kids hadn't heard us, but they were all focused on decorating their cupcakes. "Is it my imagination, or does Miss Mildred look happy ?"

"You have no idea how excited she was to see the kids. It's like she's a completely different person."

"I was worried about how she'd treat Hope, but I heard her actually being sweet to her. And she even gave me a half-compliment to Mikey."

"How does someone give a half-compliment?" she asked with a laugh.

"Leave it to her to find a way."

She glanced at their table, then back at me. "Thank you so much for thinking of this visit. Mildred really needed it, and the children seem to be enjoying themselves as well." As if to punctuate her statement, a peal of laughter erupted from their table. She made a face. "Is there any way you could run another errand and come back in about forty-five minutes? I think they'd all enjoy a little more time."

"Oh."

I'd been dying to get back to them, terrified something would happen to them out of my sight. But I realized nothing was going to happen to them here. Maybe I could go finish my grocery shopping.

"Yeah," I said. "I can find something to do."

"Maybe you should take some time just for you," she suggested. "Grab a cup of coffee, and read a book."

"That's a great idea," I said, dying to do just that, but knowing I needed to do something more practical. I was going to finish my grocery shopping. "I'll be back in about forty-five minutes."

"Great."

I headed outside and pulled out my phone to call Neely Kate. She'd probably finished talking to Darlene, and I needed to touch base after the way I'd run out.

"Rose, are you okay?" she asked as soon as she answered.

"I'm fine. I just got freaked out when Darlene noticed Liam. It was stupid to leave like that. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, and I understand."

"Did she tell you anything after I left?"

"No, not really. I got the impression you're the one she was interested in talking to, and she seemed off after I asked about Harvey's drug dealer."

"I noticed that too. Do you think she's afraid of him? Maybe the reason she won't talk to Joe is because she's worried the dealer will find out and retaliate."

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"After I left and Jed convinced me to let you take Liam with you to get Daisy, I went to pick up the kids. When I walked into the dining hall, I found them all gathered around Miss Mildred, and she looked like she was having the time of her life. The kids were too."

"You're pullin' my leg."

"Nope. In any case, Maeve asked if I could come back in forty-five minutes, so I'm going to finish my grocery shopping really quick. Are you still at the store?"

"Nah. I checked out with what you and I had in the cart. Now Liam, who's still sound asleep, and I are on our way to get Daisy. We'll meet you at your house."

"You don't mind waiting?"

"Not at all. By the time I get home, gather up Daisy, and get back to your house, I suspect we'll get there at about the same time." If we didn't, she had a key and knew the code to the alarm system.

"Thank you, Neely Kate. You're the best."

"I know," she said with a laugh. "I don't intend to let you forget it."

I pulled into the Piggly Wiggly lot and headed toward the entrance when someone ran up behind me and grabbed my arm.

I spun around, ready to hit them with my purse, when I realized it was Darlene.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, dropping her hold and lifting her hands in surrender. "I was just surprised to see you came back." A wary look crossed her face. "Where's your baby?"

My hair stood up on end. "He fell asleep, so I left him with a friend," I said, grateful I was telling the truth. "What are you doin' sneakin' up on me like that?"

"I didn't mean to scare you. Like I said, I was excited to see you came back."

"Why?" I said, stepping out of the way of an older couple who were walking into the store. "I thought you told us everything you had to say."

She made a face. "I may not have told you everything. I held some stuff back."

"Why?"

She glanced out into the parking lot. "I got scared. I saw that big guy hovering around, and I thought he was here to get me."

"Big guy?" Then I realized who she'd probably seen. "Close-cropped hair? Wearing jeans and a gray T-shirt?" When she nodded, I said, "That was Jed. Neely Kate's husband. He was worried about her meeting with you, so he was watching out for us."

"Oh." She pushed out a breath. "I suppose that makes sense, and it's actually kinda sweet." Tears filled her eyes. "The only person who would have done that for me was Harvey."

"I really am sorry about your brother," I said, my voice softening. "If you know more about what happened to him, I can tell my husband. I'll even tell him it's from an anonymous source."

Her eyes swam with tears. "What if it gets traced back to me?"

"Did you do something illegal? If you did, I'll figure out a way to protect you."

She smiled, but the corners of her mouth quivered. "I think you really are a nice person. Your friend too. I couldn't figure out why you'd want to help me, but it makes more sense now."

"We try to help people because people helped us when we needed it. We're just payin' it forward."

