Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies
Page 71

Nothing.
Worried, I texted Jed.
No word yet. You?
No. From either player.
He was talking about Skeeter. I considered texting him again, but I knew he’d reach out when he was good and ready. Though I hadn’t heard squat from him, I could only hope he was working on his own plan to take down J.R. I was dying to know what he’d discovered, if anything. But then, he was probably dying to know what Jed and I were up to … Rumors had a way of spreading, so I was sure I’d hear from him soon.
The news about Kate was bound to put a damper on my date with Mason, but I was bound and determined that we would have one anyway, even if we stayed at home. I was going to make the most of my time with Mason.
I went upstairs and took a shower and spent more time than usual putting on makeup and fixing my hair. I finished in the bathroom and stood in front of my closet, looking over my dress selection. Then I remembered the dress I’d been wearing in my vision. We’d both been so happy, and we needed all the happiness we could scrabble together. I started to reach for it when I heard Mason’s voice.
“Rose?”
“Upstairs!”
His footsteps sounded on the stairs, and I turned to watch as he came through the doorway, his overnight bag slung over his shoulder.
His eyes lit up at the sight of me. “You’re beautiful.”
I glanced down at my bathrobe. “I’m not dressed.”
He tossed his bag on the bed and moved toward me. “You’re still beautiful.” Then he pulled me into his arms and gave me a soft, lingering kiss. “I missed you more than I would have thought possible.”
I couldn’t help wondering if he was thinking of my imminent incarceration. I sure was. “I missed you too.”
“I made a reservation for six.” He pulled my robe open. His hands skimmed across my stomach, sending shivers through my body, before they came to rest on my naked hips. “We have a little time before we go.”
His mouth covered mine, and his hands began to wander, but I groaned and leaned back. “As much as I want this too, I have to tell you about my day.” Well, part of it.
Worry filled his eyes. “Should I be concerned?”
I grimaced. “Maybe.”
“Is it an emergency?”
“Well, no … I think it can wait a bit.”
“Let me grab a five-minute shower, and you can tell me while I get ready.”
“Okay.”
“Where’s Muffy?”
“At your mom’s.”
“And Neely Kate?”
“The same.”
He gave me another kiss. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but would you please get dressed before I get out of the shower? I’m afraid I’ll be too busy trying to seduce you to listen.”
I chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I put on the wine-colored dress with a deeper V-neck than I usually wore, my Lady in Black clothes aside. I’d just picked out a pair of black high heels when Mason emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and water droplets clinging to his skin.
I couldn’t help gawking at him. He truly was a gorgeous man.
He noticed me staring and grinned. “I’m not sure that dress is going to be any better for my attention span.”
I laughed. “Do I have to put on my winter coat and zip it all the way to the top?”
“You very well might. How about you tell me your news while I shave?” He turned his attention to the mirror and slathered his face with shaving cream.
I leaned into the doorframe. “How was the rest of your day?”
He picked up his razor and began to shave. “They located Pete Mooney.”
“That’s good, right?”
“It would be better if he wasn’t dead.”
“What?” The news ran a chill down my spine. “What happened?”
He rinsed his razor in the running water and resumed his task. “They found him in an alley in Little Rock over the weekend. He’d been beaten to death.”
I shuddered. “Someone tried to keep him quiet?”
“The official police report says he was mugged. But Terry—the state police detective—is going to question the Little Rock police about their investigation.”
“Well, that’s good.”
He rinsed his razor again. “I’m trying to see this as a good sign.”
“How can you say that?”
“It’s like I said on the phone. I’m getting the sense that we’re making someone nervous. We’re close to something.” He washed his face and patted it dry. “Now tell me about your day.”
“Just like the news about Pete Mooney, I’m choosing to see what we found as a good sign.” I took a deep breath as he pulled out a shirt and a pair of pants, then tossed them on the bed and moved on to the dresser.
“That definitely sounds ominous.” He pulled out a pair of underwear and put them on.
I sat on the edge of the bed. “When we were in town, Neely Kate told me that Kate Simmons is renting the apartment over the antique store, which explains why I keep running into her on the square. Then Neely Kate realized the apartment is directly across from the courthouse, and more specifically, directly across from the DA’s offices.”
He paused and looked at me. “That could be a coincidence.”
“While it could be, we’re pretty sure it’s not. Especially after what we saw.” I watched him step into his pants. “Neely Kate told the store owner she was interested in renting the apartment after Kate moves. She tried to convince her to let us take a look at it, and the woman finally agreed when Neely Kate told her we could fix the leaky faucet. That way she could explain to Kate that we were maintenance workers.”