She nodded, looking nervous again.

"Do you want to go sit in my car?" I asked. "We can talk in there so we're not out in the open."

"Okay. That's probably a good idea."

I led her over to Neely Kate's car and pressed the key fob so the doors unlocked. She got into the passenger seat and glanced in the back.

"Only one car seat? I thought you had several younger kids."

My heart skipped a beat, and I decided I wasn't going to evade her questions or pretend they weren't making me nervous. "How do you know so much about my family?"

Surprise filled her eyes, then she turned in her seat to face me, holding up her hands. "Oh! I realize that must sound super creepy! I'm not a stalker or anything. I just looked you up after Neely Kate cornered me in the bathroom and offered your help."

"That makes sense," I said, but I was still going to be cautious. "I would have looked you up too."

"You didn't?" she asked, sounding surprised.

She had a point. We should have researched her more before coming to meet her, but I hadn't done this in three years. Heck, I wasn't trying to do it now.

"No, but things were a little chaotic last night and today." I drew a breath to calm my nerves. "You said you had more information that you held back."

She sat back in her seat as though she felt guilty for veering off track. "I think I might know of a connection between Harvey and the other guy, Noah Parker."

"Really? What?"

"My brother mentioned meeting a guy named Noah a few weeks ago. And I'm pretty sure he said he worked at the lumberyard."

"Where did they meet?"

She looked down at her hands in her lap.

"That's the part you didn't want to tell me."

Her gaze lifted, sorrow in her eyes.

"It's not yourself that you're trying to protect," I said softly. "It's your brother."

Tears streamed down her face as she nodded.

"What were he and Noah doing when they met?"

She swallowed, then took a breath before she said, "They were meeting with a guy about a new drug he was bringing to Fenton County."

I read between the lines. "He was recruiting them to sell drugs."

Her eyes widened suddenly. "Harvey swore it wasn't like that. He said it was to make a little money on the side while getting the drug for free. I told him he was insane, that selling drugs meant he was a dealer, and he needed to stop."

"So he started dealing drugs," I said not unkindly. It made sense why she'd clammed up after Neely Kate had called drug dealers selfish assholes. Darlene hadn't wanted us to judge her brother, just like she was worried Joe and his department would do if they found out.

She cringed but nodded. "I guess there's no way to pretty it up, is there?"

"Was Noah dealing for this new guy too?"

"Yeah, him and another guy. But last week, like I told you and Neely Kate earlier, Harvey seemed a little more paranoid than usual. He said someone was out to get him."

"Did he tell you who it was?"

"No. He wouldn't say, but after giving him the fifth degree, I figured out it was the guy he was selling for. He never confirmed it, but he didn't deny it either."

"Why would the dealer be out to get him?"

"I asked him the same thing, but the only thing he'd tell me was that his friends, Noah and another guy he didn't name, were also in trouble."

That fit with Austin's story. Was the other guy the man Austin had seen murdered? "Was the other guy at the meeting your brother had with the dealer?"

"I think so," she said. "He didn't give me many details, but I figured out he met this dealer guy at one of those parties. He brought his drug and shared it with them, then suggested they sell it to their friends so they could get their drugs for free."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "How big were these parties?" It didn't seem like three guys dealing at the same party was a very good business plan.

"Not that big, and I know where you're headed with your next question. How could all of them sell to the same group of people? Here's your answer: They couldn't."

"So you think their dealer killed them because they didn't sell enough?"

"I don't know."

I nearly asked her if we could search her brother's house, but that was dumb for several reasons. One, I couldn't go there. That was a line I wasn't willing to cross. Yet. But more importantly, I was certain several people had already searched. Joe and his men definitely would have gone there, and I suspected the drug dealer would have gotten there first.

"Why won't you tell my husband what you just told me?"

"And have Harvey's name plastered all over the news, labeling him a dirty drug dealer?" She shook her head adamantly. "No. No way. People will assume he was some drug den, homeless junkie, and he wasn't." She swallowed a sob. "He was a good person who made a really stupid decision."

I presumed his decision to sell drugs was the stupid decision she was referring to. I refrained from suggesting he'd made a few others. It wouldn't help anything, and it would only hurt her.

"So what do you want me to do with this information, Darlene?" I asked.

Her head jutted back in surprise. "I want you to find out who killed my brother."

"And if I find the person, what do you want to do then?"

Her eyes hardened. "Then I'll take care of him."

I shook my head. "No, I can't condone that." When she started to protest, I held up my hand and calmly said, "I won't be doing this on my own. When Neely Kate and I did this before, we weren't married, and we didn't have kids. But I have someone who will help—" I jutted my hand forward to prevent her from protesting. "I worked with him to take down Hardshaw, and he's not with law enforcement. I can't give you his name, but I promise he won't be turning over the information to them either. Once we find out who this person is, I'll let you know, and we'll all decide where to go from there."

"I want him to pay for killing my brother," she said through gritted teeth, anger burning in her eyes.

"I know you do, and I'll do my best to make sure he does."

She watched me for a moment, then wiped her cheeks and nodded. "Okay."

"Okay. Now I need more information about those parties and who else might have attended." Were Selena and the woman from my vision part of the party group? Could the man in my vision be the drug dealer?

"I really did tell you almost everything I know," she said, her voice becoming steadier. "The parties were held at that garage south of Pickle Junction."

"You said these parties were on the weekends. Did they have them on Saturday and Sunday?"

She nodded. "Although I don't think as many people came on Sundays."

"Some people are better than none," I said. "Do you think Harvey's friends Scott or Hugo will be there tonight?"

"I don't know."

"What about his previous dealer? Derby Sloan. Did he attend the parties?"

"I don't know that either."

"Do you know if Harvey sold any of the drugs the dealer gave him?"

She shook her head. "If he did, not many. I'm pretty sure he took them himself."

"If a new guy was trying to break into the county, it would be stupid for him to kill his first dealers. Especially that soon after they started to work for him. Seems like he'd threaten them first because I doubt anyone's gonna want to work with him if he so trigger happy."

Darlene reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope. "Harvey left this at my house. I don't know if he intended to, or if he just forgot. It doesn't make sense though."

She handed it to me, and I took it, opening the flap and pulling out a piece of paper. A name, address, and a bunch of numbers were handwritten on the notebook page.

Thomas Benton

Dallas, Texas

00011458935

My blood ran cold.

Hardshaw had been based in Dallas.

I looked up at Darlene. "I take it you don't know anyone named Thomas Benton?"

"No, and I doubt Harvey knew anyone in Dallas. He'd never left the state, and all his friends were from high school or the county."

Could this be the "package" the murderers had been looking for?

"Do you think I could have a copy?" I asked.

She waved her hand toward me. "Keep it. I don't want it."

I refolded the paper and tucked it into my purse. "Do you have any phone numbers or addresses for Harvey's friends?"

"No. But I know Scott works at McDonald's. He's a manager there."

"Okay. We'll look into him. Anything else?"

She stared out the front windshield. "No. I just want to find who did this and make them pay." She turned to face me. "I don't have much money, but I'll pay you if you can tell me his name and where I can find him."

"We're not gonna take your money, Darlene. We want to find the culprit too."

"And you'll tell me who it is?"

"Yes." And I would. Just not before I told Dermot and Joe.

Tears flooded her eyes again. "Thank you."

"I'll let you know when we know something." I knew I should feel guilty for misleading her, but I didn't. Not if it protected her. I wasn't going to give her the chance to mete out her own vigilante justice. She was likelier to get killed herself.

Worried, I reached out and placed my hand on her arm, then asked the universe if Darlene was safe from Harvey's killers. A slightly fuzzy image popped up of a man holding a baby.

"We sure make cute kids," the man said.

"The cutest," Vision Darlene said.

I was back in the car blurting out, "You're gonna have a family."

Tears flooded her eyes. "Harvey was my family."

"You're gonna meet a sweet man and have babies. I promise."

She gave me a tight smile. "I really hope you're right." She reached for the door handle, then stopped. "If Scott won't talk to you, tell him I said if he doesn't cooperate, I'll tell the sheriff he set his house on fire for the insurance money." With that, she got out of the car.

Scott Van de Camp had committed insurance fraud? The secrets I was keeping from Joe were piling up.

I pulled out my phone to call Dermot. I needed to let him know what was going on, but I waited until Darlene got in her car and drove away before I pulled up his number and placed the call. It went straight to voicemail, so I left a message.

"Neely Kate and I talked to Darlene Smith, and then I spoke with her alone a little bit later. I have a few leads, so call me when you get a chance."

I considered my next move. I knew I really should go inside and get food for the week, but the pull to go to McDonald's and see if Scott Van de Camp was working won out.

And just like that, for better or worse, I was actively investigating.